A Dose of Healing… From Nature?

That’s right, nature delivers a power packed shot of medicine! We are wired to spend time moving our bodies, breathing fresh air, being around trees, grass and beautiful landscapes. But so often us modern busy-bees spend time outdoors, away from computer screens WAY less frequently then our health and wellbeing calls for.

Did you know that most Americans have lowered levels of vitamin D which can lead to depression, lack of energy and even a decreased immune system? That’s right we NEED sunshine. We also need nature. Being in nature reduces anxiety, anger, fear, and stress and increases feelings of wellbeing and happiness. All of which increase our immune system function AND support our parasympathetic nervous system.

The parasympathetic nervous system is one of three divisions of the autonomic nervous system. Sometimes called the rest and digest system, the parasympathetic system conserves energy as it slows the heart rate, increases intestinal and gland activity, and increases gut health, digestion, decreases internal inflammation and acidity.

Exposure to the outdoors not only makes you feel better mentally and emotionally, it increases your physical wellbeing, reducing blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and the production of stress hormones in addition to the benefits of the parasympathetic nervous system.

Research shows that being in nature can reduce stress significantly, which in turn also positively impacts our bodies wellness through how your nervous, endocrine, and immune systems are working. Furthermore, there is a body of evidence, proving what we all know to be true: nature is good for us and has both long and short term mental and physical health benefits.

Some additional health benefits of being out in nature”

  • Produces feelings of calmness & clarity
  • Boosts energy
  • Positively impacts your vision
  • Sunlight helps reduce pain
  • Stimulates brain function

Being in nature for only 20-30 minutes a day has a hugely positive impact on physical, emotional and mental health and wellbeing. It fights depression and anxiety and improves inner peace.

For all of these reasons, as a Doctor of Natural Medicine I highly recommend that people spend more time outdoors, in nature. Try to make it a daily practice. Incorporate nature into your mindfulness and spiritual practices as well as your health and self-care rituls.

The Medicinal Bath

Bathing is an ancient practice of self-care. From Thailand to India to Russia to across the expanse of time, culture, history and the entire globe, the art of the bath has been practiced for health benefits. Not only does a good warm bath aid in relaxation and stress reduction, it can also have profound medicinal benefits.

 

Remember that our skin is our largest organ and the largest one we absorb things and expel things through. Drawing yourself a bath with specific herbs, minerals and medicinal natural elements can bring about healing for many ailments and/or facilitate the healing process.

 

Stress being the leading cause of ALL illness, it is the thing that breaks down our immune system the fastest and creates gaps in our wellness or balance. Stress decreases the ability to properly digest and absorb nutrients which can lead to deficiencies and also to weight gain, fight off infection and disease and regulate our systems (mental, emotional, physical and spiritual). So a relaxing bath has the capacity to boost your immune function significantly when practiced regularly. I say ‘practiced’ because for me the art of the bath, especially medicinal baths are a central part of my self-care and wellness practices.

 

Ok, what exactly is a medicinal bath?

 

Medicinal means ‘tending or used to cure disease or relieve pain’ and I am also using it in reference as substances or plants having healing properties. Being that our skin is our largest organ for absorbing and expelling we can draw in many medicinal properties through the medicinal bathing experience… and yes, it is an experience! Just like homeopathic, natural medicine and other holistic or alternative treatments, the medicinal bath has many, many different recipes to support different needs your body and mind may have.

 

I will be sharing more recipes with you over the coming months for specific ailments, so please do reply with some specific requests that may support or benefit your health. I am happy to take requests!!

 

With my medicinal bath recipes, I draw from my many years as an Integrative Wellness & Life Coach, studies of natural medicine, tribal healing, and more recently my pursuit of my PhD in Integrative & Natural Medicine. I use herbs, minerals, vitamins, raw plants and flowers, crystals and stones as well as essential oils.

 

The three favorite more simple and basic medical bath recipes that I have created and used over time are:

  • The Renewal Bath
  • The Detox Bath
  • The Stress Reduction Bath

 

The Renewal Bath

 

¼ cup Arnica oil

5-10 drops Eucalyptus oil

Frankincense oil

10-15 drops Myrrh oil

1 cup Colloidal oatmeal

Fresh rose petals (red or pink are preferred or you may use rose water)

1 Hematite stone

1 capsule of vitamin B complex

4 small Amethyst stones

3-5 drops of cinnamon oil

3-5 drops of Grapefruit oil

1 cup Epsom salts

 

The Detox Bath

 

1.2 cup Bentonite clay

½ cup Red Moroccan clay

2 small Shungite stones (known to reduce EMF’s and other toxins)

4 table spoons of Manuka honey

4 small Amethyst stones

5-10 drops of Bergamot oil

Ginger (you can juice some ginger root, use ginger tea bags or ginger essential oil – use only a small amount)

1 cup Epsom salts

 

The Stress Reduction Bath

 

Magnesium (add about ¼ cup of liquid magnesium)

Lavender oil (10-15 drops)

1 capsule of L-Lysine (to boost the immune system)

4 small Rose Quartz crystals (or one larger one)

2 small Fluorite stone

2 small jade stones

4 small Amethyst stones

Chamomile (you may use either the fresh flowers or 4 chamomile tea bags)

5-10 drops of Bergamot oil

1 cup Epsom salts

 

 

An Eco Vacation That Will Change Your Life!

Each year I get very excited to lead the Breakthrough Wellness Retreat, An integrative life coaching experience, because each year I hear what a game changer this is for those who attend.

Many times my clients and students experience being stuck, seemingly unable to overcome certain experiences or roadblock. After years of integrative life coaching and teaching through Integrative Wellness Academy I have seen thousands of life changing breakthroughs! During the retreat, I pack together the powerful tools and techniques from over 20 different healing modalities to help people experience powerful and tangible change amidst a backdrop of tropical paradise!

What is a breakthrough wellness retreat?

The Breakthrough Wellness Retreat is a weekend-long, immersion-style, self-development retreat. The retreat applies mine and Integrative Wellness Academy’s (IWA) integrative wellness and life transformation coaching toolkit, which integrates over 20 different healing modalities. This toolkit includes Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), hypnosis, Therapeutic Yoga, life coaching, Emotional Clearing Method (ECM), Thought Pattern Management (TPM), reiki, integrative wellness & life coaching, and powerful forgiveness techniques.

I will guide you through the process of letting go of what no longer serves you, identify what limits you from your highest potential, clarify your goals and purpose, and create an action plan to achieve them! You will walk away from this retreat with a personal strategy for success and fulfillment, both personally and professionally, with a personal action plan and personal business plan that you have created during the retreat. Come rest, renew and completely transform your life!

What is integrative life coaching?

Integrative Life Coach: A coach trained in life coaching fundamentals combined with a diverse range of healing modalities in the areas of mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual wellness to make positive changes in all areas of life.

Integrative life coaching integrates numerous healing modalities to equip and empower clients to live balanced and successful lives. Integrative life coaching uses techniques, mind-body tools, and action plans to achieve permanent behavior change. During this retreat, Rachel will help you get from where you are in life to where you want to be. Rachel will coach you towards achieving mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual balance that will benefit your life long after the weekend retreat is over.

What does is mean to bring balance to all four aspects of self; mental, emotional, physical and spiritual?

I use the Holistic life model to coach you towards achieving wellness and balance in each of the four aspects of self and in each major area of life such as career, health, relationships and self-development.

Holistic Life Coaching Model

Mind

  • thought life, mental models, self perception, and mental patterns

Emotions

  • emotions and relationships with self and others

Physical

  • health or tangible things like career or finances

Spirit

  • awareness, self-discovery, connection, and  spirituality

 

What is an Integrative Life Coaching Toolbox?

Using over 20 different healing modalities, I have developed an integrative approach to life coaching that has many powerful tools and techniques to help you achieve lasting positive change.

One of the powerful tools that you will be lead through is emotional clearing.

Experience Emotional Clearing Method and gain freedom…

 

Emotional Clearing Method (ECM)

An innovative emotional healing technique for both the conscious and unconscious mind.

Emotional Clearing Method™ (ECM) is an alternative therapeutic emotional clearing technique developed by Rachel Eva, the founder of IWA. ECM is an advanced integrative life coaching technique that draws on various modalities and theories of neuroscience, mental health, life coaching, and alternative therapies, including neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), hypnosis, hypnotherapy, Mind-Body Medicine, and cognitive behavioral therapy. The foundations of ECM stem from neuroplasticity research and current research on emotions and beliefs effects and interconnection on biology.

ECM was developed after years of research and training with different modalities. It works with your brains neural pathways to release negative psychological patterns and connections to limiting beliefs and negative emotions that block many of us from moving forward in freedom. Recent medical studies have proven that these beliefs and stuck emotions, negative psychological patterns, and genetic markers influence our conscious and unconscious minds. These imprints can stem from our childhood, in utero, and even before we were born through intergenerational epigenetic inheritance.

In its simplest description, ECM combines powerful emotional healing techniques and mind-body medicine with the stimulation of neural pathways to release negative psychological patterns, attachments to negative emotions and limiting beliefs on the conscious and unconscious levels.

 

About me, the retreat leader…

Rachel Eva

Founder & Head Instructor Integrative Wellness Academy, Author, National Speaker & Integrative Life Coach

Rachel is an international speaker, IWA founder and head instructor, author, and Integrative Life Coach. As head instructor for IWA life coaching academy, Rachel teaches thousands of students each year through IWA professional and master level Integrative Life Coach certification programs.

Rachel is a self-development author and leader in the integrative wellness industry. She is a contributing writer of articles covering self-development and integrative wellness for several magazines. Rachel is certified in over 20 healing modalities that support her integrative approach to life coaching, self-development, and integrative wellness.

She is board certified through the Association for Integrative Psychology as a practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), master practitioner of NLP, practitioner of Mental Emotional Release® (MER), Certified Thought Pattern Management (TPM) Practitioner and clinical Hypnotherapist. She was also trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Rachel is a master trainer of Integrative Coaching and certified as a personal trainer and yoga therapist. She has received certifications in ERYT yoga, sports nutrition, and sports therapeutics.

Rachel believes that your past does not define your future and you can be empowered to live the life you desire. Her work is designed to support coaches and clients create the change they seek and the life they want!

In addition to the work and instruction described above, you will also get other wellness amenities that are standard at Playa Viva. This retreat includes:

  • Three nights eco-luxe beachfront accommodations
  • Farm-to-table, mostly organic, healthy meals (recipes personally designed by Rachel Eva and prepared for you by Playa Viva’s top health chef)
  • Daily meditation, yoga, and journal writing
  • Outdoor activities, such as walks and hiking and beach adventures

When? July 7-10, 2017

Pricing:

The cost of this breakthrough experience is priceless and dramatically less expensive than years of therapy or ongoing life coaching! Walk away with tangible positive changes.

Double occupancy: $2450

Single occupancy: $3050

Price is per person and includes retreat tuition, accommodations, all meals, non-alcoholic beverages, taxes, and roundtrip airport ground transfers (fly into Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo – ZIH). Additional charges will apply for bar drinks, smoothies, massage/spa services, gratuities and optional donation to sea turtle sanctuary. Airfare is additional and must be booked separately.

To enroll

To make a reservation, please do so directly through Integrative Wellness Academy.

If you have any questions, please call +1-818-358-3131, or email rachel@iwacoaching.com

 

 

DEMYSTIFYING MEDITATION

Meditation can be an uncomfortable thing to consider or practice for many. There can be preconceived notions or beliefs about meditation that make the idea of it scary, unachievable or just seem down-right weird. But in actual practice you can find a way to meditate that will work for you, your life style, time constraints and beliefs that will be safe and effective.

Why meditate? Simple, it has been scientifically proven to reduce stress, which increases health, balance and enjoyment of life. Who does not want to be happier and healthier? It is also a powerful tool for self-discovery, self-care and personal growth.

So how can we unweave some of the odd things you have seen or heard about meditation? Let me help demystify the concept of meditation for you a bit:

  1. You do not have to meditate for any specific amount of time to see benefits. Even 2 minutes of meditation can have a powerful and positive impact on your life.
  2. Meditation does not have to be religious or conflict with your personal beliefs, no matter what your beliefs are.
  3. Meditation is not something that you may immediately enjoy, find easy or see radical benefits from. You can’t do one sit up and then expect to have ripped abs. Meditation is a practice that needs to be consistently performed and developed into a habit before you will see the full benefits and enjoyment of it. Learning to quiet the mind and sit still can be very hard for some, yet I promise it is achievable for EVERYONE (even those with ADD, ADHD, racing thoughts or even OCD).

I was introduced to meditation when I was 5 years old. I have studied many forms of meditation, developed my own personal meditation practice and taught meditation to thousands of people around the world. So let me help you understand meditation a bit more from my perspective.

I like to describe meditation is ‘marinating’ on something, something within that is silent. Those of you who cook may have an understanding of this, especially when it comes to grilling steaks. For any vegetarians…I lovingly respect you and I am not sorry, it’s an effective example so please try to relate in…

Say you are grilling a steak; most people will marinate the meat or let it sit submerged in something for a predetermined period of time in order that the meat will soak up as much of the marinade as possible (for flavor). Fully marinating and submerging meat in the marinade causes an environment where the meat can fully soak the marinade into every part of the meat…even all the way into the center. Why? So the steak can be transformed into the best and most flavorful version of itself. Do you get the analogy? Sweet!

Meditation is a ‘dropping in’ or ‘checking in’ to being completely present with oneself. We spend so much time in motion, in doing, meditation helps us to learn to be. To be present with oneself and to tap into a connection to something greater. This something greater can be anything you define it as…nature, energy, God, the Divine, Spirit, the collective unconscious, the universe or even simply ‘love’.

If prayer is talking to that higher thing, then

meditation could be called listening.

When we meditate we are marinating in being, in our relationship with self and also the relationship with that higher thing. When we take the time to marinate, we soak it up. That gives us flavor!

Meditation can be focused on a specific religious or spiritual alignment or it can be completely focused on relaxation and ‘emptying the mind’. The choice is yours.

There is a form of meditation that will feel safe and comfortable for you. That is the one to choose. However, discovering the most effective form of meditation will take a commitment on your part to experimenting, paying attention to the feedback within yourself and making adjustments.

Beginning to meditate…

‘Where do I start??? There are so many options and opinions about how to do it right’! I invite you to let that belief go. There is no one way to meditate. There is no one way that is right or wrong. The best advice I can give you is to begin to meditate in any way you want. Start where you are and grow from there.

Do some searches for meditations and guided meditations, and watch a few. Try the ones that interest you. See what helps you begin to connect with your internal landscape.

Here is a simple meditation that I teach –

Find a comfortable place to sit down where you won’t be interrupted.

Turn off your phone ringer.

Close your eyes.

Focus your attention on your breath.

Begin to deepen your breath.

Breath deep relaxed breaths versus forced breaths.

Give yourself permission to let your thoughts float by without engaging in them.

Any time you find yourself thinking or becoming distracted, simply and lovingly bring your focus back to your breath.

Continue to just BE and focus on your breathing.

Do this for as long as or as short of an amount of time as you would like.

When you are done, congratulate yourself on your accomplishment and investment in yourself. It is not helpful to critique or judge your meditation. Simply pay attention to the internal feedback that arises after and make adjustments to your next meditation session.

Remember to give your meditation muscles a chance to grow strong through regular practice. Some of the benefits you may experience after you practice consistently are; less stress, increased health, decreased illness, peaceful thought life, better ability to deal with difficult people, places and situations, more mindfulness in all areas of your life, a deeper understanding of yourself, spiritual growth and more general happiness.

Be patient with yourself and the process.

It is worth the investment of time and energy!

 

 

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