Journey to Wholeness: Return to BE Heartland House Victoria Odde MA, CADCII, LAADC
Where … .. Nature meets Nurture
Ayurvedic Prospective on Addiction/SUD Dosha becomes grossly aggravated depending on stages of • chronicity – scattered thoughts, worry, loss of memory, uncontrollable shaking, insomnia, delusions and hallucination Symptoms indistinguishable from mental illness • People who drink/use to excess condition themselves away from • body’s natural ability to balance itself Body type conditions itself to accept the presence of • substance/drug Mild imbalance to Serious imbalance •
Allow Life to Unfold from the Inside Out • Breathing Techniques • Meditation • Yoga (stretching) • Food as Medicine • Becoming attuned with nature as medication for inner spirit/soul development • Releasing emotional/mental/physical toxicity to access our inner pharmacy
Seeds of Illness/Dis-ease Change in Physiology Contributes to Increase blood pressure, heart Coronary heart disease stress Anxiety, insomnia, Increase stress hormones addictions Increase blood sugar Diabetes, obesity Decrease circulation to digestive Digestive disturbances tract Decrease growth, sex hormones Premature aging Decrease immunity Infections, cancer Increase in sticky platelets Heart attacks, strokes
Five Gateways • Ears, skin, eyes, tongue and nose • Sensory impressions are how we experience the world • Sensory impressions influence hormones and other chemicals in the body • Favor experiences that lead to balance and promote well-being
Conditioned vs. Unconditioned Fight/Flight Restful Awareness - Meditation ↓ Heart rate ↑ Heart rate ↑ Blood pressure ↓ Blood pressure ↑ Respiration ↓ Respiration ↑ Perspiration ↓ Perspiration ↑ Stress hormones ↓ Stress hormones ↓ Anti-aging hormones ↑ Anti-aging hormones ↑ Platelet stickiness ↓ Platelet stickiness
Other Benefits of Meditation Lower stress hormone response to challenges: Adrenaline, • Cortisol, Norepinephrine Improved circulatory and digestive function • Improved mood • Younger biomarkers: blood pressure, hearing, vision • Reduced ambulatory BP due to nervousness and anxiety caused • by being in a clinical setting Increased DHEA levels • Helps create a readiness and promote action through positive • awareness and other healthy behavior
Breath Work • Keeps organs nourished • Strengthens immune system • If not breathing all other programs running • Relieves anxiety/stress • Keeps in the moment before reactive fight/flight • Releases toxins
Yoga – Connect Mind/Body • At its most practical level yoga is a process of becoming more aware of who we are. Yoga techniques facilitate balance and health, and unfold our dormant potential. Yoga allows us to be more aware of ourselves and feel connected. As such, yoga is a process of self-discovery. This leads us to self-mastery and self-realization
Food As Medicine Nourishment for Body, Mind and Soul Based on Dosha Type
The Six Tastes of Life Sweet Pungent Sour Bitter Salty Astringent
Body Intelligence Techniques Include all six tastes at every meal • Eat in a quiet, settled, comfortable • environment Eat only when you feel hungry • Do not eat when you are upset • Always sit down to eat • Reduce ice-cold foods and beverages •
Body Intelligence Techniques Eat at a comfortable pace; stay conscious • Include all colors of the rainbow at each meal • Digest previous meal before starting • the next Don’t overeat; leave 1/3 to 1/4 of • stomach empty Eat freshly prepared meals • Sit quietly for a few minutes after meal while • focusing attention on body, then take short walk
Enhancing Life Force • Gaze into the heavens at night (Space) • Walk in abundant vegetation, ideally at dusk and dawn (Air) • Allow the light and warmth of the sun to permeate you (Fire) • Walk along natural bodies of water (Water) • Walk barefoot on natural earth (Earth)
Restful Sleep • Aim for a 10:30pm bedtime – adjust ½ hour per week • Warm bath with lavender, sandalwood or vanilla • Perform relaxing self massage while preparing a bath • After bath, drink a warm cup of herbal tea or milk with cardamom or nutmeg • Journal and/or read spiritual/uplifting literature • Minimize exciting and aggravating activities after 8:30 pm
Emotional Freedom Intimacy with Your Self
Reactive/Ego Response • Psychological flight/fight • Crossing the “mine” field – ego response • If ego boundaries are crossed without permission, uncomfortable feelings (such as anger or withdrawal) are generated • Most people use only these first two responses
Fight/Flight • Pancreas releases more glucagon and less insulin, raising blood sugar • Shunt blood from your digestive organs to your muscles • Release less rejuvenating hormones (DHEA, growth hormone) • Immune system is suppressed • Platelets become stickier
Fight/Flight • Heart beats faster/pumps more blood • Blood pressure rises • Consume more oxygen and expel more carbon dioxide • Perspiration increases • Adrenal glands pumps out adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol
Emotional Toxicity Feelings not fully experienced can accumulate as • emotional toxins Signs of Accumulated Emotional Toxicity • – Fatigue – Irritability – Lack of Enthusiasm – Depression – Emotional Reactivity – Cynicism
Needs • As humans, we all have needs • Beyond hunger, fundamental human needs may be expressed as: – Attention – Affection – Appreciation – Acceptance • Emotions are derived from needs • (Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs)
Secondary Emotions When pain based on unmet needs is stored rather than resolved, it often leads to: • Anxiety • Hostility • Guilt and eventually • Depression
Balancing with Sight The images we ingest have a profound effect on our body, mind and emotions • Violent images trigger stress hormones • Beautiful, loving images stimulate the release of health promoting chemicals
Balancing with Sound Primordial Sounds – Sounds that Heal • Nature Sounds • Mantras • Music • Chakra Sounds
Balancing with Smell • Aromas connect us to emotions, memory and instincts • They can trigger the healing power within • We can link a healing response to the experience of a particular smell • Use aromas to invoke states of wellbeing such as the fragrance of a newborn baby
Balancing Through Touch • Recognizing the skin as a portal to the inner pharmacy of healing chemicals • Daily self massage (self abhyanga) • detoxifies tissues • calms the mind • enhances immune function • Regular massage and loving touch detoxify the body’s tissues
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