Hypermobility and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome

Do you have unexplained symptoms such as low energy, low blood pressure, breathing or throat issues, itching, hives, flushing, sensitivity to chemicals and fragrances, abdominal pain and gastrointestinal issues, skin darkening, and/or brain fog? What about intense cramping or diarrhea caused by high prostaglandins around or during your period?

These symptoms all can be signs of Histamine intolerance and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), a condition where the body cannot break down histamine effectively and mast cells in the body are overactive and release too many inflammatory chemicals into the system in the short and long term.

Basically, mast cells are an essential part of the immune system and play a crucial role in protecting our bodies from harmful pathogens and our cell’s natural danger responses. However, they also produce byproducts that can have various negative impacts on our health when triggered and produced too much. This overreaction can be triggered by consistent environmental, chemical, pathogenic, or emotional stress. Recent studies have shown that these byproducts could be linked to allergic reactions, asthma, and even certain types of cancer.

If you're struggling with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), you know how difficult it can be to manage the symptoms and understand your body’s needs. Fortunately, there are holistic lifestyle changes you can make to support your body and help manage symptoms. From stress reduction techniques to dietary changes and natural supplements, there are many options available to help you feel your best.

Our top 3 recommendations for those who suspect MCAS in their lives:

1. Practice stress-reducing techniques: Stress can be a major trigger for MCAS symptoms and our cell danger response, so it's important to find ways to reduce stress. This can include practices such as meditation, deep breathing exercises, yoga, or simply taking time for yourself to relax and unwind. Our yoga and wellness classes are perfectly designed to support you.

2. Focus on anti-inflammatory foods: Incorporating foods that are rich in anti-inflammatory properties can help reduce inflammation throughout the body. Some examples of anti-inflammatory foods include fatty fish, leafy greens, berries, and turmeric with black pepper.

3. Avoid trigger foods: Certain foods can trigger MCAS symptoms, so it's important to identify and avoid these foods. Common trigger foods include processed and packaged foods, dairy products, and high histamine foods such as aged cheeses, fermented foods, and alcohol.

MCAS can be difficult to diagnose and manage, but with proper support, it is possible to improve your quality of life and reduce or eliminate symptoms. If you suspect you may have MCAS and would like a holistic way to support yourself, sign up for a lifestyle assessment and integrative health session with Kate to get personalized support.

The Yamas - Asteya

Freedom comes from within. 

Photo by Kelsey White

In past articles, we've explored Ahimsa and Satya, the first two yamas from the text "The Yoga Sutras".  Today we'll discuss and take a look at asteya.  Asteya is the practice of non-stealing.  It is the respectful observance of sources that have contributed to your life or surround you in written, spoken, energetic, or situational exchange.

One way you can think of this practice as utilizing the academic use of bibliographies to ensure that you are giving proper credit to those who have introduced or developed the information that is presented to you in life. Another way is to respect the time and energy of yourself and those around you. Practicing asteya enables us to honor the community we come from and interact with in our lives, while simultaneously lifting each other up energetically instead of eroding the very forces that sustain and build us all.

Asteya, when practiced well, can physiologically affect individuals, including yourself.  When we practice asteya, we are able to positively support brain chemistry including our serotonin and dopamine levels. These two chemicals are related to doing a good job and value or stature. The more we practice giving people the credit they deserve, the more we help elevate their level of self-worth, value, and appreciation and the less likely individuals will experience chemical imbalances that result in symptoms like depression, anxiety, and social fears.

Be aware of asteya in:

Photo by Mary Wrightson

• Your speech, writing, artwork/creations
• Use of imagery on social media
• Exchanges with teachers, professors
• Exchanges with friends, family and lovers
• Your own energy expenditures (thoughts, actions, emotions, words)

Ask yourself:

• Did I come up with this?
• Where did this (idea, thought, emotion, item, etc) come from? 
• Am I living presently or focusing on past or future?
• Am I adding to, taking away from, or being neutral in this situation?
• Is there reciprocity in this situation or my day to day life?
• How can I give more credit to my wealth of knowledge or those around me?
• Do I know how to say no to others when it is depleting of my own energy? 

Enjoy taking a deeper look within and starting to become aware of your patterns and habits. As always, if you need support or assistance in working with this topic and construct in your life, please contact us to set up an energy or coaching session with one of our professionals so you can live beyond limit and start living the life you'd like to live. 

The Yamas - Satya

Often times we think of yoga as the fitness classes with iconic postures, yoga pants, flexible people, and zen like teachers.  While you may come across some or all of these aspects of yoga, true Yoga is the "yoking of mind, body, and spirit" and consists of 8 limbs (Astanga) of external and internal practices both on and off of the mat. 

The 8 Limbs of Yoga (Astanga):

1. Yamas – social morals or observances

2. Niyamas – personal observances

3. Asana - posture

4. Pranayama – breath or prana control

5. Pratyahara – internalization of the senses

6. Dharana - focus

7. Dhyana - meditation

8. Samadhi – absorption

By practicing on and off the mat and taking a deeper look into the philosophy behind this syncing and aligning of an individuals mind, body, and spirit we can get a better look at our specific kleshas, or roots of suffering. Often we find that our lives and mat practices are riddled with inconsistencies that create disharmony and conflict within ourselves and surroundings.  

Today, we'll look at the yamas, and specifically satya, the practice of truthfulness.  

Satya is the ability to stand in one’s truth at all times. Beyond telling the truth to others, it's telling the truth to oneself. It is not only seeing the truth of the full situation at hand, but also living the truth of that situation. When we practice satya the mind, body, and spirit are in alignment with one another and our energy is resonant, full, and impactful.  When we live in falsehoods, contradictions, or lies we experience energetic riffs or dissonance that can be felt physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually in our bodies, relationships, and outreach.

Satya is a very intentional and conscious practice that brings great ease into our paths when accomplished.  In order to fully practice satya, one must dive beyond their personal vantage point and perspective and take into account factors beyond their personal experience that motivate others and the environment. Once individuals can step out of their limited perspective, the full truth can be revealed.

 By remaining open to all that there is and all that there could be that is outside of our previous experiences, we free ourselves and clients from their pasts and the limiting factors that have been practiced.  

Ask yourself:

• Do I lie to myself?
• Do I lie to others?
• What subjects do I tend to lie the most about?
• What am I afraid of if I tell the truth?
• Am I open or am I closed off in my interactions?
• Do I try to analyze everything with my mind/ego, or do I feel into situations?
• What judgments do I have of others and myself?
• What stories do I tell myself about myself or the world? Are they still true to this day?
• What is my personal core truth? What resonates with me the most? When do I feel the most authentic?

Have questions or want some one on one coaching for your life and practice? Contact us to be supported in your journey.

What to Look for in A Yoga Teacher

Not all teachers are created equal and there are. Not all trainings that are "Yoga Alliance" certified are credible or complete in how they're taught and what they require "certified teachers" to demonstrate before getting out and teaching people in groups and one on one.  With all of the trainings, certifications, styles, and advertising on the web or in magazines it's hard to know what to look for and how to identify whether or not you're in good hands, so we've made a few pointers for you to be able to feel informed about the studios, teachers, and environments you place yourself within.

Overall the  most important things when you're looking for a yoga instructor are:

1. Knowledge and incorporation of the philosophy and energetics of yoga. 
   • Look to see how they define yoga.  The sanskrit translation is "yoking of mind, body, and spirit," meaning it's helping you connect with you on all levels. 
   • The philosophy begins with the Yamas (social observances) and Niyamas (personal observances), involves postures, breathwork, internalizing the senses to connect with your inner experience, concentration, meditation, and takes you as far as samadhi (bliss/oneness/absorption with your surroundings/infinite consciousness/etc).
   • The energetics involves bandhas (supports/locks), vayus (subtle winds or energies of the body), koshas (layers of self and experience), kleshas (root of suffering) at a minimum.  
   • You'll see more life results in a quicker amount of time by practicing and learning the full philosophy and energetics than you will by practicing the physical postures alone.
2. Knowledge of the physical body, postures, and how to adapt to make them accessible to all persons in the room.
   • See if they're familiar with anatomy and physiology.  Do they know what muscles are doing what? Can they help you target and locate what you need to find to get into the postures? Do they ask you to find control and restraint at times and work deeper at other times?  Do they offer modifications and levels of the postures for all students to work at their own pace? 
3. Offers adjustments without force and with your permission.
   • Adjustments should only be offered to help you learn how to find the alignments, space, or ease in your own experience.  If your teacher forces the movement or posture onto your body, it doesn't help you figure out how to find it on your own.  Those that use light touch, visual cues, verbal cues, sensory cues, etc are better teachers and will help you grow more in the long run in a safer and healthier manner.
   • Consent is key.  With so many of us walking around with traumas and personal preferences, it's important that your teacher give you the option to say you rather not be touched in class.  Whether they ask if it's okay, offer chips to mark if you'd like adjustments for class, or ask you to make a gesture in your opening meditation so they know who is and is not comfortable with physical assists, permission is VITAL so you feel safe and respected in your body and practice. 
4. Clear with instructions and able to demonstrate, explain, and assist you with the practice.
   • They should be easy to follow and understand as you go through class.  If you're confused the whole time, they refuse to demo to help you figure out where to go or what you're doing and what you need to be doing...well then they may not be the best teacher for you.
5. Warm, friendly, supportive, and approachable. 
   • It's important your teacher makes your feel comfortable in the skin you're in and actually cares about you beyond your mat.  If you have feedback or concerns about your practice or their teaching, it's important that they create an environment where you feel comfortable voicing your needs so you can feel safe and supported in your yoga journey.
   • They get excited to share with you and to see you grow.  They help you notice your progress and celebrate your developing practice.  They notice your small and big shifts and changes.
6. Professional in appearance and demeanor.
   • It's important that the teacher is professional and focuses on you or the class you're in as a whole instead of focusing on their own practice or problems.  While sometimes a teacher's personal journey can be a powerful teaching experience and offer you permission to be sensitive to your own grown and needs, it should not be the main focus of the class as they are there to teach and serve you and your development.  
   • It's important they care about their hygiene and appearance to an extent. One of the main pillars of yoga philosophy is cleanliness, so if they're always looking disheveled and a bit rough or potent smelling, they are showing disrespect to both you and themselves. 
7. They LIVE their practice. 
   • Yoga isn't just a hobby for them. The best teachers are those who take their practice into their daily lives in every waking moment.  They're present in themselves, they listen and like to be challenged to learn and grow, they care about the world, and they are focused on being their best selves.

We hope this guide helps you target the teachers who will be able to best help you deepen your practice.  We support the new teachers who are working to develop their knowledge base and ability to teach and guide students, but recommend those with a bit more training and experience to ensure a safe, supportive, and powerful environment to help you know your investment in yourself is going to be well worth the efforts and professional attention.

Have questions or need help finding the right teacher for you?  Shoot us a message at katew@livebeyondlimit.com or use our Contact page to receive some support.

What is Yoga?

While there's a lot of misinformation out there and wild ideas about what yoga really is and why there are yoga studios and schools all over the place, hopefully we can shed some light on the topic.

What is true yoga?

Yoga is simply a state of being fully and wholly yourself.  It's balance and synchronicity in your mind, body, heart, and spirit and being comfortable and content in your own skin.  In short it's not something you do it's something you are.  

So what is "yoga" and why do we take "yoga classes"? 

Yoga is a combination of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual practices and exercises to help you learn to be more yourself.  The specific system we know as "yoga" originated thousands of years ago and has evolved through the ages in order to be specifically designed to help you learn to have full awareness of your present state of being at any given time, in any given posture, and to have control over how you are, act, and react internally and externally, as well as how we're connected to one another, the cosmos, and energy as a whole. 

"Yoga" is based off of Astanga (Ashtanga), or 8 separate limbs of practice:

• Yamas - Social Practices
  • Ahimsa: non-violence
  • Satya: truthfulness
  • Asteya: non-Stealing
  • Brahmacharya: Appropriate use of vital energy
  • Aparighraha: non-attachment
• Niyamas - Personal Practices
  • Saucha:  cleanliness
  • Santosha: contentment
  • Tapas: discipline, practice, being what you intend to be
  • Svadhyaya: self-study or study of ancient texts
  • Isvarapranidhana: connection to a higher awareness/something bigger than you (nature, god, energy, spirit, whatever it may be)
• Asana - Postures or Physical Practices
• Pranayama - Breath or Energy Control
• Pratyahara - Internalizing the Senses
• Dharana - Focus
• Dhyana - Meditation
• Samadhi - Bliss, Oneness With the Object of Your Meditation

If yoga is just "being ourselves,"  why do we have to practice?

Sadly, in this world we live in, we are constantly bombarded with stressors that may be constantly positive, negative, or neutral in nature with very little opportunity to ground and balance out.  The mind, therefore, ends up often living consistently in a hyper vigilant state and sometimes is stuck primarily in the past or future instead of the now.  With the constant stressors and demands of life, often coping techniques are developed that also consistently dissociate emotion and feelings with the present moment, leading us to deny, ignore, or put off our true feelings about any given situation, which often creates dis-ease within our bodies as they attempt to process emotions for us. Additionally, many of us often feel isolated or that we're very separate or alone in this life and our "struggles".  

Yoga exercises and practices are a way to bring the mind into the now, the heart into the now, ease to our bodies, awareness into how connected we really are, and to bring a sense of wholeness to ourselves. It helps train the energetic systems and physical systems of self into synchronicity and harmony to create an overall ease and a sense of just being. Specifically and anatomically speaking it helps us balance and calm our overstimulated nervous system, process emotions, focus our minds, and let go of the things we cannot change while embracing ourselves in the now. 

When we are in a true state of yoga there is no separation or hesitation in the mind, heart, body, and spirit....everything is clicking into place and life feels more effortless.  

Pura Vida - Live Pure and Presently

Pura Vida.  Pure Living. Bliss.   Existing in your perfect consciousness and authentic expression. Yoga. Perfectly connected and balanced mind, body, and spirit.

Our life experience and consciousness is defined by how many things change in our lives, and I'm going to encourage that you embrace a heck of a lot more change and a lot less strict routine to heighten your life experience and be more aware, present, and balanced.  Once we get in a rut in our practice, our life, our activities and thoughts we create what we call in yoga samskaras.  These are patterns and pathways our energy takes and the more defined and determined the samskara, the more limited our awareness and experience as our brain creates neurological pathways to reinforce behaviors, perspectives, and thought patterns.  

To live pure, or free of these binding patterns we must be consciously aware and open to the constant flux the universe exists within.  When we open our minds to what more there can be, the brain is happy to create new pathways for the infinite potential of experiences in existence.  

For example, in your yoga practice, you may find yourself anticipating the next movement or breath pattern, but frequently the teacher asks you to do something different even though your anticipation had you starting something else, which suggests a lack of true presence and awareness of the moment. 

If we live purely and consciously we can stay whole and present in the moment and learn to react to what is and not just what we are expecting.  Our reactions then are based off of the current situation and not pre-existing knowledge and patterning giving us the opportunity to move outside of the samskaras and previous neruo-pathways to new pathways and the ability to grow and evolve in each moment. 

In doing this, we often are able to free ourselves of pre-conceived ideas that bring stress and suffering to our being and the yamas and niyamas (the first two set of practices in the yoga system) become effortless in the process. By relieving unnecessary stressors from our lives, our physiology begins to shift and our fascia begins to relax.  This enables the body to become more open and regenerate at a higher rate, which then leads to less discomfort and a greater range of motion in the physical practice of yoga and a more full experience off the mat in life.    

To be present is to be whole. To be whole is to truly be yourself and not what others have tried to make you. 

Give it a try and be surprised at what reveals itself to you in your experiences.  

Breathe

Co-authored by John Zappanta

 Did you know that most Americans are shallow breathers that tend to breathe with approximately the top 10% of their lungs? How do you breathe? How can you tell?  Benefits of deep breathing or diaphragmatic breathing have been shown to improve exercise capacity, core strength, decrease stress, and increase overall well-being.  So let’s start using the other 90% of our lungs!

Good respiration allows you to fill your lungs to their fullest to allow maximal oxygen exchange and maximal exercise capacity.  At birth we know how to breathe. Newborns and infants are beautiful examples of an effortless rise and fall of the abdomen. What distorts this effortless breath?

Abnormal respiration arises from various factors including cardiopulmonary diseases, musculoskeletal problems, and life related factors like stress and tension. These factors cause effortful and shallow breathing that overuse the muscles of the neck, upper back and chest limiting oxygen exchange to muscles and lowering capacity for everyday activities and exercise. However, by looking into your own patterns and understanding the breathing process you can regain your ease.

Respiration is the process of breathing that consists of two steps: Inspiration (inhalation) and Expiration (exhalation). During inspiration muscles around the ribs and the diaphragm muscle contract in unison to enlarge the chest wall allowing the lungs to expand with air. When we exhale the ribs and diaphragm muscle relax returning the chest wall to its normal position, consequently squeezing the air out. Simultaneously, the deep muscles of the stomach, especially the transversus abdominis muscle, contract to assist with releasing air from the lungs.

The benefits of deep breathing include strengthening abdominal muscles and a decrease or prevention of back pain, which the latest research shows is tied to proper activation of the diaphragm and transverse abdominis muscles. These seemingly ordinary muscles that help fill the lungs create stabilization to the low back through pressure changes and attachments to the spinal column. You too can have stability and take control of your pain via practice.

For thousands of years the Indian system of medicine, Ayurveda, and yoga practices have incorporated deep core breathing as a focal point in care and practice to regulate the nervous system response to activity. To engage your diaphragm place one hand over your stomach and the other hand over your chest. Breathe in slowly allowing your stomach to rise, but ensure your chest remains relaxed. Breathe out slowly and draw your belly button towards your spine as if you were trying to make your stomach 1-2” smaller.

Once you practice, incorporate awareness of your breathing or mindfulness. Notice how you breathe throughout the day by checking in during different activities.  If you are not breathing fully, begin incorporating deep core breaths into each of your movements—think “one breath, one movement”.  Inhale on the easier phase of your movement and exhale fully on the more challenging aspect like lifting or twisting for the best results.

The expiration will engage core musculature, improve back health, and can improve your physical, mental, and emotional well-being via release of carbon dioxide and other chemicals. In turn, the breath stimulates your parasympathetic nervous system, which is involved in recovery and re-establishing baseline functions of the body, effectively preventing acid build up, muscle tension, decreasing heightened emotional states and pain perception.

So what are you waiting for? Take a deep breath.

How to perform active core deep breathing while lying down:

http://youtu.be/cA1Cbv73BIE

How to perform active core deep breathing while standing up:

http://youtu.be/fyQmwC9KLyo

Thank you to Dr. John Zapanta, Physical Therapist, and Kate Wrightson, Yoga Practitioner, for their contributions to this article. For more information, workshops and videos on how to perform an active deep breathe visit ColPTs.com and livebeyondlimit.com.

Manifestation - How to Do It

Have you ever heard or known anyone talking about “manifesting” one thing or another in his or her life and wondered what they were talking about or thought they were nuts? Today I’m going to be one of those people. 

I had the delightful experience of the perfect standby flight.  Taking a little bit of a chance with a friend, we had standby employee tickets to fly into New Orleans.  Everyone told me how much of an adventure this endeavor could be with two people trying to get onto the same flight and even the person traveling with me and the pilot that gave us the tickets both were worrying about the flight being really full and making checklists of all the calls that would need to be made should we not make it.  I however, being the free spirit I am, decided weeks ago when I heard about the trip that we’d get on the first flight we tried and that it would be smooth sailing.  I continued to hold this resolve and guess what happened? We got on the first flight due to several people that didn't show up. How wonderful and extraordinary.

So to go back to the initial question, manifesting is, simply put, making things happen via attracting and fostering the energy of that occurrence.

Everything has a unique and yet similar energy or vibration. The physical and intangible worlds consist of energy moving around, exchanging, and interacting through space via connections. Connections are what make things happen whether it’s the pulse of blood flowing through your veins, communication of one human to another, interspecies communication, the flight of a plane above the Earth’s crust or any other thing you could possibly imagine, including your imagination.

Therefore, we can alter the connections we have and come across by putting off the vibrations via our thoughts and true feelings to actually alter the environment inside and around you to be more hospitable to the exact thing you desire. Manifesting thus must begin as a concrete knowing with every bit of your being that something will happen, so that your mind, body and emotions are putting off a constant message and magnetic like pull to turn that something into reality.

Sometimes we are able to manifest things quite quickly in our lives and sometimes it takes a little while to see our dreams as realities. Regardless of speed, to manifest anything it takes firm elimination of doubt and the development of innate knowingness on the subconscious level.  Key words: subconscious level. Unfortunately, we can’t simply say, think, write and act like something is going to happen if deep down you feel stuck, lost, doubtful, insecure, or any other feeling that rejects the end result you’re looking for. 

This is where it all gets tricky.  If you've seen things repeatedly happen in your life that you DON’T want and wish to create the things you DO want, I recommend starting with the yogic principle of svadhyaya, which in previous articles has been revealed to be the art of self-study and inquiry. Being mindful of your existence in thoughts, actions, and presence will help you find the missing link and garbled encoding of your conscious desires and subconscious beliefs.  

Have no clue where to start the study? Try these few exercises:

1. Meditate on your breath.  Inhale for 5 counts, exhale for 5 counts and repeat for 5-10 minutes. Any time your mind wanders from focusing on your inhale or exhale within that time frame, notice or acknowledge where it goes and then go right back to focusing on your breathing.

2. Journal.  If there is something you’re particularly interested in discovering about yourself sit down with a pencil and paper or at your computer and write. Write whatever comes to mind about the subject—even if it starts out as “I have no idea what to say about this or where to start or why these things are happening..etc, etc, etc.”  The very act of writing will start to lead you somewhere and at least give you a glimmer of where you’re stuck so you can look back on it and find a way out.

3. Start looking at every event in your life as a wonderful opportunity and make sure to clarify what the opportunity was—even the ones that don’t feel that good. You’ll learn a lot about how you view the world, what makes you thrive and what makes you react defensively.  All of these can be keys to opening up the subconscious motives that pulse outward.

Enjoy the journey and next time someone starts talking about manifesting, maybe you’ll be able to join in with your own story!

If you have questions or would like help figuring out how to work towards and manifest your dreams, please do not hesitate to leave comments or contact me directly at katew@livebeyondlimit.com or (757) 784-7327.

The Beginning

The morning light, the rising sun, the fire in our souls.

The dew condensing, the ocean strong, the blood within us tolls.

We must listen to that little voice, pure, persistent and so real.

Listen, dear, with all your heart for your intuition will heal.

Be what you may, be what you like, just be for the sake of art.

You are precious, my love, with all your truths so know you play a part.

The cosmos ask for honest pursuit of the consciousness within.

Allow only for greatness in your life and know the rest begins.

-Kate

New Understanding: Physical, Emotional & Energetic

Six years ago today it was a Thursday. Six years ago I left Trybz Martial Arts from training with a dear friend, Sebastian, and a very distinct idea of how my following week was going to go. Six years ago, I received a wonderfully loud and tragic blessing from the Universe. I was involved in a 3 car hit-and-run accident on South Shields and Prospect in Fort Collins, CO. I walked away a different lady. I walked away terrified, injured and feeling lost but with an underlying sense of calm, understanding and determination.

Why me? Why after years of working SO HARD to get my body back into a stable place (a story for another time) was I involved in such a horrible car accident and have my physical, emotional and mental stability destroyed?  Why would the universe give me such a torturous and devastating event and aftermath to deal with? Have you ever felt this way?

Why? Exactly because of the above tone and attitude I had possessed prior to the event. The attitude that the world was happening to me. That I was filling an "extra" in the play we call life. I needed that rude awakening to realize that I was happening to the world and that I needed to refine my skills, learn to be patient, compassionate, forgiving and figure out what I really am meant to share with the world. Yes. That's your journey too.

The journey to my and your discovery? Long. Hard. Torturous. Fear ridden. Painful. Tearful. Hysterical. Frustrating. Agonizing. Joyous. Contemplative. Freeing.
 

Almost immediately I learned that my "friends" weren't really all that great or supportive. (Sound familiar?) I found kindness in my family and support in co-workers (Thanks Sheryl!). I found a new depth to my self-study (svadhyaya in Sanskrit) both on and off the mat. I woke up very suddenly. I had to. I was faced with the choice to wallow in my situation at the bottom of the pit with water flooding in or climb the hell up and see where that wall led. It was a big, wonderful shift and I'm always here to help you all make that climb too.

Get ready for the long haul if you really want to see the big and lasting changes.  I personally have spent years of daily rehabilitation getting my range of motion back. The beginning of that fateful day I had full range of motion in my legs to have my face pressed between my knees in a forward fold....the next morning? I could literally hinge forward about 2 inches-leaving quite a few between me and my thighs.  Today? Almost back to those thighs.

My neck and jaw stability I had found after years of work with the amazing Dr. Oglesby in Virginia was destroyed that night. I shattered the temporomandibular joint repositioning device he and I spent literally years adjusting to find stability and functional neurological activity in a matter of weeks after the accident.  I'm STILL working on finding that stability with the assistance of Dr. Keller here in Fort Collins (thank goodness such a wonderful skilled individual is in this area) and continue to do daily therapy and energetic work to promote stability and uninterrupted cognitive, visual and tactile functioning. 

The jaw will stabilize when my spine stabilizes, which again, is a daily battle and challenge. Since I've become a reiki and thoroughly deepened my meditation and mantra practices, I've had remarkable advanced in healing, which is why I share these skills with you too. I can't say I'm 100% yet, but I surely am on an accelerated fast track and I'd like to put you on that same track to fulfilling your goals.  I have been able to drop my pelvis into a neutral position, my thoracic spine is slowly working back into a normal kyphosis (opposed to the lordosis/concave look with a nice curve and the extra twists the accident gave it) and my C-5 is finally decompressing some, thus allowing my cervical spine (neck) to slowly work back into a neutral curve. Patience is a virtue. Start repeating that mantra to yourself now because the patience is worth the outcome.

This new understanding of energy has thrown me into a new pool of philosophy, energetics, intimacy and joy.  It's expanded my somewhat bound Western mind and brought in the ancient energies from Reiki, Tantra, Yoga and ancient civilizations' understanding of life, our role and the universal reflection around us. The experience has given me a deeper look into my true nature and it's been absolutely blissful and exciting beyond the reaches of my physical body.

The accident and journey since has given me the opportunity to get out of my comfort zone on my own to make this creation, Live Beyond Limit, a true reality and service for the world. While my start is small, I look forward to every and any impact I may have to help support individuals and groups with their goals, ease the changes of life and welcome self-empowerment to all those I cross-paths with. This is the awesome experience and opportunity I have been blessed and gifted with in this time and in this life.  What gifts do you have? How can you help yourself, the world, your co-workers, your friends, acquaintances and family members?

My response to the very loud Universal message and occasional "setbacks" with my health and stability? GAME ON. I will persevere. Will you?

How do I stay motivated and positive? Take a look below and adopt a few of these points for yourself:

• I acknowledge how far I've come DAILY.

• I keep reminding myself to BREATHE.

• I keep reminding myself that I could be miserable OR I could have a freaking fantastic day and choose the latter.

• I consciously practice good posture. I check in with it ALL day.

• I let go of negative thought patterns and replace them with positive statements.

• I surround myself with GOOD spirits and people.

• I welcome healing on a daily basis.

• I let go of those individuals, activities and employers that don't make my heart sing.

• I believe in myself and my innate ability to be great and make a difference regardless of circumstance.

What event in your life has left you paralyzed or empowered? Are you happy and grateful with where you are right now?

I'd love to hear your stories! If you're looking for a boost in your current life situation, contact me for a free consultation and remember to keep checking back for new information or visit the Live Beyond Limit Facebook page for free daily motivation, tips and tricks!