WELLNESS

HOW TO BE A DURING Masterpiece MENOPAUSE

So it’s that time. You’re not sure you’re ready to admit it’s here, but you know it’s been coming since that time you spent an hour looking for your glasses only to discover them on top of your head, or woke up in the middle of the night inexplicably warm. Congratulations! You’ve been admitted into Menopause Central, complete with hot flashes, mood swings and all around fatigue. In times like these, there seems like no relief from the strange and sometimes unexplainable feelings. But remember! You can do this! There are three simple steps to making it through menopause as a Mona Lisa, not a Picasso. FIRST STEP? Prepare yourself. You’re getting older! Just like the first time you menstruated, your body makes changes with or without your approval, and you have to be ready for that. Expect hot flashes and night sweats; keep a fan near your bed or wear light pajamas. Be aware of possible cravings and mood swings; keep a level head as possible and regulate your sugar intake. Acknowledge the validity of what your body is telling you, even if it may be frustrating, and listen to your needs! SECOND STEP? Check yourself. Are you eating a healthy diet? Are you getting regular exercise? Menopause can cause an extra strong desire for sugary treats or cause you to retain weight, so be aware of your limits. Aside from these generic tips, you should also look into having your hormone levels checked and regulated by a licensed physician, and of course, direct any questions about your health or symptoms to your regular doctor. Weigh yourself daily and keep a record of any changes in your body, including frequency of hot flashes, increasing or decreasing weight, or even mood swings. The more information you have, the better your doctor will be able to help. FINAL (AND MOST IMPORTANT) STEP? Indulge yourself. Your body is going through a lot of changes, and there’s absolutely no reason to put more stress on yourself. Now’s the time to schedule that couple’s massage you’ve been considering for years, and getting a fancy room at your local hotel for a special night. Call up your girlfriends and have them over for a hen party with facials and makeovers; after you’re all dolled up, go out on a date night with as many couples as you can gather. Host a jewelry night or passion party, complete with a gathering of your favorite people. Do whatever it takes to enjoy yourself whenever possible.

Most of all, ladies, remember that menopause is a part of life that every woman has to go through, and every woman deals with it differently. Listen to your body, ask any questions you may have, and above all, don’t be afraid to indulge in a little fun! Mother Nature may have painted you as a rough sketch, but there’s no reason you can’t still come out a masterpiece.

Remember that menopause is a part of life that every woman has to go through.

By Rick Porter

HOT MESS MOM IS NOW Calm, Cool & In Control By Patricia Danflous

Amanda Hainline Helps Others to Feel Better in Five Minutes

I was afraid to dip my toe into something new that essentially went against the core of my Baptist upbringing, but why not try it?

Amanda Hainline is a great listener. She is an awesome conversationalist, too. Just minutes into an exchange with the Austin, Texas-based emotional mentor, author, mom, spouse and soon to be podcaster, you realize her energy and joie-de-vivre is magnetic. You could keep on talking for hours like BFFs. But when she begins to share her journey from “hot mess mom” to emotional freedom mentor, you are going to pay attention and just listen and learn.

It all started with angst. You know that overwhelming feeling of whirling emotions–anger, sadness, resentment, frustration–that come with trying to do it all, not getting anything done, and feeling so exhausted you can’t decide what to do first, even if you had the energy to do it. When a friend suggested a visit to an energy healer, Hainline was borderline skeptical. “I was afraid to dip my toe into something new that essentially went against the core of my Baptist upbringing, but why not try it?” she recalled.

The healer tapped on her heart and tapped on her head. “I didn’t know what it meant but I saw shapes and colors,” Hainline explained. “After the session, I felt better. I was functioning, smiling, and realized I could benefit from the healer.”

Smiles were not forthcoming on the return visit. Instead, she screamed with a fear unlike anything she had ever previously experienced or imagined. “My body was burning, I was sweating, and filled with terror as if someone was chasing me with an ax.” A nightmare, that had only consumed 30-seconds of her life, would change her world forever. “What happened?” she asked. With a serious expression and the admission that Hainline was just her third client, the healer explained that all seven of her chakras had been released at the same time.

While it was unusual for all chakras –the body’s energy centers-to simultaneously open, she was comforted when the healer said they would close and balance out.

Comfort was short-lived. As she explored the function of chakras with the body’s organs, immune system and emotions her terror intensified, intermingling with dark thoughts, and traumatic childhood memories in addition to hearing voices. “I was living in a reality that was not mine,” she stated. “I had frequent premonitions as a child that would come true, but this was way beyond that type of feeling.”

It took more than six months of personal emotional turmoil, as well as recognizing the flow of emotions from those around her, to find balance, explanation, and to recognize that she was not mentally or physically ill. “As I let go of more and more of my own emotions, the more stable I became.” she said. “I could focus again. My crying spirals became less frequent. I developed a new set of tools for releasing emotions so that they didn’t weigh me down.”

After much study, Hainline recognized her life had been transformed by a Kundalini Awakening. You may have heard or perhaps tried Kundalini yoga to build strength and flexibility through breathing, chanting and repetitive poses. Hainline’s experience went further. She is one of the rare individuals who have experienced a spontaneous emergence. The experience in which dormant energy suddenly flows freely through the seven chakras led to an expanded state of consciousness which brought her gifts and opened her mind to diverse spiritual guides. Over the last 15 years, she has accepted her unique gift, learned how to enhance it, welcomed the spiritual guides that she originally thought were evil spirits, and is helping people improve relationships, achieve success, and be the best they can be through and untapped resource–the human energy system.

Today, the intuitive healer is guiding individuals from teenagers to seniors to find freedom from anxiety, stress, and depression in as little as five minutes through personal sessions, informational resources on her website www.amandahainline.com and through her recently released book, “Feel Better in Five Minutes–an Empowering Guide to Gain Control Over Your Emotions.”

Interested, but not certain an emotional freedom mentor is for you? Keep in mind the hot mess mom is just like you in many ways. Her southern, Texas heart is all about family, adventure, having a good time, empowerment and enjoying the world around her. Her book will give you additional insight to her personal journey from hot mess to an energy-fueled healer, and point you in the right direction to utilize your emotions to change your life. Hainline introduces a variety of topics from emotional freedom to using color as an energy vitamin. You’ll find success stories, with questions to ask yourself, and a few recipes to help release energy.

If you are feeling anxious and nervous, try Hainline’s suggestions and recipe for staying grounded and better able to handle life’s energy challenges.

“Carry a crystal if you can, an easy thing to do for support on a daily basis is to carry either a small smoky quartz crystal or a bloodstone (or both) in your pocket,” she says. “These are both great grounding stones. Use Sandalwood-put a dab of sandalwood oil on your wrists or on your neck. Dilute it first with a carrier oil if you are sensitive. This will help you stay grounded.”

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup of Epsom salt • 1 cup of Himalayan pink salt if you have it (if not, use 2 cups Epsom salt)  Essential oils • 6 drops lavender • 8 drops sandalwood • 12 drops patchouli • 3 drops bergamot • 8 drops eucalyptus • 6 drops frankincense

DIRECTIONS

Mix salt and oils well together in a bowl. Dump into the warm bath and soak yourself for fifteen to twenty minutes. You can also add smoky quartz and bloodstone to the bath for extra support. Take this bath a couple of times a week or whenever you feel really frazzled. Lighting a red or orange candle while you soak in your bath brings in these colors for support as well. Congratulations, you have taken your first step to shifting your energy and changing your life.

Grounding Bath Grounding Bath