Physical Pains And Their Metaphysical Meanings

Article c/o Lawrence Michail

for thelimitlessminds




Everything on the Physical plane is a manifestation of something on the Metaphysical plane. When we speak of abundance, what we are really talking about is an abundance of emotional, mental and spiritual energy. We fill ourselves to the brim with these energies and it is the overflow that is manifest on the physical plane.





The signs and symptoms that are apparent on the Physical plane lead us to inquire, ultimately, more deeply into ourselves as energetic and spiritual beings.


We tend not to worry too much about this sort of thing when our body is working well, we are not feeling pain, or we are not in the throes of some chronic disease. But when our body feels pain or becomes disabled by disease or accident we tend to start reaching out for answers. We want to know why. Or maybe we don’t even want to know why we just want to fix something we perceive is broken.


Realistically, when our body refuses to do what we want it to, metaphysically, it is not actually broken. It is doing its job. One of its functions is to carry messages from the higher energetic planes to us. It is then up to us to interpret these messages and take action.


Western medicine takes the position that we feel pain because we can. Western approaches to pain, as the main symptom of any disease, are pretty much limited to drugs and surgery. Treatment consists of numbing or diverting pain receptors in the body or cutting off the offending organ. While this approach does have its place in acute situations, it is at best a temporary and often harmful way to approach pain or other disharmonies we feel in our bodies. Most often, western medicine has little to offer most of us and incredibly makes us wait until our symptoms become unbearably acute before it can even acknowledge a disharmony.


The trend today, as much for economic reasons, as for reasons of spirit and human development is to encourage people to take responsibility for their own lives. This is the approach of ancient wisdom. We use our bodies to communicate with our selves and with others. We use our bodies to work out emotional, mental and spiritual questions. While we do tend to judge a diseased body negatively, there really is no right or wrong about it.


The ancient Taoists theorized that good and bad, right and wrong, yin and yang, were just different points of view that we all adopt at one time or another. Because the earth plane is dualistic in nature we all view, at one time or another from both the Yin and the Yang ends of the telescope. There does not seem to be a point in judging one good and one bad or judging one good and one evil. These just are the symptoms of being human.


Still, there is such a thing as being well, and there is such a thing as being sick. When we get sick we tend to want to do something about it.


Enter the healer.

A healer is trained in the observation and interpretation of signs and symptoms, and in methods for dealing with them.

Holistic Healing of the individual occurs at different energetic levels. These are the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels. For those on the path, there are a great many more levels and sublevels identified in various cultural, religious and philosophical traditions. But for our purposes we can look at the individual in these four broad realms to at least begin the process of healing.


Healing by the way occurs not only at the individual level, but also at the family, community and global level. When one heals ‘mindfully’, as the Buddhists say, these other aspects of individual healing may become apparent.


There are healers operating today at all these levels. Still, a good place to begin is in the individual body. With this in mind, the following is a list of physical symptoms and the metaphysical disharmonies they may reflect.

Louise Hay, in her book, ‘You Can Heal Your Life,’ has done some interesting work in this area. I use her book occasionally in my Reiki II work. Other references are; Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnostic principals, my own Reiki teacher, Denise Crundall, and my own experience.


Please note that these are only general observations, serving hopefully to illuminate areas that you can look at more closely in yourself or with the help of a healer. You are the one who knows you best. As you go through these observations, try to expand your awareness beyond your own life to see also how these disharmonies are reflected in your own family, community, country and in the world. Ultimately it is our own choice to heal or not to heal and it is our own innate healing ability that is activated.




Head


Headaches; Pain always indicates a separation of some sort from something. Usually we say separation from what is the Truth. The greater the pain the more important that something is. Depending on which part of the head is afflicted the meaning changes. Louise Hay suggests that Headaches indicate invalidating the Self out of Fear. In Chinese Medicine there are several different kinds of headaches according to the quality of the pain and the location on the head. Read on.


Vertex; The top of the head is associated with our connection to the Universe or God. Pain here is associated with separation from that higher power. It is also associated with the Kidneys and the emotion is Fear. Both the Gallbladder and Urinary Bladder channels traverse the top of the head. The Gallbladder is associated with Courage, and the Urinary Bladder through its associate with the Kidneys is associated with Fear. Du 20 (Baihui) located at the top of the head is used extensively to ‘calm the spirit’ in Chinese Medicine.


Forehead; The forehead is associated with the 3rd eye, both in Chakra Theory and Traditional Chinese Medical theory. The 3rd eye is associated with introspection and illumination of your own Inner Being. Pain here is associated with separation from your own Inner Being. In Chinese Medicine, Yintang, which is located midway between the inner ends of the eyebrows, Du 23 (Shangxing), Du 24 ( Shenting) which are located at the hairline directly above Yintang and Du 20 (Baihui) located at the top of the head, all have the action of ‘calming the spirit.’ Yintang is associated with the eyes; not only the eyes that look outward but the eyes that look inward and is indicated in some emotional disorders.


Temporal; The sides of the head are associated with courage, especially courage to face your world. Migraine Headaches, usually located in the front quadrants, right or left, indicates a separation from your world. The involvement of the eyes in Migraines indicate not only an unwillingness to look without, but to look within. Most Migraine sufferers report, not only severe pain behind the eye, but also acute sensitivity to light. In Chinese Medicine, a number of Meridians run through this area. The Gallbladder Channel is associated with courage. The San Jiao channel is involved with processing of water (the elixir of Life), and the Small Intestine Channel is involved with deriving nourishment from the world. Both the San Jiao Channel and the Small Intestine Channel are connected to the Heart, whose emotion is Joy and where the Mind is located. Lack of Joy (with one’s self) is strongly indicated by pain in this area. There is also Anger indicated by the Gallbladder channel’s link with the Liver.

Occipital; The back of the head represents your past. Some say also this is an area of spirituality. Pain here represents something in your past that is not complete and remains unforgiven. The back of the head is traversed by the Gallbladder Channel and the Urinary Bladder Channels indicating Anger born of Fear. The Back of the Head is thought to be the seat of Spiritual Experiences. The only way to see them is through inner sight. Pain in the back of the head represents an unwillingness to look deep within for the source of Light & Truth.




Back


Spine; The Spine Represents the support you think you have in Life and your alignment with those supportive forces. Curved spine, or Scoliosis represents a misalignment with Life. Spasms represent an unwillingness to accept the support that is there.


Shoulders; Shoulders represent burdens and responsibilities. Frozen Shoulder for example represents a complete unwillingness to shoulder your responsibilities in Life, especially your own Life. Pain and dysfunction to varying degrees represents varying degrees of unwillingness to be responsible. Moving forward in Life sometimes requires that you ‘put your shoulder to the wheel’ to overcome inertia. the Gallbladder channel traverses the shoulders and indicates Courage ( or lack of…).


The back, in Chinese Medicine, is considered to be your Yang side; the active, aggressive, lighted side. The back also represents that which is behind you. Very often we do not see clearly that which is behind us. Back problems generally represent conflict between the urge to move forward and the inertia of an unforgiven past that holds us back. This tension very often separates us from both and pain is the result. Louse Hay suggests that backs generally represent support.


Mid back; The mid back is the link between the shoulder and the lower back. It can be a weak link. As we firm up our shoulders and become willing to take on the responsibilities of Life, and we have gathered around us the financial and emotional support we need (lower back), something sneaks up and stabs us in the back. This is a blind spot. Not only can we not see it, but is very difficult to reach. The weak link crumbles. It is the saboteur or seducer that takes us off our path. Located in this area are the Tonification points (called ‘Shu’ points) for the Liver, the Stomach, and the Spleen. These organs are responsible for the transformation and transportation of Qi, and the free flow of Qi in the body. Blockages here affect the entire body and can stop you dead in your tracks. The Spleen represents Worry or Overthinking and the Liver represents Anger or base emotions. Both of these can sabotage even the best laid plans. Louse Hay suggests that the mid-back represents Guilt and stuck in the past stuff.


Lower Back; The Lower Back represents support; financial support, emotional support of family and friends, and support of God or the Universe. The Kidneys are located in this area and Kidney dysfunction results in Fear/Fright/Phobias. A sore lower back may indicate that we have taken on more than we think we can handle. This is a dysfunction, only if it is not the Truth. If we have indeed taken on too much, that would be indicated by a physical trauma to the back and all we need to do is lighten the load. Chronic low back ache, though, not associated with any trauma is the one with the Metaphysical application, and the one related to Kidney depletion. Kidneys are considered to have a central function relative to other organs since it is where Yuan Qi or our Primary Essence is stored. Yuan Qi is also known as Primary Qi or Congenital Qi. It is the Qi you are born with and determines your relative strength in the world. It is considered to be quite difficult to strengthen an already weak Yuan Qi, but it can be done. Low back pain is often diminished by strengthening the Kidneys. In short, Low back pain, generally refers to a lack of trust in the Universe to protect and support. Louise Hay suggests Fear of money is indicated.


Coccyx; The Coccyx/Sacrum is the seat of Self-pity. There is a fear of asking for help. One would rather sit and feel sorry for one’s self than get of one’s ass and do something.




Legs


Hips; Hips represent decisions in Life, especially decisions about moving forward. Pain in the hips is a sign of being ‘stuck’, unable to make a decision, or see clearly what is needed to be done next. The process of walking requires that we first thrust the hip forward and the leg etc. follows. This is actually, an act of faith on our part, since we are quite literally initiating a fall to the ground and trusting that our legs will save us. The Gallbladder Channel traverses the hip which again represents Courage and confidence to move forward. Louise Hay suggests that hip problems represent fear of going forward with major decisions. Hips represent the idea that the next step in your life is important. Pain or discomfort advises you to slow down or stop, look around, buy a map, or ask someone for directions.


Upper Thighs; Thighs are the link between the Hips & decisions, and the Knees & pride. Very often, when we have made a decision and take the next step, Pride gets in the way. “What if I look stupid? What if it’s not right? What if it doesn’t work out?” Our knees lock up or turn to jelly, and we are prevented from moving forward. The pain that begins in the Hips and shoots down the Thigh (Sciatic Nerve), is the separation from our desire and decision to move forward and our Fear of falling flat on our ass. Louse Hay suggests that Upper Thigh problems represent retaining childhood trauma.


Knees; Knees represent Pride. In spiritual practice it is suggested that one must go down before one can rise up, as Jesus did before John the Baptist, before taking up his own ministry. Pride or Ego keeps us from surrendering to the Will of God or the Universe. In practice, every time we move forward in Life or approach change, we approach the unknown. We may feel vulnerable or unsure. We may stand still, stiff kneed resisting the winds of change. It is interesting to note that stiff, sore knees are a symptom of Kidney deficiency, whose emotion is Fear. Rather than admit our fear, we resist it until it overwhelms us. While knees represent Pride, and it is said that ‘Pride goes before the fall’, knees can also represent Humility which is the wisdom to be yielding in the face of change.


Briefly, Knee problems may be said to indicate being stuck in the Ego, too proud to bend. Louise Hay also suggests that Knees represent Pride and the Ego.


Shins; The Shins represent another weak link. Although the Shins are mostly bone, the hardest substance in the body, the Shins are actually quite sensitive and brittle. A slight whack on the Shins is not only painful, it weakens the entire body and stops it cold. When we have organized ourselves to move forward, to take the next step towards the goal we have set, and are in the process of taking it, something comes along and sends you tumbling. It is something we trip over because we don’t see it, even though it is right there in front of us. In ancient times the shin pads that worriers wore were called greaves. Very often what trips us up is something, the loss of which we haven’t properly grieved. Moving forward always means something gets left behind. Interesting to note is that the three Yin channels of the foot all criss cross at Spleen 6 (Sanyinjiao), representing a confluence of Worry, Anger, and Fear. Moving forward is often marked by a jumble of emotional responses which need to be sorted out, especially if we are resisting it. Louise Hay suggests that problems are fear of the future; not wanting to move ahead.


Ankles; Ankles represent flexibility, which is important as one navigates the twists and turns of Life. Stiff, painful ankles means that change is difficult for you. Maybe you are one who digs in your heels and resists moving forward. The more Life forces change upon you, the deeper you dig in. A broken ankle is a good sign to develop some flexibility in your Life. Louise Hay suggests that ankles represent mobility and direction.


Feet; Our feet represent our connection with Mother Earth. Sore, swollen, numb or painful feet represent the state of our relation with our Mother. Mother Earth, and our base energies. While it is legs that carry us forward into Life, it is the feet that actually make contact with the ground and can stop any advance, or at least make it difficult. In modern society with its asphalt, concrete and High Rises, we lose touch with the Earth and its energies. This may be reflected in our relationship to the one who gave birth to us. Separation can cause real pain.


All the Leg Yin & Yang channels meet and flow into each other in the toes. This is an area of high energy and strong effect on the body. This is an area where strong energies are in transition, so our contact with Mothers, Mother Earth and our base energies is always ambivalent. We want to draw closer to that love, but at the same time move away on our own course.


In my experience, the feet often store toxic energies (as often to do with grief or resentments as not), as far away from the Heart as possible. This means, in the feet. Often, these are issues that go all the way back to childhood. Lacking the tools to effectively release grief or resentment the body stores it, like it stores fat. Over time, more and more toxic energies are stored here and fill up the receptacle. In many cases, the entire leg can become involved and the waste starts leaking back into the system. This is a very serious situation indeed, that can lead to amputations, blood disorders and even death, as the body struggles to protect the Heart. Metaphysically, it becomes clear that the space you are standing in is painful. The key is to move on. Stop dwelling on the past, release or transform whatever it is that keeps you emotionally standing still. Louise Hay suggests that feet represent our understanding of ourselves, of Life, and others, and toes represent minor details of the future.






Throat; The Throat represents our Will, and our ability to communicate, both with others and with ourselves. Sore throats, lumps in the throat, tumours all represent difficulties in saying what we want to say. Lumps, both physical tumours and those that are non-manifest (Hystericus Globus) are our willful attempts to block free expression of emotion and of our identity. The Throat is another one of those weak links that can seduce or sabotage you from your path. The Throat is the channel between the Head and the Heart. In Chinese Medicine it is said the Heart houses the Mind, especially in its connection with the emotion of Joy and the expression of Love for ourselves and for others. Have you ever had a great idea, gotten your body motivated, put your Heart into it, only to say something completely stupid which makes a mess of things? Have you ever felt the urge to say something complimentary and suppressed it? Have you ever just blurted out something that just seemed to by-pass the brain? How often does a careless or ill chosen word create havoc in your Life? Where this comes from is all the things you have not said over the years that get stuck in the throat, needing to get out, and out they come, one way or the other.


All emotions are designed to be expressed, even the ones we judge to be negative and especially the ones we judge to be positive. Louise Hay calls the the Throat an avenue of expression and a channel of creativity. Problems indicate an inability to speak up for one’s self, swallowed anger , stifled creativity and refusal to change. Thyroid problems indicate difficulty in analyzing, digesting and assimilating the communication between the Head and the Heart.


Chest/Breasts; The chest area represents the Feminine principal of nurturing and nourishing the connection with the ‘breath of Life’ as it flows through the Lungs. In men, pain or discomfort, not associated with any organ or vessel represents a disconnection from the Feminine principal. Breast envy, may exist in men; the desire to connect with the feminine side, the same way penis envy is said to exist in women; the desire to connect with the masculine side. In Chinese Medicine, the front is considered Yin. The chest is the confluence of the three most important kinds of Qi, that nourish the body; Zhong Qi, from the Lungs, Jing Qi, from the Spleen, and Yuan Qi from the Kidneys. Breast problems represents a denial of the Mother/feminine principal to nourish the self and to nourish others. Louise Hay suggest also that the breasts represent mothering and nurturing. Cysts, lumps etc. represents over mothering.


Solar Plexus; Is said to the be the seat of the Ego and Individuation. Some call this the Negative Ego. In general this area represents the conflicts in your life. Pain or discomfort in the Diaphragm area represents unresolved conflicts. In Chinese Medicine, pain in this area indicates Liver Qi Stagnation, usually associated with Anger.


Stomach; The stomach represents digestion, not only of food and physical nutrients, but of new ideas, new ways of doing things, and accepting change of any kind. The Stomach is nothing more than a big flexible bag of muscle whose job it is to ripen and rot whatever is put into it. That is, its job is to break down what is put into it into a form that the body can deal with. This it does by adding Hydrochloric Acid, Hormones, Enzymes and Bile which reduces every sold morsel into an undifferentiated mass called Chyme. Simultaneously it rocks back and forth swishing and swilling this mess until it is liquefied and able to pass through the small Pyloric Valve into the Small Intestine where the actual absorption of nutrients mostly takes place. Metaphysically, when we come upon a new idea or a new way of doing things, the process is similar. First we must swallow the idea, either whole or in handy bite sized morsels, break it down into a form we can handle and finally absorb that which we need to nourish ourselves. In the same way that a bad diet poisons the body, toxic ideas, suppressed emotions and resistance to change can have a poisoning effect. In traditional Chinese Medicine, long standing emotional disharmony is seen as a primary cause of disease. Strengthening the Spleen/Stomach which between them are responsible for transforming food and water into Qi, and transporting it throughout the body, is seen as a key strategy to deal with almost any disease. Metaphysically we need to nourish ourselves every day, just as we need to eat nourishing foods. Just as the physical body needs nourishment to grow and carry on its day to day activities, so do the Emotional, Mental, and Spiritual bodies. Metaphysically, ‘wellness’ is not accomplished by a change in diet alone. Louise Hay suggests that the stomach holds nourishment, digests ideas. Problems indicate dread, fear of the new, and an inability to assimilate the new.




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Being Too Nice Can Bring You To Depression

By Elzbieta Pettingill
Guest Writer for Wake Up World




There is such a thing as being too nice, too giving and too caring. To overcome depression you must stop the habit of bending over to gain people’s approval. I know, it’s easier said than done. But no one said it’d be easy.

 

Those who are affected by depression tend to be people-pleasers. And yet, ironically, quite often their actions are viewed by others as selfish and self-centered. For over three decades I believed in that crap myself. I believed I was selfish and self-involved. I was convinced I had nothing to offer. I also thought that it didn’t matter what I thought. That my opinion was less important than anyone else’s. It seemed as if I was always living someone else’s life.

 

Finally, after two major brain seizures caused by a suicide attempt, I stopped living someone else’s life and looked deep within…

 

Someone Else’s Life

I was the child who was “too young to understand things” and therefore to make decisions. My life was run by the grown ups, who weren’t able to see the serious damage caused by the primitive belief such as; “children should be seen but not heard.” Then later, I became an young adult, clinging to any guy who’d find anything whatsoever appealing in me. At that time my looks seemed to have the only value in the eyes of others.

 

I wasn’t myself. I wasn’t who I am. I was a “slave” to anyone who was willing to have me in their life. The fear of rejection always steered my thoughts into the direction that led others to benefit from it more than I did.

 

How tiring was that!? How exhausting it is having to constantly put others before your own self! And how little reward you get at the end of it…

 

All this, so you can keep deluding yourself that someone cares about you, at least enough to stick around. For a while, at least… ’til they get tired of it.

 

Then what do you do when the inevitable happens and when they leave? You blame yourself, of course. Consciously, or subconsciously, your already low self-esteem gets reinforced. It spirals downward in a lightening speed and you get even more depressed, thinking that there is no tomorrow for you…

 

Well, there is. And it’s a bright one, too!

 

You’ve heard the phrase: “You teach people how to treat you” but you’ve ignored it so far. Maybe because when you did try to stand up for yourself it always seemed to have backfired. You might even had finally snapped and told others to f--- off, which they deserved to hear, only to find yourself being labeled as too aggressive and not “lady-like.”

 

Well dear, who the f--- gives a damn? Who cares what others think and, or say? Let me just remind you – it shouldn’t be you. There is only one person in this entire world whose opinion should matter to you, and that is YOU and you ONLY.

 

There is only one person in this entire Universe that needs your pleasing, and that person is you.

There is only one person who needs your caring the most, and yes, you’ve guessed it – it’s you again.

 

 

Just remember this: if you care too much – others will care too little… If you remain too available – others will always remain too busy for you. Without even being apologetic about it, people will always make you wait for them, making you feel as if your time is not nearly as valuable as theirs. You get the picture…

 

You will encounter resistance from those around you when you start making those long-overdue changes, but that’s OK. Have fun with it. See that sense of amusement on their faces and that sense of disbelief… Stare back at them without blinking.

 

Be prepared to deal with the consequences of having the courage to do what’s right for you. In your mind let go of the fear of not having that job in case your boss decides to fire you. Maybe it means it’s time to do something else for a living.

 

Be ready to let go of your significant other if s/he continues to refuse to treat you in a new, more loving and respectful way.

 

Make yourself OK with being alone for now. Make yourself comfortable with being with… YOU. Get to know yourself. Find out exactly what your needs and desires are and then become unstoppable in fulfilling them! Be selfish. You’ve been accused of it so many times before, now it’s time for you to show others (and yourself) how selfish you can really be! Show them that you mean business…

 

 Renounce the guilt. Let go of it. Completely. It’s time to release it.

 

Be your number one. Be bold. Be spontaneous. Learn to be yourself in every situation and around everyone.

 

This is how you start to love yourself…

 

 

 

Find more inspiring articles like this one on our website...

 

Transcend Mind-Body Counseling

 

 

The Autumn Smoothie

What better way to glide easily into the next season than combining fruit from the tropics with the colors of fall?


The Turmeric Smoothie   

Used for over 2500 years in India, Turmeric has had a notable reputation in the culinary world for being the elite source of curcumin, an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-tumor, antibacterial, and antiviral agent. 

A relative of the ginger plant, this spice and medicinal herb, commonly used in many sweet and savory dishes, also helps flush out dietary carcinogens, boosts liver detox and treats depression.

Enjoy this delicious smoothie and the multiple benefits of turmeric.

Recipe:

-1 cup hemp or coconut milk
-1/2 cup frozen pineapple or mango chunks
-1 fresh banana
-1 tablespoon coconut oil
-1/2 teaspoon turmeric (can be increased to 1 tsp)
-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
-1/2 teaspoon ginger
-1 teaspoon chia seeds
-1 teaspoon maca (optional)
Process these ingredients in a blender until smooth

7 Days of Mindful Eating

Enjoy this 7 Day Mindful Eating Plan (part of a 10-week Mindful Diet Plan) c/o Yoga Journal.

For the next seven days, focus on tactics that’ll help you hone the mindful-eating practice.

Days 1 & 2: Eat without distractions.

Choose one meal that you’ll eat alone—and not with the TV on, at your desk while working, or with your smartphone next to you, says Peláez. “It’ll force you to really focus on how your food feels, smells, and tastes—and make you realize how rare it is that you bring this kind of attention to what you’re eating,” she says.

Days 3 & 4: Take three big, grateful breaths before a meal.

And before any snacks, even if it’s a handful of chips or a leftover croissant from your breakfast meeting, says Kay. “Simply breathing mindfully immediately inspires you to be more present, which prompts you to be more intentional about the food choices you’re making.”

Days 5 & 6: Slow wayyyyy down.

Your taste buds actually get duller and duller after every bite of food, says Kristeller, so savor each bite. Find it tough not to shovel in your food, especially when you’re hungry? Put your fork down between bites. “It sounds excessive, but it’ll force you to really chew each bite and take a mini-breather before you take another,” she says.

Day 7: Have another cheat day.

Today, try to be as mindless as possible at every meal. Chow down on a take-out lunch while you work at your desk; eat from the bag of chips as you watch TV tonight. Then, check in with yourself and compare this “cheat day” to the one during Week 1. “Odds are, your mindful-eating practices are so set in stone at this stage that your ‘cheats’ aren’t as enjoyable as they used to be,” says Kay.


See entire 10 week program


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Positive Thinking Is Not Always "Positive"

 

That's not to say positive thinking is bad. It's fundamentally important to living a happy, fulfilled, engaged life. However, the lie and myth is that positive thinking is all that's needed.

The reality is that we have difficult and painful emotions for a reason. They arise out of a self-protective compassionate need to SERVE our selves more effectively. Like physical pain, emotional pain is a compass that helps us see when things aren't quite working right inside ourselves.
 
When we ignore physical pain or mask it over with over medication, our body degenerates and ultimately finds more pain (not less).

The same is true when we use Positive Thinking as a form of "over medication" for our spirit & emotions.

By not honoring and owning our emotional pain, then our soul... our heart... our spirit... call it what you will... ultimately will degenerate. Our psyche isn't designed to repress and suppress pain indefinitely.

That's a big reason why some highly successful people have emotional breakdowns. They just keep over medicating (or ignoring) until finally they can't do it anymore.
 
The flip-side is equally as dangerous. When we completely identify with the negative painful thoughts, when we allow them to run our lives, to make us forget how magnificent we inherently are, then we also breakdown. We aren't designed that way either.

Instead, I suggest accepting and acknowledging painful emotions as a compass - like a thermometer - to help you more effectively focus your attention and energy. Notice the "warning signs" that negative thinking presents to you. It's not like I never have negative thoughts. I have them every day!

The thing is, I don't take them so seriously. I strive to see them for what they are: helpful information that can point me TOWARDS living a happier and more positive life. They show me where more attention and self-care is needed in my life.

By using negative thoughts and painful emotions in that way, then the positive thinking is no longer a crutch - it's no longer an addictive medicine that silently degenerates us until it's too late.

Instead, positive thinking becomes a support to help you through the negative thoughts and ultimately take your happiness to the next level.

See Your Anxiety As A Gift With A Message

 

 

If you struggle with anxiety, you're also a highly sensitive and creative person. Instead of labeling the anxiety as "bad" or slapping an additional diagnosis across your forehead, a more compassionate approach encourages you to see your anxiety as a gift with a message embedded in the symptoms. 

This means that instead of judging your sensitivity as a negative trait, you begin to see the whole package of who you are as a gift and recognize one simple truth: If you're going to get through this life with grace, you have to find the willingness and the courage to feel your painful or uncomfortable feelings. The only way out is through, as we say in psychology.

 

Can you imagine how different your life would be if, every time you felt that pang of loss or sadness, instead of judging it as "overly-sensitive" you moved toward it with kindness? If you simply put your hand on your heart and said to yourself, "It's okay to feel sad. Sadness is a part of life," something inside of you would relax and a small space would open up. A collection of those small spaces leads to a state of acceptance where you're in alignment with life. 

 

We carry so many fears about feeling pain, fears that arise from not learning how to move toward pain with compassion as kids. We fear that if we feel it, it will never end. We fear that it will overwhelm us and we'll die or go crazy. We fear that feeling our pain is for "sissies", that pain is a sign of weakness. We try to "buck up and get over it" but it doesn't go away. It squashes down into the hidden places of the heart and morphs into anxiety or depression. We long for serenity, freedom from the torture chamber of anxiety, worry, and intrusive thoughts, but find that it's continually just out of reach. 

 

This is one of the pathways to serenity: allowing yourself to move toward the uncomfortable places—"the places that scare you," . It's a courageous path, especially as it flies in the face of everything you learned as a child and everything the culture upholds as desirable qualities (i.e. being "tough"), but true healing always involves the courage to shed the habitual beliefs and actions that are keeping you stuck so that you can embrace the person you are meant to be.

10 Really Amazing Health Benefits Of Yoga

Enjoy this great article from eatlocalgrown.com regarding the health benefits of yoga.

There are really more than 10 reasons why yoga is so good for you, and the physical, psychological, and subtle benefits of this practice could fill books. But following is a brief highlight of some of the reasons you should consider adding yoga to your world. Here are 10 health benefits of yoga.

1. Strength, Agility and Flexibility are all Increased

Many sports will give you strength. Others will give you more agility, but few practices will increase strength, agility, and flexibility all at once. In my years of teaching I’ve seen professional athletes overcome injury by increasing their range of motion with yoga, and victims of a double masectomy regain full mobility after debilitating surgeries that left loads of scar tissue in their bodies. Nothing really compares for repairing the body and making sure that the ligaments and connective tissues are just as strong and pliable as the muscles themselves.

2. Yoga Enhances Memory & Cognitive Functioning

It may seem strange that a practice which involves breathing and stretching can enhance your cognitive functioning, but yogis could really be better at learning, have increased memory capacity, and retain high levels of concentration. Many of these benefits are attributed to meditation – arguably the goal of all yogic practice, but it can also help you at school or on the job by improving your brain functioning.

3. Body Weight Normalizes – More Health Benefits of Yoga

While doing an hour of hatha yoga, or even power yoga won’t likely burn as many calories as doing a high intensity interval workout, yoga has a way of normalizing body weight by restoring hormonal balance in the body.
By lowering levels of cortisol and our nervous system’s constant fight or flight response, not only are we less likely to overeat, or eat to suppress unpleasant emotions, we also train our brains to feel satiated more easily because we aren’t constantly in panic mode. Stress is known to cause obesity and fuel virtually all disease, and yoga is a perfect countermeasure.

4. Yoga Naturally Reduces Pain

There are countless studies proving that yoga can be very effective at relieving pain. It doesn’t matter if you suffer from fibromyalgia, arthritis, or migraine headaches, yoga has been proven to effectively reduce pain from all these ailments. And if you are one of the millions of people that suffer from back pain – yoga can make that pain practically disappear.
Meditation has even been shown to be better than morphine at reducing pain.

5. Respiratory Efficiency Increases

Further adding on to the health benefits of yoga, yoga is one of the few practices that utilizes pranayama – the cultivation of life force or chi through breathing. While many people practice pranayama as a means to obtain higher states of awareness, they also end up having some serious side benefits including increased lung capacity, more tidal volume (the total amount of air your lungs can hold at any one time), and an ability to reduce the pace of their breathing which has been directly linked to a longer lifespan.

6. Blood Pressure is Normalized

Yoga has specific benefits for hyporeactors in blood pressure. For those suffering from hypertension, yoga has been shown to be even more effective than dietary changes for improving blood pressure.

7. Mental Health is Greatly Enhanced

Yoga offers so many benefits in the psychological department it is difficult to name them all in a brief overview, but among them are an improved overall mood and sense of well-being, more connectedness with others, lowered depressive states, less hostility toward the self and others, less anxiety, feelings of self-actualization increase, motivation increases, and more.

8. Yoga Prevents Degenerative Diseases

The ways in which yoga prevents disease are astounding. When you really understand how, it can be more evidence than you would ever need to take to the yoga mat, stat! Here are just some of the reasons yoga helps to keep you young and healthy longer:

• Glucose decreases
• Sodium decreases
• Total cholesterol decreases
• Triglycerides decrease
• HDL cholesterol increases
• LDL cholesterol decreases
• VLDL cholesterol decreases
• Cholinesterase increases
• Catecholamines decrease
• ATPase increases
• Hematocrit increases
• Hemoglobin increases
• Lymphocyte count increases
• Total white blood cell count decreases
• Thyroxin increases
• Bioavailable Vitamin C increases
• Total serum protein increases
• Oxytocin increases
• Prolactin increases

9. The Parasympathetic Nervous System Takes over in Yoga

Why is this a good thing? Both the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems work to keep us stabilized in the face of stress. These systems are connected like a see-saw. When one goes up the other goes down. When the sympathetic nervous system is active, it usually means we are on ‘high-alert’ either responding to stress or trying to minimize it.
This is the part of our nervous systems that is most often triggered – from flashing lights, traffic noises, emails from our co-workers or boss, family responsibilities, etc. Yoga strengthens the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system which is primarily responsible for the ‘relaxation response.’
Obviously you wouldn’t want to constantly be zoned out or lethargic, nor perpetually on high-alert, so yoga helps to put the circular motion, the balance, back into the two nervous system’s dance.

10. You Can Do Yoga Anywhere

Perhaps one of the most convenient health benefits of yoga is that you can experience them just about anywhere.  I’ve done yoga in studios, at the airport, in my home, at a friend’s home, in hotel rooms, outdoors in parks and forests, even on top of rocks, or on the rooftops of tall buildings in a busy city.
You don’t need anything (except maybe a yoga mat) but even that isn’t really necessary to do yoga.
There are no gym memberships required, and no expensive gear.  You don’t have to be in shape to start, and it will continue to challenge you even if you are in shape.  Yoga is timeless and can be done almost anywhere without a great const or inconvenience.  For even more reasons to practice yoga, visit a class in your area and learn first hand what it can do for you.

Adopting a healthier lifestyle. Inside and out.

We see more and more people embarking on the journey toward a healthier lifestyle.  Of course everyone knows that diet and exercise are both crucial, but feeling good on the inside matters too.  Learning to manage and overcome stressful situations is just as important as learning to exercise each day and eat your vegetables.

 

Research has shown that it takes 6 months in order to develop long-term habits and commit to them, which is why Transcend offers a 6-month Wellness Program that will help you adopt, apply, and most importantly, maintain healthy lifestyle choices.

 

 

Transcend offers a combination of Therapy, Mindful Fitness, and Meditation, where you learn to:

• Construct a clear, realistic vision of where you want to be at the end of this year

• Identify the hidden obstacles that are in your way

• Create a next step action plan 

• Develop a 3 stage long-term plan

 

 

 

Click on the link below to inquire about scheduling and fees associated with this program.

  

Wellness at Transcend

 

 

 

Do this simple 10-minute routine each morning to improve your overall health...

 

If you're looking for a boost of energy, this simple 10-minute routine will revitalize your body, center your mind and get your day off to a great start!

 

 

Surya Namaskar (or Sun Salutation) is a set of 12 postures, preferably to be done at the time of sunrise, as revitalizes the body and refreshes the mind, preparing us for the day ahead.

 

The regular practice improves circulation of blood throughout the body and maintains health, while improving muscle tone and assisting in weight loss.  There are numerous benefits of the Sun Salutation for the heart, liver, intestine, stomach, chest, throat, legs. From head to toe, every part of the body is greatly benefitted by this exercise, which is why it is highly recommended by all yoga experts.

 

For more Mindful Fitness and Yoga practices, visit us at:

 

www.transcendct.com

2 Week Mind-Body Fitness Intensive

 

2 Week Mind-Body Fitness Intensive

A combination of Mindful Fitness, Athletic Training, Meditation, and Counseling. 
 

If you feel the need to jump start your life, free yourself from unhealthy patterns and create the best version of you, this program is for you! During these two weeks you will learn and practice movements that will connect you to your body in an empowering way. You will develop balance, strength and flexibility and you will learn how to release the unhealthy layer of fat that doesn't belong in your body.

You will learn how to manage your stress and use it to release unhealthy thoughts and beliefs about yourself and the world. You will be given the tools to connect to the teacher, trainer, counselor and nutritionist within. Think about how much not being happy with where you are in your life is costing you!  Invest in yourself now! You are worth it!
 

           GREAT FOR

Stress Management
Fat Loss
Maintaining Sobriety
Anger Management

Option with Nutrition Consultation and Food Delivery.

Other individualized variations also available.

This is an individualized program one can start whenever. It involves fitness training 3-5 times a week, counseling 1 week and daily meditation. We also offer a version with food delivery from 5 square meals. You can check this out on our website.  www.transcendct.com

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Call Today:  203 414 9265

Mindfulness for Beginners

Here is a great article dispelling the 7 Myths of Meditation c/o elephantjournal.com

“If you ask why we meditate, I would say it’s so we can become more flexible and tolerant to the present moment.”
~ Pema Chodron

Are you intrigued by meditation and mindfulness practices but don’t know how to get started?

Mindfulness is available to all of us. Everyone deserves mindfulness, but because our lives are so hectic and full of distractions, many of us are living in a state of mindlessness.

Mindfulness can begin in the form of seated meditation and then expanded to include our other daily activities.

Because meditation and mindfulness have become so mainstream, there are many misleading myths around these subjects. I’ll do my best to dispel seven of the most common ones.


1. In meditation, the goal is a clear and empty mind.

Mental fullness is our natural state. Our minds tend to overflow with thoughts, ideas, worries, emotions, plans, hopes and dreams. Complete absence of thoughts is never going to happen.

As the wise Buddhist teacher and author, Pema Chodron, writes in How to Meditate: “You don’t need to struggle not to have thoughts because that’s impossible.” I define mindfulness as the ability to pay attention to what is right here, right now—without getting hooked on any certain idea, belief, opinion, feeling or memory. It is a practice of watching the way we think without identifying ourselves as our thoughts.

2. You need to be a calm and patient person to meditate.

Meditation practice often results in making us more calm and patient in our daily lives. However, being calm, quiet and patient are not prerequisites. Intense and difficult emotions are part of life and therefore part of meditation. We must sit with whatever we are experiencing… otherwise we’ll never sit!

3. Stick to one technique in order to get the best results.

There are widely varying opinions on this topic, but in my view, you don’t need to commit to just one style of meditation in order to benefit from meditating.


Maybe you will find a teacher and a single technique that resonates. If not, it’s okay to try a variety of techniques. The key is consistent, daily practice. It is helpful and recommended to seek out a meditation teacher or more experienced spiritual friend to guide you on your new path.

4. Meditation makes us feel good.

Meditation is simple—sitting still, breathing, paying attention to each moment. However, it’s not always easy and can sometimes make us feel downright bad. Especially at first, we become more aware of our rampant thoughts and crazy emotional swings. Old, stored emotions and long-forgotten memories can arise. This heightened self-awareness may feel like a step back, but it’s actually a key part of becoming a more mindful person.

5. Meditation is difficult and time-consuming.

Meditation is not complicated and does not require any special equipment or accessories. We don’t have to meditate for hours to feel the benefits of this powerful practice. Even just a few minutes of quiet, mindful breathing can transform us.

We tend to make things feel more difficult than they are through procrastination. When it comes to household chores, writing assignments, tax returns and meditation, we’d often rather do anything but the task at hand. However, once we sit down with intention, we discover it’s not so hard after all.

6. Meditation is for adults.

Actually, kids and teenagers need and benefit greatly from meditation, too.

7. Meditation must be done in a proper seated position and in a quiet, secluded place.

Mindfulness meditation can be done in the traditional seated position—as well as through mindful action such as walking, eating and talking. Ultimately, mindfulness becomes a natural part of our being. The key is presence. Letting go of the past and the future; focusing on the present moment at hand, even if that moment is loud and in public.

Like pretty much everything in life, mindfulness takes practice. How do we get started? How do we develop dedication and discipline? Here are a few suggested practices for beginners.


Mindful sitting

I recommend beginning with at least five minutes of formal seated meditation each day. Early in the morning works best for me, but it could just as well be in the afternoon or evening. Find the time that best suits you. There are plenty of free resources out there on beginning a meditation practice.

Mindful eating

This practice can be done anytime you sit down to eat a meal. (Yes, even during the holidays.)

Hover you palms over the plate or bowl of food. Think about where it came from. How it was planted, cultivated, transported, purchased, prepared and served onto your plate. Feel gratitude for the fact that you have something so delicious and nutritious to eat.

Place your palms together and take a breath, smelling the delicious aroma of what you are about to eat. Take small bites, taking the time to chew mindfully. Eat in super slow motion.

Mindful eating gets easier with time. Try to start with one meal a day and work your way up.

Mindful walking

Turn off your phone, unplug your headphones and walk deliberately, focusing on the soles of your feet. Look around at the scenery. Pay close attention to your surroundings.

Use your breath as an anchor; whenever your mind wanders to the past or future, bring it back to the present by feeling the sensation of breathing. You can also do this practice while driving, biking, running or any other form of transportation.

Mindful speech

Notice what you are saying. What words are you using? What is the tone of your voice? Why are you saying what you are saying? Is it necessary? Is it helpful? Is it mean-spirited? Could it go unsaid?

Bringing greater awareness to our voice and verbal communication is essential. Try going one full day without saying anything—good or bad—about anyone who is not in your physical presence. It’s hard. You might not be able to do it on the first try. This practice makes us much more aware of our tendency to talk about others behind their backs.


The beauty of mindfulness is that it can be with us in every moment. The potential to be present and fully experiencing what we are experiencing—life—is always here.

May this article be of benefit to both brand-new beginners and those renewing an interest in this practice of simple presence and openness.


via Michelle Margaret Fajkuson Nov 24, 2013

What's New at Transcend...

 

 

Mindful Fitness is a method that marries physical exercise with mindfulness, as a means to: 

 

• increase connection to the body and its messages
• increase the ability to be present
• decrease reactivity and compensatory behaviors, and
• correct physical and emotional imbalances

 

By honoring a client's unique pace and ability through out the workout, we can uncover vulnerability and areas that need to be strengthened to optimize function.  Because we bring our mental patterns in the way we workout, we can use the workout to correct and/or release what no longer serves us, without having to rehash the stories.  Clients will heal by developing their ability to sit with whatever feeling arises in the moment without avoiding it, compensating or numbing and without the commentary of the mind. Mindful fitness is about strengthening our emotional muscles as well as developing a strong physical core.

It's been used successfully with addiction issues, self-esteem and behavioral problems, among others.

For more information on this beneficial approach to fitness, contact:

 

Transcend Mind-Body Counseling Center

How Do You Obtain A Higher Quality of Life? Let us count the ways...

There are so many ways to experience Transcend wellness.  From counseling, to fitness, to nutrition, we explore all avenues, creating a seamless path to a higher quality of life.

(Click below to be redirected to our website)

http://www.transcendct.com/services.html
 

 

A great reason to meditate and 4 simple steps to help you do it

 

To meditate: to focus and quiet your mind.  To reach a higher level of awareness and inner calm.

 

 

 

1. Sit comfortably with your spine straight. Close your eyes and become aware of the flow     of breath coming in and out of your body. You can follow it as the touch of air inside the nostrils or the raising and falling of your abdomen. 

2. When you realize you have been caught in a thought, don’t judge or blame yourself. It happens, even to the most experienced meditators.


3. Instead of following the thought, as you might do in normal life, gently shift your attention back to some experience in the present moment:  the sensation of the breath coming in and going out of your body.  


4. Let your attention rest in that experience. Don’t try to concentrate or hold it there. Ah yes, you will be sure to wander off again. But the practice is not learning how to stay present, but how to return to the present.

For more practices, tips and sessions available, like us on our Facebook page, and check out our website!

         

 

 

Our First Blog!

Welcome to the Transcend blog!  We offer an integrative approach to health, concentrating not only on the health of the body, but also on the mind and heart.  Our focus is on stress management through physical movement, nutrition, meditation, mindfulness and psychotherapy.  We will provide important information and helpful tips on how you can build and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Transcend Counseling brings an important evolutionary step to traditional therapy by incorporating fitness and meditation into psychotherapy.

This powerful combination is very efficient in removing obstacles to the clients' optimal functioning as well strengthening their ability to heal themselves, attain balance and reach their highest and unique potential.

Research on anxiety, depression and exercise shows that the psychological and physical benefits of exercise can also help reduce anxiety and improve mood.

Meditation is now commonly used to treat mental health disorders, addiction, and everyday stress, as well as to heal physical ailments and promote better sleep. If psychotherapy is not enough, give this integrative approach a try! It may be the answer you have been searching for.