Rene Cizio's Blog, page 25

How a Salt Cabin is Different Than a Lamp or Salt Cave

I grew up in a Detroit suburb near the Morton Salt company. It was a primitive sort of salt cave before the trend of the salt cabin, lamp and other salt-related treatments. Had we known, the tours into those salt mines might have been popular with more than just elementary school kids. Morton Salt hosted the salt mine field trips for elementary school kids. Sadly, my class never took one. However, once, a boy admirer gave me a chicken nugget sized rock of salt from his trip to the mines. My gram couldn’t have salt, so having it was a big taboo. Still, I held on to that rock for years, secretly licking it when nobody was around. I forgot about it entirely until I visit the salt cabin and the taste of salt lingered, reminding me. Salt Therapy I wanted to try dry salt therapy because I heard it’s a natural way to receive various benefits. It’s said that in ancient times, salt mine workers collectively had better overall wellness, rarely suffered colds, and had better skin and respiratory systems. Their health was eventually attributed to the salt. In recent years salt lamps have been selling like crazy as […]

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Women Are Having a Long, Long Overdue Moment

The more I read awesome women’s news the more my algorithms serve it up to me. Sometimes it’s the universe who listens and sometimes, it’s Big Brother. Either way, I’m glad for all the inspiring stories I’ve found recently about kicking @$$ and taking names. Here are a few of note: Madam Vice President I’d be remiss if I started anywhere but here. When I was a girl, I thought everything worthwhile had already been done and lamented why I couldn’t have been born into a more interesting time. Well, look at us now. History is made every day in our world. As a woman, this was a proud moment. The Chicago Tribune wrote, “Kamala Harris may be the first woman to serve as vice president of the United States, but her inauguration last week also marked the first time an American of South Asian descent was elected to such a high national office.” Amanda Gorman. And then there was Amanda Gorman. Oh my Gawd. I aspire to be so well-spoken one day. I was also so, so glad to see poetry receive some attention. My love of writing started with poetry, though I was told I could never make […]

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Learn How Muscle Cupping Can Ease Tension and Bring You Relief

I’ve had a chronic muscle ache on my right rhomboid, between my neck and shoulder, for the last 20 years, and cupping is the first treatment that ever really provided lasting relief. I learned about cupping during a recent visit to my acupuncturist. When I told her about my rhomboid pain and how nothing seems to relieve it, she suggested cupping might do the trick, and she was right. What is Cupping Cupping is a type of alternative therapy that originated in China and involves placing heated glass cups on the skin to create suction. The suction pulls the skin and muscle into the cup and promotes healing and increased blood flow. It’s different than a massage in one fundamental way – cupping pulls the skin, muscle, and tendons away from the body, while a massage presses them into the body. As an ancient Chinese medicinal practice, advocates say cupping works, like acupuncture, in relation to the body’s meridian points. Using the cups in specific locations is said to improve the flow of “qi” (chi) throughout the body. Muscle cupping became trendy in Western culture during the 2016 Summer Olympics when the media noticed round bruises on swimmer Michael Phelps’ […]

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Five Ways An Energy Vortex Can Change Your Life for the Better

The vortex of Sedona is one of few places on Earth that seems to vibrate if you are still enough to listen. Like the great pyramids of Egypt, Stonehenge, the ancient Mayan ruins of Tulum, or Machu Picchu, they have an ancient power. These sacred sites have long been recognized as portals for connecting to the universe. Once I learned there were vortexes in Sedona, where I was planning to spend time, I needed to learn more. Other Portals Once I started researching vortexes, I found I had been to a few known sites without even realizing it. This is the way for many of us. The universe pulls us where we need to be. I’ve been to Stonehenge and the ruins of Tulum, where, if you are still, there is a humming not unlike you would hear from a power line, subtle and hard to place or pinpoint, but constant and calling.  The birds and animals are more watchful; the land listens. Everyone has an “energy” about them. Even the most skeptical can feel the positive or negative vibrations that individual humans or animals make us feel. 1 Disrupt the Pattern As I read, I learned that an energy […]

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Women Over 40: And their Awesome Invisibility Cloaks

The 40s are a weird space of transition for women where you’re no longer considered young, but not really old. There isn’t any set “thing” to be doing since we all started jobs and families and lives at different stages. And, despite what the internet thinks, we actually don’t disappear. But do you know how hard it is to find inspiring stories about women age 40–60 on the internet that aren’t related to business or politics? Go ahead, do a few searches; I’ll wait. Here are what you found: a few stories about high-achieving athletes, academics, and businesswomen primarily in their 20s and 30s. But women in our 40s are Awesome We have the experience, confidence, and serious life skills. We’re at the peak of our game. We can still do anything we want — ANYTHING. But we’re also finally wise enough to know what really matters. So why doesn’t the internet reflect that? Where ARE the women over 40? You’re determined, so you keep looking and probably find something like this, “40 Women Over 40 Who Will Make You Hype About Growing TF Up,” because in the rare event the internet acknowledges women over 40 at all, it’s usually to talk about […]

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How Ear Seeds Help You Practice Self-Discipline, or Whatever You Need

How Ear Seeds Can Reduce Stress and Anxiety and Give You Back Control I learned about ear seeds by accident, but I’m glad I did because ever since I’ve been using them, I have lower stress and anxiety and the process couldn’t have been easier. Ear seeds are actual tiny Vaccaria seeds from the flowering Vaccaria plant, which looks almost like a tall weed with a small purple, pink or white flower. The use of ear seeds is a practice known as ear acupressure, auriculotherapy, or ear acupuncture. Auriculotherapy – standing for the auricle or the ear’s outer part – is the concept that the ear is a microsystem reflecting the entire body. Sometimes you’ll see this represented in imagery as the shape of an infant in the ear canal. How I Discovered Ear Seeds I learned about ear seeds on a recent visit to an acupuncturist. As I was leaving my acupuncture appointment, she suggested that I try some ear seeds to help manage my stress and I had no idea what she meant. She explained that ear seeds, in this case, were tiny Vaccaria seeds (like chia seed) on a small piece of adhesive tape. As we stood […]

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Chimps, Goats and Boys Clubs are No Match for These 5+ Inspiring Women

When you look for inspiring women you will find them. You just have to be diligent and pay attention. Here are a few awesome women that inspired me recently. Jane Goodall Receives Gratitude From a Chimp She Never Met Before Goodall, 87, long revered for her work with chimps and other primates, met the chimp (Wounda) for the first time when she was brought to the Jane Goodall Institute’s Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Center in the Republic of Congo. Though the chimp was among others she knew, she chose Goodall for a long heartfelt hug when released before making her way into the jungle. The video is a few years old now, but it’s moving. Give it a watch on Upworthy, where I found this story, and if you’re looking for a good cause, the Jane Goodall Institute accepts donations. Goat Yoga Founder Followed Her Passion and Found Her Calling It’s tough to step outside societal norms and follow your heart against the wise counsel of stability and the comfort of well-worn paths. Still, that’s what Lainey Morse did when she quit her job as an office manager to host “Goat Yoga” classes. Can you imagine? She loved the goats and […]

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This 3-Step Action Plan Makes Goal Setting Easier

Have you ever set a goal and not achieved it? This year, try my 3-step goal achievement process and you’ll be better positioned for success. Each year I make myself a list of goals that I plan to achieve and, barring a quarantine year, I usually accomplish everything I set out to. I’ve achieved things in one year, including reading 75+ books, losing 50 pounds, or becoming certified in six digital advertising platforms. Using this process has enabled me to do lots of other things too – some take more than a year – like earning a college degree, while others, like writing a book, have taken less, but the process is the same. Here’s my step-by-step process you can follow to achieve your goals too I’ll use the example of losing weight because it’s easy to understand, and the components of how it is done are relatively universal. Say you want to lose 50 pounds this year. That’s a great goal, but by itself, it’s also a BIG goal. Fifty pounds is a lot of weight. Just pick up a 50-pound object and carry it around for a few minutes. Whew! Here’s how I’d approach it One year goal: […]

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Belief in Aliens Isn’t Easy to Admit, Even After Seeing One

Do you believe in aliens? I used to answer that question, unequivocally, “No. One hundred percent, no.” I’d add an eye roll for good measure. But that was before I think I saw one. Now, I’m questioning all of my beliefs and assumptions. But, frankly, it’s embarrassing; I don’t want to believe in aliens. I’m a “smart,” educated, rational person. I’m a journalism major and former reporter. I believe in facts, data, proof, and things we can all see, touch, and feel. “Aliens” don’t fit into any of those categories, at least they didn’t … before. My change of attitude happened in Sedona, Arizona Sedona is known for dark skies, spiritual awakening, and vortexes of pulsing energy. The Earth itself hummed with a mysterious knowledge as the bold sun beat down upon the too red rocks. My goal in visiting Sedona was to see the stars and go to the vortexes. It is one of several places on Earth that seems to vibrate if you are still enough to listen. Like the great pyramids of Egypt, Stonehenge, or the ancient Mayan ruins of Tulum, this place has an ancient power. They are considered sacred sites long recognized as portals for connecting to […]

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