Natural Body and Home Care

I’m a little late to this party, but I am finally starting to look at seriously changing many of my body care habits to be more natural and less toxic. I’ve realized this was important for quite some time, but have given myself a break on the topic because dealing with sourcing, cooking, and managing my food was enough for me to handle. Although I feel like I’m pretty good in the kitchen and pretty well versed in the food department, it does still get a little overwhelming sometimes. It took time to get familiar and comfortable with all the “strange” ingredients this lifestyle introduces (things like coconut and almond flours, arrowroot powder, apple cider vinegar, ghee, I could go on…) and slowly start accumulating them. I wasn’t ready to jump in on the natural body care stuff as well, at least not at first when I wasn’t quite sure I’d like the results and didn’t want to waste money on stuff that would just sit around.

But now, I’m ready. I think. Inspired by Easy Paleo’s post about how she’s starting this process, I’m about to embark on trying out some new products and/or recipes. I will make sure to keep you posted on how it goes. Here’s the list of things I’m going to try over the next few weeks. Please note that I haven’t moved on to hair products just yet (baby steps!) and still am using my Deva Curl products, which don’t seem to be too incredibly toxic according to Safe Cosmetics, at least. I’m not even going to mention my hair color – I tried to wean myself off that habit with disastrous results. I realize it’s not all or nothing and my hair color habit probably won’t knock me dead any time soon and does not undo any other positive changes I decide to make. Any attempt at reducing my exposure to toxins is probably worthwhile (I hope!) I’d also like to get into using more natural homecare products as well. I’ll list the ones I already use or plan to try below, too, but I have a lot more room to grow there as well. Any suggestions you all have in this department are welcome!

Body Care Products/Ideas

• Fermented Cod Liver Oil/Butter Oil Blend (Used this for months already – body care from the inside-out!)
• Oil Cleansing Method (I’m going to try this out just with coconut oil because I have it on hand before trying out the caster oil/grape seed oil blend)
• Grandma's Lye Soap (just ordered this)
• Natural Deodorant (I will mix some the second, easier recipe up tonight since I have the stuff on hand)
• OraWellness Brushing Blend, Toothbrush, and Tongue Scraper (ordered these online today for a total of about $35 with shipping)
• Epsom Salts in the Bath (very relaxing – love this!)
• Natural Beach Waves Spray (Mine didn’t turn out that great – I used too much conditioner. Will try again)
• Primal Life Organics (I think I'll probably start with the Primal Face and Body Package - I'll see how my attempts at making my own deoterant and using the oil cleansing method go first)

Home Care Products/Ideas

• Vinegar and Baking Soda to clean (used both in the shower with a wash cloth and it worked well!)
• Vinegar with water as a glass cleaner (tried this in the past and it works)
• Tropical Traditions Dish Washer Detergent (I’ve been meaning to try this – will order next time I run out)
• Seventh Generation Laundry Liquid  (not up for making my own)
• Dish Soap (I’ve used this for awhile – it is effective and smells good)

If you're looking for good info on this topic, definitely check out Cavegirl Eats and Wellness Mama - both have tons of great resources, recipes, etc.

Five Fundamental Stances - Gong Bu

The most commonly used Shaolin stance is mabu or horse stance which I wrote about here. In this blog post, I focus on the second most commonly used stance which is: Gong Bu. 

Benefits:

Strengthens the legs.

Strengthens the spine.

Is the key to unlocking the Shaolin forms.

Centers and grounds the mind and body.

Step by Step:

1) Stand straight. Draw your fists to your waist and turn your head to the left.

2) Step your left leg out to the side so your feet are wider than your shoulders and slowly squat into Ma Bu.

2) Turn both legs and bend your left leg as much as you can , keeping your right leg straight. Turn your body to face the left.

3) Remain here for six breaths.

Check list:

It's a good idea to check your stance in the mirror.

Your back foot should be slightly turned in, it shouldn't be completely straight.

Your back foot needs to be in line with your left foot.

Your front knee should be over your front foot.

Is your neck tucked in and your shoulders relaxed?

Are you knees slightly pushed out so they are over your feet?

Are your eyes strong?

Are you gently grabbing the floor with your feet. 

Don't tip the body but keep it straight.

Cautions:

If you have knee or back problems then you need to keep your stance high. If you find the stance is aggravating the problem then you need to stop. There should be no pain when you do this stance.

How to deepen your Gong Bu

Move between Ma Bu and Gong Bu making sure that your head does not lift but your body stays at the same level. Practice the traditional punching techniques that I teach in Shaolin Workout 1 then stop the DVD and practice the punches slowly and with precision.  

Overview

It's a good idea for Qigong and Kung Fu students to spend some time working on this stance in the same way that yoga students spend time working on their poses. Our body's tend to be lazy and want to find an easy way out but regular check ups will keep us on the right path. 

Shaolin Stances look easy but they are hard on the legs. If you find them easy then you are not in the stance low enough! The Shaolin stances help us to get in touch with the strength that is already within us. Runners often find that they have more stamina when they practice the Shaolin stances alongside their regular running workout.

Want to learn more?

I teach the Five Fundamental Shaolin Stances in my Rou Quan DVD and in my book - Instant Health: The Shaolin Qigong Workout For Longevity. 

Time to Reboot

I need to work on my follow-through these days. After my last post about jumping into the Whole 30 program, I decided to go in a completely different direction. I think I was just feeling a bit burnt out and low energy. As a result, I did a couple weeks of what was basically the second step of the Metabolism Miracle (using Paleo carbs like fruit/sweet potatoes). It felt nice to just eat a few more carbs for awhile, you know? But, the cravings started to creep back, my appetite was primed, and I found myself snacking a lot. So, it’s time for another reboot.

Since I already follow a Paleo Diet, doing The Whole 30 is about being more mindful of my choices and tightening up on the “iffy” parts of my diet. How this will look for me includes focusing on eating 3 good-size meals a day, each of which will leave me satisfied until the next one and thereby eliminating all the snacking. I’m also going to limit fruit and starchy veggies to once or twice a day with a meal, only if I want it and have room after the protein, fat, and non-starchy veggies. I have bone broth and herbal tea for in between meals or right before or after them and a bag of nuts for “emergencies” (times when a normal meal is unexpectedly delayed or I’m in a place where there aren’t any good choices).

Another biggie for me is the darn coffee. It’s just not working for me, sadly. I can’t seem to do it without any sweetener (I’ve been making my Bulletproof Coffee with a bit of maple syrup), and my energy levels have been decidedly lower lately. I find myself craving the caffeine jolt, which is not something I want to be dependent upon.

Lastly, there are a few borderline items that I’ll be nixing this month as well: grocery store salami, the aforementioned maple syrup, Kerrygold butter (I’ll use ghee only), heavy cream (I’d been splurging occasionally on ice coffees at Starbucks), my dark chocolate, and the coconut milk ice cream I’ve been buying (intended as an occasional splurge, but was turning into a nightly ritual – I AM proud that I was able to keep it to the actual serving size, having a pint last 4 days – progress!) I must admit to a bit of “last supper eating” last night, though. I ate the final 3 servings in my current pint all at once, knowing there would be no more after that. I haven’t done anything like that in awhile and refuse to feel bad about it.

Today is off to a great start. I’m feeling good despite no coffee and I enjoyed my bacon and eggs breakfast. My next goal for breakfast is to start incorporating vegetables into that meal, not just lunch and dinner. I like how the It Starts with Food book (by the Whole 30 people), talks about Meals 1, 2, and 3. There is no law that the first meal of the day has to be “breakfast food”.

I think my goals are pretty manageable and I am super excited to see how this month goes. I’m ready to start feeling better and kicking these lingering cravings to the curb. I’m working on shifting my focus away from losing weight as a gage of success, so how I’m feeling will be the ultimate barometer by which I judge this experiment.

P.S. This is such as great book. Check it out!

Guest Post on Paleo Parents!

I am so excited to report that my Paleo Parents guest post has gone live today. So, if you’re visiting after reading about me over there, welcome! You’ll notice that I have some tabs across the top, including one that chronicles my journey to Paleo as well as ones that point to many of the books and other products I’ve found most helpful with this lifestyle. I also teach yoga locally in small groups and privately, so there’s a tab about that. Feel free to use the email noted on the Contact Me tab, if you have a question or comment (nice things only, please!) Otherwise, feel free to check out my site and keep in mind that I’ve changed my stance on things more times than I can count – I’m always learning and evolving. Thanks for reading!

A Simple Method To Stop Anxiety & Stress

At The Beijing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine & Institute of Qigong Science, EEG results on Qigong practioners showed a predominance of alpha brain waves indicating that Qigong induces a relaxed and focused mind. After just three or four minutes there was a measurable shift of alpha and theta concentration from the rear occipital regions to the frontal lobes. This corresponds to a union of the mind and body from which feelings of peace and harmony arise. 

If you can, it's good to do some of your Qigong training outside. If you live in the city then get up early and go to the park, preferably a place where there are some trees.

Just as we spring clean our house we can also spring clean our body, being outside helps us to clear our stagnant energy and breathe in fresh air. It also reinvigorates our practice. The important thing is to be awake to the practice. It is important not to do Qigong by rote but say to yourself: For these next twenty minutes I'm going to dedicate myself completely to this practice, I'm going to let go of my worries and my thoughts and just do it.

A practice free from doubt and worry is what we mean by heart mind practice. If the mind and heart are dispersed then our Qi will be, and there won't be as much power in the practice. Because we are so used to thinking all the time, at first this may be difficult but the more we practice, the more we will find that our mind and body remembers, and concentration and letting go will come easily. Ironically it is when we are feeling most stressed and tired that we resist the practice, and this is when we need to do the practice most.

You can do your own experiment; measure how much you are thinking at the beginning of the practice and how much you are thinking at the end. Thinking is necessary but if we can't stop then who is the Emperor of our mind? Our thinking or ourselves?

A relaxed mind is a happy and creative mind, we have our best ideas, and are more functional in our day to day life when we are relaxed. 

Want to learn more about Qigong? Visit: http://www.qigongworkout.com/