Holistic Fitness Blog

Well, Colorado was wonderful – beautiful, fun and poignant.  Seeing my extended family was great, playing volleyball with my younger cousins (and holding my own:) was fun, but realizing that this is probably the last reunion that my Mother will attend, was sad and poignant.  My mother struggles with Alzheimer’s and watching her struggle, knowing there is nothing I can do to “fix” it, is VERY frustrating.  My family is very supportive, as was my friend Elizabeth, who went with me – but nothing hides the fact that my mother was very confused and probably won’t be travelling anymore.  Many of you have shared that you are going through something similar with your own parents…it is quite an experience.

The rest of the summer has continued to be busy.  The most exciting thing is that I adopted a dog!  She is a 4 year old, female Schauzer, who was rescued from a breeder and I am her 4th home in 4 months.  She has had to learn what grass is, how to cross a threshold, and how to go up and down stairs!  Her name is Little Bit, as she is only 13 pounds…but is doing just great!  While she started out very shy and submissive, she is starting to truly enjoy her freedom!  When I let her outside when I come home, she runs circles around me, runs up and down the hill next to my house, and just gets so excited!  She is also starting to play a little, but disturbingly, likes plastic bags as her toys!  I have “baby-proofed” my house!

I have her with me at the office today – and while she reverts back to her first language of shy and submissive…she is doing better than the first time I brought her in!  She lets Angie pet her, but that’s about it – oh, and Jason our mailman!  LOL  He is very good with dogs, by necessity!  Anyway – I hope your summer is going well!  School will be starting and it will be September before we know it!  How does time go by so fast?

Don’t forget to tell Angie you saw my blog online!  $10 off a colonic!

Namaste’

Cindy

This has been a year for traveling!  In March, I went to New Orleans, May, I was in Seattle, and now, in June, I’m on my way to Colorado for a family reunion.  This reunion is bittersweet, as it’s the first one we’ve had since my Dad and his older brother passed away.  it’s going to be odd not having either of them there, but the cycle of life certainly continues, as my cousin is pregnant and there are several young cousins, all available to remind me how glad I am my daughter is 21!

Speaking of my daughter, Katie – she is in Michigan this summer, being a camp counselor.  She normally teaches silversmithing, but had gotten tired of it,- so, this summer, she is the camp photographer.  She describes it as her perfect job.  It is pretty sweet, and Katie, being artistic, has a good eye for photography.  I giggle a bit at my daughter…she is a religion/philosophy major, with a specialty in the Israeli-Palestine conflict, who plans on managing a year-round sports camp in Michigan when she graduates next year.  She is fascinating to talk to (no prejudice here:) and knows only that she doesn’t want to work behind a desk.  I say, “Good for you!”  I support her in traveling, working different jobs, and then when she wants to settle down, she’ll be ready.

So, enough about Katie.  We, at Holistic Fitness, had our quarterly awards dinner this past weekend.  The therapists are awarded for goals met and clients that they refer to the office.  Mostly, we have so much fun as a staff, that this is just an excuse to get together.  Since everyone works different shifts, we seldom have the time to just laugh and talk.  Well, that’s a little fib – probably you have seen us laughing and talking when you are in the office.  We are not known for our quiet demeanors.  I’m so glad we all have fun at work – it’s healthy!  It’s wonderful to like and respect the people you work with.  Holistic Fitness is blessed to have the most experienced and the most educated therapists in St. Louis…maybe in the midwest! 

Just to see if anyone is reading my blog – tell Angie you read it and get $10 off a colonic or massage!  Hope to see you soon.  I’ll let you know how Colorado was!

Namaste’

Cindy

So the question was posed – “How did you call the whales in?”  I guess it’s a visualization and energy thing.  I started “seeing” the whales in my imagination and feeling what it might be like to actually see them,  physically.  I then consciously sent out an energetic message to ask them to “find” me and let me see how beautiful they are.  I believe that animals, especially those that live in the oceans, have senses that we don’t necessarily recognize – that they can sense us, especially when we are on their “turf”.  I also asked them to come play – I wanted it to be good for them too!  And they did.  The baby Orcas jumped and spun around – as if to say, “Look at me, Mom!” They all seemed to be highly amused at all the humans coming to see them.

Our boat captain told 2 stories that were captivating.  One was about a trip he took out with his wife, daughter and best friend’s wife.  Unfortunately the best friend had just passed away, and they were all beside themselves with grief.  When they got out to where the Orca’s were (and this was J-pod, …see former blog) they circled the boat and came up right next to it.  Now the law says any boat must keep 100 yards away from any whale.  The captain had to cut the motor because he couldn’t keep his distance.  He said his daughter was looking over the edge of the boat and the Orca’s were so close she could almost touch them.  He said he never felt afraid, only comforted.

Another time there was a child on board that was very unhappy.  Crying and crying as children will do.  The female Orca’s came up along side the boat and “eyed” the humans, as if to check on the child.  They only left when it seemed they were convinced that the humans were not mistreating the child.  And – once the child saw the Orca’s, she quieted down and quit crying.

Orca’s have been documented to surround a dying whale and stay with him.  Once the whale has died they take him as a pod, to deep water and “bury” him.  The captain also told us that the pod takes care of their young and their elderly – that they were very “human”.  I wonder if we as humans, wouldn’t be better off being more “whale”?  The Orca’s even share their food – I would hate to be the food, but the concept is nice.

So vacation was wonderful, and the transition back to reality was tough.  Ask Angie – I was CRANKY on Monday and Tuesday!  But life is back to normal and Holistic Fitness and its staff are fabulous!  I am truly blessed – both to be able to see Orca whales and to work with the people I do.

Namaste’

So, I am in the Pacific Northwest on vacation – staying in Blaine, Washington (about 90 minutes north of Seattle).  My friend Elizabeth came with me and we have been thrilled from the moment we left St. Louis.  We flew into Denver – the Rockies were beautiful and then into Seattle, to sunshine and the Olympic mountains.  Glorious to see the ocean with mountains in the background, with snow, but standing in sand and 60 degrees!  It has rained off and on while we’ve been here, but we’ve had sunshine far more than they predicted and we came prepared for rain.

The good part – we have seen Orca whales, river otters, Loons, Minke whales, seals…and last but not least, Bald Eagles!!  In fact, we have a Bald Eagle we have named Ester sitting outside our condo window.  Ester and her husband James, (they mate for life) have a home (their nest is HUGE) down the street, overlooking the water.  This morning we woke up to Ester and James, both, sitting outside our window.  It’s very surreal to look up and see, not one, but two Bald Eagles.  They are very calm – they call to one another ever so often, but mostly they just survey their kingdom.  The crows and seagulls pester them (must have a death wish) but Ester and James ignore them quite regally.

On Tuesday, Elizabeth and I took a whale watching tour (I started calling the Orca’s “in” on Monday night), and we saw the resident “J-pod” that hadn’t been seen in 43 days.  I saw them first, btw:) and was quite enthusiastic about them coming to play with us!  (I told the captain I called them in, and by the end of the tour he believed me:)  Have I shared with you all  that I have Orca’s tattooed on my right hip?  They are definately one of my totems.

We took this tour out of a harbor called Snug Bay, on San Juan Island.  On our drive back into town from the harbor, we stopped at Lime Kiln State Park and saw MORE Orca’s from land!  It was so glorious.  Oh and btw – there was a holistic health clinic on the island:)  Maybe I will never come home and just apply to work there:)

Vacation is interesting…I have far less physical pain when I’m on vacation.  Is it all stress or does it have to do with the positions I hold at my desk?  Since I don’t take new patients, I don’t actually give many colonics anymore, but my thoracic, right shoulder, and both hands still “give me fits,” as my father would say.  Maybe I need to have my desk workstation evaluated…what a concept!

Well, enough for now – the tide is out…think I will go take a walk on the beach:)

Namaste’

Cindy

SO GUESS WHAT????  Charter TV (local channel 3 – if you have Charter…) was here at Holistic Fitness to film a colonic!!!  Yes, a colonic on TV in St. Louis!  Now understand, since Lauren – one of my colon hydrotherapists – won “rock-paper-scissors” to receive the colonic, (Angie wanted to do it, as well)…I did not want Lauren’s bottom to be famous, so while you can see the whole procedure, you don’t see the insertion or any skin.  I want to applaud Lauren for her bravery! 

Lois gave the colonic and did a stellar job of explaining how a colonic works.  She was clear and concise…I was very pleased!  Don’t ask her how she did tho’ – she thinks she was terrible, but it’s just not true!  Lois also gave me an ionic foot spa for the filming and did a nice job with that as well.  The guys from Charter were more impressed with the foot spa and the color change of the water, than they were with the colonic!  Go figure!

Charter also interviewed me and I had lots of fun talking about poop on TV!  Didn’t I mention being the Poop Princess in the last blog?  Colonic Caldwell is another title I have earned over the years…

So look for an email or announcement in the next few weeks detailing the show and where to look for it.  For those of us who don’t have cable, there will be a link on our website so that you can see it first hand.  This was a very happy day for us – one for which we are immensely grateful!

Namaste’

Cindy

So, I’m into my 3rd week of cleansing – doing the Standard Process Cleanse. Of all the cleanses I’ve done – it is the easiest – at least compared to doing a juice fast or the Master Cleanse. You actually eat real food on Standard Process, and if you work at it, you can eat a variety of food. Still, following any unusual rules about eating is hard…yet, I have learned how to eat healthy in general, and that was a huge change from the “all-American diet” I used to eat! (fast food, soda and candy) The interesting thing about cleansing is that I always feel better – and on the Standard Process cleanse, I felt better from day 2! In fact – do you know I had no bloating or gas while I was on the cleanse??? My stomach didn’t hurt – unless I cheated! You would think that would be motivation enough, but I also lost about 10 pounds! My clothes fit better and I FEEL SO MUCH BETTER! Yes, I wish I would eat this way all the time, but I know that I won’t…it’s just too much work and too boring. Going out to eat with friends becomes a real chore – and so much of professional and social time is spent around food!

The bottom line to all of this, is that cleansing is good and I hope I do it 1-2x a year. I also know I will improve my normal eating from doing the cleanse and that is good too! I know there are people out there who cleanse without cheating, but I’m here to tell you that I don’t. I had 5 chocolate chips one night – and my stomach hurt all night. I also ate meat before I was supposed to…I still felt better, lost weight and had no gas!!! (Gas just ruins my Princess Bubble of who I am:) I also don’t worry too much about eating butter vs coconut oil. There ya go – my secret is out…I ate butter in my eggs and on my veges…I found it hard to get enough oil/fat into my diet without butter – so that was my compromise. Maybe I would have lost 15 pounds if I had not used butter…who knows?

Let me add here that losing weight was a bonus…that was not my prime motivation for doing the cleanse. I had all sorts of toxic symptoms including joint pain, headaches, fatigue, sallow skin – in fact, my best friend told me I looked terrible (thanks!) and my chiropractor told me I looked toxic. Just what a Princess wants to hear! (just so you know, I am working into the Queen title, but my friends still laugh) My motivation for cleansing was to feel better – especially for my stomach not to hurt! I was so tired of getting cramps every day around 2 pm and keeping them most of the day. I also take it personally when I can’t poop and I’m the colon hydrotherapist! That had to change – and it has…Praise God! Pooping is good!

Ok – so more next week…I’m proud that I have finally started my blog! Stay tuned – the Poop Princess will return!

Cindy