Containment As A Means to Change

Aaah, its Autumn.....Time to cleanse, clear out, and prepare for going inward.  This week I finished my basement's (the garbage pit down below or more metaphorically, the bowels of my home) organizational/cleanup project begun this summer by finally getting rid of the 18 year old sofa bed (otherwise known as the super-sized cat bed) which had literally been stuffed down there 12 years earlier.  Incidentally, that clearing happened at the same time I was doing a physical bowel clearing with psyllium seed husk and bentonite clay.  I won't dare go into detail about the things cleansed from there.  I didn't plan it that way, it just happened that way.  I sent an intention for cleansing and it happened on all levels...And so it is.  Things are progressing along, it seems.  The houses (both internal and external) have been cleansed and little by little observations reveal the work still to be done. The living room is still not painted and coincidentally I still have not settled into a new comfort zone for work, leisure and family activities.  What makes me happy? What sparks my fire? What lights me up so I can bring light to the world? How can I connect joyfully with the people in my life?  What stands in the way of my knowing these answers?  These are all questions that I am revisiting, mostly because something has changed and I am not certain of where I am going with the space the change has created.

Contradictions abound, I watch myself closely having given up on the idea of trying to changing right now and instead am setting myself free.  Change happened, I am not aware of what caused it, nor am I aware of what change needs to happen to grow into that space the change created.  I wonder if perhaps setting myself free is all the change I need. Again a contradiction as I consider my freedom to come in the form of containment.  Contain feelings, resentments, patterns of thought and behavior.  If I can just contain these things, not deny them, but instead swim in the soup that they create within me observing the internal workings of myself, taking responsibility for what I see, containment will bring about the next phase of change bringing answers to my questions.  As I think about doing that I wonder if I will spontaneously combust from the discomfort of it all.  I commit to myself now to cease creating buffers between me and these things I see in myself, or at minimum to at least recognize the buffers already set in place and cease utilizing them.  I am willing to go within in search of these buffers.  It is my hope that the friction this creates within me will create a fire big enough to transmute these things.  Transmutation can't help but create some sort of change I suppose.  Out of the ashes rises the Phoenix born anew, right?

So that's my winters' intention.  Perhaps set a little early, but I hear some places in the country have already had snow.....Eeeek.  

Are You Becoming Conscious or Spiritual?

A Worthwhile Repost:

I'd like to take this time to clear up any confusion about the human consciousness movement and spirituality. They are not necessarily the same.

The human consciousness movement is more supported by psychotherapy and a desire to understand ones motivations, limitations, etc. It is a movement to become more aware of what lies beneath the surface of ones psyche. Yes it is an inward journey, but for the most part remains in the head as we delve into understanding our history and how it affects the present moment.

Spirituality on the other hand is a an inward search for The Source within us. It is a movement away from the head and into the heart space. It is understanding on an ethereal level our true nature. When we come into direct contact with The Source, there are no words, simply a Knowing that is only known after the event has occurred. The experience is soul changing and therefore life changing.

As one moves into deeper consciousness and begins to have an awareness of self as an ego based entity the souls desire often begins to blossom into consciousness. The Soul helps us to ask questions such as; What is the meaning of my life? And what is my life purpose here? As we come into consciousness of our different aspects and acknowledge them as self and soul (lower self and Higher Self, Ego and Spirit) the search for the God or Source may stem from increased consciousness especially when we come to see the disparity between the desires of the two. But until then, until we come to search for The Source that exists within our hearts surrendering the thinking and logical mind, we have not begun our Spiritual Journey.

New Skin - New You

For the past several months I have been working to create a new website to better depict the work that I am currently engaged in.  What I have noticed about myself over the years is that as I change, grow and evolve, the way I approach my work changes, grows, and evolves.  Along with the new words on the website, I created a "new skin"  or a new look for the website and as you'll notice, I also created a "new skin" here on my blog as well.

As I created this new skin to go with my updated works it made me reflect on how this might apply to life.  Can we create a new skin, in other words, a new look on the outside, whether it be a new hairstyle, clothing style, etc. and expect that it will change who we are.  Or, does the change first need to come from within and the external vision simply mirrors the new attitude, beliefs, and presence that we have created inside?

As I contemplated this, I came to the conclusion that all things must start in the mind, with a thought or shift in perception first.  It may only be a desire to be different or to be perceived differently, but we cannot change what is on the outside until some impetus has been sparked from within first.  While sometimes we may not like or appreciate that we are judged by the way we look, it is a reflection of what is going on within whether we like it or not.  Whether it be the style we choose to portray or the aging lines that manifest themselves on our skin, it tells part of our story as does our body language and body alignment.  We are integrated beings and we cannot separate what we look like from what is held within.  Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder as is any judgement made about oneself or another.  But when you look at yourself, is it reflecting what you want?  Do you accept what you look like, the lines, the wrinkles, the fat deposits, the mis-alignments as part of the story of your life?  Do you attempt to heal past wounds, hardships, etc. to maintain not so much your appearance, but your vitality and strength?

Our "skin" cannot maintain itself, we must undertake self care by getting enough rest, nutrition and vitamins through healthy natural food sources, pure water, and a balanced lifestyle that minimizes stress, offers plenty of support, relaxation, and coping mechanisms for the times we do run in to unavoidable stressors.  What would it be like for you to do less, make fewer commitments to others, rest more and spend more time doing things you enjoy at a pace that supported a relaxed lifestyle?  What step can you take today to move in that direction?

The Purpose of the Body Centered Journey

Each Soul (piece of the Divine) comes to Earth as a separate entity with a Mission, it is often described as our Life Purpose or Soul Purpose.  With our full potential tagged within the structure of our bones, we go about living our life here on earth.   It is with Divine Purpose that we are born to our parents and have the childhood experiences that we have, as they are the set up for the Mission and are integral to the completion of our Mission.  Our childhood serves as a playground for experience, as we are completely open to receiving the ground work for our Soul’s Mission when we arrive here.  We set about experiencing human life on a physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual level.  Each of those levels and experiences carries a vibration.  Along with the vibration of our Soul’s Mission, these vibrations caused by experience are processed through the bodymind.  The bodymind is a storehouse for unresolved emotion, a processing and evaluation center for thoughts, a bank in which we deposit experience, and a Temple in remembrance of our Divinity.  All aspects work together, creating vibrations so that through the Law of Attraction we attract exactly what we need in each moment to succeed in our Life Mission.  In other words, the Universe is always conspiring to help us succeed through this Universal Law. 

Body Centered Meditation is perfectly designed for individuals whose Mission causes them to have a slightly off perception of Self at the Soul Level.  To the individual this is often perceived as a defect, although it is not a defect, and will manifest itself energetically in the bodymind, visually most apparent as a misalignment of the physical body.  This is why the body is touted as such a large source of Wisdom by so many who have gone within to thin the veil of illusion, as the very illusion plays itself out not only through our experiences and tainted observations but right within our own physical being. 

The Soul is always aware of this misalignment even though the self is unaware.  The Soul perceives this misalignment as completely in alignment with the Divine, as it always remembers its connection to the Source and always remembers its Purpose.  The Soul remembers this misalignment is there as a tool for evolution and ascension. 

Evolution happens within the framework of time and perceived separateness from the Source.  Evolution implies movement, All of Life is in motion and All is Alive, Human Life is perpetual motion.  Through separateness we learn and expand the Truth of who we are by observing who/what we are Not and fostering the remembrance of our Truth.  That is the purpose of separating from the Divine. 

The misalignment as part of the Mission is orchestrated for us to ultimately experience more Love.  Working through our Soul’s Mission is all to that end, to increase our vibration of Love so that when we pass back through the veil we can bring back more of the Source to the Source.  In other words bring more Love back to Itself.

Principles of Breath and Physical Alignment have all been created with the intention to support us on our journey by providing a physical framework, roadmap and tools to help us negotiate and find our way as we journey toward completing our Mission.  All emotional and mental energies that create stagnation and blockages within the musculature can be released through consciousness and breath.  As we release muscle (trapped emotions and mental patterns of belief) we release the bones to move toward alignment.  As we come into alignment physically, we come into alignment spiritually.  The body can be used as your guide.  Move toward physical alignment and you will move toward Spiritual Alignment with your Soul’s Purpose.

There are many books written on the subject of the bodymind for use as a guide to your inner world, authors such as Louise Hay and Carolyn Myss do a nice job of associating body parts and diseases to mind/emotional states.  These works, in combination with detailed information about the Chakra System and your own connection to body and breath is all you need to start on your body centered journey.  Most of all, let your body be your guide, within it lays all Truth. 

Finding Peace Through a Life Review

Lorde, is it really nearly the end of April?

At the end of November my father's companion of 25 years had a stroke and some other complications to her health.  Since then, my father has been on a slippery slope.  At the end of February Jane passed over and it triggered in my father his own desire to stop living.  He is suffering from severe depression and anxiety.  I spoke with his social worker today and feel confident he is in good hands.

Don't mistake my enthusiasm for his therapist with denial of the tenuous situation that it is.  And don't think I don't have my own ideas about his treatment plan.  At times he wishes it had been him that died.  And right now, he feels like he has nothing to live for.  Call me crazy, but I don't think that's true, for if it were, I believe Spirit would have figured out by now his exit strategy.  Ok, so stay with me here...I'm also not convinced he is meant to keep on living and create a new life for himself on planet earth either.  Call me open minded.

As you may be gleaning now, I am pretty comfortable with death.  But no death comes before its time.  If I were his therapist, I would be asking him....Do you feel like you have lived a full life?  Are you at peace with the life you have lived thus far?   If not, what would it take to make peace with it?  What contributions have you made?  What are your fondest memories?  When you look back what were your greatest struggles?  What did you learn from them?  Where are your disapointments? What would it be like to offer forgiveness and compassion to yourself?  What made you different?  What did you do better than anyone else (your special talent/gift that you brought to the world)?    Do you feel like anything has been left undone up until this point or does life feel complete?  Are there places you still want to visit?  Are there things left unsaid to people you care about?  Amends you would like to make to instill peace within?  Things that you always said you would do, but haven't gotten to yet? Are there things you are still curious about?  Are there people you would like to get to know better that you never had the chance to because of the life you had with Jane?  

Life Review can be healthy at any stage, but in this instance in particular I feel like it could be soothing and a relief from looking forward into a life he doesn't want right now.  I think looking backwards could bring him clarity about moving forward.  Spirit desires very little, but the soul yearns for peace.  When the soul is at peace, Spirit can move freely to make things happen instantaneously as it should according to the Divine Plan, our Highest Good, and our Souls Purpose.  When the soul is not at peace it is like swimming upstream as we resist the current that Spirit has created. Spirit is constantly rejiggering things to get us heading with the flow but that takes time and delays the next phase/perfect step.  This is why I say that the universe is always conspiring to help us.  It is constantly responding to what we put out in a way that tries to turn us in the direction of the tide that Spirit has created for us.

My father is at a crossroads, struggling to figure out his next step and it is obvious he is not at peace and suffering great pain.  He has been trying to make decisions about moving forward and decisions about where to live when he isn't even sure he wants to remain on the planet.  He can't even decide what he wants for lunch, how can he decide these things about a future he isn't sure he wants?  To me, it sounds like its time for a Life Review.  Maybe with that some new light will be shed on things.  Maybe he will feel complete by focusing on what has been and in seeing that rather than a mountain of decisions and budgets to be made, he can find peace with the life he has had thus far.  Peace is always a better place to work from than pain.  Once he is at peace, who knows what he'll decide, but I am at peace with whatever Spirit has in store for him.  I just think it would be nice if he was at peace too.

Bringing Back the Sweetness

I'm not certain where this is going today.  I am in the middle of a spring cleanse. Nothing major (in terms of the products and processes) I am just using the FlorEssence this spring season.  I am not doing any traditional fasting either.  Perhaps, however, I should have gone into this a little bit more mindfully but, I guess I expected this to be a physical process not an emotional one.

I think it was about 5 days in to my cleanse and I finally noticed that I was eating everything in site, whether I was hungry or not.  Where did that come from?  I have not done that in years!!  In the process I had contracted some kind of cold virus symptoms (or was it a cleansing reaction?) so I am not certain what caused what and at this point, I don't think it really matters....what mattered was that I was in search of something, and I seemed to be searching primarily for it in sweet foods.  Okay, you may laugh, it wasn't in candy bars, hot fudge sundaes, cookies, or pastries as one might imagine...I really do try to stay away from that stuff.  But nonetheless, I was consuming more sugar than I usually would.  I noticed myself making fruit smoothies, avocado ice cream, and sweet onions to put on wwhhaaattt??? A Hot Dog, OMG...So, It was an Applegate nitrate free hot dog that I placed with my sweet onions on a gluten free bagel, but still, I was eating much more than I needed, not as well as I usually would (while I was on a cleanse, to boot) and I was looking for sweetness.....that no food seemed to really satisfy.

Where has the sweetness in my life gone????  I know it's still there somewhere, a few weeks ago, I know I loved the life I had created for myself.  But this cleanse, it stirred something up, it made me recognize something that had been laying dormant and stuck somewhere deep in the cells of my being. I abhor the bitterness, the bitterness of these herbs I am taking, the bitterness that it brings up in me (or better said, the bitterness it points out in my personality), and how it points out how much I want to be a "sweeter" albeit authentic person.

This cleanse has pointed out the bitterness I have for how I have been treated in relationships at times, my intolerances for others behaviors,  how I have not always treated others as well as I would have liked when I look with 20/20 hind site vision, and worst of all it is pointing out how I don't really know how I want to handle all of these observations.

I do know is that I need to take action to get in touch with the sweetness that I already have in my life and make a point to appreciate it, savor it, and share it.  I also feel like I need to continue to create a life that feels sweet and that feels touching.  Mostly, I want to improve my behavior, act more conscientiously so I can like myself better and further open my heart so I can feel touched by my life and the people in it.  What I feel most confused about is how much I share about my dis-satisfactions with others.  I have tried to live by the premise, "if I have a problem with someones behavior, that's my problem"  but what about when it affects my desire/ability to be in the relationship?  Don't they deserve to know?  Don't they deserve to have the opportunity to change?  Do I need to wait until they ask me "what's the problem?" Wouldn't it just be helpful if I shared how I felt without being accusatory or expecting anything to change?  Of course........b

That's the emotional aspect, but if you remember, this whole spring cleanse started out in my mind as a physical thing....And that brings me back to sugar and insulin, diabetes and blood sugar control.  It's a big topic and problem for many Americans.  What can we do naturally to help manage our blood sugar?

1.  Eat smaller more frequent meals
2.  Eat a low starch, high vegetable, moderate protein, moderate fat diet that is filled with whole grains such as quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat, rather than wheat and simple starches, lean protein such as chicken and fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, and legumes, and healthy fats such as avocado, olive oil, coconut oil, and fats from hemp and chia, and get the sweetness in your diet from a few servings of fruit.
3.  If you are simply trying to prevent a blood sugar problem, trying a modified fasting regimen in which you only eat food during a six to eight hour time frame during the day (say 12 - 6pm) and give your body a digestion break offering your body more recuperative time, fat burning time, and time to digest emotionally.
4.  Avoid all processed foods, especially those that contain high fructose corn syrup, agave, and fake sweeteners such as truvia, nutrasweet, etc.  If you need a sweetener stick with pure stevia or a sugar alcohol such as "zero" or other xylitol product.
5.  Get moving, activity helps balance blood sugar and improve the body's ability to metabolize carbohydrates.

Also, ask your natural health practitioner about natural blood sugar balancers such as;

1.  Green coffee extract
2.  Ocotea essential oil extract
3.  Braggs Apple Cider vinegar (or other vinegar "with the mother") before meals
4.  Bitter melon extract
5.  Gymnema sylvestre 
6.  Alpha Lipoic Acid
7.  Cinnamon Cassia
8.  Chromium
9.  Fennugreek
10. Holy Basil
11. Jambolan seed
12. Anemarrhena rhizome 
13.  Beta glucans


 

Deep Listening...The Path Toward Balance

 I was recently surfing the internet reading about Ayurveda, a subject I have studied before.  I have taken many hours of continuing education trying to learn to utilize this health system.  Ladies and gentlemen, "try" is the operative word here.  Again and again I move toward this intriguing system to try and understand it, yet time and time again so much of it feels elusive to me.  I know it is worthwhile, offers wisdom and guidance to help us maintain our health and balance in our daily lives, yet it is not a system that comes easily to me.  While Chinese medicine resonates a little bit more, I believe that is because my knowledge is more of a working knowledge.  

I have worked side by side with my Acupuncturist for about 13 years now.  I go in to see her, knowing how I feel, my symptoms, etc.  and she shares in her language what she sees.  She talks about my pulses, my organs, my meridians, and I am able to make connections between what is going on in my body and the language that she uses to describe it.  Working with her over the years has helped me to find wholeness within myself, wholeness in my self care, and wholeness in my healthcare.  I have been blessed to have such a relationship and support in process and my life.  And while this is not an article on gratitude, I am grateful.

My point here is in fact, about balance and the tools that are out there to help us attain it.  My relationship with my acupuncturist and the acupuncture treatments themselves were of great value to me.  But I also needed to find my own way and figure out for myself what what to do to maintain balance.  Acupuncture guided the way, enabling me to feel what balance was.  Then I was able to utilize meditation, breath, movement, and conscious energy management techniques along with loads of patience and awareness to help recreate, rebalance, and deepen what acupuncture started for me.

It doesn't matter which system(s) you embrace.  What matters is having the willingness to be in the process, to embrace support and help along the way, and to utilize your own inner tools to sense into what you can do for yourself in the moment to bring yourself toward your balance (still) point.  The body is always striving for balance, it knows no other way.  With just a little bit of reflectiveness and awareness, one can easily see what brings us toward balance and away.  Each day it may be something different.  A different food, a different movement, less stillness or more, more or less sleep.  The combinations of things we need and the proportions we need them in will never be the same, but with deep listening, we can come to hear the callings of the mind and body.  As we respond to these callings we open ourselves to an unfolding of self knowing and self healing that no doctor or text book could ever teach us.

Integrated Man

Our human minds often like to separate life into manageable parts, it makes it easier for us to cope in the world.  Especially in this complicated age of technology where information is thrown at us at an incredibly alarming rate, we are feeling more and more like we need small bits to chew.  Once piece at a time, one email at a time, one phone call a time, one text at a time, one project a time, one step at a time, one question at a time, one persons needs at a time. But that isn't how it really happens in life or in our bodyminds.

We are designed to be in an integrated whole, the circulation can not be separated from the respiration, nor the respiration be separated from the muscular system or the digestive system.  The digestive system won't work properly without the excretory system or  information from the endocrine system, and our immune system certainly needs a healthy digestive system to work properly at all.  You get the idea, and that's just the beginning on a physical level.  The interconnection between the body, mind, emotions and spirit is also an integrated unit we commonly call an aura or bodymind.  We are designed impeccably, automatically our bodies always strive toward balance, compensating as necessary trying to maintain an incredibly complicated system.  If our own scientific experts don't fully understand the bodies mechanisms and what to do when things go awry, how then do does the common man begin to manage his own body?

The answer may not be simple but the mechanism to begin the chain events to re calibrate and manage the systems begins with one simple thing, the breath.  On one level the breath is governed by the autonomic nervous system, which helps us when our minds are pre-occupied, we can completely forget about breathing, but we do it anyway.  On the other hand, when we become conscious of the breath it opens the doorway to self-mastery.  When we take charge of the way we breathe we can nourish the body's systems, decrease stress hormones in the body, speed or slow metabolism, control blood pressure and redirect energy in the body to help the body re-balance and heal.  The breath has the ability to enlighten, enliven, and enrich every aspect of our being.  The breath is the tool we were given to integrate and balance man.

Everything begins with the breath....Try this simple exercise....

While there are many different ways to consciously breathe, most commonly taught is Diaphragmatic Breathing with the 3 part breath. 

1.Begin the inhale directing breath first into the lower abdomen, then the lower ribs, allowing them to expand out to the back and sides and then at the end of the inhale bring the breath all of the way up to the clavicles.

2. Exhale, first from the clavicles, then the lower ribs, then the lower abdomen. 

3.While the movement of the breath is steady and relaxed on both the inhale and exhale, the exhale is lengthened/slowed as if done in three parts.

Practicing the 3 part breath is great for individuals coming into awareness of their breath and for individuals with a disrupted breathing pattern.  For excellent, detailed information on breaking disrupted breathing patterns, read “The Breathing Book” by Donna Farhi.  

Variations on the 3 part breath are commonly taught in yoga as part of a Pranayama practice.  Pranayama is a practice that consciously engages the breath to stimulate and move life force energy (chi, Qi). 

Common ratio’s for the amount of time spent on inhale:exhale are;

4:2

6:3

8:4

10:5

After becoming familiar with this breathing pattern you can add on this exercise in awareness....

Without judgement, criticism or the need to change anything, simply begin to notice the sensations of the breath, the flow and movement that it creates in the body.  Notice any tingling, vibrating, pulsing sensations that you may feel within, as well as any feelings of lightness or heaviness (darkness) in the body.  Notice how continuing the conscious breathing process changes these sensations over time.

It's Only a Thought

I don't usually post other peoples thoughts on my blog, but this peice was just sent to me and I thought it was worthwhile to reproduceit in its entirety.  Near the end of the peice you"ll see some bold italic words that I indicate that a changed the words from the negative aspect into the positive, while still maintaining the integrity of the thought.  I hope you enjoy this post....it truly captured my understanding and process....



"What is important in this moment is what you are choosing to think and believe and say right now. These thoughts and words will create your future. Your thoughts form the experiences of tomorrow, next week, next month, and next year.


It's only a thought, and a thought can be changed.

How many times have you refused to think a positive thought about yourself? Well, you can refuse to think negative thoughts about yourself too.

People say: "I can't stop thinking a thought."

YES, YOU CAN!

You have to make up your mind that that is what you are going to do.


You don't have to fight your thoughts when you want to change things. When that negative voice comes up, you can say, 'Thank you for sharing.'

You are not giving your power over to the negative thought, and yet you are not denying that it is there.


You are saying: "Okay, you're there and thank you for sharing, and I'm choosing to do something else.

I don't want to buy into that anymore, I want to create another way of thinking."

Don't fight your thoughts.

Acknowledge them and go beyond them."



Louise Hay, HEART THOUGHTS



The angels offer this service: Call them in and say,

"I AM FEELING/THINKING __________, BUT I'M WILLING TO RELEASE IT, so I surrender these negative thoughts into the hands of my Guardian Angel/Spirit to be transmuted into the highest frequency of light, and returned back to me fully healed."



We never forget, but the emotional charge behind a negative thought/experience, etc. will vanish!!!

What CAN we do? Things we can control to help minimize our risk for cancer

For as long as I can remember, I questioned the idea that we are victims to our genetics.  When I was growing up and in the early years of working as an Exercise Physiologist in Cardiac Rehabilitation, people often said things like, 'high cholesterol runs in my family,' 'heart disease runs in my family,' 'my father, my uncle and my brother all died of a heart attack by the time they were 45 - what's the point of changing, I am going to die young too.'  Intuitively, these statements never sat well with me, often they felt like a cop out and a way to divert responsibility for ones life.  Over the years I often wondered if thought patterns/behaviors/beliefs/lifestyles/actions that were passed down from generation to generation were more responsible for the dis-ease process than the expression of their genes. 

Today, we have the science of epigenetics which validates much of what I believed to be true many years ago.  Research is now suggesting that even the likelihood of twins getting the same disease due to their genetic makeup is slim.  I see this information as a gift on a silver platter that tells me, 'I am in control of my destiny, not my family's history.'  Current research into the cause of disease is also suggesting that many diseases could actually be pathogenic in nature, including cancer.  That may be true, but experience still tells me it is also true that thoughts, lifestyle choices, and behavior also play a huge role in dis-ease.With all of this in mind, what do we do to minimize our risk for cancer?

We all have cancer cells circulating in our systems all the time, that's a fact.  But our immune system is responsible for managing these mutations as they occur.  Each of us needs to make sure we have a strong enough immune system to manage these cells before they mutate exponentially to the point where the body can no longer handle the load.  This is a multi-faceted approach that begins with the understanding that immunity begins in the gut and that lifestyle has a significant impact on health.  A properly working immune system requires good quality sleep for approximately 8 hours or more every night.  Regular exercise will not only boost your immune system, but helps the body manage glucose more efficiently.  Sugar (glucose) is the favored food of cancer cells.  Any diet high in simple and starchy carbohydrates and sugar is a feeding frenzy for cancer cells. 

Our environment can also effect our health.  Avoiding as many chemicals, toxins, and  pollutants in our external environment as possible can help.  While minimizing stress and maintaining a Ph balanced or slightly alkaline internal environment will also greatly help reduce the risk of an overgrowth of cancer cells in the body. 

Research has also shown that a multitude of natural supplements have the potential to assist the body in repairing cells and preventing mutations from happening.  Vitamin D is probably the most researched and accepted supplement out there.  Vitamin D helps regulate gene expression, increases apoptosis of mutant cells, differentiates cells, and prevents blood cells from forming in already formed cancer cells.

Most importantly though, I believe cancer can be averted by the foods that we put into our bodies.  Garbage in garbage out as they say....Bottom line, processed foods, sugar of all kinds including starches and soft drinks, red meat, and trans fats feed cancer.  We'll have a fighting chance with a diet of fruits and vegetables, especially cruciferous vegetables, Omega 3 filled fish, nuts, seeds, beans, and a small amount of good quality whole grains, like quinoa, buckwheat, and amaranth, and raw dairy products.  Things like multi-greens, teas like kombucha, alkaline forming foods like sea vegetables, and coral calcium are also part of a diet that will support the body in preventing cancerous overgrowth.

The Truth About Stress

There are many different kinds of stress, some mental, some physical, some positive and some negative.  Negative Mental Stress is triggered by a thought that is either untrue or does not resonate well with the vibration of your energy field.  However, the effects are not only mental, they often trigger emotions and create a biochemical reaction in the physical body.  In my opinion stress is the number one killer in the world today.  Stress can effect everything from physiological parameters like blood pressure, cholesterol, cortisol levels and brain wave activity, to inflammation, digestion, immunity and productivity to name just a few. 

We are not our thoughts, yet so often, not only do we buy into the negative stream of thoughts that our minds produce or come in contact with but we become incredibly attached to these thoughts that wreak havoc on our lives, like our lives depend on them when if fact, it is just the opposite.  In other words, the reality is that our health is dependant on our ability to challenge and release thoughts that are untrue, that no longer resonate, or create stress.  The more quickly we can return to equanimity after a negative thought arises or is produced, the better our health will be. 

"The Work" by Byron Katie (www.thework.com) is an exceptional way to sift through the myriad of untrue thoughts that we have moment to moment.  When we engage long term in "the work" we come to realize that very few disturbing thoughts that we have are rooted in Truth and moreover, that without those thoughts that limit us, stress us, and create untruths in our lives that seem to take on a life of their own, we can actually be much happier and more free.  Byron Katie's philosophy is based on "Loving What Is"  and when we do that, we immediately decrease our stress levels because we end our resistance to reality, stop living in the past, and cease trying to control outcomes we have no control over. 

Creating stressful thoughts is a choice and so is releasing them. What have we got to lose by releasing them except a construct of who we are that makes us stressed out and miserable?  Can you release your stressful thoughts and live in the mystery of the unknown?

Guidance

Rest assured the guidance is strong at this time.  Be sure you are slowing down, spending time in quiet, and above all following your hearts little callings.  The mysteries are greater than ever before, the rewards even greater than that.  But with these nuggets also comes the unknown.  Endings are happening and new beginnings are just ever so slowly beginning to take shape in the plane of Cause.  The filtering process onto earth, the land of effect, will take some time.  Be patient and gentle with yourself as the new you unfolds.  Be mindful, steadfast, and above all else, just BE in the moment.  Just for today, do whatever it is that helps open your heart and keep it open.  Allow yourself to feel deeply.  We ARE being guided.

In the past several years we have seen the collapse of systems around us...Government, health care, financial, education....We've seen drastic changes in weather that resulted in major earth changes as well.  All of this collapse was on a macro level.  But what happens on the macro must also happen on the micro level as well.  Let go of fear as we move through this time of inner collapse.  It is all for the good, it is renewing and will propel us forward.  Move into community for support and truth, you will not be alone.  Others are having similar experiences. 

Significant spiritual shifts will happen.  In some regards the tables will feel reversed and we will support others from "Home" as opposed to the usual feeling of simply being supported from beyond. Eventually, I believe, this will all come into a balanced sharing with our Universal Partners.  So, remember, you have much to give from your experience here no matter where you are on your journey. 

Tread lightly and slowly what worked last year will not necessarily work any more.  Even the simplest things such as the foods we eat may provide us today with a very different reaction from what we would have had eight weeks ago.  Pay attention, listen to your body, follow its voice.  You may need different foods now, more or less sleep, you may need a nap, or to rise early and take in the energy of the sun.  You may feel called to write or paint...find the time, there is a message for you there in that experience.  Don't deprive yourself.

Be kind to yourself and others.  Honor yourself and others.  Love yourself so that it can spill forth...... 

The Issues in Your Tissues

When I was in my early thirties, I had a car accident.  I remember it like it was yesterday, it was August, I was making a left hand turn at a green light and was broadsided by someone pulling out of a parking spot on the opposite side of the road.  Truthfully, we were both at fault, but that is not the point of my story.  The fact is, I never even saw it coming.  Some might say "she came out of nowhere," but I know better.  I just wasn't paying attention to all that was going on around me.  There's a metaphor here, I happened to also be going through a divorce at the time and the truth is I wasn't paying attention to some of the things going on in that situation either.  Some of the feelings I was experiencing and the issues that arose also seemed to "come out of nowhere."  As I walked through the pain of my divorce, I literally felt emotionally broadsided.  For several years after that car accident, August would come and I would get paranoid behind the wheel of my car.  It appeared to me like everyone was driving AT me.  What I realized happened was that the trauma of that time in my life was too much for me to handle all at once, so my body stored what I could not process in the moment in my tissues. 

Cellular memory is a well researched topic by scientists such as Candace Pert, the author of "Molecules of Emotion: The Scientific Basis Behind Mind-Body Medicine (Scribner, 1997), and Everything You Need to Know to Feel Go(o)d" (Hay House, 2006).  Scientists have found that literally unresolved emotional issues, beliefs, etc. are in fact stored in our tissues.  Through mind-body modalities such as Integrated Energy Therapy, Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy,  etc.  we can bring up out of the cells, into consciousness the deeply held issues that hold us back in life and prevent us from finding happiness and peace.  For some, this may sound scary, but it doesn't have to be. 

Since the issues and the corresponding emotions are sitting right in our tissues, then every day, in every way, they are also in fact effecting our thoughts, our behaviors, and our health.  We literally carry the baggage with us in our cells and our bodymind and act on them unconsciously until we are willing to address them.  In other words, they lurk in the shadows of our unconscious until we shine light on them.  But the reality is, whether they be in the shadows or in the light, they are there having their way with our lives until we address them and heal them. It is in fact "The Light" that heals all things.  The Light of Awareness, the Light of Acknowledgement, The Light of Acceptance, The Light of InSpired Action, The Light of Faith, Trust, Hope, and Forgiveness. 

So, the next time you have a nagging ache or pain, physical symptom, or major health concern, ask yourself "What is my body trying to tell me?"  "What am I being called on to learn about myself?"  "What quality am I being asked to develop?"  The body always speaks the Truth and is a guidepost for our lives.  Often times, the metaphor is so obvious, it gets overlooked.  But if we can focus in, readjust our beliefs, release the corresponding emotions, change our behavior, and develop the spiritual qualities we are being called on to develop, a dramatic healing can happen.

Moving Toward Reverence

In the spirit of full disclosure, Deep Reverence has taken me a lifetime to experience and still at times remains fleeting. Reverence has required a radical shift into balancing both my masculine and feminine energy.  The act of reverence (Experiencing the Sacred in Everything) has come as part of a life process of self Love and self growth.

I assume the sacred self, love and, peace were there in me all along, as I believe it is in you.  I was just unable to see it, and tap into it.  In looking back I have to admit a strong DESIRE was there to have it and I BELIEVED I could.  Somewhere in my being I knew it was POSSIBLE, almost like there was a faint and distant memory that somewhere I may have experienced it before, but not in my conscious memories.  I was OPEN to the PROCESS, willing to DETACH enough, TRUST enough to jump with two feet into the UNKNOWN.  I came to a point in my life where I felt like I had little to lose and so much to GAIN by taking a RISK and becoming TRANSPARENT...I choose RADICAL HONESTY continuously.  In that process however, PERSPECTIVE, I realized, became very important for it was still easy to deceive myself depending on the perspective that I took in a given situation.  I go into the SHADOWS shining LIGHT on the DARKNESS within me.  It became a learning process to do it without criticism, shame, or the need to change it....In other words to shine light on the darkness in a way that did not create more darkness was indeed a bit tricky.  It was a task that required COMPASSION and PATIENCE and TIME and devotion.  I have settled back and ACKNOWLEDGED that this is LIFE, or better yet the way I choose to live my life.  It is no longer a task or self improvement undertaking or a new years resolution.  It is THE WAY.  I've developed an inner process of experiencing, witnessing, reflecting, digesting and releasing in a way that is perfectly imperfect.  The system has developed in a way that allows me to go back and reflect again, shift perspective again, make a new choice, and feel good about it all.  In the end, I have to say it's lots of LOVE and lots of SPACE that have gotten me to the place of Moving Toward Reverence.  It just seems to be what my HEART needs in these moments.  Who knows what will happen tomorrow, but that's WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW for me.  What does your heart need?  What lurks in your shadows?  What process have come to live by that works for you?

Cravings

Have you ever had those periods in life where you feel pulled to get up early, get the day started, yet you hit the snooze and pull the covers back up and try to avoid whatever it is that was pulling you to get up early to begin with?  In those same periods of life, have you eaten things that you know aren't good for you, things that spike your blood sugar, things that make your body retain excessive water, things that don't even really taste that good, yet you find yourself eating them anyway?  Often to realize, you at it so mindlessly you can't even say that it brought you a moment of satisfaction or enjoyment. 

Well, I recently went through a period where I could have gone down that road, the impulses were there.  And in a way, I did go down that road...in the name of science (a personal experiment) I began to watch (observe myself) what happened as I resisted those temptations and as I gave in to them trying to expose what was underneath that mysterious behavior.  As I resisted the food cravings or gave in, yet remained aware, I noticed the cravings were  really never satisfied by what I ate.  It merely pushed the feeling away for a little while.  If I didn't give in to the craving, I became increasingly uncomfortable and empty inside.  In the emptiness however, I began to find a drive. In the beginning the drive was also uncomfortable because I hadn't quite figured out what that was yet.  As time progressed and I continued to observe, I could no longer deny that I had a craving for something that went much deeper than food.  My heart ached and yearned for deeper connection and acknowledgment. 

Don't misunderstand, for those of you that know me and for those of you that don't, I have a spiritual practice, I meditate regularly and am deeply aware of the presence of the universe at work in my life.  I already own the responsibility of co-creating my life with my Highest Self.  Yet, despite all of that, this emptiness and yearning persisted and craving for more persisted as did the morning behavior of pulling the covers back up and rolling over to go back to sleep.  It became such an issue, the universe even employed my cat to become an early morning annoyance to get me out of bed.  I resisted (I resisted getting out of bed and I resisted eating the foods that seemed to call me by name), the cravings and uncomfortableness continued, but in the struggle my hearts desire continued to become more clear. 

I craved a deeper reverence in my life.  One that could be honored at sunrise with a gentle stretch and taking in of the life energy the sun had to offer.  Nothing formal, just moving my body in a salute to the sun, pajama style just before I made my morning coffee.  And then quiet time to sit and reflect and feel the blessings of my life and the abundance of love that stirred deep in my heart.  This early morning time I resisted for so long was time to cultivate the stirrings of my heart so I could bring reverence into the rest of my day.  It was a way to set the pace just a little bit slower so I could be more deeply mindlful and patient and compassionate toward others.  What I craved was reverence in what sometimes seems to be an irreverent world and what I resisted was creating the space in my life to bring it in.  It is my hope that as I continue this new practice and experience reverence in my own life that I will manifest reverence all around me.  

Nutrition and Nurturance; It's All About What You Let In

In my last post, I left you with this...."the questions remain, how do we age successfully and how do we increase our active life expectancy in a rapidly changing world, a world in which we are being called into our own mental, emotional, physical, spiritual and energetic Mastery?"  The answer is a long one and I think even the experts are still trying to figure it all out, but don't let that stop you from taking matters into your own hands, there is a lot you can do and feel good about.  Just as in the past, it comes down to a a small handful of topics, but as the old expression goes, the devil is in the details.

Today, let's begin to take a look at nutrition.  Who doesn't love food?  Promise me you won't start a new diet because it's January.  Promise me you will love yourself enough not to let yourself feel deprived.  Promise me that instead of stopping now because you think it's too hard, you've heard it all before, or whatever...You'll just take a moment to stop, to take a breath and open your mind for a moment....I promise you, this article is not what you think its going to be.

Keep the deep breathing going as you read, no kidding....Put everything of the past in it's proper place for a moment (the past) and know that the journey is just that, a life long journey.  Let go of any guilt from past failures, let go of old beliefs about your schedule, your stress, your busy life.  Let go, let go, let go....And simply take with you the message of what all of your experiences of the past have been trying to tell you all along....What's that you say???  Breathe, take it in.....Love Yourself More.  Yes, that has been the message.  Love Yourself...

So for today, Love Yourself with Food...And I mean really Love yourself with food, I don't mean try and kill yourself creating a slow death with food.  I don't mean bribe yourself with food (you know that old trick, I want to make my kids happy/make them think I am a great parent/stop them from complaining, so I'll bribe them with a hamburger or mac n cheese kind of love)  Today, Love Yourself with Food, as if you were a God/Goddess trying to live to infinity.  So what do Human God's eat?   They like fresh food, organic food, simply prepared foods, small portions, colorful foods.  Human God's are super humans, they like SuperFoods like nuts, seeds, and berries in small portions so they never feel weighed down by what's in their stomachs.  Today, Love yourself enough not feel overfull and tired after you eat.  Today, leave enough room in your stomach to digest thoughts, feelings, and beliefs that you are also fed today through your experiences. 

Oh, now you think I am crazy huh?  Well, look at it this way, we have different aspects to our being, being a physical body in a physical world with tangible things like food is one aspect.  We are also emotional and mental beings.  These aspects of ourselves are just as valid and real as the physical its just that the energy of that part of us is less dense.  However, it is still part of our overall being, our overall bodymind, part of aura you might say.  And those aspects of digesting thoughts, feelings, and beliefs are connected to the more dense parts of ourselves that digest more dense matters like food.  Make sense??  So, in other words, whether you need energy to digest food, digest an experience, or digest the feelings you are left with after a co-worker makes a comment that includes a belief that you don't subscribe to,  the energy of digestion comes from the same place in your bodymind.  Is it any wonder when you look at digestion holistically, why in today's world people are looking for antacids and digestive aids, have ulcers, constipation, and irritable bowel? People are overeating and ingesting unhealthy foods, taxing their systems, leaving no energy to digest the other aspects of their lives, which are just as stress filled and unhealthy at times as the foods they are consuming. Today, embrace the idea that nutrition is about how you nurture yourself by what you take in to your life that needs digesting, food and otherwise.  

Today, Love yourself enough to leave some energy to fully digest something other than food.  Today, eat like you are feeding the God/Goddess within, not bribing the God/Goddess outside of you to do the Loving for you.