Holistic Living

Mindfulness and the Metaphysical

August 24, 2019 By lyndsinreallife 2 Comments

metaphysics

/mɛtəˈfɪzɪks/

noun

the branch of philosophy that deals with the first principles of things, including abstract concepts such as being, knowing, identity, time, and space.
“they would regard the question of the initial conditions for the universe as belonging to the realm of metaphysics or religion.”

an abstract theory with no basis in reality.
- “his concept of society as an organic entity is, for market liberals, simply metaphysics.”

Photo by Jacub Gomez from Pexels – CC0

Some people are all science, and others are faith and believing in more. It doesn’t really matter what side of the fence you’re on, no one can deny the beauty and wonder that is to be found from the earth itself.

Now that we are surrounded by technology 24 hours a day, people are looking for more meaning. They are finding it in simple places like yoga, mindfulness, meditation, crystals, and mantras. Long walks in the woods, reminding us that the world, the universe, is more significant than just us.

It’s natural to want to further explore all of those paths. When doing yoga, you consider what hot yoga would be like, or traveling to a spiritual ashram in India. When meditating, how long would it be possible if you allowed yourself?

Mindfulness is recommended for everyone, especially now; paying more attention to what we do and how we do it. Consciously making decisions, and being aware of the outcomes. Being in the moment is a big deal. And while some people believe crystals are no more than pretty rocks, others believe they hold special meanings and even abilities. Citrine for bringing money to you, amethyst for peace, and rose quartz for peace and grounding (& love!). When we know people don’t have our best interests at heart and might want to do us harm in some way, who doesn’t consider finding a protection spells from enemies to get them through it.

It can be the simple things that really give us feelings we can’t quite describe. When you are standing on the top of a mountain, and you can see the valley below you. You’re surrounded by clouds and the greenest of trees. Or, strolling alongside a babbling brook… it’s impossible not to wonder what more there is. The calming of your spirit when you connect your mind, body, and soul. Those moments feel almost inexplicable.

During those walks, those peaceful moments. The moments between technology and typical daily or weekly pressure – those moments we roll around to thinking in metaphysical terms. Who are we? What is our purpose? While we know the universe goes on, and on and in fact, there might be multiple universes – what is beyond that?

When you are sitting, or more preferably laying down, Staring up into the night sky, and watching the stars, that are no longer even there, twinkle and shine. You might notice you aren’t thinking of anything in particular – in fact, of nothing at all. You have found a space where mindfulness and the metaphysical questions have combined to give you that moment of peace.

•What are your thoughts and feelings on the metaphysical?

This post was a collaboration.

Thank you for reading!

Health Holistic Living

Become A Hippy Health Lover

August 5, 2019 By lyndsinreallife 5 Comments

A hippy health lover is not (necessarily) someone with dreadlocks and incense burners (though, they might be and that’s cool!). It’s someone who believes in all of the alternative methods to keep in check with your health, rather than putting pill after pill into your body that’s prescribed by the traditional, western doctors. Some of you will be very suspicious of alternative medicine; not knowing what the government and the health institutes are really putting into our bodies. Some of you will simply not like all of the chemicals that go with western medicine, so maybe you are ready to try some alternative methods. Well, alternative is exactly what we’ve got for you today, because we know how important health is. There seems to be many new health problems arising every minute, from mental health to physical health, and if we don’t start focusing on the issues at hand now, they’re only going to keep growing. So keep on reading, and let us show you how you can become a ”hippy health lover.”

Image Source

Alternatives To Pain Relief

When it comes to medicines that we’re putting into our bodies, pain relief is up there with one of the things that we’re shoveling in the most. For one reason or another, so many of us are dealing with daily aches and pains that are hard to get rid of, and you may not want to be putting anti-inflammatories and whatever else into your body to get rid of it, every single day. You could to start thinking about the alternative methods that are sweeping the world and revolutionising it all. CBD oil is one of those, and it’s proving far more effective, and far less destructive, than any normal pain relief is. CBDOlja is just one company that can provide you with the goods, but don’t worry, you won’t be getting stoned off it. This has the THC element stripped, meaning you don’t get high, but you get all of the good health benefits. After a week of using this, we know that you’ll notice a massive difference in the pain you are experiencing.

I take CBD oil every day, multiple times a day. I experience inflammation (especially when it’s humid!), and now I’m recovering from neck surgery. Opioids are highly addictive, so I wanted an alternative to those pain pills. I’ve been taking CBD oil and it’s helped alleviate the pain tremendously! The brand I use is called Charlotte’s Web (affiliate link). It’s third-party tested, grown/sourced in the USA, and has been around for longer than most other oils on the market.

source: ***https://www.charlottesweb.com/extra-strength-cbd-oil***

Go Organic

source:***https://image.shutterstock.com/z/stock-photo-organic-fruits-and-vegetables-growing-in-compost-1059882158.jpg***

If you think about all of the foods that you’re eating in a day, and if you actually look at the contents of any packaged foods, you’ll see that there are many different types of preservatives and additives thrown in there, that are not naturally needed by the body. By going organic, you’re cutting out all of this trash that’s incredibly hard to digest by the body (if at all), and you’ll be turning your body into an oasis. By organic, we mean sticking to fruits and vegetables and lean meats, and trying to stay away from anything that has been packaged, processed, or treated with pesticides, growth hormones, or additives. It is generally easy to cut that crap out of your diet and go organic, you just have to try it for a few weeks, and we promise your digestive system, in particular, will help.

A State Of Mind

Mental health is one of the issues that’s on the rise right now. Depression and anxiety are amongst the biggest conditions that are increasing (especially in teens). It’s now more important than ever to get into the right state of mind. Focus on relaxation and happiness, and maybe think about taking up yoga or meditation. If you tend to focus on your stresses in life, rather than trying to get rid of them, unfortunately it’ll be easier to experience negative mental health (I’ll admit, I struggle with this daily). I have multiple mental health conditions, and while many need medication, like I stated above, I prefer to try alternative methods. Treatments are different for every single person, and I am only speaking to what works for me (*I am not a doctor and do not diagnose, treat, or cure any conditions).

These are only a few recommendations I have, based on my own experiences. They may not work for everyone, and I am in no way telling anyone to change their medication. Always speak to your doctor before changing your health routines!

•Do you prefer traditional medicine or alternative medicine? Do you prefer a mixture of both?

•What do you do the calm your daily stresses? Do you agree with the ones we shared about?

Comment below!

This post was a collaboration. Some links contain affiliate links, meaning I receive monetary compensation if someone orders through that link, at no extra cost to the consumer.

Thank you for reading!

Beauty Holistic Living Reviews

Shape + Firm With Erbaviva Organic

October 3, 2014 By lyndsinreallife 2 Comments

I think most women can agree that shaping and firming our skin is something we are into. Especially for ladies like me who live in Southern California where it’s “beach weather” 10 months of out the year! Sometimes, we need a little more than great nutrition and exercise- we need outer nutrition for our skin. That’s where Erbaviva comes in!

First let me share a little background of who Erbaviva is:

In the defining spirit of voyagers, Robin and Anna were among the very first to seek out and source the highest quality organic ingredients possible for their original organic baby skincare line in 1996. Desiring the healthiest, safest and most natural products for their newborn, the couple developed distinctively pure products, consciously crafted with ultimately nourishing living herbs and botanicals and free from harsh detergents, chemical fragrances and other unhealthy additives. Erbaviva was born (website).

Credit: David Jordan Williams – Williams Studio

In addition to having amazing skincare products, Erbaviva was also founded in Southern California! Being that I live in SoCal, I find this extra exciting. 🙂

Disclosure: I found Erbaviva through Twitter, and connected with the company via email. They offered to send me the entire line of the shaping and firming products in the hopes that I would write an honest review on my blog. No monetary compensation was received. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Here’s some information on the shaping and firming line:

An exquisite custom-blended collection of USDA Certified Organic spa-grade salts and essential oils brimming with active botanicals and enzymes that effectively absorb into the skin and inspire your body’s natural ability to firm, shape and tone. These USDA certified organic skin care products bring spa quality treatments to your home. Therapeutic grade pink pepper, ginger and sandalwood stimulate circulation and tone while frankincense and helichrysum encourage cell regeneration and promote skin elasticity. Erbaviva’s Shaping and Firming line is presented in two dynamic phases for greater efficacy (website).

Products:

For the first two weeks, you start off by using the shaping line. There’s the shaping salt, shaping oil, and shaping essence. There are a few ways to use them: put the salt in your bath water, then use the oil and essence after you get out; rub the salt and oil together on your skin after your shower, then use the essence; or (if you only take showers and don’t want salt everywhere) rub the salt on your skin in the shower, then use the oil and essence after the shower.

After the two weeks, repeat this process using the firming products. Simple!

I’m super impressed by these products. They smell and feel amazing, plus they not only shape and firm my skin, they moisturize it, too! For someone who goes through a ridiculous amount of lotion a day, Erbaviva is a saving grace. I used the products for four weeks to see how they worked, and they work great! There’s definitely a difference in my thighs and stomach/love handles. My skin is smoother and looks more refreshed! Unfortunately, I don’t have any photos because my camera broke. 🙁 I’ll have to do this process again when I have a working camera, and add the photos to this post!

Erbaviva also has skincare for moms-to-be, babies, everyday essentials, bath and body, and aromatherapy! There’s so many different products, it’s almost impossible to choose which ones to get! You can check out the shaping and firming line here, and the rest of the products here.

You can also find Erbaviva on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest!

Thank you Erbaviva for the amazing opportunity to try your products, & thank you to my readers for checking out my blog!!

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XO

Lyndsay

Instagram | Twitter

Beauty Holistic Living Reviews

Benefits of Genuinely Simple’s Comfrey Cream + A Discount

September 6, 2014 By lyndsinreallife 5 Comments

Disclosure: I received free samples from Genuinely Simple in exchange for an honest review on my blog. I did not receive any monetary compensation. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

When I found Genuinely Simple on Instagram, I was instantly intrigued. Before now, I had never heard of comfrey cream. I try to use alternative medicine as much as possible, and this includes natural lotions and salves. The comfrey cream made by Laura at Genuinely Simple is absolutely amazing!

Here’s a bit of background information about comfrey (from genuinelysimple.com):

Comfrey is a medicinal botanical plant. It has been used for centuries to treat problems of the skin, bone and muscles. Genuinely Simple infuses comfrey into olive oil along with calendula flowers. The herbs sit for weeks, allowing the nutrients to flow into the olive oil. Afterwards, they are strained out of the oil and the plant matter is composted. The infused oil is than mixed with shea butter, and candelilla wax for a thicker consistency.

Photos: The comfrey plant (courtesy of GS) | Peppermint comfrey cream from Genuinely Simple

This comfrey cream is definitely a new favorite! It comes in original, lavender, and peppermint. I use it as body lotion, hand lotion, a conditioner on my split ends, and to even out calluses on my feet. My boyfriend uses it for his joint pain on his knee. It’s something that you need to use over time to get the effect on the joints, but for simple skin care, it’s instantaneous!

I emailed back and forth with Laura, the owner of Genuinely Simple and creator of the comfrey cream you see here. She is fabulous! We both have mood disorders, so we instantly clicked. She told me a little bit about how she started making comfrey cream, and why the plant is so special to her:

“When I was 20, everything started to fall on top of me. I [took] myself off all medications, against doctors orders, but I knew this was not the answer. I struggled with insomnia when I would get “manic”. I always said, “I could not shut my brain off but my body was so tired.” During the time period I started studying natural medicine and diet, which led to adopt a strict vegan diet, exercise, and natural remedies for healing purposes (no pharmaceuticals).

i went to Australia to intern under a Naturopathic doctor, Barbra O’Neill. It was life changing. Although, I had been vegan for almost six months at the time, I learned so much on natural medicine that I felt the need to share it with everyone I knew. While I was in Australia, I took a keen to the comfrey plant. I worked with a lot of the clients and noticed how amazing comfrey worked on their backs and stiff joints. It was love and I knew this was my ticket in sharing the health message. That is why I make and sell comfrey cream.”

Photos: All the GS products from Laura | Original comfrey cream (photo from genuinelysimple.com)

The lotion bar is super cool, too! I thought it was a soap bar at first, but it’s actually lotion that you apply after you bathe or shower (it contains comfrey as well). I’m always in a hurry, so it was awesome being able to use a lotion bar as opposed to liquid lotion. It was much faster to use! Plus it’s great quality.

Photo courtesy of genuinelysimple.com

Discount Code:

Laura at Genuinely Simple has graciously offered my readers a 15% discount on all Genuinely Simple products! Isn’t she amazing?!

Check out her website at www.genuinelysimple.com – enter code BALANCED15 at checkout for your discount. It’s that simple!

You can follow Genuinely Simple on these social media platforms:

Have you ever used comfrey cream or the comfrey plant?
What do you currently use for skin ailments?

I want to thank Laura at GS for the wonderful opportunity to review your products!

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Lyndsay

Holistic Living Nutrition Personal

GAPS Diet Update – Week 3

May 11, 2014 By lyndsinreallife 10 Comments

A couple weeks ago, I posted about my new nutrition plan and why I was doing it. As a recap, I am following a plan called the GAPS diet, which basically means my digestive system is not a happy camper. The past four months have been very stressful, which led to an excess of cortisol being released (stress hormone), sugar and refined carb cravings, poor nutrition, and then an overgrowth of candida.

(Image Source)

Candida is a fungus/yeast that we all have a little bit of in our digestive systems. However, if it grows out of control, you get pretty scary symptoms. Since starting to detox from things like sugar, soy, dairy, gluten (grains), and refined carbs, these are the symptoms I have experienced:

hives (daily)
migraines (6 days in a row)
fatigue, no matter how healthy I eat
difficulty sleeping
abdominal/digestive pain/bloating
irritability, mood swings, depression
muscle pain, especially in my legs
weight gain
acne (I haven’t had acne in YEARS!!!!)
intense sugar and refined carb cravings

I could go on and on, but those are the ones that really stood out to me. It has been a rough 3 weeks! But I feel like I am finally getting over the hump of the worst part. I started a 21 day cleanse (through Herbalife), I’m taking a supplement called FloraFiber daily (probiotics), and I just ordered goldenseal root (to push the candida out) and another probiotic. I already feel so much better!! I definitely have a ways to go with getting healthy again, but I can already feel a difference, and it is soo comforting!

(Image Source)

Sugar addiction and sugar detoxing are no joke. I was blaming myself for having a hard time cutting it out completely, but I was reassured that it really is my body that craves the sugar! It’s so similar to a drug addiction, it’s crazy. Did you know sugar is 8 times more addicting than cocaine? There was a study done on rats, and the rats chose the sugar over the cocaine every time.

Anyway, I feel like I’m rambling. I wanted to share a little bit of an update about this sugar detox since I know a few of you are following my updates (which I so so appreciate!!). If anything, I have totally learned how essential it is to truly take care of our bodies. Yes, I knew it was important before, but I feel like now, I have a deeper understanding of why we need to nourish our bodies with real food and get those toxins out through exercise. So many of us are living with poor gut health, and we don’t even realize it! I can’t stress enough how important it is to take care of our digestive system. 90% of our immune system is in our gut.

Healthy gut = happy life. 🙂