Hey Y'all! Welcome to my blog "As the Page Turns." Here I hope to discuss many topics including writing tips, musings,and much much more. So come on in and check it out!
More than one million people are diagnosed with Cancer
every year. That equates to one in three people.
By Jerri Aubry M.S.
Cancer affects many people all over the world. It infests
the genetics of most families and seems to spread like wildfire.
When Jerri was a child her first memories of Cancer was when
her father was diagnosed with Leukemia. She did not understand what it was or
what it would do to her family until later on in her life.
When she was 17 her grandfather was diagnosed with lung
Cancer and given less than six months to live. When he died she felt lost and
alone. She was unable to grieve and shoved her feelings aside.
When Cancer took her youngest brother she was left
frustrated, angry, and scared. She wondered, “When will it come for me?” She
found that no one was safe from the diagnosis of this life threatening disease.
“Forgiving Cancer: A Mother and Daughter’s Journey to
Peace,” by Jerri Aubry M.S. is a heart wrenching story of survival.
Jerri talks about how Cancer has infected her family and how
she was unable to support herself or others as it took each of them one by one.
This is Jerri’s story of courage, forgiveness, and the journey she must take to
make sense of it all.
Jerri not only shares with you how she supported her mother’s
journey to peace, but also speaks of what needs to be done so that you can move
on. Tap into her strength as you read about tools and techniques to use to help
you and your loved one’s through the process of Cancer. She will teach you how
to move on and how to forgive Cancer once and for all.
“Forgiving Cancer: A Mother and Daughter’s Journey to
Peace,” is now available on paperback and eBook at Amazon.com and B&N.com.
Hello everyone, I wanted to introduce you to Don Love. He is the author of this book
A little about Don
I have been a counselor and speaker for well over 35 years. In the area of helping people, I found common ground areas that bogged people down such as shock, disillusioned, embarrassed, etc. I also watched as they looked backwards and wanted answers to their "why" questions that rarely would be answered.
So I went to work decided to try and help them get unstuck.
The work was gratifying but I realized there were so many across the nation and world the only way to reach them was to write a book.
I have been married 39 years going on 40 and we have 6 children.
The book is intended to help people realize there is a life to be lived but just as breaking a bone in our body there is a proper way to heal so as to live effectively.
The book has 10 tips to help people press forward and begin believing the rest of their will be amazing. I truly believe this is the way we are suppose to live but if you are stuck in old thinking that doesn't embrace the possibilities then you simply go in circles.
After reading this book I decided to ask Don if I could ask him to answer a few questions for me about his journey as a writer. Here are those answers to share with you.
1.What made you want to become a published writer?
I decided to write because my heart is to help as many as possible but one on one will never reach the many that are in need of the tips and the only way to reach as many as possible is a book--thus Divorce Blues Recovery
2. What do you find to be the most important tool you have learned to help you complete your writing projects?
The most important tool in writing is to be open to advice and always be willing to learn. One other element is don't be overprotective of your work. It is vital to get excellent thoughts from others.
3. What is your next upcoming project? Tell us about it.
My next project will be a book on dealing with a real sense of loss. It could be a job or home or family etc. Once again as you look around our nation thousands of people are losing everything and are in shock and nor sure what the future holds. I have experienced this first hand about 5 years ago and I understand the need to help people to continue to hope and believe there really is a light at the end of a long tunnel.
4. What do you think is important knowledge for new authors just starting out?
For the new author starting out don't stop and believe it will pay off--keep knocking on doors until one opens but don't stop there keep pushing forward.
5. Do you have a blog or author's page please share it with us here?
Right now you can get his book on kindle for only $2.99
Thank you Don for joining my viewers and I today and sharing this most valuable information with all of us.
Just to let you all know, I read Don's book and I too am a therapist and have watched many people head for divorce. I think Don's book would be easily acclimated into your life. The tips are helpful for those of you wanting to know where to go or what to do next. If you have suffered a divorce or are just beginning the process, this is the book for you. It will help you on so many levels. Don comes from the perspective or mind, body, and spirit. He shares with you how to keep all three healthy while going through such a tough time in your life. In addition, this book is a quick read without all the filler just the stuff you really need to know right now.
Thank you again Don for allowing us a peek into your world and we look forward to hearing more about you in the future.
Today is day 7 of the Ayurvedic Diet and I stepped onto the
scale this morning and I have lost 7 pounds. Now I know there is water weight
gone and do realize that is the most of this weight loss but I am totally
jazzed. Not only that I feel better. I am stuffed up at night anymore and I
have more energy than I did before.
I realize this is just the beginning and that I have not
even felt all of the effects this diet will have on me overall. The greatest
part is my oldest son offered to cook me breakfast this morning with eggs and
onions and peppers and he used the turmeric, garlic, ginger, and black pepper
spice.
He normally does not eat spicy food but he has been watching
me and wants to be like me and lose his own extra weight. It was nice to see
him cook without butter and to be open to adding the spice to the foods.
Being a Kapha means having a sluggish digestion and so that
is one of the reasons for the spice that is needed daily. Not only that but I
hated ginger before and now have adjusted to its flavor and spice and look
forward to drinking ginger tea each and every day.
I have been doing the breathing each day and I am getting
used to how hot that makes me feel. It also gives me bursts of energy needed to
make it through my day. I love it. I hope you have been reading and wondering
if you should try this diet. I hope that you decide to step out of your comfort
zone and try it and let it show you what it will do for you beyond the weight
loss.
It has also helped to bring down my oldest son’s blood
pressure. Lately I have noticed before the diet he had blood pressure that was
too high for a child even if he is the size of a man. It had been 150/90 before
and it scared me but we went to the doctors this last week and it was 129/80
and they said that was fine for his size.
That is a small change but in the right direction. I will be
making an appointment soon to have a physical with my doctor and will be
looking forward to see how all of my numbers are looking.
I don’t think I mentioned this before but I also have
hypothyroidism and I guess Kapha’s tend to have these issues from eating out of
balance. Wish I knew about this a long time ago. So I must tell you all that I
am not able to do cardio exercise in the sense of taking a walk, or jogging, or
just doing exercise like Zumba or anything like that because it hurts too much
on my knees, hips, and back because of a prior injury.
What is wonderful is that I didn’t exercise and would if I
could but didn’t and still lost weight. The experts in Ayurveda say that this
is what will happen when you eat the right foods to help with digestion.
I don’t feel hungry all the time like I did before. I don’t
feel so lethargic as I did. I feel more confident in my ability to do this diet
or should we say life change because the word diet to me means restriction.
I have not wanted any sweets even after watching my husband
eat chocolate. I didn’t want it at all. I don’t want the ice cream that is in
the freezer and feel confident in my ability to continue on with this lifestyle.
These videos are about Ayurveda this is four part video with great information about Ayurveda this is video one
I couldn't help myself but to share this warm hearted story or video we should say with all of you. I have been working with individuals with Autism for more than 15 years and I always know that they will amaze us in their lives. I always see the gifts they have to show us. I am open and receptive to seeing them and help parents to open up and see them too.
When stress begins to cloud the visions of one whom parents a child with Autism, it can be hard to see the positive when the child is throwing a tantrum or punching and kicking holes in the walls. You can as anyone can get caught up in the negativity of the moment and it can be hard to see the positive and move forward.
I have seen children when they were three or four and see them when they are older. It amazes me to see them talking, making friends, dealing with anxiety, socializing and trying to adapt and fit in. I have been blessed to work with teens that are in high school and watch them change over the course of some coaching and seeing them date and make friends and trying out for the sports team.
They should be able to do anything they want. Not what we want but what they want. We have to open our ears and listen to them and offer a space for them to tell us what they feel they need help with and help them.
I have witnessed the stress that one is under after receiving a diagnoses of autism. I can tell you that we don't know what they will be like as adults but I can tell you that I have met a many adult who has autism and have gone to college or got married and had families.
I love it when we watch them grow letting them learn how do the things that are hard and to overcome the obstacles in their way. Love to see them grow and especially when they think they can't do something and I say, "I bet you can," and then they do it with new found confidence and then we have a party because whoo hooo you did it.
I of course get as excited as they do. I have a few manuals that I have been working on over the years that I hope to publish. Right now I have a toilet training manual in the works of editing. I hope to get it out to the public by next year.
So the reason I am sharing this video? Because I have seen many of these types of relationships between siblings and if it isn't there in the relationship between your children help them get there.
I got up this morning did my massage and meditation. I felt
great with a lot of energy. Usually I feel lethargic and slow to move around
but today seemed a little different. Even with a cold brewing I felt more
energetic than normal. I wanted to run out the door and go for a walk, however,
my disabilities keep from doing anything like that so enjoyed doing my
breathing instead and some of the exercises I shared early on in this blog.
I have found that I am starting to enjoy the spiciness of my
food. I made chicken and peppers with onions. I cooked them in garlic and
ginger oil and added turmeric, ginger, and pepper. I loved it. MMM was so good.
I ate it with some ginger sesame Quinoa.
I think the hardest thing to dieting is finding recipes for
the foods you can eat and having those available. So today I am going to share
with you some information on food. Since each person is different and can eat
different foods you will want to shop accordingly.
For me I shouldn’t eat rice or pasta but rather eat quinoa as
the grain. I can eat pastas that are made with a whole grain but since I should
avoid rice and wheat it makes it difficult. Actually don’t need them in my diet
anyways. I don’t miss eating them at all.
So for those of you those are spaghetti eaters. I am, yum
love that comfort food. Here is something you could try. Make your tomato sauce
with ground turkey or chicken or do it like I do and add no meat. I add veges
that I love. Then I cook a spaghetti squash and cook that in the oven at 350
degrees for around 30-45 minutes. I will usually cut the squash open and take a
little bit of oil to the top. Just remember oil has calories and fat but it is
an essential fatty acid and we need a little each and every day since our
bodies do not make it.
This diet is not concerned with how much you eat and
calories. I still like to keep them in check so I have been tracking them. For
those of you with an Iphone there is an app called “Lost it” it tracks your
food and it is easy. It can also track your exercise and keep track of your
weight and lost weight. It has a scan tool on it so I can scan in all my foods
and it pops up and lands in my stuff. It doesn’t take long at all.
I have been eating 1600 and under in calories per day. Some
days it is 1000 and other days more than that. I am only supposed to eat three
good meals per day and drink tea to help. At first I thought I am going to
starve. I normally eat a few snacks and three meals a day. However, to be
honest I was having sugar cravings bad at night and since I started this I have
not had one. There is a pumpkin chocolate muffin on my table and I love them
and I don’t even want it.
Really I would have already eaten that thing it is one of my
favorite things to eat. Even when stressed which is when I usually want to eat
sweets I haven’t wanted any sweets. I have been eating apples and raisins. You
can even cook an apple and some raisins and spice them up with cinnamon,
nutmeg, allspice, some vanilla and yum you have dessert.
I will just either cook them on the stove or bake them in
the oven.
go here and they actually have put together a cook book that is about cooking nowadays for each dosha. I have shared a few of the recipes above early on in this post
Today I will share with you the importance of breathing or
what is called, “Prana” or “Pranayama.” Anyone who does yoga knows about the
importance of breathing and how this is actually a healing technique that helps
to bring about balance.
There are several different types of Pranayama. So as with
the differences in Doshas we will use a specific type of breathing. For Pitta
they should perform what is called, “A Left Nostril Breathing.” You will inhale through your left nostril
and exhale through the right nostril. You will use a finger to shut off the
nostril you are not using. For instance, when you go to inhale close off the
right nostril and when you go to exhale close off the left nostril.
So try to picture this you holding one nostril closed with your
pointer finger and then switch and use your thumb this will allow you to move
it quickly. This exercise creates a cooling effect in the body by enhancing
female energies.
For a person whom is a Kapha like me, when you do this
exercise you will inhale into the right nostril and exhale through the left
nostril using the same fingers as mentioned above. This will actually cause a
Kapha to heat up instead of cool down.
A person whom is a Vata should perform this by alternating
nostrils and breaths to bring balance.
For anyone who is obese you should do a breathing technique
called, “ The breath of fire.” This will make you feel hot. You should take a
deep breath in and exhale quickly through your nose. You only breathe through
your nose. Do for one minute and then rest for one minute and do for another
minute and then rest for one minute and then do it for one minute and then you
are done. According to this book I am reading, “Ayurveda: The Science of Self
Healing-A practical guide” by Vasant Lad. You can get this at Amazon.com.
He mentions that doing this breathing exercise is like
running for two miles but only when someone who is obese and overweight. I am
thinking that means for those of you who are not overweight it will not work
for in that way. However it still can bring you energy and can be done by
anyone of the Doshas.
I did this breathing exercise for the first time tonight and
let me tell you I got hot within 30 seconds of doing it. I find it hard to keep
using my nose so I know this will be a huge adjustment but I am going to keep
doing it to see what will happen.
One thing the author does mention is that it might make you
sweat and get really thirsty and for you to remember to drink warmer drinks or
water that is room temperature but not to drink icy cold drinks because they
actually increase build up of fat in one’s body.
When you engage in Pranayama breathing it helps to clear the
mind and for you to focus. For some it brings in needed energy. For others it
can help them to lose weight. As part of the Ayurveda lifestyle this should be
added on a daily basis to other things that have already been mentioned here on
this blog.
I will share some you tube videos for your viewing and
learning. I myself am a visual learner and find it much easier if I can see
what I am reading. So I try to have some sort of video or pictures for you to
see.
For those of you that read last night’s post and know that I
had a slight headache well it is gone. I feel pretty good today and notice that
I have more energy and less lethargy. I am also not as hungry as I was
yesterday and have eaten less today than I did yesterday. Now since I am a
Kapha I am to only eat when hungry and no other times. I have learned to drink
several cups of tea more than five in a day and have not been putting ice in my
water, which is huge!!
I hope some of you reading this and thinking about wanting
to try this lifestyle, I hope that you decide to. If anything adding meditation
and the breathing techniques could potentially add years to your life by
lowering stress and blood pressure. Let alone if the weight comes off and you
will feel better in the end.
I would like to share that I already am less congested than
I was before I started this program. I have had chronic sinus issues for many
years, more than 10. I struggle with my nose closing up at night every night. I
don’t have to have a cold for this to happen it just does. I have seen multiple
doctors and they say everything looks fine with my sinuses but that surgery may
be the only cure and that is not even a guarantee.
I have heard about the terrible surgery of the sinuses and
have known people who say it didn’t help at all and others that said it saved
their lives. Well after learning about the Ayurvedic diet and how the foods I was
eating everyday led to the congestion I hate. I realized that I had to try this
diet and lifestyle change. I love the fact that at night my nose is open and
clear and that I have less mucus hanging out in my throat for me to want to
cough up all the time.
My boys both have difficulties with their sinuses and now I
am adding into their diet some of the stuff I am doing. My oldest son is about
30 pounds overweight and I have him eating the same foods I am eating and
teaching him about meditation and had both boys doing the breathing with me
tonight.
I am curious to see how this might even end up helping my
oldest son with sleep. He wakes in pain in his back and just allowing yourself
to relax like the meditations do can help your body be ready for sleep. He also
has ADHD so am excited to see how this might help him to relax and to
concentrate.
By the way if you ever have any questions please feel free to ask. I will try to connect you with the answers you deserve. I know most of you are waiting for me to add recipes and cookbooks. I am still collecting and have shared some all ready on pinterest so you can go there and check the information I have at
Today is my third day on the Ayurvedic diet. I am a little
tired today have had a slight headache the last two days but think it is
because my family is sick right now. I woke and did my massage and that
actually helped pull me out of the funk I was in and get me going. I have been
reducing my caffeine intake over the last three days and this definitely has
something to do with my headache I am sure.
Another aspect of the lifestyle, I need to look at this from
the perspective of a lifestyle not a diet. When we think of the word diet, what
comes up for you? For me it means restriction. It means being hungry all the
time. It means feeling out of sorts and not being able to function. It means
being off every day. Well I don’t feel this way and really this is a lifestyle
change. It is all about balance in your life.
We know that balance is an important aspect for all of us.
When we are not in balance our world flies out of control and really who likes
to feel out of control? I don’t I am a control freak who wants to be in control
all the time. We as humans want to have control over ourselves when we have a
sense of control we feel in our groove with our world.
That is what this whole life style is about is balancing not
just our bodies but body, mind, soul. We need it. So not only is it important to eat the foods that keep your body
in balance but to also keep our minds and spirit in balance as well. I mean
when you think about when we are in control all of those aspects of ourselves
are in balance and then we feel relaxed and not uptight and stressed out like
most people
Today I wanted to share the importance of adding meditation
to your lifestyle. It is part of the Ayruvedic lifestyle and something more
people need to do. I know you are thinking when am I going to have time for
that. Well that is what I used to think before I began doing some meditation. I
realized that I meditate many times during the day. When I drive or are sitting
quietly drinking coffee in the morning.
But meditating for reason is a little different. I have
goals when I meditate now and get many questions answered. Many things come to
us when we are quieting our minds and bodies. You can do your meditation any
time of the day. If you don’t have time in the morning this is ok. Do it at another
time. I tend to do mine at night when my kids go to bed and my husband is off
at work. It is when I have the time to quiet myself otherwise I am thinking
about everything I have to do for that day.
I wanted to share with you all that in March there will be a
meditation challenge from Deepak Chopra and Oprah W infrey. You can join and they will email you think links
to join in and do the meditation. I believe it is for 21 days that you will
meditate every day. I will enhance your lives. I myself did some meditation
before but I haven’t been doing it everyday. So now with this new lifestyle
change I am going to meditate everyday and with this I have already signed up
for the challenge. Here is the link
So why meditate? What is going to do for you? Well research suggests that people who
meditate consistently lower anxiety levels in their bodies. The researchers
have also found that it helps people who have chronic pain issues. I have some
of those and will let you all know how it helps me. I know that when I meditate
it makes me feel really relaxed and good. Daily meditation helps you to focus
and not be so scattered. I mean with
all that we have to do in a day we think about a million different things all
at once. It makes it hard to focus your attention on any one thing for a period
of time. Meditation will train your brain to shut out outside stimuli and to
focus on the topic at hand. This could be complete silence. Or it could be a
specific question that want answered. I have found with my experience with
meditating that it was hard to do at first. I couldn’t stop thinking about all
kinds of stuff and I learned to push that aside and now I don’t have any
outside distractions. My kids could walk in on me and I will stay in a
meditative state and hear them but they will not disturb what my focus is.
One of the major benefits of meditation is it helps decrease
your stress levels and you can deal with certain situations calmer when you
practice the art of meditation each and every day. Don’t worry you can start
slow and do it a few times per week to become adjusted and then add another day
until you have been able to do a meditation 7 days a week. It does not have to
be that long either. I meditate in the morning sometimes in the shower on my
husband and children’s days off. I might spend ten minutes max in there
meditating.
So what should you have to meditate? You don’t really need
anything. Just a place of peace and quiet where you won’t here the phones or TV
or are disturbed by someone. I like to light a candle and use the flame to get
me into a meditative state. My neighbor uses water to get her into a meditative
state. Find what helps you. A candle is helpful in setting up the place you
want to meditate. Some want to meditate outside in their garden and the sounds
of the birds around them put them into a meditative state.
So play around and find which area seems to be the best for
you and you don’t have to only meditate in one exact place. You can do some
outdoors sitting on your deck. Just make sure your body is open to movement of
energy no closed arms and don’t cross your legs.
I listen to music while I meditate and/or listen to someone
walk me through a meditation. Any of this is fine.
Not only does meditation help with stress it helps with many
different aspects of your life. For one it helps balance you mind, body, soul
but it also
You to
lose weight
Reduce
anxiety attacks
Increases
serotonin which many people take drugs to do that and here is a natural
way to doing it.
There are many different kinds of
meditations and next time we will talk about charkas since having these in
balance is key to be healthy all over.
In order to get into a meditative
state you will need to focus on your breathing it is important. You will take
in a deep breath I mean deep into your lungs slowly until you can no longer
take any more air in. When you release it let your stress go with it and
release it slowly. This will take time for you to do this. Don’t worry you will
get the hang of it.
I think guided meditations are the
easiest since you are new at this. Over time you can learn some other
techniques and there is no right or wrong way to do this just being peaceful
throughout your body and mind is important.
Mantra Meditation:
This is where you might vocally
say like “aum” which can help bring you into a meditative state. You would
close your eyes sitting with hands on legs with palms up to the sky. You would
sit and say this, “aum” and feel the vibration go through your body.
Plan to meditate for 20 minutes or
more. I feel this is the hardest for a newbie to conduct.
Trataka Meditation:
This is one where you visually stare at something to help bring you into a
meditative state. Remember how I talked about lighting a candle and using the
flame to bring into a meditative state? This is that type of meditation. I feel
since I am attracked to fire that it works well for me.
Prepare
your space bring in music you want to listen to like sounds of nature or
some other music that has no lyrics. I tend to like to listen to drumming
music it tends to bring me into a meditative state fairly quickly.
Light
your candle and have this be in front of where you are.
Be
comfortable you cannot meditate if you are hurting yourself by trying to
get into a position your body does not want to do.
I lie
on my bed or sit on my bed. I cannot get up and down on the floor so I
find chairs and seats to be good. It doesn’t matter but this is not to
fall asleep so a chair might be better.
You
should not fall asleep during your meditation you are focused during your
meditation and you might see visions and when you are finished you should
write these down if you could.
You
have started your music and are in a comfy position.
Stare
at the flame
Take a
deep breath in keep going in, in , in until you cannot take anymore.
Now
when you release it release all of the stress you have been feeling
Take
another deep breath in and in
Release
it with all the negativity in your body
Take
another deep breath in keep going in
Release
and send all of your worries out with the breath
Take
another deep breath in and bring in love for yourself and others
Release
fear that you may feel
Take
another deep breath in and in taking in confidence
Release
all the insecurities you feel with this breath
Now
just breath and relax listen to the sounds of the music and watch the
flame flicker
You
will now spend the next 10 minutes in meditation and when ready to come
back
Take a
few deep breaths bring in love and compassion for yourself and let out any
negativity
Now
you should stretch and take your time to getting up you should feel quite
relaxed.
You
can do meditations before bed to help you have a restful sleep.
Notice over time how your body feels and how different you
feel with meditating. It really can do wonders for your self-esteem and just
having compassion and love for your self and others.
