It's time for a little less of that
and a little more of this.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
beautiful veins and bloodshot eyes
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammityvillehorror/sets/72157624347274983/
Above you will find a sample and a link to the amazingly fun photoshoot I had with the darling Sam Sawnick. She is doing a summer project of taking portraits of those she loves, and she's doing a great job. I had so much fun, and I hope she found some artistic stimulation in laughing and rolling around in nature with me. I always feel so vain when the focus is put on my physical beauty, (not to mention awkward, because I'm no Miss Tyra) but Sam made the experience so enjoyable and the I think you can tell truth of that in my eyes in some of these pictures. :)
http://iamdivab.blogspot.com/
Next, you'll find a link to a little side project I'm working on - a book that is part read/part journal and is alot of fun. I read this book probably about 2 years ago and loved it - I actually couldn't put it down. I neglected to complete the journal/project that went along with it, and recently while looking for a bit of a pick me up, I entertained the idea of picking it back up and journaling through this book. I definitely don't expect anyone to want to follow, but if you do, you can do so by clicking above.
I've picked up about five books in the last three weeks and I've made the mistake of starting and falling in love with all of them. My most exciting read is going to be having the honor of reading my friend's novel before she sends it out to be published and become renowned and famous. :) Once I have the official copy of that, everything gets set aside!
I'm having a hard time finding the energy to do much lately, let alone write about how much I am lacking energy, but the impending thunderstorm gave me hope and I grabbed a glass of wine and a comfy seat, and after doing an exercise from I am Diva, I'm spent. I don't even have a song to post this time. I'm sure I will soon.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
musica....
I don't know what it is lately about music that's been hitting me so hard lately, but I've been in this strange appreciation of lyrics and melody and chord progressions and how beautiful they all are - so many songs seem so significant right now.
At any rate, it's only 8 in the morning and this one just seemed really important today as I heard it on the radio.
I had never seen the music video. I really like it. Simple, beautiful pictures - and it reminds me so much of something someone would do now so easily with powerpoint for any occasion and it was probably so new to people then. Gosh, he loved her so much.
I have so much love in me. I love my Mom, Dad, and Brother. I love my family - it was so nice to have a couple of them out here this weekend. I love Dave so much (Maybe I'm amazed at the way you help me sing my song, You right me when I'm wrong- Maybe I'm amazed at the way I really need you.) I love my friends too. I love my coworkers, and I love the girls. I'm starting to sound like Jessica and her daily affirmations...
I think she's onto something. :) Why don't we do this more often?
At any rate, it's only 8 in the morning and this one just seemed really important today as I heard it on the radio.
I had never seen the music video. I really like it. Simple, beautiful pictures - and it reminds me so much of something someone would do now so easily with powerpoint for any occasion and it was probably so new to people then. Gosh, he loved her so much.
I have so much love in me. I love my Mom, Dad, and Brother. I love my family - it was so nice to have a couple of them out here this weekend. I love Dave so much (Maybe I'm amazed at the way you help me sing my song, You right me when I'm wrong- Maybe I'm amazed at the way I really need you.) I love my friends too. I love my coworkers, and I love the girls. I'm starting to sound like Jessica and her daily affirmations...
I think she's onto something. :) Why don't we do this more often?
Monday, July 5, 2010
This land is your land...
To live in a country where Lady Liberty always keeps her flame burning bright....makes me proud to be an American. :) (Dear lord, I love this movie.)
Anyway, Happy 4th. I, unlike alot of people I know, don't think it's uncool to live in America. Alot of the stuff we do sucks, yes I agree. I have to say though, I am very thankful to have been born a woman in America, because in many other countries I wouldn't be allowed to do the things I love, say the things I want, or even be treated humanely, truthfully. The idea of America is still beautiful to me. <3
Thursday, July 1, 2010
de ba de dah day....
This is hands down the greatest song ever written and I’ve always thought that it fits my life cuz I’m always crazy stressed, but now more than ever I know how much passion was put into this beauty.
Dad’s in the hospital, and I feel like he’s stuck in an inbetween right now. He’s doing a lot of amazing things that they didn’t think he’d be able to do, trying so hard, but he’s still in and out of awareness and needing a boost in platelet levels to be able to heal.
I think I’ve sat around in my life thinking about what I would do if I were ever in this situation with someone that I love – and I really consider myself to have a level head, a big heart, and a body that I can push to the limits when it comes to caring for people and doing a lot of stuff – but I will tell you flat out, this is harder than anything I’ve ever experienced in my life. My heart goes out to other people in the world who’ve gone through this with family members.
You just try to give yourself and the ones you love another chance. You do your best to do what you can then you come home and cry your eyes out. You don't eat. You don't sleep. You just try to laugh and know that you're loved.
Insanity laughs under pressure we're cracking...
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
dad
once again -
i'm trying to be brave
cuz when i'm brave
other people feel brave
but it feels like
my heart is caving in.
i'm trying to be brave
cuz when i'm brave
other people feel brave
but it feels like
my heart is caving in.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Caving In.
i'm trying to be brave/
cuz when i'm brave/
other people feel brave/
but i feel like/
my heart is caving in/
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Back to the 80's
One of the greatest things about the human race, I’ve realized in my 23 short years here, is that we all need a way to express ourselves and what we are. Some of us are great talkers – we can tell you exactly what we mean or feel in a way that moves you emotionally or otherwise to understand our message in the way we want you to. Some of us are walkers – we inspire others by the things we do and the way we act without even having to explain ourselves. Sometimes I think in the celebrity world those are the coolest people – they aren’t the “talker” Speidis of the world who have to tell you how great they are over 20,000 different social networking websites…they just do what they love and people get it or are inspired by it.
One time someone told me, in a moment of great frustration on my part, that the reason I couldn’t find a picture of myself that I liked was because my “beautiful” came from my energy. She said that there was no way that a picture could capture my spirit and how alive I am when I am moving and being alive. I always hung onto that. I’ve always said that I like to paint because I’ve always known that my physical being is not exactly a work of art. I know that I am not much to look at, but I can make things that really are. Also, I’ve always liked to write – I don’t consider it to be something I’m great at and I have a couple of friends who I really look up to as writers – but I will say that it’s something I just like to do because it just flows. I don’t really think about it that much. It just happens, and it comes from me, and I like that. I’ve always found both of those activities to be therapeutic as well – and both of those activities are ones that can be done spontaneously without great amounts of time or effort attached, which I don’t seem to have room for nowadays.
Many months ago, one of my dearest friends told me that I needed to audition for a show that he and some old friends were working on. Truthfully, painting, writing and reading had been my outlet for the last couple of years besides the good old Rocky Horror Show; fitting a show into my life seemed absolutely impossible. I am grateful beyond words for the chance to be on stage again. Thank you so much, Ray. I will miss you being in this state more than I can say.
I could go on for hours about the joys of belting out a song, putting on makeup and neon colored costumes, taking a curtain call – etc., but what I realized through this experience is that I needed people again. I needed creative, diseased, inspiring, hilarious, sad, drunk, shameless, loving, UNIQUE people, and that is just what I got.
For some actors, and truthfully for me at times, there are moments on stage that give you more than anything in your real life ever has. For me, this show undoubtedly brought me one of my greatest…I’ve never been applauded DURING a song before.
Wow…the humility and gratitude I had at those moments was incredible. I remember collapsing into a hug from Nina almost every single night because I was just in awe of how happy the three of us made people in that moment. I’m so proud of them, and I’m proud of myself too. I think that’s another lesson that I learned or at least really understood during this show…I’m doing these expressive things like singing, painting, acting, dancing, writing for myself, but truthfully for me, it’s to make other people happy, inspired, or to make them think about and understand something. I felt, at so many times during this show that I made people happy, and that made me happy. I’ve been struggling with that in my family life and with my friendships, and just with life in general.
What really matters, I think, is that this got me through so much that I am going through in life – it really reminded me who I am and what I love and what I love to do. It reminded me that the smallest moments in life make me swell up and my heart soar – and that connections with people are outrageously important to me. Example - The audience laughing when Billy yelled, "You wanna piece of this" always gave me chills. They LOVED him. Another? The second, "I don't know mind not knowing..." with Holly...the harmony made my stomach have butterflies! Or here's a good one..."The only difference between a bucket of crap and you is the bucket" and Nina and Mia stomping off stage high fiving to insane applause. That's what happiness is.
I’ll never forget laughing my ass off onstage…seriously, I never break. There was something magical in this cast because it happened all the time. Between people eating paper, people being in my locker when I opened the door, Billy slapping stickers on my hand randomly in the middle of a scene, the hilarity of the ad-libs of the “popular boys”, the frickin’ Judge, booty shaking teachers and the numerous additions of ad-libs in man in the mirror via Mia, Nina and Billy, and counting beads of sweat running down each other’s faces in the finale,
I spent so much of my time on stage being happy just to be there. That’s saying something too, because I am so out of shape and my legs frickin’ hurt ALL THE TIME, just ask Ray or Brad about how whiny I am.
Dave told me that this show did wonders for my “happiness.” I’d have to agree. AND – not to sound needy, (or to start a sentence with a conjunction for that matter) what I’m going through right now with the family is so much harder than I can ever begin to explain. I just have to say that anything that has gotten me through this is something I need to keep doing. I’m a people who needs people. It’s starting to really feel like they need me too. I've gained so much through this expereince, and I am truly thankful for it and for everyone. <3
One time someone told me, in a moment of great frustration on my part, that the reason I couldn’t find a picture of myself that I liked was because my “beautiful” came from my energy. She said that there was no way that a picture could capture my spirit and how alive I am when I am moving and being alive. I always hung onto that. I’ve always said that I like to paint because I’ve always known that my physical being is not exactly a work of art. I know that I am not much to look at, but I can make things that really are. Also, I’ve always liked to write – I don’t consider it to be something I’m great at and I have a couple of friends who I really look up to as writers – but I will say that it’s something I just like to do because it just flows. I don’t really think about it that much. It just happens, and it comes from me, and I like that. I’ve always found both of those activities to be therapeutic as well – and both of those activities are ones that can be done spontaneously without great amounts of time or effort attached, which I don’t seem to have room for nowadays.
Many months ago, one of my dearest friends told me that I needed to audition for a show that he and some old friends were working on. Truthfully, painting, writing and reading had been my outlet for the last couple of years besides the good old Rocky Horror Show; fitting a show into my life seemed absolutely impossible. I am grateful beyond words for the chance to be on stage again. Thank you so much, Ray. I will miss you being in this state more than I can say. I could go on for hours about the joys of belting out a song, putting on makeup and neon colored costumes, taking a curtain call – etc., but what I realized through this experience is that I needed people again. I needed creative, diseased, inspiring, hilarious, sad, drunk, shameless, loving, UNIQUE people, and that is just what I got.
For some actors, and truthfully for me at times, there are moments on stage that give you more than anything in your real life ever has. For me, this show undoubtedly brought me one of my greatest…I’ve never been applauded DURING a song before.
Wow…the humility and gratitude I had at those moments was incredible. I remember collapsing into a hug from Nina almost every single night because I was just in awe of how happy the three of us made people in that moment. I’m so proud of them, and I’m proud of myself too. I think that’s another lesson that I learned or at least really understood during this show…I’m doing these expressive things like singing, painting, acting, dancing, writing for myself, but truthfully for me, it’s to make other people happy, inspired, or to make them think about and understand something. I felt, at so many times during this show that I made people happy, and that made me happy. I’ve been struggling with that in my family life and with my friendships, and just with life in general. 
What really matters, I think, is that this got me through so much that I am going through in life – it really reminded me who I am and what I love and what I love to do. It reminded me that the smallest moments in life make me swell up and my heart soar – and that connections with people are outrageously important to me. Example - The audience laughing when Billy yelled, "You wanna piece of this" always gave me chills. They LOVED him. Another? The second, "I don't know mind not knowing..." with Holly...the harmony made my stomach have butterflies! Or here's a good one..."The only difference between a bucket of crap and you is the bucket" and Nina and Mia stomping off stage high fiving to insane applause. That's what happiness is.
I’ll never forget laughing my ass off onstage…seriously, I never break. There was something magical in this cast because it happened all the time. Between people eating paper, people being in my locker when I opened the door, Billy slapping stickers on my hand randomly in the middle of a scene, the hilarity of the ad-libs of the “popular boys”, the frickin’ Judge, booty shaking teachers and the numerous additions of ad-libs in man in the mirror via Mia, Nina and Billy, and counting beads of sweat running down each other’s faces in the finale,
I spent so much of my time on stage being happy just to be there. That’s saying something too, because I am so out of shape and my legs frickin’ hurt ALL THE TIME, just ask Ray or Brad about how whiny I am. Dave told me that this show did wonders for my “happiness.” I’d have to agree. AND – not to sound needy, (or to start a sentence with a conjunction for that matter) what I’m going through right now with the family is so much harder than I can ever begin to explain. I just have to say that anything that has gotten me through this is something I need to keep doing. I’m a people who needs people. It’s starting to really feel like they need me too. I've gained so much through this expereince, and I am truly thankful for it and for everyone. <3
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
How I feel today...
This song fits today, and is all I can think of....maybe besides Alexander and his Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. I woke up knowing I had a bad attitude, and like a child, I have no problem admitting today. I think I'm allowed to have this feeling once in awhile.
I've got no time for bedtime stories/I'm not a little child/
everything makes me furious/and everything makes me wild/
I've got no time for bedtime stories/I'm not a little child/
everything makes me furious/and everything makes me wild/
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
ANGRY RANT
Let me tell you why I'm PISSED OFF today.
There are two real reasons. The third is the real reason I should be upset, but whatever. I'll get to that later.
My day started out by listening to Dave and Chuck the Freak of 89x scream about Kwame Kilpatrick. They should scream. What a disgrace. This is why the nation thinks of Detroit as a hell-hole. I LOVE THAT CITY. I really do. I love Detroit. Love the D. April in the D, hey hey. SERIOUSLY. I'm so angry that this piece of SHIT... (Okay, I guess I should have done this before I started writing, but here's your warning...it's not gonna be pretty don't read if you don't want to.) is what the world sees of this city and this state. BOLLOCKS. You did the crime, pay the time. AND THE FINE. BITCH, you got out of jail, and you have money. You even have a new job. Who the HELL would hire your ass? You have the money. Pay it. The end. Don't set up private bank accounts for your wife. Pay the damn money. WHY WOULD YOU LOOK SO SURPRISED?!?! You are not above the law. AFNJKSNBXDAJSDN:A!!!!
Sad thing is? People will give him money, and they'll get him out of jail again. I totally understand that he is a human being, and more often than not I am a little more forgiving and understanding than this, but this is a place that I love, and lots of poor ass people in that city could have used that money. If that man can squander (not just him though, LOTS of fuckers who run that city) all this money...why can't we help the homeless, or fund the arts in the D? That money could go to the kids in the schools down there. That money could take down some of the buildings that are apparently leaving a TOXIC DUST CLOUD on peoples cars and homes in neighboring neighborhoods. Neighboring neighborhoods? Fuck it, I don't even care. FUCKKKK. I'm enraged. He sets up a fucking fund so people can help him pay his debt. SET UP A FUND TO HELP THE FUCKING PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY NEED HELP YOU ASSHOLE. FUCK YOU.
SECOND REASON I'M PISSED AS FUCK RIGHT NOW...AAHHHHH!
I think this is actually the reason I'm the most pissed.
Facebook group:
DEAR LORD, THIS YEAR YOU TOOK MY FAVORITE ACTOR, PATRICK SWAYZIE. YOU TOOK MY FAVORITE ACTRESS, FARAH FAWCETT. YOU TOOK MY FAVORITE SINGER, MICHAEL JACKSON. I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW, MY FAVORITE PRESIDENT IS BARACK OBAMA. AMEN.
WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE? THAT'S WHAT YOU FUCKING PUT? FUCK YOU. You want someone to die? And you want to make whimsy of the deaths of a bunch of really awesome people just to show that you're awesome and a Republican and you don't like health care? FUCK! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE?!?!?!?!?! Does anyone care about people anymore in this world? THEY DIDN'T EVEN SPELL SWAYZE RIGHT SO FUCK THEM!!!!!!!! People make me sick.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Lastly...
I'm pretty sure I'm gonna have to drop about 8 million dollars on fixing the transmission in my car, and I obviously can't pay for it. This is the one that should probably make me mad, but eh, what are you gonna do. I've been driving a crappy car for the last two years, I'll be driving a crappy one for awhile. I'm supposed to take it down to get it checked out tomorrow. Lets hope that by some holy miracle it's like a $50 fix like my mom's was.
Wow. That was my angry rant. If Emily was awake I'd be yelling this to her because that's my favorite thing to do when I'm angry...yell and swear and she laughs. :)
I'm sorry if my language offended you. I feel better now that it's out!
There are two real reasons. The third is the real reason I should be upset, but whatever. I'll get to that later.
My day started out by listening to Dave and Chuck the Freak of 89x scream about Kwame Kilpatrick. They should scream. What a disgrace. This is why the nation thinks of Detroit as a hell-hole. I LOVE THAT CITY. I really do. I love Detroit. Love the D. April in the D, hey hey. SERIOUSLY. I'm so angry that this piece of SHIT... (Okay, I guess I should have done this before I started writing, but here's your warning...it's not gonna be pretty don't read if you don't want to.) is what the world sees of this city and this state. BOLLOCKS. You did the crime, pay the time. AND THE FINE. BITCH, you got out of jail, and you have money. You even have a new job. Who the HELL would hire your ass? You have the money. Pay it. The end. Don't set up private bank accounts for your wife. Pay the damn money. WHY WOULD YOU LOOK SO SURPRISED?!?! You are not above the law. AFNJKSNBXDAJSDN:A!!!!
Sad thing is? People will give him money, and they'll get him out of jail again. I totally understand that he is a human being, and more often than not I am a little more forgiving and understanding than this, but this is a place that I love, and lots of poor ass people in that city could have used that money. If that man can squander (not just him though, LOTS of fuckers who run that city) all this money...why can't we help the homeless, or fund the arts in the D? That money could go to the kids in the schools down there. That money could take down some of the buildings that are apparently leaving a TOXIC DUST CLOUD on peoples cars and homes in neighboring neighborhoods. Neighboring neighborhoods? Fuck it, I don't even care. FUCKKKK. I'm enraged. He sets up a fucking fund so people can help him pay his debt. SET UP A FUND TO HELP THE FUCKING PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY NEED HELP YOU ASSHOLE. FUCK YOU.
SECOND REASON I'M PISSED AS FUCK RIGHT NOW...AAHHHHH!
I think this is actually the reason I'm the most pissed.
Facebook group:
DEAR LORD, THIS YEAR YOU TOOK MY FAVORITE ACTOR, PATRICK SWAYZIE. YOU TOOK MY FAVORITE ACTRESS, FARAH FAWCETT. YOU TOOK MY FAVORITE SINGER, MICHAEL JACKSON. I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW, MY FAVORITE PRESIDENT IS BARACK OBAMA. AMEN.
WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE? THAT'S WHAT YOU FUCKING PUT? FUCK YOU. You want someone to die? And you want to make whimsy of the deaths of a bunch of really awesome people just to show that you're awesome and a Republican and you don't like health care? FUCK! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE?!?!?!?!?! Does anyone care about people anymore in this world? THEY DIDN'T EVEN SPELL SWAYZE RIGHT SO FUCK THEM!!!!!!!! People make me sick.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Lastly...
I'm pretty sure I'm gonna have to drop about 8 million dollars on fixing the transmission in my car, and I obviously can't pay for it. This is the one that should probably make me mad, but eh, what are you gonna do. I've been driving a crappy car for the last two years, I'll be driving a crappy one for awhile. I'm supposed to take it down to get it checked out tomorrow. Lets hope that by some holy miracle it's like a $50 fix like my mom's was.
Wow. That was my angry rant. If Emily was awake I'd be yelling this to her because that's my favorite thing to do when I'm angry...yell and swear and she laughs. :)
I'm sorry if my language offended you. I feel better now that it's out!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Katie
"After hearing about Katie’s passing this morning, as I was driving to work a DJ on the radio said, “finally we have some sunshine!” and I started to cry. Although this world is missing one of the sweetest to ever step foot on it’s soil, I truly believe with all my heart that Katie will be bringing us all sunshine for years and years to come. Some people touch your life for awhile and then they have to leave you, and by the looks of this group many have felt the joy of knowing such a sweet, funny and loving girl. When I remember Katie, I will remember laughing and laughing and laughing. I will remember dancing in our German IV classroom and laughing some more. I will remember a girl who bridged the gap of people and crowds in high school with her kind and open heart - the girl who could make friends with anyone. I will remember warm hugs and hellos years after high school was over. I will remember the day at Applebee’s when she ran up to my table, hugged me, and invited me to come to her graduation party from nursing school. I will remember a soul so important to so many that she started a movement in our highest level of state government to make the world a better place for other people. I will think of the group of 5,335 people who were broken hearted on February 18th, 2010. I will remember the sunshine. I love you Viger, and I KNOW you are having a dance party with the angels. You are and will always be missed and loved. No pain anymore. Just love and love and love. ♥" (My post on the day Katie went to heaven.)
This picture warms my heart and makes me cry. It was Katie's passing away this week and my hours of sobbing and questioning that sparked something in me. I, for the first time in years and years, went to church and enjoyed it. That's really all I want to say about church. At any rate, I've come to the conclusion that if people like the two pictured above can be made to leave this place at such an early age, where ever they are going must be absolutely beautiful, amazing, and in need of some real angels. My fistful of glitter this week comes from the loss of my Aunt Daryl, in a time of great sadness for her, and Angel Katie, who was ready to go and bring us beautiful sunshiney days.
What Your Face Reveals About Your Health
I found this article to be extremely interesting and accurate. Thought I'd share the wealth. I definitely have some of these symptoms!
http://health.yahoo.com/experts/drmao/24009/what-your-face-reveals-about-your-health/
What Your Face Reveals About Your Health
Ask Dr. Mao
By Dr. Maoshing Ni - Posted on Fri, Feb 19, 2010, 10:52 am PST
What do you see when you look in the mirror? According to Chinese medicine, your face is a window to your health. Your forehead, nose, chin, right cheek, left cheek: Each of these five face zones gives you clues to what is going on inside your body--if you know what to look for! Read on to decode what your face reveals about you.
How Traditional Chinese Medicine Reads the Body to Detect Disease
Most people don't realize that their face provides information about what's going on beneath the surface. Your body speaks a unique language to communicate the imbalances within it. Chinese medicine has mastered the art and science of reading the body's language over its five thousand year practice. Each part of your face reflects a different element from the Chinese 5-Element network (fire, earth, water, metal, and wood), which in turn, corresponds to a particular organ grouping. Your reflection offers visual cues to what may be happening within your internal systems--such as your heart, stomach, hormones and even your mind and spirit.
In some situations visual cues will immediately alert you of an issue, and you can take measures immediately. But the real value of self-inspection is in detecting subtle imbalances and dealing with them preventively through diet, herbal supplementation, and lifestyle practices. By reading your body, you can take care of small problems before they become big health issues.
The Forehead
According to Chinese medicine, the forehead corresponds to the fire element. This is associated with the heart and small intestine organ network, as well as the mind and spirit.
Forehead: Fire Element - Heart/Small Intestine
When examining your forehead, look for redness or small blood vessels that appear as discoloration, which could indicate a heart problem. Skin discoloration could also be caused by a recent emotionally-charged experience, such as a breakup or loss. It is common for people whose emotions are regularly in turmoil to have a constant furrow between their eyebrows.
A heart attack can often be foretold by a subtle bluish-green hue on the forehead. If you have discoloration on your forehead accompanied by heart palpitations, dizziness, shortness of breath, and tingling or pain in your left arm, schedule an appointment with a cardiologist or visit an emergency room, if necessary.
Your Nose
Your nose corresponds to the earth element, indicating a connection to the stomach, spleen and pancreas network.
Nose: Earth Element - Spleen/Pancreas/Stomach
Symptoms of internal discord typically show up as a pimple on the tip or side of your nose. Think back to your meals from the previous day. Did you eat a lot of spicy, deep-fried, fatty, or rich foods? How about chocolate? If the answer is "yes," your choice of cuisine could be the problem. As a result, you may suffer from indigestion, constipation, or diarrhea.
Broken capillaries or redness across the bridge of the nose could reveal alcohol abuse, or it may simply mean excessive worry and stress, which taxes your earth element network. I had a patient who would de-stress from her taxing executive job with alcohol and sweets, and her nose always gave these indiscretions away. I recommended she calm her nerves in healthier ways, like meditation and other stress-releasing techniques.
Your Chin
The chin area is related to the water element, which is internally associated to your kidney and bladder organ network, including the hormonal system and glands.
Chin: Water Element - Kidney/Bladder
Blemishes, discoloration and dark patches of skin around the chin and mouth could indicate problems within the kidneys or bladder. Recurrent acne breakouts around your chin may signify a hormonal imbalance. The problem is most often due to the body producing excess estrogen or testosterone and tends to be coupled with irregular menstruation in women and prostate symptoms in men.
Be sure to also look at your philtrum, the indentation just above your lips. This small area relates to the uterus and ovaries in women and the prostate and genitals in men. Horizontal lines, blemishes or discoloration across the philtrum may indicate infertility issues due to problems such as endometriosis or uterine fibroid cysts.
According to Chinese medicine, people who have a small chin are genetically predispositioned to weakness in their kidney and bladder network. However, this doesn't mean that small-chinned people will develop kidney disease. The information is simply an alert that a tendency may exist, and patients can choose to make lifestyle changes to prevent the development of a condition.
Your Right Cheek
Your right cheek corresponds to the metal element, meaning this area of your face is connected to the lung and large intestine network.
Right Cheek: Metal Element - Lung/Large Intenstine
Problems in the lung and large intestine network present themselves as discoloration, blemishes and skin problems on your right cheek. A mild acne breakout, eczema patch or slight redness may mean a cold is coming on. Lung illness or upper respiratory ailments also trigger visual symptoms on the right cheek.
People who are prone to respiratory allergies or asthma have a tendency to have a reddish, scaly eczema, a slight rash or slight bluish-green hue along the right cheek--showing too much heat or inflammation in the respiratory system, or a lack of oxygen from bronchial constriction. One of my many pediatric patients who suffered from allergic asthma always displayed an eczema-like patch right before a flare up of her allergy attack, a very useful tip off. I instructed her mother to treat her right away with herbs for allergies to avert an asthma attack.
Your Left Cheek
The left cheek corresponds to your wood element, or the liver-gallbladder network.
Left Cheek: Wood Element - Liver/Gallbladder
Broken capillaries and redness, especially up next to the bridge of your nose, indicate heat, inflammation or congestion of toxins in the liver. Bulging veins, redness, and rash sometimes signal high blood pressure and pent-up anger. A yellowish hue under the left eye may indicate gallstones or high triglycerides or cholesterol, which are processed by the liver-gall bladder network.
Problems in this part of the face can also reveal emotional issues, such as anger and depression, since the liver and gallbladder network includes the nervous system.
Please keep in mind that there are many ways that your body alerts you to imbalances. As you learn this visual method, you'll want to be able to confirm your findings from one body part with observations from others, such as the eyes, tongue, and nails. Want to learn more? Get your own copy of Secrets of Self-Healing, where you can find in-depth information.
Keep all five elements healthy and get a whole body tune-up with a balanced combination of 44 traditional Chinese herbs that support healthy function of the bodily systems, the Five Elements of Health Formula.
I hope this article helps you find out what your face is telling you! I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.
May you live long, live strong, and live happy!
-Dr. Mao
http://health.yahoo.com/experts/drmao/24009/what-your-face-reveals-about-your-health/
What Your Face Reveals About Your Health
Ask Dr. Mao
By Dr. Maoshing Ni - Posted on Fri, Feb 19, 2010, 10:52 am PST
What do you see when you look in the mirror? According to Chinese medicine, your face is a window to your health. Your forehead, nose, chin, right cheek, left cheek: Each of these five face zones gives you clues to what is going on inside your body--if you know what to look for! Read on to decode what your face reveals about you.
How Traditional Chinese Medicine Reads the Body to Detect Disease
Most people don't realize that their face provides information about what's going on beneath the surface. Your body speaks a unique language to communicate the imbalances within it. Chinese medicine has mastered the art and science of reading the body's language over its five thousand year practice. Each part of your face reflects a different element from the Chinese 5-Element network (fire, earth, water, metal, and wood), which in turn, corresponds to a particular organ grouping. Your reflection offers visual cues to what may be happening within your internal systems--such as your heart, stomach, hormones and even your mind and spirit.
In some situations visual cues will immediately alert you of an issue, and you can take measures immediately. But the real value of self-inspection is in detecting subtle imbalances and dealing with them preventively through diet, herbal supplementation, and lifestyle practices. By reading your body, you can take care of small problems before they become big health issues.
The Forehead
According to Chinese medicine, the forehead corresponds to the fire element. This is associated with the heart and small intestine organ network, as well as the mind and spirit.
Forehead: Fire Element - Heart/Small Intestine
When examining your forehead, look for redness or small blood vessels that appear as discoloration, which could indicate a heart problem. Skin discoloration could also be caused by a recent emotionally-charged experience, such as a breakup or loss. It is common for people whose emotions are regularly in turmoil to have a constant furrow between their eyebrows.
A heart attack can often be foretold by a subtle bluish-green hue on the forehead. If you have discoloration on your forehead accompanied by heart palpitations, dizziness, shortness of breath, and tingling or pain in your left arm, schedule an appointment with a cardiologist or visit an emergency room, if necessary.
Your Nose
Your nose corresponds to the earth element, indicating a connection to the stomach, spleen and pancreas network.
Nose: Earth Element - Spleen/Pancreas/Stomach
Symptoms of internal discord typically show up as a pimple on the tip or side of your nose. Think back to your meals from the previous day. Did you eat a lot of spicy, deep-fried, fatty, or rich foods? How about chocolate? If the answer is "yes," your choice of cuisine could be the problem. As a result, you may suffer from indigestion, constipation, or diarrhea.
Broken capillaries or redness across the bridge of the nose could reveal alcohol abuse, or it may simply mean excessive worry and stress, which taxes your earth element network. I had a patient who would de-stress from her taxing executive job with alcohol and sweets, and her nose always gave these indiscretions away. I recommended she calm her nerves in healthier ways, like meditation and other stress-releasing techniques.
Your Chin
The chin area is related to the water element, which is internally associated to your kidney and bladder organ network, including the hormonal system and glands.
Chin: Water Element - Kidney/Bladder
Blemishes, discoloration and dark patches of skin around the chin and mouth could indicate problems within the kidneys or bladder. Recurrent acne breakouts around your chin may signify a hormonal imbalance. The problem is most often due to the body producing excess estrogen or testosterone and tends to be coupled with irregular menstruation in women and prostate symptoms in men.
Be sure to also look at your philtrum, the indentation just above your lips. This small area relates to the uterus and ovaries in women and the prostate and genitals in men. Horizontal lines, blemishes or discoloration across the philtrum may indicate infertility issues due to problems such as endometriosis or uterine fibroid cysts.
According to Chinese medicine, people who have a small chin are genetically predispositioned to weakness in their kidney and bladder network. However, this doesn't mean that small-chinned people will develop kidney disease. The information is simply an alert that a tendency may exist, and patients can choose to make lifestyle changes to prevent the development of a condition.
Your Right Cheek
Your right cheek corresponds to the metal element, meaning this area of your face is connected to the lung and large intestine network.
Right Cheek: Metal Element - Lung/Large Intenstine
Problems in the lung and large intestine network present themselves as discoloration, blemishes and skin problems on your right cheek. A mild acne breakout, eczema patch or slight redness may mean a cold is coming on. Lung illness or upper respiratory ailments also trigger visual symptoms on the right cheek.
People who are prone to respiratory allergies or asthma have a tendency to have a reddish, scaly eczema, a slight rash or slight bluish-green hue along the right cheek--showing too much heat or inflammation in the respiratory system, or a lack of oxygen from bronchial constriction. One of my many pediatric patients who suffered from allergic asthma always displayed an eczema-like patch right before a flare up of her allergy attack, a very useful tip off. I instructed her mother to treat her right away with herbs for allergies to avert an asthma attack.
Your Left Cheek
The left cheek corresponds to your wood element, or the liver-gallbladder network.
Left Cheek: Wood Element - Liver/Gallbladder
Broken capillaries and redness, especially up next to the bridge of your nose, indicate heat, inflammation or congestion of toxins in the liver. Bulging veins, redness, and rash sometimes signal high blood pressure and pent-up anger. A yellowish hue under the left eye may indicate gallstones or high triglycerides or cholesterol, which are processed by the liver-gall bladder network.
Problems in this part of the face can also reveal emotional issues, such as anger and depression, since the liver and gallbladder network includes the nervous system.
Please keep in mind that there are many ways that your body alerts you to imbalances. As you learn this visual method, you'll want to be able to confirm your findings from one body part with observations from others, such as the eyes, tongue, and nails. Want to learn more? Get your own copy of Secrets of Self-Healing, where you can find in-depth information.
Keep all five elements healthy and get a whole body tune-up with a balanced combination of 44 traditional Chinese herbs that support healthy function of the bodily systems, the Five Elements of Health Formula.
I hope this article helps you find out what your face is telling you! I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.
May you live long, live strong, and live happy!
-Dr. Mao
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Something I love...
Although I'm having some severe issues with their customer relations department...ugh, I won't go into that in here, this is supposed to be uber positive!...The Body Shop is something that I love.
What I love most about the body shop (besides their wonderful products that I will get into in a minute) is the setup of their business and the good that they do in the world. Besides being completely against animal testing, defending human rights, pro self esteem and pretty damn amazing - their products support a community trade program worldwide, which I can totally dig.
From thebodyshop.com...
The Body Shop® spends around $11.5 million annually buying ingredients, gifts and accessories from communities across the world, paying a fair price and giving producers access to a global market that would normally be out of their reach.
Thanks to your purchases, over 25,000 people in more than 20 countries across the world are earning a fair wage and working in fair conditions.
WHAT IS COMMUNITY TRADE?
Community Trade is our commitment to trading fairly and responsibly with suppliers. We actively seek out small-scale farmers, traditional craftspeople, rural cooperatives and even tribal vaillages - all of them highly skilled experts at their work. Together we forge deep, long-lasting relationships, rewarding our suppliers with good trading practices and a reliable, independence-building wage.
I just think it's so awesome. The way I know it's real? Read the labels. See whats in the products that you are putting on your skin and you will get some insight to why/why they don't work.
My suggestions?
If you are lucky enough to be extremely Irish like myself and have a redness/sensitive skin issue like moi, I would highly suggest their aloe line:
http://www.thebodyshop-usa.com/aloe-skin-care
I use the moisturizing face wash, the exfoliate, the moisturizer, and the toner. It really really works. When I am consistent with using their products, my skin is beautiful.
My new favorite thing?
The honey and oat scrub mask. Deep cleanse, polish and moisturize your skin in one easy step with a 3-in-1 mask! Aren't masks so fun? :) Seriously though, this stuff smells so good as soon as I put it on my face I just wanna eat it up.
Anyway, the body shop always provides me with a fistful of glitter. I can spend an hour shopping online or in their store. This would be my top suggestion for skin care, bubble bath, body butter, or spa products!
What I love most about the body shop (besides their wonderful products that I will get into in a minute) is the setup of their business and the good that they do in the world. Besides being completely against animal testing, defending human rights, pro self esteem and pretty damn amazing - their products support a community trade program worldwide, which I can totally dig.
From thebodyshop.com...
The Body Shop® spends around $11.5 million annually buying ingredients, gifts and accessories from communities across the world, paying a fair price and giving producers access to a global market that would normally be out of their reach.
Thanks to your purchases, over 25,000 people in more than 20 countries across the world are earning a fair wage and working in fair conditions.
WHAT IS COMMUNITY TRADE?
Community Trade is our commitment to trading fairly and responsibly with suppliers. We actively seek out small-scale farmers, traditional craftspeople, rural cooperatives and even tribal vaillages - all of them highly skilled experts at their work. Together we forge deep, long-lasting relationships, rewarding our suppliers with good trading practices and a reliable, independence-building wage.
I just think it's so awesome. The way I know it's real? Read the labels. See whats in the products that you are putting on your skin and you will get some insight to why/why they don't work.
My suggestions?
If you are lucky enough to be extremely Irish like myself and have a redness/sensitive skin issue like moi, I would highly suggest their aloe line:
http://www.thebodyshop-usa.com/aloe-skin-care
I use the moisturizing face wash, the exfoliate, the moisturizer, and the toner. It really really works. When I am consistent with using their products, my skin is beautiful.
My new favorite thing?
The honey and oat scrub mask. Deep cleanse, polish and moisturize your skin in one easy step with a 3-in-1 mask! Aren't masks so fun? :) Seriously though, this stuff smells so good as soon as I put it on my face I just wanna eat it up.
Anyway, the body shop always provides me with a fistful of glitter. I can spend an hour shopping online or in their store. This would be my top suggestion for skin care, bubble bath, body butter, or spa products!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
You called me sugar....
So I’ve come up with this idea of how not to feel like shit about myself anymore.
What a gentle beginning.
Alright, back story. This parts probably going to come out a little bit pessimistic sounding and crappy but I think it has to or you don’t get the point, I don’t know. Anyway, here goes.
I don’t feel like myself anymore. I don’t know if it’s a combination of growing up, people getting sick and dying around me, having “short hair”, taking medicines for problems that seniors citizens have, dealing with weight gain, feeling either extremely older or younger than most of my friends, or watching “What not to Wear” and realizing that most of my closet contains clothes that look younger than I feel right now, not to mention DON’T FIT…I don’t know. Things are weird. Piss.
I feel like I went to therapy for two years, felt fantastic for awhile, obtained my goal of being able to let go of myself enough to fall in love, (and stay in love, love you bunny!) [aww, that was a little break in the clouds there] but then it started cracking. I know a lot of this bullshit happened when Dad got sick, and friends got sick, and money got tight, the semester was very difficult and people moved out and on on and on and on on and on, but…I’ve come to realize that through therapy I lost a lot of who really did make me happy at sometimes. I’ve spent 6-8 months in the gloom and doom of my room which is not actually gloomy or doomy at all but my bad attitude and inability to relate to other human beings at the current stage of my life made it as dark and cold as the catacombs.
What I’m digging at about this therapy thing was that I realized through all of that work that I invested too much time in other people and their happiness and ignored mine when none of them every relayed the favor. Okay, that makes sense. I changed some things, felt pretty good, things happened, whatever. When my Dad got sick and people reach out to you for like a month and then totally forget what you are going through and don’t even ask anymore…you start to feel like ASS. I decided this sensitive subject was something I was going to have to deal with on my own, and did. Not to say that no one cared, because people did care, and I totally understand that this is the kind of situation where sometimes you just don’t know what to say…I don’t know. I end like every sentence in ‘I don’t know’ when I’m talking and when
I’m blogging. ANYWAY…
The point is I lost a huge part of myself when I stopped living for other people. I am not saying I am going to back to my old ways, but I think it’s time to reach out to the world a bit more, and even if I don’t give back exactly what I put in, it will make me feel a bit more worthwhile and bring some joy to me. I think maybe at that time I was just reaching out to the wrong people. It’s time to change that.
I have devised a little project and I’m going to try to share it on this blog. If you know me well, you know that music and especially lyrics can kill me in a second. There are just certain songs that I can’t help but cry during, and the list might surprise you because some of them are extremely happy songs. I attach faces, memories, moments and feelings to each word and it just overwhelms me. Since I’ve been thinking about how to make things better and making out a game plan, when I was watching the Grammys and pink’s AMAZING performance, I listened to the lyrics in that song and they reached me in a bigger way than they ever had before. It was just the right moment.
Have you ever thrown a fistful of glitter in the air?
Have you ever looked fear in the face and said, ‘I just don’t care.”
So, the name of my project is now fistful of glitter. Maybe the FOG project for short. That’s what I’ll tag it at in here. I am going to try to think more about what things in my life make me happy and recognize the moments that make my soul sparkle. I think I’m going to find that there is a lot I’ve been overlooking.
I’m not trying to like pimp out my blog or be like heyyy look at me, but I’m detaching it from my facebook and I’m encouraging comments and ideas. I want to follow through on this, and knowing what I know about myself – I thrive off of people – some feedback might help.
What a gentle beginning.
Alright, back story. This parts probably going to come out a little bit pessimistic sounding and crappy but I think it has to or you don’t get the point, I don’t know. Anyway, here goes.
I don’t feel like myself anymore. I don’t know if it’s a combination of growing up, people getting sick and dying around me, having “short hair”, taking medicines for problems that seniors citizens have, dealing with weight gain, feeling either extremely older or younger than most of my friends, or watching “What not to Wear” and realizing that most of my closet contains clothes that look younger than I feel right now, not to mention DON’T FIT…I don’t know. Things are weird. Piss.
I feel like I went to therapy for two years, felt fantastic for awhile, obtained my goal of being able to let go of myself enough to fall in love, (and stay in love, love you bunny!) [aww, that was a little break in the clouds there] but then it started cracking. I know a lot of this bullshit happened when Dad got sick, and friends got sick, and money got tight, the semester was very difficult and people moved out and on on and on and on on and on, but…I’ve come to realize that through therapy I lost a lot of who really did make me happy at sometimes. I’ve spent 6-8 months in the gloom and doom of my room which is not actually gloomy or doomy at all but my bad attitude and inability to relate to other human beings at the current stage of my life made it as dark and cold as the catacombs.
What I’m digging at about this therapy thing was that I realized through all of that work that I invested too much time in other people and their happiness and ignored mine when none of them every relayed the favor. Okay, that makes sense. I changed some things, felt pretty good, things happened, whatever. When my Dad got sick and people reach out to you for like a month and then totally forget what you are going through and don’t even ask anymore…you start to feel like ASS. I decided this sensitive subject was something I was going to have to deal with on my own, and did. Not to say that no one cared, because people did care, and I totally understand that this is the kind of situation where sometimes you just don’t know what to say…I don’t know. I end like every sentence in ‘I don’t know’ when I’m talking and when
I’m blogging. ANYWAY…
The point is I lost a huge part of myself when I stopped living for other people. I am not saying I am going to back to my old ways, but I think it’s time to reach out to the world a bit more, and even if I don’t give back exactly what I put in, it will make me feel a bit more worthwhile and bring some joy to me. I think maybe at that time I was just reaching out to the wrong people. It’s time to change that.
I have devised a little project and I’m going to try to share it on this blog. If you know me well, you know that music and especially lyrics can kill me in a second. There are just certain songs that I can’t help but cry during, and the list might surprise you because some of them are extremely happy songs. I attach faces, memories, moments and feelings to each word and it just overwhelms me. Since I’ve been thinking about how to make things better and making out a game plan, when I was watching the Grammys and pink’s AMAZING performance, I listened to the lyrics in that song and they reached me in a bigger way than they ever had before. It was just the right moment.
Have you ever thrown a fistful of glitter in the air?
Have you ever looked fear in the face and said, ‘I just don’t care.”
So, the name of my project is now fistful of glitter. Maybe the FOG project for short. That’s what I’ll tag it at in here. I am going to try to think more about what things in my life make me happy and recognize the moments that make my soul sparkle. I think I’m going to find that there is a lot I’ve been overlooking.
I’m not trying to like pimp out my blog or be like heyyy look at me, but I’m detaching it from my facebook and I’m encouraging comments and ideas. I want to follow through on this, and knowing what I know about myself – I thrive off of people – some feedback might help.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)