Blog - Shanti Douglas ~ 8 limbs Holistic Health, LLC

Breaking Through to Get Beyond

10/30/2015

"There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." ~ Anais Nin

Do you ever put off making a change until the situation is so bad that you feel like you have no other choice, where you’ve backed yourself into a corner and are now using the intensity of the situation to finally propel you to take action?

I used to do this all the time. I would wait for things to be so terrible and ugly that I couldn’t stand it anymore. Only then would I make a change and shift in a new direction. Rock bottom had to be hit before I would rise like a phoenix and take care of myself. Somewhere in there was a warped strong-hold, my “worker ant” mentality gone awry. It also reflected my lack of self-worth and my secret belief that I didn’t deserve to be happy.

Ya, this didn’t work so well in my marriage or other relationship shifts that needed to happen. It also kept me from exploring more amicable and suitable paths of recovery and hopeful living. Thanks goodness I’ve learned to change this way go being, for myself and everyone else around me. It’s definitely made a big difference in the level of drama and trauma in my life. Now I’m more often compelled to reflect on my situation and to change things as I move along. Tweaking the small steps is a lot easier and feels a lot better than waiting for the shit to hit the fan.

How about for you? What changes have you ignored that would be really important for your happiness and that would really add value? What uncomfortableness are you still shoulder-high in… a job that’s not fulfilling, a relationship that needs a re-work, a life passion unfulfilled??

We don’t need something to go wrong in order to change. We don’t have to wait that long, for the forces of drama and trauma to invade our life and drive us to switch things up. We are each too valuable to give up on ourselves and our dreams / desires so easily. Don’t let the comfort of others keep us uncomfortable.

Need some guidance or a reflective mirror? Let me help you take charge and once again feel confident in the importance of you.

Love and peace,
Shanti

Shanti Douglas
Mindfulness & Stress Management Coach
Eden Energy Medicine Certified Practitioner
8 limbs Holistic Health, LLC

It's a Miracle!

9/22/2015

     “The Miracle of Mindfulness”… the miracle of showing up for your life as it is right now… noticing what’s there… in all of it’s many forms… with deep awareness and acceptance.
     You hear me say (or write) variations of this quite frequently but what is mindfulness really? While there are thousands of studies quantifying the beneficial impacts that mindfulness has on the physical and mental body, work productivity, concentration, relationships of all kinds, and overall health, and while we cognitively understand mindfulness to be present to this moment, again, what is it really?
     Stepping away from the view that it is a tool that will help us achieve greater goodness, we must, if we are to truly understand mindfulness, realize first and foremost that it’s an embodied practice. It is a state of being, not a performance enhancement too or a therapeutic technique.
     Recently I spent six days at Blue Cliff Monastery in New York with 400+ practitioners living as many moments as we were able to in mindfulness. I say “as many as” since, no matter the strength of our practice, there seems to be an ebb and flow in and out of this practice of presence. “The Miracle of Mindfulness” was the retreat’s theme, celebrating the publication of this titled book by my teacher and Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh 40 years earlier. Out of the 400 retreatants, about one-third were brand new to a retreat in the Plum Village tradition, a tradition which emphasizes integrating mindfulness into everyday normal activities and occurrences. Each moment of life is an opportunity and a gift so why not show up and be more fully aware of them?
     The retreat day begins and ends in silence - an opportunity to connect with the voice inside - and in between we are fed with nurturing practices such as mindful meals, sitting and walking meditation, working meditation, Dharma talks (teachings), and sharing from the heart. Each step along the way is an opportunity to recognize our wholesome and unwholesome mental formations (ideas, thoughts, judgments, labels), i.e. discursions that typically hold us back from an open view of possibility. As we mostly seeking to control and reformulate our surroundings, there’s a continual backdrop of mind chatter that works to unconsciously sort and categorize our experiences, pulling or pushing our mental and physical resources into all sorts of directions in an attempt to make life more to our liking. In the retreat setting we are gifted with a slower pace, making it easier to notice this habituated mind activity and to create attitudes of openness and curiosity, awakening us to the many details we miss as we busily go about our day. We have an opportunity to notice our thoughts, feelings, emotions, and sensations of all kinds, all aspects of ourselves that are lost in the commotion of mind and body multitasking.
     There is so much depth to the simplest of things - drinking tea or coffee, walking, bathing, picking up things, noticing a landscape, eating chocolate. How is your moment of life when you are sipping your tea in the bright sunshine? Noticing… what responsibilities are weighing heavily on your shoulders and in between your "should" blades? Can we soften our body just a smidgen and return to the tangy flavor of our tea, drinking in the refreshing elements of Nature in the tea leaves and rain clouds? How are we now?
     Each time we let ourselves open to experience what is in front of us, we capture a part of ourselves that we would otherwise have missed. We get to know what’s underneath and behind the busyness that has become our habit and, for that wonderful moment, notice the Self that is noticing the self. As we bring more and more awareness to ourselves and our experience, even if it contains pain or uncomfortableness, we can begin the journey of taking care of our true selves (behind the roles and ego) more fully. This awareness of self is the first step in healing the pains and points of suffering. From this place, understanding and then reconciliation may arrive. In this way, mindfulness is a miracle for, with the simplest of attention, we can gift ourselves the preciousness of our life.
     So try this on. For a few minutes right now, stop what you are doing and bring awareness to your breathing. You’ve been doing it all day long and it’s been supporting every action you’ve taken. As you pay attention to it, don’t do anything different to it - just leave it as it is. Now also sense your body with the breath, noticing the subtle movements of it as you breathe in and out. Staying here for a few minutes, let everything else settle down - your mind, your thoughts, your to-do’s. The only thing to do in this moment is to pay attention to yourself, breathing. Stay here and rest. Open to being and breathing. What’s there that you may have missed before? What miracle of mindfulness is yours?

Love and peace to you!
Shanti

Shanti Douglas
Mindfulness & Stress Management Coach
Eden Energy Medicine Certified Practitioner
8 limbs Holistic Health, LLC

Clearing Out the Manic Monday

8/31/2015

It's Monday morning, one of my favorite days of the week (yes, I did say that!). My Task Master gets all juiced up and ready to go for another fabulous week ahead. How about for you? Whatever you do, don't let Monday drag you down. Keep going with your Daily Energy Routine (DER) and keep those energies high!
To add to the DER short version, today we're looking at the Crown Pull. It's perfect for when we can't stop the "chatting" in our head, realize we've been going in the wrong mental direction with lots of negativity, or for those tension headaches that creep up after a stressful day. Along with the Wayne Cook, the Crown Pull is also perfect for when we have trouble concentrating and remembering things. Staring at the computer all day will surely numb our intellectual capacities and an overload of meetings can be draining so bring the Crown Pull along for some instant relief. It will have your mind and brain feeling refreshed and connect you to your higher inspirations.

Enjoy!!

Peace and LOTS of joy in Being.
Shanti

Shanti Douglas
Mindfulness & Stress Management Coach
Eden Energy Medicine Certified Practitioner
8 limbs Holistic Health, LLC

For More Health, Act Like Gorillas and Monkeys

7/28/2015

     What another fantastic week we had. I'm so grateful for this amazing region in which we live and all the exciting and unexpected weather conditions we get to experience. I love the power of nature. All the pop up storms can get your energies moving, especially if you need to run like the dickens to get out of a down pour! That was fun!!
     Speaking of energy... I promised to bring you the different segments of Eden Energy Medicine's (EEM) Daily Energy Routine (DER). If you recall, the DER is a routine that energizes and harmonizes the nine energy systems that get touched with EEM. Along with meditation and good coffee, it's one of the most fantastic ways to start your day on the right foot, setting the tone for success and self-empowerment. Last week we worked on stomach/under eye and K27. This week we'll finish up the 4 Thumps with Thymus and Spleen.
     The Thymus is a very important gland in our body; it supports our immune system, helps our body handle stress and shock, and makes T-cells which help the body fight disease. To activate the thymus, pretend you're a gorilla and pound (or tap) your chest, right on your breast bone, for 30-45 seconds. Go ahead - do it now. It's so invigorating!! (Don't believe me? Look at how much fun we're having in the picture below.) And if it feels right, call out like a gorilla too. Let everyone know you are ready for action! Feel free to do that throughout the day, especially if you are feeling tired or run down.
     The Spleen is also a vital energy in our body. Spleen is the Mother Metabolizer and helps us to metabolize foods, substances, emotions, thoughts, etc. Spleen governs blood flow, infection, inflammation, and supports the immune system. It also has a special and important relationship to our fight/flight (we go into great detail of this in EEM101) so know that Spleen has a priority role in our energy system.
     To stimulate spleen energy, act like a monkey and tap the sides of your ribs (feeling free to "Ooo Ooo Aaa Aaa") or stay your homo sapien self and rub underneath the breasts. Spleen does many jobs and could usually benefit from more energy so don't hesitate to do several times a day. Before and after meals are great for me as well as after conversations that might be a little more intense than I expected.
     So now that you have the 4 Thumps (in 2 videos), do them daily and frequently. They will keep your energies pumping with goodness and you'll feel ooohhhh sooooo gooood.
     Stay tuned for next week when I introduce the neurolymphatics, another set of wonderful clearing agents. Until then, stay in peace and connect with any questions.

Peace,
Shanti

Shanti Douglas
Mindfulness & Stress Management Coach
Eden Energy Medicine Certified Practitioner
8 limbs Holistic Health, LLC

My Yummy No-Caffeine Boost

7/21/2015

     Wow! Has this been an amazing summer or what?? A host of fantastic weather (less the serious heat in New England the past few days) has made playing outside lots of fun and I'm really happy to be back enjoying it. It feels great to be out and about, staying strong with my exercise routine...and my energy routine.
     One of the recent events I had was an all day workshop Eden Energy Medicine 101 - Vitality is Yours! Besides learning lots of other things, we reviewed the basics of Eden Energy Medicine (EEM) and dove into practices that folks could use on a daily basis to increase their own health and support that of their family and friends. It was a huge success and I think it's safe to say that vitality was achieved!! As one participant said, "You should have taken our before and after pictures to see the amazing change!" What a great idea and I think I will on the next class which, by the way, is set for Saturday Sept 12.
     A foundational tenet of EEM is the Daily Energy Routine (DER), a routine that energizes and harmonizes the nine energy systems that get touched with EEM. It's a hugely stabilizing routine and sets the tone for a grounded and self-empowered day. And the best part of it (besides it being fun to do) is that the whole thing only takes about 8 minutes. Pretty good return on investment, wouldn't you say?
     Since there's so many of you that haven't had the chance to attend the workshop (again, really recommend it), I thought it would be fun to begin sharing the DER via video. We get into much more in class but this is a good beginning. Over the coming weeks I'll share all the pieces of the DER, ending with a final version of it all put together. And not to worry - individually the pieces are good to know as each has valuable benefits and can be done on their own. And if you lose track, you can catch them on my YouTube channel. So let's get started!!
     The DER begins with 4 Thumps. In this segment, we'll talk about the first two: stomach/under eye and K27.
      For the first Thump, with your pointer and middle finger, begin by tapping on the cheekbones underneath the eyes. Tap with a medium strength: not so light that it's irritating but not so hard enough that it hurts. Tapping here activates the stomach meridian, an energy pathway that begins inside the bottom eyelid and zig-zags all the way down the front of the body and off the second toe. Do this for 30-45 seconds to help get you grounded and release worry - a lovely way to start the day!! And don't forget to breathe while you are tapping.
     The second Thump is K27, the end of the Kidney meridian. The Kidney meridian begins at the bottom of the foot at what Chinese Medicine calls "The Wellspring of Life". It's our deepest connecting point to the Earth's energy. I've described in the video how to find K27, an important point in helping all the energies of the body run forward. So if you feel like your energies are running backwards, that you're not getting to where you want to go, doing things with no effect, or can't concentrate, tapping or rubbing your K27s can help. For me, it also gives me a caffeine boost without the caffeine - perfect for the late afternoon drowsies or when I'm stuck in my car driving and feeling lethargic. K27 is great anytime you need a boost of clean energy.
     One thing to watch for as you tap or rub these points is if the area is sore or tender. This would indicate a blockage / stagnation of energy. Releasing that stuck energy with the Thumps will help to de-congest your passageways and make you feel great so go ahead and rub away!!
     Look for the other two Thumps in an upcoming newsletter. In the meantime, give yourself a boost of clean energy with these two.

Peace,
Shanti

Shanti Douglas
Mindfulness & Stress Management Coach
Eden Energy Medicine Certified Practitioner
8 limbs Holistic Health, LLC

Expelling the Venom

6/12/2015

Rough day? Rough week? Want an easy way to shake it off and get back on track? Try Expelling the Venom on for size. Instead of spewing your "stuff" on other people, step away into a private space and enjoy this fun and exhilarating energy exercise. Do it a few times if you need to, be loud if you need to - it doesn't matter. Just do it! You'll be feeling fantastic and back to your old self in no time.

P. S. And invite your colleagues, partner, and kids to join you as well. You're not the only one with stress and, if you've had a tough day, they probably have as well.

Peace,
Shanti

Shanti Douglas
Mindfulness & Stress Management Coach
Eden Energy Medicine Certified Practitioner
8 limbs Holistic Health, LLC

Grounding for Grace

4/20/2015

     I woke up in such a cranky mood yesterday. My lioness was definitely ready to ROAR! Even though my day was peaceful, my sleep was fitful, waking up 10 times or more. I’ll chalk it up to hormones but wow, not fun to be me the next morning. I wanted nothing to do with anyone or anything, not even happy 4-legged Suki.
     I was hoping to gain some relief with my morning meditation but that was equally fitful with every little sound irritating me (I’m very tonal) and my attention not able to stay centered or under eyelid (if you’ve done any work with me, you know what I mean). Ahhhh…. lots of breathing and refocusing but sometimes it just doesn’t work.
     What did work, though (and is usually magic for me), was walking meditation. Feeling the warm and inviting Earth underneath my feet, I instantly settled. Barefoot in my backyard, slow steps, mindful awareness, breath gently following body, resting and releasing with each step. What a relief! Mother Earth is always ready to take whatever I’m willing to release. I have much gratitude!
     My connection to the Earth is deep. It is for all of us as we are made of this Earth - there is no separation. Dropping into Her presence helps me drop back into mine. I’m able to let go of the pains and perceptions that caught me, my steps becoming gentle as I untangle the twists and turns of my mind. One circuit around the yard and I was a completely new person. My lioness tail was wagging and so was Suki’s as the Mom that she knows and loves was back.
     Walking meditation, one of the four postures of meditation, is a beautiful way to earth. Earthing, a current day term used to describe the health practice of connecting our energies with the Earth, has been with us since the beginning of our time. Energetically grounding us, our contact with the Earth’s energies aligns our polarities to provide better brain and body functions. Physiologically, it helps to improve immune function, reduces pain and inflammation, decreases the stress response, and increases a sense of well-being. Think about the last time you spent time out in nature, how good you felt afterwards. Yes!
     Walking meditation is also a practice of presence. When we walk, we just walk. We are with each step, noticing our body and breath and noticing the Earth’s body and breath. It’s one of the most beautiful things you can do in your life.
     So the next time you wake up all cranked out, get out of your way and go outside. Take those shoes and socks off and walk for peace….another free form of stress relief.
     And for more on getting grounded, check out the short video below which describes two techniques used in Eden Energy Medicine that will open up the gateways and help you feel more grounded and stable in meeting the needs of the day.

Peace,
Shanti

Shanti Douglas
Mindfulness & Stress Management Coach
Certified Eden Energy Medicine Practitioner
8 limbs Holistic Health, LLC

A Smoothie for Stress

4/2/2015

Got stress? Feeling busy all the time? Carrying energies around that you’d prefer to just let go of? Perfect! Well, not perfect but great for what you about to see.

Try Triple Warmer Smoothie on and see how smooth your moment begin to be.

With lots of Peace and Gratitude,
Shanti

Shanti Douglas
Mindfulness & Stress Management Coach
Certified Practitioner Eden Energy Medicine
Shanti@8limbsHolisticHealth.com
603.228.9007

Controlling the Weather

3/2/2015

     Happy month of March - official Spring is on its way. Yeah!! I know this winter has felt pretty rough for folks and, from what I've seen, the external weather has taken a toll on people's internal weather. Lack of energy and enthusiasm, a sense of isolation and hibernation, feeling ungrounded with a frozen connection to Earth, and constriction in creativity and positive expressions. It feels like it will never end but hang on, it will. Soon enough the thaw will be here, both inside and out.
     Changing our internal weather report is not always easy. There's no doubt that we are influenced by the external, whether it's a storm of snow, stress, or misguided communication. The external doesn't need to be determinant, however. We can open the curtains on a cloudy day, guiding our internal sun to shine and brighten our Light.
     "What part of me is being touched here?" is a great question to ask when we are feeling frustrated, afraid, misunderstood, or otherwise triggered. Instead of looking to rearrange the world to make us more comfortable and "solve the problem", can we instead come to know the part of us that is uncomfortable? Isn't that really what's calling out to us?
     Underneath the body wrangled in an emotional whirlwind, how did the storm get brewed up in the first place? What is the source seed of our tender spot? Usually it's a fear of some sort. When we get to know this, our simple act of awareness lifts the mayhem energy around it. We now know what is seeking support. This awareness alone creates an empowering perspective. With witness consciousness, we can see ourselves from a bigger perspective in relationship to our triggering event and all the ways we became uncomfortable. This type of awareness puts our higher self back in control of our experience, providing the framework of insights that switch us away from being a reactive participant. We don't need to run away to change the situation. Witness consciousness allows us to stand sturdy when the storm wind blow hard.
     Our mind is the creator of our life experiences. How we internalize the external world determines the weather of our day. Granted, poop happens but its up to each and every one of us to decide if we're going to compost it or step in it. It's messy business cleaning up poop from our soles but composting it for soul flowers is fantastic.
     Want more? Train your mind with one of the mindfulness classes and/or join my Complaint-Free March Facebook event. Either one will surely make your internal sun shine bright and keep you seeking the good.

With many blessings for peaceful days,
Shanti

Shanti Douglas
Mindfulness & Stress Management Coach
Certified Practitioner Eden Energy Medicine
Shanti@8limbsHolisticHealth.com
603.228.9007

Being Sick with Gratitude

2/18/2015

     This past weekend I was very sick - at least for me, a person who hardly ever gets sick and hasn’t required a doctor for a decade or so (knock on wood). A sore throat blossomed into not being able to talk, leading to full congestion in my head, chest, and lungs. The body...no energy, brain fog, weepy. Basically feeling pretty ucky. On a regular weekend, this would have been enough but this fell exactly during the time of a four day retreat I’d been co-organizing for a year. Ya, bummer! Deciding I needed to take care of myself and not add to the spreading of more germs, I left the retreat to go home two days early. Really sad for me but with I knew the Sangha (retreatant community) would continue seamlessly, creating immeasurable love and open heart, mirroring the retreat theme. Even as I lay in bed at home, I felt very held by them. Deep gratitude.
     Lying in my bed, snuggled with my blanket, cough drops, extra-soft tissues, water, and Nyquil, I had nothing to do but rest. Sleep, roll over, rest some more. For a day and a half I did this, trying to eat something in between but unable to taste anything. The pressure in my head was immense, eyes barely being able to open beyond a squint. Even with the coma-induced state that Nyquil provides, one can only do so much sleeping. Laying there in between sleep sessions, what to do? Reading hurt the eyes...watching Hulu compressed the forehead... staring into space seemed like a good option until the eyes dried to a prune-like quality.
     What I did find of interest was my body; noticing the aches in the left knee that radiating down to the second toe when I stayed on that side too long, pulsating tension points in the lower back, how the space in between my midback and lumbar seemed open and free, how my left ear rung at a denser pitch than the right, how my hair hurt mostly at the curve of my head, and how the pressure and congestion slowly crept from the right rear nostril to the open space on the left side when I turned my head to the left. Also of observation was how my mind still told me to try and eat (yes, mother) even though I couldn’t taste a single thing, noticing that too much napping really was not part of my body’s vocabulary, that there are a variety of coughs each with their own multi-faceted process, and finally narrowing in on where a cough actually begins.
     It was all very fascinating, this flowing river of body being. It gave me a wonderful connection to how my physical body supported and championed itself during a time of distress. I saw the interconnectedness between all parts and realized that, under a guise of what might be perceived as illness, was actually lots of healing going on. It was working really hard and I could feel the cells enlisting one another on the path of homeostasis and recovery...the cells that made up my body’s Sangha. Deep gratitude.
     There are so many times during my life that I haven’t liked or appreciated my body. There were even times when I down-right hated it and did some pretty destructive things, especially in my younger years. It didn’t do what I wanted; be thinner here and curvier there, walk fast enough, stay flexible without constant stretching, keep the muscle tone after a week away from the gym, be vibrant every day. So many of us complain about our body when in fact it is WE who create it as it is. We do things everyday that damage or support it - by what we eat, how we exercise, if over medicate, and especially what our thought pattern is around self-image. Our body knows if we love it or not. Just like Dr. Emoto’s water crystals, the cells of our body vibrate back to us how we feel about it. A body of Happy and Appreciation lives much more gloriously than Ugly and Hate.
     As I age and notice the physical changes more prominently, I’m coming to appreciate the sheer magnitude and intricacy of this vessel of ours. With over 50 trillion cells to coordinate, it’s beyond mind-blowing all the things it takes care of 24/7. Without instruction, it works so hard to get back to equilibrium and harmony. My recent experiment of a few days of illness has awoken me to that again. Deep gratitude. I’m not going to dare complain if mine needed a few days off to rest. Well deserved, I’d say, especially as I know I’m not always the easiest or cooperative one to deal with.
     When I get well again, I hope I continue to appreciate the non-sickness for longer than a few days. It really is great to have this lovely vessel of mine. It’s the only one I’ve got so best take care!

With many blessings for peaceful days,
Shanti

Shanti Douglas
Mindfulness & Stress Management Coach
Certified Practitioner Eden Energy Medicine
Shanti@8limbsHolisticHealth.com
603.228.9007

Which body would you prefer to live in?