Month: September 2014

Chakra Balancing and Aura Repair….Just Goin’ In for a Tune-up

The Appalachian Barbie3 Comments

So this week I did something a little different.

I’ve been feeling really down in the dumps lately and can’t seem to pull out of it.  I am a firm believer in the power of positive thinking and usually when I get in these funks I can just take a moment to count all my blessings and pull right on out. 
But over the past month or two I’ve just felt like I’m poisoned inside my head and no matter what I do I can’t shake this negative energy.  I have been dealing with what I can only guess is anxiety, as in, there is a constant weight on my chest that makes me feel like something bad is going to happen or something is wrong.  I also have felt extremely lonely.  I attribute this to busy, conflicting schedules with Mitch and my friends.  I exist within a strange paradox in my life–in my job, I live the life and hours of the bar, which means my typical work-week is Friday through Tuesday, 9pm-4am.  However, my morals and extracurriculars no longer reflect that schedule and has become quite a bit more boring and traditional.  So the people I now share common interest with tend to live in a Monday through Friday, 8am-5pm world.  Because of that and Mitch’s new school schedule, I spend most of my days alone, only having personal interaction with people when I go into work and they are under the influence.  Sometimes it gets a little depressing. 

So with all that being said, I’ve just been down lately.  I am firmly against prescription medications like anti-depressants and mood elevators, and refuse to go that route.  (no offense to those who do take these, this is just my opinion and personal choice.)  On a whim and also as a sort of last resort, I paid a visit to a local shop downtown that sells a lot of holistic items and also is home to it’s own ‘spiritual center’ where they conduct everything from tarot readings to yoga classes.  On this particular day, they had a healer in the shop who was skilled in aura repair and balancing chakras. 

Well…..why not.  I decided to give it a whirl, even if I’m not a firm believer in all this stuff. 

I will stop here and kind of explain my religious and spiritual beliefs.  I usually do not speak about this sort of thing because I feel like your spiritual habits should be something personal for you and no one should be able to tell you you’re right or wrong.  But in the interest of this blog making sense, I suppose I should just briefly fill you in on my line of thinking.

I am not a religious person, so much as I am spiritual.  I believe there is a greater power out there, that there is a meaning to all this, this life, but I do not know what it is so I will not judge anyone on what THEY believe the meaning is.  What I DO know, is that energy is tangible.  You can use a device to measure the wavelength of my heartbeat, thus measuring my ENERGY.  So for me, if that energy gets imbalanced or tainted from being around more bad energy than good, then that’s probably gonna throw me out of whack.  And this is precisely why I decided to let a middle aged bald man in capri pants, covered in wiccan tattoos, conduct a chakra balance and aura repair on me.

(If you are unfamiliar with the term ‘chakra’ please familiarize yourself with the 7 basic chakras here . )

The reverend, ordained by the Church of Divine Light, was a very nice man, who spent no less than 45 minutes explaining his techniques to me, from the tools he was going to use, (everything from chimes and bells to oils and rocks and music.) to the placement of his hands so I could be as comfortable as possible.  Considering that I’m no idiot, being in a closed room with an unfamiliar man who is attempting to put me in a meditative trance and perhaps touch my chakras, you can go ahead and guess that during this session I never fully let my guard down, as I was ready at a moments notice to issue a swift kick to the family jewels if he tried any funny business.  After a lengthy introduction, I laid down on my back on a massage table.  He then placed various precious gems, crystals and minerals around and on my body and turned on some soothing music.  He then walked around my body with a bell and chanting a mantra while counting backward from 10, trying to guide me into a meditative state.  After I was relaxed (somewhat) he then went into his own head, placing his hands on or several inches above various areas of my body. 

Ok, I don’t wanna sound like a crazy person.  But either this guy really has something going on as far as transferring energy, OR he just has a medical condition that makes his hands boiling hot.  Because even at 6″ away from my body, I could feel the heat from his hands, like he was holding a space heater over me or something!

This went on for about 35 minutes before he slowly asked me to come back to the world of the living.  For homework, he recommended I get a small bundle of sage and start smudging all the negative energy off of me every time I leave work.  I left the building a skeptic, but only $25 poorer so I wasn’t too upset. 

Cut to yesterday morning when I woke up.  The first thing I noticed is that I was SORE. I have been at a stand-still in the gym for like 2 months and no matter what I do I can’t get sore.  Before I went to my chakra balancing session, I had done the same glute workout I’ve done for the past 2 months so it was nothing new.  But when I got out of bed I could hardly walk to the bathroom I was so sore.  Also, my honey and I actually had some intimate times early that morning, which I could count on one hand the number of times that has happened.  And overall I was just in a gee-golly terrific mood. 

Now maybe this is all mental.  Maybe the soreness is just a matter of coincidence.  Or maybe there’s something to this energy thing.  All I know is, I feel lighter, more positive.  Work wasn’t an act of torture last night.  So I’m gonna go back.  Maybe take advantage of some yoga classes at my gym.  I don’t see any harm in taking an hour of relaxation and reflection for myself each week.  And if there is some positive benefits to this aura repair and chakra balancing, then all the better.

On that note, I hope you all have a blessed and wonderful weekend. And get out and try something new!  You never know, it might just change your life.

Dog Day Fashion for Indian Summer

The Appalachian BarbieLeave a comment

So here in the south, September can be a tough time for fashion.  For everyone else it seems September is the kickoff to fall–Things start to cool down and the switch to jeans and boots is eminent.  For us, it’s the hottest part of the year.  And humid.  And sticky.  But no one wants to miss out on the cute fall fashions.  Rejoice, I have found the perfect weekend outfit to take you out of Labor Day and into autumn, even on those 90 degree days.

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The perfect mix of boho and country, a 3/4 sleeve billowy top balances out a classic blue jean short on the bottom for just the right amount of skin for September.  Pair it with your favorite broken-in boots and a fringey leather bag in a warm color scheme and you’ll be ready for wherever the weekend takes you. 

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I personally took this look to the county fair with my hunky honey and it couldn’t have worked out better.  The boots were perfect for stomping around the barnyards and I didn’t have to worry about losing my shoes on the rides!

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Side note, is there anything more small town and nostalgic than a county fair? The smell of deep fried goodies mingles with hay from the stables, the music and screams from the rides fills your ears, and don’t forget getting stopped at the top of the ferris wheel is the perfect place to smooch with your honey.  It’s also the perfect goodbye to summer.

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So from fairs to football games, this outfit has you covered.  Don’t forget to top your look off with some boho braids and fun accessories! 

Elvis-approved Pancakes!

The Appalachian BarbieLeave a comment

So if you’re like me, trying to walk the thin line between healthy eating and “oh holy hell I just ate a sleeve of oreos,” can be a really delicate thing to balance.  I have a terrible sweet tooth.  And salt tooth.  And savory tooth.  Oh who am I kidding?  Every tooth in my head craves delicious food 24 hours a day!  Luckily there is usually a healthy way to enjoy your favorite “bad” foods.  Today, I wanna get you all shook up for some AMAZING peanut butter banana pancakes (see what I did there? heh…heh.) 

Now before you stop reading at the word “banana,” let it be known that I am a person who HATES bananas.  I cannot choke them down unless they are covered in peanut butter.  And I am usually not a banana advocate, as they are not the healthiest fruit in the world.  But at the end of the day, a banana from a tree is always gonna be a healthier way to curb your cravings for sweets than a brownie.  And as it turns out, these little yellow buggers are really versatile and can be used to create all kinds of fun recipes. 

So back to the recipe!  These are absolutely delicious, simple to make and under 200 calories!  And if you don’t like pancakes, then there’s no hope for you and I suppose you should move on to the next article. 

To get started, get out a large skillet and spray it liberally with nonstick and let it begin heating over medium heat while you prepare your other ingredients.  You’re gonna want your pan to be hot when you pour on your batter but not so hot it will burn your cakes!

Next, gather all your ingredients.  You’re gonna need 1 banana, 1/4 cup egg whites, about 1/8 cup of oats, and a tablespoon of pb2 (chocolate or regular, your choice.)  You’ll also need a tablespoon or two of butter or margarine (i like blue bonnet light) and some syrup for toppings.  (I really love sugar free syrup in moderation as a treat.  I am aware of the cons of light and sugar-free options, please don’t feel the need to school me.)

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Next combine all ingredients except the syrup and butter in a food processor or a bowl.  If you have a food processor, just blend until everything is combined.  If you don’t have one, you can certainly just smash everything until it’s the same consistency with a potato masher. 

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Now you’re ready to make your cakes!!  This recipe should yield 2 good size cakes, or you can make them smaller and your stack taller by doing 4.  Pour half your batter into the middle of the hot skillet and let it cook up.  Your cake will be ready to flip when the edges are set and the middle doesn’t run when you tilt the pan.  Another good indication is when there are a lot of little bubbles all over the top. 

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When it’s time to flip, do it quickly.  Honestly, it may take a few times to get the hang of it if you’re a pancake novice, but it really doesn’t matter how they look as long as they taste great, so don’t worry if they tear or something.

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When your cake is done throughout, take it out and repeat the process with the remaining batter.  Top with your butter or margarine and choice of syrup and you’re all set! 

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These can be delicious with your eggs at breakfast, or for a late night snack when you are craving something sweet.  I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!