I wanted to take a moment and go through a brief summary of what we’ve covered in the past 10 articles of Body Aligned™ Collective – for more than one reason. One, because reminders are always helpful and we all need them and two because I’d love to hear your thoughts…
Every article is linked to its full text so if you either missed it or want to re-read it, it’s here for you.
Article 1 - We talked about how to get started on things that are needle movers in your life and not procrastinate. So, if you’re someone who’s always looking for the perfect time… then start now regardless of how busy you are. If you’re someone who’s always looking for inspiration and motivation… Remind yourself that feelings change, so you don’t have to continually identify with them or act according to them. Act according to your plan and not your mood!
Article 2 - I shared with you a powerful sentence I read from a book called Habibi. The book chronicles the story of a girl who’s forced to grow up way too fast and a boy that she decides to adopt on a whim just to spare his life. One of the main themes of this book is the power that words, YOUR words, carry. And how important it is to be intentional about your speech – internal and external. And that powerful sentence is “They say every slave - more than freedom - wants a slave of their own… ”
Article 3 - I discussed why I’m not a big fan of pink Himalayan salt. Because that pink color comes from iron oxide and too much iron oxide is not a good thing! Iron is one of those minerals that you do not want too much or too little of. Excess iron is an added source of stress for your body. Oxidative stress! And, oxidative stress is a form of physiological stress that can lead to premature aging and hormonal imbalance among other things. Another issue with pink Himalayan salt is its potential contamination with heavy metals.
Article 4 - We dove into the importance of having regular and healthy bowel movements for proper natural detoxification, hormonal balance and healthy skin amongst other things. I defined regular healthy bowel movements as at least one complete bowel movement per day without straining and without the aid of coffee or laxatives (natural or over the counter). Yes, I'm not a fan of natural or herbal laxatives. Instead you can use simple, low cost and practical solutions to help regulate your bowels such as adequate hydration, abdominal rubs and nervous system relaxation. I explain each of these and give you more pointers in the full text.
Article 5 - This piece was inspired based on my conversation with a friend about the difference between acceptance and assent when it comes to dealing with life! In assent, there is surrender. There is compliance and a renunciation of our egoic positions. We speak of assent rather than acceptance because in acceptance, there is still too much of the self trying to take control. It is not the same to say “I accept” as it is to assent. In acceptance, the self is the protagonist, claiming the decision to include or exclude. In surrender, reality is the main actor. I also shared a few maxims that can help lighten our emotional load and move us towards shedding some internal weight!
Article 6 - This was all about a morning ritual that can help boost your energy, keep your hormones balanced, deeply hydrate your body, AND… give you clear beautiful skin! As opposed to starting your morning doing what most people do which is to further dehydrate themselves by drinking a big cup of coffee. Coffee first thing in the morning, on an empty stomach, can lead to a big cortisol response, cause you to feel on edge all day and can be dehydrating. Instead start your morning with an Adrenal Cocktail! This concoction is meant to support your adrenal glands by replenishing them with what they need in order to do their job. And when your adrenal glands are HAPPY, the rest of your hormonal system is happy! For the recipe and more please refer to the full text.
Article 7 - I shared that when it comes to your health, the order of operations matters! And in my experience, the best place to start is with your physical health first. To improve your health and deeply heal, you need to first develop the energy and the bandwidth for it. Most of us are way too nutritionally deficient, inflamed, fatigued and hormonally, metabolically and otherwise imbalanced to have the capacity to dig deep and address some of the non-physical components of our health problems! So start by replenishing and keep in mind that cultivating well being and true healing will happen in layers and over time. Your body needs time to assimilate and adapt to the changes.
Article 8 - I shared that every day I get a daily reminder on my phone, through Sam Harris’s Waking Up App, called “Take A Moment?”. This daily notification contains a sentence or a very small paragraph with the goal of getting you to become present, more self-aware and remember what truly matters in life. Here’s an example: “Most of life is a struggle to make things better. Truly accepting the way things are in this moment is the foundation of psychological wellbeing.”
Article 9 - We began discussing autoimmune disorders and how by developing a deeper and more holistic understanding of them and more importantly our bodies, we can have a better and more effective approach to addressing these conditions. I also shared that your immune system, your nervous system and your hormonal system are all directly connected. And knowing this has therapeutic value!
Article 10 - This piece was dedicated to stress - because stress (negatively) impacts all 3 of these systems and is a big trigger for autoimmune diseases. So if you address stress, you’re helping EVERY system in your body, including your immune system. We also talked about how most people are familiar with psychological forms of stress, but then there’s also physiological forms of stress. And I gave you a list of examples of physiological stress such as lack of exposure to natural light (and constant exposure to artificial light), blood sugar imbalance (i.e. blood sugar levels that are too high or too low), eating processed and inflammatory foods and more. Pick an area that is easiest for you and begin implementing positive changes and then expand from there!
Now it’s your turn… let me know what you found helpful, what you want to learn more about and how can I make this even better for you??