In recent weeks we have been exploring perceptions through questions like “Why do we fear what we fear?” In this video we will dive into how our health is impacted by our perceptions of physical wellness. Let’s start with a study that involved 84 housekeeping staff at 7 different hotels. The researchers started by collecting health data from the participants. They measured their: Weight Blood pressure Waist-to-hip ratio Body mass index Percent body fat (using bioelectrical impedance analysis) Participants were interviewed about their health habits such as what they ate and consumption of sugar, caffeine, and alcohol, nicotine use and amount of exercise. Even though the tasks these employees performed (such as cleaning bathrooms and changing bed linens) for 5 to 7 hours a day is strenuous physical activity, over 66% of the participants reported that they did not exercise regularly because their perception of exercise involved going to the gym. Next the researchers told the participants at four of the hotels (the Informed Group) that the movement required by their job exceeded the CDC’s recommendations for an active lifestyle. Their work activities counted as exercise. They were given handouts showing the estimated caloric expenditure for various tasks. Participants at the other hotels (the Control Group) were only told they would get health improvement feedback at the conclusion of the study. Over the next 4 weeks, management at each hotel ensured that the participants’ workload stayed steady. In other words, all the participants maintained the same activity level at work. Their health habits stayed steady, too. No surprise there - we all know how difficult it can be to change eating habits or give up nicotine, alcohol, caffeine or sugar. Although the Informed Group did not change their physical activity outside of work, their perception of exercising regularly doubled— because they viewed their work tasks as exercise. The Informed Group experienced significant improvements in every physiological measure. Mean weight dropped nearly 2 pounds. Mean blood pressure dropped from 130/80 to 120/75. Keep in mind - this is over a 4 week period. The authors of the study concluded that how we feel about our health has a measurable effect on our physical body. “…it is time for all of us to explore more direct means of controlling our health, such as pursuing mindfulness as a tool to actively and deliberately change our mind-sets.” If you are feeling skeptical, this is just one study showing that our physical body changes based on what we believe. In a study out of Japan, researchers told participants that were rubbing their arms with leaves from a plant similar to poison ivy. Even though the leaves were harmless, all 13 participants had a reaction consistent with contact dermatitis. In a 2013 study reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, patients diagnosed with a medial meniscus tear experienced the same level of pain relief up to 12 months later regardless of whether they had arthroscopic surgery or sham surgery. Their knee felt better even if all the doctor did was put them to sleep and cut incisions but did not perform the full procedure. So what do you think? If you watched my video “I Judge People” you know that our perceptions are shaped by our experiences, our interpretation of those experiences, and how we feel about ourselves. These are not fixed aspects — they can - and do - change. I believe that we create our own reality. How we perceive our health is how it is. Here’s links to the source material if you want to read it for yourself. Mind-Set Matters: Exercise and the Placebo Effect Challenging Received Wisdom: Antidepressants and the Placebo Effect Arthroscopic Partial Meniscectomy versus Sham Surgery for a Degenerative Meniscal Tear If this content appeals to you, I invite you to join our Intention Circle by entering your email address at IntendWell.US. It’s free and you receive bonus content available only to Circle members.

If you think about it, all life moves in cycles. The moon waxes and wanes. The tides roll in and flow out. Leaves are bright green in the spring, lush in the summer, aflame with orange in autumn before they float down making a mess all over your yard. Hours in a day, days in a week, months in a year are human constructs derived from these cycles in nature. Our lives shift between joys and sorrows. The pleasures of time spent with loved ones. Mourning their absence when they are not with us. Human civilization moves in cycles, too. The rise and fall of the Roman expire. The Dark Ages and the Renaissance. Ecclesiastes 3 tells us: To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 A time of love, and a time of hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. The Buddha taught that clinging to what is -- trying to keep things the way that they are -- leads to suffering. Unnecessary suffering...because the wheels of change are constantly turning and resistance is silly. (OK maybe he didn’t use that exact word but you get his point.) Taoism counsels flexibility. Making peace with the cycles. In the yin-yang symbol we see darkness and light each flowing into and following the other. Everything is relative. Light only exists in its contrast to darkness. Without darkness, there would be no light. Notice that each section contains a dot of the other. To me this is a reminder that things are never fully one or the other. Even when the cycle is mostly dark, there is a seed of light that will spring forth a cycle of mostly light. And that cycle of light contains a seed of dark that will spring forth again in its time. After all, the Dark Ages weren’t all dark. The printing press, spinning wheel, compass, and  - thank you very much - eyeglasses were invented during that time. It is essential to remember that while each cycle proceeds at a different pace — it never stops moving. If you are feeling bereft at the state of the affairs in the world right now know that we have been here before and we will not stay here As Lee Harris sings in the song There is Light Here, “Even in the darkness stars shine starlight.” So let me remind you  — you can choose where to direct the energy of your focus. If you feel like the world is going to hell in a hand basket, I urge you to look up. There is light there. Wishing you peace and love.

Through the Eyes of a Cat My cat, Maxx and I have very different perspectives of the house that we live in together. With his eyes about nine inches above the floor, Maxx’s world is full of legs - chair legs and human legs. His happy places include the highest perch on the cat tree and the cat bed under my desk. From my elevated vantage point I have a distant relationship with legs of any kind be they wood or bone. I can pretend that tumbleweed of cat fur rolling across the rug is just a trick of the light. Spending time in my happy place does not involve climbing up the cat tree or scotching under the desk. Scientists tell us that humans and cats see light differently so — if Maxx cared enough — we could have a spirited discussion about the color of the bedspread. And while Maxx regularly sniffs the tail of our other cat, Luna, that’s a hard pass for me. One house. Two viewpoints. Which perspectives is the right, correct, and proper one? Who has the most accurate perceptions — Maxx or me? If you said we both have valid perspectives - ding, ding, ding - you are right (at least from my perspective). Since our perspectives are a product of our experiences, and we all have different experiences we cannot help but have different perspectives. Accepting that Maxx’s view of the world is true for him helps me accept that my reality is uniquely my own. It would be comical to insist that Maxx adopt my perspective of the house, don’t you agree? Change the Frame Frames matter. When I submit artwork to a gallery, they want to see a photo of the piece that includes the frame. The right frame complements the artwork’s mood and color palette. The wrong frame…doesn’t. Reframing is a technique to view a situation from a fresh perspective. Say these statements aloud— 1. I have to go to the grocery store. Consider for a moment that some people live in food deserts or have a limited budget forcing them to rely on cheap fast food. Then say - I can go to the grocery store. 2. She’s so rude. Consider for a moment that her behavior stems from how she is feeling about her life and has nothing to do with you. Then say - She must be having a rough day. 3. I need to clean the house. Consider for a moment all the people displaced by violence and natural disasters. Then say - I get to clean my house. 4. I have a brain like a sieve. Consider for a moment that no one is perfect. Perhaps your brain was momentarily distracted or you would benefit from some energetic self-care. Then say - I forgive myself for forgetting. Did you notice any energetic shifts in how your body felt between the two versions? Play with reframing your perspective when you catch yourself using words like ‘should’ or feeling judgmental towards yourself or others. Reframing Exercise For this exercise, send a few moments observing a tree. Look at an actual tree if you can but a picture is perfectly fine. What do you notice about the tree? What words would you use to describe it? What does a tree represent to you? Now, tap into your imagination and try to see the world from the perspective of a squirrel. Describe what a tree represents to a squirrel. Imagining a situation from the viewpoint of another helps us to release self-defeating judgments, broaden our perspective, and strengthen inner peace.

The Power of Perceptions and How They Are Formed In this post we continue exploring the power of our perceptions in shaping our view of reality. If you haven't already, you may want watch the video "I Judge People. Do You?" first. If this content appeals to you, I invite you to join our Intention Circle at IntendWell.US . Picture me as a small child climbing up to the dinner table surveying each dish in turn. As soon as I identify boiled Brussels sprouts, my little child brain interprets danger. In my childhood home, I was expected to eat everything that Mom put on my plate. Years later I was enjoying dinner with my book club when someone at the table insisted that we order enough roasted Brussels sprouts appetizer for everyone. When the order arrived she insisted that everyone try them. (OK - even as an adult, peer pressure is a thing.) I spooned out the smallest possible serving and clutched my water glass. Well, you know what happened. Roasted Brussels sprouts are a standard appetizer on menus everywhere because they are delicious! Why do you think that you think what you think? After we calm down enough to reengage the prefrontal cortex, what happens next is a highly individualized and emotional activity shaped by the interweaving of our beliefs, values, social conditioning, sense of self, and especially our unique past experiences. Belief: a belief is our interpretation of what a past experience meant. Beliefs do not require facts or external validation. It is our personal “truth” because it happened to us. I believed that Brussels sprouts tasted terrible because my Mom served them boiled — yuck! But beliefs can change when we are receptive to new encounters. Values: our values are shaped by our beliefs, which means that values can change as our beliefs evolve. Someone who achieves a prosperous lifestyle after laboring long hours for many years values hard work because they believe that hard work pays off. But that is not a universal perspective. Someone who struggles financially despite working hard all their life has different beliefs and values because their experience was different. Social conditioning: these are expectations of our tribe concerning dress, food, individual behavior, and relationships with others. Talking during a movie, for example, violates my expectations of acceptable behavior but plenty of people do it. Once a friend commented to me that there are certain outfits that look ridiculous on an older woman. A 2004 study out of the UK concluded that patients are more likely to trust a doctor wearing a white lab coat. Sense of self: this is our perception of the characteristics that define us. Are you comfortable with how you see yourself or do you have a list of things you want to change? Research from 2022 revealed that we are more likely to judge other people’s bodies if we are dissatisfied with our own. If you wish your stomach was flat, you may feel critical of people with poochy bellies. Past experience: our life experiences are particularly powerful in shaping our perceptions — even childhood memories buried deep in our subconscious. Many of the over 70 million pet dogs in America are considered members of the family. Some dog owners throw birthday parties replete with cake and pointy hats. But 1 in 9 Americans suffer from cynophobia, which is an overwhelming fear of dogs arising from a frightening encounter with a canine usually during early childhood. The fear persists even if they do not consciously recall the experience. Children growing up in the same household have different recollections from childhood just as Janet and I have different perceptions of our lunch together. My brother has pet snakes but I cannot imagine intentionally inviting a snake into my house. This may be the result of my mother’s reaction when a barefoot 5 year old me nearly stepped on a copperhead in our backyard. How we perceive our world is how it is. Our rational prefrontal cortex is not as logical as we like to imagine. Our beautifully unique “truth” is subject to change. If Janet wants to move past her initial judgments, she could start by exploring her beliefs, social conditioning, and sense of self upon which they are based. Our beautiful prefrontal cortex is self-aware; it can think about its thinking. With an air of curiosity we can ask observe why do we disapprove of what we disapprove of? Why do we fear what we fear? Why do we think that we think what we think? When we understand the source of our perceptions, isn’t it curious that throughout history humans been willing to demonize — or worse—anyone who didn’t see the world their way? Journaling is a wonderful tool to explore what these aspects of our psyche teach us about ourselves. Then we can use the neuroplasticity of our brain to abandon beliefs that no longer serve us and find our new truth.

The more I learn about biology, the better I understand human behavior. On the outside we are these highly evolved creatures soaring above the clouds in heavy metal air ships. On the inside, though, part of us is still a prehistoric primate just trying to survive another day. Ancient humans relied on a primitive reflex-oriented brain (because as ancient humans, that’s all the brain they had.). Our ancestors' survival instinct would spur their body into action without their conscious awareness. They didn't have the time (or mental capacity) to consider options before reacting. Human brains have evolved. Our larger foreheads house a prefrontal cortex, which we can choose to use to weigh alternatives and envision creative solutions. This is an add-on feature — like a sunroom built on the rear of a house— while we continue to use our original primitive reflex-oriented brain as the front door. Without our conscious awareness, our brain continuously runs the same 3-step program designed to keep us alive. 1. Select: choose what to notice 2. Identify: determine what it is 3. Interpret: decide what it means to us, particularly in regard to our safety Although human brains have evolved this lovely prefrontal cortex, it lacks the processing speed of the original model. So when we feel threatened, our survival instinct reacts while the executive function is still sifting and sorting options. This is why we are more likely to knee-jerk react than to compassionately respond when we don’t feel safe. So, what do you think? Do you judge people? I welcome your thoughts in the comments.

Healthy Sources for Protein Happy World Vegan Day! The first World Vegan Day was celebrated on November 1, 1994 to recognize the 50th anniversary of The Vegan Society. The hands down number 1 question people ask me when they find out I am vegan is, “Where do you get your protein??” Protein is an essential nutrient for health. I think of protein as our body’s building blocks because it supports cellular growth and repair. There seems to be a widespread perception that meat is the primary (only?) source of protein. Just the other day a friend told me that her granddaughter doesn’t like to eat meat. She would be quite satisfied with a vegetarian diet. But because her granddaughter wants to run on the school track team, the family is on a mission to find meat dishes that she will eat. I understand my friend’s concern that her granddaughter consumes enough protein. Athletes have higher than average protein requirements. So, how much protein should you eat? The basic calculation is your weight in kilograms times 0.8 or your weight in pounds times 0.36. I weigh 136 pounds so my recommended daily allowance (RDA) for protein is 49 grams. The USDA has an online calculator that takes into account age and activity level. Where do I get my protein? So many delicious options! Unless you are as geeky about nutrition as I am, your beliefs about food may be shaped by messages in the media. Campaigns funded by the meat and dairy councils are designed to appear more like nutritional advice than advertising leading many people to believe meat, milk, and eggs are essential to good health. Let’s compare the protein content of a hamburger to a tofu veggie burger. According to the University of Rochester Medical Center nutrition facts, a 3 oz ground beef patty, 85% lean meat / 15% fat, patty, pan-broiled has 22 grams of protein. That’s 40% of the RDA for me. For comparison, the tofu veggie burger from Hodo (which happens to be what I have on hand) has 19 grams of protein and 39% of my RDA for protein. Now let’s look a little closer at these two options -- The hamburger has 3.93 grams of saturated fat and 0 grams fiber. The veggie burger has .5 grams of saturated fat and 1 gram fiber. So while the amount of protein is comparable, the hamburger has significantly more saturated fat. Back in July, I shared my recipe for overnight oats. I use rolled oats, flaxseeds, chia seeds, pea milk, and almonds. A serving has 26 grams of protein or 53% of my RDA in one meal. Plus my recipe provides 21 grams fiber. Pea milk has almost the same amount of protein as dairy milk, but 1 gram less saturated fat and a tad more fiber. In August I shared my recipe for kale and quinoa salad. In the video I used blueberries but this time of year I switched to apples, which gives me 23% of my RDA for protein. Also in the video I mentioned that I use the other half of the quinoa for a bowl combining beans and roasted vegetables. The vegetables vary depending on what I have on hand. Here’s what I fixed last night - quinoa, lettuce, roasted sweet potato and broccoli, sliced avocado, and black beans in the Instant Pot. With over 20 grams of protein, that's 42% of my RDA in one bowl. A 2017 article in the New York Times reported that most Americans consume about 100 grams of protein a day - that's nearly double the RDA for most of us. Although athletes - like my friend’s granddaughter - have higher protein requirements, they can easily achieve their RDA on a plant-based diet. Shoutout to my dear friend, athlete, and fellow vegan Nancy who is running two half-marathons in the next 6 months. Nancy told me about the book The Plant-Based Athlete: How the World’s Top Performers Achieve Optimal Results. This book is full of examples of professional athletes who saw marked improvement in their performance after removing animal products from their diet. Another thing people say to me is “O! I could never give up … insert favorite meat item.” OK, well don’t. For me the conversion to a plant based diet didn’t happen overnight. I just ate flesh less and less often. I never felt like I was making some huge sacrifice. The less meat I ate the less I wanted it and the less I enjoyed it when I ate it. Fried oysters was the last thing to go. It just didn’t taste as good to me anymore. While the goal of this post is to inspire you with plant-based proteins, I feel the need to share the risks associated with eating animal products. My mom once asked me, "Why do you eat a plant-based alternative to bacon? If you want to eat something that tases like bacon, just eat bacon." In 2015, the World Health Organization classified red and processed meat - like bacon, sausage, deli meat, hot dogs - as a Group 1 carcinogen. According to the paper “Association Between Plant and Animal Protein Intake and Overall and Cause-Specific Mortality” published in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) in Sept 2020, “Replacement of 3% energy from animal protein with plant protein was inversely associated with overall mortality (risk decreased 10% in both men and women) and cardiovascular disease mortality (11% lower risk in men and 12% lower risk in women). In particular, the lower overall mortality was attributable primarily to substitution of plant protein for egg protein (24% lower risk in men and 21% lower risk in women) and red meat protein (13% lower risk in men and 15% lower risk in women).” I hope I have inspired you to add more plant-based meals to your diet. If you want to learn more, check out the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine or the Vegan Society.

Welcome to the third installment in my series on healing chronic pain. Today we will dig into what I call Weeding the Energetic Garden. I am constantly battling poison ivy in my yard. If you have ever dealt with poison ivy, you know how tenacious it is. It has the long, deep roots. And no matter how carefully I dig it out, little tendrils of root break off in the soil. Eventually the plant will grows back. I have seen this with my Healing Touch clients. After the energy flows are restored, they feel great. They even look brighter and lighter. But the pain returns after several days. At the beginning of every session I find that the energy has slowed in the same areas of their body. This could be an indication that low vibe beliefs (thoughts we think frequently) are recreating energetic congestion — like tiny poison ivy roots that keep growing back. When I was in my early 40’s I developed pain and stiffness in my shoulder. Before long I was having trouble getting dressed and buckling the seat belt in my car. I had to prop pillows under my elbows so I could reach the computer keyboard. The pain kept me awake at night. Now our shoulder is closest to the Throat Chakra. This energy center relates to finding our voice, speaking up for ourselves. My aging MIL living with us at the time. Our relationship ship was not smooth. It seemed to me that she was always offering ‘helpful’ feedback on how I parented my children, how I prepared meals, even how I dressed for work. I am still working on speaking up for myself. So by the time I tried to set boundaries with my MIL, a lot of pent up energy came out. She cried and said I hurt her feelings. So I learned to bite back my words after that. Healing my frozen shoulder required months of painful physical therapy. But I didn’t understand or address the underlying issue. So about two years later, my other shoulder locked up. I went back to the same physical therapist who prescribed the same exercises. I remember asking my PT WHY this kept happening but she didn’t have an answer. Knowing what I know now, I suspect that choking back my emotions caused energetic congestion in my shoulders eventually causing the joint to freeze up. Weeding the Energetic Garden requires unearthing the low vibe beliefs and emotions causing energetic congestion. So what could be the energetic source of your chronic pain? Solving the mystery may involve some sleuthing. Begin by noticing which major energy centers - or chakras - are in the vicinity of your pain. What are the functions associated with that chakra? In my example, the pain was closest to the Throat Chakra which is associated with speaking our truth. There are so many resources for researching physical ailments associated with a blocked chakra. Anodea Judith is a widely recognized expert in chakras. Her book Eastern Body, Western Mind by describes balance and imbalance in each chakra, the dis-eases that may arise from chronic imbalance, possible causes, and remedies. Pay attention to what is going on in your head and your heart. Listen to what your inner chatter is saying and how it makes you feel. Thoughts and emotions are energy. Energy vibrates at a frequency measured in Hz. Fear, grief, regret, and shame are low-vibe emotions in the 20 - 100 Hz range (as compared to love and serenity in the 500 - 540 Hz range). Look for persistent thoughts or memories that trigger low vibe emotions. Allow me to interrupt myself for a moment to point out that low-vide emotions are a natural part of life. The Buddha taught that emotions are like riding a wheel - sometimes you are up and sometimes you aren’t. Suffering arises when the wheel stops moving. I’m not proposing that you avoid fear, grief, and regret - that is impossible. I’m talking about dwelling in low vibrations. If the timing of your pain coincided with intense loss, you may be in mourning. Healing grief is a process with a personalized time table. Use Energetic First Aid to keep your energy flowing while you heal. I love this book by Louise Hay so much that I gift it to my clients. In the back is a section that lists probable causes for physical ailments and affirmations that we can use to replace old programming with high vibe beliefs. If there’s a book that has been helpful for you, I invite you to post it in the comments. Just as with Energetic First Aid, you may want to hire a contractor to help you weed your garden. Someone who is qualified to help you do some deep digging and get the poison ivy by the roots. Consider finding a therapist with specialized training in energy healing. The Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology has a searchable database on their website. Long standing low-vide beliefs have deep roots. Pulling them out is not quick or easy, which is why it is important to continue practicing Energetic First Aid while we are weeding. Energetic weeds will never disappear completely but with time and intention we can slow their return.

Welcome to the second installment in my series where we explore chronic pain from an energetic perspective. In the first video, we learned that: Our bodies are rivers of constantly flowing energy. Disruptions to the flow of energy impair our body’s ability to rejuvenate eventually resulting in physical damage. Pain is our body’s way of getting our attention so we can minimize the damage to our physical body. Let’s talk about what I like to call Energetic First Aid. First Aid refers to immediate interventions to stabilize a person’s condition until comprehensive care is available. It is critical to get the energy flowing again like the strong current in the middle of a river. This prevents further damage and initiates the healing process. Do-it-Yourself: Energetic First Aid is mostly DIY. The techniques are simple, don't require special equipment, and can be performed in the comfort of your home. One way to restore energy flow is to stimulate points on the meridians by compression or massage. When we release applied pressure, fresh energy pours into the affected area. Think of it as an energetic reset button. Perhaps you have heard of techniques such as acupressure, pressure point therapy, trigger point therapy or reflexology. One of the acupressure resources I use is the book Head-to-Toe Healing from Spring Forest Qigong. Meridian points are also used in tapping. There are so many free tapping videos available online. Check out Dawson Church, or Nick and Jessica Ortner. I have a 7-minute Guided Tapping Sequence video on my YouTube channel that guides you in the Trauma Tapping Technique as taught by the Peaceful Heart Network. Another method is to move our energy using our hands as in Qigong, Reiki or Healing Touch (which is what I am trained in). I have a video on my YouTube channel for the Infinity Technique. Not only does this technique alleviate pain and swelling, it can reduce anxiety and help you sleep. Consistency is critical! Pick a technique and practice it several times a day. Your body wants to heal but it also has a tendency to return to baseline because that feels familiar. It takes time to teach your body a new pain-free normal. Donna Eden has been practicing energy medicine since the 1970’s and has hundreds of free videos online. One of her most popular techniques is the Daily Energy Routine. In 15 minutes, the energy in your body will be raging like a river. Hire a Contractor: If you have been suffering with chronic pain for awhile, your energy may need a jumpstart for DIY techniques to be effective. Consider working with an energy healer such as a practitioner of acupuncture, reflexology, Reiki, or Healing Touch. Again consistency is key! Commit up front to at least 3 sessions. We learned in Healing Touch that it is not until the third session that a client’s body relaxes enough to fully receive the benefits. I know someone who was suffering with chronic wrist pain. After 2 or 3 surgeries, she was still suffering. A friend convinced her to try acupuncture. After only one session, she declared acupuncture ineffective and returned to the surgeon for another operation. Understand -- I believe that western medicine is wonderful and surgery is the best option in many cases…but if you were looking to increase upper body strength you wouldn’t do one rep of weightlifting and expect to see results. I believe that optimal health depends on clearing the river every day. Just as we find the time every day to brush our hair, shower, and clean our teeth - it is imperative that we clear our energy flows. Our lives are filled with opportunities for low-vibe experiences that disrupt the energy flow. Unless the flow is restored dis-ease will arise. Everything we covered in under DIY approach is simple and quick enough to do on a daily basis. If your chronic pain is due to incomplete healing following an injury, Energetic First Aid may be all you need for permanent relief. But if your pain is associated with low-vibe emotions or low-vibe beliefs, first aid is just the first step. Join me for the next installment when we talk about what I call Weeding the Energetic Garden.

Welcome to the first post in my series on about pain. Thank you to the subscriber who requested this topic. I want to offer content that is meaningful to viewers so I appreciate your input so much. If you would like to join the Intention Circle, visit IntendWell.US. A word of warning before we dive in. If this content is new to you, it may seem challenge your perceptions. Sometimes when I hear something new, I have a knee jerk response of “Oh, that can’t be right. That doesn’t make any sense!” But I have learned to tap into curiosity and resist the urge to reject it outright. So, I invite you to explore any resistance that arises. 1. Pain is a Gift. Our bodies speak to us in sensations. Pain is a mechanism to prevent damage to the physical body. We learn as children (at least I did) to immediately withdraw our hand from a hot stove. My mother must have tired of warning me to stay away from the stove because one day she stood by and let me touch it. After that I learned to keep my distance from the stove without constant supervision. Sometimes we have to experience something for ourselves. What does your body say if you put your hand near extreme heat? “Move away from this stove to protect the tissues in your hand.” Otherwise you will get blisters on your fingertips - which is what happened to me. I say pain is a gift because people who have lost the ability to detect pain (such as in the case of advanced diabetes) are at greater risk of physical injury. If you are suffering with chronic pain, your body is trying to get your attention. The challenge is to figure out what the body is saying because the threat may be more subtle than a hot stove. So take a moment now to thank your body for alerting you that something is amiss. Send love to the areas that hurt because they are trying to protect you. 2. We are Rivers of Energy. Imagine a river. Notice the powerful, fast-moving water in the middle of the river. The water is churning, energized. Constantly rejuvenating. See a leaf drift down into the river be swiftly carried away by the current. Now shift your attention to the water along the river bank. This water moves slowly. In some places, it is barely moving at all. This area of the river becomes stagnant, dank, oxygen-deprived. There may be a foul stench. See a leaf settle in this part of the river. It will decay in the water. Viewed through the lens of energy healing, the perplexing nature of physical pain with no discernible underlying physical abnormality becomes crystal clear. Centuries ago practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine mapped the primary energy flows in the human body, which we call meridians. The energy should move through our body like the water in the middle of the river - constantly rejuvenating. But sometimes energy slows in a part of our body — like the water at the edge of the river - pooling in areas of energetic congestion. Not only are our bodies made of energy. The emotions we feel are energy. Our beliefs — which are thoughts we think frequently — are energy. Energy vibrates at a frequency that is measured in hertz. Low vibe emotions and beliefs disrupt the flow of energy. The cause of energetic disruption can be physical, emotional, mental or a combination of factors. You have probably experienced all of these. Physical Factors: We are all intimately familiar with pain from physical injury… or what I like to call - Inappropriate contact with something in the environment. Banging your knee on a table. Sudden contact with a floor or pavement due to a fall. A slip of a knife in the kitchen. Inhaling or ingesting a toxic substance - like chemicals or a virus. Western medicine excels at treating these types of energetic disruptions. We ice bruises, bind sprains, disinfect cuts, and pin broken bones. Pharmacological substances may be prescribed. With these interventions, our body usually heals itself. Damaged tissues are replaced. Broken bones reattach. The immune system dispatches viruses. In most situations, energetic flow is restored. Emotional Factors: A friend on mine went to his PCP with pain in his upper chest. The doctor looked at my friend…white man in his 50’s…and concluded the symptoms pointed to coronary heart disease. A stress test and bloodwork ordered. Nitro glycerin was prescribed in case he had a heart attack. All the tests came back clear. The doctor was perplexed but with no angioplasty or bypass to be performed, he was done. If the doctor had asked questions, he may have discovered that my friend’s mother had recently passed. Whether death of a loved one or the end of a romantic relationship — Sorrow HURTS. Undiagnosed pain may have an emotional basis but there are no tests (yet) that measure congestion of emotional energy. And because in Western medicine we tend to mental health is a speciality, medical professionals like my friend’s PCP tend to focus on physical causes. Mental Factors are associated with our beliefs. A belief is anything that we think on a regular basis. I have a friend who is constantly putting herself down. She says things like “My brain is mush” and “I have a mind live a sieve.” Comments like these are dangerous to our health as they impede energy flow. Decades ago my right hip seized up. The hip is a ball and socket joint designed to rotate in all directions. The orthopedist laughed when I told him that I could not rotate my leg to the side. He had me lie on my back and bend my right knee. He grasped my knee and attempted to rotate my leg to the side. Suddenly serious he realized that my hip joint was locked. An MRI scan revealed no deterioration or damage in my hip joint. The doctor was perplexed but with no hip replacement to perform he was done. When he called with the test results he said, “Good news! Your hip joint is fine.” When I informed him that I didn't feel “fine” he offered to increase my pain medication. I wish I had known back then that physical pain may have a mental component. Because our legs move us forward, pain in the legs (hips, knees, feet) that cannot be attributed to a physical abnormality may result from fears about the future. I cannot recall specifically what was happening in my life at the time but there was a lot. My children were around ages 8 - 10. My husband’s aging mother lived with us - she and I did not get on. Because my husband was home caring for her and the children, I was the sole breadwinner - working full time and going to school at night. I had plenty of reasons to feel apprehensive during that period in my life. 3. All Healing is Self-healing. Western medicine offers us so much in the way of treatments but it is up to our body to respond to those treatments and heal. Energetic flow is often restored in the process. Chronic pain may indicate incomplete healing. If a broken bone reconnects, we consider the injury healed even though there is a possibility that energy flow is still disrupted in the affected meridians. As marvelous as Western medicine is, we lack technology to routinely assess energy flow. So if energetic congestion is the source of our pain, the doctor does not have the tools (yet) to find it. Long-term energetic congestion impedes cellular growth and repair eventually leading to physical damage. Consider my grieving friend. If he had been unable to process his emotions around his mother’s death, eventually his heart could have developed abnormalities that WOULD show up in blood work or during a stress test. The medical community recognizes a condition called Broken Heart Syndrome, which may result in sudden death. In my situation, thank goodness the source of my apprehension resolved. My right hip regained full range of motion eventually. Otherwise, eventually stagnant energy in my hip could have led to abnormalities that would be discernible in an MRI scan. In my next post, we will explore interventions to restore the flow of energy in your body so you can live pain-free.

This is the 4th installment in a guide to transformational change. In the first three parts we talked about: The proven power of intention to make seeds sprout faster. How to assess your readiness to change. Tapping into mental imagery to actualize your intention. In this final step we reflect on the experience of putting our intention into action. How did last week go for you? What went well? What will you do differently next week? You should be very proud of yourself for making it this far! I hope you remembered that: Transformational change is a journey filled with peaks, valleys, and detours. Perfection is an illusion. No one and no thing is perfect. Be kind to yourself. Whatever happened last week is behind you. What part of your transformation do you want to focus on in the week ahead? You can choose to repeat the same intention or you can choose to set a new one. It all depends on your desired outcome and how you have decided to chunk it into week-long intentions. The rest of the process is the same. Consider your why, when’s, and who’s. Decide what you will sacrifice to make time to practice. Mentally envision yourself successful. Imagine how you will feel at the end of the week. After practicing your intention for the week, reflect on what you learned. Then set your next intention. If you have any questions, email me at IntendWellLLC@gmail.com. Remember - I’m rooting for you! You got this!

This is the second installment in my guide to making transformational change in your life. In the first part we talked about the power of intention. In this section we will cover how you know when you are ready for change. Many a resolution is forgotten by February because excitement about the New Year is mistaken as readiness for change. Here are some ways that you know you are ready. Know your SACRIFICES Gym memberships typically soar in January. Buying a gym membership is simple. But then we need to create space in our routine to drive to the gym, change clothes, work out, and shower. If we decide to go to the gym before work, an earlier rising requires an earlier bedtime. Unless we give up our existing evening routine, the snooze button will be getting the workout instead of our body. You will need to create space in your schedule to plan, practice, and learn from the intention you drafted last week. Assuming you don’t have oodles of free time in your schedule (pretty safe assumption for most of us), you will need to sacrifice an existing activity. What are you willing to sacrifice to create space for change? How much time will that free up? Know your WHYS Change happens when the perceived pain of staying the same outweighs the perceived pain of change. Why are you considering change? Is it because someone else — like your doctor or a loved one— suggested it? Perhaps it is because you know some changes would be good for your health. Knowing that change is good for us may not be enough to sustain us when inevitable setbacks occur. Odds of success are highest when we have a burning heartfelt desire to change. What are your whys? Are they heavy enough to outweigh the pain of change? Are your whys realistic? Sometimes we make the mistake of assuming that a new job, a new body, a new whatever is going to infuse our lives with joy. Happiness is a choice that does not require anything to change except your perspective. Know your WHEN Timing is everything. Are you ready to start today? If not, do you know when you will be ready? What would need to change for you to feel ready? Know your WHOS The people in your life will be impacted by your change. For example, if you decide to stop playing video games you may spend less time with your gamer friends. If you want to eliminate a certain food from your diet, you may want family members’ support keeping that food out of the house. A friend or romantic partner may interfere out of fear worry you are growing away from them. Who can enable or hinder your change journey? How can you encourage their support? It’s ok if now is not a good time to commit to change…yet. Come back to this book when you are ready to take action. Anything we undertake with half-hearted whys will yield half-hearted results (and full-blown disappointment). For a limited time receive a free copy of my "Quick to Calm Guide" at IntendWell.US. Every Friday I will send you a link to my video of the week plus BONUS content available only to email subscribers.

This is the third installment in my guide to transformational change. In the first two sections we talked about the power of intention and assessing your readiness to change. This sections covers putting your intention into action. Before we dive in, let’s talk about the power of imagination. Studies have shown that we can improve our physical performance through mental imagery. Olympians and professional athletes use imagery to gain competitive edge. Take a moment to close your eyes and create a mental picture of yourself successfully achieving your intention. How do you feel? How are you celebrating your success? Make the image as vivid as you can. Where are you? What are you wearing? What time of day is it? What do you hear? Pause the video, set a time for 2 minutes, and picture the scene. Look at your intention. Is there anything you want to change? Is it specific enough? When will you practice your intention this week? Consider whether you can link the practice of your intention to an existing habit. For example, when I started a daily yoga practice I decided to roll out my mat after I finished in the bathroom and before I got dressed. When I decided to drink more water, I decided to drink a full mug of water before my first mug of coffee in the morning. Timing a new habit to coincide with an existing habit helps us to remember to do it. You could create a notification on your phone or post a reminder note where you will see it — like the bathroom mirror. Practice your intention for the week. Every time you take action, celebrate yourself. It could be a simple as saying “Nailed it!” With a little happy dance. Some things I want you to keep in mind this week — Transformational change is a journey filled with peaks, valleys, and detours. Perfection is an illusion. No one and no thing is perfect. Be kind to yourself. If you forget to practice, first - forgive yourself! Ask yourself what you can learn from the experience. If you have questions please leave me a comment or email me at IntendWell@gmail.com. For a limited time receive a free copy of my "Quick to Calm Guide" at IntendWell.US. Every Friday I will send you a link to my video of the week plus BONUS content available only to email subscribers. References Mental Imagery Skills in Competitive Young Athletes and Non-athletes Mental Rehearsal in Sport Does Mental Practice Enhance Performance Shaping Reality through Mental Rehearsal