Spiritual/Mind Advancement, Food and Exercise.

GROWING YOUR OWN POTATOES

2023-06-21T03:04:00.000-07:00

You Can Grow Your Own Potatoes Even If You Don’t Have a Garden So your basil died in a freeze and you accidentally overwatered your tomatoes. We get it. Not everyone has a green thumb. (Gardening can be super tricky even if you do!) That said, there’s one crop that’s surprisingly easy to grow — and it just so happens to be a perennial favorite (literally): potatoes. With a few simple tips, you’ll be well on your way to enjoying home-grown spuds for mashing, smashing, and roasting. Read on to learn more about how to grow potatoes in your garden — or even on your balcony or patio. Potatoes originated in the Andes mountains of South America, where local farmers cultivate more than 4,000 potato varieties. They’re a member of the nightshade family, along with tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant. Like the other nightshades, potatoes are a warm season crop that require a frost-free growing season. One intriguing difference between potatoes and other nightshades is that, instead of sprouting from seeds, potatoes grow from underground tubers, which are also the edible part of the plant. You start potato plants from so-called “seed” potatoes (aka old potatoes), or pieces of potato from the previous year’s crop. Although there are some similarities between potatoes and sweet potatoes, the sweet variety is a member of the morning glory family. Tasty as they are, sweet potatoes have different growing requirements than regular potatoes, so we won’t cover cultivating them here. Choosing potatoes to plant To choose the best potato varieties to grow in your garden, give some thought to how you like to prepare them, and how long you need them to last in storage. You have your choice of a few categories: Potatoes may have “floury,” “waxy,” or “all-purpose” flesh. In general, they can be stored anywhere from 2-6 months. Floury Floury types include the ever-popular brown-skinned Burbank Russet potato. Because their cells break down and become absorbent when cooked, these common brown potatoes are perfect for mashed or baked potatoes. Floury potatoes have a moderate storage life of 2-3 months. Waxy The cells of waxy potato flesh, on the other hand, don’t break down when cooked. Red potatoes like Pontiac and Red Norland are some of the best known types in this category (but white potatoes such as Kennebec fall under the waxy umbrella as well). Because they don’t break down as easily, the sturdy, waxy guys are great for soups and stews, roasting, and potato salad. Waxy potatoes store well, too. You’ll get up to 6 months from this variety. All-purpose Last but not least, all-purpose potatoes have a creamy texture that holds its shape after cooking. Popular all-purpose potatoes for home gardeners include Yukon Gold and German Butterball. (No relation to the turkey.) These spuds can be stored up to 6 months. For the more elegantly inclined, fancy fingerling potatoes are waxy flesh types that are genetically predisposed to grow long and thin. Fingerlings like Rose Finn Apple or Russian Banana are a good choice if you like smaller potatoes, but want the ability to store them for up to several months. Other considerations Besides the type of flesh, a tuber’s shape and age might influence your potato preferences too. New potatoes and petite potatoes, for example, are pint-sized potatoes that have been harvested prior to the fully mature stage. Just note that, because they haven’t yet developed fully protective skins, new potatoes should be used within a few weeks of harvest. Ready, set, potato! Potato “eyes” get a bad rap as an indicator of potatoes’ not-so-fresh status, but they serve an important purpose. Eyes begin from small, indented locations on each tuber where growth shoots form, eventually becoming new potato plants. In proper, cool storage, the tubers are dormant and eyes do not sprout. While it’s technically possible to use old potatoes from the grocery store to make seed pieces for garden growth, it’s not a great idea. Grocery store potatoes may have been treated to minimize sprouting and may even harbor plant diseases. For best results, use only certified seed potatoes. These veggie starters are disease-free and have not been treated against sprouting. (Wondering where the heck to get such magical, disease-free seed taters? Check your local garden supply store — or even Amazon!) When you’re ready to plant your way to dinnertime deliciousness, prepare seed potatoes by cutting them into 1-inch pieces, with 2-3 eyes on each piece. Cure the cut pieces by placing 5 pounds of seed pieces in a paper grocery bag and folding down the top. Leave them in the bag for about a week, shaking gently every day or two to separate pieces that may have stuck together. Plant them 2-4 weeks before your last frost date. Potatoes need consistently moist, well-drained, acidic soil that’s high in organic matter. They rot in wet soil and won’t produce in drought. Silty loam is ideal, but you can easily make sandy or clay soil more potato-friendly with a generous application of compost. Now it’s time to plant! Choose a garden area that receives at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily. (Both raised and non-raised beds work well.) Prepare the garden bed by mixing generous amounts of compost into the top 6 inches of soil. Plant seed pieces with the eyes facing upward 4 inches deep, spaced 12 inches apart within the row. Cover with 3 inches of soil and space the rows 2-3 feet apart. Your potato plants will sprout about 2 weeks after planting. (Feel free to do a happy dance when you see their perky green leaves poking up out of your garden bed.) When the stalks are about 10 inches high, pull soil up around the stems. Cover them halfway. Repeat every 2-3 weeks. This process is called hilling. Hilling potatoes promotes additional potato formation in younger plants and helps protect growing tubers from sunlight. An alternative method is to plant the seed pieces at the soil surface and cover with a deep layer of straw mulch. Add more straw as the plants grow to keep the growing tubers hidden from the sunlight. Up to a foot or more of mulch may be required for this method. Potatoes also grow well in containers and grow bags you can place on a patio or balcony if the spot receives enough sunlight. Plant them in the bottom of the pot and cover with just a few inches of container mix. Then, as the plants grow, add more container mix, covering half of the exposed plant every 3 weeks until the pot is full. Maintaining your taters To keep your taters growing strong, maintain potato hills or mulch throughout the growing season. The mounded soil protects developing potatoes from sunlight, which causes unsightly greening. Green potatoes may contain elevated levels of solanine, a mild toxin that can actually make you sick. While home gardens are generally spared the infestations that large farms sometimes experience, there are a few potato pests to watch out for. If potato beetles show up (you’ll know them by their striped backs) simply remove them by hand. Wash aphids and leaf hoppers off with a strong jet of water. Use row covers to protect against flea beetles. And in general, to minimize the number of hiding places for pests, keep your potato patch weed-free. More tips for preventing disease: Use certified seed and planting in well-drained, acidic soil Water early in the day so that foliage can dry out quickly afterwards Don’t crowd plants together Remove plants and compost them after harvest Reaping your starchy harvest Now for the fun part: reaping the fruits (or, um, veggies) of your labor for starchy, creamy eating! For new potatoes, begin harvesting when the plants flower, around 10-12 weeks after planting. You’ll notice these spuds have thin skin — that’s OK, they’re supposed to. The thin-skinned taters are flavorful and tender, but not suitable for long-term storage. Mature potatoes, or maincrop potatoes, are ready to harvest when the plants die back at the end of the growing season. Depending on your climate and growing conditions, this can happen around 20 weeks after planting. Harvest potatoes in dry weather. Brush off excess dirt, but don’t wash them to avoid damaging their skins. Cure the potatoes for storage by laying them in single layers (not piles) in a dark, humid, cool place with excellent air circulation for 2 weeks. (Try for 85 percent humidity and less than 50 degrees.) If the air circulation isn’t ideal, turn your taters over at the halfway point. After curing, sort the potatoes. Pull out any that are damaged, soft, or show signs of spoilage, as these could ruin the whole batch — and nobody wants that after weeks of hard work! Store the strong contenders in a dark, cool, humid place in containers with good air circulation (such as burlap bags or milk crates). Bottom line Even if you’re a newbie gardener, don’t fear planting potatoes. These tasty meal-starters are a surprisingly simple, low-maintenance crop you can grow in a small space. Potatoes might even become your gateway plant! If you can succeed with spuds, who knows what other produce you can cultivate for yummy yard-to-table (or balcony-to-table) meals all year round? By Debbie Wolfe on June 22, 2022

BEAUTY OF LIFE

2023-06-21T02:07:00.002-07:00

"High in the mountains, there were hardly any birds; there were some crows, there were deer, and an occasional bear. The huge redwoods, the silent ones, were everywhere, dwarfing all other trees. It was a magnificent country and utterly peaceful, for no hunting was allowed. Every animal, tree, and flower was protected. Sitting under one of those massive redwoods, one was aware of the history of humanity and the beauty of the earth. A fat red squirrel passed by most elegantly, stopping a few feet away, watching and wondering what you were doing there. The earth was dry, though there was a stream nearby. Not a leaf stirred, and the beauty of silence was among the trees. Going slowly along the narrow path, round the bend was a bear with four cubs as large as big cats. They rushed off to crawl up trees, and the mother faced one without a movement, without a sound. About fifty feet separated us; she was enormous, brown, and prepared. One immediately turned one’s back on her and left. Each understood that there was no fear and no intention to hurt, but all the same, one was glad to be among the protecting trees, squirrels, and the scolding jays. Freedom is to be a light to oneself; then it is not an abstraction, a thing conjured by thought. Actual freedom is freedom from dependency, attachment, from the craving for experience. Freedom from the very structure of thought is to be a light to oneself. In this light all action takes place, and thus it is never contradictory. Contradiction only exists when that law, light, is separate from action, when the actor is separate from action. The ideal, the principle, is the barren movement of thought and cannot coexist with this light; one denies the other. This light, this law, is separate from you; where the observer is, this light, this love, is not. The structure of the observer is put together by thought, which is never new, never free. There is no how, no system, no practice. There is only the seeing which is the doing. You have to see, not through the eyes of another. This light, this law, is neither yours nor that of another. There is only light. This is love." Excerpt from The Beauty of Life

Mindful Eating: How You Eat is Just as Important as What You Eat

2022-03-21T06:57:00.001-07:00

By Jon Yaneff Guest Writer for Wake Up World Often the relationships we cherish most are the ones we have with people. However, consider your relationship with your food. Are you at peace when you eat your meal? How do you feel after you finish your food? Are you angry while eating your food or are you stressed? Does your food yell back with fierce digestion repercussions such as bloating or chronic constipation? “Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food,” said Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician, often referred to as the father of Western medicine. And he had it right. When we have internal problems, what we’ve put into our bodies was most likely the culprit to our pain. Food can also heal the body, not just from what we eat, but how we eat. And that’s where mindful eating comes in. If you have a diet consisting of poor quality, processed foods, there is often unmanaged stress on the body and your digestive system is compromised. Picture your digestive system like your local waste landfill. When garbage piles up, it is harmful for the environment. The same is true when layers of food build up on your intestinal wall. When food isn’t digested properly, it sits and ferments in the intestine, toxins are introduced into the bloodstream, feeding fungi and parasites. This further decreases the absorption of your food. When you practice mindful eating, more of what you eat will be digested and you will feel noticeably better, inside and out! Follow these five mindful eating techniques to improve your digestion. Eat in a Calm State We live in a society where technology often controls our reins. We are on our phones, computers and T.V., talking, texting, working, or watching. Eating, however, should be your time, not controlled by your devices. Put your cell phone on silent and close your laptop. This helps you be more relaxed. The parasympathetic nervous system in your body governs the digestive system, so when you’re operating under stress, your digestion system is compromised. Choosing a calm and quiet environment and sitting at your kitchen table will allow you to relax. I mention the kitchen table, because a lot of times, people watch T.V. while eating and head to where that device is located. When you sit and eat, this helps your digestive tract, helping you focus on your meal and not your Twitter update. After your meal, take a few minutes to rest, and allow your digestive process to begin. Common mindful practices such as enjoying nature, meditation, and yoga will help you prepare for mindful eating, improving your digestion system in the process. Chew Your Food Properly Did you mother ever tell you to chew your food? Well, maybe it’s time you listen. Chewing your food 30 times (minimum!) should be your mindful eating practice, allowing your food to become a liquid, paste-like texture. The nutrients in your food will therefore be near the surface, which is more accessible to digestive enzymes within your digestive system. On the other hand, when there are large chunks of food, they often pass through your intestine untouched by digestive secretions and the nutrients are often unabsorbed. Also, when you chew thoroughly, the liquid paste you’ve created can pass through your digestive system lubricated with saliva. Food Combining and Sequencing Think of your digestive system like the classic video game Tetris. When blocks fall down and create a full line, it disappears. When your food hits your digestive system free and clear of the harder to digest foods (or Tetris blocks), it is able to finish the process. Yes, I know, you don’t want to be playing the game while eating; however, this analogy makes sense here. Fruits digest almost instantly, but if they are eaten after a denser protein, starchy, or high-fat food, they will ferment and wait for the meal to pass through. You will metaphorically have to start yourTetris game over again. Here is the order in which to eat certain foods: fruits, vegetables and leafy greens, grains and starchy vegetables, legumes, and fats. Practice this mindful eating technique to avoid IBS, bloating, gas, or other chronic issues. Fast Everyday Jesus was known to have fasted for 40 days and nights in the Judean desert. You don’t need to fast for that long; however, taking a break from eating gives your digestive system a chance to rest. Just like you need sleep, so does your digestive system. Fast for 14 hours in your 24-hour day. This is easier than your think. Stop eating after dinner (around 7pm) and eat breakfast at around 9am. Also, finish eating three hours before bed. Break your fast with easy to digest foods, such as a smoothie or fruits. Be Grateful for Your Food The energy you give your food matters, so being grateful for the food on your plate can help your state of mind. You are grateful for the food you eat, right? After all, it’s that food that allows us to live healthy and functional lives. This is a mindful eating technique where you will deliberately learn to appreciate your food and pay attention to its colors, tastes, and textures. You will be aware of the details of your food, so you give it a home, not a prison. Article Sources: Chopra, D., Perfect Digestion: the key to balanced living (New York: Harmony Books, 1995), 36-39. Dupont, C., The New Enlightened Eating: Simples Recipes for Extraordinary Living (Summertown: Books Alive, 2012), 19-23. Albers, S., “Comfort Cravings: The 10 Best Healthy Eating Quotes,” Psychology Today web site, June 13, 2011; https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/comfort-cravings/201107/the-10-best-healthy-eating-quotes. Chozen Bays, J., “Mindful Eating: Rediscovering a healthy and joyful relationship with food,” Psychology Today web site, Feb. 5, 2009; https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mindful-eating/200902/mindful-eating. Pennington, K., “Holistic Health and Lifestyle Counselor Katherine Pennington Breaks Down The Scoop on Food Combing,” The Family Groove web site; http://www.thefamilygroove.com/. Previous articles by Jon Yaneff: The Condiment Conundrum: 5 Tasty Condiments for the Health Conscious 5 Amazing Health Benefits of Kale Healthy Recipe For Eggplant and Quinoa Salad 5 Superfoods from Ancient Cultures 5 Healthy Chip Alternatives 4 Reasons Why Eating Lunch at Your Desk is Hurting Your Health About the author: jon yaneffAs a former sports reporter with a community newspaper group, an industrialized and fast food lifestyle was Jon’s constant companion. Having left his position, he has undergone massive changes in his life over the past couple of years. He is now open to everything, trying every new thing that he feels can benefit him in the long run. He has adopted yogic, spiritual, holistic and vegetarian lifestyles, finding peace and allowing him to spread that peace to others through his words. He also has a blog geared toward health, well-being and a conscious lifestyle at WellBeing Stadium. Jon Yaneff appears courtesy of foods4betterhealth.com.

How To Build A More Positive Brain

2022-03-21T06:51:00.001-07:00

By Debbie Hampton Guest Writer for Wake Up World While the idea of having either a sunny brain or a rainy brain is a little bit extreme, it’s not too far off base because optimistic brains actually do function differently than pessimistic ones. As science has begun to unravel and validate the complex neurobiology of positive emotion and optimism, it’s been discovered that three brain regions play a crucial role in making and keeping you optimistic. How Your Brain Makes Optimism The prefrontal cortex (PFC), the “executive center” of your brain, guides your behavior, regulates emotion, and motivates you towards reward and away from pain or danger. The PFC also allows you to set goals and plan for and imagine the future, which are directly related to optimism. The second part(s) of your brain involved in creating optimism are your amygdala (there are two of them), which are the triggers for raw emotions such as fear and rage or delight and joy. The third essential players in creating an optimistic brain are the areas located mostly in the midbrain making up your reward circuit and involved in the release of dopamine, the neurotransmitter most closely associated with reward. The reward circuit and corresponding punishment circuit supply the necessary motivation for most of your behaviors. The reward circuit is activated any time you perform behaviors that you enjoy. Studies have shown that stress reduces activity in the reward circuit. While optimism has a substantial hereditary component, like any personality trait, it’s also heavily influenced by experience. Only 30-50% of most personality traits are genetically inherited. The good news is that this means 50-70% of how optimistic you are depends on environment and your effort and input. The science of epigenetics is confirming that social and environmental factors alter your genetic code and that the genes you’re born with don’t have to be your destiny. The PFC, involved in optimism and the reward circuit, is also conveniently in charge of learning, and it can be strengthened and exercised much like you pump up your biceps. Your brain is malleable and can learn to be more optimistic. Ways To Build An Optimistic Brain In order to survive, our ancestors’ brains were wired to notice and remember the bad while pretty much ignoring the good. Recalling a near miss or deadly predator’s territory was much more likely to allow them to pass on the genes than remembering a nice napping spot. Although this negativity bias developed for an important reason, it gives your brain a constant negative slant and leaves you worried and feeling stressed out today. But there are ways to give your brain a more positive tilt. Look for and take in the good – In an effort to use neural resources efficiently, your brain doesn’t automatically recognize the good. It’s job is to be on the alert for danger and protect you. To counteract this natural tendency, you have to look for, put emphasis on, and create goodexperiences. This involves becoming aware of what good is present in your life and making the thought an embodied experience accompanied by positive feelings, sensations, desires, and actions. Keep long term rewards in mind – Because your PFC is concerned with imagining and planning for your future, you can keep it motivated and give it something to look forward to by focusing on potential benefits, like health, monetary, or relationship rewards. Take the time to visualize positive outcomes every day. In your brain, imagining something and doing it are not all that different. The same neurochemicals are released and neurons fire when you are just thinking. Every time you visualize, you’re building up your brain’s ability to sustain positive emotions. How to Build a More Positive Brain Well-Being Therapy – Developed by Giaovanni Fava, of the University of Bologna in Italy – has been known to help people adopt a more optimistic outlook and hold onto positive emotions longer by most likely strengthening the PFC’s interactions with the reward and pleasure circuits. Well-Being Therapy consists of three exercises done everyday for a week: Three times a day write down one positive thing about yourself and one positive about someone you interact with regularly. Express gratitude often. Say “thank you,” keep a gratitude journal, write an appreciative note to someone, or make a caring phone call. Do whatever feels appropriate to you, but make a point to notice and express your gratitude. Compliment others regularly. Start actively looking for opportunities to give authentic compliments, and you might be surprised at the multitude of reasons you find, such as a coworkers’ thoroughness, someone holding the door for you, or a neighbor’s beautiful flower bed. When handing out your kind words, look the person in the eyes and make a connection. Don’t forget to include yourself in the compliments. Too Much Of A Good Thing While studies have shown that pessimism and being able to see the worst in a situation actually make for better lawyers, an overwhelmingly negative outlook can lead to anxiety and depression, sap your motivation, and suck the joy out of your relationships and life. However, it is possible to carry a positive outlook to unrealistic extremes. You probably know a “Positive Pollyanna” or two like this. You might even be one! An excessively positive attitude impairs your ability to consider consequences, learn from mistakes, and postpone immediate gratification. Too much optimism can be inappropriate and get a person into trouble. If you continuously use your credit card to make purchases adding to the already astronomical balance thinking “Oh well, I’ll just work some overtime this month,” that’s not a good strategy either. In this case, you would want to lower the activity in the brain’s reward circuit and weaken connections between involved areas. For example if you are tempted to buy that expensive new car you really can’t afford, you might remind your brain of the detriments: a car’s value drops dramatically as soon as it’s driven off the lot; how you’ll feel when its beautiful paint job gets a scratch; how the high payments will force you to not spend any money on other things you enjoy. What you want to shoot for here is realistic optimism. Previous articles by Debbie Hampton: Naming and Taming Worry and Anxiety Understanding the Difference Between Emotions and Feelings – and Why It Matters About the author: Debbie HamptonDebbie Hampton recovered from decades of unhealthy thinking and depression, a suicide attempt, and resulting brain injury to become an inspirational and educational writer. On her website, The Best Brain Possible Debbie shares how she rebuilt her brain and life to find joy and thrive. She wants you to know that you can do it too! You can quickly learn the steps to a better you in her book Beat DepressionAnd Anxiety By Changing Your Brain with simple practices easy to implement in your daily life. Improve your brain, improve your life. Connect with Debbie at Facebook.com/BestBrainPossible

5 Foods That Destroy Your Immune System

2022-03-21T06:47:00.000-07:00

March 17th, 2022 By Dr. Edward F. Group Guest Writer for Wake Up World A strong immune system is vital for staying healthy. Getting enough sleep, exercising, and good nutrition are all things that support your immune system. Conversely, running on a sleep deficit, living a sedentary lifestyle, and eating unhealthy foods will make your immune system weak. Let’s take a look at some of the absolute worst types of food for your immune system. Foods That Destroy Your Immune System Nutrition is a factor when considering the strength or weakness of your immune system. Eating whole, organic foods that are free of additives and chemicals provide the best nutrients without any toxins. This is the food that nourishes your body and supports immune function. But not all foods do that, let’s look at the 5 that are the worst for immune function. 1. Red Meat Red meat can trigger a dangerous reaction that can weaken the immune system.[1] The issue comes from a natural sugar in red meat that our bodies can’t digest. The sugar is believed to cause a host of other health concerns — a higher risk of cancer being one of those. 2. Fried Foods In addition to being full of fats that could increase your “bad” cholesterol, fried foods can also trigger inflammation, leading to reduced immunity. Cutting back on fried foods — or better yet, getting rid of them altogether — could help restore the body’s natural defenses.[2] Plus, fried foods accumulate acrylamide — a dangerous carcinogen. 3. Soda If you’re drinking soda — it really doesn’t matter what it’s sweetened with — you’re likely harming your immune system. Even diet soda is a bad option. Because soda has no beneficial nutrients, drinkers are less likely to get enough vitamin A, calcium, and magnesium — all necessary for an optimum immune system. And, if that wasn’t enough, phosphoric acid (found in sodas) can also deplete calcium and magnesium in the body. 4. Sugary Snacks Some sugars — refined ones are the absolute worst — can actually suppress the immune system. Refined sugar actually targets the cells that attack bacteria.[3] And the effect can even last for hours after you eat something sugary. 5. Processed Foods One of the most dangerous foods to immune health, in my opinion, is processed foods. How come? Because there are many food companies out there who are using the terms “natural” to describe their product, even though their foods may have a hefty amount of refined carbohydrates, sugar, and hidden flavorings. Even organic processed foods, like cereal and bread, can contain immune-suppressing sugar. Processed foods are basically anything that comes in a package, contains more than one ingredient, and has been cooked and modified mechanically. Eating processed foods can lead to chronic irritation in the body. The toxins of a modern diet completely outweigh the possible nutritional gains.[4] All this is leading us to weaker immune systems, higher rate of illnesses and diseases, and all-around poor health. Natural Immune System Support If you want a healthy immune system, in addition to getting rid of these foods, you could also try eating some that boost your immunity instead. These include vitamin C-rich foods like green vegetables and citrus. Exercise is also a healthy component, as is stress reduction and vitamin D supplementation. Oregano oil is also a powerful harmful organism cleanser and may have some benefit for immune health. References: Samraj, A. N. et al. A red meat-derived glycan promotes inflammation and cancer progression. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 112 (2). Vlassara, H. et al. Protection against Loss of Innate Defenses in Adulthood by Low Advanced Glycation End Products (AGE) Intake: Role of the Antiinflammatory AGE Receptor-1. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 94 (11). Sanchez, A. et al. Role of sugars in human neutrophilic phagocytosis. he American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 26 (11). Myles, I. A. Fast food fever: reviewing the impacts of the Western diet on immunity. Nutrition Journal. Originally published at Global Healing Center and reproduced here with permission. About the author: Dr. Edward F. Group III (DC, ND, DACBN, DCBCN, DABFM) founded Global Healing Center in 1998 with the goal of providing the highest quality natural health information and products. He is world-renowned for his research on the root cause of disease. Under his leadership, Global Healing Center earned recognition as one of the largest natural and organic health resources in the world. Dr. Group is a veteran of the United States Army and has attended both Harvard and MIT business schools. He is a best-selling author and a frequent guest on radio and television programs, documentary films, and in major publications. Dr. Group centers his philosophy around the understanding that the root cause of disease stems from the accumulation of toxins in the body and is exacerbated by daily exposure to a toxic living environment. He believes it is his personal mission to teach and promote philosophies that produce good health, a clean environment, and positive thinking. This, he believes, can restore happiness and love to the world.

6 of the Most Powerful Questions to Ask for the Awakening Soul

2022-03-21T06:39:00.000-07:00

March 18th, 2022 By Aletheia Luna Guest writer for Wake Up World I want to share with you one of the most beautiful experiences that I’ve ever had. It occurred two days ago as I was sitting down quietly, listening to the sounds of the night. As I looked up at the white walls and ceiling encircling me, I was suddenly overcome with a strange sense of “waking up” from a very long and intricate dream that I had been taking part of for my entire life. Sol – who was in the room with me – seemed to merge with me so there was no “me” or “him,” there was no “self” or “other,” just an inexplicable vastness, an endless wholeness. For those few moments, everything was an expression of perfection and underneath all that I saw was an infinite stillness and silence; a purity of unity. And it was in that moment that everything I have ever looked for, everything I have ever intuitively sensed and desired, was fulfilled. Here’s what I have taken away from that experience to share with you: Our Quest to Build the Ideal Self When we begin our spiritual journeys of inner growth, we discover many things about ourselves, other people and the world. We uncover the lies we tell ourselves and others, the lies the world tells us, we work on exploring our personalities, we work on improving our personalities, we heal our wounds, we try to make peace with ourselves, we try to make amends with others … and many more things that go hand-in-hand with the cultivation of self-awareness, self-discovery, self-understanding and self-transformation. These are all very useful practices. Eventually, we develop a pretty good understanding of ourselves – of our flaws and strengths, of our core wounds and shadow elements and of our true dreams and gifts. We nourish our bodies, change our diets, create healthy personal boundaries, cut away toxic habits, say goodbye to destructive people, build new friendships and relationships, and eventually develop love and respect for who we think we are. This is all imperative. And yet … we always feel as though something is missing in our lives. We still work to pursue creating an “ideal self,” that always feels happy, that never suffers and that is constantly at peace. We still work to build and enhance our identities, whether through identifying as vegans, as yogis, as empaths, as intuitives, as Buddhists, as healers, as spiritual students or teachers, as Old Souls, as shamans, as eco warriors, and as any of the other hundreds of identity labels we love to collect and embody. And yet … we are never happy. We always seek more – we always seek to “be” more. Our quest is never-ending. We think that we can “defeat” the mind by using the mind … but have you ever questioned the validity of this? Have you ever asked yourself the following question: “Will I ever be enough?” Will You Really Ever “Be Enough”? The question may seem absurd: “Of course I am enough!” you might think as I once did. “I am a smart, attractive, intelligent, kind and loving person – of course I am enough!” Yes, yes you are. And to achieve this kind of self-respect is an important part of the growth process away from self-hatred to self-love. But there comes a time after you have cultivated self-love and self-respect where you come to realize something miraculous: You will never be enough because who you “think” you are is not truly “who” you are. All of the memories, all of the beliefs, all of the associations, all of the spiritual and worldly labels, all of the tastes, all of the traumas, all of the loves and hates, all of the insecurities and strengths, they are not truly “who” you are. And no matter how highly you regard yourself, no matter how popular, liked, celebrated, or lovable you are – your identity remains as a burden; a barrier that prevents you from the purest self-realization which is that you are an expression of Oneness. Your true nature has no name, no form, no identity, no limits. You are everything and nothing at the same time. 6 Powerful, Paradigm-Shifting Questions Six of the most powerful questions you can ever ask yourself in any moment are to do entirely with who you “think” you are. They include the following: Am I this emotion? Am I this thought? Am I this physical sensation? Am I this circumstance? Am I this body? Am I this personality? At first these question might sound strange, overly simplistic, and even bizarre. But the more self-aware you become of your thought processes which give birth to your feelings, perceptions, assumptions and beliefs about the world, the more you will come to see how closely you identify with all of these six elements. When I first started asking these questions, I was immediately uncomfortable and unwilling to completely follow through all the way to the end with such self-inquiry. I thought, “If I’m not this emotion, thought, physical sensation, experience, circumstance, body and personality because they are all transient and subject to growth, change and decay … what am I?” My conclusion was, “I am none of these things – I am nothing!” And because of my dark and miserly associations with the word “nothing,” I have neglected to ask these questions seriously. But I have recently experienced otherwise. I have discovered the truth which is that being “nothing” is paradoxically being everything. Being empty of your fabricated identity is paradoxically being completely full and whole again. Far from being desolate and void, being “nothing” is existing in a state of immense rest, of endless peace and profound liberation. Once you investigate the true depths of the question, “Who am I?” you come to a fascinating realization: “you” are not who you think you are, what you assume you are, what you have been taught you are, or what you have come to believe you are, and you never have been. Why? Because all of these things are temporary, passing and transient. About the author: Aletheia Luna is an influential spiritual writer whose work has changed the lives of thousands of people worldwide. After escaping the religious sect she was raised in, Luna experienced a profound existential crisis that led to her spiritual awakening. As a psychospiritual counselor, tarot reader, and professional writer, Luna’s mission is to help others become conscious of their entrapment and find joy, empowerment, and liberation in any circumstance. See more of her work at lonerwolf.com. This article, 6 of the Most Powerful Questions to Ask For the Awakening Soul, was originally published on lonerwolf.com, reproduced with permission.

7 Types of Orgasms and How to Feel Them All

2022-03-21T05:41:00.000-07:00

Clitoral G-spot Cervical Nipple Anal Penile Blended Orgasm stigma The definition of an orgasm is rather nebulous. In less sexy terms, it’s stages of increased heart rate, genital muscle contractions, and increased fluid. Medically, it’s described as “rhythmic stimulation of body parts with high concentration of sensory receptors.” But we think the best way to describe it is a release of tension, like letting out a really satisfying sigh. The size and intensity of one orgasm might be completely different from the next, depending how you happen to be feeling that day and what part(s) of your body is being stimulated. After all, we can’t really expect a vaginal orgasm to look or feel the same as a nipple one, right? Get comfy as we dive into the facts on how orgasms feel and happen, because there’s so much to explore outside of what we were(n’t) taught in school or on network TV. 1. Clitoral orgasm: The most dependable chap This is all about stimulating the glans clitoris, which visibly sits as a pea-size bundle of nerves at the tippy top of the vulva. Think of the clitoral orgasm as that friend you can call at 3 a.m. when you lose your house key. That’s because the clitoris literally exists to give pleasure. In a 2017 study of 1,055 women, 36.6 percent reported that they needed clitoral stimulation to come. And another 36 percent said it significantly enhanced their pleasure. That’s a whopping 72.6 percent of participants who basically agree: Clits are the tits. There’s a lot more than what’s under the hood The clitoris is actually much more expansive than the famous glans. It’s shaped like a four-pronged wishbone, with part of it extending internally along the vulva, from the glands to the bulb (and potentially even deeper, depending on the person). Because of this reach, it’s likely responsible for a whole lot of the sexual pleasure we experience. It feels like… While the clitoral orgasm is often described as “localized” or felt on the outer layer of the skin, the end result is often much more holistic. Honestly, clitoral orgasms can range from little spasms to full-on body quakes. How to get one Start by using two fingers to gently brush your inner lips. This can be a top-to-bottom motion or in small circles around the clit. Try pressing and gently pulling up on the skin right above your pubic area with your other hand. This has the effect of lightly flattening all the skin on the vulva, which can increase sensitivity. Make sure to play around with speed and pressure to find your sweet spot. This is one of those things where one-size-fits-all instructions simply won’t cut it. Also, vibrators! They’re a real thing and many people swear by them. 2. G-spot: The legendary one The legend of the G-spot started with German doctor Ernst Gräfenberg before it was made popular by sex researcher Beverly Whipple in 1981. It’s said to be located on the front wall of the vagina. The G-spot orgasm is notoriously elusive and has to be achieved through penetration. Two recent large studies seem to question the very existence of the G-spot. One study found that only 18 percent of women could orgasm from vaginal penetration alone, and another couldn’t pin down its definitive location. That being said, some people pursue G-spot action as their modus operandi. It feels like… G-spot orgasms are often described as deep, full-body experiences. Sensations may actually just be coming from in the house (aka the other side of your internal clitoral nerve network). But whatever you call it, word of mouth says looking for your G-spot might be more than worth it. How to get one 1. Try inserting two fingers and doing the “come hither” motion. This can be a little awkward for solo play, so using a dildo or an insertable toy might be preferable. 2. If your partner is using a flesh or toy penis to find the spot, both vagina-on-top and missionary positions are known G-spot locators. Pro tip: Use plenty of lube and don’t be afraid to give the clit some love at the same time! What’s up with squirting? Some people squirt fluid from their Bartholin’s glands (two pea-size glands found to the left and right of the opening of the vagina, which is connected to the G-spot) when they’re touched in the right way, often through internal stimulation. This can anything from a dramatic, fountain-like display to a more subtle release of liquid. As for what the liquid is made of, recent findings show it’s a cocktail of watered-down urine with a dash of female ejaculate. Plenty of people with vaginas never squirt. But if you’re curious, give it a shot! 3. A cervical O worth deep-sea diving for The cervix is probably most famous for passing babies into the world, but it’s also getting a lot of buzz as a pleasure zone these days. If you’re already a fan of deep penetrative sex, the cervical orgasm could be up your alley, so to speak. It feels like… A Vice writer describes it as “It was like I’d discovered a new door in a house I’d lived in for a long, long time. It felt like some part of my vaginal canal expanded, unfurling to its full potential.” How to get one The cervix is the Mariana Trench of your vagina. Stimulating it takes some strategy. One surefire way is to invest in a dildo. Most dildos are larger than the average penis, so they can reach more easily. But you can also get there with penetrative sex. Doggy style is generally a good position for depth. If you’re up for some exercise, have your partner lie on their back or secure a dildo with a suction in the right position and squat straight down. Should it hurt? Maybe a little, but if you’re yelping or feeling any sort of sharp pain, ease up. It’s more intense than other sexual sensations, but pain shouldn’t be the dominant experience. 4. Nipple orgasms, please and thank you Yes, nipple orgasms are a thing! Nipples contain hundreds of nerve endings and, for some people, having them touched is a serious turn-on. It feels like… Well, intense, for one thing. We’re heard the word “fireworks” used more than once to describe nipple orgasms. Even though stimulation happens on the nipple, you may feel sensation all over your body. How to get one Next time you’re masturbating, start by rubbing and lightly squeezing your nipples. Be patient and allow yourself to surrender to the sensation. If you’re with a partner, suggest they use their mouth. You’d be surprised how much this can add to your pleasure! 5. Butt don’t forget about this Anal orgasms are more achievable than you might think. If you’re skeptical, hear us out, because this taboo is also what makes an orgasm that much more intense and exciting. There are really two main types of anal orgasms, those that include prostate stimulation and those that don’t. Side note: Only people who have a penis or had one at birth have a prostate. Prostate orgasms often end in ejaculation but not always. It feels like… a surprising combination of familiarity and brand-new delight. The anus is full of nerve endings, so pressing on it can feel great the way stimulating other erogenous zones feels great: hard to explain but you know you want more! As for the prostate, once it’s stimulated, it becomes clear that a whole new deep pleasure zone has been activated. It’s often described as explosive. How to get one The prostate is located a couple of inches inside the rectum, so you’ll stimulate it using penetration. It may take some poking around to find what you’re looking for! The non-prostate anal orgasm can be got through teasing and touching the outer skin of the butthole. Try layering it with other types of stimulation to enhance the whole experience. Rules for buttplay Use lube. Go slow. Communicate. Never insert anything without a flared base, as the anal sphincter has a suction-like pull, which may cause items to get stuck. 6. The penile orgasm: Straight up, no ice A penile orgasm can be either ejaculatory or non-ejaculatory. That’s right, our old friend semen doesn’t have to show up to the party for it to be a memorable night. That’s because, though they often come as a pair, ejaculation and orgasm are actually independent events. Even though literally every sitcom ever made would have you believe sex is done when and only when the penis ejaculates (followed by the person immediately falling asleep, to the dismay of their partner), that’s not what happens in real life. Sex doesn’t have to end after a person ejaculates and, on the flip side, people can orgasm without ejaculating. It feels like… satisfying a hunger in your loins. The feeling can range from one large explosion to a drawn-out series of fireworks, popping and crackling throughout your body. How to get one If you’re playing with a partner, consult this handy guide! It’s all about finding the best sex position for maximizing what your mama gave you. Yes, we’re talking about penis shape. And keep in mind these general tips for pleasuring a penis: Don’t worry about how “hard” or “soft” it is. This isn’t actually a measure of pleasure. Use lube. This way, you’ll be able to slide your hand(s) over the penis without causing any roughness or pain. Be mindful of the firmness of your grip. Hold it like you mean it, but avoid using your strength to squeeze. Lastly, you’ll want to play around with the speed and pressure till you find that sweet spot. If you’re with a partner, don’t be afraid to ask them how it feels! 7. Blended, not stirred, orgasms, please “Blended orgasm” is a fancy term for something you may already know a lot about. It refers to the delightful phenomenon of having two types of orgasms — such as clitoral and vaginal — at the same time. It feels like… power! The blended orgasm is really a simple math equation: The power of one orgasm plus the power of a second orgasm equals the strength of two orgasms. Trust us when we say that the blended orgasm is thigh-quivering territory. How to get one Take the road most traveled and go with this common combo: Stimulate your clitoris and vagina at the same time, which can be done all sorts of ways. If you’re with a partner, try having them use their mouth externally while they insert either their fingers or a toy. If you’re solo, try using the “come hither” motion with your fingers while using a vibrator on your clitoris. All the rest One of the things we love about sexual pleasure is just how individualized it is. What works for one may be inconceivable to another, because our bodies, nerves, and minds process pleasure in our own unique ways. With that in mind, we should mention that the human body has lots of erogenous zones not mentioned above. And yes, some people can orgasm from having these areas touched. Lastly, a caveat: Pleasure is a journey, not a destination Orgasms are often a part of sex, but they are by no means the holy grail. We’d all be better off letting go of that pesky orgasm-as-goal mentality. (Easier said than done, we know!) Of course, practically speaking, there are times when you might want to know if your partner as reached their peak. (It’s not always obvious, folks!) If you want to ask your partner if they’ve come, try phrasing it in a way that doesn’t make them feel like they need to come. The orgasm gap Sexual pleasure is yet another way men and women experience life differently. A 2009 study found that 91 percent of men orgasmed the last time they had sex, compared to just 64 percent of women. Because the truth is, not everyone comes. And that’s totally OK. You don’t have to experience regular orgasms, or any orgasms, to have a healthy, fulfilling sex life. Sometimes it requires a bit of experimenting or exploring things you didn’t think you would enjoy (yep, predictability can eventually become an orgasm killer). Our final word on the subject is simple: Explore, explore, explore! Our bodies don’t come with instruction manuals, so it’s up to us to figure out how we like to be touched. Ginger Wojcik is an assistant editor at Greatist. Follow more of her work on Medium or on Twitter. Last medically reviewed on January 30, 2020 9 sourcesexpanded Belzer EG Jr. (1984). A review of female ejaculation and the Grafenberg spot. DOI: 10.1300/J013v09n01_02 Herbenick D, et al. (2017). Women's experiences with genital touching, sexual pleasure, and orgasm: Results from a U.S. probability sample of women ages 18 to 94. DOI: 10.1080/0092623X.2017.1346530 Hoag N, et al. (2017). The “G-spot” is not a structure evident on macroscopic anatomic dissection of the vaginal wall. DOI: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2017.10.071 Komisaruk BR, et al. (2011). Non-genital orgasms. DOI: 10.1080/14681994.2011.649252 National survey of sexual health and behavior. (2009). nationalsexstudy.indiana.edu/ O'Connell HE, et al. (2005). Anatomy of the clitoris. studylib.net/doc/8339689/anatomy-of-the-clitoris---journal-of-urology--thehttps://studylib.net/doc/8339689/anatomy-of-the-clitoris---journal-of-urology--the Puppo V, et al. (2012). Does the G-spot exist? A review of the current literature. DOI: 10.1007/s00192-012-1831-y Safron A. (2016). What is orgasm? A model of sexual trance and climax via rhythmic entrainment. DOI: 10.3402/snp.v6.31763 Zebroff P. (n.d.). How to have a cervical orgasm. thearousalproject.com/orgasm-how-tos/how-to-have-a-cervical-orgasm/

7 Vitamin E Supplements That Can Keep You Feeling Excellent

2022-03-21T05:34:00.002-07:00

The “E” in vitamin E should stand for “effort,” because this is one hell of a hardworking vitamin. It not only protects you from damaging free radicals in its role as an antioxidant but also boosts immune function, keeping you safe from disease. And if that’s not enough, it’s a skin care superstar and guardian of heart and eye health. Most people get enough of this fat-soluble vitamin from their diets, as it’s found in plant-based oils, nuts, seeds, fruits, and veggies. But some folks may benefit from a boost, specifically those who have issues with fat absorption. That’s where a good vitamin E supplement comes in. Because there are a lot of solid supplement options out there, finding the right one to suit your specific needs can be tricky. We’re giving you a hand by rounding up some of the best ones. A quick look at the best vitamin E supplements Editor’s pick: Pure Encapsulations Vitamin E Best high dose: Puritan’s Pride Vitamin E Softgels Best oil: Nature’s Bounty Vitamin E Oil Best vegan: Garden of Life Vitamin Code Raw Vitamin E Best value: Kirkland Signature Vitamin E Best softgel: Nature Made Synthetic Vitamin E Best chewable: NaturesPlus Vitamin E Chewable If it looks like a vitamin E supplement could be in the cards for you, read on for more info about our top recommendations and advice on how to choose the best one. How we chose the best supplements We consulted Shauna Hatcher, a certified nutritionist at The National Wellness and Public Health Network, for expert advice while creating our list of the best vitamin E supplements. Here are the factors we considered: Bioavailability. “Search for vitamin E supplements containing alpha-tocopherol, the biochemical form of vitamin E that the body absorbs best,” Hatcher says. Natural vs. synthetic. If you prefer natural to synthetic, Hatcher says to “look for d-alpha-tocopherol vitamins” rather than dl-alpha-tocopherol. Some mega-mixes. Some vitamin E supplements offer more than isolated alpha-tocopherol. Instead, look for “vitamin E products that are labeled as complete, combined, or even vitamin E complex,” says Hatcher. These options are more likely to resemble the tocopherol profile found naturally in vitamin E-rich plants. Respected brands. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t regulate supplements the same way as medications, so make sure you buy from a trusted brand. Check the label for indications of third-party testing from an org like United States Pharmacopeia (USP) or NSF International. Vetted products only. Every supplement on this list has been through our thorough vetting process. We’ve scoured the net for unsupported health claims, warning letters from the FDA, and anything else shady, like lawsuits involving a company’s products. 7 best vitamin E supplements Here’s everything about these vitamin E supplements to get everyone excited. Pricing guide $ = under $10 $$ = $10–$20 $$$ = over $20 Side-by-side comparison Pure Encapsulations Vitamin E Puritan’s Pride Vitamin E Softgels Nature’s Bounty Vitamin E Oil Garden of Life Vitamin Code Raw Vitamin E Kirkland Signature Vitamin E Nature Made Synthetic Vitamin E NaturesPlus Vitamin E Chewable Price $$$ $ $ $$ $$$ $$ $$$ Number of doses 90 100 296 60 500 300 90 Strength 268 mg (+ 67 mg other tocopherols) 450 mg 100 IU 125 mg 180 mg 180 mg 268 mg Format softgel softgel oil capsule softgel softgel chewable tablet Vegan no no yes yes no no vegetarian GMO-free? yes unknown unknown yes unknown unknown yes 1. Editor’s pick vitamin E supplement Pure Encapsulations Vitamin E Price: $$$ Amount: 90 doses Format: softgel capsules Features: zero fillers and preservatives Pure Encapsulations is the #1 most recommended brand by healthcare professionals, guaranteeing a quality product that’s third-party tested by folks like Intertek and Advanced Laboratories. The peeps at Pure have crafted these top-notch softgels with a whopping 1,787 percent of the Daily Value (DV) of vitamin E as natural d-alpha-tocopherol, plus some other tocopherols. They’re also free of gluten, nuts, wheat, dairy, eggs, soy, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). And the soft, cushiony capsules contain just rapeseed oil and sunflower oil — no other ingredients. However, vegans and vegetarians may need to look elsewhere, because the capsules contain gelatin. 2. Best high dose vitamin E supplement Puritan’s Pride Vitamin E Softgels Price: $ Amount: 100 doses Format: softgel capsules Features: free from artificial colors, flavors, sweetness, and preservatives If you’re looking for a vitamin E supplement that packs a powerful punch, Puritan’s Pride contains a whopping 450 milligrams (mg) per softgel, which is 3000% of the DV. This brand has been making vitamins since 1973, and all their products undergo rigorous testing to ensure you’re buying pure and effective products. These are not the best choice for vegans and vegetarians. But if you’re looking for a supplement that’s free from sugar, starch, lactose, gluten, wheat, yeast, fish, and sodium, this is an excellent option. Plus, it comes at an accessible price point. 3. Best oil vitamin E supplement Nature’s Bounty Vitamin E Oil Price: $ Amount: 2.5 fl oz Format: oil Features: contains wheat but no artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, or preservatives You can take a tailored supplement dose with Nature’s Bounty vitamin E oil. Five drops contain 100 international units (IU) of natural d-alpha-tocopherol in a natural base of wheat germ, soybean, corn, sesame, and lemon oils. You also have the option of using the oil directly on your skin to reduce inflammation and boost skin health. Although the label doesn’t explicitly say this product is suitable for vegetarians and vegans, the ingredient list does not include any animal products. 4. Best vegan vitamin E supplement Garden of Life Vitamin Code Raw Vitamin E Price: $$ Amount: 60 doses Format: vegetarian capsules Features: also contains vitamins A, D, and K and selenium If you’re a vegan who prefers supplements in capsule form, Garden of Life’s got your back. Not only will you benefit from 125 mg of vitamin E per 2-capsule dose, but you’ll also get more than 100% of the DV for vitamins A and D and selenium and 60% of the DV for vitamin K. If you’re mindful of everything that goes into your body, you’ll be pleased to hear that the brand uses only organic whole-food ingredients that you can trace back to the seed. Garden of Life has a haul of certifications as well, including certified gluten-free, non-GMO, carbon-free, and organic, and they’re climate pledge-friendly. 5. Best-value vitamin E supplement Kirkland Signature Vitamin E Price: $$$ Amount: 500 doses Format: softgel capsules Features: contains synthetic dl-alpha-tocopherol acetate For a wallet-friendly vitamin E supplement, you can’t go wrong with the Kirkland Signature mega-bundle of vitamin E. Yes, it’s at a higher price point, but you get a massive 500 doses! Keep in mind that this is a bare-bones product — if you’re looking for a product to suit specific dietary requirements, you may have trouble finding the information. Aside from mentioning gelatin on the ingredient list and the fact that it contains synthetic vitamin E, the label provides few other details. But at this price, it’s hard to fault this product. 6. Best softgel vitamin E supplement Nature Made Synthetic Vitamin E Price: $$ Amount: 300 doses Format: softgel capsules Features: no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, or gluten Nearly 12,000 peeps have awarded Nature Made Vitamin E softgels 5 stars — and no wonder, since it comes at such an accessible price. These are a great option if you’re looking for something that’s gluten-free and has no added colors or preservatives. But vegans, vegetarians, and those who prefer natural vitamin E will need to continue their search. And in case you’re wondering, these are USP-verified. 7. Best chewable vitamin E supplement NaturesPlus Vitamin E Chewable Price: $$$ Amount: 90 doses Format: chewable tablet Features: 100% made in the USA, gluten- and allergen-free, vegetarian For folks who have difficulty or dislike swallowing tablets, here’s a great chewable option. NaturesPlus has crafted these vegetarian chewable vitamin E supplements with a delicious carob flavor. Some reviewers love the taste and say it’s like chocolate. Others aren’t quite as enamored, but most agree that these melt in their mouth. If you’re following a vegetarian diet, you’re all set — the label says these will work for you. But it’s difficult to figure out whether they’re suitable for our vegan friends. One of the ingredients is stearic acid, a fatty acid typically produced using common animal and vegetable fats and oils — so it may contain some animal products. Therefore, it may be best to skip this one if you’re vegan. Tips for choosing a vitamin E supplement Here are our tips for finding the vitamin E supplement that’s best for your needs: Chat with a health pro first. Yes, you can buy a vitamin E supplement online or over the counter, but it’s a good idea to check with a healthcare professional first to see if you need one. If a supplement is a good idea, they can suggest a suitable daily amount. They may recommend a product containing the Recommended Dietary Allowance of vitamin E or a higher dose if you have issues with fat absorption. Consider your dietary needs. If you have an allergy or intolerance to a substance like gluten or yeast, you’ll need to look for vitamin E supplements labeled as free from those ingredients. Likewise, if you’re following a vegetarian or vegan diet, check the label to make sure a product is suitable. Think about form. You’ll find vitamin E supplements in various forms, some of which are easier to swallow than others. If you have a strong gag reflex, for instance, it may help to opt for a smaller softgel supplement or an oil. Research ’em. You should be able to find unbiased ratings and comments from users of the supplements that interest you. Read to see if there are any common red flags or if companies aren’t delivering on their claims. Also, Google the brand to see if it has popped up in any recent news stories for not-so-great reasons. Inquiries about the E Got more questions about vitamin E supplements? We’ve got answers! What does vitamin E do? Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that protects your cells from harmful free radicals — unstable molecules that seem to contribute to heart disease, cancer, and other conditions. Because vitamin E is a multitasker, it also boosts skin and eye health and plays a role in immune function, helping to keep you safe from illnesses and infections. Who should take a vitamin E supplement? If you eat a healthy, balanced diet, you probably don’t need to take a vitamin E supplement, because deficiencies are rare. But some people have an increased risk of vitamin E deficiency and may benefit from a supplement, including those with medical conditions that affect how they absorb fat, such as cystic fibrosis and Crohn’s disease. If you’re wondering about your vitamin E intake, it’s best to have a chat with a healthcare professional to see if a supplement is a good idea for you. How much vitamin E do I need? According to the National Institutes of Health, adults need 15 mg of vitamin E daily. Pregnant people have the same vitamin E needs, but if you’re lactating, you’ll need around 19 mg per day. Are there different forms of vitamin E? Yes. If you’re shopping for vitamin E supplements, look for one containing alpha-tocopherol, which is the biologically active form that your body absorbs easily. And if you’re looking for naturally sourced products, choose one made with d-alpha-tocopherol, because those containing dl-alpha-tocopherol come from a synthetic source. Should I take a vitamin E supplement every day? If you eat a varied diet, you’ll likely be able to meet your vitamin E needs without a supplement. But if you do choose to take a supplement, you can typically take up to 1,000 mg per day safely. It’s best not to exceed that dose unless a healthcare pro gives you the go-ahead. The bottom line If your diet is lacking or you have issues with fat absorption, a vitamin E supplement could help you maintain healthy levels of this critical nutrient. A bunch of vitamin E supplements are available, and our list of top recs can likely help you find one that meets your needs — whether you’re following a vegan diet, have certain allergies, or have a limited budget. But before you throw down the cash, have a chat with a healthcare pro to see if you really need to invest in a vitamin E supplement. 3 sourcesexpanded Böhm V. (2018). Vitamin E. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC5874530/ Vitamin E. (n.d.). http s://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Vitamin-E Vitamin E: Fact sheet for health professionals. (2021). ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminE-HealthProfessional/

2020-05-23T03:59:00.001-07:00

How to Forgive Yourself For Past Mistakes (8 Steps)

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May 21st, 2020

By Aletheia Luna

Guest writer for Wake Up World

Shame is the cancer of the psyche. It eats away at us slowly, tainting everything we experience with its dark glow of self-loathing. And it all stems from a lack of self-forgiveness.

Have you ever said, done, or thought something truly horrible?

Have you ever:

betrayed someone you loved
overstepped a boundary you thought you’d never cross, or
intentionally inflicted harm upon yourself (or another)?

If you’re human, I can guarantee that you’ll say an almost immediate yes.

And don’t worry, you’re not alone. We have all been there to differing degrees. You’re not a monster, you’re just a flawed and wounded human being.

While I’m not here to excuse anything you’ve done (self-responsibility is crucial), I am here to be a voice of compassion. Hating yourself won’t make anything better.

It’s time for some self-forgiveness.

What is Self-Forgiveness?

Self-forgiveness is the practice of forgiving yourself of past wrongdoings. It involves changing your perception of yourself and what happened through the eyes of self-compassion and self-understanding. By understanding the deeper mechanics of why you did what you did, and holding yourself in the embrace of self-love, you can let go, move on, and feel free again.

Actions That Make us Feel Guilt and Shame (Examples)

While we can sometimes feel haunted by a thought or intention we’ve secretly carried (once or many times), generally we feel most deeply impacted by what we’ve done.

Here are some examples of actions that cause us guilt and shame:

Bullying someone
Getting an abortion
Cheating on your partner
Stealing
Physically hurting a loved one
Gossiping and/or spreading rumors
Destroying other’s property

And of course, there are more extreme cases out there that range from molestation to murder. (Clearly, this article isn’t approving such actions, or giving you a get out of jail free card – it’s simply focusing on the other side of the journey: self-forgiveness.)

The Dark Side of Self-Condemnation

It’s vital to have a certain level of guilt/shame after hurting ourselves or someone else. Without guilt, we would sociopathically ignore the impact of our behavior. (And can you imagine what society would be like if no one felt bad about what they’d done? We’d be living in a non-stop apocalypse.)

But guilt and shame become toxic when they begin to fester within us; when we can’t let go of what we’ve done or move on. Picture a stagnant pool of water – that’s what a lack of self-forgiveness feels like. There is no growth, no movement, no freshness, no life inside, only the same old rancid sludge of self-hating thoughts.

In fact, when we carry toxic guilt and shame, we tend to create a negative and unrealistic image of ourselves in our minds. Such dark self-images sadly tend to create self-fulfilling prophecies or negative feedback loops. In other words, if we carry the negative core belief that we’re a cheating scumbag who doesn’t have an ounce of loyalty within us, we may perpetuate that same behavior in our next relationship.

8 Benefits of Self-Forgiveness

To prevent the same old mistakes from happening, learning how to forgive ourselves is crucial. In other words, self-forgiveness gives us a new lease on life, it frees us to grow, change, and transform in positive ways. Sometimes, it inspires us to help others in similar circumstances that we once experienced (or inflicted).

Yes, guilt and shame are important to feel, but only up until a certain point. We need to mourn and regret our behavior, but we also need to make space to learn from our mistakes and change as a person.

Here’s how self-forgiveness helps us:

We stop dwelling in (and endlessly reliving) the past
We begin living in the present moment
We have more hope for the future
We develop more self-love and understanding
We can more readily forgive others
We learn from our mistakes and transform as people
We have more energy and motivation for life
We learn how to become a better person

How to Forgive Yourself For Past Mistakes (8 Steps)

Learning how to forgive yourself is a journey that can take anywhere from a day to a lifetime – it’s truly a unique process, and there’s no right or wrong pace at which you “should” be moving.

Like you, I am imperfect. I have done things that have shamed me to the core. I have regrets. I have a shadow self. But I’ve also done a lot of inner work and healing that has helped me to move past my mistakes and transform as a person. I’m sure there will be many more hiccups in the future, but by knowing the importance of self-forgiveness, I trust that I’ll be able to get through them. Even if I don’t have immediate success, I have practiced the below philosophies enough to know that I’ll eventually learn from my mistakes.

Here is what I’ve learned from my own journey and observing/helping others on theirs on how to forgive yourself:

1. Understand that you cannot change the past

The past is done, gone, kaput. You cannot change or alter it. Therefore, dwelling obsessively over what you “could” or “should” have done is a waste of time and energy. Beating yourself up achieves nothing but more self-hatred – and self-hatred is the antithesis of growth. Do you want to “fix” what happened? The only way to do that now is to move forward. The only way is to let your mistakes teach you and transform you as a person. Obsessing over the past simply cannot do that. It’s time to let go.

2. Reflect on your level of consciousness (then vs. now)

I’m going to say something that will be crucial for you to remember and reflect on:

We’re all doing the best we can based on the level of consciousness we have in the moment.

What does this mean exactly? “Based on the level of consciousness we have” means that, throughout life, we all have varying degrees of mental, emotional, and spiritual maturity. When you were 5 years old, for instance, you had a lower level of maturity than at 15, 25, or 55.

The you then is not the you now. Your life has changed. You have aged. You have had more experiences. You have learned more, felt more, seen more, and understood more. Even your body has changed. There is not one part of you that hasn’t changed (except, perhaps, your Soul or True Self). So then, how can you keep resenting yourself?

Dedicate some serious time to reflecting on this truth. I recommend journaling your thoughts and feelings about the statement: We’re all doing the best we can based on the level of consciousness we have in the moment.

In the moment you made a mistake in the past, you had a different level of consciousness. Perhaps you weren’t as aware, awake, and cognizant of the consequences. Perhaps you were reacting from old wounds. Perhaps your shadow self temporarily took over. Do some digging and cut yourself some slack.

3. See your mistake as a reflection of the Shadow Self

We all have a dark side, a place within us that we would prefer not to look at. This dark side is usually unconscious and was formed due to experiences in life that taught us that certain parts of us were “good” and other parts were “bad.” It is this Shadow Self part that causes us to self-sabotage, seethe with jealousy, be blinded by rage, lie to our partners, and hurt our loved ones.

What is, perhaps, most critical to remember is that this is just one part of you, it is not the whole of you. When we struggle to forgive ourselves, we tend to identify solely with (and as) our Shadow Selves and forget all of our kind, loving, and endearing qualities.

Remember that whatever you did is not a reflection of your True Nature – it is a result of your unexamined Shadow erupting to the surface of your life and wreaking havoc. If anything, whatever you’ve done has gifted you with the blessing of knowing first-hand the importance of Shadow Work (or exploring your Shadow). Please take this as a wake-up call to start the inward journey of involution, of inner transformation – not as a call to continue demonizing yourself.

4. Creatively express your grief and regret

When we’ve made a serious mistake (or have done something that triggers intense toxic shame in us), it’s important that we make space to process these feelings. Mind you, ruminating and dredging up old memories repeatedly is not processing your feelings: it’s simmering in them. It’s time to do away with that form of self-punishment. Facing, feeling, and expressing what’s going on inside of you will be a vital part of your healing journey.

To process your complicated grief and regret, I strongly recommend finding some kind of creative outlet. Creative self-expression is a form of inner alchemy that helps to transmute your pain into wisdom. Examples include:

Painting
Drawing
Sculpting
Collaging
Singing
Composing music
Dancing

You don’t have to be an artist to self-express – this is an inborn need and capacity within all of us. So do some reflecting and see what resonates with you.

Once you’ve chosen a form of creative self-expression, use your guilt/shame/regret as inspiration. For example, if you betrayed the trust of someone you loved in the past, create a piece of art based on the feeling of betrayal. What does betrayal look, sound, smell, taste, and feel like? How did it impact them and you? What can you learn from this situation? How has it changed you? Infuse your art with these contemplations.

5. Work with your inner archetypes

Archetypes are types (or patterns) of energy that can be found within all people, societies, races, and periods of time. Common archetypes include The Warrior, The Maiden, The Hero, The Mother, The Victim, The Wise Man/Woman, etc.

One reason why I love and respect the practice of working with your inner archetypes is that it helps you to evolve, mature, individuate, and rediscover your True Nature. When it comes to learning how to forgive yourself, you will need some inner guidance. Excavating and connecting with your inner love archetypes will be a powerful way of setting yourself free.

For example, you might like to explore your own:

Inner Quan Yin or Jesus (Compassion archetype)
Inner Tara or Buddha (Wisdom archetype)
Inner Mother Mary or Zeus (Mother/Father archetype)

You can call on these inner parts of your Soul for guidance, support, and help. Understand that these archetypes are universal sources of energy available to all of us. We each contain a seed of self-compassion within.

Read more about archetypes for further guidance.

6. What needs were unmet at the time?

As psychologist Marshall B. Rosenberg writes,

Turning our attention to the part of the self which chose to act in the way that led to the present situation, we ask ourselves, “When I behaved in the way which I now regret, what need of mine was I trying to meet?” I believe that human beings are always acting in the service of needs and values. This is true whether the action does or does not meet the need, or whether it’s one we end up celebrating or regretting.

There is a reason why you acted the way you did in the past, and that’s because you were trying to get a need met (in the best way you knew how to in the moment).

So treat yourself with some compassion and explore what need you were trying to satisfy. Was it the need to be loved? The need to be respected? The need to be seen? The need to be heard? The need to feel safe? By understanding your underlying need, a certain level of guilt and shame is lifted.

7. Do a letting go ritual

At some point in your journey, you’ll know that it’s time to let go. You’ll be tired of the constant mental berating and guilt trips. You’ll crave for peace; for a new beginning. When this time comes, you’ll know you’re finally ready to let go.

Letting go tends to sound whimsical and vague to most people. But it doesn’t have to be. There are certain practices you can do to make this experience solid and memorable. I recommend practicing a simple fire release ritual to help you let go and move on.

To practice this fire ritual, you’ll need a piece of paper, a lighter (or box of matches), and a bowl of some kind (to catch the embers). Simply write what you’d like to let go of on your piece of paper. Then, light the paper on fire, drop it into your bowl, and watch it burn. As it burns, know that you are also burning away old patterns and habits. You are simultaneously experiencing a death and rebirth. You can find a more detailed instruction of this ritual in my full moon ritual article.

8. Practice self-love

Finally, take care of yourself. Be gentle and kind, knowing that it’s okay to make mistakes and be human. If you need help practicing self-love, by all means seek out counseling (sometimes it helps to have a friendly face there to hold space for you). If you notice harsh self-talk popping up, explore practices such as mindfulness, meditation, and affirmations.

I recommend reading my article on how to love yourself for more in-depth guidance.

***

To conclude, I’ll leave you with these words by author and teacher Debbie Ford:

The most important thing in self help is self-forgiveness: it’s when we relax into the vulnerability of our humanity and find compassion for our own internal struggles.

Remember, you are human. You make mistakes. And that’s okay. What matters now is how you use those bumps in the road to fuel your growth and transformation. Will you let them eat you alive or will you use them as motivation to keep evolving?

What is the most difficult part of self-forgiveness for you? Let me know in the comments! Perhaps you’ll find a kindred spirit who can share your pain.

Elves, Guides, Robots and Aliens: The Therapeutic Potential of Psychedelic Entity Encounters

2020-05-23T03:57:00.002-07:00

Elves, Guides, Robots and Aliens: The Therapeutic Potential of Psychedelic Entity Encounters

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May 21st, 2020

By Nikki Harper

Staff Writer for Wake Up World

As psychedelic research continues to come of age, following decades of shunning, evidence is mounting that psychedelic drugs can have positive therapeutic effects. As we have previously reported here on Wake Up World, psilocybin (magic mushrooms) and MDMA (ecstasy) have both recently been granted Breakthrough Status by the FDA, a designation given to drugs with clinically significant and potentially far reaching benefits. Psilocybin is heading towards phase 3 human trials as a treatment for major depressive disorder, while MDMA is close to approval as a PTSD treatment.

The Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research at John Hopkins University currently works on two different strands of research: the first is focused on this therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs for treating things like anxiety, depression and eating disorders. The second, however, is more ‘out there’, and explores the changes in consciousness and conscious experience experienced by those using psychedelics. It’s as part of this second strand that the Center has recently completed the largest ever study using DMT.

Aliens, Elves and – Huh?

Specifically, the study set out to explore the types of autonomous entity encounters people have after smoking DMT. Previous studies have revealed a large volume of anecdotal evidence for such entity encounters. In particular, the landmark work of Rick Strassman in 1990 detailed such encounters in-depth, and his book, DMT: The Spirit Molecule spoke of alien-type, unsettling encounters where participants were probed or otherwise had negative or frightening interactions with entities. The Center’s new study, however, reveals that although these types of encounter are reported, they are in a minority[1].

How Was the Study Done?

This study relied on online responses. An initial 10,000 responses were narrowed down to 2500 from people who had no prior diagnosis of psychosis, were reporting a pure DMT experience and had encountered an autonomous independent entity during that experience.

The overwhelming majority of participants considered the entity to be benign, joyful, loving or kind and associated it with positive emotions. ‘Being’ or ‘Guide’ were the most common labels used to describe the entity, and more than half of the respondents felt that their experience had been more real than everyday life.

Life Changing Encounters?

Of the respondents, 80% said the experience had changed their conception of reality, and 72% believed that the entity continued to exist beyond their own experience. Strikingly, more than half of those who had self-categorized as atheist or agnostic before the experience no longer categorized themselves as such after the encounter.

The link between psychedelics, god-like encounters and positive life changes have been documented before, but researchers point out that what is significant with this study is that DMT is fast acting. A typical experience/encounter is completed within 30 minutes, compared to a psilocybin treatment session, which requires a full 8 hours.

The Psychedelic Therapist Will See You Now

In theory, then, this open up potential for psychedelic clinics around the country, able to see multiple patients in a day. Within an hour-long appointment, a person could take the drug, have their encounter, debrief with their therapist and leave. Given that the vast majority of participants in the DMT study classed their encounter as one of their “most meaningful, spiritual, and psychologically insightful lifetime experiences, with persisting positive changes in life satisfaction, purpose and meaning attributed to the experiences”[2], there are intriguing possibilities here for DMT as mental health treatment. Where experiences are so profound that they create a major shift in one’s belief system or perception of reality, something very interesting indeed is going on.

Sources:

About the author:

Nikki Harper is a spiritualist writer, astrologer, and editor for Wake Up World.

Use Your Brain to Elongate Your Cell-By Date

2020-05-23T03:54:00.002-07:00

Use Your Brain to Elongate Your Cell-By Date

May 22nd, 2020

By Robert Puzey

Guest Writer for Wake Up World

When we think about ageing, and how we can halt or reverse the ageing process, we tend to look at ourselves exteriorly, and try to find the answers ‘out there’, e.g., using cosmic surgery and rejuvenating creams to try to make ourselves appear younger than we are. We might introduce physical exercises to encourage weight loss and muscle toning in our bid to look and feel more youthful. We are conditioned to perceive life outside of ourselves, like watching a movie show. We strive for happiness by attempting to attain the ‘BBD’ (Bigger Better Deal) – we believe the higher paid job, the flashy car, the perfect partner will satisfy us. But often we find cosmic surgery, rejuvenating creams, so on, do not work, and the BBD doesn’t bring us lasting satisfaction.

But what if instead we could use the brain as a tool to induce de-ageing? What if we could somehow undertake an internal journey back in time to when we actually were young and in the peak of condition? All that we once were, in mind, body, and spirit exists within us, under the blanket of sub-consciousness. This is what inspired my work on re-visiting the child self and in my book, ‘Use Your Brain to Elongate your Cell-by Date’, I have developed a series of fun, creative exercises that anyone can use. When we use our brains to rejuvenate ourselves, the amazing results from this internal work soon show on the outside, bringing the practitioner glowing youthful looks and the feeling of rejuvenation and childlike freedom. How and why does this work? Let’s take a closer look.

Like a Computer’s Hard Drive

We are born with genetic information, e.g., we naturally breathe, otherwise we would expire. You might like to think of this information like a computer’s hard drive – basic data for functioning. So a person’s unique character, talents, and ageing process, all come with this hard drive information. After birth we gather and store information along life’s rickety journey. Learning to walk and talk reading and writing, eating manners, dressing habits, and so on. Imagine this data like a computer’s added or external information, created. Once upon a time you taught yourself to do many things: climb a tree, ride a bike, skate, play an instrument, etc., but you probably no longer have the inclination to do many of these things. Nevertheless, millions of instructions, painstakingly mentally/physically programmed on blueprints when a child, still exist, lying dormant in the brain’s archives. This means if you haven’t swum for decades, you’d pick it up quickly if you had to. This rule applies to innumerable things learnt during childhood. These Dormant files (archived data) play a major part in ‘Use Your Brain to Elongate Your Cell-By Date.’ They are primal ‘you’. Reopening Dormant files leads to rejuvenation.

A Secret Path

There exists a secret path that can lead you to your Dormant file information, primal ‘you’. It is a proven fact that the parasympathetic/sympathetic nervous systems cannot tell the difference between something real and something strongly visualised. So by visualising ourselves as a seven-year old, and affirming the fact by repeating an affirmation: ‘I am seven years old, happy and healthy’, we can convince ourselves (nervous systems) we are at the age we work with. Startling results have been accomplished by practitioners, and many have given their accounts in ‘Use Your Brain’, of successfully achieving self-healing, the halting of premature ageing, and winding back the clock, e.g., looking and feeling younger than their age.

This program offers the practitioner many exercises to teach the brain how to powerfully visualise youthfulness, and regularly updates and emboldens the child-age affirmation so as to keep it fresh and potent.

The human body doesn’t rust like metal; rather it endlessly regenerates new cells. For instance: the skin replaces itself in the space of a month, the stomach lining in five days, and the liver in six weeks. Disease is fine-tuned to a person’s particular circumstances. The potential for healing and de-ageing lies within us all. The unconscious mind has direct access to Dormant files via the key – the child-age affirmation – which allows us to enter into the land of childhood. Let’s try a little exercise to get you in the mood for ‘Use your Brain to Elongate your Cell-by Date.’

Poppy Picking

Imagine that you are sitting on an old iron gate that divides two fields. One field is full of long green grass mottled with bright red poppies and the other field is barren and brown. Cast your thoughts over the two contrasting fields and acknowledge their differences. The poppy field for instance attracts birds, field mice, butterflies, bees, and other animals, whereas the underprivileged field only attracts creatures that exist between the cracks in the arid floor. Imagine that the poppy field represents childhood and the barren field represents adulthood. Visualisation and re-visiting the child self plants poppies in the barren field of adulthood until it blooms with waving poppies as in the childhood field.

Creativity

Schoolchildren paint, write, perform needlework, and use many other creative outlets. From the moment children open their eyes their brains are buzzing. One look out of the window and a thousand ideas come to them. Rain and puddles are a nuisance to adults but to children they are a world full of fun and delight. No dullness or machine-like blanket of sub-consciousness could ever beset the infant’s brain, for every moment is a feast for the senses.

Contemplation for Creativity

Imagine a portrait of a little girl hangs on your dining room wall. As time goes by the little girl in the painting ages as you do! To really feed your brain fully with this concept close your eyes and carefully see her age from a little girl to a full-grown woman. It may help to imagine someone you know. A bizarre/absurd idea like this can reintroduce creativity into your life. In visualisation see yourself hop back over the iron gate with the poppy that represents creativity.

There are many exercises in ‘Use Your Brain’, but for now you might like to experiment with the child-age affirmation.

Choose a child-age with plenty of memories you can associate to the child-age, and after a litttle practice, see for yourself the amazing changes that can occur in your looks and the way you feel. The child-age affirmation can be said when you rise in the morning a few times under your breath while imagining that you are at that age, and this sets the correct mood for the day. You may say your child-age affirmation while at the sink washing up, shopping in the high street, or wherever. The idea is to generally uphold the feeling of being at your child-age, by gentle self-affirmation all through the day.

Good luck.

About the author:

Robert Puzey is an award winning songwriter (Ivor Novello awards in the category of ‘Songwriter of the Year’ and ‘Most Performed song of the Year’ (‘I’m in the Mood for Dancing’) 1980.

Robert nursed his late wife, Kath, though her five-year battle against bowel cancer, during which time Robert extensively studied hatha yoga (he is a qualified hatha yoga instructor) and began to experiment with novel brain exercises in the field of ‘mind over matter’ / ‘spirit over worldliness’, achieving some quite revolutionary and fascinating results from his work.

Bringing us up to date, Robert has formulated a complete programme – ‘Use Your Brain to Elongate Your Cell-by-Date’ – of rejuvenating exercises with easy to use instructions. Robert lives in north London and writes self-help material.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rjpuz

Ascending The Densities of Consciousness by Jeff Street.

2017-03-27T08:22:00.002-07:00

Each thread of consciousness (our souls, over-souls, and beyond) within the One multiversal consciousness exists in one of eight states of consciousness. Each of these states has a unique set of characteristics, perspectives, and core beliefs that define it. These states have also been called levels because we generally progress through them sequentially. This progression is the evolution of our soul’s consciousness, and it is the fundamental process that every Soul is undergoing and striving for — the process also known as Spiritual Evolution. And it is the primary reason that we incarnate into physical realities like our planet Earth; Physical experiences and the challenges that they entail offer our souls an evolutionary fast track, and hence, are greatly coveted. Another name for the process of moving up through the levels of consciousness is “Ascension.” Ascension has been widely misunderstood — it is not about going “somewhere else”, it’s about attaining higher states of consciousness wherever you happen to be. It may feel like you’ve gone somewhere else because a change in your level of consciousness is a radical shift in perspective, which alters how you perceive and create your reality. Also, if you raise your consciousness in this life, then in your next, it is believed you will incarnate into a higher level of physical reality — one that better matches your heightened level of consciousness. “What the future holds for you depends on your state of consciousness now.” ~ Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose Of course, ultimately, when your soul raises its consciousness enough, it will reintegrate with its Over-Soul, thereby ceasing Incarnation, becoming a seamless part of its Over-Soul, and contributing to the evolution of the Over-Soul’s consciousness — which is good because your Over-Soul is essentially higher/wider level of you! Please note: Much of the information in this article comes from The Ascension Papers – Book 1 and Book 2, by Zingdad. If you find this article interesting then I highly recommend you explore these books, as well as other information produced by the author. What Are Densities of Consciousness? You may be wondering where the term “densities” (which was used in the title of this article) comes from and how it applies to levels of consciousness. Density is a term that has come into common usage to refer to the levels/states of consciousness, however the origin of this term is a bit obscure and confusing. Densities are related to the level of consciousness, and the frequency level, at which a reality is created (remember, all realities are constructs and all things are patterns of energy). It’s called “density” because of a characteristic perceptual effect that’s related to the level of reality and the consciousness perceiving it. To illustrate this let’s take the Earth as an example. The Earth is in the 3rd density level of reality (frequency band). At this level, everything — rocks, trees, houses, cars, etc. — appear very solid and very “real.” They feel solid because, when two objects encounter each other, they do not interpenetrate and/or pass through each other — the density of the objects’ “material” seems to be very high. In the higher planes / levels / densities / frequency-bands of reality, it becomes increasingly obvious that things are simply projections of the creative mind and, as such, that they are not “real” in our normal sense of the word. In each successively higher level of reality, it becomes increasingly more obvious that only consciousness is real, and that “things” are simply the projections of consciousness, thought forms within the cosmic mind and patterns of energy. So, as you move up through higher and higher levels of reality “things” appear less and less dense, and more and more able to interpenetrate and/or pass through each other. The confusing part is that we have numbered the densities in an order opposite of the apparent density of “things” within those densities — e.g. things in a 6th density reality are actually of a lower apparent density than in a 3rd density reality. However the numbering order matches the frequency level — higher densities correspond to higher frequencies. So a bit confusing, but we are stuck with this convention. Please also note that some people use the term “dimension” to mean the same thing as “density”, although this may not be entirely accurate and the term might be better used for other concepts. There are entire realities that appear to exist at particular density levels. When this is the case, then most of the beings inside that reality will share the same level of consciousness. Our Universe (one of many, by the way) is composed of multiple parallel realities, sometimes referred to as “planes of reality”, and you are perceiving, and hence experiencing, one of them. There is a strong correlation between the plane or level of reality and the level / state / density of consciousness of the beings that inhabit it — typically the density level of the reality matches the average density of the population of the beings inhabiting it. The Densities of Consciousness The 1st density of consciousness is the most rudimentary level of consciousness. It is present in elemental entities like rocks, minerals, water, and air as well as simple organic biological entities such as single-celled organisms. Everything is conscious to some degree, and this level of consciousness is like a program that was created when the system it governs was created and then runs like a machine on automatic — it is the very simplest switch-like logic of “if this, then that.” The very simple logical processes provided by 1D consciousness are all that is required for the functioning of these types of very simple entities, and it provides the foundation from which everything more complex in our reality is built. Most of the planets of our solar system exist at 1st density, and they are inhabited solely by entities/beings of 1D consciousness — inorganic elemental entities as well as single-celled organisms that metabolize the chemicals available to them from these entities. It may surprise you to know that these elemental inorganic entities have higher-selves with higher level consciousness just like we do. The 2nd density of consciousness governs a being’s choices and actions by instinct or “drive.” On Earth, it occurs in higher animals which have developed nervous systems. These nervous systems allow animals (including the human animal) to feel urges from their various body systems and drives them to eat, procreate, sleep, avoid or defend against danger, and all the other things that each species needs to do for its survival. These drives happen pretty much automatically but are not absolute — they can be over-ridden. A 2D being is not self-aware in the way that we are. They do not have the same sense of individuality as we do — their sense of “self” as being separate from what is outside of “them” is largely absent. There is simply the drive to respond to cues from the environment. There is decision-making ability, sometimes fairly sophisticated, but there is not the formation of complex ideas, beliefs, or philosophies. 2nd density consciousness is the foundation upon which more advanced life-forms with higher levels of consciousness rest. The 3rd density of consciousness is characterized by true self-awareness, and the ability to make conscious choices and formulate complex ideological concepts such as principles, philosophical frameworks, and belief systems. This level of consciousness perceives “self” versus “other”, “me and mine” vs “them and theirs”, and conceives of “good” versus “bad.” Hence it is the first of three levels of consciousness that are within a genre of consciousness that has been called “Duality” or “Separation” consciousness. 3rd density beings are deeply in the illusion of separation. In the genre of Separation consciousness there is little or no awareness that All is One. Beings of Separation consciousness see themselves separate from others, and the world as a place of limitation and scarcity. And it’s this mindset that manifests all the greed, competition, and conflict that characterizes 3rd density worlds. In addition, 3rd density beings have lots of internal conflict on what to believe and desire. And this inner-conflict is reflected into their outer reality and hence 3rd density worlds are wracked with conflict on many levels, both collective and personal. Another one of the very convincing illusions that emerges from the separation game, the game that everyone on Earth is deeply immersed in right now, is the illusion that we are at the mercy of circumstances — that we are not the creators of our reality. And this illusion causes many to adopt a mindset that might be best called “Victim” consciousness and which manifests all the victim/perpetrator/rescuer dramas that dominate our lives, at both the personal and collective level (more about this in upcoming articles, follow my blog to stay tuned). “There is only one perpetrator of evil on the planet: human unconsciousness. That realization is true forgiveness. With forgiveness, your victim identity dissolves, and your true power emerges. Instead of blaming the darkness, you bring in the light.” ~ Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose 3rd density is the level of consciousness of many, if not most, people now alive on Earth (although many are 4th density and a few are 5th and even 6th density). The world of 3D consciousness is complex, intricate, and often confusing and offers plenty of drama. 3rd density consciousness is also the level where a phenomenon within the psyche known as the “ego” emerges — that powerful sense of “I”, “Me”, and “Mine.” This level of consciousness can manifest powerful resolve and will-power. It is a level characterized by very strong Individualism and “go it on my own” and “do it my way” attitude. Empires are built by such a consciousness when it is fully unleashed. It is at this level of consciousness where we first see a being who might willingly choose to put himself in harm’s way over a complex ideological concept such as “fairness” or “justice”. But it could go the other way too — a 3rd density being who decides he has been unfairly treated might choose to take from or hurt others and feel quite justified in doing so. Our planetary consciousness is 3rd Density (at least it was until recently, now it’s shifting into 4th density) and in the past most people would reside at this level for much, if not all, of their lives. Some people might have shifted from 3D or 4D consciousness to 4D or 5D during old-age due to the natural diminishing of the ego and shift to heart that results from the physical limitations brought on by the aging process. Others might have made a shift to higher levels of consciousness by intentionally choosing to “listen to their heart”, or “find their own truth”, or to love unconditionally. Now this is all changing, at least here on Earth. Currently our Earth reality is undergoing a “stimulus package”, that is being orchestrated from the other side, that is catalyzing accelerated “awakenings” and many people are spontaneously shifting to 4th, 5th, and even 6th density consciousness — and this is all part of the plan for the Earth game. But back to the general explanation of the typical progression through the densities. 3rd density realities and worlds are constantly presenting the beings that inhabit them the choice of which direction to invest their energy. They are constantly being called to choose what they will serve and what they will love. This choice is between two diametrically opposed ways of being — Service to Self (STS) or Service to Others (STO). When a being makes this choice it means that its mindset, and resulting choices and actions, are consistently biased towards either (1) Satisfying its own needs (STS) or (2) satisfying the needs of others and the community (STO). When a 3rd density being ends its indecision and definitively chooses either a Service-to-Self or a Service-to-Other orientation. When they ask the questions; "Who do I love?", "What do I serve?", and "To what will I give my energy?" and answering with either “myself” or “others” — they graduate to 4th density consciousness The 4th density of consciousness is the level where the journey to becoming a truly individualized sovereign being begins. This density still has most of the characteristics of 3rd density except that at this level the beings have polarized to one of two modes — Service To Self (STS) and Service To Other (STO). These modes represent two polar opposites in the manner in which beings will direct their energy — essentially there is two states of 4D consciousness — 4D STO and 4D STS. The adoption of one of these two distinct polarities — STO or STS — is what moves you to this level of consciousness. Of course, most people who have made the shift to 4th density are not consciously aware that they have done so — it’s usually an implicit choice rather than an explicit one. In many ways, this polarization amplifies the duality of the realities manifested by this level of consciousness. And intensifies the many dramas that play out at this level of the game. On worlds populated with mostly 4th density being’s victim/perpetrator/rescuer dramas are still being widely played out and greed, competition, conflict is still prevalent. Here are examples of what polarized beings might look like. A full-fledged 4D STO being might be a person who is working at a shelter or a community social support services in a depressed community and giving lots of their energy to helping the poor on the streets. Or it might be a person who invests a lot of their time and energy in environmental and animal rights issues. By their example, they offer you the choice to take a similar path. The 4D STO polarity had been called the polarity of compassion, as this is what rules their heart. A full-fledged 4D STS being might be one of the many self-serving power hungry people that litter our institutions, corporations, and our history. These types of people channel all their energy towards attaining power, wealth, and influence. And they are willing to manipulate others and destroy anyone who gets in their way if it serves their needs. They’ll often claim to be working for the greater good — serving the needs of the electorate, the shareholders, the customers, the community, or whoever they are pretending to serve. They can be found vying for power and control in criminal gangs, corporate offices, political parties, and religious organizations. The 4D STS polarity had been called the polarity of “power over others”, because this is what rules their minds and gets their needs served. 4th density beings, regardless of their polarity, are characterized by a strong clarity of purpose. They have firmly adopted an orientation, and their choices and actions consistently demonstrate it. Because their mindset is so well defined and un-conflicted they tend to drive very powerfully and effectively towards their goals — they are achievers The challenge for those at this density is to avoid burnout. 4th density beings tend to give all they have and then exhaust themselves and their resources. The reason for this is simple — no system can exist in which the energy only flows in one direction. An STO being tends to give too much and receive too little. An STS being tends to take too much and give too little. So both STS and STO beings find that, lifetime after lifetime, that they either burn themselves out or end up all alone with nothing. 4th density beings (and 4th density societies) can be fairly successful but ultimately their success it limited by the fact that they don’t understand one simple truth — you have to give to get, and you have to get to give. When they finally come to understand this, then they are ready to move up the ladder to the 5th density of consciousness. The 5th density of consciousness has been called the density of “balanced polarity”. At this level, the ascending being will still have an STO or STS orientation, as had emerged as they entered 4th density. But they will know that they must attain a better balance between the two by expressing more of the opposite polarity. 5D STO beings realize that they must be open to receiving from all those that are willing to give to them so that they can give their great service in a sustainable fashion. They can become powerful change agents because, for the first time, they are channeling energies through themselves rather than simply giving from their own small store of personal energy. 5D STS beings, by contrast, realize that they must be willing to give to others, to nurture and motivate them, so that they will remain hard-working and loyal. They become much more benevolent and might even be admired, respected, or even loved by their subjects. Whereas 4D STS beings are likely perceived as “bosses”, 5D STS beings are more likely to be perceived as “leaders” who inspire followers and unite them with their vision. Respected corporate CEOs and admired national presidents are great examples. In a sense the strength of the polarity diminishes with every one drifting to a more balanced or neutral position on the scale. Because of this, the intensity and character of the dramas manifested on 5th density worlds changes. The intensity and prevalence of victim/perpetrator/rescuer dramas diminishes and there is more cooperation and harmony and less competition and conflict. Ascending The Densities of Consciousness 2 Since 5th density is the level of consciousness where beings grasp the universal law of giving and receiving, the understanding that energy (and abundance) flows in circles and that, for best results, you must give to receive (or receive to give). Being in alignment with this universal law involves a fairly high degree of wisdom in managing yourself and others, and hence this level has been dubbed the density of wisdom. At some point, 5D beings will have a realization that prepares them for the next step up the ladder of consciousness. Eventually, after many many incarnations where they work so hard to give to the world or take from the world, to save the world or rule the world, they finally begin to see the futility of both games and all their attendant dramas. They will eventually notice that there is one simple rule that always seems true: What you do to another you ultimately do to yourself. This is the point where they finally realize that the apparent separation between “self” and “other” is illusory, that in truth, All is One. And with this realization they step up onto the next rung on the ladder of consciousness — the 6th density! The 6th density of consciousness is the level where the STO/STS polarity completely disappears. Regardless of which orientation a being may have adopted at lower levels of consciousness, it now dissolves. The reason for this is that 6D beings know that All is One, and hence this density is the first level in a genre of consciousness aptly called “Unity Consciousness” — a state characterized by loving acceptance of “what is” and surrender to the flow of life. The 6th density is the highest level of consciousness that can still experience itself in a physical body. Beyond this level, it is not possible to be attached to a dense body without dropping out of that level of consciousness. The 6th density of consciousness is a wonderful state of existence. A 6D being fully understands the meaning of life and the true nature of reality and are therefore able to maximize their enjoyment of it without constantly sabotaging themselves. And as a rite of passage into the 6th density, a being fully embraces its creator nature. And so now it only puts out what it wants back, and it therefore only gets back experiences that it desires! Life becomes a lot more harmonious, peaceful, and abundant — a state of grace as compared to lower densities of reality. “Heaven is a state of consciousness.” 6D beings fully understand the rules of the illusory game of physical reality that they are within and so can take the game to a whole new level! They become master level players and can enjoy the fruits of the illusion to their fullest. They explore, play, live, love and laugh to their heart’s content! They are still within the separation game, but this level of the game doesn’t include fear and suffering! Now it only includes wonderful! 6D beings know they are the creator of their own reality and that their experiences are manifested by their deepest beliefs. They, therefore, make a considerable effort to master their thoughts and choices and to release any beliefs that are attracting undesirable results — what amounts to Self-Mastery. Complete self-mastery cannot really occur until a being attains the 6th density of consciousness. Before being at 6th density they simply have not eliminated their inner-conflict, suffering, and pain and therefore are still unintentionally creating fear and undesirable dramas in their lives. Below 6th density, a being’s evolution is primarily driven by its fear, pain, and suffering — by its desire to get away from undesirable experiences. Their FOCUS is on how to avoid undesirable experiences. And because, as a creator, what you focus on you attract and what you resist persists they can’t escape their negative experiences. “Suffering has a noble purpose: the evolution of consciousness and the burning up of the ego.”~ Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose The 6D being transcends this. At 6th density a being focuses, not on how to avoid negative experiences, but on how to attract positive experiences. And because of this “positive” focus they no longer find themselves having “negative” experiences. And because a 6D being is no-longer spending most of its time reacting to negative experiences a space is created to observe and reflect and begin to see things, and himself and life, as they truly are. And he clearly sees who he is, what he wants to be, and how he wants to respond to life — he sees why he is here and what his true purpose is. And this is when he makes his focus that of pursuing his passion and giving his “greatest gift” to the world. The 6D beings focus becomes neither that of serving others or serving self (to give or take) but to simply to find and express their genuine self and to pursue their greatest passion, in each and every moment. And by doing so, they are essentially giving their greatest gift to the world. They are in graceful alignment with their highest self, and they are effortlessly going with the flow of life and hence what they choose to pursue will most certainly be needed, desired, and appreciated by the world. It can be no other way at this level of consciousness. Whatever they choose will be a perfect response at the perfect time for all involved because we are all aspects of the One same being and at this level, all of its parts become completely harmonized! “Living your dream is the greatest gift you can give to the world. There is nothing higher.” ~ Story Waters And so 6D beings will find themselves giving their greatest gift and will be in their highest joy. And because “what you put out you get back” life will respond by giving its greatest gift right back to them, and they find themselves living a remarkably harmonious and abundant life. And now instead of “negative” experiences driving the being’s evolution, the process of mastering the skills and capacities needed to express his great gift become the means of his continued growth, expansion, and evolution. When you are doing what you love you can’t help getting better at it, and ultimately you will be very good at it, so your reach will be far, and your impact will be large. And it will become an effortless joy. At some point in this process, it may dawn on the 6D being that all the learning, growing, and expanding he has been doing via the experiences within his physical reality are an illusory story that he has been playing in. And he will deeply understand that there is a greater reality from which the reality he is immersed in is constructed, and the story is orchestrated. As this realization deeply sinks in, it will nudge him up onto the next step of the ladder of consciousness — the 7th density! Ascending The Densities of Consciousness 3 The 7th density of consciousness has been called the “magical” density because, at this level, one becomes formless and beyond the illusion of physical reality. 7D beings are a part of the primal energy field from which all realities are constructed. Beings at this level, are very close to becoming completely one with the Oneness. At 7D beings participate in the creation of realities by directly working with the energy and the consciousness templates from which they are constructed. Some part of every 7th density beings mind is busy with tasks essential to the very existence of physical (lower density) realities. If it were not for their work, no realities would exist at all. Many 7D beings are carrying out the role of pattern holders or what is sometimes called “construct” holders. Their job is to hold the patterns that construct elements of realities. Some of these “construct holders” are holding the frames of planetary consciousness or galactic consciousness, others are holding the frame of the consciousness for the bodies of creatures (for instance, the human body), others still are construct holders for electrons, photons, and other “particles”. Everything that exists is simply patterns of energy and consciousness controls those patterns. But not all 7D beings are pattern holders, there are many other roles — Watchers, Speakers, Seeders, Recyclers, Interventionists — just to name a few. As an example, a “Watcher” is a special kind of “observing” consciousness that narrows the huge range of possibilities inherent in the complex interactions of all these patterns into a smaller range of actualizations. All these other roles are all involved; in some way, shape, or form, with making realities run smoothly. It is interesting to note that it is not possible for a 7th density being to incarnate and still remain 7th density. In order for 7D beings to do what they do, they must, by definition, be everywhere. And this is incompatible with imagining into existence and wearing a physical body. One must lower one’s consciousness to 6th density or less to do that. The perceptual experience at the 7th density of consciousness is very different than what we experience here in 3rd/4th density. What seems to us to be a bunch of separate perceptual modalities, channels, and processes, are experienced as one unified process and perception. Thinking, feeling, seeing, knowing, creating, expressing, dreaming, fantasizing, smelling, tasting — all of these are, for the 7D being — one process. Imagine if every modality of your perception — taste, smell, visual, tactile, emotional, etc. — were all somehow extra hues or textures added to one universal perceptual experience and you’ll get an idea of what it is like. Imagine that there is no difference between your sensing of a thing and your creative imagination of it — that is, to see the thing is to imagine it into existence, and to see the thing change form is to imagine it’s form changing. 7D beings know that things look as they do because they are imagining them that way. This density of consciousness is where your will is made manifest — it is pure magic! Beings at this level don’t really evolve or change. There is nothing they are apart from and nothing they cannot know or experience so there is nothing more that they can become. They simply do as they are called to and have agreed to and they do it for as long as required. And when they are done they may choose to dive back into some deep corner of their current reality system and explore it further, or they may leave their reality system altogether for another. When a 7D being wants to leave their system, they must lovingly release all their attachments to their creations and thereby attain perfect balance and true Oneness of spirit enabling them to step up onto the last rung on the ladder of consciousness — the 8th density! The 8th density of consciousness is the level where you become utterly One with the Oneness. It is the ultimate level and it is a state that is nearly impossible to describe in words — perfection, wholeness, belonging, centeredness, absolute serenity — these words just scratch the surface. It is a state of bliss beyond anything that we can imagine, a state of peace that transcends anything you have ever experienced — a state where you know you are completely appreciated for who you are and unconditionally loved exactly as you are. At this level, there is nothing that is beyond the scope of your mind. Your mind is the universal mind. You perfectly know and understand absolutely everything that ever was, is, or will be. To inquire about something is to gain the whole of the understanding of it. In this state, it is simply impossible to have “negative” feelings about anything. All perspectives are your perspective. Such a complete and perfect comprehension is bliss. You understand that everything is a creative work of art and that all creations are your creations. From this perspective, you can’t help seeing everything as beautiful and loving all of it! There is nothing that is incomplete or imperfect because all is just as you created it — all is perfect. At least it is right up to the moment that you decide to create something new! And you don’t see the “new” as something better, just different — something that pleases you to create and explore. The 8th density contains all realities and is, therefore, the gateway through which you leave one reality and enter another. In the very moment that a new idea crystalizes in your mind — poof — you find yourself inside a reality at some lower density, and ready to plunge ever deeper. And thus the process of climbing the ladder of consciousness begins again! Conclusion I hope you have enjoyed this exploration of the densities of consciousness and the process of “ascending” through them. Much of the information in this article comes from The Ascension Papers – Book 1 and Book 2. If you found this article interesting, then I highly recommend these books and other information produced by its author, Zingdad. As always, my articles are simply my perspective that I offer in the spirit of discovery and empowerment — take what resonates and leave the rest.

Healing The Heart: Re-Claiming Thinking and Re-Visioning Emotion by Jack Adam Weber.

2017-03-27T08:17:00.002-07:00

Our minds can be divisive when it comes to feeling our true feelings and emotional healing. We all know the feeling (ironically) of being made crazy by our thoughts. Yet, when employed skillfully, our minds are essential for these processes. Given that emotion has both a feeling component and a mental-cognitive aspect, both feeling and mind are needed for comprehensive, integral emotional healing. Emotions are mediated not in our literal hearts inside our chest, but in the emotional center of our brain — the limbic system of our mid-brain, to be exact. This is the feeling part of our brain that orchestrates emotions in our body, including that sacred spot in our chest. So, when we use the word “heart” to describe our feelings and emotions, we do this based on what our experience feels like, because we feel emotions in the region of our chest. But in reality, our “feeling heart” is in our brain, which triggers the release of hormones and neurotransmitters so that we viscerally feel emotion in our body. Emotions originate not in our chest or any other parts of our body beneath our anatomical head (which for now on I will just call “body” for simplicity), but in that mushy, fatty organ in our heads. With this said, and ironically again, the brain can’t feel itself. We feel emotions in our body not because the emotions somehow live exclusively in our flesh and bone outside our head. Cellular emotional memory is therefore encoded largely in our brains, and in very specific parts of the brain. These brain memories in turn activate our peripheral nervous system, and motor neuron system (which initiates physical movement), which might be able to “remember” emotional experience (we’re not sure yet), in addition to the brain proper. Our peripheral nervous system, nonetheless, is connected to the emotional centers of our brain. Therefore, physical stimulation of parts of our body that were connected with past emotional experiences can trigger a whole gamut of emotional experience, including memories, thoughts, feelings, and images. This is why emotions can be triggered both through mentally recollected memory and having part of our body sensitized or activated, such as during bodywork, making love, or a yoga session. Coded memories of specific events form neurological connections between the brain and other parts of our body. When we perceive situations that remind us of the past, this can cause us to “feel” emotions in the present related to the past. Cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine are secreted when we perceive fear. Adrenaline and noradrenaline levels rise when we are angered, and contribute to the physiological feeling of what we name anger. The latter function as neurotransmitters and hormones and are secreted both by the brain and kidney-adrenal system. Indeed, what sets off most emotional experience is our perception, which is the activity of our mind, which involves our brains. Sometimes this perception is conscious, sometimes it’s unconscious. Fear is often unconscious because it’s the most fundamental emotion to ensure our survival in the face of danger, or perceived danger. If fear were always conscious we would likely be dead by now, because it would take too long for us to consciously decide to get out of the way of the oncoming car, bear, falling tree (or scary member of the opposite sex!) In an article on emotional mapping in the body, psychologist Lauri Numenmaa says: “Say you see a snake and you feel fear … Your nervous system increases oxygen to your muscles and raises your heart rate so you can deal with the threat. It’s an automated system. We don’t have to think about it.” Helpful Fear While helpful for survival, there is a problem with this autonomic nervous system fear response if we are not aware. If we don’t use our minds to recognize fearful experiences about real threats from false threats we can end up with knee-jerk reactions to situations that are due to either improper perception in the present (á la mistaking a stick for a snake in the road) or past memories being triggered in the present. The latter is called fear conditioning and is why fear gets such a bad rap. We might also form beliefs based on our fear reactions. Sometimes these are helpful, sometimes not. If fear helps us avert real, in-the-moment danger, it’s helpful. But if fear merely causes us to react unnecessarily in the present (when we are not truly in danger now) because the present reminds us of a similar scary situation in the past (PTSD), then fear is largely unhelpful (except perhaps for signaling to us that we need some help). For example, we might believe that all rustling in the bushes means trouble. Or, if anger caused us fear in the past, we might believe anger is only bad and never helpful. Or if our partner breaks an agreement or disregards us, we might fear that they will definitely hurt us in the same way again. All these examples narrow our world, lead to false beliefs about reality, and to knee jerk reactions that limit our joy. If, however, we use good thinking to notice this unconscious joining of past fear to present reactivity, and thereby work through and/or reframe our unconscious beliefs and emotional reactions, we can heal and better manage this aspect of emotional experience and the problems it causes. Because fear creates these apprehensions and unconscious avoidances, many denigrate or make fear a villain, just as they do the mind. Indeed, some say fear is the opposite of love, or can’t exist in the face of love. This is not true. Neurotic fear — learned historical fear acting up in the face of current non-threats that only remind us of the past — can prevent us from opening to love in the present. But helpful fear in response to real or realistic threats helps us love ourselves and one another by safeguarding what we care for, such as our very survival, clean air, and fresh water! And protecting our children, our health, and our human rights. Fear inspires us to act [fight, flight, fawn (play possum), or freeze], so to cherish life, so that we can allay anxiety, which is the perpetuation of fear we can’t manage. When we ignore healthy fear, we deny our love of life by risking our lives to inaction in the face of danger, and by not being able to act with kindness and care. When we embrace fear, or at least welcome, allow, and get a little closer to it, we can discern its helpful from its unhelpful aspects. This way we employ its wisdom to protect what we love. All emotion, after all, has valuable information for us, and when we deny any emotion we can miss the message and injure life. In sum, to throw the helpful aspects of fear out with the bathwater of neurotic fear is as big a mistake as considering the mind to be useless in love and emotional experience. Again, conscious fear in relation to real threats, or likely threats, helps us prepare for the future, for action, and should not be tossed out with our neurotic, unrealistic fears, and considered bad or demonized. This distances us from fear and allows it to wreak havoc unnoticed and unconsciously. For this reason, especially, it’s crucial to review our reactions to events that cause us to react rather than respond. We might consider recruiting our brain’s neocortex to respond to emotional stimuli in order to moderate or reality-check the belief/s that support our emotional reactions. Our neocortex is the evolutionary newest and upper-most portion of our brains where critical thinking happens, representing yet another helpful use of good thinking for healing and for loving. Granted, sometimes we can’t control our physiological fear reactions, and our anxiety can persist regardless of what we consciously realize. In such cases, we might have to recruit other resources and get support such as therapy, friends and family, a support group, herbs and supplements, lifestyle changes, and even medications. Determining if our reaction is in response to something real can help us re-frame our experience and beliefs according to reality. How is this practical, you might ask? Say your boyfriend is out all night and doesn’t come home. You feel afraid. Maybe you’re afraid that he is out with another woman. Maybe you become angry in response to your fear that he’s cheating on you. If you react to your fear and anger and smash all his belongings, or yell at him, and then later discover that in fact he had a car wreck, you might have some amends to make to heal the consequences of your reactions! Good thinking, reflection, good communication, and reality-checking matter. Heart-Mind HEALING THE HEART - Reclaiming Thinking and Re-Visioning Emotion 1All this is to say that we have to use our minds to help our “hearts.” “Heart” in this context is merely a metaphor for our feeling nature — again, which is mediated by our brains. In the final analysis, the term heart-mind might be most accurate to describe our feelings, because mind (cognition) and what we call “heart” (emotion/feelings) are inextricably linked. Yet, we can, for educational and self-improvement purposes, distinguish for discussion’s sake the mental aspects of emotion and the visceral or feeling aspect of emotion. There is ultimately no “heart” without mind, even in “pure” feelings of love, because we perceive, even unconsciously, with our minds, which information is computed in the brain beneath conscious awareness. Emotional experience is processed, relayed, and emanates from there, which is what is meant by the mediation of emotions in the brain. Yet, on a spectrum, there is the experience of love with more feeling than mental activity. But to some degree it seems the brain’s thinking is always to some degree involved in ways not immediately obvious to us. The reason for any confusion on this topic might be because we have conflicting reports with regard to the experience of our emotions versus what actually happens physiologically during emotional experience. Because we feel some emotions like compassion and empathy in our chest and body does not mean this is where emotions originate or where they are mediated. While we may feel our emotions in our body, the anatomy and physiology of emotion, of which we are not consciously aware, operate behind the scenes, giving rise to experience. The hormone and neurotransmitter cascades (chain of physiological events) that cause us to feel emotion are released by our brain, which then stimulate other organs, especially our adrenals, to release hormones, such as adrenaline (epinephrine) and cortisol. Being aware of emotion in this regard is yet another aspect of how the mind is crucial for emotional awareness and for its healing. Because we feel emotion, and especially love, in our anatomical heart area, we associate love (and other emotions) with the heart organ. And we use this term in daily life and therefore come to believe (through unconscious association) that love and emotion are actually in our physical heart. We now know, however, that romantic love lies in the brain, not the physical heart. Researchers have found that that “two brain structures in particular, the insula and the striatum, are responsible for tracking the progression from sexual desire to love.” Yet, we feel love in our heart because our brain activates this area through sensory and/or motor (action) neurons. But, in the end, what we feel in the literal region of our heart originates in perception and is mediated by the emotional centers of our brain. None of this means that we should start trying to feel love in our brains! The takeaway is not to adjust our feelings of love, but to adjust our demonization of the mind. It’s instructional to learn what’s really going on with emotion, love, and perception to prevent us from making up good cop-bad cop stories about our hearts versus our mind, and feeling versus thinking. For, when we understand that our emotions are not really mediated in our anatomical hearts but in our brains (the limbic system of the midbrain, to be precise) and involve thinking (in the neocortex), then we aren’t tempted to contrast heart versus mind, and glorify the heart while diminishing the mind. In a captivating book on love, titled A General Theory of Love, author Dr. Thomas Lewis says: “The limbic system is associated with our emotions and the neocortex is associated with critical thinking. Both are operative in processing emotions.” So, discussing “mind versus the heart” is tricky territory. If we substitute the word feeling for heart we end up with “mind versus feeling,” which actually is a more accurate way to discuss how feelings interface with thinking. We experience feeling in our body and we think about and perceive the world in our head, but ultimately both are united as body-mind, or heart-mind. Now, discursive thinking (as in thinking about what you will have for lunch or mulling over a decision) is different than the subconscious activity of perception. Discursive thinking, and especially obsessive and uncontrolled thinking, is that activity of the mind that can and often does get in the way of feeling and emotion. This is the defensive, denying, or imbalanced, “neurotic mind” (sometimes called the defensive ego) that can usurp all of our awareness, and is often employed as a defense against feeling discomfort or pain. If we only feel our emotions without reflecting on them, then we easily can displace our emotions from the past onto the present, which is no fun for anyone. This is when our past usurps our present and how past wounds can sabotage our current relationships. When we can use our minds to trace current feelings to the past — aided by the knowledge that emotions can be triggered in the present that might have little to nothing to do with the present — then we can better heal the past, appropriate our emotional responses, and preserve goodness in the present. This is another example of how the mind is crucial for regulating emotional experience. Another is falling love: it’s often easy to go with our hearts, until it isn’t. Using discernment (thinking, analysis, wisdom) to restrain our hearts in love is often wise (more on that here). Because we experience “neurotic mind” to interfere with good feelings, especially love feelings, we tend to make the mind a villain. Most of us have our version of tortured, obsessive, entitled, confusing, divisive, and defensive thoughts. Our mind, however, is crucial for managing and working with our emotions, not to mention living in accord with consensual reality and acting with decency. We just have to learn to put it to good use, which takes practice — mind-body practice. So, when our thoughts are deranged and out of control, rather than make our mind the enemy, we can employ body-mind tools to help return our thinking back to being helpful, rather a hindrance. And if that doesn’t work, we can try to control our thinking and “not go there” as best we can. Distraction and taking frequent deep breaths also is helpful to get out of thinking ruts, and sometimes all we have in tough situations. We also might be helped by a walk, a shower, a jog, some yoga, or eating some protein. There are many ways to work with our mind to bring it back into harmony — as an ally — with our feeling “hearts.” Coming From The Heart When others speak of “coming from the heart,” I understand this metaphorically. I know what they mean because I feel love, appreciation, and affection in my chest too. But when we believe this literally, then we are tempted — as is ubiquitous today, especially in many spiritual circles — to pejoratively contrast our good, pure feeling hearts with our bad, annoying minds. Understanding that our feelings and love originate in the brain helps us not make these black and white distinctions, and ultimately preserves our full gamut of psycho-spiritual faculties. It also prevents our shadow from remaining underground where it can direct our lives unconsciously. The feeling heart is not so pure, or good, when it’s unaided by its ally of good thinking, as in the projection and displacement of belief and emotion, described previously in the boyfriend example and just above. I notice people will often defend their pain and lack of critical thinking with statements such as “I’m just expressing myself,” or “I’m just sharing my feelings.” Well, there are responsible, skillful ways to express ourselves, that first include self-reflection, venting and vetting with supportive others. Just “sharing feelings” by unloading on someone before making sure we understand the facts that inform our emotion and their targets, and to what degree we are being triggered form the past, is crucial to not do violence onto others and to preserve loving connections. So, when we understand that our brain and mind are integral to emotional experience, and more central to it than our anatomical hearts, then we don’t make the mind a villain and our literal heart a savior. Instead, and more accurately, we could contrast our feeling nature with our thinking nature. And it’s true, sometimes we can over-think things, for which we need to let go and just feel. Other times though, we need to think better, not emotionally reason (drawing definitive mental conclusions from feelings), and to better inform and realistically contextualize our feelings. This also prevents the dangerous myth that love is really just an emotion centered in our chest that has little to do with thinking and the rest of our nervous system and physiology. Actually, robust, comprehensive loving — especially acts of love — require us to think well, to perceive accurately, and to rely on our brains for the neurotransmitters and hormones to experience the feelings of love. Because both mind and body-feelings are involved in emotion, both mind and body-feelings need to be involved in emotional healing. This means that we have to both re-experience our emotions in order to feel, process, and release them, and we have to use our good minds (not the divisive, defensive, denying, neurotic, and entitled ego-mind) to understand the context of our emotions. We use our minds, for example, to determine who is involved, what our choices are, to glean the facts and determine if our understanding is consistent with the facts, what we can learn from our mistakes, if our current feelings are in relation to what really happened, and what a current experience reminds us of from our pasts. For emotional healing we can also use our minds to name our emotions so we can remember and cross-reference other incidents when we felt “sad,” “anxious,” “afraid,” or “angry,” for example. This helps us context our current emotional states with past ones, so we can gain more perspective on our current situation and express our emotions skillfully and appropriately (while always feeling them, regardless). At the end of the day, we may go on feeling and experiencing ourselves just as we always have. Except that when we place our hands on our heart we might smile in the back of our mind, knowing that we also are touching and feeling the deep folds in our brain responsible for the feel-good or feel-bad sensation inside our chest. We also will be less likely to denounce the mind as an enemy of our “heart,” because in large part, our feeling “heart” is in our brain! This way we welcome back any parts of us that we have relegated to the dog-house, like fear, critical thinking, and thoughts themselves. Healing the “heart,” then, is to heal the mind, and vice-versa. And fear, rather than the villain we make it out to be, tells us where and what needs our loving attention. As Rilke reminds us: “Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage.” This way, we recover the tools we need to live fuller, more integrated, connected, and harmonious lives.

The Language of Nature – The Trees Will Teach You Telepathy

2017-03-01T06:14:00.004-08:00

The Trees Will Teach You Telepathy' By Serena Woods Have you ever wondered what “telepathy” really means? Have you ever experienced it? Have you ever wanted to experience it? Well you can, and you should. Telepathy is commonly known as ”mind to mind” communication, without the sounds of linguistics or speaking, it is an instant form of transference of thoughts and senses. Some think it is merely ”language-less” – it is not. Telepathy alone may be, but Empathic Telepathy is a language full of silent communion and it is this form that is natural to us. Some of us know that thought-forms can be transferred from person to person, and even some technologies have been developed which can do this. And there are spiritual beings and entities who can be telepathic with us. They can transfer either thoughts or feelings, or both. This is a mixed cornucopia of input. But what I am talking about is Empathic Telepathy which is natural and organic to living beings, a way of being that is fulfilling, and we can Be this way with all Living Beings. Nature has a language that communicates itself through its sounds, scents and colors, textures and more. It has both history and panoramic complexities of sentience we are at a loss to detect, much less describe, and its composition is communicated often so profoundly, beautifully. Countless poems throughout history have been written in humble attempts to write in words all that has been received. Many readers of such poems sense the beauty of them, but it is mostly the writers response to their communion with Nature which is being conveyed through the poems, and often apologetically for an egregiously inept ability to capture in writing all that was received. The reader cannot experience what has been telepathically conveyed to the writer, only what the writer has sensed and is trying to convey. This is second hand but it is still rich. Empathic Telepathy is more than transference of thought, this is a left brained (sans-sentience) explanation. It is communion, communion of the highest order. It is a ”language” of a multi complexity of feelings within and around the communicator, which includes the entire spectrum of experience of what is being communicated. A higher consciousness being, especially those of the Natural Kingdoms, have many senses, and many of these can be expressed. You not only get the thoughts around the communication, you get all the sentience that occurred at the moment of the experience being expressed, as well as the current feelings of the one communicating. Often what has been conveyed includes history. It is a sentient rich communion between those who are expressing, of feelings, thoughts, ideas, scents, and sounds all simultaneously, ambient with the communicators unique sensations, surpassing space and time, in an instant. You may have noticed I am using the term communicator and not just ”person” as it is certainly not limited to people. Telepathy is achieved most successfully with not only people, but with animals, and the Green Kingdoms, and Mineral and Etheric Kingdoms. This involves listening rather than merely hearing. Listening and hearing are two different things. Hearing is the detection of audible sound being spoken whose words are open to infinite interpretation. Such communications when received with a tempered mind, is hearing only. You have often heard people say “I hear you” and yet you find yourself feeling a void, waiting for appropriate response and left unfulfilled. Listening involves sentient rich receptivity and is deliciously complex and filling. Empathic Telepathy is not just ”mind to mind” communication but consciousness to consciousness. This involves a greater use of the brain, a multi sensory complexity within the body with which we are naturally endowed. The Trees Will Teach You TelepathyThe loss of telepathy and empathy comes from all institutionalized forms of ”education” and ”training”. These are processes that temper ones mind much like a steel blade is made. It is hammered and pounded, and heated, and hammered and pounded, over and over, on and on… until it becomes a blade. It has been tempered and molded by the black-smith. And so the steely mind has been indoctrinated and inculcated into being left brain dominant, being likened more to a computing processor. This is a form of mind control conducted by well funded and organized institutions whose goal is to make you learn what they want you to learn, most if not all of it lies, for at the very least it is incomplete. It is not education, is it fractionalized and desensitization. Even those who consider themselves smart will hear a stream of words from a speaker and often formulate a response before one has even finished speaking. This is computing. It has a projectile nature of being a one way transaction. It is box like and of the intellect alone. It is the way of the black-word smithy to form minds into computized instruments. Information bits are chosen and pieced together and spun into deliberate creations with artistic license. It is the way of the Empathic Telepath to commune openly and fully with the truth. Empathic Telepathy listens with full brain and body capacity, and is able to receive infinitely much more information, wisdom and knowledge, sentient rich, in a nano second. Unlike the tempered steely mind which needs to acquire information and experience in a linear time/space continuum. For Empathic Telepaths, communicating with such steely mind word smithys is entirely frustrating and fruitless. One is left with a bitter aftertaste, mixed with a complexity of discordance, a feeling of some kind of void, or being given ”spin” or manipulation. With Empathic Telepathy there is a sweet taste left, one is left satisfied, respected and well received, filled with much more than itself, no matter the truth. How can we become Empathic Telepaths? Where is the teacher? Thought-forms can be conveyed by people and technologies now, it is a one way transaction projected unto another, often without our knowing, and these kinds of projectile transferences are usually of the regressive kind. I would find a more benevolent source. To regain our natural abilities we need to first and foremost desire to be receptive, as this desire is itself receptivity, and one begins to open and soften the tempered mind, make it malleable again. It is a deliberate act of will and discipline. Then we need to find a source of true telepaths, and the most benign and gregarious ones will be found in Nature. Trees especially are willing to be our sources of communion again and our friends. To find out the truth of that statement you will need to experience it for yourself. No tree will lead you astray nor lie to you, nor commune to you anything that has any ”spin” or ”distortion” within it. They are as incapable of this as an infant is capable of lying. Nature in all its forms are our relatives in truth and in essence, in physicality and in origin. All of Nature is us, people, trees, grasses, mountains, water, plants etc, we are all of the same essence….and so they are our relatives in another form, yet deeply informed of us. Go to Nature to commune. Don’t just go to speak, but go to listen. This may take some practice for those who are not used to being receivers, but it can be done when you become soft of mind and receptive. They will find you. You will need to spend more time with Nature especially trees, which are everywhere, and many are willing to communicate with you, though not all. You will find only Truth. You can nurture an opening of your mind which acts like a portal of connection with them and they will use this portal to commune with you. Sometimes this connection can happen quickly, surprisingly so, and some will need some time. A type of trust is needed to develop, not with the tree or whatever your source, but with your own mind….you must trust in your mind to become soft and vibrant with receptivity. For everyone it will be different. But I can see a world of Empathic Telepaths coming into being, coming ”online” so to speak, and this is only the beginning of regaining our connection to Source, to our Divinity, our true Nature, and to feel at home both in our own skins and on this planet we were born on. We must commune with our relatives and love them, live with them. This is harmony. When all forms of communication and communion are open – flowing in all directions – and natural feelings and senses permeate our beingness, this is where we sense our Family and Love. About the author: Serena is a tenacious and dedicated researcher, who for 40 years has looked into the source of the insanity and violence controlling this planet. Rejecting educational brainwashing and refusing to have her natural abilities ridiculed out of her, she remained an independent thinker and a feeling intuitive empath. Since age 21 Serena has lived organically and studied the natural life, being self-taught in everything from bodybuilding to personal trainer, to excelling as a florist, a student pilot, organic gardener, home chef, artist, seamstress, writer, jewellery maker, landscaper, and creator of all her own personal care and home care products. Serena calls herself an Esoteric Nutritionist. You can connect with Serena at: www.serenaladyofthewoods.blogspot.com

Coconut: The Earth’s Most Widespread Medicinal Fruit Plant By Sayer Ji.

2017-02-08T04:25:00.002-08:00

Besides hemp, there are few if any plants that produce as much food, shelter, and medicine as the coconut palm. A scientific review on the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera), which is referred to as “the most naturally widespread fruit plant on Earth”, reveals numerous beneficial biological effects of its various constituents, which include the husk, root, oil, water, and flesh. The study, titled “Cocos nucifera (L.) (Arecaceae): A phytochemical and pharmacological review,” also reviewed the toxicity literature on the coconut palm’s various constituents and found there was no evidence of acute toxicity, and only low toxicity associated with chronic exposure. The study summarized the story of the coconut palm’s fascinating spread around the world as follows: “The plant is originally from Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines) and the islands between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. From that region, the fruit of the coconut palm is believed to have been brought to India and then to East Africa. After the discovery of the Cape of Good Hope, this plant was introduced into West Africa and, from there, dispersed to the American continent and to other tropical regions of the globe.” The review also summarized the traditional healing applications of the coconut palm. This is an important complementary data set, because though many of the traditional uses have not yet been tested and validated by science, they may actually work exceptionally well for these conditions in actual practice. The traditional uses were also summarized in the following paragraph: “In Brazil, extract from the husk fiber of C. nucifera is used to treat diarrhea (7). In Papua New Guinea, the leaves and roots of young plants are chewed as treatment for diarrhea and stomachaches (8,9). In Fiji, coconut oil is used to prevent hair loss and coconut water is used to treat renal disease (10). In Ghana, people use coconut milk to treat diarrhea (11). In Guatemala, the husk fiber extract is used as an antipyretic, to reduce renal inflammation, and as a topic ointment for dermatitis, abscesses, and injuries (12). In Haiti, a decoction of the dry pericarp is used for oral treatment of amenorrhea, and the oil is applied as an ointment to burns (13); an aqueous extract from the husk fiber is also used for oral asthma treatment (14). In India, infusions made with the coconut inflorescence are used for the oral treatment of menstrual cycle disorders (15). In Indonesia, the oil is used as a wound ointment, the coconut milk is used as an oral contraceptive, and fever and diarrhea are treated with the root extract (16–18). In Jamaica, the husk fiber extract is used to treat diabetes (19,20). In Mozambique, the fruit is consumed by men as an aphrodisiac (21). Peruvians use the aqueous extract of the fresh coconut fiber orally for asthma, as a diuretic, and for gonorrhea (22). In Trinidad, bark extract is used orally for amenorrhea and dysmenorrhea, and bark tea is used to treat venereal diseases (23). In Mexico, coconut is used to treat various disorders associated with urogenital tract infection by Trichomonas vaginalis (24). A decoction of the white flesh of the fruit is used in rural Malaysia to treat fever and malaria (25). In Kenya, the fruit is used to relieve skin rash caused by HIV infection (26).” The study concluded: “Cocos nucifera is a widely dispersed plant that has important pharmacological effects with low toxicity. Furthermore, medicinal use of C. nucifera has an environmental appeal, since this plant is widely used in the food industry and use of discarded plant parts will reduce waste and pollution. The pharmacological effects of the plant differ according to the part of the plant or fruit used. Antioxidant activity predominated in the constituents of the endocarp and coconut water. In addition, the fiber showed antibacterial, antiparasitic, and anti-inflammatory activities. Only the ethanolic extract of the root had depressant and anticonvulsant action on the central nervous system. Coconut water seems to have protective effects, e.g., on the kidney and heart, and antioxidant activity, as well as a hypoglycemic effect.”

How to Increase Dopamine, the Motivation Molecule By Deane Alban.

2017-02-08T04:15:00.003-08:00

Dopamine is a key neurotransmitter for motivation, focus and productivity. Learn the symptoms of dopamine deficiency and natural ways to increase dopamine levels … There are about 100 billion neurons in the human brain — about as many stars as there are in the Milky Way. These cells communicate with each other via brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. Dopamine is the neurotransmitter responsible for providing motivation, drive, and focus. It plays a role in many mental disorders including depression, addictions, ADHD, and schizophrenia. Let’s take a closer look at dopamine — what it does, symptoms of deficiency, and how to increase it naturally. Dopamine: The Motivation Molecule Dopamine has been called our “motivation molecule.” It boosts our drive, focus, and concentration. It enables us to plan ahead and resist impulses so we can achieve our goals. It gives us that “I did it!” lift when we accomplish what we set out to do. It makes us competitive and provides the thrill of the chase in all aspects of life — business, sports, and love. Dopamine is in charge of our pleasure-reward system. (1) It allows us to have feelings of enjoyment, bliss, and even euphoria. But too little dopamine can leave you unfocused, unmotivated, lethargic, and even depressed. Dopamine Deficiency Symptoms People low in dopamine lack a zest for life. They exhibit low energy and motivation, and often rely on caffeine, sugar, or other stimulants to get through the day. Many common dopamine deficiency symptoms are similar to those of depression: lack of motivation fatigue apathy procrastination inability to feel pleasure low libido sleep problems mood swings hopelessness memory loss inability to concentrate Dopamine-deficient lab mice become so apathetic and lethargic they lack motivation to eat and starve to death. (2) Conversely, some people who are low in dopamine compensate with self-destructive behaviors to get their dopamine boost. This can include use and abuse of caffeine, alcohol, sugar, drugs, shopping, video games, sex, power, or gambling. How to Increase Dopamine Naturally There are plenty of unhealthy ways to raise dopamine. But you don’t have to resort to “sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll” to boost your dopamine levels. Here are some healthy, proven ways to increase dopamine levels naturally. Foods That Increase Dopamine Dopamine is made from the amino acid tyrosine. Eating a diet high in tyrosine will ensure you’ve got the basic building blocks needed for dopamine production. Here’s a list of tyrosine-rich foods: (3, 4, 5, 6) all animal products almonds apples avocado bananas beets chocolate coffee fava beans green leafy vegetables green tea lima beans oatmeal sea vegetables sesame and pumpkin seeds turmeric watermelon wheat germ Foods high in natural probiotics such as yogurt, kefir, and raw sauerkraut can also increase natural dopamine production. Oddly, the health of your intestinal flora impacts your production of neurotransmitters. An overabundance of bad bacteria leaves toxic byproducts called lipopolysaccharides which lower levels of dopamine. (7) Sugar has been found to boost dopamine but this is a temporary boost, more drug-like than food-like. (8) Dopamine Supplements There are supplements that can raise dopamine levels naturally. Curcumin is the active ingredient in the spice turmeric. It’s available in an isolated form as a supplement. It readily crosses the blood-brain barrier and can boost levels of dopamine. (9, 10, 11) Curcumin has been found to help alleviate obsessive actions and improve associated memory loss by increasing dopamine. (12, 13) Ginkgo biloba is traditionally used for a variety of brain-related problems — poor concentration, forgetfulness, headaches, fatigue, mental confusion, depression, and anxiety. (14) One of the mechanisms by which ginkgo works is by raising dopamine. (15, 16) L-theanine is a component found in green tea. It increases levels of dopamine along with other neurotransmitters serotonin and GABA. (17, 18) L-theanine improves recall, learning, and positive mood. (19, 20) You can get your dopamine boost by either taking theanine supplements or by drinking 3 cups of green tea per day. (21) L-tyrosine — the precursor to dopamine — is available as a supplement. We recommend taking acetyl-l-tyrosine — a more absorbable form that readily crosses the blood-brain barrier. (22) Phosphatidylserine acts as your brain’s “gatekeeper,” regulating nutrients and waste in and out of your brain. It can increase dopamine levels and improve memory, concentration, learning, and ADHD. (23, 24, 25) Boost Dopamine with Exercise Physical exercise is one of the best things you can do for your brain. It boosts production of new brain cells, slows down brain cell aging, and improves the flow of nutrients to the brain. It can also increase your levels of dopamine and the other “feel good” neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine. (26) Dr. John Ratey, renowned psychiatrist and author of Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, has extensively studied the effects of physical exercise on the brain. He found that exercise raises baseline levels of dopamine by promoting the growth of new brain cell receptors. Dopamine is responsible in part for the high serious runners experience. (27) But you don’t need to exercise strenuously to enhance your brain. Taking walks, or doing gentle, no-impact exercises like yoga, tai chi, or qi gong all provide powerful mind-body benefits. (28, 29, 30) Increase Dopamine with Meditation The benefits of meditation have been proven in over 1,000 studies. (31) Regular meditators experience enhanced ability to learn, increased creativity, and deep relaxation. It’s been shown that meditation increases dopamine, improving focus and concentration. (32) Crafting hobbies of all kinds — knitting, quilting, sewing, drawing, photography, woodworking, and home repair — focus the brain similarly to meditation. These activities increase dopamine, ward off depression, and protect against brain aging. (33) Listening to music can cause of release of dopamine. Oddly, you don’t even have to hear music to get this neurotransmitter flowing — just the anticipation of listening can do that. (34) Using Your Brain’s Reward System to Balance Dopamine Dopamine functions as a survival mechanism by releasing energy when a great opportunity is in front of you. Dopamine rewards us when our needs are met. We love dopamine surges because of the way they make us feel. But according to Dr. Loretta Graziano Breuning, author of Meet Your Happy Chemicals: Dopamine, Endorphin, Oxytocin, Serotonin, we are not designed to experience a non-stop dopamine buzz. The constant hunt for dopamine boosts can turn you into a “Wolf on Wall Street” — driven by addictions, greed, and lust. Here are some healthy ways to balance your dopamine by working with your brain’s built-in reward system. Enjoy the Quest Our ancestors were on a constant quest to survive. They got a dopamine surge every time they spotted a new patch of berries or a better fishing hole because this meant they’d live to seek another day. While you can still pick berries and fish, there are endless other healthy ways you can enjoy the quest in modern life. You can forage for new music to download, specialty ingredients to cook with, a travel package bargain, a hard-to-find collector’s item, or that perfect gift for a loved one. You can engage in specifically quest-oriented hobbies like geocaching, bird watching, rockhounding, amateur archaeology, and collecting of all kinds. The act of seeking and finding activates your reward circuits — with no regrets later. Create Both Long and Short Term Goals Dopamine is released when we achieve a goal. Having only long term goals gets frustrating, so set both short term and long term goals. Short term goals don’t have to be anything major. They can be as simple as trying a new recipe, getting caught up on emails, cleaning a closet, or finally learning how to use a new app for your phone. Break up long term goals into small short term goals to give yourself dopamine boosts along the way. Take on a New Challenge Getting a promotion is a great dopamine boost, but this doesn’t happen very often! But you can create your own dopamine rewards by setting a goal, then take small steps toward it every day. This can be starting a new exercise program, learning French, or challenging yourself to drive home from work a different way every day, preferably without the use of your GPS. According to Dr. Graziano Breuning, working on a goal without fail for 45 days will train your brain to stimulate dopamine production in a new way. Dopamine and Mental Conditions Dopamine plays such an important role in how we live our lives, it’s no surprise that when the dopamine system is out of balance it can contribute to many mental conditions. (35) Here are three of the most common conditions that have a dopamine connection. Dopamine and ADHD The underlying cause of ADHD is still unknown. Until recently it was widely accepted that the root cause of ADHD was probably an abnormality in dopamine function. This seems logical since dopamine is critical for maintaining focus. Most ADHD medications are based on this “dopamine deficiency” theory. Prescription medications used to treat ADHD are believed to work by increasing the release of dopamine and norepinephrine while slowing down their rate of reabsorption. (36) However, the latest research suggests that the main cause of ADHD lies in a structural difference in the grey matter in the brain and not dopamine. (37) Dopamine and Depression Serotonin is the brain chemical most associated with depression. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa, and Lexapro are prescribed for depression and work by increasing brain levels of serotonin. But this only works in about 40% of patients who use them. (38) What about the other 60%? There’s a growing body of evidence that shows low dopamine and not low serotonin is the cause of depression for many. Bupropion (brand name Wellbutrin) has proven effective for patients who haven’t been helped by SSRIs by addressing dopamine deficiency. (39) How to determine if your depression is more likely from serotonin versus dopamine deficiency? Serotonin-based depression is accompanied by anxiety and irritability, while dopamine-based depression expresses itself as lethargy and lack of enjoyment of life. (40) Dopamine and Schizophrenia The cause of schizophrenia is unknown, but genetics and environmental factors are believed to play a role. (41) One prevailing theory is that it’s caused by an over-active dopamine system. (42, 43) Supporting evidence for this theory is that the best drugs to treat schizophrenia symptoms resemble dopamine and block dopamine receptors. (44) However, these medications can take days to work which is indicative that the exact mechanism is not yet understood. (45) How to Increase Dopamine in a Nutshell Dopamine is our “motivation molecule.” It’s also in charge of our pleasure-reward system. There are both healthy ways and unhealthy ways to increase dopamine. Unhealthy ways to increase dopamine can be gateways to self-destruction and addictions. Healthy ways include eating the right foods, taking dopamine boosting supplements, physical exercise, and meditation. Learn how to harness your reward system for a healthy stream of dopamine. Enjoy the quest, set both long term and short term goals, and take on new challenges. You’ll feel more alive, focused, productive, and motivated.

20 Transformational Truths From Sages Throughout the Ages By Paul Lenda.

2017-02-08T04:07:00.002-08:00

Throughout the ages, there have been many who have had a taste of incredibly mesmerizing higher states of consciousness. Rather than keep their experiential knowledge and wisdom about the higher and deeper elements of existence to themselves, they spread the word to others, be it through spoken word, written works, or other methods. Thanks to the sages, luminaries, spiritual teachers, thinkers and every-day people who both had and shared their enlightening experience, we can ignite the light of expanded awareness of the higher and deeper aspects of the human experience and existence itself, within ourselves. When the future looks bleak and the motivation to excel and advance seems pointless, we can look to those who have lived, and those who are still alive, to impart that wisdom, realized through their own personal experiences of an enlightened state of inner awareness. The transformational truths that such guiding lights to humanity have expressed to us can raise our level of hope once more to the domain of energy that makes us more proactive. Reignited excitement and passion can drive us closer to the successes we imagined and dreamed would come true. We are all capable of incredible feats. Ask yourself: is your state of mind stopping you from realizing that ‘realized life’ success story that you undoubtedly played within your head so many times before? Don’t let it stay a dream, let it become a reality. Living in the 21st century of our archaic timeline, we have the amazing opportunity to taste such consciousness-shifting words of wisdom. Today we will take a look at 20 such enlightening truths from sages throughout the ages. Allow these timeless words to nourish your mind, heart and soul. Transformational Truth 1: Albert Einstein A human being is a part of a whole, called by us a universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest … a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. ~ Albert Einstein Transformational Truth 2: The Digha Nikaya You should be an island to yourself, a refuge to yourself, not dependent on any other but taking refuge in the truth and none other than the truth. And how do you become an island and a refuge to yourself? In this way. You see and contemplate your body as composed of all the forces of the universe. Ardently and mindfully you steer your body-self by restraining your discontent with the world about you. In the same way, observe and contemplate your feelings and use that same ardent restraint and self-possession against enslavement by greed or desire. By seeing attachment to your body and feelings as blocking the truth, you dwell in self-possession and ardent liberation from those ties. This is how you live as an island to yourself and a refuge to yourself. Whoever dwells in this contemplation, islanded by the truth and taking refuge in the truth–that one will come out of the darkness and into the light. ~ The Digha Nikaya Transformational Truth 3: Unknown “Life is what you make it,” this is very true. Find beauty and magic in all things, and the Love that sees you through. When you look at the world where you live, seek not your gain, but what you can give. When a man is poor, and hungers, and thirsts, serve not yourself til you serve this man first. When a man is down and seeks shelter from cold, give him shelter. You’ll receive blessings untold. Live by the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you’d have done unto you. And always remember: When you destroy, you destroy a part of you, too. Life is what you make of it! ~ Unknown Transformational Truth 4: Carlos Castaneda Loving this world, seeing the beauty in everything. Appreciating every moment as a beautiful, wholly contained, pearl of eternal nature, this is the world to me. A never ending string of pearls…. every moment is in and of it’s self a life time, and when we have affection and let ourselves experience life without expectation… that is when the majesty of the world opens her petals to us… And welcomes us home. ~ Carlos Castaneda Transformational Truth 5: Max Heindel We may liken truth to a mountain, and the various interpretations of that truth to different paths leading up to the summit. Many people are traveling along all of these paths and every one, while he is at the bottom, thinks his path is the only one; he sees only a small part of the mountain, and may therefore be justified in crying to his brothers, “You are wrong! Come over to my path; this is the only one that leads to the top.” But as all these people progress upward, they will see that the paths converge at the top and that they are all one in the ultimate. ~ Max Heindel Transformational Truth 6: Nisargadatta Maharaj Stop attributing names and shapes to the essentially nameless and formless, realize that every mode of perception is subjective, that what is seen or heard, touched or smelled, felt or thought,expected or imagined, is in the mind and not in reality, and you will experience peace and freedom from fear. ~ Nisargadatta Maharaj Transformational Truth 7: Gautama Buddha Do not believe anything because it is said by an authority, or if it is said to come from angels, or from gods, or from an inspired source. Believe it only if you have explored it in your own heart and mind and body and found it to be true. Work out your own path, through diligence. ~ Gautama Buddha Transformational Truth 8: Osho Every man has his woman within him and every woman has her man within her. Only the meditator comes to know his whole being. Suddenly his inner woman and the inner man melt and merge into each other. That creates an orgasmic state in him. Now it is no more a momentary experience that comes and goes; it is something that continues, day in and day out, like the heart beating or breathing. ~ Osho Transformational Truth 9: Lao Tzu When you find the way Others will find you Passing by on the road They will be drawn to your door The way that cannot be heard will be reflected in your voice The way that cannot be seen Will be reflected in your eyes ~ Lao Tzu Transformational Truth 10: John Gray When we experience the pain of another person, we instinctively want to take away that pain. But by taking away the other person’s pain, we also take away his or her opportunity to grow. To be truly compassionate, we must be able to share another person’s suffering and pain — knowing there is nothing we can do to relieve it and that we are not responsible for it, and yet knowing and understanding what that pain feels like. ~ John Gray Transformational Truth 11: David J. Lieberman How people see the world is often a reflection of how they see themselves. If they think that the world is just a cesspool of lies and deceit, then they themselves may be full of lies and deceit. Watch out for those people who are always telling you just how corrupt the rest of the world is. As the saying goes, “It takes one to know one.” ~ David J. Lieberman Transformational Truth 12: Lao Tzu Throw away holiness and wisdom, and people will be a hundred times happier. Throw away morality and justice, and people will do the right thing. Throw away industry and profit, and there won’t be any thieves. If these three aren’t enough, just stay at the center of the circle and let all things take their course ~ Lao Tzu Transformational Truth 13: Terence McKenna Ego is a structure that is erected by a neurotic individual who is a member of a neurotic culture against the facts of the matter. And culture, which we put on like an overcoat, is the collectivized consensus about what sort of neurotic behaviors are acceptable. ~ Terence McKenna Transformational Truth 14: Ghandi Keep your thoughts positive, because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive, because your words become your behaviors. Keep your behaviors positive, because your behaviors become your habits. Keep your habits positive, because your habits become your values. Keep your values positive, because your values become your destiny. ~ Ghandi Transformational Truth 15: Franz Hartmann All the forms of Life in the Universe may be looked upon as being manifestations of the One and Universal Principle of Life in various forms; the whole of the Cosmos, being a product of the Universal Mind, may be regarded as universal, absolute consciousness becoming relative in separate forms. The universal consciousness of the Universal Mind forms spiritual centres of consciousness in living beings, whereby each being may feel and know its surroundings; and as the kind of living beings expands, their consciousness and power of sensation and perception expand with it; for all their powers belong to the mind. and not to the body: the latter without the mind is merely a form without life. ~ Franz Hartmann Transformational Truth 16: Bettie Eadie If we understood the power of our thoughts, we would guard them more closely. If we understood the awesome power of our words, we would prefer silence to almost anything negative. In our thoughts and words we create our own weaknesses and our own strengths. Our limitations and joys begin in our hearts. We can always replace negative with positive. ~ Bettie Eadie Transformational Truth 17: Huang Po Since time without beginning, the nature of Awakened Mind and Emptiness has consisted of the same, absolute non-duality of no birth or death, no existence or non-existence, no purity or impurity, no movement or stillness, no young or old, no inside or outside, no shape and form, no sound and color. Neither striving nor searching, one should not use intellect to understand nor words to express Awakened Mind. One should not think that it is a place or things, name or form. One should not think that it is a place or things, name or form. Only then is it realized that all Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and sentient beings possess the same natural state of great Nirvana. ~ Huang Po Transformational Truth 18: Dalai Lama As human beings we all want to be happy and free from misery. We have learned that the key to happiness is inner peace. The greatest obstacles to inner peace are disturbing emotions such as anger and attachment, fear and suspicion, while love and compassion, a sense of universal responsibility are the sources of peace and happiness. ~ Dalai Lama Transformational Truth 19: John Lennon There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance. We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections. If we cannot love ourselves, we cannot fully open to our ability to love others or our potential to create. Evolution and all hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and open-hearted vision of people who embrace life. ~ John Lennon Transformational Truth 20: Sarah Ban Breathnach Greet everyone you meet with a warm smile, no matter how busy you are. Don’t rush encounters with coworkers, family and friends. Speak softly. Listen attentively. Act as if every conversation you have is the most important thing on your mind today. Look your children and your partner in the eyes when they talk to you. Stroke the cat, caress the dog. Lavish love on every living being you meet. See how different you feel at the end of the day. ~ Sarah Ban Breathnach Previous article by Paul Lenda: 9 Healing Benefits of Music Survival of the Kindest: Evidence Humankind is Evolving to Become More Compassionate Zenarchy: A New System for a New Paradigm 6 Ways to Simplify Your Life Living In A Hologram: Our Holographic Reality Accelerating Our Collective Emergence into a New Paradigm.

What Can Humanity’s Hidden Past Teach Us About Our Future? An Interview with Graham Hancock By Dr. Kelly Neff.

2017-02-08T04:01:00.001-08:00

Author and inspirational thinker Graham Hancock appeared on Lucid Planet Radio last week, to chat with Dr. Kelly about his latest (2015) book, “Magicians of the Gods”, which continues his work of uncovering humanity’s hidden past. You probably recognize Graham Hancock as the author of bestselling books like “Fingerprints of the Gods”, or from his banned Ted Talk, “The War on Consciousness” – a must see if you haven’t already. In addition to his talks, presentations and books reaching an audience of tens of millions, in February, Hancock was voted No. 14 in the Watkins list of “The 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People.” Listen to this interview if you want to find out why. Hancock is eloquent, articulate, passionate and thoughtful. To his millions of fans and supporters, he is a modern day real-life Indiana Jones, a hero who stands up to the insanity of a society that attempts to control our birthright to explore our consciousness and restrict us from asking tough questions about who we are and where we come from. Most importantly, he is incredibly humble and open to communicating with people. He goes out of his way to connect with his readers and fans, saying that without them, he would be “absolutely nothing”, calling them “the most important people in my world.” And yet to others, particular those in the ‘establishment’ of academia and media, his work and research across architecture, astronomy, geology, physics, archaeoastronomy and more has been labeled as ‘pseudo-science.’ When asked about these allegations in our interview, he replied that: “It is inevitable when we start exploring unconventional ideas which do not fit into the mainstream paradigm, which are not regarded as worthy by the mainstream, that those ideas will be attacked. What has surprised me over the years is the insidious nature and the dishonest nature of the attacks… I cannot possibly be a ‘pseudo- scientist,’ pseudo means false, and I cannot be a false scientist because I never claimed to be a scientist… I claim to be a journalist. My job is to synthesize information and to do so in a thorough, detailed manner across a wide range of sciences. That doesn’t mean I am a scientist — That means I am someone who writes about science. I feel I am no more a pseudo-scientist than a dolphin is a pseudo-fish.” So what make Hancock’s ideas so unconventional? He has come under attack because his ideas force us to examine everything we have accepted to be true about human history and the ancient origins of our civilization. Indeed, as he said in our interview: “Everything we’ve been taught about the origins of civilization could be wrong.” In his outstanding new book, “Magicians of the Gods”, Graham Hancock hypothesizes that a highly advanced human civilization existed over 12,000 years ago, during a time when the traditional historical paradigm labels humans only as primitive hunter-gatherers. Moreover, he offers extensive supporting evidence that a cataclysmic event (namely a comet hitting the North American ice-caps) occurred 12,800 years ago (and again 11,600 years ago) that all but eradicated this advanced society — which is the same society that Plato referred to in his writings as ‘Atlantis,’ a lost advanced civilization destroyed by a global cataclysm. Graham reminds me that this is NOT pseudo-science and that a plethora of scientific, peer-reviewed evidence has been published on this cataclysm since 2007: “To place all of this in context, it is important to understand we do have the firm and really absolutely irrefutable scientific evidence that a global cataclysm did unfold between 12,800 and 11,600 years ago. This cataclysm, which was also responsible for massive wide-scale animal extinctions… wiped almost completely from the face of the earth an advanced civilization that had existed before it.” Although this advanced society may have been destroyed, Hancock proposes that there were survivors, and these survivors settled among the hunter-gatherer societies that also existed on the planet, transferring their knowledge and passing on their skills in an attempt to re-make the great civilization that was lost. He explains in our interview that it is entirely possible that an advanced civilization lived alongside hunter-gatherers 12,800 years ago, after all, this is still the case on the planet today: There are still highly technologically advanced cultures contrasted with hunter-gatherer tribes and nomadic peoples. The ancient knowledge from this lost civilization was passed down, integrated, and eventually woven into cultures like the Sumerians and later, the Egyptians. Even though this advanced civilization was lost, ancient megalithic structures were left behind across the globe. The pyramid of Gunung Panang in Indonesia is once such as example, where drill core samples date back over 20,000 years. This sophisticated structure was not the work of primitive hunter gathers, but of a society with advanced engineering and astronomical skills. People often ask if these ancient megalithic structures were built by aliens, and while it is impossible to completely rule it out, Hancock believes it much more likely that these structures were built by advanced human civilizations who have been long forgotten by our history books. Perhaps the most mysterious and profound site of all is is Gobekli Tepe in Turkey, which Hancock says was deliberately buried by humans and intentionally left as a “for sure time-capsule” that had been untouched and preserved for 10,000 years when it was discovered in the mid 1990s. It is the largest megalithic site on Earth, more than 50 times larger than Stonehenge and 7,000 years older than Stonehenge. According to Hancock, who has personally observed and photographed the site extensively with his partner Santha Faiia, on Pillar 43 in enclosure D, there is astrological diagram of the constellations that we call Sagittarius and Scorpio standing on either side of the dark rift of the Milky Way galaxy, with the sun sitting over this dark rift. Amazingly, the only time that sun would sit in this position over the Milky Way in between these constellations is at the winter solstice in our time today, not during the time that the temple was actually built. So what does this mean? First, it means that the people who created Gobekli Tepe over 12,000 years ago had a sophisticated knowledge of the stars and were able to simulate the changes in the sky that would occur because of the procession of the equinoxes. Second, it means that they may have created this image of the sky during our time, deliberately, to send us a message. According to Graham Hancock, that message is: “Pay attention to the sky.” The fragments of the same comet that hit the Earth are still in our orbit today, known as the Taurid meteor stream. We pass through these fragments every year at the end of June and in November. Just to put this in perspective, astronomers believe that the comet was initially about 60 miles in diameter when it was captured by the sun and went into an orbit which crosses the orbit of the Earth. It broke apart into smaller fragments, probably a mile or two wide, before hitting the Earth 12,800 yeas ago, with primary impact hitting the North America ice-shelf around Minnesota (which looked very different than it does today and was under miles of ice at the time). The fingerprint of the comet’s impact reached an astonishing 50 million square miles, with evidence of its impact as far afield as Syria. This impact would have been thousands of times stronger than the impact of setting off the Earth’s entire nuclear arsenal at once! There have been other impacts too from the fragments in the Taurid meteor stream: The most recent impact happened in 1908 when a fragment about 100 meters long hit the Earth’s atmosphere and exploded in the sky above an uninhabited area of Siberia. According to Hancock, it is “just blind luck” that we haven’t been hit again and suffered another extinction event. “Crossing the Taurid meteor stream is like strapping on a blind fold and crossing a six lane interstate and hoping that we won’t get hit.” Indeed, many prominent astronomers have voiced and published this concern, especially that an object up to 20 miles in diameter is sitting dark in the midst of the Taurid meteor stream. It is impossible to even comprehend the damage this could do to our planet and the majority of species living on it. But let’s not become hopeless dooms-dayers just yet, warns Hancock. “We don’t need to project doom and gloom. We what we need to project is positivity. We have the technology now to make our cosmic environment entirely safe. To make sure our children and our children’s children have a bright and beautiful future and we do not become that lost civilization.” So how do we ensure the safety of our cosmic environment? For Hancock, the solution is obvious, although it requires people to wake up and demand change. “We have taken our eye off the ball of the dangers of our cosmic environment… Right now the cost of running a single McDonalds for a year is all we are spending on looking for harmful asteroids and comets in our environment.” And yet, as Hancock points out, we are spending trillions of dollars on military, weaponry and wars (ie. ways to kill each other.) But perhaps there is a choice, and we can demand to choose something different. “We can change our priorities. The technologies already exist. It is simply a matter of a choice. Now is the time for humanity to join together in a grand project. We are brothers are sisters, we are the same, the differences that divide us are totally artificial and have been manipulated by authority figures in our society. We need to change this… This is a message of unity and hope for our society.” One of the biggest challenges to making these changes a reality is the lack of funding for research on the comet impact. A team of more than 30 major scientists from the around the world has been responsible for funding all of the research themselves, as they have found it impossible to obtain funding from the traditional outlets because these ideas are so new and still unconventional. Remember, as pointed out earlier, unconventional ideas (even with scientific backing and evidence!) are often attacked by the mainstream before they are accepted. Hancock suggests that this is the perfect research to be crowd-funded, and the most significant and important science there is for understanding the ancient past of humanity. Stay tuned for updates as this crowd funding initiative may become a reality soon. Graham Hancock and I both believe that the world is changing, and that people are demanding positive changes and waking up from the amnesia over our forgotten past that has clouded us for so long. “What I see, particularly among young people, is a global awakening taking place… There is a new spirit in the air, and I also feel very optimistic about the future. This is a time of great change, when paradigms shift… Where we suddenly see new possibilities opening up.” Where will these new possibilities lead us? Will we listen to these ancient messages and look to the sky for answers? Only time will tell, but the change is up to each of us. Light and love, Dr. Kelly.

Practical Tips for Raising Earth-Conscious Children By Alex ‘Earthie Mama’ Du Toit.

2017-02-08T03:56:00.002-08:00

Children these days have many technological distractions that keep them busy and less connected with the environment. Whether it’s a video game, television program or computer screen, children are forgetting how to connect with their natural side. Many parents seem to be forgetting the importance of teaching children about their intrinsic connection to the earth and their role in protecting the planet for future generations. There are ways to help children cultivate an earth-conscious way of living. Live by example Our children learn how to be in the world by learning from what their caregivers do. Educate yourself about ways to help protect our earth, and live by example. Firstly, turn the television off as much as possible. Children’s television shows are spaced out by commercials which target and manipulate children to want to buy more and want more of products that are wasteful and toxic. Educate yourself about ways to help protect our earth, and live by example. Reduce, reuse, recycle Teach your children about all the trash that can be recycled and where it ends up if it’s not. Children love activities where their creativity is challenged. A great idea is to ask your child to find reusable alternatives to disposable household items and turn the trash into treasures. For example, by using finished toilet and paper towel rolls, you can make a musical instrument by putting rice or beans in the roll and taping off both ends. Talk to your children about the importance of minimal packaging and what to recycle and reuse. How to Raise an Earth-Conscious Child - Sit Still in NatureGardening There’s nothing more magical than having a child plant a seed, nurture it, and begin to see it grow. This reminds them that all living things work together to thrive. As they watch their plants grow, children feel so proud and excited about spending time in their garden. If you do not have land to grow a garden, you can give your child a few pots to plant their veggies or flowers in and they will still be in awe and inspired. Plus, a child is more likely to eat a vegetable that they have nourished and watched grow. Spend time in nature Spend time with your children outdoors. Simply sit outdoors, have a picnic, take a nature walk, or maybe visit a beach. Allow your children to see the beauty that the earth contains and help them learn the interconnection of all living things. This will help them to keep our planet beautiful and consciously take care of it and not destruct it. How to Raise an Earth-Conscious Child - Connect with AnimalsSpend time with animals The simple connection between species reminds us of how mysterious life and nature are, and how much we happily cooperate in nature to exist. Children learn responsibility and compassion from spending time with animals. They learn to respect living things by simply being in an animal’s presence. Get dirty Let your children walk barefoot when they play outside and let them get dirty. There has been research linking the connection to Earth’s natural energy and vibrant, balanced health. How to Raise an Earth-Conscious Child - Get DirtyCommunity clean-up Join your children and participate in cleaning up nature such as a beach clean-up or a creek clean-up. When children are a part of the cleaning up of their environment, they can see the change happening with their own eyes and that positivity inspires them to want to do more. You do not need solar panels or land to teach children about the earth. Families can start in simple ways; like using cloth napkins instead of paper or bringing cloth bags for groceries. It is a good idea to set goals that you would like to achieve that benefit the environment. Start from where you are and what is around you. No pressure; just fun mixed with many rewards. Sources for this article include: www.earthing.com www.greenplanet4kids.com www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/gardening-kids

Understanding Destiny… and Practical Steps to Help You Take Charge of Yours By Danielle Benvenuto

2017-02-08T03:52:00.002-08:00

We each come into this life with unique temperaments and quirks, a self-symphony, both breathtakingly beautiful and awkwardly arranged, and, as par for the course agonizingly, difficult to navigate at times. We come in with a vibration that is, above all, inherently distinct and unable to be replicated by anyone else we encounter in the world. We enter with talents, gifts, inclinations and passions, some of which seem to be inextricably woven into the fabric of our being and others, more clearly informed by the environment and culture in which we were raised. Our destiny, in part, is the picture we choose to create from this kaleidoscope of things; how we put this palate of colors and array of materials all together to create the landscape we call our life. We are each born into this life and have experiences with people who raise us and with people who surround us outside of our nuclear family — peers, teachers, co-workers, lovers, family friends, strangers who become closer than family, and family who become strangers. Some of these experiences will cause an extraordinary amount of pain and suffering. Some will bring joy we could have never imagined. Our destiny, in part, is how we choose to make sense of and transform these unique experiences. Our destiny is never something that occurs without our participation, and so the first thing we need to know is that we, and only we, are the creators and the keepers of our own destiny. No one else gets to claim this right and no else can create it for us. If we look up “destiny” in the dictionary we find in the Merriam-Webster version that destiny is: “the things that someone will experience in the future” or “a power that is believed to control what happens in the future.” Let’s break this down a bit further to understand the what’s before we get into the how’s… Since our destiny is composed of the things that will be experienced in the future, we first need to understand the meaning of the future as it relates to the present. With this knowledge, we can become truly empowered. The future is always being made up of the present moment. In other words, what we choose to think about, what we choose to ignore thinking about, how we choose to act, what we choose to eat, how we decide to relate to ourselves and others to name just a few of the choices we are making on a daily basis are choices that shape our future and how it specifically unfolds. This means that our future is always changing and that our destiny can drastically change course at any moment in time — that is, if we choose to take charge of it. Now back to our dictionary definition… Destiny is also defined as “a power that is believed to control what happens in the future.” And what is this mysterious power believed to be in control of our future? We are that power. You are that power. And that power lies nowhere other than inside the vessel through which we navigate this earth — our bodies — a vessel of extraordinary power to create extraordinary things. Unfortunately, we have been told that we aren’t this power, and there are very strong systems in place that perpetuate this disempowering myth; from the governing bodies that organize our society and create false dependencies on things outside ourselves, to the dysfunction within our own families that set up dynamics that empower some family members over others, to the programs of fear we keep running in our heads, which keep us passive and in a state of spiritual amnesia and victimhood. Taking charge of your destiny: If we want to take charge of our destiny, we need to take our power back. Here’s how: Entertain the possibility that you can change the course of your life. Let’s begin with the basics. What I am about to suggest may run counter to anything you have read on the topic of manifestation or law of attraction however, it is imperative especially if you are feeling resistant. You don’t have to believe that you can change your destiny. In fact, you don’t have to believe anything. To start, the only necessary thing is for you to become open to the idea that it is possible; to be curious about a new path for your life that you can’t quite see yet. So first, please open this door of possibility: “I am open to the possibility that I can change the course of my life.” Understanding Destiny... and How You Can Take Charge of Yours - Greet the pain and suffering in your life. The reason we get stuck in the same patterns, relationships and routines over and over again is because we aren’t greeting the pain and suffering we experience with an open invitation. This includes anything from past traumas, to unresolved grief, to the pain over a breakup to more minor frustrations we all experience in our daily lives. Instead, we tend to resist and run away from what feels uncomfortable and understandably so. It’s not easy being present with emotions we were taught we shouldn’t have or revisiting pain that was overwhelming and unsafe to experience at an earlier time in our life. However whether we like it our not, our pain is there for a reason and it is to alarm us that there is something inside of us that needs attention and healing. It is there to show us that a part of us isn’t living to our fullest potential. When we don’t honor those parts of us in need of recognition and expression, then we live unconsciously. When we live unconsciously, our pain and our fear of pain is what creates our destiny. Listen to yourself. We must be in an open and intimate relationship with ourselves if we want to change our life. Period. This means we need to start listening more carefully to the little sparks of excitement that go off inside us at any given moment. I’m talking about the small stuff here. For example, if you like to dance and feel this small yet nagging urge within to dance more but continue to not because you wonder if it really matters, then it is absolutely time to start dancing. Why? Because there’s a part of you that needs this for whatever reason and the beauty of this is not only the part of you that needs to be fed benefits but it will ripple throughout your whole being opening doors you could have never imagined. For example, as an unintended side effect you might start becoming more creative at work, your sex life might get better, your health may improve, you may meet the love of your life. You change your life by listening to the small things. The small sparks, the whispers, the urges, however you experience it, know that these small things are your destiny speaking-asking you, daring you to accept its invitation. Each moment you agree to listen is a moment you will look back with the realization that very big things happen in very small steps. There are no mistakes. Similar to our pain and suffering, we must also meet each experience that unfolds in our lives with openness whether they are the products of a terrible decision, a great one or seem to be coming from out of nowhere. Each experience that emerges in your life is as it should be and is part of-not outside of-your destiny. Therefore, if something happens that is not pleasing, this thing must be observed and welcomed even if it feels terrible. In it lies an opportunity for something new to be born, if you just give it the chance. Self-blame and pointing fingers are the opposite of observation. Both lead to victimhood and to the repeat of whatever cycle you find yourself in. Instead of wrapping yourself up in the energy of blame, bathe in the energy of curiosity: “How can I navigate this situation differently than I have done before?” “What new thing can I learn about myself from this experience?” We find the life we want through experiencing what we don’t want. By removing blame and riding out the wave of whatever difficulty is passing through our lives, our destiny begins to speak and open up to us in a new way. Connect. We must open our hearts. Little by little, we have to take this risk. When we push ourselves to be more vulnerable with others, we can connect more deeply to ourselves. All of life is a co-creation and so the shaping of your destiny is also a co-creation. By this I mean it is through our connection with others that we see ourselves, that we see our deepest potential, that we wake up to our dreams, that we crack ourselves open to the messy, wilderness of our deepest desires. We are here to love ourselves and love others and the more we do this the more expansive our lives get. Anything becomes possible and so your destiny has no limit. It is as expansive as you want it to be. Play… a lot. Life isn’t that serious. When we buy into this belief, we start becoming rigid and rule bound and in agreement (often not knowing we are in agreement) with a system of living that simply isn’t ours; a system of living that inherently blocks those feelings that inspire us to look for something more and which equates this desire as the product of a wild and unrealistic imagination. Run around like a child, dance in the streets, scream, laugh, play. Through play, we rediscover ourselves and reach our creative potentials that we thought we needed to abandon. Our destinies absolutely demand that we be creative so drop your books and go out and play. So, you see, our destinies after all is said and done are solely in our own hands. They aren’t pre-determined, they aren’t limited or far off, and although magical things do happen when we tap into our own power, it really isn’t a mysterious process. We get to dream up what we want for ourselves and it all happens right here, right now, in the midst of our lives as they are in this very moment

How to Heal ADHD — Without Resorting to Pharmaceutical Grade Amphetamines by Carolanne Wright.

2016-12-21T07:39:00.001-08:00

The diagnosis and subsequent medicating of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has jumped to alarming levels in the United States over the last few years. The stimulants used to treat the condition have more than doubled since 2007 to an astounding $9 billion in 2012. In light of this, many are questioning whether children are diagnosed accurately or if this is yet another medical label that pharmaceutical companies can exploit to reap massive profits. To date, 1 in 5 high school aged boys are diagnosed with ADHD, while 1 in 10 are said to have the condition across all age groups below eighteen. According to data collected in 2013 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it’s estimated 6.4 million children in the U.S. aged 4 through 17 have received an ADHD diagnosis at one point during their lifetime, which equates to a 16 percent increase since 2007 and a 41 percent jump over the last decade. “Those are astronomical numbers. I’m floored,” Dr. William Graf, a pediatric neurologist in New Haven and professor at the Yale school of Medicine, told the New York Times. What exactly is going on? Normal Childhood Behavior or Questionable Pharmaceutical Intervention? ADHD is classified as a chemical imbalance in the brain which negatively impacts impulse control and attention. Historically, the disorder affects between 3 to 7 percent of children. There isn’t a definitive test for diagnosis — instead, the condition is determined by subjective evaluations from teachers, parents and the child’s physician. Children as young as two-years-old are being diagnosed and prescribed stimulants like Adderall, Ritalin, Concerta and Vyvanse, which carry a laundry list of side-effects such as loss of appetite, sleep disruption, mood swings and poor growth. Where do we draw the line between normal (if challenging) childhood behavior and a serious medical condition that demands treatment? Says Dr. Jerome Groopman, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and author of How Doctors Think: “There’s a tremendous push where if the kid’s behavior is thought to be quote-unquote abnormal — if they’re not sitting quietly at their desk — that’s pathological, instead of just childhood.” The situation is further complicated by the incessant advertising of pharmaceutical companies, who create fear in parents by portraying an unruly, socially unacceptable child with poor performance, then provide a solution in the form of a ‘miracle’ pill — for a price, of course. The CDC estimates the annual societal “cost of illness” for ADHD is between $36 and $52 billion in 2005 — approximately $12,005 to $17,458 annually per individual. [source] Let’s not forget the drugs prescribed for ADHD are controlled substances — amphetamines, which, as this study shows, function exactly like methamphetamine in the body. So we are essentially medicating our children with the pharmaceutical equivalent of the notorious street drugs speed and crank (meth). This has led to a booming black market for the medication on college campuses as well as in corporate board rooms — really, any place where people need high energy, focus and performance. Adult abuse of ADHD drugs now tops opiates as the number one drug for admission into rehab hospitals in California. How to Heal ADHD - Without Resorting to Pharmaceutical Grade Speed or Meth 3 As noted by the New York Times: “There’s no way that one in five high-school boys has ADHD,” said James Swanson, a professor of psychiatry at Florida International University and one of the primary ADHD. researchers in the last 20 years. “If we start treating children who do not have the disorder with stimulants, a certain percentage are going to have problems that are predictable — some of them are going to end up with abuse and dependence. And with all those pills around, how much of that actually goes to friends? Some studies have said it’s about 30 percent.” Still, parents and teachers have noticed an uptick in disturbing behavior at home and in the classroom. Even if children don’t fit into the classic model of ADHD with a true chemical imbalance, many are unconvinced this is simply normal childhood behavior. Some believe environmental factors are at play. Modern Lifestyle and the Rise of ADHD Symptoms Katie Singer is a medical journalist and advisor for the Electromagnetic Radiation Policy Institute. She’s observed firsthand the effects electromagnetic radiation from Wi-Fi, cellular phones and other wireless technology can have on children. “Like mobile phone signals, Wi-Fi signals can also cause cell membranes to leak and calcium ions to flow through them in a relatively uncontrolled manner. In the classroom, this may result in children’s brains losing the ability to concentrate,” said Singer. Moreover, electromagnetic radiation may also inhibit melatonin production, which in turn interferes with normal detoxification and sleep. Since heavy metal toxicity is a growing concern, especially for those with any type of behavioral issue, exposure to wireless technology can aggravate the condition by hindering detoxification pathways. Many families have found that limiting exposure to Wi-Fi, cordless phones and cell phones has significantly improved behavioral issues. Several case studies are available here. Fluorescent lighting can also be problematic. Victoria L. Dunckley M.D. recommends switching out compact fluorescent bulbs for incandescent or halogen. Why? Because fluorescent bulbs flicker, which triggers a nervous system stress response and negatively impacts sleep — causing a cascade of side-effects relating to emotional regulation, memory, immunity, hormonal balance and repair mechanisms. And then there is diet. We cannot expect children to focus and sit still if they are pumped full of refined sugar, genetically modified organisms, pesticides, monosodium glutamate (MSG), artificial colorings, additives and preservatives. Additionally, research has shown that those with depleted levels of zinc, copper and iron are more prone to displaying ADHD characteristics. An organic, whole food diet — absent of common allergens like gluten and casein — can go a long way in addressing behavioral problems. Pine Bark Extract — A Natural Solution? Lastly, if addressing environmental factors and cleaning-up the diet doesn’t soothe ADHD symptoms completely, follow the lead of European countries and try Pycnogenol. Derived from French maritime pine bark, the extract has been shown to decrease hyperactivity while improving concentration and attention. As a potent antioxidant, pine bark extract helps to minimize the oxidative stress associated with ADHD. In fact, research has found that after taking Pycnogenol for one month, the oxidative imbalance in children with ADHD was resolved, leading to improved cognitive function. [source] Article sources: www.cdc.gov/nchs/slaits/nsch.htm www.apa.org/monitor/2014/04/adhd.aspx www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/data.html www.nytimes.com/2013/04/01/health/more-diagnoses-of-hyperactivity-causing-concern.html www.huffingtonpost.com/larry-diller/adderall-abuse_b_5101278.html www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jpa/24/1/24_1_41/_article www.psychcentral.com/lib/side-effects-of-adhd-medications www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jcmm.12088/full www.electronicsilentspring.com/calming-behavior www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16699814 www.althealthworks.com/7958/this-plant-can-be-the-next-natural-adderall-substituteyelena

Understanding Cannabis Oil by Raluca Schachter.

2016-12-21T07:35:00.001-08:00

Although I’ve been aware of the recent positive discussion of cannabis oil as a treatment for various serious diseases, I was still skeptical to consider this as a viable solution for certain health disorders. After all, so many people these days are looking for the perfect miracle pill to solve their health issues! Is this another panacea? Is this another way of buying into the mentality of one-size-fits-all treatments that come in a bottle without making any necessary dietary and life style changes? In the end, it all depends on how we really make use of these extracts that nature provided us and how clearly we see the “big picture” of true healing. So it was time I found out more! I interviewed one of my colleagues with extensive knowledge on the matter – Steven Sinay, VP of Nutritional Science for Empower Genetics and a fellow Metabolic Typing practitioner. This article is what he kindly shared with me on the very interesting topic of cannabis oil. Understanding Cannabis Oil Raluca Schachter: What is cannabis oil and how does it work? Steven Sinay: Cannabis Oil is a thick, sticky, resinous substance that is extracted from the cannabis plant (Cannabis sativa or Cannabis indica). Cannabis oil is a base product that is prepared by separating the resins from the cannabis flowers (buds) using a solvent extraction process. Cannabis oil contains several Cannabinoids including Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component, and Cannabidiol (CBD), the medicinal component of cannabis. For legal purposes becoming more commonly used over Cannabis oil, is Hemp oil which is being grown in Europe to have higher levels of CBD and with no THC. In 2001, the DEA issued a rule banning all import and cultivation of industrial grade hemp. In 2003, the Hemp Industries Association filed an Urgent Motion for Stay in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. In 2004, the Ninth Circuit Court sided with the Hemp Industries Association. In the decision, Judge Betty Fletcher wrote, “[T]hey (DEA) cannot regulate naturally occurring THC not contained within or derived from marijuana-i.e., non-psychoactive hemp is not included in Schedule I. The DEA has no authority to regulate drugs that are not scheduled, and it has not followed procedures required to schedule a substance. The DEA’s definition of “THC” contravenes the unambiguously expressed intent of Congress in the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and cannot be upheld.” Judge Fletcher is essentially saying that the DEA cannot regulate hemp or the chemicals within it because hemp contains no THC, is not marijuana, and is therefore not covered under the controlled substances act; and the DEA cannot regulate substances that have not been scheduled. This is why you can purchase and sell CBD hemp oil. Over the last 20 years Cannabis has been at the center of one of the most exciting and underreported developments in recent modern science. Research on marijuana’s effects led directly to the discovery of an unknown biochemical communication system in the human body, the Endocannabinoid System, which plays a crucial role in regulating our physiology, mood, and everyday experience. The discovery of receptors in the brain that respond pharmacologically to Cannabis and the subsequent identification of endogenous cannabinoid compounds in our own bodies that bind to these receptors has significantly advanced our understanding of human biology, health, and disease. It is an established scientific fact that cannabinoids and other components of cannabis can modulate many physiological systems in the human brain and body. Cannabinoids are chemical compounds that trigger cannabinoid and other receptors. More than 100 cannabinoids have been identified in the marijuana plant. Of these, THC and CBD have been studied most extensively. In addition to cannabinoids produced by the plant, there are endogenous cannabinoids (anandamide and 2AG) that occur naturally in the body, as well as synthetic cannabinoids created by pharmaceutical researchers. Cannabinoids promote homeostasis at every level of biological life, from the sub-cellular, to the organism, and perhaps to the community and beyond. Here’s one example: autophagy, a process in which a cell sequesters part of its contents to be self-digested and recycled, is mediated by the cannabinoid system. While this process keeps normal cells alive, allowing them to maintain a balance between the synthesis, degradation, and subsequent recycling of cellular products, it has a deadly effect on malignant tumor cells, causing them to consume themselves in a programmed cellular suicide. The death of cancer cells, of course, promotes homeostasis and survival at the level of the entire organism. Scientists associated with the International Cannabinoid Research Society (ICRS) have elucidated a number of molecular pathways whereby CBD exerts a therapeutic impact. A preclinical study by Dr. Sean McAllister and his colleagues at the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco reports on how CBD kills breast cancer by down regulating a gene called ID-1, which is implicated in several types of aggressive cancer. Silencing the ID-1 gene is thus is an excellent strategy for a cancer treatment. Extensive preclinical research much of it sponsored by the U.S. Government (see U.S. Patent below) indicates that CBD has potent anti-tumoral, antioxidant, anti-spasmodic, anti-psychotic, anti-convulsive, and neuroprotective properties. CBD directly activates serotonin receptors, causing an anti-depressant effect, as well. The United States Government holds U.S. Patent 6,630,507 (filed 1999) on Cannabinoids stating in their patent: “Cannabinoids have been found to have antioxidant properties, unrelated to NMDA receptor antagonism. This new found property makes cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and HIV dementia. Nonpsychoactive cannabinoids, such as cannabidiol, are particularly advantageous to use because they avoid toxicity that is encountered with psychoactive cannabinoids at high doses useful in the method of the present invention.” Raluca Schachter: Under what conditions has cannabis oil proved to be most successful? Steven Sinay: According to many CBD Researchers the following are a list of conditions that the use of CBD has been shown to improve: Acne, ADD/ADHD, Addiction, AIDS, ALS, Alzheimer’s Disease, Anorexia, Antibiotic Resistance, Anxiety, Atherosclerosis, Arthritis, Asthma, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Cancer, Colitis/Crohn’s, Depression, Diabetes, Endocrine Disorders, Epilepsy/Seizure, Fibromyalgia, Glaucoma, Heart Disease, Huntington’s Disease, Inflammatory Disorders, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Kidney Disease, Liver Disease, Metabolic Syndrome, Migraines, Mood Disorders, Motion Sickness, Multiple Sclerosis, Nausea, Neurodegeneration, Neuropathic Pain, Obesity, OCD, Osteoporosis, Parkinson’s Disease, Prion/Mad Cow Disease, PTSD, Rheumatism, Schizophrenia, Sickle Cell Anemia, Skin Conditions, Sleep Disorders, Spinal Cord Injury, and Stress Stroke/TBI. Understanding Cannabis Oil - Cannabinoid Education Raluca Schachter: What should we look out for, in terms of the quality of cannabis oil? Steven Sinay: Since cannabis oil products have only been in the market place for a short period of time, it is important to source these products just as you would your produce, meat, fish, etc. As far as I can tell there are not a lot of regulatory organizations monitoring the quality and purity of these sources. Be sure to look for a product that has gone through some sort of third party lab testing that detect contaminants like pesticides, fungicides, mycotoxins, microbes, etc. Equally as important consumers need to be aware of the concentration of their medicinal cannabis. It is fundamental in allowing the consumer to choose the correct medicine for their symptoms, as well as determining the proper dose. It’s good practice to find a manufacturer that is not afraid to allow access to each Certificate of Analysis on every batch they produce. Here in the United States a non THC CBD product is classified as a dietary supplement and is legal in all 50 states. Raluca Schachter: The nutritional world is quite flooded with hypes these days. But as we know through Metabolic Typing ®, there is no nutrient, remedy or food that can be beneficial for everybody. Any nutrient has different effects in different metabolisms, biochemically speaking. So there are no one size fits all remedies, really. From your experience, have you had the chance to observe how this remedy had different effects in different metabolisms? Steven Sinay: As previously mentioned, at the right dosage, CBD has been shown to significantly help with anxiety, pain, neurodegeneration, inflammation, etc. An appropriately high dosage of CBD will give you all the desired effects you need, and there is really no risk of overdose as CBD is harmless even in high concentrations. However, most people will feel little effect if they take too low a dosage, effectively wasting CBD’s powerful beneficial properties. With the above in mind, the importance of correct CBD dosage becomes obvious. People with different requirements and different metabolisms will need accordingly different CBD dosages to experience CBD’s positive effects, and dosages can vary dramatically because there is no one-size-fits-all “typical CBD dosage.” While there is no such thing as “too much CBD,” you can in fact take too little to feel a difference. Dosage can range anywhere from 2-3 mg, up to 100 mg, 200 mg, or 500 mg to 1000 mg on the super high end. Remember, you cannot overdose and there are no reported side effects from taking high concentrations of CBD. Most people only need around 2-3 mg per day to start feeling a difference. Yet people with stronger needs may need to start at a lower dose and work their way up until they find the right dose for their body. Raluca Schachter: What are your thoughts regarding the future of cannabis in the medical field? Steven Sinay: This is the $64,000 Dollar Question! With our government holding a patent on several Cannabinoids, it leads one to be a little skeptical. Why? The forces that would keep cannabis illegal are vocal and very well-funded, but they are not impervious to persistent effort. The lynch pin in the War on Drugs has always been cannabis. Without the suppression and interdiction of this popular and widely used substance, there simply would not be enough “illegal drug use” going on to justify the huge amount of money and resources spent on “fighting drugs.” Once again all based on the all mighty dollar! I feel CBD and other Cannabinoids with the persistence from those who can, and are truly benefiting from its medicinal properties, along with natural healers promoting its use, will find its place in future modern medicine. Time will tell. Recommended reading by Raluca Schachter: Understanding Inflammation and How to Eliminate It Naturally Understanding Cannabis Oil 6 Steps to Solve Your Blood Sugar Problems Permanently Vegetarianism – Is It Right for You? Antibiotic Resistant Infections: The Dangers… and How You Can Avoid Them What Really Happens When You Take Antibiotics Listen to Your Body. Correct Food Ratios. Reverse Disease. Is Your Daily Wheat Bread Actually Healthy? Cholesterol Myths Debunked Time for a Wake Up Call – The Vaccination Hoax Debunked! Follow The Money In “Sick-Care”: What’s Behind The Drugs And Needles?

How Finding Your Calling Can Boost Mental, Spiritual and Physical Health by Lissa Rankin.

2016-12-21T07:30:00.001-08:00

You probably already know that selling your soul in a job that stresses you out can predispose you to illness. However, what if I told you, as a physician, that finding your calling could significantly improve not just your mental and spiritual health, but also your physical health? Let me tell you a few stories to demonstrate this. The Harmonica Angel In 1996, Andy Mackie was told he would die within a year if he stopped taking the 15 heart medications that doctors told him were saving his life after he had undergone nine heart surgeries. But the side effects of the drugs made Andy’s quality of life so miserable that he decided to stop his drugs and live the rest of his life as comfortably and happily as possible. Since he figured he did not have long to live, he decided to do something that had always been a dream, he took the $600 he would have spent on his heart medicines and bought 300 harmonicas for children in public school, complete with lessons from Andy himself. When Andy didn’t die the next month, he bought a few hundred more, and the Andy Mackie Music Foundation was born. Fifteen years and 20,000 harmonicas later, Andy finally died, but not without having taught over 6,000 children how to play the harmonica and many thousands more how to play strum sticks and guitars he made himself. 29 Gifts Cami Walker has a similar story of healing through purposeful generosity. Cami was 33 years old when diagnosed with debilitating multiple sclerosis, which left her barely able to walk. When conventional medicine failed her, she sought out the treatment of South African medicine woman Mbali Creazzo, who wrote a prescription on a pad- “Give 29 Gifts in 29 days.” So she did. Moreover, at the end of the 29 days, her symptoms were nearly gone. This inspired her to start 29Gifts.org, a nonprofit that invites people to practice generosity by experimenting with this generosity challenge- giving 29 gifts in 29 days. Health and Life Purpose are Linked How are physical healing and life purpose related? As I described in my book Mind Over Medicine: Scientific Proof That You Can Heal Yourself, your body is beautifully equipped with natural self-healing mechanisms that can destroy cancer, fight off infection, reverse heart disease, and slow aging. However, here’s the kicker. Your body’s self-healing mechanisms only function when your nervous system is in the parasympathetic mode, or what Herbert Benson at Harvard called the “relaxation response.” Every time your nervous system goes into the sympathetic mode, which Walter Cannon at Harvard called the “stress response” or which you may know as the “fight or flight” response, your body’s natural self-healing mechanisms get flipped off. Consider Your Work Life Does your job relax your nervous system- or trigger fight or flight responses? Are your self-healing mechanisms doing their thing 24/7, or are they turned off half the time you are working? When you are doing work you love, as Andy Mackie and Cami Walker demonstrate, the relaxation response floods your body with healing hormones like oxytocin, relaxin (a female reproductive hormone), endorphins, and dopamine. When you are compromising your integrity or facing toxic people or put in the line of fire at work, your body is filled with stress hormones like cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. Which over time, weaken your immune system, damage your heart, and predispose you to everything from cancer to chronic pain to the common cold. Finding your calling soothes your soul and your nervous system, and the body benefits physiologically. While not as dramatic as Andy’s or Cami’s, I have my own personal story of health challenges that disappeared when I found and fulfilled my calling, a story I tell in my book The Anatomy of a Calling. The book is a call to action to invite you to bring your soul into your work, not just as a way to be in sacred service in the world, but as medicine for your body. We are all on a mission to step into our true nature and fulfill the assignment our souls were sent to Earth to fulfill. In her new book The Anatomy of a Calling: A Doctor’s Journey from the Head to the Heart and a Prescription for Finding Your Life’s Purpose, Lissa describes her entire spiritual journey for the first time — beginning with what she calls her “perfect storm” of events — and recounts the many transformative experiences that led to a profound awakening of her soul. Through her father’s death, her daughter’s birth, career victories and failures, and an ongoing struggle to identify as both a doctor and a healer, Lissa discovers a powerful self-awareness. As she shares her story, she encourages you to find out where you are on your own journey, offering inspiring guideposts and practices along the way. With compelling lessons on trusting intuition, surrendering to love, and learning to see adversity as an opportunity for soul growth, The Anatomy of a Calling invites you to make a powerful shift in consciousness and reach your highest destiny.

You Don’t Have to Be a Zen Buddhist Monk to Meditate by Kurtis Lee Thomas.

2016-12-21T06:53:00.000-08:00

Growing up as an entrepreneur and a research junkie, I always read articles on meditation but never really understood all the hoopla. I was always one to seek power rather than peace. My entire life I struggled believing that you could only achieve this power one way, and one way only; through MONEY – and lots of it! I soon realized that I had it all wrong. But it wasn’t until I became a certified hypnotherapist and began studying consciousness and the subconscious mind that I became aware “I’ve been played!” Let me explain. Meditation and the Right Brain Meditation is the key to developing certain areas of the brain; areas that help us become more intuitive, imaginative, creative, and better connected to the universe. Albert Einstein, considered one of the greatest minds to have ever lived, was said to have struggled in his early school years. This was because Einstein was more of a right-brained thinker than a left-brained thinker. Einstein was never “taught” his theories and revelations. He received these insights and epiphanies on his own, while tapping into his subconscious mind during his meditations. Einstein knew that there are two hemispheres of our brain that are responsible for different modes and manners of thinking. Left brain: logical, rational, details/parts, etc. Right brain: intuitive, integrating, imagination, holistic/big picture, etc. At one point Einstein even famously stated that “Imagination is more important than knowledge”. So if you agree that knowledge is power (as I do), just imagine how powerful our right-brain (where our imagination lives) really is! Since adolescence, we are constantly taught to remember information in school that we’d never apply in the real world. We are bombarded with 95% of left-brain activities and school work, and with just one creative art class allocated every other week, we slowly disconnected from our intuition and lowered our consciousness (creativity and ability to see the bigger picture) without knowing. Meditation - Like a muscle, the brain needs to be exercised in order to become stronger. Therefore, if you only exercise one part of your brain, then only one part will grow stronger while the other parts weakens. Why is this so important? It’s important because the right side of our brain is where the majority of our power lies — and is where our all-mighty subconscious mind resides. The subconscious mind is the place where all knowledge and infinite wisdom lies; it is the part of the mind that yields power and dominion over your physical body and your physical world. Hence the saying “mind over matter”. Once I discovered one of the world’s greatest truths, that our outer world (career, spouse, etc.) is merely a reflection of our inner world (feelings, thoughts, emotions), I stopped chasing money, girls and things outside of myself, and began to focus on my most valuable asset — ME! I initiated the inevitable “inner work” needed for enlightenment and began meditating as a daily practice. Soon, I was better able to calm my thoughts, replace those thoughts with better ones, control my emotions, and heal all the internal wounds from letting life beat me up without fighting back. As soon as my thoughts became healthy and my mind became wealthy – so did I! Just 15-minutes of meditation per day not only strengthens the right-side of the brain, improves your health, decreases your stress, enhances your creativity, it can also activate your psychic abilities and give you better access to your subconscious mind. This is the part of the mind that makes up 90% of who we are, how we think, what we believe, and how we behave. You don’t have to be a Zen Buddhist Monk in order to meditate. It’s simple, start by sitting in silence for just five minutes a day; then slowly progress upward in five minute intervals until you can sit in this silence for approximately twenty to thirty minutes without jumping out of your skin. I believe once the majority of humanity awakens to these truths and learns how to consciously quiet the mind and tap into this enigmatic energy field, the world will change for the better — and faster then we could ever imagine!

Compassion, Christianity or Consumerism? The True Meaning of Christmas by Cortland Pfeffer and Irwin Ozborne.

2016-12-21T06:12:00.000-08:00

Christmas has become symbolic of all that is wrong with our society. Much like the Grinch, whose heart was three sizes too small; our hearts have diminished in size due to the culture of fear, conformity, and consumerism in which we reside. As a result, we have lost sight of the true meaning of Christmas, and celebrate it in ways that are in direct opposition to its original intent. This year, on Black Friday, I was reminded about the true meaning of Christmas. I choose not to celebrate Thanksgiving, but rather honor the Day of Mourning for our Native American brothers and sisters. I surrounded myself in nature and spent time at a cabin in small-town Western Wisconsin. The sights and sounds were serene. It was a true “silent” and “holy” night with no one around, yet I was far from being alone as I was immersed in the thriving and picturesque landscape provided by mother earth. And it was there, at the local gas station, that I re-discovered what the meaning of Christmas is really about. Black Friday has become as much a part of the holiday season in the United States as Thanksgiving and Christmas. Families anxiously await the moment the retail stores open for those extraordinary deals, and quickly abandon their feelings of gratitude and “thanks” by indulging in competition and materialism, literally rioting, fighting with strangers for bargains as though we were fighting for our survival. Any sense of gratitude we may have tapped into are quickly banished, and consumerism takes hold once again. I find it ironic that we published an article about the foundations of Thanksgiving last month — Celebrating Genocide: The Real Story of Thanksgiving — and were slammed by many readers for “ruining Thanksgiving”. We were told that it’s not a celebration of the dispossession of the American Indians, but that “the meaning has changed and it is about being thankful and having gratitude.” But, while this sounds good in theory, it is not practiced. And how could it be? As a nation, we have not collectively acknowledged our nation’s bloody past, much less healed the trauma it inflicted. Instead, we celebrate all that we have but ignore the genocide it took to get it. And so, the day before Thanksgiving is the second biggest drunken night of the year in America – behind only New Year’s Eve. We have a meal together and give thanks, but cannot even last a full 24 hours of gratitude before reverting to type, as Black Friday deals now start at 7:00 p.m. or earlier on Thursday, the “Day of Thanksgiving.” It’s hard for me to buy into the concept of a day of gratitude when it starts with a hangover and, before it even ends, we ditch our families to wrestle with over others for materialistic ends. It leads to fights, people being trampled, arrests, and even a few deaths, all in an effort to purchase “things” to provide for our families for Christmas. This is what Christmas has become; a season of shopping, not the season of giving. It is about money, consumerism, and materialism. The Season of Giving The United States retail industry generated over three trillion dollars during the holidays in 2013, with the average person spending about $750 on the holiday. Additionally, 33 million evergreen conifers are purchased each year, at around $35 each, for a market of $1.16 billion in Christmas tree sales. It is estimated by a United Nations world hunger project that it would cost approximately $30 billion per year to end world hunger. Think about that. It would take only $30 billion per year to end world hunger, and yet, through the season of giving, Americans will spend $465 billion on our own material gratification, most of which is disposable and dispensable. This is not suggesting to abolish Christmas altogether, but if every U.S. household reduced their Christmas budget by only thirty-percent and contributed that money to impoverished communities, we would meet the forecast amount to end world hunger. Wouldn’t that make a better gift? Wouldn’t that make for a better Christmas story, if all the resources in the world were utilized to making a better life for everyone rather than benefiting the few? Isn’t that what Christmas is about? In fact, this is how the original story of Santa Claus arose. St. Nicholas was a monk born in the third century. He lived near modern-day Turkey and was admired for his kindness, compassion and generosity. Legends suggest that St. Nicholas gave away all of his wealth and traveled the countryside helping the poor and sick. Over the years, we have created a mythical creature to symbolize this monk — Santa Claus. But, instead of going around and donating his wealth to the poor, our modern-day Santa Claus runs a foreign sweatshop that works around the clock to deliver material items to the world’s richest nations. Living in a Material World As a child, I remember this holiday used to be about sharing love, giving, and caring for one another. I have seen this idea evaporate as the years have passed, and I refuse to further participate in this distortion. So, this Black Friday, while millions were out searching for bargains, I found my own bargain – peace and tranquility, for free. I find the word “bargain” quite ironic when talking about retail prices. One must realize that these really are not the great deals that are advertised; the standard retail markup is astronomical, and much of the goods sold on Black Friday are produced and priced specifically for these “sales”. Many United States corporations employ workers in sweatshops in countries like Bangladesh, India, China, Haiti, etc., paying far below minimum wages to people working in deplorable working conditions – typically 14-16 hours per day for seven days per week. It costs pennies to make these products, which attract massive markups that provide enormous profits for these corporations and their CEOs. Here are the top ten annual salaries paid to the CEOs of retail corporations in the United States (as of 2013): Michael Jeffries, Abercrombie and Fitch: $48,069,473 Gregg Steinhafel, Target: $19,707,107 Leslie Wexner, Limited Brands: $19,230,484 Michael Duke, Walmart Stores: $18,131,738 Paul Marciano, Guess: $14,399,134 Terry Lundgren, Macy’s: $13,840,531 Michael Balmuth, Ross Stores: $12,478,239 Gregory Wasson, Walgreens: $12,041,058 David Dillon, Kroger: $12,024,543 Steven Fishman, Big Lots: $11,924,662 The total? Over $180 million paid to just 10 retail executives. Don’t kid yourself into thinking retailers are taking a loss on Black Friday sales — it is their most profitable day of the year. The Grinch Who SAVED Christmas - Returning to the Roots of Christmas - Black Friday Chaos On Thanksgiving Day, the aptly named “Black Friday” begins on Thursday night. The Symbolism of Modern Christmas Christmas is not a complete lie, we just need to understand that it has to do with symbolism. Santa Claus no longer has anything to do with St. Nicholas or helping the sick and needy. Santa Claus now represents the fat and jolly CEOs distributing merchandise around the world. The elves symbolize submissive sweatshop workers that get paid next to nothing, to provide your annual haul of material possessions. (Perhaps the reason they are so small in stature is because they represent the 10 year olds working 16 hours per day to provide wealth for their respective Santa Claus.) Then, we tell children Santa delivers only to the “good” girls and boys, creating further separation. Again, it is symbolic — in actuality, only those children who have money and wealth receive gifts. How do you explain to a child in poverty that he did not get gift this year? By this mythical logic, poor children learn that they are “bad” children because Santa did not bring him gifts. This tale of Christmas we share is a stark contrast to the true story of St. Nicholas. The real St. Nicholas was a kind, charitable bishop who made sacrifices to help those in need. Today, Christmas is a celebration that revolves around fulfilling greed, not need, at the expense of the poor. The problem of sweatshop labor sporadically pops up in the news, but it has never gone away; we just selectively decide when we want to pay attention. It was all over the news in the 1990s with Nike and Gap found to have 10-13 year old kids working as slave in their sweatshops, earning those companies record profits. Every few years, there is a story on the slave labor that produces the clothes we wear. Then the corporation tells us they have looked into things and have made changes. Yet, just a few years ago a factory collapsed in Bangladesh killing thousands of people and we come to find that Walmart, Gap, Target, etc. were all having clothing made at these factories. If that had happened in the West, what kind of furor would have followed? But the public outrage over the torturous conditions it takes to make our consumer goods is quickly forgotten once we see the “great deals” on Black Friday and begin preparing for another Christmas consumer-fest. We forget what is real and important, and revert instead to societal patterns, consuming faster than any nation on earth, just because “Christmas time is here again.” How did we get here? Through mass marketing schemes and the manipulation of human nature. We are collectively a group of people watching television, listening to the radio or surfing the internet, and the marketers simply pay money for air time — time in our minds — to tell people (particularly children) what they “need”. In true marketing fashion, the message they convey is: You’re not okay, but once you have these items, then you will be okay. It is based on fear, simultaneously creating a sense of lack in consumers and providing a way to temporarily ‘fill’ it. A quote from Marilyn Manson says it all: [T]he media wants to take it and spin it, and turn it into fear, because then you’re watching television, you’re watching the news, you’re being pumped full of fear, there’s floods, there’s AIDS, there’s murder, cut to commercial, “buy the Acura”, “buy the Colgate”, if you have bad breath they’re not going to talk to you, if you have pimples, the girl’s not going to f**k you… It’s just this campaign of fear, and consumption, and that’s what I think it’s all based on, the whole idea of ‘keep everyone afraid, and they’ll consume’. The Christian Connection The real genius-work behind this big façade is the connection between Christmas and Christianity. This too, stems from fear. We remind our children all year that if you are good then you will spend eternity in the clouds with a God, a nice old man who knows all, sees all and judges all… Or, if you are bad, you will burn in a pit of fire with a horrid man with horns. This patriarchal symbolism is then extended at Christmas time, when children are told that if they are good, a magical man from the North Pole who, just like God already knows if you’ve been “naughty or nice”, will deliver presents to them, rewarding their conformity to increasingly out-of-touch religious standards. We instill this relationship between God, kindness and consumption into our children’s minds when they are impressionable — at a time in their development in which they believe it is true — with lasting impacts on their perception of the world. Then, we plop our kids on Santa’s lap to place an order, listing out all of the things they want, then send them to school where they learn that those who do not participate in this ritual will not receive presents — and they become the social outcasts each December. After all, only “bad” kids don’t receive a visit from Santa Claus! When all is said and done, unspoken pressure to adapt to the model of goodness=gifts is put on children by television and media, by their parents and their society, and is subsequently reinforced by their peers — a cycle that now continues from generation to generation in an increasingly materialistic society. I’m all for bringing joy and wonder to the lives of children, but is this really the only way we know to do it? And all this in a so called “Christian nation.” Speak to any Christian at Christmas time and they will say, “What? You don’t believe in Jesus? You don’t want to celebrate this man who preached love and acceptance?” My answer is No. The bastardized Christian interpretation of “God” and the son “He” sacrificed due to our inherently “sinful” nature, has manipulated generations of humanity — and it is the foundation of this day’s celebrations. Love and acceptance are not what Christmas is about today, nor is it the function of organized religion in our modern world. Waking Up from Religion - God Has No Religion The father-figure God is dead. He has to be, in order for us to move forward. This interpretation of God has done more harm than good. It is a fairy tale that causes fear in children, has caused countless wars to be fought, and has caused many folks to keep secrets in shame rather than live their lives openly, as they are (religious intolerance of divorce and homosexuality are prime examples). As George Carlin eloquently stated: “Religion easily has the greatest bullshit story ever told. Think about it, religion has actually convinced people that there’s an invisible man… living in the sky… who watches everything you do, every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a list of ten special things that he does not want you to do. And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish where he will send to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever ’til the end of time… but he loves you… He loves you and he needs money. He always needs money! He is all powerful, all perfect, all knowing, and all wise. Somehow he just can’t handle money! Religions take in billions of dollars, they pay no taxes, and they always need a little more.” Many of the patrons inside the church that stand so faithfully behind their doctrines of unconditional love and kindness, are the same ones who walk out the church and instantly abandon these teachings; the same people who use religious scripture as leverage to judge, condemning others in the name of “the Lord”; the same people who complain about the poor receiving “handouts” while building million dollar churches that don’t pay a dime in taxes, while the poor go on without food or shelter. Several religious pastors have proven this hypocrisy among their own congregations… In June of 2013, newly appointed pastor of Sango United Methodist Church in Clarksville, Tennessee, reverend Willie Lyle spent four days disguised as a homeless man living on the streets. He wanted to see what it was like to truly live without anything and see who would offer food and assistance. Then, he transformed back into the role as pastor to address his the congregation: “Too many of us want to serve God one hour each week. That doesn’t cut it. That is not God’s plan.” Similarly, in November of 2013, Mormon bishop David Musselman posed as a homeless man outside a Taylorsville, Utah church one Sunday morning. At least five people asked him to leave the church property, some offered money but engaged him only as a charity case (not a fellow human being), and many were completely indifferent to his presence. He addressed the congregation, reminding them not to be so quick to judge one another. “Many actually went out of their way to purposely ignore me, and they wouldn’t even make eye contact,” he said, “I’d approach them and say, ‘Happy Thanksgiving.’ Many of them I wouldn’t ask for any food or any kind of money, and their inability to even acknowledge me was very surprising.” Saving Christmas Spending my Black Friday in this small town, it occurred to me how I am forced to conform. Regardless of my beliefs, it is impossible for me to neglect Christmas; for if I were to not purchase my children presents then they would feel that I do not love them. I was really conflicted with this scenario as I pulled up to the gas station and noticed a woman struggling to carry a few turkeys and other groceries in a pull cart. It allowed me to reflect on some of my religious upbringings from the past. While people literally would put on their “Sunday Best” before walking into church to bow, chant, hug, and love each other, we were really just putting on an show for each other. We all put on our masks and went through the routines of Christianity, dressed up to the nines and all on our best behavior. But, once we walk out of the church, if we were to see a woman such as this, would we help her? Generally not. We would be encouraged not to do anything, because they were likely to scam us out of money, or harm us, and her struggle is her problem, not mine. This is how extreme our society has become. We don’t consider the problems (or successes) of others to be our problem, and are afraid to actually stop and help a stranger, in fact the very word “stranger” has become loaded with assumptions of “danger” — something we teach our children from the youngest of ages. As a result, we are guided by fear rather than love, living in separation instead of our natural instinctual reaction — to connect. This is where spirituality differs from religion. Spirituality is about finding a connection to the world both inside and outside of ourselves, finding a sense of purpose and meaning, and living in harmony with the present moment and our surroundings. Spirituality teaches us that we are all one, interconnected expression of life, and that at our true core, there is only unconditional love. Religion was initially based on human spirituality, but it has steered it toward rules, judgement and separation. It is meant to offer all of the above. In fact, if you look into the basic teachings at the foundation of all religions, you will find this exact same message. However, as these messages have been misinterpreted and misappropriated throughout the years, we have slowly come to accept the opposite message of religious institutions. They create separation and judgment, of each other and of our own fundamental nature, which is the opposite of its intent – much like Christmas. As explained by Don Migeul Ruiz: There is an old story from India about the God, Brahma, who was alone. Nothing existed but Brahma, and he was completely bored. Brahma decided to play a game, but there was no one to play the game with. So he created a beautiful goddess, Maya, just for the purpose of having fun. Once Maya existed and Brahma told her the purpose of her existence, she said, “Okay, let’s play the most wonderful game, but you do what I tell you to do.” Brahma agreed and following Maya’s instructions, he created the whole universe, the sun and the stars, the moon and the planets. He created life on earth: the animals, the oceans, the atmosphere, everything. Maya said, “How beautiful is this world of illusion you created. Now I want you to create an animal that is so intelligent and aware that it can appreciate your own creation.” Finally Brahma created humans, and after he finished the creation, he asked Maya when the game was going to start. “We will start right now,” she said. She took Brahma and cut him into thousands of teeny, tiny pieces. She put a piece inside every human and said, “Now the game begins! I am going to make you forget what you are, and you are going to try and find yourself!” Maya created the Dream and still, even today, Brahma is trying to remember who he is. When you awake from the Dream, you become Brahma again and reclaim your divinity. You now know the trick of Maya and can share the truth with others who are going to wake up too. This story explains how we are to find ourselves, and find God, in every person we encounter. We don’t do this buy purchasing items at a store, or showing our goodwill for a few designated days of the year, but by helping those in need and showing unconditional love to each soul we encounter, every day of the year. Especially those who need our love — not our judgment — the most. As all these thoughts were going through my mind, my friend came out of the store and started speaking with the elderly woman. As they continued to chat, I got out of the car to see what was going on. As I approached them, I noticed the woman’s wheel on her pull cart was missing. “We are giving her a ride home,” my friend told me without asking. She never hesitated, she saw an opportunity and did the right thing without thinking or judging. We packed her bags into the car and drove her about another mile to her house. It was a very cold day and her bags were awfully heavy. There is no way she would have been able to make it that far on her own. Many people saw her, but no one did anything — all because of fear and the sense of separation it creates. I was overcome with emotion, and was told by my friend not to talk about it. She said “that is just what we should do, so I do it.” I thought that is so true and so simple. We should do what we should do. Yet, no one seems to do this — and I am not excluding myself! It is a social conditioning I am working to deconstruct even to this day. But it reminded me of the difference between being guided by fear, not love. As John Lennon said: “There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance. We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections. If we cannot love ourselves, we cannot fully open to our ability to love others or our potential to create. Evolution and all hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and open-hearted vision of people who embrace life.” This is the real meaning of life. This is the real meaning of Christmas. To help, to give, to be with others and to love unconditionally. It doesn’t have to be some big act. “People who move mountains begin by carrying away small stones.” Christmas — and life — is about helping the lady struggling with her groceries. It is about loving each other on a daily basis. It is about calling your parents, family, and friends and just being there for anyone and everyone. If we treated everyone like they were a piece of God, not just there to be judged by God, then maybe then we would behave differently. It doesn’t matter what we call our God, it is all the same. It is similar to the story of nine blind men that were all reaching out and touching an elephant. Each of the men were touching a different part of the elephant and describing what they felt. One is touching the elephant’s leg and says “it is a tree”; another is touching its tail and says “it is a rope”; another is touching its trunk and says “it is a snake”; another it touching a tusk and says “It is a spear”; another is touching its body and says “it is a wall”. However, they are all touching the same elephant. Imagine if they all fought and killed each other over this argument. How ridiculous that would be? They are all blind, and they are all correct. They are merely fighting over their perspective — the same way humanity fights wars over who is right about religion. Is it possible we are all right? And we are all wrong? The foundational stories and principles of religions can all be boiled down to a mutual essence that reveals their common origins. And although people frequently get caught up with the literal differences, their central tenets are proof that – despite varying ‘faiths’ – we are more alike than we are different. And yet, we are told we need “this” God or “that” God in our lives to survive. In reality, the opposite is true. For it is these perceptions of God, and our attempts to define God, that are leading us to kill each other, to undervalue our divinity and that of others, to destroy the world that supports us for short-term comforts, and to celebrate the holidays with a festival of gross over-consumption. In order to survive, we need to remove the mask of God and remove the mask of Christmas, and return to its natural foundation. As author Jack Adam Weber succinctly described: Christmas marks the return of the sun after the winter solstice — the resurrection of light and the perseverance of unconditional love (symbolized by birth of Jesus) which nature manifests each year in the new life and returning warmth of springtime, from the desolate depths of winter. In order to save Christmas, let us celebrate the unconditional love of the cycle of life itself, which renews itself at this time each year. How the Grinch Saved Christmas While the children’s story claims the Grinch stole Christmas, it is clear he did the opposite. He saw the true meaning of Christmas and put an end to the charade. While his means were extreme, by stealing all the presents he learned that the real meaning of Christmas had nothing to do with exchanging gifts, but exchanging love. In this story, the Grinch was not the bad guy, he was a catalyst. He was a revolutionary but was misguided with fear, which led to his extreme actions. But the mindset he confronted was actually the problem. Once all the gifts were gone, the masks were removed, the focus on consumption and acquisition shifted, everyone lived together in harmony. In the real world, Wall Street, organized religions, media, corporations, and the governments that serve them, have “stolen” Christmas by hijacking the holiday and changing its meaning. Originally a celebration of St. Nicholas who gave up all material wealth to help those in need, the title was co-opted and its meaning slowly turned into a festival of greed, consumerism and patriarchal judgement. Today, only the name remains. While the story of the Grinch is fictional, its lesson is real. In order to heal, and make Christmas a sustainable part of our culture, we must change the way we celebrate it. Let’s each of us be that Grinch, and take consumerism out of the Christmas mythology. Let’s steal back this holiday and remember its true meaning — a celebration of life.