Grow

letting go of image

Shaving My Head

A Practice of Detachment, Reminder and Inspiration

Om Namah Shivaya

(I Bow To My True Identity)

ego detachment

My name is Elicia Woodford, I am 35 years old and currently living in Koh Samui, Thailand.  My business ePowerMe is about releasing thoughts, behaviors, beliefs, toxins, and stress that keep us from being who we really are and fully alive. I am launching another business called Samui Healing which is designed to provide cleansing information, services and resources to support ePowerMe’s mission. I’ve personally done many various body, mind and material cleanses this year. Cleansing is about getting rid of what we don’t need that is attached to the ego like stress, social pressure, and an image that is identified with the body and material things.  I decided to end my year of detox with a spiritual ego cleanse by shaving my head to detach from society’s pressure of looking a certain way and caring what others think.

Reasons, Reminders and Inspiration:

v    Spiritual Detox and Detachment

• Detaching from ego, image and identity

v    Source of Happiness

source of happiness

• How you feel is dependent of what you are thinking and the health of your body.  If you are overly concerned with physical appearance, and what others think, then you will cause unnecessary stress and unhappiness.
• Most people think that if they look good then they feel good.  If you dig deeper on what it is costing you in stress and worry to look good you will see that is not true. 
• Pay attention to your thoughts “My hair is too short, I wish my hair was straight/curly, my roots are showing, I want to look like Angelina Jolie, I can’t go out with this pimple, I need my teeth whitened, I wish I was skinny, my nail chipped…”
• All the physical things that seem to matter most are impermanent and will change.  Your hair will grow, your nails grow, you choose to adopt a clean natural diet and your skin and hair glow plus the extra 5 pounds comes off without trying.  With this awareness you can focus on what matters most in life: the health of your mind and body.
• I’m not saying to not care how you look and to let yourself go but instead let society’s pressure of how you should look go. Care more about what thoughts you let in your mind and what you are putting in your body.  Know what thoughts and food either feed you or deplete you.  Your happiness depends on them.
• Focus your energy up towards who you are, how you live, and your potential instead of down towards what you look like, what you have and comparing yourself to others.  Become aware by asking yourself, “Does it matter, does it make me happy and is it beneficial to my life?”
• Another thing to be aware of is how you treat others and your generosity.  When you give selflessly and are kind to others you feel good about yourself.  Practice compassion on yourself, while making changes, and you will feel good and be able to relate to others with a better understanding.

v    Cancer

prevent & heal disease

• Cancer is real and can heal.  Place importance on trying to prevent it by improving your lifestyle choices. 
• Cancer, and other illnesses, can only live in a toxic and deficient environment. The best defense towards disease is a healthy body.
• Focus on boosting your health with detox, cleansing and nutritional therapy.

v    Patience & Dedication

• Patience is needed for growth and development.
• Developing the mind with awareness and compassion for yourself and others requires practice and patience.
• Be excited to see what develops at each stage of the growth. It is about the journey and not the destination.

v    Embracing Natural Beauty

live & radiate from your heart and nature

• When you live from your heart and nature you radiate natural beauty.
• I am releasing what is not me (chemicals) to let my natural hair and self shine through.

v    Re-birth

• 2009 detachment & detox – from the things that I don’t need, that cause stress and unhappiness.
• 2010 birth & new development – caring and nurturing my mind and body like a newborn.

Let go of what you are not to find out who you are!

Credits:

Hairshaver – Dany Lopez,  samuihair@yahoo.com, +66 (0) 81 787 4893

Blue Sarong – Donated by Ta from Thai Organic Life

Photographer & Samui Healing Model - Carrie Bain

Spirit of Kamalaya

A couple of days after my cleansing program ended at The Spa Chiang Mai I flew directly to Koh Samui to make it in time for the Healing Forum during the Mala Festival.  The Healing Forum was held at Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary & Holistic Spa, who just won six 2009 Readers’ Choice Awards, including the Crystal Award for Favorite Spa in Asia.  I stayed at this “wellness paradise” the night before the forum and was able to experience some of what they have to offer the day of the forum.  They get my vote for best spa but it’s hard to even call Kamalaya a “spa”, they are so much more.  Kamalaya is a very special and sacred place.  This is the spot for those looking to reconnect with themselves holistically and in luxury.

When I landed in Koh Samui I knew there was something different in the air and felt my soul’s desire to stay.  Thailand is at the top in the world for wellness travel, and Samui is where to go for healing.  My wellness guidebook received a more narrow focus upon arrival.  I decided to stay awhile, research and discover all of the healing services on Samui. Samui Healing was born to provide the information to help people decide which program is best for what they are looking for.  The Healing Forum turned out to be very synchronistic for me since the main topic of discussion was the need to have all of the wellness resources on the island in one place, through an online wellness directory. This project lives in my heart and is something that I tried to do almost 2 years ago in the US, called wherewellness.com.  I’m not sure if I will end up helping them with that project but I know there is a need for an online, printed and personal healing guide.

joining together at the mala

I’ve spent over 2 weeks now researching and experiencing most of the cleansing programs on Samui.  Kamalaya may be the favorite but it’s not the best choice for people looking for a fasting program or raw food. That’s why I am passionate to help lay it out to make it easy so that each person can decide which is the right choice for him or her.  We all know what is good for us; we just need all of the information in order to make the best decision.  So far, I’ve researched over 10 different cleansing programs and still have a few more to visit before the end of the month.  Already I’ve  helped a few people in passing and I am excited to see what develops.

simple & powerful green smoothies

In addition to the various cleansing programs on the island, Samui is also home to many individual practitioners/healers to help support everyone’s overall well being.  The one that has impacted my life the most is inspirational Jennifer Thompson with Healthy Bliss.  She gave me my first crystal reading, which accurately showed me where I was with my chakras and what was happening in my life. It confirmed what I needed to do to be more in balance, which I am still working on.  The Green Smoothie Gathering she held last week was the best thing (for me) that I’ve experienced so far in Samui.  I’ve know and experienced the power of eating raw foods over the last 2 years but had not learned about the power of green smoothies until now. I’ve been struggling with how to eat a raw organic diet like I did in Atlanta since I arrived to Thailand a few months ago.  It was great to discover The Spa’s Radiance Restaurant, which is the only one on Samui (and one of the few and best in Thailand) that prepares raw meals.  When deciding on which part of Samui I wanted to live, my only criterion was to be in walking distance of The Spa for the raw food.  After awhile though, as with anything, I was looking for variety and a way to eat at home to save money.

gotu cola smoothie = happiness

Jennifer’s green smoothie class was just what I was looking for and more! Here is an excerpt from Jennifer’s handout: “Green leave are the only food source in the world that can transfer sunshine into energy.  They do this by creating chlorophyll.”  Chlorophyll is the edible energy from the sun.  Using a blender is not only fast and easy but it is powerful because it breaks the greens down so that our bodies can absorb all of the minerals and valuable nutrition they contain and we crave.  What about juicing?  Well juicing is good if you are fasting (to give your body a break from digesting to eliminate toxins) but when you juice you strip the fiber and antioxidants from the produce.  Jennifer’s passion and knowledge inspired me to immediately buy a blender, cutting board, knife, smoothie container, and fresh produce.  I’ve had 2 smoothies a day ever since and each time they are delicious and different.  This morning I blended an apple, fresh ginger, lime, cup of water, kale, romaine, parsley, banana, ground flax seed and bee pollen.  All of the produce I bought yesterday when I rode my bike to the street market for under $2.  I am a full blow green smoothie addict and I love it!  I feel so inspired and vibrant.

sunset at silver beach

My life here is simple and ideal.  I wake up and walk to the most beautiful beach in my backyard to do yoga, meditate and swim at sunrise. I come back to my room to chop some produce I bought at the street market the day before and blend it up.  After I drink up the vibrant energy, I wash the blender, knife and cutting board all in my shower.  I realize I don’t need much to be happy and actually not having much makes me happy.  Live raw, live simple, and be happy.

After I finish my research at the end of the month I’m planning on living with the monks at a temple on the south end of the island.  I’m learning to sit with all of the ideas I have swimming around in my head and take the time to watch them develop.  Sitting in quiet meditation with no distractions is something I’ve been craving for a year.  My spirit blossoms when I’m at the temple and I’ll be able to teach the monks English while at the same time learn Thai and actually practice Buddhism.

morning meditation

Yesterday I wrote a testimonial for Julia Griffin with One True Self and I came to realize that exactly a year ago I started to manifest my life that I am living now.  Here’s what I wrote:

Julia is a very gifted intuitive and has helped me manifest my dreams that I am living right now.  I first started to work with Julia in Oct 2008 and participated in her manifestation ecourse. It was exactly a year ago and I was going through a painful process of losing everything I owned. Out of survival, I started to wait tables and feel depressed. Julia helped me stay focused on my vision and dream that lived in my heart.  She leads powerful live group meditations each week that she records and provides in mp3 format to listen to on your own. During these meditations I could see and feel myself living in Thailand on the beach while working on my mission to inspire and empower others.  I’m writing this right now from my balcony in Koh Samui, Thailand on the beach while I research and write about all of the healing programs on Samui.  I get daily message from people around the world thanking me for my inspiration. My heart bursts with joy and gratitude for Julia and my life that I’ve created.

This morning, as I was walking down the beach, I remembered seeing the same beach image in my manifestation exercises with Julia.  I remembered the joy that I felt in the picture that I am now feeling in my whole being.  Dreams do come true when you listen to your heart.

feeling the joy

What I contribute that has helped me really be able to listen to, and live from, my heart is the OneDream course that I completed in January 2009.  I also just wrote a testimonial for the School of Humanity and Awareness at CIK this same week that I am ending this post with.  I am filled with gratitude and love with this reflection.

I am forever grateful for finding the School of Humanity and Awareness at CIK.  I started with The Inner Knowing Course 4 years ago, which awakened something deep inside me that craved to know more about myself.  Since then I submerged myself into everything they offer (except the singles course, and yes, I’m still single :) Each course helped me open up to really know and listen to myself.  It is impossible to say which course was my favorite.  They all were in so many ways; building upon and complimenting each other.  How my life was before the SOHA and how I am now seems like a different lifetime.  I believe OneDream impacted me the most. It has really opened me up to trust and listen to my heart’s desire.  Some of the changes I’ve experience since starting OneDream are: quitting my 10-year corporate sales job, creating a business for myself to help others, release things that no longer serve me (including all of my material possessions) move to and thrive in Thailand.  I am so different then how I was before the SOHA  and now so me. I am living my life fully!

train to laos

After my TEFL course ended I decided to take the train from Bangkok to Laos to extend my Thai visa 60 days. I’m exploring Thailand and writing reviews of the health resort spas for a wellness guidebook that I am currently creating. I booked the 8pm night train on August 1st arriving in Nong Khai at 8:30am. It was raining all day in Bangkok, which makes for a slow taxi ride, so I decided to leave my hotel at 4:30pm and get to the train station early to see if I could get on one of the earlier trains that left at 6:30 or 6:40pm.

I arrived to Hua Lam Phong station just before 5pm, avoiding rush-hour traffic, and talked with a couple of helpful employees. They informed me that the 8pm train was the only sleeper. I had booked a first class cabin with a bed and if I downgraded to either of the earlier ones then I would be upright for 12 hours amongst many other people. The best choice was to keep my original ticket and wait at the station for 3 hours.

At first, finding a comfortable spot to read and write with my entire life to lug around was not promising. I viewed this with a detached point of view and continued walking down the busy waiting area wandering to find my spot. That is a great motto for me: wandering to find my spot. To see things for not what they are but in wonder to what there could be.

What I found was a small sign for massage. I thought that would be a great idea to kill time and to prepare for the long trip ahead. When I inquired I found out there was an hour wait. As my luck would have it I could wait inside with my luggage. I was able to write in a comfortable reclining chair while listening to relaxing music, away from it all. After my hour Thai massage I found a small travelers Laos map right next door and bought fresh pineapple and mango from a vendor. From there I boarded right away and snuggled into my private cabin.

The next morning the train stopped and we waited 2 hours to start moving again. The tracks ahead were flooded and they had to do something to them to make sure we stayed on the tracks. While we waited I remembered my experience the night before and wondered what this experience will now bring.

emma

During the 2-hour wait I was gifted with an adorable 4-year-old girl, Emma. She reminded me of what I was like at that age. My little girl came to remind me to play! Emma was singing, pretend playing, running up and down, teaching me Thai, and even said something I used to say to my Mom: “I’ll be right back, don’t sleep ok”.

These two nice men that were a couple cabins down from me on the train ended up offering me a ride into Vientiane that they hired. They were asking me about my travels and mentioned the book “Eat, Pray, Love” and asked me if I was soul searching. I replied, “No, I found my soul and now I’m just listening to it”. Then they asked me if I found it in Thailand and I replied, “No, I found it inside of me Thailand just brings it out and lets it shine”. This sparked a good conversation about the world’s new spiritual consciousness of oneness. It turned out to be a blessing that our train arrived 3 hours late and that I missed going to the Thai embassy before they stop processing visas at noon. I really did need to go straight to a hotel, drop off my luggage and settle in.

After checking into the Lao-Paris hotel, I went across the street to the Blue Banana to login, eat and ask a local some questions. This was the 2nd time I’ve been at a restaurant in the last 3 days during a happy-hour drink special 2 for 1. I chose not to drink both times. I’ve reached a point where I value my health, my time and my money more then I do getting buzzed. It wasn’t as easy as it usually is to turn it down, especially after 24 hours of hard traveling, but I am grateful that I did. Since Laos was once a French colony they have good wine here, unlike Thailand, for a good price. I went into the min-shop to get some water and snacks and they even had a whole wine shop in the back. Out of curiosity I went back to price it out and most bottles were around $10. A drunk with a puffy nose, red face and booze breath from Brooklyn/Miami came into the shop as another reminder of why I don’t want any. On my way home I opted for a 2-hour massage/herbal compress that cost me $11. I’d rather get a 2-hour massage than 2 drinks. I’d rather be clear, write and take in life fully. I am choosing my life one minute at a time. Next stop: back to nature in Chiang Rai!

(Ban Phe, Thailand. Monday, August 24, 2009)

Exclusive for The Atlanta Journal Constitution, by Tim Torkildson

FORMER ATLANTA BUSINESS WOMAN FINDS NEW CAREER AND HOME IN THAILAND

Happiness in Thailand

Elicia Woodford grew up in the Syracuse area, attending Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary School and Bishop Ludden High School, where she excelled in sports. Her parents, Ray and Linda Woodford, still reside in the Syracuse area; they both have sales jobs and Elicia’s dad, Ray, is noted for building and racing road bikes. Elicia has one brother, Chad, who now lives in San Francisco.

After graduating from Bishop Ludden in 1992 Elicia went to Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York, where she graduated with a degree in marketing. Wanting to challenge herself by moving to a place where she had no friends, family, or job prospects, just to see what would happen, she went to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1996, and spent several years there with ADP.  She says she has always considered Atlanta her second home.

With the advent of social media like Twitter and Facebook, Elicia started her own business, calling it ePowerMe. She successfully worked to improve business’ online presence with social media. But she felt an extraordinary pull, “my soul’s desire” she calls it, to move to Thailand. She felt that she could improve her business, and her life, by learning how to teach and communicate with other languages. This led her to sign up for the four-week TEFL International course in Ban Phe, Thailand. TEFL International is a non-profit organization that specializes in certifying native English speakers to teach abroad.

Ms Woodford plans to travel a bit after graduating at the end of August, with a stint in India to further her yoga studies, and then return to Thailand as a wellness mentor. She says “I feel at home in Thailand because it brings out my inner nature. My passion is health and wellness. Thailand is a relaxed and joyful place; I get a feeling of peace and calm here. The fresh fruit is utterly fantastic and the Thai method of massage is unbeatable and so affordable!”

For more information on TEFL International, visit their website at www.tefllife.com

#####################################################

Contact Tim Torkildson at torkil49@live.com

Toll-free phone: 866-384-8852

Contact Elicia Woodford at elicia@ePowerMe.com

Phone: +66 085 952 4734