holisticlifestyle Archives - Page 2 of 2

The healing power of silence

Posted on 27th June 20204th February 2021 by Fiora Touliatou

“Listen to Silence. It has so much to say.”
Rumi, 13th century Persian poet

Since ancient times, ascetics from different spiritual practices have spent significant amounts of time in silence and isolation, either with prayer or meditation. Even nowadays, monks and spiritual practitioners retreat themselves for days without socialising or talking to anyone. Throughout history, artists and musicians always had the tendency to spend time on their own in order to connect to inspiration and creativity. Nowadays, many meditation teachers advise that frequent meditative pauses throughout the day have poweful healing effect to our body, mind and soul regardless of our spiritual beliefs. So what is the significance of silence in our lives?

Modern science has proved that noise is destructive to us while silence is healing us. Various studies have shown that noise has a powerful physical yet destructive effect on our brains, because it causes the release of stress hormones. Actually, not only our brain, but our whole energetic field, our aura, receives noise as disruptive sound waves. Even when we are sleeping our body receives noise as intrusive and threatening to our system, therefore it reacts with releasing stress hormones. Consequently, living in a consistently noisy environment causes high levels of stress and can even lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, tinnitus and insomnia.

In 2006, physician Luciano Bernardi studied the physiological effects of noise and music. He surprisingly made a very important discovery. During the study, the participants were not only exposed to noise and music, but also to random stretches of silence in between. These pauses were far more relaxing for the brain of the participants than the relaxing music. In fact, these ‘irrelevant’ pauses became the most important aspect of the study as they had the most powerful and relaxing effect.

In 2011, the World Health Organisation (WHO) stated that the root cause of 3,000 heart disease deaths in Western Europe was due to excessive noise.

All these facts and other important studies and practices are a proof that taking time to switch off is crucial to our wellbeing and our lives in general.

According to the “attention restoration theory”, when we are in silence, the brain can recover some of its cognitive abilities. Moreover, according to Imke Kirste, a Duke University regenerative biologist, two hours of silence per day can initiate cell development in the hippocampus, our brains center of our memory and senses.

Unfortunately, in our modern digital world, our brains have minimal time to switch off as we are exposed to enormous amounts of information. Modern life demands our brains to be in constant attention and consequently a lot of stress. This mental overload leads us into difficulties with making decisions, solving problems and daily functions. However, when we switch off and ideally spend time alone in silence, our brain is finally able to relax, release this constant focus and start its healing process.

To conclude, silence replenishes and nourishes our cognitive powers, raises our concentration levels, increases our motivation and helps us connect with our centres and balances us emotionally. Hence, as ancient spiritual masters always taught, silence is healing as it connects us deeply into ourselves and balances our body, mind and soul. The simple yet ancient practice of silence might be the healing balm we all need to cope with our modern lifestyle.

The five beneficial ingredients of golden milk

Posted on 24th June 20204th February 2021 by Fiora Touliatou

Article by Fiora Touliatou

Have you heard of golden milk and its amazing health benefits?

Golden milk is a traditional Indian drink (called haldi doodh) that has its roots in Ayurveda. Basically, it is a blend of hot coconut (or almond) milk, ginger, ground turmeric, honey, coconut oil and black pepper. Nowadays it’s also known as Turmeric Latte. Traditionally it is drunk in the evening as it promotes restful sleep.

Golden milk has numerous health benefits due to its ingredients:

Turmeric, it’s main ingredient, has been used as an Ayurvedic medicine in India for thousands of years. It has anti-inflammatory properties and is very healing for conditions such as breathing problems, joint pains, fatigue and digestive issues. Modern research also suggests that turmeric is a potent antioxidant with antimicrobial and anticancer effects.

Ginger is well known for its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial benefits.

Coconut oil for an addition of healthy fat which makes the turmeric more available for our bodies to absorb because it is fat-soluble.

Honey is widely known for its many health benefits but mainly for its antioxidant, antibacterial and antifungal properties.

Black pepper also makes the curcumin in turmeric more bioavailable, so it’s an important addition as well.

How to make it!

Ingredients:

2 cups of coconut or unsweetened almond milk
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1 teaspoon of raw honey (or coconut syrup if vegan)
1 cinnamon stick or ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
a small pinch of ground or fresh ginger
a small pinch of pepper

Instructions:

Add the almond milk to a small pot and heat on low temperature.
Add the turmeric, cinnamon stick, raw honey or coconut syrup, and pepper and stir frequently for about 3 minutes until the milk is warm, but not boiling.
Remove from heat and take out the cinnamon stick, if you used one.
Add more raw honey or coconut syrup for taste, if needed.
Add raw cocoa for a more chocolaty taste!

Enjoy and namaste!

The benefits of Epsom salt baths

Posted on 9th June 20204th February 2021 by Fiora Touliatou

Article by Fiora Touliatou

Did you know about the benefits of Epsom salt baths?

Photos by Nono Bayar, Craig Adderley and Castorly Stock

Generally speaking, having a bath in warm water both relaxes you physically and emotionally. By adding 2 cups of Epsom salt and submerging yourself for at least 15 minutes, the process becomes even more healing. Firstly, on a physical level, the salts draw toxins from your body. Secondly, on an energetic level, their healing properties cleanse your entire energy system (your aura) and also they help you release stress and negative emotions.

In case you don’t have a bath, there is also the alternative of a foot soak which is equally powerful. Just add warm water and epsom salts in a plastic container and immerse your tired feet while you sit on a chair. This therapeutic soak will both ground your energy and relieve your tiredness at the end of a long day.

You can add this healing ritual into your weekly self-care routine. Baths are both meditative and destressing so it is a perfect “me time” break. Apart from salts, you can also add essential oils and herbs such as lavender which has relaxing properties. In the end, remember to rinse away so nothing is left on the skin after the bath.

Earthing, the science of grounding

Posted on 26th May 20204th February 2021 by Fiora Touliatou

Article by Fiora Touliatou

You are probably familiar with the term “grounding”. But what about the term “earthing”?

What is earthing

Grounding, also known as “earthing”, is a therapeutic and natural healing technique. It grounds our energy system as it electrically and energetically reconnects us to the earth. Apparently, walking barefoot on the ground for 20 minutes twice a day can significantly improve our wellbeing! Well, this is really how nature had designed us before we started wearing shoes, walking on concrete and living in buildings.

The science behind it and how it works

There is a whole science and physics behind this concept, called “earthing science” and “grounding physics” respectively. They explain how the earth electrically charges us, how we absorb energy from the ground by being in contact with the electrons on its surface. The whole process neutralizes free radicals in our bodies. These are generated through inflammation, infection, cell damage, stress and our toxic artificial environments.

For those that are not familiar with chakras, Reiki and energy healing, we have 7 major and 21 minor chakras (energy centers) in our body. Two of the minor chakras are on the soles of our feet (one on the center of each sole). Therefore, when we walk barefoot, those chakras are connecting and absorbing the earth’s energy. Our whole body and energy field become a circuit and charge just like a battery from the main source, our planet Earth!

How do we we practice grounding and where

Apparently, we can still practice grounding indoors in our houses especially when we have natural materials such as wooden floors. But for the best results, it is better to perform grounding outdoors by walking barefoot on grass, soil, sand or mud. Ideally we should be practicing for a minimum of 20 minutes twice a day. Moreover, we can also ground ourself by letting our hands or our entire body touch the earth or even by swimming in the sea.

Further research about earthing

To learn more extensively about this subject, you can watch a brilliant documentary on YouTube called The Earthing Movie: The remarkable science of Grounding. Its creators are scientists and can analyse in details about the whole process, benefits and importance.

Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing!

Posted on 25th May 20204th February 2021 by Fiora Touliatou

Article by Fiora Touliatou

Most things in our lives are our choice. When we don’t like something or it makes us unhappy, then we have to change it. I know it sounds harsh and the truth is that for some things the decision to make the change is clearly much more difficult but again it is our choice whether to stay in that situation or not. There is no “I can’t do it”, there is “I don’t want to do it”. Either we do not want to accept a reality or we are comfortable with a situation and then we find thousands of excuses that we say to ourselves and others to convince ourselves that we are helpless and at the mercy of our fate. Many times it is easier to stay stagnant and just complain.

We have all been in a difficult situation, where we had to make a decision but we resisted. Our mind was telling us to go and our heart was telling us to stay and try harder: a dead-end relationship, a collapsed marriage, a job that we hate, living in a town/city where we were unhappy, a friendship that had betrayed and disappointed us, a home that had serious problems … The list is endless and we all have similar stories to share.

The blunt truth is that, when we love, respect and value our lives, then we must take personal responsibility and decide how and when to make the necessary change. The longer we postpone it, the worse the situation will go. At some point things will become so bad that we will be forced to make the decision.

On the bright side, once we take our decision, everything will magically start working on our favour. New people will enter our lives, new opportunities will appear out of nowhere, new doors will open. We just have to make a trust fall with the universe and believe in ourselves. Self-growth can be painful but it is a necessary process for a better quality of life and self-fulfillment. In the end of the day, it is better to look back and be proud of what we achieved than to look back resenting decisions we didn’t take.

Health means happiness

Posted on 10th January 20204th February 2021 by Fiora Touliatou

Article by Fiora Touliatou

Health is not merely the absence of illness… Health is the balance of our body-mind-soul wellness, our holistic wellbeing.

What is health? Most of us would say the absence of illness. However, there is a much more profound meaning than that.

Health is the balance of our body-mind-soul wellness, our holistic wellbeing. Health is being physically, emotionally and mentally well. If one aspect of this balance is affected, the others get affected too. Therefore we need to take seriously all areas of our lives in order to be healthy. We could eat the right food, do exercise, even drink or smoke socially and have absence of physical illnesses while being angry, resentful and hostile to others. This is not healthy. We could be physically healthy, have a good job, good income but suffer from anxiety, chronic stress or depression. This is not healthy either.

Mental health is a big issue in our society because of many different reasons. For example, having extreme pressure at work, feeling lonely/isolated, being in toxic relationships, working in jobs that we are being bullied or harassed, having issues with friends or family, grieving the loss of a loved one, having endured a shock… The list is endless and we all have our own unique story. The lack of love, inner peace and happiness on a daily basis are huge reasons for mental health in modern society. Basic human connection is rare and we all suffer because of it. So what should we do?

Finding and maintaining a balance in all areas of our lives is the solution; following a holistic lifestyle and taking equal care of each aspect of our wellness; finding our center and inner peace. This is why wellbeing has become a trend and is getting more and more popular. The demand is huge because in modern society we have lost the connection within ourselves and we need to find it again in order to regain health.

Eastern traditions and Buddhist practices from China, India and other Asian countries have believed in this concept for centuries. Nowadays, these Eastern wisdom has spread into the West and becoming popular: herbal medicine, morning meditation, daily yoga practice, regular massage or Reiki sessions, Taichi and Chi Qung practice, mindfulness and lifestyle philosophies. Having good health is a journey, not a destination. Putting effort, creating good habits and investing in ourselves is the key.

We need to be happy and grateful every single moment, every single day. We need to focus on the positive things and find solutions for the negative ones. We need to make the most of every day and every moment. Let’s do this our new year resolution, for every year, for every day!

Photos and collage by Canva