Dark chocolate is not your average sweet.  It contains a natural compound that makes blood platelets less likely to stick together.  This helps blood flow, promotes normal clotting, and improves circulation. The darker the chocolate, the healthier it is.  Sure, eating pounds and pounds of chocolate will cause weight gain, but that's not what I'm talking about. Enjoyed in moderation,  it can be incorporated into your daily diet.  A one-ounce serving counts as "moderate" and contains around 110 calories.  Look for chocolate with at least 70 percent cocoa for the best benefit.  Or, if you love chocolate as much as I do, give a shout out if you believe chocolate should be its own food group!!!

I don't know about you, but fall is a confusing time for me.  It has long been my most favorite time of year, however, I find that every fall I am out of sorts.  My mind is scattered, I can't seem to find the right words when talking with someone, I second guess myself and find that I am anxious and fearful and despite my best efforts, my sleep is unsettled.  

Thankfully, after attending a wonderful weekend retreat produced by Elemental Life Solutions, I learned that this is all very normal for nearly everyone at this time of year.  Elementally, we are moving into the air/space (vata) season.  During the fall and early winter, the nervous system of those of this dosha are particularly sensitive.  However, most people are affected to an extent, regardless of their elemental constitution. 

The characteristics of a sensitivity or imbalance are:  weak memory, irregular appetite and digestion, sleep that is easily disturbed, and erratic energy levels.  In the fall we can also become overwhelmed quickly and are emotionally more sensitive.

The good news is that if we listen to our bodies and recognize what is occurring we can move move through the transition smoothly.  Adhering to a regular routine especially with meals is particularly helpful as is eating slowly and mindfully.  Taking part in body awareness exercises such as Nia, yoga or meditation are effective in bringing balance.   Avoid exposure to stimulating and violent films and T.V. and stay off the phone late in the evening.  Maintain regular bowel movements and get to bed by 10 p.m.

These are just a few nuggets from the retreat hosted by Ian Hayward from Elemental Life Solutions.  For more information check out their web site www.elementallifesolutions.com or give Ian a call to book a personal consultation.  Tell him I sent you.   

I posted this to my Facebook a while back, so please forgive me if it is a repeat for some of you, but I felt the message was worth posting again.

There is an Indian Proverb that says, that everyone is a house with four rooms.  A physical, a mental, an emotional and a spiritual. Most of us tend to live in one room most of the time, but unless we go into every room every day, even if only to keep it aired, we are not a complete person.

Today, try and recognize what room you occupy the most and make an effort to visit your other three rooms,  if only to air them out.

Some of you may recognize the quote above as belonging to Dr. Wayne W. Dyer.  Social media has been inundated with comments about the passing of this incredible human.  I really contemplated whether or not to add to the frenzy, but felt that if I didn't it would be like not attending a funeral for a friend.

There was a strange coincidence that happened this week.  As I have mentioned, I love books.  I buy books, I am given books, I collect books, I love everything about books.  So it is not surprising that on my shelf I have several books written by Dr. Dyer.  What is surprising is that I have never read ANY of them. They just never jumped out at me.  Now this is the interesting part, early this week, three days before Dr. Dyer left his human form, I had finished my current selection.  I didn't have one waiting in the cue so I went to my book shelf and for some reason I choose, "Being in Balance, 9 Principles for Creating Habits to Match Your Desires," authored by, you guessed it, Dr. Wayne W. Dyer.  That book had been given to me in 2009 and I have NEVER picked it up. 
 
In this book is a chapter called, "Love is what's left over.."  I read this chapter the morning that he passed not knowing that he was no longer in his physical form.  The last sentence in this chapter reads,  "And so it seems that love is truly all that's left over when this body falls away as well."


Rest in love, Dr. Dyer, rest in love.