When I look back on the first decade of my career, I would probably typify it in one word: stressful.  Starting a work in marketing, running an agency, building a wellness brand (or two) and trying to be “someone” took its toll.  There were countless sleepless nights, dozens upon dozens of “difficult” conversations, neverending logistics, tricky team dynamics, and my fair share of successes and failures. 

And when I look back on the last 18 months, it has been all of that and more: I stepped into my role as a nutrition and corporate wellness consultant, helped launch two wellness start-ups, and have had ups and downs with all three.  But I would never call it anything other than joy.  The difference?  Perspective and a gratitude practice.  These days I wear three hats—and they’re big old sombreros that require a lot of attention and care. So what’s the key to doing it all and not falling on my face like last time?  Balance, green juice and a little Kundalini.

What is Kundalini? It kind of sounds like ancient pasta!

Kundalini Yoga is an ancient and highly effective form of yoga that supports physical and emotional stress, your body and your wildest dreams—literally.  It blends physical practice with breath work, meditation and chanting to increase physical vitality and consciousness; Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan is the Yoga of Awareness. Yogi Bhajan brought Kundalini teachings to the West in 1968.

How do you do it?

While there are likely studios and teachers in your city, Kundalini can be practiced anywhere—which is why I love it so much.  There are virtual teachers and subscriptions—and YouTube is home to a many teaching videos that can introduce you to the practice.  One of my favorites is, Guru Jagat, who offers online teachings and digital recordings with a sense of humor and perspective. 

What is it good for?

The benefits of kundalini are vast.  Reported benefits include increased flexibility, expanded lung capacity, a strong core, stress alleviation and even emotional balance. 

Here are 5 practical and real world benefits of the practice

1) Helps You Find Your Truth

Kundalini’s science allows you to connect to your core energy and approach each day connected to your truth.  Being connected to your highest self creates a palpable energy shift that those around you will notice. Relationships will deepen and new opportunities will arise.

2) Supports a Sense of Clarity

Each class leaves me with clarity and the ability to breaks through old mental patterns and inspires new ideas.

3) Helps You Find Your Inspired Pack

We can’t always choose our co-workers or the people next to us on our morning commute. Their energy might feel negative; and let's not forget that we’re the sum total of those we spend time with. So, pulling up your energy by spending time with an inspired community can keep you focused on what’s most important. 

4) Allows You to Be Ready for Anything

Each Kundalini class is an adventure that can take you from casual stretching to crazy screaming. The spontaneous nature of the practice keeps you light on your feet and ready for anything.

5) Everyone is a Teacher

Yogi Bhajan said that he shared Kundalini in the west not to get more followers but to inspire new teachers. We are all in service to each other and have something to teach and share and Kundalini is a great reminder of that.

Interested in learning more about Kundalini or potentially becoming a teacher? Our good friends at Sat Nam Center for Higher Consciousness are launching a digital & live Kundalini Yoga teacher training. Check it out!

Although some corporations have come a long way in terms of supporting employee wellness, there is still a mountain to climb. From cookie-filled catered events to the ubiquitous office vending machine (and its requisite processed snacks), most businesses could use a wellness makeover. Considering that we spend more of our heartbeats at work than anywhere else, this can often create a serious health challenge.

While many of us are resigned to the idea that our workplaces are inextricably unhealthy, there are plenty of ways that you can give your office a wellness revamp. The key to changing your workplace is to be the change. In fact, you’d be shocked at how receptive your fellow employees and/or corporate leadership will be when you use your voice and lead by example.

Here are some of the ways you can do so.

REVAMP SNACK TIME

Recently in my health coaching business, I was consulting for a large organization. In nearly all of my one-on-one sessions with employees, they complained that office snacks were sabotaging their healthy habits. They’d be doing great all day...and then the 4pm witching hour would hit and they’d reach straight for the office-provided corn nuts or buttery popcorn.

Take the lead and speak to human resources about bringing in healthy vending options through companies like h.u.m.a.n, which supplies macronutrient-dense office snacking options. If cost is a concern, then look to invite in local vendors and have them sample products to employees during the workday. Whether they’re making kombucha or creating gluten-free snacks, most of these business are clamoring to get exposure.

RETHINK THE CATERED LUNCH - AND BEYOND

If unhealthy catered lunches are taking you down, put in a request with team leaders to look into healthier options. Large, shared salads, veggie-centric wraps, and fruit platters aren’t always more expensive than sandwiches, muffins, and cookies. Find some menus of locations in your area, share them with whomever is responsible for ordering, and watch the healthy magic unfold. Along those lines, companies like Square Roots and Green Top Farm can help further facilitate healthy eating in the office and beyond. These innovative business come straight to your office and deliver farm-fresh produce and meals. For anyone who struggles to get the groceries post-work, they’re truly game-changing services.

GET SOME BACKBONE

Sitting all day can be hard work -- on your back! According to the American Chiropractic Association, back pain costs employers at least $50 billion per year; the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons estimates it to be closer to $200 billion dollars per year! If you’re worried about postural deficiencies or impending back issues, talk to your employee wellness officers about procuring standing desks. These days, they’re so sophisticated that you can choose from a treadmill, bike or standing varieties. If that’s too expensive for your new-to-wellness-workplace, it’s incredibly easy to create a makeshift standing desk out of a pile of books. Do it and I promise you that your team members will follow suit.

MAKE TEAM-BUILDING ABOUT HEALTH

When I started my career, it seemed like every activity revolved around drinking or generally over-indulging. We’d wine and dine clients and then arrive home so late that we’d inevitably miss our workouts. That was my life until it took such a toll on me that I developed two autoimmune diseases and had to change everything. These days, work dinners are usually “spin and din” or a fun exercise class followed by a great, healthy meal. 

So, instead of going out for boozy activities, try something a little more active. If sweating with your coworkers isn’t your thing, there are still plenty of ways to keep it healthy. Maybe it’s an interactive experience like Escape the Room or a healthy gelato-making class. Whatever it is, share your ideas with team leads and planners and get the wellness ideas circulating.  

REAP THE BENEFITS OF GROUP WORKOUTS

Many local studios will actually comp passes to companies in an effort to get them to experience their offerings. Reach out to a few places in your neighborhood -- it can be anything from group strength training class to yoga to team-inspired indoor cycling (I love Swerve) -- and see if they'd be willing to do a group introductory class. Not only will you be saving your colleagues money, you’ll be setting the stage for an office-wide commitment for good health. And you know what they say: Strength in numbers!

“I’m going on a cleanse.”

For many of us, hearing that statement produces waves of confusion, fear, skepticism and maybe even a bit of envy. After all, cleansing seems like an intimidating proposition: An endeavor that is taxing to undertake, but could ultimately be redeeming. Unfortunately, the lack of understanding about what a cleanse really means can inhibit many of us to embark on one; alternatively, it can inspire cleansing for all the wrong reasons. Ahead, we’re separating fact from fiction, offering up the “truth” about what really happens when you embark on a responsible cleanse, the BHH way.

Myth: Cleansing is as form of extreme dieting.

If you’re bracing yourself for drinking nothing but juice while on a cleanse, then maybe think again. While there are certainly “cleanses” out there that entail such extreme measures, we view cleansing in a quite a different way. The purpose of a BHH-approved cleanse is to energize and recharge the body with nutritious, whole foods that are free from inflammatory ingredients. This means lots of vegetables, some fruits, healthy fats, some lean protein and absolutely no refined carbohydrates, dairy, sugar, caffeine and alcohol. Consider it a welcome reset for your body, which entails eating – and eating well. (More on what that means below.)

Myth: Cleansing is all about weight loss.

While some people will absolutely lose weight on the version of a cleanse we just outlined, it all depends on what your eating habits were like prior to cleansing. That’s to say, if you ate fairly clean and lean ahead of cleansing, your weight loss may be modest at best. Alternatively, if you were chowing on fast food for breakfast, lunch and dinner, you should really see the pounds come off. 

With that said, the purpose of a BHH-approved cleanse isn’t simply about dropping weight – it’s about enhanced mental clarity, increased energy, getting better sleep, experiencing a more balanced mood and enjoying greater consciousness around the foods you consume and the way that they affect your body. In short, you should be seeing holistic improvements across the board when you’re on a great cleanse – and one of them may indeed be a smaller waistline.

Fact: Cleansing isn’t about deprivation, but it is about elimination.

In a BHH-approved cleanse, you shouldn't feel super hungry. This is because you’re keeping your blood sugar stable and feeding your body regularly with satisfying, filling foods: You will not be starving yourself in the hopes of a quick weight-loss fix. Nevertheless, we’ll shoot straight with you – you are going to be eliminating some foods and substances that you may really, really miss: That slice of pizza, your nightly glass of wine, your go-to midday brownie and – oh yes – your morning coffee. This will be hard at first, but eventually you’ll get used to life without them – and, frankly, you may feel so good by the end that you won’t even feel deprived.

Myth: Going on a cleanse is expensive.

Yes, there are certainly cleanse programs that require you to plunk down hundreds of dollars per week to eat clean and stay lean. But a manageable, sustainable cleanse is really just about adjusting your everyday shopping habits and being smart about your purchases. In fact, since you’re going to be eliminating items that are likely mainstays of your daily spending – coffee, gluten, alcohol – you may even find that you’ll save money. So don’t get it twisted – shopping for a cleanse is just like regular old grocery shopping – and if you need help, do check out this post about purchasing healthy foods on a budget. 

Feeling professionally stagnated? In a rut at work and can’t get out of it? We’ve all been there – and we know just how debilitating it can be to feel unmotivated and uninspired by your job. Ahead, we’re sharing our tips and recommendations for relocating that career fire. Read on.

Take account of your work

What are you working on? And how long have you been working on it? Those are two big questions to ask yourself when you feel the “job blahs” coming on. This is because, oftentimes, people feel fatigued when they are focused on frustrating, tedious projects that seem never-ending. If that sounds like you, get proactive about making a plan to take on a new assignment. Alternatively, speak with the appropriate stakeholders on the status of your current not-so-inspiring project and how you can best move it forward. Chances are you will feel more invigorated and in control as a result.

Push (and pitch) for projects you love

Along those lines, part of finding professional satisfaction is about seeking out projects that bring out the best in you. For instance, I’m a freelance marketing and communications consultant. While I love doing editorial-style writing – such as this blog post! – I also do things I’m not as interested in, such as reporting against social media performance. In order to feel invigorated and inspired, though, I ensure I’m always working and seeking out writing-related projects. Oftentimes this requires working overtime, which is fine by me – as long as I’m feeling passionate and fulfilled, I don’t really care what the time commitment looks like.

Make time for play and creativity

When I’m uninspired, I find that doing creative-oriented tasks like making mood boards, journaling or reading a great piece of writing helps reset my attitude. In fact, studies show that “play time” is integral for employee morale, boosts creativity and enhances motivation. With that said, consider bringing in cards or a board game to your office to take mini “play” breaks, or do something independently creative like coloring or flipping through a great photography book when the work doldrums set in. 

Invest in your development

Feelings of professional stasis can be compounded by not feeling like you are growing, evolving or learning. If that’s the case, consider enrolling in outside workshops or educational courses to help you get to that next level professionally. A great example of this are the courses offered at General Assembly, which focuses on marketing, design, data and business workshops. While these can be pricey if you’re paying your own way, don’t be afraid to ask your employer to sponsor you – many will be willing do so. Moreover, if you're an independent contractor, professional growth workshops are all tax deductible. 

Have you ever felt like you’re doing everything right with your life but not seeing the results you’d hoped for?  You’re eating clean and 100% organic, but you’re still plagued by stomach issues.  You’ve got financial integrity and a solid career but still can’t reach your savings or career goals.  You’re a wonderful human, but love seems to evade you.  Sound anything like your life?  Me too!

I’ve shared openly on the blog about my autoimmune diseases (celiac and hashimotos in the house!) and occasionally, despite my 110% effort (mental, physical and emotional!) I would have major setbacks in the way of bacterial infections, chronic fatigue and general annoyances.  What is up with that?

But there was something else.  It didn’t matter how hard or how much effort I put into things, I always seemed to be in the same place.  Now, you might say, "That’s a matter of perception.”  And after years of looking at it that way and seeing the glass half full, I shared my story with my great friend and gifted healer, Deganit Nuur.  I’ve mentioned Deganit on the blog before and I can’t sing her praises enough.  A brilliant acupuncturist and intuitive healer, she’s always made sure my chakras were as healthy as the rest of me.  At the end of one of our recent sessions I made a casual off-handed comment about my career and she looked at me and said, “That’s a spiritual thing and you need to call my friend and colleague, Josh, ASAP.” 

So, like any good patient, I scurried out of her office, googled Dr Josh Eha, DAOM, L.Ac of Midwest Specialty Acupuncture and booked an appointment for Emotional Energy Clearing right away.  (Note: I grew up in a very scientific, allopathic household.  The daughter of cardiovascular surgeon and ICU nurse, we ALWAYS looked at the physical body and never talked about the spirit.  And some of you may roll your eyes at this, but there is a very real connection that needs to be explored for “perfect” health and it took me a long time to realize that.)

Not sure what to expect, I dug through his website to learn more. In its simplest form, emotions, when not dealt with properly, can be stored in the body and can cause disease.  According to Josh, “Emotional Energy Clearing is the fastest, cleanest, most effective way to free ourselves from toxic emotional baggage.  By taking advantage of the Chinese meridian system, we can bypass the shifty ego and its mind games to pinpoint and release trapped emotions directly. We do not have to rely on our own limited understanding to facilitate the release of trapped emotions. Our vast potential for healing lies within, even if the mind does not see it. We are like a supercomputer with faulty programming.  Once we remove the disturbing program, our meridian system will do the work for us!”  Sounds simple, right?

My first session rolled around and I was blown away by what happened.  I booked a second, then a third and then a fourth session with this very gifted human.  I was so inspired and intrigued by it all, I asked Dr. Josh if he would do an interview with us at BHH so we could share his knowledge and powerful perspective with all of you.  And here it is: 

AA: So what is Emotional Energy Clearing?

 JE: Our suffering comes from judgements, and judgements result in emotions that don’t flow with the rest of the systems and then can distort things physically and makes us feel disconnected and give us disease.

AA: Who needs EEC and who should see you? 

JE: People normally come in with specific emotional or psychological concerns, but it can also be used for physical issues.  Physical symptoms can arise from traumatic situations.  I even work with children and fetuses. 

Morning sickness is a common concern and usually has to do with the connection between the mother and baby.  Facilitating the connection can facilitate the sickness.  There can even be a judgement at birth that effects everything from there on.  For example, a toxic chemical environment in mom’s womb can create a judgement and cause you to perceive the physical world as toxic and you could project that onto the world.  

Most of my referrals are for energy work dealing with the mental, emotional, spiritual aspects all at once.  I can recognize disorder on many levels all at one time.  I work with a lot of chronic difficult cases where the system has failed. Or certain aspects of a personality that block them from getting over a hump. 

AA: In our sessions, we’re done quite a bit of past life work.  Can you talk more about that?

JE: Certain preprograms are karmic or ancestral and the spirit or higher self has to be okay with working with that.  

AA: What/who is our higher self?

JE: Our higher self is the part of us that is connected to truth.  Truth is eternal and it expands our viewpoint from the right now to the eternal.  It's the breath of God—the part of us that remains constantly conscious throughout our entire lives and all of our existences.  It’s not as selfish as our consciousness.  It’s the part of us that’s always connected to joy and love and knows our infallibility as divine beings.   

AA: How do you connect to our higher selves?

JE: I enter peripheral awareness and I enter this state to be perceptive.  Have you ever looked at an object without fully focusing on it and it then allowed you to see everything else around you with more clarity? It’s like that.  But before I do any work, I connect my higher self to my patients higher self and visualize those energies hugging. It creates a connection we can then work from.

AA: In our sessions, you’ve mentioned my vibrations a lot and where I’m specifically calibrated.  How do you feel peoples’ vibrations?  Can you talk a bit more about that?

JE: I’ve studied the work of Dr. David R. Hawkins, MD, PhD.  He basically developed a “map” of the levels of human consciousness (also called the Scale of Consciousness) that uses a muscle-testing technique called Applied Kinesiology to document the nonlinear, spiritual realm. Each level of consciousness coincides with particular behaviors and perceptions.  The nature of the mind is to solve problems on the outside but, for things on the inside, we use a different side of ourselves and that's the heart. There can be certain emotions or energy blocking our chakras or creating heart walls, and that’s where the disease happens. 

(Note: The research was scientifically validated and published in Dr. Hawkins’ doctoral dissertation titled Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis and Calibrations of the Level of Human Consciousness, an elaborate discussion of the Scale of Consciousness and its significance as outlined in his groundbreaking book, Power vs. Force: The Anatomy of Consciousness (Veritas Publishing, 1995).)

AA: We’ve done some “heart wall” work in our sessions.  Can you talk a bit about what that is?

JE: Almost everyone has a heart wall. Only a couple children or enlightened people I’ve come across don’t have heart walls.  Heart walls are built when we recognize that we're not successful at loving all the time, which isolates us.  We build them as a protective mechanism and because we listen to the ego.  The ego says we can suffer loss, be hurt, that it’s not okay to be vulnerable—that we're separate.  And it’s that voice that puts up a buffer.  

AA: What other big blocks do you see today?

JE: I see a lot of blocked chakras.  There can be blocks in mental, emotional and universal fields.  But the heart and chakras are the most common.   

AA: How do most people feel after a session?  What should they expect?

JE: It’s highly variable. Some people shift right away and others can take time.  It depends on what’s at play—sometimes there is more work to do.  But generally speaking, people will feel lighter, more forgiving and accepting—softer, more flexible.  People usually can connect more fully to others and don’t feel so isolated.  Some people feel almost effervescent—like we're spirit, like we're whole, like we're bigger.   

AA: Anything else you’d like to share or for us to know about your work? 

JE:  It's important for us to nurture our spirit.  We don’t get told that very much and we don’t feel like we have the program to do that right.   

AA: How do you nurture your spirit? 

JE: Meditation first and foremost. I also do Qi Gong—a moving mediation to get my mind out of the way so my body can be become a listening vessel.  

AA: How can the rest of us nurture our spirits?

JE: Meditation is great.  You can also use yoga or dance again to move your mind out of the way. Prayer and religious practices also nurtures the spirit. Really anything that makes our inner child jump for joy. 

For more information on Dr. Josh Eha or to book an appointment, click here.