Journey to Wholeness: Return to BE Heartland House Victoria Odde - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Journey to Wholeness: Return to BE

Heartland House Victoria Odde MA, CADCII, LAADC

Where…..

Nature meets Nurture

Ayurvedic Prospective on Addiction/SUD

• Dosha becomes grossly aggravated depending on stages of

chronicity – scattered thoughts, worry, loss of memory, uncontrollable shaking, insomnia, delusions and hallucination

• Symptoms indistinguishable from mental illness
• People who drink/use to excess condition themselves away from

body’s natural ability to balance itself

• Body type conditions itself to accept the presence of

substance/drug

• Mild imbalance to Serious imbalance

Allow Life to Unfold from the Inside Out

• Breathing Techniques
• Meditation
• Yoga (stretching)
• Food as Medicine
• Becoming attuned with nature as

medication for inner spirit/soul development

• Releasing emotional/mental/physical

toxicity to access our inner pharmacy

Seeds of Illness/Dis-ease

Change in Physiology Contributes to Increase blood pressure, heart stress Coronary heart disease Increase stress hormones Anxiety, insomnia, addictions Increase blood sugar Diabetes, obesity Decrease circulation to digestive tract Digestive disturbances Decrease growth, sex hormones Premature aging Decrease immunity Infections, cancer Increase in sticky platelets Heart attacks, strokes

Five Gateways

• Ears, skin, eyes, tongue and nose
• Sensory impressions are how we

experience the world

• Sensory impressions influence

hormones and other chemicals in the body

• Favor experiences that lead to

balance and promote well-being

Conditioned vs. Unconditioned

Fight/Flight

↑ Heart rate ↑ Blood pressure ↑ Respiration ↑ Perspiration ↑ Stress hormones ↓ Anti-aging hormones ↑ Platelet stickiness Restful Awareness - Meditation ↓ Heart rate ↓ Blood pressure ↓ Respiration ↓ Perspiration ↓ Stress hormones ↑ Anti-aging hormones ↓ Platelet stickiness

Other Benefits of Meditation

• Lower stress hormone response to challenges: Adrenaline,

Cortisol, Norepinephrine

• Improved circulatory and digestive function
• Improved mood
• Younger biomarkers: blood pressure, hearing, vision
• Reduced ambulatory BP due to nervousness and anxiety caused

by being in a clinical setting

• Increased DHEA levels
• Helps create a readiness and promote action through positive

awareness and other healthy behavior

Breath Work

• Keeps organs nourished
• Strengthens immune system
• If not breathing all other programs

running

• Relieves anxiety/stress
• Keeps in the moment before reactive

fight/flight

• Releases toxins

Yoga – Connect Mind/Body

• At its most practical level yoga is a

process of becoming more aware of who we are. Yoga techniques facilitate balance and health, and unfold our dormant potential. Yoga allows us to be more aware of

• urselves and feel connected. As

such, yoga is a process of self-discovery. This leads us to self-mastery and self-realization

Food As Medicine

Nourishment for Body, Mind and Soul Based on Dosha Type

The Six Tastes of Life

Sweet Sour Salty Pungent Bitter Astringent

Body Intelligence Techniques

• Include all six tastes at every meal
• Eat in a quiet, settled, comfortable

environment

• Eat only when you feel hungry
• Do not eat when you are upset
• Always sit down to eat
• Reduce ice-cold foods and beverages

• Eat at a comfortable pace; stay conscious
• Include all colors of the rainbow at each meal
• Digest previous meal before starting

the next

• Don’t overeat; leave 1/3 to 1/4 of

stomach empty

• Eat freshly prepared meals
• Sit quietly for a few minutes after meal while

focusing attention on body, then take short walk

Body Intelligence Techniques

Enhancing Life Force

• Gaze into the heavens at night (Space)
• Walk in abundant vegetation, ideally at

dusk and dawn (Air)

• Allow the light and warmth of the sun to

permeate you (Fire)

• Walk along natural bodies of water (Water)
• Walk barefoot on natural earth (Earth)

Restful Sleep

• Aim for a 10:30pm bedtime –

adjust ½ hour per week

• Warm bath with lavender,

sandalwood or vanilla

• Perform relaxing self massage

while preparing a bath

• After bath, drink a warm cup of herbal

tea or milk with cardamom or nutmeg

• Journal and/or read spiritual/uplifting literature
• Minimize exciting and aggravating activities after

8:30 pm

Emotional Freedom

Intimacy with Your Self

Reactive/Ego Response

• Psychological flight/fight
• Crossing the “mine” field –

ego response

• If ego boundaries are crossed

without permission, uncomfortable feelings (such as anger or withdrawal) are generated

• Most people use only these

first two responses

• Pancreas releases more glucagon and

less insulin, raising blood sugar

• Shunt blood from your digestive organs

to your muscles

• Release less rejuvenating hormones

(DHEA, growth hormone)

• Immune system is suppressed
• Platelets become stickier

Fight/Flight

Fight/Flight

• Heart beats faster/pumps more blood
• Blood pressure rises
• Consume more oxygen and expel more

carbon dioxide

• Perspiration increases
• Adrenal glands pumps out adrenaline,

noradrenaline, and cortisol

Emotional Toxicity

• Feelings not fully experienced can accumulate as

emotional toxins

• Signs of Accumulated Emotional Toxicity

– Fatigue – Irritability – Lack of Enthusiasm – Depression – Emotional Reactivity – Cynicism

• As humans, we all have needs
• Beyond hunger, fundamental human needs

may be expressed as:

– Attention – Affection – Appreciation – Acceptance

• Emotions are derived from needs
• (Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs)

Needs

Secondary Emotions

When pain based on unmet needs is stored rather than resolved, it often leads to:

• Anxiety
• Hostility
• Guilt and eventually
• Depression

Balancing with Sight

The images we ingest have a profound effect

• n our body, mind and emotions
• Violent images

trigger stress hormones

• Beautiful, loving

images stimulate the release of health promoting chemicals

Balancing with Sound

• Nature Sounds
• Mantras
• Music
• Chakra Sounds

Primordial Sounds – Sounds that Heal

Balancing with Smell

• Aromas connect us to

emotions, memory and instincts

• They can trigger the healing

power within

• We can link a healing

response to the experience of a particular smell

• Use aromas to invoke states of wellbeing such as the

fragrance of a newborn baby

• Recognizing the skin as a portal to the inner

pharmacy of healing chemicals

• Daily self massage (self abhyanga)
• detoxifies tissues
• calms the mind
• enhances immune function
• Regular massage and loving

touch detoxify the body’s tissues

Balancing Through Touch