In the shamanic medicine wheel, winter corresponds to the Northern direction, the color white (which also happens to be the color of healing in many traditions), and going within for rest and restitution. We can also note this in nature slowing down considerably, and stopping all activities that would waste precious life energy. It's the time for inner work, for laying a solid foundation for new growth in the new year, when the days once again get longer.

After all, what good does it do a tree to attempt growing new leaves in the frosty days of December (and even January) when they are bound to freeze off before developing fully? Why not preserve that precious energy, avoid the clean-up of dead half-developed leaves, and allow ourselves the gift of slowing down and resting more?

I realize this is contrary to the usual pre-holiday frenzy in most occupations. Yet, even in a corporate job, there are ways to slow down and get in flow with the season. To give your body the nourishment it desires, and the rest it requires after an already busy year. The more hectic the December close of business, the more important to de-stress on the personal and physical side, in my experience. For tips how to do that with exposure to light, movement and nutrition, please consult my mini-series on how to skip the winter blues (the most recent three posts).

My tips for this holiday season:

* Choose your parties wisely (it's ok to say no!).

* Finish up your old projects, and hold off on new ventures until the new year whenever possible. You'll be much fresher, productive and creative, and spend a fraction of the time on them that you'd need if you squeezed in your new stuff in the last 4 weeks of the year.

* Make self-care a priority - being chronically sick at this time of the year is NOT programmed into your body or the season. Nor is it anyone's doing but our own: it's due to acute neglect and overindulgence in holiday treats, short nights, and exposure to the cleansing action of lower temperatures and crisp air outside. Laying off the sugar and alcohol and upping your intake of fresh greens and cooked veggies, while keeping yourself warm (and moving!) will go a long way.

* Develop an attitude of gratitude. It's the dark season, so easy to slip into harassing yourself over the failures of the past year. Instead, make a list of your accomplishments and take pride in them. Celebrate. Love yourself up. Share with others and encourage them to share their positive highlights.

That said: season's greetings & happy holidays to all of you.

Take care and be good to yourselves!

With gratitude,

Simple tips to upgrade your nutrition on the go, and "eat more sunlight" for happiness and health on a cellular level that radiates out into your life.

Welcome (back) to part three of this mini-series!

Let’s talk about feeding yourself sunshine in the dark season to support your body and mind for optimum performance, now that we’ve already covered daylight exposure and circulation boosters in the past two weeks.

Did you know that the chlorophyll molecule in green leaves is very similar to the molecule haemoglobin in human blood? — Well, it is. As such, it is a superb transporter of oxygen (it binds it reversibly, meaning it's able to pick up oxygen, carry it to a destination and release it again). More bio-available oxygen in our blood makes our entire body more alkaline on a cellular level, and thus more energetic and happy. Which is why the natural healing community has been touting wheatgrass shots (esp. Ann Wigmore - Hippocrates Institute), green smoothies and green juices.

You could say a fresh green juice works pretty much like a blood transfusion - no digestive energy required due to lack of fibre, usually assimilated within 5-10 minutes of consumption. For office workers, this is particularly helpful when the afternoon slump hits, and there is a huge temptation to go for the n-th coffee of the day and munch on sugary chocolate bars on the side to get energy levels back up.

Welcome to part two of my “Skip The Winter Blues” series!

If you’re working in an office all day long, chances are you’re not getting enough exercise, on top of not getting adequate exposure to daylight (see last week’s post for remedies). The same applies to most people who travel a lot for work. Meaning, you’re missing out on the physical, emotional and mental benefits of moving your body and keeping (or making) it - and your mind (!!!) - flexible and fresh. And making a daily habit of it all.

Your body depends on you making it happen, though! And guess what: the more you get your circulation going habitually, the less you will be freezing in the winter time. By the way, we’re talking about three things here: blood circulation, lymph circulation, and energy circulation (in your energy body that surrounds your physical body).

And no, none of this is new. What is new, or rather "unusual" about my posts is that I practice what I preach. This is no theoretical discussion of something some highly decorated professor thinks could "theoretically" help you. These are things that have worked for me in real life, in situations pretty similar to the challenges you face daily as a "high performance athlete" of the mental realm (i.e. as a high level office worker or entrepreneur).

As Ghandi said "an ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching." I'm a practitioner. Always have been. Always will be. To me, theory can only ever serve as a guideline, to establish a helpful framework when I venture into new areas; the real deal happens when you apply it along with your common sense in real life. Whether that's juggling loads of client money in high finance or improving your health or anything else you aspire to (like passing the CFA exam a few years back for me).

As the days get shorter, many people who live as far north of the equator as we do tend to slow down, have trouble getting up in the morning, get sick more easily, and are generally in lower spirits. After all, life isn’t as easy as in the summer time, and daylight is in far more limited supply.

This phenomenon is particularly pronounced for those of us with office jobs that often have us leave the house in the dark and return home after dark. There’s a scientific term for it, and it's quite fitting, too: SAD - or Seasonal Affective Disorder.

I had the very same problem up until a few years ago, when I was working as a professional money manager. Come late October, I’d slow down considerably, to the point of not recognizing myself anymore. I was simply left to wonder what had happened to the generally upbeat and energetic woman I usually am. I was getting into energy healing at the time - in fact, I had taken my Reiki I class and received the attunements about 6 weeks prior - and knew it was time for more research.

So, we’re electrical beings. Ok, fine. Then how do I get more energy? - I can hardly “plug" myself into a regular power outlet without getting hurt, after all.

You don't know me as a religious blogger, or friend of bible study. I don't mind it, have read the whole thing myself more than once, but have never been one to go to weekly Sunday meetings - to be perfectly honest, I used to be scared by people who made this a regular commitment! In fact, I've quite clearly stated my view of institutionalized religion, science and spirituality before (3 years ago to the day, to be exact!!!). Yet, here I am, quoting John 3:16.

As it stands, some of the best days I've ever had in this lifetime are firmly linked to a dear friend of mine who quotes the bible over and over (sometimes ad nauseam, admittedly, but I have decided to view it as a loveable quirk of his). He's REALLY into that stuff. And not shy to let you know. My only salvation in his presence is to quickly turn the topic around into something that I feel comfortable discussing, too. Thus far, it's worked quite well.

Growing up under the strict influence of convent school for girls, I have an innate drive toward freedom. So, I normally avoid everything overtly religious. But I also know enough about humanity to recognize when the bible or anything remotely religious CAN serve purely as a means for self-encouragement (with the right mindset and focus, of course!). After all, these things ARE tried and tested. They've been around for a long time. And people have been falling back on them in troves.

I don't need to be paying church taxes or tithing or donating on Kiva to know the symbolic and ritual powers inherent in things that have been repeated by millions as mantras for long stretches of time, with a certain intent: namely that of inspiring love and hope. The intent to find the strength in oneself to keep going.

To me, bible quotes are just the same as Reiki symbols: little helpers that have assisted millions of people over centuries to keep their faith in the greater power, and with that, in universal love.

Did you ever examine the vedic deities (Shiva, Shakti, Saraswati, Ganesha, Lakshmi etc.) in depth? Without prejudice, and with a fully open and receptive mind? -- Well, I certainly wasn't planning on doing that, but my yoga teacher training course kind of forced me to, back in 2011.

Once I'd decided that I wanted that 2-year yoga teacher training that met at night, once a week for 3.5 hours (or more if I decided to stay for a very late dinner and conversation with fellow yogis), and 6 full weekends each year, the hiding began. Remember, I was working as a fund manager on the fast track to a brilliant career at a global asset management company at the time. Most of my co-workers/superiors didn't appear to care much for the softer aspects of life, or fully understand my need to balance work, physical & mental healing and spiritual explorations. Or maybe they were just as afraid as I to admit these needs of their own in the work-place. Still, it was something I had understood to be of great importance to my personal healing, and thus for my future ability to excel at my corporate job.

You think I was caught between a rock and a hard place there? - Indeed.

More than 2 years ago, I had a day-long meeting with a successful spiritual business coach who had full-blown, late-stage breast-cancer. That night, I found a lump in my breast.

In retrospect, there is nothing surprising about this. It’s a simple process that’s well-known even to high school students: homeostasis, or the internal balancing out of a closed system.

I had hired this coach to help me infuse my start-up business with a lot of energy. In order to get the full benefit, I decided to spend the entire day with her, so that her business success might rub off on me.

From an energy perspective, that is a very reasonable thing to do. I needed to get into her energy space in order to soak up the non-verbal parts of her business success. I had to create a closed system that contained both of us for this to work. And I did, by visiting her. However, I neglected the flipside of the coin: I didn’t take into account that I had a pristinely healed body with an immense abundance of life energy that would RUB OFF ON HER, as well. Or rather, I relied on the assumption that I would share some of my cash and maybe a bit of life energy with her. I never expected her cancer frequency to jump into my body. To be perfectly honest, I only found out that it was a late-stage cancer she was dealing with in early 2015 - I had no clue in 2013 that the malignant growth was already poking through her skin under her clothes.

When I found out about her cancer and her preference for natural/energy healing at the time I booked my VIP day with her in early 2013, I thought: “Oh, ok. Breast cancer. No reason to be alarmed, because that can totally and easily be healed by her being brutally honest with herself, letting go of old toxic stories/relationships/etc, and raising her vibration in all areas of life." And I applauded her for not subjecting her beautiful body to chemotherapy and radiation. To me, this meant she was obviously in vibration raising mode. During the booking process, I also found out from her assistant that my business coach was on a raw food diet at the time. And again, that served to reassure me. Those were things I knew well, and I knew worked.

Reflections on the Path of the Yogi (by Solveig Caroline)

You see ease.
It’s the ease of disciplined routine.

You see grace.
It is gratitude in action - not just daily. But with every breath.

You see beauty.
It is focused discipline and pristine boundaries.

You see love.
It is love. And more than that: unwavering faith in the divine.

You think the multitasker makes the cut? THINK AGAIN!

The only way to make dreams come true is to FOCUS your attention on them like a laser beam. One moment, one step at a time. It's what I did to become successful as a money manager.

And I did it over and over to create the body of my dreams, with a state of physical health and beauty that was previously also only to  be dreamed of. Now I have ALL THAT. And I'm pretty darn proud of that! It's been a lifelong project. And guess what: now my dream physical shape and health is actually easy to maintain. Effortless. Joyful.

Extra weight and how to get rid of it has been a challenge at various times in my life. I'm in the happy place now to have created my dream body. And to be able to quickly and effectively course-correct whenever my physical shape (and with it my energy levels and ability to make things happen in the other areas of my life) starts deviating from that dream.

I have acquired loads of wisdom on the way. I've pretty much spent my entire life researching and self-experimenting with all types of diets, exercises, yoga, relaxation techniques, cleanses, etc. And now I also have a very clear understanding of all this in the energy healing space, i.e. why some things work and others don't, no matter how hard we try. Or in which order at what stage in the process.

I'm here to share all the age-old wisdom that has gone into creating this beautiful, healthy and strong body with you. In a way that serves both of us. That's what my business is about:

Empowering you to discover and trust your inner health expert. Because I trust mine. Fully. And if I can do that, you can, too!

Have a wonderful summer, take your breaks. Make your dreams come true!

And please check back every few weeks - I'm working on an online summit of experts in the natural energy/health/manifestation area to share with you.

But now I am putting monkey mind to rest, and really zeroing in on what I need to do. And that means: I'm off Facebook, off Twitter, and not blogging! It's all way too distracting!

I still love you guys. But first things first.

I'll see you on the other side.

Love & Light,

Almond milk - a nutrient-rich, alkalanizing superdrink. It’s a great substitute for dairy, and I much prefer it to soy milk or other nut milks. It's great for digestion, and gives me instant energy.

It’s quick and easy to make fresh, too!

Ingredients:
- Almonds* (1.5 cups, soaked)
- Water ** (2.5 cups)

Optional for taste:
- Agave syrup or honey (or 3 soaked, pitted medjool dates)
- Sea salt
- Cinnamon
- Black pepper
- Vanilla extract

Equipment:
- Kitchen blender & cheese cloth or fine-mesh strainer
- Alternatively: nut milk maker

Before you start: soak your almonds for 8 hours to neutralize phytates. Soaking or sprouting (=soaking/rinsing/soaking over a number of days) is a great idea for all nuts/grains/legumes you consume, because it makes nuts/grains/legumes easier to digest). DO NOT USE OR DRINK the soaking water.

There are nutmilk makers*** on the market, but from my own experience, the kitchen blender works perfectly fine, too! You’ll need a cheese cloth or fine sieve to strain the milk after blending.

Here’s how it works with the kitchen blender:

1. Place 1.5 cups of water, the almonds (and optional dates) in the blender. Blend on a high speed until very smooth.
2. Add remaining cup of water and desired additional seasonings and blend until smooth.
3. Place the cheese cloth or fine-mesh strainer over a medium bowl and let the almond/water mix run through it. You can use a rubber spatula to extract the maximum amount of almond milk from the pulp.****
4. Pour yourself a cup of you delicious fresh almond milk!
5. The rest of the almond milk will keep for 5 days in an airtight container. It wants to go in the fridge. Make sure to stir well before using, as it will separate.

In-Joy! <3


~Solveig Caroline

* preferably raw, with skin, i.e. not heat-treated, not sulfured

** The cleanest quality available to you - non-carbonated, of course. At the moment, I use tap water, run it through a carbon filter, and energize it with 8 healing crystals (1 for each of the 7 chakras plus a clear quartz). I have bought spring water in glass bottles before on the expensive end of the spectrum. On the no-frills end (even in major US metropolitan areas!) I have used tap water purified with the help of baby carrots. It all works. The important thing is that you do it. No excuses!

*** After about 2 years of using my regular kitchen blender to make my almond milk, I’ve bought a nutmilk maker. I love it! But it’s a question of optimizing money/space/time, so you may be perfectly happy with and well-served by your blender.

**** You can discard the pulp, or keep it to add to your next green smoothie or make your own pralinés by adding dried dates, shredded dried coconut and cocoa powder

You know, I love reading the stories about my US friend's hero grandfathers and fathers and lost friends around memorial day on Facebook! There's so much love and admiration for these brave people. Some of them obviously fought/died in WWII, doing what they believed was right. Ridding the world of a tyrant.

I don't like war - and I don't want to glorify it. I think it's outright wrong. And that’s regardless of whether it’s a war on the outside or us battling a part of ourselves internally. But there are people we love who decide(d) to participate in whatever capacity, and I want to honor them for walking their chosen path.

Now, I am from Germany, and have the other end of that particular (WWII) stick in my history...

If you were to ask me what is the most important ingredient, the make-or-break criterion for pursuing and eventually living my dream life, I’d give you a one-word answer: ...

Hi! Do you have too much on your plate work- and activity-wise? So much that thinking about what to eat becomes a matter of grab-and-go most days? That planning a healthy meal is a luxury you think you can't afford?

If yes, I have a few ideas for you.