Betty's House Natural Health

MY TURN . . .

2012-01-23T12:24:00.000-08:00

Does politics ever seem to you to be an undecipherable conundrum? It certainly does to me.

First let me tell you that I am not a political animal. I have never felt comfortable following any particular popular belief in any area of life. I was raised by a strict fundamental minister father, but could never accept that philosophy. The more mature I got the more that belief system became a dilemma for me. At the same time he encouraged me to think for myself and to not just follow the crowd - any crowd.

This past weekend in the United States in the South Carolina Republican Primary Election we observed what appeared to have been a last minute reversal in the conservative so-called religious right, swinging their vote to Newt Gingrich. Apparently that reversal was based on the emotional appeal of his debating skills, not his record in Washington or his character.

Conservative Republicans always tout “family values” as one of their primary causes. How can they possibly justify an endorsement of Mr. Gingrich’s lifestyle? I listened carefully when he was interviewed about this issue after the election, and he indicated that he had asked for forgiveness and is now a church-going loyal husband.

Oh Please! Excuse me, but I don’t buy it.

My now deceased Republican Baptist minister father must be shaking his fist in the heavens. It would be interesting to hear what he might say. When will we wake up and stop voting for dishonest politicians who make millions in politics, with questionable personal values, and then give us a song and dance around the issues when they surface in political debates.

My opinion may not amount to diddly-squat (one of my father’s favorite sayings), but at least I feel better for having said it.

Enough of my soap box. It is unusual for me to write anything about politics, and I may not ever do it again. My website, Betty's House . . . Life After MS, and companion newsletter, Journey to Wellness, attest to my penchant for not following the crowd. I invite you to visit my website. I think you'll find something of value, especially if you have a physical challenge.

JUST WHAT IS HEALING, ANYWAY?

2011-12-09T21:19:00.000-08:00

There is of course physical healing of our body, but there is much more to healing. In a broad sense I define healing as "changing whatever one needs to change in your life."

Perhaps we need to "heal" a relationship, and of course I don't know anyone who hasn't had that challenge. Perhaps it is a psychological or behavioral challenge we need to heal. Then there are those who have a sickness or any one of numerous addictions. Most of us, if we are truly honest with ourselves, will admit to being or having been addicted to some thing at some time.

All of the above in a broad sense are sicknesses. And of course there are many more. Sometimes we just need to heal how we handle certain situations for which there is no solution. I do believe, however, that most of the avenues to ALL HEALING have very common denominators, while keeping in mind that there are definitely no magic wands, although some healing tools seem almost to fit that definition.

CONNECTING WITH OUR SOURCE: Mending and/or strengthening our connection to our SOURCE, CREATOR, THE UNIVERSE, GOD, or whatever one chooses to call that all powerful, all knowing energy that fuels our universe. I believe the best way to connect with our Source is through meditation, which is in a way a form of prayer. Meditation and visualization can open the door to healing on all levels. If you haven’t already done so, I urge you to make the time to practice meditation at the start of each day. A habit very soon becomes a routine or ritual, and this is one that will very soon become a highlight of each day.

OUR MIND IS POWERFUL: Recognizing the incredible, awesome power of our mind! Paraphrasing Henry Ford, "If you think you can, you are right, and if you think you can't you are right also! The thoughts we think, and the words we say, are more powerful than we can even imagine.

INTENTION IS POWERFUL: Healing will never occur unless and until we set our intention to heal. That encompasses our belief and attitude. Brian Johnson of PhilosophersNotes.com (whom I very highly recommend) talks about being diligent, passionate, persistent, and playful. My experience is that one needs all those attributes in order to succeed at healing. Connect with Brian at PhilosophersNotes.com. He is an awesome young man.

BUILD YOUR BELIEF: Everything else is built on a foundation of belief and attitude. Read transformative books and create positive affirmations to aid in all the above.

THE PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF HEALING: Cornerstones of healing must include a commitment to nutrition, exercise, and restorative sleep. The physical side of healing must be part of any wellness program.

I WILL UNTIL! Persistence is extremely important. In his book, Real Magic, Dr. Wayne Dyer says you can have instant transformation, which he calls satori (sa-tor-i), or you can take a few years to accomplish that goal. In either case, you get to decide which path you take!

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!!! There is no such day on any calendar as "tomorrow." We only have today. I hope you will have the courage to start on your own healing path today.

I invite you to read my healing story at www.BettysHouseLifeAfterMS.com. You can heal and transform your life. The power you possess is awesome!

My message is clear:

I CAN, YOU CAN, WE ALL CAN . . .

heal whatever we need to heal

Connect with me on Facebook and Twitter

WHAT KIND OF ENERGY ARE YOU SENDING OUT?

2011-11-12T14:24:00.000-08:00

We are all energetic beings. And we are always sending out energy by the thoughts we choose to have about everything and everyone we encounter. The next time you come into contact with a negative and/or upset person, instead of just reacting in like fashion, choose to respond by visualizing that person surrounded by a white light. Then mentally send them positive, loving energy. The results will amaze and astound you.

Deepak Chopra teaches that we are surrounded by,

and a part of, a kind of quantum soup,

that responds to our thoughts.

"I am in control of my life?" I can almost hear you say, "Come on Betty, how can you say I am in control? Obviously if that were true I wouldn't be experiencing ( - fill in the blank of your challenge - )." I can certainly understand that reaction.

When I was first exposed to this teaching by such masters as Drs. Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer, Bruce Lipton, Brian Weiss, and many others, I was searching for ways to help my body overcome Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. As I delved deeper into how my thoughts become my reality, I developed heightened intuition that ultimately lead me to a number of natural healing techniques that became the cornerstone of overcoming my MS. These healing techniques included meditation, the ancient healing art of Qi Gong, very important breath work, and a diet consisting of whole, unprocessed foods. You may read my MS story at www.BettysHouseLifeAfterMS.com.

I believe in KIS - keep it simple - so I'll try to reduce this powerful truth and make it simple and easy to understand. There are two kinds of control - conscious and subconscious. Dr. Bruce Lipton, author of the world wide best-seller, The Biology of Belief, tells us that 95% of our actions are guided by our subconscious programming. But that we can remove old negative programming by replacing it with positive new beliefs and thoughts.

For some of us just learning that is enough to set us on a new conscious path. But for most of us some "re-programming" is required to consciously choose different thoughts and attitudes.

It is my experience that when we accept that we have the ability to have conscious control of our life, everything changes. In the next few weeks it is my intention to share various ways one may build up our ability to positively affect our reactions.

STAY TUNED!

MILESTONES

2011-09-25T14:17:00.000-07:00

Those of you who are 40 years of age or older will remember an early popular daytime TV program called "Queen for a Day." I always wondered what it would be like to have that experience. Well, September 24 I had an opportunity to enjoy such an experience . . . well at least close to it anyway!

September 24 was my 75th birthday, and it was the most incredibly wonderful day. My daughter-in-law Christine and grandson Zachary hosted a birthday party for my close friends, and we had a really grand time. I am truly blessed with the most amazing "daughter" in Chris, and equally amazing 15-year-old grandson Zach. Only 10 years old when we lost his father, Chris has done an incredible job of being mother and father to Zach, and surrogate "mother" to me.

Chris invited my close friends from the neighborhood where I live, as well as one of the secretaries who used to work in my son's law firm. She and I became very close during Kevin's 2-1/2 year struggle with lung cancer, and she was literally my "emotional rock" during that period. I had not seen her in a couple of years, and it was wonderful to reconnect with her. Chris even served a lovely sit-down dinner at her beautiful home. I am truly blessed.

Increasingly over this past year I have contemplated that I am now closer to the end of my life than the beginning - which is a very interesting place to be. Something about the number 75 made it seem like a significant milestone to me. It is certainly true that with each passing year of age the perception that time is moving at a faster and faster rate of speed becomes true. I keep thinking that there remains so much that I want to do, and so little time remaining in which to accomplish them. And I consider what my legacy will be. I hope it will be the body of writing I have done, attempting to get across the message that the healer resides in each and ever one of us.

If one could outrun the aging process,

I would be the first one to get in line,

but unfortunately we were

not given that option.

Since MS (my "uninvited guest") came into my life and through sheer determination, dedication and belief in my own innate self-healing ability I was able to stop it in its tracks, I have been dedicated to trying to get the message out to anyone and everyone that there is nothing truly unique about what I did, and that they can do it too!

For as long as I have breath I will continue to be committed to sharing my YOU CAN DO IT TOO! message, including sharing "how to" techniques. And that it makes no difference what your challenge may be - physical, emotional, relationship, career, etc., YOU have a built-in innate self-healing system, and YOU have the ability to activate that system and heal (change) whatever you wish to heal in your life.

Please check out my awesome story at www.BettysHouseLifeAfterMS.com.

CONQUERING LIFE'S CHALLENGES

2011-08-27T12:26:00.000-07:00

WHEN FACED WITH CHALLENGES,

WE - YOU - CAN BE A WINNER!

Always surround yourself with positive people. The kind of awesome people who always have an "I Can" attitude. They will encourage, inspire, and support you. We are all influenced by our environment, and if we associate with people who are always putting us down, and who always have a defeatist attitude, we will automatically feel down about ourselves. Conversely, If we surround ourselves with positive people, we will have a more positive outlook on our self and life in general.

Look at your situation without judgment. Look at your challenge for what it is. Whatever your challenge is, it is not your entire life – just an aspect of your life.

Balance all areas of life. In order to find true happiness, health and abundance in all areas of our life, we must find balance in all areas of our life – love, health, family, career, etc. But without doubt the most important relationship we have is with our self. It is often said that we cannot love anyone else unless and until we truly love our self.

Spend more time on whatever you are passionate about. We all should have something – some activity – about which we are passionate, something that we love to do, something that brings us joy. When we spend more time doing those things that we truly enjoy, we will inevitable have more joy in all areas of our life.

'Stuff' happens. Everyone at some point has been down. Whatever our challenge happens to be, whether health, relationship, financial or some other personal challenge, we have all been there at one time or another. It is the meaning we give something - what we tell ourselves about it - that determines whether we see it as good or bad, as well as how it turns out.

Learn to be non-judgmental . . . about everything. Learn to accept that everything just "is." When we give up labeling everything as right or wrong, and accept that everything just is whatever it is, then we totally change our perspective. Remember that things don't change . . . only we can change how we look at things.

The Morton Salt Syndrome - "When it Rains it Pours." We have all had times when it seemed as though we were experiencing this well-known syndrome. My experience is that tipping the scales back in our favor is 100% an inside job.

Visit me at www.Betty'sHouseLifeAfterMS.com., wherein I share how I overcame a major life challenge.

IF I CAN DO IT, YOU CAN DO IT TOO!

Change is Inevitable

2011-07-16T16:47:00.000-07:00

Back in March 2011 I posted the last previous note to this blog. I apologize for the long period of silence. At the time of that last posting I had no idea how my life was about to change.

For the last 2-1/2 years I have Vice President of a non-profit corporation which is the support arm of the Senior Center in the University town where I live in Davis, California. It honestly never occurred to me that I might suddenly have to take over the presidency.

But that is exactly what happened in the first few days of April 2011 when the president resigned due to health reasons. I found myself suddenly running a corporation. Even though I have a rather extensive background in management, I had no experience with non-profits. My 2-1/2 years of sitting the board of directors did nothing to prepare me for assuming the reigns.

I suddenly found myself in a position of being challenged for the presidency (in violation of our bylaws) and the situation was extremely stressful. During that period I came down with a very serious bronchitis and was very sick for about a month. My doctor confirmed that it was obviously related to my acute stress level.

Gradually I bounced back, but it was a very distressing time. That is the reason you did not hear from me for over three months. It was a great learning period for me, because I had not been ill in many years. I always said that “I don’t get sick.” And that had been true. But the lesson was that acute stress interferes with the body’s ultimate self-healing tool, the immune system.

Prior to that I couldn’t even remember the last time I had been ill.

STRESS IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MOST DIS-EASE

My personal physician indicated to me that acute stress places the entire body in a state of assault, making it easy if not inevitable for the body’s protective mechanisms to break down.

In my own healing journey from multiple sclerosis, I have learned that a few simple “tools” like meditation, breath work, exercise, a few simple supplements, etc., help to maintain the immune at a high level of performance. But these building blocks of the immune system were more or less useless in the face of the onslaught of acute stress.

I had come to think that I would never be really sick again. The lesson I learned . . .

CHANGE IS INEVITABLE ― EVEN RELATED TO HEALTH ISSUES
WHEN WE DO SELF-DEFEATING THINGS

Please go to my primary website, http://www.bettyshouselifeafterms.com/ where I share my healing journey. Once there you may register to receive my monthly e-mailed newsletter, Journey to Wellness.

FEEL THE FEAR - AND DO IT ANYWAY

2011-03-27T13:18:00.000-07:00

What is fear? Webster defines fear as “To be afraid,” or to be “frightened or apprehensive.”

Fear can be paralyzing. Fear can cause us to expect the worst. Fear can be incapacitating. Just imagine that you had just been diagnosed with what was to you a fate almost worth than death.

I have known paralyzing fear, and I have learned the secret to overcoming that fear. When I was much younger I was a very fearful person. My first memory of being fearful was when I was an adolescent.

      I was afraid of death.
      I was afraid of being sick – probably because of my fear of death.
      I was afraid to fly.
      I was very fearful in elevators.
      I was fearful of sitting in the middle of a long row at a theater.
      I was afraid to drive long distances alone.

As I got older I became afraid to leave my house. For years I had what is known as agoraphobia – a fear of open spaces. I was OK as long as I was home, but just going to a grocery store alone was paralyzing.

In short, I was an acutely fearful person. I had a friend many years ago who was a commercial airline pilot, and he talked me into taking a class to get over my fear of flying. It was taught by a psychologist and a senior TWA pilot. Since that class series (once a week for six weeks) I have flown over much of the world. In the process I learned that I was never afraid of flying, or of elevators, etc., I WAS AFRAID OF FEAR. I was paralyzed by my fear of having a panic attack – basically a fear of fear!

But I have good news for you . . . the answer to paralyzing fear is really simple. I learned it in that class to overcome my fear of flying.

The answer:

                 FEEL THE FEAR AND DO IT ANYWAY!

Once you do whatever it was that you thought you were afraid of, you break free from the fear and it no longer has any hold on you. In my case in short order all my fears disappeared. As I think back to all those years when I was so fearful, it is still difficult for me to believe that the answer was so simple.

Whether your fears play a small or major role in your life, why not look those demons in the face and not allow them to reduce the quality of your life for even one more day. YOU CAN DO IT.

Please visit my primary website or write to me privately if you wish.

You'll find me on Twitter and Facebook.

I AM NOT A MEDICALLY TRAINED PERSON,
AND I DO NOT GIVE MEDICAL ADVICE

YOU CAN OVERCOME ANY DIS-EASE

2011-03-13T11:14:00.000-07:00

When I was 17 years old my mother had her first episode of what we later learned was what doctors call multiple sclerosis. At the time it was thought she had probably had a mild stroke. It was several more years and several additional episodes before she was diagnosed with MS. I had watched MS devastate my mother and gradually over the years saw her become trapped in a body that no longer worked, eventually leading to a wheelchair and finally to the last 18 years of her life confined to a nursing home.

Interestingly mother never gave up her belief that doctors were going to help her, even after the medications at the least did not help her nor slow the progress of her disease, and at the most made her situation worse. It never occurred to her that she could do anything to help herself.

When my first neurological symptoms gradually appeared, I was my mother’s only contact with the world. MS is a very insidious neurological disorder which is thought to result from a deterioration of the myelin sheath which insulates the brain and spinal cord, causing ineffective signals between the brain and/or spinal cord to various parts of the body. Because the central nervous system is so vast it effects everyone in a somewhat different way.

As if that wasn’t enough, there are two primary kinds of MS. The most common kind is called relapsing remitting (RRMS) and primary progressive (PPMS). As seems obvious, relapsing remitting means one’s MS is characterized by acute periods, followed by periods of remission. Primary progressive is normally characterized by a continuing gradual decline without any periods of remission. My mother had RRMS, by far the most common kind, accounting for about 80 - 90% of all MS.

When I was 55 years of age and encountering the symptoms of menopause, I found myself after three years of searching for the answer to my “strange” symptoms, sitting across the desk from a neurologist and hearing him say, “Betty, there is no doubt after a careful examination of your thoracic spine MRI, that you have primary progressive MS.” Inasmuch as there is a familial predisposition to MS in many families, when I was diagnosed the symptoms were so completely different than my mother’s that two previous neurologists, over a three-year period, even knowing my family history, never suspected MS.

Today, after 16 years, I have totally defeated MS and live a very normal and active life. I often think of why the difference between the path of my mother’s MS and mine.

I wasn't willing to accept the

inevitability of life in a wheelchair

as the neurologist predicted!

My mother had a traditional belief in the medical intervention of doctors. Conversely I had been a student of metaphysics for quite a few years prior to my diagnosis, and I totally accepted that I - and only I – created and controlled my world. I believed that my body was/is designed to be self-healing, and I set out to discover how to correct whatever imbalances were responsible for my MS.

I also believe that whatever dis-ease our body may be demonstrating – whatever name doctors choose to call the symptoms – it is merely demonstrating a body out of biochemical balance. I also believe that we are ALL triune beings, with equal physical, mental and spiritual aspects, and in order to heal and return our body to that state of healthy biochemical balance, we must address all three aspects of our being.

Based on my own experience, I believe the greatest healing energies are love, and our own mental attitude, as well as a stress-free lifestyle, and connecting to divine energy, however one defines that. Please understand that I am not talking about religion. I am not a religious person at all, but I am a deeply spiritual person. Anyone can develop a connection to the Universal Power by developing the skill – and it is truly a skill – of meditation.

A major part of my transformation came from learning the self-healing power of Qi Gong and its powerful breathing practices. I believe the breath is a very powerful connection to the Universal Creative Power of the Universe.

My formula for creating health is:

GENTLE MOVEMENT EXERCISE OF QI GONG OR YOGA WITH

SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON THE BREATH, MEDITATION, A HEATLHY DIET,

SUPPLEMENTATION WITH OMEGA 3 OILS,

AND THERAPEUTIC DOSES OF VITAMIN D

in that order of importance.

Consistency is of utmost importance. And please remember that there is no free lunch or magic formula. There is a price to pay for everything, and my message for you is that you can do it too, whatever physical challenge you may have, if you want to badly enough to pay the price!

If you truly want to change your life, go to my primary website, www.BettysHouseLifeAfterMS.com to explore my story further. I have written an e-book, Four Steps to Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis, which is not just about MS but rather about how to heal your life. You’ll find all the details at my Betty’s House website.

You'll find me at THIS WEB ADDRESS or E-MAIL ME if you have questions. You may also connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

I am not a medically trained person, and I do not give medical advice.

GETTING YOUR LIFE ON TRACK

2011-02-18T17:05:00.000-08:00

What is your dream for your life? Do you feel that you are on track to accomplish that? If not, why not?

We have made tremendous strides in understanding human behavior and how we "drive" our accomplishments with our thoughts and beliefs. When coupled with emotion we can change our lives to achieve whatever we want to achieve.

What if you knew, absolutely knew, that you could begin with a clean slate . . . to finally move forward . . . to live the life you have always wanted . . . on your own terms, to experience more joy and happiness, better health, better relationships, more abundance?

You are probably shouting YES!! But at the same time you ask these familiar "what" and "how" questions:

How do you discover your true life purpose?
Do we really have inner guidance?
If so, how do we tap into that source?
How do we create a healthy lifestyle?
Can we really turn unhealthy into healthy?
How do we lower our chances of the 3 big killers?
How do you stop allowing your past to dicate your future?

The first step is to accept that you can truly create an AWESOME life for yourself. Unless and until you accept that you are in the driver's seat, and that your choices determine how EVERYTHING in your life turns out, things will not change. It is important to know that we do not have to understand exactly how that works in order to apply it in our lives.

The primary key is learning that YOUR answers are all inside of you. You just need to learn to tap into that well-spring that resides inside each and every one of us. It is commonly called meditation. I understand people who believe they cannot meditate, or perhaps they have tried meditating for a while and didn't seem to find any meaning in it. I too was one of those for a few years.

What I came to learn was that I had a misperception of what meditation is. I was expecting something miraculous to occur, and when that didn't happen I felt I had failed. When I was diagnosed 16 years ago with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis, I made a decision that I would persevere until I was successful at meditating.

I first learned that at an elementary level meditation is merely turning off the mind chatter, the natural internal dialog we all have with ourselves. Once we have learned to do that, we can begin to tap into our internal guidance system, and our purpose in life will be reestablished. From that time we are able to take responsibili;ty for our own health.

How long does that take" The answer is different for every person. Every accomplishment begins with a signle action, a single. Why not get started today?

Today I am symptom free and live a very active life. And I am devoting this period of my life to helping others find what I have found. I assure you that it is worth all the effort to reach that point. I hope to have the opportunity to help you.

Check out the "Introduction to Meditation" at my primary website, www.BettysHouseLifeAfterMS.com/Meditation.htm.

MOTIVATION = STRONG DESIRE

2011-02-05T18:59:00.000-08:00

Motivation is required to achieve anything. And motivation is simply strong desire, or wanting something badly enough to propel you toward your goal. How do you put motivation and desire together? To build a strong desire think of three or four things that you would enjoy AFTER you achieve your goal.

Now activate your goal by taking a first step in the direction of your goal. What? I know . . . that seems overly simplistic, but remember that long journeys begin with one step. That first step can be anything to begin moving you in the direction you want to go. It is a little bit like planting a seed.

Next take an action in the direction of your goal. A very effective first action step is visualizing the accomplishment of your goal. All personal development approaches teach meditation and visualization (creating an image in your mind) of the end result as a first action step toward reaching that intended goal.

Meditation is important because it helps you to focus your mind. Without it there is a great deal of minutia that distracts your mind. I like to call that mind chatter. Meditation helps you to eliminate all that. Meditation means your attention is concentrated on one thing or subject. As it relates to goal setting, meditation concentrates your attention on that one subject, and that energizes the mysterious creative energy that we all possess.

Through meditation we increase that creative energy many times over by helping us to reconnect with our Source. The message of our desire of a particular goal goes out to the entire universe, through that unseen energy which connects everything and everyone, and in some mysterious way sets into motion the necessary ingredients to bring about your desire. It literally reaches the people you may need to help you achieve your goal.

EXERCISE: Close your eyes and take a few deep slow breaths, exhaling very slowly. Then visualize the accomplishment of your goal. Make your visualizatiion as vivid and real as you possibly can. Some people have a difficult time with visualization. If that is true for you, then just picture the words of your goal in front of you, as though you are reading a sign, as on a mind screen.

Behavioral pshychologists tells us that when we remember things we have read, we are actually "seeing" the words in front of us. Or when we remember a favorite place, the mental process is a simple visualization. In reality convincing yourself that you cannot visualize wouild be like convincing yourself that you cannot walk.

Now put a realistic date on your goal. Think, "By such and such a date I have (insert whatever you wish to achieve)." See that date on your mind screen. The more emotion you put behind your visualization the more effective it will be.

VISUALIZATION - MEDITATION - QI GONG - YOGA

Visualization is a great natural self-healing tool. Together with daily meditation and a consistent Qi Gong practice were the cornerstones of my own recovery from Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. I cannot tell you how many hundreds of hours I spent visualizing myself walking and running. VISUALIZATION WORKS!

You may read my story at my primary website, www.BettysHouseLifeAfterMS.com. While there sign up for my companion Journey to Wellness newsletter, now in its 14th year.

Find me on Twitter and Facebook.

Betty

THE BEST TIME OF YOUR LIFE

2011-01-16T12:48:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite affirmations is . . .

"This is the best day of my life so far."

Is that statement true for you? If not, why not? Actually it is just a decision away. I know. That sounds overly simplistic, but it is nonetheless true. We human beings have a way of making the simple seem difficult.

Think about those New Year's resolutions you made a couple of weeks ago. How are you doing? If you are like most people I know you have already given up on them. I hope that isn't the case for you.

Actually there is no time like the present. Realize what you're truly capable of and take the first step toward your goals, whether they are about creating a healthier healing lifestyle, learning to meditate producing greater abundance, improving or creating better relationships, etc. They are all just a decision away.

Remember, it is your body, your life, and your health. You are in charge. The positive side of that is you get to make your own decisions . . . you get to decide how your life turns out. But of course there is a balancing negative side, and that is that you are in charge. YOU must take responsibility for your decisions. No one else can do it for you, and no amount of wishing can make it happen.

Research has shown that very specific yet simple techniques provide the keys to improving your relationship with your body, as well as other aspects of your life, by learning how to use the awesome power of your mind.

You have the power to open the doors to whole new levels of greater, health, happiness and achievement that you've ever experienced before.

My wish to you in 2011 is that you believe and accept that . . .

The Rest of Your Life Can Be the Best of Your Life

I truly do speak from experience. About fifteen years ago I was diagnosed with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis, after several years of increasingly progressive neurological symptoms. I was told that there was nothing allopathic medicine could do for me, and that I would soon need a wheelchair. Today, after developing a lifestyle program for myself, I am symptom free. I now devote myself to helping others discover that their body is designed to be self-healing.

You may read my story at http://www.bettyshouselifeafterms.com/. Once there you may subscribe to my monthly e-mail newsletter, Journey to Wellness. Please stop by for a visit. I think you will find it empowering. You'll also find information about my LifeDesign videos, which are short life-changing little movies.

To a Happy, Healthy and Abundant 2011.

Look for me on Twitter and Facebook

NEW YEAR - NEW BEGINNINGS

2010-12-30T19:49:00.000-08:00

Our New Year's celebrations for this year will soon be history. As we embark on creating our life during 2011, I'd like to share some thoughts and feelings about New Year's Resolutions.

Do you make New Year's Resolutions? Do you expect to accomplish them? If the truth be known for most of us we really do not expect to achieve them. It seems that we make them almost in jest.

But what if . . . what if we could achieve them? I suggest there are some tried and true approaches to doing just that.

It is often said that if we fail to plan, then we plan to fail. Many of us go through life without goals, without a plan. We just sort of move along with the tide. So a plan is the first important thing to accomplish our goals.

Have a serious planning appointment with yourself. For most people that should be 3-4 hours in length. I think one should have at least the following big categories:

Health, Wealth, Spirituality, Relationships, and Contribution

Then outline what you would like to achieve in each of these categories. BE VERY SPECIFIC.

Under health would be such things as improved nutrition, exercise, etc.

Under wealth would be career and business goals.

Include under spirituality whatever to you would increase your connection to the Divine, or "your source," however that would be in your belief system. I hope you will all include meditation.

The most important relationship you will ever have is with yourself. It is very important that you love and accept yourself. Also include other relationships in your life - family, friends, people in your workplace, etc.

Now go back over your goals and add time-lines. When are you going to accomplish each goal? You may have both long and short-term interim tine-lines.

Contribution or charity, a sense of giving, is very important to a healthy, well-balanced life, giving of time, talents and money. Nothing enriches our lives quite like giving to others. And it certainly is true that we get back what we give.

Now that you have that outline, go back over your lists and add strategies (what) and tactics (how) you are going to achieve each goal. Any skills you may be lacking, plan for how you will obtain them. Perhaps you may need a consultant, like a trainer if your goal is weight loss, or a business consultant for your business goals. Your level of specificity directly relates to your degrees of success.

And lastly you must be accountable to someone. there is much to be said for the so-called "buddy system." That is one of the secrets to success of such programs as Weight Watchers, Share your goals with someone and get their agreement that you will be accountable on an agreed upon timetable. If they decide to join you in mutual goals you have the best of all accountability arrangements.

Our success in attaining our New Year's Resolutions directly relates to our level of commitment, our belief in our ability to accomplish our goals, and the thoroughness of our plan of action.

Good luck with your 2011 plan.

Please visit my primary website, http://www.bettyshouselifeafterms.com/. You'll find me on Facebook and Twitter.

NON-JUDGMENT - AN IMPORTANT LIFE LESSON

2010-12-17T15:34:00.000-08:00

Do you ever wonder what our purpose on this planet really is? Why we are here? It occurs to me that with maturity one gains a different perspective on this serious question.

I have become increasingly aware that perhaps one of the most important – if not THE most important – life lesson is giving up judgment.

None of us were born with right vs. wrong judgment . . . we were taught that by our parents, teachers, and society in general. And of course some of that judgment is necessary in order to have a functioning society. But carried too far it creates divides between not only individuals but all peoples and nations.

It seems that when we were younger we always KNEW what was right in all situations. I say that with tongue in cheek, of course. But with more maturity we learn more and more that we have no right to judge others.

I suggest that as we begin a New Year we recognize and accept that right and wrong do not really exist, but rather that everything just IS . . . whatever IT is! I have come to believe that perhaps this is our major life lesson. And when we really GET that truth, we can truly create a world of peace. A world in which all peoples can live together without any people trying to export their own brand of right vs. wrong.

In 1997 I wrote a book, From MS to Wellness, in which I outlined my belief that our body is designed to be self-healing. In it I chronicled my own journey from a diagnosis of Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis to developing a natural life-style approach to healing that incorporated a mind body approach.

Meditation (feeding the spirit)
Qi Gong, Yoga and a Healthy Diet(recognizing the body’s role)

A quote from From MS to Wellness:

“In its most malignant state, constantly judging people, places and events as right or wrong can totally rob us of real happiness and joy in our life . . . I learned from Dr. Deepak Chopra that today is the way it is because the universe is as it is, and that things happen because other things happen. Nothing is isolated. There is a connection to everything and everyone else. And when we fight against today, we are fighting against the Universe, and we can never win.”

I urge you to think about non-judgment as a major life lesson. For me this is an ongoing lesson. At least I have become more and more aware and increasingly cognizant of when I slip up and find myself landing with both feet in a judgmental situation. I can say that I am far less judgmental than when I began to make non-judgment a priority in my life.

Preview From MS to Wellness here. I invite you to my home website, where you may subscribe to my monthly web-based newsletter, Journey to Wellness.

Happy Holidays!

Find me on Facebook, and Twitter.

HOLIDAY GIFT SUGGESTIONS

2010-12-05T12:10:00.000-08:00

If you are anything like me, you are always looking for meaningful holiday gifts to share with friends and family. The key word in that sentence is “meaningful.”

Because I am an avid reader, almost compulsive really, I often turn to books. So I’d like to share with you a list of book recommendations . . . books that have been very meaningful for me personally.

1. The Biology of Belief by Bruce Lipton, Ph.D.
2. Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian L. Weiss, M.D.
3. The Spontaneous Healing of Belief by Gregg Braden
4. A New Earth, Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose by Eckhart Tolle
5. The Healer Within by Roger Jahnke, Doctor of Oriental Medicine
6. The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra, M.D.
7. Beyond the Quantum by Michael Talbot
8. The Field by Lynne McTaggart
9. Real Magic and The Power of Intention by Wayne Dyer, Ph.D.

Drs. Lipton and Weiss, both trained in traditional medicine and both medical school professors, now travel the world teaching what they discovered about the connection between science and reality.

All of these books are classics. Michael Talbot (now deceased) and Lynne McTaggart helped those of us who do not have a background in science to learn about and accept quantum physics, which today seems elementary.

Eckhart Tolle, Deepak Chopra and Wayne Dyer have given us masterpieces of understanding of our role in the Universe.

Dr. Jahnke’s The Healer Within is a classic easy-to-understand exploration of the how and why of ancient Chinese Medicine and Qi Gong’s healing techniques.

If you are facing a physical challenge, I respectfully refer you to my primary website, and my own books From MS to Wellness and Four Steps to Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis, in which I share my own healing journey to overcome multiple sclerosis. Both these books are about healing and natural health, and are applicable to any physical challenge. They feature my own exploration of Qi Gong and Meditation, which played important roles in my recovery.

Happy Holidays

to all

Betty

THE BREATH

2010-11-23T08:48:00.000-08:00

Do you take your breath for granted? Most of us have a tendency to just equate the breath to one of the autonomic nervous system functions, which simply means automatic. But I suggest to you that our breath is so much more than that.

Learning the “real” function of the breath, and how we can use it intentionally, can positively change our lives. Its simplest effect includes stress reduction and relaxation, and if we only utilized breath control for those goals, we would experience tremendous health benefits.

But I suggest to you that at the highest end of the spectrum the breath is the physical expression of our soul, our connection to our Source or the Divine.

Right now, sitting where you are, inhale deeply to a slow count of three, then exhale very slowly to a slow count of five. Repeat several times and then listen to what your body tells you about how it is feeling. Learn to repeat this simple breath exercise several times throughout your day.

Let’s look at our personal history with our own breath. At the instant we exited our mother’s body, if we had not taken our first breath, we would never have been born. In Genesis the bible says God breathed the breath of life into Adam, and he became a living soul. So the breath is clearly an expression of our soul.

Learning breath control can indeed open a door to our Source, the powerful creative energy of the Universe. I encourage everyone to learn breath control and begin to experience our connection to all that is, your personal:

Healer Within

I first learned the power of breath control to heal through Qi Gong and Hatha Yoga. Both disciplines employ breath work. Breathing exercises have been a major cornerstone of my recovery from Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. I cannot imagine my life today (after 15 years of daily practice) without the powerful healing energy created by Qi Gong.

We all have a healer within . . . we just must learn to go within to connect with it. How does one do that? Meditation and such disciplines as Qi Gong and Yoga opens that door for everyone.

"I frequently hear people say, "I can't meditate;
I have tried many times and nothing happened."
If you are one of those, I have good news for you.

For some people learning to meditate is easy, and for others it seems illusive. I was one for whom it did not come easy. But I learned that persistence was the key. Learning to meditate is simply teaching your mind a new habit – that of stillness and silence. In that silence profound insights begin to happen.

Check out my primary website, www.BettysHouseLifeAfterMS.com for details of my story. There is a free “meditation” report available there. Print it out and get started learning the incredible restorative powers you possess.

If you choose to make a small donation to the work of Betty’s House and its companion newsletter, Journey to Wellness, I’ll gift you with a very powerful four minute video on Spirituality. Response to that video has been phenomenal.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, surrounded by those you love.

Betty

IT IS WHAT IT IS - A Great Life Lesson

2010-11-06T18:09:00.000-07:00

IT IS WHAT IT IS . . . Now that I am considered a senior citizen, it seems appropriate to review life lessons I am learning or have learned. Some time ago I heard a lecture entitled, “It Is What It IS . . . then move on.”

I cannot but think about all the times in my life I have wasted precious energy agonizing over something that ultimately proved to be irrelevant. For instance, isn’t it interesting how often we worry about what someone else will think, when the truth is that they rarely think about us at all!

When I was a young housewife and mother, I literally cowered in the presence of my mother-in-law. After all, I had been taught that mothers-in-law were “the enemy.” As I think back on that, all those years ago, it is hard to believe that I gave what she thought any consideration at all.

A few years later as a young single mother and business woman I was concerned that I always portrayed the best image of women in the work place. That was years before the so-called women’s movement. In truth, I just simply concentrated on doing a good job, and ended up advancing further than most of the men with whom I worked.

At this stage of my life I perceive that one of my most important life lessons is . . . still today . . . “IT IS WHAT IT IS . . . and then move on.” I was attempting to teach this lesson to my almost 15-year-old grandson the other day, and he looked at me as if I had lost my mind. He is a classic worrier. I told him that I am working on that lesson, and he said something like, “I’ll be watching, grandma.”

It occurs to me that “IT IS WHAT IT IS” is a great life lesson for all of us. I challenge you to think about developing that lesson even as I have. I believe it to be worth all the effort.

In my daily morning meditation I have added that as a primary goal. And in the evening, when I do my Qi Gong nighttime routine, just before I go to bed, as I do that relaxing and meditative routine I now think about my IT IS WHAT IT IS goal. I wish I had learned that lesson years ago, but I am equally grateful that I become aware of its importance at this stage of my life.

If you haven’t discovered the incredible healing and restorative powers of Qi Gong, the ancient Chinese healing form of Tai Chi, I encourage you to discover its healing capability. I think of Qi Gong as a healing meditation. It is one of the most important healing tools I have used to overcome multiple sclerosis.

I invite you to visit my primary website, http://www.bettyshouselifeafterms.com/, to read more about my story. I truly do believe that our bodies are innately able to heal themselves, and indeed are designed to do just that. And if I can do it, so can anyone else!

Meditation is an Effective Healing Tool

2010-10-25T14:09:00.000-07:00

Nothing I have learned on my own healing journey is more important than developing a daily ritual, which includes meditation.

Early on in my quest for how to overcome my multiple sclerosis, I began serious meditation, not really knowing where it might lead. Meditation for me has developed into a great teacher.

Once I learned to tap into my inner knowing (higher self, spirit within, soul, or whatever you may wish to call your inner guidance), almost nothing in my life remained as it had been before.

Sixteen years ago, when I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, I knew almost nothing about meditation, and I thought it was something mysetic, monks, etc., practiced. Today it is widely practiced by people in all walks of life. People who practice meditation range from those who are seeking stress relief, to those for whom it is a serious spiritual practice. During my experience of meditation I went from one seeking stress relief, all the way to being a serious seeker of deepening spiritual realization through this practice.

Simply put, meditation is training your mind to tune out the ceaseless mind chatter which engages our mind most of the time, and teaching it to re-learn mental silence. Dr. Wayne Dyer talks about the gap between our thoughts. Finding that gap is the goal of all serious meditators. It is in the gap that wonderful things occur.

On the physical level, whether one is interested in a spiritual practice or not, there are many benefits to be found through meditation. Here are a few:

Helping lower blood pressure
Decreasing heart and respiratory rates
Increasing blood flow
Enhanding immune function
Reducing perception of pain
Relieving chronic pain
Maintaining a level mood
Bringing awareness to everyday aspects of life

Pioneering pschologist Dr. Carl Jung said:

"Who looks without, dreams.
Who looks within, awakens."

The disciplines of Qi Gong and some forms of Yoga incorporate meditation as an important part of their practice. Some of these practices are literally moving meditations.

If you would like the simple, easy approach to meditation that I began with 16 years ago, please go to my home website: www.BettysHouseLifeAfterMS.com/Meditation.htm. I promise you that if you will make meditation a part of your lifestyle, you will find it as meaningful to you as it has become to me.

If you tend to equate meditation with religion, please know that I am not religious. To me religion is about dogma and rules, and I want no part of that. I am, however, a deeply spiritual person, and there is a big difference between the two. Learning to go within and connect with the spirit side of our nature is truly a life-enhancing experience.

Click here to visit my home website.

That's all for now.

Betty

Attitude - Food for Thought

2010-10-04T15:34:00.000-07:00

What is your attitude today?

Some of my favorite quotes regarding attitude are from author Charles Swindoll:

"The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding

the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past . . ."

"We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way.

We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play

on the one string we have, and that is our attitude."

"I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of

how I react to it. And so it is with you . . . We are in charge of our attitude."

When we fight against today, the things we cannot change, we will never win. But when we accept the inevitable and accept that we get to make a conscious choice how we will process what happens, that is the meaning we attach to what happens, then everything changes.

It seems to me that the foundation stones of a healthy life are attitude and belief. And I truly do know that I am in control of both! One of my favorite motivational speakers, Zig Zigler, is fond of referring to an attitude adjustment as a "check up from the neck up!"

However stated, I truly do know that we can take control of our attitude . . . not once in a while but all the time.

I apologize to regular readers for the inactive status of this blog in the last three months. I promise there will be frequent updates in the future.

JUST WHAT IS HEALING ANYWAY?

2010-06-21T11:19:00.000-07:00

While thinking about natural healing today, it occurred to me that healing is a difficult-to-define word. I talk and write about it all the time, rather assuming we are all on the same page about what it is.

There is of course physical healing of our body, but there is much more to healing. In a broad sense I define healing as "changing whatever you need to change in your life."

Perhaps we need to "heal" a relationship. Perhaps it is a psychological or behavioral challenge we need to heal. Then there are those who have a sickness or any one of numerous addictions. Most of us, if we are truly honest with ourselves, will admit to being or having been addicted to some thing at some time.

All of the above in a broad sense are sicknesses. And of course there are many more. Sometimes we just need to heal how we handle certain situations for which there seems to be no solution. I do believe, however, that most of the avenues to ALL HEALING have very common denominators, while keeping in mind that there are definitely no magic wands, although some healing tools seem almost to fit that definition.

CONNECTING WITH OUR SOURCE: Mending and/or strengthening our connection to our source, creator, the universe, God, or whatever one chooses to call that all powerful, all knowing energy that fuels our universe. I believe the best way to connect with our source is through meditation, which is in a way a form of prayer.

Meditation and visualization can open the door to healing on all levels. If you haven’t already done so, I urge you to make the time to practice meditation at the start of each day. A habit very soon becomes a routine or ritual, and this is one that will very soon become a highlight of each day.

OUR MIND IS POWERFUL: Recognizing the incredible, awesome power of our mind! Paraphrasing Henry Ford, "If you think you can, you are right, and if you think you can't you are right also! The thoughts we think, and the words we say, are more powerful than we can even imagine.

INTENTION IS PARAMOUNT: Healing will never occur unless and until we set our intention to heal. That encompasses our belief and attitude. Brian Johnson of PhilosophersNotes.com (whom I very highly recommend) talks about being diligent, passionate, persistent, and playful. My experience is that one needs all those attributes in order to succeed at healing. Connect with Brian at PhilosophersNotes.com. He is an awesome young man.

BUILD YOUR BELIEF: Everything else is built on a foundation of belief and attitude. Read transformative books and create positive affirmations to aid in all the above.

THE PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF HEALING: Cornerstones of healing must include a commitment to nutrition, exercise, and restorative sleep. The physical side of healing must be part of any wellness program.

~ I will until! ~

PERSISTENCE: Persistence is extremely important. In his book, Real Magic, Dr. Wayne Dyer says you can have instant transformation, which he calls satori, or you can take a few years to accomplish that goal. In either case, you get to decide which path you take!

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!!!

There is no such day on any calendar as "tomorrow." We only have today. I hope you will have the courage to start on your own healing path today.

I invite you to read my healing story at www.BettysHouseLifeAfterMS.com. You can heal and transform your life. The power you possess is awesome!

Connect with me on Facebook and Twitter.

2010-06-06T13:11:00.000-07:00

OUR BREATH - A Powerful Healing Tool

We all need to learn how to breathe . . . or perhaps how to breathe properly. OK. I know you are probably asking, why do I need to learn anything about breathing. Doesn't my body do that automatically? Well, yes and no!

It is true that breathing is a function of the autonomic nervous system, which means that it functions without conscious instructions from us. So why the big deal about breathing? Quite simply, breathing properly is the easiest healing tool to master.

I believe in the KIS - Keep It Simple! - approach to healing.

I am not a scientist, nor am I a medically trained expert, but I have learned to heal my body and maintain natural health. I believe that we do not have to understand how everything works in order to accept and use the techniques.

Breathing, properly that is, really is a huge deal for our body. While food feeds our physical body, the breath feeds our soul!

Our life began "officially" when our mother gave birth to us and we inhaled our very first breath. And our physical life will continue until we breathe our last conscious breath and we move on to our next experience. We call that death.

Just like most things in our life, breathing can either be conscious (deliberate) or unconscious (on automatic pilot).

I like to simplify breathing by thinking of inhaling as taking in life-giving energy (oxygen) into our body, and exhaling as ridding our body of left-over residue (carbon dioxide). But our breath also fills many other functions.

Ancient Chinese medicine teaches that our body is inherently electric, and that energy meridians direct the flow of that energy, which they called qi (or chi) throughout our body. That theory is the basis for acupuncture. Out of that theory came the development of the precursor to Tai Chi called Qi (energy in Chinese) Gong (work in Chinese), that is energy work.

The theory behind most Chinese medicine is that blockages or disruptions in the flow of our body's energy are responsible for most dis-ease in our body. Qi Gong is a system of breathing patterns combined with specific flowing movements and self-massage to restore and/or correct that energy flow. Qi Gong is often referred to as a moving meditation.

I equate our breath as the outward manifestation of our soul, inasmuch as the breath is the initial manifestation of the beginning of our life on this planet and the final manifestation at the end of our life.

When I first began to study how powerful breath work can be, my first question was, if breathing is more or less automatic, how and why could it be a big deal? The answer is that our stressful life style today, sort of living on overdrive as most of us do, puts huge demands on our autonomic nervous system. And one of the demonstrations of that overload is shallow breathing, which does not instigate relaxation and renewal of many body functions. Shallow breathing also is thought to contribute to disruptions in the flow of our body's chi or life force.

Here are a couple of very powerful yet simple and easy breathing techniques that I learned from Qi Gong:

Always breath deeply into the abdomen. This is called abdominal breathing. Just imagine you are inflating a balloon in the lower abdomen, then exhale slowly as the balloon deflates. Repeat after one normal breath.

First inflate the lower half of the lungs - hesitate a couple of seconds - then inflate the upper half of the lungs, inhaling all the way to the top of the lungs while raising the shoulders and pulling them back in order to fully inflate the lungs. Then exhale very slowly, making an audible "ahh" sound as you exhale. Repeat after one normal breath.

Those of you who know my story know that I healed myself of Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis, for which there is no recognized medical treatment. One of my primary resources was learning to use Qi Gong every single day, and now, 14 years later I am totally symptom free. I still practice meditation and Qi Gong daily. Modified yoga also played a significant role in my recovery. Yoga also emphasizes the role of our breath and what it calls prana (life force).

It is important to note that whatever physical challenges our bodies develop, the effective healing tools remain the same - daily breath work, gentle exercise, meditation, and careful nutrition.

Please see my primary website, www.BettysHouseLifeAfterMS.com for details of my story.

You will find a very simple beginning meditation at this website, which may be downloaded.

LET'S CONNECT ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER, OR BETTY'S HOUSE.

The Science of Change

2010-05-01T09:11:00.000-07:00

MAKING QUANTUM PHYSICS SIMPLE

For many years I have had an inner knowing that I and only I determine (at some level) everything that happens in my life. I also somehow knew that I didn't need to understand how that worked in order to accept that it indeed does work.

I came to believe and accept that we all make choices every minute of every day that determine how our lives turn out.

Through quantum physics we have learned that our universe - everything in it and on it, including you and me - is made up of vibrating energy. And scientists have determined the vibration level of most things. We now know that there is a yin and yang, a positive and a negative, to everything, including our thoughts, intentions and beliefs. These energies determine what we create in our lives.

If we want to change what we are creating,

we must change our thoughts, attitudes and beliefs.

What a great big "a-ha" that is.

Actually this is all rather simple. The first step to making positive change is accepting that we are beings of choice; that is, we make choices ever minute of every day that determine how our day and ultimately our life turns out.

We do not have to be victims, like a ship without an engine or a sail. One of my favorite motivational speakers, Zig Ziegler, says we are only victims of our own "stinkin' thinking."

Remember that homily that goes something like, "If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you have always gotten!" By applying quantum physics to this simple analogy, we have a formula for changing what we are creating in our life. In other words, you gotta put the good stuff in, in order to get the good stuff out!

The more positive our attitude, thoughts, intentions, and belief, the more we will create what we want in our life, as opposed to what we don't want.

I can hear you saying, "That may be well and good Betty, but what about the how to? I suggest:

Recognize that you can change
Make a conscious decision to change
Be stubbornly committed to changing
First thing every morning set your intention for the day
Look nose-to-nose at yourself in a mirror and talk to yourself - the innate you that resides deep inside - "I am happy, healthy, abundant, and at peace within" is a good place to start
Gradually build an internal dialog with yourself - this is one of the most powerful tools for change that I know
Begin the daily practice of meditation - slow deep breathing in a quiet place for 10 minutes is a good start

Remember that meaningful change doesn't occur rapidly.
The salient phrase is, "I will until . . ."

I invite you to visit my main website, http://www.bettyshouselifeafterms.com/ and read my story of reversing primary progressive multiple sclerosis. I am walking proof that self-healing is possible. If I can do it, you can do it too!　

The Ultimate in 2-way Communication

2010-04-04T14:06:00.000-07:00

. . . between us (our mentality) and our body

In order to have communication there must be a sender and a receiver. Let's first look at communication from our body to our us. I call the instigator of this dialog our Internal Guidance System or IGS.

Actually our body is communicating or "talking" to us all the time, but unfortunately we tend not to pay attention most of the time. Our IGS communicates with us in lots of ways. The most obvious is through pain, like when we have a headache, or we have indigestion, shortness of breath, perhaps muscle cramps, or we feel dizzy. But unfortunately most of the time we either ignore what our body is trying to tell us, or we go in search of a "pill" to make our discomfort go away.

When we experience these uncomfortable symptoms (communications) from our IGS, what it is really saying is, "I'm not happy down here. Help!" All too often we give it a band-aid and hope the discomfort will go away.

I suggest that the appropriate response to our body's call for help is to analyze why and/or how it is uncomfortable. I we have indigestion after a spicy meal, then our IGS is telling us that we should avoid that food. It doesn't need a band-aid in the form of an antiacid. The same is true for an aspirin or other pain reliever when we experience pain. The pain reliever just masks the problem.

At a future time we'll cover a lot more about our IGS and how we may easily learn to recognize its various roles in our lives.

Our body was/is designed to be self-healing. Medical professionals tell us today that the vast majority of every dis-ease is preventable with lifestyle changes. That is where we become the sender and our body is the recipient in this two-way communication.

Interestingly not only is our body communicating with us all the time; we are also communicating with our body.

I can hear you saying, "OK Betty . . . I get that my body has ways of talking to me, but how do I talk to my body?"

I'm glad you asked! Actually it is very simple. The way we do or do not take care of our body is a very important way we communicate:

Feeding it healthy, nutritious food
Exercising it appropriately - like by daily Qi Gong or Yoga practice
Learning a few deep breathing exercises
Getting sufficient healthy sleep

Putting these all together they simply add up to a healthy lifestyle.

These are the most basic ways we communicate with our body. But in adition we need to learn the ultimate 2-way communication with our body is achieved through meditation.

The most important thing I learned in my own healing journey to overcoming multiple sclerosis was to get acquainted with the healer within through meditation.

Yes, that's right. We all have a healer residing inside of us. As I learned to tap into that internal intelligence that I call the healer within, everything in my life began to change, and then I began to heal physically.

I learned the daily practice of modified hatha yoga, but most importantly the powerful ancient Chinese healing wisdom of Qi Gong. For the last fourteen years it has been a part of almost every day of my life. Check out the archives of this blog for more information about Qi Gong.

I learned the truth behind this quote from the first book I wrote about my healing journey, From MS to Wellness.

We don't see things as they are . . .
we see things as WE are

As I write this it is Easter Sunday, and I hope you all are having a lovely holiday. Blessings to all.

I invite you to visit my main website, wwwBettysHouseLifeAfterMS.com.

THE THREE FACES OF HEALING

2010-03-27T08:44:00.000-07:00

Self Healing is both Simple and Easy!

I write and teach about healing all the time, and frequently people say to me that I make it seem almost too simple and too easy. When I first began writing about my own healing journey of overcoming multiple sclerosis, I learned that in order to be "believable" I had to make everything I wrote fit neatly into those two categories. That is, say everything in the simplest and easiest terms possible. I still try to adhere to that formula.

Let's see how simple I can make it!
We are three-part beings, SPIRIT, MIND and BODY,
and if we don't address all those areas our

self-healing is not likely to be successful.

MEET YOUR HEALER WITHIN

Early on in my healing journey I developed a daily ritual of at least half an hour of meditation, and I still maintain my daily meditation 15 years later. As a matter of fact I consider it very important on many levels. Initially it was a way of reducing stress, but as my meditation practice matured I learned that it was a way of connecting with the healer within. The healer that resides in each one of us.

Shortly thereafter a friend gave me a Qi Gong/Tai Chi video program. It took me a couple of years of working daily with that simple Qi Gong routine and reading about Qi Gong and its ancient Chinese healing wisdom, to begin to understand that Qi Gong can be a very effective moving meditation.

And the longer I have continued my daily Qi Gong practice the more I have become "tuned in" to all the healing benefits it offers. Qi Gong addresses all aspects of the healing triangle of BODY, MIND and SPIRIT, all rolled into one simple, easy-to learn practice. I urge everyone to explore the many benefits Qi Gong offers.

The Chinese believe that dis-ease in our body is caused by disruptions and/or blockages in the natural flow of Qi (energy) along meridians that follow very specific patterns in our body. Qi Gong's goal is to correct that energy flow. Acupuncture and acupressure disciplines are also founded on the body's energy meridians.

Other healing disciplines such as kinesiology have their origins in an understanding of our body's energy and how it works to help us stay healthy. Unfortunately, many of modern medicines techniques interferes with that process and thus inhibits natural healing.

A look at the so-called "side effects" of medicines
provides evidence of how pharmaceuticals
interfere with natural healing.

Next week I'll share information about our body's Internal Guidance System, which provides 2-way communication between our body and our conscious mind.

PROBIOTICS VS. FIBER

2010-03-06T08:46:00.000-08:00

THE WITCHERY OF THE MEDIA

Sometimes it seems that we go from one "magic" food to another. So much of what we consume in today's society is determined by the "in" food or item of the day. The really interesting thing about that is that the popularity of all these foods and/or items is created by the media.

Do you ever stop to think that in many ways we are robots, driven by the media? This is especially true for all drugs, both pharmaceutical and over the counter, as well as supplements.

And the pharmaceutical houses are such hypocrites . . . they complain to the FDA that supplements are not regulated and therefore recommendations for their use are not reliable, when actually a large percentage of them are manufactured by those same pharmaceutical houses!

Let the truth be known - the market for these "in" products of the day are created by clever ad agencies. I could list dozens of these relatively useless products that have come and gone over my lifetime. But today I want to talk about a current one, about which we are being very cleverly misinformed . . .

Probiotics

While healthy intestinal flora is important to our overall health, today it is being touted in the media as an almost magic ingredient. Let the truth be known: Unless you have taken a round of antibiotics, which kills off not only the bad "bugs" but also the good ones in your digestive track, YOU DO NOT NEED PROBIOTICS!

The yogurt makers say they are adding small amounts of probiotics to their product, and "guaranteeing" that it will increase your immune response, as well as correct just about every digestive condition there is, from indigestion to constipation. Here's the real truth. Any benefit one gets from ingesting yogurt with probiotics added would get the same benefit from plain healthy yogurt! And if you are eating the "fruit added" kinds you are probably eating high fructose corn syrup used in a jam-like product added to the yogurt. READ THE LABEL! And if the product is touted as low calorie, it is probably sweetened with a very unhealthy sugar substitute.

PLEASE HEAR ME - YOGURT WITH
PROBIOTICS IS NOT A HEALTH FOOD!

Does the food industry want you to think you
need to ingest probiotics? Of course!

They are not in business to help you be healthy,"
they are in business to make huge profits.

So what is the answer to a healthy intestinal flora, as well as all kinds of digestion problems? We simply need to eat a plain, old-fashioned high fiber diet, just as we did before processed, packaged foods arrived in our supermarkets. This means a diet consisting of lots of fruit, vegetables, whole grains and legumes (beans and peas), lentils, nuts, seeds, etc.

There are different types of fiber. Oats for example contains a type of fiber that benefits the heart and circulatory system, while other types of fiber work to clean out the intestines and remove the sometimes toxic by-products of digestion as well as viruses, and other bacteria.

Probably the best and most noticeable benefit from eating a high fiber diet is it prevents constipation. What's not to like about that! But just as importantly, a high fiber diet keeps your gut healthy, and your immune system strong.

In the future I'll write more about the benefits of a high fiber diet. In the meantime, let's forget the marketing hype about probiotics. Just remember, yogurt with probiotics is not a health food!

I invite you to share your experiences with diet modification.

Please visit my primary website,
http://www.BettysHouseLifeAfterMS.com.

INTRODUCTION TO MEDITATION

2010-02-16T13:57:00.000-08:00

Meditation is a really powerful tool for healthy living. It means different things to those of us who practice this discipline on a regular basis.

What is Meditation Really: I have been practicing meditation regularly for a lot of years, and I define it at its most elementary level as "stilling the mind chatter" that we all experience all the time. The goal is to reach the alpha state where the mind is quiet.

To some meditation is merely a tool to help them learn to relax. Today research has linked a regular practice of meditation to reduced levels of anxiety and stress, in addition to improved immune function as well as a host of other health benefits. Many physicians not only practice meditation themselves but recommend it to their stressed patients.

On the other hand meditation is a powerful tool for self-awareness, centering and spiritual development. Either of these two extremes - and anything in between - are worthy goals of meditation. The longer we practice meditation, however, the closer we tend to be drawn to the self-awareness and spiritual aspects.

It is very important to note that spiritual is not necessarily religious. I am not a religious person, in terms of practicing any religion, but I am a deeply spiritual person, and the longer I practice meditation the deeper it has taken me into developing spirituality.

I personally was not successful in my early attempts at meditation. It took me quite a few efforts to finally learn that I had a misconception of not only what meditation is, but I also had a misconception of what was supposed to happen when I meditated. Then when "nothing" happened I felt I had failed. I became convinced that I simply could not learn to meditate.

Actually thinking one cannot meditate is like thinking one cannot breathe! Meditating is a perfectly natural state, and everyone can do it. I suppose one of the first lessons I learned when I finally "got it" was that nothing is supposed to happen, or rather whatever happens is what is supposed to happen!

Here is a simple introduction to meditation :

Preparation: If possible, have a special place and time of day to meditate. Mid-morning is the best time of day for me, and I have a very comfortable swivel rocker in my bedroom where I have meditated for years. Remove your shoes; loosen any tight clothing, etc. before you begin.The very easiest and simplest approach to beginning meditation for anyone is:

Step 1: Begin with several very deep, slow breaths. Inhale deeply and exhale as slowly as possible. The breath is the key to relaxation, as well as going within.

Step 2: With eyes closed, relax your entire body by focusing your attention first on your face and head, neck, shoulders, arms, chest, abdomen, upper back, lower back, hips, thighs, legs, and finally feet.

Step 3: Then imagine a bright, white light entering the top of your head. Imagine that gradually it moves ever so slowly down your body, saturating each cell with the wonderful healing and rejuvenating light, following the pattern of your relaxation above. Imagine that the light is energizing, healing and rejuvenating every cell, system and organ of your body. After your entire body is saturated with the light, then imagine that in addition there is a halo of the white light surrounding your entire body, and that you are sitting in the center of that light. Bask in the essence of your entire body as a being of light.

Step 4: Then imagine that you are descending a beautiful staircase. With each step as you descend, allow yourself to relax more and more into that light. At the bottom of the stairs is a magnificent garden with incredibly beautiful trees, shrubs and flowers, and perhaps a fountain. Hear the sound of the water in the fountain, as it trickles into a brook that runs through your garden. Hear the sound of a breeze in the trees, and the birds chirping in your garden, perhaps a frog in the background. Now notice that there are comfortable places in your garden to sit (I see a white marble bench).

Step 5: After being seated, begin to repeat a mantra, a repeated word or phrase, silently to yourself. Examples are "OM," "I AM," I AM LOVE," "I AM ONE WITH ALL THAT IS," or whatever is meaningful to you. You may also just concentrate on your breath. The purpose of the mantra is to mentally focus on something so that you still the mind chatter that clutters our minds. I find "I AM LOVE" to be very effective. If you find your mind wandering to other thoughts, just gently bring it back to your mantra.

I suggest that you not go beyond Steps 1 through 5 until you are really comfortable with the process, and it becomes a habit. That may take weeks or months, perhaps even years. The more consistent your practice, the sooner you will develop the skill.

And also, please remember that you must be determined to stay with it until you "get it." Half an hour should be your goal, but when you first begin 15-20 minutes is a good goal, or perhaps just 5 minutes. You will develop the technique much more rapidly if you are able to have two meditation periods each day, in the morning and again in the early evening.

If you are a person who has a very difficult time relaxing and getting into meditation, you may make the first step just playing some lovely, relaxing background music, while you sit quietly and just listen. If you do that for half an hour, I’m sure you will learn to quiet your mind. Then you can move into Step 1 of this meditation guide.

Meditation is such an important self-healing tool. I hope each one of you find that healing place inside yourself. It is worth all the effort to get there.

There are also forms of moving meditations, combined with breathing patterns, which are centered around Qi Gong and/or Yoga, and which I highly recommend. We'll explore those in future blog postings.

I invite you to visit my home website, www.BettysHouseLifeAfterMS.com. There you will learn how I overcame Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis.