The Isolated Fix

I respect the amount of education and dedication that doctors and dentists have in their field. That said, here’s where the conflicts tend to show up. In general, in Western medicine a person’s “issue” becomes an isolated problem to “fix”. Not only does the allopathic (Western medicine) view not look at the “whole” before diagnosing (as in a holistic approach), but the body seems to be looked at as a completely separate “thing” that is incapable of healing itself without the outside help of modern medicine.

Let’s use the dental industry for example. It has become an accepted mainstream concept that when a person gets a cavity, the decayed part of the tooth needs to be drilled away and filled with a foreign substance in order to prevent the decay from taking over the tooth which would lead to pain and possibly the loss of the tooth by extraction. It’s also become an completely accepted idea that people need to religiously brush their teeth with a particular product which contains many toxic ingredients in order to protect his/her teeth from decay and infection. I understand that even as you’re reading this, it’s quite possible that I’m challenging YOUR beliefs here, but please stay with me.

Is Fear Your Healer?

Our bodies are made for healing, for maintaining homeostasis, and for thriving. The difference between the allopathic and holistic views of the body are so vastly different, but it can be broken down very simply…one is fear-based and is on the look-out for what’s wrong and what might be a potential predator against one’s health. The other is based on a positive, self-sustaining world view that all things are working for the good of the whole.
To be fair, I grew up with the allopathic model of care, and I have survived, but now…I thrive! Over the years I began making subtle choices that were “different” based on what I felt intuitively, which led to educate myself on true “health”, which led to my path as a Wellness Professional, which led to me making VASTLY “different” choices than the mainstream for myself and my children.

Food Corruption

One of the topics that I’ve researched and feel very confident in at this point is dental care. Several years ago, I first learned about Dr. Weston A. Price, a dentist from the early 1900s who was a pioneer in the dental field. He traveled the world to study people in other cultures — and not just their teeth, but their whole health. He found that people who weren’t yet corrupted by refined sugar and bread, were healthier and had little to no cavities. He also found that this affected bone structure.

The people who were the healthiest ate off the land. There were no pesticides and no preservatives in their food. Some were vegetarian, and some weren’t, but most were eating raw dairy, fermented foods, and preparing their grains, beans, and nuts in ways that made their nutrients more bioavailable by reducing their natural anti-nutrients.

Cultures who ate a more “traditional” diet consumed more fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, & K), calcium, and phosphorous and they had fewer cavities, better bone structure, and were very “healthy”.

At the heart of his studies is the conclusion that good teeth come from good diet. When a person is truly healthy, then the teeth can defend themselves, and they don’t need chemicals (like in the average toothpaste) to do it.

What’s In There?

You might be surprised to know that several ingredients in the average toothpaste tube (even the natural ones) are toxic and can have very harmful effects. Even something as simple as “glycerin” found in almost every toothpaste on the market isn’t great for your teeth, because it prohibits them from being able to defend themselves.

For these reasons, I started making my own products a few years ago. Mommypotamus has a great tooth powder recipe that I love!

I have one more amazing resource for you. Cure Tooth Decay by Ramiel Nagel breaks it all down for the reader — why and how. His book is based on Dr. Price’s research and he shares vital information that is mostly absent in our modern culture — including how to heal a tooth infection, remineralize teeth, and there’s even a chapter devoted to children’s dental care. In fact, Nagel’s daughter’s dental issues were the impetus behind him writing the book.
While there are things about our modern lives that I am grateful for, post-industrial food practices are not one of them. I am so grateful for the good information that’s out there to teach us about the old ways and true, whole health.

Your Body Can Heal Itself

In the “whole-istic” perspective, everything is in relationship to everything. What you think, eat, say, do, and take in matters. Your body can heal itself. EVERYTHING is connected — your bodily systems, your thoughts, the trees, the planet, the whole universe. All of life is meant to support you.

Breathing is a perfect example. With each breath you take, you are nourishing your body/mind/spirit and also the plant kingdom (and therefore the planet). There is an intelligence within each and every one of us, and that intelligence is meant to be listened to for the purpose of healing, and for the purpose of living an optimal life.
If you share this holistic view of health and life, I’m here to say this — whatever the struggles and frustrations you might have to deal with as a “natural” parent, IT’S WORTH IT!!! Listen to that intelligence that is within YOU and you will know what’s right for you and your family. All of my experiences, thus far, have reinforced my commitment to caring for my children holistically and standing up for what I believe is best for them.

Share Your Stories

Have you had an experience where you have listened to your gut and contradicted that “standard protocol”? I’d love to hear! Please leave a comment below so we can support one another in doing what we know is best!

Have you ever come around to a lesson learned and experienced it at a much deeper level than when you initially learned it? So deep, in fact, that you couldn’t have even understood your current level of thinking before? One example might be something that was profound to you as a teenager, then later as an adult you felt like you really got it, and then as a parent it landed on you in a totally different way. For me the wheel of the year is like this — providing constant opportunities for growth and deeper meaning in my life.

I, like most, had a meager introduction to it through learning about the seasons as a small child in school. The lesson there was mostly — 4 seasons = 4 different kinds of weather (depending on which part of the world you live in). As a college student I learned a little more by studying about the ancient Celtic traditions. In my 20s and 30s I gleamed more wisdom surrounding the wheel of the year through my yogic studies and practices. And now, in my 40s, as I learn more about Ayurveda through the YHC program, I’m putting together an even bigger picture that syncs up harmoniously with other lessons I’ve learned in life.

Following the wheel of the year can be a rich and meaningful practice of deepening our relationships to Self, one another, the planet, the Universe, and evolving our emotional intelligence.

The Wheel of the Year

In the northern hemisphere we just celebrated the autumn equinox — the beginning of our journey into the darkness. Many cultures have a way of marking this special time and of honoring the transition into darkness (often times with lights and remembering ancestors).

• In the ancient Celtic traditions (and modern day Earth-centered religions) they called it Mabon, and this is when the Goddess Persephone returns to the Underworld.
• Waldorf schools celebrate Michaelmas by telling stories about the slaying of the dragon by St. Michael, who represents courageousness in fighting to defend the Light.
• From India there’s Navaratri — the celebration of the Divine Mother, “Durga”.

Another way to think of this time is as an honoring of the divine feminine and those qualities within ourselves, which are many of the aspects we associate with the right brain — receptivity, intuition, darkness, surrender, nurturing, softness, stillness, creativity, feeling, flexibility, beauty, reflection, etc.

Seeing Yourself “Wholistically”

However you choose to look at it, this time of year carries with it the opportunity for thoughtful reflection of our experiences heretofore, as well as a chance to take a wholistic view of ourselves — our tendencies (conscious and unconscious), our strengths/weaknesses, our light/dark, etc.

Ayurveda takes a wholistic view of life, which is much different from the mainstream perspective that is the cultural “norm.”  Wholistic means that in order to understand, diagnose, or treat a problem we must first zoom OUT to see the BIG picture. For instance if a person suffers from depression, rather than throwing them a bone with prescription meds, we would want to get curious about what their life looks like and all of the factors that have contributed to the picture we see in the present — physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

In the same way, when we talk about personal growth and wanting to shift different aspects of personality, habits, lifestyle, circumstances, etc. we first need to recognize that there is a bigger picture. Often times taking this deeper, wholistic view is uncomfortable, however, if we are not willing to go into the darker depths of self, we cannot expect to move past the bothersome character traits we possess.

Seeing Your Shadow

Carl Jung, a Swiss-born psychoanalyst, was a pioneer of his time, taking on the view that at our core we are whole and good. He coined the term “shadow”, in regards to uncovering the aspects of ourselves that we unconsciously disconnected with in early life (frequently because these aspects were deemed “bad” by society or family). In the words of Therese Bimka:

“The shadow contains what we perceive to be our negative traits, negative aspects of self, the parts of self that we don’t like, the parts that aren’t so pretty, where we are perhaps a bit messier, aspects of self we may hold in disdain or even contempt…Our shadow can also hold strong emotions that are exiled – emotions that we were not taught how to embrace, how to live with, how to manage – like anger or feelings of vulnerability for example.  These exiled parts can become quite empowered – even autonomous as split off little entities in psyche.  The more woundedness or trauma – the more split off.  Shadow work is bringing conscious to what has been hidden and rejected and unexamined. ”

Have you ever felt very bothered by another person’s personality, but couldn’t quite put your finger on why?

That’s your shadow.

When we see aspects of ourselves that we have dis-owned in others, often the unconscious response is criticism of that person, or those personality traits. Sometimes this comes out in mean, passive/aggressive ways. If you’ve witnessed yourself doing this, don’t worry, we all have shadow.

Make Friends With Your Shadow

The good news is that when we do the work of deep reflection and acknowledgement of all of the parts of ourselves, we have the opportunity to move past the ignorance and the unconscious patterns of “acting out”.

The darkness of this time of year makes a fertile ground to go within and do this inner work. Once we reclaim the parts of our psyche and personality that we long ago dismissed, we emerge stronger, more resilient, and WHOLE.

This is where healing occurs.

This is where we emerge ready to do the work to make potent shifts in consciousness and lifestyle that positively impact not only ourselves, but our families, communities, and planet. How could we possibly expect to evolve our habits (like we do in Body Thrive and YHC), grow our impact in our communities, and heal our planet without first accepting and loving ALL of the parts of ourselves?

Are you ready to dive into the darkness? The following are some suggestions you can use during this slower, darker time of the year in order to begin uncovering and reclaiming your shadow:

7 Steps to Attune to the Wheel of Life for Personal Growth

1.Take time to be in the stillness and quiet.

Spend time in nature. Use less words. Embody the more reflective, introspective energy of this time of year. Journal about your experiences with numbers 2-7.

2. Accept feedback.

Pay attention to criticism you’ve received over the course of your life, especially if it’s something you’ve heard a lot.

3. Notice your emotions.

When you feel triggered; heightened emotions like anger, resentment, victim thoughts, intense jealousy, anything that really stirs the pot… pay attention.

4. Who pushes your buttons?

Notice the people you have strong negative opinions about. What traits do they possess that bother you the most?

5. What’s attractive?

Notice the traits you admire most in others. These are also a reflection of you.

6. Accept yourself.

As you begin to notice the ways you are triggered, be non-judgemental towards yourself. Awareness is key.

No shaming! Recognizethat there is Light and Dark within you, and this is simply the nature of all things in the duality of our Universe.

7. Write letters to your inner self.

Sally Kempton, renowned meditation teacher, suggests “The Letter Writing Game”, which has five parts.

1) Write a letter to someone you have strong negative feelings towards really telling them how you feel about them and their behavior (“I can’t stand the way you….”).

2) Write a second letter to someone you admire, explaining to them what you love about them.

3) Read both letters aloud to yourself in the mirror, replacing the word “you” with “I.”

4) Talk about this experience with a trusted friend who can be witness to your feelings and offer meaningful reflection.

5) Sit in meditation, being gentle with yourself, acknowledging both the Light and the Dark within you. Ask that the light and dark be balanced within you, that all imbalances find balance, and that the shadow work you do be for the benefit of all. Sit in silence a little longer, and continue to pay attention to the effects of this work for the next few days.

What Darkness Brings to Light

The deeper we go into our own depths and Darkness, the further and brighter we can emerge into the Light, as both are natural aspects of our WHOLE, beautiful selves.

For me this experience is even more profound as it is mirrored in our environment by the transition from Autumn Equinox to Winter Solstice to Vernal Equinox to Mid-Summer and back again.

How do the rhythmical shifts in the wheel of the year affect your inner world?

I would love to hear about your experiences, and if my suggestions for going deeper during the darkness were helpful to you. Please leave me a comment below!

From Rhythm Rebel to Rhythm Champion

First off, I’ve always considered myself to be a bit of a rebel. Mainly, I’m really into FREEDOM. Uniforms, dress codes, and things that restrict individual expression feel stifling to me. As part of my identity with being a rebel, I grew up thinking of discipline as something that 1) I didn’t have, and 2) was overrated anyway. Who needs rules, right? (hindsight is 20/20!)

Once I had a shot at a good job, but I turned it down because I was going to be required to take out my nose piercing. I guess it doesn’t come as a great surprise, then, that now I’m an entrepreneur and I homeschool my kids. What does come as a surprise — at least to me — is that even though I am a “free-spirit” and might appear to be without structure, I rely heavily on the structure that I’ve created for my family through Ayurveda and Waldorf.

The Waldorf Rhythm

Let me back up to beginning of my role of homeschooling my kids…that was my first palpable brush with the realization that structure and discipline can create a container for more ease and freedom. When I was learning about Waldorf education six years ago, a word I kept hearing over and over was “rhythm.” Waldorf teachers and texts talk about daily rhythm — orchestrating the child’s day like the breath, with time for breathing in (stimulating activity) and time for breathing out (restful, grounding).

Then there’s the weekly rhythm — with certain days devoted to certain regular activities — and the yearly rhythm of the seasons and holidays we cycle through. I remember thinking how interesting and rich the curriculum was, centered around the daily/weekly/yearly rhythms.

At that time my life felt very far from rhythmical, and quite “out of sync”, so to speak, with the natural cycles of the earth, but something about the Waldorf way of education and life (Anthroposophy) really called to me.

What is the current rhythm in your home?

A year later my family moved to Wyoming (a state without any Waldorf schools), and I knew that I was going to be homeschooling my little ones. I was in love with the Waldorf tradition, and also scared of failing at incorporating the many facets of the curriculum into our lives. As I began my journey of homeschooling, one of the first questions I was asked by my Waldorf mentor was “What is the current rhythm in your home?”.

I had such a hard time answering, as our days didn’t seem to have any kind of structure. I later came to realize that even our seemingly structureless days had a rhythm. It was kind of like that old expression — “you can’t see the forest, for the trees.” Once I was able to see what rhythm was already present, I could look at what parts I wanted to keep, or change, and what parts needed to be the more stable, anchor points within our days.

I was very resistant to this at first, but after reading about the benefits of consistency in the lives’ of children, I decided to give it a try. I found that the biggest anchor for my family is mealtimes, and that if we keep those times consistent, our days flow more easily.

Time for Mom

One of the next structural pieces that I needed to implement as a Waldorf mom was waking up early — as in, before my kids — in order to have time to myself and to be intentional about our day. This was very hard for me at first, but I found that once I committed to this new habit, the joy and ease of our days increased, and I wasn’t so grumpy to my kids anymore!

Ayurveda Daily Rhythm

Fast forward a few years,

and I’m in the Yoga Health Coaching program where I enjoy the benefits of rhythm in my family’s life, and now teach other people how to live more in tune with the rhythms of nature. Little did I know at the time I started with Waldorf homeschooling, that Ayurveda teaches us about the importance of waking early (before the dawn), eating our meals at particularly beneficial times, and going to bed early.

Through YHC I’m learning more about Ayurveda and the simple habits that help us tune into our bodies and nature in order to thrive as individuals, communities, and globally. I’m also learning how beautifully the principles of Waldorf education tie in with the principles of Ayurveda, and how the habits of Ayurveda (and Waldorf) bring structure for the purpose of allowing more EASE, flow, grace, and meaning in our daily lives.

Cultivate a Reverence for the Divine and Nature

Rudolf Steiner, founder of Waldorf education and biodynamic farming, among many other notable things, stressed the importance of rhythm, reverence of nature, and meeting the child where they are — mentally, physically, and spiritually. He did not dictate any particular religious dogma, although Waldorf schools traditionally celebrate the old world european festivals throughout the school year. Many families from all kinds of backgrounds choose to homeschool their children in the Waldorf tradition and incorporate whatever spiritual traditions resonate with them.

The significance lies in cultivating a reverence for the Divine and for Nature. In this way, we teach our children that we are part of something bigger than the sum of our parts, and to listen to the wisdom within instead of looking to popular culture. Here, again, Waldorf philosophy parallels Ayurveda, as we are learn to connect with ourselves in meditation (and other ancient practices) that remind us of the well of wisdom within.

Freedom of My Own Being

As a Yoga Health Coach and a mother, I’m loving so much how these two beautiful and rich aspects of my life have come together. Both Ayurveda and Waldorf have a wholistic view of life, meaning they acknowledge the importance of all of the layers of what it is to be human.

Our emotional/mental health, spiritual health, and physical health are interconnected in ways that modern day science hasn’t quite come to understand fully (although it has been making a lot of headway in recent years!).  I am incredibly grateful to be part of two communities that so fully support my growth in finding the support structures that bring me more in touch with the Freedom of my own Being — Yoga Health Coaching and Waldorf Essentials.

While I still consider myself somewhat of a rebel, these days my rebellion takes the form of saying no to things that get in the way of living more simply and in tune with my own biorhythms and Nature. I rebel by not having a glass a wine, and instead enjoying a night of deep deep rest, so that I can be the kind of mother and health coach that I want to be!

What’s your family rhythm?

Does your family rhythm support freedom and ease? Does it support your vision/values for your family? Leave a comment below — I’d love to hear what habits/anchors are helpful for you and your family!