Weaving Healing Wisdom Book Taste Test

Jenny Morrill and Paula Youmell

Weaving Healing Wisdom

by

Jenny Morrill, MS.Ed Paula Youmell, RN, MS.Ed

Copyright Š 2017 by Jenny Morrill and Paula Youmell. All rights reserved.

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No portion of this work, in part or in the whole, may be duplicated, transmitted, broadcast, copied, or otherwise distributed in electronic or paper form without the written permission of the authors.

ISBN-13 978-0-9986060-2-6 ISBN-10 0-9986060-2-2

Published in the United States of America Deposited in the Library of Congress

Set in Lucida Grande 12 point

Design consultation: LaPointe Illustration Lapointeillustration.com

Lexingford Publishing LLC New York San Francisco Ottawa Hong Kong www.lexingfordpublishingllc.com

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What’s Being Said about Weaving Healing Wisdom: “Weaving Healing Wisdom is a treasure trove of practical, relevant, and valuable tools for whole and authentic living. In one word that sums up how I feel after diving into some of the daily practices is THRIVING! Both authors bring a depth and breadth of clarity, integrity, and yes, wisdom! I especially appreciate the wonderful illustrations, recipes, and deeply nourishing sacred self-care practices addressing all aspects of body, mind, and spirit. I highly recommend this book as one to refer to daily, cherish, and gift to all of your loved ones!”

Lórien Eck, M.Ed., Artist & Reiki Master Teacher "Culturally, we focus so much on complex medical techniques for healing disease in the body. But the truth is that simple lifestyle changes combined with mindfulness is extremely powerful biochemically. Our physical wellness (or lack thereof) is not a random outcome. On so many levels, the body follows the mind! This book is just what you need to work out a customized plan for igniting that healing power for yourself."

Tracy Harrison Founder, The School of Applied Functional Medicine Paula and Jenny have woven together a wonderful combination of insights from nutrition, meditation, and yoga traditions. We are lucky to have them in our area. Paula’s books have been an inspiration to us.

Nick Knowles DO, Family Medicine Physician, Canton Potsdam Hospital If adopting ‘mindfulness’ strategies is your goal, then travel with the authors through carefully presented explanations, illustrations, and action steps toward a less stressful, more productive journey through life. This outstanding book suggests foods to eat along with food for thought. It is a must read for any active person who needs to reduce life’s distractions in order to be productive in the present.

Don Mesibov, Founder-Director, The Institute for Learning Centered Education Paula and Jenny reveal their insights for the weaving together of body, mind, and soul healing. Healing one without the other makes you feel the effects differently...having all three connect is powerful!

Christina Smith, Holistic Health Coach-Nurse

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This partnership has us leaning in a little closer toward health and happiness, knowing that they come to us hand in hand when we do the work for ourselves. This book offers much-needed support from our wise and connected friends, Paula and Jenny. I can feel the joy and enthusiasm.

Shannon Miller, Yoga Teacher and LMT, Co-owner Trillium Center for Yoga & Health, Potsdam, NY

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Dedication To all who support Jenny and Paula as together they walk and weave their healing paths.

Now we support you in the Weaving of your own tapestry of Healing Wisdom.

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About the Authors Jenny Morrill Jenny (right) is a proud public school teacher and mindfulness trainer/tutor. After teaching for over 15 years, mindfulness rejuvenated her teaching passion. She is devoted to helping others find their voice, explore self-compassion, and discover their purpose with mindfulness as an anchor. As her very own healing tapestry continues to unfold, Jenny lives with her daughter and husband.

She is grateful to live among her friends and family and work in an engaging and caring learning community.

Paula Youmell Paula (left) is an RN-Natural Health Educator trained in several natural healing modalities and Functional Medicine. She continues to learn, grow, and weave it all together to create her lifestyle medicine to offer wellness support. Paula lives alongside the Adirondack Mountains with her boys, cats, and dog immersing herself into the woods every chance she gets.

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Disclaimer and Information The information in this book is not medically diagnostic nor is it intended as specific medical advice to cure or ameliorate any condition or disease. The authors and publisher wholeheartedly encourage the reader to exercise responsibility in the choice of health and healing options. The reader’s choice to use any of the suggestions in this book is theirs alone. The authors and publisher are not responsible for any outcomes, results, or other consequence of the reader’s use of information in this book. In all questions of personal health, the reader is advised to seek the counsel of a licensed medical professional.

Portions of this book were previously published on the website PaulaYoumellRN.com, in educational handouts, and in Paula’s book, Hands On Health. All such material is published in this book with the author’s permission.

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Table of Contents Acknowledgments

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Foreword by Shelby Connelly, FiveElementsLiving.com

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How to Read This Book

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Inner Conversation Starters

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Chapter 1 Beginnings

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Chapter 2 Compassion

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Chapter 3 Refreshed in Being Present

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Chapter 4 Quieting the Inner Critic

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Chapter 5 Mountain Mindfulness

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Chapter 6 Let Go, Let Be

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Appendix of Useful Resources and Information

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Acknowledgments For Jenny Morrill: I am grateful for the many marigolds in my life who have loved me, supported me, challenged me, and taught me how to find my voice. Through them, I have learned how to be gentle with both my struggles and my achievements.

I thank my daughter, whose presence has taught me how to have courage and the true power of love, connection, and kindness. My husband, who is my steady companion, helps me discover the beauty and depths of friendship and love. I want to thank my mother and father, my sisters, my uncle, my cousin and his wife, and my “framily� for their support. I appreciate all of you and the love and light you give me.

To Kimmy, my beautiful rock star sister, your spirit will forever shine in my heart. I love you.

I am very lucky to be working in a school community that has become my second home. I have encountered many mentors and colleagues in my personal and professional life who have helped me open a door to healing and growth. I am forever grateful for your influence and guidance.

Shelby, thank you for creating a space for healing and friendship. You have given me encouragement to claim my voice.

Thank you, Paula, for being my reiki master and sharing with me your wisdom for vibrant health. You teach me to live everyday with passion and intention. I am grateful for your spirit and example. Thank you for sharing this journey with me and helping me find my own tapestry of health and healing.

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For Paula Youmell: I wish to express gratitude to all the teachers in my life: Mom and Dad, my sisters, friends, family/grandparents, healers, herbalists, earth medicine people, and strangers whose path I have crossed. You have all made this book possible by weaving your magic into my life.

Thank you, Jenny, for inviting me to join this journey together. Walking and weaving with you is a sacred gift I honor.

Deep gratitude to Charlotte Bradley of Yoga Flavored Life, Canada (YogaFlavoredLife.com), for the use of her amazing Yoga Stick Figures. You will find these pose guides in each chapter. Use this book as a guide to your daily flow of peace-inducing mindfulness.

Another deep dive of gratitude to Shelby Connelly of Five Elements Living Retreat Center, Colton, NY (FiveElementsLiving.com) for her words of wisdom in the Foreword and for always having our backs as our heart tight-friend, colleague, and soul sister.

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Foreword Shelby Connelly, FiveElementsLiving.com There is scientific evidence to support the powerful mental training technique called mindfulness. And it’s not new to most of us that it is possible to eat in a way that helps us thrive. We are indeed aware that to help ourselves, we must find more peace, move more and eat less, and avoid sweating the small stuff.

These messages are everywhere--yet our intentions to follow them are challenged by fast food commercials, the donuts in the break room, and our jampacked days filled with multitask working, grocery shopping, and keeping up with kids’ sports. I know for myself that in spite of the information being out there, putting it into practice day by day was where I came up short.

I would put my achy body into my massage therapist’s hands, ask my chiropractor for a tune-up for my tight and lazy spine, and then chase a meal of processed food with acupuncture to ease my bloated digestive system. This patchwork approach to personal health seemed to work reasonably well. But I was leaning on others and avoiding undertaking the day-to-day work of helping myself. I would allow the effects of deep couch sitting and potato chips (my organic snack of choice) to build up in my system and then race to an appointment I jammed into my schedule to “fix” me. l didn't want to face my fears of doing the work myself. When I really dug deep, what would I uncover? If I became still and listened, if I was healthfully nourished, what would rise up out of the quiet and fulfillment of appetite? More to heal?

Further to dig? It was so much easier to work against my body than with it.

Eventually, I did make the transition to doing the work myself. How? Like any change, it started with a deeper discomfort than I was previously willing to endure.

And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. -Anais Nin

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This quote resonated deeply with me—in fact, I had an artist paint it on the wall of the reception area of my acupuncture office. Reading it every day, along with my growing consciousness of the gnawing in my weak and bloated core, put me on a new path.

My journey toward health started with Paula Youmell. We were already close friends, and we had even attended the birth of each other's sons. However, I had taken for granted her whole foods cooking and our bartering of acupuncture for yoga classes. Once the pain of remaining “tight in a bud” was too painful, I made an actual appointment with her. This was not just another friendly lunch, but a full two-hour appointment to discuss my digestive issues in depth. The “tight bud” I was clinging to was the uncomfortable sensation of belly bloat, extreme fatigue, and the pull the bloat exerted on my back. The “blossoming” was yet to unfold.

The seemingly small but meaningful changes she suggested were so obvious and do-able that I was embarrassed that I hadn’t implemented them already myself. She reminded me that “organic” and “gluten free” are not good enough indicators of healthy food, and can mean high levels of sugar and highly processed grains. She encouraged me to slow down, chew, enjoy the food. She taught me about the synergism that food had with my body and soul, and even that the disrespect I had for my own nourishment was being projected onto my friends, family, and patients. If I couldn't tend to my own wellbeing, how could I expect to be helpful to others?

It took me another year to catch up with Jenny. The changes to my relationship with food were easier than I had anticipated once I took them seriously. But mindfulness was yet another key to my well-being that I was frightened to confront. In this case, the “tight bud” I was holding onto was being present in the moment. I would find more sensation in the anticipation of eating a gourmet meal, wine nights with girlfriends, playing with my children, or intimate dinners with my husband than I would in actually participating in those activities. When those anticipated moments arrived, I would feel detached. I was racing through precious time with my loved ones and not participating in the art of truly living.

It was not until I interviewed Jenny on camera to promote her Mindfulness class here at Five Elements Living that I really connected to the message she was

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conveying. When she spoke about connecting with breath I realized I had, in a way, stopped breathing! She explained how connection with self must come before connection to others. Now that I wasn't numbing my body with preservative-laced food, I was more capable of breathing deeper into my core, the core I had been trying to avoid. For the first time one day, I practiced true deep breathing--beyond my chest and into my belly--before entering a restaurant to meet friends. I breathed in gratitude for the gifts of my life as I played with my husband and kids. And the breaths I started to take before, during, and after meals acknowledged the nourishment I was giving to myself, the self that I now hold sacred.

Through Jenny’s teachings, I have the modesty and clarity to take the utmost care for my own wellbeing before I can give to another human being.

In the big picture, what I love about these two teachers is their passion for wellness beyond the classroom, their willingness to take on adult learners in the school of healthy living after busy days with school children. These women are beautifully resilient, and each fueled by the wisdom they teach, as well as by the magnetism they have toward each other and each other’s teachings, all of which is expressed so effectively in this book.

I feel it is by divine intervention that I can call these two women close, dear friends. I have learned by association. Watching them work, play, and sort through their own life issues has been an education in self care and self awareness akin to a religious experience. We have shared adventures, given voice to nearly unspeakable things, and just plain bitched about the challenges of being strong women. We have encouraged our powerfully passionate selves to live life on the fringe, and shared our deep commitment to observing life as love.

These same offerings are in this book. You may find them obvious and expressed eloquently in black and white, but I ask you to also go beyond the written word and allow your body to feel the gifts that are offered here. All are necessary to a higher quality of life.

Shelby Connelly, L.Ac. M.Ac Five Elements Living Retreat & Holistic Health Center, Colton, NY

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How to Read This Book Over the summer of 2016, I was deep in my mindfulness practice, focusing on creating trainings for educators and students. My passion of exploring, studying, and practicing mindfulness rejuvenated and awakened my soul. Practicing mindfulness and reiki daily, my creative juices flowed. I spent many summer days visualizing a collaboration bringing a “One Stop Shop” experience for people who want to discover their own path toward healing, health, and self-compassion. And with that vision, I couldn’t stop thinking about Paula.

Paula is my reiki master, a healer, and a wise woman who has guided my journey and the journeys of many others toward healthy well-being. Her guidance and support gave me the courage to begin exploring a mindful life. She has helped me find my center and taught me how to honor my authentic wholeself. Her teachings fostered a path of self-discovery and self-acceptance through mindfulness. I knew I had to find a way to bring our work together.

Mindfulness is being purposefully present-minded, focusing on observing our thoughts and feelings without judgment, followed with the intent of shaping our responses to include kindness and compassion. It allows us to focus on where we are, observe what we think, and explore what we feel. Then, from that awareness, we are able to choose a response that honors our individual true purpose. Sounds easy, right? Some may find it so. But easy or hard, this practice is deep, rich, and transformational. This kind of practice, over time, rewires your brain to focus on the now, reduces the “autopilot” responses, and breathes life into your experiences. Through mindfulness, you can create new habits of mind and connect to the present moment with improved focus, selfawareness, all the while becoming closer to your whole, authentic self.

Mindfulness gives you a grounded state of mind to lean into challenges, conflict, disappointment, and fear. As you begin to connect to the mindful breath, you step into a place of resiliency and calm. Through mindfulness, you will learn to walk side by side with the challenges that you face rather than giving in to the feeling of wanting to run away from them. What a gift! Mindfulness teaches you

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to explore your inner wisdom, to awaken your inner voice, and to greet adversity with openness. A challenge actually becomes your teacher. Life’s mighty storms lose their strength when we surrender to them with our presence of mind. The muddiness, murkiness, and messiness of adversity, in turn, becomes meaningful when we embrace the rain, storms, and wind through a mindfulness practice.

Stress and pressure begin to weaken and the tightness in our heart and mind begins to release. When we mindfully approach life’s joys and upsets, we are more engaged, creative, and productive. We are more whole and present. A strength of wisdom blooms within our heart and self-doubt clears from our mind.

From a physical perspective, practicing mindfulness lowers our blood pressure and improves our immune system. Our body can move toward healing as our body releases “happy” hormones that promote wellbeing. Our thoughts can create a ripple effect of healing. It is well-known that the body responds to stressful thinking. Have you felt your stomach feel sick when you walked into a stressful situation or had a difficult conversation? Those are examples of your thinking taking its toll on your physical body. When a person is constantly in a heightened stress mode, it can play a major role in determining one’s state of physical wellbeing, cell health, and organ functioning.

Mindfulness can transform your life, increase your presence of mind, and deepen your connection to your inner light and wisdom so that stress doesn’t create chaos in your body. This sacred awareness of your thoughts, feelings, and worries has power to impact your physical health. I continue to find that mindbody connection amazing. In essence, mindfulness is one step toward improving your overall health and wellbeing.

Paula and I brought our individual insights and experiences to the joy of writing this book. The personal discovery of self-awareness, self-care, and health are interconnected. Mindfulness nurtures skills that bring your attention to what is happening now with your mind and body. It breathes life into practicing loving and compassionate self-acceptance. What better way to connect to your sacred self with both a presence of mind that cultivates kindness and love, as well as learning how to make healthy choices for your body. You can honor your whole being, mind, body and spirit, with a mindful mindset, conscious movement, and a healthy menu. In this latter area, Paula’s expertise in foods, herbs, yoga, and

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energy healing brought an extremely valuable perspective to the balance involved in a mindful practice.

The magical simplicity and beauty of this book, we believe, is to show you that you hold the ability to weave health into your life. We hope you will think of us as your team members as together, with your awareness and actions, we offer to encourage you, teach you, and support you in discovering your own healing tapestry to wellness.

This book will share with you the small steps you can take as you learn about mindfulness. I will explain what to do to practice. I will have links to my recordings of mindful moments for your use through my website, 3marigolds.com. I believe mindfulness is a practice that honors our natural and innate desire to live fully in an alive, awake state of being. It is a practice that can take minutes each day. I am so excited for you to begin. Your willingness to explore these principles and practices is the only expectation and intention. I want to share with you the truth that, in the sacred connection to your breath, nothing has to be changed or fixed. You only have to connect, breathe, and allow your highest self to bloom.

Mindfulness is a mindset, an intention, and a skill that can be nurtured to improve how we each navigate stress. At the same time, mindfulness improves the landscape of self-awareness. It is a practice that can be brought into your everyday life. It can invite a positive shift in relationship-building and productivity.

Here are some of the benefits of mindfulness: ● Models a healthy and functional approach to relating to self and with others. ● Practices observing and reflecting when responding to stimulus ● Instills reflection, kindness, and compassion. ● Creates space for problem-solving which creates new habits of mind. ● Promotes learning how to connect and engage within the present moment. ● Sharpens the ability to be at ease as we navigate our daily lives. ● Reduces cortisol, reduces blood pressure, and boosts the immune system.

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Imagine creating space in your life where you cultivate the skills of connection, caring, and compassion as a way to create a “centered state of ease” as you take on your day. Our goal in this book is to be of service to you and your needs.

I want to paint a picture of what mindfulness can do for you—to “light your path” as you discover its meaning.

I think of mindfulness as a sequence of steps.

The Three “C’s” from 3 Marigolds 1. Connect: Discover that we all have a marigold within our own hearts that will support and nurture our healthy well-being and learning.

2. Communicate: Find a community of marigolds and connect with others who are committed to caring and supporting one another with mindful intentions.

3. Create: Establish a space for others to find a marigold within your presence. You become a marigold for yourself so that you can be of service to others and light their path toward healthy well-being and learning.

Marigolds are often placed around gardens to fend off pests and nurture healthy plants. I encourage you to identify where your marigolds are in your life. Begin with yourself. Are you supporting your own well-being with your thoughts and habits of mind? Take time to connect to the breath and be willing to experience moments of reflection without judgment. With this presence of mind, the qualities of kindness, self-awareness, and compassion can grow. We are eager to support you as you find your own marigold within and reach out to find your community of marigolds. In time, we hope you can create a space for others to find a marigold while in your presence and to be of service to self and others.

We will help you along the way. This book celebrates how others have created ripples of healing, love, and light in my own life using easily learned skills that can illuminate your path towards healing, wholeness, and happiness. Let us light your path and support you as you begin to weave your healing wisdom and breathe life into your personal tapestry of wellness.

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People who have the courage to begin a mindful path can create space to think deeply about their own feelings. Rarely, this awareness can cause strong feelings to surface that may be upsetting or reveal a powerful emotional response. If you find yourself practicing moments of stillness during which a strong emotion arises, that is normal. If those emotions are at any time overwhelming, debilitating, or difficult to handle, remember to go gently with yourself. Connect with support from professional counselors or therapists to help you continue your path toward healing. These services are there to help you understand overwhelming or painful emotions that may, though rarely, occur during the practice of mindfulness.

--Jenny

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I write this as heart-centered, guiding information to accompany you on your Mindfulness Journey. Use your own inner wisdom to weave your tapestry of self-healing love. Know deeply--know within yourself--that any intention you have for your healing is attainable when you weave your own sacred lifestyle medicine.

When Jenny asked me to co-author this book, I confess that I panicked. Writing a book is a labor of love involving a great deal of work. Finding the words for the book itself is not the issue when writing flows from my head and heart. It is the “after the book is written” realities that make the task of authorship challenging.

When Jenny explained the project to me she had me hooked in five seconds. I had to deep breathe, pull myself into the moment (hey, mindfulness!), and realize her idea was spot on cool. I knew it was meant to be because when I opened body, mind, and spirit to the idea of this project, what Jenny wanted me to add to this project literally just flowed. When we are in the flow of the universe’s energy, things just go smoothly.

Weaving our energies together makes a stronger tapestry!

Jenny has an amazing knowledge of the brain’s workings around creating new habits and new neural pathways. She is poetry-in-motion when teaching the concepts to kids and adults alike, with her perpetual passion and compassion.

Seeing where I fit into the puzzle, as she explained her ideas, was like an antique skeleton key fitting into a lock in an old and wise door.

In order for a person to live and be in the present moment—that is, to function from a space of mindfulness--it helps tremendously to feel good. I am speaking of literally feeling good inside your body. When we glow with great health it is so much easier to create new ways of being around our emotional habits--to function from intentional action and choices and not the same ‘ole same ‘ole knee-jerk reactions that keep us stuck in ruts.

Here is where my stuff fits in. My passion is to support people’s return to vibrant health and to support the prevention of ill health through healthful food and lifestyle choices. Feeding the body with nature’s bounty of whole foods creates body cells that literally vibrate with topnotch health. Whole health, living in rhythm

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with nature and making natural health choices, is how life was meant to be: healthy and whole. This is my wish for everyone who reads this book: wholeness in your personal health.

With these mutual inspirations in mind, Jenny and I set off on a path together to create a fusion of our body, mind, and spirit healing wisdom in the form of this book. Thanks for joining us on our path.

I will be sharing yoga poses (I love yoga) that will support you as you integrate each mindful moment practice into your daily life. Many people see yoga only as a series of physical postures. Yoga is so much more than just poses.

The physical postures actually prepare us for the bigger picture that yoga invites into our lives: ● Living in the present moment. ● Holding space for our body, mind, and spirit to be in harmony. ● Living each day from a space of peace and love (no, I am not talking about love beads, peace signs, long hair, and Birkenstocks here… but then again, just maybe I am). ● Acting mindfully on life’s challenges, not reacting emotionally in a mindless way. ● Being ever mindful of who we are and how our energy (who we are) affects everything and everyone else in the world.

Yoga poses are mindfulness in motion. Living a yoga life is a deep dive into a mindfulness practice. It is a lifestyle of love.

Do not feel you have to do every pose suggested in each section--but if you are so inspired, feel free to enjoy them all. Work on the ones that interest you and sustain your attention. If you find yourself avoiding some poses, especially those that may leave you feeling awkward, recognize that these may be just the poses you need to help move the energy in your body. Sometimes we resist that which we most need to shift energy in our bodies and move resistance out.

The suggested poses in each section are not the end-all poses for the mindfulness moment at hand. There are many yoga poses to try, add into your

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life, and work with to transform how you live. Any yoga pose will help rebalance your life force energy (your chakras) over the long haul of life.

This is precisely why I recommend a 3-4 times a week yoga practice, or 20-30 minutes of poses daily with some mindfulness meditation after poses. Your body, mind, and spirit will be glad you are sharing these daily gifts.

If a pose seems one-sided (I will give examples below) make certain to always do the pose on both sides or in both directions. Take a few slow, steady, even breaths and then repeat the pose on the other side. Take time in between all poses to just come back to your normal, balanced self.

Examples of poses that require practicing on both sides.

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This last graphic shows a twist pose. Always twist in both directions. Always come back to center with gentleness and let your body (mind and spirit) relax and be neutral before twisting in the other direction.

Yoga is a way of bringing balance to body, mind, and spirit. Your life force energy, chi, is the flow of spirit in your body. The chakra centers of your body run from the top of your head, between your eyes, throat, heart center, solar plexus, sacral, and root chakra under the pubic bone. Where appropriate, I will correspond the mindfulness moment to the chakra and offer yoga poses for that chakra. I may toss in some other fun chakra-inspired goodies around colors to positively impact that chakra. Enjoy the information and use it in whatever way resonates with your current life needs.

When doing yoga poses, remember to keep your jaw relaxed. A relaxed jaw contributes to a relaxed body. Relaxation allows for the free flow of chi through your chakras and meridians, the free flow of intuition, and the deep relaxation that allows healing to happen. Yoga and mindfulness are about healing. While you are at it, keep your knees and heart slightly relaxed as well.

When I speak of foods to enhance a particular mode of mindfulness, I always mean whole food. This means foods that are in their natural state: no refining out of nature- made nutrients or adding in of synthetic nutrients or additives. Whole foods mean foods grown and raised as closely as possible to how they would have grown and thrived without human interference/assistance. Organic foods, truly organic, are great choices for enhancing cellular health. Pasture-raised, grass-fed animal products will feed your cellular health best. If the food you are eating has been fed well (healthy soil, whole fertilizers rather than chemical

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fertilizers, whole foods for growing/raising both plants and animals) then the food on your plate or in your bowl will have vibrantly healthy body cells. Naturally, that food, with healthy cells, will now feed your cells with vibrancy. I always give my clients this advice: buy the very best food your budget allows. Food is what feeds the health of your body cells today and for longevity.

Make this your questioning mantra: “Is this best for my cellular health?”

Food is our sacred connection to Mother Earth. All we eat comes forth from the Earth. Without the Earth we would perish. Give thanks, praise, and gratitude for every meal you eat. Thank the Earth and all who bring the food to your table: farmers and everyone responsible for harvesting and moving your food from seed to earth to plate. Deep gratitude is deep, nourishing medicine for our cells.

Consider transitioning your eating habits into more of a seasonally-driven lifestyle choice. Access your foods from local farmers and you will immerse yourself in the seasonal rhythm of your local area. Seasonal eating is good for your chi energy and the energy of the planet.

For example, in my area of very Northern NY State, here is just a small selection of local foods: ● strawberries, green onions, peas, and fresh greens in spring and early summer; ● bountiful veggies and berries all summer long; ● apples, squash, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and root veggies in the fall; and ● cabbage, winter squash, and root veggies all winter.

When you become mindful of what foods are grown locally and in what season those foods are naturally available, you create another energetic pathway of mindfulness in your life.

As with any health recommendation, I ask you to seek your highest wisdom about that recommendation. I can suggest many things for students and clients but, ultimately, the wisdom lies with you. You know you best. You know what works best for you. Take in suggestions, other people’s wisdom, and play with it

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in your life. Does this new habit, practice, or eating style resonate with you? Work with it over time. If a particular lifestyle habit makes positive changes for you, incorporate it into your life for the long haul. If not, set it aside, at least for the time being. Keep the wisdom close at hand because maybe timing is just not right for now. Come back to it later and perhaps it will resonate with you then.

Learn to be your own guru, your own best healer.

I will speak of herbs and plants that can be used to bring balance to your body’s health. Again, organically grown means the plants are healthier and more nutrient dense, cell by cell, than conventionally grown food or herbs that make use of chemical additives. If the herbs are wild crafted, look for an ethically wild crafted certification. We must give thanks and praise for all the nourishing foods and herbs we harvest from our earth. This harvesting with gratitude for the plant’s life means not over-harvesting in the wild. When wild crafters take more than the wild patch can later re-grow, we create problems with endangering wild plants.

Caring for our food and medicine with love and gratitude, in all manners, means our bodies will be better nourished by it.

I will recommend herbs to make into medicinal infusions. Directions for making healing infusions are in the appendix at the back of the book. Simply dunking an herbal tea bag for a few minutes or brewing tea through a Keurig® machine only makes a nicely flavored water. You receive the full medicinal benefits of the plants when you steep herbs properly.

My favorite herb is stinging nettles. This plant is an amazing high-mineral plant and useful for so many health and healing purposes. Nettles is a nutritive herb and I use it in just about every blend of herbs I combine to create medicinal infusions. If I do not recommend it for a particular mindfulness moment, feel free to add it in yourself.

Herbs are amazing healing plants. Their safety and efficacy has been proven for thousands of years. I wrote a blog post, available by searching my website’s blog, titled Medicinal Herbs ARE Food. This is a very brief post extolling the virtues of herbs as food-based medicine. If you are new to using herbs, learn about each herb before you use them. Being a wise consumer--and I do mean this in the sense of consuming or taking herbs into your body--is a wise thing to

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do. Connect with a local herbalist who can help you learn and grow in your plant spirit medicine usage.

I will give some essential oil recommendations that can work with your energy around each mindfulness moment’s focus. Again, be wise in your use of plant spirit medicine. I suggest that you learn and feel comfortable with what you are using and doing. ● Use one of the oils in your bath, 10-15 drops into a bath of water, relax into the hot bath - breathe deeply – enjoy. ● Use the oil(s) in a bit of lotion before a yoga practice or applied to feet at night (approximately 4 drops of essential oils per Tbsp. of lotion or oil), or ● Use the oil(s) as aromatherapy in a diffuser.

As with yoga poses, there are many foods, including herbs and essential oils, that will benefit each area of mindfulness we are seeking to enhance. I will offer suggestions, but the list is by no means all inclusive. As you walk your journey of discovery, you will find other foods that work for you in each area. Be open to weaving your own wisdom.

As spiritual beings in physical bodies, we need to care for our actual physical bodies so our purpose on this planet can shine through. I invite you to build a foundation for a mindful life with great self-care. I recommend the below--lifestyle medicines, we can term them--as a foundation for each of the mindfulness moments we will share with you. (Lifestyle medicine refers to whole health lifestyle habits that promote vibrant health for the prevention of dis-ease. This is medicine that works to nourish and support the body to actually heal when disease has set in.)

Lifestyle medicine to nourish your body: ● Whole foods (I will say this over and over. This is your foundation for healthy cells.) ● Sleep, deep and nurturing sleep. During sleep our bodies repair and heal.

You want this.

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Weaving Healing Wisdom

● Pure water, drink plenty. Skip using water with chlorine and fluoride in it for drinking, cooking, and bathing. Think and drink pure. ● Get chemicals out of your life: cleaners, cosmetics, body care products, household-yard-garden chemicals… all of them. Body cells that are burdened with chemical loads are not vibrant healthy cells. Revel in chemical free living. ● Movement is magical. Your body is poetry in motion. Take pleasure in moving your body through walks, dancing, yoga, hiking, biking, kayaking, any form of movement that makes your heart and soul sing. The body was designed for movement. Make your body happy. ● Get outside and breathe the air, soak up the sun, dance in the rain, walk barefoot in the grass. We are nature; revel in it, revel in us. ● Relax your body, mind, and spirit periodically throughout the day. Just five minutes of deep breathing can do amazing things for your immune system and whole body. Every cell will benefit with better health. ● All of your thoughts, words, and actions feed your body, mind, and spirit.

Immerse yourself in positive thoughts, words, actions, and people. Settle for nothing less than silver linings and positive people. Every cell will be grinning from ear to ear.

For more information on eating whole foods, yoga-inspiring blog posts, herbal information, whole food recipes, and much more, please check out my free health information pages and my blog posts at PaulaYoumellRN.com. I compile information as my gift to you.

To cherish knowledge is to know WISDOM To know LOVE is to know peace To honor all the creation is to have RESPECT To face life with courage is to know BRAVERY. To walk through life with integrity is to know HONESTY HUMILITY is to know yourself as a sacred part of creation TRUTH is to know all of these things.

-From The 7 Grandfathers' Teachings

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Jenny Morrill and Paula Youmell

The first elder was given these gifts of knowledge by the Seven Grandfathers.

These gifts were to help the people live a good life and to respect the Creator, the Earth, and each other. We have learned how to take care of Mother Earth. In our care for Mother Earth, we have learned to apply these gifts to families, communities, ourselves, and to all things. The Seven Grandfathers told the First Elder that “Each of these teachings must be used with the rest; you cannot have wisdom without love, respect, bravery, honesty, humility, and truth…to leave one out is to embrace the opposite of what that teaching is.” If one of these gifts is not used with the others, we will not be in balance. We must remember these teachings, practice them, and teach them to our children.

-Traditional Teachings Booklet, Native Women’s Centre, Hamilton, ON A mantra, of sorts, to remember in the chaos of life: “I can’t stop the wave but I can learn to surf.”

You have made it this far. Come on in and start sampling our whole body health recipes for living a life of mindfulness. We are glad you are here.

--Paula

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