December 2021, we were already well into our second year of the pandemic. In that time, I had to close my clinic and move into "working from home" mode. Something I was always strongly opposed to. It took a lot of getting used to that, especially mentally, "getting my head around it" as they say. Nearly 2 years later it feels very normal to work from home. 

I was also in the middle of finishing my manuscript for my upcoming book
-From Pain Into Purpose-, that carried a deadline and I still had so much to do. I also worried about my beautiful cat Zivah, I knew her time to leave was drawing closer and closer, she had days left, my heart was very heavy, just the thought of it, not having her around.

I also noticed that my thyroid gland was protruding and was getting bigger and bigger  especially on the left side of the gland, and from around the 18th of December 2021 it was huge and very painful. I was worried it would grow more and push on my windpipe or other important passages, plus it suddenly started to be very painful.  To top it all off, my body created strange pains everywhere. This was all unusual as most of my life I was very healthy and rarely got sick.

So off I went to the doctor's office, blood tests and ultrasound were ordered, and we were able to see that there was a huge cyst on the thyroid that had haemorrhaged, hence the strong pain and swelling including my face. My blood showed elevated cholesterol, in my case I know this had been created by stress. My weight had also started to pick up and all in all I felt a bit sorry for myself. I was extremely tired and some days it was a real struggle to function. Thank goodness a holiday came up.

I knew I had to make some real changes. First, I made an appointment with a Naturopath, and I was lucky enough as they were able to see me just before the New Year. Just before they went on their holiday. I got put on adrenal support and other supplements. It turns out, I had Adrenal Fatigue and needed help.

I found an immediate change in my energy levels, even though for the first few months it fluctuated a lot while my body was adjusting. Some days were amazing, and other days not so much. I also found my sleep was slowly getting better. I never had any sleep issues before that, so this was very unusual and very uncomfortable, my brain didn't function as well and my hormones were way out of balance.

I made sure I put myself first in everything I did.  And that was the key!! So "NO" was a commonly used word from then on, ditching specific foods as I went Gluten Free and Milk Product Free. What a difference!!! A few months down the track and I can honestly say that I feel so much better!!

In February I decided I wanted to work with a Nutritionist and found a beautiful lady here up on the Coast not far from my home. Due to restrictions, we worked online. The part that fascinated me the most was the psychology behind my choices or non-choices. I had a lot of re-learning to do, especially the timing of my food and actually eating NOT SKIPPING meals. 

It is so easy to just get caught up in the moment, I re-learned that it is important to plan. The most difficult task the nutritionist gave me to date was 2 days conscious eating. NO phone, NO TV, no nothing and really connecting with your food.  CHEW your food, take in the colours, love your veggies!!! To find that time in my day was shear impossible. So, I made some more changes, especially how I book my clients. It had to be more realistic and supportive for me. 

This weekend we had easter weekend, my most favourite holiday in the year, as it carries beautiful childhood memories. It also comes with a lot of foods that are off my list. So, I changed my mindset of what needed to be on the table. I had 2 foods that were technically off my list, however after talking to my nutritionist I had a tiny bit of both foods. It made me happy and satiated as I felt I had a complete pallet of my favourite foods.  

It is all about balance, in regards of everything.

• Tired? Rest!!
• Hungry? Eat!!  (The right foods, no chunk)
• Brain Fog? Go for a walk or walk away from what you are doing!!
• Too much on? Cancel or reschedule!!
• Can't sleep?? Get of devices, phone, computer, etc. READ A BOOK!! Meditate!!
• Staying asleep with a busy mind? I bought myself a noise machine, magic!! In my case it runs all night and gives my brain something to concentrate on if I wake in the middle of the night. I fall asleep again instantly by listening to the sound of the sea. I have also noticed with all the positive changes I am making that I hardly wake up anymore.
• Cravings? Choose healthy alternatives!!
• Always tired? Check what quality foods are you eating?!!
• NO is a full sentence 
• Boundaries, boundaries, boundaries

And of course, I supported myself with BodyTalk Sessions throughout. I would never miss my sessions. To find a practitioner near you, go to www.bodytalksystem.com

Much Love
​Andrea Baumann 

The past 19 months have been very intense and a lot of people have shown up for their BodyTalk Sessions with a lot of fear and anxiety, that often manifested as digestive, hormonal and/or nervous system imbalances.  

Sleep seems to be a very big issue as well. I found, by talking to clients that a new routine is in order. We have to get ready for bed in a new way. The following are a few suggestions:

Things you can change:

1. Getting off devices, including TV 1 hour before bed
2. NO coffee late in the day, as it will stimulate your nervous system
3. No Heavy discussions before bed, move it to tomorrow
4. Don't go to bed angry, you can agree to disagree and continue the discussion the next day. Be open to say I love you, or care about you
5. Don't eat too late in the day
6. Do not opt for junk food as it carries a very low vibration
7. Be aware that alcohol interferes with your sleep, Liver time is 1am to 3am, if the Liver has to detox more than usual, there will be a great possibility that you will not have a restful sleep.
8. Declutter your bedroom
9. Energetically cleanse your bedroom, eg, a salt lamp
10. Change linen frequently
11. If the position of the bed does not feel right, reposition!
12. Make sure you have beautiful light 
13. Diffuse Aromatherapy Oils
14. Make sure the temperature in the room is not too hot. 
15. Remove noise that would interfere with your sleep
16. Or add noise like a White Noise Machine, I myself have one and it has done wonders to my sleep. 
17. Air out the room before going to bed. Let the fresh air in
18. Close cupboard doors make it Zen
19. NO TV in bedroom
20. Turn off your WiFi before going bed

Things you can start:

• Go for a walk
• Take a bath
• Meditate
• Soak up that Sunshine! Vitamin D huge benefits to the body
• Hug someone, people, animals.
• Smile, make a connection 
• Eat more whole foods
• Listen to music, Mozart has a very high vibration that will have an immediate effect on your energy field. Modern music unfortunately has a low vibration, so maybe not the best choice. I often listen to Jazz as well.
• Invest in beautiful tea, have your own tea party. 
• Connect with your animal, if you have one. Eckhart Tolle once said, I met quite a lot of Zen Masters all of them cats. 
• Watch something funny, I often go on YouTube and search for funny clips. Baby and animal clips are my favorites.
• REST, listen to your body!! We are far too busy in this world, give yourself permission to rest and reset. It is not selfish, but SELFCARE 
• Drink enough water
• Make conscious decisions about your food
• Honor who you are, and where you have come from, your family lineage
• Connect with the present, meditation can help you feel like you can't wind down
• Busy Mind? Can't Meditate? Go for a walk, meditation doesn't mean you have to necessarily lye down and close your eyes. You can very well walk on the beach or in the bush and connect to nature, that is a form of meditation as well. 
• Practice Kindness, and I don't mean the one for other people, but to self. I often say to my clients, if you would speak to your best friend the way you talk to yourself what do you think would happen to you? 
• Practice self love
• Practice Self Respect, if you would like to know more and would like me to write about it comment on this blog. 
• Exercise if this is for you! Otherwise walk, swim, bike, etc. it does not have to be in a gym
• Talk to like minded people, find your tribe. If you can't find your tribe start your own. People mostly think they are the only ones that are feeling a certain way, ticking a certain way, acting a certain way. Once we see each other we will recognise that there are many of us. 

Just a few suggestions, please feel free to add your suggestions and if you have any questions just go ahead and ask.

Thank you very much, much love to you!
​Andrea