Silence Please!!

Have you ever noticed how little time people spend in silence? I mean actually being quiet, without their phone attached to their ears or thumbs and no radio blaring or TV droning? Look around, folks everywhere and I mean everywhere are obsessively attached to a device. In the stores, in their cars. I’ve heard ladies on the phone in the bathroom stalls and in the changing rooms of a department store. And have you seen the couples at a restaurant sitting across from each other, heads down, on their phones texting or web surfing? No words pass between the couple.

My theory is; as convenient as cell phones have become, people have become more afraid of silence. To the point they almost feel they cease to exist if there is no connection on the other end. Or, perhaps they are avoiding silence because they don’t want to have to look at their perceived misfortunes or problems. And people wonder why they are so stressed, why bad things happen to them. It’s because they are not paying attention to what is going on, on the inside of their head and hearts. Yes, People have become disconnected from themselves and keep seeking on finding the answers in the next phone call or on the internet. Really people need to stop talking and start listening, to themselves, to their heart. It is speaking loudly but they can’t hear it above all the other noise.

Silence seems scary, as it implies being alone or isolated. However, it is quite the contrary. In silence we find answers to our life’s questions and dilemmas. Try it sometime. The best way to experience silence is to take a walk in nature. Your mouth is quiet as you pay closer attention with your ears, eyes, nose, and touch. Listen to the birds and watch them fly, feel the bark on a tree, smell the changing scents in the air. In silence, we come to truly know ourselves and that makes us feel more confident, less insecure.

Another effective means to try on silence is in an aquatic bodywork called WATSU. You float in warm water with the assistance of the therapist. As she moves you slowly through the water, you become keenly aware of your own body as it relaxes. The weightlessness and sensory reduction of being in the water transports you to an almost meditative state. In the water the world is quiet but you can hear your own breathing and safely go within yourself without getting lost.

Monks take a vow of silence in order to become enlightened, not only about themselves but about the world around them. They learn to communicate without speaking. They learn love and compassion by listening.

In silence, we can go within ourselves to find our own enlightenment of who we truly are. To schedule a watsu session and experience the depth of silence and peace felt. Visit my website at http://www.fullcirclewellnessllc.com, or visit me on Facebook at fullcirclewellnessllc. These sessions are given at the AtlantiCare LifeCenter in Egg Harbor Township, NJ.

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What does the Forest say?

Throughout my life I retreated to the forest for comfort. Sometimes I walked angrily, other times frustrated tears fell to the soft carpet of leaves and pine needles beneath my feet. As I walked the forest, my footsteps were quieted. In the quiet, I found solace among the trees with each step. I felt the tension falling away. I watched the trees sway gracefully in the breeze and listened to the birds chirp and flit from one branch to another. Letting go of my thoughts I witnessed the beauty around me. Nature bears no conflict or struggle, it merely accepts and bends with the flow of changing circumstances. In its reverent stillness my mind quieted as my heart filled. I was in the moment, just BEING. I was observing nature. Was it observing me? It must have been. I felt so comforted as though the forest understood me. All I felt from my surroundings was LOVE, Unconditional LOVE. In this place I wanted to remain. As I left the forest I felt lighter in spirit, freer in my mind. Cleansed.

I always thought my over active imagination was the reason I loved being in a forest. To my pleasant surprise I have learned that Shinrin-Yoku which means forest bathing is something being practiced in Japan. Forest bathing is literally spending time in the woods for its therapeutic benefit. Science has actually confirmed its healing influence on the body. When you spend time in a woodland setting you breathe in phytonicides, which is the active substances released by the plants and trees to protect them from animals, insects and decomposition. This substance has been studied and concludes that photonicides lowers blood pressure, blood sugar, stress, decreases pain and improves concentration. It also has anti cancer effects.

One of the services I offer are meditative hikes and kayak journeys into the nearby forest of Wharton State park in Batsto, NJ. These journeys are meant to help you:
*Quiet your mind and experience a deeper connection with your higher self
*Listen with your heart to hear the answers you have been seeking.
*Experience a sense of peace and understanding to a higher truth
*Become more aware and conscious of your thoughts and how
they effect you.
*Enhance and deepen the connection between nature and yourself
*Move to a more enlightened state of being by being mindful
of your awareness and attention to the moment.

Before you hit the malls and start the holiday hustle bustle, join us this Saturday, November 29th at 10am. We will be taking an easy 3 mile hike to reflect on the things we are grateful for in our lives. While we are hiking we will be helping a hungry soul. 50% of the proceeds from this hike will go to Sister Jean’s Soup Kitchen in AC, NJ. So register now! Start the holidays in peace and gratitude.
http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=8idcltcab&oeidk=a07ea3apfzr75e5609f
For more information please visit my website; http://www.fullcirclewellnessllc.com or on Facebook: fullcirclewellnessllc

Nature as Healer

Nature is a powerful healer. Grand views of

vast oceans to majestic mountains touch us in a place deep within. However, the healing properties of nature have the potential to penetrate deeper on a cellular level. Native Americans and Indigenous tribes throughout the world have understood and used the resins, oils and plant parts of a myriad of herbs, plants and trees for healing and ceremony.
Before the industrial revolution our society utilized herbal and folk remedies for most ailments and conditions. Then, synthetic drugs and penicillin were claimed to be the drugs of the future. We turned our backs, scoffing at natural remedies derived from nature. We didn’t realize just how powerfully healing Mother Nature was. Only now are we finding most of these drugs that were meant to heal are hurting, even killing us as they help with one issue but create several others as a result of their toxic side effects. Now, we are finally recognizing that Mother Nature knows how to heal best.
The practice of aromatherapy is ever increasing in popularity. In aromatherapy, essential oils derived from a variety of herbs and plants are used in massage, diffused in the air, used in cooking, skin care and alternatives to medication.
For instance, Lavender essential oil is one of the more commonly used oils and is known to promote relaxation and ease headaches to name just a few.
Peppermint essential oil helps ease breathing and acts as a digestive aid.
Melaleuca, from the melaleuca tree is commonly called Tea Tree oil and is a potent antibacterial, antiviral, antibiotic and regenerative for the skin. The list of oils and their benefits goes on and on.
For any essential oil to be effective it must be therapeutic grade oil not synthetic oil.
Therapeutic grade essential oils are not the only plant derived compound found to have healing benefits to the human body. Many natural complexes are used in supplements.
Pycnogenol is derived from the bark of the French maritime pine tree and numerous studies have demonstrated its anti-inflammatory properties.
White Willow bark is referred to as nature’s aspirin. It is a safer alternative to aspirin, aleve or ibuprofen. It is a natural antiseptic, reduces fever, swelling and inflammation.
Resveratrol is better known as red wine extract. They weren’t kidding when they said red wine was good for you! Resveratrol is a powerful antioxidant which scavenges free radicals and protects cardiovascular health. Though, I wouldn’t recommend trying to drink enough red wine for therapeutic purposes because you’d have to consume the equivalent of 3 bottles of red wine each day to get the benefit of one daily dose of resveratrol.
So before you reach for the aspirin or ask your Doctor for a prescription, look to Mother Nature first. She’s been around a lot longer and you know the saying; “Mother knows best.”
Not sure where to start? Contact me for a complementary 20 minute phone consultation.
The picture above is the wintergreen plant. Its oils are used in gum, toothpaste, breath fresheners and muscle relief lotions.