Month: December 2020

Holistic Healing, Mindfulness, Seasonal - Holidays

Winter Solstice

Corie Muldoon

Yule is the ancient name for the Winter Solstice, the longest night and shortest day of the year. 

In northern climates, this is the darkest and coldest time of the year.

The sun seems to be weak, even dying, and we fear winter will last forever.

But just as soon as the Solstice passes, the days begin to grow longer again.

The Solstice is a turning point in the wheel of the year, when the sun symbolically dies and is reborn.

Darkness is not something bad or something to fear.

We know that without darkness, nothing could live or grow. Without night, we would have no day.

Balance

Light and darkness must always be in balance.

At Solstice, the balance has tipped as far toward the dark as it can go.

And we are so ready for the light to come back.

This time of year has been sacred long before the birth of Jesus.

In fact, no one truly knows when exactly Jesus was born, but because people were so used to celebrating at this season, the early Church chose it for one of their most important holidays.

The Light in Religion

During this season, people of many different religions try to strengthen the light.

Pagans and Christians bring an evergreen tree inside and decorate it with twinkling lights to remind us that life goes on even in the depths of winter.

Jewish people light candles for eight nights, adding one more each night to the Chanukah Menorah.

And African American people celebrate Kwanzaa, lighting candles for seven nights to symbolize the qualities of unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.

Another tradition is staying up all night in anticipation for the birth of the sun, a new year.

In the early morning, many climb up on a hill to watch for the dawn, to drum and dance and welcome the reborn sun who brings back the light and the promise of summer.

The sun rises and we are reborn with the year.

Within each of us, whatever our age, the miracle child we were at birth emerges anew.

The secret we learn from the Solstice is that just when everything looks darkest, the light is sure to be reborn.

Did you find any value in this article? Should I write more about the seasons, nature, and our oneness with what surrounds us?

Happy Holidays! Sending love and blessings to all of my family and friends this winter season ♡
x Corie

Getting Started, Movement

What is foam rolling?

Corie Muldoon

Foam rollers are used as an effective method to…

  1. increase blood flow
  2. enhance ROM (range of motion)
  3. reduce tension
  4. increase muscle length

during both warm-up and post-workout sessions.

Warm-Up Sessions

Be sure to use a foam roller for only a brief period of time to elevate tissue temperature and reduce tension.

Think light, even pressure over muscle groups that you will be targeting during your workout.

For example, it’s leg day… so I’m going to foam roll (with light and even pressure) my glutes, hips, quads, hammies, and calves within 60 minutes of my leg workout.

If you find an area of tension, fight the urge to increase pressure.

Applying pressure with a foam roller for an extended period of time during your warm-up session could desensitize the muscle and affect its ability to contract during your workout.

Post-Workout Sessions

After your workout, foam rollers are a great tool that can help reduce soreness and promote the recovery process.

Areas of tension are a main priority post-workout. My rule of thumb is to foam roll within 3 hours post-workout.

Aim to move at a consistent tempo of approximately 1 inch per second; focus on areas of tension for up to 90 seconds to allow the tissue to relax and lengthen.

If you find an area of tension that is extremely painful, take it easy and lay off some pressure.

It’s important to listen to your body, and utilizing the foam roller gives you the opportunity to hear your body from the inside out.

You’ll quickly get the hang of knowing how much pressure to apply, where, and for how long.

Foam rolling also helps promote a feeling of relaxation after a workout, an important psychological benefit.

Areas of Tension: Knots

Exercise-induced muscle damage signals the repair process.

This is when new collagen molecules are formed to help repair injured tissue…

Most likely forming adhesions (aka knots) between layers along the way.

You know what knots I’m talking about…

If you press down around your neck, shoulders, and between your shoulder blades… you’d feel ’em… super tender, may feel like a ball that is tight and/or sore.

Well the average person has knots all over their body… in our hands, around our ankles and wrists, even on our heads.

Knots are large and small in size and can be caused by a variety of activities like exercising, poor posture, bumping into something, and sleeping weird on an on-going basis.

The good news?!

Using a foam roller regularly can help minimize the risk of knots developing all together…

Which means less pain and more ENERGY!

Regular Use

With regular use a foam roller can…

  1. Reduce every day tension and muscle tightness
  2. Increase joint range of motion
  3. Enhance energy levels

To start, I’d recommend incorporating foam rolling 3-5 days a week.

The goal would be to foam roll during all warm-up & post-workout sessions.

However, when you are first getting started… let’s start small.

Let’s focus on getting into the habit of foam rolling areas of tension post-workout for a few minutes at a time.

It’s simple and will give you immediate benefits leaving you with inspiration to keep the habit going.

Plus, you can work your way up in frequency and duration at your own pace.

So with all of that being said, I would highly recommend incorporating foam rolling into your workout regime!

Do you use a foam roller? How has it impacted your life? Comment below!

Happy Foam Rolling!
x Corie

Getting Started, Mindfulness, Mindset

Faith: free social graphics

Corie Muldoon

Faith is a state of mind.

It may be induced, or created, by affirmation or repeated instructions to the subconscious mind.

All through the ages, religious leaders have struggled with humanity to “have faith” but they’ve failed to teach people how to have faith.

They haven’t made it clear that faith is a state of mind and that it may be induced by self-suggestion.

Each of us is what we are because of the dominating thoughts we permit to occupy our minds.

Thoughts deliberately placed in our mind + emotion = motivating forces that direct and control our every moment, act and deed!

Throw off the influences of any unfortunate environment and commit to building your own life to order.

By taking an inventory of mental assets and liabilities, you will discover your greatest weakness is lack of self-confidence.

This handicap can be surmounted and translated into courage through the aid of self-suggestion.

This application may be made through a simple arrangement of positive thought impulses stated in writing, memorized and repeated, until they have become a part of the working equipment of your subconscious mind.

Below I’ve created a few graphics that include some of the most powerful words I have come across.

They are purely light in the darkness and I hope they bring as much confidence and comfort to you as they do for me.

Save your favorite graphics and…
1. Share them with a friend
2. Set one as your wallpaper
3. And create an album you can look back on when you’re feeling low

From my ♡ to yours,
x Corie