I just finished reading Martha Beck’s new book ‘The Way of Integrity’. I am submitting my own self published book to Hay House in August of this year. Martha Beck’s book talks about your own truth and getting clear on it in each moment. I talk about ‘Key Steps on your Journey to Live in Alignment.’ Here is my advice as I have learned this through my life experience of living with Multiple Sclerosis. I am in remission with MS because I live this process.

Step One. Do a Life Review. Review your life and look at the path you have taken. Did messages of what you should do or not do influence your path? Look for anything that was significant about your life; key decisions you made, health setbacks, traumas. What were you interested in when you were young?

Step Two. Spend time in contemplation and get connected. Whatever makes you feel connected, seek that out daily. For some people this might mean daily meditation, daily exercise, walks in nature, listening to music, etc. Whatever makes you feel at peace and more connected, do that. In this quiet contemplative space will many insights lie. Create time in your day for this spirit centred time.

Step Three. Get clear on your present picture of who you are.  If this is tough for you to do, write a list of who you are not, at first. Start with things that you can say are definitely true. For example: My favorite color is blue, What do you like to do with your time? If you had a day all to yourself, how would you spend it? What are things that are unique and quirky about you? Do you consider yourself a morning person or a night person or both? What kind of music do you like? What kind of diet suits you best? Raw foods, cooked foods, do you fast over night for 12 hours? How do you feel about food choices? These answers must come from you and not outside influences or what you think you should like.

Step Four. What factors support your growth and allow you to thrive? Developing your personal awareness is key. How can you best stay in balance with yourself?

Step Five. What do you fear that is inside of you? Face this and you will be set free. In most cases, there is a major obstacle to loving and accepting yourself. You may not even know what that is right now. 

Step Six. Rid yourself of outdated belief systems that restrict your personal freedom. Look at core beliefs that you carry. IE. The Universe is not a safe place. Try to let go of black and white thinking constructs.

Step Seven. What are new belief systems that support who you truly are?

Step Eight. Say yes to everything. Self exploration requires that you participate in your life. Don’t limit your experience. Where do you limit the amount of well being that can flow to you in your life? Where do you cut off nourishment (love) from flowing to you? How can you open yourself up to receiving more nourishment (love) in your life?

Step Nine. Take the time to connect to your intuition when you make decisions.  Check in with yourself and learn to trust your inner voice. Take action steps directed by your inner voice.

Step Ten. Be empowered in your life. You are capable of healing anything in your life. Healing does not always mean curing but often your health improves just by agreeing to take this journey and your happiness quotient expands exponentially.

If you want to dive deeper into this process, book a one hour counseling appointment with me. I currently have a special on Emotional Freedom Technique and counseling right now if you book four one hour sessions with me. Dr. Robin Vinge 4032321283

It is July and the weather has heated up in Calgary. I thought I should share some summer wellness solutions to keep your optimal health at the top of your mind. First of all, the sun is good for you. In Calgary, it feels like we just have two seasons- winter and summer. It seems like winter is much harder to get through in terms of darkness, cold temperatures and the fear factor which comes about from just walking on streets subject to the freeze thaw cycle. It feels much kinder a province to exist in in the summer. Do make sure you expose yourself to at least 20 minutes of sun without sunscreen from the hours of 10 am to 3 pm when the sun is at its strongest capacity. When you expose yourself to the sun (about 40% of your body) without sunscreen you will make Vitamin D in your body. I would try to do this 3 x a week for health benefits. Because Calgary is so far away from the equator, we can only get Vitamin D from the sun from April to August. It is prudent to have your MD measure your Vitamin D once or twice a year if you suffer from a chronic diseas;, perhaps once in the winter March and at the end of the summer to check your blood levels. Levels of 25OHD3 (Vitamin D) should be between 80 and 200 nmol/L for optimal health. Vitamin D can influence your energy, mood, bone density, and immune system. People who suffer from autoimmune diseases tend to have lower levels of Vitamin D. The sunshine will provide your body with feel good endorphins. Make sure to protect your body after you have got 20 minutes of sunshine with a mineral based sunscreen like non-nano particle based zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. Go to the environmental working group website ewg.org for healthy sunscreens that can be ordered easily online. Wear a hat and drink lots of water to stay well hydrated in the summer. Drink enough clean water so your urine is clear. Get lots of sleep. Exposing yourself to sun in the morning can help with melatonin release at night and influence your circadian rhythm. I like to be in bed by 10 am and up at 6 am in the summer months. Sleeping eight hours is optimal but make sure your sleeping environment is cool enough. Rinsing off with a cool shower before bed can often do the trick. Until next time, stay cool. To book in with me and improve your health status, call Parallel Wellness at 4032321283. Kind regards, Dr. Robin Vinge, ND

Hi there- I finished reading Dr. Gabor Mate’s  new book ‘The Myth of Normal’ this week. It is a monster of a book but it is so worth reading. It talks a lot about the origins of disease in our western culture. It talks about particular disease like autoimmune diseases. He talks about and this is directly from the book ‘Self-abnegating traits that predispose to disease: a compulsive and self-sacrificing doing for others, suppression of anger, an excessive concern about social acceptability. The personality features found across all autoimmune conditions.’  I pay particular attention to his vast volume of research and I resonate with what he states about the personality traits linked with autoimmune conditions because I have M.S. It is in remission because of what I do to live in balance with it but I know in my past I was much more of a pleaser. The MS taught me to get in touch  with my authentic needs and tell people honestly what my limits are for starters and how I must live. I used to push myself to exhaustion repeatedly but I simply can’t do that anymore or I can end up in the ditch and have a flare. So one must know the factors that are required to maintain balance and I listen closely to what my body tells me. To book an appointment with me at Parallel Wellness, please call 4032321283. I still have my special rate on for Emotional Freedom Technique and counseling $80 for the hourl I can help you with your health challenges. Dr. Robin Vinge, ND  ‘The Myth of Normal’ is Dr. Gabor Mate’s new book. Run out and get it! It is a wonderful resource to have in your library!