May's "Oil of the Month" is ... Thyme

Thyme has been a life-saving oil for me. Before I started using Thyme for my sciatic pain, I was getting at least two flare ups per week. After three months of using Thyme, I now get only one flare up every 3-4 weeks.

I have suffered from sciatic pain for the past five years. It all started with an injury I had back in college.  It is constant pain. CONSTANT. Some days it is manageable, other days it is literally crippling. There is a whole laundry list of things that I cannot do because the pain will flare up. I have tried so many things, and nothing helps, except for taking pain pills, which obviously I'm not a fan of.

In February, I decided to try some essential oil therapy, because honestly, I figured I had nothing to lose. After doing some research, I decided to start with Thyme. The first time I used it, I was shocked! It was as effective as pain medicine!!

Thyme is known for being an antioxidant, anti inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, and antimicrobial. It is a tonic for nerves and the stomach. It helps to energize the immune system, muscles, and bones in times of stress and physical weakness. It also has been known to relieve depression. Thyme has been known to improve numerous medical conditions, including sciatica.

The thing with sciatica is that once it flares up, there is NOTHING you can do to get rid of the pain. The first time I used Thyme, I was in the middle of a bad flare up, and in considerable pain. Within a couple of minutes after applying the oil, the pain had reduced down to mild, and it stayed that way for the rest of the day! Other remedies I had tried would relieve pain for a couple minutes, but then the pain would come right back. Not with Thyme. It actually takes the pain away and keeps it away.

To apply Thyme, I place a drop on my spine, close to where my back pain is. I place it on my spine, instead of where I feel back pain because sciatica pain originates at the spine. I also place a drop on my hip right where there is pain. I usually rub in the drop on my hip. I also use Peppermint oil and Helichrysum oil, along with Thyme, when my pain is especially severe. (a drop of each on my spine, and a drop of each on my hip). These oils work great together to relieve pain, but usually Thyme works just fine on its own.

Since I have been using Thyme, my sciatic pain has gotten considerably better. Instead of having flare ups 1-2 times per week, I'm now getting a flare up once every 3-4 weeks. I have also noticed a difference in my yoga practice.

Before I started using Thyme, there were some poses that I couldn't do, such as pigeon pose, shown above. In only three short months, I was able to, not only do pigeon pose, but do sleeping pigeon, which is a more advanced version.

If you are interested in trying Thyme Oil for yourself, you can order it here:  www.mydoterra.com/abbyshroka. Click on "shop for products" on the top right hand corner. After entering the country of shipping, search through "single oils" to find Thyme.

If you have any questions about Thyme Oil, or other Essential Oils, please don't hesitate to contact me!

Wishing you all Health, Hope, & Happiness
Abby

We Need to Stop Believing that God Can and Start Believing That God Will

Lately I've been stuck in this "can" space. These past couple of weeks have been filled with tragedy, grief, death, despair, and destruction that have shaken me to my very core. They have completely stripped my belief in the will, so that all I have left is God can, I know that God can...

I know that God CAN answer prayers. I know that God CAN do miracles. I know that God CAN heal the sick. While these are great truths to remain in during dark times, they are also dangerous truths to remain in. Is the word "dangerous" a little extreme? Maybe, but I really don't think so.

It's dangerous because our thoughts and prayers either limit God, or allow God. See when we limit God to "can prayers," we are showing doubt, disbelief, and lack of faith. You're kidding yourself if you think that Satan can't sniff these kind of prayers from a mile away. And Satan loves it when we experience doubt, disbelief, and a lack of faith. Let me ask you, are you a "can prayer?" Are you surprised when a prayer gets answered? If you're a "can prayer," you're limiting God instead of allowing God.

It's a different thing entirely knowing that God WILL answer prayers, that God WILL do miracles, and knowing that God WILL heal the sick. When you believe that God will, you are choosing to believe in a God that is alive and active. A God that is moving and working, even when we can't see it.

I have a good friend, who is so steadfast in her "will" believing that it's almost unsettling. I recently asked her how she can be so sure, all of the time, that God "will." Her response was this: Everyday I get up and look in the mirror and I see all of the miracles that God has done in my life, and all of the seemingly impossible things that he has helped me overcome. That is how I know He WILL, because my life is living proof. Wow! I've been using this logic ever since. Anytime I feel myself slipping into that "can" space, I make a point to start thanking God for all of the things He has done in my life. Once I start focusing on all of the things that God has done, it gives me complete confidence in knowing that God will continue.

One place that we have completely lost our "will" faith is with our health. How often do you pray to God for your health truly believing that God WILL bring healing? Knowing God can heal isn't hard to believe. Just read the book of Matthew. But I challenge you to go farther. To start praying "will" prayers over your health. Start praying to a God that is alive and active, asking him to intercede with your chronic disease, constant pain, or lifelong struggle with your weight, knowing that He WILL.

Wishing you all Health, Hope, & Happiness
Abby

Introducing... The Jesus Way

Where do I start? Well, when I started Health, Hope, & Happiness, I wanted to be a Health Coach so that I could share the gift of holistic nutrition with other people. Holistic nutrition has so radically transformed my life, and I knew that so many people could benefit from it. I wanted to bring health and healing to people's body and mind. My knowledge of food, health, weight loss, and wellness was deep, but it never felt like enough. There was something missing.

In the summer of 2012, I stumbled into Holy Yoga. I say stumbled because it truly was an accident, coincidence, and a miracle that I signed up to become a Holy Yoga instructor. The good news is, that nothing is an accident or a coincidence with God, and He had a HUGE reason for me being there. Throughout the training to become an instructor, I was blown away at the fact that Jesus was fully integrated into every single aspect of Holy Yoga. I began to ask myself why I couldn't do the same. Why couldn't I fully integrate Jesus into health coaching? Why couldn't I bring health and healing to not just the body and mind of my client, but also to the spirit? After all, Jesus is the ultimate healer. 

It might surprise some of you that the Bible is FULL of information about health, nutrition, weight loss, body image, and even dieting. Why are we not using it? Instead, our country is obsessed with dieting, yet we continue to get sicker every day. It's time to go back to the biblical principles of health. It's time to seek the ultimate healer, Jesus. It's time for Health, Hope, & Happiness - The Jesus Way.

If you're curious to know more about how I am integrating Jesus into every aspect of Health, Hope, & Happiness, I invite you to read through my website. All of the details are there.

In the coming weeks, I will be blogging about some of the basic principles of biblical health, and about how you can apply it to your own health. You can sign up to receive these blogs straight to your email, by entering your email address at the top right hand side of this page.

You can also follow me on twitter @Abby_Shroka

Wishing you all Health, Hope, & Happiness
Abby