Act As If...

I would like to apologize for not blogging last week. Some unexpected circumstances took me out of town. On my long drive, however, I was able to listen to some things that have given me a chance to refocus.

I learned that I must act as if I am creating, attracting, and manifesting everything in life. (For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Law of Attraction, watch the movie "The Secret" and you will get a better idea of what I mean.) When regressed back to before birth, researchers found that about 75% of people remembered choosing to be born. Not only did they choose to be born, they chose their parents and their circumstances.

If that is the case, we need to act as if we have attracted everything into our lives. Many people say, "Everything happens for a reason". Well, I would like to take it further and say that, "Everything happens because we have chosen it".

When I spoke to a family member about this, I used the example of someone who had cancer. I said that they needed to take 100% responsibility in order to heal. I said that maybe they didn't eat the greatest foods, exercise regularly, etc. to which she replied, "but what if they have?".

You see, becoming ill is so much more than our physical body. When we let negative thought patterns control our lives, we are creating dis-ease. Our souls do not soar through negative thinking. Our souls take flight when we treat ourselves and everyone around us with kindness and respect.

In this world, we are also subject to outside dis-ease causing agents such as pesticides, herbicides, chemicals in our clothing, cleaning products, fluoride, environmental pollutants, etc. While we cannot completely avoid these, we can do our best by not using or partaking in products that use these agents (i.e. eat organic, buy organic clothing, make your own cleaning products, choose not to live near a toxic waste site or farm land that uses pesticide).

Once you learn to take responsibility for absolutely everything that comes up, you realize your own inner power, which in turn allows for inner peace. Act as if you are co-creator and things begin to take on a different light. No longer will you feel stress and anxiety. Taking responsibility will set you free!

Love and Gratitude~
Erin

Just Say No!

The latest psychotropic drug tragedy comes out of Miami as a 7-year old boy, who was placed on 3 different drugs (none of them even approved for use in children) committed suicide. WAKE UP, PEOPLE!!

Why has our society allowed this to be okay? Suicidal tendencies are a KNOWN effect of these drugs, but what's worse is that this boy only wanted someone to love him. No amount of drugging can do that.

I recently saw the film, "Making a Killing: The Untold Story of Psychotropic Drugging" and even I was surprised at the blatant irresponsibility of the psychiatric system and the seeming ignorance of the general population.

Make no mistake about it, these are mind-altering drugs that research has PROVEN are no more effective than placebo. If you are experiencing anxiety, depression, or any other difficulties, find someone to talk with so that you may understand why you are feeling this way. We are not meant to be "even-keel" all the time. There will be high points and low points throughout all our lives. The best way to pull yourself out of those low points is to learn how to cope. Drugs will merely cover up the symptoms. They will not make your problems go away.

If you are on psychotropic drugs, I urge you to investigate the research and see what you can do to cope with your current situation. Please do not end up another victim of the drug industry.

Love and Gratitude~
Erin

*This blog is dedicated to the memory of Gabriel Myers. May his soul find someone to love him in the next life. Also to Fred Grimm of the Miami Herald for having the courage to tell Gabriel's story with such compassion.*

Motherly Love

As I reflect on this past Mother's Day, I can't help but think of the day my son was born. It was particularly reflective as I worked the 13th Annual Birth and Baby Fair on Saturday and shared our story with many attendees. I now share it with you.

My son, Tyler Shea was born in the middle of the night on August 19th in a birthing tub underneath our dining room chandelier. When my midwife brought him to the surface, she gave him some oxygen as I held him close to keep his tiny body warm. There were no bright lights, no drugs, nobody took him away from me, no shots or goop in the eyes, my husband was with me through the entire process (heck, my dog was, too!), we did not cut the cord immediately, and it was entirely beautiful. It amazed me how quiet it all was. How peaceful.

When I was a child, I guess I didn't really know much about birth, however, I don't know that I ever thought I would have a child at home. I don't know that I even really knew it was an option. When I found out I was pregnant, I knew I had a lot of research to do. It was with a lot of persistence and a little bit of luck that I found my way to my wonderful midwife's office. It was there that my journey into the realm of natural childbirth began.

I am not a feminist, a glutton for punishment, or even what I call a "birth junkie". I am simply a mom who wanted to do what she felt was best for her son. When I read about the side effects of pitocin, epidurals, c-sections, vitamin k, vacuum extractions, etc. my intuition told me there had to be a better way. When I read the statistics of intervention proceedures with an OB/GYN versus those of midwife-attended births, it was clear that interventions went drastically down and outcomes drastically up.

My choice was clear. Though I know home birth may not be for everyone, I urge you to seek out your local midwives for care. There are now hospitals that allow Certified Nurse Midwives to deliver and free-standing birth centers are becoming more commonplace. Know your options when it comes to childbirth. Get a good education outside of the hospital. Know not just what the hospital would like you to know, but also what your options are.

With a Motherly Love and Gratitude~
Erin

Overweight and Healthy?

I have had people ask me if it is possible to be overweight and healthy. The vast majority of the time, the question is posed by someone who knows they could stand to lose some pounds.

They tell me that their blood pressure is good, cholesterol levels low, blood work fine, etc. I like to tell the story of a doctor friend I know. His nurse approached him and asked him to review his patient's latest vital signs. He went down the list and everything looked great. He told the nurse that it looked like Mrs. Jones was ready to be discharged. The nurse looked at him strangely and replied, "But doctor, Mrs. Jones is in a coma."

Are you merely your vital signs? Or are you more than that? Your vital signs may be able to give you markers for certain disease (though even that is debatable), however, they can tell you little about the quality of your life. Mrs. Jones may have looked great on paper, but her quality of life was next to nothing.

If you are overweight, you are most definitely suffering from a decrease in quality of life. You may experience this in many different ways including difficulty climbing stairs, embarrassment when sitting in small chairs, inability to run around with your children, or a multitude of aches and pains.

The great news is that any step you take toward becoming a healthy weight will increase your quality of life! That means, forgoing the double cheeseburger for a salad filled with fresh, organic veggies and vinaigrette, or parking in the farthest parking spot and walking to the store, or taking a swim instead of lounging on the couch will all help to get you where we all want to be. Take one step today and keep it up until you are ready to add another. Before you know it, you will be feeling better than ever and realize that the weight is melting off!

It is possible for everyone to be a healthy weight. It is possible for you!

In Love & Gratitude~
Erin

*As a side note, I welcome your comments and questions. Who knows? You may see your question answered in the next blog!*

STRESS!

We all have it, we all hate it, and it is the number one cause of disease...it's stress! The thing about stress is that we can do very simple things to relieve, decrease, and virtually eliminate the stress in our lives, but we choose not to.

Back in the days of the Mr. Caveman, he would be minding his business getting some water at the river, when all of a sudden, here comes the king of the jungle, Mr. Lion. This would stimulate the stress response in Mr. Caveman, as he would need to be prepared to fight Mr. Lion or flee the scene as quickly as possible.

Today, however, Mr. Lion comes in the form of an angry boss, traffic, overwhelm, violence, pesticides, drugs, etc. and Mr. Caveman feel she must use his "fight or flight" response daily. Without getting too technical, this causes an extreme imbalance in the chemical make-up of our physical bodies. That is why the number one cause of disease is either chemical, emotional, or physical stress.

Chemical stressors come in the form of pesticides, herbicides, drugs (prescription and non), perfumes, additives, artificial sweeteners, pollution, and many, many others. We are constantly bombarded with these things on a daily basis.

Emotional stressors include everything from the annoyance of traffic jams to the death of a loved one. This is what we typically associate with the word stress, but many of us do not realize all the minor stressors in our lives as we focus solely on the major ones.

Physical stress and chemical stress can overlap simply because the chemicals can cause physical problems which then exacerbate the problem. Physical stressors would include anything that physically harmed the body such as a car accident, surgery, or emergency-type problem.

Start relieving your stress by making an "annoyance list" of any little thing that bothers you, from the picture that is crooked on the wall, to the unfinished project, to the fact that you aren't happy with your job. One by one, go through that list and fix it. You will feel an enormous amount of relief as you check off the items one by one and the stressor will no longer be there!

Also, make sure you take time to be still. What do I mean by that? Take at least 5 minutes out of your day to turn off the T.V., turn off the phone, close your eyes, and just be still. Concentrate on your breathing and try not to let your thoughts wander to anything else.

These two exercises will do wonders for your health and your happiness.

Here's to a life without stress!

In Love and Stress-free Gratitude~

Erin