Back to School for Life

I can't help myself, as Labor Day approaches I yearn for new school supplies, whether I'm in school or not.  I've had a love affair with school supplies since my childhood when I would  play school with my friends in our basement - fully equipped with a blackboard and desks.  I loved heading back to school each year,  ready for new experiences and armed with all that new "stuff".  And yes, I admit it, I loved school.  We Vatas (here I go again with the Ayurveda) love to learn (although much of the information seems to fly right out the top of our heads) and so the thought of not learning new things seems downright boring.  The beauty of being an adult is having the freedom to learn when and what we want, and from whom we choose to learn.

Having had an incredible couple of years in the learning department lately I would like to offer this advice:  PAY ATTENTION.  When you are open to learning there will be signs and messages guiding you along the way.  As the old Buddhist saying goes : "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear".  Teacher, coach, healer, mentor, parent - there are many names for someone who can teach us throughout our lifetime.  Pay attention and follow your intuition.  Please indulge me while I tell you what happened when I followed mine.

A magazine article by the founder of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition caught my eye and my gut told me this place was going to change my life.  Two weeks later I was in my first class (with hundreds of other like-minded people) and I knew I belonged there.  Before classes began we were asked to choose (from a list of dozens of former graduates) our own health coach to help guide us through the program.  I chose Vanessa Pozzi.  She was half my age but something in her profile drew me to her and I trusted my intuition.  I can't even begin to tell you the life changes that IIN and Vanessa helped me make.  Vanessa has remained my coach and mentor and I consider it nothing short of a miracle that she appeared in my life at the right time.

Dr. Lu Ping, Chinese doctor and medical qigong master, has been selflessly forthcoming with his wisdom of this ancient healing modality.  It is his intention that I learn from him so that I can help others (like you!).

It was initially her voice on the radio that drew me to Deborah King, a contemporary master healer and expert in the field of energy medicine.  After attending her workshop and experiencing her healing energy firsthand I became her student.  The knowledge that I have gained from working with Deborah has added a  new dimension to my health coaching practice, not to mention my own life.

And Eric Maisel, creativity coach extraordinaire and author of Coaching the Artist Within, broke through creativity barriers that had baffled me for years, in just 5 days!

What do all of these teachers have in common?  Their willingness to share their knowledge unconditionally while continuing to learn and evolve themselves.  The Chinese say "When the teacher stops learning, he relinquishes the right to teach".  Life is one long journey of learning.

Wow, writing this down makes me realize just how busy I've been.  But what does all of it have to do with holistic health?  Where's the kale and the goji berries?  Well, for starters, this newsletter (not to mention this health coach) wouldn't be around if I hadn't PAID ATTENTION and trusted my intuition.  These life changes impacted my health far more positively than any amount of broccoli.  Don't get me wrong, good nutrition is vital to allow our body to do its job and keep us on this earth for a long time.  But the things that feed our soul - knowledge, inspiration, doing what we love, and then sharing it with others - don't underestimate the impact this has on our health.

If on your quest to stay in school for life no one significant appears, remember that YOU are your own best teacher.  In addition to reading books, try spending more time in nature (minus the cell phone and iPhone!).  Quiet your mind and look around  with the same wonder you felt as a child - you will be amazed at what you learn!

A note of thanks to my friend/assistant, Alissa Ambrose, who has taught me computer skills, organizational skills and how to put together my newsletter and blog!

Every student's nightmare (from Ferris Buehler's Day Off):

The Incredible Edible Egg?

When I had my breakfast of poached eggs this morning, I didn't have to worry that they might be contaminated with salmonella from the recent outbreak and resulting recall.  I bought my eggs from Eugena, one of the farmers at my local farmer's market.  I know that her hens are free to roam, pecking the ground and eating what Mother Nature intended.  They're not mass-produced in a factory farm filled with thousands of chickens where the conditions are filthy and cruel.  The difference in the freshness and taste is undeniable.  When I open the carton, each egg is a slightly different size and hue and when I crack the egg, the yolk is a beautiful orange-yellow color.

If you listen to the "experts", you should thoroughly wash your eggs and them cook them well to kill any salmonella that might exist.  Unfortunately, when you do this, you are also killing the vital nutrients that an egg provides.  The eggshell is like our skin - a protective barrier, but still permeable.  Almost all grocery store eggs (even organic eggs in many states) are washed in a chlorine bath to kill any possible salmonella but in doing so the egg is further contaminated.  The healthiest way to eat an egg is either raw (great in a smoothie) or gently poached with the yolk still runny.  I would never gamble by doing this with a grocery store egg but have no problem with my market eggs.  You can gently rinse the egg before eating and I do take a little sniff when I crack the egg just in case there's that rare but possible rotten egg in the bunch! 

So what's an egg-lover to do?  Don't expect the FDA to solve this problem any time soon.  There is too much money invested in factory farming and the corporations that run these operations have fierce lobbyists in Washington.  It's more likely that the FDA's solution will be to require pasteurization of all eggs, thus putting them in the company of other foods that are innately healthy in their raw state (milk, almonds) but by virtue of pasteurization have had their life force destroyed.  While we still have the chance to purchase unadulterated eggs, get to know your local farmers and you will not be disappointed.
Here's a picture of Eugenia, from Lani's Farm located in Bordentown, NJ,  at the Tribeca Farmer's Market, always smiling in spite of the long hard hours she works to bring us such fresh vegetables and eggs.

If you would like to read about the history of chicken farming in America, check out this article by Dr. Joseph Mercola: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/08/31/exploring-our-greatest-nutritional-treasure-the-chicken.aspx

The Incredible Edible Egg was coined by the American Egg Board in the 1990's.  If you're feeling nostalgic about the 90's, you can see their old commercial here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmPwL1YulMA&p=0F9E486CE228F1B8&playnext=1&index=13

Change is Just a Six-Letter Word

I recently spent a week at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY where, in addition to spending time in nature away from the city, I was enrolled in a workshop entitled “Coaching the Artist Within” with creativity coach Eric Maisel.  Becoming a health counselor and all that it entails had become just one more reason for me to avoid making art and I wanted to get to the root of the problem. We talked about a lot of things - anxiety, consistency, showing up, etc., but for some reason I kept thinking all week about change (too much or too little) and how it affects our lives.

Change – just the word alone can strike terror in some people. We can become paralyzed from the thought of it and avoid it altogether. On the flip side, some of us are constantly in change mode and never take the time to enjoy where we are in life or to develop anything in depth. Change can be about speeding up or slowing down (a change of pace), but mostly it’s about transformation and it has a tremendous impact on our happiness.

Certainly there is a sliding scale when it comes to change. There are major life changes like marriage or divorce, moving, changing careers, having a baby, etc. and there are the smaller changes like cutting your hair, changing your diet or altering your daily walking/riding route. If you’re someone who is absolutely in the “can’t change” category, baby steps might help to free you from becoming stuck or unable to move forward. Take something from your “small change” category and be brave – cut your hair (it always grows back!), try some new healthier foods, or take a different route on your next walk or ride.  Observe how these little changes make you feel.  Perhaps they will empower you to make that bigger, life-altering change you dream about.  It helps to keep the mantra “nothing is etched in stone” in your mind.  Making a change, big or small, doesn’t mean you can’t ever go back.  Sometimes going back can be a way of moving forward in your life as well.  The important thing is that you keep moving so as not to stagnate either physically, mentally or emotionally.

If you are at odds with someone close to you when it comes to change, it helps to understand why each of us are the way we are and how we can help ourselves, and each other, to move forward or step back. In Ayurveda, Vata is the dosha which most represents change because of the very nature of its predominant force – air/movement.  It might be easy for Vatas to move forward with things, but they are the ones that often need to slow down and settle a little. On the other hand, Kapha is the dosha which has the hardest time with change. Their stellar long-term memories often keep them stuck in the past and stand in the way of moving forward. Remember that we all have aspects of the three doshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha) and just being aware of which is dominant can help us to recognize why we are having difficulties with change.  I think I help to keep my Kapha partner moving while he helps me to stop and smell the roses.  A little understanding goes a long way for both of us!

We often hold on to the belief that some people never change.  Not true – every cell in our body is changing every second as well as the energy flowing inside us and around us. Why not embrace that wondrous fact and stop fighting against moving forward?

Once we are able to free ourselves from inaction, it will be easier to effect change that reaches beyond our personal lives. Changing our habits and the way we treat our planet is perhaps the kindest and most important change of all.

Getting back to the impetus for this newsletter, I was able to implement one small change that has miraculously put my art making back on track. Had I not followed my intuition about signing up for the workshop and ignored all of the mind chatter (too much money, not going to make a difference, etc.) I would be stuck in the same unproductive pattern. Lucky for me I took the plunge.  As Eric Maisel so positively put it in his book Sleep Thinking - "Go to bed with wonder rather than worry".  I've slept like a baby since I returned!

Recipe of the Month:  Complete Breakfast in a Jar

Why not break out of your breakfast rut and try something different for a change?  Use your imagination - as long as you include some protein (i.e. whey powder, chia, hemp or ground flax seed) and a healthy fat (i.e. coconut butter or oil or avocado) along with the fruits and vegetables, you will have a complete, delicious breakfast smoothie to start your day out right. Your drink might be bright green, purple or brown - get over it!  Close your eyes if you have to and picture the yummy fruits and vegetables infusing your body with energy and nutrients!

Here's an easy recipe to start with before you venture out on your own:

•  1 small box of coconut water (or 1 1/2 C filtered water)
•  1 small ripe banana
•  1 cup berries, fresh or frozen (any will do, even in combination) or cut up soft fruit such as   mango, pineapple or peach    
•  handful of fresh spinach, kale, purslaine or other green of your liking
• 1 T chia seeds (or other protein)
• 1 T coconut butter or 1/2 ripe avocado

Blend on high until smooth. Here's a tip: If you have a blender with a screw-off bottom (like the old Kitchenaid model) you can put your ingredients directly into a quart size Mason jar, remove your glass blender pitcher and screw the blade directly onto the jar.  Fasten to the blender (the Mason jar will be upside-down) and turn on high.  You will have your smoothie ready to drink without dirtying the pitcher.  Or you can check out the Magic Bullet.

The Ghandi Rap "be the change" by MC Yogi:

Don't throw out those tops!

At what point did it become the norm to only eat the roots of the radish plant?  When fresh off the farm, this noble member of the mustard family (a close relative of turnips, cabbage, cauliflower and kale)  offers wonderful nutrition in both the root and the greens.  In fact, the tops of the radish plant contains 6 times the amount of Vitamin C that the roots do!  In addition, the radish is high in Vitamin B, calcium, potassium and folic acid.

In TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), the radish is considered a cooling food and more Yin, and therefore is an excellent choice when it's hot outside or you have a tendency to build up heat inside your body (Pittas take note!).  It also acts as a diuretic, is wonderful for stimulating digestion and helps to cleanse both your gallbladder and liver.  Because of these amazing properties, the radish is considered a medicinal food and is often recommended during an illness.  During my bout with whooping cough, I was advised to eat and juice radishes to cool the heat in my lungs!

So feel free to chop up the green tops and toss them into your salad or into the juicer.  One cautionary note: I personally would only juice or eat radish greens that have been grown without pesticides.  Get to know your local farmers and ask their growing procedures.  Many of them can't afford the organic certification but they grow responsibly for their customers and their own families.  Just ask!  Oh, and don't give me the "I can't afford them" line.  This humongous bunch of pesticide-free radishes cost me $2.00 at my local farmer's market!  Yes, it might take a little more effort than going to the corner bodega or grocery store, but your body will thank you.

Keep Your Cool!

 I’ll never forget a particularly frigid NYC winter day when I was walking with my friend "R" and marveling that she had on a short, thin jacket, no boots, hat or scarf while I was layered and bundled from head to toe. Well, I smugly chalked it up to her youth (early twenties) while mature, dry, warm me (actually, I was still cold) was dressed appropriately.  Not so. In reality, my friend R was quite comfortable in her clothes and I have since learned the key to our differences. I am more Vata and she is more Pitta.

If you are a regular reader of my newsletters then you have heard of Ayurveda and the three doshas: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. We are all made up of some Vata, Pitta and Kapha and in an ideal world, would be an equal balance of the three. But the constitution we are born with, called prakruti in Ayurveda, comes from our parents and is usually heavier in one dosha. We are entering summer season here in the Northern Hemisphere, and thus, Pitta season. This dosha is associated with the interplay of fire and water elements.

Getting back to R and me. Now that it is summer, if I took a walk with R in the heat of the day, it’s likely that her face would be red and she might be, well, a little crabby. As I mentioned before, R is a typical Pitta and because of this she has plenty of warmth in her body already. Add the external heat of summer and Pittas can be miserable. If this sounds like you on a hot day, you are most likely Pitta dominant, or at least going through a Pitta phase in your life. Many people experience a little more Pitta dominance in hot summer weather.  In fact, my skin is very Pitta, unlike the rest of my constitution, so in the summertime I need to take extra precautions.

So, what to do to stay in balance this summer? The tendency to be too hot, and thus aggravated by heat, can be balanced by consuming cooling foods such as raw salads, fruits and lightly steamed greens and avoiding spicy, sour and salty foods.  Some other good food recommendations can be found here.  Additionally, to remain in balance try meditation, conscious breathing, gentle exercise and drinking plenty of cool water, herbal tea or coconut water, a natural source of hydrating electrolytes (nature's Gatorade!).  Coconut oil applied topically is also an effective method for cooling off while moisturizing and protecting the skin from the sun.  If at all possible, avoid being in the hot afternoon sun and take plenty of cool showers.

If it seems like I have been picking on R, not so. She knows who she is and she is one of my favorite people in this world. I think one of the reasons we get on so well is that our doshas compliment each other. Pittas' strengths are that they are strong-willed and passionate people that are highly organized and make excellent leaders.  A visit from R always leaves me feeling a little more organized and motivated! Each dosha, when balanced, has its own vital strengths and by studying Ayurveda we can better learn how to achieve a wonderful balance in our own life.  To determine your  dosha, take this online quiz.

Recipe of the Month: Cooling Cucumber Summer Salad

3-4 small cucumbers, whatever variety you prefer
1/4-1/2 small, sweet onion
1-2 plum tomatoes
1/4 cup plain, full fat yogurt
Dill, dried or fresh, to taste
Fresh chopped mint to taste
Sea salt and pepper to taste


1. Slice cucumbers and remove seeds, if desired. 
2. Dice onion very fine and chop tomatoes in small pieces,
    discarding juice.
3. Combine veggies and yogurt then season with fresh or dried dill,
    fresh chopped mint and salt and pepper, to taste.
4. Refrigerate for at least half an hour before serving.

  Delicious with pita bread! (no pun intended)
Option: Add thinly sliced radishes for a spicy kick!

 Resource of the Month: Video:  Balancing Pitta Dosha Through Yoga and Ayurveda



Just a reminder that our upcoming Qigong Workshop is still open for registration. It will be held on Tuesday, June 15th 7-9pm. For full details see: http://blog.barbarasinclair.com/2010/05/invitation-to-better-health-part-two.html

I would love to see you there!

An Invitation to Better Health: Part Two

We had our first ever Qigong Workshop last month and it was highly informative and a lot of fun. Thanks so much to all of you who came out to learn with Dr. Lu.
In fact, it was such a success that we decided it would be a good idea to continue with a series of monthly Qigong workshops. Our next session will be on Tuesday, June 15th from 7-9pm and will cost $60.00 for new students and $30.00 for returning students.
 Returning students who bring a friend will receive an additional $10.00 off!

The workshop will be held at 122 Duane Street, #2A, NYC (Tribeca)

Class Description:

Dr. Lu Ping teaches his method of Yin Yang Five Element Qigong, a simple movement practice that helps to balance the energy in the body and achieve a state of optimum health.  He will also be introducing the benefits of applying Taoist principles to everyday life.
Dr. Lu Ping has been a Qigong master and healer for over 60 years and has taught in numerous hospitals and learning centers such as Columbia University Hospital and The Open Center.
Assisting and translating for Dr. Lu will be Anna Wong who is also an experienced meditation teacher and certified Silva Method Mind Development lecturer.


To sign up for the workshop or if you have any questions,  please feel free to contact me at:
Email: barbara@barbarasinclair.com
Phone: 917-887-0738

Thanks!

Barbara

Low-Anchored Cloud

On a recent trip to Michigan to celebrate my daughter, Amy's graduation, I was spellbound by the low-lying clouds in the sky.  As Amy was chauffeuring me around all weekend I found myself snapping away uncontrollably.  Here's a sample, although it doesn't come close to the real thing.

I have come to discover that one of the perks of getting older is a return to the depth of love we felt for nature as a child.  Experiencing that as an adult is a gift and so I find myself, being a city girl, seeking it out more and more.  Forget the tornado siren that was blaring or the impending rain,  I thought I had died and gone to heaven seeing those clouds!

As synchronicity would have it, I came upon this poem by Thoreau quite by accident.  Or was it???

Low-Anchored Cloud (Mist)

Low-anchored cloud,

Newfoundland air,

Fountain-head and source of rivers,

Dew-cloth, dream-drapery,

And napkin spread by fays;

Drifting meadow of the air,

Where bloom the daisied banks and violets,

And in whose fenny labyrinth

The Bittern booms and heron wades;

Spirit of lakes and seas and rivers,

Bear only perfumes and the scent

Of healing herbs to just men's fields!

Henry David Thoreau