Saturday, December 26, 2009

New Year's Resolutions - To Make or Not to Make

This is usually when folks start looking - I mean, really looking - at resolutions for the New Year.

I think this is a great activity for list makers, who should excel at this sort of thing. It is also a triumph of hope over experience, for how many of those resolutions made every year are actually kept? In that vein, it is a testimonial to the resiliency of the human spirit, that spirit that never gives up...never, ever, ever gives up.

If there is a gene for resolution making, I am lacking it. So far, I have not made New Year's Resolutions. I remember one year when I began a physical self-improvement program which included strict control of what I ate and didn't eat...right before Thanksgiving! My friends and family asked why I would choose to embark upon such a thing at that time of year: why not wait until after the holidays, in January, when everyone else is doing it. It seemed simple to me...why wait to do something I needed to do for my health and emotional well-being when I could start that minute?

There is value in taking stock of where one is on their path and, if that is the purpose NYRs serve, then let the stock-taking begin! There has to be a plan in place in order to tweak and refine it. Resolutions may serve as a mini-plan for life in the coming year.

So, in the stock-taking department, this is what I suggest...

...be clear on the five most important things in your life right now.
One should have an idea of what is of value, what one's purpose is, what gives existence meaning. If those things are
clear, goal-setting becomes a breeze and goal-setting leads to creating a road map...drawing out the route which takes us
to our destination.

It is okay to have side trips along the way. Being too focused, having tunnel vision, often keeps us from
the serendipitous experiences which create the wonderful tapestry of our lives or serve as a course correction.

...know the five most traumatic events of your life.
Healing is essential in order to live one's authentic life. Splinters, left under the skin, have a way of festering into sores,
eventually working their way to the surface to be extracted. Buried emotions are no different. The power our "shadow"
selves have over us comes from our refusal to look at them. Once we shine a light upon what we fear the most, we have
the opportunity to neutralize or eliminate what has plagued and paralyzed us. If we can't 'speak' it, how can we deal with it?

"Feeling Buried Alive Never Die..." by Karol K. Truman
"Owning Your Own Shadow: Understanding the Dark Side..." by Robert Johnson
...just two of the books that can start the process

...understand the power of one's thoughts and words.
Every time I have said "I can't...", I have been right.
Never is one of the biggest words in the English language.

We acknowledge the power our minds have to create havoc, unhappiness, disease, and resentment. Why is it so
difficult to accept the reality that our thoughts create, peace, joy, wellness and gratitude?

Thinking a thing is one thing. Believing that thing is everything. We don't have to believe everything we think. The
art comes in knowing which thought to discard and which one to allow to empower us. This is a daily practice just
like Chi Gong, Yoga, meditation, exercise and making lifestyle choices that optimize our ability to life fully. All of those
things help us with the thinking/believing thing.

...be fearless in expressing love.
Love yourself first. If you don't love yourself, how can you expect anyone else to do so? If you love yourself, you are enough.
Your journey is then enhanced by the participation of others in it, but not dependent upon their doing so. Paul Chek said
something very powerful on a PPS call: 'Creating a state of happiness that depends upon the actions of others is a recipe for
unhappiness.'

Be enough for yourself. Be the kind of person you would want to spend the rest of your life with. Radiate this and
it will be what is drawn to you. Be a magnet for love. Love unconditionally. Love deeply. Don't wait to love.

"The Mastery of Love" by Don Miguel Ruiz
"I Need Your Love - Is That True?" by Byron Katie with Michael Katz

And, should you choose to be alone, you will be fine with that, too, because you are enough!

...be serious about life, but don't take yourself too seriously!
Life is full of delicious ironies, as I like to call those "life is what happens while you're busy making other plans" events.
Enjoy the irony! Laughter is powerful, a healing experience, great for the abs and better than a face lift. And you know
the mind cannot hold two disparate thoughts at the same time...it is impossible to be both miserable and elated. So
go with the flow, revel in the humor, enjoy the absurdity, delight in your human-ness.

...know that it takes as long as it takes.
"Rome wasn't built in a day." Cliche, but true. Undoing what has taken us a lifetime to create, if that is our goal, is not
an overnight accomplishment. We may not get it right the first time. So what? The Universe will continue to give us the
opportunity to become what we were sent here to become...to do what we were sent here to do...to find the path with our
name on it.

Accept that The Universe has a plan, that we have an important part to play - even if it is a small one - and that we
will be able to fulfill our destiny.

We arrive where we are supposed to be at exactly the time we are supposed to be there.

So, my New Year's Resolutions?

Sit back. Relax. Enjoy the ride, bumpy or smooth.
Smile, smile, smile.
Study and learn so that I will be ready when the opportunity presents itself.
Enjoy the quirky...things and people.
Know it is my responsibility to protect myself from disempowering energies.
Be grateful...for my genetics, for my teachers and mentors, for my growth, for the things yet to come, that I do not have
a crystal ball. As John McMullen always says, or words to this affect, 'Let me continue to be surprised.'

Life is either too long or too short, depending on how you are living it! Life fully...
...Happy New Year.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Myofascial Stretching Class with Guy Voyer, D.O.

Los Angeles, December 4th, 5th, and 6th...
...over 600 muscles in our bodies...
priceless!

Okay, so we didn't stretch all 600, but it felt pretty darn close.

Fasciae is connective tissue. It is like the bag that contains the muscle. The muscle takes the shape of the bag. Fasciae is a mixture of carbs and protein, collagen (a fibrous scleroprotein in bone, cartilage, tendon and other connective tissue) and water. If the fascia is compromised due to dehydration, injury, poor training, the fascia is restricted and cannot move fluidly. When this happens, the fascia gets stuck and anything that the fascia encapsulates - muscle, viscera, joints - has compromised movement. This could mean that the rotator cuff muscles become tight and "freeze" up, that the liver is not elastic enough to detox the body without stress, or that the colon cannot move feces up hill and out of the body.

The goal of Myofascial Stretching is freedom...freedom at the level of articulation. Between all the muscles and ligaments there are sacks of bursa or sponges. The more hydrated the bursa, the fuller the sponge. Myofascial Stretching keeps the bursa plumped up.

Myofascial Stretching is working with a controlled movement. It is not ballistic. One needs to have the muscle on the brain. One of the first rules of this kind of work is stretching in the correct posture for the joint above and the joint below the fascia being worked. One stretches the muscles, the joints, and the fasciae.

The time for stretching each muscle in the body is different. Who can remember the time needed for each of those 600 or so muscles? The quality of muscle is different from person to person, each muscle has different fibers - fast, slow-twitch, horizontal, vertical, mono or polyarticular. When any Myofascial stretch is held for 30 seconds, the muscle loses its defenses
and quality stretching occurs. The stretch is done three times for 30 seconds each time with 15 seconds of relaxation in between.

It is impossible to have MOTILITY ( intrinsic movement of the viscera) without MOBILITY. Movement is alive. The anatomy never changes. What does change is how you train, for what purpose. Myofascial Stretching allows one to stretch a muscular chain within a fascial chain.

My thanks to Guy Voyer, D.O., and the Institute of Applied Somatherapy. The breadth and depth of knowledge presented through this forum is life altering!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Personal Responsibility

An influential federal task force recently concluded that routine mammograms, as recommended in the past, need to be re-evaluated. This is a challenge to one of the most common medical tests provided women in this country.

I do understand the hue and cry...as a woman who does not have a history of breast cancer in my family, it may not be as visceral a subject as it is to someone who has experienced that medical trauma. Many friends have dealt with that health issue and I have lost friends to the disease.

This brings to mind the articles and discussions about the Swine Flu vaccine...whether this is safe, whether the crisis being presented is real or an inflated medical emergency. And I will try to connect the dots so you can see my underlying concern in these very different situations.

The thought that comes to mind in both instances is the need for each one of us TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR HEALTH CARE DECISIONS. I am not going to become embroiled in a conversation about health care and what insurance companies do and do not cover as fallout from these studies. What I am passionate about is the position that it is our duty as "owners" of our bodies, to become as informed as we possibly can about the health issues that touch our lives and the lives of those we care about. A decision arrived at after study, conversation with the allopathic and homeopathic care givers we rely upon for seasoned and trustworthy information and our own sense of what works for us, is the right decision...whether is agrees with some pharmaceutical, government, or independent research task force or not.

WE ARE NOT SHEEP. Gather in the information needed to make an intelligent decision that takes into account the way you want to live your life and take care of your body. Be prepared to explain/defend that decision. If you can't present you rationale in a dispassionate and logical format, perhaps you haven't done your homework.

It is not only my right, but my moral obligation to participate in decisions that have a bearing on my health and whether I will become a burden to society by reckless disregard for my care. I must be willing to bear the cost of decisions that go against standard insurance practices. I must be willing to bear the brunt of a choice that may not have the desired for outcome. I must be true to myself and what I believe in when it comes to my wellness.

INFORMED...RESPONSIBLE...STANDING FOR MY CORE VALUES...ALLOWING OTHERS TO FOLLOW THEIR OWN PATH...BEING WILLING TO SHARE THE REASONS FOR TRAVELING THE ROAD I AM ON...THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME STEP UP ON MY SOAPBOX.

To your health and the health of our planet.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

"Clean" Dallas Restaurants...An On-Going Search!

THE KOZY KITCHEN

Several years ago, the new owners of a little place known for coffee and coffee cake (duh!), met with a CHEK Lifestyle Coach and Practitioner named Scott Herrera.

From that conversation about Metabolic Typing...really, the need for people trying to eat cleanly in order to become healthy to have a place to practice that new skill...was born what is now one of the best "organic" cafes in Dallas.

Owners and brothers-in-law Jeff Wells and Nick Pavageaux (Chef Nick, fornerly of Patricio's in Highland Park Village) formed The Kozy to feed those clients who had been assessed by HLCs (Holistic Lifestyle Coaches) and wanted to eat according to their Metabolic Type. Since those first days, the cafe has evolved to meet a wider range of dietary needs.

But the basics are still in place...GRASS FEED MEATS...WILD FISH...GAME...CLEAN WATER...GLUTEN FREE FOODS - DESSERTS THAT WILL KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF...ORGANIC ESPRESSO...HERBAL TEAS...THE BEST BUFFALO TACOS IN TOWN...INCREDIBLE GLUTEN FREE FRENCH TOAST...FOOD COOKED IN COCONUT OIL, OLIVE OIL OR NUTTIN' AT OIL! (Groan...)

...A PLACE WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS YOUR NAME!

The Kozy, as regulars call it, is a gathering pace for the neighborhood, for trainers and lifestyle coaches, for folks who want good, GOOD food.

Local sports heroes and movie stars can be spotted and Sunday brunch is a kid-friendly affair.

Now, Chef Nick is preparing "slow cooked" nutrient-dense bone broth per the Sally Fallon cookbook. Soup is available on Tuesdays, by the bowl or by the gallon. Please call ahead to reserve, if you are buying in by the gallon!

Do you want catering? How about a private party? To go orders for lunch or dinner? A menu that is seasonal with weekend specials? Want to bring in your favorite wine and not have to pay a corkage fee? Then The Kozy Kitchen is your kind of place!

With the holidays fast approaching, it is good to know that many of the favorites can be ordered for Thanksgiving and they do a brisk Christmas gift business as well. But please call as soon as possible, to place these orders.

One caveat: The Kozy doesn't do fast! Everything is cooked to order when you order.

THE KOZY KITCHEN
4433 MCKINNEY AVENUE
DALLAS

214-219-5044

www.thekozy.net

See you there!

Monday, November 16, 2009

How to Holiday-Proof Your Life!

It's not going to be news if I tell you that the holidays are stressful times for many of us!

Of course, we love our families. Of course, we allow our families to make us sick.
So here are some strategies for getting through the next six weeks intact!

1. DO NOT FORGET TO TAKE YOUR NEUROTRANSMITTER SUPPLEMENTS.
A stress-free holiday does not have to be a choice between a "frontal lobotomy or a bottle in front of me."

If you are on prescription medications, taking an herbal/food based supplement will only enhance the efficacy of the
meds you have been prescribed. This is because the herbals permeate the cell, while the Rx stays outside the cell wall.
If you are opting to deal with neurotransmitter dysfunction in a more holistic manner, be sure you have those products
that have proven effective for you before you leave town for your in-laws house!

2. CUT YOURSELF SOME SLACK!
Honestly, you don't have to be perfect. Life is meant to be lived.
Follow the 80-20 rule...if you are on track 80% of the time, your body-mind-spirit can survive 20% debauchery!

Before you go to yet another party, have a high protein snack with a bit of green stuff. This will help keep your blood sugar
level and you won't be so hungry that you camp out by the dessert table.
When you have an alcoholic beverage, drink a glass of water before that second shot of tequila! Alternate alcohol and water
throughout the evening.
If you know you are sensitive to gluten, pick alcohols that are not grain based. Your GI system will thank you for that.
If you are a wine drinker, the most "friendly" are French blends because they have the lowest sulfite content.

3. LOOKING FOR A GIFT FOR THAT INSUFFERABLE GREAT-AUNT WHO IS A TOTAL PAIN IN THE GLUTES?
How about some organic fiber? Seriously, maybe all she needs is a good bowel movement!

Fiber is a good choice for all of us, especially when our diets might be a little bit off. Mixed with a good powdered
probiotic, this is a great way to maintain gut health through the holiday season. It is essential to drink LOTS of water when
you take fiber. Without proper hydration, it is not effective and can work to one's disadvantage.

4. GIFT GIVING IS ONE OF THE MOST STRESSFUL ASPECTS OF THE SEASON.
You can choose gifts that are in line with your lifestyle principles without hitting the recipients over the head with your
"healthy" message.

Raw Honey from Non-Sugar Fed Bees
Honey has osmotic properties that move a sluggish bowel along. Many bees in the states now are fed sugar in their
diet. We have a source of honey from bees that are fed a non-sugar diet.

Raw, undiluted honey you can almost chew that is good for you? A "sweet" gift for anyone on your list.
Canadian Wild Prairie Honey, Mediterranean Wild flower Honey, Orange Blossom Honey (from the Neroli Orange
Tree), Wild Alpine Dandelion Honey, Wild Alpine Fir Tree Honey, Wild Oregano Honey and Wild Thistle Honey

Organic Coffee for Automatic Coffee Makers and Espresso Makers - Ground or Whole Bean
Three basic characteristics differentiate coffees from around the world: body, acidity and flavor.
Body is the feeling of richness or heaviness perceived when the coffee is savored in the mouth for a few moments.
Acidity is characterized by a slightly tart or sharp taste, not to be confused with sourness or bitterness. What would
espresso be without a little acidity?
Flavor of coffee appeals to two of our senses, that of smell and taste. Aroma and how the coffee plays on the tongue
are hallmarks, not unlike wine!

We have wonderful Hawaiian coffee, organic and dark roasted on the island of Maui. There are also blends of
South American and Indonesian beans, Italian espresso, Costa rican and Colombian as well as a mocha flavor from
the Arabian peninsula.

Whole Food Wild and Remote-Source Teas with In-Fusion Power
In-Fusion Power is the power of wild, raw nature and our source goes to the most remote parts of the world to
harvest leaves grown in the most pristine soils.

Mega-Orega is wild oregano. Sage-O-Smooth is made from wild remote-source sage. Pom-O-Perk is from the
pomegranate flower. Heavenly Hyssop has a hint of anise and licorice for a gentle exotic taste.

For more details, call 214-537-6606 or email claudia@claudiazelazny.com

5. CONTINUE TO MOVE.
While your workout schedule may suffer a little during November and December, make time for some form of movement.

You may need to enlist the help of a friend to be your "accountability" partner. It is harder to bail out on a workout if
someone is depending upon you!

Sign up for a class you have wanted to take, but been putting off. OK, maybe now is the time to try that pole-dancing
workout at your gym, which may also solve what to get for your boyfriend for Christmas of Hannukah!

Think about January. Set a goal for your body in the coming year. What do you owe yourself? How do you want to
change your physical well-being? Perhaps the best gift you can give yourself is to find that health and wellness coach
who knows how to teach life management tools that will take you to the next level in your development physically,
mentally and emotionally.

6. PROTECT YOURSELF AS YOU TRAVEL
Oil of Oreganol kills everything! As a spray, pill or drop, use this during your holiday travels and even if you stay in town
for the utmost in protection.

Rejoice in the season. Gratitude is what greases our wheels. There is ALWAYS something for which to give thanks!
Be as kind to yourself as you are to those you love and care about. Happiness is a result of learning to be a good mother to that little child in you: showing that child he or she is loved and safe.

Make the most of every opportunity to smile, to hug, to love, to live as the healthy people we are meant to be!
Claudia

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Dallas Class Schedule

ELDOA Classes
Taught by Scott Herrera

Tuesday 6 PM
Thursday 10 AM

Phase Three Studio 4435 McKinney Avenue Dallas

ELDOA is a technique for the spine proven to help reduce pain and improve posture. Emphasizing the art and
science of fitness training, overall wellness, and recuperation from the imbalances continuously created in the body from various ailments or normal physiological activity, ELDOA exercises - once learned - take only a minute each day to perform.

IF YOU HAVE A SPINE, YOU NEED ELDOA!

Segmental Training Classes - Bust, Belly, Booty
Taught by Claudia Zelazny

Tuesday 6 PM
Saturday 10 AM

Phase Three Studio 4435 McKinney Avenue Dallas

Pecs, Abs, and Glutes are trained for strength and aesthetics!

COME TRAIN FOR CHANGE!

For Information:
214-537-6606
or email Claudia