I Ride With MS

This year, the MS Bike Ride Fund Raiser will be doing something a bit different. They have reached out to those of us that are "Riding with MS" to be ambassadors for the ride. We each get a jersey that states "I Ride With MS". This is to help those that are both riding and watching be aware that not only are they riding to help those with MS, those with MS are riding to help others that aren't able to ride YET!

I don't know that my story is unique, but it is amazing. When I was first diagnosed I was given a grim outlook. It seemed at the rate that the disease was traveling, I would be in a wheelchair within five years. This was in 1991. This thought didn't appeal to me very much. I couldn't walk without holding on to something as my balance was non-existent. I had optical neuritis in my left eye and was unable to see. I was numb from the waist down.

My Doctor and I tackled the MS very aggressively. I've had more Prednisone than I care to think about. I've had Solu-medrol (what I call Prednisone on steroids) via IV on a regular basis. I've taken Beta Seron, Avonex, and finally Copaxone as injectables to help my body rebuild itself.

I developed an immunity to interferon, that meant Beta Seron and Avonex no longer worked for me. Copaxone has a different make up and rather than working on the myelin sheath, it worked on the lesions in my brain, keeping them contained so that they were no longer interfering with the nervous system in the body.

In 2001 my right knee began to lock up and I was unable to move it. It's funny how excited I tend to get when I discover that I have a "real" problem and not something caused by MS. I had part of my thigh bone fall out due to the large amount of steriods that I had taken and the small bone chips were floating around under my knee cap. When they positioned themselves in a certain place, my knee locked up. I had knee surgery to remove the bone chips. My Orthopedic gave me the chips in a small vial and I still have them today.

My Orthopedic also gave me some very good advice, he said to start lifting weights to build my bone strength. He also said, "use it or lose it." I didn't want to lose it. So began a huge transformation in my life. I started lifting weights. I began to walk and then I began to run. My balance improved as my determination got stronger.

My husband decided to put me on a bike and to my surprise, I didn't fall over or run into a ditch! I WAS getting better! I began taking better care of my physical self and I moved it all the time and not only was I not "losing it", I was gaining it back.

I became a Reiki Master and added energy work to my team and I continued to improve.

I had an appointment with my Neurologist on December 17, 2012 and I had already decided to discuss with him the possibility of doing a trial run without drugs. In my Reiki practice I never advocate ceasing to use anything that has been prescribed by a physician unless my client has discussed it with their physician. I would do no less in my own life.

He agreed to a trial run with one condition, that I take 4000 units of Vitamin D daily. I agreed and the trial run began. In March, 2013, I went on prescription Vitamin D as I was still at a level that was too low.

In July of this year, I went back for a recheck. He has watched this "trial run" carefully. My Vitamin D level was up to 77! Perfect. My physical check up was the best one that I've ever had. For the first time ever, I could close my eyes and touch my nose with my finger. It might not sound like much to some, but it is a milestone of how far I've come. It's been eight months now that I've taken nothing but Vitamin D and I have had the best physical exam that I have ever had.

So, yes, this year I "Ride with MS" and I hope that those who see me can get inspired. I want those with MS to gain hope and know that bodies change. This is a disease that is constantly changing, those changes don't always have to be for the worse.

I am asking for donations for the ride and to help others with this diagnosis. Things have come so far and with continued research in both science and holistic practices, things are changing rapidly. Funds are needed to continue the process. Please donate through my website http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/DebbieNaillon so that others may "Ride with MS" as well. In some cases, so that they may walk with MS.

Thank you.
Debbie

Tools to Help De-Stress Your Life

There are so many things that I love to do and one of them is helping people to make their lives a bit less stress filled. In our busy world of today our everyday lives are filled with stress that we now consider a "normal" part of our day. No wonder we don't feel up to our potential!

I took the courses through HeartMath for this very reason and I'm happy to see the changes that occur when people learn new ways to manage their stress. Stress is a perception, but if you percieve a situation to be stressful using the tools in your tool box to relieve that stress is invaluable.

With that in mind I would like to remind everyone that I am certified to help you with your stress.

HeartMath® Tele-course

Personalized instruction of the HeartMath® System in the comfort of your home or office.

In today’s fast-paced world it can be hard to find time to attend seminars or classes in order to receive instruction. More and more people are now turning to viable alternatives like tele-courses. HeartMath has taken this type of instruction a step further in an enjoyable and effective personalized course that teaches you the HeartMath System in a coaching style. It’s an easy way to receive meaningful information with a personal touch and reach new levels in your personal and professional growth.

 

Goal of the program – To learn specific techniques and tools, in concept and practice, and how to apply them directly to your life and the challenges you are working with right now.

 

Materials – I will guide you through one of three workbooks: Voyage to Heart Intelligence (for self-improvement); Personal Journey to Health (For people with health issues); or Strategies for Peak Performance (for business and workplace applications). These workbooks are only available as part of this tele-course. Supplementary book and music CD complete the materials package. Cost for materials is included in the price of the 4-session course.

 

Format – Once you’re registered, you and I will mutually arrange session times. Most find a specific appointment time, at the same time, on the same day, for 4 consecutive weeks works best. The unique benefit of this program is that your experience is personal and confidential, tailored just for YOU, and offers convenience, privacy and a certain ease of personal expression.

 

Content – Each session, and the way the course as a whole progresses, is based on your specific needs, goals, and intended applications. Some people only want to focus on isolated portions of the course content while other want the full spectrum of tools and applications.

 

Weekly Sessions

Session 1 – Discuss your personal and/or professional goal(s). Explore your core values – the heart of who you are and what’s important to you – and assess the interplay of your values in your everyday life. Uncover the source of your stress. Experience how your stress is largely a function of how you are perceiving life and your mental and emotional reactions.

 

Session 2 – Learn the science underpinning HeartMath tools and techniques and how they are different from traditional approaches to stress reduction. Simply presented, with graphic support, the science is made clear and easy to understand. Receive in-depth instruction and guidance in doing the Freeze-Frame® technique and quickly feel the shift in your physiology.

 

Session 3 – Learn the Heart Lock-In® technique and how it differs from the Freeze-Frame tool. Discuss applications and potential benefits relative to your particular goals. Explore the use of positive emotions, systematically applied, and see how they change everything. Learn the Intuitive Listening technique and get guidelines for best practice.

 

Session 4 – Practice a process-oriented tool for incorporating the qualities of the heart – more care for self and others – with Heart Mapping®, a project planning tool. Review your experience me and gain further insight into your use of the tools. Develop a plan for practical application to achieve your goals. Move into life with leveraged intelligence.

 

To register for this course: Contact Debbie Naillon, Licensed 1:1 HeartMath Provider,  Ethereal_Touch@hotmail.com

Looking in a Mirror

Today I looked into a mirror. It wasn't a real mirror, it was a real person. A new Client ... I knew nothing about her as I hadn't made the appointment, but I was excited to meet her. I didn't know prior to her arrival that she would be my mirror image of about 20 years ago.

A young mother with Multiple Sclerosis, me 20 years ago. She also reminded me of myself in her beliefs, her faith, and her spirit. Looking at her, I realized just how far I've really come. It is amazing. Seeing her looking at me, I realized that she was seeing how far she can go as well.

She believes in me, she believes in herself. Together with her physician we can make her quality of life the best it can be. She told me that somewhere in the back of her mind she imagined coming in to see me today and then walking out without her walker, cured ... a miracle. I smiled and told her that wasn't going to happen, not today. We work on the quality of life and it improves. The miracle is the positive attitude and the smiles, even when life is scary and you don't know where or how this is going to go.

It was humbling for me. I know though, this is why I had Multiple Sclerosis. I can talk with her, I understand, I've been there. She is a gentle soul and she trusts me.

Today I looked into a mirror and saw the self of yesterday. We all have roads to travel and our journeys are never the same. To be reminded at times just how far I've come is a blessing to me. I forget how blessed I really am. She is blessed as well, she has such a positive attitude and a beautiful smile. I will help her to continue her healing ... she is my blessing for today.

Being the "Observer"

There are so many things in this world that are acted upon based on the personal perspective of the person involved. It leads to strife and turmoil, when the reality of the situation is that there are different ways of looking at things and a refusal to see the situation from a different perspective.

Last week I led an exercise using this thought process, the thought of being the observer and taking the time to understand both sides of a situation. It isn't an easy thing to do, especially if one of the players in the situation is yourself. We imagined that we were observing a play, we took a neutral position in observing this play, setting aside our own personal perspectives.

Standing in the middle of the situation we observed both sides. We went over the details and looked a bit deeper. We looked into the reasons behind why each participant in our play made the choices that they did. We were striving for unbiased understanding.

One of my students said she had not realized how hard that was and how much her ego didn't like having to acknowledge that she might have done things differently. Taking the observers stance, when you are one of the participants being observed, isn't an easy thing. It's that long hard look in the mirror that is so hard to do for most of us. We wish it to be the other person's fault, societies fault, anyone's fault other than our own.

Looking at both sides of a situation can help put into perspective what has happened. You still don't have to agree with what happened, you only have to understand. With understanding you can come from a place in your heart and stay the observer and send love to all the participants (including yourself) in the situation.

You might come to realize what you first thought was an attack on your beliefs was actually the other persons own fears of change. Accepting your beliefs might mean accepting that things are changing, so it boils down to fear. You help those with fear with loving understanding, not coming back in a defensive mode.

Take the time to look beyond face value. Spiritual understanding is a powerful tool moving forward. I am not perfect, no one is, but I am trying to be more understanding and come from a place of the observer. I encourage everyone to at least make the attempt to try this, if just once.

Do You Judge Others Based Upon Yourself?

Sitting here this morning I've been contemplating the way people judge what another person would do in any given situation. It has occurred to me that they place their judgements on what they, themselves would do if they were in the same situation. The contemplation was because of some recent events that at first confused me, then I pieced together the motivation behind the move.

It still confused me as to why it was thought that there was a need to do anything at all. I don't need to go into the details of what happened, but it finally hit me that they responded in the way that they did because they were responding to what would have been going on had they been in the other persons situation.

Interesting. I believe that we all do that at some level. I know that I have a very hard time believing that people do some of the things that they do because it would never have entered my mind to do such a thing. Does that make me naive? Maybe. I guess that I would like to see the world revolving around the standard that I live my life on. I have been told that it is a fairytale land and that it doesn't exist.

I think that it does exist, this world that I see and believe in. It isn't wide spread, but I've met so many people that think like I do and it is a refreshing thought. I have a client that struggles with people not liking her, "why? I'm a nice person"  she tells me ... I can relate to those thoughts. Then I realized that there are people that you believe know who and what you are, who and what you believe in and you realize that they never knew you at all. When it comes down to the wire, they react based upon what they would have done in the same situation.

All I ask of everyone, including myself, is to keep an open mind in this world. Don't base your judgements on what you would do in any given situation. Take a step back, take a deep breath, and look to your heart for the truth of the situation. Your heart will give you the correct answer in all instances.

Happy December!

It's been some time now since I've written! Time flies when you are having fun as the saying goes! I've been busy and that's always a very good thing. My office at Thorbecke's Fitlife Center is up and running. I've enjoyed seeing my clients there.

I have new Practical Reiki students and they are all doing so well! I enjoy teaching my PR students on a 1:1 ratio. I feel that they get more out of the experience (except maybe having more people than just me to practice on) and they are more open and candid with their experiences and their questions.

I am taking my Heart Math 1:1 Provider training and I am loving every minute of it! It is so rewarding to get the science behind all of the things that I have been implementing with my clients already. The heart is such a powerful part of our anatomy. When you understand all of the science behind why we feel and do the things that we do, it begins to make sense and fall into place.

I am really excited to finish this training and start helping my clients to relieve their stress, get into the zone (for my athletes) and to help coach them to better health! I enjoy the interaction with my clients on a 1:1 basis and this is a perfect fit for me!

My book is at the publisher ... I am excited over that! It should be out the first of next year and I am excited for that! Be watching for Heart Magick ... Where Healing Begins to be out on the market. It will be published through Balboa Press, a division of Hay House! Thank you Julie Meaker, you've been an excellent editor for me!

For all that follow my blog, I would like to give you a Christmas Gift of my ebook, Three Simple Ways to Relieve Stress . There is a link on my website that will download this ebook for you.

I hope that you all have a stress free holiday season and I hope to be writing more soon!

The Five Strengths

I was reading of the five strengths this morning in the Mahayana Instruction for the ejection of consciousness at death. It is interesting to read what the instruction is telling me and to realize what the true message is in the words that I am reading.

The way that you move into the moment of death is a reflection of how you have lived during all your years upon this earth. There is a need to practice the five strengths during your lifetime; the way that you conduct yourself now is very important to the way that you accept and move into the next realm.

While you are alive:

Have Strong Determination: Be open and let go of perceived hurts and injuries. See the beauty that is all around you, look for that beauty rather than looking for the ugly. As you practice this looking, it becomes easier to find, even if it is just inside of yourself.

Familiarization: Practice being open and letting go of the material things that hold you down, that keep you tethered to one space, one thought pattern, limiting your natural potential. Learn to accept the peace that is being you, being open, loving, and compassionate. At the moment of death there will be no reason for panic, only love is there to guide you through.

The Positive Seed: This is based upon trust in yourself. Trust that you have the ability to let go and to feel compassion for others. This comes from the second strength. As you practice and get familiar with letting go and actively building compassion for others and love for yourself the transition is peaceful and serene.

Reproach: When you realize that this identity that you are holding on to so tightly isn’t something solid and real, it’s easier to let it go. Walk with joy upon this earth at all times, be happy and at peace. There is no need to hold on to a persona that doesn’t bring you that happiness and peace. Realize that this is a journey that has a stopping point and it is the same point for everyone.

Aspiration: “At the time of death, aspire to spend all your future lives in the presence of your teachers and to do your best to benefit others forever.” I did write this one word for word as it is important. Remember, we are to practice these things during our lifetime upon this earth. I take this to mean that you shouldn’t wait until death to aspire to spend your life in the presence of your teachers and to do your best to benefit others forever, this begins here and now.

To bring it to a summation; see the beauty that is in all things around you; let go of the things that no longer serve a life of love and compassion; trust yourself; be yourself; give of yourself with love, compassion, and joy.