I met my first magical teacher when I was about 18-19. She taught me more metaphysics then magic, but she did help me to get the basics down quite well.... meditation, astral projection, visualization, manifesting my desires, healing, working with stones and herbs, and so forth. She was in her 50's I think, but looked more like 40. She would never tell us her age, but I found out accidentally one day. She had been practicing metaphysics for quite some time and was a great inspiration for someone new to all of this who had all this energy and apparently some natural talent all bottled up with no way to express it. We became close friends and tended to hang out most of the time. Aside from metaphysics she also taught me about healthy eating and herbal medicine, which is something she researched heavily and actually practiced. I was raised seeing a naturopathic doctor, and eating healthfully, however in my teens when I moved out I thought it was much more fun to consume things such as pop, burritos and donuts. Fortunately this only lasted 2 years, or I may not have been able to fit through many doors and would have had terrible health problems.
I was young and impressionable, so I took to the healthy eating wholeheartedly. Back when you are that young you don't notice the benefits really since you already have lots of energy, and your health is good. Somehow she still convinced me that it was a good idea in the long-term sense of things. She also taught me about the evils of the food industry. Being one who loves to read and research I read every single book I could get my hands on. I also had a ridiculously good paying job (for a teenager) so spent far too much on books! Fortunately back then the genre wasn't watered down and filled with quite as much disinformation as it is today. Well that or having someone who's been there done that recommend the good books probably helped. I would also go to the local metaphysical store to purchase them, and the owners were very adamant about only carrying the quality ones. When I read articles about health on the internet today I really wonder where they got their information from. Definitely not scientific studies, or from naturopathic doctors.
I also decided to into the field of natural health for a time. Eventually it ended up that I just didn't have the memory for the thousands of Latin herb names, so never did pursue the naturopathic Doctor degree much further then taking all of the prerequisites in university. I was fortunate enough to be able to work in a natural health clinic for a year as well. The lady who owned it did live and dried blood analysis which was extremely interesting. She could tell just by looking at the different patterns of the blood cells which different illnesses any particular person had. She was always dead on as well. The best part about it is that she would often discover problems before the alopathic doctors would, so the person could go to their regular doctor for testing and confirmation. Part of my job was helping out a little bit with the blood analysis, as well as setting up the ozone machine. Boy did the ozone machine feel sooo good! You come out of it feeling extremely refreshed and like a new person. One of the job perks was free time in the ozone machine :). It was basically a mini sauna you sit in, covered from the neck down, in which ozone is piped into.
I was also able to learn more about herbs from working there, and a few ideas for treatments. One interesting thing is that natural health professionals have access to a much higher quality of herbs and supplements then we can ever find at the health food store. This is one of the benefits to going to see your naturopath or other natural health care practitioner. Well that and as everyone knows many of the herbal capsules container very low grade herbs and fillers. Only purchase your supplements and herbs from a source you trust.
I spent 10 years as a vegetarian, 5 of those being vegan, however I have decided for my body type that meat is necessary. I need more protein then most people, and meat protein works extremely well for me. However with most people I believe that the inflated amounts of protein we are all said to need have been just that, inflated. Cow farmers make billions and have much influence. However you will find out quickly if a diet is healthy for you or not, by how you feel, and blood testing by your Doctor.
Well now that I have given you a bit of an introduction, I will go into some suggestions for healthful eating.
First off, figure out what you are allergic to. A friend of mine had been doing weightlifting for about 6 months, but hadn't been able to increase the amount of weight he could lift. After seeing someone who specializes in food sensitivities (and his own research) he cut out the problem foods. He is now able to lift twice as much as before. If you have rashing, low energy, fuzzy brain, weakness, or just feel like crap a good part of the time, I highly recommend a food elimination diet and/or seeing a qualified allergist. Generally how the diet goes is you start with a few simple basics for your meals, then work up from there. If you feel better during the simple diet there was likely something you were eating which doesn't agree with you. The first stage of the diet lasts a few weeks to make sure you have gotten anything else out of your body. Then you gradually add other foods to see how it goes. Each new food you add you try for a few weeks as well. Some allergies take time to build up. Anyways, you can get more information about this from your Doctor or naturopath.
Next most important is juicing! It doesn't really take all that long, especially if you make enough for a couple of days. Just be sure to acquire a juicer which has a very quick cleanup time. This is even better if you have a dishwasher. I recommend carrot juice first and foremost, and it actually comes out nice and sweet. You can also add beet juice to it to make it even sweeter (and healthier) if you wish. Some people like to add other vegetables as well, or a clove of garlic or some fresh ginger. You can also do fruit juices; there is nothing like freshly sqeezed apple juice. If you are really that pressed for time, you can get carrot juice at any health food restaurant. However this can get expensive if done daily, and takes longer then just making it at home.
Next up are salads. Check out some recipes for good tasting salads. There is nothing worse then a boring salad. How restaurants manage to get away with just some lettuce, tomatoes and a couple of other things is beyond me. First of all don't go for the iceburg or head lettuce since this sits and rots in your bowel for quite some time, go with leaf lettuce, romaine, or best of all spinach. Next up you can add such things as: seeds, nuts, little orange slices, goat cheese, dried cranberries and/or raisins, pine nuts, feta cheese, avocado, cucumber, basil, green onions, red onions, walnuts, crumbled blue cheese, mango pieces, blackened chicken, shrimp, prawns, and so forth. the fun bit with salad is, as long as you don't add any cheese or meat to it, you can eat a giant super yummy bowlfull and not gain weight. Even if you add steak to your salad (very yummy) the amount of greens you are introducing into your diet makes a huge difference. Why more people don't add steak to their salads, instead of the other way around is just beyond me. If you need even more salad ideas, go to a fancy health food restaurant which has been around for 10-20 years, they will have some amazing ideas. For dressing just take some honey and dijon mustard and mix it together. Done. Or some olive oil mayo and blue cheese, done. Or perhaps a vinaigrette and olive oil. Try your best to never eat a boring salad again.
Get as many raw foods into your diet as possible. Some people say to eat only raw, however most of us do like a hot cooked meal. For some odd reason they also don't seem to think sashimi or kobe beef counts as raw food. I dont' get it? Anyways, you can purchase unroasted nuts, sprouted flour, sprouted grain bread, sprouts, and make some of the wonderful salads mentioned above. You do get far more nutrition this way. Also eating carrots, broccoli, beans, and other vegetables raw is quite good. Sometimes they may need a dipping sauce, but that is what plain yogurt and spices are for. Or perhaps a nice tahini garlic, or sunflower seed dressing.
Don't eat deep fried foods. But we all already know that. You can do the research on them yourself.
Milk has lots of vitamin D my ass! Only because they fortify it with added vitamin D! If you must do dairy, and can afford it I recommend getting it from the farm, or one of the small dairies via your health food store. Actually grocery stores are starting to sell it as well, and this costs far less then the health food store. Do the health food stores just charge double because rich hippies hate grocery stores? Yeah I know supply and demand, but still... Same brand, $1-2 less per bottle. If you want to lose weight, remember that milk is meant to feed a cow that grows to be 1000 pounds. Also cheese is pretty much milk fat, so yummy, but no so good on a daily basis. Goat milk cheese is better, but wow, I think cocaine costs less per lb.
Less refined sugar, more natural sugars. Especially honey, which has antibiotic properties as well as vitamins. One honey farmer told me that if you eat honey products everyday you will live to be 108 years old. He was only about 80 so far though, and had heard it from his elders. Molasses is also ever so healthy, but is definitely an acquired taste. Pure maple syrup is wonderful as well, but can be quite costly if you dont' live in Eastern Canada.
Don't buy that pre-packaged crap! Seriously, have you read the ingredient list? Just buy the meat and/or veggies and make it yourself. Takes the same amount of time and tastes better. this may require learning how to season something yourself, but really it's not all that difficult especially if you buy pre-combined seasonings... the ones without added chemicals.
Make your own ice cream, yogurt and frozen yogurt. This is actually easier and faster then going to the local 711 to get it, if you purchase an ice cream or yogurt maker. If you are on a budget, you add a few tablespoons of yogurt to a jug of milk or soymilk, then leave it in a warm room for 3-7 days depending on the thickness you prefer. Or even better, get one of those kefir start packs.
Take some ethnic cooking classes. North American and European cooking is usually the least healthy. Try ayervedic, or asian, or indian, thai, japanese. Youtube videos, a cookbook, a friend who is a good cook, or overpriced cooking classes can all teach you these yummy techniques. Also I will be posting easy ethnic recipes on this blog. While in India the women may have had all day to prepare the curries, I prefer the 5 minute versions. Speaking of which, I am off to go make some curried chickpeas right now. Should cost $2 and take 5-10 minutes to make. Beats going to the restaurants usually ;).
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
11 simple ideas for improving the quality of your life....
As magicians, we are already on the path of life improvement. However many folks forget or leave out the simple things which turn life into more of a luxury from time to time. As a friend of mine says "life is too short for mediocre sushi". There are many simple things we can do to improve both the quality of our life and our health at the same time. While I'm guessing many who read this already put many of these things in to practice, since we tend not to be the sort who get wooed by television advertising or mediocrity. However I thought I would write this anyways to give even more ideas. The first article in the series shows how you can improve the quality of your life for only $20 and an hour or 2 per week. I will in the future be adding further articles including various low cost and easy to prepare healthy eating recipes. I know this is a bit off topic from magic, but if you want your practice to grow, taking care of your foundations and your body is also important.
So below I have listed my 11 ideas for improving one's life with only $20 per month and 2 hours per week.
-Throw out that artificial scented soap! Go over to your healthfood store and spend an entire $2 on a bar instead of your usual $1. The best soaps for a decent price are usually found there unpackaged next to the very expensive handmade ones. If you prefer you can make your own soap, but this does take some time. Fortunately it doesn't take any expertise. Buy pre-packaged solid glycerin at your candle supply store or Michael's crafts. Melt, pour into molds, add essential oils. In that order. For cleanup, just use water, no extra soap needed ;). Natural deodorant is quite good as well, it actually works and doesn't block the pores.
-Walk around in bare feet more often. At home I mean, outdoors is a bit more risky do to dog owners not always cleaning up after themselves. There are about 7800 nerves in your feet, don't suffocate the poor things. Also purchase 100% cotton socks, or at least as close as you can get to it. They tend to come in packages of 6 for $6-7. I also recommend good shoes of course, but that wouldn't fall in the $20 per month range, unless you take into account that they don't need to be replaced 1/5th as often as cheap crappy shoes. Discount stores which carry last year's fashions tend to have the best prices 50-80% off. Try Ross, or nordstroms rack, or Winners (not as good), or reioutlett.com
-Relax. You may think you relax, but how often do you really relax? If you think you are relaxing, check to see if any muscles are tense, your teeth are clenched, or your breathing is shallow. We are taught to always be on edge and worry. Relaxing is not something we naturally do. I recommend conscious relaxing, instead of just watching tv or a movie. To relax you can meditate, practice TaiChi, go for a walk in a wooded area, and so forth. I also recommend book reading, but for this I am focusing more on conscious relaxing which is so rare. Spending time in your temple or magical working space with the candles going is an extremely good version of this. I recommend relaxing for at least 1/2 hour per day, more on weekends.
-Less TV and internet, more fresh air and sunshine. While everyone has their favorite internet sites and tv shows, it can easily be overdone and turn into a major time wasting activity. If you are complaining there is nothing on tv, turn it off! If you are finding the internet boring, turn off the computer. To get yourself outside more I recommend some walking, cycling or outdoor sports activities. If some of your errands are within 10 blocks, just walk instead of drive. Or if within 20 blocks bicycle on over. You will feel much better for it. Also with walking and hiking in nature, you will find many opportunities to practice some outdoor magic.
-If you eat meat, purchase it from your local butcher or farm. The same goes with bread, dairy products and vegetables. Many butchers will deliver, and so will some farms. The veggies can be found at small ethnic run grocery stores. I am not exaggerating when I say that these items taste 10 times better and are far fresher then you find in the grocery stores! Also the cost generally tends to be less. Fish markets are very good as well, but can be a bit costy.
-Learn something new and try something new. Every once in awhile take a course at your local community center. The community centers tend to be subsidized and try to help the local community, so the cost tends to be half or 1/3rd the price of the same sort of course elsewhere. I have also found the instruction to be of equal if not better quality. If this is out of your budget for whatever reason, ask for their options for low income folks. They have more then you might realize. If you are thinking they are still expensive, think about how much you spend per month on fancy drinks at the coffee shop or bar. Looking at most people's budgets, fancy drinks tends to be one of the largest expenditures which can be cut down if you are trying to save money. If you are still a bit too broke for the courses after making your lattes at home to save money, find a friend who is passionate about their interesting hobby who will teach you for free ;). Youtube videos if you have to. However there is not substitute for quality in person teaching.
-Eat more healthfully. Your energy will double! Instead of purchasing pre-made frozen food, just purchase the same meat or vegetables fresh along with a natural and good tasting seasoning. This way you end up with a better tasting meal which still has the nutrition left in, as well as tastes better and fresher. Also avoid pre-packaged food, and if you do go for pre-packaged food check the ingredient list. Healthy foods are trendy now, so they usually don't cost that much extra, if at all. While the pre-packaged foods may seem like they take less time (that is what the packaging and advertising would have us believe) they don't actually. It takes less then a minute to add spice to meat or vegetables and put them in the oven. Then you come back in half an hour and take them out. Same amount of time spent and a much more healthy and good tasting meal. You acn use the half an hour it is cooking to catch up on other things. Also fresh salads make a wonderful lunch or dinner. If you think salads are boring, you just need to get more creative. If you think they are not filling, you apparently just haven't added enough meat, fish, nuts, raisins, or cheese to them. I also recommend fresh juice. It does't take all that long to make and there is nothing like it. You can find juicers at yard sales or thrift stores for $5. Or if you prefer, get one new.
-Exercise. This will increase your magical effectiveness, as well as your health. The trick to exercising is to find various forms of exercise which are not boring to you. Hiking, kayaking, rollerblading, hockey, martial arts, yoga, racquetball, mountain biking, Ifswimming. I'm sure you can find a variety of activities to keep up your interest. People tend to stick with exercise longer if it is actually fun and interesting. The gym is good as well, and can motivate you with all those other people there working out as well. Some people will even hire a personal trainer to help make sure they workout. If your health isn't that great, try walking, taichi, or bowling.
-Do things you actually like. This may sound odd, but most people do not do the activities they enjoy! There are many excuses such as work, or worrying about work, or lack of money, or something they want to watch is on tv (which could have been taped), they are too old to do that anymore, it wouldn't be proper, no time (which is not tru if you are reading this blog), family responsibilities (take the family with you), and... well you get the idea. Stop making excuses and take some time out for yourself. The first step is to figure out what you enjoy. Most people don't know. We are all victims of habit and society. We are just used to doing the same things over and over, and doing what everyone else does. Even the so called alternative, nonconformists or radicals, tend to just stick to what their other alternative, uncomformist, or radical friends are doing. What is it you like to do? Sit down, meditate and give it some though. Usually thoughts of "oh I could never do that" come up. Well why not? Learn to live life to the fullest. Don't worry about what others would think, or if what you are doing is accepted or cool, just go do it and have a blast. Once you have all that figured out, schedule time for your fun activities. It is likely you may not get to them, or spend all day everyday doing them if you don't schedule them into your life. Figuring out what your biggest time wasting activities that you get nothing out of, will also help you to find more time for things you truly enjoy.
-Spend more time practicing magic! Sometimes it is difficult to motivate yourself to get into the temple, or you don't have the time, or there are other people around. Explain to those other people that you need to meditate. If you have to tell them your doctor recommended it lest you become homicidal. If your family doesn't even let you have half an hour per day to yourself, it may be wise to re-educate them, go to counseling or find a new place to live. Even couples with 2 kids and 2 full time jobs can take half an hour per day each to relax. If your magical routine is getting boring, or it is difficult to make yourself do it every single day, vary it up a bit. Try something new, do something different, or just see it as an exercise of will power. It doesn't even matter what you do each day necessarily, just do something magical.
-Shop at www.enochian.org . This way you are not subjecting yourself and the invisibles to camel or cow shit incense (really that is what they make stick incense from) with fake scented oils. You get the real thing. Alternatively, you can take one of the courses at www.flauros.com/scholomance which gives complete instructions for making your own magical tools.
There you have it, 11 simple steps for living in luxury on a budget. There are many other ideas which can be added to this list, and I encourage you to post them :).
So below I have listed my 11 ideas for improving one's life with only $20 per month and 2 hours per week.
-Throw out that artificial scented soap! Go over to your healthfood store and spend an entire $2 on a bar instead of your usual $1. The best soaps for a decent price are usually found there unpackaged next to the very expensive handmade ones. If you prefer you can make your own soap, but this does take some time. Fortunately it doesn't take any expertise. Buy pre-packaged solid glycerin at your candle supply store or Michael's crafts. Melt, pour into molds, add essential oils. In that order. For cleanup, just use water, no extra soap needed ;). Natural deodorant is quite good as well, it actually works and doesn't block the pores.
-Walk around in bare feet more often. At home I mean, outdoors is a bit more risky do to dog owners not always cleaning up after themselves. There are about 7800 nerves in your feet, don't suffocate the poor things. Also purchase 100% cotton socks, or at least as close as you can get to it. They tend to come in packages of 6 for $6-7. I also recommend good shoes of course, but that wouldn't fall in the $20 per month range, unless you take into account that they don't need to be replaced 1/5th as often as cheap crappy shoes. Discount stores which carry last year's fashions tend to have the best prices 50-80% off. Try Ross, or nordstroms rack, or Winners (not as good), or reioutlett.com
-Relax. You may think you relax, but how often do you really relax? If you think you are relaxing, check to see if any muscles are tense, your teeth are clenched, or your breathing is shallow. We are taught to always be on edge and worry. Relaxing is not something we naturally do. I recommend conscious relaxing, instead of just watching tv or a movie. To relax you can meditate, practice TaiChi, go for a walk in a wooded area, and so forth. I also recommend book reading, but for this I am focusing more on conscious relaxing which is so rare. Spending time in your temple or magical working space with the candles going is an extremely good version of this. I recommend relaxing for at least 1/2 hour per day, more on weekends.
-Less TV and internet, more fresh air and sunshine. While everyone has their favorite internet sites and tv shows, it can easily be overdone and turn into a major time wasting activity. If you are complaining there is nothing on tv, turn it off! If you are finding the internet boring, turn off the computer. To get yourself outside more I recommend some walking, cycling or outdoor sports activities. If some of your errands are within 10 blocks, just walk instead of drive. Or if within 20 blocks bicycle on over. You will feel much better for it. Also with walking and hiking in nature, you will find many opportunities to practice some outdoor magic.
-If you eat meat, purchase it from your local butcher or farm. The same goes with bread, dairy products and vegetables. Many butchers will deliver, and so will some farms. The veggies can be found at small ethnic run grocery stores. I am not exaggerating when I say that these items taste 10 times better and are far fresher then you find in the grocery stores! Also the cost generally tends to be less. Fish markets are very good as well, but can be a bit costy.
-Learn something new and try something new. Every once in awhile take a course at your local community center. The community centers tend to be subsidized and try to help the local community, so the cost tends to be half or 1/3rd the price of the same sort of course elsewhere. I have also found the instruction to be of equal if not better quality. If this is out of your budget for whatever reason, ask for their options for low income folks. They have more then you might realize. If you are thinking they are still expensive, think about how much you spend per month on fancy drinks at the coffee shop or bar. Looking at most people's budgets, fancy drinks tends to be one of the largest expenditures which can be cut down if you are trying to save money. If you are still a bit too broke for the courses after making your lattes at home to save money, find a friend who is passionate about their interesting hobby who will teach you for free ;). Youtube videos if you have to. However there is not substitute for quality in person teaching.
-Eat more healthfully. Your energy will double! Instead of purchasing pre-made frozen food, just purchase the same meat or vegetables fresh along with a natural and good tasting seasoning. This way you end up with a better tasting meal which still has the nutrition left in, as well as tastes better and fresher. Also avoid pre-packaged food, and if you do go for pre-packaged food check the ingredient list. Healthy foods are trendy now, so they usually don't cost that much extra, if at all. While the pre-packaged foods may seem like they take less time (that is what the packaging and advertising would have us believe) they don't actually. It takes less then a minute to add spice to meat or vegetables and put them in the oven. Then you come back in half an hour and take them out. Same amount of time spent and a much more healthy and good tasting meal. You acn use the half an hour it is cooking to catch up on other things. Also fresh salads make a wonderful lunch or dinner. If you think salads are boring, you just need to get more creative. If you think they are not filling, you apparently just haven't added enough meat, fish, nuts, raisins, or cheese to them. I also recommend fresh juice. It does't take all that long to make and there is nothing like it. You can find juicers at yard sales or thrift stores for $5. Or if you prefer, get one new.
-Exercise. This will increase your magical effectiveness, as well as your health. The trick to exercising is to find various forms of exercise which are not boring to you. Hiking, kayaking, rollerblading, hockey, martial arts, yoga, racquetball, mountain biking, Ifswimming. I'm sure you can find a variety of activities to keep up your interest. People tend to stick with exercise longer if it is actually fun and interesting. The gym is good as well, and can motivate you with all those other people there working out as well. Some people will even hire a personal trainer to help make sure they workout. If your health isn't that great, try walking, taichi, or bowling.
-Do things you actually like. This may sound odd, but most people do not do the activities they enjoy! There are many excuses such as work, or worrying about work, or lack of money, or something they want to watch is on tv (which could have been taped), they are too old to do that anymore, it wouldn't be proper, no time (which is not tru if you are reading this blog), family responsibilities (take the family with you), and... well you get the idea. Stop making excuses and take some time out for yourself. The first step is to figure out what you enjoy. Most people don't know. We are all victims of habit and society. We are just used to doing the same things over and over, and doing what everyone else does. Even the so called alternative, nonconformists or radicals, tend to just stick to what their other alternative, uncomformist, or radical friends are doing. What is it you like to do? Sit down, meditate and give it some though. Usually thoughts of "oh I could never do that" come up. Well why not? Learn to live life to the fullest. Don't worry about what others would think, or if what you are doing is accepted or cool, just go do it and have a blast. Once you have all that figured out, schedule time for your fun activities. It is likely you may not get to them, or spend all day everyday doing them if you don't schedule them into your life. Figuring out what your biggest time wasting activities that you get nothing out of, will also help you to find more time for things you truly enjoy.
-Spend more time practicing magic! Sometimes it is difficult to motivate yourself to get into the temple, or you don't have the time, or there are other people around. Explain to those other people that you need to meditate. If you have to tell them your doctor recommended it lest you become homicidal. If your family doesn't even let you have half an hour per day to yourself, it may be wise to re-educate them, go to counseling or find a new place to live. Even couples with 2 kids and 2 full time jobs can take half an hour per day each to relax. If your magical routine is getting boring, or it is difficult to make yourself do it every single day, vary it up a bit. Try something new, do something different, or just see it as an exercise of will power. It doesn't even matter what you do each day necessarily, just do something magical.
-Shop at www.enochian.org . This way you are not subjecting yourself and the invisibles to camel or cow shit incense (really that is what they make stick incense from) with fake scented oils. You get the real thing. Alternatively, you can take one of the courses at www.flauros.com/scholomance which gives complete instructions for making your own magical tools.
There you have it, 11 simple steps for living in luxury on a budget. There are many other ideas which can be added to this list, and I encourage you to post them :).
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