Archive for the ‘Holistic’ Category

Therapeutic Remedies for a Healthier You!

April 15, 2012

How often do you make time to do something special for yourself? As I was walking out of Rescue Massage in Redondo Beach, I thought about the importance of self-care remedies and how they can have so many benefits for the mind, body and soul. Many of us view getting a massage or a manicure as a special treat and only allow time for such indulgences once or twice a year. But the benefits of self-care treatments help to create a healthier and happier you.

We all know that life keeps us busy and that chronic stress can be damaging to our health. Certainly eating a healthy diet and exercising is important in living a quality life and prioritizing time for self-care is also one way we can manage the day to day stress in our lives. The results you feel from therapeutic treatments will allow you to feel more relaxed physically and mentally and this is beneficial for your overall well-being.

Therapeutic treatments do not have to leave your wallet empty. Here are just a few of the self-care remedies I have shared with my clients:

  • Treat your self to a pedicure and manicure. A small but simple indulgence. I often visit either Coco Nail & Spa or Bay City Nail & Spa. Both of these nail salons are located in Redondo Beach.

  • Nurturing yourself with sleep is one of the most therapeutic remedies for your mind, body and soul. Quality sleep is good for your physical health and your mental health. Getting optimum sleep will help you feel your best, think your best and be your best.

  • Getting a massage regularly can be a great preventative nurturing remedy. Regular massage sessions keep you healthy mentally and physically while providing relaxation.

  • Sitting in a steam room can be wonderful for sore muscles and provide an overall relaxing spa experience. A warm bubble bath can have a similar effect.

  • You may find yoga stretches or Pilate movements help bring you back to alignment. Tracy Coe, owner of Body & Mind Coe-Dynamics, Inc.in Manhattan Beach, CA has wonderful Pilates classes and team of instructors.

  • Going for a walk in the park and admiring the beauty of nature and just being outdoors does wonders for the body, mind and soul. Take in all the beauty, indulge the senses and breathe in the surrounding smells. Enjoy a night on your deck under the stars can bring a very nurturing peaceful feeling within.

  • Nurture yourself and the path you are on by writing down your goals and dreams and what steps you need to take to get there. You could choose a place in nature to ponder these thoughts. This alone time can help you slip into a quiet meditative state and focus on what is working in your life, what isn’t and what new changes you might consider.

 Many of the above stress relieving treatments above allow us to enjoy looking good on the outside which helps us feel better emotionally. Therapeutic treatments are a wonderful solution to feeling good inside and out. Listen to what your body needs – sleep? Food? Exercise? Give it that.

 Balance in life can be a challenge and something to continuously work at. Committing to making time for you and nurturing yourself regularly can bring more balance and fulfillment into your life. What are some of the simple self-care remedies that you have found to be most beneficial?

© 2011 Nancy Hovde. Read more Inspiration in my Uber Empowerment Books.

Posted in Healing, Holistic, Natural Mood Booster, Therapeutic Remedies | Leave a Comment »

Turn Frustration into Faith

September 10, 2011

On days when life gets rough, use these tips to overcome frustration and move back on track.

It is easy to get frustrated when you have a day filled with things that are not going right. Yesterday, my air condition stopped working in my car. Today, my laptop decided to take a rest or have a sick day and now refuses to boot up. A document I wrote didn’t get saved, and I had to retype it. Perhaps for you, you find yourself getting frustrated when you are stuck on the 405 Freeway or you can’t get your newborn baby to stop crying.

I decided to take a break from the chaos and spend some time in nature. I took a walk on The Esplanade. Smelling the ocean, feeling the sun on my skin and moving my body seemed to have a fast effect, shifting my perspective—or maybe in this case, my attitude—to a more positive place. I realized I had a choice: I could continue my day feeling overwhelmed with frustrations, or I could allow the frustrations to strengthen my faith that all would be well.

I’m not saying this was easy, but it certainly felt more empowering. Frustration happens when we feel we need something, and we can’t seem to find a way to fulfill that need. We want things to go smoothly; when things don’t, we become discouraged and frustrated.

Here are some tips to help turn your frustrations into faith and empower you during life’s challenges:

  • Try using fresh optimism, which can help revitalize your energy. This is the type of fantastic energy that gets you motivated, makes you focus forward and reminds you about the limitless potential and possibilities that lie within you. You can gain fresh optimism on your own or by talking to a variety of positive people in your life—be it a mentor, sibling or friend.
  • Recognize if your frustration is coming from a place of fear. Realize you always have a choice. You are empowered to accept, reject or redirect whatever comes your way.
  • You can feel calmer and more peaceful when you recognize that you are feeling frustrated because something isn’t moving as fast as you would like. Know that everything happens for a reason and in the right time.
  • When you find yourself in a situation or with a challenge that just seems too big for you to climb, know that you have support. Reach out to positive people in your life and share your concern. How many times have you been there for someone who felt they were not going to be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but your encouragement helped your friend to go above and beyond?
  • Take a break. Take time out. I did. Take a walk. Get out in nature. Be by yourself. This will help clear your head and put things into perspective. Shake off the frustrations by going for a run, walk or any other type of physical movement.
  • A coffee break with a friend can help, too. Talk it out and hear a fresh perspective. This can shed some light on a new approach for you to try or help you view things from a different perspective.
  • Write down your frustrations in your journal. (You knew this one was coming; I’ve suggested it before.) Writing out your disappointments, challenges and frustrations allows you to express your true feelings and emotions in a healthy way. Writing about the circumstances you are dealing with also allows you to look outside yourself and gain a fresh view and possibly create a new solution.
  • Whatever the frustration you are dealing with, give up the victim mentality. It is easy to want to throw in the towel and quit. Don’t. Frustration often occurs because things seem too difficult for us to handle. Perhaps it is because we feel we don’t have the skills, knowledge, or techniques necessary to have what we want. This can be the perfect opportunity to view what frustration can provide: new opportunities to grow and to gain self-empowerment. Remember that life happens to everyone; others have gone through similar situations; and somehow you will get through this, too.
  • Tap into your creative side. Tinker or dabble with some of your projects such as painting, home improvement projects, gardening, cleaning or listening to music. Focusing on something creative will help you feel better almost instantly and will allow you to reconnect with your core self.
  • Change your mindset. Believe that you can handle all your frustrations with empowerment and in a positive way. Imagine yourself achieving your desired outcome. Picture yourself handling the situation with calm and ease. You might not know all the steps of exactly how you will solve the situation, but don’t let that stop you. You can still take the time to visualize and feel yourself being successful.

A positive mindset will inspire you to keep moving forward with empowerment and faith. You can keep moving forward with empowerment in my book Uber Empowerment.

Posted in Achievements, Authentic Self, Change, Empowerment, Failure, Goals, Healing, Holistic, Independence, Inspiration, Mind-Set, Success | Leave a Comment »

Sunshine: A Natural Mood Booster

September 1, 2011

How often have you found yourself catching a glimpse of sunshine and felt ten times better? Basking in the sunshine for just 10-15 minutes a day can have a positive effect on the mind, body and soul.

Sunshine is a natural mood booster and tends to raise my energy level. The warm light feels good on my skin, and I feel relaxed yet energized. Even when I have been feeling under the weather with a seasonal cold, I have found that some time in the sunlight helps to strengthen my immune system.

I often find complete contentment just sitting in the sun. Contentment is an emotional state when we are not bored but also not highly interested in anything other than where we are right now. While goals are important, feeling content with your life, who you are and what you have are just as important. That isn’t to say you should stop trying to improve—that would mean that we have stopped growing. No matter how happy we are in life, we should continue to improve; however, contentment is necessary as well.

Summer can offer the perfect time to unwind and appreciate all you’ve worked for and achieved so far this year. Making soaking up the sun a daily priority isn’t too difficult on most days in the South Bay. Soaking up our natural mood booster can be a simple abundance of pleasure nearly every day—and just a few minutes are necessary for the highly beneficial effects.

To find some sun-induced contentment try the following:

  • Bathing in the sun on Redondo Beach and feeling the warm light on your skin, as well as lounging with your eyes closed
  • Watching the sunset and feeling the cool night ocean breeze
  • Taking a drive up the coast while listening to your favorite music or enjoying quality conversation with a companion
  • Walking through the Farmers Market on a Sunday in Palos Verdes and feeling the warmth of the sun while enjoying the scent of fresh-cut flowers, tasting fresh strawberries and looking at the colorful produce
  • Enjoying a hobby outdoors, whether it is gardening or home improvement projects

Writing in a park while enjoying the sunlight streaming through the trees can also provide a peaceful state of mind. Write down all your blessings. Focusing on all the things that are going right in your life and not only on what is wrong can help you feel content.

While some exposure to sunlight can be enjoyable, too much can be dangerous. Be “sun wise” and take precaution if you plan to spend more than 10-15 minutes in the sun.

Inspiration and Empowerment can be explored more deeply in my Uber Empowerment Books.

Posted in Authentic Self, Change, Empowerment, Holistic, Inspiration, Mind-Set, Natural Mood Booster, Physical Illness, Sunshine | Leave a Comment »

Reduce Negative Inner Chatter

March 22, 2011

Sometimes I wake up to an inner chatter that won’t stop. My remedy is going for a walk between “Rat Beach” and the Redondo Beach Pier. This distance seems to be the perfect length for the waves to drown out doubts within me and stoke a sense of inner peace.

Sinking my feet into the sand helps me feel grounded and aligned once again with my true self.

Where we are at in life is a direct result of our self-talk, that inner chatter we carry around with us. Self-chatter is our inner dialogue, playing out in each of our heads, every single day.

Choosing to become more aware of this allows us to squelch the negative self-chatter and replace it with positive, empowering self-talk. We must be aware of our choice of words. It’s very important.

Ever wake up with a conversation buzzing inside your head that goes something like this: “I’m so furious with myself for being late AGAIN for work. I am always running behind. I am terrible with time management. … I need to lose more weight to feel good about myself. I can’t believe I ate that huge dinner last night. What was I thinking?”

This is just the first part of your day. Imagine how the rest of your day will go.

How aware of our own self-talk are we? Accepting the fact that we are having these negative inner dialogues leads to asking if we are willing to make a change.

What good does it do to continually criticize yourself? Would you allow a stranger to talk like this to you? What about your self-esteem?

Changing your negative words into more positive, empowering phrases will take some discipline, but if you really want to make this change and have the discipline, you can make it happen. Start putting a limit on the negative words you use.

Sometimes it’s easier said than done. Awareness is key. Forming new habits takes time.

Here’s an incentive: We often treat others the way we treat ourselves. If we show ourselves more self-love, we often find the world loving us in return. Self-love is an ancient path toward peace.

Commit to an action plan. Each time you catch yourself having a negative conversation in your head, turn it around by rephrasing with more positive, empowering words. Start simple, using “when” instead of “if.”

Your self-esteem loves to hear “I am” statements. “I am successful.” “I am happy.” Avoid thinking, “I can’t,” or “I won’t.”

“I am” statements are stronger and manifest in your life faster than “I wish” or “I want” statements. Remove the thought: “I can’t do this because…” Instead, ask yourself “What if I COULD do this…” Our words can be self-defeating or they can be self-motivating. Choose to use empowering words that uplift and inspire you.

http://redondobeach.patch.com/articles/reduce-negative-inner-chatter

Discover additional inspiration and empowerment:

Uber Empowerment Quotes: 500 Inspirational Quotes for Knowledge, Insight & Wisdom

Uber Empowerment

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Posted in Empowerment, Healing, Holistic, Inner Chatter, Inner Wisdom, Inspiration, Mind-Set | Leave a Comment »

Answer Anxiety by Addressing Fear

March 1, 2011

Anxiety is a part of life, and stress can attack us for a variety of reasons. Anxiety often invades our lives when we commit to a new goal. We become fearful of achieving this goal or stressed looking ahead at the path that leads to what we want.

I am a life coach with a holistic approach to the challenges we face in this world. For anxiety, I recommend a change in attitude. Even a slight change of attitude can make all the difference, especially to start. Let me share with you some suggestions to help make that mental shift in order to minimize anxiety in our lives. Once we minimize anxieties, we often find ourselves closer to the goals we seek.

First, I recommend creating a strong enough reason you want to achieve your goal. Maybe you need to remind yourself why you want what you want. It’s easy to forget under stress. Tape a note to the border around your computer screen if you have to.

Replace self discipline with self love. Achieving a goal certainly requires determination. And when we believe we are worthy of reaching our goals, those goals are often closer to realization than we originally thought.

Self love can be the your strongest motivator.

Replace any negative words with positive words. I know some people will scoff at this advice, saying it’s all new-age silliness. It’s not. It’s real. It works.

Carry a small notebook with you throughout the day and each time you catch yourself thinking a negative thought or using a negative word, write it down and replace it with a positive word. The added benefit of doing this is you will see your progress of moving away from negative thought patterns toward more positive ones.

Stop telling yourself “I’ll never finish this project in time.” Focus instead on, “I have worked on challenging projects before. I know I can complete this project on time. I just must take it one step at a time.” The importance of being compassionate with ourselves cannot be overstated. We tend to calm down, regain our focus and feel more confident.

Ultimately, we are replacing our doubt and fear with trust and belief. It’s not something that happens magically one morning as we’re waking up. Truly embodying self trust and belief comes about with a commitment to our goals and daily dedication to positive thoughts and self love.

Read more inspiration in my book Uber Empowerment.

Posted in Empowerment, Goals, Holistic, Inspiration, Mind-Set, Success | Leave a Comment »

Holistic Approach to Physical Illness

January 13, 2011

Even when we take the best care of our selves sometimes illness still gets us. It could be a stomach bug, head flu, chest cold, Uber Self is not feeling 100% and definitely not performing at Uber Self level. Now what? Have you ever tried to fight off sickness? Just go about your normal run or workout anyway, your normal day, your job, tend to the kids and sometimes this actually works, especially if the only symptom is a minor cold.

Now I am not suggesting you try this next time you have the common cold or any other illness. I have tried to do this. I have learned that during periods of illness, it is a time to learn, grow, renew and heal. And reflect on which area of your life may be out of balance – is there an issue or choice you need to be totally still and listen for the answer? Why did this illness come upon you? Did you feel symptoms of illness weeks or days before? Or did these symptoms seem to attack you out of no where? It is easy to get caught up in life and become unaware of the thoughts we send out to the universe and thoughts we have maybe we’ve been a bit unaware we are saying. For example, “I wish I could have more time for reading, gardening, home improvement projects, etc”. Or maybe you’ve said “I wish I had nothing to do”. Well, now you got what your thoughts created! That is why you are now here, feeling blah, can’t go to work now and worse, you can’t even go workout or run because you feel so terribly sick. Here is your time you requested to do whatever you had thought about. Does any of this sound slightly familiar? I am sure we all can relate to these thoughts because we all have felt overwhelmed and overworked in life at times. It is important not to be too critical or too judgmental on your self right now and focus on more motivational techniques to help you feel your Uber best and think your Uber best!

A more positive way would be to rephrase your thoughts such as, you would like to have more time to garden or undertake some home improvement projects. For example, you could say to yourself, “I love my life and everything I do each day, from my work, to time with friends and family, to my workouts and I would love to include a half day on Saturday this week for home improvement. I wonder what the best solution would be for me to allow some time for this in my schedule. How can I balance my time to allow all the things I would like to do?” This is a much more positive approach and will bring clarity to you. Once you’ve asked yourself this it is time to be patient and be open to the right message or right answer to be shown to you.  A wonderful way to begin thinking more positive is through listening to positive affirmations.  I love listening to the brain wave technology Positive Thinking. This has helped me become more aware of my thoughts and begin to use positive affirmations.

 

Another reason you may have become ill is you may want more sleep! Your body needs rest. I think this is one area many of us would admit to. Listen to your body and if sleep is needed, go to bed an hour early or even half an hour early the next few evenings. Sleep is truly the best medicine you can nourish your mind, body and soul with. Always give in to a quick shut-eye 20 minute nap or turning in a half hour early on certain evenings or sleeping in a half hour on some mornings. This can be your body’s method of helping you fight off a flu, cold or assisting you in building your immune health, stamina and endurance for a major event about to happen in your life with work, your personal life, or yet one more race. Listen to your mind, body and soul. It truly does know best. We just need to be still sometimes and slow down long enough to listen. If you have sleep issues,  one effective therapeutic remedy is to listen to soothing Delta frequencies for deep and restorative sleep. Deep Sleep is an audio you can listen to so your body and mind can achieve optimal performance.

And of course, over training can lead to illness. Over training is also stress on your immune system. We need to balance our workouts and our busy schedules in life.

Whatever the reason may be why you did get sick, this window of time can be used therapeutically and allow you to soon perform again at Uber Self Level.

Here are some Therapeutic Methods I have suggested to clients when they are sick:

  • Reflective Thoughts based on Symptoms of Illness – A good example of this would be a fever. A fever can be your body’s way of sweating out frustrations, anxiety, things that are “toxic” in your life and not working. This can be seen as a healthy way of dealing with the subconscious feelings. Allow your body to rest and recoup. This time can be a clearing out and cleaning process so you can gain strength to tackle whatever may come your way. A fever is not a bad symptom –this is a sign your body is trying to heal itself, physically and also on other levels by sweating out what is not good for you in your life. Think about it. Your body is smart. It knows what is good for it and will tell you so. Your body also knows what is not good for you and will tell you so. You can recognize the difference in the good and the bad –when something is good for your body, you feel an uplifting feeling, maybe even a warm feeling inside, a happy state of mind. When something is not going to be good for your body, usually a hesitant feeling will come over you or a confused state of mind, sometimes even a sharp gut warning to not partake in something. Sometimes this could be a thought or phrase “stop! You will be playing with fire” or “please don’t do this. You know how this will make you feel”.
  • Reach out to those who are supportive and positive influences in your life – Call a friend or family member, talking on the phone is good. This can lift your spirits. Just make sure to contact the right positive people!
  • Read positive e-mails/cards/letters –go back and read some of your positive e-mails or letters you may have received. I keep a special folder for these and you may already do this. If you don’t, I suggest you start to. The inspirational e-mails come in handy during times of illness. You can also keep these and re-send to friends and family who may need them when they are sick. Also, catching up on e-mails during this time to friends and family is a nice alternative to talking on the phone. This therapeutic approach can help lift your mood and help you to recover faster.
  • Rest & Recoup – Sometimes sleep is the best medicine when ill. Usually, it is for me. I know that sleep helps heal my body and helps me recover faster. And if sleep is what your body is telling you it needs, then sleep. Depending on your illness, if it is the full blown out flu along with a fever, then sleep is the best thing to do along with plenty of fluids. Deep Sleep is an audio that allows your mind and body to have restorative sleep.
  • Relaxing Techniques – Read a good book or re-read a favorite, watch a great movie or an old favorite movie, listen to some uplifting music or music that allows you to relax and actually fall asleep to. The right rhythm in the music can be very relaxing, meditative and soothing that opens up channels of positive thoughts and positive emotions which can lead to faster healing.
  • Rejuvenating Techniques – Sit in a sauna or take a warm bath and use some aroma therapy such as scented bubble bath (eucalyptus is very rejuvenating and healing). Visit an Acupuncturist or a Chiropractor this keeps the body in alignment and healthy blood flow.

“In times of injury or illness, allow this time to be a healing that will eventually take you to a higher level in your strength, knowledge, wisdom. Have faith that you will heal, listen and trust your body, allow yourself deep soul searching.” – Nancy Hovde

I do not claim to know all the answers on healing. I have come to know that a Power greater than me is responsible for my healing, the ability to heal is within and through out every cell of my body. I have found that for me, a positive attitude and patience has carried me through a faster recovery and that focusing on the learning process of what I can learn from this injury, has provided me with more inner-awareness and strength to approach my life with.

You can read more about living a balanced Uber Empowered Lifestyle in my book Uber Empowerment. Want to know more about me and my coaching services? Visit my website at http://www.uberempowe

-Wishing you a Healthy, Inspirational & Empowering Day,

Nancy

Copyright © 2010 by Nancy Hovde


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Posted in Empowerment, Healing, Holistic, Mind-Set, Physical Illness | 1 Comment »

Holistic Approach to Inner Wisdom

November 20, 2010

How often have you realized your Inner Wisdom is with you? Your Inner Wisdom is always  with you, the biggest challenge can be to Pause and Listen to it, Trust it and Honor it.  Is there a time in your life when you felt to listen to your Inner Wisdom, yet you didn’t?  If you have experienced this, then the good news is, you can learn from that experience – things such as those subtle (or maybe they were quite strong) signals and feelings you had inside of you to listen up. This could have flooded through your whole being and created one or more subtle feelings; of feeling out of alignment, confused or fearful. These signs could have appeared later on, after you had ventured into something new and had chosen to ignore those subtle feelings. Allow these experiences to provide feedback to you. These experiences and situations can offer the greatest insight to you and offer personal growth, knowledge and wisdom. Overtime, listening to those subtle feelings we have can get easier. The key is to be connected to your Inner Being. When you feel you are not as strongly connected to your Inner Being, you may be experiencing more stress in your life due to being out of alignment with your True Core Values and your Authentic Self.

The best way to stay connected to your Inner Being is through a Holistic Approach – it all starts with FEELING your best – what you put into your mouth, those foods you choose, will allow you to either feel your Uber Best or your worst. Those foods will allow you to THINK your Uber Best or your worst. It is really quite simple. When we FEEL our BEST we can THINK our BEST and BE our BEST.

When we have achieved Feel and Thinking our Best, we can focus on giving our best gifts to the World. Knowing what your best gifts are is knowing what your True Core Values are in life. Those things that you live for every day or as often as possible – those things that make you feel alive and glad to be alive. These are things that you are most passionate about. And your Inner Wisdom is here, too – trying to point out to you what your really should be doing in life, what your true purpose is. Your Inner Wisdom tries to tell you this in signs, in subtle ways and sometimes it can be Real Sudden and not so subtle; such as a lay off or a tragic accident – To get your full attention.

I have listed the different ways that our Inner Wisdom tries to communicate with us. I would love to hear some of the times when you have experienced this. Good times. Not so good times. Both good and bad times offer us the deepest wisdom and knowledge of how to proceed for future situations. The key is – to just Listen.  And the best way to Listen to your Mind/Body/Soul is to provide your Whole Self with clean, organic foods whenever possible, stay hydrated, get enough exercise daily, manage your stress and know your top True Core Values.

You can read more about learning to listen to your intuition. Uber Empowerment gives you the tools you need to feel your best, think your best and be your best.

Have a Uber Empowering Day,

Nancy

www.uberempowerment.com

Posted in Holistic, Inner Wisdom, Inspiration, Intuition | Leave a Comment »

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