Energize Yourself This Holiday Season!
We’re here again. Another new holiday season promises party food, extreme calorific drinks, sinful desserts, and a to-do list that’s already a mile long. And, it’s only just Thanksgiving around the corner! The challenge is to get to 2025 without feeling depleted.
HOW TO MEET THIS CHALLENGE:
Control your Day in Your Morning
Don’t Let Dehydration Zap Your Energy
Create an Autopilot Eating Plan
Are your schedule and to-do list scary? Two things you can do to get the most out of your day include a healthy breakfast and an early-rising morning walk. (If the walk is out, a few minutes set aside for exercise are good.)
I like an early walk because I feel that the exposure to the early-morning sun really helps. I like getting my Vitamin D fix early in the day.
SET YOUR BREAKFAST UP FOR STEADY ENERGY THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY. Include protein, healthy fat and carbs.
My preferred breakfast includes muesli topped with a protein powder and applesauce.
I pour 1 serving of Bob’s Red Mill Muesli in a bowl. I add 1 scoop of Collagen peptides from Woodstock Apothecary (in Woodstock, NY) and 1 serving of Musselman’s Unsweetened Applesauce which I get at my local Hannaford’s Grocery store.
This breakfast is nutritious, delicious, and the easiest meal I’ve found. There is nothing to heat up, nothing to chop, and nothing to cook.
If you feel like you need more food, add a small container of yogurt or 4 ounces of milk.
You really can’t get anything easier than this and it is optimum nutrition. This recipe offers the most nutrition with the least amount of preparation.
This covers step 1 of my holiday success plan.
STEP 2: KEEP YOURSELF HYDRATED.
Develop hydration habits which become second nature. Drink something often throughout the day. Just because you’re not sweating doesn’t mean you don’t need the water.
People younger that me can’t keep up with my energy if they don’t keep hydrated. To avoid fatigue, begin drinking your fluids early in the day. Water is essential to your holiday to-do list success. Include teas, broths, and soups. The rule here is this: whatever works. Just keep fluids in your daily activities.
STEP 3: YOUR DIETARY AUTO-PILOT PLAN
prepare meals which are fun to eat, nourishing, and easy. Save the exciting meals and adventurous foods for parties. For everything else, stick to your easy-to-buy-and-fix favorites.
These three things should get you to to 2025 without feeling depleted.
If you can squeeze it in, schedule a Reiki or Reflexology Session just for you!
ALSO, my wish for you is that you will be able to develop new health habits which are easy to use and help you get through your days better.
Thanks for reading this article!
TWO HOLIDAY READS:
This is a fun book to read if you’re questioning your future moves.
Volume 1 is still available on ebook.
This holiday book: “Just for Gabriel” is available on both hardback and ebook.
Order them at ThurmanGreco.com or email me at thurmangreco@gmail.com.
Again – Thanks for reading the article.
In Memory: Grandpa Woodstock
I found the story about Grandpa Woodstock on Trish LeaseWay’s Facebook thread. Her words and the pictures she took transported me back in time instantly to the first time I met him.
“Grandpa Woodstock is coming! Grandpa Woodstock is coming!” His very own herald announced his arrival with Lady Estar and Hector, their fluffy little white dog, as they made their way to the food pantry for Wednesday afternoon grocery shopping.
He parked his famous colorful cart at the pantry entrance under the shade of a tree so Hector wouldn’t get overheated. While Grandpa Woodstock and Lady Estar came in to shop, Hector patiently waited in the cart.
In Woodstock, Grandpa Woodstock was the most colorful of the colorful and the most charming of the charming with his props and smile. Residents loved him. Travelers from all over the globe adored him. Women, especially, responded to him. How could anyone resist?
While waiting in the hallway to shop, Grandpa Woodstock entertained everyone: “My, how beautiful you look today!” he gushed enthusiastically as he sounded the horn attached to his walking stick “Toot toot”.
I was no exception to the rule. His words melted my heart. Because, in reality, working in the pantry was tough with the overcrowded hallway, overstuffed food shelves, and overtired shoppers. When Grandpa Woodstock and Lady Estar shopped in the pantry, none of it mattered.
He made us feel special when he showed off his clothes, his cart, his horn, his peace sign, and posed for photos.
What a pair! Grandpa and Lady Estar looked alike. My eyes told me they were a pair of matching perfect size 8’s. Their long flowing silver hairstyles and their lovely matching beards only emphasized their striking appearance as they stood in the pantry selecting veggies for the evening meal they planned to serve to their closest homeless friends.
He and Lady Estar dressed beautifully in flowing silk skirts and kimonos. They favored red floral print jackets, dresses. Their toenails were painted and they wore matching Teva sandals. As they chatted, I felt they were already dressed for their evening event.
When they left the pantry, Grandpa Woodstock pushed their cart out to the village green so admirers could take pictures, buy post cards, and donate money in Grandpa’s tip jar.
None of Woodstock’s rich and famous got so many requests for autographs, photographs. They couldn’t compete with Grandpa Woodstock’s show off tricks. Maybe some of these famous people should have gotten a horn.
This was street theater at its finest. He drew us in, made us feel special for a moment. Life was beautiful!
“My how lovely you look today!” he announced to the crowd, waving a peace sign in the air. Grandpa Woodstock convinced us all with his smile and the toot of his horn that we were accepted by the community, that we were okay, and that our pantry was important.
As I remember this special moment in time, I’m reminded that neither Grandfather Woodstock, nor the Woodstock he lived in, exist anymore. Grandpa was the last of the line. Everyone else was gone – one way or another.
Time and gentrification is moving us forward – with no exceptions.
A Meditation for You and for Now
The bottom line about meditation is this: communication.
A meditation can be done anywhere. But the best location is the one where you are in a quiet place, uninterrupted, and where you can relax and feel safe.
A good meditation posture is the one where you sit or lay down with your eyes closed in whatever position is most comfortable for you.
Like other forms of communication, the more you practice meditation, the more you will be receptive to the energy and greater awareness of the activity.
At the beginning of your meditation, you may want to light a candle, ring a bell, burn incense, play soothing music. You may hold a meaningful store or other symbol such as a cross or star.
Close your eyes and focus your breathing as you inhale and exhale slowly and deeply. Think about your breath as you inhale and exhale. Breathe slowly and deeply for the next several minutes while you allow your sacred self to take control. This will let you calm your sensory perceptions.
Notice how your body relaxes with each breath.
This quiet time is a priority. With every breath, you relax a bit more deeply. Light and energy and positive thoughts enter your body with every inhale.
Allow a sense of well-being and gentle relaxation to cover your entire self.
Toxins, anxiety, and frustrations leave your body with each exhale. This is a good time to discard discomfort. Relaxation replaces the toxins with every breath.
Breathe in healing light and warmth from the crown of your head down through your body – your upper chest, your back and spine, down your abdomen and pelvic areas, hips, thighs, and down your legs to your feet.
Your breath will guide this light to encircle your body and circulate around your body several times.
When you are ready, gather the energy at your feet and let it flow up your body to your head.
See this energy flowing out from your head as a fountain of light. It gathers at your feet in a pool of energy and then flows back up to the crown of your head.
Repeat this fountain flow several times – as long as you like.
When you are relaxed, comfortable, and energized, it is time to leave the meditation and return to the room.
Open your eyes. Gently shake your arms, hands, legs, and feet.
Now, smile, knowing that you can return to this space whenever you want.
Your Body Scan: Use This Ritual When You Need Uplifting Calm and Well
Have you ever experienced the luxury of a body scan? Have you ever heard of a body scan?
This little-known technique releases tension effectively. Use it often. Your muscles, bones, and nerves will thank you!
A body scan helps you release not only tension, but also pain, tightness, or warm areas.
Begin your body scan by finding a quiet place where you can sit or lie in a comfortable position. As you get comfortable, encourage your breath to become deeper and slower. Lengthen your inhales and exhales.
Focus on your toes. What do you feel? If you feel tension, allow your toes and feet to relax. Encourage tension to leave your body with every exhale. See the tension disappear into the air.
Now, repeat this process as you work your way up through the rest of your body. Pay attention to your feet, calves, knees, thighs, hip and pelvic area, back, shoulders, upper arms, elbows, lower arms, hands, neck, jaw, face, eyes, and scalp.
Notice what you find: Stress, tension, stiffness, cold areas, tight muscles.
When you reach your scalp, reverse the process and move your attention back down your body. When you finish, you will be back with your toes.
Now, notice how your feet feel. What about the rest of your body?
Stay with this feeling for a few minutes. Enjoy the relaxation and calm for as long as you want before ending the session. Take as much time as you wish.
When it is time to end the scan, move your body just a little. Shift into the here and now. Let the calm soothe your body – from the toes to the top of your head.
Take a slow, breath and join the here and now at your own pace.
Thanks for reading this article. Contact me at thurmangreco@gmail.com if you have questions or comments.
More information is available at in earlier posts of this blog. You may also find more information in “Healer’s Handbook”
Thanks for forwarding and sharing this blog post.
Thanks again!
Thurman
Lift Yourself Up: 6 Things That Work
Sometimes, we’re aware of life’s impacts when they happen. Other times, they sneak up on us. We wake up and realize things haven’t been “right” for a while or even a long time.
Life is many things to many different people. Over time, things change. The changes can come daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, or even more slowly.
However that is for you, when you realize things aren’t what you consider ideal – or even acceptable – it’s time to lift yourself up.
This is a good opportunity to spend energy connecting with your community. You may find that your community is experiencing adjustments as well as yourself. Who are you in this community? Are you comfortable with your place here?
The important thing is to connect with people who lift you up. You find them when you connect with your community – through friends, groups, and extended families.
Check in with those who are important to you.
Take a deep breath and a break. Self-care activities such as meditation and enough sleep can be particularly healing now. (Meditation always comes up first on the self-care list. However, it is not popular with everyone. The point is to choose something that works for you.)
Returning to body work habits such as reflexology or Reiki therapy can be particularly appreciated now. While you’re focusing on these new (or renewed) connections, schedule extra sessions to keep you grounded and steady.
This is also a time to pick up a new skill through classes, books, or other ways of learning.
Finally, show up for others in positive ways which honors them. This makes you a conduit for healing in ways you may not have thought of before.
Being a conduit for healing is a basic tenet of self-healing. Being a conduit does not require that you change your story or anyone else’s.
Being a conduit for healing does not really offer therapy even. Simply being there and showing up is enough.
Thank you for reading this blog post. Please forward this post to your friends and relatives and also share it to your preferred social media network.
Thank you.
Thurmangreco.com
Where Are You Hiding?
I admit it….. Volunteering changed my life.
The message here is this: Don’t read this article if you’re happy where you’re at.
And…..
Skip this article if you don’t want to change your life. Or, maybe, even ruin it forever. Because, it’s just possible that, like myself, you’ll never again ignore the plight of people living on the margins.
It’s also possible you’ll find a community. Everywhere I go, I encounter people living in new surroundings they discovered during the pandemic. They live in the new place but are not yet a part of the location.
To put it bluntly: They haven’t yet found a community. To do that, they need an activity which calls them to do something beyond themselves.
People in this situation are homesick for a past which is not going to join them in the future.
To feel good about your home and your life in the present moment, find a place, a job, a hobby, a community which feeds you physically and spiritually.
This is where volunteering comes in. When I began working at the food pantry, I had no inkling that my old life was gone forever. I had no clue that what would replace it was a much richer tapestry.
I didn’t know I was being given an opportunity to do something great beyond myself. Why was I hiding?
I simply immersed myself in my community doing what needed to be done. This brought a pivot in my life.
So, I ask you: Are your curtains up? Have you got the sofa where you want it in the living room? If the answer to these two questions is “YES”, then where are you hiding? Go for it!
You’ll soon be motivated to a more positive attitude because your self-image and social esteem are improved. You’ll feel better about yourself.
Don’t know where to go? Look around you. Opportunities are all over the place.
Think about something you like: dogs and cats, art, reading, children, politics.
When you find your volunteering place, you’ll see change. You’ll discover what the word “impact” means. You’ll write a new chapter in your life.
But, what if you don’t want to involve yourself in life on the margins?
What ifs are all around you. But, they are not everywhere. Scout around and find yourself a Reiki Master Teacher and go for it! New horizons wait for you in Reiki, that’s for sure. Your inner self is calling out.
ENJOY!
Thank you for reading this blog post. Please share it with your friends and relatives and forward it to your favorite social media network.
Check out some of the early articles in this blog and also in www.hungerisnotadisease.com.
Books are available:
Find out more about Thurman Greco at www.thurmangreco.com
One Thing About Reiki and Healing
Since the ’90s, I’ve taught Reiki and Reflexology to students of all ages, sizes, and shapes. I made a conscious effort to let my students fly free, once he or she received the certificates earned. .
Healing is a personal path for a student. Eventually, the learned skills will surface in a way that is best for the universe. Sometimes the surfacing happens quite soon. Other times, it may take years as the student carries the energy around quietly, underground almost – waiting for just the right time. Meanwhile, the healing Reiki energy percolates, hidden below the surface.
Soon after Donald Trump was inaugurated, I put out an extremely quiet call to some Reiki Master Practitioners. “Come over and get your teacher wings.”
A few answered the call. I attuned them all to the Reiki Master Teacher Level and, again, set them loose to do what they felt called to do.
Karen kept in touch. She took her attunement seriously and, throughout the Pandemic, taught and practiced Reiki. Karen worked outdoors throughout this time. She practiced her profession in a park about 2 blocks from her home.
Some days were hot. Others were cold. Nobody seemed to mind.
Now, in these days and times, Karen is ill. She is teaching us all how to prepare for the future when there isn’t much time left on this plane.
She is allowing her students and fellow practitioners the opportunity to offer Reiki. This is a special time for all of us. Her students set up a time: Tuesday afternoons at 3:00.
People drop by her home to see how she’s doing. Some prepare food. Others run errands, etc. Everyone is finding things that need attention. Hospice is in the mix.
Reiki is at the core of this transition. We participate the best way we can.
One thing happening out loud is this: When we learn Reiki or other healing modality, we’re not sure what we’re going to do with our new certificate and skill.
Whatever we do, Reiki meets us where we are. However we use the things we’ve learned, it’s all for the good of the universe.
We are not here to change a story when offering therapy. Instead, we are a conduit for healing. Nothing more.
I am grateful to each and every student I’ve had over the past years. Each of you is an educational experience for me. You have, one and all, given me the highest honor a teacher can receive: Your trust.
Thank you to everyone. Thank you to Karen for allowing us to be with her at this special time.
My first book, “Healer’s Handbook” took 10 years to write. It’s gone out to over 3 dozen countries. I think it needs another edition to highlight End-of-Life Reiki. What do you think?
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Earlier posts of this blog may have answers to your questions. Check them out. Also go to some of the YOUTUBE segments of “Let’s Live” which cover wellness and healing.
Find out more at www.thurmangreco.com.
Contact me at thurmangreco@gmail.com.
The shows have been hold for several weeks because Ellen had surgery. We are resuming our shows soon. Join us!
One Way to Explore and Expand Your Path
We are, each of us, on a unique path.
You may follow your path from childhood and continue throughout your life, honoring your traditions.
Or, you may create your own path, making meaning out of each new step.
Wherever you are on your journey, your path is yours alone. Only you occupy your space.
One thing you can do to help yourself advance on your path is to journal. Because your path is yours alone, your journal will help you reflect on life’s meanings and what they teach you.
You can create your journal from an old tablet you found lying around on a table. Or, you can create your a journal as a work of art with drawings, photos, paintings, and a creative cover. Or, your journal can be anywhere between these two styles.
However you decide to create your journal, it can help you explore your spirituality.
Whatever you do to create your journal, it can help you explore the wonders of your life. The words of your journal will help you learn more about how you think and feel. This will help you create a deeper connection with your self and your path.
Your journal entries will help you explore your beliefs and how you feel and think about them.
The spiritual exploration offered by your journal will enhance and strengthen your path.
Thanks for reading this article.
It is not intended to change your story or offer therapy. It is written to offer a conduit to your own healing journey’s path.
Find out more about reflexology, Reiki, and healing, at www.thurmangreco.com.
If you are seeking specific information, check out older blog posts and also go to some of the YOUTUBE segments which cover wellness and healing.
A recent book features the major arcana of the Tarot. These cards explore well-known symbols and archetypes which heal, shape, and reflect our lives.
Beyond the boundaries of this book, I will explore archetypes and how they affect our spiritual growth in future blog posts..
You can order this book at thurmangreco.com or email me at thurmangreco@gmail.com.
Concerns, Challenges, and Stress? Change Them With One Challenge Management Technique
We can’t eliminate all of our daily challenges, concerns, and stress. But, we can manage our reactions to them.
Challenge management will make your life easier. You’ll change the way you feel, and the way you act, as you respond to your concerns and stress.
Worries distract and steal your energy.
Through the years, I’ve learned that challenge management can improve your daily life. This encourages you to focus and move toward your goals.
So – what you do is this:
Set aside and schedule time specifically for thinking about your challenges. Name each challenge and examine your emotions surrounding it. Examine how your life would be if things worked out for the best.
Then, get a piece of paper and quickly write about what’s on your mind. Focus on the concerns, challenges, and stresses that are foremost on your mind this very minute. What are your daily distractions?
Don’t worry about the grammar or spelling. You aren’t writing this for someone else. You’re not going to show these words to anyone. Your private thoughts will help you identify and describe your situation.
What is going on in your mind?
Describe your concerns and worries.
To find a possible positive outcome, ask yourself “Where is the peace in all of this?” Focus on an ideal situation. Identify where and how things might improve for you.
Where is the hope?
When you schedule writing sessions where you focus on a positive outcome, you decide where to focus your time and energies.
As this writing exercise shifts your energy to a more positive outcome, you let go of the negativity.
Calm moves into the space that negativity just vacated.
Your mind becomes a powerful tool to create your own life, focusing on you. You can now create your reality from peace and positivity as fears and worries disappear.
Making a habit of this exercise will bring hope and positivity and good change your way.
Making time to listen allows you to embrace your inner wisdom.
As you process your worries, you can support the good things you need.
You may decide what is the best thing you can do for yourself. You may decide it is a good thing to stop hanging onto things that are of no help to you.
At some point, you may feel gratitude.
Thank you for reading this blog post. Please forward it to your favorite social media network and share it with your friends and relatives.
For more information, please check out some earlier posts on this blog. This blog has been exploring healing for over 10 years. Reiki and Reflexology have been important in my life for years.
You may even get a copy of my first book:
You can find it listed on www.Thurmangreco.com. OR, you can contact me directly at thurmangreco@gmail.com.
This is my latest book. I loved writing it and feel that you will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Even if you are not interested in the Tarot, you will find the archetypes found within the pages far interesting and have a practical application in your life.
Find out more about Thurman at www.thurmangreco.com.
That One Thing We All Share
When I do my weekly grocery shopping at my local Hannaford, I always get (or try to get) individual cups of plain yogurt. I love the flavor and texture of the store brand. The plain nonfat Greek variety is my favorite! The texture, flavor and the ingredients are perfect. This yogurt has no artificial ingredients. There are no words in the ingredients list that I can’t pronounce or understand.
This product is healthy. Yummy. And, the price is right!
But, getting this yogurt is almost like going on a quest. For starters, it’s on the very top shelf in the refrigerator section. Often, I can’t even find it. I know where it’s supposed to be but I’m not quite tall enough to see up there.
I begin by seeking out an employee who’s a few inches taller. When I can’t find one, I look for a ladder or step stool. Finally, my final option is to find something on a shelf, like a fly swatter, that I can use to push the yogurt I can’t see to the front of the shelf.
Then, finally, I push it out the front and grab the cups and put them in my grocery cart.
By this time, I’m so determined that I clean out the store. I buy every cup of the plain Hannaford’s yogurt I can find.
For me, this situation is a challenge. It’s not about my height. But, it is about my height.
Life is all about limitations. What I can and cannot do. How much can I ignore?
Shopping at the Hannaford’s is especially all about limitations.
Getting to the heart of the matter, life is all about limitations. This is one thing that is true for each and every one of us.
Shifted to the bottom line, limitations are all about acceptance. This is not about being a victim. It IS about doing whatever we need to do to get the job right. Limitations are, literally, a means to an end.
It is also about acceptance. I occupy a space on this planet in my body. This space is mine and mine alone.
This limitation becomes, and is, a meditation.
This space and my body are mine.
Each day, I take a few moments to come back to this.
I pay attention to my breath.
I pay attention to my arms and my legs.
I pay attention to the temperature and smell and texture of the air around me.
I focus on this opportunity to realize that what I need is right in front of me if I’ll only recognize it and pay attention.
I am fully alive in this moment.
After this meditation, I return to the room around me, walk into the kitchen, and have a cup of my favorite Hannaford Yogurt.
Thank you for reading this blog post. Please share it with your friends and relatives. Forward it to your favorite social media network.
Check out my books on www.Thurmangreco.com.
“But for Gabriel” is the newest book. It is available in both ebook and paper book versions.
“A Healer’s Tarot Memoir” is coming soon. It will also be available in both ebook and paper book.
ENJOY!
By a long shot, “A Healer’s Handbook” is the most popular. It’s gone out to over 3 dozen countries and people are still buying it.
If you are interested in traveling further into the world of healing, Reiki and Reflexology videos are waiting for you on “Let’s Live with Thurman Greco”.
Thanks for reading this blog post.
Hope to connect with you again soon.
Thurman Greco
