Happy Holidays!

I know I haven't been around for a while. I haven't forgot about my blogs nor you. It's not like I have neglected you, I just had to deal with real life for a bit. Some of it was bad but most of it was good.

Does it help if I explain to you what has been going wrong in my life? Nope. Why? Because every single one of us has issues. We all have things we have to face in life - some of it good and some of it bad (depending on your perception of things).

We ALL need to take our time this year. Take our time with making our decisions, setting boundaries, and living life to the fullest. We also need to take our time to savor the present moment. Only by living in the present moment can we be grateful for all the things in our life.

What does "living in the present moment" mean? For me, it means not to think about the past as well as not thinking about the future (projecting. It also means not to project or fantasize about the outcome you want. Let's say you meet a guy and you like him. Instead of thinking about your wedding day (and you haven't even gone out on a single date...this is projection at its worst), think about why you like this guy and how you can make him a part of your life NOW! That's the present moment!

Click on the "Read More" link for more of this post...

This year, I'm going to make it a point to live in the present moment as much as I can. These blogs aren't going to write themselves and just keeping ideas in my head and not putting them on paper just makes no sense. I can't let my past affect me. I can't let my future (or possible future) affect me either. Most of all, I can't let my imagination or wishing for this or that affect me from doing what I need to do NOW.

If you are like me, then you need to make this change as soon as possible. Otherwise, everything you have strived to achieve will be for naught. It's almost 2010. This year should be about responsibility and accountability.

(With this said, I was going to do a blog on what I said I was going to do last year and if I did it or not. It's time I listen to myself and not look in the past...except when it comes to the topics I need to post on here. ;))

So have a Happy Holidays and let make this a New Year of change!

Blessed Love and until next time...
Stay strong, stay healthy, and fight dis-ease! :D

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Drea, where have you been?

Hello there! :D I know you're wondering where I've been, what I'm doing in life and what I'm going to do with this blog.

Let me assure you that my Fight dis-ease! and Healthy Junk blogs aren't going anywhere! I've been really busy this summer dealing with life and getting myself together. It's been stressful and enlightening at the same time. I have so many plans for my future and I'm really excited to share them all with you.

Right now, I'm at my part time job. I still work at the Integral Yoga Natural Apothecary (part-time). I start teaching at the Integral Yoga Institute (NYC), this weekend for 9/13. And that's only the beginning! I'll let you know what's really good next week...

oh yeah, I still have a whole lot of topics to update you on. Trust me, once I get my life in true order, there is going to be a whole new Drea and a whole new Fight dis-ease! and Healthy Junk blogs for you to enjoy.

Until next time (you know the drill)...stay strong, stay healthy, and fight dis-ease!

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Movements XX: The Matrix Reloaded

As I have said in my last post, I am going through certain things right now that is giving me a chance to totally reevaluate my life. During that process, I will be posting less consistently than before. This is not because I'm giving up on my blog. On the contrary, I'm going to fully revamp this blog to be the success that it needs to be.

In the process, I am totally revamping myself as well.




I have to get a lot of things in order. My finances, my relationships, my health (mental and spiritual), and my career. It's not that things aren't going well, certain situations in my life that I cannot control have forced me to shift into survival mode. Thankfully, various modalities of Holistic Healing have enabled me to weather this change with a good "umbrella" and a positive mind.

I have two blogs. This one and Healthy Junk. I'm going to make a lot of changes to these blogs. Also have a "Fight dis-ease!" blog on Wordpress. I put up a poll on the sidebar to my left. Even though I only received one vote, I got a lot of feedback that has helped me to make certain decisions.

Unfortunately for you, I'm not going to speak on these decisions now. The only reason for this is that I want to make sure that I follow through with these decisions instead of telling you I'm going to do something and then falling back on it.

You will find that as I progress (or regress) with my blog, so is the same with my life. This blog is a reflection of my growth as well as your journey of personal growth.

It is high time that I claim my worth and value it to the fullest - in life, through my blogs.

So it is written, so shall it be done.

Don't worry. I'll still post. However it will be slow, as I have said before. Not only will the template change (as I have already planned to do with the seasons) but the content and many other things will change with this blog. I hope you stick around long enough to enjoy the fruits of my labor. Please feel free to provide any feedback.

Until next time...stay strong, stay healthy, and fight dis-ease!

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Karma Yogi IV: March is for Women!

February was a celebration of Black History. Now we move from one aspect of who I am to another...Women's History! March is Women's History Month as well as National Women/Girls HIV/AIDS Day on March 10th. So let's do this Karma Yogi session with a little celebration and links for you to get into the spirit of celebrating Womanhood:

Let's not lie to ourselves and act like Michelle Obama is NOT history in the making! The first black First Lady of the United States? Come on now. It will start with her but it surely won't end with her.

If you are in Brooklyn, you can celebrate Women's History Month with First Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum. If you are in NYC on Saturday and love Hip Hop, you can celebrate Women's History Month with this jam.

It's so crazy how much history was made in a couple of months! 100 year old Black women got to vote for and elect a black president. This may not seem like much to most but when your family has been slaves for the past 300 years, this is HUGE. Especially for those who have lived through slavery and segregation. Bless them!

Now let's move onto March 10th...

According to the HIV/AIDS Awareness Website:

In 2005, women represented 26 percent of new AIDS diagnoses, compared to only 11 percent of new AIDS cases reported in 1990. Most women are infected with HIV through heterosexual contact and injection drug use.

Women of color are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. AIDS is now the leading cause of death for Black women ages 25 to 34.

You can get involved in your area by clicking here. In NYC, from 3/6 - 3/13, Womens and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day will be celebrated here. If you can participate, please do.

Now, even though we are celebrating Women's History this month, I truly believe that in order to respect the past, we must use the lessons learned then for the future. With this in mind, I'm going to give you links to a couple of websites and blogs that I think are doing a great job in helping women in the present and for the future:

kiva.org --> Micro-lending at its finest. It allows you to loan to the working poor around the world. I don't know why but it works. I'm going to lend to someone in need by the end of the month. You can lend in increments of $25 or more.

International Women's Day is March 8th. You can help out not only by participating with kiva.org but also with seva.org. Seva means "service" in Sanskrit. Karma Yoga is based on seva and goes beyond that in regards to the manner in which you perform your service. According to the website,

Working in nine countries in addition to the United States, Seva Foundation supports projects in the area of health and wellness, community development, environmental protection and cultural preservation.

Working with children and parents in the United States, lend4health is a blog that does micro-lending to benefit those that need help with their health and wellness. Spawned from kiva.org, lend4health is currently helping out children and adults dealing with autism spectrum disorders. For more information, click here.

The last website that I'm going to talk about is called Off the Mat,Into the World. Created by Yogini Seane Corn, Hala Khouri, and Suzanne Sterling, OTM takes Yoga and Seva to new levels with their Humanitarian tours. For more information, please click here.

I think this is it for now...we need to celebrate women everyday - the past, the present, and the future. Women need to celebrate their bodies, their mindset, and what we do for this planet and humanity. No more of this "secondary but necessary" business. Once and for all, let women feel and rise up to the word equality. Respect from others can only come when we start to truly respect ourselves.

Until next time...stay strong, stay healthy, and fight dis-ease!

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Movements XVI: Things are looking uP!

It's been a while since I really posted something up of substance. Now that the filler has been placed, it's time for me to get off of my self-imposed vacation and get back to giving you the latest and greatest information that will enable you to see and be better health!

First, I hope you like the pic. Kyla Jolene is a great photographer and I have been watching her work from afar. I wanted to put her photos on my blog for sometime and I'm glad I finally am able to do so. If I don't put up more of Kyla's pics, it's only because she asked me not to. I don't know her personally but good work is good work and it can't be denied.


I have updated one of my blogs. Please click here for the latest information on herbs that will help you in dealing with Uterine Fibroids. Please note that hops is a good herb to use for Breast Cancer as well.

My Yoga schedule is back in full swing! First up...I'm going to teach a 4 week course called the Fundamentals of Hatha Yoga. If you're in NYC and would like to learn the basics of Hatha Yoga and an Integral Yoga Hatha I Beginner's class, then this course is for you. For more information and to register, please click here.

I'm also going to teach a Hatha I Beginners Class every other Sunday at 6:15pm, starting March 15. If you click on the link above, you'll also find more information on Integral Yoga.


That's it for now. Please provide feedback by posting a comment or by emailing me at drea@dorightforyourself.org

One more thing, I have been doing this blog for a long time. What started out as a homework assignment for the Institute for Integrative Nutrition has become something much more. I need to stop acting like I'm not an accomplished Holistic Health and Nutritional Consultant and Yoga Instructor. Sooner than later, I'm going to put up links and give more information for my consultations and packages. Spring time is coming. I can provide you with the best in nutrition, fitness, and over all wellness. Now it's really time to get it together. All of us.



Until next time...stay strong, stay healthy, and fight dis-ease! (and thank you so much for keeping up with me and your health and wellness)

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Movements XIV: Where I have been

These past couple of days have been really busy for me. I am able to twitter and I've been working on updating the site. Unfortunately, when most of us take 2 steps forward, it seems like we're actually going two steps back! My focus has been on fixing technical issues so that I can streamline my blog as well as deal with everyday life.

You can rest assured that I will be back very soon with some updated posts. I am going to teach a Yoga class at 7:45pm and I need to prepare for it. Now that I am putting this out, I can feel better about this aspect of my responsibilities and focus on teaching this class.

I'll talk to you very soon. In the meantime,

stay strong, stay healthy, and fight dis-ease!

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Random Thoughts IX: The New Motto for 2009

SAVE YOUR ENERGY! CONSERVE IT AND UTILIZE IT WHEN NECESSARY!

I'm talking in regards to all forms of energy. Conserve your sexual energy. That doesn't mean to not have sex. That means to save your sex for someone that deserves it. Be responsible and use condoms everytime, unless you want to have children (and make sure you get those checkups too...I'm talking to the youngings here - and some adults as well!)

Conserve your financial energy! Save your money. Start investing it in things that will benefit you in the long run - paying the bills, getting the food, saving for later.

Most importantly, conserve your mental and emotional energy. Take less things personal. Don't get caught up in the drama. Be responsible for your actions. Apologize if you really mean it. After apologizing, learn from the mistake. Keep it in mind so that you can move forward. Clean house! That includes your physical home as well as your mental one. Do spring cleaning of relationships early! Don't wait for the heat to come upon you. The sun still shines in the winter time (and the weather is sometimes spring like).

Keep your mind focused on things that matter which are NOT trivial. Keep the emotions focused on love, compassion, hope, and caring. Keep the body focused by exercising and eating the right foods for you. Keep the body healthy by taking herbs and supplements that are best suited for you.

But no matter what. Save some of that love and energy...for yourself. You deserve it.

Bless!

Stay strong, stay healthy and fight dis-ease!

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Movements VII: Time for a Change

A number of things have occurred since I last posted on this blog.

• A friend of mine died of brain cancer. 
• A couple of friends of mine are going through a really tough time.
• As I am progressing in Yoga Teacher Training, I still feel like I am not making enough of an effort.
• As I go through the process of my busy life, a lot of things are still being neglected, this blog being one of them.

America has already shifted by voting for Barack Obama to be their new President - the 44th President, the first biracial (yeah, black) President. It's time for me to shift once more and make a transformation.

So I'm going to start with this blog (once again). But this time, it's not about the look of the blog. I'm going to start posting more often. Shorter tidbits and include other topics. I had a schedule of things I wanted to talk about before the end of the year and I'm not even half way through with that schedule as yet. There are other topics that emerge that are just as important to discuss but since I wanted to be on a rigid schedule, I didn't deliver in my promise to keep you strong, healthy, and fighting dis-ease.

This does not mean that I'm not going to keep up with my schedule. I will. I will go along as planned. However, I won't be afraid to include something else in the meantime.

I have found a new editor and I can't wait to work with her. I just gotta get the ball rolling.

As I go through Yoga Teacher Training, I have been on a "no chicken" elimination fast. It has been almost 3 weeks. Sadness is wanting me to get some chicken but something else inside is holding me back. I think it's this "calm" feeling all my friends have been seeing. This "calm" is slowing me down and helping me to curb my craving. I still need to get on the ball with chocolate (dark, no longer milk...I'm definitely making progress) but I'm making breakthroughs in that as well....more on the later! (I can't get off topic...HAH )

I'm going to expand on the Random Thoughts part of this blog to accommodate the shorter posts.

I also want to include a new part of the blog called Karma Yogi. This part of the blog will talk about charities and good causes for you to volunteer for or donate to as well as fund raising events that are legitimate and local. This will be in a weekly format. If there is enough support for this part of the blog, I will expand on it to submissions from people outside of my circle of family and friends.

There is something that I have shunned away from doing on this blog - that is, recommending products. I wanted to shy away from being a "snake oil salesman." I'm happy that Google Ads have found a place for the alternative health and wellness industry but I working in the Apothecary has really increased my awareness for body and mind care. I will start speaking from this frame of mind...more so than before. This means that I will include specific products to further explain my blogs. This way, you can get out there and take care of yourself immediately and not wait for me to put out the next thing...which would be months at a time (I'm so sorry!)


Yoga talk will always be included. Right now, with Yoga Teacher Training, I neither have the time nor the money to venture into other realms of alternative medicine for myself. Don't worry, I will continue to include articles from great sources that will provide you with the necessary information needed to make informed decisions.

OK...now my talk is about over. I have to get in touch with my Mentor for YTT and I have to schedule my practice Yoga session with the rest of my homies. I need to get started to creating this workshop...in January, my leadership team, LT46, will start the 3rd part of our Legacy Project - doing a workshop once a month for the shelter we raised funds for. We have already completed redecorating the rooms and I aided in providing laptops from Lenovo.

There is so much more to talk about...but much better to be said in consistent pieces, with effort and for a long time.

In the meantime, Barack says:

stay strong, stay healthy, and fight dis-ease!

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In Sickness, In Health II: An Addendum

Hello all. Instead of bringing back the other blog, I decided to create this one. Although it seems natural for me to update the other blog again, I can't do it. She is far too important...

If you haven't noticed by now, I'm a very open person. Somethings, I do keep inside. Somethings, I do not talk about. Everything else is fair game. I cannot help but speak from my heart and my soul. I try to teach with my mind and keep things logical but most times, I have to acquiesce to the feelings I get but cannot explain. The inclinations to say this and move this way and eat this thing, without knowing why (but always understanding that it must be a good thing). Things need to change in the health care industry. I want to try my best to speak from my mind. I want to do my best to talk with logic and common sense. Unfortunately, I know myself too well. What you are about to read comes from an angry place.

I have been soooo happy that my grandma turned 100 earlier this month.
Truthfully speaking, I resolved within myself that even if my grandma were to die today or tomorrow, I would be content because she will be free. I wish it were that simple.

The day after I left my Grandma, she had to go into the hospital. Her heart was beating 15 times a minute. They were going to put a pacemaker in her, but wanted to wait until her potassium levels stabilize. Lo and Behold, her levels did stabilize...so much so that she didn't need the pacemaker. Instead of going home, she went into an acute care facility. "OK," I said, "that's fine." I figured things were going pretty well.

My cousin called me the night before last and told me that my grandma has pneumonia. "OK," I said, "that's fine." My grandma is 100 and I expect things like this to happen. I said a small prayer (as I always do) and went to bed. I woke up yesterday feeling...ok. I even put on shoes for work. The day was going pretty well until I got an email from my uncle.

My grandma has pneumonia, urinary infection with anemia, diarrhea, bed sores, and she caught the superbug, VRE (among other things). Apparently, all is NOT fine at this acute care facility nor at the hospital. I immediately started to cry (I'm crying right now). You see, it was easy for me to understand and process her death but this kind of suffering. A woman like that...a lady like her...doesn't deserve any of this.

Of course, I am upset at myself. This happens to people when they are in a situation like this. You start to wonder what if I was still there, what can I do now, why couldn't I be there for her....all these thoughts start to come into your mind and you slip into the dark path of depression. I'm not depressed yet...Right now, I'm so angry. I'm upset at myself because once again, I am in this helpless state.

My grandma would want me to wipe these tears and pray. I prayed and cried and supplicated myself to the Lord and begged Him to end my grandma's suffering. If I didn't pray, I wouldn't have been able to sleep last night (even though it was not a peaceful one). No, my grandma thought that I was the smartest child in the world. My grandma told people that anything I set my mind to, I can do it. It's nice to feel special but my Grandma didn't only feel this way about me. She felt this way about all children. My grandma was a Teacher...and a very good one too. My Grandma is very proud and happy that I'm back in school. She's even prouder that I'm going to THIS school, as she realizes it's a stepping stone to realize my childhood dream of becoming a doctor.

So now school is not just for Jimmy, nor my Uncle Anthony (Grandma's Firstborn), nor my Daddy (Grandma's Secondborn). Me graduating from school and becoming a successful Holistic Health Counselor and furthering my practice so that one day, I can call myself a Nautropathic Doctor, will be for her as well. I WILL MAKE A CHANGE IN THIS CRAP HEALTHCARE SYSTEM. I am angry at this gov't, for not taking care of those who cannot take care of themselves - children and the elderly. I am angry at this Medicare/Medicaid/Social Security System that puts my Grandmother in these deplorable places and make it even tougher to get out of them. I am angry that we, as citizens, have allowed this to happen and then when it happens in our own backyard, most just put up their hands like they didn't do it and can do nothing to stop it.

This country is supposed to be a democracy. We are supposed to be able to vote for change and change happen. However, as we have seen in the past 7 years, this has not been the case. I'm not asking any of you to vote for Blah Blah and Blah in the upcoming months. I am asking YOU to ask whoever you want to vote for to not only ensure that there will be positive changes in the Health Care System. I am asking YOU to make sure that whoever you vote for in the upcoming elections doesn't just talk the talk but walk that walk. Obviously, this president that we have now does not care.

My grandma fights for her life right now. At 100, should she really have to? Should she even be put in this situation? My grandma was healthy when she went into the hospital and now she is broken. I want my grandma fixed. I want whoever did not do their due diligence to make sure that my grandma and anyone else in that hospital do not contract these diseases, now and in the future.

And as a Holistic Health Counselor, I am going to be a catalyst for change. Oh, you watch me. You watch my 1200 classmates from all over the world. You watch us be the catalyst for change. No. I do not want to be the President of the United States. I want to be an American Citizen. Making changes from the inside out. Doing my part in ensuring that this doesn't happen to any child or senior citizen again. Americans, it's time for you to take care of your elders again. It is time for you to put a vested interest in your children so that they can put a vested interest in you, when it's time for you to be taken care of.

Now is the time for us not only to take health into our own hands, but to make it so that we can pass it onto those who are no longer capable of learning. We must all be healers so that we can help.

So please, as you read this post, do not get angry like I was. Make a change. Do Right For Yourself. Then Do Right For Others. Say NO to this current Health Care "Shitstem" (every aspect of it that is negative and do not help to facilitate change). Write your congressman or woman. Send emails to your Senators. Contact whoever you can to become a catalyst. Don't let what happened to my Grandma happen to you or your loved ones. Please.

My Grandma is a fighter. A Lady to the infinite power. I may not be a Lady (yet) but I am surely a Woman (yes, there is still a difference to me) and I am a fighter, just like my Grandma. 2008 is the time to fight...not literally...but figuratively. We have to fight for our human rights. We have to do it NOW.

Thanks for reading. This post has made me feel a lot better...and I have stopped crying. Now it's time to work.

Fight ALL Dis-eases!

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