Butterfly Balance Wellness Center

Yep, I'm Still Here ...

I pretty much could reiterate my last post here, wondering where the time has gone. Wow. My apologizes to those of you following along. Lots going on, several partially written blog posts in the queue, but I wanted to drop in and let you know that I'm still here and haven't given up on the blog.

Part of the delay is that my practice is going well and I've been busy seeing clients. That's a good thing. But I certainly don't want to neglect my presence here on the internet as well.  I hope everyone out there in internet-land is doing well, and I will definitely put a more meaningful post up in the next few days.

In the meantime, if anyone has any questions about my practice, feel free to reply here and/or be in touch with me!

Note: Due to FTC guidelines, I am now required to disclose that if you click on a link in this post (or any other post or link on my blog) and purchase Young Living Essential Oils, books/products through Amazon.com or nutritional supplements through AIM Companies, that I will receive a small commission as a result of those purchases. Thank you for your support.

Where Does the Time Go?

I've probably written 20 blog posts in my head in the past 3 months, and yet none of them actually got to the computer. I can't even believe it's been that long. I seriously don't know where all the time has gone. Then when I did realize it, it got a little intimidating. My apologizes for the silence here recently! I've been doing a lot of personal healing work that I'd like to share a bit about in other posts, and doing a lot of great work with my clients, both of which have kept me busy!

I'm not going to try and fully catch up in one post, but I'm really excited to have taken 3 more Health Kinesiology classes, with level 10 scheduled for next month! This means a lot of new corrections to work with for my clients. I've also doubled my collection of test kits for allergies and detox work, which is really making a difference for clients. Plus I'm grateful for many new clients who've found me.

If you've been reading along for a while but haven't been in for a session, did you know I have a New Client Special, where if you purchase one session of any length, you get a same length second session for free? What are you waiting for? :)

Note: Due to FTC guidelines, I am now required to disclose that if you click on a link in this post (or any other post or link on my blog) and purchase Young Living Essential Oils, books/products through Amazon.com or nutritional supplements through AIM Companies, that I will receive a small commission as a result of those purchases. Thank you for your support.

Excuses, and Declaring What's Important

I love TinyBuddha and get so much wisdom from that site and their Facebook page. I found this gem recently and wanted to share a story. (And in case you can't read that small photo text, it says "If it's important, you will find a way. If not, you'll find an excluse." ~ Unknown)

Many years ago I wanted to study Health Kinesiology. But the nearest teacher was over 1,000 miles away. I came up with many excuses why I couldn't do it - too expensive to travel; I don't have enough vacation time; I don't have the money; I'm too old to learn something new; I don't know if I'm smart enough to do it. I had lots of excuses - far more than I've writen here - and for years I did nothing.

Then one day something changed and I decided that it was important enough to pursue. I was tired of fighting my desires with excuses and told the Universe that I was ready: I was going to figure out how to take my first Health Kinesiology course. I still didn't know how I was going to come up with the money, but I put the intention out there. I was going to find a way. It was too important not to.

That day I emailed the closest teacher to me, who is in California, and asked her when she'd be offering an HK Level 1 class. She replied and said that I had good timing, as she'd just received a request to do a class in British Columbia, Canada and was finalizing the contract that very day. Living in Seattle, I was able to drive up to the class and not spend money on airfare. I laughed at how the Universe had removed an obstacle once I declared my readiness to do something I thought was important. I decided to not worry how I was going to ultimately manage taking HK Levels 2-10, let alone the other classes that were being offered to compliment them. One decision at a time. 

Here I am, years later, with a Health Kinesiology practice that brings me much joy, and I'm getting ready to fly to New York next week to take Level 8, Level 9, and an HK class called Intrusive Energies. I'm very excited  about the opportunity, and how that initial decision put me on this path. Had I not declared the importance of taking the first step, and actually going for it, years would have passed and I would still be sitting there wondering what to do with myself.

What are your excuses? Need help finding the way to what is important? Health Kinesiology sessions can help remove those blocks.

Note: Due to FTC guidelines, I am now required to disclose that if you click on a link in this post (or any other post or link on my blog) and purchase Young Living Essential Oils, books/products through Amazon.com or nutritional supplements through AIM Companies, that I will receive a small commission as a result of those purchases. Thank you for your support.

What's on YOUR Happy List?

A friend of mine shared this video, and I wanted to share it with all of you.

I love this perspective about happiness.

What's on YOUR happy list?  Please share in the comments below.

Note: Due to FTC guidelines, I am now required to disclose that if you click on a link in this post (or any other post or link on my blog) and purchase Young Living Essential Oils, books/products through Amazon.com or nutritional supplements through AIM Companies, that I will receive a small commission as a result of those purchases. Thank you for your support.

Art of Gratitude

I wanted to share about this really cool website that was brought to my attention recently: Art of Gratitude. It's a free site where you sign up to receive 30 days of gratitude emails. In the email is space for you to write down 3 things you are grateful for, and then you can upload it to your own private page on the Art of Gratitude website. I believe after 30 days you get the option to continue (I'm still in the initial 30 days).

I know that a regular Gratitude Practice is really important in shifting our energetic vibration. The more that we are grateful for, the easier it is for the Universe to want to gift us with more things to be grateful for! Receiving an email every day has been really fun, because it causes me to pause for a moment and sit and think about what I want to be grateful for in that moment. It's been a wonderful way to start my day and I highly recommend it!

And don't ever underestimate how gratitude can shift things. I've been struggling with some things the last week or two personally, and I received a message from someone that (to them) may have been so simple . . . but that sharing of gratitude towards me touched me very deeply and truly shifted things significantly. That goes on tomorrow's gratitude list. :)

I remember growing up and being reminded by my mom how important it was to say "thank you." Smart mom!

Note: Due to FTC guidelines, I am now required to disclose that if you click on a link in this post (or any other post or link on my blog) and purchase Young Living Essential Oils, books/products through Amazon.com or nutritional supplements through AIM Companies, that I will receive a small commission as a result of those purchases. Thank you for your support.

No Wednesday Wellness for February

Tonight's Wednesday Wellness talk (a series of free monthly talks on a variety of wellness topics held on the third Wednesday of each month) is cancelled due to an unavoidable schedule conflict. I apologize for the inconvenience for anyone who was hoping to attend tonight.

The next talk will now be held on Wednesday, March 20th at 7:00 p.m. Please check back for upcoming topics at this monthly talk. If you have any ideas for topics you'd like to see covered in upcoming talks, please contact me.

 

Note: Due to FTC guidelines, I am now required to disclose that if you click on a link in this post (or any other post or link on my blog) and purchase Young Living Essential Oils, books/products through Amazon.com or nutritional supplements through AIM Companies, that I will receive a small commission as a result of those purchases. Thank you for your support.

Failing to Keep Resolutions: It's Not About Willpower!

I always find it interesting to watch the marketing of New Years Resolutions. I walked into Costco a few days before New Years last year, and the entryway was lined with diet programs, exercise machines, scales, stop-smoking systems, books on health and fitness - you name the typical resolution, and there was an alleged solution right there for the taking.

On January 1st of every year I can remember, I'd be watching TV, and not 10 minutes into turning it on, I'd be greeted by a commercial about how you need to start the New Year off right by having weight loss surgery or a new diet program. (Uh, no thanks!)

Sure, I've made my share of Resolutions in my lifetime, and there's such a high failure rate on them if you talk to people in February each year. It wasn't until I tried applying the concepts of Health Kinesiology to New Years Resolutions that I started to understand why that might be.

You are a unique, beautiful individual. You can come into my office with the same issue as another client, but your body will have an entirely different, unique way to deal with that issue. And sometimes an issue that sounds like a "no-brainer" in terms of benefit to someone/everyone will have all kinds of issues tied up in it for you that make it not the best thing to pursue without doing other work first. Let me explain.

Essential Oil Testimonial Database, and My Own Crisis Averted!

I discovered an absolutely wonderful website called Oil Testimonials. I've been using Young Living Essential Oils for a while now, personally and in my practice, but there is so much to learn about what they can do for your health and wellness. I have to admit that it's still not an automatic response to pick up an oil for a health crisis; most of us were raised with medications in mind, and that's the first thing we think of and rely on. There are a few oils that I really know in terms of what they're good for, but this website has been a huge help to me in learning more about them.

There are multiple memberships to this site, and I use the free option which gives you most of the functionality of the site. It clearly explains the benefits to upgrading to Silver or Gold memberships on their FAQ page, but there is a wealth of information available with a free membership.

Oil Testimonials is a essentially a database of testimonials from members about their usage of Young Living Essential Oils for various needs/issues. You can enter an issue in the database (like "headache," "bronchitis," "pain," etc.) and multiple testimonials pages will come up. You can read what the member had to say about the issue, which oil(s) they used, and the outcome. It's really opened my eyes to what is possible with the oils.

Last night I was doing some cleaning and noticed that my right ankle was swollen. I pulled up the leg of my pants to take a look at it, and noticed that my lower leg was extremely red, swollen and much harder than usual. It was also a little bit painful and had a tingling feeling, and so red that it looked sunburned against my pale foot.  I elevated my leg and decided to do some Reconnective Healing on it. When I placed my hand on my lower leg, I noticed there was so much swelling and fluid under the skin that my hand actually left an indent. I won't lie - I was a bit alarmed. When you google those symptoms you get all kinds of awful things looking at you on the computer screen, most of which tell you to go to the emergency room. Uh oh!

Review: Life Juice Cleanse

I recently completed a 3-day juice cleanse/fast from Life Juice and wanted to share my experience with it. 

I'd never done a juice cleanse or any other type of fast before, unless it was a fast for a medical procedure. And during those fasts I always felt awful and was starving, so the idea of fasting for the heck of it didn't sound too appealing. I follow the blog of Chef Amber Shea and she was doing a review of various juice cleanses that she had received and done. I was intrigued, and in a moment of temporary insanity, decided to order a 3-day Juice Cleanse from Life Juice in New York.

The juice is shipped frozen via overnight courier and must be used within 3 days of defrosting, as the juice is not pasteurized and will spoil after that time, and lose nutrients even if it didn't spoil. There are 18 pint drink bottles - 6 for each day of the cleanse (the drinks do not vary daily).

Drink #1 is called Himalayan Sea Salt Solé, a mixture of Himalayan sea salt, water and lime, and it is recommended to drink it warm on an empty stomach at the beginning of the day. This was a surprisingly nice drink - very refreshing and light, and the warmth of the drink was very soothing. A nice start to the day.

Drink #2 is called Alkaline Blend, a mixture of apple, carrot, cucumber, lemon, celery, beet, spinach, kale, parsley, and ginger.  A very tasty, sweet juice with beautiful red color, it was probably my favorite of the juices.

Drink #3 is Oh My Green Goodness, a mixture of apple, cucumber, celery, lemon, spinach, kale, parsley, and ground ginger. A very "green" tasting juice from all the vegetables, but still sweet from the apple. I enjoyed this juice, which is a good thing since it repeats later in the day. :)

Drink #4 is Energizer Bunny, a mixture of apple, carrot, lemon, and ginger. I do not generally like carrot juice, so was not looking forward to this. I was surprised, however, how the carrot was not overpowering, despite the bright orange color. I really enjoyed this juice.

Drink #5 is a repeat of #3, Oh My Green Goodness.

Drink #6 is Toasty Spiced Almond, not a juice, but a mixture of filtered water, raw organic almonds, dates, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg, and they recommended warming it up. I'll admit it was not my favorite drink - it was a bit grainy and thin - but not unpleasant. The fiber content was very high from the almonds, and - at the risk of TMI - was a bit of a shock to my system, if you know what I mean. :)

Solé Drinking Therapy (no, not fish!)

Have you heard of Solé (pronounced "So-Lay") Drinking Therapy? I hadn't, until a few weeks ago.

I had done a prepackaged 3-day juice fast right after Thanksgiving (I'll review that in the next week or so), and the first drink of the day was a Solé drink - ingredients of Himalayan Sea Salt, water and lime. The instructions were to drink first thing out of bed, on an empty stomach. I was not excited to start out my day with a glass of salt water. Honestly, it sounded disgusting. <grin>

However, over the 3 days, it became a wonderful ritual. It actually wasn't as salty as I imagined it would be. Then I thought I would look online to find out why one would want to drink solé anyway; what were the health benefits?

Apparently, the Himalayan sea salt is filled with minerals that the body needs, and the process of making it into solé energizes it so that our body can take in the vibration of the elements for a 24 hour period, stimulating the digestive track, metabolism, and nourishing our bodies. Here are some other benefits I've read about solé:

• Supplies the body with a natural energy that can last up to 24 hours
• Effective in balancing irregular heartbeats
• It harmonizes the alkaline/acidity balance in your body and normalizes the blood pressure
• It dissolves and eliminates sediment deposits which can lead to stones and various forms of arthritis, kidney and gall stones
• Vital to making the structure of the bones firm
• Helps to clean our lungs of sticky phlegm and excess mucous, as well as a cleaning of our sinuses
• Vital to the nerve cells and the communication process of our cells
• Helps the absorption of food particles through the digestive tract
• Drinking sole aids in the prevention of muscle cramps, and helps with sleep regulation. Sea salt is a natural hypnotic.
• Vital for maintaining sexuality and a healthy libido
• Natural antihistamine that helps you breathe better

I've been drinking solé daily for about 3 weeks now in the morning to start my day and one thing I've noticed is that I had an eczema patch on my hand that was flaky and very rough that was not responding to conventional treatment, and after drinking this daily, it has improved drastically. I have not read it yet (I just ordered it), but there is a book called Water and Salt by Barbara Hendel and Peter Ferreira that talks more about the benefits of solé.

Making your own solé is very easy. You probably all know that salt dissolves in water, but did you know that if you keep adding salt, you'll eventually come to a point where it is fully saturated and will no longer dissolve? That's what you're going for with this recipe:

Put 2 or 3 large Himalayan salt stones in a glass container with lid. (I bought a solé kit locally at East West Bookshop which was a container of stones and the recipe.) Cover the stones with a good-quality water (about 2-3 inches above the stones), cover the container and let sit for 24 hours. If the salt is all dissolved, add another salt stone and wait another 24 hours. If salt remains at the bottom, it has reached the 26% saturation rate and you're ready to go! Add 1 teaspoon of the solé mixture to a glass of water and drink slowly on an empty stomach, before breakfast. I usually add some squeezed lime to mine.

Please let me know if you try this and what benefits you may receive from it!

Important Info: None of these statements have been evaluated by the FDA. This product and post are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, nor should anything be considered a prescripton or guarantee of any health benefits. Please consult with your physician or other health care provider before starting solé drinking therapy if you have issues with sodium and/or other health concerns.

 

Note: Due to FTC guidelines, I am now required to disclose that if you click on a link in this post (or any other post or link on my blog) and purchase Young Living Essential Oils, books/products through Amazon.com or nutritional supplements through AIM Companies, that I will receive a small commission as a result of those purchases. Thank you for your support.