Alexandra Roach

  • About
    • My Training
      • Farming
      • Holistic Health
      • Ethics of Permaculture
      • Healing Gardens
    • Books/Publications
    • Media & Press
    • Blog
  • Work With Me
    • Coaching
    • Personal Development
      • Steps 2 Change
    • Military / Veteran Transition
      • Energime University
      • Testimonials
  • Connect
    • Health Forms
    • Start Your Business in Health
  • ar_slider_2
    Create Integrative, Long-term Lifestyle Changes.
  • ar_slider_5
    Restorative Yoga & Tai Chi for Physical and Mental Well-being.
  • pexels-photo-165228 (2)
    Tap into Nature's Apothecary for Healing Insight & Out.
  • ar_slider_1
    Transitioning? Receive Encouragement and Guidance for Health, Success & Resiliency.
  • ar_slider_3
    Start to See the Beauty of Life - YOUR Life.

Meditation – Is it Indeed Magical?

October 13, 2015 By Alexandra Roach Leave a Comment

Meditation

Meditation is said to come with many health benefits. When you sit in stillness, your cardiovascular system slows down, your breathing stabilizes, your blood pressure is lower, your digestive system is able to balance and absorb more nutrients. Other physical assets include the relaxation of the nervous system, muscle tension release, and the seemingly easy disappearance of headaches and migraines. That is not all. Look inward and observe your mind and soul while you spend time in silence. You will realize that meditation reduces anxiety and depression. We feel as if we have enough power to take over the world, which leads to improved self-esteem, focus, confidence, and motivation. At the same time, we seem to connect better with people surrounding us. Positive thoughts increase and we feel more hope and compassion as we grow our social reach. All these points are facts and much researched.

Why is not everyone meditating?

Meditation has a stigma to it. The ‘new-age’ feeling does not appeal to the masses and ‘hippie’ is one of the words that those opposing it, or those who shy away from gaining more insight, call people who ponder in silence. Although respect and praise for the practice is on the rise, there are those who believe meditation is tied to a certain religion. For them, it is reason enough not to participate. Meditation asks us to deal with ourselves. May that be a factor in finding an answer to the above question? Are we worried and scared of what we will learn about our inner personality? Psychologists appropriated meditation and tried to make it their own. Austrian born Sigmund Freud, for example, or Carl Jung, Swiss psychiatrist and influential thinker who said, “One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.” (Carl Jung 1875-1961)

The magical practice of meditation is not so magical for many.

Sitting in silence, cross-legged on a ‘zabuton’ (Japanese for sitting-mat) or crouched on a small ‘zafu’ (sitting cushion) can leave us with all sorts of physical sensations; our back is hurting, the feet are tingling, shoulders are heavy, and the neck and knees are achy, not even mentioning our conscious desire to get back up and move around. This all is topped by the sheer goal of stilling our brains, harnessing the power of the consciousness to tap into the unconsciousness, simply being and not following those thousands of mind-battering thoughts that seem to appear out of nowhere with the sole reason to disturb our objective of reaching total quietness. We feel like we are lacking the skills to do it right: the right equipment, the right time, the right place, the right music, the right incense, and the right people.

What do you need to meditate successfully?

The answer to this question is easy: yourself and the willingness to try what works for you. Just as in other forms of physical practices, there are many different versions of meditation. Initial choosing between mantra, kundalini, guided, energy, mindful, moving, and breathing meditation can be hard. This is why we need to explore the subject, just like you may try a hot yoga versus a restorative yoga class, which you will find very different in nature. It can be helpful to test various meditation centers, teachers, and styles. Or, you get your feet wet at home, allowing yourself to brush away excuses and preconceived opinions about the practice.

Get started, let your senses guide you, and reap the benefits

The five major religions – Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all practice forms of meditation. See it as time that you take for yourself, nurturing self-care and the creation of awareness around your body and spirit. Spending time in stillness can be easier than we imagine, especially when we allow ourselves to play by our own rules letting our senses lead us:

  • Sight: Keeping your eyes open, gently focusing on an object, or closing your eyes
  • Hearing: Music, chanting, chimes, or maybe in total silence
  • Touch: Sit where it is comfortable for you, maybe you would like to lie down or walk
  • Smell: Choose the fragrance you like – maybe you prefer not to have any incense

The benefits of meditation are amazing when you take ownership in it: Name your practice, explore different styles, make it comfortable and fun so you want to go back to it.

Meditation is like a mini-vacation from daily stressors leaving us powerful, content & refreshed

And the best, with regular practice, rumination will turn into crystal-clear vision, deep thought into a quiet mind, and deliberation into entering the amazing space in-between.

End-goal reached.

{total}Tweet
{total}+1
{total}Like
{total}Share
{total}Pin

Top 3 Healthy Snacks on the Go

August 14, 2015 By Alexandra Roach Leave a Comment

SONY DSC

Healthy snacks for travelers or business people on the go must be easy, quick, and portable without being messy. Hitting the road can mean hours or days of travel, strenuous lay-overs, energy-robbing traffic jams, and the lack of time or facility to provide ourselves with nutrient-dense foods. This makes it even more important for us to conquer these challenges with food that replenishes our system instead of draining it even more. The following are my top three suggestions for healthy snacks on the go.
Nuts
An array of cashews, pine nuts, chest nuts, macadamias, brazil nuts, almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, walnuts, and pecans also provides an array of valuable minerals and vitamins. Since each nut is packed with protein, essential fatty acids, fiber, minerals (magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphorus), and vitamins (B1, B2, B5, B6, B9, E, PP), this makes a perfectly nutritious, energy- and brain boosting snack. By the way, nuts provide energy through lipids. Therefore, worry less about the high fat content in nuts, most of it is the heart-healthy kind, which is an extra added benefit. Extra tip: Check the ingredients on the label when buying nuts to ensure that you will not have added oils (like canola oil) in your medley. Remember, you are looking for the most natural way to eat healthy.
Dried Fruit
Consuming dried fruit will add a nutrient-dense food to your healthy snack; think high fiber content and beneficial antioxidants. Dried fruit contain little to no fat, making them a perfect energy-booster for athletes, high-performers, but also busy people on the go. The benefits include also vitamins and minerals (vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene, vitamins E and niacin (PP), iron, and magnesium. The richest in potassium and sodium are dried apricots. Dried banana has the highest magnesium content. Figs have the most calcium (EFIC, 2015).  Make sure to watch for unwanted added sugar when buying dried fruit. They have enough sugar as is – no need for additional. Extra tip: Consume dried fruit in moderation because of its high calorie content. Also, especially dried apricots can be pretty laxative if eaten in larger quantities.
Vegetable Sticks
Colorful, organically grown orange, purple, and yellow carrots, mixed with celery and cucumber sticks makes this medley of vegetables not only easy to take on the road, but also beautiful for the eye to look at. This crunchy powerhouse provides not only vitamins A, C, K, B1, B2, and B6, but also micronutrients and minerals like copper, potassium, manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, biotin, and silica. Extra tip: Buy your vegetables fresh, wash and cut them right after returning home, and store them in a cool and moist place. Wrapped in a damp kitchen towel and put in a cooler will keep them fresh for days and ensure their crispness.
Reference:
European Food Information Council (2015), Retrieved from http://www.eufic.org/page/en/page/faq/faqid/fruit-dry-nutritional-benefits/
{total}Tweet
{total}+1
{total}Like
{total}Share
{total}Pin

The Power of Power-Naps and Self-Care

September 23, 2014 By Alexandra Roach Leave a Comment

Dear Friends of Holistic-Ways,

This morning I realized in shock that it was Saturday morning and I had not written to you yet. The weekly newsletters are very important to me and I always try to fill them with great content. This week, however, time slipped through my fingers. While I am trying to finish the manuscript for my book-project and meet the timelines to publish in October, I also have my parents visiting from Germany. I see them once a year (if I am lucky) and of course, I want to spend as much valuable time with them as possible. Nevertheless, I am thinking about all of you and how I could find words of encouragement and value for this week’s letter. My thoughts crossed many subjects, including just writing you a note that I will be about for this week – hahaha… Of course, that was just no acceptable to me.Continue Reading

{total}Tweet
{total}+1
{total}Like
{total}Share
{total}Pin

Tags

Authenticity Awareness Clean Eating Confused Diet Earth Eat Local Emotional Empowerment Farmers Feelings Fermenting Fresh Food Gluten GMO Goals Grain Health inspiration Journey lifestyle Local Food Macrobiotic Military Mind-Body Connection Mindfulness Nutrition Paleo Physical Positive Thinking Priorities Problem Solving Seminar Sensitivity Sleep Stress-reduction Stress-release Success Sustainability Tai Chi Travel Vegan Vegetarian Workshop Yoga
Alexandra Roach

FOLLOW ME

  • Facebook
  • Linkedin
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
International Association for Health Coaches Member!
View Alexandra Roach's profile on LinkedIn

Return to top of page

Copyright © 2019 Alexandra Roach · Designed By: HOSPDESIGN · Log in

Join my Network
Discover a positive transition and work with like-minded people to reach your personal goals!
Arrow