In these teachings, Renu Sharma is joined by her mother and brother, sharing specific breathing techniques “to increase your positive energy and relieve day-to-day stress.” (For information about The Meditation Group, go to www.powerofbreath.org.) In addition to teaching pranayama, Sharma is a proponent of a vegetarian diet. “The kind of food we take into our bodies reflects our thoughts,” she states, “And those thoughts determine our actions. Sattwic foods, such as green vegetables, fruits, legumes and water have lots of pranic energy. They come from Mother Earth.” Sharma doesn’t eat meat, terming it “dead energy,” but milk is considered natural nourishment, full of prana.

Growing your own organic fruits and vegetables may not be possible for everyone, but it is a way of life for Penny Kelly of Lily Hill Farm in Lawton. (www.lilyhillfarm.org) She is the author of a book entitled “From the Soil to the Stomach,” which focuses on nutrition, understanding the connection between the earth and your health; and the benefits of supplements, detoxing procedures and exercise. “In working with my vineyards, I became more intimate with the Earth and learned how to heal the soil with natural nutrients and grow crops organically,” she says.

However, along the way, Kelly developed a severe case of rheumatoid arthritis. “I started to try to help heal myself and found to my horror that I had been dishing out so called ‘wellness’ platitudes that didn’t touch my problems. In fact, I was getting worse instead of better. I found I needed to do a holistic regimen to eat living food, drink living water and integrate detoxification procedures, supplements and exercise before I could begin to get well.” Kelly stresses that this intensive effort of lifestyle changes had to be incorporated over a long period of time before it had any lasting effects. “We do not have a culture of healing,” Kelly says. “We don’t allow people to take the time to heal naturally. We expect them to take that pill and keep on going. You can’t tell your boss you have to be off for six weeks to a series of detoxings and make diet changes.” In addition, Kelly says many people do not want to take the time themselves to re-learn how to eat or cook more natural foods. She has made it part of her education mission at Lily Hill Farm to conduct classes in healthy cooking with an emphasis on choosing vitamin and mineral rich foods.

In a nutshell, this woman of the Earth suggests the following to live a healthier lifestyle:
• Educate yourself on holistic choices in food, water, exercise, supplements and detoxing procedures
• Avoid food fads and processed, packaged foods
• Create a long-term program of healing for yourself
“What most people do is try a dab of this and a dribble of that and do not commit to a total program that reflects their uniqueness,” Kelly stresses. “You have to be willing to do what your body requires and take the time to know yourself.”