Heal It Yourself

"If all the insects were to disappear from the earth, within 50 years all life on Earth would end. If..."

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 08:01:40 -0400

““If all the insects were to disappear from the earth, within 50 years all life on Earth would end. If all human beings disappeared from the earth, within 50 years all forms of life would flourish.””

- Jonas Salk (via haitianprophet)

pubhealth: Why Finnish babies sleep in cardboard boxes For 75...

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 16:02:40 -0400

pubhealth:

Why Finnish babies sleep in cardboard boxes

For 75 years, Finland’s expectant mothers have been given a box by the state. It’s like a starter kit of clothes, sheets and toys that can even be used as a bed. And some say it helped Finland achieve one of the world’s lowest infant mortality rates.

It’s a tradition that dates back to the 1930s and it’s designed to give all children in Finland, no matter what background they’re from, an equal start in life.

The maternity package - a gift from the government - is available to all expectant mothers.

It contains bodysuits, a sleeping bag, outdoor gear, bathing products for the baby, as well as nappies, bedding and a small mattress.

With the mattress in the bottom, the box becomes a baby’s first bed. Many children, from all social backgrounds, have their first naps within the safety of the box’s four cardboard walls.

Mothers have a choice between taking the box, or a cash grant, currently set at 140 euros, but 95% opt for the box as it’s worth much more.

The tradition dates back to 1938. To begin with, the scheme was only available to families on low incomes, but that changed in 1949.

(From BBC)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22751415

"Some old wounds never truly heal, and bleed again at the slightest word."

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 08:01:34 -0400

“Some old wounds never truly heal, and bleed again at the slightest word.”

- George R.R. Martin (via kayteelouise)
:( re: andy dream I had last night. somehow that little fucker makes his way into my subconscious still.
(via yrstruly)

The Body Is Not An Apology: How is Environmental Justice an Act of Radical Self Love?

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 22:04:32 -0400

The Body Is Not An Apology: How is Environmental Justice an Act of Radical Self Love?:

thebodyisnotanapology:

Well-being, Justice and the Environment

Megan Ryland

Well-being often requires access to the resources that allow you, your family, and your community to pursue wellness, but for many people there are significant barriers. Too often it is an incredible privilege to reflect on how we can care…

ghdos: blackbarley: blissy-leaves: Putting them in the sink...

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 13:01:50 -0400

ghdos:

blackbarley:

blissy-leaves:

Putting them in the sink or a bowl of water with some vinegar really helps to remove a lot of that wax and other ick on them. I can’t handle the idea of eating apples without doing that now, knowing how much you can scrape off just with a finger-nail.

THIS EXPLAINS SO. MUCH.

Yuck.

Ewwww

Photo

Sun, 26 May 2013 08:01:57 -0400

thetypingcure: The Dalai Lama, when asked what most surprised him about humanity, responded “Man....

Fri, 24 May 2013 00:47:39 -0400

thetypingcure:

The Dalai Lama, when asked what most surprised him about humanity, responded “Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”

"When you’re living in the middle of the story, it’s easy to think of it as just the ways things are...."

Fri, 24 May 2013 00:46:45 -0400

“When you’re living in the middle of the story, it’s easy to think of it as just the ways things are. Young people may be told there is no alternative but to find their place in the scheme of things. Getting ahead is the main plot, supported by the subplots of finding a partner, fending for your family, looking good and buying stuff. In this view of life, the problems of the world are seen as far away and irrelevant to the dramas of our personal lives.”

- Joanna Macy ACTIVE HOPE (via raisedwithcake)

"Yes, I was infatuated with you; I am still. No one has ever heightened such a keen capacity of..."

Fri, 17 May 2013 23:22:56 -0400

“Yes, I was infatuated with you; I am still. No one has ever heightened such a keen capacity of physical sensation in me. I cut you out because I couldn’t stand being a passing fancy. Before I give my body, I must give my thoughts, my mind, my dreams. And you weren’t having any of those.”

- Sylvia Plath, The Journals of Sylvia Plath (via durianquotes)

fuck.

(via rachchr)

21 TIPS TO RELEASE SELF-NEGLECT AND LOVE YOURSELF IN ACTION

Thu, 16 May 2013 16:03:15 -0400

dreamsinthyme:

1. Begin your day with love (not technology). Remind yourself of your worthiness before getting out of bed. Breathe in love and breathe out love. Enfold yourself in light. Saturate your being in love.

2. Take time to mediate and journal. Spend time focusing inward daily. Begin with 5 minutes of meditation and 5 minutes of journaling each morning. Gradually increase this time.

3. Talk yourself happy. Use affirmations to train your mind to become more positive. Put a wrist band on your right wrist. When you’re participating in self-abuse of any form, move the band to your left wrist.

4. Get emotionally honest. Let of go of numbing your feelings. Shopping, eating, and drinking are examples of avoiding discomfort, sadness, and pain. Mindfully breathe your way through your feelings and emotions.

5. Expand your interests. Try something new. Learn a language. Go places you’ve never been. Do things you haven’t done before. You have a right to an awesome life.

6. Enjoy life enhancing activities. Find exercise you like. Discover healthy foods that are good for you. Turn off technology for a day and spend time doing things that make you feel alive.

7. Become willing to surrender. Breathe, relax, and let go. You can never see the whole picture. You don’t know what anything is for. Stop fighting against yourself by thinking and desiring people and events in your life should be different. Your plan may be different from your soul’s intentions.

8. Work on personal and spiritual development. Be willing to surrender and grow. Life is a journey. We are here to learn and love on a deeper level. Take penguin steps and life becomes difficult. One step at a time is enough to proceed forward.

9. Own your potential. Love yourself enough to believe in the limitless opportunities available to you. Take action and create a beautiful life for yourself.

10. Be patient with yourself. Let go of urgency and fear. Relax and transform striving into thriving. Trust in yourself, do good work, and the Universe will reward you.

11. Live in appreciation. Train your mind to be grateful. Appreciate your talents, beauty, and brilliance. Love your imperfectly perfect self.

12. Be guided by your intuition. All answers come from within. Look for signs and pay attention to your gut feelings. You’ll hear two inner voices when you need to make a decision. The quiet voice is your higher self; the loud voice is your ego. Always go with the quieter voice.

13. Do what honors and respects you. Don’t participate in activities that bring you down. Don’t allow toxic people in your life. Love everyone, but be discerning on who you allow into your life.

14. Accept uncertainty. Suffering comes from living in the pain of the past or the fear of the future. Put your attention on the present moment and be at peace.

15. Forgive yourself. Learn from your mistakes and go forward. Use this affirmation, “I forgive myself for judging myself for __________ (fill in the blank i.e.: for getting sick, for acting out, for not doing your best.)

16. Discover the power of fun. Self-love requires time to relax, play, and create face-to-face interaction with others. Our fast-paced world creates a goal setting, competitive craziness that doesn’t leave room for play. Dr. Stuart Brow says, “The opposite of play isn’t work, it is depression.”

17. Be real. Speak up and speak out. Allow yourself to be seen, known, and heard. Get comfortable with intimacy (in-to-me-see).

18. Focus on the positive. Go to your heart and dwell on and praise yourself for what you get right in all areas.

19. Become aware of self neglect and rejection. Become conscious of your choices. Ask yourself several times throughout the day, “Does this choice honor me?”

20. Imagine what your life would look like if you believed in your worth. Dedicate your life to loving you. Make it your main event.

21. Seek professional help. Self-rejection and neglect is painful. You deserve to be happy. You have a right to be accepted and loved. If necessary, seek help from a support group, counselor, or coach. It’s the best investment you can make.

(REBLOG)

howtobeterrell: Dry Skin Brushing is something I learned about...

Thu, 16 May 2013 08:01:40 -0400

howtobeterrell:

Dry Skin Brushing is something I learned about last year as I was attending school for Holistic Nutrition. I had never heard of it before then, but the subject surfaced in several of my courses until curiosity got the better of me. Now, dry skin brushing it is part of my daily routine and from this simple act I have seen many positive changes take place…

The skin is the largest organ in the body, and is responsible for one-fourth of the body’s detoxification each day, also making it, one of the most important elimination organs. More than one pound of waste products are discharged through the skin every day! Toxins from everyday soaps, cleansers, antiperspirants / deodorants, lotions, cosmeticsand synthetic fibers worn next to the skin, can gather beneath the skin’s surface and contribute to a variety of skin problems and conditions, as well as prevent the skin from breathing. If the skin becomes inactive with its pores chocked with millions of dead cells and chemical residues, then impurities will remain in the body. The other eliminative organs, mainly the kidneys and liver, will have to increase their labor and will eventually become overworked, thus eventually creating disease.

When you do skin brushing, you help your lymphatic system, responsible for ridding the body of toxins. Skin brushing improves the surface circulation on the skin and keeps the pores of the skin open, encouraging your body’s discharge of metabolic wastes, and resulting in an improved ability to combat bacteria, plus helping your skin to look and feel healthier and more resilient!

Dry Skin Brushing Benefits:
• tightens skin.
• helps digestion.
• removes cellulite.
• stimulates circulation.
• increases cell renewal.
• aids lymphatic system in detoxification.
• removes dead skin layers.
• strengthens immune system.

How To Dry Skin Brush:
1 Buy a natural (NOT Synthetic), bristle brush, since it does not scratch the surface of the skin. These are available on-line or at your local health and natural food store.
2 Buy a brush with a long handle so that you’re able to get to the areas of your body that are difficult to reach.
3 Skin brush before showering or bathing. It should take you about 5 minutes to do your whole body.
4 Do NOT wet the skin as it will stretch it and not have the same effect.
5 ALWAYS skin brush towards the heart (see diagram above).
6 Do circular counter-clockwise strokes on the abdomen.
7 Do lighter strokes over and around breasts, but do NOT brush the nipples.
8 Brush each part of the body several times vigorously, completely brushing the whole body.
9 Brush the soles of the feet first because the nerve endings there affect the whole body. Next brush the ankles, calves, and thighs, then brush across your stomach and buttocks and lastly brush your hands to the arms.
10 Take a warm bath or shower, which should always be followed by a cool rinse at the end to invigorate blood circulation and stimulate surface warmth.
11 Wash your brush every few weeks in water and let it dry.

Dry Skin Brushing will change the health of your whole body. Circulation, skin softness and quality, skin infections and irritations, whole body freshness, your level of stimulation, the prevention of colds, and you personal rejuvenation are all areas of improvement you can look for, when you make it to a regular habit.

How to Kill Your Creativity

Thu, 16 May 2013 02:02:35 -0400

hollow-gram:

Quiet your own voice. Don’t do or say anything even mildly transgressive for fear of looking, sounding, or feeling ridiculous. Don’t make any definitive statements; keep your sketches and bad poetry confined to a journal and shake your head vehemently if someone asks to see. Suppress your good ideas because what, they wouldn’t make a difference anyway. Second guess yourself at every turn and make yourself believe you have nothing to offer.

Have every day, month, and year planned out to the letter — treat life like an endless to-do list and leave no room for deviation. Feel like you always have to be doing “something productive” before you feel like you’re worth anything. Get crushed under the insistent weight of small things. Feel weird about having free time and feel at loss for what to do with yourself when you actually get it.

Have no idea what the hell you’re doing, ever — treat life like a giant question-mark-shaped water slide and slide down it without a prayer. Cave under the unavoidable facts of things; surrender to the vast senselessness of the universe and feel too small, too insignificant and so give up trying and just coast on. Spend melty hours smoking joints making vague plans and nodding in agreement; promptly forget what was said the next day.

Go out all the time because being alone in an empty house makes you feel stagnant and cold-sweaty. Purge your thoughts and feelings, drug your frustration drown your apprehension and repeat the tired “you only live once” mantra to make yourself feel less thrown. Put your own goals on the back burner and promise yourself tomorrow to block out the sticky vagueness of subterranean anxiety.

Stay in all the time because going out takes too much effort and there’s nothing new to see out there anyway. Plod around in dirty PJs from the sunken couch to the kitchen and back, turn on the TV and flip through the channels hating absolutely everything even though you’ve got a half-finished novel or project sitting right there, but meh. Sigh and chew something without tasting it, drop your feet on the table so heavily your heels hurt.

Have a type and stick to it. Only read books that agree with your ideology, only date people who share your background, opinions, interests, and schedule. Treat potential partners less like people and more like furniture; judge them on how well they fit into your life and complement what you’ve done with it. Stop being curious and start feeling very tired and fed up.

Buy into things. Take advice from self-righteous self-help books and diets that tell you to eat less fruit and more chemical protein powder. Follow trends, adhere to standards, bleach your teeth your hair and your asshole because that’s what it takes to be attractive, maybe. Get personally involved in people who have no knowledge of or interest in you whatsoever. Buy clothes that don’t even fit, sweat and ache over them and curse your genetics and your higher power.

Categorize and trivialize. Classify yourself and everyone, stay tight in your comfort zone and be the first to point a finger at people who move from theirs. Reduce human expression and emotion to gifs and blanket statements, drop things you don’t understand instead of trying to understand them, rely on cards to express your sentiments and songs to express your feelings. Buy everything pre-made and pre-packaged because you’re too damn busy to create your own life. Forget what handwriting looks like. Forget what ecstasy feels like. Forget you are capable.

By Mila Jaroniec

I really can't underscore enough how important it is for all of us to share our stories

Wed, 15 May 2013 08:01:43 -0400

rematiration:

It’s healing for both ourselves and for our community. It’s an act of resistance in and of its self as well. Telling our stories helps ourselves understand ourselves better. Telling our stories helps our communities understand experiences and histories that may have thus far been untold.

Telling our stories together helps start movements to end that which as oppressed us and caused us pain. Telling our stories helps to heal ourselves, our communities, and the world.

"Never chase anyone. A person who appreciates you will walk with you."

Tue, 07 May 2013 15:37:07 -0400

“Never chase anyone. A person who appreciates you will walk with you.”

- Unknown (via isabellasmithh)
Real fucking talk

“Essentially, if our secrets are secrets because we are told to be ashamed, then we must share them." - Warsan Shire

Mon, 06 May 2013 01:13:00 -0400

I have desires. Sometimes it seems like the world doesn’t have enough room for my desires and that I have chosen the life of a woman who is difficult to love.

Its hard to understand that this is just my life right now. Its hard to understand that I am not a flawed, undesirable person.

Today I went to a yoga class and the teacher talked about sacrifice. I’m not a fan of the term but she also explained it as doing something selfless, something for the benefit of others. How can we practice or do whatever we do to benefit others?

I thought about accepting my body and my physical appearance, and my ongoing struggle with feeling ugly. It is exaggerated when I feel rejected by men. My own low self-worth is exaggerated when any type of rejection is even implied.

I’m always dreaming about loving myself unconditionally, but it is so difficult. Lately the big issue has been acne, especially a large bump that is on the side of my nose and has been there for almost two months now.

It doesn’t really matter so much about my skin specifically, although it has motivated me to do a lot of research on holistic emotional and physical health lately, and I am taking much better care of myself. I know that if the bump or acne wasn’t there, I would find something else to focus on and berate myself over. Some potential targets might include my stomach, my chest, my face, my teeth, my calves, etc. Really, this is a bigger problem than just accepting one chunk of myself.

I dream about being able to move in the world without feeling the male gaze burning my skin, particularly in public or in spaces with people I am attracted to.

I dream of a time when I am so unashamedly me, and when the opinions of others do not weigh so heavily on my heart. When I can have acne or fat or hair or dorky clothes or a double chin and none of that matters to me.

Today I thought maybe this was a dream to keep fighting for because I wish I knew more women who lived their lives that way, so I could be that brave. Because I am eternally grateful for the ones that I do know.

Maybe its worth it to love myself for what I am so that I can love everyone else for what they are and encourage them to do the same. Maybe I can convince myself to work harder at it because the people I love are worth it, because women are worth it, because every little girl who has ever come and gone is worth it.

Even if I still struggle to convince myself that I am worth it.

you should learn how to say no

Mon, 06 May 2013 00:57:39 -0400

chicken-snack:

Try practicing saying No. See what happens. Its like learning how to scream. A lot of people might not understand why a woman in her twenties is learning how to say No, but I believe many, many others will know all too well what I’m talking about.

Read More

"I would argue that caring for your body in traditional ways- like eating a healthy diet, exercising,..."

Wed, 01 May 2013 20:34:21 -0400

“

I would argue that caring for your body in traditional ways- like eating a healthy diet, exercising, and taking your vitamins- may be the least important part of your health. (I know! Radical idea coming from a doctor!)

This may sound shocking to you. After all, you’ve probably watched many other doctors get on television to tell you that your health is all about using food as medicine, getting enough exercise, and avoiding bad habits. I’m not suggesting that those aren’t great health-inducing behaviors. What I’m saying is that it doesn’t matter how great your diet is if your body is flooded with stress hormones! No amount of kale is going to counterbalance the toxic effects of high levels of cortisol and epinephrine on your body.

So what’s the most important part of your health? The nature of your thoughts, beliefs, and feelings. When your thoughts, beliefs, and feelings are positive, relaxation responses are activated, healing hormones like oxytocin, dopamine, nitric oxide, and endorphins are released, and the body’s natural self-repair mechanisms are activated, allowing the body to do what it does best-heal itself.

”

-
- Lissa Rankin, M.D

Author of What’s Up Down There: Questions You Would Ask Your Gynecologist If She Were Your Best Friend

(via fitvillains)

what’s that? It’s healthier to love your body than to spend every minute hating it and wanting to fundamentally change it but being stressed that you can’t actually change your body into some chiseled piece of perfectly oiled machinery like the media sells us?

(via fat-feminist)

These are all things I admire about myself

Wed, 01 May 2013 00:48:51 -0400

These are all things I admire about myself

"You don’t know anyone at the party, so you don’t want to go. You don’t like cottage cheese, so you..."

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:02:38 -0400

“You don’t know anyone at the party, so you don’t want to go. You don’t like cottage cheese, so you haven’t eaten it in years. This is your choice, of course, but don’t kid yourself: it’s also the flinch.

Your personality is not set in stone. You may think a morning coffee is the most enjoyable thing in the world, but it’s really just a habit. Thirty days without it, and you would be fine. You think you have a soul mate, but in fact you could have had any number of spouses. You would have evolved differently, but been just as happy.

You can change what you want about yourself at any time. You see yourself as someone who can’t write or play an instrument, who gives in to temptation or makes bad decisions, but that’s really not you. It’s not ingrained. It’s not your personality. Your personality is something else, something deeper than just preferences, and these details on the surface, you can change anytime you like.

If it is useful to do so, you must abandon your identity and start again. Sometimes, it’s the only way.

Set fire to your old self. It’s not needed here. It’s too busy shopping, gossiping about others, and watching days go by and asking why you haven’t gotten as far as you’d like. This old self will die and be forgotten by all but family, and replaced by someone who makes a difference.

Your new self is not like that. Your new self is the Great Chicago Fire—overwhelming, overpowering, and destroying everything that isn’t necessary.

”

- Julien Smith (via dysenterygay)

"After learning my flight was detained 4 hours, I heard the announcement: If anyone in the vicinity..."

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 08:01:52 -0400

“

After learning my flight was detained 4 hours,
I heard the announcement:
If anyone in the vicinity of gate 4-A understands any Arabic,
Please come to the gate immediately.

Well—one pauses these days. Gate 4-A was my own gate. I went there.
An older woman in full traditional Palestinian dress,
Just like my grandma wore, was crumpled to the floor, wailing loudly.
Help, said the flight service person. Talk to her. What is her
Problem? we told her the flight was going to be four hours late and she
Did this.

I put my arm around her and spoke to her haltingly.
Shu dow-a, shu- biduck habibti, stani stani schway, min fadlick,
Sho bit se-wee?

The minute she heard any words she knew—however poorly used—
She stopped crying.

She thought our flight had been canceled entirely.
She needed to be in El Paso for some major medical treatment the
Following day. I said no, no, we’re fine, you’ll get there, just late,

Who is picking you up? Let’s call him and tell him.
We called her son and I spoke with him in English.
I told him I would stay with his mother till we got on the plane and
Would ride next to her—Southwest.

She talked to him. Then we called her other sons just for the fun of it.

Then we called my dad and he and she spoke for a while in Arabic and
Found out of course they had ten shared friends.

Then I thought just for the heck of it why not call some Palestinian
Poets I know and let them chat with her. This all took up about 2 hours.

She was laughing a lot by then. Telling about her life. Answering
Questions.

She had pulled a sack of homemade mamool cookies—little powdered
Sugar crumbly mounds stuffed with dates and nuts—out of her bag—
And was offering them to all the women at the gate.

To my amazement, not a single woman declined one. It was like a
Sacrament. The traveler from Argentina, the traveler from California,
The lovely woman from Laredo—we were all covered with the same
Powdered sugar. And smiling. There are no better cookies.

And then the airline broke out the free beverages from huge coolers—
Non-alcoholic—and the two little girls for our flight, one African
American, one Mexican American—ran around serving us all apple juice
And lemonade and they were covered with powdered sugar too.

And I noticed my new best friend—by now we were holding hands—
Had a potted plant poking out of her bag, some medicinal thing,

With green furry leaves. Such an old country traveling tradition. Always
Carry a plant. Always stay rooted to somewhere.

And I looked around that gate of late and weary ones and thought,
This is the world I want to live in. The shared world.

Not a single person in this gate—once the crying of confusion stopped
—has seemed apprehensive about any other person.

They took the cookies. I wanted to hug all those other women too.
This can still happen anywhere.

Not everything is lost.

”

- Naomi Shihab Nye (b. 1952), “Wandering Around an Albuquerque Airport Terminal.” I think this poem may be making the rounds, this week, but that’s as it should be. (via awelltraveledwoman)

I have always loved this poem so very much.

(via dancinginthesetrees)

I hope this story is true, the story in the poem, because it is a very good story.

(via thewomanofkleenex)