Living a Sustainable and Holistic Lifestyle: A Guide to Green Living with Hippocrates Wellness Principles

  • Living a Sustainable and Holistic Lifestyle: A Guide to Green Living with Hippocrates Wellness Principles

Exploring letter S for sustainability in acronym RESILIENT in Hippocrates Wellness lifestyle

In today’s fast-paced world, the concept of green living and sustainability has become increasingly important. As we strive to lead healthier, more environmentally conscious lives, integrating Hippocrates wellness principles into our daily routines can offer a holistic approach to sustainable living. In this blog, we’ll explore how you can incorporate elements such as growing your own sprouts, zero waste practices, non-toxic cleaning products, decluttered spaces, and non-toxic cosmetics into your lifestyle.

The Hippocrates Wellness Lifestyle and Sustainability

Hippocrates, often regarded as the father of modern medicine, emphasized the importance of treating the whole person – mind, body, and spirit – for optimal health. The principles of Hippocrates wellness align closely with the concept of sustainable living, focusing on nurturing the body, minimizing environmental impact, and promoting overall well-being.

Growing Your Own Sprouts

One of the simplest and most sustainable ways to enhance your diet is by growing your own sprouts. Sprouts are rich in nutrients, require minimal space and resources, and can be cultivated year-round. By embracing sprout cultivation, you not only contribute to your own health but also reduce the carbon footprint associated with transporting produce from afar.

Zero Waste Practices

Adopting zero waste practices is another fundamental aspect of sustainable living. This involves minimizing single-use plastics, composting organic waste, and choosing products with minimal packaging. By following the principles of zero waste, you can significantly reduce your environmental impact and contribute to a healthier planet for future generations.

Non-Toxic Cleaning Products and Decluttered Spaces

Traditional cleaning products often contain harmful chemicals that can negatively impact both our health and the environment. By transitioning to non-toxic cleaning products and decluttering your living spaces, you create a healthier indoor environment while reducing the overall consumption of harmful chemicals. Embracing simplicity, minimalism, and the creation of a beautiful and warm space in your living areas not only supports sustainability but also promotes a sense of calm and well-being.

In conclusion, integrating elements of green living and sustainability into your daily life through the lens of Hippocrates wellness principles can lead to a more holistic and fulfilling lifestyle. By growing your own sprouts, embracing zero waste practices, opting for non-toxic cleaning products and cosmetics, and maintaining decluttered spaces, you contribute to both personal well-being and the greater good of the planet. Remember, small changes can have a significant impact, and by aligning with these principles, you pave the way for a more sustainable and harmonious future.

Here are some tips for beginning of the year clean up:

  1. Assess and Sort Items:
    • Start by assessing the items in your living space and categorizing them into things you want to keep, donate, recycle, or discard. This step helps you identify items that can be repurposed or recycled, reducing unnecessary waste.
  2. Donate or Sell Unwanted Items:
    • Instead of throwing away items in good condition, consider donating them to local charities or selling them through online platforms. This extends the life cycle of the items and reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills.
  3. Eco-Friendly Storage Solutions:
    • Invest in sustainable and eco-friendly storage solutions such as bamboo storage bins, recycled plastic organizers, or repurposed wooden crates. Opt for containers made from natural materials to minimize the environmental impact.
  4. Upcycle and Repurpose:
    • Get creative with items you no longer need. Upcycle old furniture, repurpose glass jars for storage, or turn fabric scraps into reusable cleaning cloths. Repurposing items reduces the demand for new products and minimizes waste.
  5. Mindful Purchasing:
    • After decluttering, adopt a mindful approach to purchasing new items. Choose durable, high-quality products with minimal packaging and opt for multi-functional items to reduce the need for excessive consumption.
  6. Electronic Waste Recycling:
    • If decluttering involves old electronics, ensure to recycle them responsibly. Many communities have e-waste recycling programs that allow you to dispose of electronic items in an environmentally friendly manner.
  7. Conscious Disposal:
    • For items that cannot be repurposed or recycled, dispose of them responsibly. Research local recycling centers or hazardous waste disposal facilities to ensure items are handled in an environmentally safe manner.
  8. Natural Cleaning Products: When decluttering, use natural and non-toxic cleaning products to maintain a healthy indoor environment. This minimizes the release of harmful chemicals into the environment and reduces your exposure to toxins. I am using at home  eco-friendly and non-toxic cleaning products from Mother’s Love. My favorite are: Multipurpose Cleaner, Glass Cleaner, and Floor Cleaner, to maintain a clean and sustainable living space [1]. I love to support local women entrepreneurs like Ina, the creator of Mother’s Love Natural Products, by incorporating her eco-friendly and effective cleaning products into your sustainable living practices.
  9. Minimalist Mindset:
    • Embrace a minimalist mindset by focusing on owning only what you truly need and love. I am learning to do this and even if I manage, the whole family is still in the learning process. We all have some things that we hold on to and eventhough we are not using them anymore, it is hard to let go.
  10. Composting Organic Waste:
  • If applicable, consider composting organic waste from decluttering, such as food scraps and biodegradable materials. Composting reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and creates nutrient-rich soil for gardening. In my parents home we used a simple dedicated space with wood for compost, nowadays we use a two fold drum that is efficient and practical, however longterm the traditional wooden one was more eco friendly.

To conclude, I would invite you to approach this process in a gentle way, slowly with playfulness and with what is an improvement for you from where you were before.  You don’t need to do all at once. Throw and give away too much. Do it slowly and mindfully. And if you need some support on this that’s what Hippocrates lifestyle mentorship is about.

Embracing a holistic approach to beauty

  • Embracing a holistic approach to beauty

Embracing a holistic approach to beauty

Aging is a natural part of life, and rather than fighting against it, we can choose to nurture and accept our bodies as they change over time. Often the cosmetic brands are enforcing an attitude of holding on to youth by even naming the products for mature skin in a way that implies “resisting, defying…”.  I do wish that would move into more nurturing way, nothing to fight against.

By understanding the impermanence of our physical selves, our inner life, and the impact of external factors like global climate change, sun exposure, and stress, we can develop a balanced approach to skincare that promotes nurturing of inner as well as outer. In this article, we will explore the concept of ageless beauty, the importance of self-care, and how to approach choosing your skin care that is most aligned with you.

This is quite an interesting field of discussion. With new wellness approaches and nutrition one is actually able to reverse aging. Some people who have changed their lifestyle at their chronologically older age actually look more youthful then they did couple of years ago.

Accompanying new wellness and lifestyle guidelines for healthy life,  the skincare  offers new developments products that are not toxic anymore, and give a good result in helping the skin look youthful, nurtured and radiant. The point I am making here is that by adopting different lifestyle and supporting with quality non- toxic skincare is actually possible to appear more youthful than one did in the past.

Now, let’s explore what the driver behind the change in lifestyle and quality skincare can be. The motivation can stem from fear and the insistence on maintaining a youthful appearance, perfectionism or it can hold it’s core in a nurturing, loving care for yourself together with embracing the natural process of aging. It’s a distinction between the apprehension of “I must look great and youthful” and the acceptance of “aging is normal, and I choose to care for myself, while being confident in who I am.”

My grandmother was around 75 and when she looked herself in the mirror she said: ”it is hard to realize this is me as well now, because I still feel so young at my heart”. My perception of her is shaped by the vibrant, curious life force within her. I saw her as a beautiful and intriguing woman who takes care of herself, exuding confidence. It was this confidence that served as her magnetic quality.

Recently I have been traveling with my family to Vietnam and while strolling on the streets of Saigon, we came across a heartfelt gallery. One of those things on the trip that just calls for you. The colors, the portraits, the Life.  That was Rehahn’s gallery.  I found myself standing in front of the portrait of a lady from a series of portraits named ageless Beauty. https://www.rehahnphotographer.com/portfolio/ageless-beauty/

The Concept of Ageless Beauty

Ageless beauty is about celebrating the marks of time and finding beauty in the wisdom and experiences that come with aging. It challenges society’s traditional notion of beauty, which often values youth and external perfection. These portraits remind us that true beauty lies in the stories and history leaving memories of impressions on our faces.

Moreover, I notice expressions of benevolence, humility, joy, and lovingkindness on these faces. Collectively, they create a sense of beauty within me and inspire a desire to embrace lovingkindness and love, steering away from feelings of rage, anger, or resentment.

Embracing Impermanence: Nurturing the inner

In addition to nurturing our physical selves, it’s essential to cultivate inner peace and acceptance. The concept of impermanence, as embraced in Buddhism, teaches us that everything changes and nothing lasts forever. By understanding and accepting this universal truth, we can navigate life’s ups and downs with grace and resilience.

Step 1: Accepting Impermanence

Acknowledge that change is an inherent part of life. Embrace the impermanence of all things, including your physical body, relationships, and circumstances. By accepting impermanence, you can release attachment and find peace in the present moment.

“Impermanence does not necessarily lead to suffering. What makes us suffer is wanting things to be permanent when they are not.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

Step 2: Embracing Change as an Opportunity

View every situation, whether joyful or painful, as an opportunity for growth and transformation. Embrace change with an open heart and a willingness to learn and adapt. By reframing change as an opportunity, you can find meaning and purpose in every experience.

Step 3: Practicing Mindful Awareness

Develop a daily mindfulness meditation practice to cultivate present-moment awareness. Mindfulness allows you to observe your thoughts and emotions without judgment, fostering a deep connection with yourself and the world around you.

Step 4: Cultivating Self-Compassion

Extend compassion and kindness to yourself, embracing your flaws and imperfections. Treat yourself with the same care and understanding as you would a dear friend. Practice self-compassion through positive self-talk and acts of self-care.

Step 5: Building Authentic Connections

Nurture meaningful and authentic relationships with others. Communicate openly and honestly, expressing your true thoughts and feelings. Build connections based on trust, respect, and mutual understanding.

Step 6: Setting Healthy Boundaries

Learn to establish and maintain healthy boundaries in your relationships. Respect your own needs and values, and communicate them clearly to others. Setting boundaries allows you to protect your well-being and maintain a sense of inner peace.

Step 7: Developing Emotional Intelligence

Deepen your understanding of your emotions and their meaning. Learn to differentiate between emotions and feelings, interpretations,  allowing yourself to fully experience and express them in a healthy and constructive manner.

Step 8: Practicing Forgiveness

Cultivate forgiveness towards yourself and others. Release resentment and grudges, freeing yourself from the burden of past hurts. Forgiveness allows for healing and opens the door to inner peace.

Step 9: Living with Gratitude

Cultivate a daily practice of gratitude, expressing appreciation for the present moment and all the blessings in your life. Start each day with a sense of gratitude, recognizing the beauty and abundance that surrounds you.

Managing Stress for Healthy Skin

Stress can take a toll on our physical and mental well-being, including our skin. It can lead to increased inflammation, breakouts, and dullness. Incorporating stress management techniques into your daily routine can help promote healthy skin and overall inner peace.

  • Mindfulness and Meditation: Practice mindfulness meditation to cultivate a calm and centered state of mind. Take a few minutes each day to focus on your breath and bring yourself into the present moment. This can help reduce stress levels and improve skin health.
  • Self-Care Rituals: Engage in activities that bring you joy and relaxation, such as taking a warm bath, practicing yoga, or enjoying a hobby. Prioritize self-care to nourish your body, mind, and soul, IR sauna is also nice to support collagen production in the body, detox.
  • Healthy Lifestyle Choices: Maintain a balanced diet, exercise regularly, drink water, and get enough sleep. These lifestyle choices can help reduce stress levels and promote overall well-being.

From attacking, handling, fixing your skin to loving it

We had a good laugh with my beauty therapist when she started with the massage on my face so vigorously to tackle those fine lines. When I felt that energy, I asked her, can you just give some love and nurture to my skin. It felt such a focus to tame and erase.

I like the approach when we consider facial muscles and tonus as you would take care of the rest of the body to keep the vitality in the cells with exercise, same with the face.

And I am a big fan of good quality cosmetics. I would love if everything would be organic, but some of those products I don’t enjoy because of their smell, lack of research and tests behind it, shorter shelf life. So at the end I have come to terms with somewhere in the middle. This somewhere in the middle is able to cover up some hiccups of stress, occasional dehydration and still not containing any of the toxic ingredients, not being tested on animals. And for daily use still use high quality brands that combine natural and research. Besides that it is important to enjoy the feel of the product when applying it on the skin, the smell and seeing that skin is taking in the love and support with gratitude.

 

Coming home

  • Coming home

Practicing coming home to myself

Last month I was listening to Lama Rod online as part of the mindfulness meditation teacher training.  Lama Rod Owens is an author, activist, and authorized Lama (Buddhist teacher) in the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism.  I recommend his book Love and Rage: The Path of Liberation Through Anger and a coauthor of Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love, and Liberation.

Since listening that online presentation and reading his book I am consciously including the 5/7 homecomings he writes about in my practice.

  • silence
  • community i am part of
  • sacred earth
  • ourselves (all our energetic bodies, gratitude)
  • ancestry

    Making friends with your monkey mind

    • Making friends with your monkey mind

    … While driving on Sunday to our family Sunday lunch I shared that with my husband that I was preparing earlier for the Mindfulness of thoughts meditation I was about to guide on Monday. He first asked me but how does that go together meditation Mindfulness of thoughts? Isn’t meditation supposed to be about quieting and being without thoughts?

    I was so happy he asked that and offer me an opportunity to practice the answer to that question which is so frequent for all people who are starting with meditation.

    So when we do a formal sitting meditation, we let go of the expectation that there will be no thoughts. Our mind secrets thoughts. To have the expectation that it just quiets down is a bit far reached. When we start with the breath, we can be with a breath for a while, feel the body, and after a while there the thoughts start appearing. In our daily lives people often without realizing just get lost in thoughts or follow a stream of thoughts that Is actually not serving them.

    In the mindfulness of thoughts practice we practice becoming aware that we are thinking, naming our thoughts, not pushing them away, maybe with some thoughts staying and feeling into the underlying feeling tone, without getting lost in the depth of that thought. What we do, is befriending our thought.  When we allow it to sit right there, as it is, without going further into planning, or making scenarios, or getting lost in memory, we notice the stillness and spaciousness within. This way we just made friend with our monkey mind and that is a gateway to more peace within.

    If you want to work deeper with thoughts – those thoughts that you would define as judgement or belief, i would encourage to journal them and use your writing as an anchor to really work with them. Byron Katie in her book for example states the following:

    “Once the mind is stopped on paper, thoughts remain stable, and inquiry can easily be applied. Avoid
    the temptation to continue without writing down your judgments. If you
    try to do The Work in your head, without putting your thoughts on paper,
    the mind will outsmart you.    ” (from “Loving What Is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life” by Byron Katie, Stephen Mitchell)

     

    What would bring more peace to me right now?

    • What would bring more peace to me right now?

    Living in the moment, Jason Mraz

    I was in meditation the other day on the theme of peace and I inquired what would bring more peace to me right now…

    Because of focusing on forgiveness this month with mindfulness meditation teacher trainer, one part of getting and insight into peace was through the process of forgiveness.

     

    Forgiving myself for how I have hurt myself and bring hurt to others,

    Forgiving others how they hurt me.

     

    Accepting that it is part of human that we knowingly or unknowingly hurt eachother or have done so in the past.

     

    Being patient with myself because forgiveness takes time and needs deep healing.

     

    Finding peace in the moment, true peace, without spiritual bypass, requires sitting with all that is. Tending to our emotions and feelings, thoughts (I would use RAIN for that practice)

     

    We can find that feeling of peace whenever we take a moment and intentionally get in touch with all in us.

     

    We cannot attain a feeling of peace in moments of depletion. Lama Rod Owens says in relation to forgiveness: we need to be grounded, have a feeling of being supported, a feeling of being connected to a community, then we have healed enough to start forgiving to others. Adding to this we also need to understand the common humanity in all of us.  Then there we can have reach a place of more peace within us.

    My choice of song for this month.. connected to mindfulness of thoughts and topic of forgiveness is Living in the moment by Jason Mraz. 

    “I’m letting myself off the hook for things I’ve doneI let my past go pastAnd now I’m having more funI’m letting go of the thoughtsThat do not make me strongAnd I believe this way can be the same for everyone”

    I am connected

    • I am connected

    "My roots reach deeply, I am connected to the core of me"

    On the morning of my morning walk in the forest today

    My mantra today was

    “My roots reach deeply

    I am connected to the core of me”

    This is part of the lyrics of the “I am connected” by Beautiful Chorus

    For me in singing those lines

    feeling the connection between the nature and myself

    I enter the feeling that enables all other feelings to be

    And still be still like a mountain a tree with all that.

    Feeling of Belonging

    • Feeling of Belonging

    Feeling of belonging and connection

    Feeling of longing familiar to many people. I am no exception. Often this longing also includes a further illusion, fantasy that is a coping strategy to escape even more out of the present and body to the mind. Instead of getting more in touch with the uncomfortable, you go away in something that creates a further longing, desire. Have you ever thought how close are words Longing and Be(longing)? The journey to add Be to Longing is what Michael Singer in his podcast from Fighting to Harmony describes when we stop fighting with “No, I don’t want this, I want that. “ In Enneagram1 word and embodiment practices this means learning more about Willfulness, Will and Willingness. How do we do that? By practicing mindfulness, sitting, establishing true intimacy with self.

     

    A true feeling of Belonging is possible only when we are connected with our bodies. That is the core message of Sebene Selassie in her book You Belong (2020)  Chapter 3 is a great read on how to Ground yourself in your body.

    In the 9 steps to inner peace coaching program we usually start with establish ing a good connection with body. We use the body guidebook that I have gathered from my studies with Hippocrates institute, Mindfulness meditation teacher course, Breath coaching course. The guidebook includes essential topics for  a solid, grounded body. Session 1 of the guidebook is all about body connection.

    I want to share here couple of lines that Sebene writes on belonging (Selassie, 2020, p. 74)

    1. Belonging is: we belong simply because we are alive
    2. Belonging is in the present moment- if you choose to open to it. *My comment: this is such an important point. It reminds us that the feeling can dissipate if we don’t cultivate presence and high frequency in our body. It explains to be why sometimes I totally feel connected to people I meet and some other time I feel like looking for reasons for separation from other people. At the end this is an outer representation of my own quality of being. And as life goes, it is inevitable that we go through challenges and if in those times we do not know how to respond in a skillful way, with compassion we can notice that we are closing off, we don’t want some feelings to be part of us and it’s even hard to recognize them, let alone welcome them and say You belong. You too, are my beloved.
    3. Belonging is revealed through awareness: when we cultivate the capacity to know what is happening in any moment, the we can connect to belonging
    4. Belonging is embodied: We can only experience belonging in these bodies.