Oriens Blogs

Anti-Aging

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 15:08:00 GMT

My husband and I have an inside joke. Whenever either of us behaves differently (for the better), the other one sets their hands on the good bee’s shoulders, looks deep into the eyes and says, “Who are you and what have you done with my husband/wife?”

Last week he did this to me when I emerged from the train, after not seeing each other for the week. “You look ten years younger—did you get my detox set up yet?” I’m early on in my own Detox Mastery Program and he wants in on the anti-aging.

Detox is all over the press, and there is no shortage of hype, fads and misinformation. Anti-aging is a marketing buzz word and a branch of medicine largely referring to cosmetic dermatology and surgery.

But there is REAL anti-aging, and it has to do with, and begins with, detoxification.

The Importance of Taking Out the Trash

If you want to…

Look younger,
Be mentally sharper,
Have more energy,
Sleep soundly and wake rested,
Balance hormones,
Reduce mood swings,
Have fewer colds and less severe allergies,
Eliminate or reduce chronic pain,
Improve your memory,
Lose weight & keep it off…

Then your cells need you to take out the trash!

“Detox” refers to the body’s own processes for “taking out the trash.” Think about the last time you forgot to take out the kitchen trash when there was food waste in there. Hold your nose. Courage up--what else is in there now? It smells awful because of bacteria, fungi and other critters breeding and crawling around.

And the same happens to you on the inside.

That’s the macro level—the organ level. You hear about liver cleanses and juice fasts. But your cells need their trash taken out too. They do a lot of work, and they manufacture waste in the process. When we take out the trash for our cells, we turn back our clocks. This is true anti-aging.

Detox on All Three Levels is the Key

Real and effective detoxification actually takes place on three levels—not just one:

1. The organs, lymph & blood – this is called opening detox pathways—it’s the macro level opening the door to offloading toxins (this is the level most cleanses hit).

2. The extracellular matrix, fat and collagen – this is where today’s advanced neuro and endotoxins get safe-harbored by the body to protect your brain and other vital structures from impact.

3. The cell and cell membrane – this where the impact is—if you look and feel older than you’d like, or have chronic health or chronic weight issues, you need to engage detoxification at this level.

Detox Done Right

Many detox programs stir up the toxins, but they don’t do such a great job helping get the offending molecules processed and out of the body. They push through the first big load, so you feel great in no time, but they don’t go the next mile, and that can be dangerous. “Detox Done Right” means that your body can increase its self-cleansing processes and use nutrition to remove the toxins and encourage the body’s return to optimal health. Only by supporting the body’s own processes can detox be safe, gentle and effective.

Living in The Matrix?

Modern chemistry makes detoxification a new game. We absorb residues of advanced chemicals in our personal care products (shampoos, lotions, makeup), lawn care, tap water, medications, buildings, furnishings, clothing, cleaners, air pollution, pesticides, food additives, and on and on. We take in radiation from our cell phones, iPads and computers, Times Square, microwaves, radios, TV’s and every other piece of technology and power source. These toxins are stored in our fat and extracellular matrix. Detoxification needs to be targeted to these storage centers.

This is actually the key to real weight loss and ideal weight maintenance, because the body needs fat to keep you safe from toxin impact -- and the reverse is also true. Clean up at the level of the extracellular matrix, and you won’t need the weight. Your body will be glad to get rid of it. But until you detox at that level, your weight will be stubborn and return every time you get off your diet! Fat is a safety mechanism!

Anti-Aging = Cellular Repair

Most chronic health issues from pain to infertility, weight loss resistance to high blood pressure, wrinkles and sagging skin to allergies, benefit from cellular level detoxification.

The key phrase in that sentence was “cellular level.”

Signs of aging (diminished capacity) are reflections of our cells no longer being able to perform whatever they, specifically, are programmed to do, in an efficient and effective manner.

When we reduce oxidation and inflammation—lift the burden from the cells—we facilitate repair and thriving at the cellular level.

That’s REAL anti-aging.

TEST YOURSELF: Do You Have A Toxic Burden?

1. Are you constipated?
2. Does caffeine make you wired?
3. Do you eat tuna or swordfish?
4. Drink tap water?
5. Do you rarely sweat?
6. Live in a city?
7. Live or work in a closed structure?
8. Do you take Rx medication?
9. Do you get headaches?
10. Are your clothes dry cleaned?
11. Do you smoke? Or are around smoking?
12. Use alcohol frequently?
13. Are you fatigued?
14. Do you have fibromyalgia?
15. Hormonal imbalances?
16. Infertility?
17. Sensitive to odors (gas, perfume)?
18. Family history of cancer, diabetes?
19. Are you forgetful?
20. Do you have a chronic disease?

Is your toxic burden preventing you from living in optimal health? Frankly, everyone needs to detox. But the more you have the above “warning signs,” the more important detoxification becomes as an absolutely necessary step to unleash your body’s inner healing vitality.

If you have questions or would like to explore 3-Phase Detoxification, simply call or email Oriens: 212.213.5785 or info@oriensliving.com and ask to speak with me. We’ll have you take a few tests and make sure you are a candidate for this powerful yet gentle program.

Harnessing Your Power by Merging with the 7 Creative Planets

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 16:04:00 GMT

by Kelley Black

Universal Kabbalah/Divine Spiritual Wisdom can be traced back to ancient Egypt. It evolved from Egyptian times and was then incorporated into Judaism and Christianity.

Thanks to Dr Levry (Founder of Naam Yoga & Master Kabbalist) and his dedicated teaching around the globe, these teachings, previously passed through the oral tradition, have now been made public.

Knowledge of the positive and negative aspects of your ruling planet is extremely helpful in creating a deep level of self-understanding and a toolbox to neutralize unhealthy patterns. This article is an introduction to the 7 Creative Planets. We will delve more deeply into the science and it’s application to daily life on April 24 in our next practical spirituality workshop at Oriens.

How many of you have grown up reading your daily horoscope? Or, perhaps you reference your sun sign as a means of explaining behaviors, proclivities, certain self-limiting or life affirming behaviors. You may wonder if your sign has imprinted a certain fate or destiny during this lifetime. You may feel empowered to “change your stars” or you may have resigned yourself to the label of your sun sign, rising sign and all the other signs that dwell in your various houses.

Did you know there is more to your planetary imprint? Dwelling above the 12 astrological signs (physical plane) are the 7 Creative Planets (Astral Plane). The seven creative planets point to, with absolute precision, the influence of the forces of nature in your life. Seven is the number of the soul (3) joined with the body (4). The 7 Creative Planets influence all that occurs in this life and on the physical plane.

The 7 Creative Planets are each connected to an Archangel who sits at the feet of God. Thus, the person who knows how to work with these planets can attract Light and repel darkness and negativity.

The 7 Creative planets provide a roadmap by which to navigate your life successfully. All of us have a vibration and our life has a particular rhythm. By understanding and honoring the higher side of our vibration and living in alignment with our authentic rhythm we are able to create more ease, success and fulfillment.

On a personal note...

As a longstanding student of Dr Joseph Michael Levry, I am blessed to study Universal Kabbalah/Divine Spiritual Wisdom and its most practical application to daily life. This timeless wisdom is ecumenical and both predates and transcends organized religion and theology that can create separation. It is truly Universal. These sophisticated and powerful teachings have given me a powerful platform from which to live a life I could only have dreamed of. I now think of my life as before and after exposure to this wisdom, the mathematics of spirituality. The article below is a brief discussion of the 7 Creative Planets, one aspect of this vast science.

Kelley Black leads the Oriens Practical Spirituality Series of workshops. A globally recognized thought leader in the emerging field of energy management, Kelley Black continues to advocate for a more mindful, conscious approach to work and life. She integrates universal principals with proven business practices to raise the bar on personal effectiveness. Kelley is an ACSTH, ICF Certified Executive Coach through the Center for Executive Coaching (CEC). She also received her MCCT Executive Coaching Training through the CEC.

Beginning Again- Spring Cleaning and the Liver

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 15:08:00 GMT

by Kristen Mangione

Spring is typically a time for new beginnings. If you look at nature, it’s easy to see. Everywhere plants and trees that have appeared lifeless and dormant all winter suddenly go green. In Chinese Medicine this is also a time for new beginnings - so in our environment, so in ourselves the philosophy asserts.

If we begin to watch nature’s cycles we can better interpret and anticipate what may be happening in our own lives. You may notice as the world comes to life once again with warmer temperatures, more sunlight and growth, you too begin feeling reinvigorated. The blahs of winter become a memory. Activities like planning for the future and major undertakings seem to take precedence. It’s often the time we take up new exercise regimens (spring is also said to be the peak time for energies associated with all the muscles and soft tissues per Eastern philosophy) and make plans to become healthier.

The Liver is said to correspond to the spring season. Did you know the Liver is responsible for some 300 jobs in the body? It’s considered a master organ for this reason. It manages literally hundreds of functions amongst all the organ systems.

One of the most crucial is detoxification in the body. Over time substances like alcohol, drugs, caffeine and even chemicals from processed foods can weigh heavily on the efficiency of the Liver to do its job. Think of pool filter that continually has to keep up with an onslaught of debris. Over time it loses its effectiveness, leaving more and more to clog the system, damaging the integrity of water and working even harder in the process.

Spring cleanse programs (either formal or informal with moderate changes to diet) can do wonders for the Liver, especially after a long, quiet winter where things tend to settle and lay dormant. One possibility is to modify your diet for 21 days to eliminate or reduce intake of processed foods, alcohol, caffeine and sugar, and in turn replace them with more fresh fruits, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins and water (spring or distilled).

This switch will give the Liver a break, allowing it to purge more built up toxins from the body, restore its effectiveness and be supported by more nutrients from a healthy diet. The changes experienced will be different from person to person and can be extraordinary. In the past when I have done a 21 day revision of my diet I noticed not only feeling healthier, but also better sense of taste, waking earlier every morning with tons of energy, clearer complexion, better mood, and smoother digestion.

Add all this to the naturally invigorating feel of spring and you have the perfect enhancement for the season. Beginning anew, fresh and ready to take on the world.

Kristen Mangione's Shiatsu is at Oriens every Thursday. She has practiced Shiatsu, Chinese Medicine and Eastern philosophy for a decade as well as dancing professionally. She is the founder and director of ZenMoves, combining the practices of meditation and body awareness to heighten the experience of moving through Eastern philosophy. She currently practices Shiatsu at Oriens Living and ZenTouch in Hoboken, NJ.

Why Hire a Life Coach when You are an Expert on Your Life?

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 21:16:00 GMT

by Alice Petzold

I am often asked, “What is a life coach, and how could one possibly help me with my life?” After all a life coach could not possibly be an expert on your life.

However, what a well-trained life coach brings is objectivity to the meaningful stories you have made up about why things are how they are in your life. A well-trained life coach provides you the space to break through the theories you actually buy into that limit your success in different areas of your life.

The areas that you may now describe as being “fine”, “a work in progress” or as good “as good as can be expected”. Or the deeper desires that once kept you up at night and now are just a faded memory.

As I life coach, I am an expert in identifying patterns. Revealing for you the moves that you make repeatedly, unconsciously, that prevent you from living into the full life that you desire.

You may think that coaching is for someone else in your life. It may be. It is not for the faint of heart. It is for someone ready to take on life in new way. In a way that supports you realizing your desires instead of just dreaming about them.

Join me May 3rd at Oriens for our monthly book club, this month we are featuring a book from a list of my recommended readings, “The Big Leap” by Gay Hendricks.

In The Big Leap you will explore the bottom line: We have an inner thermostat that determines the amount of love and success we allow ourselves. When we exceed our setting, we tend to sabotage ourselves so that we can return to the old, familiar zone where we feel secure. The thermostat was set before you could think for yourself, usually in early childhood.

You can consciously re-set your thermostat and go all the way to your full measure of success in love and money. The Big Leap shows you how.

• Preparing for Your Big Leap: The One Problem and How to Solve It
• Making the Leap: Dismantling the Foundation of the Problem
• Getting Speciﬁc: How to Spot the Upper Limit Problem in Daily Life
• Building a New Home in Your Zone of Genius
• Living in Your Zone of Genius: Using the Ultimate Success Mantra to Thrive in Love, Abundance, and Creativity
• Living in Einstein Time: Creating Time for the Full Expression of Your Genius
• Solving the Relationship Problem: Transcending the Upper Limits of Love and Appreciation
• Plus lots more

The Big Leap -- Oriens Book Club -- May 3, 2012, 6:30-8:30pm

Alice Petzold (of A-Game Development Coaching) offers Executive & Life Coaching at Oriens. She specializes in helping individuals and organizations identify and play their A-Game. If not you then who… If not now then when?

Self-Love: What Does That Look Like?

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 15:06:00 GMT

by Krista N. Mitchell, RMA

This month's Crystal Meditation Healing Circle is on the 4th (or Heart) Chakra. This energy center opens for our highest expression of love, including forgiveness. And love...whether we want more of it to enter our lives, or want to be more loving toward others....always begins with loving ourselves.

Many of us hear that we need to 'love' ourselves more. Of course it's true, but what stumps us is HOW. How do I love myself more when I feel like crap? When I'm depressed? When I don't like how I am? When people keep rejecting me? When nothing's going my way? When I have so much else to do?!!!

The thing is, nothing truly ever gets better unless we love ourselves a whole lot more. I had to work on this big-time, so I've been there and understand the frustration.

First and foremost, I have to say that you need to want this more than anything else. More than money, more than a relationship with so-and-so, more than world peace (yes, I did just say world peace), more than a vacation. You have to throw the anchor down, so to speak, and say "I've had enough of all the crap, I really, REALLY, just want to love myself more!" It takes a decision, even at least just in theory, that you're worth more and willing to work towards feeling that way.

Here are some tips that worked for me:

Affirmations: This is when you "charge" words emotionally as you say them. You connect emotionally to the statement you are making. Affirmations are very powerful in shifting underlying limiting/negative beliefs. Doing something as simple as looking at yourself in the mirror, right into your eyes, and saying "I love you" is deep and very powerful.

Meditating while holding 2 large chunks of Rose Quartz crystal (self-love, self-worth, nurturing, heart-healing). I did this for 30 minutes every night for 30 days, and felt a loving, empowering shift in my sense of self-worth and deserving.

Deciding on bottom lines and sticking to them. When you stand up for YOU, your heart takes notice, and it feels really, really good.

Taking better care of yourself. This could be buying yourself flowers, eating a healthy meal, getting more sleep, having a manicure, walking in a park, or taking time out for solitude. When you take care of yourself, you show yourself respect. And respect is an expression of love.

Loving your inner child. Our 'inner child' is that vulnerable, innocent, pure part of ourselves that often carries our emotional wounds from childhood. Imagine taking yourself as a child in your arms, giving him/her your love, protection, guidance, and support, and telling him/her that they are ok and you are there for them now. This dissolves a lot of fear, and creates space for more love.

Shift from self-judgement to self-acceptance/forgiveness. Make a practice of catching yourself when you're giving yourself a hard time, and then make a choice to say something like: 'Ok, I screwed that up, but I'm forgiving myself and letting it go", or 'Ok, so I didn't get everything done today that I wanted to, but the world will keep turning and there's always tomorrow! I'm giving myself a break'. Being gentle with yourself is always healing.

Loving yourself more creates an enormous, awesome, gorgeous shift in your life. It creates space for better things to come in, it sparks more joy, it supports more balance, ease, and calm, and it keeps you feeling connected with what truly matters to you, even during the hard times.

I am wishing huge, heaping buckets of love for all of you!

Namaste,

Krista

Krista brings her proprietary method of Crystal Matrix Reiki to Oriens, helping clients raise their bar on personal wellbeing and power, by helping clear out negative emotional and physical patterns. Krista also leads a monthly Crystal Meditation Healing Circle at Oriens, aimed at helping you harmonize your own energy systems for health & wellbeing.

The Power of the Word

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 20:29:00 GMT

by Kelley Black

As a student of Divine Spiritual Wisdom as taught by Dr Joseph Michael Levry and teacher of Naam Yoga I am always struck by how people regard communication and conversation as a "soft" skill. Everything that comes out of your mouth has the power to create a brilliant, loving and inspired life or to destroy what you have worked for a whole lifetime. God sit’s at the tip of your tongue and gives you the power to create your circumstances be they negative or positive.

Spiritual masters across traditions agree that the spiritual evolution of a person is indicated by their manner of speech. The energetic frequency of the manner of our speech is then reflected back to each of us in the quality of our interactions and our lives.

This "soft" skill, when refined, becomes the art of "soft power" ~ the ability to influence others to be engaged and mobilized through cooperation rather than coercion. Mastering the power of the word is an exercise in pragmatism and flexibility. Mastering the power of the word brings Divinity into your day to day life facilitating:

• authenticity that enables results and strengthens relationships.
• a balance of pragmatism and flexibility
• winning your point without alienating the other person
• getting rid of the "lovely lies" lies that perpetuate dysfunction, dishonesty and disease
• pulling the other towards you to succeed without imposing power or forcing

Mastery of this "soft skill" will give you the ability to wield "soft power." You can then create your circumstances rather then have your circumstances create you. Her are 5 crucial skills to help you master the power of the word:

1. BE THE MESSAGE

Make sure that you actions are in alignment with your words. Under pressure it easy for your actions to be out of alignment with your words. For instance do you talk about the need for "balance" but never disconnect from technology? Do you send colleagues emails 24/7 with no boundaries but then talk about the need for work/life balance?

2. BE AUTHENTIC

Do your rely on "lovely lies," to keep the peace or sugar coat challenging situations? People who master conversation and communication (written & verbal) speak the truth in a way that strengthens relationships and enables positive results. They have the humility to receive tough feedback and persuade those around them to face the truth. And, they realize there are always two sides to the truth.

Join Kelley for her Power of the Word workshop Wednesday, March 22--6-8pm at Oriens

A globally recognized thought leader in the emerging field of energy management, Kelley Black continues to advocate for a more mindful, conscious approach to work and life. She integrates universal principals with proven business practices to raise the bar on personal effectiveness. Kelley is an ACSTH, ICF Certified Executive Coach through the Center for Executive Coaching (CEC). She also received her MCCT Executive Coaching Training through the CEC.

Balancing Your Chakras: How This Affects Your Wellness

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 13:54:00 GMT

By Krista N. Mitchell, BFA, RMT

Chakra Balancing is a term often used in energy therapy and spiritual healing circles, and while we get the sense that balancing them is a good thing, many of us don't really know what a chakra is or what this term actually means.

Chakras are major energy centers located in the body. While cultures all over the world have developed their own chakra 'maps' or 'systems', the accepted standard is a 7 chakra system: The Base or Root (located between the tailbone & genitals); the Sacral or Sexual (located an inch below the belly button); the Solar Plexus (located above the stomach and below the ribs); the Heart (center of chest); the Throat (center of throat); the Third Eye or Brow (center of forehead), and the Crown (top of the head). Each chakra governs the flow particular energies through the body (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual), as well as it's surrounding physical organs and body parts.

Chakras are described as spinning wheels or vortices of light, but I find explaining them as different colored lightbulbs easier to visualize: The Root is red, the Sacral orange, the Solar Plexus yellow, the Heart green, the Throat turquoise, the 3rd Eye indigo, and the Crown white or violet. When these 'lightbulbs' are perfectly balanced, a good amount of electricity (energy) is flowing through them and they are shining brightly. When they are imbalanced, too little energy is flowing through (causing them to be dim), or too much (causing them to be overblown).

When too little energy is flowing through, our system becomes weakened, and our other chakras have to work harder to compensate. When too much energy is flowing through, our system begins to suffer burnout. In either case, we cease to function at a healthy, optimal level, and this becomes evident either in our physical bodies, in our emotions, our mental/cognitive/intuitive capacities, or in our overall outlook on life. In holistic circles, we refer to this lack of healthy function as 'imbalance'.

So what can throw a chakra out of balance? A physical injury, toxins in the body, an emotional trauma or unhealthy relationships, stress, too much mental activity, limited or negative thinking, and poor diet are all examples of things that can lead to imbalance. When there is damage done to the system that decreases the amount of 'electricity' running to a particular 'lightbulb', it is referred to as having created 'blocked' energy, almost like a dam in a river. When too much energy is flowing through a chakra, it typically means that another one in the system is blocked, and therefore it's having to compensate.

In many forms of energy therapy and spiritual healing, we seek to remove blocked energy and bring balance back to the energy system. In doing so, we help people to achieve and maintain wellness.

So how do you know if you have a blocked or imbalanced chakra? Below is a quick description of the chakras and how they behave; if you are dealing with issues that can be associated with a particular chakra, it's possible that you have an imbalance:

Root: Governs our primal survival instinct, procreation, family and tribal relationships, abundance, physical health and wellness. It is connected to the blood, skeletal system, feet and legs, and sexual organs, elimination and immune system. A deficient root will result in fears surrounding survival (real or imagined), poor boundaries, lack of discipline, inability to 'make ends meet', and a 'spaced-out' feeling, infertility/impotency, and problems with eliminating waste. An excessive root will result in a desperate need for security – hoarding, resistance to change, being overweight, overly concerned with material needs.

Sacral: Governs our emotional & creative energy, sexual/sensual/material desires, intimacy or one-on-one relationships. It is connected to the reproductive and digestive organs, and kidneys. Deficiency results in a lack of emotional connection, low sex drive, difficulty experiencing or enjoying pleasure, shame, lack of passion or direction, infertility/impotency. An excessive sacral chakra results in mood swings, addictions, a constant need for stimulation, feeling overly social and needy.

Solar Plexus: Governs our sense of identity, our drive, ambition, ability to manifest change, prosperity, ego, confidence, and sense of personal power. It is connected to the stomach, liver, and spleen, immune and adrenal system. Deficiency results in digestive issues (including the assimilation of nutrients), addictions to stimulants, obesity, lack of empowerment, low drive and/or ambition, low self-confidence, immune system deficiencies, blocked prosperity and lack of forward motion in one's life. Excess results in stomach ulcers, diabetes, anger, addiction to sedatives, belly fat, the need for control (over the self and others), superiority, insecurity.

Heart: Governs our ability to love, feel compassion, empathy, being open to give and receive, self-worth, abundance, and deserving. It is connected to the heart, cardiovascular system, lungs, chest, and arms/hands. Deficiency results in shallow breathing, depression, isolation, lack of self-worth and self-esteem, heart and lung conditions, fear of giving and receiving love and affection, lack of sympathy and compassion. Excess results in a lack of boundaries, being overly generous, focusing on others instead of the self, codependency, being socially overactive, erratic heartbeat, lack of self-awareness.

Throat: Governs our ability to express ourselves honestly, communicate effectively, create, speak as well as listen, affirm our boundaries, and be authentic. It's connected to the throat, neck, mouth, ears and nose. Deficiency results in a difficulty to communicate and express one's self, throat illnesses, tight neck and shoulders, poor self-esteem, lack of breath, fear of being heard as well as speaking up. Excess results in being overly talkative without substance, difficulty listening to others, yelling and dominating others, a build-up of tension in the body that constantly needs release.

3rd Eye: Governs our ability to think, visualize, remember, learn, dream, as well as our intuition and psychic abilities, sense of clarity and focus. It is connected to the eyes and cerebral cortex, as well as the pituitary gland and sinuses. Deficiency can result in a lack of sensitivity, making one oblivious to subtlety, innuendo, and sarcastic humor. A lack of imagination, belief in things unexplained, and inability to visualize and broaden your perspective are also symptoms of deficiency. An excess results in paranoia, nightmares, hallucinations, projection of your issues onto others, taking everything personally, inability to understand one's intuition and to respond to it effectively.

Crown: Governs our wisdom, spiritual selves, consciousness, and perspective. It is connected to the brain and all it's physical functions, as well as the pineal gland. Deficiency results in trouble thinking for one's self, narrow mindedness, rigid belief systems, ignorance, and prejudice. Excess can result in always being in one's head, feeling morally, spiritually, or academically superior to others, and detached from day to day experience.

If you have identified an imbalance in your chakra system, the good news is that it can be addressed by energy therapy. I maintain that when there is a willingness to heal, healing is inevitable. Life always strikes a balance.

Krista leads a monthly Crystal Meditation Healing Circle at Oriens, which is an opportunity to balance, strengthen and work with your chakras. She is available for private sessions. Call or email Oriens: 212.213.5785 or info@oriensliving.com.

Your Core as POWER…Why Great ABS are just the beginning

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 14:09:00 GMT

by Kristen Mangione, LMT

It seems to be relatively common wisdom these days that having a strong core (referring to the muscles and connective tissue of the abdominal cavity) is key to having a strong physical body. Being trained as a professional dancer, I would certainly not argue this point for a second.

Having engaged abdominal muscles is crucial to having a well aligned lumbar spine (many lower back issues can be often attributed to weak support from the abdominals in front), support for the internal organs as well as better integration between the torso, pelvis and legs in standing, walking and sitting.

But did you know having a toned center is just the beginning when it comes to this area? In Eastern philosophy, the abdominal area is not only acknowledged as a source of physical strength, but also as an energetic source of power.

The entire area from the base of the ribcage to the pubic bone is referred to as the HARA. The HARA, in Eastern terms, is very special- it houses the body, mind and spirit. It is the non-thinking part of the bigger “mind” in ourselves, the seat of our intuition, and our higher self or consciousness.

In many martial arts practices this area is emphasized for just this reason. Channeling one’s awareness into it can become a great source of unlimited strength. Think of the seemingly superhuman feats of Tai Chi masters taking blows directly to the stomach and not being hurt, or karate masters having boards broken across their midsections without harm. Dramatic displays they may be, what they share is the idea that the HARA, when engaged, becomes a source of beyond ordinary power.

There are many examples of HARA in Eastern culture. The belts worn in martial arts systems are, by no accident, worn around the HARA to signify one’s accomplishment in level of training. Sumo wrestlers are another great example where opponents use their HARAs to push their adversary out of the ring. Compare this to Western sports, football for example, which rely more on upper body strength in the shoulder girdle and arms to cradle the ball and block opponents as they run across the field. If you’ve ever seen a painting or sculpture of the Buddha in Eastern art, he is often shown with a large belly. This is to signify the abundant, fully realized nature of his HARA, both physically and metaphorically.

Cultivating awareness in the HARA is useful for many reasons. As the “non-brain” part of ourselves, it enhances our intuition (hence the expression “having a gut feeling about something”), calms the relentless stream of chatter from our brains and enhances the ability to be present and act- an asset whether in dance, athletics, meditation, high performance activities, or just day to day life awareness.

ZenMoves will be offering an introductory workshop on Sunday, March 18th, 1-3pm on developing HARA awareness.

No experience is necessary; just an interest in tuning in, becoming more aware of HARA and being present to your body.

For more information call (212) 213-5785 or email Kristen.

Kristen Mangione is the founder and director of ZenMoves, combining the practices of meditation and body awareness to heighten the experience of moving through Eastern philosophy. She has practiced and taught Shiatsu for a decade as well as dancing professionally. She currently practices at Oriens Living and ZenTouch in Hoboken, NJ. www.zenmoves.org

TAKING THE GUESSWORK OUT OF LOVE RELATIONSHIPS

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:09:00 GMT

by Kelley Black

“As soon as you start loving yourself, the entire universe loves you.

If you don’t love yourself, the entire universe reminds you.

This truth is simple.”

~ Dr. Joseph Michael Levry

With Valentine’s Day rapidly approaching, what kind of love relationship do you want to have this year? What are you looking for? Are you searching for a love relationship or trying to keep one on track?

Now is the time to stop revisiting old patterns and the same mistakes. How can you recalibrate yourself and elevate your love relationship in accordance with the highest spiritual principles and the energies at work this year. It is your birthright to move from victim to victory and experience the most exquisite manifestation of love in 2012.

October 28th 2011 was a date of vast spiritual significance. On this day, the portal to a new, higher frequency of energy, of Divine Love, was ushered in, moving the world with increasing intensity to a higher level of spirituality.

This date was the beginning of the Golden Age of global enlightenment and personal resurrection ~ this includes the recalibration of our understanding of love relationships.

The longing for love is Universal and will only get more intense in the Golden Age. There are powerful energies at work. They require us all to raise our collective consciousness around how we understand and participate in our love relationships. It’s time to recalibrate. How do we love ourselves? How can we attract the love partner that supports our soul’s positive evolution? How can we lift our most intimate relationships from a casual state to a Divine one that supports our spiritual evolution?

2012 is a year of massive change for everyone and this change includes a total shift to love, truth and wisdom. It’s time for revelation, evolution and a massive reality check around our approach to love.

For anyone seeking the most Divine love relationship it is time to learn and apply the most powerful, specific, spiritual formulas that give you the skills to find and nurture the partner that is right for you.

These formulas, found in the great teachings of Divine Spiritual Wisdom, the Tarot and advanced forms of numerology/astrology will give you everything that is needed to create a paradigm shift in how you understand, interact and experience love. They will give you a deep understanding of the unseen forces that direct the success or failure of every relationship. By knowing the implications and application of these formulas you will stop revisiting old patterns, take the guesswork out of dating and take control of love, bringing it to a manifestation of the Divine here on earth.

About Kelley

Kelley Black is the founder of Balancing the Executive Life, a long-time Naam Yoga teacher, Universal Kabbalah lecturer and Harmonyum practitioner, who shares these universal and effective formulas and sacred teachings. Kelley is a dedicated student of Dr. Joseph Michael Levry and the Divine Spiritual Wisdom that he has shared so generously and lovingly over the years.

She is also an accredited Executive and Life Coach who received her coaching credentials through Harvard MBA, Andrew Neitlich, founder of the Center for Executive Coaching and the ICF.

Courage to Bridge Your Gap

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:16:00 GMT

by Alice Petzold

Many of us say we want to move ahead in our lives, we say want to create something better. But “saying” and actually “being ready and willing” to move in certain areas of our lives, are very different things.

Moving and shaping our lives requires courage – courage to face our “gaps.” But not everyone is able to take on the gap. Often times we see what’s not ideal in our lives as just how things are, just how we are, the best things will get, good enough, or even worse, something we will get through.

In the world of coaching, there is a saying: We either have reasons or results.

Everyone can benefit from working with a coach…but coaching is not for everyone. It is not for the faint of heart.

And we have really good reasons. Ever notice how someone else’s reasons can sound like “blah, blah, blah?”

Notice our reasons are completely plausible. In fact our friends can become clearinghouses to validate our reasons. Co-workers can be equally effective in supporting reasons… in fact we can see consensus around the office about why things will never change, this can spread like a virus infecting each new hire’s hope, dreams and aspirations

It’s interesting to notice where the commitment of the individual lies. Are you more committed to your reasons or your results? Are you ready to move forward in support of what you want for yourself and your life… or are you more interested in reasserting why things are how they are.

Over time we may begin to relate to ourselves as if we are a certain way. Like it is something ingrained in our personality… heaven forbid we have some formalized test that confirms what we thought we knew about ourselves. “I am an introvert so I....”, “I prefer logic over...”,“I am a blue…” “I have a slow metabolism so…”, “I am a type A personality so I…”

I have no intention to take anything away from testing and grouping. In fact I use it in my work. It provides tremendous insight and understanding. But in contrast to the notion that you “are” a certain way…it might be worth considering that you just picked up a bad habit. Over time habits can look like personalities, character traits… reasons we are how we are.

In essence, we can build evidence for any theory. We can use that evidence to inspire us in support of achieving results or in support of the reasons we don’t have them.

Where are reasons prevailing in your life? Do you have reasons or results in your business? With your family? With your spouse? Your lover? Your best friend? Your ex-best friend? Your school? Your playground? Your health? Your finances?

And what about that idea you were so passionate about that it kept you up at night that you pretend no longer sounds like a good idea?

So what does all this have to do with heart and courage and Valentine’s Day? Maybe if you look into your heart… you will have a sense of what I am talking about. What is your “gap”? Are you really okay with the reasons in your life?

As I mentioned, coaching is not for everyone. It is not for the faint of heart. It takes courage to look at your life and move in the direction of your passions, to move through your resignation, the heartbreak of past disappointments.

If not you then who? If not now then when?

A Heart-Centered Life in a Crazy Stressed Out World

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:56:00 GMT

by Shelley Poovey

When we hear talk about finding inner peace and living a heart-centered life, it can seem as though the only way that will ever happen is if you run away and join a monastery like Pema Chodron, or else win the lottery and buy an island in Fiji far away from modern society where there’s a jet plane waiting for you if you want to go back for just a moment. I am here to tell you a secret: this is just not true! Inner peace is available to you right now and wrapped in a package that looks exactly like the life you live. In your perfect life, you are able to experience more joy and inner peace without going anywhere or giving up anything other than stress and distractions.

Ask any physicist and they will tell you that time is speeding up. It’s literally true that the space between the second-hand on our watch is getting smaller with every passing day, making it seem harder to accomplish everything there is to do, much less finding the time to enjoy it. As the days add up, so do your stress levels and the ability to keep track of the bigger picture - how to spend more time with the people you love and to be relaxed enough to appreciate it. You can spend years fending off the daily stresses only to wake up later wondering where the time went and why you didn’t enjoy it more.

When we talk about living a heart-centered life, we tend to think of a life where the struggles don’t get to us as much because we know who we are and where we are going. Everyone can agree they would like to do that but how can we bridge the gap between the crazy stressed-out person we are now and that the one who can drive this ship a bit better?

Science is just beginning to understand more about the role the heart plays in helping balance our inner and outer worlds. Scientists are now able to map how the pulsating rhythms of the heartbeat vibrate through our bodies like the conductor of a magnificent orchestra, harmonizing and synchronizing the different organs and body systems that are contained within our structure. The term “body/mind/spirit” can get a little old to hear, it is so overused these days, but we are discovering that the heart is more intelligent than the brain, emitting an electromagnetic field five thousand times stronger than the one coming from the brain.

The heart’s electromagnetic frequency arcs out from the heart and back in a field that extends as far as twelve to fifteen feet from the body. Information can be read from each and every point within that field instantaneously, just like when you are on the internet. That means that when the heart is in charge, every part of us knows what is happening at every other point within our body.

But when the heart is not synchronized, this internal communication system breaks down and information gets lost in a clutter of activity that is confusing. We can sometimes experience this internal confusion as physical pain, foggy thinking, or an inability to function at our optimal level. Other times it shows up in our external world through making decisions that are not really what we want or need, leaving us feeling disconnected from life as if it got derailed in some way without us understanding how it happened. Leaving us wondering exactly what went wrong, when, and why?

Our brain’s job is to organize how we fit into our world. It is in charge of planning and can be seen as the place within where the ego lives and holds a sense of our personal identity. The ego helps us find our mate, choose how we earn a living, and also who we surround ourselves with for support. It is in charge of interpreting our experiences and responding to them.

When our brain is disconnected from the rest of our body, it can start to over-think, over-analyze, and over-plan our life. This can create the stress response which increases blood pressure and triggers the release of hormones that slows digestion and other important organ functions. This creates yet another cycle of disharmony where now there are more systems out of communication with each other! Ideally our heart and our brain are working together so that this breakdown doesn’t happen.

So the question lingers as to how we can restore the heart to its place as our great harmonizer?

There is a very simple but very powerful technique that is the basis of the BodyTalk system which synchronizes the brain and the heart, and helps bring everything back into balance. Lightly tapping the top of the head while exaggerating the breath disrupts the electromagnetic field within the brain. Once that field is disrupted, tapping on the heart reminds the body of who should be in charge. It works just as well as hitting the reset button on your laptop...reboot!

Here’s how to perform your own personal reboot:

First, begin by breathing fully in and out in equal measure.
Inhale from the feet to the top of the head.
Exhale from the top of the head to the feet.

Stay with this until you can get all the way up and down in one breath.

Then, lightly tap the top of your head while breathing in from the feet to the head.
Next, lightly tap the chest around the heart area while breathing out from the head to the feet.

Repeat until the little dramas in your head stop playing out, as if your breath was an emotional tonic to take the edge off. Once the chatter dies down, notice any sensations within your heart. Can you feel the love pouring in from your family and friends? Can you feel that sense of isolation drifting away and leaving you more calm and centered?

The heart connection is our deepest connection to ourselves. The heart seeks out how your talents can shine in a way that serves your highest joy and fulfillment within your support network, both personal and professional. Without the heart connection, there is no intention to organize all those ideas and discern which choices are the right ones for the life we want to live. When we let our hearts be in charge, the mental clutter fades and it's as if the decisions are being made without effort or conscious thought, leaving us to experience fulfillment of the life we are currently living without going anywhere or giving up anything other than the stress and distractions. The brain is then freed up to sort out only the things put forth that are in your path of joy, and is figuring out how to make that happen for you in the best and simplest way possible.

BodyTalk is a powerful system to address the challenges of living in the 21st Century. It helps empower you to understand your body's unique relationship to the stresses of life. Most illnesses can be traced back as the result of chronic stress, where the body's self-healing systems have broken down and become in need of repair. BodyTalk helps to undo these patterns of illness by integrating a series of tapping, breathing, and focusing techniques to effectively restore the internal communication systems within the body. BodyTalk helps bridge the gap between living as a victim and becoming an empowered co-creator of your life.

Quantum Detox-January 7, 2012

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 18:48:00 GMT

“Out with the old and in with the new. “We say this every New Year’s and within weeks to months we are back doing what we’ve always done, fearing what we’ve always feared, struggling the way we’ve always struggled.

We settle for surviving, yet we long to be thriving! But, to get different results, we must do things differently!

Quantum Detox
for Body, Mind & Spirit
Saturday January 7, 11-6pm
~
A Day of Experiences & Information to help you
Raise Your Bar on Personal Wellbeing & Power in 2012!

The beginning of change is letting go of what holds us back, what is not working. Detoxification literally means getting rid of toxins-the things that poison us. Poisonous substances, poisonous thoughts, poisonous behaviors.

Imagine your house if you never cleaned it. Imagine your office if all the paper simply accumulated. Imagine your refrigerator if you never threw anything out!

Your body, your mind and your energy field are just like your house, office and refrigerator-they need cleaning!

For the Body, detoxification is essential to manage Holiday indulgences and accumulated toxin loads. Your natural detoxification systems were not designed for the intensity of assault modern life puts them through. They need to be rebooted and refreshed 1-2 times per year so that you may harness the wellness wiring within you that makes truly vital health possible. Like your computer, when you fail to do the maintenance you end up with bugs, faulty programs and more risk than you want to take.

For the Mind & Spirit- You are powerful beyond measure! Yet, "whether you think you can, or you think you can't...you're right!" That's how powerful your mind is.

Our thoughts control our feelings. Learning to manage our minds, listen to our innate wisdom and clean our energy:

Fills us with joy -- to enjoy our lives
Creates self-confidence -- to handle what happens, no matter what
Brings high self-esteem -- to manifest our dreams
Eliminates negative thinking -- to reach our potential
Enhances our relationships -- to offer and enjoy more value
Puts us in control -- of how we perceive and experience the world
Brings clarity of purpose -- to guide our choices
Yields feelings of profound fulfillment

Oriens Open House 2012 -- 7 Mini-Workshops!

*You will also have one-on-one access to the presenters throughout the day.

Quantum Detox
with Acupuncturist & Bio-Nutrition Counselor, Elizabeth Carpenter, MS, L.Ac.
Learn the state-of-the-art Cellular Detox approach (considered "Detox Mastery" by natural health professionals). This detox has no physical inconveniences of typical "cleanses" yet goes beyond standard detox to clean and recalibrate down to the cellular level. Eating a fun & broad diet as part of the detox, this approach will help you:

Balance Your Hormones
Overcome Weight Loss Resistance
Resolve Inflammation & Pain
Boost Your Immune System
Sleep more Soundly
Increase Energy & Vitality
Improve Mental Clarity

* Free Meta-Oxy Test to find out Your Toxin Level Score!

Redefining & Attracting Relationships
with Life & Executive Coach, Alice Petzold
Invite greater fulfillment in your personal and professional life, by learning 3 keys to successful relationships. Alice leads a high-impact process to transform your relationships.

How to Give a Massage
with Massage Therapist, Sandra Senior, LMT
The pleasure and power of touch! Relax and nurture a friend, invite more intimacy into a relationship, be a force of healing and relief for others with simple massage techniques.

Your Internal Guidance System
with Intuitive and Body Talk Therapist, Shelley Poovey
Release self-doubt and empower your health. Shelley will share on how you can connect to your inner guidance, discover the subconscious messages you carry with you, and understand your body's unique relationship to the stresses of life.

Healthy Breasts
with Massage Therapist, Simone Burgos, LMT
Women's Health expert & Maya Abdominal Massage therapist Simone Burgos will teach you simple techniques you can use every day to care for your breasts and keep them healthy.

Overcoming Overwhelm
with Elizabeth Carpenter, MS, L.Ac.
Get out of overwhelm and tap into flow, anywhere, anytime in under a minute. This simple technique can be done in the boardroom, the bedroom, on the subway, anywhere...and no one knows you are meditating! Balancing the left and right sides of your brain very quickly, you can take down fear and induce calm on demand.

Energy Clearing Crystal Meditation
with Crystal Matrix Reiki Master, Krista N. Mitchell, BFA, RMT
Physical toxins and stress in our systems leave emotional and energetic residue standing between us and optimal wellness. Krista will lead a 20 minute guided meditation with crystals that will help to clear this residue out, while infusing the system with an increased sense of vitality and balance.

Oriens Open House 2012 -- 7 Mini-Experiences

Shiatsu - with Kristen Mangione, LMT -- Detoxes and balances energy on every level for abundant health

Crystal Matrix Reiki - with Krista N. Mitchell, BFA, RMT -- Clears and cleans your energy field and helps develop greater understanding and clarity of your life path

Cranio-Sacral - with Cynthia Ruse, LMT -- Resets the nervous system for deep relaxation and peacefulness

Body Talk- with Shelley Poovey -- Uncovers your subconscious messages and old traumas blocking your health, joy & life purpose

Wisdom Bites - with Rev. Sandra Bargman -- Brief Spiritual Counseling sessions connect you to your deeper understanding of yourself

Chair Massage - with Sandra Senior, LMT -- Relaxes head-neck-shoulder stress

Life & Executive Coaching -- with Alice Petzold -- of A-Game Development--Get in the Driver's Seat of your life! "If not now, then when? If not you, then who?"

Plus Open House Goodies!

The Cellular Detox Program at an Open House Only Discount!
One-on-one time with Oriens Experts-bring your burning questions!
Sample delicious detoxifying and health building foods --get ready to be surprised!
Open House ONLY Discounts on Services & Programs
New Year's 2012 Raffle!

Join us for this
Day of Community
Powerful Insights & Strategies
Life Transforming Information & Opportunities

Raise Your Bar in 2012

REGISTER through email -- info@oriensliving.com
or
REGISTER ONLINE

3 Tips to Minimize Sugar's Impact on You this Holiday

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 19:44:00 GMT

by Elizabeth Carpenter, MS, L.Ac.

Holidays and Sugar...

Like beach and sand, the two are not all that separable. The impact is not just on our waistlines. Sugar hits us in our moods, our energy levels, our sleep, our productivity, our short and long term health. Sugar creates havoc for our hormones, right down to our cells. But 'tis the season! And oh what fun!

Here are 3 Tips to Help You Lessen Sugar's Impact this Holiday Season

1. Add a Fat or Protein

One part of the problem with sugar is that when it floods your system in that concentrated sweetie, your body goes into crisis to manage the seismic jolt. So when you decide to indulge, have some fat or protein with it, to help your body handle it.

2. Clean Up Before & After

Irrigate & flush! Since you will be offered sugar everywhere you go for the next few weeks, expect you'll be indulging. Your body cleans itself through your consumption of pure, filtered or spring water. Since you know you'll be making a mess, give it plenty of extra-preferably hot with lemon. Your digestion, your skin and every other system will thank you.

3. Burst

With all the extra social engagements and calories, it's hard to keep an exercise routine. But you do have 4 minutes every other day to turn yourself into a fat-burning machine. When you flood yourself with sugar your body turns it to fat for safety purposes. "Bursting" (1 minute of getting your heart rate up through intense arm/leg movement -then resting until your heart rate is all the way down) is something you can do anywhere, with no equipment, no special outfit and no need for a shower. It initiates fat-burning for the next 36 hours. Ideas? As many jumping jacks as you can fit in one minute, or high knee running in place while you flail your arms like a crazy person for one minute, or wild dancing to music for one minute. Just get your heart rate UP for ONE minute-not more-then rest until it's all the way down and repeat the sequence 3x. More is not better-just do the 4 burst minutes every other day. Consult your physician if there is any reason to suspect elevating your heart rate might not be safe for you.

4. OK, 4 Tips-January Detox

In January Oriens is doing a New Year's Detox to jumpstart your health & weight loss goals. Annual or semi-annual detox is a critical health strategy. Unlike fad or unpleasant "cleanses," this is clean up at the cellular level--where it really counts.

What can a Cellular Level Detox do for you?

Booste Your Immune System
Balance Your Hormones
Unburden Your Body
Lose Weight
Get Out of Pain
Improve Sleep
Make Your Brain Happy
When Your Cells get Happy, Everything Starts Working Right

Learn more at the January 7, 2012 Open House, or just contact Oriens: 212.213.5785 or info@oriensliving.com. (You can get set up to start January 1, 2012 if you contact Oriens by December 19, 2011.)

Embracing the Gray Zone: Thriving (not merely surviving) in Major Life Transitions

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 18:20:00 GMT

by Kelley Black

Scuba divers in the cold and murky waters of New England occasionally confront what they call the “gray zone.” Imagine you are in full scuba gear and jump from a dive boat off the Cape Cod Coast. You plan to descend to the ocean floor, 65 feet below. At about 30 feet, you notice that, when you look up toward the surface of the water you see nothing – except for the boats anchor line disappearing into the grayness. When you look down, you see nothing again, except for the anchor line disappearing into the grayness below. All around you, you see nothing but gray.

Welcome to the gray zone. Life’s major transitions, divorce, career uncertainty, global upheaval are often a lot like the gray zone. You find your life turned upside down and you step into the unknown filled with risk, uncertainty and ambiguity.

By raising the bar on your personal leadership and self-management skills you will be better able to tolerate and eventually thrive on the uncertainty. In fact, just as divers do, you will begin to see and experience the beautiful world of the depths of the sea.  Imagine what could be possible by experiencing major life transitions with less anger, stress, guilt and self-abuse.

Stress causes poor breathing, which increases susceptibility to a breakdown of bodily systems, illness, and more. With simple breathing exercises and the science of sacred sound (mantra or NAAM), you can reset and balance the autonomous nervous system so that the rest/relaxation (parasympathetic) response becomes stronger.

Finally, by understanding and harnessing the power in your hands through the application of mudras, you can access, stimulate and heal every part of the body and brain.

My methodology integrates best practices from Executive/Life Coaching and Naam Yoga Therapies to help you gain clarity, forgive past wrongs, make amends, learn from any perceived failures, and bounce back even when things don’t always work out the way you wanted them to.

Executives that I work with are using Naam Yoga self-management techniques to be better leaders and to achieve peak performance without burning out at companies as diverse as VNSNY, Microsoft, Booz Allen Hamilton, WICT, NBCU, and many small emerging companies. By controlling your breathing through simple and easy meditative exercises that take no more than 15 minutes, you will find that you can embrace the “gray zone,” reduce stress and gracefully move into your next life’s chapter.
The “hard” part is actually sitting down and doing these exercises on a regular basis. In our busy world, we often do not allow ourselves to disconnect from the screens (whether TV, Blackberry, i-pad, computer, and the like), the “to do” lists, and the constant frenzy of our work and home life. For a person who begins a meditative practice, it is often very hard to sit for even five minutes. But, for those of you who embrace that challenge, you will reap the benefits of a calm and focused mind.
Below are my top three meditative exercises for a person going through a major life transition:

EXERCISE 1: STRESS REDUCTION BREATHING

Using this hand symbol – Tatwa Mudra - will maximize the benefits of the breathing exercises.
Are you are feeling anxious, reactive and unfocused? If you answer “yes,” do the following exercise to regain equilibrium. It is effective in as little as three repetitions.
When you breathe in, count to four slowly, and breathe in 2 counts through your stomach and 2 counts up through your chest. When you breathe out, also count to four slowly, and again focus on moving the breath through your chest and then your stomach. Sit comfortably on a chair or sit Indian style on the floor for this and the other exercises. Place your fingertips together as shown in the photo below. Inhale through your nose in 4 counts /exhale through your nose in 4 counts Inhale through mouth in 4 counts /exhale through mouth in 4 counts Inhale through nose in 4 counts /exhale through mouth in 4 counts Inhale through mouth in 4 counts /exhale through nose in 4 counts
Repeat this cycle of inhale/exhale. I challenge my clients to do this pattern for three minutes, by setting an egg timer. Once they have mastered three minutes after two weeks or so, I then challenge them to do this exercise for five minutes.

EXERCISE 2: ANGER REDUCTION BREATHING

 Negative emotions such as anger and fear are detrimental to our well-being including our physical/mental health. Anger compromises the immune system and often causes us to say and do things we may regret later.
When you feel anger rising — cool yourself down with a yoga breathing method called Sitali pranayama. Simply inhale through your mouth (and if you can, with a curled tongue) as slowly as you can, then exhale through your nose (tucking your tongue back into your mouth) as slowly as you can. You will feel benefits after three repetitions. Do this for up to 5 minutes, or until you feel cooled down. Sitali, which literally means to “cool” works like an air conditioner on an overheated system — reducing anger, reducing toxic heat in the body, boosting the immune system and facilitating receptivity and enhancing communication — all by taking a person out of defense mode. When done correctly, this breathing exercise can help transmute anger into its antithesis — creativity.

EXERCISE 3: HARMONIZE YOUR SPEECH

 Doing the Light Prayer causes you to feel compassion for yourself and your ex-spouse, former boss etc and reduce anger and hostility, while helping you to slow the breath down. You should read this prayer as slowly as possible. First say the prayer using “me,” then say it again using the name of your ex-spouse, former boss or anyone you view as adversarial. When you change the way you feel about your ex by saying this prayer, you will find that your ex will respond by changing his/her negative feelings about you.

Light before me .

Light behind me.

 Light at my left. 

Light at my right.  

Light above me.

Light beneath me.  

Light unto me.

Light in the eyes of those who see me.

 Light in the ears of those who listen to me.

Light in the hearts of those who think of me.

 Light in the hearts of those who speak of me.

Light restore me to health .

Light be always in my heart.

 Light be within me.

 Light establish me forever.

 Light be around me and preserve me.

 Light be before me and lead me.

 Light be within me and give me life.

 Light be near me and rule me.

 Light be beneath me and fortify me.

I love the Light in those whom I may have offended, knowingly or unknowingly.

 May the light be with them .

So be it. 

So it is.

 It is done.

READ INSPIRING STORIES OF PEOPLE OVERCOMING CHALLENGES, INCLUDING DIVORCE, JOB LOSS, HEALTH CRISIS AND MORE

Do you want to carry the wisdom and inspiration of 20 strong and insightful people with you each and every day? If the answer is yes, consider purchasing a copy of Women on Fire: 20 Inspiring Women Share Their Life Secrets (and Save You Years of Struggle!). Each woman, including me, shares the details of a seemingly insurmountable obstacle and describes how she summoned the strength to overcome it and emerge stronger, healthier, happier, and more deeply fulfilled. The most important part of their message is that you can do the same! Reading these inspiring stories, you will discover how you, too, can turn life’s greatest challenges into your greatest opportunity. To purchase, visit my website at www.balancingexec.com http://www.balancingexec.com, and click on “Store”.

Kelley Black and Balancing the Executive Life at Oriens

To Schedule a complimentary, introductory consultation with Kelley

212.213.5785 or info@oriensliving.com

Kelley Black is the Founder of Balancing the Executive LifeTM, a Naam Yoga Therapist, Executive and Life Coach. She integrates universal principles with proven business practices to raise the bar on personal effectiveness and eliminate stress, and help people thrive, not merely survive.
Kelley also leads Naam Coaching for Executive Women, meeting each month at Oriens. This high-impact mastermind & group coaching experience, helps women fully embrace feminine principles to become centered leaders in turbulent times. Each session features strategies from Kelley, group mastermind, and a health segment with Oriens Founder, Elizabeth Carpenter. Group members also enjoy private coaching with Kelley and health treatments with Elizabeth. Explore Naam Coaching for Executive Women by attending the first session as our gift! 212.213.5785

The New Normal is NOT Normal

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 22:27:00 GMT

by Elizabeth Carpenter, MS, L.Ac.

When is the last time you felt truly vital? Vital as in you weren’t pushing through exhaustion, you didn’t have pain, you didn’t need caffeine or stimulants, your sleep was easy and refreshing, your stomach and digestion were perfect, your face was dark circle free and your skin lively, your mind was calm, your memory excellent, your focus sharp. How long has it been?

Today there is a new epidemic of diseases. Many have names—IBS, ADHD, infertility Weight Loss Resistance…the list goes on and on. Any many do not--we just put up with a collection of vague symptoms, take a variety of medicines to get through, and consider it “normal.”
And if you go with the straight dictionary definition, it is: “ conforming to the standard or the common type; usual; not abnormal; regular.”

But fifty or sixty years ago this was not normal. A hundred years ago most of our 21st Century Illnesses did not exist, or occurred only in our aged.

But today, we have assault on multiple fronts, largely engineered by our own progress. Most of us are experiencing overwhelm on a daily basis.

From the point of view of evolution, the adaptation mechanism we’re hard-wired with is meant to get us out of the occasional jam we get ourselves into—predators, food shortage, turf wars. The powerful chemistry triggered for our survival is was not engineered to represent a sustained state.

But today, most of us live in constant overwhelm:

• Information Overload
• Extreme Work Hours & Responsibility
• Insufficient Support Network
• 24/7 Communication Expectation
• Multiple alerts to respond to—numerous email accounts, more than one phone, texts….
• Toxins & Chemical Onslaught in our personal care products, cleaners, packaging, furnishings…
• Chemicals in our food & water
• Drugs in our food & water
• Hormones in our food & water
• Genetically Modified Food our bodies don’t know how to recognize
• Radiation from computers, cell phones and other personal devices
• Electromagnetic stress from communication lines, towers and grids

The clean-up and detoxification system our cells and systems have evolved, was never mean to handle the 10,500 of chemicals (many untested for human exposure, and most not tested for compatibility with one another or simultaneous exposures) found in personal care products.

The average woman begins her day with a skincare and cosmetic routine featuring more than 125 toxins, many of which are carcinogens. (Check the safety of your products here)

Such as:

Lead
DEA (listed as a human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer)
Propylene Glycol (used in antifreeze and hydraulic fluids as a solvent and associated with kidney damage, liver abnormalities, damaged cell membranes and more)
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (a mutagen capable of changing the information in genetic material of your cells)
Heavy Metals
Parabens
Phthalates (in plastics, known hormone disruptors)
Dozens more

We’re adding, adding, adding toxins into our lives. And we need avoid those we can and detox them out, regularly.

As they accumulate, they enter deeper and deeper. Down to the cellular level where they destroy our cell membranes, handicap our cellular energy production, hoard waste materials, leading to disruption of our hormones, inflammatory patterns of all degenerative diseases, and preventing our natural healing mechanisms from fully functioning.

What we’ve designed to advance us is not just a hallmark of our progress and ascendance, it is partly why we are sick:

What generations before us faced in their later lives, if ever, we see in our 30’s, our 20’s and even in our children. Illnesses and health issues that barely existed 100 years ago are our “new normal.”

• Weight Loss Resistance
• Infertility
• Hormone Imbalance
• Thyroid
• Autoimmune
• ADHD
• Autism Spectrum
• Chronic Pain
• IBS & Chronic Digestive Issues
• Asthma, Sinusitis & Allergies
• Sleep & Energy Disturbances
• Anxiety & Depression
• Multiple Chemical Sensitivities
• Mystery Illnesses

We can rise to the new millennium challenges. We can harness the wellness wiring within to create a new norm of physical health, mental agility, emotional stability and spiritual groundedness.

Oriens is a latin root, meaning “toward the rising sun.” It speaks of a new day, transformation. The Oriens Approach is a step-by-step proven method to create real change in your life. We invite you to raise your bar on personal wellbeing and power.

Don’t just survive…thrive!

Please join us:

New Year 2012 Open House

Come to the Oriens New Year 2012 Open House. Get in the driver’s seat of your life as you discuss your health needs, your personal goals, your spiritual yearnings and more with Oriens experts. Begin 2012 with a roadmap for success and fulfillment, and a team to take you there.

Weight Loss & Detoxification presentations

Free Health Screenings

Customized Care Plans

Great Discounts on Programs & Services