Category Healthy Living

Dec 26 2013

Choose Positive Influences for a Healthier Life

How did a nice American girl like me get involved in a Japanese healing system called “Reiki”?

Tapping400Read all about my journey in EVER-FLOWING STREAMS: TAPPING INTO HEALING ENERGY, on special this week with a Kindle Countdown Sale, beginning at 99 cents.  I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone who is curious about the healing power of prayer. Donna Fasano

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chimesI am constantly amazed by the wonder of Reiki and the healing energies around us.  Frequency affects our physical and mental health. Reiki therapists work in the energetic fields of clients, infusing healing energy and removing blockages. So many influences are either positive or negative, energetically speaking. Begin thinking defensively as you make life choices. Fresh food, essential oils, purified water all lift our energetic frequency, whereas processed foods, toxic drugs, and many beverages drag people down.

Negative people and news sources are also to be avoided. You know who I mean–that constantly complaining “friend” who drains your energy. Those talking heads on FOX News. Turn the channel! Don’t take the call.

Even sound can be positive or negative. For Christmas, I bought myself (and my clients) this wonderful Chakra Chime from Soul Vibrations. The eight notes resonate at healing frequencies. You can literally feel them in your body. Spirituality has always been linked to uplifting music–chanting, hymns, mantras.  All pathways to higher consciousness.

During this holiday season, center yourself in higher energies–fresh food, laughter, beautiful music, and positive thinking.  Make 2014  a time of new, positive beginnings for your body, mind, and spirit.

Sending you Good Vibes–

Dana Taylor

Dec 19 2013

Backache Relief with Energy Healing

Dana by Dana Taylor

Have you got the low miseries with back aches? If popping pain meds isn’t doing the trick, try boosting your natural healing abilities by thinking energetically. Your body is designed to heal. Here are some actions you can take to move toward wellness.

  1. Epsom Salt Baths—epsom saltThe magnesium in the salts is anti-inflammatory. The hot water helps release tension and stimulates the natural flow of body fluids to aid in healing.
  2. Young Living Essential Oils— Valor is sometimes called a “chiropractor in a bottle.” The blend of spruce, rosewood, blue tansy, and frankincense aids in the energy alignment of the body. The aroma is also very soothing. Layer peppermint on top for what I call “a massage in a bottle.” The stimulating effect of peppermint oil really kicks healing energy into action.
  3. Healing Energy— energy handsHealing energy frequencies are flowing around us, all the time. As a Reiki practitioner, I’ve learned how to consistently tap into them. But, anyone can get into the flow with some practice. Sit quietly and imagine a light beam from the heavens shining into the head and running  through the body. Our energy centers will open to the higher energies, like absorbing unseen, but very real rays of the sun.
  4. Enzyme Rich Foods—Cooked foods are dead foods. Life begets life. Most of us don’t have nearly the enzyme activity needed from our food to provide the energy for optimum health. Healing requires extra energy. So, bump up your enzymatic activity by eating more raw, live food and whole food supplements. I recommend juicing and a quality supplement like Green Vibrance. Give your body the building blocks of nutrition it needs to heal itself.
  5. Examine your Emotions–often back problems have a relationship to “carrying troubles.” Be honest with yourself about the conflicts in your life. There may be a connection between that aching back and emotional pain, anger, or unforgiveness. If you can’t clear those emotional blockages on your own, seek a therapist who will help you work through them.

Be pro-active about your health and enjoy all that life has to offer.

Wishing you well–

Dana Taylor

Tapping400  Check out the Dana Taylor Books and Bio Page at http://wp.me/P1yTXR-5

Aug 3 2013

Coo-Coo for Coconuts

A few weeks ago during my meditation hour I asked, “Is there anything I should be adding to my life?”

The answer came quickly, “Coconuts.”

Interesting. You know how it goes, suddenly coconuts were everywhere. I walked into Sprouts and couldn’t miss hundreds of cans of coconut water. Did you know coconut water is so close to human blood plasma, that it is administered intravenously in emergency situations  to save lives? It’s a great pick-me-up with electrolytes and potassium. I stocked up and use it as the base of my shakes.

Next, I went for a massage and energy treatment from the wonderful Dale Arend, aka Dahlia, (author of  Follow the River) and she slathered me from head to toe in coconut oil.

Finally, a book on the benefits of coconut oil popped up in my email. Coconut Oil: Miraculous Benefits for a Healthier, Skinnier, and More Beautiful You  by Amber Cavill extols coconut oil in all its glory. While it used to get a bad rap as a heart clogging menace, those fears have been disproven. In fact, coconut oil may actually lower cholesterol levels. It improves thyroid function and can reduce belly fat. See Dr. Oz’s article on the benefits of coconut oil here.

Cavill’s book covers the range of ways coconut oil can be incorporated into a healthy life style. Use it for cooking, skin care and even your sex life!

Here are a few items from the list of 100 uses for coconut oil at the back of the book:

  • Substitute for other cooking oils
  • Use in salad dressing
  • Natural antibacterial skin cream
  • Use as a diaper and baby cream
  • Use a natural sunscreen (SPF4)
  • Condition damaged hair

Order Coconut Oil: Miraculous Benefits for a Healthier, Skinnier, and More Beautiful You  and discover for yourself all the joys of coconut oil. Personally, I love it as a chemical-free skin cream. Look for an organic version in your grocery store with the baked good items.

I’m definitely coo-coo for coconuts!

Apr 28 2013

Supernal work-out

Trudie Styler's Pure Sculpt DVD Don’t you love Big Lots? Always an unexpected treasure to bring home. This week I happened upon an exercise video for a price so low, it would make you jealous. Gaiam is the go-to company for fitness products. Trudie Styler’s workout video PURE SCULPT is just my speed. Not too jumpy, not too bendy, and yet working all the falling parts pretty well.

Set against a Tuscany background, Trudie and her hunky companion (whose name I haven’t caught) flow through ten-minute segments of core strengthening, lower body, and pure arms. The movements feel like a cross between Tai Chi and yoga. Just about the time you start to feel the burn, you mercifully move onto another muscle set. The movements are easy to follow, even for the most workout-challenged participant, such as yours truly. The next day brings the slight muscular reminder of the routine–so you know something good must have happened.

Exercise is definitely part of Supernal Living, but everyone needs to find their style.If you like toning up in the privacy of your living room, consider give PURE SCUPLT a try.

See full info at Gaiam website.

Apr 21 2013

Lemon Grass for Healthy Living

I like to while away a Saturday morning by wandering the local Farmer’s Market in Cerritos, CA.  Many Asian vegetables are offered for the local clientele and I confess to great ignorance of the varieties and uses of many displayed. This week I was drawn to a mysterious pale green bunch of stalks that turned out to be lemon grass. I threw caution to the wind and spent two dollars on my first raw lemon grass purchase.

My taste buds have long enjoyed lemon grass in tea and soups and a little research reveals a long tradition of lemon grass for healthy living. Here are a few of the benefits cited:

  • Improves circulation
  • Calming properties, especially effective for insomnia
  • Cleanses digestive organs or liver, bladder, and kidneys
  • Improves skin conditions such as acne
  • Contains folic acid and a range of B Vitamins
  • Anti-fungal and anti-bacterial
  • Traditional cold and flu remedy

Wow! All that and it tastes good too. I brewed some fresh tea and now have a pitcher ready to enjoy in the fridge.

Lemon Grass Tea

2 cups boiling water

2 stalks lemon grass, cut away leaves and outside touch layer. Cut into a couple of pieces and gently crush to release the oils. I used a rolling pin, but a meat tenderizer or hammer will also work.

Steep for 15 minutes. Drink warm or add cool water for iced tea.

Optional:

Honey, sugar, or stevia to taste

Raw ginger may also be added.

Read more about the benefits of lemon grass at:

http://planetwell.com/lemongrass-health-benefits-and-healing-properties/

http://www.diethealthclub.com/health-food/lemon-grass-health-benefits.html

Enjoy!

Jan 24 2013

Onion Flu Prevention

onionDana by Dana Taylor

Yesterday morning my daughter, Sara, called and said, “Pray for your grandson. He is throwing up all over the house.”

Great. I wasn’t too concerned about four-year-old, Will, our Reiki baby. He has a stellar immune system and I knew his body was just taking care of business. My greater worry was for my daughter, her husband, and baby sister not getting the flu also. So I sat down in my prayer chair and asked for protection for them.

I immediately received an instruction. “Tell her to put cut onions around the house.”

My reaction–Seriously???

I recalled reading something about onions being used against illness, but it is not something I have ever tried or seen. But, I called Sara and told her the impression I had we received. We both began an Internet search for more information. What we found told of “old wives tales” about placing onions around the house to kill off “poisonous” air. Many articles debunk the myth such as:

http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/medical/a/swine_flu_facts_onions_and_flu.htm

However here is a quote from Healthiertalk.com that was more “pro” onion therapy:

In an early 1900’s Los Angeles Times article, the following suggestion was offered to the public:

“In a sickroom you cannot have a better disinfectant than the onion. It has a wonderful capacity for absorbing germs. A dish of sliced onions placed in a sickroom will draw away the disease; they must be removed as soon as they lose their odor and become discolored, and be replaced by fresh ones.”

Onions are known for both their anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties. They are also high in sulfuric compounds such as thiosulfinates, sulfoxides, and other odorous cysteine sulfoxides. These compounds give onions their pungent flavor and are what make you cry when cutting them. Research shows that the thiosulfinates in onions are responsible for their antimicrobial properties. Thiosulfinates have even been shown to kill off salmonella and E. coli. Sulfuric compounds also play a role in cancer and heart disease prevention, and therefore act as a great immune-boosting food for general disease prevention.

Read the entire article at http://www.healthiertalk.com/will-onions-help-fight-flu-1163

When my son-in-law, Aaron, came home last evening, he asked Sara, “Why is there an onion in the bathroom?” She told him her Mom had instructed her to place onions around the house to help prevent spreading the flu. Aaron has gotten used to our eccentric ways and took the news in stride.

This morning, Will woke up feeling fine after a day of retching and resting. So far, the family is flu-free. Was it the onions? Who knows? But, they couldn’t hurt, right?

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