Remedies For A Night of Revelry

I received this from the wonderful EcoHerbalists. Love these women! Hope you had a wonderful holiday, and if you're planning to celebrate the New Year with, yes of course, champagne and other beverages, here are a few tips from the EcoHerbalists to help remedy those effects.



Remedies For A Night of Revelry

Heal Your Hangover and Start the New Year Bright

Whether you are one of the smart and well disciplined to ring in the New Year with a morning chakra balancing meditation or are one of the ones who will be suffering a worthwhile headache, we have the insights and cures to start 2011 healthy and bright. If indeed you plan on get whisked away in indulgent celebratory endeavors on New Years Eve, we’d like to share a few choice home remedies to make your night of revelry a bit more memorable. Look below (even through bleary eyes) for the best preventative measures, hangover cures, and emergency quick fixes for having a night of “too much fun.”

Worship Water: Avoid dehydration and over indulgence at parties by drinking a glass of water for every alcoholic beverage you have throughout the night. Water will help keep you from experiencing those searing headaches that keep you horizontal the next day.

Take a multi B- vitamin: Your system quickly becomes depleted of this vital B-vitamin from too much imbibing. Take a multi B that includes B-1 (thiamine) and B-6 before the drinking begins or after the over-indulgence has occurred.

NAC- N-acetyl-cysteine is an amino acid that breaks down and eliminates on the main causes of hangovers, acetaldehyde. Take with multi B complex and vitamin C.

Bifidus: Take a ¼ teaspoon of the beneficial probiotic bifidus to help restore gut bacteria before you go to bed. Probiotics also help to aid in the manufacture of B vitamins as well as detoxify and restore the digestive system after alcohol consumption.

Replenish your electrolytes – Eat foods rich in minerals like potassium that get depleted by too much alcohol. Find your balance again and try 1tablespoon blackstrap molasses.

Eat bananas- they are rich in the minerals potassium and magnesium. These nutrients will help reduce the throbbing pounding headache by relaxing the blood vessels. This fruit is great in a smoothie with flax oil to relieve symptoms of nausea.

Vitamin C- this is another vitamin/antioxidant depleted during too much drinking. It helps protect the liver so replenish asap.

Liver support: Make a nutritive tea with dandelion root, milk thistle, burdock, and honey to aid in liver detoxification.

Ginger Tea: This tea can help quell unwelcomed nausea. Slice 10-12 pieces of fresh ginger root and simmer in 4 cups of water for 15 minutes. Strain out ginger and add honey to taste.

Sauerkraut- if the thought of eating kraut after a big night out turns your belly around even more than it is, trust me, I understand, but if you can get past the oddity and look at this food as medicine, this cabbage loving elixir might become your BFF. The vinegar and spices speed up the blood flow, quickening the detoxification process. The cabbage is a pal for liver detox too and while boosting beneficial gut bacteria. You can eat raw cabbage as an old school preventative to getting a hangover the next day after a big night on the town. Crunch on.

l-Glutamine- This amazing amino acid protects and heals the stomach lining thereby reducing injury and inflammation from alcohol intake while also reducing the effects of hangover and cravings for alcohol. Comes in powder form.

Ginseng Take ginseng before a night of partying or after the damage has been done. Ginseng is a liver detoxifier and will help clear the system of toxins.

Alkalinize– the day before, the day of, and the day after partying eat and drink restorative mineral rich foods to boost the alkalinity in the body. Try clear soup broths, miso, and lots of vegetables. Take a “green drink” the morning after drinking too much. Mix 2 tablespoons chlorella, blue green algae, spirulina, wheat grass or some super green powder in 8 oz. water and drink. This will help to replenish the mineral stores to buffer against the acidifying inflammatory effects of drinking too much alcohol.

May your year be filled with good health, and balance!

Learning to appreciate even when I want to explode

Being back on the east coast is always a "trip" for me. I love visiting my family and seeing friends when I can. Since living on the west coast in the San Francisco Bay Area for the last seven years, I've learned many things about myself and my family. It's amazing what 3000 miles of distance can do! I could go on about that experience, but I only have so much time in this coffee shop in Orleans, MA.

I've been staying with my mom, plus spending time with my brother, father, stepmother and stepfather. So far, I've noticed their reactions to their experiences such as traffic ( to name a few). However, it's the judgments they have toward people in general. I mean we all do it. I know in the past few years, I've learned a variety of tools, especially when I feel myself getting amped up about what someone just did or said. I guess what I really want to acknowledge is the negativity that my family feeds off of, or is the only focus they seem to put their attention on. I'm very careful how I say things so I don't set them off more because I could totally go that route and fire them up more; or say nothing so they can truly hear themselves. I really see what my coaching teacher was talking about. He would say to try and find those things you appreciate about those people who do fire you up. It's so freakin' hard! Especially with family.

So I, now, appreciate all the things my parents provided for me growing up, and still do. The unconditional love and support. I appreciate the fire and passion my brother has about current events and issues in the world, along with his music and art. I appreciate having a family that, although we have our differences, we can still enjoy each others' company.

Even when I would hear negative comments about something come out of their mouth, I would breathe and appreciate something about them. Even if it's that I got them in my life.

Running in the snow

I ran in the snow last night. it was utterly amazing. although the wind would blast it in my face from time to time, the xmas lights on all the houses glowed. I only ran a little over a mile (maybe less), but i wanted to see what it was like. cold. wet. exhilarating! it's snowing this morning on the cape, but it's lightening up. I can't wait to go venture out in it. I think I'm the only one out of my whole family who does :)

5 Biggest Misconceptions About Yoga | Top Five Tuesdays | Yoga Blog | Yoga Journal

5 Biggest Misconceptions About Yoga | Top Five Tuesdays | Yoga Blog | Yoga Journal

I had to share this blog I read on the Yoga Journal blog. I have students who believe the first one, and I think I was even in that category as well. The first misconception about yoga: Yoga is just for _____ people. In other words, it's that chatter you may have in your head such as, "I'm not flexible enough", "I'm not thin enough", "I'm not young enough"; well, thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU! There is a style and pace for everyone, especially these days. It's just a matter of researching and trying different classes and teachers. I know if you have an injury or other restriction in your body, you may be scared to even try because of the risk of hurting yourself. Yoga teaches us to be in our own bodies, not what "other" body's are doing. I know, from experience, it's hard NOT to compare yourself. I still catch myself doing it after 10 years! Notice when you do that, and redirect your attention to your body and breath. Do the pose to the best of your ability, and what feels safe, but challenging to your body.

Yoga is a mix of awareness, concentration and movement. So you're basically mediating as you move from pose to pose. This comes from #3: The purpose of yoga is physical fitness. Not necessarily. The poses are great for the physical body to strength and stretch muscles, but it's not like an aerobics class you may take at the gym. I teach yoga at a gym, and I know some of the students are there for just the physical, especially if they're new. I always incorporate a little mindfulness techniques and meditation, so they get a little of everything. As a yoga teacher, you really can't leave that out if you tried!

Those were the ones that really spoke to me, as I run into them a lot. If you're a student of any level or a teacher, or thinking about trying yoga, read the short blog, link is at the top.

Namaste

Moving forward

It was a hard thing to decide, but it's time to move on. I decided to drop my *Daly City yoga class, and pass the reigns onto another great, up and coming teacher. I'm still going to teach in San Francisco at 24 Hour Fitness and sub at the YMCA when needed. I'm also curious and open to see what other opportunities are out there in the yoga teaching world. I will miss my Daly City students, and do hope they continue their practice and going to class. This class was my first real teaching gig ever! So there's definitely a lot of history there, and growth within my teaching over the years.

So what next?

I feel 2011 will be about recharging, revamping and refreshing my practice as a yoga practitioner and teacher. I will take more workshops and trainings for myself, so I can continue to grow in my yoga practice. In a way, I feel I've neglected that most important part about being a yoga teacher: practice! It's time to focus my attention there and see where it takes me. I miss going to class, not just for the yoga part, but the community of other like-minded individuals and yoga enthusiasts. I miss that network. I feel the withdrawal and the craving. It's time to step back into myself and see where I'm at in all of it. I'm so excited, open, and grateful!

**Leeat Louvton will be taking over my class on Monday evenings at War Memorial Community Center in Daly City. For more information, go to www.doelgercenter.com and check out the class schedule.

Namaste!

Listening to Our Body...Again

I reread this post I wrote back in February. Boy, was there some "stuff" going on! I'm re-realizing that the body never lies. We need to listen to it and be with it, which is what yoga and massage has taught me. I recently had an Aura Balancing session (energy/chakra balancing) from a good friend of mine, who is an energyworker, clairvoyant and life coach. I went to her because I felt very blocked in areas of my body, especially my throat and chest area. For the past few weeks, I've been grieving loss. Loss of people, and parts of me that I have needed to let go of. As my yoga practice has involved Yin and restorative postures these days, being still and quiet has allowed this grief to surface and be free of my body. I've learned new ways to ground myself and protect myself. In the past, I always took on other people's "stuff", and what I mean by stuff is their moods, emotions, experiences, presence, etc. Let's just say "vibes". Have you ever walked into a room, or encountered a person, and felt something off or shift? It's like the air stretches or changes volume around them, depending on what's going with them. Sometimes those people or places have a positive vibe, and sometimes they don't. For a long time, I was a sponge and would absorb all the negative vibes from people and places. Instead of letting it go, I took it on for some reason.

When I was younger, it was a way to relate to people or to feel that I belonged. Over the years, my body's energy became drained, and now, it's done with that. There are other ways-healthy ways-to relate with people. There are healthy ways to be with people, who aren't exactly in a well-balanced state, but that doesn't mean you have to go there too! We can meet them where their at with distance and still be in close proximity. I want to share a great grounding-meditation exercise to help protect yourself from any negative vibes you may encounter throughout your day. It's also just a great way to unwind. As a yoga teacher, massage therapist and coach, if you're constantly around different people throughout your day, and can leave you energized or drained. Something to think about and be aware of, especially around the holidays.

Take 5 or 10 minutes to do this exercise:

First, find a quiet place and sit either in a chair or on the floor. You want your feet on the ground. Close your eyes and take a few deep, belly breaths. Extend both arms straight up toward the sky with palms up, and then bring them down slowly to the sides like your drawing a circle around you. Imagine a sphere of space (this is your aura) five feet in front, above, below and the sides of you. Then place all your energy and the energy you may have picked up from others or places and send it above your head down through your crown, third eye, throat, chest/heart, abdomen, pelvis, until you get to the tip of tailbone. Place all that energy in a ball with any color that comes to you (something soothing). Imagine a cord of that color from the ball, and send the energy down into the ground so deep it gets to the earth's core and say to yourself or out loud, "I release this energy to the earth." Then imagine a crystal, white ball of clean, bright light and send that back up the cord letting it cover your feet, legs, pelvis, trunk, neck and head, then allow it to burst over your head, covering your aura. Feel this new, earth energy soothe your whole body, mind and spirit. Then find your feet and take a few long, deep belly breaths.

Try this at the end of the day before you go to bed and then again in the morning. I find sometimes I do it in the middle of the day, depending on what kind of day I'm having. If I'm inspired by affirmations or yogic chant phrases at the end such as, "so hum", which means, "I am that". I say it over and over again to myself or out loud and just sit with it, allowing my mind to quieten. The more you do this exercise, the easier and quicker you feel grounded and clear. If you have any essential oils from trees such as cypress or frankincense, rub some into your palms and wrists before you do the exercise, breathing in the aroma from the oils. It's a nice treat to add to the whole experience.

I know I just ranted about other people's energy, but it really can effect us if we are not aware. Overtime, our energy can become stagnant for a variety of reasons--age, illness, injuries, etc. But can you remember when that part of your body began feeling that way? What was happening in your life at the time? Who was there? Some interesting queries to consider.

Namaste