Keeping it Real

In recent weeks we have seen some highs and lows in our beautiful clinic and as we build momentum its important to keep it all in perspective. Where the attention goes, energy flows and without focus and direction we all lose our way and tend to get lost from time to time. It is part of the human condition. Rigid approaches and routines create rebellion and fatigue, you have to make sure that you celebrate the victories and continue to create joy in your living. For without, there is no point really is there? The trick is to not completely throw the baby out with the bath water. 
The biggest hurdle that clients face when trying to change their diet and lifestyle is the change itself. So many appear and want the magic answer or magic pill that is going to make all of their health issues disappear without any participation or work. Well, here it is... There is no magic cure/trick/pill.
If you want to make sustained change then you have to show up every day to your life and do the work. Its that simple.
Asking to lose weight but wanting to do everything EXCEPT stop eating the things that are putting on the weight is not going to work. We as individuals must take responsibility for our own wellbeing and make the changes.
On a positive note though - what a wonderful position most of us are lucky enough to be in where we have a few things that 'bug' us but nothing life threatening or serious just yet. Why wait until illness presents to make the changes for a life full of vitality and wellness?
For example, many years ago a client of ours was approached by a relative informing them that there was a genetic factor that may predispose them to cancer. The relative went on to impress on the client how important it was that the client go for testing, have regular invasive check ups (some of which have been shown to increase the risk of cancer themselves) and put herself through a lot of unnecessary pain, burden and worry. After much soul searching, the client decided two things... the first was that the information would not help her in any way as she already lived the life she would be living whether she had the gene or not. She lead a holistic lifestyle filled with yoga, nutrition, adequate rest, exercise.. there is nothing she would do differently. She wouldn't adopt a radical 'healing' diet because she was already living these aspects to the best of her ability. She was already receiving regular therapeutic treatments to keep her body balanced and as a whole continued to work on herself, her body and mind on a daily basis. Secondly, it actually had nothing to to with her... after consulting many holistic specialists she came to the conclusion that even though it was the fate of those who had come before her, it was not her path and she would spend the rest of her life (long before disease did or did not present itself) striving for health and balance regardless of what a test may or may not say.  Now this approach may seem like hard work to some of you but let me tell you, it is much easier to live the life your body and mind need than to try and heal a body after a lifetime of abuse and neglect. It is far better to feel great every day and live in alignment than to muddle your way through only to get to the other end and be told... I'm sorry but you have 3 months to live and there is nothing we can do. 
Show up and do the work.... It doesn't guarantee that you will never get sick but it does guarantee that if you do you will have the best chance of returning to health. How many people have you witnessed receive a dire diagnosis radically change their diet and lifestyle to try and give their body the best chances to heal. It is because we know - we know that the healing occurs only when our body is supported and nourished. We instinctively know that the food we place in our bodies is either healing or harmful. We seek healers and yogis, meditation and detoxification... so why only once we are ill? Why not now??
The second biggest factor in clients not being able to sustain change is that so much of it is actually unrealistic or unsustainable! No carbs, low fat, liquid only, juice cleanse, high protein, raw, portion controlled... the list is exhaustive and while in the short run occasionally reaps results, they are not sustainable long term and in fact are not lifestyle choices but fads to achieve a certain 'goal' and once that 'goal' is reached (to fit that dress, look good for that event, meet that new man) it all falls by the wayside and so too does our health and wellbeing.
Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine both strive to empower individuals to take control of their own health and wellbeing. Under the guidance of a qualified practitioner  individuals are given the tools to take back the yoyo dieting, seasonal fluctuations and lows associated with the constant state of flux that is life. The aim of these therapies is not to get you on a merry-go-round you can't get off of. In fact the opposite is true - we want you to get off the merry-go-round. Health is a balance and it is ever changing, when life throws you a curve ball we will be here to help but in the meantime you deserve the tools to be able to manage it yourself with knowledge of your body, simple remedies and the information you need to eat right for your body seasonally. 
What if we told you that with 3 simple tools you could eliminate up to 70% of disease manifestation - just 3 things that you can do on a daily basis that will help to boost your immune system, detox your body and prevent further damage from an unbalanced lifestyle... would it be worth it? Could you do those 3 things every day for the rest of your life?
The simple real truth is this... small steps, every day, show up, do the work and you will improve your life far beyond what you could have ever expected.
Keep it real - you can spend your whole life trying to accumulate wealth at the expense of your mental, emotional and physical health and at the end of it all you can try and 'buy' back some of that health. It rarely works. You can't outsource your health and wellbeing, you need to work with someone to maintain it and gain the information you need to manage it yourself. Find a system, a practitioner, a modality  that resonates with you, research it with your eyes wide open then commit to it. Really do it. Every day for the rest of your days, show up and do the work.

With loving vitality,
Lina and Nathan