September 2021
Rivers of Qi
Qi is the vital life force energy that flows through all living things via pathways or channels called meridians. On an MRI, these meridians look like the arteries and veins that comprise the circulatory system - though they appear to be empty or full of light. The channels of Qi flow through the main energy centers of the body, called chakras.
Functions of Qi
Qi provides the life force energy for activity, for ensuring normal body temperature, protecting the body from energy) as it flows through our chakras (energy centers). When Qi is blocked or low, we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high, we are healthier and hardier.
Qi provides the life force energy for activity, for ensuring normal body temperature, protecting the body from invasion, transforming nutrients including food, liquid, oxygen into other essential substances - like qi, blood, and other body fluids, and is important for the structure and function of the components of the body.
Issues with Qi
When there is disharmony of qi - whether due to excess, deficiency, blockage, or poor flow - we find problems in the form of symptomatology, disease, or illness.
Nourishing Qi
Qi is prenatal (congenital), grain (from food), or air (activity and breathing). Some ideas for nourishing qi:
eat wholesome, fresh, organic food and whole grains
avoid processed foods and added sugars/preservatives
lightly steaming or stir-frying vegetables helps to increase the bioavailability of their qi
Avoid trans-fats and partially-hydrogenated oils
Avoid caffeine which can temporarily give us a feeling of a boost, but deplete prenatal qi.
Exercise increases circulation and our access to air qi
Be mindful of qi-robbers - like overwork, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, stress, lack of sleep, pornography, and self-stimulation (can deplete jing qi).
Be mindful of emotions - unbridled emotions - whether excessive highs or lows - can deplete qi.
The Role of Reiki
The Reiki practitioner channels qi to unblock areas of stagnant qi, energize areas of depleted qi, and ensure the proper balance and flow of qi through the body.
Reiki is based on energetic principles and is practiced in many hospitals, medical settings, and in private practice all around the world. Reiki is for everybody. It is for all stages of life from pregnancy, infants, and babies, to the elderly and everything in between. You may feel peace and calm in your mind or physically in general. It is different for all clients but deep relaxation is almost always felt.
Proper hydration and nutrition are helpful before and after your session. Be sure to allow yourself some time after your session for introspection, integration, and rest.
My focus is to help you live your best life at your highest level of wellness, success, and achievement.
I work with you to design a plan tailored to your individual values, goals, and needs.
Let’s talk soon!
Kimberlee Langford Owner
Reiki and Coaching with Kimberlee Langford
208-503-4688 (office)
208-918-3715 (cell)
Book online: www.heal.me/kimberlee-langford
Embracing the dark side…
Light requires darkness too.... Just paying attention to the light and cheery side can leave one exposed to danger and threat. We want to live in the light, of course - but don't bemoan the darkness....embrace its lessons, its alerts, and its wisdom.
Listen to this discussion on my podcast PowerLiving with Kimberlee: listen here and subscribe
The Power of Curiosity
There is great power in being curious. Curiosity differs from questioning. Whereas questioning something can sometimes imply doubt and trigger the need to defend oneself; being curious implies an openness, a desire to unfold and discover - without judgment.
Now that you have identified your top 1-3 (no more than 3) areas you want to improve or build, you can employ the power of curiosity to help you uncover the best strategies for success in your quest!
A few questions to help you get started - by no means is this exhaustive:
“I wonder how I could use my talents and resources to add this extra income each month?”
“How do people in my situation find the time to exercise and eat healthy?
“If I was to quit smoking - how would I do it?”
Interestingly, you don’t have to know the answers! But in asking the RIGHT questions, you will bring into play the power of your subconscious mind….that eternally wise part of yourself that never sleeps; it will go to work to find the answers, to explore the options, make the right connections and help you uncover all the possibilities that will make your success inevitable.
Notice how the above questions, birthed in a state of curiosity, differ from these questions:
“Why is there never enough money at the end of the month?”
“How will I ever get ahead?”
“Why can’t I lose weight?”
“Why can’t I quit smoking?”
Are the above really questions at all? With their judgmental undertones, they are sure to put a girdle on your potential for success and actually push your success away.
So, now that you know WHAT you want to tackle, sit down and craft 3 power questions for each area - remember to be curious!
We’ll talk about planning — next time!
I believe in you - a squillion percent!
-Kimberlee
There Really Are No Shortcuts
Whether it’s your health, your relationships, your career, your finances - even your emotional well-being - there are not tricks, hacks or shortcuts to getting them to their peak state. If there were, that diet pill would have worked - forever. The Jackpot winner would still be independently wealthy, and on and on.
Anything worth having or holding onto takes work — and that work it takes to obtain is the same ‘stuff’ that will help you hold onto that success. It’s the very stuff that creates hardiness and character. Think of people who you admire and look up to; chances are they didn’t ‘luck out’ or have all the breaks. Chances are those folks who we really admire are also the folks with the callouses of the laborer…whether they be physical or other callouses.
Is there something in life that you feel is ‘missing?’ Something out there that you want - but can’t quite put your finger on it? A great exercise to get your started on your own path to success is to take personal inventory on your level of satisfaction in each area of your life. On a scale of 1 - 10, where 1 is the least satisfied/happy and 10 is completely satisfied/happy, rate your level:
Physical:
Emotional;
Financial:
Career:
Relationships:
Spiritual:
This can help you identify where you are right now. The next step is to ask yourself : if you could change/improve just one of these areas — one area that would make the biggest difference … the biggest improvement… what one area would that be?
It’s critical that in this first phase of discovery, that you don’t get caught up in the ‘how' to.’ Worrying about the what to do or how to affect a change will thwart your success here. This first phase - there are no limits. Just identify one area that if you were to have a change or improvement - it would make the biggest impact on your happiness and satisfaction.
We’ll talk about the “How” - next time.
Until then, I believe in YOU!
Summer Self-Care
Happy Summer, Friends!
Summer is a great time to fill yourself up. Especially now, in the face of COVID-19, it’s never been more important to properly care for yourself. Regular habits of self-care are vital to bolster your health, maintain or improve your vitality and truly have the energy you need to reach your goals and your fullest potential. The greater your wellness, the greater your hardiness and resistance you will have toward illness and disease.
Here are a few of my top tips for Summer Self-Care:
· Hydrate! – we need half of our body weight in ounces of water to maintain hydration for optimal cellular function, remove waste and so much more!
· Ensure you get 7-8 hours of sleep each night. There is a lot of work your body does for you while you sleep. Shortcuts here can impact your brain health, weight, emotional and mental health and much more!
· Protect yourself from the sun. 20 minutes per week of sunshine will give your body the vitamin D it needs – that’s just 5 minutes/day! – Vitamin D is critical for many body functions, including immune health. But too much can literally fry you and increase your risk for other problems like cancer. Be sure to use sunscreen when out enjoying the sun!
· Make time for yourself! – Time with nature, friends and family, and also time alone. Learn to love who you are and to enjoy your own company. Reiki can be a great tool to help you connect with yourself.
Summer can also be a great time to learn something new. What is one thing you’ve always wanted to do but haven’t done yet? – What are you waiting for? Now is the perfect time to invest in YOU!
Many blessings,
Kimberlee
Copyright © 2020 Kimberlee Langford, all rights reserved
Do you live in Lack? - or Abundance?
Copyright © 2020 Kimberlee Langford, all rights reserved
Coaching Corner - Maintaining Healthy Blood Sugars with type II Diabetes
It all begins with an idea.
For many people with type II diabetes – it develops over time – years of strain on a pancreas from a diet rich in easy and quick-to-digest foods that end up putting a lot of sugar in the blood stream and a heavy burden on the pancreas to pump out more and more insulin….and eventually, the strain wears out the insulin-producing capacity of the pancreas.
Not having enough insulin means that the sugar in the bloodstream from the foods we eat, cannot get into the cells to supply the energy they need to do the work of living. Blood sugars rise making it harder for the heart to pump the blood – blood pressure increases – over time this damages delicate structures like eyes and hearts and nerves and kidneys.
Meanwhile – those cells are hungry – they have not been fed – so they send a signal to the brain that they are starving and the brain accommodates by creating a craving – makes you reach for the bag of chips or can of soda pop – or the candy bar we saw in the break room at work!
The increased concentration of sugar in the blood sends a message to the brain that makes you thirsty – wanting to thin out the sugar and the kidneys kick in so we can urinate more – letting off the excess sugar.
It’s easy to dismiss these danger signals – ‘of course we urinate a lot – because we drink a lot.’ Or ‘I just don’t have any willpower.’
It’s important to recognize the reason behind the symptoms – your body is talking to you! When you have a craving for something you know you ‘shouldn’t’ eat – know that is has nothing to do with willpower and everything to do with telling you it needs something you haven’t given it or that it can’t access yet.
Think of your blood sugar like a fire – some foods burn like kindling and some foods burn like logs. – High glycemic index foods are those with a HIGH effect on your blood sugar – they burn real hot, real fast – and then go out – like that candy bar you saw in the break room – white flour, white rice, minute oatmeal, minute rice – quick foods are quick because they are easier to break down into sugar.
Some foods burn like a log – not a big or fast rise in blood sugar, but they burn for a long time and keep a room temperate and comfortable. Throwing a log on your fire at regular intervals keeps a fire going nicely. If you don’t keep putting a log on the fire at regular intervals, the fire goes out – and you have to re-start it. These foods are proteins, high fiber foods and fats – they burn longer…break down slower.
Having a fire go out and having to restart it is a lot of work – it’s hard on your body to have low and high blood sugars.
For a diabetic – putting a log on your fire at regular intervals – every 3-4 hours – is a key to helping to maintain regular blood sugar levels. It will prevent you having to chase a low blood sugar and drive it high with those quick, fast foods. You’ll find that as sugar levels normalize – cravings will go away, you’ll enjoy greater energy and less mood swings – and reduce your risk for heart, kidney disease, liver disease, neuropathy and skin problems and more!
Copyright © 2020 Kimberlee Langford, all rights reserved
Coaching Corner: High Blood Pressure and Self-Care Measures
It all begins with an idea.
Jenny * had a splitting headache that day. She did remember having a conversation with me earlier about how that could be a sign that her blood pressure was too high, but she hadn’t purchased an electronic blood pressure cuff so she couldn’t check it herself. She decided to stop by the hospital where she worked in the billing office and have one of us nurses check it for her. – ah, but there were some errands to run on this – her day off. She stopped at the dry cleaners, and the bank and the post office….. and finally, parked her car in the parking lot at the hospital. Before she could even get out of the car, she had a stroke - a CVA (Cerebrovascular Accident). Today, years later, she remains weak on her right side, and can no longer work. Her speech is difficult and so social gatherings that she once enjoyed are often difficult and taxing, leaving her feeling somewhat left out.
High Blood Pressures – Hypertension-- can lead to Strokes, Heart Attacks /MI (myocardial infarct), and CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease).
People aren’t cookie cutouts – so everyone’s situation can be a little different. But in general – there are some factors we can control, and some we can’t. We can’t change our race, our genetic makeup….. so we won’t talk a lot about those factors today, but we’ll focus on those things we DO have control over, and I’ll bet you know them too: Diet, Exercise, Stress Management, Sleep, Maintaining a Healthy Weight and Blood Sugars, watching your Cholesterol levels and NOT smoking.
In a nutshell:
DIET: in general – water follows SALT. – So, if I eat a lot of salt (sodium), then my body will hold onto water to try to dilute the sodium to maintain the proper salt level. And just like turning up the water volume in your garden hose increases the pressure….so does extra fluid for your heart, and we see a rise in blood pressures. Eating a low-salt/sodium diet can help keep blood pressures in line. So watch for those hidden sources: anything in a can, anything frozen dinners, sauces, cheese, hot dogs, lunch meat….get the idea? Get good at reading labels so you can make smart choices!
EXERCISE & STRESS MANAGEMENT: - these two can go hand – in – hand. Besides helping to maintain a healthy weight, exercise is a great tool to help us deal with stress. Our late, great Caveman, Uncle Joe had 1 of 2 responses when facing a dinosaur: Fight – or Run; and for either response, his adrenal glands would pump out a surge of chemicals with the aim of getting fuel to muscles so he could fight – or run fast, and afterwards he would bask on a rock somewhere and recuperate and regenerate. Today, however, we don’t usually do either - We don’t usually physically fight off our stressors, or run real fast…we just LIVE in this soup of high-stress hormonal soup of chemicals, and over time the effects of which can be felt by just about every body system: heart, stomach problems and ulcers, depression, worry, trouble sleeping, even weight gain! Exercise is a great way to move those chemicals along and for helping us deal with stress. Balancing rest and relaxation with exercise helps us maintain healthy patterns of dealing with these stress hormones.
SLEEP: When we sleep (deep sleep in particular), the pituitary gland kicks in and growth hormone is secreted – have you noticed that when your babies wake up in the morning they look bigger? While as adults, we aren’t growing upwards- but we do grow new cells, new tissues – regenerating our bodies. Not getting enough sleep means that we don’t get to regenerate and rebuild. Lack of proper sleep has been linked to a host of issues that we won’t get into here.
BLOOD SUGARS: it is harder for the heart to pump sugar-rich blood – much like it would be harder to pump syrup than water; And high these high sugars and high pressures do damage to delicate structures like eyes, hearts, nerves, livers, and kidneys.
CHOLESTEROL (and SMOKING): - In general, when cholesterols are high, it’s a lot like pouring bacon grease down your kitchen sink – over time, these plaques narrow the diameter of your plumbing…making it harder for fluid to flow….much like narrowed arteries make blood flow harder – resulting in a higher blood pressure.
Taking care of yourself is important to help your blood pressures stay in normal range. If you have a diagnosis of hypertension and are on medications – don’t stop taking your medications…. Sometimes stopping them can cause a rebound hypertension and blood pressures can go even higher.
If you have hypertension, keep your medical appointments and follow up with your healthcare provider.
Know your numbers – keeping track of cholesterols, A1C’s, weights – these are important measures to help you make decisions on how you take care of yourself every day. If you have symptoms of a high blood pressure – headache, vision changes, stomach upset/pain -- please don’t wait….get checked. After running your errands – it might just be too late.
*Name changed, but story is based on an actual event
Copyright © 2020 Kimberlee Langford, all rights reserved
Coaching Corner ~ Depression
It all begins with an idea.
So, I have to preface this post with a disclaimer – I am not a psychologist or counsellor, so I am in no way an expert here. BUT, as a nurse, a mother, a wife and a friend – I have experienced depression myself, and have been touched by it in every role in my life. I have lost friends and family to suicide, and have fought hard for people I love who have almost drowned in its depths and have thought about resorting to suicide. It is so important to be aware of the signs – in yourself and in others, to reach out for help when needed, and to practice good self-care on a daily basis.
We all go through situations that are sad – times when we are transiently sad – a sadness that surrounds a loss or a situation. That sadness doesn’t linger – but passes. CLINICAL depression is so tough, because it doesn’t pass, and is more pervasive. It can and often does progress and can cause people to think about or actually commit suicide.
If you have a loved one who is suffering with sadness and/or depression – please know that YOU cannot make someone depressed. When people we love are depressed it’s easy to wonder: ‘what did I do’ – ‘what’s wrong with me that is making him/her depressed.’ It is too easy to blame yourself, but please know that it is not you -- but that you can help. And if you have any thought or fear or sign that they might want to hurt themselves, or be thinking about hurting themselves – then it’s important to get help – call your doctor, get them to the ER or even to call 911.
If you, yourself, are feeling depressed – especially if you have any thoughts about hurting yourself – know that you are not ‘bad’ or ‘broken’ – but that you need some professional help. You deserve to be happy – to be whole – not to hurt. When we are depressed it is hard to think straight. It affects not only our mood, but our physiology – it dampens appetites, slows digestion and circulation, decreases energy and stamina, dampens our immune system and interferes with our ability to be productive and relate with others. It is an illness -- and there is treatment. You and / or your loved one CAN feel better than you do right now!
Now, that being said – Let’s talk about self-care measures. When we focus on things that are in our control, that’s where we have the greatest power!
Studies have shown that when we do the things we would do if we weren’t depressed – like singing, dancing, exercise, dressing, eating healthy, ladies – put on your makeup and do your hair! – When we do some of these things, which I’ll be the first to say are hard to do when you’re feeling down, but when we do these things, we actually see chemical shifts in those depression-related hormones: serotonin, dopamine! – Pretty cool.
Personally, I find that when I get out of my head and focus on others – I feel better. Service is like sandpaper – it smoothes out the rough edges and makes our lives a little softer. Do something for someone else! Get out of your own head – and don’t go there alone!
Years ago, when my brother was killed at 16 years old, depression swept over me in a deep and pervasive way – put me in the ER with heart palpitations. I was stationed in Boston at the time and was active duty in the Coast Guard. I did begin counselling. I also found that I began some ‘therapeutic shopping!’ – I loved going into KMART because people were so happy there – they smiled at me and it was just a pleasant place to be. I actually applied for a job there – and when the manager asked me why in the world I’d want to work there – being active duty, I told her that I just wanted to learn to smile again and that her staff always made me feel good when I walked in the store. I was hired on the spot! I loved working there and had some amazing experiences there as I worked with other staff and customers.
One of the reasons I love being a nurse is that I freak-out love to help people. Focusing on others brings out the best in us. Try to make someone else’s day brighter. – Now these things may not cure a clinical depression – but they can help. Please don’t delay reaching out to your doctor or counsellor…. You created your tomorrow from the things you do today.
You deserve happiness, fulfillment, to live a life of purpose and beauty. From time to time we all need a little help. You don’t have to do it all by yourself! - I believe in YOU!
Copyright © 2020 Kimberlee Langford, all rights reserved
Back to Basics: Let's talk about Environmental Health!
It all begins with an idea.
As a young nurse, I was taught to revere the germ-killing prowess of hypochlorite solution - which is a diluted Clorox bleach solution. I regularly 'disinfected' my home with harsh chemicals, not knowing the toxic soup I was exposing myself and my kids to.
Well-meaning parents of wee ones regularly spray toys, high chairs and furniture with harsh chemicals - thinking they're protecting them and keeping their homes clean. I was one of them! I had no idea that I was exposing my family to a toxic, poisonous brew and increasing their risks for asthma, eczema, and a host of other problems perhaps later in life like neurological disorders, autoimmune disorders, cancers and the like. In fact, my babes did have horrible eczema and asthma.
I live in the Northwest, where much of the year people spend the majority of their time indoors and they keep windows and doors closed trying to keep warmth in. This and the use of harsh, toxic cleaning products a poor, indeed toxic, indoor air quality.
Cheap preservatives help companies that produce household cleaners and personal products put out products cheaply and with a long shelf-life. Unfortunately most of these preservatives are very toxic. And often, the label uses words for ingredients that confuse the buyer - Formaldehyde, in fact, has about 30 different trade names that are used on labels so that buyers can't recognize the dangerous preservative. Worse yet, they are not required to disclose all their ingredients on their labels.
According to The Safe Shopper's Bible, written by David Steinman and Samuel Epstein, M.D., the following is a list of common household products that contain known irritants, carcinogens and/or neurotoxins. Carcinogens are chemicals that cause cancer. Neurotoxins are chemicals that adversely affect the nervous system reducing emotional well being, mental alertness, coordination and other functions associated with intelligence.
Lysol disinfectant (all scents)
Renuzit Air Deodorizer
Bon Ami Foam Cleaner
Fantastik All-Purpose Cleaner
Formula 409
Pine-Sol Multi-Action Spray
Pledge Household Cleaner
Simple Green
Spic & Span Cleaner
Scotts Liquid Gold
Lemon Pledge
Tilex Soap Scum Remover
Glass Plus
Ajax Cleaner
Gillette Foamy Skin Conditioning
Speed Stick Deodorant
Soft Soap
Secret Deodorant
Johnson's Baby Shampoo
Dawn Sureshot
S.O.S. Vinegar Cleaner
Joy Dishwashing Liquid
Windex Glass Cleaner
Palmolive Dishwashing Liquid
Shout Aerosol & Stick
Sunlight Dishwashing Liquid
Spray & Wash Stain Remover
Kleen King Aluminum & Copper Cleaner
KR2 Spot Lifter
Behold Furniture Wax
Depend-o Blue Toilet Cleaner
Endust
3M Aerosol Spot Remover
Formby's Lemon & Almond Spray
Most Home & Garden Pesticides
Right Guard Deodorant
Ponds Dry Skin Bar
Palmolive Skin Bar
Lady Speed Stick
Lever 2000
Irish Spring Deodorant
Lifebouy Soap
Jergens Liquid Soap
English Leather
Deodorant
Ban Roll-on
Caress Body Bar
Camay
Ultra Brite Toothpaste
Cepacol Mouthwash
Crest Tartar Control
Listerine Original & Cool Mint
Arm & Hammer Toothpaste
Colgate toothpaste
Scope Mouthwash
Old English Furniture Spray
Dove Soap Bars
SOS Ammonia Glass Cleaner
Common Chemicals found in Household Products
There are more than 3 million poisonings every year. Household cleaners are the # 1 cause of poisoning of children. The top three culprits according to Poison Control: Household cleaners, bleach and medications.
Formaldehyde is one of the largest indoor pollutants in our homes. Symptoms caused by exposure to formaldehyde include but are not limited to allergies, cancer, immune system failings, and asthma. Products containing Formaldehyde include: antiperspirants , mouthwash, toothpaste, Tupperware, permanent press clothing, floor waxes, furniture polishes, baggies, coffee, wax paper, and paper money.
Phenols are a major indoor pollutant. Phenols are absorbed by lungs, and skin. Symptoms include caustic burns, kidney and liver damage and hyperactivity. Products containing Phenols include: acne medications, baking powder, computers, TV sets, mouthwash, sugar substitutes, and wallpaper.
The good news is that you can get these toxins out of your home! - Do it NOW! Luckily I had met a wonderful friend who shared that same video with me, and showed me how I could kill germs like a bad-dog - without poisoning my family. And you can too!
There are many alternatives out there. Some already in your cupboard - like vinegar, baking soda, lavender. Essential oils have become quite popular and easily available at good prices. Effective and powerful ingredients like rosemary, thyme, lemon, citrus, melaleuca alternifolia, oregano, are among my favorite.
I switched stores about 9 years ago, and haven't bought any chemical cleaners, shampoos, detergents, hairsprays or dental products since. Since then, my son's eczema is gone. No more painful, red, itchy or raw skin for him! My daughter's asthma is much better, and so are my allergies! My home no longer smells like a hospital either!
You can switch stores too! - Shop from home with economical and safe products! -ask me how!Switch Stores & Go Green on a Budget
There is no time like now to make your environment healthy! Get the toxins out, save money, breathe easy and have peace of mind that your home is a safe haven!
Warmly,
Kimberlee
Copyright © 2020 Kimberlee Langford, all rights reserved