Your Life?  Your…… LIFE?!  Wow.

It began to row the proverbial oars of thoughts… overwhelmingly in a row boat on the open seas, with no land in-sight.

With so little life experience at that time, how was I to find direction on such endless horizon?  The road of basic education had reached its sandy beach, and it was time to set-sail in exploration of new lands.

We follow the clues like a sailor minds the sailing wind vane; sense the direction of the winds and position our sails to catch them and take us……. somewhere.

I suppose we have the choice to seek the well-plotted life maps that others have taken safely, or we can set upon a journey like Christopher Columbus in search of a New World. It is certainly not without its struggles; taking-on water in stormy weather, torn sails, wind-scorched and weary.  Yet, it is not without its sublime moments; when the clouds part, the waters are calm, the warm breeze caresses sun-kissed skin, and inspiring moments of connection with passing ships through the waters.

In my own journey, I chose to seek a New World. The path less-traveled. I knew it was to be a long, arduous journey, but what kept me afloat during the storms was a sense ~~a vision~~ of what I wanted my life to FEEL like.  I somehow knew that when it felt right, that I was harnessing the right trade winds to new lands.

I realized along the uncharted waters that I wanted to have something of value to SAY.  I wanted to have knowledge that I could share with people to make their lives BETTER.  I wanted to provide something that would make a profound difference for others and enhance their lives.  I wished to be a conduit of energy to uplift and heal others on a personal level, as well as helping and resonating with Mother Earth and her many creatures.

In working one-on-one with individuals, I find an immense energetic high as I sort through the mosaic of influences upon their well-being (or lack thereof).  Every case is a unique puzzle that challenges abstract thinking within medical/non-medical factors and higher perspectives to see the whole picture. In order to remove obstacles, they must be identified.

That same energetic rush overcomes me as I have had the opportunities to write and share my perspectives. I am fulfilled ~personally and professionally~ in writing for progressive publications that tether the broad spectrum of realms that we now see emerging in this New World.

It seemed that after an extended sail upon the oceans of time, space, education and experience, my ship reached a sandy shore…. the gentle waves that tumble onto the beach and shush against its hull reaffirm that I have been on the right course.  It was time to shake-off my sea legs and continue the journey in new ways. Writing and sharing is part of this realm.

Here is the latest article I have written for Elephant Journal:

“Do You Treat Your Body like a Junk Drawer?”

I hope that you will continue to take my hand and walk with me through the uncharted lands of this Brave New World. I welcome being a source of guidance for you along the way.  For in helping you, I fulfill myself.  We are kindred souls on this circle of Life.

Cheers……. xxTami

The direct link:  Spring Energy Stirs Beneath the Surface

A very kind, gentle soul was generous to share the link on her Blog, LavendarDragonfly. Along with an endearing commentary,  she added a dash of magic to the excitement of being published on an international platform.  LavendarDragonfly can also be followed on Twitter as @Dj_Sojourner, where you can transcend encumbering thoughts to take your spirit into flight.

http://parvatimagazine.com/March2012/?p=1347

Saline (salt) wash is one of a few ways to tackle the bugs at the site of the party, although salt concentrations necessary for this function need to be increased from common saline preparations on store shelves. The zinc in-suspension of Zicam was the active ingredient, and in my opinion, a real disappointment to have it yanked from store shelves.

Why was it withdrawn?

Well, as the package indicated, it was not to be “sniffed forcefully”, as most nasal sprays for congestion are applied. Rather, the zinc gel was to be applied locally to the mucous-membrane at the tip of the nose –pressed and held for about 30-seconds for absorption– and then the excess blown-out and discarded.

When zinc is forcefully inhaled into the nasal canal, it would make contact with the nerve endings of the Olfactory cranial nerve –responsible for the sense of smells. While the common cold can commonly dampen the sense of smell long-after the cold is gone, direct zinc contact to the nerve has been known to cause a lingering dullness in sense of smell. Some have reported a total loss in their sense of smell after using Zicam, but this is indicative of improper use as directed on the packaging.

This all said, there is such a profound benefit to using zinc at the tip of the nose, that I am preparing an herb-based alternative to be available to my patients. I personally used Zicam effectively as part of my arsenal against the Rhinovirus, and so an herbal alternative has been a personal quest, as well.

Meanwhile, you still have saline washes for the nasal membranes, and can add a well-diluted black tea or bacteria/virus-fighting water-extract of herbs (steeped or simmered herbs) to the neti-pot or saline wash bottle for added benefit. There are many herbs useful for topical wash, as they would be safer than the application of essential oils directly to mucous membranes (which can cause irritation if applied “neat” –i.e. directly– to delicate membranes). In addition, oils require emulsification in a fat-based substance, such as an oil or gel for even application.

As always, wash your hands thoroughly through the day (~20 to 30 seconds of lathering) and avoid touching your nose, eyes or mouth without doing so. To avoid spreading your own Rhinovirus to others, wash your hands after handling your nose –that’s the best place to start.

This year, I promised myself I would have the topical gel ready for use. Which reminds me, I’ve got to order a few more ingredients……..

Stay well, My Friends…… xxTami

Beginnings and endings in our Life Journey are not organized into neat and tidy chapters, which sustain a single storyline; Rather, many storylines begin and end ~varied in their own timing. Occasionally, they resurrect back into the present moments for review and final resolution.

Each storyline requires choices and decisions that direct its path. Sometimes the sun shines; the path is clear, dry, and paved by experience or comfortable walkways. Sometimes it rains, and murky puddles along the unpaved path diverts us into unfamiliar pastures.

Unfamiliar pastures need not seem so daunting, nor have us wallowing in the mire; we can choose to see the magic of excitement and anticipation in the unknown.

The Unknown

Do you remember a children’s book series called “Mad Libs”?  It was a sort of workbook where one person would ask you to select a series of words: adjectives, adverbs, nouns or verbs.  They were to be cleverly inserted into a story that you could not see until the person writing would read it back to you, complete with your selected words. Oh, how hilarious and enjoyable those stories could turn out ~depending upon what words we contributed!

Our Choices

With the speed and breadth of information that streams into our consciousness on a moment-to-moment basis, we are faced with overwhelming amounts of influence upon our thoughts, choices and decisions.

We must walk through each unfamiliar pasture and determine: which plants (i.e. information, decisions, people, habits) will sustain us and allow us to thrive, which are neither helpful nor harmful, and which are toxic to our well-being.

In Life we have Freewill, and the ability to choose the words we use, where to direct our energy of thought, and the habits we engage in. Words we use can be filled with intelligence, creativity, light and levity ~rather than their alternatives.

We don’t always know specifically how our choices will affect the outcome of the stories in the long-run, but we know mindfulness of our thoughts and words *do* affect our emotions and reactivity to our experiences; how we resonate energetically affects our physical chemistry and physiology (functioning).

Our Well-being

Wellness exists on the physical realm of physiology, but begins in the mind. We fill-in those blanks to each Mad Libs Life-story from the foods we choose, to the situations we opt to immerse ourselves within, to the people we decide to surround ourselves with.

Our choice of words (and the energy they carry) for the story will attract additional experiences which are a reflection of Self, and so we can learn much about where we are and where we are headed ~even if we can’t see the full storyline just yet. Oftentimes, we must endure repeated storylines until we can reflect and become mindful of patterns we need to break.

No matter where other stories have ended in the past, there is always the opportunity to change any of our current storylines by shifting our thoughts; as such, our direction.

Walk With Me

I invite you to walk with me in my reflections upon the choices we make for our Well-being…

Sometimes these reflections may be specifically on the physical realm of nourishing our vitality with food, healing remedies from the Earth (for when the story leads us into those murky puddles of imbalance), or new insights into the remarkable functioning and healing of the human mind/body.

Well-being is more than just chemical from what we physically feed our bodies. We additionally feed our Being energetically, intellectually, and emotionally.  So, while our physical lifestyle choices directly affect our Life Experiences, we equally base our choices within our relation to the world, situations and people around us ~whether we are mindful of the effects or not.

It is my wish to help you bring Mindfulness to the subtleties which influence Wellness. A lifestyle of Well-being requires repetition to establish healthy habits; including learning to quiet the mind, and discovering the open meadow for welcoming the gentle fawn of Intuition. The energy to live your Best Life is within you already…

Come, walk with me a while….

Cheers!  ~Tami