Setting Intentions

Its been a long while since my last entry. Occupying my time with other activities, and or procrastination, and or indecisiveness about what to write kept me away for a while. But in spirit of the topic for this entry, I have set intentions of consistency...... time will tell.

A BRIEF summary of the last few months, and subjects to come later:

*my "meatlapse" and mindful eating, what IS the right thing to eat, and what diet is best for me??
*the ultra marathon that never happened and the success of backing out.
*rediscovering yoga, and falling in love OM style.

But for today, I would like to touch on the subject of setting intentions. In my daily spiritual practice of trying to maintain a spiritual practice, I often will be inspired to repeat an activity that has impacted my well being in a particular way, enough so that I have the desire to do it EVERYDAY! We all know how that sometimes goes...everyday turns into every other day, into once a month, into a forgotten dormant practice. Hence the use of the word PRACTICE! I am of the strong belief that we can be extremely "healthy" individuals in the physical sense. With diet, exercise, rest, and balance infused into our daily lives we can live a life of vitality. However some of us often forget the aspect of the spirit. I believe there is a tri-fold to our well beings, which encompasses our metal, physical and spiritual health. If one of these is off kilter, the others suffer.

 How do we maintain spiritual health?
Next time you are at your favorite book store, take note on the isles upon isles of "spiritual" readings. In my quest to find, and maintain spiritual health I have acquired many many texts on this subject, some better than others. I attend groups, meetings, meditations, yoga classes, go on retreats, create art, and "find myself" by getting lost in the forest on the trails.....all of these activities feed my soul in one way or another. Then I get to PRACTICE what I have learned in my everyday life, which is where the ultimate test lies. Basically for me maintenance of my spiritual health consists of learning/re-learning a particular concept, absorbing this concept, practicing this concept, and repeating.

While drinking my coffee yesterday morning and reading one of many Buddhist texts, I am struck by the concept of setting intentions. I have been exposed to this concept many times over in Yoga classes, group meditations, and readings, and for whatever reason yesterday it resonated in my soul. I was immediately drawn to the simplistic, yet impactful act of setting an intention for oneself. I realized that this concept is very different than our western ideas of having expectations for our self. Expectations stemming from our own ideals of how we should be, or how we think others think we should be.....
Societal expectations, familial expectations, the list can go on forever.

in·ten·tion

 

noun

1.

an act or instance of determining mentally upon someaction or result.

2.

the end or object intended; purpose.



So what was my set intention yesterday?


To engage in activities that are good for my soul, and that favor the greater good of all. 

Seems lofty? Well, it is. But what happened after I purposefully set this intention for the day ahead, is I walked through the day with a greater sense of ease and peace. I was able to soften in heart and mind when confronted by the daily stresses that sometimes will blow every ounce of serenity I had before walking out of the door. I was more aware of the acts of compassion preformed by others. I became an observer of my thoughts, and noted the unreasonable expectations I will often place on myself. I was more attentive to my clients. I made it to my Yoga class, which lately seems to be a bit of a challenge to go, and I felt like I had made a difference, a small one, but I had contributed to the greater good.

So, now the challenge for myself and those of you reading this is to set a daily intention for yourself, or multiple ones, depending on where you are in your life and your spiritual journey. And take note of what happens when your state a purpose for your actions on any given day. Take note of what happens when you don't.

Thank you for reading,
Lisa



"May bodhichitta (awakened heart), precious and sublime,
Arise where it has not yet come to be;
And where it has arisen may it not decline,
But grow and flourish every more and more."

-The way of the Bodhisattva

Bronchitis a week before the marathon?!.....really?

So maybe Benadryl, Dots candy, and a cheesy Jennifer Aniston movie wasn't the best homeopathic remedy last night for my recently acquired chest infection, but hey it worked to calmed the anxiety about having bronchitis right before a big race. I will hopefully be running the Eugene Marathon in 6 days. Preparation for the big day involved 4 months of intense winter training, numerous dates with the gym, strict dietary regiment, turning down plans with friends to get my run and recovery in, a couple pairs of $100 shoes, basing my weekend plans around my long runs, foam rolling, yoga, stretching, chiropractic adjustments, massage, and lots of sweat. And now I'm sitting here wondering if I will even be able to run on Sunday.
And yes, I am feeling a little sorry for myself.


Lower respiratory infections are not something new to me. When I was a young I was highly susceptible to contracting these nasty, unwelcome, draining, and inconvenient viruses. (Noting I'm still a little resentful my 4 year birthday party had to be cancelled due to one of these buggers.) In my adult years, and after dramatically changing my lifestyle, the viruses have been few and far between, but as like others I am not immune, just very familiar.  I have much experience with inhalers, antibiotics, probiotics to counter the effects of the antibiotics, cough drops, over the counter everything for colds and coughs, antihistimines, various chest rubs, NSAIDS, humidifiers, hot steamy bathrooms, vitamins, teas, (some not so tasty)......you get the point.


So what have I found to be the best "cure?"........


Rest, fluids, and sleep! It's that simple. The bodies recover when they are resting, which means NOT  running errands, working, exercising, doing laundry, walking the dog, making dinner, etc. but staying in full resting mode as much as possible. The more time I take to do nothing when I am sick, the faster I recover! And believe you me, that is hard for me to do. I am always on the go, sometimes to a fault. The parasympathetic nervous response in the body occurs when the body is resting and doesn't have to consciously "think" about anything. Think, "rest and digest." (Parasympathetic and Sympathetic nervous responses are part of the Autonomic Nervous System in the body. Basically  a central nervous system communication between the organs and your brain......But that is whole other lesson.) The parasympathetic nervous system increases: digestion, intestinal mobility, fuel storage, resistance to infection, rest and recuperation, endorphins, and decreases: heart rate, blood pressure and temperature. All the things that help us to feel better!!


Fluids help to flush out the body and keeps us hydrated! Dehydration is not a good combination with a virus, the body has to work too hard to maintain, and will take longer to recover. The more you drink, the faster your body is cleansing itself. But make sure the fluids are low in sugar, and have some sort of electrolyte replacement, as those are water soluble. Personally I like to make my own. (Recipe at the bottom.) Water gets boring after so long. Teas are wonderful, the heat mixed with the soothing herbal vapors really work wonders for the respiratory system.
Increased vitamin C and Zinc have been known to help boost immunity and recovery. These are easy to find. I have to take the Zinc with food or else it makes me nauseous.


Avoid medicines that have a cough suppressant if you are coughing up mucus, get that stuff OUT. (Cough, hack, spit, whatever it takes.) Luckily its just me at home because having bronchitis is definitely not sexy. Some medicines I find are very dehydrating, so drink more than you think you should be. Fevers help the body recover, so if you can tolerate it, avoid a fever reducer. (Unless its unusally high, then you may want to see a doctor). Keep the air humid, run a teapot on low boil, run a humidifier, sit in a steamy bath, all of these will help to break up some of the stubborn phlegm stuck in the lungs. Heat also has an overall soothing and healing effect, which in turn will increase relaxation.


I have no doubt in my mind that my intense training, and busy work weeks played a part in lowering my resistance and immunity to fighting infection. I push myself to the limit, and my body is now telling me its time to stop. My body doesn't know I have an important race on Sunday, but my mind does. A part of me wants to just ignore everything and push through it this weekend, but as a health care practitioner myself, I understand the utter stupidity behind that mentality. As my coach responded to me asking him if i should still complete my mileage this week, "don't be stupid." As an endurance athlete, all the training and everything that goes into that, as rewarding and enjoyable as that can be, really all accumulates to the final DAY! I don't want to miss that day!  A part of the training is the process, but a bigger part for me is the outcome. And what all this is teaching me, is being able to recognize my emotional attachment to the outcome! I am more bummed out about the possibility of not racing, or knowing I may not do as well as indented, than I am about being sick. So, what is the cure for that!?!
For me, its acknowledging and appreciating the amount of work I am capable of doing, and practicing gratitude for the fact that I am a healthy young adult who is capable of raising the bar, and surpassing my own goals. THERE WILL BE OTHER RACES! But I only have one body, and I need to take care of it, so I CAN do the things I set out to do. And also allowing myself to be bummed out, but not dwell on it. I sometimes have to ask myself, what do I love doing OTHER than running? Then focus on those things. OR take the time to check in on a loved one. Find out how they're doing! And keep the focus off of myself. Meditation also helps calm the body and mind.


Marathon or not, at least I have taken the time to take care of myself and hopefully inspired some of you to do the same!


Now its time for some tea and a nap.
Be well and healthy!!


Namaste-
Lisa








My favorite "sick" necessities:
*Riccola natural cough drops, original flavor. I find these to be most soothing. I will even run with these if my asthma is kicking up during the wet winter runs.
*Throat Coat Tea.  Made by Traditional Medicinals. The subtle liccorice flavor feels so good on my scratchy throat. And I am injesting more fluids.
*Nature Works Herbal Chest Rub. Not petrolum based like Vicks. Helps open up the air ways for easier breathing.
*Trader Joe's Chewable C tablets.
*Coldeeze-cough drops with Zinc added.
*Puffs with lotion- fork over the extra buck, its worth it.
*My favorite fleece blanked made by my dear friend Melissa.
*And Netflix. Cheesy Romantic Comedies are great to zone out to. Or Nat Geo documentaries, maybe not about killer sharks, but something you can fall asleep to.


Homemade fluid replacement Drink
1 cup strongly brewed peppermint tea
Juice of one lemon
Juice of one orange
1 tablespoon raw agave syrup
1/2 cup just cherry juice (no added sugar)
1 quart of water
1 teaspoon seasalt.






References:
www.webmd.com
www.wikipedia.org
www.homeremedyhaven.com

Garnet Yam, Coconut, Leek, and Red Pepper Soup

This one came out fabulously!! I even tested it out on a non-vegan, who loved it! Success. 
I always suggest organic ingredients. For one, they are far better for your health, and the environment, and two, they just taste better. 


Makes 6 servings


You will need;
Food processor, large sauce pan, frying pan.


Ingredients; 
3 med organic yams
1 small organic leek, chopped
1 med. organic red bell pepper, chopped
1 can Trader Joe's lite coconut milk
2 cups organic broccoli, chopped
8 oz. Trader Joe's organic high protein tofu, 1/2" squares
4 cups water
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp thai chili sauce
1/2 tsp salt


Directions
* Roast the yams in the oven on foil, or baking sheet, at 400 degrees for approx. 30 min.
* Saute chopped red pepper on med heat with 2 tsp coconut oil, and 2 tsp olive oil for 5 min.
* Add chopped leeks and garlic to peppers, saute for another 5 min, until leeks are supple and slightly sweet. Remove from heat and place in a bowl.
* Add peeled yams, peppers and leeks, coconut milk, and two cups of water to food processor.
* Process until mostly creamy.
* With remaining coconut and olive oil saute tofu squares on med/high heat until golden brown.
* Add broccoli and chili sauce to tofu, turn down heat, cover and let the broccoli steam instead of browning, approx. 4 min. 
* In a large sauce pan, combine tofu, broccoli, the remaining water, salt, and processed soup, turn on med/low and allow to simmer for a few min before serving.


*Some water may need to be added depending upon desired consistency.




Nutritional information per serving: (note-these are not exact, but close)
Cal- 281
Fat- 16 g
Carb- 40 g
Sug- 3.6 g
Protein- 10 g
Fiber- 6 g


Added bonus- 
This soup is high in Potassium, which is important for electrolyte balance in the body. Between the yams, bell pepper, and Broccoli, there is close to 400 mg of potassium per serving!!!


I hope you enjoy. Feedback is welcome:)

The Vegan Athlete.....using my body as an experiment,

"Why would you do that to yourself?".....

The day after Christmas 2010, I made a vow to PRACTICE loving-kindness to all living creatures.....including myself. I have dabbled in the vegetarian lifestyle on and off for a few years, and finally made a point to go for it. It was a bit easier to transform as I had already adapted to an almost dairy and red meat free diet, but there were challenges, as you can imagine, in the elimination of all animal products from my diet. As an endurance athlete, I put the limitations of my body to the test, and figured this would be a perfect time to run my own experiment!

The questions and comments I get most from people whom I wish to share this with are.....
"WHY??"
"Why would you do that to yourself?"
"What do you eat?"

My personal favorite, "EWE."

So, in an attempt to answer these questions and maybe, just maybe, help open the minds of some skeptics, I  will give you my top reasons:


*My heart says its the right thing to do.
*Fruits, Vegetables and plant based protein provide all the nutrients one needs to maintain a healthy    body, and mind.
*I am greatly reducing my carbon footprint
*Delicious fresh pressed juice is a better source of energy that coffee......(think mitochondria).
*I do not want colon cancer.
*If you really knew what was in processed meat and dairy products, you wouldn't eat it either.
*If I am not willing to kill it myself, then maybe I shouldn't be eating it.
*If the animals only purpose on this earth is to grow up in a cage for my later consumption, then I have wasted the life of that living creature.
*Increased dairy intake is actually linked to higher rates of osteoporosis.
*I dont have to take mood stabilization medications anymore, and my troubles with insomnia are diminishing.
*The corporate agrucultural giants in this country make me sick to my stomach.
(One word, Monsanto.....google it, and find out more for yourself.)

*Bonus: brings me a challenge to create culinary delights to share with YOU!! Recipes will follow.
(ex. Vegan coconut mousse with raspberry puree, in a cashew/pecan/date crust.....YUM.)

I have never felt better in my LIFE! Hands down the best lifestyle change I have made yet. The Vegan life is one of simplicity, and mindful dedication to health, and the well being of ALL living creatures. I write this with hopes to inspire, or at least initiate a different way of thinking......