New in the Office: Michelle Schrader Photography Canvas Art and 5×5 Prints

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“Most people have a positive response to something – whether it’s music, painting, poetry, trees, animals, the sea, mountains or whatever. So sometimes it may be necessary to turn your attention deliberately to something you enjoy, something you have a good response to, and that will introduce another element into your experience. A more energetic, exuberant element that will help you to take a more creative approach to life’s ups and downs.” —Ratnaghosa

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Featured Artist: Michelle Schrader Photography

If you haven’t been in the office recently, you’ve been missing out! Reflecting on beauty is a heart-opening exercise; and I’m delighted to share with you that local artist, Michelle Schrader, has been offering her visual healing to folks coming through the space. Currently we have four prints hanging and a number of 5×5 inch prints for sale. Her work celebrates the natural beauty of the West Coast and plays with the warmth of light cast in oft-overlooked spaces.

To see and/or purchase her work online, visit her Square Market store, Michelle Schrader Photography. You can also view and purchase the canvas prints “Carved Head,” “escape,” “Ghost Town 12×12″,” and “blue door” at the office, as well as many of her 5×5 prints.

Follow Michelle on Instagram or Pinterest; or contact her directly by phone (206.639.7326) or email, moonsongmichelle@gmail.com.

Reflect on Nature for Stress and Anxiety Relief

Did you know looking on nature isn’t just a nicety? It directly impacts our body’s stress response. Recent research out of University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and University of Hong Kong found that even just watching videos of trees was enough to reduce stress and anxiety in subjects. The greater tree coverage there was in the imagery, the stronger the calming effect. This is so powerful for folks living in an urban environment, or unable to leave their homes or bed due to illness!

Remember, we don’t always have to be with what we love to cultivate the mood of love in our lives. The brain is amazing this way! We can start with simply imagining it – bringing what we love to mind through recollection.

What might you surround yourself with at work or at home to help you stay in the mood of ease and love? To what might you turn your attention to lift your spirits and remind you of greater possibilities in life? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!

 

Drive Less = More Rewards (thru 11/24/12)

King County Ballard/Crown Hill In Motion

I’m so excited to announce that I, as Black Pine Holistic Healing, have joined up with King County to support their Ballard/Crown Hill In Motion project as a corporate sponsor! Right now anyone who owns a car and lives or works in Ballard (or West Seattle for that matter) can participate in an effort to drive alone less–think: public transit, cycling, walking, or ride sharing. The contest started on Sept. 10th and runs through Nov. 24th. In addition to receiving a free, unlimited Orca card valid through Nov. 24th, 2012, you also have the chance to earn rewards–like gift certificates from yours truly ; ) ! For every week you log two trips changed from driving alone to another way of getting around, you’ll be entered to win a gift certificate worth at least $10 and up to $100 from a local sponsor. (Click here to see complete list of sponsors.) Their grand prize is pretty sweet, too:

• Gift certificate for two nights in a Deluxe King Room at the Ballard Inn
• $100 gift certificate to Staple & Fancy restaurant in Ballard
• Two gift certificates for massages at Elements Massage
• $100 gift certificate for Zip Car
• One six-month VIP family gift certificate to Olympic Athletic Club

I’m just so proud of our Seattle – that they would work so hard to encourage folks to think outside of the box when it comes to getting around! So, in honor of this project, I’ll add…

My Top 5 Curious Reasons Why Public Transportation is Good for You

1.  It’s inconvenient.

I know at first, this seems like an oxymoron. But it’s true – often the needed bus stop isn’t across the street. It’s a bit of a walk (or a run, if you’re late). This is really great for folks who work a seated job. It means moving those hips and legs more, which can translate to less piriformis syndrome (i.e. pain in the butt and/or radiating pain down the leg that, in some cases, is caused by prolonged sitting). It also means getting more fresh air. And while indoor air quality without outdoor air intake has been associated with “Sick Building Syndrome;” negative ions present outside in the air, particularly during stormy weather and near the ocean, have been shown in study to even assist in the recovery from stress associated with computer operation. High-five, nature!

2. Did I mention, it’s inconvenient?

Yes, I did. But this is different. Often taking the bus here in Seattle means a bit of a longer commute… which means, more sitting. Just sitting. This is good for two reasons: (1) Less stress, less accidents. It’s been shown that driver stress is influenced a lot by stress they’re experiencing in other areas of life, such as in work or home-life. (Do you find yourself sometimes yelling at other drivers, when really you’re angry about something else?) Well, they found that each of these emotional spillovers can influence mental lapses during driving and/or traffic violations. (2) More pause, more reflection. How often do you find 30-40 minute windows in your daily life that afford you time to process what’s going on in your life, or just to see other people you may never meet, but who live lives just like you do. Psychologist, Dr. David Lewis, found that folks who commute by bus experience 1/3 less stress of their fellow car commuters. It helps when we know someone else is taking care of everything; all we have to do it show up. It also helps that we can use that time in productive ways – whether that means resting, or reading, etc.

3. It’s a melting pot.

In so few situations these days do we really get to be around people who are different from us. But who rides a bus, for example? The able, the disabled; the young, the old. People of all different races and backgrounds. Folks commuting from food banks to Corporate America. Riding public transportation provides us an invaluable opportunity to see what’s going on in the world outside our private worlds. It allows us opportunities to connect with people we would otherwise perhaps never meet.

4. It’s uncomfortable.

Riding public transportation is a great opportunity to practice how we treat ourselves and others. How do we treat people we think we’ll never see or meet again? How do we handle sitting in the face of homelessness? Mental illness? What do we say to ourselves in our moments of discomfort?

5. It’s humbling.

Giving, receiving and witnessing simple acts of kindness on a regular, daily basis can have profound positive effects on your wellbeing. Give up your seat for someone who needs it; accept an offered seat when you need it; turn in a lost wallet; applaud the driver for her/his courage in driving you through ice, or in confronting a threatening passenger. Every day a new chance to find and know the good in where you are, who you are, and in the face and heart of others.

So, now that you’re feeling inspired… go win yourself some rewards!!! You deserve it!

Just Who Do You Think You Are?

In all our experience, there is what we see and what we don’t see; what we know, and what we don’t know. And how often do we let what we know be directly informed by what we see? Even in language what is actually said is worth less in communication than looks and tone. Most everyone has probably had opportunity to feel sarcasm and judgment in simple language. (I absolutely love a bit by Eddie Izzard talking about just this – the 70% is how you look, 20% how you sound and 10% what you say.)

So, with the body – there is what we see, which we call a human; but if you looked at what comprised that “human,” you would see we harbor 100 trillion microbes and that, in fact, 9 out of 10 “human” cells don’t even contain the human genome. In the gut alone there are 5600 known unique strains of bacteria just hanging out and loving life. Well, until you flush them down the drain, of course…

Antibiotics can do a serious number on our good bacteria – washing it out with the bad. We often see symptoms of diarrhea and electrolyte imbalance here. I get a lot of questions about how to replenish what gets lost and whether yogurt is a good idea. I am immediately reminded of when I had strep as a kid. It was so painful, and I felt like I could hardly eat anything. At the time, I don’t think anyone in my family had even heard of probiotics, but we definitely knew about yogurt. And I’ll say – sure, it felt great to have something easy to swallow and cool to the throat – but boy, not 2 minutes later came the awful feeling that I wasn’t sure I was able to breathe… oh, mucus! Truth is, yogurt is pretty low in probiotics, and while it may not actual increase mucus in the body, it may increase the viscosity of mucus. And anyone who’s felt the heavy hand of mucus on their breathing can tell you – increasing its thickness is not ideal!

Probiotics, on the other hand, offer the best of both worlds – ranging in number from 1 billion to over 100 billion cells per serving; and quite a few companies are now sourcing dairy-free options. While someone on antibiotics might take somewhere around 24 billion or more cells per day, folks with skin disorders, stress imbalance and low immune health may also benefit from taking these little critters.

In 2011 they did a study on Lactobacillus rhamnosus in mice and found that the strain was able to actually reduce stress-induced corticosterone and subsequently modulate behaviours associated with anxiety and depression. In fact, 95% of the body’s serotonin is in the gut. Want to feel groovy? Think bowels! Want your kids to stay in school? Think bowels!

In 2009 they showed kids who supplemented with probiotics for 6 months had fewer sick days and missed less days due to illness than their peers. And kids have the upper hand in disease prevention – if you want to prevent eczema or allergy, you know it… consider probiotics!

So if we are in part what we “aren’t,” consider where our lives might overlap with the lives of others. What do we share in common? How can we treat the lives of others–humans, animals, or other–with the same “humanity” each deserves? Be kind, and always consider that in any situation, there may be more there than meets the eye!

The Case for Probiotics: Just Who Do You Think You Are?

How “human” is human?

In all our experience, there is what we see and what we don’t see; what we know, and what we don’t know. And how often do we let what we know be directly informed by what we see? Even in language what is actually said is worth less in communication than looks and tone. Most everyone has probably had opportunity to feel sarcasm and judgment in simple language. (I absolutely love a bit by Eddie Izzard talking about just this – the 70% is how you look, 20% how you sound and 10% what you say.)

So, with the body – there is what we see, which we call a human; but if you looked at what comprised that “human,” you would see we harbor 100 trillion microbes and that, in fact, 9 out of 10 “human” cells don’t even contain the human genome. In the gut alone there are 5600 known unique strains of bacteria just hanging out and loving life. Well, until you flush them down the drain, of course….

The benefit of probiotics

Probiotics are a great way to support the beneficial bacteria in your gut. You can find them in fermented foods like sauerkraut or kimchi. Alternatively, one can purchase them as a supplement in powdered or pill form. These supplements can range in quantity, some providing 1 billion to over 100 billion cells per serving. A number of companies now source dairy-free options as well.

Probiotics for the gut after antibiotics

Antibiotics can do a serious number on our good bacteria – washing it out with the bad. We often see symptoms of diarrhea and electrolyte imbalance here. I get a lot of questions about how to replenish what gets lost and whether yogurt is a good idea. I am immediately reminded of when I had strep as a kid. It was so painful, and I felt like I could hardly eat anything. At the time, I don’t think anyone in my family had even heard of probiotics, but we definitely knew about yogurt. And I’ll say – sure, it felt great to have something easy to swallow and cool to the throat – but boy, not 2 minutes later did the awful feeling come over me that I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to breathe… oh, mucus! Truth is, yogurt is pretty low in probiotics, and while it may not actual increase mucus in the body, it may increase the viscosity of mucus. And anyone who’s felt the heavy hand of mucus on their breathing can tell you – increasing its thickness is not ideal! Probiotics? Great idea!

Probiotics for mood

In 2011 they did a study on Lactobacillus rhamnosus in mice and found that the strain was able to actually reduce stress-induced corticosterone and subsequently modulate behaviours associated with anxiety and depression. In fact, 95% of the body’s serotonin is in the gut. Want to feel groovy? Think bowels!

For more on mental health and probiotics, consider reading my post, “Psychobiotics: How Gut Bacteria Mess with Your Mind.”

Probiotics for immune support

In 2009 they showed kids who supplemented with probiotics for 6 months had fewer sick days and missed less days due to illness than their peers. And kids have the upper hand in disease prevention – if you want to prevent eczema or allergy, you know it… consider probiotics!

A closing thought

If we are in part what we “aren’t,” consider where our lives might overlap with the lives of others. What do we share in common? How can we treat the lives of others–humans, animals, or other–with the same “humanity” each deserves? May we endeavor to be kind, and always consider that in any situation, there may be more there than meets the eye!