Living on the edge to me does not mean jumping out of a plane or doing extreme sports. For me, living on the edge is not bandaging my emotional pain body, but rather dealing with it head on as it rears its ugly face.

Here is a method I follow when I am in the midst of a busy day, don’t have time to meditate and one of my resistant “issues/pain body experiences” pop up.

I make sure I am seeing the situation clearly. For me this means my ego is not in the front of the situation taking control.
I ask myself how I feel (in my body not mentally). I think of the ‘story” that is bothering me then let it go and just feel the “feeling” that is there. Add immense presence in my body which removes the “feeling”.
I use a quick contemplation process and contemplate if it could be worse, what is the worst it could be, if I lost it all….what would I do, of course, I would survive.
This helps me to “move through it” and get in that space on the other side.

When I have time later that night or the next morning during meditation and or yoga I can look at my “pain” body and view all of the reactions I have had over the last few days. Contemplation follows and then I am usually free.

Free that is until my next resistant pain body experience.

Laughing out Loud and Living on the Edge,
Renay Matthews
organicspaces.blogspot.com

This post originally aired on www.intent.com in April 2009!

Putting attention on ourselves and our environment can help to resolve some of our personal challenges, especially sleep issues. Here are some tips and questions for you to place your attention on so you can get a good night sleep!

1. Are you waking up periodically during the night to adjust your pillow?
If so, you may want to try one of those ergonomic pillows, or you may just need a new pillow or mattress.
2. Are you waking up periodically during the night to use the restroom?
A quick fix for many of my clients – cut off liquids by 7:00PM, (caffeine by 4 and limit it to 2 cups per day). However, there could be a more serious medical issue going on. If you don’t think you are experiencing the need for elimination in the middle of the night due to liquids, you may need to seek the help of your health practitioner.
3. Do you need to get your neck checked!
Another culprit to waking up at odd hours of the night is an nderlying thyroid issue. I recommend www.thyroflex.com a non evasive way to test thyroid, more accurate than blood work in most cases.
4. Turn off TV, I would even go so far as to say, take the TV out of your bedroom!
This is your space for sleep and you should keep it peaceful. Falling to sleep with all those electronic magnetic fields flying across the room will not help optimal achieve sleep.
5. What is it you have not addressed?
Is there something or someone bothering you? Get it off your mind. Either talk about it or let it go, but don’t bring it to bed with you!
6. Who is in your bed besides you?
I recently found myself tightly squeezed between my cat and my toddler. It allowed no room for movement. For about 2 weeks I could not achieve good sleep. My 2 year old got priority over my cat, but my cat got a nice new comfy bed that is outside of my room.
7. Beautify your room.
A few years back a friend of mind suggested we “beautiful our bedrooms”. We had a blast. You can do it too, get rid of clutter, check what section of Feng Shui your bedroom is in and add the right colors, elements and enjoy!
I hope you find this useful.
Sleep Tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite!
Renay Matthews
Www.organicspaces.blogspot.com

Living on the edge to me does not mean jumping out of a plane or doing extreme sports. For me, living on the edge is not bandaging my emotional pain body, but rather dealing with it head on as it rears its ugly face.

Here is a method I follow when I am in the midst of a busy day, don’t have time to meditate and one of my resistant “issues/pain body experiences” pop up.

1. I make sure I am seeing the situation clearly. For me this means my ego is not in the front of the situation taking control.
2. I ask myself how I feel (in my body not mentally). I think of the ‘story” that is bothering me then let it go and just feel the “feeling” that is there. Add immense presence in my body which removes the “feeling”.
3. I use a quick contemplation process and contemplate if it could be worse, what is the worst it could be, if I lost it all….what would I do, of course, I would survive.
4. This helps me to “move through it” and get in that space on the other side.

When I have time later that night or the next morning during meditation and or yoga I can look at my “pain” body and view all of the reactions I have had over the last few days. Contemplation follows and then I am usually free.
Free that is until my next resistant pain body experience.

Laughing out Loud and Living on the Edge,
Renay Matthews
organicspaces.blogspot.com

Zrii is a wonderful Sanskrit word that means light, luster, splendor, and prosperity. That definition also describes our organization, which is why Zrii is the perfect name for us. It is also the definition of what we do—we enable others to shine, to have prosperity, and to discover good fortune.

Zrii is also the name of our nutritional drink supplement. Once again, the Zrii name fits on many levels, since this product can become your source for increased energy and renewed vitality.

Zrii can be a big factor in creating better health. But where does Zrii get this power? From the perfect marriage of natural resources, the wisdom of ancient Ayurveda, and the knowledge of state-of-the-art Western medical science.

Here are seven of its benefits:

Amalaki, the great rejuvenator. Central to Zrii is a small fruit that grows at the base of the pristine Himalayas in northern India. Its nutritional profile truly places it in a class of its own—which means it can be an extraordinary source for you to find rejuvenation, vitality, and energy.

A formulation that takes nutrition to the next level. Mixed only with fruit juices, amalaki would be a top nutritional drink. But that wasn’t enough to ensure that you received the highest level of nutrition possible, so we created a synergistic blend of herbs and fruits to completely unlock the potency of amalaki.

Preservative-free. Zrii uses the world’s purest whole-food source of amalaki, all grown at the foot of the Himalayas, surrounded by the cleanest air and water on the planet—which means no harmful artificial chemicals or contaminants.

Wildcrafted in the Himalayas Our amalaki is wildcrafted, a harvesting technique where the fruit is taken from trees as it is naturally found in nature, hand-picked according to ancient techniques.

Endorsed by the Chopra Center. Zrii is proudly endorsed by the Chopra Center for Wellbeing , founded by world-famous Dr. Deepak Chopra and neurologist Dr. David Simon—the first third-party provider the Chopra Center has ever endorsed.

A vibrant taste. In Ayurvedic practice, the ability of a food or drink to “enliven the tongue” is a hallmark of its healing capabilities. And as those who’ve tried it will tell you, Zrii most assuredly enlivens the tongue.

The wisdom of Ayurveda. The formulation for Zrii is built on 5,000 years of Ayurvedic wisdom which calls for multiple ingredients working together synergistically to maximize nutritional potency.

Experience the Abundance of Life and return to wellness. Visit www.Renie.myzrii.com for details, video’s, newsletters or to join the ZRII family!

You can also contact Renie direct at 805-407-3064

Organically Yours,
Renay Matthews

I love eating walnuts. I actually grind them up in the food processor and make recipes out of them. Most of us have had “lettuce wraps”, I have a different version called “collard wraps”. Try this for a lunch time meal, you’ll love it!

Spicy Collard Wraps
What you will need:
1 bushel of collard green leaves
Container of alfalfa sprouts
1 papaya or mango
1 cup of walnuts
½ tsp of paprika
½ tsp of cayenne pepper
1 avocado
Sea salt
Black Pepper

Get the large, uncut collard green leaves from the grocery store or farmers market. Wash them and carefully remove the back of the stem with a knife. This will make the leaf more pliable. Lay flat and cut into 6 inch long pieces, I usually get about 3-4 pieces to work with out of one leaf.

Grind up 1 cup of walnuts, in your food processor. A coffee grinder will work just as fine if you don’t have a food processor.
Mix this “walnut meat” well with ½ tsp of paprika, ½ tsp of cayenne pepper, and a dash of sea salt and pepper.

Lay the walnut meat mixture into each the cleaned, prepared collard wrap piece.
Add 1 slice of mango or papaya (I have used both together on occasion) and 1 slice of avocado.
The slice size can vary, whatever size you preference, as long as it will roll up when finished.
Add a layer of alfalfa sprouts.
Roll up your collard wrap. Like it more SPICY! Add a dash of hot sauce.
You may want to hold it closed with a tooth pick.

Collard greens are vegetables that are a member of the cabbage family and a close relative to kale. Available year round, this vegetable dates back to prehistoric times. The ancient Greeks grew kale and collards. They are mild in flavor.

Even though collards are normally eaten cooked, this raw, highly nutritious version might become one of your favorites.

Organically Yours,
Renay Matthews
Www.organicspaces.blogspot.com

There is a lot of bad press these days on tofu and tofu containing products. I won’t elaborate here. My intent is to offer a great alternative food for your space!

Seitan is made from wheat but does not have a lot in common with flour or bread. Many know it as “wheat meat”, “wheat gluten” or simply “gluten”. If you have a wheat sensitivity or allergy, of course avoid this product. If not, why not give it a try? The texture is very similar to meat when cooked and it is high in protein.
If you have tried Tofurky, you have had seitan!

You can purchase it already prepared in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, or you can make it yourself by hand, there is a process to doing it and it takes a little time.

Here are a few starter recipes for you!

Seitan Mean and Fruit Kababs
Wash and cut kiwi, melon and strawberries,
Prepare 1 pack of seitan (about 1 pound) in a bowl and add ½ tsp of garlic powder, 1/2 tsp of chili powder, ½ tsp of cumin powder, ½ tsp of paprika.
Mix it up and create little balls. Lightly cook In a oiled pan.
Remove seitan from the pan and let it cool a little. Skewer your food up and you are ready to eat. This is a quick recipe goes nice with a glass of white wine!

Spicy Seitan Wings
These are so good, be careful they may fly away before you can eat them!
Cut 1 pack of seitan (about 1 pound) into strips. Add 2 tsp of garlic powder, ½ tsp of sea salt and 1 ½ tsp of onion powder in a bowl. Roll seitan around in this mixture until completely covered. Lightly pan fry the seitan in olive oil for about 7minutes.

Melt 1/3 cup of butter and stir in ½ cup of hot sauce, move to a bowl.
Add your cooked seitan into this bowl and stir it up to coat well.
Serve with organic ranch dressing.

Organically Yours,
Renay Matthews
www.organicspaces.blogspot.com

Place aside 5 of the best strawberries for garnishing.
Chop up will the remaining berries. Set them in a saucepan and add sugar and water.
Cover and bring to a simmer. When the strawberries begin to release their juices, add the red wine dissolved with cornstarch and simmer for 10 minutes in all.
Puree the berries and chill for dessert.
Before serving, taste; add more wine and sugar if necessary. Slice the reserved berries into fan like shapes.
Spoon soup into chilled shallow bowls. Top with whipped cream; center strawberry garnish over cream and enjoy.
This recipe serves 4.

Organically Yours,
Renay