Depression linked to Cholesterol Levels

As reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, there is a link between a low-fat diet and higher rates of depression, suicide, and hostility. I have researched into this topic because I had a cholesterol test done and the nurses who read me my results said I had below normal cholesterol levels. For a moment I was very proud considering most grown adults in America has the opposite problem of high cholesterol. The nurses, while remaining unspecific, said that there were health problems associated with low cholesterol.
Finding this article has opened my eyes to a biological function that could be responsible for one of my greatest adversaries, depression and anxiety.
I am proactive with my physical health as well as my mental and spiritual health. I practice mind-body disciplines of yoga and Tai Chi and have a regular meditation practice. These do wonders for my moods and overall well-being. After a period of time on earth, one encounters many experiences that test the endurance of one's spirit. I have come to think of my occasional surprise visit by the dark cloud of depression or anxiety as a normal human condition. It wasn't until a couple of weeks ago and this past week when I read the connection between cholesterol and depression that I have begun to consider this a hindrance due to biological function as well.
Part of my pro-active plan is to take a daily Fish Oil supplement to build up my cholesterol levels and monitor my mental outlook over the course of the month.
An excellent result would be overall improved mental outlook with a simple change of diet. It may have a placebo effect but even placebos work. :)

Live a Great Life

With the new Fall season upon us, many changes are sweeping through our lives like the wind.

Here's to living a Great Life, a life of passion and fulfillment through the incorporation of our many aspects. May we all reach a place of balance where our mind, our hearts, and our bodies are in harmony with the cycles and movement of life.

Never Say “Diet”

Are you someone who thrives on the regiment of a strict diet for a short period of time only to rebound to your old eating habits? This is a common behavior that continues as long as you support the imbalance in your relationship to eating. Diet is one of those words that I hear constantly as a fitness instructor and it’s a word that always makes me cringe. This word sends shivers up my spine when I hear it because it is directly linked to a person’s self esteem and their feelings of control in their life.
Atkins vs. South Beach, the Cabbage Diet vs the Raw Diet, Vegan vs. Vegetarian. All of these diets encourage extremes in one’s eating behavior. The word “diet” emphasizes the negatives in one’s life. It’s best to throw out the word diet with the dishwater and replace it with the commitment to healthy eating.
Most people intuitively know their weaknesses when it comes to food. Craving salty or sweet are the most common preferences leading to over consumption of candy and desserts or processed snack foods like chips. Of course, if you have serious issues with obesity and its related diseases like Type 2 Diabetes, you need to regulate your health with a medical professional who can construct an appropriate dietary plan tailored to your specific needs.
The first step to support changes to healthy eating habits is by using positive psychology to reinforce your new habits. Relate to yourself and your food with gratitude and enjoyment rather than self-loathing and resentment. I say a prayer of thanksgiving for every meal placed in front of me because there are millions across the world who are far less fortunate when it comes to meal time. The simple act of giving thanks for the food in front of you begins to change the emotional relationship to the meal you are about to consume. Remember the old adage: You are what you eat.

Bon appetit.

The Lifestylist

On July 7, I am set to sail the seas with Holland America Cruise Line as the onboard Lifestylist. I will be teaching a daily Tai Chi class on the Lido deck and offering short seminars on holistic wellness topics. The fact that this is my life, is at once bewildering and absolutely AMAZING. I am thrilled, astonished and grateful for the opportunity to travel, teach, and share the techniques I have spent my life studying to develop a calm and peaceful mind, and an open and caring heart with the passengers onboard.

They have me scheduled to board the Ms Westerdam in Capetown South Africa. Which will be docked for the remainder of the World Cup. Maybe America's team will make it to the final. What a miracle that would be! Then the ship will sail to Rotterdam to begin touring around the UK and up the Norwegian Peninsula to the Arctic Circle. Again, AMAZING! The fact that I'll be traveling the length world this summer, from the tip of Africa to the Arctic Circle is beyond my comprehension. Here's to continuing the journey and discovering the beautiful faces and places along the way.

I'd love to entitle this blog Postcards from the Edge but that's already been used and it is a deep desire of mine to express myself through my own words than through anothers'. But I may use the title for an entry at some point along the way, possibly from the Arctic Circle!

Mind, Body, & Breath

Our Life's journey is not a small or simple matter. Our lives as humans beings, like our planet, are built on complex, interconnected systems that happen to share the same time and space.
We like it when Life presents us with simple choices. For instance: Will I have chocolate or strawberries? We don't like it when Life presents difficulties and challenges. During these periods of time, we are presented an opportunity to live to our highest potential. The ways to fulfilling this potential are many. The common things we share on the journey are the same: body, breath, and mind.

The Body is our house. The Breath is our power. The Mind is our compass.

The simple acts of breathing and thinking have profound affects on our internal and external environments. When our breaths become short and tense, our minds become agitated and emotions engage. When we do long, deep breathing, our minds become calm and quiet, basking in the silence, and allowing the wisdom of the universe to speak. A wise sage said, nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so. Our attitude determines if our experiences are positive or negative.

It takes courage to face everyday of our life. May we encourage and care for each other along the way, lighting fires of warmth and compassion for our Friends to come and sit by for awhile.

White Tantric Yoga NYC

White Tantric Yoga was held in NYC on Saturday May 1st at the Landmark on the Park on Central Park West. In an intimate and beautiful sanctuary across from the Central Park, 200 people meditated together for 8 hours in the dynamic practice of White Tantric Yoga.

White Tantric Yoga is the practice of partner meditation under the watchful eye of the Mahan Tantric. Yogi Bhajan began the practice for the first time publicly in the 1970's and created a series of tantric programs for its legacy to continue. It is said that by practicing White Tantric Yoga (WTY) for one day is equal to an entire year of meditation (Web). The day was filled with 31 and 62 minute meditations that work to balance the chakras in the specific time and place that it occurs. The effects are subtle but palpable.

A group of people meditating together amplifies the effects of meditation, like fullness of a choir versus a soloist. The group energy also helps to carry your individual practice when you become tired or distracted. The practice of WTY reaches into the deep caverns of the mind and removes blockages that are rooted in the subconscious mind. Yogi Bhajan described it as a way to empty the garbage of one's mind.

It has been almost two years since the last time I took part in the practice. It was absolutely magical, powerful, and direct. Over the next 40 days, the effects of the practice will integrate into the psyche. I hope to share with you what may transpire in the coming days and weeks, as a way to document the subtle changes and shifts of this powerful, cleansing practice of WTY.
Sat nam.

Tai chi for stiff joints - Health/Science - NewsObserver.com

Tai chi for stiff joints - Health/Science - NewsObserver.com