What is Qigong?
Founded in Chinese principles, Qigong is a self-healing practice of aligning movement, awareness and breathwork. Qigong has been around for thousands of years and literally translates to energy work (Qi meaning vital energy, and gong meaning work or skill). This simple, yet powerful healing modality is beneficial in moving stuck energy through meridians and extraordinary vessels. When Qi flows smoothly there is health and vitality, and when Qi is stagnant or deficient there is pain, illness and dysfunction. Although from the same origin, Qigong is often confused with tai chi, but it is different as tai chi is based in martial arts, is more complex and takes years of study to master. How It Works The gentle exercises are comprised of a series of movements that are repeated, while also stretching the body, increasing energy and fluid movement and ultimately building awareness. As you become more aware of the the energy in your body, it is much easier to understand the energy of your thoughts and emotions. Once this is mastered, you can then better comprehend the energy of your spirit. Meditation is an important part of the Qigong practice, as it trains the mind to direct and regulate energy […]
How Wildfire Smoke Affects Your Health
Do you live in an area that is affected by wildfire smoke? If so, your health may be negatively impacted. Smoke from wildfires is made up of a combination of gases and fine particles when organic materials are burned, and there are confirmed and suspected carcinogens in smoke. The microscopic particles can penetrate deep into your lungs, and also cause a range of health problems including burning eyes, sore throat, runny nose and fatigue. I’m personally very sensitive to wildfire smoke. Even cooking smoke is enough to send me into coughing fits. This may or may not be from back from when I was a wildland firefighter for the Bureau of Land Management. Working on the front lines of a wildfire long-term can be hard on health, with short-term effects including headaches, nausea, fatigue and respiratory distress. Long-term effects of exposure to wildfire smoke can include an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. In fact, my coworkers and I used to joke that our job equated to smoking a pack of cigarettes every few hours. After looking at a few studies, our jokes weren’t too far from the truth. But what about regular people, just going about their lives then wildfire […]
Healing and Therapeutic Benefits of Thai Massage
If you want to get something out of your massage beyond temporary relaxation, Thai massage is for you. Based in Ayurvedic principles, this therapeutic massage method is used as an instrument to bring the body, mind and spirit into balance – facilitating the body to heal itself. Thai massage principles acknowledge that our own bodies know more about healing than you or the massage therapist could ever know about what will make you well. This ancient massage technique works with the three dosha types in mind: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. However, there are many different types of Thai massage – about as many as there are different types of yoga! Thai massage is very helpful for breaking up fascia (fibrous connective tissue) throughout the body, which is helpful for improving flexibility, overall muscle function and sensory abilities. The massage techniques also help move energy and emotional blocks in the body, as Thai massage therapists massage your Sen lines. Sen lines are energy channels that run throughout the body and are similar to meridians in Chinese medicine and nadis in Indian medicine. Common physical, mental and psychological benefits of Thai massage: Increases flexibility, mobility and athletic performance Detoxes the body Increases […]
What is Foot Zoning?
If you enjoy foot massages, I recommend trying foot zone therapy (aka foot zoning). It has additional benefits that you won’t get from your typical foot massage and is a little different from traditional reflexology. Foot zoning provides a great bodywork session that takes a whole person approach – balancing the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual bodies at the same time, all while massaging your feet and working on various pressure points. This healing modality encourages the body’s natural healing capabilities by stimulating blood circulation, hormone balance, digestion, lymph flow, nervous system, etc. I was introduced to foot zoning through Jenni Runolfson, who has been “zoning” for over 10 years and is an instructor for We Do Feet Seminars. I was sold after the first session. Here’s a synopsis of my experience and how I discovered the benefits of Foot Zoning: Session 1 Whole body, with major areas of focus: vegas nerve, lower back, solar plexus, chakra balancing, thyroid and kidneys. Result: I was a little surprised that Jenni was able to tell that my back was really tight that day…through my feet. She also made the comment that the pressure point for my thyroid was very crunchy (makes sense […]
Distance Reiki – Q&A with Emilie of Giving Hands Reiki
Meet Emilie. She is a distance reiki healer, an incredible person and has an adorable French-Canadian accent. I recently was able to meet her in person in Bali, Indonesia for some Q&A. Who are you and what do you do? For several years, I was chef de pâtisserie in gastronomic restaurants in Montreal and Dubaï but eventually I became increasingly dissatisfied in the kitchen as I realized that I missed the interaction with people. Later on, I developed a passion for reiki, a magnificent instrument that promotes physical, psychic and spiritual fulfillment. While training to become a reiki practitioner, I developed my hidden faculty of clairsentience which gives me a great insight of what is going on within my clients. I recently created Giving Hands Reiki, where people can reach me from all over the world for a distance reiki session. Every month, I pick a different humanitarian charity to which 20% of every reiki sessions is donated. What led you to reiki? Having consulted reiki practitioners and benefited from the therapeutic interactions had me hooked to reiki. Why is Bali, specifically Ubud, a special place for wellness? The ”Island of Gods” has thousands of temples where […]
3 Unique Healing Experiences in the Salt Lake Valley, Utah
Are you looking for unique healing experiences in the Salt Lake City, UT area? Look no further. Yoga with the Sharks at Loveland Living Planet Aquarium Yoga with the Sharks is a great way to get out of the studio and try something new. With hour-long classes led by yoga instructor Amanda Jones, this one-of-a-kind yoga experience takes place in front of a 300,000 gallon shark exhibit at Loveland Living Planet Aquarium. Designed for all yoga abilities, watching sharks and other marine life swim through the water will take the relaxation of your yoga practice to the next level. Gather some friends and reserve your spot here. Water Massage, From Source to Source by Mary Cain Enjoy a gentle water massage and body work treatment in a pool of water heated to approximately 98 degrees. Also known as Agua Alma Aquatic Bodywork, this healing treatment uses water resistance to gently stretch the body through a series of flexion, extension and gentle twisting movements. Supported by floats, a head rest, Mary Cain‘s arms and the natural buoyancy and momentum of the water, your body will glide around effortlessly. This treatment is great for deep relaxation, which encourages emotional and energetic release throughout […]
New Year Reflections and Resolutions: A Guide to Achieving Your Goals
New Year’s Day is my second favorite holiday. A time for gratitude, reflection, goal setting and resolutions. While I try to focus on the present the rest of the year, this is the day when I dedicate serious attention to the past and the future. I believe it is important to set goals. Without goals, we wouldn’t know where we were going, right? However, did you know that approximately 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by February? Another common statistic is that only 8% of people actually uphold their resolutions. I created a guide that has worked for me, and hopefully it helps you in your path toward achieving your goals this upcoming year. Find a quiet room, grab a notebook and ponder these questions: Reflect on the past year. Start with gratitude. What happened last year that you are grateful for? What did you accomplish? Even if it seems small, celebrate your wins. Give yourself some serious kudos for the challenges you have overcome. Those obstacles helped you grow into the person you are today. If you could change one or two things about this past year, what would you change? Is there a way to incorporate this into […]
#MeToo: Healing from Sexual Assault
I didn’t think I’d ever share this. But in light of the recent movement to expose the epidemic of sexual assault, I feel compelled to share my story. #MeToo. I share this experience, along with how I was able to heal, in hopes of helping the many people who are also trying to heal. Over the past few weeks, we have all witnessed together, been shocked and outraged together through the #metoo stories flooding social media. These glimpses painfully illustrate reliving memories, akin to pouring salt in an open wound. Some may think they have healed and moved on, while others struggle on a daily basis. For those who have convinced themselves they have forgotten about the offenses, emotional pain comes to the surface if it has not been dealt with. Sexual harassment comes in many shapes and sizes. Although I’ve been sexually harassed more times than I can count (yeah, #metoo), the most horrific of the offenses happened almost a decade ago when I was drugged and raped by a group of guys who I thought were my friends. I’ll spare you the full version of my experience, as the horrifying details are quite disturbing. The next morning just […]
How I Found My Cancer Support Community
Since my diagnosis with cancer, I never knew I needed a support group until I met my tribe. When I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer almost three years ago, I knew nothing about thyroid cancer, its treatment protocols or how to decipher the different recommendations that came from physicians. As my now-husband and I tried to navigate these challenges, we found ourselves surrounded by people offering lots of love and support, but somewhat alone when it came to guidance and first-hand knowledge of what we were facing. As I’ve gone further into my journey and learned the importance of support communities, I’ve discovered there are two types of cancer fighters and survivors: people who approach the fight alone as my husband and I did, and people who surround themselves with other cancer survivors and become part of a community of people who are going through the same or similar challenges. In one weekend, I found myself transformed from the former into the latter. I give full credit of this change to Sent It Foundation, a nonprofit who offers outdoor adventures to young adults battling cancer. Send It Foundation was created by Jamie Schou, an inspiring adventurer who lost his life […]
How Water Reacts to Words and Music
Masaru Emoto, a Japanese research scientist, began conducting experiments with water in 1994. He would collect water samples from around the world, freeze it and analyze the crystals under a microscope. He started by studying and comparing water from clean, mountain streams to city tap water. Water from mountain streams and springs formed beautiful geometric designs in their crystalline patterns, while city water and polluted water formed distorted and damaged crystal structures. As Emoto furthered his research, he began to make astonishing discoveries as water reacted to words, phrases and music. Water exposed to positive words, music and thoughts formed beautiful crystals. Words exposed to negative words, music and thoughts formed fragmented crystals. Here are a few photos from his studies: WATER AND WORDS WATER AND MUSIC For more information on Emoto’s water experiments or any of his books and publications, visit his website. Considering that our bodies are made of approximately 60% water, I wouldn’t doubt that our thoughts, words and the music we listen to have similar effects that happen within our bodies. After discovering Emoto’s work over a year ago, I began paying closer attention to my thoughts and words. I have also started listening to classical music […]
DEET Alternatives: Non-Toxic Insect Repellent that Works
As a lover of the outdoors, I have been searching for a long time to find a non-toxic, DEET-free insect repellent that actually works. While mosquito season is starting to wind down in some parts of the country, I want to share the research I’ve done on repellents. I had a few opportunities to test out bug sprays this summer – a camping trip to Stanley, Idaho, a river trip down the Desolation Canyon in Utah and a backpacking trip to Young Lakes in Yosemite. All of these places are well-known for having a lot of mosquitoes, and if you aren’t prepared, expect to be eaten alive. In addition to this, I’m one of those people who is especially susceptible to getting mosquito bites. The bugs really love me for some reason. On my Yosemite trip, my fellow trip-mates nicknamed me Mosquito-Bait as I attracted most of the mosquitoes, leaving less bugs for them. I started my search at my local, natural grocery store, Sprouts. After talking to the person working in the vitamin and skin care section about their bug repellents, I opted for a botanical-based spray that she had successfully used herself. While I tested a few others […]
101 Ways to Relax and Reduce Anxiety
I’ve struggled with anxiety most of my life. The most impactful tools that have helped me reduce anxiety in recent years have been meditating on a regular basis, as well as BodyTalk therapy treatments. However, I’ve picked up some other tools along the way. If you’re feeling anxious, can’t relax or just need to unwind, try something from this list and see if it works for you. Enjoy! 1 – Meditate 2 – Take deep breaths – exhaling longer than you inhale 3 – Take a walk or run outside 4 – Spend time in nature 5 – Put your bare feet on the ground (also known as earthing) 6 – Get fresh air 7 – Spend time in the sunlight 8 – Take a bath with Epsom salt and essential oils 9 – Listen to classical music 10 – Go to the gym 11 – Read a book 12 – Play a musical instrument 13 – Take a nap 14 – Drink tea (try chamomile, lemon balm, linden or passionflower) 15 – Stretch 16 – Talk to a friend 17 – Look at photos of nature 18 – Listen to sounds of nature, or spa-like music 19 – Read […]
Self Love: An Important Lesson Taught by Louise Hay
In honor of Louise Hay, who passed away yesterday, I thought it was an appropriate time to share one of my biggest life lessons to date. This important lesson is self love, and I learned it from Louise. Just as many people do, I have struggled with self love my entire life. I developed habits at an early age where I was really hard on myself if things didn’t go perfectly – letting my ego run away on repeat with critical thoughts about myself. Things like, I can’t do this, I’m not good enough, my nose is too big, my thighs are too fat. That is, until I discovered Louise Hay’s book You Can Heal Your Life. One of the exercises in the book is looking at yourself closely in the mirror, staring into your own eyes, and telling yourself, “I love you.” This seems very silly, but I bawled like a baby when I first did it. Try it. You will likely feel like a total weirdo doing it, but see what your reaction is. If you have a less than ideal reaction, I encourage you to repeat this exercise daily. Pay attention to thoughts you have about yourself […]
The Healing Effects of Decluttering and Living A Minimalist Lifestyle
There are so many benefits you can get from decluttering that are above and beyond actually adding physical space to your life. Our surrounding environments have a lot of impact on us emotionally, mentally and spiritually. If you live with clutter or too much stuff, it will affect your overall health and energetically block abundance and success. Removing what is not necessary or needed will give you the freedom, space and energy for new and/or better things. Although I’m far from perfect, I try to apply minimalist principles to my life as much as possible. The art of minimalism is a tool to assist you in getting rid of items you do not need, or what does not serve you, in order to free yourself up so you can focus on what’s really important in your life. This tool ultimately brings more happiness, joy, freedom and abundance. It can be applied to your physical space, relationships, emotional baggage, addictive behaviors, finances, etc. MY FRIEND’S CLOSET My friend asked me to help her declutter her closet and get rid of clothing she did not need. Here is the list of questions we asked when deciding whether or not to toss or […]
Is Caffeine Interfering with Your Healing?
I’m currently recovering from a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) after hitting my head while skiing a few months ago. I’ll be sharing more info about TBIs, post concussive syndrome and things you can do to improve recovery time in a later post, but let’s start with what I have learned along the way about caffeine, sleep and recovery. A couple months into my recovery, I had a check up appointment with my neurologist. There wasn’t much I could do to speed up my recovery, as these things take time. A LOT of time. However, there was one thing that my neurologist did alert me to. Caffeine can interfere with our ability to get into proper REM (rapid eye movement) sleeping states which are critical periods of time that our bodies need to heal. While I didn’t believe that the coffee I was drinking really made that much of an impact, I was desperate to recover as quickly as possible. I was surprised by the sleep quality changes I tracked on my FitBit after cutting caffeine. I took 30 day averages from when I was drinking about 2 – 3 cups of coffee per day, and a 30 day average […]
Mala Beads as a Helpful Meditation Tool
You’ve probably seen these but may not know what they are used for. Mala beads, also known as prayer beads, are a traditional tool that have been used for thousands of years. Malas are typically made with 18, 27, 54 or 108 beads. Though malas are traditionally used in yoga and the Hinduism and Buddhism religions, prayer beads are also used in other religious traditions such as Christianity (rosary), Islam (dhikr), Sikhism and Baha’i faiths for prayers, chants and devotions. More than two-thirds of the world use prayer beads to aid in spiritual practices. Malas for Meditation Malas are particularly helpful for individuals who may have trouble with meditation. If you’re a beginner or your mind seems to run wild when you attempt to meditate, try using mala beads and focusing on a particular mantra to help you stay focused. Chose a mantra that is your intention and purpose for the meditation. You can choose a word, phrase or even an affirmation if you want to improve upon a belief system. As long as you choose a positive mantra, there is no wrong way to do this. It is believed that you can rewire your brain to embody the positive […]
Free Antioxidants From the Earth
A year into my recovery from a total thyroidectomy, I was still having a lot of cognition issues that didn’t seem to be fixed by medications. I never received a resolution for this through my physicians. I was having a hard time with my thought processes, finishing sentences without stumbling on my words, communicating through texts and emails, etc. I would frequently scramble my words (there, their and they’re), which I have never had trouble with pre-thyroidectomy. Until I discovered earthing. It turns out there is a scientific explanation for why we feel so good when we spend a day barefoot at the beach or in the grass. Earthing, also known as grounding, is a growing trend in which our bodies can exchange electrons from the Earth to reduce inflammation and balance our hormones and circadian rhythms – basically giving us an antioxidant boost. Watch this must-see video that explains the science much better than I can: DOWN TO EARTH from Big Picture Ranch on Vimeo. After a few weeks of grounding on a regular basis, I saw a noticeable difference in my cognition, speech and ability to focus. The more research I did, the more I realized that our […]
Salt Therapy as a Cure for the Common Cold and Cough
Have you ever had a cough that just wouldn’t go away? I had this problem earlier this year. It started as a six-day flu, then became an persistent cough, which became bronchitis followed by early stage pneumonia. Two months and a round of antibiotics later, and I still couldn’t kick my lingering cough. I did some research on alternative methods that could help my respiratory health bounce back, and I discovered salt therapy. This treatment is also known as halotherapy, derived from the Greek word halo, which translates to salt. I looked up a salt therapy spa in a town I was traveling to for work, and no kidding, my cough went away overnight after a 45 minute treatment. Wow! There’s not a ton of research currently in the U.S. that supports the medical benefits of salt therapy. However, there’s a lot more research that has been done in Europe, and I’ve listed some links of studies at the bottom of this post. Even though salt therapy has been around for centuries, it started gaining popularity in the 1800s when Polish physician Feliks Boczkowski noticed that workers at a salt mine, unlike other miners, did not have respiratory or lung […]
Why Sleep Deprivation is Detrimental to Your Health
Sleep deprivation can cause brain damage. Also, going 24 hours without sleep can make you as insulin resistant as a type II diabetic. I know sleep is a boring topic, but did this get your attention? I never knew how serious sleep was until I listened to this podcast with Chalene Johnson and nutrition expert Shawn Stevenson. Chalene did a sleep study at The Amen Clinic, only to find that she had severely damaged her brain through chronic sleep deprivation (don’t worry, this can be reversed). I’ll never forget this image of her brain scan showing the damage that she did with 20+ years of sleeping five hours per night. For more info on the science behind this, check out Shawn’s book, Sleep Smarter, which goes into more detail on why sleep is critical to our health, along with 21 tips on how to get a better night’s sleep. As far as my personal journey goes, I used to be a prime example of what not to do. Although chronic anxiety and stress likely played a role in this for me, I was burning the candle at both ends for a good portion of my life. Even as a child, […]
Beauty Without Toxins
A few days after I was recovering from my thyroidectomy surgery, I was struggling to sleep. So, as I often do during sleepless nights (not recommended), I went down the Internet rabbit hole in search of reasons why I may have gotten thyroid cancer and/or why I may have developed Hashimoto’s Disease. While I didn’t get to the bottom of either mystery, what I stumbled across was alarming. There were toxins in almost all of my beauty products and household cleaners. Here’s what you need to know: Visit the Environmental Working Group’s cosmetic database, Skin Deep. They’ve tested over 65,000 products to date and rank the products by toxicity level and will tell you what ingredients you should watch out for. They also have an app so you can scan labels while you’re at the store to take a lot of guesswork and memorization out of this. Know your toxins. Here’s a few of the biggies: Parabens: Used in a variety of products and acts as a preservative. It is suspected to be an endocrine and reproductive disrupter, and may be a human carcinogen. Phthalates: Found in color cosmetics, lotions, nail polish, body washes and hair care products. It is suspected […]
The Healing Journey
After being diagnosed with thryoid cancer and Hashimoto’s disease at age 28, I found that I had to take an active role in my healing process in order to feel better. Here’s a preview about my initial discoveries in what helped me regain an active and healthy lifestyle after recovering from thyroid cancer, Hashimoto’s disease and hypothyroidism. More details will come on each of these topics later on this website, so keep checking back! Balance your meds. It’s incredible to me how much of a difference ½ a tablet per week of levothyroxine can make. A change in either direction can be a difference of hyperthyroid symptoms vs hypothyroid symptoms. As I worked toward balancing my medications, fatigue was the most common symptom for me. I also discovered that while it may seem that you would have more energy being slightly over medicated in a hyperthyroid state, you can actually be fatigued with either hyperthyoidism or hypothyroidism. My endocrinologist used the analogy of hyperthyoidism being like you’re running a marathon everyday – of course you’re going to be tired! Visit your primary care provider on a regular basis and definitely have them review your blood work (thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroxine […]