Thankful - ever thankful

Usually as another year comes to a close I am so filled with hope for the new year that I don't really reflect upon the closing year - well at least not in a positive manner.  I generally think "good riddance - that was a painful year".  Then I saw that one of my favorite yogi (@kathrynbudig) jumped out of a plane for her first solo skydive as a thank you gift to 2011.  That got me thinking.....

At first I was pretty convinced that it would be much easier to write my intentions for 2012 than it would be to find much to be thankful to 2011 for....NOT SO!!!

I found so many big - huge - things that happened this year that made me so filled with joy and hope and inspiration.  I took joy from friends having excellent years - getting new jobs, having babies, buying their first home (some doing more than one of these in 2011).  Then I realized that there were as many small things to be thankful to 2011 for - including being able to sit outside in the warm sunshine while I wrote down my thoughts!!

I hope this is an exercise that you will consider.  It was a very uplifting experience.  Gratitude is so precious and as 2011 ticks away, I am profoundly grateful for so many people, experiences and opportunities to learn.  I defined this year, when all was said and done, as the year that I moved more fully into who I am.  I am calling it metamorphosis.  So to each of you - many thanks for 2011 and continued blessings for 2012.

Namaste,

Julie

This is not the way forward

On the anniversary of women be "given" the right to vote - Christine O'Donnell sets the women's movement back 40 years.

Dear Ms. O'Donnell:

In my opinion, if you publically speak out against masturbation and your support of abstinence for teens you have opened the door for debate on these views.  I find it reprehensible that this woman is claiming that someone asking her about topics - that she herself brought into the public arena and has recently written about in her new book - is creepy.  I find it creepy that you, Ms. O'Donnell went on an MTV show and discussed masturbation.  Really creepy actually.  Like incredibly creepy.  How dare you get upset when someone asks you about your position - especially when you are out trying to get publicity for yourself - I mean your "book".  Let me just tell you something...you can NOT throw around words like "sexual harrassment" so casually.  Many women face true harrassment in their work and lives.  You suggesting that this interviewer was bordering on harrassment is naive, slanderous and childish.  YOU spoke about these topics.  YOU bring them up in your book (supposedly - but of course I won't be reading and supporting your "literary" effort).  YOU are out in public doing interviews.  YOU can not dictate how the public treats you.  Piers Morgan was asking you to define your current positions on these topics.  That's his JOB. And any interviewer worth his or her salt will hone in on the topics the interviewee is trying to wiggle out of.  Which for you, seem many. This woman has no place in business or politics.  She has set the women's movement back 40 years and made it even harder for women who face true harrassment to be heard and believed.  I am offended and appalled by this woman.  Please don't support her in any way.

O'Donnell: Morgan's questions were 'creepy': http://on.today.com/oJwfqL via @todayshow

Health Benefits of Yoga

An article by Deepak Chopra, MD on the health benefits of yoga.

http://www.thevisualmd.com/expert_panel/deepak_chopra_md/weekly_health_tip_yoga%E2%80%99s_health_benefits

Special-needs students use meditation to control behavior - Philly.com

Practicing meditation is a great stress-reliever and has been shown to have physiological benefits as well. It's no wonder that applying these techniques have also provided relief to the growing number of children with ADHD and ASD.

Special-needs students use meditation to control behavior - Philly.com

Yoga Journal - Yoga Ayurveda - Yoga for Your Dosha

Yoga is one of the four pillars of health and wellness in a balanced Ayurvedic lifestyle. And although many people have tried yoga, most are unfamiliar with the holistic approach to wellbeing that Ayurveda can bring to their life. So although the practice of yoga is a fantastic body/mind/spirit exercise, you should factor in your particular dosha to help you determine the best form/style of yoga for you. All yoga is not created equal when it comes to supporting your particular dosha. Although "hot" yoga (Bikram) is currently very trendy, if you are predominately Pitta, this form of yoga would actually be detrimental to you as it increases the fire in your system and puts you even more out of balance. Some of the symptoms you may find after attending a hot yoga session are skin erruptions, heartburn and even anger - all signs that Pitta is too high. However, Kapha people would do well to ignite their core in this manner so it would be an excellent option for them. So use your dosha as a guide and select the yoga style that is most supportive to keeping you in balance. And remember that by incorporating Ayurveda into your "off-the-mat" practice you can increase your vitality even more.

Yoga Journal - Yoga Ayurveda - Yoga for Your Dosha

TEDxAustin Robyn O'Brien 2011

The video of Robyn O'Brien's TED presentation is an eye-opening account of how our food supply, and the subsidies that support it, have created an American crisis, not just a health crisis, but an economic one as well. Using her industry analyst skills, Robyn investigated food allergies and why they are climbing as such astronomical rates. Some of her research is presented in the video below. It is an engaging, and frightening, presentation.

Did you know that if a person moves to the US their chance of getting cancer goes up 4-fold?!? And that organic farmers not only do not get subsidies from the government, they have to pay additional fees to go through the certification process? No wonder organic food is more expensive. But is it? The rise in healthcare costs associated with environmental disease costs 16% of our GDP. And if 9 out of 10 cases of breast cancer are environmentally-linked as opposed to genetically - doesn't that mean we should be funneling resources to improve the quality of the environment and food supply? As Ayurveda teaches, it is not about treating the SYMPTOM, true health is achieved by determining the root of symptomatic discomfort and restoring the body to balance. It seems that by addressing the food supply issues in Robyn O'Brien's talk we would finally be focusing on the root of the healthcare issue in our country.

Natural Beauty | Ayurvedic Beauty Rituals

Ayurveda believes that looking good is a reflection of health. It makes sense really. Glowing skin, strong nails and luxurious hair are all outward signs of internal health. But so too taking care of our outward health can improve our internal health. Topical applications of essential oils and herbal poultices can provide a tremendous boost to our internal functioning. In that vane, here is an article from Yoga Journal regarding some of the natural beauty rituals of Ayurveda. Try out some of their suggestions and let me know how you feel.

Natural Beauty Ayurvedic Beauty Rituals