Articles and Resources : healthy lifestyle recommendations
Homeopathy works with the body’s own natural healing energy (called the Vital Force in homeopathy and chi in traditional Chinese medicine). The more of this healing energy you have, the more effectively the remedy can work. If your Vital Force is weak, here are some ways you can strengthen it.
Spiritual practices: Your own prayer and meditation can help; you can ask your family and friends to pray for you; and you can ask your congregation or spiritual community to pray for you. For example, if you are going through surgery, have it announced during services so that people can pray for you at that particular time.
Begabati teaches free classes in heart-center meditation in the area; please ask if you would like to be informed of upcoming classes.
Singing and chanting: Any inspiring or uplifting song or chant can bring spiritual healing energy into the body in a different way than silent prayer or meditation.
Energy-based healing practices: Reiki, polarity, Joh Rei, and other energy-based healing practices can be helpful and enjoyable.
Energy-based exercises: Exercises such as yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, aikido, and the Tibetan Five Rites can strengthen your healing energy. Personally I find Tai Chi hard to follow but Qi Gong easy and just as effective. The Tibetan Five Rites, also easy, are described in The Fountain of Youth, available in health food stores.
Deep breathing of fresh pure air will bring prana or life-energy into your system. Avoid fluorescent lights; use natural spectrum lights.
Flowers and nature: Go out in nature, walk barefoot in the grass (if safe/practical), feel the healing energy of the earth. Keep fresh flowers in your room. Tend a garden and feel the living, growing energy of the little shoots as they push up.
Diet: Eat fresh, pure foods as much as possible. Try to feel how much life-energy a food has before deciding whether to eat it. Raw fruits and vegetables are ideal; make juices of them if they are hard to digest whole. Avoid foods with lots of sugar and white flour, fat, and chemicals, i.e. all junk and processed foods. However, it is also important to enjoy what you eat so you may need to make this transition gradually. Try to explore new foods until you find things you really like which are also healthy. Also, use a really good water filter (not a Britta).
Recommended books
These are some personal favorites which I have found helpful for clients:
Homeopathy: more books than you can imagine, helpfully explained at Homeopathic Educational Services.
Meditation and spirituality:
- Wings of Joy by Sri Chinmoy, my own spiritual teacher. I often have free copies available in the office on request, along with a CD of beautiful flute music for meditation.
- The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. This is great for overcoming our busy minds and learning to live in the present.
Food and nutrition:
- UltraMetabolism and UltraPrevention by Dr. Mark Hyman. The best books I have ever read on healthy diet and supplements
- If the Buddha Came to Dinner by Hale Sofia Schwartz and Shira Shaiman, on conscious eating, with great Japanese/ Mediterranean/natural recipes.
Thyroid problems:
- Thyroid Power by Shames and Shames. Self-tests so you can check yourself for possible low thyroid, plus excellent suggestions for holistic modalities to treat it; just lacking in homeopathy.
Personal growth:
- The Life We Are Given by George Leonard and Michael Murphy. This is a guide to transforming your life, using gentle exercise, visualizations and affirmations, by the founders of Esalen and the Human Potential Movement.
- The Enneagram by Helen Palmer. Really helpful for learning how to get along with people of different types and seeing the world from others’ perspectives.
Emotional challenges:
- Radical Forgiveness by Colin Tipping. An amazing way to get out of stuck places in relationships.
- The Dance of Anger and The Dance of Intimacy by Harriet Goldhor Lerner. Simple practical ways of dealing with these issues better.
- Difficult Conversations by Stone, Patton and Heen. Many scenarios and suggestions for confronting difficult people or situations.
- Healing Through the Dark Emotions by Miriam Greenspan and Emotional Alchemy by Tara Goleman-Bennett both talk about facing, accepting, and transforming your own “dark side” for greater growth.
Kids:
- Blessing of the Skinned Knee by Wendy Mogel, practical suggestions for raising conscious children, based on traditional Jewish wisdom.
Pets:
- Homeopathic Care for Cats and Dogs by Don Hamilton
- Dr. Pitcairn’s Natural Health for Dogs and Cats by Pitcairn and Pitcairn