It's All About Foot Zone Therapy!

Adopting an Attitude of Gratitude, Truly...

2013-08-19T17:20:00.001-06:00

My Trick for the Shift!

How many times in your life have you truly been grateful for everything in your life? I mean EVERYTHING? If you start thinking about it, most of us, when put to the test, skim over all the crap we've been given, and are simply thankful for all the good stuff. The stuff that makes us all warm & gooey inside, that's the stuff we're all grateful for.

How many of us want to be thankful for the abuse we received as children, or for that drunk driver that just took our friend's life, or for Hitler, or for that jerk that just cut us off in traffic? Be honest. Not very many of us. I would even venture to say: almost NONE of us. Don't worry, this is normal.

It isn't easy for us to swallow that we are ungrateful beings. We are human, and we are ungrateful for MOST things in our lives. But, if any of us have studied energy vibration in the least, we have learned that gratitude is among the highest vibrating frequencies there is. How, then, do we TRULY adopt an attitude of gratitude when thinking of things we have labeled crappy? We move out of judgement. WHAT?

Judgement

Judgement: The vibrational energy space humans reside in 99.99% of the time whether or not we admit it. That's right. We ALL do it. We humans are so good at being in judgement that we have actually come up with labels for it to make ourselves feel better about doing it. We call it blame, we call it justification, we call it fault, whatever the label, we have decided that something was either good or bad. What is it in reality? Simply a vibration at a higher or lower frequency that we attracted into our lives by our own like vibrational frequency.

I will label that vibration a lesson, if we can allow it to be viewed as such. We eventually learn that this "lesson" will keep repeating in one form or another until we learn to be non-reactive, and eventually GRATEFUL, that this (these) circumstance(s) made us who we are, lead us to who we needed in our lives, whatever we needed to learn in order to find the joy in our lives that we are here to find.

You see, in order to attract higher energy vibrations into our world, we MUST vibrate at a higher level. In our lives, most of us tend to walk around vibrating at a very low level. How do I know that? I simply look at how our lives run from day to day. We complain an awful lot (ADMIT IT). We are continuously grousing on and on about what we DON'T WANT in our lives, thinking that it'll change the louder and more vehemently we proclaim it. Then we sit and wonder why our lives never change, or why they've seemingly gotten worse.

Energy Vibration

What do we think the Uni-Verse hears when we say we don't (want or) like something? I'll give you a hint; the LIKE or WANT part, it was indifferent about the DON'T part. The part we were dwelling on with anger, hatred, guilt, shame, embarrassment, prejudice... shall I go on? These are all vibrations we're spewing forth from our energetic beings every second of every day, and we wonder why our don't wants or don't likes keep showing up... Because there are about 7 billion other beings on this planet likewise vibrating, just what do you think is happening with all those vibrations being spewed?

Well, I'd like to tell you nothing, but- if you haven't been hiding under a rock a good share of your lives, then you know that energy is recycled. You know the science behind Like attracts Like. You would be correct in your next presumption. Many beings vibrating at low frequencies, because, hey- let's face it- we all have baggage! Baggage we were born with, crap that we got from our parents, siblings, ancestors, the list goes on...

We vibrate, and it gets recycled. Like attracts like, therefore- and I have written this one before, what we put out, we get back. Not only do we get it back, but because we were dwelling on that crap with a bucket of heaping feelings along with it, we got it back with MORE tagalongs! Those feelings just super charged your crap!!

Okay, so this sounds bleak at best, right? Not to worry! I have been learning that we can counteract our own judgements! The graphic at the top of the story? I made that! It is a reminder to be grateful for ALL things. It is a little trick to overwrite some of those programs we've all been running for eons. If you want to vibrate higher, you MUST rewrite your programs.

IN ORDER FOR THINGS TO GET BETTER, WE HAVE TO GET BETTER

IN ORDER FOR THINGS TO BE DIFFERENT, WE HAVE TO BE DIFFERENT

IN ORDER FOR THINGS TO CHANGE, WE HAVE TO CHANGE.

If you want to vibrate higher, you must learn how to be grateful for the worst parts and the best parts of your life. It will take time, but as I am learning, it took me 38 years to get to the not so great vibrational frequency I am putting out, therefore, (and sadly enough to me), it will not happen over night.

Nowadays, I spend a great deal of time thinking about how to see things in a different light. I start by saying to myself: "I honor my feelings of ______, and I am grateful for them." It took me 38 years to learn that I had the best parents in the world. Through their certain type of child rearing, I learned patience.

No- it did NOT happen over night, and sometimes I am STILL the most impatient person I know. I am choosing to see the "abuse" my parents taught me with as the building blocks for who I am now becoming. I used the word "choosing" not lightly. I HAD been choosing to see how they raised me as abusive. I was looking at a situation, and judging it as bad.

How many of us can do this? How can we look at something decidedly BAD and flip it over? Choice. We see bad or good in life because we have judged it as such. The way I looked at my childhood up until now simply was not serving me.

I was certainly not raising my vibrational frequency by labeling, nay, JUDGING it as bad. My hatred was beginning to consume me. Why? My vibrational frequency was being lowered because I had so long chosen to be a victim, that I had forgotten that I was CHOOSING. I bought the lie. I found that I was the only one who could get me out of the crap I had put myself into.

The first time I heard that I had the perfect parents for me, the best teachers for and the lessons I was to learn in my life, I wanted to punch the guy that said it. Honestly- what the Hell did he know? Didn't he understand all the years of pain I had endured because of my parents??? Tell me if this sounds familiar to anyone in ANY way. That way of thinking has such tactile feelings attached to it. For 38 years, this is what I had been vibrating out from within.

I will tell you what those vibrations did for me: it started with constant headaches every day since I was 15, back pain that increased with frequency at night at about 19 on, let's see, I was in and out of therapy for "depression", I've been on many different depression meds, I had used OTC allergy meds since the age of 20 because I was allergic (probably to myself...) to life, I self-medicated for over a decade, only to have my kidneys & liver revolt, that's just a few memories.

Memories? Lovely, gorgeous lessons in vibrational energies! In the past five months, I know my tune has changed, I have been finding different modalities of healing. Coincidence? Hardly. I was just sick and tired of being sick and tired, and started to dwell on how to become well, whole, and in perfect health. Little by little, I was taking the higher vibrational parts of me, the parts that LOVE to learn & cannot get enough, and choosing to have those vibrations direct me to anything, and everything that I had not done previously in order to achieve the feelings I desired. Like attracts Like.

My past taught me that I was on a path that was not serving me, nor anyone else around me. I chose to listen, pay attention, and find a path that served me, and hopefully others. I can see and feel the difference it has made in my life. It is sometimes difficult to think of some of my nephews and say, "I honor my feelings of hatred, and I am grateful for them!" But I do it until I feel a shift. Feel a shift? I physically feel something change within me when I state the assertion.

MomMomMomMom...!!

It's like letting a child know you see them when they're desperately trying to get your attention, "I see you, and I love you!" The child feels better. You see the child's countenance change. He may go off skipping. That's the shift I'm talking about. Only, it happens within you! You may want to start skipping too! Hell, I would. Skipping raises your endorphin levels, which in turn raises your vibrational frequency!

Skip your blues away!

Does anyone feel better after learning this little trick (honoring your feelings & dousing them with gratitude)? Let me know. I feel better having written about it. I have been putting this article off for a while now for no good (or bad) reason. I feel like a weight has been lifted off my chest. It's much like the way I feel when I douse my hatred with gratitude. My hope is that it will work for you as well. Choose to adopt a TRUE attitude of gratitude!

Namaste!

This Book... Get on Board!

2013-07-12T11:53:00.000-06:00

Excuse Me, Your Life Is Waiting: The Astonishing Power of Feelings by Lynn Grabhorn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I started reading this book because I got it from the library. I read a story to my husband about a tiny baseball player (spoilers) that Lynn writes about, then I didn't have time to finish it. I wanted my husband to get on board with me because I could already tell that this wasn't like any other self-help book out there within the first chapter!
My husband didn't seem too interested... A little while later (and I'm not sure how long, or who he listened to, cuz it wasn't me!), we were sitting in his car and he turns on his mp3 player. It was a book, but not just any book- this book!
Of course I had to have it on mp3! I drive everywhere! Since I got it on mp3, I have listened to it all the way through once, and am on my second go. I have started applying the principles in tiny ways, let me tell you, you get what you focus on! The Uni-verse doesn't hear the DON'T to your wants! You have always gotten exactly what you have wanted in your life, but didn't realize it. We were taught BACKWARDS!
I urge EVERYONE to read this book. It is life changing.

View all my reviews

I wanted to make a quick review of this life changing book in my blog before I let it slip by another day. The application of the principles outlined in "Excuse Me, your Life is Waiting" has already changed my life! I am not joking. I don't joke when I speak of books...
I hope that you all will find it within you to find a copy of this book, in the library, book store, online, or download and LISTEN to it as I did. Waste no more time. Every single time I talk about the changes that have already taken place because I tested and tried out this method of the Law of Attraction laid out on the line by the author, I get EXCITED! Excited is where I want to be. When you read this book, you will definitely understand why!

Namaste!

It's All About Health & Wellbeing

2013-06-08T13:24:00.001-06:00

Health & Wellbeing

When I Started my website/blog about wellbeing and health, it led me to ask the question, “What exactly is wellbeing, and how does one translate the correct meaning to the reader?” Dictionaries are often great places to start for general definitions:

Well-be·ing [wel-bee-ing] noun -a good or satisfactory condition of existence; a state characterized by health, happiness, and prosperity; welfare: to influence the well-being of the nation and its people.

Health [helth] noun -1. the general condition of the body or mind with reference to soundness and vigor: good health; poor health. 2. soundness of body or mind; freedom from disease or ailment: to have one's health; to lose one's health. 3. a polite or complimentary wish for a person's health, happiness, etc., especially as a toast: We drank a health to our guest of honor. 4. vigor; vitality: economic health.

These definitions are simple, easy, and to the point, yet not quite the definition we have come to recognize in today’s alternative health circles. But, when browsing the Internet; we need to remember to take a lot of what’s out there with a grain of salt. Amazingly enough, a definition was found that captured the very essence of today’s holistic culture:

Health and Wellbeing - more than just good health, wellbeing describes a state of wellness of body, mind and soul, where all are in a state of health, the individual is happy and prospering. Wellbeing is not available by prescription, there is no one path and many different roads can be taken to arrive there.¹
It is true, health and wellbeing when put together become one entire picture, and seems to better capture today’s view of alternative health. When separate, the aforementioned dictionary definitions seem to keep that picture in pieces.

One may further ask: “What is wellness?” Yet another good question! Here are some ideas on the subject-
According to Wikipedia², wellness can take two paths, the Alternative Medicine (this topic will be covered in a later article), and the scientific, Western medicine outlook. Science states that wellness is defined as: health, freedom from disease. Not a bad description. In alternative or holistic practice, the meaning expands: generally used to mean a healthy balance of the mind, body and spirit that results in an overall feeling of well-being.
Both meanings are correct, but we mustn’t leave out the dictionary definition:
well·ness [wel-nis] noun -1. the quality or state of being healthy in body and mind, especially as the result of deliberate effort. 2. an approach to healthcare that emphasizes preventing illness and prolonging life, as opposed to emphasizing treating diseases.

When speaking of total health and wellbeing, one must consider the inside as well as the outside. You may well have a totally sculpted, organically-fed package with which to look upon, but your inside; your spirit, or soul, and/or mental capacity, could be found wanting.

While having good physical health is certainly not a crime, it is only part of the whole picture we are trying to paint. When you add good mental health practices, maybe some deep breathing exercises, relaxation techniques, anger management, to name a few, along with a stable spiritual awareness, delve into meditation, research healing prayer perhaps, and please remember proper nutrition, it is vital to the operation of your entire system; mind, body, and spirit- all of this is what defines the essence of contemporary alternative wellness, or a state of wellbeing.

All About Healthy Food!

2013-06-07T19:03:00.000-06:00

A simple dictionary definition probably won’t give the answer to this question enough merit, though- we can give it a whirl and see what Old Webster has to say:

Examples of Healthy Foods

Health·y [hel-thee] adjective, health·i·er, health·i·est. -1. possessing or enjoying good health or a sound and vigorous mentality: a healthy body; a healthy mind. 2. pertaining to or characteristic of good health, or a sound and vigorous mind: a healthy appearance; healthy attitudes. 3. conducive to good health; healthful: healthy recreations. 4. prosperous or sound: a healthy business. 5. Informal . fairly large: I bought a healthy number of books.

Food [food] noun -1. any nourishing substance that is eaten, drunk, or otherwise taken into the body to sustain life, provide energy, promote growth, etc. 2. more or less solid nourishment, as distinguished from liquids. 3. a particular kind of solid nourishment: a breakfast food; dog food. 4. whatever supplies nourishment to organisms: plant food. 5. anything serving for consumption or use: food for thought.
Defining healthy seems about right, though there could be a disagreement with the Semantics of the definition of food, but- for the most part, it is correct. What are the Semantics in the definition of food that cause a problem? That food is still nourishing and sustains life, not all of it does- these days especially.
In just a few words, to sum up healthy foods for contemporary times, it would read:

Fruits (preferably organic), vegetables (again, organic), non-packaged, non-processed, chemical free, meat; intake at less meals per day than vegetables, oils; high in essential fatty acids as opposed to hydrogenated, or partially-hydrogenated. No Genetically Modified Organisms¹ or Engineering. -This topic will be covered in a later article, and there is plenty of information to be had on the subject if one is looking. Are you following so far? Good.

In this day and age of people actually not knowing what healthy food is, the question begs to be asked: “Why do we not know this?” In short, because labels have become very deceiving. It can be difficult to know whether we are in fact eating something that will sustain our lives, or land us in the hospital. But, guaranteed, if your food is pre-mixed, and in a package that touts itself as being “healthy” or “natural,” the food inside that package is more than likely neither. It has been processed to DEATH. No nutritional value left. Hence an epidemic of obese, UNDER-NOURISHED humans.

Becoming a conscientious label reader is paramount. The rule of thumb for reading labels (that works for my healthy lifestyle) goes as such: If there is more than five or six ingredients listed, and if you cannot pronounce one or more (or any) of them- should this be consumed? The answer should be a resounding no, but often, gets swept under the carpet. While it seems logical enough to ME, the logic often times falls short on the general public.

We want to believe all food is healthy, or good for us. We want to give companies the benefit of the doubt, and there is no crime in that. One question to consider while trying to give the benefit of the doubt: Why are there so many sick people around me? The word "sick" is a very broad subject as well, sick encompasses physical, mental, and emotional; believe it or not. While taking all of that into consideration, as you read the label of your tater tots, question why there are so many different chemicals in them. After asking this question, if you still are concerned, further ask: "Whose interests are being served by these companies who are selling chemicals and passing them off as healthy?" If you are not outraged, you are not paying attention!

Question everything. If it does not sit well with you, or does not make sense, it is more than likely not healthy food, and at that point, you have the choice whether to consume it or not.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/

Links of Interest on this subject:
http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/
http://organicconsumers.org/
http://www.fooduciary.com/issues/2013/06-06-2013.html

Healthy Urban Kitchen Cookbook- Click Here!

To Exercise or Not? Just DO IT!

2013-06-03T17:38:00.000-06:00

Exercise Benefit Cycle

In order to best explain exercise and the benefits thereof, there are copious amounts of information on the
web to explain in better detail the point being made. Comparing four articles on the web (yes only four so far), we can see that though they may be worded differently, they all agree that exercise may be the key to a longer, more happy, definitely healthier life.

It seems that exercise may be able to ward off different kinds of diseases, such as Osteoporosis, Type II Diabetes, Depression (yes, that is a dis-ease), and High Blood Pressure among others. When sitting on the couch flipping through channels on the old television day in and day out, one would hope that the thought of getting up, getting out, and getting moving would occur. The sad realization, when we read statistics on this subject is: the majority of Americans are not moving.

Doesn’t it seem like a simple fix to keep from being in the hospital? Eating right, getting off the couch and getting outside? While it may seem like a simple fix to me, there are plenty of people, apparently, who don’t see it that way. A really good question to ask would be, Why? Many answers could be conjectured, but, the bottom line is, people have their reasons for doing what they do (or NOT doing). While most might call them reasons, could those reasons not be seen as excuses? And as I always say: "When you run out of excuses why NOT to do something, the reasons to just DO IT will show up."

“What if someone told you that a thinner, healthier, and longer life was within your grasp? Sound too good to be true? According to a wealth of research, exercise is the silver bullet for a better quality of life.
Not only does regular exercise aid in weight loss, it reduces your risk for several chronic diseases and conditions. Finding activities that you enjoy and that become part of your daily routine is the key to a long and healthy life. The list of health benefits is impressive, and the requirements are relatively simple -- just do it.”   http://www.medicinenet.com/benefits_of_exercise/article.htm

“How Physical Activity Impacts Health
Regular physical activity that is performed on most days of the week reduces the risk of developing or dying from some of the leading causes of illness and death in the United States.
• Reduces the risk of dying prematurely.
• Reduces the risk of dying prematurely from heart disease.
• Reduces the risk of developing diabetes.
• Reduces the risk of developing high blood pressure.
• Helps reduce blood pressure in people who already have high blood pressure.
• Reduces the risk of developing colon cancer.
• Reduces feelings of depression and anxiety.
• Helps control weight.
• Helps build and maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints.
• Helps older adults become stronger and better able to move about without falling.
• Promotes psychological well-being.”   http://www.nutristrategy.com/health.htm

“When we talk about exercise, we nearly always refer to physical exercise. Exercise is the physical exertion of the body - making the body do a physical activity which results in a healthy or healthier level of physical fitness and both physical and mental health. In other words, exercise aims to maintain or enhance our physical fitness and general health.”            http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/153390.php
"Health Benefits of Exercise and Physical Activity:

Reduce the risk of premature death
Reduce the risk of developing and/or dying from heart disease
Reduce high blood pressure or the risk of developing high blood pressure
Reduce high cholesterol or the risk of developing high cholesterol
Reduce the risk of developing colon cancer and breast cancer
Reduce the risk of developing diabetes
Reduce or maintain body weight or body fat
Build and maintain healthy muscles, bones, and joints
Reduce depression and anxiety
Improve psychological well-being
Enhanced work, recreation, and sport performance" http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwfit/benefits.html

These excerpts from the websites I have linked for you may entice you to look further into each article, I hope they do- then ask yourself this: “Why am I not exercising?” Just do it. Would you rather continue to be power-less, consumed with your excuses? How about power-full, full of reasons why you have gotten up and moved! Again, the choice is yours, make it a good one, one you can live better with!

YES! You Can Lose Weight With Yoga! Click Here!

It's All Good, and Getting Better!

2013-05-27T14:27:00.004-06:00

I am Enough!

I have been feeding you an informational overload from my old website over the past few weeks, and that's all well and good- but I feel the need to post some updates on my Foot Zone therapy practice, and other good things that I have been learning!

Since April, I have been meeting with a couple of BEST Practitioners. B.E.S.T. stands for Bio-Energetic Synchronization Technique. It is a form of energy healing that I had previously not heard about. It has been quite the journey from the first session to now. I have been watching my little practice grow every day, and people who are like-minded are just coming to me as I remove the emotional blocks that have been keeping me from succeeding.
I have been finding out what works, and what doesn't work to get my dear clients to return, and I have learned my worth! It is a great feeling when you believe in yourself, and know that your time and energy are valuable. When you do not realize your value, people sense that and walk all over you. I have been certified now for a year as of May 25th. Only within the past few months have I seen more than one client per month (or less). And though I have not yet reached my goal of 20 clients per week, that goal is getting closer!
I have been invited into a dear comrade's home to practice my healing art, and in turn, she is showing me more than I ever could have bargained for, in addition to Kundalini Yoga!

One of my favorite places: Benja Yoga

She has opened her doors, and her heart, and is allowing a healing transformation come into her home, and her life. I have a room in her home, as do my friends who do BEST.

The beginnings of My Little Healing Space!

View from the Foot Zoning chair

My new Zoning Chair! My clients are so spoiled!

Sharing the room, for now!

Smallest BEST client!

I love to share my experiences with you, my dear readers! I have come so far since I hit rock bottom in February, when I didn't even want to get out of bed. But that experience, along with the whole assault charge debacle from last year, taught me that I needed to listen to myself, there was something going on, and I needed to find the silence within, and from the silence would come healing.
Through EMDR with my therapist (thanks to a dear friend who helped me to realize I needed to fight to get my VA benefits, so worth it now that I have them!), to finding a place to work out that fits ME; I guess I didn't realize that I could enjoy exercise... I really didn't like what was being offered in my own town, it mattered not that it was free, and just down the street from where I live- it did not fit ME. All of these stepping stones have been transformational.
Each of these things on their own would not have worked were it not for my willingness to move forward. Inside, at one point, I felt as if it didn't matter whether I were dead or alive- those thoughts frightened me. I often find my head, and all the thoughts running within, too much to endure. My head has been so loud and over-occupied for so many years. I wanted that to end. I had had ENOUGH!
In the past four months I have been led to where I am now, I am accepting the change which I am allowing myself to make. I am accepting that I need to be silent at times, in order to heal. I am finding modalities of healing that work for me. In short: I am practicing what I have been preaching!
This journey that I am on won't end tomorrow. I have always considered myself a lifelong learner. I am always reaching out to embrace things that will help me reach my highest potential. I am learning that the Beatles knew what they were talking about when they wrote the tune: "All You Need is Love." Replacing the anger in my heart with love is helping me become the best Foot Zone Therapist I can be! My hope is that my clients feel that when I give them the gift of an hour of my time an energy to help them in their quest for health and wellbeing.
I have also been planting seeds for my business, promoting myself in ways I had up til now only thought I would do at some "future time." That future must be now, because I did it! My doTERRA Oils are being sold in my Healing Space, I was invited to the What Women Want Expo to promote my business, and I have that sticker on my car that I swear I dreamt to life while working at the mall last year!

From computer to my car! It's about time!


Promoting Foot Zone Therapy at What Women Want, 2013

For now, I have come to the end of my rant, but I know I will further rant upon the subject of healing and the subsequent journeys that seem to accompany it in upcoming blog posts. I want everyone in the world to be as excited as I am to know that our body's ability to heal is far greater than ANYONE has led us to believe! Thank you for sharing this journey with me. I hope it has touched someone in a positive, spiritual way.

Namaste!

This Is Alternative Healing

2013-05-27T12:58:00.000-06:00

What is Alternative Healing (also known as Complementary and Alternative Medicine [CAM], Holistic Healing, and Homeopathic Healing/Medicine)?

Herbs, Meditation, Massage Therapy

This is a broad subject, much broader than I had realized. This term basically encompasses any practice of healing performed outside of a mainstream (or Western) hospital, without the use of chemical drugs to produce healing effects.
While researching, I found an entire A-Z list of alternative healing modalities! Sometimes, even if it’s not the best resource, Wikipedia can be amazing. A link to the A-Z list will be found at the bottom of this article (No. 5 on list). Unfortunately, Foot Zone Therapy (another form of alternative healing, the form that I practice), was not on this list. I have written up an article all about Foot Zone Therapy, explained in its fullness, not to worry.
These days, more Western medical practices are incorporating the practices long used by Eastern Countries, “Patients in Western countries are becoming more receptive to trying alternative techniques, and have been asking for them. As a result, many Western medical schools are starting to teach these medicine techniques and theories. Some hospitals and doctors are supplementing their regular medical care with alternative techniques.”¹.
Alternative health is coming to the forefront of our medical radars, albeit slowly. Most major insurance providers are ill-at-ease to cover procedures done outside of modern medicine facilities. Some have come to accept CAM, but very few, if any; and most people end up paying out of pocket².
The subject of whether or not CAM works, or is safe; has been a topic of regular discussion. Some say to bring up using CAM along with main-stream treatments, with your doctor. Some doctors these days are more open-minded on that end, others are not. For a decision, it is solely based on what your stance is on the subject³. I personally am finding out that there is not ONE magic bullet to cure all that ails us. What works for one, may not work for another. These alternative modes of healing are here for us to use. I have provided the information for you to discover what will work for YOUR body.
What are the benefits of CAM? It really depends on what your specific need is. What are you looking for? Are you looking to get away from potentially harmful chemicals? Want to lessen side-effects from prescriptions given to you? Would you like peace of mind knowing you did all you could conventionally, and you're now willing to try something natural? These questions can only be answered by you, and what you feel is right for your body. 4

Self-healing Expressions ~ Holistic Healing Courses- Click Here!

All About the Importance of Water

2013-05-25T10:43:00.003-06:00

The Importance of Water in Digestion-

Water is Life

Experiments have documented that when we drink a glass of water (8 oz.), it passes directly into the intestines and is absorbed. Approximately one-half hour later, almost the same amount of water that was ingested is secreted into the stomach.
Water serves two purposes:

Together with acid and activated enzymes it breaks down the food into a homogenized fluid state that can pass into the duodenum for the next phase of digestion.
It protects the stomach lining from strong acids.

The water we drink is secreted through the glandular layer in the mucosa. The mucosa swells from underneath and the water gets into the stomach, plus, the mucus layer maintains its function as a buffer system containing sodium bicarbonate. As the acid from the stomach tries to go through this protective layer, the sodium bicarbonate neutralizes it. Without the correct amount of water, the mucus layer is less homogenous and sticky, allowing the acid to come through, causing pain.
The pyloric valve (or sphincter) is in control of emptying the stomach into the duodenum. The stomach sends a signal to the pyloric valve to open. When the highly corrosive and acidic load from the stomach is properly neutralized, the duodenum also sends signals for the pyloric valve to open. The pyloric valve will not open unless it receives messages from the stomach and the duodenum.
It is the responsibility of the pancreas to produce insulin and some digestive enzymes, but most importantly, it must create an alkaline environment before the acidic content can reach the intestine. In order to manufacture this watery bicarbonate solution, the pancreas must have water from the circulatory system. If enough water is not provided (sodas and teas do not count toward water consumption) this process will not be efficient. The “intelligent” coordination will not be there.

If this process is not completed correctly, the body will not allow the food to continue on its journey- the damage would be too severe to the intestine. The walls of the intestine do not have the same protective layer against acid that is available to the stomach. The pyloric valve will receive a message to tighten up. At the same time, the cardia valve (cardiac valve, or sphincter) will become more relaxed. When the valves reverse their mode of operation, the food cannot stay in the stomach forever, and the body actually prepares itself to eject the contents of the stomach (vomiting).
Mild cases of dehydration are often called heartburn, while severe cases are labeled bulimia. The bulimic’s sensation of hunger is, in fact, an indicator of acute thirst. The bulimic’s urge to throw up is only the body’s natural mechanism to protect their sensitive intestine.

How do we know if we're getting "enough water"?
Rule of thumb for water intake: We need to be drinking at least one half of our body weight in ounces per day in order for our systems to run at maximum efficiency. When we get services such as massages, or foot zones, where our bodies go into detox mode, we need to double that water intake. Everything just runs more smoothly with water!

Foot Zone Therapy Advanced Training, The Endocrine and Digestive Systems; 2009; K. Duvall and C. Christensen, pp.93-94, Academy of Foot Zone Therapy© (some re-wording at Admin’s discretion)

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Inner Peace: Can we find it? We'd Better!

2013-05-22T18:35:00.000-06:00

Inner Peace

The pathway to enlightenment, what some call, “Inner Peace,” is not something that is relatively easy to find. is no one single way to achieve it. I have done my level best to give some good information on this subject!
Many people would welcome an easy fix to finding all that could make us happy, if such a thing existed in reality. A Fix It, or Happy Pill? If those do exist, and if we stop taking them, does the joy disappear?? I believe there is no "One Magic Bullet" or Panacea. Everybody's body is different. Dear readers, the quest to find Inner Peace is likened to The Quest for The Holy Grail. Many an article has been written on it, and there
A good definition of Inner Peace was found, once again, on Wikipedia. You can challenge this definition if you like, but I think it’s the most simple, and clear cut. People like simple, it keeps us out of trouble, right?
In truth, finding Inner Peace is akin to having an every day job: we only get money when we work, for the most part; and if we’re not working, we don’t get paid. Working at Inner Peace is only as easy as we make it. We need to strive daily to achieve it. It is not something we can simply put an effort to for one day and have lasting effects. We’d like it to, wouldn’t we? One fact of reality that is continually overlooked is that happiness and peace will come from something external. This simply is not so, and it is why Inner Peace seems to elude us, if we keep allowing it.
Finding Inner Peace can be achieved in different ways, and there are many resources made available to us, especially in this age of technology. The Internet is a veritable Cash Cow on this subject!
Why choose Inner Peace? Because stress robs the body of energy and nutrition! There are way too many stressors in this world, here is a list of the types of stress looming and waiting to make us ill:
Physical Stress

Trauma- tissue damage
Lack of Exercise- decreased oxygen and nutrition to the cells- decreased detoxification
Lack of Rest- decreased healing and rejuvenation time, decreased detoxification
Lack of Sunshine
Lack of Hydration

Emotional/Mental Stress

Negative mental attitude
Anger, bitterness, hate, resentment
Worry, anxiety (my biggest issues that cause the most problems are in this area here, emotions!)

Chemical/Environmental Stress

Uncleanliness
Drugs, medications, chemicals, pollution
Improper nutrition, toxins

We need to eliminate, as much as we can, these stressful living habits! Stop looking for a quick fix (like I do…) and start asking, “What have I been doing that has made me sick (or stressed)?” Then stop doing that! Look at your daily habits and trade energy robbing habits for more supportive activities. Create an environment that is conducive to healing and health.
It seems that some people, such as Dr. Wayne Dyer, and Louise Hay, have found their path to enlightenment; how their inner light shines forth! It probably goes without saying, however, that they still have their struggles occasionally, bad days happen, they happen to all of us. But what we do (and what we learn) with those bad days is part of the work to achieving the freedom and happiness we so desperately desire.
If we are willing to put forth effort each day, maybe even several times a day, in keeping negativity at bay, we will feel the results. Seek knowledge, learn about healthy living! Truth eliminates Ignorance. It will not happen overnight, but it will happen. Upkeep is vitally important! Lasting effects will only be as potent as the work we are willing to put into achieving them.

Foot Zone Therapy: Total Body Balance; 2009; K. Duvall and C. Christensen, pp. 50-51 Academy of Foot Zone Therapy© (some re-wording at Admin’s discretion)

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Power in Prayer

2013-05-19T22:11:00.000-06:00

Power of Prayer

The power of prayer in healing is layered with much conflict, and possibly controversy. An article from Medicine Net explains that "If you're religious, this is God-given. If you're not religious, then it comes from the brain." It also states that religious people tend to live healthier lives.
News Max Health states: “An exhaustive analysis of more than 1,500 reputable medical studies “indicates people who are more religious and pray more have better mental and physical health,” Koenig says. “And out of 125 studies that looked at the link between health and regular worship, 85 showed regular churchgoers live longer.
(From the Life of George Albert Smith*)- “When George Albert Smith was a child, he was afflicted with typhoid fever. The doctor who diagnosed him told his mother that he should stay in bed for three weeks, eat no solid food, and drink some coffee. President Smith later recalled:
“When he went away, I told mother that I didn’t want any coffee. I had been taught… not to use coffee.
Young George Albert Smith asked instead for a blessing, which he received from his home teacher.
“When the doctor came the next morning I was playing outside with the other children. He was surprised. He examined me and discovered that my fever was gone and that I seemed to be well.
“I was grateful to the Lord for my recovery. I was sure that he had healed me.”
Though there may be no concrete evidence to these allegations, there seems to be a pattern among these articles. However, looking to play Devil’s Advocate, there seems to be proof on the matter that suggests that prayer has not, and cannot help. “In the largest study of its kind, researchers found that having people pray for heart bypass surgery patients had no effect on their recovery. In fact, patients who knew they were being prayed for had a slightly higher rate of complications.”¹
“Prayers offered by strangers had no effect on the recovery of people who were undergoing heart surgery, a large and long-awaited study has found.”²
“Intercessory prayer has been the subject of scientific study since at least the nineteenth century, when an English scientist, assuming that kings were prayed for more often than others, sought to find out whether those prayers were answered. He concluded that they were not, but that prayer might be a comfort to the people praying anyway.”³
The articles summing up the negative powers of prayer happen to be mainstream news articles, which is purely coincidental. The evidence suggests both pros and cons on the subject. In educating ourselves, we need always remember to take stock of all the information, and rely on what we have experienced, keeping an open mind to all things. Some things do not have to be seen in order to exist, even science can agree with that argument.

*Excerpt from: Teachings of Presidents of the (LDS) Church: George Albert Smith, 2010
How to Pray Effectively-Click Here!

An Informational Look at Foot Zone Therapy!

2013-05-15T19:24:00.001-06:00

Your Entire Body is in Your Feet!

Foot Zone Therapy (FZT) is a method of treating the physical, mental, and emotional features of the body, using electromagnetic trigger points located in certain areas of the feet. Each trigger point creates an impulse that causes the brain to affect change at the corresponding area- treating each cell of the body in every session.
FZT is a natural way of bringing relief and healing to the body by utilizing the body’s own healing resources. It is a method of rejuvenating the body by reinforcing the electrical connections and communications of the body.
The basis of FZT is the long established principle that there are energy zones (meridians) running throughout the body, beginning and ending in the hands and feet. It revitalizes the body so that the natural internal healing mechanisms can do their work. Each zone strengthens the body’s ability to heal, create balance, and increase vitality.
In the last 25 years, FZT has made a significant impact in the field of alternative medicine. It is growing in popularity because people are experiencing quick results and an overall sense of well being.
How FZT Works:
FZT is the simple and effective method utilizing the feet’s natural signal system to establish balance, raise life energy, and renew the cells of the body.
Each cell knows how to repair itself. The cell’s DNA in the physical body is connected to the etheric (spiritual or spirit) body, which holds the basis for all healing.
A complex signal (or, key pad, if you will) system located in the feet connects to every organ and cell in the body. This signal system is a connecting link between the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual bodies. The etheric body, AKA: the memory body, contains the body’s original blueprint and carries the memory of how to build a perfect cell. FZT uses the key pad system to reconnect with the etheric blueprint and correct, balance, and renew the body’s entire cellular structure.
In addition to renewing our cell systems, rejuvenating our life, and bringing the body into balance, Foot Zoning can be used to assess the body’s current state of health.
The relationship between the foot and body can be likened to the relationship between a computer keyboard, and the computer itself. Signals are sent from the keyboard to the computer. The signal system in the feet instantaneously registers and conveys all occurrences that have a negative effect on the body. The Foot Zone Practitioner observes the foot and interprets the “messages” it conveys through discoloration, spots, calluses, deposits, variance in texture, tenderness, and pain.
The Zone technique is not simply for those suffering from ailments or disorders, it is an excellent preventative health measure. There is a lot of misinformation about Zoning; it is not a massage, nor is it a medical treatment, and it is not a cure-all for all ills. Practitioners do not diagnose illness or practice medicine.
Zoning Practitioners enhance health and healing by encouraging the body’s electrical system to more effectively communicate, which heightens the body’s ability to heal itself and function with vitality.
Topics of Study To Support FZT

Aromatherapy
Environmental Issues
Herbal Medicine
Exercise Technique
Anatomy
Muscle Testing (kineseology)
Physiology
Iridology
Nutrition
Yoga
Biology
Energy Medicine

Foot Zone Therapy: Total Body Balance; 2009; K. Duvall and C. Christensen, pp. 14-17; 21, 31 Academy of Foot Zone Therapy© (some re-wording at Admin’s discretion)

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Power of Positive Affirmations

2013-05-13T19:30:00.002-06:00

Your Thoughts Become Your Reality

Finding an authoritative definition was difficult to procure, a fairly decent (if not good) description was found on a website that no longer exists. This is sad, but, there you have it. According to holistic life coaching, Positive Affirmation is: “a technique used to program the subconscious mind to effect change by repeating (or meditating on) a key phrase to bring about the desired outcome.”
There is a plethora of information available on positive affirmations, and the power of positive thinking in the world today, and while the holistic community praises positivity, there are always naysayers available to even the odds, as in every subject.
The question one may want to ask themselves, in light of the super-charged (if not verging on rude), destructive comments and write-ups on what one would hope to be an optimistic topic, is: “How do I want to view positive affirmations, and thought? Do I want to give them the benefit of the doubt to see if they could possibly work in my life, or do I just want to believe that it’s all a money making scam?”
While science may not be able to substantiate any concrete evidence on the subject, Dr. Isaac Eliaz, an Integrative physician, holistic healer and meditation practitioner, states that one reason positive affirmations may not work for most of us is because we basically give up before we’ve tapped into our full mental potential.
While mainstream news may try to debunk positive thinking as a crazy cash scam, The Mayo Clinic touts that people who think positively experience greater health benefits, but that it is unclear why.
You can see the effect of positive thinking and affirmations in your life if you are willing to test it out for one week. Every time you begin to think a negative thought, stop; not only stop the negativity, but reroute it by turning it into a positive reinforcement, switch your mindset. This must be carefully monitored; we think thousands of thoughts every minute, so it would stand to reason that monitoring thoughts would not be an easy task. Visualizing may help; In your mind's eye, see yourself gathering up the negativity into a ball, or balloon, and detaching that ball or balloon from you (maybe with some really big scissors), and watch that balloon float away, maybe even wave to it as it ascends. This will help you in your endeavor to begin monitoring your thoughts. This is not an easy task, and will probably need to be done several times throughout each day. At the end of the week, you may start to notice a subtle change in your life. Maybe a weight has been lifted off your shoulders, maybe something different, everyone has their own experience; be sure to write it down to track your progress.
Carol Tuttle states that sometimes we get stuck in negative, destructive belief systems, and while positive affirmations may start to work, we fall into our old negative ways after a while, and need more than just the affirmations to clear those negative energies.
Whatever you choose to believe, remember, nobody else has to live your life. Take all of the information given to you, weigh it, keep an open mind, and by experimenting a little, you may find out if positive affirmations are right for you.
Some more links of interest:
http://www.stress-and-relaxation.com/power-of-positive-affirmations.html
http://www.effectivelearning.com/resource/the-power-of-positive-affirmations/
http://www.freeaffirmations.org/what-are-positive-affirmations

The Secret of Deliberate Creation and More- Click Here!

All You Ever Wanted To Know about Chakras, But Didn't Ask

2013-05-06T15:59:00.001-06:00

Chakra System

Chakra- (ˈtʃækrə, not shăck-rə) “The word Chakra is Sanskrit for wheel or disk. It signifies one of seven basic energy centers in the body which are the openings for life energy to flow into and out of our aura. Each of these centers correlates to major nerve ganglia branching forth from the spinal column.”
The human energy field and spine contain energy centers called chakras. These vibrate at different frequencies, each holding a power or gift which enhances the human experience. As we connect with the energy from each chakra, we are able to tap into its individual strength and gift to enhance our life experience.
Each chakra also represents strength and energy to specific organs in our body snd offer healing to the body in these areas. The main features of each chakra are listed below for you to use as a tool in healing emotionally, physically, mentally, and energetically.
“In the body there are many kinds of channels, which are very extensive. The sage must understand them in order to understand his own body… Running transversely, up and down, they exist in the body joined together like a wheel, dependent on the life-force and linked to the breath of the body.” –From the Shiva-Svarodaya Tantra, traditional Indian teaching on the subtle anatomy of the body.

Base Chakra, Foundation of Energy, Red, Earth, survival, power to achieve goals, vitality, grounding. Located at the base of the spine, this chakra creates the foundation for our chakra system. It is essential to our survival instincts, and to our sense of grounding, and connection to our bodies and the physical plane. When balanced and energized, this chakra brings us health, prosperity (which is more important in the heart chakra), security, and dynamic presence.
Sacral Chakra, Pleasure Center, Orange, Water, primal feelings, sexuality, desire, sensuality, procreation. Located in the abdomen/lower back, it is essential to emotions and sexuality. It connects us to others through feeling, desire, sensation, and movement. When balanced and energized, this chakra brings us fluidity and grace, depth of feeling, sexual fulfillment, and the ability to accept change.
Solar Plexus, Coordination and Organization, Yellow, Fire, personal power, social identity, influence, authority, self-control. Located between the naval and heart, at the pericardium, this chakra is known as the power chakra, and rules will-power, metabolism and autonomy. When balanced and energized this chakra enhances our proficiency, spontaneity, energy and grounded power.
Heart Chakra, Relationships, Green, Air, unconditional/divine love and harmony, forgiveness, healing, compassion, understanding. Located at the heart, it is the middle chakra, related to love and balancing opposites (male and female etc.). When balanced and energized, it allows us to love deeply, feel compassion, have a deep sense of peace and centeredness. It also helps us in gaining abundance (prosperity- shift from root to heart).
Throat Chakra, Communication, Blue, Ether, free/creative self expression, communication, inspiration, confidence. Located in the throat, and is associated with communication and creativity. When balanced and energized, it translates vibrations and sounds into language or communication and helps us to articulate out thoughts and emotions.
Third Eye, Spiritual Vision, Indigo, All Elements, inner vision, intuition, insight, clairvoyance, imagination. Also known as the Brow Chakra, it is located just above the brow line in the center of the forehead. It is related to the act of seeing, both physically and intuitively. When balanced and energized it allows us to see the big picture and see subtler, less obvious things.
Crown Chakra, Unity of Thought, Violet, All Elements, perfection, integration/unity with the Omnipresent Being, divine wisdom. Located at the top of the head, it relates to consciousness as pure awareness. It is our connection to the greater world beyond, and the divine. When balanced and energized this chakra brings us knowledge, wisdom, understanding, and spiritual connection, and bliss.

There are many ways to balance and energize the chakras, information can be found both in books, and on the internet. One helpful website is Carol Tuttle’s Healing Center. Knowing how to balance and energize chakras is also part of being a Foot Zone Practitioner. Upkeep is important, in order to achieve a more efficiently balanced, and healthy system.

Foot Zone Therapy Advanced Training: The Endocrine and digestive Systems; 2009; K. Duvall and C. Christensen, pp. 34-41, Academy of Foot Zone Therapy© (some re-wording at Admin’s discretion)

The Chakra Healing System- Click Here!

Keep Calm and Pass It On!

2013-05-01T18:58:00.003-06:00

There are many different ways of achieving a sense of calm, unfortunately- no one is likely to stay calm

Keep Calm and Pass It On!

100% of the time. We tend to allow events in life to get under our skin, or “piss us off.” It happens, we’re human; and we tend to relate events to other circumstances in our lives. Everything is related to everything else in our minds.
But, what can we do when we lose our sense of calm? Here is a list of tips that just may make you feel better when the storm hits!
The first thing one needs to do when something happens that bends us out of shape is: Notice our reaction and Identify the trigger, basically stop what you’re doing and think, “Why am I getting mad, what just happened?” What were your body’s cues that signified that you were angry? Take note!
The second thing we can do is: Just Breathe. We often forget how important breathing is. Deep calming breaths always help diffuse the reaction to any awful situation, and prepare us for thinking, which leads into the next step…
Observation and Identification: What is it that our bodies are feeling? What are we thinking? Are we relating this incidence to something else in our lives; current or past? What’s really going on?
Fourth step: Adding some perspective to our situation helps. If we visualize our current predicament through someone else’s eyes, it can help us see other ways of finding the root to our angry outburst, “Why did I just freak out? Would so & so have done that?” Keep breathing!
Last step: Now that you’re brain is functioning, because you’ve allowed it enough oxygen, you can rationally explore useful ways to resolve the issue. What can you do in this situation that will be most helpful? Will whatever you choose to do be the best way to help all involved in the crisis? Knowing your principles and values will help you choose how to settle the dispute, make sure you stay in alignment with them.
These steps are for a situation where one flies off the handle and needs to realign quickly, but in order to help you stay more calm on a continuing basis: Never underestimate the power of meditation. When you meditate, you focus on your breathing, and everything else seems to fade away, it's a wonderful medium to try out. Try to remember to breathe deeply more often, move your body, and watch what you’re eating. It may sound corny, but eating healthy and exercising helps keep the anger at bay, and helps us to sort through our thoughts a lot easier.

Adapted from STOPP© Carol Vivyan 2010
http://www.wikihow.com/Be-Calm-in-a-Stressful-Situation

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Ta-Da! Self-Confidence!

2013-04-27T22:18:00.004-06:00

Self-Confidence Meter

A wonderful article was found on the web that sums up self-confidence quite well. While we would all love to think we had the confidence of a king, sometimes, this is not the truth of the matter. Case in point, myself- while writing this article for Expanded Well-being (and borrowing it for my blog!).
The proceeding article, after being written, helped immensely in terms of subject matter, and clarification for me. The hope is that it will lend the same support to my dear readers.
In order to gain self-confidence, one must understand it first.
Let us begin by defining what it is: Two main factors contribute to self-confidence; self-efficacy (A person’s belief about his or her ability and capacity to accomplish a task or to deal with the challenges of life.) and self-esteem (1. a realistic respect for or favorable impression of oneself; self-respect. 2. an inordinately or exaggeratedly favorable impression of oneself.).
We gain a sense of self-efficacy when we master skills and achieve goals that matter in those skill areas. We learn that when we work hard in a particular area and succeed, we gain confidence from that, the type of confidence that leads people to accept difficult challenges, and endure in the face of setbacks. This overlaps with self-esteem because now we know we can cope with what goes on in our lives. We feel we have the right to be happy because we see, through our efforts; that the people around us approve of us and our competency.
We can gain self confidence through setting and achieving goals, and it is probably the best way, because we see the results in concrete form. You can also do daily affirmations to help you build self-confidence, and the two go hand-in-hand, but you may not be able to physically measure the level of success through reciting daily affirmations. If you are in tune with your body on a higher level, you might be able to.
In building self confidence (based on a solid appreciation of reality, with a firm foundation of competence from achieving goals), know that this will not happen overnight. There is no fast way to come into having self-confidence.
Proof will come, albeit slowly, and you will know when you have arrived when you are able to continually reach a balance between low self-confidence, and over-bearing confidence.

Other articles of interest for self-confidence:
http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/10-ways-to-instantly-build-self-confidence/
http://www.counselingcenter.illinois.edu/?page_id=191

Confidence Beyond Belief! Click Here!

What is Spirituality?

2013-04-27T00:45:00.000-06:00

To understand spirituality, we will first define it, then compare and contrast it with religion. However, there are so many definitions available for spirituality, most relating to religion, but, some feel spirituality has nothing to do with religion. One definition stood out, and for the purposes of this article, was the best one to work with.

“Spirituality (spir-i-choo-al-i-tee) is that which gives meaning to one's life and draws one to transcend oneself. Spirituality is a broader concept than religion, although that is one expression of spirituality. Other expressions include prayer, meditation, interactions with others or nature, and relationship with God or a higher power.” (Burkhardt, M. "Spirituality: An Analysis of The Concept," Holistic Nursing Practice, May 1989:60-77)

World Spirituality

re·li·gion (riˈlijən)- Noun: 1a : the state of a religious religion
>b (1) : the service and worship of God or the supernatural (2) : commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance
2: a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices
3 archaic : scrupulous conformity : conscientiousness
4: a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith.
One brilliant article (according to the Admin, this one had the best definitions for spirituality) written on spirituality holds that, “much debate surrounds the definition of both terms.” So it would seem, every dictionary looked at derived a different definition for both spirituality and religion.
It seemed very unsettling to find that spirituality and religion should be so far apart. They both seek a higher power, yet, there are no written rules in spirituality as there are in religion, and leaves the possibility of a more accessible means to finding that higher power.
In an article from Psychology Today, it states that spirituality means something different to everyone, and mentions that it may mean being a part of an organized religion to some. Ohio State University is adamant that spirituality has no affiliation with religion whatsoever. We can see the differing views relating to the topics in question, leading us to find out just what spirituality means to us on a personal level.
Finding your own way to spirituality is a journey, not a destination, and should be enjoyed every step of the way, and not seen as an arduous task.

What is Energy Healing?

2013-04-22T12:37:00.000-06:00

If you’re reading this blog, chances are, you already know what energy healing is. For those of you looking for an explanation, this article will do its level best to inform you a) what energy healing is, and b) what the modalities of energy healing are.

Healing With Energy

In short, healing is bringing a body from a state of imbalance (dis-ease) into balance (health). However one chooses to approach a state of balance depends on each person and the specifics of the dis-ease. Energy Healing is using the practitioner and client’s Universal Energy forces to bring the body back into ease (health).
Many people are lead to energy healing to ease their imbalances because traditional mainstream medicine, for whatever reason, did not bring their body back into balance. Many do not like the side-effects of the chemicals pharmaceuticals have been known to produce. A few have been raised around alternative healing practices, and know no other way, or choose to opt out of the mainstream medicinal practices.
Energy healing has beginnings, or roots, in both spirituality and science. Most programs do have their basis in a “spiritual layer” of the energy field, whether based upon science or spirituality. There are quite a few different avenues energy healing can take, and since healing involves the energy field of the practitioner and client, use of hands may not be needed, as in distance healing.
Most modalities refer to different types of energy (universal life) forces spoken of throughout the ages such as, chi, or prana, in fact Reiki roughly translates into “Universal Life Energy.” Energy healing commonly involves increasing the flow and quantity of energy, but not only that it also involves balancing energies, and re-patterning the flow of energy.
There are many different modalities of Energy Healing in the world today. One website lists about 1199 different modalities (flavors, as they are called) of Reiki alone! Here is a short list of Energy Healing Modalities found on the web, with a couple more that weren’t listed that the Admin felt ought to be given merit:

Cranio-sacral Therapy
Polarity
Quantum Touch
Therapeutic Touch
Tachyon Therapy
Reiki
Qigong
Somatic Healing
Chakra Healing*
Kinesiology (Muscle Testing)*
Foot Zone Therapy*
Jin Shin Jyutsu
Shiatsu
The WISE Method (Holistic Integrated Spiritual Energy)
Eden Energy Medicine – approach developed by Donna Eden
Wings*
Body Talk
Bio-Electric Synchronization Technique (BEST, or Brain Synch)*

*Not found in internet articles relating to topic.
Articles relating to this post:

More information on Energy Healing- Click Here!

All About Bach Flower Remedies

2013-04-16T17:24:00.003-06:00

"This work of healing has been done, and published and given freely so that people like yourselves can help yourselves"

- Dr Edward Bach, 1936

Bach Flower Essences® (aka Remedies) are all natural, very dilute solutions made from spring water, an alcohol preservative, and the parts of specific flowers. They are used to help balance the emotions and bring about a state of equilibrium in living organisms, and have been successfully used with people, animals, and even plants. Bach Flower Essences® are listed in the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States (HPUS), have been issued with National Drug Code (NDC) numbers by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are sold as over-the-counter homeopathic products in the United States. Foot Zone Practitioners use them along with the zone therapy for clients with moderate to severe emotional issues.
A brief history of Bach Flower Remedies:
Dr. Edward Bach (September 24, 1886 - November 27, 1936) was born in a village called Moseley, near Birmingham, England.
Dr. Edward Bach was a British Physician, who began to see disease as an end product; a final stage; a physical manifestation of unhappiness, fear and worry. He therefore, began to look to nature to find healing flowers. Over a period of years Dr. Bach found 38 healing flowers and plants that with the right preparation became the 38 Bach Flower Remedies®. These Remedies are enough to remove all negative emotional problems.
By 1932 he had discovered the first of his 12 remedies. These he used on the many patients who came to him for treatment.
In 1933 he began making the second group of remedies, the “7 Helpers.”
In 1934 Dr. Bach moved to Mount Vernon in Oxfordshire. It was in the lanes and fields round about that he found the remaining 19 remedies that he needed to complete the series. He would suffer the emotional state that he needed to cure and then try various plants and flowers until he found the one single plant that could help him. In this way, through great personal suffering and sacrifice, he completed his life's work.
Dr. Bach separated the remedies into 7 different emotional groups:

Fear
Uncertainty
Insufficient interest in present circumstances
Loneliness
Over-sensitivity to influences and ideas
Despondency or despair
Over-care for welfare of others

What are the difference between Essential Oil and The Bach Flower Remedies®?
Essential Oil: As the name says it is oils from different plants and flowers. The smell very strongly, some of them should be avoided for people with different illnesses, pregnancy, in the sun etc. The Essential Oils comes from the whole world, however, the quality can easily be very different because some farmers cheat and mix in cheap oils.
Bach Flower Remedies®: They do not smell, they can never do any harm to anyone at any time, they are made by infusion of wild plants & flowers from a certain area in England.
The Bach Flower Remedies® are considered homeopathic. The Bach Flower Remedies® are produced at one location after old directions from Dr. Edward Bach who died in 1936. Dr. Bach was VERY specific with the directions on how & when to make the Essences. He told just before he died that many people will try to imitate and copy the Remedies and his assistances had to promise NEVER to alter the 38 Remedies, because he knew that there would be no more need for more than the 38 and the directions that he had given were the best possible.
How do I take the Bach Flower Remedies®?
The Bach Flower Remedies® can be taken either in a 30ml/1once treatment bottle filled with spring water. From the treatment bottle take 4 drops 4 times a day until relief is obtained, or two drops in a glass of water and sip at intervals. If no water is available the Remedies can be taken undiluted either in the mouth, on the skin behind the ears or on the inside of the wrist.
To prepare a treatment bottle, fill the bottle with fresh spring water and add 2 drops of each Remedy. You can combine up to 6 or 7 Remedies in a treatment bottle. As preservative (optional) you can use brandy, apple cider vinegar or vegetable glycerin, 1 tsp. in the treatment bottle.
What happens if I take too much of the Remedies?
It is impossible to overdose with the Bach Flower Remedies®, they are 100% natural and safe. You can drink a whole bottle of Remedies and not "overdose.". However, if you think that "more is better" you are wrong. The Bach Flower Remedies® work best over a period of time, taken from the treatment or stock bottle at least 4 times a day.
What happens if I take the wrong Remedy?
Nothing is going to happen if you take the wrong Remedies, the Remedy only work on the energy level that we are having problems with. For example, if you have a "known fear" (MIMULUS) and take ASPEN "unknown fear", nothing is going to happen. Your "known fear" will stay and ASPEN wouldn't do anything to you. When you take the wrong Remedy nothing happens.*

Books, Writings & Lectures of Dr. Bach.
Heal Thyself
Free Thyself
The Twelve Healers
Ye Suffer

Consideration of Disease
Wallingford Lecture
Masonic Lecture
New Remedies New Uses
Patterns of Life
Sources:
*Kathy Burrow katsmountain.com- Copyright 2011
http://www.bachflower.com/index.html

All About Essential Oils

2013-04-15T14:30:00.002-06:00

As a Foot Zone Therapist, I use essential oils when I give foot zones, if you’re wondering why, it will be explained in this article. The benefits of essential oils in everyday life go further than just aromatherapy, you’ll discover why essential oils ought to be a part of your everyday life, and a part (if not all) of your medicine chest.

: Different Essential Oils that are Available

What are Essential Oils?
Essential oils are the volatile liquids that are distilled from plants (including their respective parts such as seeds, barks, leaves, stems, roots, flowers, fruit, etc.). They are natural and aromatic compounds found in these parts of plants. Essential oils can lift the mood, calm the senses, and elicit powerful emotional responses. Egyptian hieroglyphics and Chinese manuscripts prove that priests and physicians have been using essential oils for thousands of years. In Egypt, the oils were used in the embalming process, and well preserved oils were found in alabaster jars in King Tut’s tomb. Recipes for the production and blending of the oils were recorded on the walls of Egyptian temples in hieroglyphs. Aditionally, there are 188 references to essential oils (frankincense, myrrh, rosemary, etc.) in the Bible.
Aromatherapy
Just one small part of the importance of essential oils: Aromatherapy is the practice of using the natural oils extracted from plants to enhance psychological and physical well-being. Aromatherapy helps the emotional, physical, and spiritual areas of our being. They help to soothe, stimulate, focus concentration, and can help relieve pain. When inhaled, essential oils go to the brain. The sense of smell is the only one of the five senses directly linked to the limbic lobe of the brain. The limbic is the emotional control center. All other senses are routed through the thalamus and then to other parts of the brain. The inhalation of the essential oil stimulates brain function; think about jasmine or roses vs. a dirty toilet, or a sewage treatment plant. Emotions and memories are evoked first - then thoughts follow.
Why are Essential Oils so Important?
Essential oils of every species are able to pass through the blood-brain barrier (interstitial tissues of the brain that serve as a barrier to protect neurons and cerebrospinal fluid from many damaging substances) easily because they are both small (less than 500 atomic mass units, or AMU) and lipid soluble. The aromatic qualities of essential oils account for the small size of the AMU. A drop of essential oil can be detected across the room almost immediately upon opening a bottle. It is this size that allows the essence of the essential oil to cross the blood-brain barrier and enable the properties to address the fundamental root of illness- a person’s attitudes, belief structures, and emotions.
Essential oils can be absorbed through the skin, where they travel through the bloodstream and can promote whole-body healing. They are used for a variety of applications, including pain relief, mood enhancement and increased cognitive function. In 1989, it was discovered that the amygdala plays a major role in the storing and releasing of emotional trauma. The only way to stimulate this gland is with fragrance, or the sense of smell. Therefore, essential oils can be a powerful key to help unlock and release emotional trauma.
There are many different healing properties within Essential Oils, each oil has one or more of these properties, and this is the reason I suggested using essential oils as part of, or in place of items in your medicine cabinet.

: Extraction of Essential Oils

Properties of Essential Oils

Antibacterial
Anticatarrhal
Antidepressant
Antifungal
Anti-infectious
Anti-inflammitory
Antimicrobal
Antiparasitic
Antirheumatic
Antiseptic
Antispasmodic
Antiviral
Analgesic
Immune-stimulant

Ways to use Essential Oils

Aromatically- Nose and olfactory system.
Topically- Rubbed onto the skin, massage or foot zone, blended with lotion, or carrier oil.
Internally- Ingested, with water, or other liquids, on the tongue, or in a capsule.

Modern Essentials: A Contemporary Guide to the Therapeutic Use of Essential Oils,Third Edition; 2011; Abundant Health, LLC©, pp. 6-7, 236-237 (some re-wording at Admin’s discretion)
http://www.examiner.com/article/summer-health-aromatherapy-essential-oils-5-proven-benefits
Foot Zone Therapy: Advanced Training- The Nervous and Structural Systems; 2009; K. Duvall and C. Christensen, p. 40 Academy of Foot Zone Therapy© (some re-wording at Admin’s discretion)
http://www.aromatherapy.com/

A New Year, A New Lease on Life!

2013-01-14T15:48:00.002-07:00

     I have taken a break from the blog scene for a while, haven't I? I've been doing many wonderful things in my life in order to make a shift in my attitude from negative to positive. It has been a daily investment. I believe many wonderful things have come from this investment.
     I have started to notice when I get angry, and I can just stop what I'm doing, and saying now before it goes any further. Once my ears start to burn, I just stop. For a while it was just something I said would be nice to be able to do, now through constant observation and inventory of myself, I am starting to realize when to go without saying anything!
     Having a positive attitude is very important to me. In past blogs, I have stated that whatever you put out into the Uni-verse, you get back, right? Putting all of that negativity out started to take its toll on my marriage. Not only did my husband have to put up with one negative former wife yelling about everything he wasn't doing, but he was dealing with the negativity I was putting out as well. He did not know if our marriage was going to be worth it, one train wreck after another.
     This was my wake up call. Had my negative attitude really gotten that out of control? Yes, it had. I knew it had. I watched myself spiraling downward and oftentimes felt helpless. When my husband said he didn't know if it was worth staying in the marriage, I knew I had to step up the attitude adjustment. I had to stop playing the victim. Anger was not something that was happening to me. I was exuding it, seemingly from every pore.
     For the entire month of December, I dedicated myself to waking up grateful for all that I had, even if I didn't like what I had, and was pissed off at the situation I was in. It was the "pisstivity" that was bringing me, no- it was bringing US down. I had been practicing the "Gratitude Exercise" since November, and it was slowly seeping its way into my core. By Christmas, I could actually get out of bed and smile.
     It's not easy to write down 10 things I am grateful for every day, but I have noticed that on the days I forget to do it, or I "don't have time to" I don't feel quite as carefree, my day is just a little "off." It is a learning curve, to be sure. I have not yet mastered this curve, but I am getting there!
     I have also brought into my life an herbal supplement of St. John's Wort, and two stones which I believe have been helping me on my mission to stabilize my chemical imbalance, along with more counseling, and this time it will be cognitive therapy, and I will be getting a full psychological evaluation so I know what I am dealing with, and how best to proceed.

This is Sodalite, it helps shift the brain from more emotional decisions, to more rationality based thinking, and it's quite beautiful! I've had the necklace for over a decade, but never really knew how much it helped because I never wore it close to my skin. The bracelet really grounds me, and if I'm feeling the slightest bit emotionally overwhelmed, I slip it on, and after a while, those emotions start to even out, and I don't feel quite so dysfunctional.

This is Lepidolite, it has naturally occurring lithium within it, so if you wear it close to your skin, it helps to control the chemical imbalance caused by ADHD, and Bi-Polar Disorder. If your body doesn't need the lithium, it will just eliminate it, no worries. It is a gorgeous purple stone, especially when tumbled & made into jewelry, but I just got a raw stone, that's all the rock shop had at the time. It has actually been a lifesaver over the past month. Now, I'm not sure if it's the stone, but I am seeing things more clearly these days than I used to. I am glad the Earth provides substances such as these to help us in our endeavors.

     Having the month of December start out so horribly, like my life was falling apart, and ending up so nicely, it makes me wonder just how much stock people ought to out into how they feel, and how their emotions can cause others around them to feel. I have yet to be able to make the rest of the family in the house as slap-happy as I am (I have my blue days still, they're just fewer, and farther between thank Heaven!), but this does not discourage me. I am seeing how it is affecting my relationship with my husband, and I like the results.
     There is nothing at all wrong with keeping this up. I intend to, and I would like to extend a challenge to anyone who reads this little blog: Notice how you are feeling. If you do not like it, you have the power within you to change it. Stop playing the victim. Victims always have stuff happen to them, and believe they are powerless to change those circumstances. That is an incorrect way of viewing yourself!
     You have more power to change within you than ANYONE has lead you to believe! If you really want to change, you can. I have proved this to myself. It doesn't hurt either, to have someone tell you that you are doing better than you thought you were doing. Please share with me how you are changing, and what steps you have taken to promote that change!

Good luck, let me know how this goes for you. As you can see, it has been going well for me- now if I could just get back into the habit of blogging weekly, that would top it all off. I'm sure if I really wanted to, I could. I can do anything I put my mind to. So can you! Believe it! There is strength in numbers!

Namaste!

What are YOU Grateful for TODAY?!

2012-11-15T16:05:00.001-07:00

     In November we have one day set aside in which to meet with our families, eat, and be thankful for all we have. One day. I've never understood that. I know the history behind the holiday, yes. But- why just set aside ONE DAY to CELEBRATE the things in our lives for which we are thankful?
     I started a "tradition" last year on Facebook for November, calling it "Thanksgiving Month;" I challenge my friends, family, and myself to post whatever we're grateful for that day, every day of the month. WOW! That's 30 days of something to be thankful for! Imagine that! In this exercise, I have stretched out my thinking cap, and used it to ponder what I am grateful for every day for 30 days, and I have also challenged others to do the same.
     There is an energetic vibration that goes along with gratitude. It is a fast moving, healing vibration. These vibrations not only occur in our bodies, they emanate outward. Think: what happens when someone smiles at you? You have the sudden urge to smile at them, or at least I hope you do... So these energetic vibrations emanating from your body are felt unconsciously by others around you. And if they're in a gratitude vibration, they're passing that along as well! Imagine if the world caught on to this? A truly magnificent shift could occur! Believe it.

     I was told the other day by a friend, that we should give thanks for the things we don't like about ourselves. It is a positive way of healing and moving forward when one is (like me, oftentimes) "stuck in a rut." I must add to this: not only give thanks for these things, but stop and ponder what you have learned because you had the "problem" in the first place. Are the "problems" then perhaps considered learning opportunities?
     Another friend of mine learned to call her cancer a "health opportunity." These "problems" we have are all learning opportunities if we allow them to be such. Once we have thanked our health opportunities, and paused to consider what they may have taught us, we are then vibrating at a higher level, and our entire being will feel different. Better! Imagine what would happen if we kept sharing this gift of information with others we feel could use it? How many people could be blessed by this knowledge?
   OK, so- why stop at stating (writing is a great way to track progress as well) what we are thankful for in November only? Could we not multiply the healing vibration? Yes, I am quite sure we can! We can find something to be thankful for every single day! If the healing energetic vibration causes us to feel good, why stop after 30 days? I know, I have... But, when I look back over the past year, I know that I felt different last November for those days that I challenged myself to find one thing each day to give thanks for.

   That difference was a really good example to myself, of what I could have. Who wouldn't want that? I know that there are a few people out there like myself who are struggling with being addicted to the negative chemicals our brains pump out when we are depressed, angry, lonely, whatever. It is not easy to admit, nor is it easy to move forward out of a state of low energetic vibration. Sometimes it is hard for us to even want to get out of bed, and we are at a loss as to what we can do to get out of the Hell we are in.
     Finding out that we put ourselves there is even harder to swallow. If we can come to this conclusion, and accept it, then we are more apt to accept that WE CAN CHANGE IT. We can move forward. It will not be easy, but it can be done, I saw it in a gal last night while in my weekly Anger Management class. At the beginning of the year, she was in misery. Almost without hope, poisoning herself with anger that held her back. She took the anger management classes, and what she got out of them were tools that helped her start working to change herself, which in turn changed her situation for the better.
     She hit a snag along the line (as we do!), and the court has since sent her back to the class, but this did not stop her, like it would have me. She kept forging on (moving forward) beginning her day with stating "This is going to be a fabulous day!" Every day. She also said what really helped her, aside from making sure all of the tools she had learned in the class were close to her in her handy binder, was stating 10 things with which she was grateful- every day.
     Ten things every day! Holy Toledo! She admitted that while her life was not perfect, she was happy with it. She has a job, and she has a reason to wake up every morning. She stated that she owed it not only to her children to get out of bed, but she owed it to herself. She was an inspiration to me. She was right there, in the flesh, smiling; and I felt a different vibration coming from her when we were in our group. It was different than mine and the other class member's. It was good. And I can have that. We all can! I intend to be in an attitude of gratitude this day, this month, and every day hereafter because I owe it to myself, my family, and my Creator!
   So- What are you thankful for today? Tomorrow? Every Day?! Let's celebrate our gratitude every single day!

Namaste!

To GMO or Not To GMO, Good Question!

2012-11-04T16:00:00.002-07:00

     I've been avoiding writing this post for a while now. There's so much controversy surrounding this subject. Whether it's true, or not true, whether we know what a GMO is or not, whether or not we are all science experiments. Regretfully, I think I may have even lost a friend over this subject. How about them apples? What's the big deal anyway? Isn't ALL FOOD ORGANIC? Some people believe it is so. In my very humble opinion, and experience, I do not believe, nor will I be convinced, that all foods in a supermarket today, are created equally.
   There was a time, not too long ago, that I believed I could eat anything I darn well pleased. And so I did! Candy, chips, pre-made packaged meals, or processed foods, I would go out to eat once or twice per week if I wanted, you name it, if it sounded like it would be yummy, I ate it! Then, I noticed I was packing on pounds, even though I was exercising, which is not like me. Then, I started feeling sick, not flu, or cold, or sniffles, sick; things inside my body just sort of stopped working properly, I developed unexplained areas of inflammation (with no apparent cause), that swell up worse to this day when I eat certain things.
   I had heard about GMOs (Genetically Engineered Organisms) a while back in my life, but thought nothing of it. How did they effect me? What were they anyway? If scientists want to experiment, let them, it's a free country, how else are we gonna learn? Hybridization has been done for centuries! Little did I know that Genetic Engineering and Hybridization were not really the same thing.

     I thought I'd run my own experiment, upon myself, because it couldn't hurt. I decided to see if eating more organic foods, cutting out the pre-made packaged & canned crap, and definitely avoiding anything with High Fructose Corn Syrup in it, held any merit. It was about this time I learned of something (which I thought was a fad) called "Green Drinks" or "Green Smoothies." Those really sounded disgusting, drinking SPINACH??? Ew. It took me about a year, year and a half, doing this experiment to correlate what I ate with my health.
     In April, my weight was way up, and it depressed me so very much, because I was exercising, and drinking my smoothies, I didn't get it. I was still sort of eating some things that were not as good for me as they could have been. (Cough chough, tater tots!!) I was also such a carnivore, another correlation revelation to be made down the road...
     I do love meat. I never realized how much meat the average American consumes during the course of one day. Think about it: bacon or sausage with breakfast, lunch meat, or a salad with ham or the like on it, meatloaf or whatever else with meat for dinner. Never bothered me before. But, the more research I did in my Foot Zone Therapy class, and talking with my sister who is studying to be a botanist, I discovered that eating that much meat on a daily basis, just isn't good for the waistline. I won't even go into what it does to the environment, or farmers...
     Having found out last year that I could no longer eat wheat (I've had stomach problems for a great deal of my adult life, tried all sorts of things to "cure" it, nothing worked until I quit eating wheat), which turned out to be the best thing for my health in many ways, I knew it was time to up my game this year in my quest for better health.
     This year has been the real test. This was the year I found Foot Zone Therapy, and have made it an everyday promise to drink either a green smoothie, or a wheatgrass shot. Let's see, no wheat, more vegetables and fruit, less meat (down to one meal per day, and non on Meatless Mondays), how in the world was I to survive? Very well, thank you.
     I also had the opportunity to get foot zones done on me for free. In six or more months of weekly foot zones, and eating better than I ever have been before, I saw that I had a lot more energy than I've ever had, well, since my late teens, early twenties anyway! Also, when everyone else in the house would fall ill, I stayed healthy. Huh.
     The real proof came recently, when I discovered that I had dropped 10 pounds from April, but it wasn't the weight loss that was amazing, it was the redistribution of the weight I had left (no more muffin top and chubby knees!). It may not have come off quickly, and it really didn't want to come off, I think. But it did, and I know I'm better for it. My knees don't hurt, my feet are not swollen, even the one that was swollen all the time for no apparent reason. My results may have had something to do with the weekly foot zones, but mark my words, my Nazi actions toward label reading have something to do with it as well.
     The combination of eating better, and weekly foot zoning have seen me so much more healthy than I was, even from a year ago. I may get called a fanatic, but the results from eating healthier just seemed to happen too quickly for me to deny the existence of GMOs any longer. So, I came up with some rules of thumb while shopping: If there are more than 5 or 6 ingredients on the label of food (or shampoo, soap, or toothpaste, they get put in and on your body too!) you are about to purchase, should you eat it? If you do not know how to pronounce half or more of the ingredients, should you ingest it? Lastly, if you do NOT know what the heck it is that is typed on that label, even if you CAN pronounce it, do you really want it in your body?

     We only have one body, and it is supposed to last us until we are really old, hopefully, anyway. I personally would rather have QUALITY years over QUANTITY. I'm not old yet, and when things started pooping out on me within my vessel, I wanted to know what I could do to remedy that issue. I also really dislike medical doctors, hospitals, and pharmaceuticals. If I can heal myself without having to use any of those, I would rather. I know that I'm going to a doctor if my arm breaks, but I would like to prevent cancer or a heart attack, or kidney stones (oops, too late), or liver failure if I can.
     I am not one to sit idly by and accept that it is my age that brings on an influx of weight. There are thin 70 year olds out there in existence! I am also not the kind of person who likes prescription drug side-effects. If there is even a remote chance that I can stay un-depressed without the pills, I am willing to try it. Since I have been on at least 3 different prescriptions for my "depression" that have done nothing for me other than cause some other weird, abnormal occurrence in my body, I'll stay far away.
     Prove to yourselves, once and for all, that Genetic Modifications are a factor in our health, or should I say LACK THEREOF. Try it out for the minimum of six months to a year, for some it will happen faster. Note your health changes by kicking out the processed foods. Eat organic more than not, cut back on your meat intake, it IS possible! I guarantee you will see a change in your health.

     You could just accept that sickness is an everyday part of your life, and you can stay a couch potato, and keep eating whatever you want. It is your choice. You can choose to ignore this post, and go on eating, drinking, and being merry, that's up to you. But if you are like me, and you'd rather have quality in your years on this planet, and you wonder why illnesses that used to be fewer and farther between, are now epidemics, it certainly is a thought worth entertaining.
     The sad fact is: "Genetically engineered foods are generally regarded as safe. There has been no adequate testing, however, to ensure complete safety. There are no reports of illness or injury due to genetically engineered foods. However, each new genetically engineered food will need to be judged individually." I for one, do not wish to be a human lab rat!
     Please know that while I do get upon my little soapbox often, I try not to tell people how they ought to run their lives. I just know what has happened in my life, and why I made the choices I have made, and why I chose to stick with it, and I feel the need to share. you can use your own judgement, and figure it out for yourself, in fact, I would challenge you to!

Namaste!

Articles of interest on GMOs:
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-gm-foods
http://www.nextgenerationfood.com/article/genetically-engineered-food
http://www.nextgenerationfood.com/news/should-packaging-be-labelled-for-gm-ingredients/

What I carry when I shop:
http://truefoodnow.org/shoppers-guide/

Websites:
http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/
http://truefoodnow.org/
http://www.organicconsumers.org/
http://www.forksoverknives.com/

Movies:
Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead
Forks over Knives
Food Inc.
Genetic Roulette

Sharing is Caring II

2012-10-18T18:06:00.000-06:00

I'm going to borrow -or share, rather- one of my articles from my website to tantalize you into going over to view it! I'm about ready to learn how to build profitable traffic, and I am EXCITED! I AM doing the Happy Dance. I apologize for not keeping up with my weekly blogging, kids, but as you can guess, this website is taking up a ton of my extra time. I know it'll be worth it! So here's an excerpt from my first article entitled:

Health and Wellbeing

The first topic to be covered on this site, and a quite good question to answer is, “What is health & wellbeing?”
The dictionary defines each thusly:
Well-be·ing [wel-bee-ing] noun -a good or satisfactory condition of existence; a state characterized by health, happiness, and prosperity; welfare: to influence the well-being of the nation and its people.
Health [helth] noun -1. the general condition of the body or mind with reference to soundness and vigor: good health; poor health. 2. soundness of body or mind; freedom from disease or ailment: to have one's health; to lose one's health. 3. a polite or complimentary wish for a person's health, happiness, etc., especially as a toast: We drank a health to our guest of honor. 4. vigor; vitality: economic health.
Simple, easy, and to the point. Browsing around the internet can lead to information that is both good and bad; we need to remember to take a lot of what’s out there with a grain of salt. Amazingly enough, there was the perfect definition on a website just awaiting perusal:
Health and Wellbeing - more than just good health, wellbeing describes a state of wellness of body, mind and soul, where all are in a state of health, the individual is happy and prospering. Wellbeing is not available by prescription, there is no one path and many different roads can be taken to arrive there.¹...

To read more of this article, please click on this here link: http://expandedwellbeing.com/health-and-wellbeing/

Thank you for being so patient and sticking with me through this exciting time of CHANGE!! As I always say, "The ONLY constant in life is change."
Make it a blessed day!

Namaste!

Website Under Construction!

2012-10-11T18:07:00.003-06:00

Just a quick few words... I've got to let the cat out of the bag... This week, I've been working on a website! It's still under construction, but I suppose I can tell a few important people about it. My site is about, well- Health & Well-being. What else would it be about? You can follow this link to find my site, tell your friends & neighbors. My hope is that there will be enough information on there once it's complete to cure what ails ya... Or at least give you a great start! To your health!

http://expandedwellbeing.com/

Namaste!

When the Mountain Gets in the Way...

2012-09-28T21:42:00.000-06:00

     Today's blog is going to be a bit different, more like therapy for myself, or venting, if you will. Whatever it gets labeled, I hope you will bear with me. It has been one Heckuva day: I was terminated at my place of employment due to a predicament I was in earlier this year. A momentary lapse of reason, in which I acted totally out of character- resulting in a Class B Misdemeanor, a hefty fine, 48 hours in the local jail, and anger management classes (not to mention failing a sting about a week after getting out of the hoosegow, I get to do community service for that though...). My background check, which they assured me at the beginning (because I was forthright, and told them of this altercation); would not be a problem, turned out most definitely to be a problem. A "problem" which may cost me more than just this job.
     As I sit here typing this up, wringing my hands, I find myself out of work once again, for the umpteenth time in 3 (or more) years; I can't help but want to kick myself. I could have stayed inside of my vehicle and remembered to breathe back in March when this all started. I chose to act on an impulse, and I continue to reap all sorts of consequences aside from whatever the judge handed out.
     With these lingering consequences, I have two choices I can ultimately make: I can sit here and keep on brooding until I make my life Hell all over again, and go back to where I started before my "journey of enlightenment." OR: I can choose to ask, "What is the lesson here?" It is painfully obvious that I am still learning, and until I find out what the "lesson" is, I am doomed to repeat it. Do I still get in my own way? It is possible.

I am desperately trying to STOP any negative thoughts that come to mind, consequently, by keeping myself occupied with busy work. I realize all too well that what you put out to the Uni-verse, you get back. I need all the positivity I can get at this point in time, so I don't think I can afford to put any negativity out there. True, this is a setback, but is it possible to see this "setback" in a positive light? Some say it is so.

     I have found that no matter where I have lived, I cannot get away from my "problems," and they even seem to "follow" me. Is it not a possibility that I carry these "problems" within me? This is why I have asked if I continue to get in my own way. I haven't thought to 'wish for something as it turns out' before, so seeing this graphic is fortunate timing. To ponder just what it means to get out of my own way, assess the current situation, and find out how best to proceed in spite of what happened (in spite of? Maybe not in spite of...), will do me some good.
     The facts from today are outlined thusly: The "chiefs" liked me. They really didn't care that I had a couple of bad days, we all have them. So, I can congratulate myself for being recognized for my potential in a job. I must keep that close to my heart. Were it that my place of employment was a publicly owned facility, it would matter not that I got a Misdemeanor. But, as it is a Government funded organization, they could not keep me on.
     I am not avoiding blame in this, I am simply looking at the facts of the situation. They saw me as a good worker, a good match for the job I was hired to do. They saw that I was devastated when they had to let me go, and they did not like that they had to enforce it.
     The sad, and glaring, fact remains: I have arrived in this circumstance as a result of acting on an ANGER IMPULSE, a negative reaction to a occurrence that happened. The traffic collision could have happened to anyone, and has happened to a fair amount of people, I'm sure. I allowed negativity to outside stressors to take over, and I want to make a point here: HOW I CHOSE TO REACT AT THAT POINT IN TIME HAS AFFECTED MY LIFE IN THE HERE AND NOW.
     This is why it is imperative to keep your negative impulses in check. You can be angry, that is ok, I'm not saying we're not allowed to get angry- it happens. How you choose to ACT on that anger may NOT, however, be ok. When I chose to assault another human being simply because their car barely tapped mine on the bumper, that action WAS NOT OK. I cannot take it back, so I am cycling through the outcome and repercussions of that negative action. If I can see the gift in all of this "mess," I may be alright! If I can see the chance to grow I am being allowed, I may be able to say that I have gotten out of my own way.

I keep praying that I will see this termination from the best job I've ever had as God sees it. Not now I want to see it. I don't particularly like to think about my immediate thoughts on this subject as I left the building today. I'm certainly not going to dwell on that reaction. That is where I had to immediately interrupt my thought process, before I ran smack into that huge mountain ever looming before me. This mountain looms before all of us, whether we realize it or not. We can choose to climb that mountain, go around it the long way, blast through it, or- yes there IS another option- move it.

     When we successfully learn to move the mountains in our lives out of the way- we have, in reality, been granted the knowledge we so desire in order to grow! I pray that I can successfully move this particular mountain. It has been in my way quite a long time. My epiphany: the mountain I need to remove is me holding myself back from anything good in my life because as a child, I was programmed to believe I would never amount to anything.
     Why in the world would ANYONE WANT to hold onto THAT their entire life? Maybe because that is the lie they have chosen to see masquerading as truth. I have heard that in order to truly heal, and ultimately move forward, one needs to admit they have a problem. Houston, we have a problem. Well, that was the first step in the successful removal of said "Life Mountain." I am quite sure that the mountain may remain for a while longer, but I see it now.
     Tomorrow, I may even be able to see beyond the mountain, but it certainly will not move right away. Moving it could be hard. I'd like it to be easy. Can I intend for it to be easy? I have heard that manifesting good can be as easy as one makes it. So, here goes. Enough about landscaping, I see what I'd like, and I am willing to believe the truth about me now that I've caught a glimpse of it. Why be afraid of my potential? Aren't we all?
     Thank you for coming on this particular journey with me today. My hope is that in reading about my life's mountains, you may see your own, and be able to move them! Good luck and much positive energy goes out to all of us who need a major undertaking done in their lives!

Namaste!