On every flight, to anywhere in the world, we are reminded that in case the oxygen masks drop down while traveling with a dependent, we should put our mask first and then attend to help those who need our assistance. Why do we need these reminders? why isn’t it clear to us, that we need to attend our needs first in order to help others? How can we see so clearly that someone else has a problem but are blind to our own? And even when we do see that we have an issue, why are we automatically available to help others but hardly available to take care of ourselves?

Perhaps it’s because we are too busy engaging in this major project called Life which leaves us less available to notice some minor details in it..

2-IMGP4691 (2).JPG — Picture by Amit Shlagman

Life may become hectic, often due to our perception that, we are expected to follow some basic social customs, which may not always be the same as our deep personal believes. And we do so simply because we are too busy for taking a moment to find out what our deep personal believes are. It seems as there is never time for us to take a break. Breaks seem less socially acceptable, while work usually seems to be more appreciated.

This is why it was a bit of a revolutionary act for me, when I decided to start taking one-hour Epsom salts baths every morning. This decision probably has been influenced by my teacher’s remark in the iridology class back at the Naturopathic school, when she looked into my eyes for few good minutes, and finally said: “OOOOHHHHH MMMYYYYYY!!!!!”. She moved on to the eyes of the 26-years-old kid sitting next to me and tells him that if he continues what he is doing, he would be dead by 30. Then, she returned and asked me if I want to hear what she has to say. Engaging all my courage (as I was still in the learning process of saying no…), I politely said: “No, thank you! I am all set!!!!!”.

And set I was! Realizing that something must be changed and starting with the simplest things I could think of – Epsom salt baths in the morning and castor oil packs at night: The night treatment was easy – I did not need to change anything besides applying the packs when I go to sleep. But the morning new routine was a complete different story.

Growing up with amazing parents who do not regard any work as hard, I have been taught to be productive and proactive: there is always something to do or someone to help, and it is never too hard to do everything.
So after all these years of productiveness, I now plan to take a whole hour and do NOTHING! Completely disregarding the fact that there is so much I could do – clean, cook, read, listen to something, learn etc…… and yet, I choose to start my day doing NOTHING.

5-IMGP5100 (2) — Picture by Amit Shlagman

First time sitting in the Epsom bath, I felt very guilty – doing nothing is neither productive nor proactive. This is the complete opposite of how I was raised. Ant yet, I chose to do it. I chose to start changing the believes I grew up on, hoping to reach and follow my own deepest ones, because I had this huge desire to live.

I have no idea what my teacher saw in my eyes that day, but it does not matter. I knew exactly how I felt then and in the months prior to class. And I also knew that I never took a moment to ponder about it. I did not need a verbal report (or even a diagnosis) to assure me something is off – just needed to stop and figure out what is going on.

As I started to do NOTHING for a whole hour every morning, It was astonishing to notice how, by the end of the day, I managed to finish all my planned tasks much faster and much more efficient than I did before.
I became more focused. I started to understand priorities. I understood what really requires my attention and what is just noise. I also realized that only when I learned the art of doing NOTHING I discovered that I exist. And that I may have some issues that require my attention.

I became very appreciative for the gift I was giving my kids – teaching them that self care is not a synonym to laziness or neglecting chores, but a priority item on our to-do list. Kids learn from our actions and not from our words. When we act from our deepest personal believes – they learn to do so as well. And when they grow up, they will have a good chance to possess this remarkable tool to help them navigate life.

My feelings of guilt slowly faded, as I worked to ease them away. For many of us, guilt may be a major block in our journeys. According to Anodea Judith, in her book, Chakra Balancing Workbook, Guilt is the demon of unbalanced second chakra (second of seven major energy centers in our body), which is located in our lower belly. She continues to mention that, “the basic right of the second chakra is the right to feel. We may have this right compromised by being told ‘you shouldn’t feel that way’ or that our feelings were wrong or bad, or there is something wrong with you because you were upset, scared or angry.” We may feel that something is wrong when we need a break, since we are taught to keep doing and never taught to stop.

Caroline Myss PhD, in her book, Anatomy of the spirit, mentions that the second chakra possesses the power of Choice. “Managing the power of choice, with all its creative and spiritual implications, is the essence of human experience.” We have the choice to evolve beyond the collective energy and create what is working for us.

We have the right to take a break, and this becomes very clear as a choice we can make, when we balance our second chakra. The second chakra is associated with water, with flexibility (in movement and in life), with enjoyment of beauty (in sight, sound or touch..). Creating a connection with our second chakra is essential to our healing. Understanding the emotions which we are holding there and hopefully allowing the space to release them, can help up let go of this guilt that we carry.

IMGP3026 (2).JPG — Picture by Amit Shlagman

There are many activities that can be great as second chakra openers. Here are few suggestions to begin with. Feel free to research and create your own healing tools to bring balance to second chakra.

Stretches like the butterfly movement – when you lay on your back and bring the soles of your feet together while opening and closing your knees (or any other simple yoga pose)
Water – Drinking / Dipping / … – correlating with the water element of the chakra
Moving – dancing / hiking / biking / … – correlating to fluidity and flexibility
Looking at or listening to anything that is perceived beautiful – affecting joy
Castor oil packs on abdomen – lubricating the physical area of our second chakra while relaxing the nervous system to help us connect to our personal deepest believes (read more about The Real reason I love castor packs)

When second chakra is open – body smiles

When balancing and opening the second chakra, many of our hidden feelings and emotions will probably flood us. By then, our body already smiles and is more forgiving and accepting whatever surfs up. Allowing free flowing of these emotions and feelings releases energy that we used for covering them up. We will find that we have more strength and will power to do whatever we wish. And probably will have more courage to open our eyes to see our own selves before others.

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Sometimes we need a wake-up call to take us out of our automatic pilot who is always available for others, but almost always too busy for self issues. It is important to remember that any shift or transformation takes time, no matter how loud or quiet is our wake up call. It is a journey where we learn that we have to be in our best condition – physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually – in order to be in service for others.

Only when we stop and find a time to do NOTHING, we can discover that we exist. And when we discover that we exist, we can learn that we have to address our issues before addressing other’s.

Then, we will be able to take flight. to anywhere in the world and maybe even beyond.
and no reminders will be needed….

1-IMGP5149 (2) — Picture by Amit Shlagman

Read more:

Anatomy of the spirit – Caroline Myss, Ph.D

Chakra Therapy – Keith Sherwood

Chakra Balancing -Anodea Judith

Blog, energy work

How Special Do We Need to Be To Offer Energy Work?

August 8, 2019August 10, 2019 Anat Shlagman Traditional Naturopath

Energy work is often linked to many modalities as Reiki, Therapeutic touch, Craniosacral therapy, EFT, Chakra balancing, Polarity and many others. Every offered energy modality is amazing and can manifest an enormous shift in all states of emotional, physical, mental and spiritual. However, none of them can give their great results without counting the personal intention of the person who offers the energy work.

So, how special do we need to be to offer energy work?

The most special it can get – We need to be ourselves!!!

Each one of us is unique. The most special and purest environment for healing sets when we offer healing from our hearts, while setting our intention to the highest good of the receiver, without seeking benefits for ourselves.

This is why we have to remember, when looking beyond all the offered modalities, that each one of us is made of energy. We are giving and receiving energy all the time. So, even just by our presence, without any knowledge of any particular modality, we are actually offering energy work. And this offering may be the most important of all, as we are engaged with it throughout the whole 24 hours of the day and not in just a specific hour of a session.

Our intention has an astonishingly important role in our healing process and understanding the importance of this role may have an great impact on the way we manage our lives. When we are mindful of our intentions, towards ourselves or others, we may shift the energies surrounding us and create the proper environment for our healing. Our attitude, our inner response, our thinking – all affect our energy.

How does energy work and how does it affect our physical body?

Picture by Amit Shlagman

Caroline Myss Ph.D. states in her book, Anatomy of the spirit, that “everything that is alive pulsates with energy and all of this energy contains information. Scientists accept that the human body generates electricity because living tissue generates energy. Your physical body is surrounded by an energy field that extends as far out as your stretched arms and the full length of your body. It is both an information center and a highly sensitive perceptual system. We are constantly ‘in communication’ with everything around us through this system, which is kind of conscious electricity that transmits and receives messages to and from other people’s bodies.”

As energy beings, we are more affected by the transmitted energy rather than said or written words. We understand messages from a much wider perspective and this may cause physical response. When our energy is weak or depleted or wounded in a certain area, the physical organs or tissues or cells in that area may suffer as well. Donna Eden, a pioneer in the field of energy medicine, refers to energy as “body’s natural self-healing elixir, it’s natural medicine which feeds body and soul and attending to it restores natural vitality”. She explains that our bodies continually vibrating at a subtle level, moving energy and information through the connective tissues that encase us. Donna Eden mentions that we resonate with energies in our environment, matching our frequencies of the vibrations to the ones around us. Shifting an energy field can have an effect on body’s chemistry. While disturbed energy precede illnesses in the physical body, Donna believes that it is possible to correct energy imbalances before they coagulate into illness. Maintaining a healthy energy field is a powerful strategy for maintaining health and preventing illness.

Dolores Kreiger, Ph.D., RN., who teaches Therapeutic Touch since 1972, says that “all life sciences agree that physically, a human being is an open energy system. The transfer of energy between people is a natural, continuous event. Therefore, when a healer transfers energy to a healee during Therapeutic Touch, it is by a nonstressful, ‘effortless effort’, that is guided by conscious, mindful action. The important ingredient added by the healer is intentionality within a context of compassionate concern for the healee. Illness is an imbalance in an individual’s energy field. In Therapeutic Touch the healer directs and modulates this energy field, using the sense of touch as a telereceptor, detecting fine energetic cues such as change in pattern. Human beings have natural abilities to transform and transcend their conditions of living.” According to her, Therapeutic Touch is for everyone. Each one of us can learn and use it. And this statement is right for any Energy work modality.

Picture by Amit Shlagman

Healing resides within us. The energy we bring from within comes from our choice and is owned by us. The more conscious and mindful we are about our own energies, our own intentions, the more we can direct them towards our own healing and healing of our surroundings.

We can protect ourselves from outside energies by warming our own energy. When energy is cold, it is like ice – if something hits us, then we shatter and break. But when energy is warm, it is like fluid – if something hits us, it will flow with the stream and eventually move out of our body.

We want to keep our selves flowing and not stagnant. A good way to warm our energy is by taking a moment to visualize heat wrapping us until we feel warm. Adding a physical heating source can be a great idea to help enhance this visualization. And yes, a castor oil pack can do wonders here as well. The castor pack can help our body shift from the fight-or-flight state (sympathetic) to the rest-and-digest state (parasympathetic) of the autonomic nervous system, which then our perceptions and reactions change, and the energy surrounding us becomes smoother and more balanced.

Each one of us is unique and possess a tailored way to conduct life. Respecting our uniqueness and owning it can create a more relaxed and balanced environment for our energies. When we are able to accept our solitude and the exclusiveness of our way of thinking, then we become the most special we can ever be, and are able to offer any powerful energy work to those who need us.

More sources:

Dolores Kreiger Ph.D. R.N. – Accepting your power to heal

Caroline Myss Ph.D. – Anatomy of the spirit

Donne Eden – Energy Medicine

Blog, Castor oil, Self Heal

How Do They Know???

May 31, 2019May 31, 2019 Anat Shlagman Traditional Naturopath

How do trees know that if they let their leaves fall in autumn, new leaves will appear in spring? How do birds know that if they leave their comfort place and venture away, they will arrive to a more supporting environment for their needs? Not so sure if they actually know, but they do have an admirable trust.

How can they have such an irrational trust that, when they let go of what does not serve them anymore, then they will get the things they need exactly at the right time and place? And how can they do it when everything they let go of is probably all they have on earth?

Would it be possible for us to gain such a trust???

Trust is an earned value and is gained when beneficial events repeat and become almost predictable. Being in fight-or-flight mode, we are living in constant state of perceived-war, and we are striving for survival while nothing else matters. In this state of perceived-war, body will not release anything, simply since our body has no idea what will happen next and what it will be needing. Body will hold to everything, even if it is not of service today.
Talking about trust? How can our body trust that every one of its needs will be provided, while still in a state of chaos and has no idea what comes next?

More over, in this perceived-war state, we are not able to notice small shifts in our body, just because we are busy with the important stuff – saving our lives.
And those small shifts – occasional pain here and there, occasional acid reflux, occasional head ache, occasional inflammation, occasional flu, etc.. – they all come with a story. A very unique story that only the owner of the body can understand. But if the owners are busy fighting for their lives, the story will never be heard and probably never be resolved. Unfortunately, the story also will never disappear.

Resolving these unique stories once they are happening, can relief the body from the burden of carrying them around. Shedding these stories may create space for new (maybe better) events.

IMGP1039 (2).JPG — Picture by Amit Shlagman

So what brings us to this state of constant perceived-war or fight-or-flight? I suspect that our definitions of some words or actions may have a great affect on our state:

When Rest is defined as laziness, we do not appreciate sleep. According to Harvard university, sleep enhances memory, immune system, focus, improves mood and actually provides vitality for us to be productive. We are able to achieve much more of our goals in much shorter time when we are rested, rather than running constantly without stopping.
When Nourishment is defined as a sophisticated philosophy, we stay away from foods that became less socially acceptable and eat foods that do not nurture our cells. The word “Food” is not always a synonym to Nourishment. It does not matter how much we eat or how we look, but if our cells are not being nourished, we will always be hungry and always seek for something to eat. How can we nourish our body? By eating real food. Food that was not processed or changed by human hand. Food that existed here for thousands of years, and is not new. Food that your grandparents will recognize when you take them shopping – ask them which foods they ate as kids, and learn from them. These foods probably have been helping them survive the foods they are eating now.
When Herbs are defined as weeds that we need to eradicate, we surround ourselves with chemicals that manipulate our nervous system. Any insult to our nervous system puts us in a fight-or-flight mode. Would it be possible that we can use some herbs to calm this response?

When Body work and Energy work are defined as luxury, we are staying away from touch and from connection to our own body. I believe that touch is key in the process of healing. Nourishing touch has the power to soften tissue so it can release any memories holding us back.

When Movement is defined as time demanding, we tend to use our cars more than our feet. This brings to a disconnect from nature, as we spend more time in-doors or in-cars and not outside. A simple act of walking in nature can be very restorative to our nervous system, respiratory system, digestive system, and circulatory system.

When Self Education about our bodies is defined as a burden due to overwhelming assignments we need to accomplish throughout the day, we depend on others’ opinions and suggestions, which may not always be the best for us. Taking the time to be in our body and research about our inward discoveries can lower anxieties and fears from the unknown.

How can we change our definitions? We have to bring our body to a state of peace, a state of deep relaxation. And then, we will be able to perceive reality closer to what it is. How can we do that? There are probably millions of ways to bring the body to it’s deeply relaxed/rest-and-digest /parasympathetic state.

However, as an Earthy Taurus, who cannot handle surprises very well, I will stick to my unsurprisingly answer – Castor oil Packs!!!! Castor packs never fail to bring anyone who uses them to a deep state of relaxation. When we are persistent with our actions, even if it is one action only, our body learns to trust us. Our body learns that we have a new tool of communication, and we will not hesitate to operate it. In time, body will be comfortable enough to inform us with its needs. While establishing this dialogue with our body, we become more attentive and aware of things that may come up:

Pains which we never took the time to notice, surf up and remind us to get in touch with forgotten events/stories
Memories/traumas/grief, which are still waiting to be processed out of our system, may come up
Feelings, which we never thought they existed or we kept disregarding, may be experienced
Deep understanding of situations, which we never knew why they happened, and may suddenly become clear
Constipation may even happen, as we unconsciously trying to hold on to old matter that is surfing up
Rashes that appear from no where, but if we pay attention we can see they are located in areas with issues/stories

All the above were hidden and disregarded for many years, probably. When they surf, the best way to deal with them is to acknowledged their existence and accept them into our lives. In his book, The Road Less Traveled, M. Scott Peck talks about the process of healing which can happen when we are willing to deal with pain – emotional or mental or physical pain. Pain is never easy, and resolving pain may be the hardest mission we would ever encounter. However, once we process it out of our body and resolve issues that we would likely hide, we become free to follow and fulfill our dreams. and then we start living…

And when we start living, we can start letting go of what is not serving us on our journey anymore. We can trust that our needs will be supported at the right time and place, even when what we are letting go of, may be all we have on earth…

Blog, Castor oil

What makes it so difficult to do something different?

February 24, 2019July 27, 2020 Anat Shlagman Traditional Naturopath

What makes it so difficult for us to do something different?

In order to answer this question, we may need to take a look in the mirror….

How many of us wake up in the morning, and, in their full-blown-morning-galore-look, stare at the mirror and say: “wow!” with the most tenderness and love they can afford? (not the other “wow!!!!” that you may think of…)

I am sure few of us would. But why not most of us? Why not all of us?

My belief is that when we are staring into the mirror, we are looking to find the “perfect” image that we saw yesterday in the magazine or TV show and obviously it cannot be seen in our mirror. We want to see the image that suits the “beautiful cover” definition according to our own view. No matter what it is hiding underneath.

Therefore, when we don’t see it – we become disappointed, and cannot express any tenderness or love towards the reflection that lets us down.

Slowly we clean up, becoming a bit more like the image we would like to see, and making the decision that it is time to try to manage our health condition more naturally. So we visit a naturopath. The naturopath has some mind-blowing ideas how to create healing and how to adjust it to our lifestyle, and we go back home to sleep on what we heard.

We wake up the next morning. Staring again at the mirror. Now, what are the chances that we tenderly & lovingly would say: “wow! Look at me! Today I am starting to walk my new path – changing all my lifestyle habits and healing all my ailments!”?

Chances are probably pretty slim…

We are more likely to stand in front of the mirror and again be disappointed from what we see. But now we also become angry. Since that body that is reflected in the mirror has requests – he/she needs us to make changes for him/her – letting go of stuff that we like and starting to do stuff that we have never done before. No matter if we like it or not .

All these requests! And for whom? For the stranger who reflects in our mirror? We never saw him/her before, because the “perfect” image was always blocking the way. We don’t know this body that reflects in the mirror. We don’t know what he/she wants. We don’t know what he/she needs. We have no communication with him/her.

IMGP2790 (3).JPG — Picture by Amit Shlagman

I can sit here for hours and explain you about foods and acts that may affect our body in different ways for better or worse, but if I do not emphasize how important it is to create this dialogue between you and your own body – I will be talking in vain.

This dialogue, or this communication system, can be created only when body reaches a very deep state of relaxation – shifting to the parasympathetic state of the autonomic nervous system. Nothing good comes out when we are constantly in sympathetic / fight-or-flight mode. Unless a bear is chasing us. And even then, I really hope he chases us in the first hour we are in sympathetic state and not on our 10^th year…
Shifting to parasympathetic state allows us to be present and open our eyes to appreciate what this amazing body is doing for us. There are many ways to reach parasympathetic state, but I will share here the way that works best for me – the way I use in all my sessions & in my life and it never fails – castor oil packs. The preparation that works for me is by applying the castor oil on the belly, covering with a towel and topping with a hot water bottle, then resting for an hour or the whole night. I have witnessed many people shifting on my table just from this simple castor application, and cannot talk enough about the real reason I love castor so much!!

When applying the castor oil pack on the belly, the oil lubricates and stimulates all the tissues, organs and systems in this region. Along with that, the heat draws the blood vessels up closer to the skin as they dilate, allowing oil to be absorbed into the blood circulation as well, thus distributed through the whole body. Lubricating and stimulating organs as the small intestine, bladder, colon, liver, uterus, which are part of systems that are inhibited when body is under stress (when the autonomic nervous system functions at its sympathetic / fight-or-flight state), signals the nervous system to shift to the relaxed state (parasympathetic state).

When we are deeply relaxed, we can straighten our look into the mirror and see who we really are. See how amazing we are without the need to be compared to anyone else. See how beautiful our body is, no matter what is shown in the magazines. And only when we are able to open our eyes and see, we are able to open our hearts to make an effort for the awesome person reflecting back from our mirror.

Changes will always come from within and not from without. When we allow our inner self to shine, we will be able to do something different. And this will not be difficult at all…

Who Are You Not To Be?

February 18, 2019February 19, 2019 Anat Shlagman Traditional Naturopath

Offering New Dates for some of my Workshops…

Traditionally Empowered Healing LLC

We ask ourselves: “who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?”
Actually, who are you not to be?

-Marianne Williamson

Many hesitate to ask me for an advice fearing that I would force them to make a change. The truth is that when I tell you to do something, you would probably choose to cover your ears and not hear me. This is why I stopped talking and started teaching. Not teaching how to make a change, but teaching how to listen to your body and understand the messages its sending.

Now, when your body is telling you to do something, and you are able to understand what it’s telling you, it is harder for you to ignore – You have to listen.

Should you choose to make a change when you know what your body is telling you? It’s your own call! I have nothing to do with…

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