Choosing a Publication

Though it started off rocky I have grown to love my blog.  I have shared a few things with fitness groups I belong to & all have been received well. 
I chose to submit my article to Natural Awakenings - New Orleans edition because it is the closest to local we have.  Mississippi is the most obese state & getting information & education to everyone is very important.  I enjoyed the process though at times it was a little daunting, I am very glad I did it.  I plan to keep a blog, whether this or a new one I want to get info out to as many people as I can.  I also plan to submit articles late, once I feel I have knowledge to share.  I believe I will write at least 1 book in the future, maybe more.  I love writing & love sharing with people. If I can help someone with what I have to say I believe it my duty to do so.

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

CONTACT:

Malissa Bordelon

Massage by Malissa/Inspired Life with Malissa

228-223-7400

massagebymalissa@massagetherapy.com

massagebymalissa.massagetherapy.com

Massage by Malissa has changed

Massage by Malissa has changed names and moved locations to better serve customers.  They are now offering a comprehensive array of modalities to promote living a more natural and healthy life, and the name has changed to Inspired Life with Malissa. Ther location has also changed to better offer clients a more relaxing and tranquil environment and promote an inspired life.  The new location is 332 Lorraine Avenue, Pass Christian, MS, 39571.  In addition to Massage Therapy will also offer Hypnotherapy, Nutritional Counseling, Life Coaching, many Intuitive Services, Aromatherapy, Meditation, and Fitness Products.

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, or not to anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.” ~ Buddha  To live in the happy and healthy in moment one must leave the chemical, artificial methods behinds and embrace nature and a more natural way living.  That does not mean giving up all comforts of the modern world but seeking the right tools for a new, less complicated life.  There is no better way to experience the tools and modalities available that promote the more natural, less stressful life than by visiting inspired Life with Malissa.  Inspired Life with Malissa’s goal is to ensure the client’s best life, beginning now.

Please visit Inspired Life with Malissa and experience a more relaxed, healthy, and happy way of living.  Living a more natural life promotes living in the present.  To view Eckhart Tolle speaking on being present click on the link below.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyxmDVH6Isk&feature=related   To learn more visit http://newconsciousnessproject.org

Inspired Life With Malissa promotes a more natural and less stressful lifestyle through Massage Therapy, Hypnotherapy, Nutritional Counseling, Life Coaching, many Intuitive Services, Aromatherapy, Meditation, and Fitness Products.  For further information, contact Malissa Bordelon at 228-223-7400.

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Free Write - Warning you're taking a tour of my head

Ok I’m thinking about so many different things:  budget, Beach Body coaching opportunity, working out, Winter the Dolphin, watching A Dolphin’s Tale with Ronan 4 times was awesome, so we really want to meet her.  Excitement for the break coming up & excited about the new classes, hopefully Beth will be in some.  The environment: how do we keep killing everything in our oceans & polluting them & expect the world, especially us, to survive.   We are so arrogant; sometimes I wonder how we got to the top of the food chain.  I love The Sea Shepherds, if I were to go to sea it would definitely be with them.  I need to practice meditation more regularly.  OMG Ronan is out of school in 2 weeks what am I gonna do to keep him busy???  How do I promote my business?  Guess it will have to wait til he’s back in school since he will be home so much.  Maybe I can just do outcalls??  Maybe Dr. Dot’s will work out really well?  Maybe the coaching thing will blow up & get big?  Maybe we’ll win big at the casino or win the lottery?  Oh yeah first we would have to play.  Oh well, new strategy!!  Maybe I can teach 1 of the dogs a super cool trick & make money off them?  Yeah right, they are way too spoiled.  They would have me doing tricks before I could get them to.  Oh well they are my biggest fans!!  New plan – write a huge bestselling book.  Not sure what it would be about maybe just this.  Surely everyone wants to know what I’m thinking all the time.  Oh I know turn my new blog into a money maker!!  Ok so none of that.  I’ll just stick to knowing abundance is always with us & we are the happiest family ever!!  Yeah, that works.  I think I’ll stick to that.

Motivation

 The definition of motivation is the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way or the general desire or willingness of someone to do something.  Sounds simple?  Sure it can be but it’s also personal therefore it can also be complicated.  What motivates one person may not work on another.  We’ve read that you can’t actually motivate someone else but we can inspire with good example, education, & support.  So, how do we inspire?  1^st we should start by building a rapport – if motivation is personal than to help inspire someone to be motivated we must understand their personality type & what will work for them.  Once we understand what may work we can begin.

While the list is infinite here are some suggestions:  (Some we can do for the client & some we can suggest they do for themselves)

Ask them what they believe will motivate them.  Have them make a list.

Have an image or positivity buddy, who can support you in times of need

Look into a personal coach – if you can’t afford it look into bartering

Put positive image reminders everywhere – no negative pics or quotes on fridge, no one needs negativity but we all need positive reinforcement

Write a daily goal & reward – nothing big: like today I will begin a 5 min walk & my reward will be a nice long, relaxing bath

Make an affirmation notebook & read it daily or when feeling low

Focus on 1 change a week

Volunteer – when we help other people we feel good & needed

Write in a daily journal, especially the good things that happened that day

Keep a gratitude journal

Make a weight loss plan with an outline of targets and dates to have accomplished – don’t make it impossible to do & include rewards

Smile& laugh everyday – 5 minutes (in front of a mirror or not) – studies have shown it helps with depression & even healing from an injury

Watch a funny movie – again laughter really can be the best medicine

Brag – tell your friends how great you are at cooking a healthy meal or that you’ve worked out every day this week

Have accountability – make a weight loss contract & sign it

Do breathing exercises

Meditate

Take a class & learn something new – get out of your comfort zone, you will feel really good about yourself & all positivity carries over to all parts of your life

Simplify - make a weekly or monthly menu

If you don’t like to cook then pick 1 day out of the week & cook & freeze so you just have to heat it up during the week – invite friends or family, it can be a weekly get together

Make & keep a goal list, not just for weight but everything – 1, 3, 6, & 12 mos. & 3, 5, & 10 years & update it when needed

Make a bet with someone – if you’re competitive you won’t want to lose

Write a cost/benefit list & post it where you can see it every day

Ask yourself what benefits you get from your current lifestyle & if it’s worth the down side

Speak & think like you’ve already achieved your goal – the subconscious doesn’t know the difference

Work out together with a buddy

Go out to lunch at salad bars and other healthy restaurants

Do a weight management program with a buddy like Weight Watchers

Have someone available to send you supportive texts, e-mails and phone calls

Have someone available to listen if you need to vent

Remember you are beautiful no matter what

Do a self-love exercise in the mirror

Write a gratitude journal daily

Getting a couple or friends massage

Join a support group

Setting & writing goals & rewards (not food rewards though)

Watch TV shows or movies that are inspirational like Biggest Loser

Start a book club for inspiring stories – look at Oprah’s book club for an example

Trade healthy recipes – there are websites

Educate on healthy foods & ways of cooking

Remember you are loved infinitely

Post reminders everywhere of why you’re doing this

Educate on ways to cope better with stress or emotional issues

Congratulate them that they are willing to give it another go, even if it’s the 2^nd, 3^rd, or 100^th time

Have resources for nutritionists, online support, support groups, massage therapist, acupuncture, etc.

Remind them they are beautiful and perfect as they are right now

Remind them of all their other amazing qualities

There is more to life than being skinny

Geneen Roth is also an amazing author who writes about her struggles with compulsive eating and has lost and gained over 1,000 lbs. in her life. She's very inspirational and a great resource!

"That was then, this is now".  When they can really grasp and accept that, their past beliefs won't interfere with their future success.

Hypnotherapy and life coaching can help.

Different types of support such as family, friends, groups, classes (If a friend or family member will join in too, that is double the support), volunteering (giving to others is self-supporting).

Starting with just one thing....each time you see the results, it will motivate you to do more. Start with number 1 on the 8 steps to weight loss - do just that until you feel ready to take on number 2 (possibly no longer than 1 month between adding a step - it only takes 3 weeks to develop a habit!)

Exercise does not need to be boring. What do you like to do that involves movement? Do it!

Humor - got to have it!  This is an exercise video example of laughter at work on the abs.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9iOxL4C0u8

  Also funny movies with a friend.  Start your day with a funny YouTube clip.

Music, music, music! Get up and move to it (exercise for the body) or sit back and relax to it (reduce stress)

We could post movie ideas (inspirational, feel good, funny, health documentaries) YouTube videos, classes, groups, volunteer opportunities, etc.

Motivation suggestion and ideas for losing weight

-Make small changes! – It’s ok to go slowly.  Get comfortable with each step before moving on

-Seek help!  Look to family & friends

-Seek alternative sources of help!

Sometimes we get fixate that they only way that we are going to lose weight is by stop eating and doing lots and lots of exercise!  Hypnotherapy, meditation, tapping, yoga, breathing, Ayurveda, are but a few of alternative paths that individuals can try to explore in their quest to losing weight!

Join a Facebook group – there are many, it’s free & fun

Make weekly challenges – but make it real, not so hard it will never be accomplished

Remember you NEVER fail, you just learn a way not do something.  Every experience is educational you just have to decide to learn from it.

Remember that we are all connected.  Your love of yourself is also love for your family, friends, neighbors, community, country & world.

Spirit (God or whichever name you prefer) wants to take care of yourself, be healthy & happy.

-Detoxification!

We live in a world that is full with toxics. Our bodies are saturate with toxics, to the point that some individuals are not functioning at full capacity because of them.  So it’s wise to take the time to do some spring cleaning on your body.  It’s difficult, but your body will thank you for it.

-Fasting: I know that sounds drastic, but in a world where we have so much food around us, sometimes it’s wise to disconnect ourselves from the main source of our problem, it can also be in conjunction with detox. 

http://www.cleanprogram.com/

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/fasting-weight-loss/#axzz1t6o6RXJb

Inspiration

I believe on a daily basis my inspiration comes from many different places; my son, my husband, even my dogs, sometimes it comes from a story I hear, a movie I watch, or a book I read. Because I've moved towards a more spiritual life my inspiration may come from my daily affirmations or just a "feeling" I woke up with & let flow outward. It's come from class assignments & classmates or conversations with friends. I never know where or when it may come but I know that it will. When I am inspired I believe I write very well, I've actually had a poem published years ago when I was in college, then the inspiration was dark as the name of the poem was Merry-Go-Round of Disaster. Today I am not so haunted and most of my writing is happy & light. For a very long time I did not write or really do anything creative, I had a very analytical job that encompassed most of my time, & when I tried I felt very un-creative. I felt that since I hadn't used my creativity in such a long time that I had lost it. But I think now it was just sleeping deeply. My writing style (or style for any creative outlet) is always guided by my inspiration. There are times when I use quite a bit of imagery and others where I don't use it much or at all. Sometimes I write quickly with hardly any punctuation or breaks between sentences or paragraphs. I've been told I write like I speak, which is fast & most times loud (& always louder that I realize). Sometimes I feel very poetic & everything comes out in prose. Whatever the style, it's always decidedly ME.  I like that anyone who knows me can recognize my writing quickly because my personality always shines through. I am not someone who finds it easy to write about something that I have no inspiration for. I can though it's usually pretty basic & short. When being creative, especially with writing, I let go & let the inspiration over take me. Later I can always proof & edit if needed. But I know if I hold back I will lose that something that makes my work unique.

Modern Living May Be Making People Sick

Moving away from a natural way of living may actually be making people sick.  Today there is more disease (dis-ease) than ever before in human history.   More obesity, heart dis-ease, more cancer, more ADHD, more Autism, more mental dis-ease, more addictions, and the list goes on and on.  Modern society demands that chemicals are breathed, bathed in and eaten.  Many foods and drinks are synthetic versions of what was once all natural.  Children are developing at a much earlier age than ever before, starting puberty as young as 7 or 8, though most may start at ages 12 or 13, this is still earlier than historical ages of the 19^th century when the average age of puberty was 15 for girls and 16 for boys.  Marcia Herman-Giddens and colleagues published a landmark study in 1997 about a reduction in the age of puberty among American girls. Herman-Giddings' work revealed that by age 8, 48% of black girls and almost 15% of white girls were showing signs of sexual development.

Generations past ate eggs, bacon, biscuits with butter and hash browns daily yet did not have the prevalence of high blood pressure, heart dis-ease, or high cholesterol we have today, and that was only breakfast.  These foods were farmed and prepared at home with little to no processing or bought locally from neighbors. Today, imports from all across the world may cross the dinner plate and oversight and inspection are minimal so it is unknown what additional additives may be consumed along with the foods. Water is used in baths and toilets and then sent to open waterways to eventually contaminate the oceans or the dirty water is “cleaned and purified” then re-used.  Modern factories spew plumes of chemical cast off into the air causing air pollution.  Antibiotics and hormones are pumped into livestock; cloned animals are sold for food without being labeled as such.  Seeds are genetically modified and large corporations are suing the small farmers if it’s thought trademarked GMO seed has contaminated the small farmer’s fields.  It is a large, complicated issue with many opinions but for the individual it may be as uncomplicated as deciding to be healthy.

Today, the question is how to live in the modern world while living a natural, holistic life?  The answer is simple though the implementation may be more complicated.  Eat whole foods from an organic source; drink water, yes, filtered; clean with natural cleansers, avoiding chemicals; use natural personal products; waste less; and exercise.  How is this done?  Buy local and in season, plant a garden or shop at a farmer’s market, if you eat meat and seafood, buy only free range, grass fed or wild caught. You can make cleaners that contain no chemicals with little effort. Look for alternatives to western medicine, acupuncture, massage, yoga, herbals, even daily affirmations help with stress. Start slow by making a few changes at a time.  Every little change helps the environment and the body.  There are many resources available online and in print.  The myth is that it takes much more money to live a healthier lifestyle but take into consideration the skyrocketing costs of healthcare.  Each person must decide what their health is worth.

Metal Book Mark

I am a tear drop shaped metal book mark.  On one side, I have a quote from Confucius, “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”  I also have a ribbon attached to my smaller end which had a plastic flower-like thing with individual leaves which each have a word but most are broken off and I only have 3 left, Decide, Light, and Grow.  It’s important to place me properly to mark the correct page of a book.  When I am placed I am able to see the two pages I am between, so I get glimpses of what the book is about.  It’s interesting to only get some of the story so then I may make up the rest and even a sad story can be happy if I imagine it that way.

There have been times when I’ve been placed next to other book marks, some of better quality than I and some of worse quality.  Quality doesn’t always matter, our jobs are too important.  Once I was next to a paper book mark but it was Ronan’s favorite and so it didn’t matter that it was made of paper and I of metal.  We are not comparable because we are chosen out of something more than ego but of heart.

Besides my quote from Confucius my advice is to read more.  Lose yourself in a book.  Meet new friends, discover a new world.  Learn new things or re-learn about the past.  Use me until all of my flower leaves have broken or until you can no longer read the quote. 

Bio

Malissa Bordelon is a Massage Therapist practicing in the Gulf Coast region of Mississippi while continuing her education in the Mind-Body Transformational Psychology program online at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts.

Though always having an interest in holistic medicines and modalities that treated the entire person, mind, body, and spirit, Malissa first became an accountant and bookkeeper.  After the loss of a wonderful position Malissa realized that her calling was for a more natural and holistic lifestyle.  She immediately enrolled in Blue Cliff College and graduated the Massage Therapy program first in her class.

Now, as a full-time student at SWIHA, Malissa is incorporating her new knowledge in her family’s life every day.  She loves showing her husband and 5 year old son the various new holistic modalities, especially nutrition.