Do you really feel like it’s safe or in your best interest to get well?

This may seem like a silly question. Most people would say, and mean,  that of course they want to get well, and the sooner the better.

Consciously this may be true. But on a deeper level, it’s  probably far from the truth.  Sometimes there are compelling reasons to stay unhealthy. You may even be aware of some of them.

Chances are though, that your subconscious mind is holding on to some reason that it isn’t safe, or in your best interest to get better.  And it isn’t going to turn that around as long as it is running the program that having this illness is keeping you safe and comfortable.

Don’t look for logic from the subconscious. It doesn’t know logic.  Just like a computer, it only runs the programs until it’s programmed differently.

I’m sure my subconscious programming factors in some benefits of being ill at times. When I was a child I enjoyed an occasional sick day. It was a treat staying home from school.  My sister would take care of me and spoil me. Who wouldn’t love and seek that kind of attention? When my disk ruptured a few years ago, it gave me a valid and ready excuse to say ‘no’ to everything I wanted to say no to.  Thankfully my need and motivation to get functional outweighed the benefits of pain and disability.

Secondary gains of physical or mental conditions include:

• More care and attention from medical providers, loved ones and friends.
• Lower expectations of you.
• Fewer responsibilities.
• Avoidance of work and maybe even free checks in the mail.
• A ready excuse to say no.
• Getting to play small in your life or career.
• A release of pleasurable brain chemicals when you eat junk food.
• You get to stay in the routine and it’s comfortable.
• Many more. Which ones can you think of?

Even if you truly want to consciously get well, your brain and body may now be comfortable with their current state. The subconscious loves routine and habit. It’s automatic programming is safe and predictable. The body gets comfortable with it’s chemical condition too.  Neither considers change a positive thing, even if it’s truly in your best interest.

This subconscious programming has nothing to do with a person’s character, motivation or will power.  It is not a cause for guilt, blame or shame.  It’s simply the way we humans are wired.

“Not safe” is a block for most people regardless of the type of changes they think they want to make. It’s probably safe to assume some form of this belief is blocking  or limiting your ability to  improve your health habits, lifestyle choices, and relationships to some degree.

The good news is that by getting conscious and honest about the positive side of being ill,  you become more aware of your needs and wants. This will show you areas that need healing or development. You are empowered to make a choice to change direction and make shifts, or not. Conscious awareness is always the first step to changing your health and your life.  Be aware that you may not be able to identify all of them since many beliefs were acquired in your first years of  life.

Spend some time honestly excavating the secondary gains your condition affords you. What reasons do you have for wanting to stall your healing or personal growth process? How can you get your needs/wants met in other ways? What personal growth steps do you need to take?

Share your insights in the comment section below.

**Time Sensitive Note**

Alan Tutt of PowerKeys Publishing is giving away his highly-rated “Choose To Believe” workshop recordings. This is over 7 hours of
pure content, giving you detailed, step by step demonstrations of HOW to change your beliefs and your life.  I took this course a few months ago and it’s very comprehensive. It’s will really help you excavate your beliefs.

All you have to do to get them is register at the following page:
http://www.PowerKeysPub.com/?r=1808&i=l13

These recordings will only be available for 2 weeks, so go there now before it’s too late.

How often have you heard someone say, “Well, it doesn’t matter what I do, I’m going to get (fill in the blank) anyway?”
Not!

It is true that genes are responsible for a small number of relatively rare diseases. Hemophilia would be one such example.  It is also  true that you inherit neural programming and genes from your family that may predispose to certain illnesses. And, it may also be true that because you ‘bought into’ these beliefs over the years as you listened to family members and experts that you programmed yourself to manifest these conditions too.

What scientists now know is that despite your family history, your genes can express  in thousands of ways. Heredity only gets around 30% of the vote. The environment your cells live in has the greatest impact on  how they express themselves.  This part is largely under your control.

What you think, the emotional climate you create, your stress level, the foods you eat, toxins you take in, and how much you sleep and exercise you get all impact the health of your cells. Your cell environment is created on an ever changing basis depending on your subconscious programming and by how you take care of yourself mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

Lifestyle diseases including heart disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes were very rare a hundred years ago. Very few people were obese regardless of the family tree. Compare this with today. Same genes, different lifestyle.  Why one disease manifests in one person over another may be due to inherited predispositions. But the reason they are manifesting is because of the environment you are creating in your body.

Even how you age is greatly affected by your wellness habits. If you treat your mind and body poorly, and expect to get ‘old and decrepit’ you probably will. I know lots of people who expect to get arthritis and become forgetful just because they are aging.
Yes, it’s true that we age. We age from birth til death in a continuous lifelong process. Again, some of it is heredity, much of it is lifestyle.

The good news is that it’s never too late to affect your health for the better on all these levels. This new understanding of genetics isn’t being shared to cast blame (what good is that?), but to show you that you do have the ability to powerfully affect your health.  You are made up of communities of cells. The healthier they are, the healthier and happier you’ll
be regardless of your age.

You have the power to deliberately create a positive, nurturing environment for your cells
to thrive in. You can greatly increase your odds of staying well and aging gracefully. You can turn around and improve conditions you are already manifesting.

Look at your family tree for information. Use it to help yourself make informed health choices. Do some research so you can make choices that support systems that may be more at risk. Do it with the attitude of loving your body and not out of fear
of possible impending doom.  An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

As for me, I don’t know for sure that I inherited my mother’s gene for diabetes. I do know that it can be traced up her family tree. I also know that I don’t want to activate it if I have it. That means I have to make choices that support healthy insulin and blood sugar
levels as a lifestyle now.  That means plenty of exercise and not too much sugar.

What lifestyle diseases is your family susceptible to? Do some research. What holistic steps can you take, starting today, to consciously create a healthy environment for you cells so you can get healthy and stay healthy?

Maybe all this interest is because of the movie,  The Secret.
Maybe it’s because science has better tools for scanning the brain and seeing how it works. And then there’s all the pharmaceutical companies doing drug studies hoping to prove a drug works.

They have a very hard time beating out  the pesky placebo effect. They tell you in most of the commercials how many people heal themselves.  I was really shocked to learn that 50% of the people in the incontinence study improved with a placebo!

For drug companies, mind healing is an undesired nuisance  because it messes with the bottom line.  But in many cultures elaborate healing rituals with rattles, dancing and chants are carried out in order to amp up a patient’s emotions and beliefs so the subconscious mind responds and  healing occurs.

We too have belief systems about why and how we heal, and what we need to be healthy.  We also have beliefs about why we are ill and why we are going to stay that way.  Just has people spontaneously heal in studies thanks to the placebo effect, they also develop side effects to chemo drugs and other medications they believe to be real, but aren’t.

How many of these beliefs are shaped by the truth?  How much of what we think we need is required only because we think we have to have it? Just how much of our ability to heal or develop illness a result of our subconscious mind and its programs?

I’m not going to pretend to have the answers, but it is something to think about. There are too many stories of spontaneous healing, gurus living without food, and other out of the box occurrences that we have to wonder.  Some of these events take place under a watchful eye and are indisputable. Others- who knows?

I do know from my own experiences, some of which I’ll share in future issues, that healing happens in ways and at speeds that defy conventional beliefs.   I’d love to hear your stories too.

There is much to learn still about mind body healing. What experts seem sure about right now is that the subconscious mind initiates healing.  When you cut yourself,  instructions are sent to clean and close the wound. You recover from a cold or flu.  As long as everything is in working order this happens naturally.

For other health concerns, you can consciously want healing and nothing happens. You  hope, pray and affirm it. But that will all fall on “deaf ears” if your unconscious mind isn’t on board. This is why so many of our health and life goals fall flat.

The conscious mind gets side tracked and your established subconscious programs takes over. It runs the show about 90% of the time and is much more powerful.  But when the subconscious is aligned with your consciousness, you move from hoping and wishing to knowing and
doing.  That’s when miracles happen.

*Do you have a story of spontaneous healing in your life?   We’d love to hear about it. Share in the comments space below.

This is the first in the Beliefs and Healing Ezine Series. If you don’t want to miss any of the ten limiting beliefs and how to shift them, subscribe here.

Supplement with Vitamin D3, not the very ineffective D2. Because Vitamin D  regulates 2000-3000 genes, it’s lack can be traced to everything from autoimmune diseases to cancers to depression to skin diseases to ADHD and autism in children born to deficient mothers.  Learn all you need to know (and more) about Vitamin D here. Be sure to keep tabs on your levels to make sure they aren’t too low or too high if you are supplementing.

Fasting Insulin – should be 3 or less. High fasting insulin is associated with insulin resistance and metabolic disorders.
Insulin resistance is associated with type 2 diabetes, out of whack blood lipids, unbalanced hormones, thyroid, and heart disease. It hinders the cells from storing much needed magnesium.  Blood sugars can still stay controlled after insulin levels are too high if you have a strong pancreas so this isn’t a good indicator of insulin levels.

Ferritin – 20-80. High iron levels are mostly a concern for post-menopausal women and men. This is critical because iron is an anti-antioxidant. Donate blood to lower your levels if they are too high.  Avoid iron supplements if you are in these two groups (unless your iron is low, of course).

Uric acid – 3-5. High levels are associated with heart disease, gout, obesity and dementia. Commonly caused by insulin resistance. Fructose is a major source of high uric acid levels (ignore those commercials that make fructose avoiders look like idiots). Eating too much  organ meats and some types of seafood as well as beer can also raise levels.

TSH – many women have impaired thyroids. Common causes are  fluorides, eating unfermented soy (like tofu), and bromides (found in many breads).
A level higher than 2mU/l have been associated with an increased risk of hypothyroidism.

Fasting Triglycerides/HDL – Dr. Mercola (and many other experts) states that total cholesterol is unimportant unless over 350.

What is the single most potent predictor of heart disease is the ratio of fasting triglycerides to high density lipoproteins. You want this number to be 25-30% or higher.  Your ideal triglyceride/cholesterol ratio should be below 2.0.

Although this was not one of the six tests, Dr. Mercola mentioned that most older adults are deficient in Vitamin B12 because they can no longer absorb it well from foods. Sprays or shots are helpful, but not oral supplements for older adults.

Have you had any of these tests? What did you do to improve your health based on your results?

Over 3000 people a year die of lung cancer caused by second hand smoke. Many others suffer from chemical sensitivities, allergies, asthma, and illnesses caused by toxic indoor environments.

Nothing demonstrated how toxic a home could be better than when we moved into our new home. I was aware of the potential indoor pollution problem and was careful to air the house out for a few months that summer. I hoped that would take care of the worst of it before winter.

When cold weather came around, we fired up our new vent-free propane fireplace. These work by combusting the air in the house. The problem was, every time it turned on, it produced an acrid, terrible odor. Or so we thought.

The representative at the company said the problem was likely indoor air pollution. Sure enough, when we cracked a window to let fresh air in, there was much less odor when the fireplace was running.

It was scary to think we were breathing in those out-gassing chemicals all that time without even knowing it. If it wasn’t for the fireplace, we never would have realized how big the problem was. From then on, the house got a good airing out every week, freezing temperatures or not.

Indoor pollution can be caused by the oil, wood, or coal you heat your home with. Building materials and furnishings such as carpets and pressed wood furniture and cabinets out gas formaldahyde and other harmful chemicals for years.

Chemical cleaning products, insecticides, hair spray,cosmetics and adhesives are examples ofcommon substances that contain pollutants. Outdoor sources such as radon (common with granite countertops), pesticides and outdoor pollution add to the chemical soup we live in.

There are several strategies you can use to protect your health:

Some house plants help remove pollutants in their vicinity. Bamboo palm and the peace lily reduce formaldahyde, benzene and trichloroethylene. Other helpful plants are the spider plant, mother-in-laws tongue and gerbera daisies. Air purifiers also help.

The most effective strategy is to eliminate pollution at the source. Use natural cleaning and personal care products. Make sure your heating appliances are running efficiently and are well maintained. Keep your duct work clean. Store any necessary chemicals well sealed and away from your living space. Follow safety guidelines to dispose of any chemicals you can live without. Or phase them out and replace with safer choices when used up.

Ventilation is a big help. If you live in an older, poorly insulated home, you probably have plenty of air flow through the house. Newer homes and apartments need more ventilation. Air them out thoroughly at least once a week, more in nicer weather. Pick a windy day and open the windows. Get cross ventilation if possible. Let some fresh air in every day.

In warmer weather, use window or attic fans. Run a window air conditioner with the vent control open. Bathroom and kitchen fans that exhaust outdoors help remove contaminants in all kinds of weather.

Using all or even some of these strategies will go a long way in protecting your health and wellness.

To read more healthy living tips visit the Healthy Living Guide.

Well, it seems that we too wonder about the “tricky guy” who comes and steals our goals and intentions, no matter how firmly we resolve to carry them through. We label this tricky guy by a variety of terms – lazy, lacking will power, self-sabotage.  Actually none of that is true.  The  subconscious mind is blamed for sabotage, but that isn’t really true either. Yes, the subconscious is what veers us off-track, but unlike our leprechaun friend, it isn’t playing jokes or being mischievous.

The subconscious mind is a faithful servant.  It’s job is to execute the programs installed from early childhood to the present. It’s purpose is to keep us safe. One way it does this is to help us create a reality that matches our core beliefs.

The SCM doesn’t make decisions any more than your computer does. If you believe that you are unworthy, a failure or destined to have heart disease like your other relatives, your SCM will tirelessly work to see that those beliefs are echoed in your reality.  That’s why, often within a few weeks, goals you will-powered to manifest eventually give way to the same old habits.

It’s popular to dub this problem “self-sabotage”, but that’s really not the case. It is a matter of your conscious mind (which has 5-10% of the control), trying to overpower the subconscious mind (which has at least 90% of the control). If the subconscious could think, it would probably accuse the conscious mind of being the “tricky guy” that tries to mess with it’s programming. But the subconscious can’t be tricked. You can’t prime it or bully it either.

Thankfully, there are effective techniques that subdue the “gatekeeper” of the subconscious long enough to allow you to go in and install new programming.  With techniques like hypnosis, visualization, and energy psychology/meridian tapping techniques such as EFT, old beliefs can be erased and replaced with more desirable ones. Sometimes this happens quickly, other times the “rewriting” takes some time.

That’s why I get so excited about meridian tapping techniques. Sure it’s a process, and it takes a while to change layers of limiting negative thoughts and beliefs, but it’s well worth it. When your subconscious and your conscious desires become aligned, you’ll  feel better and realize your goals with more ease.

Reading this quote elicited a loud “AMEN” from my spirit. In a flash it was revealed to me that to seek and find the barriers to Love within myself, and to dissolve them, was the main goal of my last few years of energy healing and spiritual work. I could see how I’ve evolved from being a walled-in soul, to someone who chooses to see her world from a place of Love. The work may take a lifetime, yet the feeling inside makes it worth it all.

Love or love?

We tend to confuse Love with the feeling of affection reserved for the chosen few we call lovers, family or friends. This is love. These relationships can be wonderful and nurturing, although often conditional. It is not the Love spoken of in COM or the Agape Love spoken of in scripture and spiritual teachings.

Why not seek Love?  Can it be sought and found? Or is it like the air we breathe, waiting to be taken in at every breath? Scripture says, “God is Love.” It is unconditional and pure. I believe Love is the highest vibration of energy. To the measure we are open to Love, it flows in and around and through us in an abundant, never-ending supply.

So if Love is so wonderful, why do we create barriers to it?

As much as we think we desire Love, we fear it because the light of Love exposes us and shows us who we truly are. You may think I’m implying that we’ll see our dark side, and that may be so. What can be even scarier is to see the magnificence within, waiting for an opportunity to express itself. Love challenges us to open ourselves to itself within and around us, to allow it to change us in ways that may be at odds with our belief systems and habits.

And I can promise that Love will change you. Perhaps what it does is open us to a higher expression of ourselves, while letting go of what no longer serves the highest good. I once read that if you were to burn off a lifetime of thoughts, words and deeds, all that would remain was that which was made of Love. That led to some soul searching!

What are the barriers to Love?

Many.  Here are some examples.

• We wall off our hearts to protect them from being hurt again.

• To varying degrees we “shut out” those who are different from us.

• We judge others and ourselves.

• We stay in the victim and blame mode.

• We oppress, victimize and violate others.

• We feel threatened and fear that Love will ask us to do something we may not want to do.

You get the idea. These constructs of our minds,  as attached to them as we may be,  act as barriers that separate us from our true selves and others. They keep Love out.

“But I don’t want to get hurt!”

Nobody does!  But the simple truth is that if you have a wall up against pain, it is up against love. And the pain is still there, locked inside. Let it go.  The joys of experiencing an open heart far outweigh the hurts that sometimes come our way.

Note: None of this means you have to open yourself to abuse of any kind or stay in it, that’s not love.

So start seeking the barriers within yourself and let your walls come down.

• Don’t be afraid. Realize you will receive much more than you are letting go.

• Start with little things. Allow yourself to feel and experience the wonders of nature, even a tiny flower in all its glory. Love made that.

• Realize we are all in this together. There are six billion of us, along with multitudes of living creatures on a planet hurtling through space at thousands of miles per hour. Love holds us together.

• Consider someone you have hardened your heart against. Can you soften just a bit as you think of this person? Perhaps send a blessing? You’ll be amazed at how relieved your body and mind begins to feel. Love is expansive, walls are constrictive.

• You must dissolve the barriers to loving yourself. So much of what we project onto others is really about what’s going on inside ourselves. Love yourself and love for others will flow easily.

As you bring the wall down, or even allow cracks to form, Love will start rushing in. It has always been there waiting.

” There is nothing but love, all else is illusion .”  CiM

Click here to read more about the healing power of love

Check out these five big mistakes and how to avoid them. You’ll be well on your way to successfully achieving your goals.

Mistake #1 – Making a resolution or goal because you think you should, rather than one that is really important to you. You can tell these goals quite easily because they often contain the word “should”. You say, “I should, ought to, better” Also, these statements tend to be your solution or process to achieving the goal, not the goal itself. For example, Your true goal may be to look trim and healthy, but you say, “I’m going to lose 50lbs.”

Solution: Ask yourself, “Why do I feel I should do this? Is this goal truly important to me? Is this something I really want? Or do I feel pressured by others? If the goal isn’t what you want, chances are you won’t accomplish it or stick with it. In that case, ask yourself what you do want and set another goal.

Mistake#2- Setting too large or ambitious a goal without placing milestones on the way to achieving that goal. Before you reach your goal you get overwhelmed or discouraged, and quit.

Solution : Set mini-goals within your larger goal. This allows you to establish smaller, easier habits that you are more likely to stick with. Since these goals will be reached within a shorter time frame, you will have many opportunities to realize and appreciate your achievements on the way to your larger goal.

Mistake#3- Failing to have a plan. You know what you want, but have no real idea how you are going to accomplish it.

Solution : Explore your options, educate yourself, and set up a system before you start. Take some time to map out a plan complete with mini-goals and a schedule. In a plan book or calendar, write a reasonable daily “to do” list. Check off each item as you complete it. This creates a sense of accomplishment and a reminder of your successes so far. Setting up your system can be your first mini-goal. You may want to build a reward system into your plan if that helps you stay motivated.

Mistake#4- Failure to be flexible. You get discouraged if you fall off the wagon or don’t keep up with your plan.

Solution: Acknowledge that life happens. Allow your plan to be flexible, allow for failure. Failure to reach a goal or mini-goal is not a reason to quit. Figure out what isn’t working and why. Are you asking too much of yourself? Do you need to make changes to your plan or goal? Make modifications and try again. Every step in the direction you want to go is better than no steps at all. Keep at it.

Mistake#5- Going it alone. For any number of reasons you decide you must do this by yourself and for yourself.

Solution: We all benefit from the support and expertise of others at times. Working with a support group can help you stay motivated and accountable. A coach, trainer or other professional can help you move past your blocks and teach you skills that will save you lots of time and energy in the long run. Knowing that someone is there for you can make all the difference as you work to achieve success.

Bonus tip: Do you have a New Year’s goal? Share it in the comments box below. Putting your goal in writing and sharing it with the world will help you solidify it.

This is an invitation to step back and relax. My wish for all of us this holiday season is that we will be filled with joy. Let the season bring “tidings of comfort and joy” and “peace on earth” starting within ourselves and in our homes.

Simple Tips for a Simpler Holiday

Here are a few holiday tips to help you relax and refocus.

+Sip some tea. Companies like Celestial Seasonings offers yummy holiday teas. They include spices like peppermint, cinnamon and ginger that help digestion, immunity, circulation and warm you up. A little honey makes them extra tasty. Watch the snow fall or the fire roar for a few quiet minutes while you enjoy your tea and reflect on the joys of the season.

+Rent or tune-in to a feel-good holiday movie. They often cue us in to the real meaning of Christmas and fill the airways this time of year. Snuggle up with the family and some hot chocolate Stir in some marshmallows and a peppermint candy for an inexpensive, decadent treat.

+Bring an attitude of gratitude to your holiday chores. As you shop and wrap gifts, think of the receivers and offer thanks for them. Focus on something you appreciate about them. As you decorate and bake cookies, give thanks for your home and food and those who will enjoy all you have done.

+Do those activities which bring you and your loved ones joy and see if you can eliminate some of the others. Why experience holiday stress by doing too much and spending too much when it often is unnecessary? Everyone will enjoy a few activities richly lived, more than many done hurriedly in stress.

+The holiday season is a great time to perform random acts of kindness. Let a harried mom get in front of you in line. Turn off the TV and play with your pets or children. Smile at the salesclerk. Everyone, including you, will feel better for it.

+Enjoy your favorite holiday scents. Natural scents that trigger happy memories reduce stress and give you the chance to “relive” joyful moments. Try vanilla for a feeling of well-being (and to reduce cravings!) and the uplifting oil of pine. What smells better than pies and cookies baking in the oven or a fresh Christmas tree? Aromatherapy candles and potpourri can help you enjoy these scents throughout the season.

+If you are tempted to buy a young child an expensive gift that will stress you and the family budget remember that children often leave these gifts under the tree while they enjoy many hours playing inside the big cardboard box that packaged it. Sometimes the most enjoyable gifts are the simplest. And when you play along, they are always the most favorite.

+Share traditions and stories with your family and friends. Children and adults love the feeling of connection and continuity that comes when we share the familiar in our lives. We often sit around the table at Christmas telling stories from our past that we’ve all heard before and hope to hear again.

Here’s wishing you and yours all the joys of the season. We’d love for you to share your favorite holiday tips and traditions in the comment section.

To learn more about how stress affects your health and lots of helpful tips for dealing with stress, visit the Holistic Mindbody-Healing Natural Stress Relief Primer

Here are some suggestions and reminders of everyday kindness that can brighten the day for both giver and receiver.

* Let that car squeeze in front of you. And maybe another. (But not too many so the driver behind you doesn’t get upset!) Likewise, let that harried shopper step in front.

* Smile at the mother with the screaming children at the mall. Better yet, baby sit for someone else so s/he can have a few hours of quiet shopping.

* Smile and offer a friendly word to the cashier after waiting twenty minutes in line.

* Take a break from your frenzied activity and read a Christmas story to your children.

* Ditto for your dogs or cats- only they’d prefer you take them for a walk or throw a toy.

* Drop a dollar into the Salvation Army bucket even if you gave somewhere else.

* Bring your neighbors or co-workers some holiday goodies.

* Visit with someone who is alone, or invite him or her over for some holiday cheer.

* Pay the toll for the car behind you.

* Send a card to a soldier overseas. Or send a care package.

* Bring a few dog bones or cat treats to the local shelter.

* Offer a silent blessing to fellow shoppers and drivers as you go your way.

* Buy a gift for an angel tree child.

* Put a love note in your loved one’s lunchbox.

Enjoy giving these gifts throughout the year. When the urge to commit a random act strikes, take yourself up on it even if it seems silly or insignificant. You might be amazed by how much you are appreciated. Best of all, you will find that by giving, you receive the greatest gift of all.

Happy Holidays!
Have you committed a random act of kindness? Have you received some kindness? Please share in the comments section below and share the joy.