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Abundant
Wholeness

Coming Home to YOU

Elke Blight

Disconnection – the Enemy of Our Soul

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You feel it in your spirit, even without knowing what it is or where it came from.

It throws you out of balance, stealing your peace, zapping your energy, and suppresses your joy.

You resort to survival mode, going through the motions each day doing your best to keep all the balls in the air rather than being truly present in your life.

Have you felt that feeling, do you know what I mean?

Whether it’s the feeling of carrying a heavyweight, fear of stopping or slowing down, a dark cloud that never seems to lift, a sadness you can’t quite explain, or simply an inner knowing that something isn’t quite right even though you can’t put your finger on it.

These are some of the signs of disconnection, disconnection from others, and most importantly disconnection from ourselves.

You may find yourself turning to your default coping strategies which can include:

  • Isolation and withdrawal – the enemy of our soul, when a predator is looking for its prey it looks for the one outside the pack, the one lagging behind or who wandered off. They know the one on their own is more vulnerable and so our response of withdrawal from others and isolation is the enemy of our soul. On our own we entertain our own thoughts way too much; there is security and help found in connection with others.
  • Over-commitment – have you ever found yourself taking on too much when you know you are already stretched, stressed, or tired? We take on more because it keeps us further away from stillness, the very thing we need yet the thing we fear the most.
  • Numbing through food, drink, Netflix, etc. anything to keep us distracted from facing our own thoughts, actions, and inner truth.

We look for answers outside of ourselves, believing others hold the key when the key is in our grasp all along.

Lean in…

We look to others for confirmation we are not enough, we are flawed or we are the problem when we are none of those things.

Lean in…

We avoid leaning in, going within, too scared of what we’ll find when all along it is where we find refuge, peace, and grace. It’s where insight, understanding, and answers lie.

It is only when we lean in, courageously pause, and become curious about how we are feeling and what we are thinking that we can reconnect. Leaning in can be scary, I know I often felt afraid of what stopping would look like as if I was trying to outrun a ferocious lion and if I stopped it was certain to eat me.

Have you ever felt like that?

Have you ever felt you can’t allow yourself to slow down or pause because it will cause an avalanche of emotion or fatigue?

I know I have.

One thing my journey has taught me is that whenever I feel out of balance or disconnected the solution only comes when I lean in, when I pause when I face the fear of what might be, and become open and curious.

Leaning in is the only way to access the key I hold within me, the only way to listen to my truth so I can move through all the thoughts and feelings and tap into my inner wisdom.

This journey is hard however the journey of disconnection is so much harder. I see you, I hear you and I am here for you.

Blessings

How Fear Impairs The Immune System!

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Our biggest concern at the moment is fear.

Fear of the unknown, fear of the unseen. Fear of ourselves and each other. 😱

Yet our immune system protects us against these same threats every single day, with mostly great success. 💪

The fear is more damaging than the viruses, themselves. Fear leads to stress. And stress weakens the immune system, making one more vulnerable than one would have been if there were no fear.

“The bigger problem you have is the fear of the virus and the fear response. The biology of the body changes to put energy into escaping the fear… The biology of the body changes to a protection response that shuts down the growth and maintenance of the body. That shuts down the immune system. Stress shuts down the immune system to conserve energy…”

This raises 2 very important keys to health. 🗝🗝

✨ A strong immune system

✨ Eliminating fear and building resilience

For the last two years, I have been laying the foundation for my health and wellbeing, nurturing my body’s own ability to be strong and resilient.

It’s not something that happens overnight.

However, there is no better time to start laying your own foundation for greater health and wellbeing, or adding new skills to it, than today! ⏱🌞

What are you doing to build a strong immune system? 💪

What are you doing to build a resilient mindset to combat fear? 😊

If you would like some of my top tips, what I have learned along the way, to support both a strong body and a strong mind comment STRONG below or DM me.

Together we are stronger. 🗝💞🦋

https://youtu.be/SO1uV-QB5Xk   Dr Bruce Lipton

What are you adding to your plate?

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NO, this is not another New Years’ post about diet and health, although it is about what you CONSUME!

My inbox and social media feed has been bursting at the seem with goal setting, vision planning, and “the year that was” reviewing. Pick your focus, whether diet, fitness, motivation, or business, you name it and there’s a course, workshop or webinar that has it covered.

Timing is perfect.

From a marketing perspective, it’s a great strategy.

When acquiring more knowledge can throw us off course…

However, from a personal viewpoint, it requires discernment and mindfulness to prevent facing an overloaded schedule before you’ve even had a chance to set your own plans for the month into action.

Don’t get me wrong, I am all for reviewing the year that’s been, creating a vision, and setting goals for the year to come. In fact, I have enjoyed completing these activities for myself and my business. I’m thankful for having put the lessons of last year into perspective and I’m excited to create momentum towards my vision for this year.

Having set my vision and planned my goals I know that in order to achieve them I need to be mindful of distractions and anything that pulls my attention away from taking action and using my time effectively.

Keeping the main thing the main thing…

For instance, an online course that helps build your belief and shift your mindset can help fuel your goals. A Bootcamp to get you taking action with training and accountability can also move you closer to your goals. However, there is any number of one hour or more, webinars and workshops on worthy topics that can quickly creep into your schedule and draw you away from the activities that matter.

We consume information all day long, from any number of sources. However, we need to be mindful to ensure we keep our focus on the main thing and not get distracted or delayed by “worthy” ventures along the way.

In other words, although any food can fill you up, only whole foods will provide the nutrients for health. Similarly, all information can build our knowledge banks, only information specific to our goals will propel us closer to successfully achieving them.

As we head into the New Year, Watch What You Add To Your Plate!

Life Lessons From Frozen II

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I love how we can receive life messages from all different sources…

Even a simple kids movie…

Maybe it is a product of where I am at right now, or maybe it is the blessing that comes from being present in the moment which is something I’ve been working on lately either way, I receive it openly and allow the depth of it to resonate a while to teach me what it is I am meant to learn.

I don’t want to spoil the story for those who haven’t seen Frozen II yet, aka my daughter, so I will try and be as general as possible.

The Story Line

Elsa has always felt she doesn’t belong, that her gift makes her different and that her gift is not such a good thing. She longs to find a purpose for her unique gift. The story unfolds as she hears a voice calling to her, a voice she believes is meant for her, and she feels holds the answers she is longing for. A voice she does indeed follow.

Life Lesson

Fast forward to the end of the movie and the “life lesson” revealed to Elsa and us all is… The answer is inside of you. All along Elsa felt there was something outside of her that she had to find, someone or something that held the key, when all along it was what she already had inside of herself. The strength and passion that she felt was against her, the unique gift which she often felt was a curse, it was and is her greatest gift, her greatest purpose, and her life destiny.

Reflections

How often do you feel that the answer you are looking for is outside of you?

The skill or ability, the solution to your challenge, the gift and your purpose, the thing that gives you meaning and where your contribution to the world resides.

How often have you felt that others hold the key, that someone else has the answers for your life?

The Answer You Are Looking For Is YOU!

Say that again and let it resonate in your heart and soul for a little while…

How does that feel?

Does it bring hope, does it bring peace, does it spark a fire no matter how small within you?

Or does it bring fear and doubt?

No… that can’t be… I can’t… I don’t… I’m not enough…

The Answer You Are Looking For Is YOU!

It is indeed YOU!

That goal… that dream that won’t die… that idea that won’t be silenced.

If you can perceive it then it is indeed yours and you already have within you what you need to get started.

I think far too often we wait too long, wanting all the skills we will need along the way when we only need what we already have. Once we start, we create the momentum for learning and growing which brings our dream closer to life.

As we enter a New Year and a New Decade remember The Answer You Are Looking For Is YOU!

Elsa didn’t know where the voice would lead her, she only knew she had to follow it, she knew it was meant for her.

As is your dream…

It is meant for you…

Now, what do you need to do to start, what gift or belief do you need to follow?

Blessings

Elke

Movement – A Way of Life Beyond Exercise

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Today we dive into the next foundation of Self-Care… Movement!

Did you know that people who exercise are only 4% more active than people who don’t exercise at all?

Studies have shown that some adults spend 11 hours per day on their bottoms. That might seem like a lot of sitting around but think about your day, commuting to and from work, work at a desk job, sitting down to eat a meal, time on the sofa watching television in the evening. It all adds up.

Most of us know exercise is essential to our overall health and wellbeing however it’s the when and how we need to rethink.

Research into Blue Zones, areas where people live the longest, suggest people who live the longest are not the ones who do the most exercise but rather the ones who move the most.

Exercise as we know it, gym workouts, cardio sessions, long runs and sessions with a PT, aren’t necessary in these parts of the world because movement is a naturally integrated part of everyday life. Whether it is walking to a nearby village or visiting a neighbour, tending the garden, working in the fields or other manual labour, exercise is a natural way of life, not an activity that needs to be scheduled.

How does your daily routine compare?

We need to reframe our understanding of exercise into one of movement, because, it is what we do every day that impacts our energy and our health not what we do sometimes.

“We live in boxes, travel in boxes, eat out of boxes, and work in boxes – now it’s time to urgently break out of the box!” [1]

The Price of Our Sedentary Lifestyle

Studies suggest when we sit for too long the body’s ability to both burn energy and create and experience energy is compromised. Think about it. If you sit for 4 hours straight, do you jump up with boundless energy or begin to droop over your desk feeling sluggish, lethargic and fatigued?

A sedentary lifestyle is associated with higher cancer risk, depression, lower cognitive ability, prediabetic blood sugar levels, diminished sex life, and sleep disruption.

Gavin Bradley has reported that metabolism slows down 90% after 30 minutes of sitting. The enzymes that move the bad fat from your arteries to your muscles, where it can get burned off, slow down. And after 2 hours, good cholesterol drops 20%. Just getting up for 5 minutes is going to get things going again. [2]

Benefits of Exercise

Our bodies are designed for movement, sitting to standing, turning and lunging, bending and stretching, pulling, pushing and lifting. Movement keeps our joints lubricated and injury-free, our muscles moving freely without soreness or restriction. When our muscles move our muscle tissue produces protective proteins called mokines that have important disease-preventative and anti-inflammation function. [3]

Physical movement creates strength, flexibility, restoration, and uplifts your mood. Increased motion, and I’m not talking about intense gym workouts, improves your metabolism and your microbiome, your sleep and all your body rhythms, your immunity, your stress response, and the overall balance of your life. It improves productivity and even decreases inflammation.

Benefits of exercise are many and include: improving insulin sensitivity, boosts healthy hormone function, increases the assimilation of nutrients and, more importantly, aids in the elimination of metabolic wastes, moving your lymphatic system, and pushing toxic waste out of your body. [4]

It is, however, important to know that exercise is a form of stress to the body and if you are adding exercise to an already stressful load it can lead to significant problems including inflammation, the precursor to most disease. Sometimes the solution is less “exercise” and more weight training or gentle movement to reduce inflammation, restore health, energy, and vitality.

Do Something You Enjoy!

The best form of exercise is the exercise you will actually do. Dr Lipman shares, “Find the movement that moves you, because having a consistent practice of something you love to do lets you reclaim movement as a part of your integrated way of being, versus something you need to achieve.”

Research has shown that regular movement breaks across the day reduce back, neck and shoulder pain, plus boost mood, all factors that contribute to us experiencing better energy, both physically and emotionally. [5]

Ask Yourself…

How can I move more today?

How can I invite more movement into my life? And I don’t mean adding more gym visits to your week.

We need to keep our body moving to enable us to maintain the joy, freedom and independence a fully functional body can bring.

Embrace More Motion

Consider movement as a way of life, a natural part of our daily routine.

Try adding a movement or stretch break for 3 to 5 minutes every hour and see the difference it makes. Notice the impact it has on your energy and mood throughout the day.

Many Eastern Traditions, such as Tai Chi, Yoga, and Qigong integrate mind, body, and soul through exercise. In addition to these some good ways to achieve strength, flexibility and restoration from movement include weights, Pilates, walking, swimming, gardening, stretching, taking the stairs, playing with your children or grandchildren, parking a few blocks or getting off a stop earlier from your destination and walking.

As Dr Libby reminds us, “remember it’s what you do every day that impacts on your health and energy, not what you do sometimes. Embrace more motion, preferably once each hour for 3 to 5 minutes, and you may find your health, energy and ability to focus are enhanced.” [6]

 

Blessings

 

Elke

Abundant Wholeness

 

References:

[1] Dr Frank Lipman, Be Well, 2018

[2] H Garcia & F Miralles, Ikigai, 2016

[3] Dr Frank Lipman, Be Well, 2018

[4] Dr Frank Lipman, Be Well, 2018 & S Stevenson, Sleep Smarter, 2016

[5] Dr Libby Weaver, Women’s Wellness, 2016

[6] Dr Libby Weaver, Women’s Wellness, 2016

Sleep – The Undervalued Commodity of Our Busy Lives!

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Chronic sleep deprivation is one of the most common causes of health issues in our western world.

When we are tired, exhausted, everything in life is more difficult.

“We cannot be healthy without healthy sleep!”

Good sleep is the cornerstone of wellness and vital to providing our body time to restore and repair. “Sleep is vital for sustaining peak mental performance, stabilizing mood, bolstering immunity, coping with stress, repairing cells, rebalancing our biochemistry, and maintaining a healthy metabolism” (Dr Frank Lipman).

Everything works better with restorative sleep, including an improved mood, emotional resilience and even digestion.

We Are The Health of Our Cells

We are essentially the health of our cells and it is during sleep our body does much of its cellular maintenance and repair work. In other words, sleep is when the healing happens in our body.

Did you know that if you lose one night of sleep, your mental performance is like you are legally drunk? Similar results are also seen when people reduce their sleep from 8 hours to 6? (https://www.bewell.com/blog/why-the-sleep-deficit-is-real-and-serious/)

Studies have shown that just one night of sleep deprivation can make you as insulin resistant as a person with Type 2 diabetes – this leads to aging faster, decreased libido, and storing more body fat than you want to.

Ever craved sugary or starchy foods late at night?

Starving the body of sleep for 24 hours reduces glucose reaching the brain by 6%. This isn’t shared equally in the brain with 12 to 14% being lost from your parietal lobe and the prefrontal cortex, the areas of our brain we need most for thinking, distinguishing between ideas, social control, and choosing right from wrong. For this reason, sleep deprivation overrides willpower when reaching for the doughnuts at midnight, it has even been said it puts it in a headlock. (S Stevenson – Sleep Smarter)

Have you ever made a poor decision or over-reacted when you were sleep deprived?

Research is 100% conclusive that poor sleep is detrimental to learning in all stages of life and the effectiveness and quality of work is sacrificed. Results show sleep deprivation leads to slower function, less creativity, increased stress and underperformance on the job. In fact, when sleep deprived, it takes 14% longer to do a task with 20% more errors. (pg 4, S Stevenson)

Common isn’t Normal…

We often consider waking up tired and being exhausted as normal however just because it may be common doesn’t mean it is normal.

It has been said our sleep quality is heavily influenced by our diet, exercise, stress levels, and many other lifestyle factors. (S Stevenson – Sleep Smarter)

So what can we do to improve our sleep?

Here are 6 Sleep Tips to start implementing today:

1. Reframe Your Idea of Sleep – change your thinking from sleep being an obstacle, or a commodity you can freely trade, to a necessity. Even consider sleep as a highly beneficial indulgence that you get to experience every day. Quality sleep allows your body time for proper maintenance and repair.

It doesn’t matter what you eat if you don’t get your sleep!

2. Get More Sunlight – Did you know that your sleep cycle is heavily impacted by the amount of sunlight you receive during the day? Too little light exposure during the day and too much artificial light at night will negatively impact your ability to sleep well at night by adversely affecting your body’s hormone production, specifically your serotonin, cortisol and melatonin levels.

Melatonin is your “quality” sleep hormone. It is directly affected by how much sunlight you absorb during the day and light exposure you receive at night. Did you know that wearing sunglasses can inhibit the natural exposure of light you need to assure healthy hormone secretions and healthy sleep? Our melatonin regulation is directly affected by how much sunlight we are exposed to through our eyes.

Our body clock is most responsive to sunlight in the early morning, between 6 am and 8.30 am for at least ½ hour.

3. Screen Protection – It is recommended to restrict screen time for 90min before bed to allow enough time for your melatonin and cortisol levels to normalize.

Adjust your notifications on your electronic devices to lower arousal levels and “set the tone” for bedtime by creating a transition time where lights are dimmed and wi-fi is turned off.

Use blue light blockers such as f.lux App to eliminate the problems of blue light.

4. Caffeine Curfew – This is where bio-individuality will come in and knowing your bodies sensitivity to caffeine. However, generally, it is recommended to curb caffeine intake after 2 pm to reduce your bodies level of alertness in preparation for the evening.

5. Set the Mood – Create an environment that supports a good night’s sleep. Remove clutter from your bedroom, eliminate any unnecessary light with dark curtains, and ensure it’s not too warm. Around 20 degrees is suggested the most comfortable for optimal sleep if you have cold feet consider wearing socks rather than layering up too much and possibly becoming too warm.

6. Timing – To look and feel our best 8 hours of sleep is recommended for optimal health. It has been shown that sleeping between 10 pm and 2 am enables our body to get the most beneficial hormonal secretions and restorative effects of sleep. We are a part of nature and living by the cues of nature, sunrise to sunset can have major benefits for our health and body functions.

Consider a sleep routine, heading to bed and waking up at the same time every day, ideally 10 pm to 6 am optimizes nature in sync with your body clock, obviously bearing in mind the seasons.

Sleep Cycles – Our body sleeps in cycles, alternating between Deep Sleep, REM and NON-REM Sleep every 90 minutes. By setting your alarm to reflect these 90min cycles can make all the difference to waking alert and ready to jump into your day or feeling groggy and ready to hide back under the covers due to interrupting a sleep cycle.

What About Sleep Debt?

In “Sleep Smarter” Shawn Stevenson shares that if it is within a 24 or 48 hour period then you can “make up” missed sleep however any longer than that you can have long-term consequences in terms of hormone imbalance, let alone the consequences of poor judgement, slow performance and emotional imbalances which you can’t go back and redo.

Other research has shown that your body doesn’t forget even half a night of lost sleep, it carries the debt forward into the next day, and the next. One 1990’s study put people in a darkened room for 14 hours, they slept for 12 hours for 4 weeks before they naturally decreased to 8 hours. They had to pay off their debt before settling into a normal sleep schedule. (https://www.bewell.com/blog/why-the-sleep-deficit-is-real-and-serious/)

Drawing the Curtains on Sleep…

How are your sleep patterns, do you sleep through the night and wake refreshed?

Improving your quality of sleep can have a huge impact on your overall health and wellbeing.

There are many things that can influence our ability to sleep and sleep well if you would like to discuss your sleep concerns please add a comment below or message me and let’s get your sleep habits back on track.

Blessings

Elke

Abundant Wholeness

 

References:
https://www.bewell.com/blog/how-to-sleep-well-5-common-sleep-mistakes-and-how-to-fix-them/
https://www.bewell.com/blog/why-the-sleep-deficit-is-real-and-serious/
Sleep Smarter by S Stevenson
Women’s Wellness by Dr Libby Weaver
Interesting read: https://www.bewell.com/blog/why-the-sleep-deficit-is-real-and-serious/

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