Posted on

20 Herbs to Help You Heal Your Kidney and Prostate

Our kidneys and prostate play important roles in our bodies through the control and regulation of fluids in our systems. The kidneys remove waste and toxins, while the prostate produces semen in men, and both are vital to healthy hormone production and part of the body’s elimination processes. Healing your kidneys and prostate will bring them back to good working order. This is critically important for your overall health, so here, we go over how you can heal your kidneys and prostate naturally with herbs and supplements. Let’s dive in and learn how to boost your overall health!

RenaFood

RenaFood is a supplement that was introduced in 1975 by Standard Process to support healthy kidney function. It contains a combination of vitamin A, bovine kidney extract, and kidney bean juice powder, which are necessary key nutrients that help regulate kidney cell activities.  RenaFood helps heal your kidneys by replenishing the acids, enzymes and hormone precursors keep your kidneys functioning in tip-top shape. Your kidneys are hard working organs and sometimes they need a little help to do all of the work that they need to, so supplementing with RenaFood can help keep them in good working order.

Banana Stem

Banana stems are the flower found on the stalk of a banana plant and this vegetable is considered a super food that helps to detox the prostate and kidney organs. By consuming banana stem, it can greatly reduce the chances of having an enlarged prostate by inhibiting the proliferation of prostate cells and production of dihydrotestosterone, a hormone that stimulates the development of testosterone. As well, the banana stem contains potassium and magnesium, two minerals that can help prevent kidney stones and other kidney related illnesses.

.

Gokshura (Tribulu Terrestris, Bindi)

The Gokshura is small leafy flower, native to areas with warm and humid climates like southern Asia, southern Europe, Africa, and Northern Australia.  This plant has been used as part of traditional Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine as an answer to many different prostate and kidney problems, because of its high antioxidant content. Taking this herb can boost libido, suppress the growth and spread of cancers and tumors, remove kidney stones and help manage erectile dysfunction.

Shatavari (Asparagus, A. Racemosus)

Shatavari is a member of the asparagus family and is used to treat many prostate issues.  It prevents the formation of many types of kidney stones, most commonly oxalate stones by increasing the magnesium concentration in urine.  It can also relieve inflammation and improve urination and urine retention, which reduce the potential for benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Pumpkin Seeds

Not only do pumpkin seeds make a healthy snack, but they are also packed with valuable nutrients that are good for the body! Win-win! These antioxidant seeds are highly effective in reducing the risks of certain cancers since they can reduce the effects of dihydrotestosterone on the prostate, which is what causes it to grow. They also help to prevent the accumulation of uric acid in the body, which is what can lead to kidney stones.

Pomegranate

Pomegranates are powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory that contains many anti-viral properties. If that wasn’t enough, this superfood contains high amounts of vitamin C and potassium.  When it comes to kidney health, the added potassium in the fruits will help prevent the formation of crystals and reduces the likelihood of developing kidney stones.

Varuna (Crataeva Nurvala) Powder

Varuna Powder comes a tree native to India and Bangladesh.  This powder has anti-inflammatory properties and in terms of prostate health, it is highly effective in treating benign prostate hyperplasia and can helps to prevent painful urination caused by enlarged prostates. For kidney health, this powder can cure kidney stones by decreasing the increased production of oxalate.

Saw Palmetto Fruit

The saw palmetto fruit contains beta-sitosterol, a plant-based sterol that reduces the symptoms of enlarged prostate (reducing the amount of dihydrotestosterone), such as problems urinating, and has actually been shown to shrink the prostate gland.

BioAstin Hawaiian Astaxanthin

BioAstin Hawaiian Astaxanthin is a natural antioxidant that was developed by Nutrex.  This supplement has anti-inflammatory properties and has been shown to slow down the enlargement of the prostate and reduce kidney diseases.

Lycopene

Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that is often found in tomatoes and other red and pink fruits.  Studies show that those who consume a lycopene-rich diet, have a 30-40% lower risk of developing prostate cancer.

Punarnarva (Boerhaavia diffusa)

Punarnarva is a small plant that is commonly used in Ayurvedic medicine.   Considered one of the best herbs for kidney health, punarnava is traditionally used to pacify the doshas, bringing harmony to the body. It is used as a tonic to heal your kidneys, particularly due to its diuretic and anti-inflammatory properties, and can be taken to manage kidneu stones and other kidney disorders.

Chyawanprash

Chyawanprash is a Ayurvedic supplement that has anti-inflammatory properties which drastically improves immunity and can reduce the occurrence of kidney stones. Sign me up!

Horse Gram (Kulthi Dal)

Horse gram is the most protein-rich lentil on the planet.  Packed with polyphenols, flavonoids, steroids, proteins, iron, vitamin B complex and calcium, its diuretic nature makes it a prime choice for kidney stone treatments.

Ginger (Zingiber Officinale)

Ginger is a root vegetable known for its characteristic bright yellow colour and it’s notable spice. Ginger is high in vitamin C, magnesium, and other minerals.  When consumed as a tea, it can promote healthy blood pressure and prevent the formation of kidney stones as well as flush out the kidneys and other toxins to prevent bacteria build-up. And its delicious!

Potassium Citrate

As a major remedy for kidney stones, potassium citrate slows the growth of crystals that form them.

Shilajit

A natural, sticky substance that is found on the rocks of the Himalayas, Shilajit contains fulvic acid and dozens of other minerals that come with a plethora of health benefits. This compound has been used in ayurvedic medicine and is used for treating enlarged prostates. As well, it acts as a diuretic to remove excess fluid from your body and also helps to pass kidney stones.

Vitamin K2

Vitamin K2 is a highly effective detox vitamin that aids the removal of calcium build-up, such as the calcium fund in kidney stones.

While we know that Western, conventional medicine has revolutionized health care, it lacks a holistic approach to health and wellness aims to heal from within, not simply cure a symptom. By embracing a more natural approach to your health, you can tap into a space where ancient wisdom and modern science exist, and apply these principles to your daily life. Our health journeys involve so much more than medication, like exercising, eating well and living more naturally. By embracing other gifts from the world, like plants and herbs, you can take control of your health and heal yourself naturally.

Meet Paul Wagner

Paul Wagner is an Intuitive Life & Business Coach, clairvoyant reader, and a five-time EMMY Award-winning writer. He created “THE PERSONALITY CARDS,” a powerful Oracle-Tarot deck that’s helpful in life, love, and relationships. Paul studied with Lakota elders in the Pecos Wilderness, who nurtured his empathic abilities and taught him the sacred rituals. He has lived at ashrams with enlightened masters, including Amma, the Hugging Saint, for whom he’s delivered keynotes at Her worldwide events.

Paul tours the world lecturing on spiritual liberation. He lovingly offers intuitive readings, inspirational coaching, and illuminating courses to help others with self-discovery, decision-making, healing, and forgiveness. Book a session with Paul: HERE

Meet Paul Wagner

Paul Wagner is an Intuitive Life & Business Coach, clairvoyant reader, and a five-time EMMY Award-winning writer. He created “THE PERSONALITY CARDS,” a powerful Oracle-Tarot deck that’s helpful in life, love, and relationships. Paul studied with Lakota elders in the Pecos Wilderness, who nurtured his empathic abilities and taught him the sacred rituals. He has lived at ashrams with enlightened masters, including Amma, the Hugging Saint, for whom he’s delivered keynotes at Her worldwide events.

Paul tours the world lecturing on spiritual liberation. He lovingly offers intuitive readings, inspirational coaching, and illuminating courses to help others with self-discovery, decision-making, healing, and forgiveness. Book a session with Paul: HERE

Button Nav Icon
Posted on

20 Herbs and Nootropics to Heal Your Brain and Improve its Performance

In a society that is constantly motivated by performance and output, keeping your energy levels up when you need it can be a struggle. Not to mention keeping your brain focused and alert! Giving ourselves a boost every now and again is sometimes what we need to get something done and using ancient herbs and nootropics, also known as botanicals, can help support your brain’s function.

Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed and take action to keep your brain in tip-top shape. Here are  20  herbs and nootropics that you can consume to improve the performance of your brain:

5-Methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF)

Vitamin B is a common type of folate used in the body to assist with the development of neurotransmitters and speed up the brain process. The 5-MTHF supplement, also known as Methlfolate is the preferred form of Vitamin B supplementation because it is the most active in improving brain health.  The 5-MTHF is responsible for the production of serotonin, melatonin, and the synthesis of DNA through the conversion of homocysteine to methionine.

Individuals with intestinal or liver dysfunction or have a genetic condition that makes converting folic acid into active 5-MTHF difficult do not receive sufficient 5-MTHF daily.

Pentadecylic acid

The first essential fatty acid to be discovered in 90 years, pentadecanoic acid is essential for daily consumption to improve brain health, growth, and metabolism.  This micronutrient has many additional benefits as well, including anti-aging properties, promoting cellular resilience, enhancing mitochondrial function, and stimulating the respective receptors that control immunity, metabolism, mood, sleep, and appetite.

Avena Sativa

The extract of an unripe Avena Sativa plant is said to contain psychoactive phytochemicals which can improve brain function and heart health in older adults.  The extracts contain phytochemicals that can improve mood, protect against stress, and reduce chronic inflammation. In addition, studies suggest that this extract inhibits an enzyme that is found in immune cells, which boosts the mood and reduces stress, anxiety, and depression.

N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC)

N-Acetyl Cysteine is a supplemental form of the semi-essential amino acid, cysteine.  NAC replenishes your glutathione, the most powerful antioxidant in your body and helps to regulate your glutamate, both of which are crucial to improving your brain health, and will assist people with brain disorders, like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. As a very common addition to our herbs and nootropics. NAC is found in many high protein foods, like chicken, turkey, yogurt, eggs, and cheese, and can be taken as a direct supplement.

Zinc

Zinc  is an essential trace element required for optimal brain health and cognition. Zinc is integral to the synthesis of proteins, the regulation of signaling cascades, gene transcription and neurotransmitter transport. Also, it is involved in DNA repair and synthesis and methylation. Zinc improves alertness, cognition, focus, memory, learning, recall, reduces brain fog, is an antioxidant, helps neuroplasticity, and protects against glutamate-toxicity.

Uridine Monophosphate

Uridine Monophosphate is a pyrimidine nucleoside that is found in all living organisms as a component in RNA and DNA. Uridine is essential for optimized cognition and memory throughout your life. When taken as a nootropic supplement, uridine monophosphate easily crosses the blood-brain barrier.Uridine monophosphate has been shown to increase neuron and synapse density, dopamine and acetylcholine release, boost learning and memory, and decrease depression.  A combination of RNA, omega-3 fatty acids, and arginine, are often used in nutrition formulas.

 

Berberine

Berberine is a chemical compound found in various plants like the European barberry, goldenseal, goldthread, Oregon grape, philodendron, and tree turmeric.  This compound is found to have many neuroprotective effects, namely improving the survival, development, and function of neurons, as well as protecting brain cells and preventing neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s disease.

Milk Thistle

One of the oldest additions to our list of herbs and nootropics is milk thistle. Milk thistle is a derivative of the milk thistle plant, Silybum Marianum, which has been an herbal remedy for over two thousand years.  Traditionally, milk thistle has commonly been used to treat liver and gallbladder disorders, promote breast milk production, prevent, and treat cancer, and even protect the liver from snake bites, and alcohol.

Recent studies have shown that milk thistle extract can protect hippocampal neurons against stress related cell death.  In the same study, milk thistle extract is found to positively impact the nervous system through the promotion of neuronal differentiation and survival.  It is now used as a treatment for neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease because of its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.  The neuroprotective nature helps prevent the aging effects of brain function decline.

Huperzine A

Huperzine A is a chemical compound found in the Chinese Club Moss (Huperzia Serrata) or Fir Club Moss (Huperzia Selago) and can also be synthetically created in a lab.  In the 1980’s, Huperzine A was identified for medicinal use by doctors at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Studies show that Huperzine A increases levels of acetylcholine and cholinesterase.  Acetylcholine helps with memory and cognitive ability, while cholinesterase increases the number of neurotransmitters in the brain. Studies have found the Huperzine A might improve memory and nerve cells, preventing Alzheimer related cognitive decline.  Huperzine A is consumed to improve memory and brain function in people with neurocognitive illnesses.

Acetylcholine

Acetylcholine is a chemical that is highly beneficial to various body functions.  It primarily acts as the communicator between the neurons of the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system.  Within the brain, acetylcholine affects neuronal excitability, influencing synaptic transmission, inducing synaptic plasticity, and coordinating the firing of neuron groups.

The function of Acetylcholine can be disrupted by disease and toxins, leading to several memory and muscle related health consequences like Alzheimer’s, Myasthenia Gravis, and Parkinson’s.  Acetylcholine is made of the chemicals Acetyl and Choline.  In recent years, studies have found that pesticides and toxins are a common contributor to decreased levels of Acetylcholine in the body.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is critical in the regulation of calcium homeostasis, the immune system, and maintains bone integrity. Severe vitamin D deficiency increases the cerebral soluble and insoluble amyloid peptides, while decreasing its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.  This is linked to long term health disorders like dementia, depression, diabetes mellitus, increased brain infections.  Vitamin D deficiency in expecting mothers is linked to early childhood development of autism, schizophrenic-like disorders, hypoxic brain injury, and other mental illnesses.

L-Arginine

L-Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid that is widely present in the brain and is crucial for regulating normal brain function.  L-Arginine is made up of two molecules, lysine and arginine.  Within the brain, L-Arginine metabolises to produce various bioactive molecules, like Nitric Oxid, L-Citrulline by Nitric Oxide Synthase, L-Ornithine, Urea by Arginase, and Agmatine by Arginine Decarboxylase.  Many of these compounds are very important in promoting healthy brain function.

Acetyl-L-Carnitine

Acetyl-L-Carnitine, also known as ALC, is often used by individuals with nerve pain, high blood sugar to assist with the management of cholesterol, cell damage, and constant fatigue.  It is derived from L-Carnitine, a compound composed of Lysine and Methionine but can move from the blood-brain barrier more effectively. This is done by converting fat into energy. In the maintenance of brain health, Acetyl-L-Carnitine helps treat Alzheimer’s, depression, memory loss, and cognitive decline.

Supplementing Acetyl-L-Carnitine can help older adults improve memory, mental function, and mental and physical tiredness.  Improvements in energy levels after exercise and appetite can be seen after the consumption of Acetyl-L-Carnitine.

Alpha Lipoic Acid

Alpha Lipoic Acid is an antioxidant that is often used for the treatment of neurological disorders, like diabetic polyneuropathy and multiple sclerosis.  It is absorbed into the body through diets and crosses the brain-blood barrier to assist with brain health.  The antioxidant properties influence many cellular processes, including direct radical scavenging, recycling, metal chelation, regeneration of endogenous antioxidants, and modulation of transcription factor activity.  It can also reduce inflammation, reverse the effects of skin aging, promoting healthy nerve function, lower the risk of heart disease, and slow the progression of memory loss disorders.

Resveratrol

Resveratrol is a compound that is commonly found in plants like red grapes and peanuts, which have many great benefits to the human brain.  Resveratrol is most known to activate autophagy, a defense mechanism within the cells that targets old and damaged proteins to destroy and recycle. Resveratrol helps improve the cognitive ability in individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.  The studies have also found resveratrol intake is associated with anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, and brain protective effects.

Cat’s Claw

Cat’s Claw, also known as Uncaria Tomentosa, is found from a vine native to South and Central American rainforests.  In recent years, Cat’s Claw is becoming a highly sought-after nootropic assisting with the decline of neurofunction, brain fog, memory loss, depression, neurodegenerative disorders, diseases, and Lyme disease.  Because of its neuroprotective properties and cognitive benefits, it has been used to treat arthritic, inflammatory, and immune conditions.  Other benefits to Cat’s Claw include improving memory, learning, and mood, preventing the risk of neurodegenerative disorders, inflammation, and protecting the brain and nervous system.

Desiccated Beef Brain

Desiccated Beef Brain is highly beneficial to the enhancement of cognitive decline in elderly populations.  This is because the phosphatidylserine compounds improve the efficiency of enzymes within the nerve cells to relay messages from the cells to the rest of the body.  Desiccated Beef Brain is often consumed to reduce memory loss, limit uncontrolled mental activity, and treat epilepsy.  Bovine brain is also said to be able to improve both behaviour, cognition, memory, and alleviate symptoms of depression. In addition to brain related benefits, beef brain can also reduce symptoms of cellular atrophy, cell degeneration, decrease in tissue elasticity, and prevent aspects of aging.

Omega-3

Omega-3 fatty acids, like DHA and EPA, are found in fish like salmon or sardines, or nuts like walnuts, chia seeds, and flaxseeds.  These acids are the primary foundation for developing healthy brain, blood flow, and offers protection against brain cell damage to support memory and focus as well as reduce inflammation.  Omega-3 is often consumed to prevent depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, ADHD, Alzheimer’s, and Dementia.

Ginkgo Biloba

Ginkgo is a commonly consumed herb that assists with brain health, namely perceptual, cognitive, and motor functions.  Because of its highly beneficial anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, platelet-forming, and circulation improving proponents, individuals often ingest gingko to enhance positive mood, increase energy, improve memory, and reduce ADHD and Dementia related symptoms. Studies have shown that Gingko assists with memory enhancement in individuals diagnosed with Dementia.  Preliminary studies have also shown Gingko to be highly effective in treating ADHD.

Bacopa Monnieri

Bacopa Monnieri, also known as Brahmi, is a traditional herbal remedy used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine in India for hundreds of years.  It is used to help regulate dopamine, serotonin production, and alleviate stress by enhancing its antioxidant neuroprotective mechanisms, which enhance cerebral blood flow, improving the electro-neurons fired in the brain.

Studies have found that Bacopa Monnieri assisted in managing a wide range of mental and mood-related health concerns.  Because this traditional herb is non- addictive and has very few side effects, it is often recommended by many to improve memory, reduce anxiety, prevent depression, and enhance focus, attention, learning, and memory.

Remember, a healthy mind leads to a healthy life.  If you’re looking to boost your brainpower, intensify your focus, expand your creativity, or enhance your memory, nootropics can offer the perfect blend of benefits and targeted brain health support. Your health journey is your own to take, so use what works best for you and embrace the healing power of plants!

Meet Paul Wagner

Paul Wagner is an Intuitive Life & Business Coach, clairvoyant reader, and a five-time EMMY Award-winning writer. He created “THE PERSONALITY CARDS,” a powerful Oracle-Tarot deck that’s helpful in life, love, and relationships. Paul studied with Lakota elders in the Pecos Wilderness, who nurtured his empathic abilities and taught him the sacred rituals. He has lived at ashrams with enlightened masters, including Amma, the Hugging Saint, for whom he’s delivered keynotes at Her worldwide events.

Paul tours the world lecturing on spiritual liberation. He lovingly offers intuitive readings, inspirational coaching, and illuminating courses to help others with self-discovery, decision-making, healing, and forgiveness. Book a session with Paul: HERE

Button Nav Icon
Posted on

Wonderful Essential Oils And Their Medicinal And Healing Powers

When you think of essential oils, the first thing that comes to mind is their ability to freshen your home and leave it smelling nice. But did you know that these oils can be used for so much more than just making your room smell great? In fact, these oils are an excellent way to boost your immune system, improve stress levels and even aid in digestion. These oils contain powerful properties that help in numerous ways when consumed as well as applied topically. Here are a handful of remarkable essential oils and their medicinal and healing powers:

Ylang Llang Oil

Ylang ylang oil is extracted from the flowers of the Cananga odorata tree native to tropical climates. The yellowish-green flowers of this tree provide the essential oil with a distinct flowery scent. Ylang ylang oil is a very popular essential oil for creating the mood for romance. It can also help you de-stress and is great for promoting healthy skin. Y lang ylang oil is commonly used for anxiety, depression, insomnia, stress, menopause symptoms, skin conditions, acne, wound healing, and various infections.

Cedarwood Oil

Cedarwood oil is extracted from the wood and bark of the cedar tree. It has a very distinct and powerful scent like that of a fresh cedar forest. Cedarwood oil has been used for centuries as a natural remedy for all kinds of health concerns, including infections, poor circulation, and even mental health issues. Cedarwood oil has also been used as a natural insect repellent. It is known to repel woodworms, bugs, and moths and can even be used to repel mosquitoes and other biting insects.

Chamomile Oil

Chamomile oil is extracted from the flowers of the chamomile plant. It is commonly used for its calming, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fungal properties. Chamomile oil is commonly used in both medicinal and beauty products and is also a great addition to your home cleaning products. Chamomile oil has been linked to a decrease in anxiety, insomnia, and irritable bowel syndrome. It has also been known to help with eczema, psoriasis, and other inflammatory skin conditions.

Eucalyptus Oil

Eucalyptus oil is extracted from the leaves of the eucalyptus tree. This essential oil has a very distinct and refreshing scent that can help to clear your sinuses and relieve congestion. Eucalyptus oil is also known for its antibacterial and anti-fungal properties and can be used to treat infections, heal wounds, and prevent infections. Eucalyptus oil has been linked to reducing anxiety, improving mood, and promoting restful sleep. It may also be beneficial for healthy skin, respiratory health, and for lowering blood pressure.

Frankincense Oil

Frankincense oil is extracted from the resin of the Boswellia tree. This essential oil has been used for centuries and is known for its potent anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties. Frankincense oil has also been linked to improving focus, reducing anxiety, and boosting mood. Frankincense oil can be added to your skin care routine to promote healthy skin, reduce signs of aging, and reduce excess oil in skin. It may also be beneficial for respiratory health, reducing stress, and improving mood.

Geranium Oil

Geranium oil is extracted from the leaves, stems, and flowers of the Pelargonium roseum plant. This essential oil has a very sweet scent and is commonly used in the fragrance and beauty industry. Geranium oil is known to be an excellent anti-aging skin care product and is also great at reducing anxiety and stress. Geranium oil can be added to your skincare routine to promote healthy skin and reduce signs of aging. It may also be beneficial for reducing anxiety and stress.

Grapefruit Oil

Grapefruit oil is extracted from the rind of the grapefruit. It has a distinct citrus scent and is commonly used for its anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, and anti-fungal properties. Grapefruit oil is commonly used in skincare products, household cleaning products, and even as an insect repellent. Grapefruit oil has been linked to reducing the signs of aging, being an anti-inflammatory, and being an antifungal agent. It may also be beneficial for reducing anxiety and improving mood.

Hemp Seed Oil

Hemp seed oil is extracted from the seeds of the hemp plant. It has a light green color and is a very rich source of vitamins and minerals, including omega fatty acids. Hemp seed oil is commonly used for both external and internal health benefits. It is a very popular addition to skincare products, natural beauty products, and even dietary supplements. It is also a great cooking oil. Hemp seed oil has been linked to reducing signs of aging, improving skin, being an anti-inflammatory, being an antifungal agent, and improving your digestive system.

Rosemary Oil

Rosemary oil is extracted from the leaves of the Rosmarinus officialis bush. This essential oil has a distinct earthy scent and is commonly used as a flavoring agent and medicinal plant. Rosemary oil has been linked to aiding in healthy digestion, reducing stress, and promoting restful sleep. Rosemary oil can be added to your skincare routine to promote healthy skin, reduce signs of aging, and reduce excess oil in skin. It may also be beneficial for your digestive system.

Sandalwood Oil

Sandalwood oil is extracted from the heartwood of the sandalwood tree. This essential oil has a very distinct and rich scent and has been used in both medicinal and fragrance products since ancient times. Sandalwood oil is known to be an excellent anti-inflammatory, anti-aging skin care product, and an antifungal agent. Sandalwood oil has been linked to improving your mood, reducing stress, assisting with digestion, and promoting restful sleep. It may also be beneficial for your skin and hair.

Orange Essential Oil

Orange essential oil is extracted from the rind of the orange. This essential oil has a distinct citrus scent and is commonly used as a flavoring agent in cooking and as a fragrance in beauty products. Orange oil is known to be an excellent anti-inflammatory, anti-aging skin care product, and an antifungal agent. Orange oil has been linked to improving your skin, reducing stress, assisting with digestion, and promoting restful sleep. It may also be beneficial for your skin and hair.

Conclusion

Essential oils are a great addition to your health and beauty routine. Besides smelling nice and aiding in relaxation, essential oils can be used for numerous medicinal purposes. They are a great alternative to synthetic anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial agents. If you want to reap the benefits of essential oils, make sure to purchase high-quality oils. Avoid using essential oils that have been diluted with other oils or synthetic fragrances. Also, make sure to read the labels before using any essential oil. Keep in mind that essential oils should be used with care and should always be diluted before application. If you are pregnant, nursing, or have young children in the house, it is best to avoid essential oils.

Button Nav Icon
Posted on

Psychopath vs Sociopath vs Narcissist

Image of different faces to convey Psychopath vs Sociopath vs Narcissist - Paul Wagner

Image of different faces to convey Psychopath vs Sociopath vs Narcissist - Paul Wagner

Oftentimes, we hear the terms psychopath vs sociopath vs narcissist used interchangeably. You may also hear people described as “self-obsessed,” “self-absorbed,” or “self-focused.” But what do all of these terms mean, and are they all different ways to say the same thing?

In fact, all of these terms refer to different conditions that have unique symptoms and effects. Read on to learn more about psychopath vs sociopath vs narcissist, as well as why self-obsession is beginning to take over our culture.

What Is a Sociopath?

Sociopathy is a mental disorder describing someone who can’t feel empathy for the people around them. Sociopaths have several different antisocial behaviors and attitudes.

These people often interact through manipulation and lying. They can often be aggressive and get ahead in the world by exploiting and manipulating the people in their lives.

Sociopaths can be hard to spot since, despite the fact that they don’t have a conscience, they can be very charming. They’re often smart and have learned how to behave in ways that allow them to control others to get where they want. Only about 3 percent of the population meets the criteria for sociopathy.

What Is a Psychopath?

Although there are a number of similarities between sociopaths vs. psychopaths, the two are quite different. Whereas sociopaths don’t empathize with the people around them, psychopaths are unable to feel any normal emotions at all.

A sociopath may not be able to feel guilty for hurting another person. A psychopath may not be able to feel joy on Christmas morning or sadness when a relationship ends.

Like sociopaths, psychopaths may be very charming and so hard to identify when you meet them. Often these people are outwardly charming, pathological liars, prone to a grandiose sense of self-worth, callous, impulsive, and manipulative. Only about 1 percent of men and about 0.5 percent of women are psychopaths.

What Is a Narcissist?

The differences between a sociopath vs. psychopath vs. narcissist can be very subtle. Narcissistic personality disorder can share a lot of symptoms with sociopathy and psychopathy. In many cases, the diagnoses overlap.

But narcissism is one particular facet of antisocial behavior that may show up in sociopaths and psychopaths.

Narcissism is a condition in which someone has an inflated sense of their own importance. They are someone who can’t feel empathy for others, and an obsessive need for admiration and attention. Underneath this bravado is a fragile self-esteem that relies on constant praise from others to stay intact. Only about 1 percent of the population are true narcissists.

Woman taking a selfie to convey what a narcissist is - Paul Wagner

What Is a Self-Obsessed Person?

The terms self-obsessed person, self-absorbed, and self-focused are not official medical diagnoses. Rather, these terms focus on different aspects of some similar negative personality traits. Oftentimes, these may overlap with some of the antisocial behaviors we see in sociopaths and psychopaths.

A self-obsessed person is extremely preoccupied with themselves and their own concerns. They “can’t see past the end of their nose,” and they may not have much empathy for the people around them. For these people, their own problems, concerns, struggles, and cares are much more important than those of anyone else around them.

What Is a Self-Absorbed Person?

Although a self-absorbed person and the self-obsessed are similar, the two personality traits are not identical. In some cases, being self-absorbed may be a temporary state of being, rather than an overall personality flaw. A self-absorbed person may not have the same overinflated ego that the self-obsessed do.

Self-absorbed people are totally wrapped up in their own thoughts, activities, and interests. In some cases, a person may be self-absorbed for a short period of time when they’re lost in thought or preoccupied by something going on in their life. The problem arises when that distraction becomes long-term.

What is a Self-Focused Person?

Like self-absorbed, the term “self-focused” isn’t always a negative thing. Self-focus can help a person to be more aware of their actions and how they impact others, as well as how they can change those behaviors. But, like anything, too much self-focus can turn into a negative thing and may cause problems in your life.

Self-focus is a state of mind in which you’re aware of your thoughts, actions, interactions, and appearance. In moderation, this can help you to better interact with the world around you and change unhealthy behaviors. But if you become too focused on yourself, you could slip into self-absorption or self-obsession.

Impact of Influencer Culture

These days, it seems like more and more people are becoming self-absorbed or self-obsessed to the point of bordering on narcissism. Influencer culture and our societal addiction to social media may play a role in this shift. People are becoming obsessed with the dopamine rush they get from getting likes on social media.

It’s important to note that you won’t become a sociopath or psychopath just from looking at Instagram too much. These are complex medical diagnoses that involve aspects of both nature and nurture. However, influencer culture can cause you to become self-obsessed, which can be just as destructive for your life.

The Role of Celebrity Obsession

Our cultural obsession with celebrities may also play a role in the increasing self-obsession we’re seeing around us. Tabloid media is constantly shoving details of these celebrities’ lives down our throats. We start to think of these people as something akin to fictional characters, and we compare our lives to their seemingly perfect ones.

Over time, we may start to become obsessed with the idea that if we can just be good enough, we can live the sort of charmed life these celebrities and influencers do. We may make changes to our bodies, filter out lives in certain ways on social media, or go into debt trying to mimic that lifestyle. Over time, that insecurity about our looks or our lifestyle can morph into a full-on self-obsession as we strive for that perfect life the celebrities and influencers seem to live.

Image of AI guru with a mic to convey influencer and celebrity culture - Paul Wagner

How to Decenter Yourself to Find What’s Truly Important

So how do we break out of this vicious cycle of insecurity, self-obsession, and unhealthy behavior? The key lies in decentering ourselves and refocusing on what is truly important in this life. Once we are pursuing true peace and meaningful joy, we won’t crave hollow affirmation from social media attention.

It’s important to remember that your self-worth is absolute and comes from within. As we remind you at the end of each of our posts, you are a beautiful Living Being filled with light and love, born from stardust. Breathe deeply into your divine worth, take time to remember that your beauty comes from your soul, and turn your attention outward to the radiant souls traversing this world around you.

Learn More About Sociopaths and Psychopaths

At first glance, sociopaths and psychopaths, as well as narcissists and the self-obsessed, may all seem the same. But each of these conditions describes different levels and types of antisocial behavior. Decentering ourselves and returning focus to the true beauty of life can help us to break out of these toxic cycles of self-obsession.

If you’d like to learn more about psychopath vs sociopath vs narcissist, check out the rest of my site at PaulWagner.com. I am here to help you awaken and bravely create an inspired life. Learn more about my services today and start changing your life in the most positive way.

REMEMBER!

You are a beautiful Living Being filled with light and love, born from stardust. You are unlimited potential in every direction. With a focus on discipline, virtue, and your own goodness, you can become as expanded and liberated as you desire.

Button Nav Icon
Posted on

19 Most Beautiful and Transformative Rituals, Ceremonies, and Prayers

19 Most Beautiful and Transformative Rituals, Ceremonies, and Prayers

Transformative rituals and ceremonies give shape to our lives and mark important moments. We may have a baptism or christening ceremony when we’re born, we go through school graduation ceremonies, we may experience coming-of-age rituals, and we mark birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, and even death with ceremonies. Throughout our lives, we send out prayers for healing, forgiveness, hope, clarity, and peace.

But these practices can also be useful in our day-to-day lives to help us find peace and positivity. Read on to discover some of the best prayers, transformative rituals, and ceremonies you can practice to bring more positivity into your life.

The Heart Sutra

According to Karl Brunnhozl, the heart sutra is “the most frequently used and recited text in the entire Mahayana Buddhist tradition.” The heart sutra covers the five aggregates of human existence: rupa (form), vedana (feeling), sankhara (volitions), samjna (perceptions), and vijnana (consciousness). It then explains the Four Noble Truths, which say that human suffering arises from attachments, and that we can let go of these attachments by following magga.

The heart sutra concludes with a mantra which reads “Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha.” This translates to “Gone, gone, everyone gone to the other shore, awakening, svaha.” You can repeat this sutra as you work to release the things that are holding you back in life.

Letter Writing

You might be surprised to learn that writing letters can be a powerful and transformative ritual in your life. When we write things down, we manifest them in more concrete ways in our lives. Writing helps us to release negative attachments, process emotions, and set positive intentions for ourselves and others.

Make it a habit to sit down and write one letter a week, focusing on positivity and light as you do so. This letter could be to a friend, a family member, a role model, a teacher, or even to yourself. Pour your love and positivity into the letter and then, if you choose, send it to the person you wrote to to pass on some of that positivity.

Change the Book of Life

The Change the Book of Life ritual is a powerful way to release people and things that are holding you back in this life. Begin by sitting quietly and making a list of everything you need to release, whether that be a person, a place, an event, an experience, or an idea. Then go out into nature alone and find a peaceful place where you can reconnect and perform the ritual.

Sit quietly and imagine your guides and deities to join you, imagining that you can see them in front of you. Speak the things that you want to release out loud, and tell the universe that you want to return all gifts that were exchanged with the thing you’re releasing. Ask for the help of your deity with this challenge, and tell them that you want the book of life to be changed for all time starting in that moment.

Smudging

Smudging sage is an ancient and powerful ritual that can cleanse your space of negative energy and bring positivity into your life. Burning can be a powerful way to remove negative influences, and you may see it used in a variety of transformative rituals. And the ancients knew that sage has powerful purifying abilities that can transform our spaces.

Begin your smudging ritual with a bundle of sage purchased from your local new age store or online. Light the end of the sage with a match, blowing it out quickly if it takes flame and allowing the leaves to smolder and release thick smoke. Use your free hand to waft the sage smoke around yourself, your home, or the object you want to cleanse.

Yoga Sun Salute

Yoga is one of the most powerful transformative rituals you can engage with day-to-day. It combines the best of meditation and connection with your body, healing you and bringing peace and centering to your life. In particular, saluting the sun each day can ground you, restore your connection to your body and the earth, and allow you to breathe in the pranic energy around you.

There are a number of sun salutations you can perform, but the simplest begins in mountain pose, or tadasana. Move through uttanasana into ardha uttanasana and then to a plank position or to chaturanga dandasana. Inhale as you move into bhudjangasana and then to downward facing dog, and then step forward into uttanasana again before rising once more to tadasana.

Ritual for Release

Letting go of things that are holding you back and of negative spirits can help you to find more peace and fulfillment in your life. For this ritual, you’ll need a candle; some loose, dry sage; a handful of cornmeal; some organic tobacco; and a bottle of water. Go into nature and find a peaceful place where you can meditate and perform your ritual.

Place your candle on a flat stone and light it, and then sit down and sprinkle a circle of the sage, cornmeal, and tobacco around you. Reach out to your ancestors, deities, and helpers and ask them to fill your heart with light. Tell the negativity attached to you that you love it, but it’s time to say goodbye, and then ask your deities and helpers to remove the negative energy from your life forever.

Tea Ceremony

The tea ceremony is a sacred ritual that focuses around the preparation of matcha tea. Matcha is one of the finest green teas in the world and has a number of health benefits. A full chaji can last as long as four hours and involves a full-course meal, as well as two types of tea and confections.

A proper Japanese tea ceremony involves hosting guests, so be sure to send out formal invitations. Once guests arrive, have them remove their shoes and wash their hands before you cleanse each tool. Then prepare the thick matcha tea with three teaspoons of matcha in a cup of water, allowing each guest to sample the tea before making a thinner tea and serving it to your guests.

Morning Prayer

Morning prayers are a great way to start your day off with a focus on what’s really important for your heart, mind, and soul. There are hundreds of morning prayers you can incorporate into your morning routine, depending on your needs and your beliefs. It could even be as simple as “Good morning, fill my day with light and positivity.”

The Jewish have a beautiful morning prayer from the Modeh Ani tradition. This prayer is typically recited before one even gets out of bed in the morning to center you in your day. It reads, “I offer thanks to You, living and eternal King, for You have mercifully restored my soul within me; Your faithfulness is great.”

Gandhi’s Prayer

Mahatma Gandhi was a revolutionary leader who worked for peace and equality. He was a Hindu and lived a life of dedication and focus on the truly important things in and out of this world. He wrote a prayer that we can use when we need to center our intentions in life.

Gandhi’s prayer reads, “I will be truthful. I will suffer no injustice. I will be free from fear. I will not use force. I will be of good will to all men.”

Rumi’s Prayer

Jalaluddin Rumi was a Sufi mystic who lived in the 13th century. His writings became a central part of this branch of Islam, and even today, you can find his words of inspiration all over the world. You can even find posts on Pinterest repeating the timeless words of this man who lived more than 800 years ago.

Rumi wrote many prayers, but one of his most powerful reads, “O love, O pure deep love, be here, be now – be all; Worlds dissolve into your stainless endless radiance, Frail living leaves burn with you brighter than cold stars. Make me your servant, your breath, your core.”

Buddha’s Prayer

Of course, the Buddha is still one of the most revered religious figures to ever walk this earth. He lived sometime in the 6th or 5th century BCE in India, and his teachings launched the Buddhist religion. Like Rumi, the Buddha wrote many prayers, but one of his most enduring is also one of the simplest.

One of the Buddha’s best healing prayers reads, “There is only one time when it is essential to awaken. That time is now.” You can repeat this to yourself as a mantra when you need centering or when you feel yourself getting lost in the hustle and bustle of our demanding modern life.

Hail Mary

For many of us in the West, the word “prayer” is often associated with Christianity. Although most Christian prayers for safety and protection are directed to God, some prayers from the Catholic denomination are directed towards saints. In particular, the Hail Mary is an ancient prayer to the mother of Jesus that Catholics use as a sort of meditation or mantra.

The Hail Mary reads, “Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.”

Meditation

It may seem strange to refer to meditation as a ritual or ceremony, but it is one of the most ancient and powerful traditions in our world. Meditation is a practice of being present in the current moment, connected to the body and the breath. You allow all thoughts of the past or future to drift away and focus on being fully in this moment, connecting to your body and taking in the energy of the universe around you.

Your meditation practice can look like whatever you need it to day to day. Beginners may want to start with short guided meditations that center them in their day and help them learn to release distractions. More experienced meditators may want to delve into longer sessions that allow them to dig into their innermost awareness, connect with the soul of the universe, and engage deeply with their body and breath.

Fear Healing Ceremony

Fear can be a powerful force in our lives, holding us back and chaining us to negativity. It can even begin to have a physical impact, stealing our sleep and causing problems with our digestion. Going through a fear healing ceremony can be an important first step towards wholeness and healing.

For this fear healing ceremony, get two small area rugs and place them a foot or so apart. Stand at the edge of one rug facing the second rug, and imagine you’re standing at the top of a tall cliff, feeling the fear of how terrifying it would be to fall into the gorge between the two rugs. Then steel your courage and take the step across the chasm, feeling the relief of arriving safely on the other side and the pride of having the courage to take that step.

Cleansing Self-Massage

Self-massage can be a fabulous act of self-care, as well as a wonderful cleansing ritual. Massage connects you to the body and allows you to tap into pressure points that can release negative energy. When you use essential oils in your self-massage, you can bring even more healing and power to the ritual.

Begin your self-massage by focusing in on any specific areas that are causing you pain. Mix some lavender, eucalyptus, or bergamot oil with a carrier oil and gently begin to massage this mixture into the area of tension and pain. Use long, slow movements, applying gentle pressure and keeping your breathing slow and intentional.

Cleansing Bath

A bath can be another self-care ritual that can also cleanse your energy. The warm water of a bath is great for relaxing the muscles, and there’s a natural meditative state that automatically comes with bath time. As with the self-massage, essential oils play an important role in a cleansing bath.

As you run your bath water, take time to meditate and reconnect with your body and your breath. Once the bath is full, sprinkle a few drops of essential oil over the surface of the water; lavender, bergamot, and eucalyptus are all excellent options. As you sink into the bath, focus on letting all negativity flow out of you and into the purifying water of the bath.

Crystal Ritual

Crystals can be powerful forces for positivity and good in our lives. Certain crystalline structures resonate with specific energies in the universe and can bring those energies into your home and body. Using crystals to cleanse your energy can dispel negativity from your life and bring more light into your spirit.

Visit your local new age store and get some high-vibrational crystals. Quartz, selenite, and black tourmaline are all excellent options, as they are powerful cleansers and can absorb or dispel negative energy. When you feel negativity weighing down on you, pass these crystals across your body, allowing that dark energy to flow out of you and into the crystal.

Hope Altar

Sometimes, having a physical reminder of your positive intentions for your life can be a powerful source of good energy in your life. Creating a hope altar can help to dispel sadness and despair from your life and bring your energies back into balance. You can use this altar as a meditation focus or simply touch back in with it throughout the day.

Pick an item that represents a hope for your life, whether that be physical, emotional, spiritual, or practical. This item could be a plant, a feather, a crystal, a book, a talisman, or simply a token from a beloved place or friend. As you set each item on your altar, focus on the joy and positivity it brings you, and say out loud, “I have hope.”

Regret Cleansing Ceremony

We all carry regrets, but the weight of them can drag down our lives and make us miserable. You need to free yourself from regret, and one great way to do that is with a cleansing ceremony. All you’ll need for this ceremony is a pencil, paper, a fire-safe metal dish, and matches.

Write down all the regrets that are weighing on you; include any guilt you’re carrying, unkind words you wish you hadn’t said, or harmful thoughts you’ve allowed to impact you. Once you’ve written it all out, set your list in the dish and carefully light it on fire. As you watch the paper burn and the smoke rise, feel the regrets burning away from your heart and your spirit lifting with the smoke.

Discover More of the Best Prayers, Transformative Rituals, and Ceremonies

Transformative rituals, prayers, and ceremonies are wonderful ways to invite positive energy into our lives and manifest our intentions. Finding the best prayers for you is a personal journey, and you may find that some transformative rituals or ceremonies work better for you than others. You can also create your own rituals and prayers based on your personal beliefs and needs.

If you’d like help creating transformative rituals that work for you, check out the rest of my site at PaulWagner.com. I am here to help you awaken and bravely create an inspired life. Learn more about my services today and start changing your life in the most positive way.

REMEMBER!

You are a beautiful Living Being filled with light and love, born from stardust. You are unlimited potential in every direction. With a focus on discipline, virtue, and your own goodness, you can become as expanded and liberated as you desire.

 

Button Nav Icon
Posted on

How to Stimulate the Vagus Nerve with Meditation, Deep Breathing, and More

Computerized image of a woman's silhouette and a brain - Paul Wagner

Computerized image of a woman's silhouette and a brain - Paul Wagner

Have you ever noticed the immediate sense of relief you get after taking one deep breath? Do you wonder why you feel so amazing after a good, long laugh with a friend? Does rubbing the skin around your ears relax you, but you aren’t sure why? All of these actions stimulate your vagus nerve, one of the major cranial nerves that controls many of the major systems in your body. Read on to learn more about how to stimulate the vagus nerve through deep breathing, meditation, and even laughing.

What Is the Vagus Nerve?

Your vagus nerve is one of twelve cranial nerves in your body, each of which come in pairs. Although we’ll talk about the nerve as a singular entity, it’s actually made up of two nerves that come out of each side of your brain stem at the lowest point. If you place your fingers at the very base of your skull, on either side of the small notch at the top center of your neck, you’ll be pretty close to where your nerves emerge.

Vagus nerves handle a number of bodily functions, including regulating our bodies’ heart rates and breathing, managing digestion, and controlling your reflexes. Our vagal nerves control when you swallow, cough, sneeze, and even gag. It also controls cardiovascular activity other than your heart rate and can play a big role in heart health. 

What Are the Symptoms of a Bad Vagus Nerve?

When your vagus nerve function isn’t working the way it should, it can lead to a variety of issues that affect your digestion, heart rate, and even your voice. Some common symptoms of a bad vagus nerve include

  • Abdominal pain and bloating
  • Acid reflux (gastroesophageal reflux disease, GERD)
  • Changes to your heart rate, blood pressure, or struggles with blood sugar
  • Difficulty swallowing, losing control of a gag reflex
  • Dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting
  • Hoarseness, wheezing or losing your voice
  • Feeling depressed and anxious

You can restore your balance and well-being by paying more attention to your vagus nerve and giving it some love and support through exercises and lifestyle changes.

Somatic vs. Visceral Components

Some of your other cranial nerves control sensory information, such as sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and sensations. Others handle muscle function and operation of different glands in your body. This nerve is one of those pairs that handles both functions, which is why stimulation can be so powerful.

Vagus nerves can also have somatic components, which impact sensations you feel on your skin or in your muscles. They can also have a visceral component, which impacts sensations you feel in your organs. Either of these components can play a role in either sensory functions or motor functions throughout your body.

image of woman looking into universe wiht a clock as a brain - Paul Wagner

Vagus Nerve Function

This nerve performs several sensory functions, meaning it provides you with sensation in different areas of the body. It provides somatic sensory information for parts of your ear and throat. If you run your finger along the skin behind your ear, the sensation you feel is running along your nerve.

The vagus nerve function also provides visceral sensory information that comes from deeper in your body. This nerve controls sensation in your esophagus, trachea, larynx, lungs, heart, and digestive tract. Any time you have a stomach ache or a sore throat, you can thank your nerve for carrying those signals to your brain.

Motor Functions

Your vagus nerve also controls several motor functions throughout your body. Your nerves carry the signals from your brain out to the muscle or organ that’s doing the work and then back to your brain. This nerve controls motor function in your larynx, throat, and soft palate, which is why it plays a role in your gag reflex.

The nerve stimulates muscles in your heart in order to regulate your resting heart rate, or your heart rate when you’re not doing anything strenuous. It also controls the contractions that happen in your gut as a normal part of your digestive process. These contractions happen along your esophagus, stomach, and most of your intestines to move food along this tract.

What Is Vagus Nerve Stimulation?

Now that we know a little more about the vagus nerve, let’s talk some about nerve stimulation. As you might guess from the name, nerve stimulation involves causing activity along your nerve. Although this can be as simple as running your finger over the skin behind your ear, it can also involve more complicated procedures.

Often, when people refer to vagus nerve stimulation, they’re referencing a procedure that uses electrical impulses to stimulate your vagus nerve. Doctors sometimes use this type of nerve stimulation to treat epilepsy or depression. Some experts also believe this procedure could help with multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, cluster headaches, and more.

Vagal Toning Exercises

Adding more vagal toning exercises into your daily routine can help improve its nerve function and promote relaxation, better digestion, and foster your well-being. 

1) Vagus Nerve Stimulation Devices

The medical procedure known as vagus nerve stimulation uses a device to deliver carefully controlled electrical impulses. This device gets implanted under the skin of your chest and is about the size of a military ID tag. It has a wire that runs up to the vagus nerve on the left side of your brain stem and sends electrical signals through the nerve and into your brain.

Most of the time, neurologists program stimulation devices to send signals at appropriate intervals. However, sometimes, patients may be given a magnet that can control the device, too. This can be helpful in the case of depression or cluster headaches, when the patient can tell that their symptoms are getting worse.

2) Vagus Nerve Deep Breathing

Although vagus nerve stimulation devices are the most well-researched method of vagus nerve stimulation, they’re not the only way to do it. Because it is connected to so many parts of your body, you can perform vagus nerve exercises in a number of ways yourself. Working on vagus nerve deep breathing can help to bring you back into balance and may ease some of your symptoms.

Deep breathing and vagus nerve meditation are two of the most effective ways to stimulate your nerve. Remember, this nerve controls movement in your lungs, your heart, and your mouth and throat. Practicing breathing exercises and meditating can send positive signals up that nerve and work on vagus nerve toning to strengthen the pathway there.

Does Humming Stimulate the Vagus Nerve?

Given how connected your vagus nerve is to your throat, it also makes sense that humming and chanting would stimulate the vagus nerve. For one thing, the vibrations caused by singing, humming, or chanting will resonate up the vagus nerve. But chanting a mantra that naturally resonates with the positive energy of the universe can bring even more positivity and light into your being.

Chanting the sacred “om” is always a good bet when you’re trying to stimulate your vagus nerve and you don’t know where to start. You can also say one of the sutras or a favorite prayer from your religion. You may also want to chant a personal mantra that empowers you and promotes healing for your body, mind, and spirit.

Laughter to Stimulate Your Vagus Nerve

Another fabulous way to stimulate your vagus nerve is through laughter. Studies have shown that laughter is good for your health for a number of different reasons. It stimulates your heart, improves your intake of oxygen, stimulates your lungs and muscles, and amps up your endorphin production.

If you’re feeling like you need some vagus nerve stimulation, try to make plans with friends or loved ones who always make you laugh, even if those plans happen over virtual platforms. Watch a favorite movie or listen to a comedian you like. You could even play with your pets or your kids, read a book that makes you giggle, or scroll through comedy accounts on social media.

Image of woman smiling and laughing into the sun - Paul Wagner

Learn More About Vagal Toning

The nerve touches many of the vital areas of your body, including your heart, lungs, digestive tract, and more. Vagus nerve stimulation can help to ease symptoms of depression, epilepsy, indigestion, and more. You can practice vagus nerve stimulation at home through deep breathing, chanting, and laughter, among other methods.

If you’d like to learn more about methods of self-healing beyond toning the vagus nerve, check out the rest of my site at PaulWagner.com. I am here to help you awaken and bravely create an inspired life. Learn more about my services today and start changing your life in the most positive way.

REMEMBER!

You are a beautiful Living Being filled with light and love, born from stardust. You are unlimited potential in every direction. With a focus on discipline, virtue, and your own goodness, you can become as expanded and liberated as you desire.

Button Nav Icon
Posted on

Techniques to Improve Emotional Intelligence

Illustrated image of hands juggling faces - Paul Wagner

Illustrated image of hands juggling faces - Paul Wagner

You might have heard the term increasingly used in the corporate world, but emotional intelligence can be applied to any situation and environment. To keep a healthy state of mind for both you and the people around you, achieving a certain level of emotional intelligence is extremely helpful. But what exactly does it mean to be emotionally intelligent, and how can you improve your skills in this area?

Learning more about being emotionally intelligent is a great way to improve your personal and professional life. I broke down the basics below!

Am I Emotionally Intelligent?

By asking the question, “Am I emotionally intelligent? you’re already on your way to improving your emotional intelligence. To improve yourself in any capacity, always first obtain self-awareness. It doesn’t necessarily matter so much where you are on your journey or the emotional intelligence spectrum–it matters more that you’re willing to assess yourself honestly and work on making those necessary changes.

Emotional intelligence, also frequently referred to as “EQ,” means that a person has the capacity and will to healthily explore and manage emotions in themselves and apply that skill to others. For example, a manager with lower emotional intelligence skills might be allowing the troubles in their personal life to alter the way they treat their employees without realizing that the source of this anger stems from their home life, not the “incompetence” of their team. 

In contrast, an emotionally intelligent manager would be self-aware and work to moderate their emotions with therapeutic and reflective techniques so that they stay conscious and respectful of their employees’ experience at work.

Personality and past experiences play a role in how emotionally intelligent a person is naturally, and no one is perfect. Some people are naturally empathetic and in tune with their emotions, such as highly sensitive people, while others have a habit of repressing emotions and allowing unresolved issues to affect other aspects of their lives. No matter where you land on the emotional intelligence spectrum, there is always an opportunity to improve.

Woman meditating, showing different parts of her emotional intelligence - Paul Wagner

Emotional Intelligence Questions

Wondering how emotionally intelligent you are? Ask yourself these questions:

  1. Do I recognize when and which emotion I feel when I feel it?
  2. Do I lose my temper quickly or give up easily when I’m frustrated, sad, or angry, or can I effectively calm myself down and react healthily?
  3. Do people often come to me to talk about their feelings or get advice about complex situations because I’m a good listener who understands?
  4. Am I aware of which situations cause me to feel certain emotions?
  5. Do I pay attention to and understand the emotions of those around me?

Don’t be afraid to be honest with yourself. Understanding where you are at in your emotional intelligence journey will help you take the right steps to move forward.

Why is Emotional Intelligence Important?

It’s no surprise that emotional baggage can deeply affect our growth in other aspects of our lives. If we have unresolved feelings in our personal life or in our professional life, those feelings can leak into the other and affect our performance and enjoyment. 

Our own emotions can also get in the way of our relationships with others or cause undue stress and tension. To free ourselves from these obstacles and improve our lives, we will have to do some hard work, including addressing those emotions at the source and learning to moderate them or resolve them.

Many people find that becoming more emotionally intelligent has helped them to:

  • Create a more positive environment for themselves and others
  • Reduce stress, frustration, and anxiety
  • Better handle constructive criticism, adversity, or change
  • Learn more about themselves and pursue a life that fits them better
  • Improve their social life and make deeper connections

How can all this be possible? Think about how deeply and strongly emotions drive your daily decisions and actions. Many people think of themselves as fairly rational and reasonable people, but human beings are emotional and social animals as well. Repressing emotions, no matter how small they are, plays a huge role in the trajectory of our lives and our relationships with others.

Encourage Positivity

Learning to moderate your own emotions helps to build a more positive environment. Instead of dealing with an underlying atmosphere of tension, stress, and frustration, an emotionally intelligent person can acknowledge these negative feelings, pinpoint the source, and implement an active resolution or coping techniques to straighten them out and encourage positivity.

Diminish Stress and Anxiety

By learning more about your emotional tendencies, you can recognize when stress, frustration, or anxiety is taking control. Then, you can address the source of those negative feelings and learn that anxiety and stress are normal, but you can react to unfavorable situations more positively. Instead of worrying about the future or possibilities and fueling your emotional baggage, you can take charge of a situation or become more present in the moment, accepting that anything could happen and anxiety has no benefits— only negatively affects you.

See Life as a Journey

Every day, we are met with several opportunities to either grow and embrace change or reject growth and change. Everyone is met with adversity, and while each situation is unique, emotional intelligence can always help when dealing with those situations. If you’re responsible for a negative event, you can more readily accept responsibility and work to right the wrong. 

If you’re not accountable, you can still react positively to help fix the situation instead of getting defensive or angry. When you get constructive criticism, you take it as a rare opportunity to see yourself through the eyes of others and not as an insult. When there’s a fork in the road of your life, you can celebrate a new opportunity for change and adventure rather than allowing fear and stress to engulf you.

Dig Deep into Your True Self

Emotional intelligence allows us to assess our emotions and how they impact our lives successfully. By being reflective and self-aware, we can truly get to know ourselves. Applying this knowledge of ourselves moving forward, we can choose to engulf ourselves in environments, opportunities, and social circles that will help us improve and move forward towards our goals rather than staying stagnant or regressing. 

You’ll be able to sit down and decide if your career is the right one, if your relationships are benefitting your life, and if you’re taking the necessary steps to do what you’ve always dreamed of doing.

Improve Your Social Life

Finally, improving your emotional intelligence skills doesn’t just affect how you deal with your own feelings— also helps you to listen better and empathize with others. Of course, learning to moderate your own feelings and be honest about your emotions will help others to connect with you and feel closer to you. At the same time, you’ll be able to understand your friends and family better and learn how to improve their lives. 

Suppose you have a social circle or family that experiences a lot of tension. In that case, you’ll also learn how to better predict unfavorable situations that could harm those people and work to resolve them to avoid conflict or stress. Overall, you’ll build your ability to communicate and problem-solve.

couple on beach - Paul Wagner

What Are the Disadvantages of Emotional Intelligence?

For the most part, having emotional intelligence skills is highly recommended for everyone looking to improve themselves and their lives. At the same time, it’s also important to remember that all skills can be used for wrong reasons and could lead to emotional manipulation. People who have high emotional intelligence have an excellent understanding of how emotions affect and drive people, so they can use this knowledge to manipulate others. They’re also very good at self-control, so they might be masterful at hiding their own emotions.

In conclusion, always be wary of others who seem to be incredibly in tune with others’ emotions and make sure they do not have ulterior motives. You might be able to spot a trend of emotional manipulation, and you should steer clear. They could be energy vampires!

REMEMBER!

Emotional intelligence is a journey, and you are a beautiful Living Being filled with light and love, born from stardust. You are unlimited potential in every direction. With a focus on discipline, virtue, and your own goodness, you can become as expanded and liberated as you desire.

Pray for others and the Universe prays for us.

Button Nav Icon
Posted on

The Sedona Method: How To Release Emotions & Heal Your Life for Spiritual Transformation

Image of hands reaching out to a bird at sunset - Paul Wagner

Image of hands reaching out to a bird at sunset - Paul Wagner

We have all used this command as a way to help others and ourselves: “Just let it go!”

In The Sedona Method, the journey to releasing every pervasive emotion and negative experience—and improving your life—is propelled by just that: “letting go” go”—through the process of allowing and releasing. We allow the emotions, encourage ourselves to feel them more and more, and then ask ourselves if we can release them. This creates vast space within us so that we can continuously and more deeply enjoy our true nature.

You might be thinking that it’s not that simple. True, we often overcomplicate things, and we entrench ourselves in the worst way. We hold grudges, we imagine vengeance, we play the victim, and we cling to stress as human beings trying to coordinate this chaotic three-dimensional reality.

It’s not fun to admit it, but some people thrive on chaos and drama. If you’re one of those people, don’t feel ashamed. We all do it. Acknowledging your tendencies and pinpointing the source of your emotions and complex feelings are the first steps toward emotional healing and transformation. Going forward, if you can learn to breathe deeply, allow your emotions, release them, and finally let it all go, you’ll find an enduring process in your journey of transcendence and spiritual illumination.

In this article, I’ll explore this “letting go,” the allowing and releasing process at the core of The Sedona Method, a scientifically proven technique that helps people release emotions and all the feelings blocking up their lives so that they can heal and find peace.

What is The Sedona Method?

The Sedona Method was originally created by Lester Levenson, a kind and loving entrepreneur and physicist who enjoyed outward success yet suffered silently from physical and mental health conditions. Despite achieving all he had dreamed of in his career and personal life, Lester never felt that he had achieved true happiness. As a man who embraced every challenge, Lester stepped up to the challenge to devise a solution to this inner discontent.

The beginnings of The Sedona Method stemmed from Lester’s realization that we are unlimited Beings. We limit ourselves with concepts, labels, and categories that are not true, yet we find comfort in their limitations. We embrace being limited so that we might temporarily feel better.

By creating labels and setting boundaries, we create structure for our lives, but these limiting paradigms can easily oppress us. Luckily, they can also be released—because they have no foundation in truth.

Since Lester was an innovator in this line of thought, he did not have any available vocabulary that could help him spread his ideas to others. He wanted to help others release and heal like he had done for himself, so he sought other philosophical leaders’ advice. He began partnering with evangelical leaders and reading books from both the eastern and western schools of thought.

Lester was opposed to becoming a guru because The Sedona Method fundamentally teaches that the journey is within the Self, not dependent on external sources. Still, his leadership caused many people to follow him as students. Soon, he realized that his ideas needed to be formalized.

Ultimately, The Sedona Method teaches that you are more than you ever realized. You don’t need to be limited by the limiting concepts of our society, and you can heal by releasing those limitations that aren’t founded in truth.

Woman meditating or praying with light illuminated around her - Paul Wagner

How Does The Sedona Method Work?

Just like life, you receive from The Sedona Method what you put into it. The guides are just that—guides—and the true instrument and driving force of your emotional healing is YOU. No external forces can help you or hurt you. The process happens entirely within yourself and depends on you to fully manifest and serve you.

Lester Levenson’s Sedona Method is as effective—if not more effective than—other types of treatments without the downsides of treatment. Many people fear that they will become emotionally spent, become dependent, or experience forms of trauma from the treatment of emotional issues.

The Sedona Method does not involve any substances, so there is no fear of addiction or dependency. The technique also focuses on the good and is a restorative practice, not exhaustive, so you will never get to the point of feeling emotionally spent or traumatized. Overall, The Sedona Method is about finding freedom and release.

Is The Sedona Method a Religion or Belief System?

Practicing The Sedona Method is easy and unproblematic because it simply teaches you an effective method to release emotions and unwanted feelings and thoughts that hold you back from fully living and being yourself. It is not a system or religion, as the founder himself did not believe that external forces were responsible for your path to self-healing.

Rather than weekly meetings with other people, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, talk therapy, or church services, The Sedona Method empowers you to heal yourself whenever you want, as much as you want, without needing to depend on any external structures or other people. Because of this empowerment, you can achieve release and freedom quickly rather than the weeks, months, or even years that other forms of “therapy” require.

What Results Can I Expect from The Sedona Method?

The results you’ll get throughout your time practicing The Sedona Method can evolve as you get better at the practice, but you can feel immediate results in each release you allow.

Over time, you’ll feel lighter, more optimistic, and positive. You’ll also have this spiritual sense of future similar conditions, helping you to navigate them and continue the allowing releasing process.

In turn, your relationships will improve, you’ll make significant decisions, and take the wheel of your life rather than taking the punches. Exactly which results you’ll experience depend on your own personal issues and what you’d like to accomplish.

For many people, the emotions and thoughts they’ve been holding onto for so long begin to swiftly exit their minds and hearts. Those who practice The Sedona Method report feeling such great relief that it sometimes leads to laughter and phenomenal life changes. You’ll be able to access your core Self, your spiritual core, where you can experience life without feeling oppressed or limited by external events. By continually practicing allowing and releasing, you begin to prefer NOT holding onto thoughts and feelings in the first place. Your prior traumas eventually evaporate, and all emerging hurts will slowly move past you, never truly infecting your heart and well-Being.

Sounds Good! How Do I Get Started?

There are five main ways to use The Sedona Method, and it’s important to try them until you find one that fits you. Everyone has a unique personality and has experienced different things, so the method is not a one-size-fits-all solution. In a way, that makes the technique so much more effective.

1) Acknowledge an Unwanted or Pervasive Feeling

First, you can attempt The Sedona Method by acknowledging an unwanted or pervasive feeling and simply choosing to let it go. This method can be difficult for many who have gotten into the habit of holding grudges and feeling pain. In a way, letting go of pain can be a painful experience in itself. Only people who have achieved full Self-control and have accessed their core Self can fully succeed in this first technique. If you pursue this method, it might help to attempt it on only minor feelings first until you get the hang of it.

2) Allow the Emotion or Thought to Exist

Second, you can choose to allow that emotion or thought to exist as it is and not interact with it extensively. Welcome it into yourself, acknowledge that the feeling has the right to exist, and then leave it be. 

3) Confront the Unwanted Emotion

Third, you can aggressively confront the emotion. When you feel that emotion, you can dive in and fully feel that emotion so that you have satisfied its existence before you let it go.

4) Rethink How to Define Emotions

The fourth way is to acknowledge that the way we define emotions in opposite polarities is actually hurtful to us. In society, we say that we are either happy or sad, stressed or calm. Impressing upon ourselves these limiting categories stops us from addressing our emotions and thoughts as they really are and validating their sources.

5) Achieve Effortless Awareness

Finally, the most advanced way is the fifth way, which is to stare that emotion in the face and see through it to the “effortless Awareness” that exists.

The journey to Self-healing is different for everyone, but the power ultimately lies within you!

The Sedona Method Questions

Here are the questions you can ask yourself to help you emerge free and clear of debilitating emotions, thoughts, attitudes, and conditions.

  • How do you feel now?
  • Where might you feel this in your body?
  • Can you allow this feeling some more?
  • Can you allow it even more?
  • There might be more; can you allow yourself to feel this emotion more?
  • Can you let it go? If not, can you sense what it’s about? Is it about Approval, Control, Security, Oneness, or Opportunity? Whatever it is, can you let it go?
  • If you say yes to being able to let it go, ask: Would you let it go?
  • And then simply, WHEN?

This process most often produces an inner-allowing where the ego, mind, and emotions acquiesce to the spirit—your core Being within you. With each release, you become more free. If you can allow for micro-releases over time, you’ll find quite a sense of liberation amid even the most challenging circumstances.

Image of being swimming through universe or water while seeking release - Paul Wagner

REMEMBER!

You are a beautiful Living Being filled with light and love, born from stardust and myriad miracles. You are unlimited potential in every direction. With a focus on discipline, virtue, and your own goodness, you can become as expanded and liberated as you desire.

Pray for others and the Universe prays for you!

Love this kind of powerful transformative experience?  Schedule a session with me. 

Meet Paul Wagner

Paul Wagner (Shri Krishna Kalesh) is an Intuitive Mystic, Author, Life & Business Coach, clairvoyant reader, and a five-time EMMY Award-winning writer. He created “THE PERSONALITY CARDS,” a powerful Oracle-Tarot deck that’s helpful in life, love, and relationships.

For years, Paul studied with Lakota elders in the Pecos Wilderness, who nurtured his empathic abilities and taught him the sacred rituals. He has lived at ashrams with enlightened masters, including Amma, the Hugging Saint, for whom he’s delivered keynotes at Her worldwide events.

 

Button Nav Icon
Posted on

Mindfulness, Meditation, & Other Inward Practices

Mindfulness, Meditation, & Other Inward Practices

The world stops for no one. Sometimes, though, we wish we could just hit the pause button and take a breath. We wish we had time to take stock of our lives and check in with our wellness physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. At the same time, we often get in our way by procrastinating and doubting ourselves.

Are you hoping to improve yourself inwardly for 2022 and beyond? Looking for inspiration for inward practices you can add to your daily life to slow the world down and help you cope with stress? Look no further–I’ve dedicated my life to helping people build healthy spiritual and psychological habits that improve their lives from the inside out.

Practicing Mindfulness

There’s no better building block to all other spiritual and mental habits than practicing mindfulness every day. Practicing mindfulness helps you to be more aware of yourself and your environment. You’ll be able to live in the present rather than in the past or the future. Ultimately, you can begin to appreciate life for what it is at that moment rather than stressing over the past or wishing for a better future.

For example, mindfulness helps you to stay in tune with your body. Practicing mindfulness can improve your fitness efforts, as you are constantly checking in to make sure you’re not in pain, hurting yourself, or pushing yourself further than is healthy. It also helps with tracking your progress by seeing and feeling the benefits of your efforts physically. At the same time, mindfulness can help you detect when you might be falling ill as you’re very aware of the way your body usually feels, and even slight changes can alert you long before others who are always rushing through their days.

Similarly, mindfulness can help you be one with your mind. Those who live in the past or rush towards the future are often running away from how they are feeling in the moment. Maybe there are responsibilities they want to avoid or overwhelming thoughts and feelings. Being mindful of how you feel in the present forces you to confront your feelings and any emotional problems you might be experiencing. Then, you can get to understand yourself better and apply solutions to enjoy your life better.

Finally, mindfulness can put you in touch with your spirit. Those who are mindful are comfortable checking in on their soul and faith experience. They are highly aware of their daily practices and how they affect their spirituality. These people are also very aware of internal and external factors that might be getting in the way of fully delving into their spiritual life, helping to more quickly and effectively clear any spiritual blockages.

How Can I Start Practicing Mindfulness?

Mindfulness can be as simple as frequently remembering to stop and breathe for beginners. Try forcing yourself to stop throughout the day to turn inward regularly. Start asking yourself questions such as:

      1. What am I feeling right now?
      2. How is the current action I’m doing affecting the way I feel?
      3. What is surrounding me in my environment?
      4. Is there anything in my environment that is affecting the way I feel?
      5. Am I alright to continue what I’m doing, or should I stop?

You can apply these questions to your physical, mental, and spiritual life by asking yourself these questions as they relate to your physical wellness, emotions and thoughts, and finally, your spiritual health.

Some practices for mindfulness that you can apply to your daily life are to focus on one task at a time, eat slowly, schedule brain breaks, limit time using devices, and spend more time in nature. Question your habits and automatic reactions throughout your day. The ultimate goal is to live intentionally, understanding the reason behind every action, thought, and emotion and paying attention to how these affect you.

As you become a mindfulness master, you’ll start noticing patterns in your behavior and be able to pinpoint the good and bad energy working in your life. Then, you can seek to address those. Mindfulness, meditation, and other inward practices put together can skyrocket your spiritual journey.

Add Meditation to Your Daily Routine

Mindfulness and meditation go hand-in-hand. You can start one or the other first, but ultimately, one will improve your practice of the other. For example, if you are meditating regularly, you’ll naturally become better at slowing down, breathing, and turning inward. If you start with mindfulness first, you’ll have built up your self-awareness skills and break up the monotony of your daily routine with breaks to reflect. Consequently, practicing both simultaneously is key to self-awareness and improving your life.

Meditation comes in many forms, some instituted by religions, others recommended by health professionals, and others still invented by those just looking for ways to slow down and turn inward. Meditation can be as simple as deep breathing and as complex as focusing the mind on spiritual energies within the body. Regardless of your skill level or exposure to meditation practices, you can start right away with nothing but yourself and the will to learn. Combine mindfulness, meditation, and other inward practices for the best benefits.

How to Begin Meditating

The most common and popular way to meditate is to get into a comfortable position, close your eyes, and focus on your breath. Taking deeper, slower breaths can help the body and mind relax. Meditation can stop right there, or it can go deeper. You can choose to find a happy place, imagine your favorite place to go, focus on your most happy memories, and try your hardest to stay in that place for as long as you practice. Or, you can begin focusing on the physical world, listening to the sounds and textures around you, how the floor supports your weight, and how each limb and appendage feels in this position.

Those with a deep spiritual practice go even further by focusing on their chakras or spiritual energy centers within the body. If certain things are ailing you, such as back pain or emotional stress, focusing on the chakra in charge of those things can help you unblock that energy center and restore you to complete wellness. Many choose to combine mindfulness, meditation, and more with yoga, mantra, and other forms of outward meditation.

Fasting and Prayer

There are many other forms of meditation and practices you can combine with mindfulness meditation, including fasting and prayer. Once you have slowed down your body and mind, prayer can be that much more potent for tapping into your spiritual life and connecting with the Universe and the Divine. During your meditation practice, you can choose to add prayers, whether they are candid or rehearsed, as a way to delve deeper into your practice.

A great way to focus on prayer is to pick a focus on the Divine. Is there a deity or divine master that inspires you? Is there a spiritual practice or trait that you’re seeking to improve within yourself? Set your intentions for your day and inward practices so that you always have the motivation and the reasons to guide you.

Fasting is another way to enhance your mindfulness as well. Intentionally choosing to skip meals or reduce the amount of food you consume is both physically and spiritually good for your wellness. It helps your body slow down and reset the digestive system for your health. For your mind, it enables you to be more mindful of the way you eat and how often. For the spirit, you’ll be able to focus on your sacrifice and how it has made you feel.

Take Your Inward Practices to the Next Level

If you love rituals, check out my Free Resources pages. You’ll find ancient ceremonies, lovely prayers, and encouragement that you might find helpful during times of change and transition. You might also consider using my Personality Cards – they’re wonderful for all sorts of rituals.

REMEMBER!

What is good for you and your body is entirely up to you. Experiment with these practices, do what you feel is comfortable, and only continue with things you feel benefit your life. Please realize that these aspects are only suggestions to help ease some stress and improve your inner life. You are far more powerful than you realize.

To improve your vibration, luck, and happiness, spend time chanting Sanskrit mantras and love-filled sutras. Pray for others and the Universe prays for you.

YOU ARE LOVE!

You are a beautiful Living Being filled with light and love, born from stardust. You are unlimited potential in every direction. With a focus on discipline, virtue, and your own goodness, you can become as expanded and liberated as you desire.

Button Nav Icon