Self-Care Routines

Hi everyone!
I see a lot of people veering towards natural self-care products. Many folks have been asking me what vitamins, supplements and routines I use on a daily basis.

As we have just entered the winter,  I thought it was appropriate to share what I do- here are the top five things I couldn't leave the house without doing/wearing:


Vitamin D
Warm defluoridated water with lemon
Soapwalla deodorant
Activated Charcoal Toothpaste
Dr. Bronner's

Vitamin D: People are generally vitamin D deficient, because we don't spend enough time in the sun! I am not a doctor, but I can say that I have a noticeable shift in mood and energy when I take my vitamin D supplement in the morning. For a deeper information read here. I use Carlson Labs 2000 IU D3.

Warm defluoridated water with lemon: If you are unaware around the current research regarding fluoride, please look into it yourself. Here is a helpful general study from Harvard showing the fluoride lowers children's IQ. There is much more out there aside from this small study. We use a Berkey Water Filtration system for our drinking water. Arsenic, chlorine and fluoride are among a few of the treatments/waste products found in our regional water supply and most water filters (such as Brita, do not remove these toxins). Check your locality for information on your water.

The lemon is great for a gentle liver and lymph detox, it helps to move oxidants and free particles through the body and out of your system. Lemon water can balance your pH and it also acts as a laxative if you need help getting the bowels moving. I do not drink coffee or tea that often, so I boil up a pot of water with lemon and whatever herbs I've got around for the morning. Here are some great benefits of drinking warm water with lemon. Most importantly, it tastes very good!

Soapwalla Deodorant Cream: I love this stuff! I have to apply deodorant because I am moving all day. I know some people who don't wear any and apparently that works too!
If you need to wear D.O. for peace of mind, check this product out. I love how it smells, so if you want to wear D.O.  it is a great option. Made from all natural ingredients, read more reviews and the ingerdients in the link!

Activated Charcoal Toothpaste: 
I switched to toothpowder after using Tom's and JASON brand for years. I prefer the feeling of the toothpowder and find that it leaves my breath fresher and my teeth feeling much cleaner. The abrasiveness of the powder removes plaque but is gentle on the enamel. The brand that I use is inVitamin, there are many brands out there and recipes to make your own. I have tried a few toothpowders that do not contain charcoal and was also satisfied with them. Toothpowders containing Neem are especially nice. If you are looking to whiten your teeth though, go with the black stuff! Research for yourself and let me know what you find/think if you try it! Here is a great link for more great information on activated charcoal.

Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap: If the label isn't enough to woo you alone, the smells and lathering quality of Dr. Bronner's will get you.

What sold me? Dr. Bronner's philosophy " people would stop focusing on their religious and ethnic differences and find common ground, we would all be better off. We're all humans, and we all have to share this Spaceship Earth."

The history of the Dr. Bronner's Soap company is much more incredible than your ordinary soap story. Dr. Bronner lost his family to the Holocaust when he left for the United States upon seeing the Nazi's rising power, they refused to go with him. The story is tragic but inspiring. He has truly made a mark with his quirky soap brand.

The reason why it has a cult following? You can use this shit to clean just about anything. It is biodegradable and it actually works. You get the fresh clean feeling you want without the bad things that come with a bar of Irish Springs. Here is a wonderful article on Dr. Bronner's from Inc. magazine.

I would love to know what products you use/can't live without! 

Finding You.

 "The instinct for spirituality is hardwired in us. This is our fourth instinct, the one beyond the instincts for survival, power and sex. It is a genetically-based, physical instinct that has a metaphysical purpose. It is a natural hunger for supernatural sustenance. It propels us to find the meaning and transcend our mundane selves." - Arianna Huffington

We are spiritual beings. It is hard to deny that humans frequently ponder the questions of "Why are we here? What is our purpose? Is there something greater for us?" Perhaps these questions leave you feeling lost and unsure? If that is the case, you are not alone.  The solution for some is to suppress and ignore the insight all together. There are many who decide this is a much safer path for them. But whether they are aware or not, they are missing out on much, much more.

I think that YOU, however, are on a path to feel and see more.

We are a part and reflection of the source of our creation (that means whatever you believe it to be). We have a choice to explore our minds or to let our minds be influenced by external stimuli. When we elect to learn more, by exploring our minds and by practicing faith we rediscover that though we are small, we are mighty.  We re-learn that we are connected to everyone and everything, expressing our own choice and free will. 

Society lends that self-work and spirituality are "new-age" and spacey, there is much resistance to bringing it to forefront of conversation.  We see now that when we do not choose to honor and learn ourselves, we become very vulnerable physical world temptations. When we are out of touch with ourselves, we are out of touch with others. Being out of touch with ourselves and others leads to a power struggle. We see people seeking control by manipulating and betraying others, the needs for materials and the drive for self-gratification. This is a road full of detours that leads even further away from our core and nearer to great unhappiness, reactivity and confusion (the sense of all bad things happen to me in this world and the world is out to get me). 

Rather than fight the problem, let's live the solution. Consider the moments when you begin to feel your best down in your core. It might be times spent in nature, hiking, practicing yoga, running, stillness, silence, meditation, singing, laughing, making love or serving one another. How much time do you actually spend doing these things? If we know they make us feel so good, could we do more of it?  

When we become aware of ourselves we become aware of others. We realize that our friends, lovers, neighbors and enemies are the same as we are, spiritual beings going through the human experience. 

We re-realize that what matters most is compassion, empathy, and unconditional love. I say re-realize because when we are small children, we know these simple things are true. Compassion, empathy and unconditional love are divine way of being.

Somewhere along the way someone shouts at us not to touch that, don't do this and instill the onset of fear creation. As adults, we have created many self-defense mechanisms for dealing with uncertainty and pain. In turn, we disconnect from our purest, child-like -arguably- wisest selves.  

Here are 7 things you can do to mentally declutter and get clear. 

1. Embrace time. 

Learn to love the present moment and stop complaining that you don't have enough of it. Time is a gift, start treating it that way. 

2. Meditation. 

It may not be sitting on a cushion for 2 hours a day letting thoughts fly away, but it could be. If that doesn't work for you, go for a walk, slow down.  Let yourself daydream and imagine. 

3. Practice Self-Love. 

Even if you don't believe it yet, fake it. Tell yourself, you are special, you are enough and you have purpose. Let that be your guiding light in all moments, especially the moments of uncertainty. 

4. Love Others. 

Learn from your pets, learn from children, get closer to the unconditional love you used to know. Practice empathizing with people who cause you frustration and pain. Think about how much pain they are in,  how lost and confused they must be and it will certainly change your perspective on things. 

5. Practice Yoga. 

Yoga helps you to strengthen your awareness, first physically, and eventually mentally and spiritually. Yoga helps to discipline your mind, and it trains your nervous system so it’s easier for you to process spiritual energy.

6. Laugh and Cry Often.

Laughing and crying allow us to move stagnant energy throughout our bodies, they have a theraputic and transformative quality that enable us to purify, heal and remove blockages. They bring us to the present moment and allow us to more easily tap into spiritual energies.

7. The hardest one... Don't Fear Death.

Though we may not concsiously be aware of the daily implications of fear of dying, fear of dying is actually a fear of living. With living comes certain physical death. The spirit never dies, believe that. You are whole, good and clean and have no reason to fear the great next step. 

“I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it.” - Mark Twain

"We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience." Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Feeling frustrated?

I can get easily annoyed.

In the past I was certain that I was plagued by super senses. The ability to hear quiet noises that no one else can, taste flavors unnoticed by most and see in high-def. Noises, such as the upstairs tenants roomba perusing ALL DAY still really ticks me off sometimes!

While those around me would probably agree that I have more buttons to be pushed than most people, I thought that my annoyances were legitimate. They would actually take away from my ability to be present. What I have since discovered is how to choose, not to let them.  

It has taken far too many venting sessions and pissing off of people around me than it should have. People getting annoyed and frustrated at me for complaining about how I was feeling annoyed and frustrated. There are plenty of products and methods that I have tried to avoid a run in with my pet peeves (loud music, headphones, sleep masks).  I was never truly successful in tuning out what was setting me off. Through my loud music I would watch someone across the train smack their gum and convince myself that I heard it. The most trivial things could set me into reactivity.

When I started to allow these things to consume my energy and expel even more negativity, I could physically feel my blood start to heat up, my senses become super focused and turn to a fervent animal like state.

The biggest ah-ha moment was when I moved in with my boyfriend and all of his noises during allergy season (which we are once again upon right now). How could someone that I loved also be the source of so much frustration? The way I would treat him was simply put: mean.

I realized getting agitated was my choice.  I was lacking in a lot of empathy. I was being selfish.

In fact, in all of these scenarios with the woman chewing her gum on the subway, the poor boy with allergies in my math class, I was just being unempathetic and selfish. Unable to own my part in the encounter, before I was just the victim. Living with someone who was able to verbalize how I was making him feel, I realized, I was not only the recipient in these situations, I was also the giver. What was I giving off in all of these scenarios? Well, I don't know but it was certainly nothing I would want.

We have all been there. Mine may be a bit more extreme, but these feelings of frustration or even anger often happen when something feels out of your control, is an attack on your credibility or feels as though it is an obstacle to you- i.e. your co-worker took credit for your work, you are questioned about your validity, you are not chosen for the job you feel you were entitled to. This state of  emotion is part of what makes us human and more importantly-animals.

How can we opt for more choice? How can we make a concious decision of how we let our surroundings and happenings affect us?

Here are the things that I practice when I sense a game-changer:

1. Take a deep breath
2. Decide how I want to feel, own your part in the interaction, empathize. You are giving those around you energy too, what do you really feel they deserve?
3. Give what you want that person to recieve and feel the way you want to feel. You will :).

When we shift the focus off of how we instinctively/emotionally want to react, we can shift it towards how we want to feel.

We all have buttons that can be pushed, that are often paired with feelings of helplessness and frustration.
How do you deal with them?