Let's Go to My New Venues!

Hello! I've begun a new blog and I'd like to help you find it.

If you go to my website www.christinagrant.com and click on "Holistic Woman Blog" on the menu, you'll get there.

Or, go straight to www.holisticwoman.org. You can "Subscribe" to receive my blog updates via email if you'd like, or just return frequently to see the latest.

I'll no longer be posting anew on this site. See you over at the new place!

Change of Venue Coming Soon

Hello! You can see I haven't posted recently on this blog. I've been setting up a new Dr Grant Holistic blog which will have shorter, but informative posts about holistic healing. It's almost ready and as soon as it's live, I'll post the link to it here.

I've been working on my book, and it's off being read by my "readers" so I can get important feedback before I send it off to the publisher. This book is for women who want a holistic approach to healing breast cancer. I've been researching holistic cancer prevention for over 20 years, and my book is also perfect for women who want to be pro-active in prevention of breast disease.

I'm setting up a second blog, too! It is oriented to women who want to live a more holistic life, and perhaps heal from dis-ease or disharmony in their body, mind, or spirit. I'm very excited about this new blog. So come back shortly to get the links to my new blogs. I expect both blogs to be live by the end of the week!

Dog Scoop

If you're a newcomer scheduling an in-person appointment, know that I have a dog - a large, rambunctious Labrador/German Shepherd - 5 years old. When you arrive he will greet you in a very exuberant manner, giving you a thorough sniffing, possibly stealing a kiss on your lips (especially if you're a gorgeous blond... go figure), but never will he let you by without checking you out first.

I used to be very concerned about how this might seem to the people who come to see me. I worked continually with my boy, spending more money and time on training him than I can reveal. And here is the bottom line. He's not going to be better trained at the door. This is it.

But he's wonderful and smart and loving and lives every moment as if life really matters. I just advise you don't wear your Sunday best. Be comfortable and ready to receive a big lovable greeting. It lasts about 60 seconds and if you let yourself, you'll feel happier afterward. All this enthusiasm at the door is followed by a dog nap with occasional snoring while you and I have our session time.

Love me, love my dog. It's like that around here.

Maintaining Balance in Uncertain Times

Current world affairs are causing much distress. The news of the unthinkable in Japan along with myriad other events can easily pull you away from your natural balance. Not long ago we were concerned about the health effects of wifi and processed food. Now it’s massive earthquakes, tsunamis, power plant explosions, and even extreme solar flares on the sun.

I’ll make sure this doesn’t become another CNN news piece. People are suffering from more anxiety and worry than ever before without my rehashing the obvious. So let’s get to the business of wellbeing, and how to maintain it in the midst of crisis.

I’m a proponent of being aware of how grounded you are. This means, literally, how connected to the earth are you? What is your relationship to the ground?

In a state of ungroundedness you can be more easily influenced by others, you might experience injuries and accidents, feel anxiety, panic, worry, irritability, and foggy thinking. Because being ungrounded feels bad, many people overeat, drink too much, or otherwise find a way to “check out.”
Especially in these unusual times, it’s more important than ever to be mindful of when you are not grounded, centered, and calm.  You can then, with conscious awareness, bring yourself back into a state of balance.

How to do it? The first step is to pay attention to your physical body. How does the chair feel that you are sitting in? What do your feet feel like? What physical signs or symptoms are you trying to ignore? For example, are you thirsty? Do you have any pain or tightness in your body?
Then, notice your breathing. This will bring you “back into your body.” Most cases of anxiety I see in my practice are nothing more than being mentally and energetically disconnected from the body. So take a few moments and follow your breath. Bring it into your belly. Slow it down. Lengthen your breath. Do this several times throughout the day.

Connect with the earth. Put your bare feet on the ground. There is scientific evidence that the earth balances your energy field. But you don’t need proof from science when you can just do it and see for yourself. Stand or sit down for a minute with your bare feet on the earth. Do this often.

Be with nature. Notice the weather. What is happening in your natural environment? Feel the breeze, smell the earth’s scents, take note of how the sun feels, watch the trees become full of leaves again. Imagine yourself as a big healthy tree with deep roots going into the earth.

How about if we all make an effort to bring ourselves into a state of balance? There are many changes occurring in our lives, and we want to flow with them and come out on the other side unscathed. Here are a few reminders to help you.

Quick Tips on Becoming More Balanced

Breathe with awareness
Sit in nature
Watch the sun rise or set
Place your feet (and hands) on the earth
Eat food from the earth
Be aware of your surroundings
Notice physical symptoms or signs
Stop, Look, and Listen
Visualize yourself rooted into the earth

A Practical New Book for Insomniacs: Master Your Sleep

An informative new book is on the market about sleep, it’s importance, why we don’t get enough, and what we can do about it. In Master Your Sleep: Proven Methods Simplified, author Tracey Marks, MD, tells us that more than one third of Americans – over 100 million people - have clinically-diagnosed sleep disorders!

What has happened in our society where people cannot rest properly? There are more folks awake in the middle of the night than we can imagine, tossing and turning, staring at the ceiling, chronically sleep-challenged.

We know that many more than this 100 million have occasional or frequent bouts of insomnia, causing frustration and even dread. Aside from a sense of helplessness, what is this doing to one’s ability to think clearly, be alert, and have energy throughout the day? To keep the immune system functioning? How are these millions managing on the job? Emotionally?

Dr. Marks says insomnia is underlying many quality of life issues such as anxiety and burnout. It also puts people at risk for weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, compromised mental abilities, and shortened lifespan.

What are your options if you are one of the 100 million with a bona fide sleep disorder? Or, even if you are an occasional insomniac? Pills aren’t the definitive answer. If taking sleep medication worked over time, returning you to the type of sleep required for good health and mental balance, the problem would be easier to solve. But this isn’t the case. Pharmaceutical and over-the-counter drugs have their drawbacks, as do natural and herbal remedies.

In her new book, Master Your Sleep, Dr. Marks outlines numerous simple methods that support the body to fall asleep at bedtime and wake up refreshed. She has an easy-to-read, straightforward style with a refreshingly sensible and practical approach. Her prescription for a “sleep hygiene” program encourages the body and mind to accept a more healthful sleep pattern. As an added bonus for parents, she discusses what to do if your children have sleep troubles.

I always appreciate an expert that can offer sound advice with the goal of addressing underlying issues. That is what Dr. Marks does in her new book. So, for those of you who find yourself looking up at the dark ceiling more often than you care to, get a copy of Master Your Sleep: Proven Methods Simplified and follow the advice of Dr. Marks. Meanwhile, consider doing my favorite of her suggestions: take the laptop out of the bedroom and keep your computer activities in another room.