A Community of Holistic Professionals Our Vision
To strengthen and support the community of holistic professionals.
Our Mission Statement
To create a unified community of compassionate holistic practitioners that will contribute to enhancing our profession and ourselves by providing a supportive space to share, learn, teach, grow, and lead.
Our Purpose
The Holistic Mentorship Network supports the Holistic Professional, as well as the Community by providing the space to network, build a referral base, mentor and support each other in business development and growth, promote community awareness and education of alternative services and products, and meet potential clients. What is MARCI™? MARCI™ is a holistic magazine that provokes awareness to how we show up in our practices and our daily lives. In a time when there is a lot of chaos and stress, MARCI™ reminds us of being present through “Mindful” actions and thoughts; to take responsibility for our choices and to change patterns that no longer fit. In the Holistic Field we busily take care of others, but how do we show up for ourselves? Are we taking care of ourselves and loving who we are? Trusting our own intuition and natural instinct, how often do we listen to that small voice within? MARCI™ is not only a Seasonal E-zine, but a metaphor for the garden we live in as we go through the human experience. The Holistic Field is a rapidly growing industry. These inspirational stories are written by Professional Providers in the Holistic Field and our Clients that will inspire and empower you! Why should you advertise in MARCI™? With advertisers like you, MARCI™ is available electronically and distributed wherever the internet reaches! The Holistic Mentorship Network’s next step is making MARCI™ available in printed form. With your support, your business will be exposed nationwide to HMN members, holistic minded practitioners and their customers. What are our members saying about MARCI™? MARCI™ provides so many great tips and interesting perspectives and they’re not just for healing practitioners! Anyone curious about alternative healing methods and important issues of today can benefit from the information shared in this magazine: parents with ADD/ADHD kids, people interested in global warming, breast cancer success stories, using intuition, growing your business, healthy foods, ancient healing traditions, nurturing…and so much more. I love this magazine with its positive outlook! -Sarah Collins, PhD candidate in Natural Health
Holistic Mentorship Network
Board Members Erin Saxton Bjornson Cecelia Inwentarz Linda Mitchell Donna Price Vivian Sartoretto Michelle Zanoni Meira Findel
Inside This Issue: Senior Years:Time of Reflection and Projection 5 Linda Mitchell.....................................................................5 A Tale of Two Women 8 Stan Cohen..........................................................................87 “Joy and Pleasure – a new ‘fitness’ paradigm” 9 Christine Clifton....................................................................9 How We Touch Matters 11 Theresa Cecylija....................................................................13 Wise and Wonderful 13 Sarah Collins.......................................................................15 A Toast 14 Sarah Collins........................................................................18 How do we remain at peace with so much financial turmoil around us? 16 Meira Findel..........................................................................20 Ignite a No Matter What Mindset 17 Lisa Nichols........................................................................23
Sub-Committee
Linda Mitchell Justin Buffer Erin Saxton Bjornson Sarah M. Collins Joanna DeGroot
Staff
Linda Mitchell
Executive Director, Editor-in-Chief
Joanna DeGroot
Editor & Layout Designer
Column Creative Arts 19 Beth Ann Morrison...............................................................37 Feng Shui 20 Michelle Zanoni......................................................................3 Aromatherapy 21 Christina Santiago.................................................................3 Natural Health 22 Sarah Collins..........................................................................3 Nutrition 23 Judith Gisser..........................................................................3 Conscious Parenting 24 Tracey Mendel & Jordan Brown............................................3
MARCI™
3
Winter 2009
Inside This Issue cont’d:
Book Review
Column Everyday Spirituality 26 Justin Buffer...........................................................37 Pet Therapy 27 Beth Lowell & Susan Brody....................................37 Personal Development Coaching 28 Hueina Su...............................................................3 Business Coaching 29 Donna Price.............................................................3 Money Coaching 30 Tom Selkow...............................................................3 Q&A 32 Cecelia Inwentarz...................................................3
Knockout: Interviews with Doctors Who Are Curing Cancer and How to Prevent Getting It In The First Place, by Suzanne Somers 59 reviewed by Donna Price..................7
Announcements..............60 Letters to Have something to say about the contents of MARCI™? We would love to hear from you! Please write us at: MARCI@MARCImagazine.com
Project Planet 34 Ana Marie Presti....................................................3 Legislative Matters 37 Maureen Drummond & Susannah Pitman.............3 Good Things Come to Those Who Ask 41 Jack Canfield..........................................................7 Reading (Canon Henry Scott Holland) 43 Ingrid Werner.........................................................9 Mary Travers:A Life Well Lived 44 Jefferson Harman...................................................13 Seniors 48 Jo-Ann Stafford......................................................15 The 2 Most Important Ingredients for Attracting More Clients in Need of You 50 Michael Lake..........................................................20 A Calcium Testimonial 53 Linda Brower.........................................................23 When Your Pet Dies 54 Susan Brody...........................................................60
Contact Information: Holistic Mentorship Network
23 Main Street, Sparta, NJ 07871 Phone: 973.300.1184 Fax: 973.300.1189 Website: www.HolisticMentorshipNetwork.com Email: MARCI@MARCImagazine.com
57 Unknown Poem.....................................................60
MARCI™
4
Winter 2009
As I look back to my youth, “I remember when” 30 seemed ancient, and the days seemed to drag by year after year, until I was approaching the end of my high school years. “I remember when” I started my freshman year, a church friend and senior said to me, “Enjoy your high school years; they will go by before you know it”. Boy was he right!! And the years after that seemed to go by even more swiftly, and here I am today looking ahead to the next stage of life, my senior years. How will I handle that? Perhaps it will depend on my attitude! Do I love myself? How have I filled the past chapters of my life? In this issue we give homage to the “Reflection and Projection” of time that has and will carve out our existence – past, present, and future. I am grateful for the path I have chosen through time, which has led me to my life today. My journey to discovering my worth and value began when I became an Amway distributor in my late thirties, and a woman and mentor in my “upline” told me that I “had value and deserved more” than I allowed myself to possess. I am not speaking of material possessions, but the freedom to be the expression of who I am in my life; to pull back the layers of time that deflated my light from shining completely and fully.
Senior Years: Time of Reflection and Projection a message by Linda Mitchell, HMN Founder As the pages of my life unfolded, I found a whole new world through Unity, my church family of new thought, and of likeminded spirits that accepted me, and helped me to heal that part of me that was wounded by my own childhood afflictions. Then my whole world opened up when I discovered the field of holistic practice. “If I Could Turn Back Time”, is not an option in our human lives. It is my belief
MARCI™
5
that we are all born into the spirit of love and spend a lifetime rejecting what is ours to own; then choose to reflect on our stories and project that which we lack or not into our world. Reflecting on this past year and the last three issues of MARCI, I have spoken about Mindfulness, Awareness, Responsibility and now the letter C, Compassion. What would life look like, if we loved ourselves enough? And what would our relationships look like through the years? A lifetime of honoring ourselves, and in hopes, that when we reach that precious time in our lives that others will respect us when we are “old”. A term often times used to refer to those rich Senior Years.
cont’d on next page
Winter 2009
Senior Years:
Reflection/Projection cont’d Having an understanding of this age group is essential in working with this population whether you are working in the medical or alternative field. Family dynamics can become interesting as our once caretakers, are now in need of being cared for. It can feel scary for the families with these changing roles and as health issues or concerns arise. Providing a compassionate ear to listen to the family and/or caretakers, and especially the elder can have a huge impact on how each one will accept or reject these changing times.
These senior moments do not need to feel lost to time. This is a time to celebrate all the stories that have been collected through the years. In the role Theresa Cecylija plays as a Somatic Therapist, who has provided the space for her elderly clients to share their stories and heal from past traumas that have been carried through the passage of time has been well expressed. As we slow down to age, often times things we used to do so effortlessly become more challenging. As a Movement Practitioner, Stan Cohen works with the elderly. Movement is essential to the quality of life no matter what your age. Entering these later years, movement becomes vital in lifting the spirit, as
Stan shares from a classroom experience between Gerry and Mona. Finding God in all of it is well told by Jo-Ann Stafford, a photographer and poet. Healing from our life becomes richer when we bring spirituality into the mix. Without it, whether it is God or Buddha that resonates with you, we are lost souls looking for the way home. Jo-Ann found her way through her link with God and the inside job she chose as she enters her senior-most moments!! Looking at different cultures and how they treat their elderly is an interesting perspective. Nursing homes are non-existent in some or perhaps most parts of the world. The aging parents live
Linda with her grandchildren, Leif and Cameron
MARCI™
6
cont’d on next page
Winter 2009
Mary Travers has had that impact on Jefferson Harman, Reflection/Projection a Dream Interpreter who lives and resides in New Jersey. If cont’d the name does not ring a bell, with their children and find perhaps the musical group of their place in the home with the 60’s, Peter, Paul and Mary honor and respect, for they does, along with their still are the elder. Their shared popular song, “Puff the Magic stories and wisdom is passed Dragon”. Mary Travers was down to their children and active right up to her death on their children, and lies down September 16, 2009. She was the roots to their heritage. an icon for many that knew How often do we deny our her as a singer, an activist, a roots? A regular contributor mother, and grandmother. and columnists of Natural How well shall we live? Health, Sarah Collins provides What will be the legacy that great insight into this world we will leave behind to the perspective with her “Wise next generation? Sharing and Wonderful” article! your stories is important How rich the elderly to healing past wounds or and how many you have or traumas; staying stuck limits have had that were your our lives’ experiences to the heroes and played an active visions we once held dear to role in your own lives journey.
Senior Years:
our hearts. Don’t leave this world with unmet goals and dreams. Take care to heal your relationship with yourself and forgive others. Love yourself with open arms and return that to the world. Share your stories with your children, and your children’s children. If you do not have a child, become a surrogate to a child who may not have a parent; and like Mary Travers you will leave a legacy for the next generation to pass down to the next. This edition is dedicated to my children and my children’s children. In much love and peace, Linda
Leif (11 yrs) and Dalton (15 yrs) in back, Cameron (4 yrs) and Ruby June (4 mos) in front
MARCI™
7
Winter 2009
Just yesterday I smiled to myself as I watched Gerry walk towards me, step by step, moving her walker to keep her balance. The last few times I had seen her I was concerned for her health. She had appeared much frailer than she seemed this time. She entered the room where the rest of the group was meeting for class. They had all come down to do some stretching and breathing exercises. Gerry was the last to arrive. Looking at her, I laughed a bit and said “You are looking very spry today”. She looked back with a wiseguy smile and said “Why shouldn’t I be spry – I’m only 94”. Just before starting class, I saw a new resident at the facility, who I’ll call Mona, sitting off to the side, who at first glance, seemed to be mad at the world. Walking over, I quietly yet enthusiastically asked if she would like to join the group. She pouted, crossed her arms defensively and loudly proclaimed “NO!” I smiled at her and said, “It will make you feel better, the exercises are easy, and we have fun”. Again she said “no”, “I don’t care” and a few other declarations of pure negativity. Looking at the difference in attitude between these two women, I thought of this MARCI™ edition, and how Gerry and Mona play out
even though she needs the care she receives there. She does not try to help herself or those who want to help her. It is hard to say what she reflects on. I can only guess by Stan Cohen that it contains bitterness towards life, for that is what she projects. My takeaway from Gerry and Mona, as with the rest of the seniors I meet, talk to, and teach my class, is that you should not give in to aging. Don’t dwell on what you used to be able to do. Rejoice in what you are capable of instead. Project a positive life and strive to make it so. You will feel better for it, and so will those who surround you. their roles of reflection and -------projection. It is easy with Gerry – Stan Cohen is a student of talking, kidding, and watching movement. He has developed her do her best to follow a program which helps along with the exercises in seniors regain and maintain class. She claims the wrist and their independence through hand exercises help her keep increased flexibility, mobility knitting, her one still active and balance. Stan is also the lifelong love. In conversation, founder of MaturityMatters. you hear her reflect on her net, an online whole person life and her family, and laugh wellness project. Geared to along with her as she claims help seniors and their families 120 years old as her goal. live joyful, independent lives, Her sister passed at 102. She MaturityMatters.net provides projects a positive attitude articles and information on which makes me think she Health, Wealth, Lifestyle, Family and Spiritual topics. just may make it. Mona on the other Contact Stan at: hand, looks depressed. An stan@maturitymatters.net attitude I hear from the aids is her normal mood. She does not want to be in the facility
MARCI™
A Tale of Two Women
8
Winter 2009
So, what comes to mind when you hear the word Joy”? You might think about the more dramatic events in your life that brought you great happiness. Did you think about the more everyday things that you enjoy? Most people do not, yet the word “enjoy” means “in joy.” Joy is often thought of as this lofty emotion that can be rare to experience. Yet, when you bring awareness to your everyday enjoyment, it is easy to see how often you really do experience Joy. Connecting to Joy, as beautiful emotion, is the fuel for your personal power. Now, same exercise with the word “pleasure” – what comes to mind? Most people immediately respond with physical pleasure – touching, making love, taking a hot bath and such. Yet Pleasure is about all the senses – sensation of what you see, smell, taste, hear and touch. Hearing a beautiful piece of music. Watching a couple stroll hand in hand. Savoring a chocolate brownie. Stroking a cat’s fur. Smelling your morning coffee. Pleasure comes in many forms and you likely experience it more often than you thought. Connecting to Pleasure, as amazing sensations, is the path to connecting with
“Joy and Pleasure – a new ‘fitness’ paradigm” by Christine Clifton
yourself. Before I share with you how Joy and Pleasure are a new ‘fitness’ paradigm, I need to share with you why Joy and Pleasure are so important to me. As you hear my personal story, you just may find some similarities – if not in the experience itself, then perhaps in the ‘impact’ of the experience. I spent much of my life in duty and responsibility in both my work and personal life; often, I was a different person in each of those roles, playing heaven-knows how many more. I was raised in
MARCI™
9
a pretty strict household – I joke that I got a “double whammy” of rules and discipline – being an Army brat as well as being raised Catholic. What I do know is that *I* caused my whole person dis-ease with those approaches to life. A dozen years ago, I developed hypothyroidism at a time when I entered into an oppressive relationship. Shortly afterwards, I began experiencing symptoms of chronic fatigue and Fibromyalgia at a time when my marriage was in trouble. I found myself pushing through those conditions and situations in pure survival mode – acting in duty, obligation and responsibility to those around me. That’s what I knew. I walked through my days conserving energy output, living with pain at the slightest touch and not being able to see through my fatigued brain fog – causing myself dis-ease. Somehow I lost – I forgot – Joy and Pleasure along the way. Last year, when I discovered Nia (visit www. NiaNewJersey.com to learn more), I remembered Joy and Pleasure. In my first Nia class, watching that group of women, tears welled up in my eyes. The absolute beauty of their bodies moving to the music was as compelling to me as their complete trust in
Winter 2009
not. Most people would “Joy and Pleasure” say exercise, loosing weight, building muscle – all physical cont’d answers. The definition of allowing the teacher to take fitness that I use is “the state them through an experience of being suitably adapted to that none of them had had an environment.” Joy and Pleasure as before. I knew there was a new ‘fitness’ paradigm something there for me. After having not starts with the concept of exercised for 2 years, I found “holism” - the belief that the myself participating in a total is greater than the sum 7-day intensive Nia teacher’s of its parts. All of the parts training. It was a solid working together is what week of 8-hour days full of enables optimal efficiency. movement and classroom In my work, the ‘parts’ are: work. For five consecutive beliefs (spirit), thoughts days, our agenda included (mind), feelings (emotion), a one-hour Nia class. I was and actions (body). When amazed to feel better at the these ‘parts’ are running at end of that week than when the same time efficiently – I began it. I remembered Joy being suitably adapted to and Pleasure. I remembered an environment – the new it is my birthright – and it’s ‘fitness’ paradigm is at play; I call it ‘holistic fitness.’ yours, too. So, back to this new Here’s why: Joy and ‘fitness’ paradigm thing. pleasure engage emotions Same exercise, different and emotions are energy in word: what comes to mind motion – as a result, emotions when you hear the word serve as the connector for Fitness? Did you think of spirit, mind and body. When Joy and Pleasure? Likely emotions aren’t processed
or decisions are made that do not serve us, our bodies experience dis-ease and disease – we aren’t well adapted to the environment – hence my physical ailments that I shared earlier. The founders of Nia, Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas, established Nia on the foundation that Joy and Pleasure are our birthright. Taking a Nia class is like taking your car to the mechanic for a tune up. By stepping into a Nia experience, you move spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically – engaging your whole systemic being. You empower yourself with holistic fitness. My holistic fitness journey is ongoing. My authentic self emerges. My thoughts come from beliefs that serve me. My feelings drive my choices. My behaviors are aligned accordingly. My body is healing itself. I am holistically fit.
Christine Clifton uses her life lessons to create joyful personal growth programs for women in order to guide them in remembering joy and pleasure as their birthright. By using this principle as a foundation for personal growth, women become more confident, embrace their strengths, live authentic lives and create community around themselves that serve the highest good of all. Women become holistically fit – suitably adapted to their environment – because they use their authentic selves as their guide for creating a life aligned with who they are – and they light up the world! Christine is a professionally-trained Life Coach, a swing dance instructor, and a certified Nia White Belt and 5 Stages instructor. You can reach her at www.BreakOutOfTheOrdinary.com or 201.738.7463. MARCI™
10
Winter 2009
With growing interest in working with the elderly, we as body-workers must be vigilant as to how we do our work. Working with the elderly definitely involves the utilization of unique hands-on skills, superb communications skills and a deep basic understanding of this age group. It is certainly not for the faint of heart or sight or smell. Although the definitions for the word elderly vary; for the sake of argument, in this article “elderly” refers to those people over the age of 70 who are afflicted with an illness that requires them to have someone help them live their lives. As a Somatic Therapist I have been working with the elderly for several years I speak to you from experience and my heart. I have seen men who fought in the World Wars cry tears of anguish as well as blush and want to hide from embarrassment because they were unable to control their bowel movement during a session. I have witnessed men and women cry out in anguish, try very hard to lash out in anger at the nearest person because they are a prisoner of Alzheimer’s Disease and now have no way to communicate with you about their needs. Additionally, I have had grown men who fought for our freedom, built our bridges, highways and buildings, along with paying taxes for 55 - 60
How We Touch Matters by Theresa Cecylija
years of their life in the hopes of providing a better America for all and looking forward to retiring and “putczing around” reach out for my hand begging me to please apologize to their son/daughter for something they had said or done to them many years ago. The longing for forgiveness, even if it is from a supposed stranger, can certainly tear at your heart. To much of this you must add to the fear and desperation that is seen in their eyes. You must be prepared to bear witness to all of this and more if you plan on working with the elderly. It is crucial that you learn a bit about our history during the time that these folks were in their twenties, thirties, forties and fifties – something about their culture, fashions, lingo, music, etc. Why? Because it is the respectful thing to do AND it is the only way to do your
MARCI™
11
work professionally. How can you administer therapeutic massage if you don’t know how touch was viewed or interpreted at the time of their growth? Remember that it was not that long ago that touch was not something that was readily received. Often times, at the beginning of working with a new client, I have had their muscular contraction increase and the body’s tension rise as a result of direct massage work. If not for my expertise and additional training, which enabled me to communicate with the individual and inform them every stroke of the way what was taking place and why then it would have been a complete failure. And one thing that we must avoid at all cost is the slightest possibility of doing any sort of harm on any level. My number one rule is DO NO HARM. Always ask permission! They are your elder, it is their body, mind and spirit and they are giving you the honor of working with them. Don’t ever lose sight of this. One must be extremely cognizant of where the individual is at and from hence they came to have effective sessions. Considering that we live in such a “politically correct” time in history, it is amazing how politically incorrect we can be with the generations that came before us. Do we have any idea how voice tone effects the elderly person?
Winter 2009
administering therapeutic massage to her legs and feet – How We Touch “I am afraid of the black men Matters here” of course I asked her why and she replied “back in cont’d the sixties my husband and Please don’t talk to them as I were jumped and mugged if they were infants or young by a group of black men in children for they are mature the Bronx and I had to go to adults. And they are not all the hospital and my husband deaf so stop shouting at them. couldn’t fight them.” What We must remember that these does one say after hearing individuals have lived through this? She began to cry and the Depression, World Wars I cried right along with her. and other wars including Then, of course, I had a meeting Vietnam, prohibition, some with the administrator of the have lived through the days facility and told her what I had of slavery and the times when learned. women were not allowed to So you see, we take on vote. The rules and regulations added responsibilities when may seem to have been much we decide to work with the more defined “back then”. elderly. Often times we can Also remember that when be the comfort they so crave, you are talking aloud on your the hug they so longed for, cell phone they may think you the kiss on the cheeks that are talking to them and out of validated their existence, being considerate will attempt the laugh that lights up their to ask you what you are saying. beautiful face, the one person The times they lived in that asks nothing of them and were very different. I recently truly is there to provide ease, worked with a woman who is comfort. Someone who if 95 years old, had 35 surgeries, they doze off will wake them accepted the fact that her up to say good-bye. We are husband of 60+ years had to the one that help make their go to an assisted living facility bodies feel alive again, stretch (she calls it a hospital) because their arms, rotate their ankles, Alzheimer’s was now in control lubricate the joints, massage of him, survived Hitler’s their necks and rub their regimen and now had to leave backs. We are the ones who the home she loved and shared reconnect them with their with her daughter, son-in-law body, mind, and spirit. All ,and grand-son to live with this helps them to walk just strangers in an assisted living a bit longer and straighter, to facility with strange sounds better endure the sitting of and surroundings confess to 8- 10 hours in a wheel-chair. me – while I knelt at her feet We are the ones that massage
MARCI™
12
their hands and arms while we verbally acknowledge how hard they must have worked for so many years. Perhaps YOU will be the one who will express from you heart that you are sorry that they must endure this illness, pain, etc. at this point in their life. Will you be the therapist that on Veteran’s Day is the only person to say “Thank You” and explain how grateful you are for your freedom? As complementary practitioners we believe that healing requires caring for the whole person: body, mind, and spirit. Our modalities echo this philosophy by the blending of therapies that promote healing on all levels of the human. However, if each individual practitioner does not accept personal responsibility for the way that they interact, approach, communicate, and administer to their elderly clients, then all of the rest is for naught. --------To learn more about working with the elderly or to book her for a presentation, you can email Theresa Cecylija at handswithheart3@yahoo. com.
Winter 2009
Members Club Offer: 10% Discount
Visualize a flower becoming a bud, and then slowly growing into the beautiful flower it is meant to become. This is a great metaphor of the journey of life. Just as a flower reaches its peak of beauty at full maturity, the senior years should be a time of full awakening into the person you were born to be. The senior years in a person’s lifespan should acknowledge the depth and breadth of life experience. A certain amount of influence goes along with advancing age, in recognition for the distance traveled, for the wisdom accumulated as you continue to walk your unique life path. People like to say that life is about youth, but I suspect the only ones saying that are the young and the advertisers! The elderly segment of society has so much insight and understanding to convey. But here in the U.S. we do not appreciate the senior population the way other cultures do. We tend to try to hide them from view, almost to the point of pretending they don’t exist. We shuffle them off into nursing homes, promising to visit when our
Wise and Wonderful by Sarah Collins
busy lives settle down, but they never do. The seniors in this country are pushed aside in favor of youth, of appearances. You see it in families, in the job sector, and even in our government with its mandatory retirement age. It’s as if we’re saying as a collective that a person doesn’t have much of anything to offer after reaching a certain age. As a culture, that kind of insensitivity is astounding and highly detrimental to society. We should be embracing the wise and wonderful arena of life known as the golden years. Maturity is beautiful in its
MARCI™
13
wisdom, intelligence and selfdeprecating sense of humor. The golden years should be full of life’s bounty, the time to enjoy the fruits of one’s labor, be it financially or career oriented, about one’s family or leisure activities, mental and spiritual accomplishments. The elders in society should be respected for their years of experience and most certainly their contributions. This is the time in life to pause and see how far you’ve come on your journey, to make assessments and corrections – it’s never too late! Everyone, no matter how advanced in age, has something of significance to offer, right up until his or her last breath. Pearls of wisdom dot the landscape of maturity, yet so often are unacknowledged. If you are a senior, why not think about the wealth of experience you have to offer and the ways you could share it? It may be on an individual level, with a group or something bigger. The size or amount of information doesn’t matter; it’s really all in the sharing. Your wisdom can be the inspiration for another. Embrace and share the wisdom you’ve earned!
Winter 2009
A Toast To memories, lost to time Sleeping in the twilight of my heart, Waiting patiently for an awakening – Remembrance brought fully to life. Images, engraved within the hollows of time Forge through the misty skein of obscurity, To greet me in the present. Embracing the surreal imagery Longingly and fully, The newness of an old rendering Restored to youth, the years dissolved. A small smile creases my lips before This perfect memory recedes into the dusk, Awaiting reminiscence once more. To memories, lost to time Copyright © 2007 Sarah M. Collins
Be sure to check out Sarah’s Natural Health column and ad too!
photo courtesy of Jo-Ann Stafford
MARCI™
14
Winter 2009
How do we remain at peace with so much financial turmoil around us? by Meira Findel will allow you to plan for the years to come with clarity instead of confusion, frustration and I think that many of us apprehension. have been asking ourselves Being aware of what this question lately. As a is available to assist you on senior you’ve been through your journey in life is critical. it all and planned for a A good source of useful peaceful retirement. So information is AARP (www. now what??? AARP.org |888.687.2277). One of the blessings Don’t forget that of the changes happening it’s very important to take due to the economy is that care of yourself financially, we are returning to living physically, emotionally and in a state of community, spiritually – all in balance. supporting each other so What makes you happy? we don’t have to go it alone. While having financial Together we can shoulder concerns causes stress the trials and tribulations and worry our happiness of life easier. Not only truly comes from within. sharing resources but just Bringing peace into your as important having the life does not have to cost compassion of another you lots of money – like close by. Focus on at what you have – not what you are missing. Do you have a clear financial picture? If you don’t I highly recommend that you get one as soon as possible. It’s important to have like-minded financial professionals available to assist and guide you. Knowing where you stand MARCI™
16
spending time with the people that you love or spending a beautiful day walking in the woods saying hello to the trees and animals… I wish us all Abundance and Prosperity all areas of our lives! Please let me know how I can help you. Hugs, Meira Findel, The Holistic Accountant www.OneStep Accounting.net Members Club Offer: 10% Discount To All New Clients
Winter 2009
Though I’m featured in the hit film and book The Secret and travel around the world speaking about the Law of Attraction, for most of my life I’ve been guided by a different law, the one I call the “Law of No Matter What.” Living by the Law of No Matter What or having a No Matter What mindset as I like to call it, is a declaration to do whatever is required, to create holistic success. A No Matter What mindset is not just about successfully securing new investors, joint venture partnerships or attaining your first and second quarter revenue goals. As a leader, our commitment must be to lead in all areas of our life, to constantly take a holistic approach to success with a willingness to build our character where necessary to achieve four important and uniquely defined goals. 1. To lead in a successful business that serves first and garners great returns on our efforts. 2. To create winning relationships that feel mutually safe, heartwarming
Ignite a No Matter What Mindset
Action must become your new best friend in every area that you want to see progress. Just reading about powerful new ideas by Lisa Nichols will not cut the mustard, nor will it catapult your relationships to a 10 on the happiness barometer. You’ve got to do something today that you didn’t do yesterday. I want to introduce to you a new concept that I define in my book, No Matter What! If I asked you to think of muscles that when fully developed could help you live the life you want, and gratifying to be in. you’d probably think of the 3. To maintain optimal physical muscles in your health that allows you to body—your triceps, biceps, perform the business and “six-pack,” hamstrings, and leisure activities that you so on. But did you know define as important. you also have another set of 4. To build a solid “muscles” that significantly spiritual foundation and add to the quality of practice that allows you your life as they become to both understand your strengthened? I’m talking higher purpose and set about the muscles of your clear intentions while being character, the ones I call able to access your internal your bounce-back muscles. navigational system at will for These muscles are not guidance and peace of mind. developed at the gym, while Joan Baez once said, running, or by drinking “Action is the antidote to protein shakes. Your despair,” to which I add, “and bounce-back muscles are the prescription for success.” shaped and formed by life
MARCI™
17
cont’d on next page
Winter 2009
No Matter What Mindset cont’d experiences—by overcoming challenges and rising to the occasion. The main ones are: 1. Your Understanding muscle 2. Your Faith-in-myself muscle 3. Your Take-action muscle 4. Your I-know-like-I-know muscle 5. Your Honesty muscle 6. Your Say-Yes muscle 7. Your Determination muscle 8. Your Forgiveness muscle 9. Your Highest Choice muscle
for her signature voice and dynamic style, Lisa has inspired millions around the world with her insightful message about how to brave hardships, find your authentic self, and cultivate the best life. She is the founder of Motivating the Masses and CEO of Motivating the Teen Spirit, LLC, is the bestselling coauthor of Chicken Soup for the African American Soul and Chicken Soup for the African American Woman’s Soul, and best-selling author of her latest book No Matter What!
You build these muscles the same way you build your physical muscles: by using them! I have outlined all nine of these muscles and the action steps to build them for you in my newest book, No Matter What! When you apply the Law of Attraction AND the Law of No Matter What you have instantly added velocity and power to your thoughts and intentions. Action creates great energy and great energy creates great success. Holistic success is the optimal place for a leader like you to live. Then when you’ve created holistic success, the greatest gift of all occurs; you become an example to your children, your family, and your community. Your life becomes a beacon of measurement for all of us to be inspired from your choice and commitment to say No Matter What! -Lisa Nichols, Best selling Author of No Matter What! www.Lisa-Nichols.com Lisa Nichols is one of the most enchanting speakers and seminar leaders of our era in the personal growth market. Celebrated MARCI™
18
Winter 2009
Column Creative Arts with Beth Ann Morrison
Art Brings People Together It’s no secret that the society we live in is increasingly isolating. If you want, you can walk down the street, shop in a store, pay for your items, and return to your home without speaking to a single individual – and no one would find it unusual. But, if you’re like me, you might be longing for a greater unity and more familiarity with those we could call “strangers”. Sometimes I just want to shout out, get everyone’s attention, start a game, shake things up. Art is a perfect means to do just that, in a context where you won’t just be “that person” on the train or in the mall who’s seemingly insane. You wind up being “that creative person” who is taking initiative to build community. There is a fine line drawn there of course, that defines what actions are considered artful. The good news is, as the artist, you’re the only one in charge of drawing that line! These days, you can proclaim just about anything as an art project, as long as you make the proclamation. It’s an imaginary definition. If you’d really like to strike up that random game with the people on the train, go ahead and call it art! The actions that follow are also important. How do you MARCI™
19
choose to integrate that artful action into the world and increase its effects? Will you write about the process, capture the moment on video or maybe write a song about it? Or did the action itself have enough of an impact to satisfy your creative and personal impulses? You can proclaim your whole life as art. Every thought, decision and action can be proclaimed to have purpose and intention. If you agree that human beings can afford to live in a closer community, you can proclaim to artfully act on that belief. Can you think of actions that you’ve already taken, that can be called art in this way? Do you have crazy ideas that you’d like to share? I’d love to hear about them, and continue the conversation here in this column! Please write to: beth@bethmorrison.com. -------------Beth Ann Morrison lives and works in Jersey city, NJ, and has shown her art extensively over the last ten years. Her first large-scale solo exhibition, One Breath was presented by Seton Hall University’s Walsh Gallery in Summer 2008; other recent venues have included Saks Fifth Ave, Governor’s Island and the Newark Museum. Ms. Morrison has received a grant, residency and several awards for her work; she is also professional grantwriter and an active board member of the Sculptors Guild.
Winter 2009
Column
Feng Shui
with Michelle Zanoni
The Art of Arrangement
as a focal point. Blue is a cool and calming color. Many are familiar with adding a fish tank as a Water adjustment. Fish tanks add color and movement and get things flowing in your space. One of my favorite Water adjustments is the mirror. Mirrors are often referred to as the “aspirins” of Feng Shui. Mirrors have many uses. They can create the illusion of making a room feel larger and more open. A mirror can also be used as a window, creating an “opening” in a room and inviting opportunity into the space. Are you aware of what your mirrors are reflecting? Be sure they reflect beauty, or anything natural like the outdoors. It is particularly auspicious if a mirror can be positioned to reflect a body of water, as water represents money and wealth!
As autumn transitions into winter, can you take a moment to notice how you are feeling? Are you uncomfortable? Tired? What is coming up for you? As winter begins, we naturally want to hibernate as the animals do. Winter is a time to slow down, a time to reflect on all that has transpired over the year. Symbolically it represents quiet and stillness. This is the time when we begin to plan and plant new seeds for I hope you enjoy this season of Water and Winter. Please take the time to slow down and continued growth. notice what is being reflected in your mirror! Winter represents the Element of Water, a and experience how you feel there… evaluate dark, quiet energy with lots of hidden potential. your space. Do you like it? Does it nourish you? Winter is the time of night, the seed germinating Is it congested or dark? Can you rest and in the cold ground. Water is the pure potential relax in your home? Become aware of all that of life that is yet to be expressed and realized. surrounds you and do not forget the outside, it This Element is dark, creative, deep, secretive, is equally important. and often mysterious. -------------The Element of Water represents our career and our path or journey in life. How easily is your Michelle Zanoni has been practicing and teaching life flowing? Are you on the right path? Do you Feng Shui for several years, creating change for her feel satisfied by your work? If you answered ‘no’ clients. She uses her intuitive abilities along with to any of these questions, then you may need her creativity to enhance her clients’ surroundings. to add “Water” to your space. Water is primarily Michelle brings years of experience to this refined used to get things flowing. An easy way to art and science in a warm, compassionate way. add Water into your home or office is through Contact Michelle at mzanoni@optonline .net color. Dark shades of blue, watery aqua blues, and black all represent Water. Try painting one significant wall a beautiful shade of dreamy blue MARCI™
20
Winter 2009
Column
Aromatherapy with Christina Santiago
Winter Weather Self-Care: How to Prevent the Flu, Colds and Allergies Jingle all the way. Oh what fun it is to ride… Hey, it’s fun to ride the sleigh if you’ve taken preventive measures to keep those viruses away! With all the talk right now about the Swine Flu and the regular winter season flu, now is the time to take matters into our own hands – naturally. Prevention is critical. We are fortunate to have natural tools available to prepare our bodies for what is predicted to be one of the most challenging flu seasons ever. Thanks to the gifts of Young Living™ therapeutic-grade essential oils, the world leader in aromatherapy, we have powerful tools from Mother Nature to help with prevention. Researchers have found that essential oils have potent effects against Super Germs, tough bacteria that have become resistant to almost every antibiotic. Here are some oils you will want to have to winterize your body: Thieves™, RC™, Stress Away™, and Frankincense. French physician, Dr. Jean Valnet, author of The Practice of Aromatherapy, wrote: “Infectious microbes do not appear to become accustomed to the essential oils as they do to the many forms of treatments using antibiotics.” Due to the complexity of the chemical constituents found in essential oils Super Germs find it difficult to build resistance. Self-Care Techniques Thieves™, a blend of highly anti-viral and antibacterial oils, can be applied daily to the soles of
MARCI™
21
your feet to boost your immune system. At the first sign of a cold/flu, my practice has been to ingest two drops of Thieves™ under my tongue every 2-3 hours or ingested in a vegan capsule. RC™ is my friend during cold weather. Daily, I rub a few drops over my chest and my back/lung area. This blend contains eucalyptus, myrtle, pine, and other oils to combat respiratory congestion, lung infections, and relieve allergy symptoms. Stress Away™ is a blend/roll-on and powerful to keep stress levels at minimum. Lower your stress, boost your immune system. Frankincense oil can be used, rubbing a few drops over your spine. Frankincense is good for infections and is immune-stimulating. Of course, proper nutrition and cleansing also helps your body. Drink NingXia Red™, an energy & oils-infused beverage that boosts your immune system. Lastly, indulge yourself in a Raindrop Therapy session. This technique is helpful every 2-4 weeks to increase your body’s natural defense systems. © Santiago 2009 Christina M. Santiago, CHBC is a holistic health educator, Certified Clinical Aromatherapist (fall 2009) from the Institute of Spiritual Healing and Aromatherapy professional program, and keynote speaker with Sky Diva Oils, a division of Rising Above, LLC. Christina has been featured on CNBC On the Money and Cablevision For the Health of It, and is a contributing expert in Latina magazine and Garden State Woman magazine. For more information on Christina, please call 888.811.8883 or visit her websites: www.SkyDivaOils.com www.RisingAboveLLC.com
Winter 2009
Column
Natural Health with Sarah Collins
Maturity Matters The senior years present a special challenge where one’s health is concerned. By this stage of life, the body has seen its share of wear and tear and the emphasis is on preventative measures. Take this pill to lower your blood pressure so you don’t have a stroke, take this medicine to lower your chances of developing full-blown dementia... The medical community, particularly the pharmaceutical sector takes great interest in serving the senior population in a misguided bid for extending the life span. And here is where they miss the boat on several counts. First, what good does it do to prolong the life span if the quality of life isn’t present? There seems to be a mass denial as to why death is a necessary part of life. (But that’s for another discussion.) Second, that pharmaceutical concoction you’re taking may have dire consequences physically and/ or mentally. Do you really need all that medication? Wouldn’t developing a more natural approach to health be more conductive to senior concerns? Third, how often has it been shown that when an elderly person’s prescribed medicines are reduced they often become more coherent and ‘present’? * Seniors take more medications than any other segment of the population. Yet, reducing your dependency on chemicals (pharmaceuticals, household cleaning products, beauty supplies) can make you a healthier individual. But natural healthcare isn’t even a viable option for most – it’s the province of the uninitiated, the eccentrics. At least that’s what government agencies want you to think. Even if you’re mildly interested in exploring natural health options, oftentimes you have no
MARCI™
22
idea where to go to gather the info or products. The internet can be a good starting point as well as local practitioners. Generally speaking, who are natural health enthusiasts? Chiropractors, holistic dentists, dieticians (a nutrition specialist), massage therapists, acupuncturists (and acupressure providers), herbalists, iridology practitioners (identifying health problems by examining the iris of the eye), energetic practitioners (many forms of energy healing exist), physical trainers, and so on. If you’re at the senior stage of life or have a family member getting ready to enter this phase of life, you may want to identify and introduce more natural methods of healthcare into the daily routine. There will be no adverse effects and the benefits can be well worth the effort. More mental clarity, ability to rest longer with improved quality of sleep, more physical energy, better digestion, improved skin texture, a happier outlook, and better ability to maintain normal weight can result. Slowly the advantages of adapting this lifestyle will emerge and your quality of life will improve. The time of maturity does not have to mean a decrease in daily activities nor in the loss of intellectual pursuits and interests. You determine your value as it relates to others and especially yourself. There is no reason to settle for less than all you can be. With the aid of natural healthcare, you can be your best at any age, but especially during the senior years, when health concerns increase. *Never go off your medication without talking to your doctor. There can be adverse effects. -------------Sarah M. Collins is a prolific writer, poet and healer. She is a Natural Health consultant working on her PhD in Natural Health. She specializes in Natural Force Healing® but also includes other modalities in her work such as Jin Shin Do® and Cayce Remedies. Visit her website for more information: www.WellnessCareToday.com
Winter 2009
Column Eat Right… Feel Right with Judith Gisser
It is with great surprise that I find myself already in my “Golden Years” or at least chronologically a “Senior”. While many of my contemporaries complain about physical conditions limiting their joy in living, you do not need to be in that group. The good news is, research shows that even more than our genes, what we do on a daily basis impacts the rate at which we age. Many who followed suggestions from my Fall column were startled at how quickly their energy, digestion, sleep, night sweats, and overall sense of wellbeing improved with a few simple changes! Ready for more? Have you heard about telomeres? The vital protective coverings on the ends of DNA strands, telomeres shorten with age until the cells can no longer reproduce and die. YOU have the power to slow down how fast your telomeres shrink! YOU CAN: ⇒⇒ REDUCE INFLAMMATION. Up Omega 3s with wild salmon, walnuts, flax, chia seeds, winter squash or supplement with micro-distilled fish oil. Get a variety of flavonoids from fruits and vegetables in a rainbow of colors, teas, and legumes. AVOID hydrogenated fats. ⇒⇒ REDUCE GLYCATION. Balance protein foods with carbohydrates at each meal. Eat raw or foods cooked at low temperatures. AVOID refined and fried foods. ⇒⇒ REDUCE TOXIC LOAD. Favor organic plant foods and free range, hormone and anti-biotic free animal proteins, if not a vegan. Drink filtered
MARCI™
23
or spring water. Enhance your body’s ability to detox by eating more plant foods. Move your body often to the point of sweating or use an infrared sauna (learn cautions first). Use non-fluoride toothpaste and mouthwash. ⇒⇒ GET ENOUGH VITAMIN D. Test your 25 Hydroxy Vitamin D3 levels. The ideal is 50-85. If low, take 5,000 to 10,000 mg. Make sure to retest in 3 months. People with the lowest level have the most disease and die earliest of all causes compared to those with the highest levels. SUPPLEMENTS: Some of you asked what to take. The choices can be confusing. Work with a Certified Nutrition Specialist to design a program individualized to your unique needs. Dare to turn back the clock. Little things you do daily add up quickly! Consider me your “Nutrition Maven.” Send all your emails peppering me with questions about food and diet to nutritioncoach1@verizon.net . Look for answers to your questions in my next column this Spring. -------------Incorporating your unique constitution and metabolism, Judith Gisser, M.S., C.N.S., C.W.C. excels at developing nutrition and lifestyle programs that raise your level of vitality, resilience and life satisfaction, while helping your reach your wellness goals in a way and at a speed that is comfortable for you. Judith is a Board Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Wellness Coach and a member of the American College of Nutrition. She is Co-founder of Lifestyles of the Healthy Heart, LLC, an author, corporate wellness trainer, key-note speaker and developer of a 30 day Detox with a Difference program available in person, via teleconference and on CDs. Visit her on the web: www.judithgisser.com
Winter 2009
Column One of our favorite things to do as a family is to gather for breakfast and head out to our Conscious Parenting friends’ tree farm to cut down our Christmas tree. Although the tree lots along the way Age 13 & Under would be more efficient and we could have our with Tracey Mendel tree up and decorated in no time, it is the time we spend together while searching for our tree. Bringing the football along for a catch with Uncle and filling our pockets with peppermint The Gift candies all help in enjoying the cool winter This time of year begins the search for “the moment. gift”, for that special someone. The quest for the hottest, latest and greatest doodad! As a So when out in the hustle-bustle of holiday parent, we want to find that special something shoppers, remember that the time you spend that our child has dreamed of, begged, or together is what they will remember most, not pleaded for. It might be the latest cell phone, the latest and greatest gadget that finds its video game or MP3 player, or maybe it’s that way under the bed with the dust bunnies by new Groovy doll with its wardrobe or the hot March. wheels that drive through fire! What I have discovered in my young parenting journey, is Wishing you Peace and Blessings this holiday that although the gift is appreciated, it is season. Dr. Tracey S. Mendel really the time you spend with them that reaps Chiropractor the greatest benefit to you and your child. Time to play with them is the gift. This gift can’t be wrapped or packaged in any way, but -------------it is an enormous gesture that although not Dr. Tracey S. Mendel, HMN Board of Trustees recognized for what it is at the very moment Member, is a Chiropractor with a thriving practice you give it, will be remembered for years to in Sparta, NJ. After 10 years in a private family come. practice in Portland, Oregon, Dr. Mendel moved her family back to NJ to be closer to her and her When asked, my thirteen year old son does husband’s family. When not at her office, you can not mention the cool new game or new pair of find Dr. Tracey at a local baseball field, basketball headphones that he has gotten in holidays court, or soccer field watching her two older sons past, but it is the tradition of finding the tree with her infant son in tow! that comes to his mind as his favorite holiday www.drtracey.info past-time. My 10 year old loves playing Dreidel dr.tracey@hotmail.com and counting his chocolate coins, around the 973.726.7000 light of the Menorah. The 2 year old is just beginning to appreciate the lights, decorations, and holiday songs. MARCI™
24
Winter 2009
Column Conscious Parenting Age 13 - 19
with Jordan Brown
Being the parent or guardian of a teenager is not as scary as it sounds! It’s important to remember that most of the time, teens are struggling to be independent and to fit in at school, at home, and with their friends. It’s equally important to not forget what it was like for YOU as a teen. Today, there are serious situations that teens face… being pressured to have sex, being at a party where alcohol and drugs are available, and feeling the need to follow the in-crowd. As parents, we wish we could always be there to protect our children from situations that could harm them but it doesn’t work out that way. As our children grow older, parenting is less about control and more about offering direction. The words we choose in the interaction with our children have the power to heal or to hurt, to create distance or invite closeness, to shut down feelings or open the heart, to foster dependency or to empower. It is completely normal for teenagers to challenge our values, beliefs, and practices, as a way to test us and assert their independence. The more controlling we are as parents, the more rebellious teenagers are likely to become. As parents, our approach to any discussion with our children has a real impact on whether or not they will feel comfortable coming to talk to us about anything. Some helpful tips in creating such a close and trustworthy relationship: MARCI™
25
• Allow your teen to discuss a problem or situation. • Ask how he/she feels about the situation. • Really listen to what your child is saying rather than thinking of your response. • Try to put yourself in their shoes to understand the thought process (and remember yourself at this age). • Talk about choices. Help your child to see alternatives. • Allow them to make a decision and carry it out (remember, they may make different decisions than you would prefer and that has to be okay). Have patience as you are both on a journey together. You may encounter situations for which you are unable to find concrete solutions. Since you are both unique, listening to your heart and following your intuition may provide all the help you need. Become a Conscious Parent. Realize that you are in a symbiotic relationship with your teenager even when it doesn’t feel that way! The parent-child relationship is mutually beneficial and helps you both learn and grow. Our children have many lessons to teach. Listen and learn! --------------
Jordan Brown is a Psychotherapist, Empowerment Coach, and owner of Full Circle Counseling in Lincoln Park, NJ. Jordan is the Director of an In-Home Intensive Therapy Program for families in crisis throughout Passaic and Essex County, as well as a provider for the battered women’s shelter, Strengthen Our Sisters. Jordan is the founder/ facilitator of a women’s empowerment meet-up on meetup.com. In her spare time, she tries to sleep. Jordan can be reached at Jordan@fullcirclecounseling.net Winter 2009
Column
Everyday Spirituality
with Justin Buffer
Going After our Dreams: Taking Inspiration and Lessons from Steve Mazan I was inspired and touched recently by the story of comedian Steve Mazan. Steve was diagnosed in 2005 with an incurable form of intestinal cancer that had spread to his liver. He was a very successful comedian prior to his diagnosis and was a regular entertainer for our troops serving overseas. Steve had a lifelong dream, though, that he felt an absolute urgency to attain after his diagnosis: to perform on the David Letterman Show, which is said to be the symbol of reaching the pinnacle of success in the comedy world. Mazan was determined not to die with his dream still inside of him.
1. Are we waiting for an emergency or permission to pursue our deep personal dreams? 2. Is fear of rejection or ridicule keeping us from moving forward? 3. Why waste time in unhappy jobs, relationships, etc., when our true dreams and heartfelt desires await us? 3. What dreams have you put under your pillow for when you “have time” to get to them? Do you dream of starting that new business, writing that book, finding true love, running that marathon, etc, but feel that you’ll get to it “later”? Mazan’s story teaches us that we can’t really control time and we never know what curveballs life will throw our way. My question for you today as you read this is: What dream is lying inside of you that you haven’t started moving towards???
I believe Steve’s heart and spirit can He started a website called dyingtodoletterman. rest a little more com and support poured in from people around content now. We all the country that were touched by his story. And deserve the same. he was finally granted his wish on September 5, 2009 and his lifelong dream, and “dying wish”, were Justin Buffer is a Certified Professional & attained. Steve’s performance got good reviews Transformational Life Coach, and the owner of Pure but the external reviews probably could not match Truth Life Coaching, LLC, a personal life coaching the internal reviews his Spirit gave him, excited and consulting company. Justin is the author of the that he had gone after his dreams. forthcoming book titled “Any Day Inspiration” about ways to inject spiritual principles into everyday living. Steve’s story has a lot to teach all of us. This is You can learn more about his upcoming workshops what Spirit wants for each of us: to pursue the based on the ideas in the book, and sign up for desires of our hearts, not necessarily our heads, his inspirational newsletter at his website www. and then let our hearts sing for the world to see. justinbuffer.com. He has an office in Raritan, NJ and We all have dormant and very personal dreams also does phone consultations. He can be reached at inside of us. Steve’s story can urge all us to ask Justin@justinbuffer.com. ourselves, at a soul level, some deep questions, whether we are terminally ill or not:
MARCI™
26
Winter 2009
Column The Whole Pet with Susan Brody & Beth Lowell Beth says:
Susan says: “People Food”… How many readers would NOT think of feeding their pets “people food?” Well, it wasn’t that long ago that they ate what we did. Meats, veggies, and grains ... table scraps. Canned dog food was introduced after WWI as a way to dispose of dead horses. And pellet food began its popularity after WWII when cereal companies wanted to market their by-products. Because of affordability and convenience, a $15 billion industry was born and our concept of what’s nutritious changed. But is it nutritious… or safe? The answer is both yes and no.
A mouse is the perfect meal for a cat. Why? Because it contains all the protein, organ meats, and bone that a cat needs and is able to digest to maintain good health. The Bones and Raw Food diet (BARF) is designed to imitate the natural diet of our pets’ ancestors. It contains raw meats, bones, and vegetables. Holistic vets endorse it. Traditional vets can’t deny its results… stronger immune systems, white teeth, shiny coats, and leaner animals. Still leery? Consider that 50% of dogs today will get cancer. Diabetes and renal failure in cats are commonplace. Both often develop life threatening digestive disorders like IBD. This epidemic has been directly linked to diet and the introduction of kibble and inferior grade commercially manufactured pet food only decades ago. Don’t let advertisers (or your vet!) fool you.
The pet food industry is essentially unregulated. The FDA does not pre-approve products that go onto the market, either for their nutritional value or their safety, but only the ingredients that go into the food and AAFCO, Association of American Feed Control Officials, a voluntary enterprise that set The single most important thing you can do is the standards of definitions and ingredients for us, educate yourself on the three issues that most has no regulatory authority. directly affect your pet’s health. Provide a toxin With the rise of chronic disease in our pets and free environment. Learn about negative impacts of hundreds dying from tainted food in 2007, one vaccination. Research what pets really need in their of many recalls, it is questionable. However, I know diets – and what foods provide it. Don’t sacrifice about the BARF diet but have little confidence in your pet’s well being for cost and convenience. Feed preparing raw food safely with my busy schedule so your pet the way nature intended… Go raw! I opt for a mid-range dry food supplemented with -------------“people food” and nutritionals. In future columns, I’ll Inspired by dogs, Beth Lowell established her pet sitting company, Good Girl, in 2002. Her services talk about the issues. have grown to include Reiki for animals, flower essence -------------Susan Brody is a holistic petsitter, pet bereavement consultations and canine massage. She is a regular worker, and facilitator of the Warren County HMN contributor to the Reiki Digest and an accomplished chapter. She is also a flower essence and energy artist whose paintings grace the homes of dog lovers practitioner, trained in IonCleanse Foot Detox, and is across the United States. The petsitter with the holistic touch! studying towards an MA in Psychology & Counseling. www.bethlowell.com theholisticpet@entermail.net 973.960.6464 908.319.3022
MARCI™
27
Winter 2009
Column Personal Development Coaching with Hueina Su
2. DROP Use The 3-D Principle (Do it, Delegate it, Dump it) to assess each and every task on your list. Dump what is not aligned with your long-term goals. Delegate the ones that can be done by others, and only perform the tasks that are aligned with your goals, core values, or can only be done by you.
Stop, Drop, and Roll Out of Overwhelm
3. ROLL After you pare down your to-do list, let’s roll Grace is a dentist with two thriving dental out an action plan. Break down each task to offices, a loving wife, and mom of two adorable the smallest action steps and plug them in your children below age six. As you can imagine, it’s no calendar. small feat to manage her business, family, and Occasionally, things don’t go as planned. You balance everything. need to be willing to roll with the punches. Be One time when she called me, she was flexible about how things get done. When you’re overwhelmed. “It’s like I’m always trying to put totally open and detached from the outcome, out fires!” She said with a sigh, “Sometimes I sometimes things work out in a way that you feel like I’m on fire too!” I joked, “If you’re on fire, would never have imagined. perhaps you should stop, drop, and roll.” We both -------------laughed. Hueina Su, MS, BSN, CEC is a national keynote When my clients feel overwhelmed, they often try speaker, author and certified professional coach. This to “put out the fire” by frantically working harder article is adapted from her book Intensive Care for and faster, until they run themselves down. If the Nurturer’s Soul: 7 Keys to Nurture Yourself you’ve come down with a nasty cold after a major While Caring for Others. project, you know what I’m talking about. Visit www.RxForBalance.com for FREE book So, what can you do instead? I suggest you try chapters. my STOP, DROP, and ROLL approach.
1. STOP When you’re stressed and overwhelmed, stop and take stock of the situation. Acknowledge your feelings of overwhelm. Identify the source of your stress. What are the things you can control? What are you willing to let go and release in order to have peace? Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and center yourself. This is a perfect time to take a break for Intensive Self-Care. MARCI™
28
Winter 2009
Column
Business Coaching with Donna Price
plan in front of you and work it. Creating a new plan for the year is a great first step towards creating the success that you want. Working the plan and making it happen is the real key to producing the results that you want.
Break down your goals each month and week. Establish a system of accountability. Most people start out the year with a great plan and Year End Review and New Year Planning: great strategy and as the year moves on, they Accelerating Success lose focus, and the plan drifts. A good coach provides you with the ongoing support and The end of the year is a time to evaluate the past accountability to produce results. year’s accomplishments and disappointments. It is also when many people and organizations begin creating strategies for the New Year. Business Success Coach, educator, writer, speaker, cyclist, kayaker, climber, dream maker Our recommendation is that you spend time and leader, Donna Price gets business owners evaluating the past year and learn the valuable and leaders moving their companies in the lessons from your successes and from your directions they want. Participants not only disappointments. These lessons can provide produce transformational shift in their business great insight as you move towards setting thinking and real performance results; but they goals. We also spend time with our clients also create great businesses for themselves looking at what roadblocks have been in the way and their employees. Donna is instrumental in over the past year, for them or for the team. helping business owners get out of their own way, Reviewing the accomplishments of the year is create powerful strategies, and implement them an opportunity to revisit all of the successes accelerated success. that you’ve had. You will be amazed to see all that you have done! Accomplishments give us Donna Price, President of Compass Rose energy for continuing to move forward. And Consulting, LLC, provides business coaching to we can see how far we have already moved in small business owners, business leaders, and work teams; using her experience as a senior level creating great success. manager for 18+ years and extensive background Goals should be set based on your values, working with people to achieve their goals. Donna your lessons learned, and a clear and positive is a certified program leader of the innovative mindset for moving forward. Focus this year and successful Best Year Yet program and is on your top 10 priorities. Write goals that the author of “Launching Your Dream”; “Bizology. are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Biz: The Science of Building Business Success” Relevant, and Time Bounded. With SMART and contributing author to “101 Great Ways to goals you can track your progress and see your Improve Your Life”. www.compassroseconsulting.com success. Selecting the top ten helps you stay 973.948.7673 focused on what’s really important. Keep your MARCI™
29
Winter 2009
Column
Money Coaching with Tom Selkow
In this installment of our column let’s focus on a subtle but often overlooked phenomenon that may lead you to some useful insights about money. Have you ever had a fifty or one hundred dollar bill in your wallet or purse and avoided spending it? I’ve noticed in myself and many others a very real resistance to spending large denomination bills. Once I began to check into this I found for myself a very surprising belief system. First I noticed that my thoughts habitually travel down at least two avenues. 1) If I “break” this bill then the money will leave faster than if I use twenties. 2) If I use this big bill I won’t have as many or possibly any left in my wallet. Notice the terminology that most people use here – “break” as opposed to spend or use – something worth noticing and examining in your experience.
There is a game of keeping one or more hundred dollar bills in your wallet in easy view and reminding yourself that you have a hundred dollars several times a day. This makes it difficult to say you don’t have any money or that you are out of money. For purposes of this game we’ll make it ok to have a one hundred dollar bill that routinely doesn’t get spent. Beyond that I encourage you to become comfortable spending any denomination of currency without resistance. Start by going to a bank at least once a week and getting one or more fifty dollar bills and make an agreement with yourself to spend them without resistance. Notice your feelings as you start this exercise. How do you feel about going into a bank and asking for these bills? Do you notice resistance when reaching for them to spend? Why? Spend some time examining your findings in an objective light. It might be useful to take note of your thoughts and findings in your journal or a note book for future reference.
Once you are comfortable with fifties move to hundreds. As an advanced tactic for this exercise try setting the intension of attracting fifties and hundreds in the course of your normal activities. See if spending these bills feels different than spending the ones you get from the bank, if so, I’ve also noticed that Eastern European why? immigrants generally do not have the same resistance to using large bills to pay for things. Until next time, have fun with this exercise and Perhaps they are free of the cultural input and practice the Borg mantra – “Resistance is futile.” influence we from this country have around large -------------bills. Tom Selkow, Consciousness Technology Practitioner, Looking objectively into this issue there is a is the owner of Zero Point Transformation, LLC, in definite fear of “there is not enough” at work Sparta, NJ. He is certified as a Matrix Energetics here. If I spend this hundred perhaps I will not get Master Practitioner, Money Coach and has a wide another or perhaps the person behind the counter range of tools available to help his clients transform will be annoyed if I use a fifty. Most prevalent is their relationship to abundance, life, career, the belief that somehow using this bill will cause relationships and more. tselkow@zeropointtrans.com me to spend more money faster. 862.268.4443
MARCI™
30
Winter 2009
Column
Q&A:
Profiles of Pioneers in Integrative Medicine with Cecelia Inwentarz
An Interview with Dr. Stephen T. Sinatra CeCe: Dr. Sinatra, What do you believe about health? Dr. Sinatra: I believe in the four components of health (Mechanical, Chemical, Energetic, and Awareness) and that they are all interconnected. When I look at health, it is all of these things: diet, exercise, targeted nutritional support, detox, and mind/body interventions. But, for me, integrating mind/body is the most important component of the four. You can do all the detox in the world, live a non-inflammatory life, and exercise; but if your mindset if off, you are doomed to fail. I have taken care of too many people whose beliefs are either pessimistic or victims. Then there are those who are optimistic
and want to take charge of their own health. They carry a note book. They don’t care that they are up against all odds to get well. These are the exceptional patients who really excel over disease. They really believe, “I have the power to do it. A miracle can really occur.” These insightful people see disease as an opportunity in their life, and tell me their belief is it was placed in their path for a possible spiritual reason. These people do very well collectively. If you have a genuine belief in your own healing, I’m going to support that belief 100% and miracles can and do happen. That mindset is half the battle in any disease. You are more than your DNA. Our thoughts are powerful. CeCe: Back then… why did you pioneer integrative medicine? Dr. Sinatra: I started my medical training in 1972 and was Board Certified in Cardiology in 1977. One day in 1978, I had a life-changing telephone conversation with a 91-year old chemical physicist. He named nutrients I’d never heard of… and I thought to myself, “Wow! This guy has successfully made it to 91 years of age, and
Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D., is a board-certified cardiologist, certified bioenergetic psychotherapist, and a certified nutrition and anti-aging specialist. At his practice in Manchester, Connecticut, Dr. Sinatra integrates conventional medicine with complementary nutritional and psychological therapies to help heal the heart. He is an assistant clinical professor at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, and is the author of several books, including Optimum Health, Heartbreak and Heart Disease, Heart Sense for Women, and Eight Weeks to Lowering Blood Pressure.
MARCI™
32
cont’d on next page
Winter 2009
Column Q&A: Profiles of Pioneers cont’d
he has a lot of wisdom. I’ve got to at least take a look at what he’s talking about.” In 1978, I was still a conventional physician. But soon I began to see there were emotional aspects to illness. So in 1980, I trained in Gestalt psychotherapy, then years later became certified in Bioenergetic Analysis. Finally, I discovered the miracle of the antioxidant-vitamin, CoQ10, for promoting heart health. Because of my newfound enthusiasm for these non-traditional approaches, my doctor colleagues thought I was a nut, basically. CeCe: Present day… how did you evolve the practice of integrative medicine? Dr. Sinatra: I began to share what I had learned. What kept me going was respect for my Board Certifications. In workshops, I would lose about half of my audience… but half stayed to listen. When I became Chief of Cardiology and Director of Medical Education, I started incorporating Integrative Medicine topics into the hospital medical curriculum. I authored 10 books in the 80’s and 90’s. In 2000, I needed to know more, so I became a Certified Nutrition Specialist from the American College of Nutrition and focused on Anti-Aging Medicine in 2001. I intend my
legacy to be the improvement of the practice of cardiology, as detailed in my workshops and book, The Sinatra Solution: Metabolic Cardiology. Conventional cardiologists are treating heart failure with diuretics! I get lots of calls because my metabolic approach really works when the body responds to more Cellular Energy through ATP fortification from the nutritional components of D-ribose, CoQ10, L-carnitine, and magnesium. CeCe: What does the future of medicine look like to you? Dr. Sinatra: Now, my whole focus for the past 5-10 years is on Energy Medicine. I stopped practicing one year ago when I realized I didn’t know enough! I really didn’t know about healing. Since then, I have been visiting doctors and clinics looking at vibrational medicine – homeopathic – electro-dermal screening, grounding the body, and acoustics. I lecture on Energy Medicine– good vibes vs. bad. Now, I am also looking at electrical pollution as a disease instigator – equally as bad as emotional toxicity. --------------
Cecelia H. Inwentarz, MBA, is both a Strategic Brand-Maker and a Wave-Maker Life Therapist. As the Founder of Brand and Believe.com, she promotes “Using Your Strategic Life Guidance” and “Building Rock-Solid Belief in Record Time.” Her upcoming eBook, “Being The Brand,” profiles her lessons learned as a Fortune 100 Brand Executive and IBM Business Intelligence Consultant for America’s largest brand franchises. Send your comments to cecelia@marcimagazine.org.
MARCI™
33
Winter 2009
Column Project Planet: “The Future Generation”
with Ana Marie Presti
An Urgent Call I find myself talking to different people about the state of our environment and sharing with them my passion to involve everyone to claim their responsibility for how they show up in this world. I am fortunate enough to be speaking to people of like minds and to have their support in this ongoing endeavor. How important it is for the young people to have their voices heard, and actually be supported in their ideas to achieve the changes they want to see happen. It was Mahaatma Ghandi who said, “Be the change you want to see in this world”. How simple is that? We, as a community or society, get paralyzed in the belief system that is not our individual truth. That we are only one person, how can we make a difference? Or does it matter that we attempt to make small minute changes? Will it have an impact? The answer is YES! The younger generation does not ask these questions. They see what earlier generations have created, and continue to create today disruptions to the global environment. It is evident the state of chaos that is outcome to previous thought patterns, government collaborations, over manufacturing, over distribution… it’s endless. This is on some level, the focus, but better yet, we choose the solution! So I look into the eyes of younger MARCI™
34
people, ask them questions, have discussions, and always they bring me to a place of amazing grace. Tara Cartier is a 6th grader from Lounsberry Hollow Middle school in Vernon, NJ. At 11 years old, she is wise far beyond her years. Her interests are of an average 11 year old – art, pottery, horses, nature, etc. She was a Girl Scout, but now volunteers for the Girl Scout troops. She plays soccer, plays the flute, does
Tara Cartier, age 11
Irish “Step” dancing, and is a background singer/ dancer for Skylar Mae. She has performed for different events like the Earthfest held in Vernon last Spring, The Bronx Zoo for the Wildlife Conservation, the Jonas Brothers concert, but most important to her was the NIH(National Institution of Health) in Maryland for kids who are terminally ill. She wants to help students in her school become cont’d on next page
Winter 2009
Column a place to live, we have to pitch in before it’s too late”. She wrote a letter to Michelle Obama (below) suggesting to enforce recycling and making it mandatory… not a choice. Tara is a bright light who I believe will make things happen!
Project Planet cont’d
more aware of the environment. According to Tara, “We have to do something because we are the next generation. If we want
--Ana Marie Presti, Chair of Project Planet
Dear Mrs. President, I am writing to you to because I have some concerns about our environment. I feel that being environmental is a responsibility that everybody should have. It shows that you care about the Earth and want to preserve it for the generations to come. There are a lot of issues that concern me. One is recycling because garbage is going into landfills and materials are not being reused. Another issue is oil spills. They concern me because once the oil gets into the water it can harm and kill the animals. Another issue that concerns me is that my school lunches produce a lot of waste. There is Styrofoam, plastic wrappers, and aluminum cans for each lunch bought. I think some solutions or suggestions to help are to make recycling mandatory. Make oil trucks more secure and safe. We can use more solar power and wind energy to reduce need for oil. Make schools use more earth friendly products and recycle. Ban Styrofoam – use plastic utensils and trays that can be washed and reused. Have recycling bins more visible and accessible. If we recycle and take care of the Earth, I envision the Earth to be a clean, safe, happy place for all people to live on. If we don’t change our habits, the Earth will be quite the opposite and there will be less space because of all the landfills. Thank you, Tara Cartier 11-09-2009
MARCI™
35
cont’d on next page
Winter 2009
Column Project Planet cont’d
Ana Marie Presti is a Reiki Maste /Teacher, and a member of HMN Northwest Sussex County chapter. She works as a phlebotomist in Sussex County and is an independent consultant for Rutgers’ University Continuing Education. She is Chair of PROJECT PLANET, an environmental group that focuses on mentoring and supporting schools in achieving sustainability by developing an environmental board.
Tara and her family
Tara and her sister
MARCI™
36
Winter 2009
Column Legislative Issues
with Maureen Drummond & Susannah Pitman
Vaccine Safety and Vaccination Choice by Maureen Drummond
Will the Real Meaning of Health Care Please Stand Up? Health Care reform has been on the table since President Obama took office and discussions on the pros and cons of reforming the system have been roiling for months. A friend asked me recently whether I thought health care was a right or a privilege. “Neither,” I answered. “It is a personal responsibility.” “Health care” is a term widely misused. We use “health care” to describe the care people get when they are sick. Health care isn’t something one hopes to receive as they lie in a hospital bed, incapacitated by heart disease because they enjoyed McDonald’s twice a day for the last decade. That is “sick” care. Health care is caring for one’s vitality. It is not just the absence of illness, but a thriving state of physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. It’s a state of balance, where disorder and illness find hostile soil for taking root. Health is something we have the responsibility of cultivating each day. It is a state we must take responsibility to achieve, rather than a state we hope someone else can create for us once we have shirked the onus and begin to suffer from illness. Creating health and fighting illness are two entirely different activities.
MARCI™
Vaccination is an attempt to “fight off illness.” Each year, millions of people, with hoisted sleeves and bare arms, end up at the receiving end of a syringe in a desperate attempt to artificially prevent influenza. The reliance upon vaccination, as an integral part of health care and disease prevention, has been foisted upon us for generations. With charged fears and compounding ignorance, we hail and accept vaccination as the cornerstone of disease prevention under our current “health care” model. The media is teeming with hype around this year’s influenza infections. Much more hype over the vaccines. I, personally, have never had a flu. Neither has my husband of 26 years. Nor have any of our three children. Nary, have we had a vaccination for influenza. Our sons attend college in a major metropolitan area. They ride trains and buses and live among large populations of diverse peoples. Our daughter is in high school with 1,400 teenagers each day, my husband travels to various cities by airplane yet, somehow without vaccination, we are all able to resist disease. Could it be that the touters of vaccination have overlooked a critical aspect of disease prevention? Surely, we all have heard of the dreadful epidemics of days gone by; black plague, typhus, scarlet fever, cholera – and the millions of people whose misfortunes ended in death. But, what about those who survived? There were never vaccines for any of these diseases. Somehow, the diseases came and went, claiming their victims and all the while, strengthening the living. So, how in the face of such feared and virulent pestilence, did some manage to survive without vaccination? Isn’t THIS the kind of “health” we should all be interested in?
37
cont’d on next page
Winter 2009
Column Legislative Issues cont’d Vaccine Safety and Vaccination Choice cont’d
The human body is miraculous by design. Its innate wisdom is at work every moment of every day, warding off invasion from foreign substances and striving for a state of complete balance – homeostasis. Unaware to us, it performs the functions that allow our blood to pump, the oxygen to flow, our food to digest and assimilate to the proper cells as well as functions that keep anything foreign from overtaking us in illness. Humanity has survived for millennia without the likes of modern and pharmaceutical medicine and despite the ever-advancing state-of-theart diagnostics and treatments, conventional medicine can claim for itself, no cure for any illness or ailment since its inception – so, the answer must lie elsewhere. If the object is to create an individual state of health withstanding all illness, then one must take measures to support the innate wisdom of the body. Interventions which disrupt the natural order of the body, or are counterproductive to it, will never produce the result of good health. A body in crisis cannot be helped by complicating the crisis. For example, high blood pressure and high cholesterol may indicate a body in crisis, but prescribing statins complicates the first crisis because statin drugs present with a host of side effects which cause additional imbalance. The same is true with vaccination. A body in need of resisting infection cannot be helped by injecting toxins into it. These toxins challenge the immune system to a far greater degree than the disease one hopes to prevent. Hands down, the best resistance anyone can have against infection
MARCI™
and disorder in the body is the strongest immune system one can possibly attain. Strengthening the immune system involves supporting the components of the body that are necessary for optimal function. Restricted function causes many ailments, so the most important factor is to assist the proper functioning of every organ and system in the body. In order to best serve this means, we must look outside of the current, conventional model of “health care.” Holistic and complimentary medicines do a better job at fostering health and balance. Acupuncture clears blockages in the meridians of one’s energy flow, removing stagnation in the Chi – the body’s life force, enabling the body to function more optimally. Chiropractic keeps the spine aligned and free from interference with the nerves that make up the central nervous system affording optimal function. Reflexology and massage therapy stimulate trigger points associated with organs and systems to improve their functions. Homeopathic remedies stimulate the vital force of the body, improving function to heal without harmful toxins or side effects. Proper nutrition feeds the cells of the body, which in turn provide the chemical elements necessary for proper immune functions. Eliminating harmful chemicals and processed foods, which insult the body and the brain and inhibit proper function, will contribute to maintaining good function once it is achieved. Numerous other natural healing and health-building modalities, too numerous to name, are practiced as viable methods of true health care worldwide with track records of success spanning hundreds, if not, thousands of years.
38
cont’d on next page
Winter 2009
Column Legislative Issues cont’d Vaccine Safety and Vaccination Choice cont’d
So, I ask you… Does the current conventional model work for you? Have you ever contracted a disease you were vaccinated against? Do you still suffer from a condition you have taken drugs for or have had surgery to correct? Do you suffer side effects from any medication you are currently taking? Have you developed secondary complaints after seeking treatment for a primary complaint? Do you ever feel completely well and energized? Only you can answer these questions for yourself but I will leave you with a tidbit of wisdom. Like the Chinese say, “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.” Maybe, a change will do you good.
MARCI™
Maureen Drummond, Co-founder/Co-director, New Jersey Coalition for Vaccination Choice is a long-time activist for vaccination choice. She considers the full disclosure of vaccine ingredients and side affects to be tantamount to informed consent and has provided free educational lectures and materials to thousands of people over the last two decades. She is a founding member of the New Jersey Coalition for Vaccination Choice and currently co-directs the organization’s initiatives throughout the state.
39
Check out NJCVC’s website at www.njvaccinationchoice.org E-mail questions and comments to md1stnoharm@aol.com
Winter 2009
Column Legislative Issues
with Maureen Drummond & Susannah Pitman
National Healthcare by Susannah Pitman
Health Care Reform: What Exactly Are We Reforming?
coverage of life-altering treatments all in the name of making a profit. To curb these practices, HR 3962 aims to do the following: 1. prohibit health insurers from refusing coverage or charging different rates based on patients’ medical histories or gender 2. repeal the exemption for insurance companies from anti-trust laws 3. require most employers to provide coverage for their workers 4. restrict abortion coverage in private and government-run insurance plans 5. expand Medicaid to more people 6. provide a subsidy to Americans in need to help buy insurance 7. create a central health insurance exchange where the public can compare policies and rates, including a government-run insurance plan 8. require most Americans to obtain health insurance 9. place a tax on personal income of the wealthy 10. reduce spending on Medicare
This year has been quite a year in our nation’s quest in health care reform. Just as the year was getting started, then President-elect Obama encouraged Americans to have health care discussion groups. By the end of the year, Congress passed HR 3962: “Affordable Health Care for America Act”. Currently, this bill is waiting to be debated and voted by the Senate. If approved, members of the Senate and Congress will meet to agree upon a final version to send to President Obama, who will probably sign the bill into law. These steps towards reforming America’s health care crisis are critical and will have By pushing this bill to become a law and regulating a tremendous impact on everyone, but many people an industry that has been tremendously profiting are unclear as to what exactly we are reforming. on health care, many politicians believe this will be The truth is we have excellent health care in the the answer to the accessibility problem that faces United States. Some of the world’s best health our nation’s health care crisis. care professionals practice and conduct research -------------in this country. Health care is not what necessarily Susannah Pitman, MS, CA, graduated with honors needs reforming – what does need reforming is from Tri-State College of Acupuncture and maintains a accessibility. How is it that in a country as developed private acupuncture practice in Boonton, NJ. She has as the United States accessibility of health care is a problem? The answer this bill gives is the health studied at the China Beijing International Acupuncture Training Center as well as traveled throughout Japan insurance industry. to study with some of Japan’s finest acupuncture In our current capitalist-run-amok society, which masters. She is also Secretary of The Nagano Project, strays from the ideologies of our country’s a start-up non-profit aimed at facilitating healthcare beginnings, we have health insurance companies through acupuncture and Oriental medicine for people in that will deny coverage to people with pre-existing need while helping them to help themselves. conditions, cap coverage arbitrarily, and refuse
MARCI™
40
Winter 2009
Ask and you shall receive. How many times have you heard that? But how many times have you used this fundamental truth in your daily life recently? I can’t tell you how often I watch people fail to achieve what they want because they simply stop practicing the art of asking – especially those in sales and marketing positions. But if you were to ask successful top executives how they got to where they are, most would admit they “asked to get to the top”. In other words, they knew when and how to ask the right questions so they could gather the right information, build their reputation, seek useful referrals, generate new business, and expand their audience or customer base. It’s easy to come up with all sorts of excuses to avoid asking questions that can return unexpected or critical answers. Yet the world responds to those who ask. If you are not moving closer to what you want, you probably aren’t doing enough asking. Here are seven asking strategies you can implement in your life to boost your results: 1. Ask for Information You can never have too much information; in fact, the higher
Good Things Come to Those Who Ask by Jack Canfield
up you go, the more you need to know. Ask questions starting with the words who, why, what, where, when, and how to obtain the information you need. Only when you truly understand and appreciate a prospect’s needs can you offer a solution. 2. Ask for Business Would you believe that more than 60 percent of the time salespeople never ask for the order after giving a complete presentation about the benefits of their product or service? Always ask a closing question to secure the business. “Would you like to give it a try?”
MARCI™
41
3. Ask for Written Endorsements These can be difficult to ask for if you don’t like tooting your own horn, but well-written, results-oriented testimonials from highly respected people are powerful for your future. They solidify the quality of your product or service and leverage you as a person who has integrity, is trustworthy, and gets the job done on time. 4. Ask for Top-quality Referrals Just about everyone in business knows the importance of referrals. It’s the easiest, least expensive way of ensuring your growth and success in the marketplace. Your core clients will gladly give you referrals because you treat them so well. You can also get referrals from colleagues, mentors, and highly-respected people you know. So why not ask all of them for referrals? Like any other habit, the more you do it the easier it becomes. 5. Ask for More Business Look for other products or services you can provide your customers. It’s often easier to sell your existing clients more than to go looking for new ones. 6. Ask for Feedback This is an important component of asking that is often overlooked. How do you really know if your product cont’d on next page
Winter 2009
Good Things cont’d or service is meeting your customers’ needs? Ask them! 7. Ask to Renegotiate The negotiating room should never be locked up for good. Regular business activities include negotiation and often re-negotiation. Many networkers get stuck because they lack skills in negotiation, yet this is simply another form of asking that can save a lot of time and money. All sorts of contracts can be renegotiated in your personal life, too, such as changing your credit card terms and rate. As long as you negotiate ethically and in the spirit of win-win, you can enjoy a lot of flexibility. Nothing is ever cast in stone. It’s only in stone if you don’t speak up!
you’ll see results you’ve been waiting – and searching – for. Don’t for a minute think asking only relates to workrelated goals and tasks. Bring this practice home with you to enrich your relationships with your family members and your friends. I trust you’ll be surprised and delighted
Like speaking a different language, asking takes continual practice until it becomes a regular, reflexive habit. The sooner you build your Ask Muscle, the sooner
at what you discover about yourself in this process. You’ll achieve a higher, more satisfying peak in your professional and personal life. Remember, good things come to those who ask. © 2009 Jack Canfield
Spend a Full Day with America’s #1 Success Teacher, Jack Canfield... and You’ll Walk Out the Door with a Crystal-Clear Purpose and Vision, Action Plan, and the Proven Tools Needed to: • Double Your Results and Your Income • Create the Free Time You Deserve • Easily Achieve Balance in All Areas of Your Life • Have More Fun and Less Stress in Everything You Do! Dates for Jack Canfield’s upcoming workshops: Atlanta, GA – January 30 Dallas, TX – February 27 San Francisco, CA – March 13 Seattle, WA – April 10 Boston, MA – May 1 For more information, visit: www.thesuccessprinciplesworkshop.com
Jack Canfield is America’s #1 Success Coach, co-founder of the billion-dollar Chicken Soup for the Soul brand, and a leading authority on Peak Performance. If you’re ready to be more accomplished and have more fun in all that you do, learn more and access a library of resources at:
www.JackCanfield.com
MARCI™
42
Winter 2009
Reading (Canon Henry Scott Holland) Death is nothing at all. I have only slipped away into the next room. I am I, and you are you. Whatever we were to each other, that we are still. Call me by my old familiar name, Speak to me in the easy way which you always used. Put no difference in your tone, Wear no air of solemnity or sorrow. Laugh as we always laughed, At the little jokes we enjoyed together. Pray, smile, think of me, pray for me. Let my name be ever the household word that it always was. Let it be spoken without effect, Without the trace of a shadow on it. Life means all that it ever meant. It is the same as it ever was – there is unbroken continuity. What is death but a negligible accident? Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight? I am waiting for you, for an interval, Somewhere very near – just around the corner. Sent in by Ingrid Werner, who read this at a funeral for her friend.
Mary Travers: A Life Well Lived by Jefferson Harman
three musicians. Years would pass before I connected the relevant dots. I knew at the time that the woman and the two men on that stage were Mary Travers, Peter Yarrow, and Noel Paul Stookey. Or as we all know and love them, Peter, Paul & Mary, the most popular folk group of the 1960’s, and perhaps, all time. What I did not realize then was that the photo was taken on August 28th, 1963 immediately following Martin Luther King’s historic “I Have A
Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial. The song they sang that day was Pete Seeger’s “If I Had A Hammer”, which PP&M sent sailing into the top ten of the Billboard Singles Chart the previous year. In 1962, my father owned a restaurant called “The Mau Mau Club” and there was a jukebox there that for me was magic. When the 45 rpm records were played out and replaced by new ones, my family got to keep the old ones, so we had this collection of worn out but
When I was a child, I remember being impressed by a beautiful black and white photograph of three musicians performing on a stage gazing out over a sea of people. In the distance stood the majestic Washington Monument, towering against a seemingly overcast summer sky. But as a small boy, its significance was lost on me. The historic importance of the photo was also not on my radar that day. I was mesmerized by the graceful trio in the foreground and by the enormous crowd standing and watching them perform. The spectators seemed to go on as far as the eye could see, and their focus was this humble band of troubadours. Although I was only a child, I was captivated by the simplicity and raw power of these MARCI™
44
cont’d on next page
Winter 2009
and it will continue to live on for many years to come. Mary Travers But for me personally, there cont’d was something entrancing classic 60’s singles. From this about their sound. There was vinyl treasure trove, I selected something so powerful that a few that I played over and it inspired me to become a over. “If I Had A Hammer” singer myself, even at that and “Lemon Tree”, the trio’s young age. That something first two singles were among was what I like to think of as these. Also in this collection the spice that made PP&M was one of the two songs I the super group it was, the sang onstage for the first time voice of Mary Travers. My brothers were huge at age five, “Puff the Magic Dragon”. Several years later, I fans of Bob Dylan, who was sang and played guitar in a duo a great poet and songwriter, with my best friend Carolyn. though not the best singer. “Lemon Tree” and “Puff” But when PP&M covered his were the first two songs we songs, for me they came to performed onstage together. life. Growing up in a musical We were by no means family, I was exposed to an unique in this. Peter, Paul & unusually wide variety of Mary have had enormous music styles from a very young influence on music and age. I can honestly say that popular culture for almost most of the music I gravitated five decades. Their social toward then and in later and artistic impact is the years was greatly influenced stuff of popular music legend by my love of Mary Traver’s I would like to say that since joining HMN, so much has happened professionally. I have met the most amazing people through the various events HMN has held and through the Butler Chapter Meetings. Through networking and exchanging ideas and cards, I gained numerous clients and countless friends. There is an energy, a positive force within this organization and I can see it growing and reaching so many people. I am full with gratitude to be a part of HMN. Keep up the great work. We are all benefitting!!! Blue Skies, Jordan Brown Full Circle Counseling
MARCI™
45
voice. Her deep alto tones and soulful expressiveness resonated with me even at the age of five. There were other aspects of PP&M that deeply influenced me as well – their intricate harmonies, the obvious playful joy that danced between the musicians as they played and sang, and the emotional intensity of a spectrum of songs. Still, while Peter and Paul expertly played their guitars and sang with great emotion, Mary offered something else. I don’t know this for sure, but my intuition tells me that Mary Travers exuded a captive spirit that needed to break through the confines of a far too oppressive moment in time to express itself unfettered by playing a physical instrument like a guitar or bass. Her voice, her whole being, seemed to be her instrument. You can see it in the television performances of that time. She herself may have perceived it as nervousness or excitement at those moments. But it seemed to me more like the essence of the Maya Angelou poem, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”. When Mary sang, she channeled captive souls longing to fly. You could see, hear and feel the intensity. All three were passionate performers, but Mary always seemed to me to be the apex of their pyramid. cont’d on next page
Fall 2009
Mary Travers cont’d The only one of the three to grow up in New York’s Greenwich Village where the group was formed, Mary was born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1936. Her parents were author Robert Travers and journalist Virginia Coigney, both of whom were active organizers of the trade union, The Newspaper Guild. Her mother also wrote for radio and television in later years, and authored the biography of Dr. Margaret Sanger, the founder of The American Birth Control League, which later became Planned Parenthood. One can easily surmise where Mary’s activist spirit originated. Growing up in Greenwich Village seemed the perfect place for Mary to blossom. She attended the Little Red School House, which also produced fellow alumni Angela Davis and Robert DeNiro and is considered to be New York City’s first progressive school. She attended through eleventh grade, then left to pursue her career in music. Washington Square Park, which is surrounded by New York University, was a neighborhood that was no stranger to tolerance and filled with free-spirited artists and musicians. Mary sang
regularly at the folk music sessions on Sundays, giving her access to a wide public audience. While still in high school, Mary sang in a group called The SongSwappers. They recorded for the Folkways record label, singing background vocals for Pete Seeger. One of their projects reflected the work Mary’s parents had done in the 1930’s when Folkways re-issued “Talking Union”, a collection of union songs, in 1955. Pete Seeger and the SongSwappers performed twice at Carnegie Hall, and recorded four albums for Folkways. Mary made her professional stage debut singing in the chorus of the Broadway show, “The Next President”. She also worked as a model and occasionally as a salesgirl at the Elaine Starkman Boutique on
MARCI™
46
Greenwich Village’s famous Bleecker Street. Starkman later created Mary’s gown for her wedding to photographer Barry Feinstein, and was a pioneer in New York’s SoHo arts community. Feinstein was the photographer who took the image I described at the beginning of this article. Around the time Mary was working at Starkman’s boutique, she was also occasionally singing and writing with Paul Stookey, who was working on his own career as a stand-up comic. Peter Yarrow had graduated Cornell University and was working as a teaching assistant while playing clubs in Greenwich Village. His manager, Albert Grossman, who would also go on to manage Bob Dylan, approached Peter about forming a folk trio. They proposed the idea to Mary and Paul, upon which the cont’d on next page
Fall 2009
Mary Travers cont’d
group got together to sing, simply to see if they felt any chemistry. The resulting jam session proved so electric that they decided to give it a shot, and the trio “Peter, Paul & Mary” was born. They played at The Bitter End in 1961 and within three days it was standing room only. The rest is music history. There are countless articles, books and videos available that speak of the enduring legacy of PP&M. If you are looking for a comprehensive overview, there is a wonderful CD box set and a companion DVD documentary entitled “Peter, Paul & Mary - Carry It On A Musical Legacy”. I highly recommend the DVD, as it offers the group’s personal insights into their formation, success and years of activism along with many wonderful
memories shared by the individual performers. When I heard of Mary’s passing on September 16, 2009 I was deeply moved. That same month I was asked to write an article for this issue with the themes being the season of Winter and people living their elder years. I knew immediately that I wanted Mary Travers to be my focus. She was someone who led an amazingly productive life, even in the face of profound illness. She was a mother and grandmother, an activist, and a singer who recorded and performed right to the end. She was a person who had sparked a love of music in me that has lasted throughout my entire life. She was a class act. We should all leave such legacies...
Copyright © 2009 Jefferson Harman. All rights reserved. Printed by permission of the author. ------------
As a Symbolic Intuitive, Jefferson Harman reads the symbols present in your dreams and everyday life. By interpreting this invisible language, he identifies your blocks and challenges and ways to overcome them. He has been actively studying the relationships among metaphysics, psychology and anatomy for over 20 years. Jefferson offers workshops and private readings on Dream Interpretation and Overcoming Phobias. Jefferson is also a singer/ songwriter currently performing live in the NY/NJ Metro Area. He is a member of the Holistic Mentorship Network, a practitioner at Peaceful Paths in Butler, NJ and a regular contributor to MARCI™ Magazine. Contact Jefferson at 973.839.9317 or jharman11@mindspring. com
“...if you sing to what you think could be, it has a magical quality, [you] start to reach for that idealized image that you are projecting, and all of a sudden you are what you thought you could be.” --Mary Travers
MARCI™
47
Fall 2009
Members Club Offer: 10% Discount
Seniors are always someone else. I see grey-haired, wrinkled women walking along and sometimes think, “Oh my, that’s my next juncture”. I wonder if I, in my own mind, will ever reach that phase, although physically I know that I will. Other times, I may think, “She is old, but still looks pretty good” or simply “Not me”. My ‘old’ age is directly related to how I feel about myself on a particular day. I look in the mirror and some days think, “Not too bad…” Or “Damn girl, you are looking good”. Other days, my thoughts are more along the lines of, “Oh boy, I am getting old” or “You are really starting to look your age” or simply, “Ewwww, look at those wrinkles and bags around my eyes”. Becoming a senior or entering into that dreaded category of old age, as any other age, is a relative term. It is dependant upon how we feel about ourselves on a given day, what our health is all about and are we taking good care of ourselves (eating healthy food at standard intervals, supplementation, regular elimination, getting enough rest, relaxation, sleep, and exercise). When I was about forty, I bought a slice of pizza from a local take-out restaurant in Hoboken. The kid behind the
Seniors by Jo-Ann Stafford
counter was quite young and said to me, as he handed my slice to me, “I’ll bet you were foxy when you were young”, I looked at him and replied with a jaunty attitude, “I like to think that I am still foxy”. He tried very hard to backpedal, but it just did not work. To him, I was quite the older woman; to me I was youthful and attractive. Today, my innermost thoughts range from self deprecating humor to apprehension about what comes next. I can surely laugh at hot flashes and forgetfulness, but I have buried fears about becoming infirm and dependent, as I have always been able to take care of myself. If at some point,
MARCI™
48
I will have to live alone, I know that my creativity will serve me well and keep loneliness at bay. Writing and photography has always occupied many hours and filled me with contentment. I am sure that will always continue. For me, the bigger issue is how much faith do I have in my faith? I do have faith in an omnipotent, omnipresent Spirit. I Pray, I Thank and some days I forget who is actually in charge of my life. In my heart of hearts I know that if I maintain a strong faith in God that I will always be taken care of; I will always be OK. I also know that my life does not always manifest the way I would like, but whatever happens is in my best interest and for my highest good. I also do not think that God will abort the ‘Divine Plan’ for my life, just because I am becoming a senior. If anything, the older I become, the closer I will be to death, which means to me, the closer I will be to God. Death is the pinnacle of Old Age and certainly life’s next stage. I believe that in the spirit realm, we are closer to God than we can be while wearing our fleshly robes. Maintaining a strong and always growing faith is having faith in my faith and not just talking the talk. It is taking that daily walk, acknowledging God in all that I do. It is affirming that God is the head of all aspects of cont’d on next page
Winter 2009
Seniors cont’d my life, including, but not limited to my relationships, my business, my finances, and my household. Having a solid conviction of belief is like having a warm blanket on a chilly night; it warms, soothes, and comforts. Faith is a knowing; it prepares us for our move to the Spirit Plane, by removing the fear of the Great Unknown, the inevitable transition we call death. Death has been given many negative connotations by those left behind, because of their sadness and grieving, which is understandable. I believe that passing through the veil to our next stage is a gentle evolution and an integral part of our journey. God will be with us through any transitions that we will be making. I know that death is a continuation of life. We will find ourselves in another realm or form, because we have shed our worn out, tired physical bodies. We become pure Spirit, as are our loved ones who have passed before us. I believe that we reunite with them and it is a time of joyful reunion for the one who has entered into Spirit-life. There are several things that I simply and deeply have come to know, which help me to stay comfortable on my
journey. I know that the Spirit of God indwells us all and the only true sin is to believe that we are separate from God. I recognize that God did not bring me this far to let me go. I also have a deep knowing that God is Love and that God loves me, just as I am… imperfections and all. I have come to know that when I forget, God gives me a gentle reminder or a spiritual nudge to remind me of what I do know. I also know that I am always evolving and growing into a better fitting skin, although it does not physically fit as tightly as it once did! I can tell you one thing that I do not know; it is where old age actually begins, for it is each individual person that personally defines it. I have known people who seemed ancient at thirty-five and some who were young, energetic and playful at ninety. Even though a person may appear old and wrinkled, their youthfulness shines through bright eyes, determined, purposeful movement and an interest in life. At every age, people need something to do, whether it is a hobby, grandchildren, creative arts, pets, traveling, or volunteer work. Interests create a joyful life and keep us young and vital. I believe it is important to be in touch with the eternal child living within us all. This playful aspect of ourselves
MARCI™
49
can help us keep interested in life, with delightful lightheartedness. A senior with a sense of wonder and humor is a beautiful sight to behold. It is up to each one of us to keep the joy alive and let our light shine, for we create our own reality and are responsible for our own happiness… at any age. -------------Jo-Ann Stafford was born and raised in New York City, where she studied fine arts. As a young adult she moved to New Jersey, which she now calls home. In the process, she traded her paint brushes for a pen and lens which enhanced her passion for nature with photography and her spiritual journey with poetry and prose. Jo-Ann loves the dramatic flora and fauna of Northwestern New Jersey, which is apparent in her nature photographs and ‘word-pictures’. She is a true romantic, and often merges Haiku and poetry with her photographs. 973.948.2373 jasspirit@hotmail.com www.lookinglassphotos.com
Winter 2009
Members Club Offer: 10% Discount
“I don’t know how to do that. I just can’t seem to get my mind to work that way.” This was the frustrated sentiment of a Seimei practitioner after participating in a workshop I recently lead on marketing for holistic practitioners. Betty had become intrigued by the ideas I was suggesting to the audience on how to describe one’s healing work in order to attract more clients. She saw the immense power in it, but was struggling to apply it to her Seimei practice. Betty’s not alone. The idea of describing the tangible, concrete and emotional benefits of one’s product or service is a challenge to almost every small businessperson I’ve ever met. Holistic Healers are no different. The purpose of this article is to illustrate how to communicate through advertisements, fliers, trade show booth displays, and your verbal explanations in a way that attracts many more good clients willing to pay your full fee without objection. Look at a typical advertisement for a Holistic Healer. You probably see the name of the practitioner, some cute verbiage, and a list of healing modalities or of symptoms that can be rectified by that practitioner. Looks okay, right? Or look at a typical trade show booth. Perhaps there’s a chart of the human body identifying nodal points
The 2 Most Important Ingredients for Attracting More Clients in Need of You by Michael Lake
along with a description of each. And printed on the sign hanging at the top of the booth are the words, “Craniosacral Therapy”. What’s wrong with that? What each of those examples of marketing communications is missing is a clear, tangible, emotional message that draws in the average non-holistically proficient viewer, helping them directly associate their immediate need with that specific practitioner. There are two key ingredients to effective marketing communication: specificity and emotion. Be specific. Tell the viewer what you do and how they will benefit from it. Talk in
MARCI™
50
clear, simple and direct terms. Instead of saying that you provide “energy psychology interventions to address the human vibrational matrix of major interacting systems”, why not just say that you help people end their depression – forever. Whether you are an EFT practitioner, landscaper or vacuum cleaner salesman, you must learn to drop your technical features and jargon from your marketing communications. 99 percent of your customers don’t care about them. They care only about one thing: How you’re going to improve their life. So just tell them. Simply and directly. The second element of effective marketing communications is emotion. We all make decisions based upon emotion. You imagined yourself in your new home before you bought it. You fantasized about the entertaining, the fun the kids would have in the yard, waking up bathed in sunshine in your large master bedroom, etc. Contemplating your most recent car purchase brought up images of impressed friends, comfy long rides, and the fun you’d have with those cool new gadgets. Think about what goes through your mind as you remove a dress off the store display or contemplate a new couch for your living room. It’s emotion that motivates you to eagerly get out your
Winter 2009
cont’d on next page
2 Most Important Ingredients cont’d credit card or checkbook. It’s details like the square footage, age of the roof, gas mileage, or fabric blend that allow you to rationally justify those purchases. But it’s emotion that closes the deal. When you write an ad, a poster or a trade show display, lead with an emotional benefit. If you help people end their headaches, perhaps you paint a picture for them of their longed-for headache-free life. Write a headline like: “Birds singing, sunshine beaming and the kids laughing. What’s missing? Your usual morning migraine.” Followed by, “Dovetail Holistic Pain Relief Center will return you to a healthy, headachefree life.” Again, most practitioners communicate features and technical details that make it difficult for the prospective client to literally feel the need for their service. The result is low advertising response, poor trade show attraction and resistance to the higher price you believe you are truly worth. In our upcoming new book, Holistic Business Bounty, we take you through a simple exercise that will connect you with your customer’s pains, fears, and desires at a deep
emotional level. This exercise will enable you to know best how to communicate with him or her so that they will enthusiastically see you as their solution. Assuming you ARE their solution, this allows your marketing message to resonate with him or her so that they will purchase your product or service, and do so with fewer objections and less resistance to price. Imagine placing ads that actually get your phone ringing! Can you hear it? Keep an eye out for an announcement soon for an announcement soon for Holistic Business Bounty. Not only will this revolutionary new eBook for Holistic Healers show you exactly how to make your marketing message magnetic, as described above, but it will also show you how to best use the internet to attract clients, clarify some of those nagging questions you’ve had about improving your web site, exactly how to create effective advertising, and how to create a simple one-sheet business plan for your practice that will provide you with a clear roadmap for success.
MARCI™
51
Having spent the first part of his adult life as a Grammy nominated jazz and salsa trombone player, Michael Lake has enjoyed a 25 year career in sales and marketing. He has structured and closed multi-million dollar financial transactions as well as created successful marketing programs and materials for dozens of small businesses in a variety of industries. Michael is now dedicated to creating materials and providing marketing advice for Holistic Practitioners to become much more successful in their practice. The co-owner with his wife, Christine, of Redlake Marketing, Michael is an in-demand speaker and marketing consultant living in the Hudson Valley of New York.
Fall 2009
A Calcium Testimonial
Sent in by Linda Brower, Market America Nutritional Consultant I am writing this to share my good news with all of you. About 5 years ago I was diagnosed with Osteopenia and, within one year, it progressed into full blown Osteoporosis. Now, you’ve got to understand how frustrating this was to me. My mother had been diagnosed with Osteoporosis a long time ago. So I had been taking double doses of calcium supplements and vitamin D ever since so that I wouldn’t get it. Needless to say, this was quite a shock ... actually more so than when I was told that I had Multiple Sclerosis Restless Leg Syndrome, or Clinical Depression. So my doctor put me on Fosamax and told me to keep taking the calcium and vitamin D. He never mentioned anything about magnesium. I continued taking the Fosamax along with the supplemental vitamins, Prozac for the depression, Avonex injections for the MS, and either Neurontin or Topamax for the RLS… until Market America. A dear friend and distributor had been telling my husband and I about the company for about a year but, because of formerly being involved with numerous multi-level marketing companies and because of all the other herbal supplement companies out there, I was leery. Well, after losing my job at the bank over the MS problems, trying to run a restaurant with partners that stole the business out from under us, driving a school bus (too stressful), and losing my mother, which is stressful enough but I was her caregiver so that meant I lost my job, too. So my husband convinced me to go to the convention in Greensboro to see what this company was all about. Of course, knowing that this could be very exhausting for me, he told me to just do what I could and if I got too tired to just stay in the room for a day and rest. Well, my friend’s friend in the business, Bonnie Hunter, was well prepared for my visit. She continually had me drinking some type of concoction for most of each day. After the third day of feeling better than I had in years, I MARCI™
signed up that evening during the convention. I know a lot of you already know this part so far, but it gets even better. Gradually I weaned myself off of all of my prescription medicines, including the Fosamax. I knew this was the riskiest of them all. After all, if I fell into a depression I knew that I could go back on Prozac and it would bring me out eventually. If the RLS started keeping me from getting a good night’s rest, I could just go back on those meds, too. The Avonex for the MS only is supposed to slow the progression of the disease, not fix it… so no big deal. But Osteoporosis is serious. I mean, once the bone density is gone… it’s gone! Or so I thought. Well, I have no trouble sleeping anymore. I haven’t had a bout of depression for several years. My MS progression doesn’t appear to be substantial (can’t afford an MRI to find out for sure yet). But the best news of all is this… I have reversed the Osteoporosis! In fact, the neck of the femur is back to Osteopenia; the femur itself is back to normal; and L1 thru L4 of my back are back to normal. YES, I SAID NORMAL!!!!! My doctor was so surprised that he has asked for brochures to hand out to his patients. I tried to get him to consider selling it directly, but he is not interested at this time and just wants to pass it on to me. Anyway, I just wanted to let all of you know that the Prime Bone Maintenance Formula and the Calcium Plus are doing the trick. I take a dose in the morning and another just before bed. For all the other stuff I take OPC-3, ORAC, B Complex, and Resveratrol. The only other change I have made in my life was letting Christ in, which has taken care of everything else that was wrong with me. With the Lord and Market America products in my life, I can handle anything. Like I said, just thought you would want to know because you can’t have too many testimonials. God Bless, J. L.
53
Winter 2009
Since November 2007, both of my dogs and my two oldest cats died. Keeper, Euphrates, Ebony, and Zorropod were my friends, my companions, part of the family. From them, I learned how to be a better human. All were sick but not all were old. Three I nursed over time but one died suddenly. Two died at home. Two were euthanized. No matter the circumstances, with each loss I questioned the decisions I made. Each friend, each death was unique, painful and I cried with a heavy heart. Yet, I believe, that however I would have handled their illness, I would still be left with nagging doubt. In our society, always in constant forward motion, we don’t know how to stop and process the significance of a loved one’s dying, whether human or animal, because we never learned. We are not good at grieving. We fight death and think we have control but we don’t… death is inevitable for us all. It is the final stage of life… one to be recognized, accepted and honored. And when we lose our dear pet, multiplying our pain are those who will dismiss our relationship to our pets, “just get another ___,” …or try to diminish our grief because they don’t understand or appreciate the bond between human and animal “it was only a ___.” Death… and grieving a loved one is private. There is no right way or wrong way to help you feel better and heal.
home, should you have taken them to the Vet? The doubts are nagging. But remember, it’s never too late to talk to your pet. Don’t leave anything by Susan Brody go unsaid. Light a candle and say it in a prayer. Write a letter No one can tell you how to do to your loved one and tell it. So give yourself permission… them about your doubts, your Cry… it is important to let your questions. Listen with your feelings out. It’s OK to be sad heart for the answers. They and mourn. This is a time of loved you unconditionally in heartache. If you don’t, you will life. That doesn’t change with only delay the process and you death. can make yourself sick because Create a ritual for unprocessed emotions affect yourself. Light a candle, read our physical well being. or listen to the stories, take a Next, collect your walk… it doesn’t matter what it memories. As you make a is… just keep it the same time permanent record, you will each day, week or month until process and release your you no longer need it. feelings. Letting go is the start And perhaps you’ll want of moving forward. And in to have a burial ceremony or years to come, this record will make a donation in their honor. become a precious keepsake. These suggestions, by taking Write them down and the time to remember, by over time, add to the stories… recognizing your pet’s unique not just the happy ones. qualities, love, and time on Include the frustrating training earth, you honor them… and it tales, the sad memories, the will help you release the grief. times you wanted to “murder” So let me tell you my you pet and the lessons you story… at least a small piece learned from them. These are of it. In November 2007, my your smiles and your tears. Keeper died. He was a special Record yourself reading these dog. Of course I think that… he and add any feelings that was mine… and I learned many come up. Create a memory lessons from him. He was book, which includes photos, a gentle being and he loved the stories (either paper or life. He never complained. I recording), poems and stories know towards the end he was like “The Rainbow Bridge.” uncomfortable, perhaps even If you’re like me, you in pain, as his chronic illness question if you did everything deteriorated. But every time right… if your pet was I asked if he was ready to go, euthanized, did you wait too through animal communicators long or could they have died and my own heart, the answer naturally… if they died at was always no… life was too
When Your Pet Dies
MARCI™
54
cont’d on next page
Fall 2009
From Bach Flower Remedies When Your Pet Dies (purchase at health food stores) • Star of Bethlehem, for sudden shock cont’d • Water Violet, for silent grieving • Honeysuckle, for longing for the past precious and every moment From Delta Gardens counted. In the wee hours of the (www.deltagardens.com) morning he died, he began • Borage, for heaviness of grief crying and I knew it was time. • Gravel Root, for lingering pain of loss But before I could bring him • Hyssop, for guilt feelings around the loss to the Vet, he slipped into From Alaskan Essence Project unconsciousness. I lay down (www.alaskanessences.com) next to him and scooped him • Northern Lights, to find light in the darkness into my arms. His cat buddy, • Chrysocolla, for a heart closed down Zorropod, came and lay down • Tidal Forces, to know natural rhythm of life/death against Keeper’s belly between his legs. The two of us stayed Reading Suggestions: with him until he took his last • The Loss of a Pet, A Guide to Coping with the Grieving Process When a Pet Dies, by Wallace Sife, Ph.D, Wiley Publishing Inc. breath. He was a Velcro dog and • When a Pet Dies, First Experiences, by Fred Rogers, Mister even at the end, he would wake Rogers’ Neighborhood, G.P. Putnam’s Sons from a deep sleep and look -----------over to see if I was around. If I Susan Brody is a flower essence practitioner who creates wasn’t, he would come find me individualized formulas for people and animals dealing with and lay down by me. If I was, grief, anger, and anxiety. She runs Pet Bereavement workshops and is attending Goddard College for an M.A. in Psychology and he would put his head back Counseling. down and sleep deeply once again. I too would look over 908.319.3022 Members Club Offer: to him and in seeing his breath theholisticpet@entermail.net 10% Discount rise and fall, I felt secure that (All Services) all was right in our world. Now, two years later, when I close my eyes and picture him laying on the bed, The name Holistic Mentorship Network says I feel a peace and calm… and it all. HMN practitioners cross-refer, support, I know that all is right in my educate, and listen. The MARCI™ publication heart. has helped spread my message to the public If you are still feeling and supported my practice. It is such a overwhelmed after you’ve breath of fresh air to be surrounded with done one or more of these like minds and hearts that are committed suggestions, flower essences to professional service and collaboration. can be helpful. But understand, Thank you HMN for expanding my family of your overwhelming grief may holistic practitioners. indicate that other emotions Dr. Robert Kandarjian have come to the surface in Intuitive Energy Healer addition to your pet’s death www.drrobertheals.com and need to be dealt with.
MARCI™
55
Fall 2009
Long ago and far away, in a land that time forgot, Before the days of Dylan, or the dawn of Camelot. There lived a race of innocents, and they were you and me, For Ike was in the White House in that land where we were born, Where navels were for oranges, and Peyton Place was porn We learned to gut a muffler, we washed our hair at dawn, We spread our crinolines to dry in circles on the lawn. We longed for love and romance, and waited for our Prince, And Eddie Fisher married Liz, and no one’s seen him since. We danced to ‘Little Darlin,’ and sang to ‘Stagger Lee’ And cried for Buddy Holly in the Land That Made Me, Me. Only girls wore earrings then, and 3 was one too many, And only boys wore flat-top cuts, except for Jean McKinney. And only in our wildest dreams did we expect to see A boy named George with Lipstick, in the Land That Made Me, Me. We fell for Frankie Avalon, Annette was oh, so nice, And when they made a movie, they never made it twice. We didn’t have a Star Trek Five, or Psycho Two and Three, Or Rocky-Rambo Twenty in the Land That Made Me, Me. Miss Kitty had a heart of gold, and Chester had a limp, And Reagan was a Democrat whose co-star was a chimp. We had a Mr. Wizard, but not a Mr. T, And Oprah couldn’t talk yet, in the Land That Made Me, Me. We had our share of heroes, we never thought they’d go, At least not Bobby Darin, or Marilyn Monroe. For youth was still eternal, and life was yet to be, And Elvis was forever in the Land That Made Me, Me. We’d never seen the rock band that was Grateful to be Dead, And Airplanes weren’t named Jefferson, and Zeppelins were not Led. And Beatles lived in gardens then, and Monkees lived in trees, Madonna was Mary in the Land That Made Me, Me.
We’d never heard of microwaves, or telephones in cars, And babies might be bottle-fed, but they were not grown in jars. And pumping iron got wrinkles out, and ‘gay’ meant fancy-free, And dorms were never co-ed in the Land That Made Me, Me. We hadn’t seen enough of jets to talk about the lag, And microchips were what was left at the bottom of the bag. And hardware was a box of nails, and bytes came from a flea, And rocket ships were fiction in the Land That Made Me, Me. Buicks came with portholes, and side shows came with freaks, And bathing suits came big enough to cover both your cheeks. And Coke came just in bottles, and skirts below the knee, And Castro came to power near the Land That Made Me, Me. We had no Crest with Fluoride, we had no Hill Street Blues, We had no patterned pantyhose or Lipton herbal tea Or prime-time ads for those dysfunctions in the Land That Made Me, Me. There were no golden arches, no Perrier to chill, And fish were not called Wanda, and cats were not called Bill. And middle-aged was 35 and old was forty-three, And ancient were our parents in the Land That Made Me, Me. But all things have a season, or so we’ve heard them say, And now instead of Maybelline we swear by Retin-A. They send us invitations to join AARP, We’ve come a long way, baby, from the Land That Made Me, Me. So now we face a brave new world in slightly larger jeans, And wonder why they’re using smaller print in magazines. And we tell our children’s children of the way it used to be, Long ago and far away in the Land That Made Me, Me. AND NOW: For those of you too young to remember Bob Hope, ask your Grandparents!!! And thanks for the memories…
--Unknown Poet
Book Review lack of knowledge that doctors have when it comes to nutrition, and other alternative or complimentary approaches. I’m not a cancer survivor, but rather a caregiver of a cancer survivor. My experience in navigating traditional medicine was that the oncologist knew little about how to support the body and told us simply to eat “God’s” food. The oncology nurse, as she administered chemotherapy to my mother, told us that “Western medicine is about science and Eastern Medicine is about healing.” In shock, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I wanted to scream: “WE ARE HERE FOR HEALING”.
Knockout: Interviews with Doctors Who Are Curing Cancer and How to Prevent Getting It In The First Place, by Suzanne Somers reviewed by Donna Price Suzanne Somers’ latest book, Knockout, provides readers with usable information for making choices in their own healthcare. Somers’ interviews alternative medicine doctors, some that are also traditional trained doctors; having incredible success in treating and managing cancer around the country. Somers herself is a cancer survivor who asks doctors critical questions about medical cancer treatments, research, and the real outcomes that are documented for both alternative medicine and traditional care. The book reinforces my own questions about traditional medicine and the MARCI™
59
I personally have no idea what I would do with a diagnosis of cancer. I think that navigating between doctors and alternative medicine is terrifying because you are unsure whether your choices are good ones. What Suzanne Somers’ book does is outline some very credible doctors that are really scientists, looking closely at each patient, and working out the best treatment for each one personally. She discusses the loss of the “scientist” in our traditional doctors who are trained to distribute pharmaceuticals based on a standard of care that doesn’t really take the “individual” into account. Knockout is a fascinating exploration of our system of treating cancer and the big business that it has become. As I sat at Sloan Kettering and leafed through the BIG book of donors, page after page of million dollar donations, 5 million, 10 million, and then many “smaller” amounts, I wondered, “How can we cure cancer? What happens to this industry if there is a cure?” Somers posits these same questions, and raises many more. Winter 2009
Announcements
ive Care for the ns te In k, o bo ew her n ers. cently launched le Caring for Oth r re hi s W a f h el u s S ur a n Yo ei u re H it available fo Keys to Nurtu ke 7 : a s m ul o d n S a s r’ k o re Nurtu my bo le of to finally finish gift for anyone who is in the ro r a “I’m so happy fo ok is a perfect r anyone caring nd o everyone. This bo , nurses, therapists, moms o ville-based Bey ors caregiver: doct u, president and founder of Den S loved one,” says . g in g, counseling, in rs u n in Horizon Coach ce n and f experie ing, consulting, n 20 years o in a a th tr t, re fi o m ro p h n o it W , healthcare n involves serving n n o o ti n ca ke u ta ed s , a g h in er Su coach d by every single care erstand t he challenges face e d small business, n llenges that th ers. “I truly u a h th c o e g n th ri u f o rt u y n n and e ma truly I have overcom and life that I my the nurturers. cing and created the career is says, “It fa nd thrived!” Su a t, a nurturers are th e n o d rs to practice e, re er u th rt u n en e be th ve er a h w empo love. I they sonal mission to nd live the life passion and per re, create work-life balance, a Ca Intensive SelfCare ptoms of Selfm y truly desire.” s d n a s n e ig w to resolve th book include s o e h , th it f t o u bo ts a h o lig High e is t to d and joy when lif er drome and wha Deficiency Syn helm, how to restore peace in for lasting n er rw tt lu ve c o l f a o n o s ti g o in feel ol, clearing em re balance, and o tr n m g co n f ti o a t u re o c , g spinnin of death wing g sessions follo lid eace in the face in p h g c in a d co n fi f, el ce s e ea p Th so s and build a revent burnout. strategies to p er personalized action step giving. off and level of care g in every section d n ta s er d n a new u sit foundation for hase the book vi rc u p d n a rs te chap To download free w.RxForBalance.com. w w
MARCI™
60
Winter 2009
Announcements
ers.net was MaturityMatt e mission created with th ults and ad of helping older e joyful, their families liv yles. We st independent life al articles ion provide educat and Family lth on Health, Wea topics and l Issues, Spiritua are seeking We Active Leisure. o wish to have h professionals w potlighted on s their expertise t content@ c our site. Conta .net to learn rs maturitymatte w you can join o the details on h lp us help our e our team and h . aging
Som acup e big new cred unctur s for N in a p entials h ists… o J a u o are n sitive dir ve chang r ed e o acup unct longer ‘c ction. W e e ‘licen urist s’. W rtified sed acup e unct are now Susa urist s’. www nnah Pit m .b an, M acup alance S, LA unct c urec ente r.com
MARCI™
61
Winter 2009
Purchase your hardcopy of
at http://marci.magcloud.com