The Embrace Blog

Welcome to the Embrace blog where we share self-care tips to help you get the most out of life.  

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The Art of Giving and Receiving

mind and emotion Dec 05, 2022

The Art of Giving and Receiving 

You know I used to think it was kind of a funny expression "The Art...", why on earth would anyone call it an art?  Don't you just give and receive?  Well let me share an epiphany with you that I recently had and why I now believe it is an art. 

Growing up I was raised in a family where we followed my Mom's wishes of the Jehovah Witness, and did not participate in any holidays, Christmas, Birthdays, Easter, Halloween... all of them except for two occasions, a Wedding or Anniversary, then it was ok to give or receive gifts.  Other than that there was no gift giving going on.  So if you never married, you were SOL (sooo outta luck)!  My gift giving and receiving "skills" were zero to none.

Now I'm not telling you this from a place of a victimhood as an adult, as it was what it was, however as a child I would say I felt like a victim because why was it every other kid got gifts, but I was not allowed to receive gifts?...

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A tasty treat to warm the belly on a cold day.

body mind emotion Nov 08, 2022

Due to the frigid temperatures we are having I thought why not feed the soul with a yummy and nutritious treat.

As some of you know we follow Anthony William, the Medical Medium, not because he's a medium, but because what he says makes sense. We have tried out many of his suggestions, including celery juice every morning, cutting out "troublemaker" foods etc. like caffeine, and just approaching our 8th, 9 day liver cleanse mid-November. 

We do it because of the wonderful results we get, and both Darren and I are healthier now than before we followed him, that's almost 3 years ago now.  In fact I have reduced my BP meds from 3 pills, down to .5 of one pill!  Now those are true results based on lifestyle changes, namely what we eat, and through cleansing our bodies.

The great news is that we have tried many of his recipes and found great substitutes for things like dairy (yeah I hear you, I never thought we would give that up, but here we are and I know I am not...

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One good deed inspires another!

body mind emotion Sep 05, 2022
One good deed inspires another!
 
While out for our daily walk at the dog park and to the river, (self-care for all of us right) I noticed a man who we see most days, out with his dog going at a snail pace, with a bag in his hand.
 
We stopped to say hello, and exchange treats dog to dog, and I asked what he was doing.
 
"Just picking up garbage to keep our beautiful trails and park beautiful this nice.  Imagine if every person did this?"
 
Well it hit me like a ton of bricks. He was right!  Why do I walk past garbage, because it's not mine?  Yeah admittingly so, the underlying thought being, people should be responsible for themselves, why should I pick up after the irresponsible, or as Dr. Stephen Covey says "irr-response-able.  
 
I had to ask myself, am I able?  You bet I am, so why do I walk past others garbage?  What is my true excuse, is it pride, to prove a point, to wait for those responsible to come back and pick up...
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"Gratitude is the Best Weapon for Negativity."

mind and emotion Aug 09, 2022
Do you ever have those days where most of your thoughts are negative?  Do you even notice or is it other peoples reactions to you that snap you out of it and into awareness?  
 
The question then becomes, what can you do about it?
 
Having a discussion with a good friend Jo recently, and she said "Gratitude is the best weapon for negativity." 
 
It stopped me in my tracks as I never thought of gratitude as a weapon, but when it comes to negativity, perhaps that is exactly what we need.  
 
The key is first being aware of your negative state, then try to change what you are thinking, which may not always be easy.  So what more can we do?
 
One option is to start repeating an affirmation to yourself and really listen to what you're saying (can be silently to self),  and see how your mindset changes.  I personally use "I'm sorry. Please forgive me.  I love you.  Thank you."  Basically I'm acknowledging my "mood"...
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Addicted to your phone? I think I am...

mind and emotion Jul 11, 2022

Addiction, a big word with a big meaning.  

1a compulsive, chronic, physiological or psychological need for a habit-forming substance, behavior, or activity having harmful physical, psychological, or social effects and typically causing well-defined symptoms (such as anxiety, irritability, tremors, or nausea) upon withdrawal or abstinence
2a strong inclination to do, use, or indulge in something repeatedly 
*https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/addiction

Of course for many of use, myself included when we think of the word addiction, substance abuse comes to mind.  But as I was thinking about what to write about his month, I started to realize that perhaps I have an addiction to my phone.

While watching a series, I noticed I would grab my phone during slow scenes to check FB, IG, my email, Noom, SnapChat  and whatever other distractions I have on my phone. 

Then I actually went out to run a few errands and thought I...

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Connecting with Others as self-care

mind and emotion Jun 20, 2022
What do you think when you hear the term "self-care"?
 
Does it send a shiver down your spine as you think of it as "something else I'm not doing but SHOULD be doing", followed by a long sigh...  well you're not alone.
 
Maybe you can consider a different definition and see if that changes your perspective enough to motivate you to try something new.
 
In a short phrase I believe that self-care is feeding your body and / or soul by doing something you love and causes no harm I call this self-care. 
 
If you look at it that way, it has a whole new meaning versus just something else to add to your "to do" list. 
 
Well now, thinking about things you love that feed your body and or soul.  Now that can cover a lot more than just the typical things like diet and exercise.  Maybe it's treating yourself to a new haircut and style, or going to a pedicure, or just taking time for a nap... It may be...
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What is an Energy Ball, and what do I do with it?

mind and body Jun 20, 2022
 

You have learned all about the Chakras in the last 7 blogs, so what's next?

"Along with our system of seven Main physical chakras we have a web of auxiliary energy centres or lesser chakras that provide a wide spectrum of energy influx into our system. There are 21 minor Chakras distributed all over the body."*1   Did you know that?

Today we are going to focus on the ones in your hands and I am going to show you how to create an energy ball with your hands, and what to do with it!  Watch as I describe it in the above video.

Now it's your turn! 

Watch the video again and do it with me.

You will be amazed at how this can help you in a pinch to calm a pain or bring warmth and love to your body.  Remember it's all about the intention you place upon your energy ball and what you wish it to help you with.

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The Root Chakra is where it starts...

mind and body Apr 18, 2022

Now you have a basic understanding of what Charka's do from the previous blogs about Chakras.  Caring for our Chakras is part of self-care, as it relates to the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual bodies that surround and are a part of us, known as our aura.

The Root Chakras mission is  "I want.  I need."

Root Chakra Purpose is about:

  •  Survival
  •  Safety
  •  Security
  •  Self-Preservation
  •  Life Force
  •  Being grounded and secure on this planet

The qualities listed above are all about incorporating safety, security and grounding into our lives.  Really you can relate it back to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, as he talks about these characteristics at the base of his scale.  If we do not feel safe, secure and grounded, it can be difficult to navigate in day to day life.  

Now you can see why the Root is such an important Chakra, as they are all, but for different...

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The Seedbed of the Sacral Chakra -Vitality, Creation and Passion

body mind emotion Apr 04, 2022

Now you have a basic understanding of what Charka's do from the previous blogs about Chakras.  Caring for our Chakras is part of self-care, as it relates to the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual bodies that surround and are a part of us, known as our aura.

The Sacral Chakras mission is "I feel, I sense, I discover."

Sacral Chakra Purpose is about:

  • Creativity

  • Soul Fire

  • Sexuality

  • Passion

  • Life Vitality

Now you can see why the Sacral is such an important Chakra. 

The qualities listed above are all about incorporating passion, vitality and creativity into our lives, that allows us to create the life we desire vs. just living life day by day with no direct intention or purpose beyond making a living.  Even if we do not love what we do for our job, we can still nurture our passion and creativity in our personal lives.  Some may say "I don't have a creative bone in my body."  Chances are you may have a...

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The Power of the Solar Plexus Chakra

body mind emotion Feb 21, 2022

Now you have a basic understanding of what Charka's do from the previous blogs about Chakras.  Caring for our Chakras is part of self-care, as it relates to the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual bodies that surround and are a part of us, known as our aura.

The Solar Plexus Chakra is known as Manipura and is represented by the symbol below.

Solar Plexus Chakra Purpose is about:

  • Self-confidence
  •  Self-worth
  • Personal Power
  • Self-esteem
  • Self-definition
     

Now you can see why the Solar Plexus is such an important Chakra. 

The qualities listed above are all about how we feel about ourselves, and what we put forth to other people.  If we lack self-esteem or self-worth, chances are we give away our personal power and do things that we end up not really wanting to do.  Or we lack the self-confidence to take the next step in our career, a relationship etc.  Now you really see how having...

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