Here is an excerpt from one of Christine’s newsletters. “Part of the graceful curvature that makes us women is the pronounced curvature of our lumbar or lower back spine. It is this curvature that allows our organs to stay to the front. But with the comforts of our “civilized” society including chairs, car seats and sofas, by age thirty we tend to lose that curvature, and the organs start to pull back and the path is open for them to move down.

The solution fortunately is relatively simple. By assuming our natural female posture, (or the Whole Woman posture as we call it), you will almost certainly experience relief very quickly. The posture is easy to learn and although it takes a little getting used to, once you’ve mastered it, it will make any other posture feel unnatural.”

I would highly recommend you read Christine’s book “Saving the Whole Women”.   Great book for anyone who has pelvic floor issues or is considering a hysterectomy.

More on how these resources have been impacting my life later.

Not all supplements are regulated the same way and by the same standards.  Below are several ways supplements are regulated.   When choosing a vitamin, chose ones that follow Pharmaceutical GMP Standards, NSF Certification, and USP Certification.

GMP Quality Standards: (Good Manufacturing Practices)
FDA:

•  manufactures are responsible for determining the safety of the supplements, for manufacturing practices and quality control, less strict than the pharmaceutical model
• it is mandatory for all supplement companies to follow these standards

Pharmaceutical-Model:

• manufactures are tested for potency and purity, they are treated as if they are a drug company with strict practices and quality control measures
• they products must contain what is stated on the label (this is not the case with FDA GMP standards as there is no 3^rd party testing of this)
• is voluntary in the US
• is mandatory in Canada

NSF Dietary Supplement Certification

• means the facility and the laboratory were audited by third party agents to verify that the formulation and labels are accurate and that the products are pure

USP Dietary Supplement Verification Program

• they will not grant a certificate to a company if the product contains unsafe ingredients
• they verify each ingredient in the product
• they verify the product’s shelf life
• they verify the facility, laboratory, labels, and quality control measures
• they monitor performance of the product and how it dissolves

Resources and Further Reading: Nutrisearch’s Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements by Lyle MacWilliam

This past year has been a year of loss.  Or what my husband refers to as a year of sacrifice.  A loss of the life I thought I would have but was altered by the birth of my twins.  The loss of many personal freedoms.  The loss of teaching different Holy Yoga classes so that I can be home with my children instead.  The loss of time with my husband.  The loss of an intimate authentic church family.  This was very painful to overcome—it took me months to get over the fact that people who I thought cared, really didn’t.  And lastly, the loss of several friendships.  I’ve been grieving over a particular loss of a friendship for several months now.  Today a close friend pointed out to me that this friendship I’m grieving over was more of a romantic love friendship to me—meaning I saw in this friendship more than what was really there.  And, that is true.  I so longed for an authentic Jesus follower friend—someone who understood Jesus and the Bible as I understand them.  I longed for someone to totally get Holy Yoga and I understand it.  My longing was for something that was only partially there.  So today I fully surrender this friendship—trusting that someday this authentic friendship will return.  I will emotionally walk away and no longer be hindered by the separation of this friendship and feel as though somehow I failed.  And just as I surrender this friendship, the Lord is rising up two new friendships with people who are living fully for the Lord.  Isn’t that just like Jesus!

Progress is being made on this journey…

I would venture to say 90% of women would respond with “hate it” or “dread it”.  Why do we feel that way?  Is  this pattern of thought destroying who we are as women?  Are there some people who really love their periods?  Yes!  I happen to be one of them—I didn’t used to feel that way but I do now.  My whole view on menstruation was that it was dirty, needed to be hidden, that you push through it and you suffer through it.  I now see how negative that view was and how that negative view was affecting me as a women, wife, lover, and mother.

God created menstruation–but for many it is not seen as anything God given nor blessed.

My hope is to help women embrace menstruation as God designed it, to not see it as something to endure but as something to honor and cherish.

We were created as bleeding women for a reason.  This is the whole reason why the Women with Issue Retreat has come about—to change our thoughts on this God given cycle of life.

What is so sad is that many women feed their hearts and minds nothing but negativity.  There is something about the female mentality that accepting a compliment is wrong and that a “but” needs to be added to it or we dismiss the compliment all together.  Or, that giving ourselves verbal praise is gloating.

Could our own words be the very thing that is causing so many of our female issues these days?  Could they be the cause of so much infertility, reproductive issues, cancers, etc.?  Are we filling our minds and hearts with so much hatred that it is destroying our bodies?  Sadly…I would say yes.  We have traveled so far off track from Psalms 139.  My heart breaks for women who don’t see themselves as wonderfully and beautifully made.  So if my heart breaks…What does it do to God’s?  I’d love to see his face each time we put ourselves down—is it like a little prick of a needle to him?—there is a sting to what we say.  Each time we put ourselves down we are telling God, you didn’t make us right.  You made us flawed.  We are telling him he screwed up.  Ouch!

From what I know of myself, I’ve not been much of a negative self talker.  However, this has given me new eyes and I will be more conscience of what I feed my heart and mind.  And when I see myself gravitating towards the negative, I will remind myself that I am fearfully and wonderfully made—the End…no “buts” needed.

This hill just turned into a mountain.

This whole episode made me think about so many other things I’m missing out on.  2011 was supposed to be a year free of babies and nursing babies—instead it is the exact opposite.  I thought I’ve been dealing with this shift in life pretty well but I now see there is sadness within me.  I’ve tried to not dwell on all the things I’ve had to let go of but now I think I need to go there—to feel that pain and sadness so that I can heal and move forward.  Just the other day, Brooke Boon asked me when I’d be able to serve at our Holy Yoga Retreats again and I started to cry.  It was so out of place that this simple question set off flood of emotions.  This year I could have been in Seattle, Arizona, and Virginia with my Holy Yoga family—instead I’m at home wiping snot, changing endless diapers, doing laundry, and NOT doing any yoga.  I know it is a privilege to be with my kids when they are young but I’m not going to lie to myself or anyone else and say I’m totally happy doing so.  I’m saddened—this wasn’t part of my plan.  This wasn’t how I wanted things to go.

Bottom line—this next leg of my journey means going to this place of sadness and feeling the loss of my freedom this year.

The journey has met a hill that I must willingly climb.

Baby Holy Yoga’s purpose is to foster a connection with babies and God from birth to 2 years of age.  We facilitate this through introducing yoga to child at a young age, promoting health, increasing bonding with children, and teaching them the love of Jesus.  We see this as a privilege and honor for parents and caregivers.

2 week Distance Learning/Home Study Immersion

September 11th & 18th, 2012

Deadline to register is  September 7th, 2012

Click HERE to learn more.

According to Jordan Rubin, omega-6 fatty acids should be balanced by a healthy intake of omega-3 fatty acids.  NOTE:  The standard American diet includes mostly omega-6 fatty acids and needs to include more omega-3 fatty acid foods.  An ideal intake ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acids is between 1:1 and 4:1, with most Americans obtaining a ratio between 10:1 and 25:1.

Omega-3/Omega-6 Balance

Approximately 80 percent of Americans consume a diet heavy in omega-6s and very limited omega-3s. Sources of omega-6s include: vegetable oils, grains, baked goods, and margarine.  Since the standard American diet (SAD) consists of large amounts of the omega-6 fatty acids, it is not necessary to supplement the diet with more omega-6.   Research suggests that excessive omega-6s in the body can promote chronic inflammation, cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis and auto-immunity.

What contains omega 3:

Oily, Coldwater Fish: such as tuna, salmon, and mackerel.

Eggs:  Organic eggs from hens allowed to feed on insects and green plants can contain more omega 3 than no-organic eggs.

Despite the unfounded cholesterol scare during the past 15 years, eggs can be a healthy addition to anyone’s diet; they can actually help reduce the risk of both heart disease and cancer.  Eggs high in omega 3 contain every nutrient but vitamin C.  They are good sources of vitamins A and D and carotenoids, which protect the body against free-radicals.

Oils:  When choosing cooking oil, your first choice should be extra virgin coconut oil or organic, raw butter.  Extra virgin olive oil, a popular cooking oil, is not as stable under heat.

Olive Oil:  is ideal for salads and for cooking at moderate temperatures.   Olive oil can also be great for treating dry skin.

Butter: contains fat as well as protein, calcium and phosphorous. Butter also contains fat-soluble vitamins A, D and E.

Coconut oil: is 92% saturated with over two-thirds of the saturated fat in the form of medium-chain fatty acids (often called medium-chain triglycerides or MCTS). MCTs are quickly metabolized by the body and used as energy rather than being stored as fat which helps to support thyroid function.

Benefits of coconut oil:

-Increased immune system health

-Increased metabolism by supporting the thyroid gland

-Energy/fuel for the body

-Coconut oil is also great for your skin and can be used just like a any lotion.

Nuts: Here are a few of the reasons researchers believe nuts are good for health:

Walnuts in particular are high in alpha-linolenic acid, an essential (n-3 or omega) fatty acid that is protective to the heart and circulation.

Nuts are also good sources of dietary fiber, magnesium, copper, folic acid, vegetable protein, potassium, and vitamin E, all of which have been shown to be important for heart health.

As a Holy Yoga Instructor, I know the importance of breath, but as a human-doing (meaning a type A personal that always needs to be doing something); I do not breathe to my full capacity.  My breath is quick and shallow.  My heart is quick and shallow at times too.  I truly need the Lord—the very breath of the Almighty in my inmost being.  I need this transformation there.

Physically—my inmost being is tight and restricted.  For months now, I’ve been having terrible tightness in my hip flexors.  I struggle to sit in good posture instead of rounding due to the extreme tightness of my psoas.

Emotionally/Spiritually—I need to have the Lord work mightily on the inmost being of my heart–my ability to express love to others.  I desire for pure genuine love to ooze from my heart.  That the words “I love you” and “I miss you” cry out from my heart.  I want these feelings to be free and not forced.

Mentally—I’ve come a long way in surrendering my over-active mind and just letting each day come as the Lord directs but sometimes my mind runs 100 miles a minute all day long.  Taking time to just sit and play with my kids and be 100% present is torture to me.  Meditation is nothing more than a time for my mind to wonder to all the things in life that are not done.  Stillness is not easily practiced in my life.

Breathe into your inmost space….