Wellness Blog
Losing weight has never been a particularly easy thing for me to do. Even as a teenager who was very active (doing ballet for 90 minutes three times a week), I had a tendency to gain weight more easily than many of my peers.
I remember one summer that I decided to focus on trying to lose a little extra weight and to tone up. I spent that summer eating healthy (more fruits and veggies and lean meats, very little processed food or junk food) and working out very regularly.
And yet at the end of several months, there was no difference on the scale. Zero… Yes, I had possibly gained a little but of muscle and therefore offset any weight loss but I still felt like a failure on some level.
I remember from this relatively young age wondering WHY it was so easy for some people to lose weight when I was doing all the right things and yet nothing changed.
I knew the story of my mom’s best friend who also struggled with weight her whole life and it was only when she was in an in-patient weight loss clinic eating around 500 calories a day that her body could start losing weight. That was pretty messed up, I remember thinking, but I didn’t really understand WHY that was.
Throughout my adult life, I have continued to struggle with a difficulty in losing weight. Let me just say that I do not believe in crazy fad diets, miracle pills, and things of those sort (so please don’t come talking to me about those kinds of things- because I have ZERO interest). I have always just focused on eating well and moving my body, yet nothing has changed.
In fact, in the almost 5 years since I’ve been together with my husband, I have gained more weight and I have tried several times over the past 2 years to lose the weight but once I have lost about 10 pounds, if I don’t keep up a very focused way of eating, it immediately comes back again…
About a year or so ago, one of my mentors in the BodyTalk system, Dr. Laura Stuve, started talking about how she has had tremendous success in using BodyTalk tools (which she strengthens with her own background as a PhD scientist) to help both herself and her clients successfully lose weight.
I was immediately both excited and intrigued! While I couldn’t take her hormones of weight and metabolism class when she first offered it in 2017, I put it on my wish list for 2018 and I did take that course last October!
In the class, we learned a great deal about things like:
- how traditional diets actually mess up our metabolism MORE, making it even harder to lose weight
- how the calories in, calories burned model that has been dominant for years is flawed because it doesn’t take into account the QUALITY of the calories you are eating
- how the experiences of our ancestors (like food shortages and famines) can actually affect our metabolism today, making our bodies think we also need to be prepared for food shortages
- how imbalances in the gut microbiome (that community of good bacteria in our digestive system) can contribute to weight gain or difficulty losing weight
- and so much more…
I have been diving into using the new tools I learned from Dr. Laura with a small group of clients for several months, and also I started getting BodyTalk sessions on this topic from Dr. Laura herself.
It is my intention to blog a bit and share my own journey with this process and so this is the first entry in that documentation.
Since my first session with Dr. Laura on December 30, 2018, I have already lost about 6 pounds in 2 weeks.
This isn’t through some crazy restrictive diet but instead through making a few key tweaks in what I’m eating (which was customized based on what MY specific body is requesting) and also adding more exercise into my life (with the requirement the exercise must be FUN, not something I don’t enjoy).
So I am working out now 6 days a week, many days doing NIA videos since I love dancing and this way of movement feels fun and also good to my body. I’m changing what I eat for breakfast and cutting way back on eating potatoes to only once every 2 weeks, per my body’s request. I’m eating less sugar and more fiber, again per my body’s request.
It feels good to finally be shifting this long pattern of mine, which for me actually runs back through my mom and that side of the family. I’m doing this in a healthy, balanced way, and a way that honors my unique needs, which will make it sustainable.
Through BodyTalk, Dr. Laura is helping reset underlying imbalances in hormones, the brain centers that know whether we are safe to lose weight or if we are in danger of starvation (including those ancestral patterns I mentioned above), my gut microbiome, and so much more.
I look forward to writing another update in a few weeks!
And if this is an area that you are interested in exploring support and healing for yourself, reach out as I’m launching this as another focused offering of my work. I truly believe that losing weight shouldn’t have to be hard, require starving ourselves (that actually won’t help you lose weight), and it isn’t “your fault” if you’ve tried things and haven’t been successful. I’d love to help you have a different experience.
Recently I was guest on the “Learn True Health” podcast with Ashley James! We had a GREAT conversation about listening to the body’s wisdom rather than always reaching for a medication to silence symptoms and so much more!
Other topics include:
- my own story of chronic illness and my misdiagnosis with leukemia at age 25
- my exploration of alternative healing including biofeedback and therapeutic yoga
- my discovery of BodyTalk
- my book, “You Are Not Your Diagnosis”
- a simple technique to help YOU listen to your body
To listen to this episode, click on the image below!
BodyTalk Access is a powerful, one day class where you will learn a simple but highly effective routine that you can use on a regular basis to help support your overall health and well-being.
Today, I’d like to share my top 5 reasons why you need BodyTalk Access in your life.
1, Learning the immune system balancing technique is worth the cost of admission alone!
Think of how many times you end up with a cold each fall/winter/spring. Think of how easily you pick-up any bug going around or if you are a parent, how often your kids pick it up and then bring it home to spread it throughout the household.
How much do you spend on Nyquil, cough medicine, cough drops? How much do you lose on sick days and time off? Or taking time off work to take care of sick kids?
No one likes to catch every bug going around and with this technique, you will learn how to help your immune system stay optimized so that it can easily and effectively fight of what is going around– and you can use it to help your whole family do the same!
If you do start to come down with something, using this technique frequently during that time can dramatically help your body recover faster!
2. You might think you are staying hydrated by drinking your 8 glasses of water a day but you might not actually be absorbing the water into your cells!
This is a fascinating thing to learn, right? We can drink PLENTY of water and yet still be dehydrated!
You might even be thinking of times when you have been drinking enough water but you still feel dehydrated. I know I’ve felt that way many times- like I just can’t drink enough water to feel good.
With this technique that you will learn, you can help all of your cells take in the water that you are drinking daily. Sometimes, due to a variety of reasons that you’ll learn more about in the class, we can drink water but it doesn’t actually get into the cells! With this technique, that is a problem no longer!
3. You will learn one of the most effective ways to balance and optimize how your brain is functioning on a daily basis!
Do you sometimes lack mental focus and concentration? Do you find it hard to do certain cognitive tasks? Want to be able to better concentrate for important meetings, phone calls, or other activities?
When you learn the cortices technique in the BodyTalk Access class, you learn a technique that you can use daily to help give your brain’s functioning a boost!
This technique also has the added side benefit of helping to diminish cold spots, which are areas of lower blood supply in the brain. If we have a physical injury or illness, this issue is actually reflected in our brains as a cold spot so by helping decrease cold spots, we also help the area of illness or injury.
4. You will learn how to optimize your response to stress
Many of us find ourselves feeling stressed out and overwhelmed on a daily basis. Our brains and bodies shut down from reacting to every little stressor in our daily lives and with a simple technique called Switching, you will find yourself less reactive to stress and more able to use challenges as a fuel for success!
I’ll also be sharing cool new research about how stress doesn’t have to be bad for us- that part of it is our mindset about stress!
5. Learn a quick technique to help with minor or major emergencies
Maybe you stub your toe on something… Or one of your kids falls down and scrapes up a knee… Maybe you just witnessed a horrific car accident and you find yourself in a state of shock…
With the Fast Aid technique, we can help the physical, mental, and emotional parts of ourselves handle anything from a little cut in the kitchen to experiencing a life-changing trauma.
For example, I’ve used this technique to help a family member who banged her hand and had it swell up to at least double its normal size quickly reduce inflammation and pain and by later that day, there was no pain, swelling or bruising! It is AMAZING!
If you think that this sounds like something you need in your life, I invite you to sign up for my upcoming BodyTalk Access classes in the Portland, OR area or find a class near you at www.bodytalksystem.com/seminars/
One of the most common questions that I get asked about distance sessions is “Are they really as effective as in-person sessions?”
Rather than giving you my opinion, I have created a short interview with one of my clients, Jean Koncos, owner of At Vancouver Massage, about her experience of working both in-person with me and with distance phone sessions.
The video is only about 5 minutes so take the time to watch it and see what she has to say!
Last week I returned from the International BodyTalk Association conference in Florida. This was my second time attending their conference (both have been amazing experiences!) and I want to take a little time to share with you a particularly profound experience I had while attending the conference.
On the instructor’s day of the conference, I was asked by one of the speakers, Tracey Clark, if I would be willing to be the volunteer person she used during her talk the next day. Since I have a deep love of the BodyTalk system and am always up for receiving a session, of course I said yes!
Before the end of that day, Tracey gave me an intake form to complete and asked me to bring it with me the next day and so I did.
The next day, Tracey began her talk, which was based on her doctoral research about the power of observing possibilities and potentials for change in creating healing. After she shared the fascinating results, she called for me to come to the stage.
Tracey then did an initial assessment of range of motion using different osteopathic range of motion tests. The range of motion showed some limits in my left arm and shoulder, heaviness and tension in my legs, and restrictions in breathing.
After getting the baseline, Tracey handed me the first half of my intake forms, which was the portion that focused on my health issues and symptoms and the negative impact they have on my life. She asked me to tuck those forms into the waistband of pants and then did a reassessment of the same measures of rang of motion she had just done.
What do you think happened to my range of motion?
It actually got worse! I could feel it, Tracey could feel it, and so did the other person she brought on stage to do all of the assessments along with me. Even the people in the audience could observe the difference.
This was the power of focusing on the negatives of health challenges…
After completing the range of motion tests, Tracey then asked me to remove the first part of the intake from my waistband and then gave me the second half of the intake to tuck into my waistband. The second half of the forms focused on questions like “Do you believe your body can heal itself?” and “What will your life be like when these health problems are no longer an issue for you?”
After I had tucked the papers into my pants, Tracey once again reassessed using the same range of motion tests.
What do you think happened this time?
My range of motion DRAMATICALLY improved! My left shoulder, which typically feels a bit of discomfort with certain movements, did not hurt at all. My legs became much easier to lift. My breathing improved.
My low back, which had been hurting since the day before, when from about a 6 out of 10 to a zero! Several people told me my whole complexion changed.
This was WITHOUT any actual “treatment” through a BodyTalk session. This was the power of simply focusing on the potential for healing and improvement.
My mind (and the mind of many others) was definitely a bit blown by the power of simply observing possibilities! And this was in a room full of BodyTalk practitioners who observe powerful transformations on a regular basis!
I hope that sharing this has inspired you to realize the power of simply being open to possibilities for positive changes in our lives AND focusing on the positive outcome we are desiring!
When you combine the clinical findings of Applied Kinesiology, the expertise of Western medicine, the energy dynamics of acupuncture and the wisdom of modern physics and advanced mathematics, what do you get? A state of the art integrative holistic healthcare paradigm: The BodyTalk System, one of the current fastest growing complementary holistic healthcare systems in the world!
What is BodyTalk and Why is it truly holistic healing?
The BodyTalk System is a comprehensive and dynamic system of energy medicine that is constantly evolving. It unifies a large number of highly recognized healing methods and principles of knowledge into one all encompassing system. BodyTalk addresses the bodymind from a truly holistic perspective and recognizes that the physical, mental and emotional components are inseparable; hence, all levels are worked on concurrently.
The BodyTalk System does not diagnose or address diseases on a symptom level; it creates an energy balance in the body that involves the body’s own innate restorative powers. It can be used as a stand alone system to address all physical, mental and emotional health issues and can also be integrated to support any other healthcare modality to enhance its effectiveness and promote even faster healing.
Why is BodyTalk Unique?
If you think of the image of an iceberg, most of the bulk of the ice lies beneath the water’s surface. This is similar to how most of the underlying causes of diseases and illness are not immediately seen or known but are deeper than the superficial level. BodyTalk is a holistic healing system that works with a priority basis- which means rather than focusing on giving someone a diagnosis of what is “wrong”, we focus instead of what needs to be addressed first, then second, and so on. For example, if the liver was detoxified prior to ensuring the intestines were digesting and eliminating properly, the individual may get sicker if the toxins are not being released from the body. This means the BodyTalk holistic approach can eliminate the tendency for a “healing crisis.”
Once we use neuromuscular feedback to determine the priority for today, BodyTalk uses a variety of simple techniques to restore balance in the body and mind, as well as light tapping and touch over the 3 brains (head, heart, and gut).
To summarize, BodyTalk does not diagnose and uses non-invasive techniques that cannot cause harm in accord with the priority of its inner wisdom. It is truly holistic, and is complementary to other health care modalities, with which it can be seamlessly integrated.
How Does BodyTalk Work?
Areas in the bodymind that lack communication or synchronicity are addressed with the application of practical, effective techniques to facilitate wellbeing from within. This is done in an individual manner. No two clients, even those with seemingly identical symptoms, will have the same areas that are not communicating or working as a team with the bodymind. Much like the expression: give a man a fish, he eats for a day; teach a man to fish, he eats for life, BodyTalk facilitates the body’s ability to heal itself. Once the body’s innate restorative powers are empowered with this new enhanced communication, it is then able to more effectively heal the bodymind from within, enabling lasting patterns of good health.
If you are curious about how BodyTalk can help support holistic healing in your life, give me a call at 503-347-0258 or use the scheduler below to set up a free phone consultation.
The human body has an amazing potential for self-healing when we supply it with the right conditions. If our stress level is kept at a reasonable level, we eat good quality, nutrient rich food, and we get good rest (among other factors), our bodies are designed to be able to keep themselves healthy and functioning well.
Think about how your body immediately begins to deal with a minor injury like when you nick your finger while chopping vegetables for dinner. Do you stop to tell your body to clot your blood or to fight off any potential infection in the area of injury? Do you think about regenerating the tissue in the area? No! And yet the body immediately goes to work self-healing and doing those things. And this happens on a larger scale than just minor cuts, bruises and scrapes- our bodies are always working to keep us healthy.
The problem comes when our bodies get overloaded by stress and don’t have all the resources they need to resolve our health problems and self-heal. When I talk about stress, I like to use the analogy of a fuse box. When we are too stressed, it is like the fuses in our fuse box get blown and then it becomes hard for our body to continue to keep itself healthy or to heal from whatever health issues (big or small) that we might be having because our circuits are “blown”.
This is where getting support from BodyTalk can help. BodyTalk is an amazing tool to reset the body’s fuse box so that it can begin to heal. BodyTalk can also support things like improving your digestion so you absorb all the nutrients from your food more efficiently and can help you get better quality sleep too.
If you are curious about how BodyTalk can help “reset your fuses” and improve your self-healing ability, give me a call at 503-347-0258. I’d love to talk to you about what is going on with your health and how BodyTalk might be a great support for you! I don’t charge for phone consultations so give me a call today.
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of being a guest on Sharon Sayler’s radio show, the Autoimmune Hour. If you didn’t get a chance to listen when the show was live, you can listen the recording here. Our talked focused on BodyTalk as an effective approach to help with autoimmune diseases.
Here’s a little overview of what Sharon and I talked about:
What happens when we allow our body’s energy systems to be re-set with healing methods such as Body Talk? In this interview, Lyn shares that your body is designed to heal itself, and together we explore the ‘bigger picture’ of health including:
- How stored trauma and trapped emotions affect us
- How to breathe your way to feeling better
- How to talk to your body so it will answer you
- How to reframe unpleasant memory or emotion
Last weekend I spent 4 days in beautiful Victoria, Canada at a Mindscape Course.
What is Mindscape, you ask?
Mindscape is a BodyTalk class (open to everyone!) that is all about using the power of your whole brain and your intuition to do things like work through limiting beliefs and fears that are holding you back, gain new insights into your career or your business, tap into your creativity, and for me, I am using it to deepen my BodyTalk sessions.
Our class photo after a magical 2.5 days with Andy Spencer!
Mindscape is actually based on the same way of working that brilliant individuals like Einstein and Tesla used to test their ideas– through creating a “workshop” in their minds where they could problem solve, develop prototypes, and so much more!
Why is this so powerful?
When we are in the beta brain wave state, for most of us, our left brain dominates. This is the part of us that is focused on logic, reason, linear thinking. The left brain often doesn’t really value the creativity and the non-linear thinking of the right brain and it often doesn’t trust our intuition. You probably have experienced this when you feel something intuitively but your left brain talks you out of following your intuition- and often you regret that in the end.
When we work in our Mindscape workshops, we are going into the alpha brain wave state where we can fully access both right and left brain. The left brain is kept happy because there is a “structure” to the process and the amazing right brain can bring out all sorts of amazing creative ideas, insights, and tap more fully into our intuitive nature!
When I work this way with BodyTalk sessions, I’m able to gain information more quickly and also gain a new depth to it. My clients say they are loving it because they are tapping more into their own intuition as well and having deeper insights in their sessions.
If you are curious about this powerful 2 day class, I’m hoping to bring the amazing instructor in the picture, Andy, here next year to teach it. And unlike a lot of classes that I go to, you don’t have to be a BodyTalk practitioner to attend- this one is open to everyone! If you want to be kept in the loop, email me at lyn@heart-fire-healing.com
If you’ve studied remember anything about biology and genetics from your school days, you probably remember hearing that we are a mix of nature and nurture.
While it was originally believed that the nature part was just the DNA and RNA that we inherited from our parents, modern research is now showing us that we can actually inherit the impact of our ancestors experiences (unresolved traumas and old belief systems) and that those influences leave markers on our DNA. This new field of scientific study is called epigenetics.
This new field of science is called epigenetics. What epigenetics means is that when our grandparents or great grandparents (or ancestors even further back in our family line) experienced a trauma, if they didn’t fully process and resolve/release that experience, it created what we call epigenetic markers on the DNA. These markers are like little padlocks on our DNA. The padlock holds something into a configuration where something that is needed (like a gene or a protein) isn’t available, or it IS available when it should not be.
While this padlock had a purpose for the ancestor (for example, if they experienced a major food shortage, this epigenetic marker could have helped them to survive by altering their metabolism), for those who have simply inherited the marker, it can cause health problems.
One example of this is the impact of the Dutch famine in 1944-1945 creating very limited food supplies for pregnant women at that time. There was a change an epigenetic change in the fetuses DNA (the IGF2 gene) which know makes those individuals prone to obesity and cardiovascular disease. Although it hasn’t been included in the research (that I know of), it is also likely that many of the children of these individuals also have inherited this epigenetic marker.
Current scientific understanding is that 70-95% of disease is epigenetic.
These epigenetic markers can increase the likelihood that at some point we will develop diseases like cancer, immune disease, diabetes, or mental illnesses like Schizophrenia, PTSD, or late onset Alzheimer’s.
While initially this sounds like BAD news because it is something that happened before we were born, the great news is that by using BodyTalk, these epigenetic markers, these “padlocks,” can be cleared from our DNA and so that wiring for disease can be cleared away. When these markers are highlighted to the brain during a session, they can simply be cleared away. The process can work for disease that a person is already experiencing OR for diseases that haven’t made their appearance on the scene yet!
Are you curious about how your ancestors lives are impacting your health? Sign up for a BodyTalk session today!