Blog | Michelle Cromer

Covid-19 and the Five-Element Eating Model

Michelle Cromer August 17, 2020 2 Comments

I have been following Dr. Osterholm who is arguably one of the most dependable, non-political sources for straight answers on what Covid-19 means to us, our world, and the immediate future. He says if you are under 55, obesity is your number 1 risk factor so eating the right diet, getting physically active, and managing stress are some of the important things you can do to help protect yourself from the disease.

No research has been done on foods that help fight against Covid-19 specifically so I am turning to the five element-eating models of Feng Shui or Traditional Chinese Medicine. I am not a licensed doctor these are merely my suggestions based on my studies.

The five-element theory as it pertains to foods:

The fire element: Eat Red Bell Peppers – high in vitamin C, which contributes to your immune defense by supporting a variety of cell functions, and can lower your risk of respiratory infections.
The Wood Element: Green Broccoli packed with antioxidants that support our immune system. Eat this powerhouse vegetable raw or slightly cooked. My mother used to pour Velveeta cheese over broccoli, don’t do that.
The Earth Element: Spinach, rich in vitamin Can ad full of antioxidants that help shield our immune cells from environmental damage. Like broccoli, best to consume raw or slightly cooked.
The Water Element: Mushrooms, which like moist dark areas, are a great source of vitamin D and can help with the absorption of calcium, which may protect against respiratory diseases.
The Metal Element: Plain white yogurt is a great source of probiotics, which have been found to be effective for fighting the common cold and respiratory type infections.

Food is the basis of our health and what we put into our bodies can either help us stay healthy or can weaken our immune system. Perhaps we should stop focusing on how much we eat, and start focusing on what we eat.

Have any Feng Shui questions? Feel free to contact me at michelle@michellecromer.com and sign up for your Power Color or visit me on Facebook at Michelle Cromer Feng Shui.

Discovering the Joy in Healing- My Four-Year Cancer-Free Anniversary

Michelle Cromer August 10, 2020 Leave a Comment

“At first I was afraid, I was petrified,” sings Gloria Gaynor in her huge hit “I Will Survive.” This is the song I was listening to when I received the phone call from my doctor. I don’t remember much of what he said, all I remember were those three devastating words, “You have cancer.” The opening line summed up my exact feeling. Petrified.

After I hung up the phone I made a choice. I knew the opposite of fear is courage and I realized to get through this adventure I would need to surround myself with family and friends who would not only support and encourage me but would help me stay in my joy.

The deep sorrow of any illness carves a hole into our being, but the hole leaves space for joy. Sorrow and joy are a package deal. When one in your kitchen the other is asleep on the couch.

I learned that joy is everyday magic. It grounds me. It lifts me. It expands my mind and spirit. And I learned that a daily affirmation helped me to stay in my joy. I would look in the mirror at the scars on my face that six surgeries and 64 stitches left and I would say out loud:
“My scars are only skin deep. Cancer cannot break my heart, it cannot rob my spirit, and it cannot touch my soul. Today I choose to stay in my joy.”

Today I joyfully celebrate my four-year cancer-free anniversary. I was told I most likely wouldn’t be here on this day. And here I am! I know how impossible it can be to beat the odds, but healing is always tethered to the mystery of the impossible, which, in every instance, requires the animation of the spirit, the capacity to let go and allow the impossible to take flight — giving form and vision to endless possibilities.

I will forever be grateful for my reconstruction plastic surgeon Dr. David Hecht, in Scottsdale. He not only saved my life by doing a biopsy on my “freckle” when THREE doctors said it was nothing, he used his talent and artistic genius to put my face back together after I had five procedures to cut out the cancer. As my scars continue to fade my admiration, respect, and gratitude for Dr. Hecht never will.

Surviving cancer didn’t give me a fresh start on life; it gave me a chance to understand what it means to live. It isn’t a challenge to be dealt with, conquered, or overcome. I realized a complex view of myself was required to work through my fears and having cancer has provided me a level of maturity I have never before experienced. I am now weathered, solid, shaped by my sorrow and pain as well as by my success and joys. Cancer is a process that allowed me to open doorways and turn the lights on to the inner rooms of my soul. The gratitude I feel will be burned into my consciousness forever. I will never forget because I will never be the same.

And now the darkness is over. And in its place is the illumination of a bright new path that lights the way for the rest of my life and for the joy that surrounds me. Always.

For Sam As We Pack Him Up for Colorado University This Week

Michelle Cromer August 3, 2020 1 Comment

If not for old photographs, I might have a hard time believing you were ever a blind baby or costume-wearing toddler, or that your first words were in Spanish. My baby is gone now. I say this not in sorrow but in disbelief. I take great satisfaction in the foot taller than me man you have grown into. We read the news outlets and you have learned not to be afraid of disagreeing with me in your opinion of them or disagreeing with me on anything actually. You need razor blades, shower gel, and privacy, and yet it does seem like yesterday when you would waddle into my bedroom and sing, “Eyes and ears and knees and toes, knees and toes.” It had been my privilege and honor to share every day with you, every lacrosse game, teachers visit, science fair, ROTC performance, and award presentations.

Regrets? A few. I wish I would have gotten mad less but then I would never have heard you say, “Calm your crazy ass down!” Which, as you know, makes me howl with laughter.

Victories? A few. You know how to dance, rope, and ride. You have a heart for service and your work with the military vets continues to inspire me. Not only is your first language Spanish but you embrace the culture.

You know that our attempt to understand or define God is not only ridiculous but also ego-centered.

You know there is a space, a place, beyond our five senses that Christians call heaven and hell; Buddhists and Hindus call it interval between lifetimes; and Aboriginal people call it the unseen world. Your faith in what lies beyond your five senses is being replaced by the experience of it.

You have your own agenda, you have for years. It’s not my agenda, not what I would choose, but you have more courage than I do. You don’t allow someone else’s fear-based version of life to interfere with yours. My respect for you escalates. You are going to be all right.

I hope you fail and mess up sometimes because that means you are trying new things.

I hope you understand the darkness, bad days, guilt, frustration, anger, and pain; all of these are catalysts for growth and will push you to better places when you step into them.

I hope you always believe good days are always coming, and that life is too short to play small. And I hope you carry my admiration, respect, and love with you always.

As your childhood comes to an end, it seems my work with you is complete, or you with me, since it was you raising me these past 18 years.

Go well, Samuel Luke, my son. Go knowing that your father and I will be here, setting you a place at the table for one of our family dinners, and Panzer will be laying in front of the kitchen door, waiting for you to return, as we all will be.

All my love,
Mother

Metaphysical Feng Shui and the Power of You

Michelle Cromer July 20, 2020 2 Comments

After having a Feng Shui practice for over 15 years I have discovered that most people want to make a quick and simple surface lifestyle change. Most are not willing to look at their own self and make real change, they want to move some furniture around and make the house do the work. That is not how Feng Shui works. At least not to me. At least not to the ancient Chinese. The success stories I have experienced always start with the intention of the person and the power they have within.

Metaphysical Feng Shui requires a change in attitude and a self-analyst. It takes the power out of the hands of external circumstances and delivers it where it belongs -within each of us. . You can’t change what’s going on around you until you start changing what’s going on within you.

There are many ways to understand life, the universe, and you: through superstition, religion, philosophy, science, etc. While each approach has its own experts – scientists, priests, philosophers, doctors, poets – all are simply blind people receiving different impressions from touching an elephant. A priest may feel its legs and life is a tree trunk; a scientist holding its tail may find that life is ropelike; a poet feeling an ear may proclaim life is like a lotus leaf, and so on. From each of their perspectives, their expert conclusion makes sense and is based on knowledge. As we all know, their theories are merely parts of the whole picture.

I too am one of the blind. And because I touch a different part of the elephant, I have developed my own theory about the relationship of the universe to human life and the relationship we each have with ourselves. My insights come from spending time in Peru, Spain, Israel, two trips to Tibet, and studying in China-, which during 5000 years of civilization has spawned many diverse and meaningful concepts. Among the most arcane yet practical of these concepts is Feng Shui.

You are far more than your personality, more than your habits, more than your achievements. You are an infinitely complex human being with stories, myths, and dreams, and ambitions of cosmic proportions. Remember, no one is you and that will always be your greatest power.

Watch the video for some ways to personally bring the five elements into your life each day for lasting change.

Have any Feng Shui questions? Feel free to contact me at michelle@michellecromer.com and sign up for your Power Color or visit me on Facebook at Michelle Cromer Feng Shui.

Can You Co-Create Your Reality?

Michelle Cromer June 22, 2020 Leave a Comment

For decades I thought the phrase, “you create your own reality” was ridiculous and bordered on egotistical. What if I wanted to be a NASA astronaut? Could I snap my fingers and create that? How about a new red Audi? Could I create that? As a religious studies student in college, I felt this concept was disrespectful to God because I felt it put me on the same level as the higher power. Who was I to say I can create anything? Obviously I didn’t understand the complexity of this idea.

After my formal studies in comparative religions, I realized that this is not just another new age statement. The Buddha said, “What you dwell upon you become.” Jesus said, “It is done unto you as you believe.” Hindu mysticism from Shankaracharya says, “Whatever a person’s mind dwells on intensely and with firm resolve, that is exactly what he becomes.” It says in the Talmud, “We do not see things as they are, we see them as we are.”

As my studies expanded so did my mind. I learned that the deeper message of this belief is one of empowerment, where I am always the creator of my thoughts and actions. More importantly, this message points out that we don’t need a powerful career or more things to collect, the point is to experience meaning, purpose, and well-being in our lives. Fortunately, with the proper focus, that is within our ability to create.

Learning to participate in the co-creative process is like learning to play chess. You can learn the rules of the game in a few hours, but it takes weeks if not months to truly understand the game and it may take years to master. Learning to intentionally create is no different. There are, however, some simple, yet powerful steps to becoming a co-creator, such as managing your thoughts, creating a powerful mantra to keep you in the present moment, and developing spiritual disciplines like prayer and meditation. I do not know of any magic pill that can create change overnight, but I do know these steps are like a magic formula that will create permanent transformation if vigorously applied.

I now believe that the real meaning behind “you create our own reality” is that it is meant to liberate us. Its primary purpose is to make us start focusing on what our lives can be if we live courageously, honestly, and truthfully. Now I ask myself questions like, “How am I creating my reality? From what level? Am I using it to access the bigger part of me or the smaller, vain shallow part of me?”

What if creating our reality is about trusting that we can be happy and at peace with the uncertainty of life no matter what occurs? Maybe it’s less to do with making sure everything works perfectly in our favor, to instead seeing everything as it unfolds as already perfect. Chances are good we are alive and present at this time for much more than playing it safe and getting everything we ever thought we wanted.

In this video, I give you four things you can do to co-create your reality.

Have any Feng Shui questions? Feel free to contact me at michelle@michellecromer.com and sign up for your Power Color or visit me on Facebook at Michelle Cromer Feng Shui.

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