Exclusive Interview with
Dr.MARK
DeBrincat EMOTIONS Manifest in Your Body Emotional pain is tied to physical pain
EARTHING Practice skin to skin contact with the Earth
CONSCIOUS
BODY
  ACT YOUR
AGE! Explore All Aspects of
Conscious Aging
Acceptance is the Way to Consciousness
January/February 2018
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w w w. m y c o n c i o u s l i f e j o u r n a l . c o m January/February 2018
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CONTENTS 24
CONSCIOUS PERSPECTIVES 24
igital Technology and Your Spiritual Sanity D Sharron Ragan
25 T oward a Greater Understanding of the Spirit and Science of Lightbody Diane Ruth Shewmaker, MA 26
27 S ustainability and Population Control through Human Rights William N. Ryerson
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INTERVIEWS 6 14
A Conversation with Seane Corn
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SPECIAL SERIES—Aging
S potlight on Mark DeBrincat
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C aregiving For the Elderly Carmen Ford
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FEATURES 10 The Yin and Yang How Important is Body Image? Yin—Kathy Shaul Yang—Bob Lancer 12 A Healthy Relationship with Your Body Christina McCarthy 16 D ecode Your Physical Pain Josh Richardson
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LET’S GET PERSONAL
M indful Movement Is Our Medicine Susan Johnson
Conscious 360 Overview—Summary of the 5 Stages; Question and Answer with Hope Merrill
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D NA and Telomeres: The Keys to Reverse Aging Adele Lamborn
S tage 1/Mind The Importance of Sleep Sherri Danzig
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S tage 2/Body Mercury Free Dr. Roberta Cann
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S tage 3/Spirit Letting Guilt and Shame Go Burge Smith-Lyons
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S tage 4/Integration Exercise Brings Health, Clarity, Happiness, and Empowerment Dr. Nelson Bulmash
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S tage 5/Balance Alexander Technique Melba M. Black, PhD
P arty in the Brain Beth Huey-Levine Brenda Cobb
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LIFESTYLE 28
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22 Aging Well
17 H ow Emotions Manifest in Your Body Tammy Billups
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S wipe Right or Left? Personal Characteristics and the Mating Game Robert Dallas
E arthing Donna Bowman
Hope's
news briefs
CLEAN WATER FOR AMAZON VILLAGES Hope's recent trip to Ecuador was so amazing! Thank you Legacy Life Productions, Elevate Films, and The Waterbearers for a life-changing trip! The next adventure is bringing water filters to Liberia! Contact Hope at hope@myconsciouslifejournal.com if you want to know more about this and other trips for transformational leaders or check it out here: www.legacylifeproductions.com
AHIMSA HOUSE
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COLUMNS 9 31
W isdom Thoughts Melba M. Black, PhD R eal Talk Martha Burgess Novak
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M ARKETPLACE
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BOOK REVIEW 40 T he Energy Medicine Yoga Prescription by Lauren Walker Reviewed by Nanette Littlestone
Ahimsa House is a nonprofit that serves the entire state of Georgia in order to address the link between domestic violence and animal abuse. They provide vetting, temporary housing, and other caretaking resources to any person in the state who is actively seeking safety from abuse. For more information: www.ahimsahouse.org 24-Hour Crisis Line: 404.452.6248
ONE BILLION RISING Atlanta One Billion Rising team of organizers, artists, activists, and healers invite you to the Feb. 14th 2018 event. The Joyous Heart Network is comprised of some of the local healers and priestesses who have been doing healing work for many years in Atlanta. Check out some special healing events in Feb. for healing the residual pain and suffering from the after effects of sexual abuse. For more information: www.Onebillionrisingatlanta.net
HUMAN DESIGN We were recently introduced to this amazing system! The Human Design System is a synthesis of ancient mystical traditions: Western Astrology, the 64 hexagrams of the I’ching, The Kabbalah Tree of Life, and the Hindu-Brahmin Chakra Model, in addition to Modern Science and Genetics. Human Design is "A key to know oneself." We are here to be unique and "designed" to fulfill specific roles throughout our life. Check it out: www.humandesign.info or www.jovianarchive.com January/February 2018
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Editorial Board & Advisory Council Tammy Billups TammyBillups.com
Melba Black, PhD SphereInnovationGroup.com
Sharron Ragan SharronRagan.com
Hope Merrill Publisher myconsciouslifejournal.com Hope@myconsciouslifejournal.com
Bob Lancer LoveTheMethod.com
Nanette Littlestone Editor in Chief WordsOfPassion.com Nanette@myconsciouslifejournal.com
Robert Dallas, PhD TheDallasCenter.com
Lorelei Robbins RobbinsCosmicNest.com
Brian Perry yesbrianperry@gmail.com
Mary Simpson BeingGoodKarma.com
Martha Burgess Novak MarthaBurgessNovak.net
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Elise L. Vachon Editor Elise@myconsciouslifejournal.com Kim Grayson Accounting Kim@myconsciouslifejournal.com Dianne McAlexander, Art Direction Graphic Design DianneMcAlexander.com Dianne@myconsciouslifejournal.com Jason Beever Web Design/Development Jason@myconsciouslifejournal.com
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Contributing
Writers
Donna Bowman
Adele Lamborn
Nelson Bulmash
Christina McCarthy
Dr. Roberta Cann
William Ryerson
Sherry Danzig
Kathy Shaul
Carmen Ford
Diane Ruth Shewmaker
Beth Huey-Levine
Burge Smith-Lyons
Meteorwrite@comcast.net ndbulmash2@gmail.com c/o kathyshaul1@gmail.com sherri@sherridanzig.com carmacreations@gmail.com bessielou69@gmail.com
Susan Johnson
dha@decaturhealingarts.com
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adele@adelelamborn.com mcstina@gmail.com
ryerson@populationmedia.org kathyshaul1@gmail.com awakener@earthlink.net
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Copyright 2017 by Conscious 360, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without written permission of the copyright holder. Conscious Life Journal is published six times yearly by Conscious 360, LLC 6175 Hickory Flat Highway Suite 110 #356 Canton, GA 30115 myconsciouslifejournal.com This publication is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice, legal advice, or professional services. If you feel that you have a medical problem, you should seek the advice of your physician or health care practitioner.
Somewhere, somehow, we decide what is middle age and what is old age. Where are you setting that aging set point within you? Remember, our beliefs, our thoughts, our concepts about life and about ourselves, always become true for us. I have this image in my mind that I’m going to live to 96 years and still be active, so, it’s very important that I keep myself healthy.
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Dear Conscious One!
Let’s make 2018 the year we live consciously and thrive! In this issue we discover our Conscious BODY. It is in this stage of healing that we learn to ACCEPT. We learn to really “feel” our feelings. We can actually experience the physical sensation of surrender as we stop resisting and enduring and protecting by working those feelings through our body. Our interview this issue with Seane Corn is inspiring. Yes, she is really over 50, and amazing and authentic and an absolute joy during our “dive deep” conversation. Our special series this issue is on AGING. And just WOW. You’ll learn about telomeres and the aging process, Ageless Grace, caregiving for the elderly, how to eat differently as we age, and movement as medicine. Good stuff here! Be sure to check out Conscious Perspectives in this issue too. We discuss digital technology and your spiritual sanity, we dive into a greater understanding of the spirit and science of Lightbody, we decode the mating game and gain a broader perspective of human rights. If you love the Journal, we could use your help getting the word out. Subscribe and/or join our mailing list, and be sure to share with a friend. If you have groups or organizations that you think would benefit from the Journal, let us know. Getting the Journal into the hands of those who can benefit the most is our goal! And remember, our advertisers are the Journal’s sole financial support and without them we would not be in print. So please, seek them out, call them, buy their products and services, and urge others to join you in doing the same. Finally, I want to thank you, dear reader. We do this for you. We welcome your thoughts, comments, and review. Simply send an email to hope@myconsciouslifejournal.com. Our goal is to serve our conscious community and those seeking to live more consciously. Let us know how we are doing!
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January/February 2018
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A Conversation With
SEANE
INTERVIEW
CORN CLJ: I would love to hear you talk about your conscious activism. Would you share how that came about for you?
SC: I’ve been involved in activism and social justice work for a long time, in fact, back to the 80s, but my activism lived very separately from my yoga. Activism is so outward where yoga is so inward, and with activism you always had to be against something. So I was always in it for the fight. Yoga is always inviting you to look at what you’re for. It’s looking for relationship or integration. So I kept those worlds very separate until I realized, as I matured in my yoga practice, that there is no separation, that activism without consciousness continues to create the same opposition, the same “otherizing” that creates so many problems in the world today. Instead of being against something, I needed to find ways to communicate and to express social change, but from a more integrated loving and compassionate place. Those two worlds for me are no longer separate. My activism and my yoga are one and the same.
“ My activism and my yoga are one and the same.” 6
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In the practice of yoga we’re taught that we are all one and, therefore, if anybody is suffering, including the planet, then I’m also suffering, and it’s my responsibility to activate change by the choices that I make. If I don’t, then I’m not truly practicing yoga. So that’s really where my work personally began, and then I chose to use the platform that I’ve been given to inspire others into leadership.
CLJ: Tell us about trauma and how we store those emotions in our body. SC: Trauma is defined as anything that overwhelms our capacity to cope and leaves us feeling helpless, hopeless, or out of control. In the practice of yoga we’re taught that there’s no separation between anything, that everything is connected, and that includes our
thoughts and our physiology, our mind and our body. Often when we think of trauma we think of shock trauma, those big unimaginable events. But we also experience developmental trauma, events often from our childhood that are overwhelming—bullying, divorce, death of a loved one. During trauma, chemicals release from our brain into our body and hormones are released, and we’re put into fight, flight, freeze, or collapse. In yoga we’re taught that what binds us is energy. Energy is vibration with information. Often associated with trauma are the emotions of fear, shame, rage, guilt, grief. If we’re processing these emotions, if we’re given the opportunity to cry, rage, scream, yell, we move the energy through us. But unfortunately, especially as kids, we suppress the big feelings, the big emotions, and that suppressed energy becomes tension. Tension, stress, and
anxiety are the number one causes of illness and disease today. And they come up in our body as sensations that we want to change. What happens in the practice of yoga is we stretch the muscles and the emotions that are living within the tissue, then that tension releases, and we begin to have an emotional experience. That’s why yoga is so profound and why it can lead not only to great healing but true insight, because the suppressed emotion that’s buried within the system has a chance to release. And it’s only through what we can see that we can actually change. I was born flexible and strong. So when I go into a pose, I can fold forward, and someone can look at my body and say oh, that’s an advanced yogi because of my flexibility. Someone else right next to me who doesn’t have the same genetics or is dealing with injury could fold forward and barely move. And the observer says well, that’s a beginner. I might have to physically go deeper to get to the same edge as the person next to me, but the yoga begins when we get to that edge based on our reactivity. I’m a flexible person but I may be zoning out, picking at my toes, looking around the room, not present. Whereas the person perceived as the beginner may be in their edge, breathing, focused, observing what’s coming up, noticing their reactivity. That’s the advanced or mature practitioner. It has nothing to do with physiology and everything to do with the willingness to stay present with the discomfort and observe what arises. Everybody has an opportunity to connect with the energy that’s suppressed within them. It’s not how it looks, it’s how it feels.
CLJ: So where do acceptance and surrender come in? SC: This is the beauty of the practice of yoga. You can’t do it wrong. No matter what choice you make, something will hold a mirror up to the choice that you made. Let’s say I’m in a pose right at my discomfort and I finally accept that I can’t do this anymore, so I come out of the pose. But once
I do that, a voice in my head says You’re weak. You quit at everything that you do. That’s a gift. Who is that? Where is that coming from? To bear witness to those thoughts and be really present and curious is what ultimately leads to surrender. Now if you come out of a pose and you’ve accepted it and you’re just fine with it, that’s a different kind of acceptance. It’s a different kind of surrender. Neither is right or wrong. It’s really about observing what comes up and being present to that as a part of the experience. The practice of yoga is a process that brings us into deep inquiry so that we can meet our ego and be able to recognize how we show up in life.
CLJ: How do you get people to that place of first accepting who they are? SC: The more one practices yoga and becomes stable in the experience the more self-confidence naturally develops. It goes from the physical/mental realm to the energetic/ emotional to the psychic/symbolic. The first step is helping someone to get back in their skin and be reintroduced to their bones and their flesh and their muscles in a different way. In time, energy moves and when tension releases you feel different. You begin to connect to your vulnerability. Connecting to your vulnerability gets you out of your head and into your heart and moves you toward surrender, toward acceptance. When we’re tense we’re reactive. When we soften we’re more responsive. So when a student gets to that place, I might introduce looking at the ways in which society has fed us ideas about what it means to be beautiful or perfect or idealized based on some very unrealistic standard. I invite people to be in that inquiry. The practice of yoga is ultimately about love—love of self and love of others. If changing habits can help them move towards optimal health—experiencing the fullness of life, body, mind, and spirit— that’s something that I would support. My job is simply to help people get back into their bodies and provide tools for their own investigation, whatever that might look like.
CLJ: Is there any guide to getting started or choosing a place to do yoga? SC: If you can afford it, and if you have access to a teacher and a school, then I recommend being in person because it’s just more helpful to know that there’s a teacher nearby who can help you make adjustments in your body. That would always be key. If it was my mom, I would want her to go to an Iyengar certified yoga teacher who understands alignment. That kind of yoga is very therapeutic, it’s very instructional, it can often be quite dry, and it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. But when you learn how to do these poses you can go into any dynamic flow class in the world and know how to take care of your particular body. You’ll know continued on p8
Seane Corn is an internationally celebrated yoga teacher known for her impassioned activism, unique self-expression, and inspirational style of teaching. Featured in commercials, magazines, NPR, and Oprah.com, Seane now utilizes her national platform to bring awareness to global humanitarian issues. In 2005, she was named “National Yoga Ambassador” for YouthAIDS and in 2013 was given the “Global Green International Environmental Leadership Award.” Since 2007, she has been training leaders of activism through her co-founded organization Off the Mat, Into the World®. Seane has spent time in the US, India, Cambodia, Haiti, and Africa working with communities in need, teaching yoga, providing support for child labor, and educating people about HIV/ AIDS prevention. Seane is also co-founder of the Seva Challenge Humanitarian Tours, which have raised roughly $4.5 million since 2007, getting the yoga community involved in fund and awareness raising efforts across the globe. Her self-authored DVDs are available through Gaiam and Yoga Journal, as well as her most recent ground-breaking 3-DVD set “The Yoga of Awakening” through Sounds True. She is currently working on her first book. www.seanecorn.com January/February 2018
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Healworks Guy T. Gunter, MS. DS
• We offer chiropractic care, Applied Kinesiology, Nutritional Testing and Consultation • We are an alternative General Practice specializing in pain and wellness • Dr. Gunter has been in active practice for over 33 years. 95% of his patients describe themselves fully recovered in fewer than 5 visits.
how to make your modifications, you’ll know how to use your blocks, straps, and all your props. If they’re going to do it online, because that’s what’s most convenient, accessible, or affordable, I would recommend teachers who are driven by alignment, like Jason Crandell and Annie Carpenter. Then I would recommend going to classes and just exploring and noting maybe you like music in the room, maybe you don’t. But learning alignment, learning breath, learning some of the basic principles of yoga can really help to deepen the experience in the long run and avoid injury. Then make this a part of your curriculum. Make the commitment to do an Iyengar class once a week, then the rest of the time you can just go rogue.
5150 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs - just south of 285
404.255.3110 • www.healworks.net
CLJ: Tell me a little bit about your book and your video series.
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SC: The Yoga of Awakening DVDs contain three programs, thirty hours of content. The first DVD deals with the mind and body connection—how to do the poses, how to breathe correctly, what’s happening in the experience, and how to modify the poses so you don’t get injured. The second program, Chakra Flow, goes much deeper into trauma, the mind/body experience, and the way in which narrative lives within our body and how we can use yoga as a way to unleash some of these suppressed stories or narratives so that we can get insight and feeling. I talk symbolically about what stories or traumas get held in those particular body parts and how to stay present to the sensation, especially when you want to cut and run. The third program, Mystic Flow, is about the “we,” the collective. How can I, through the practice of yoga, begin to use this energy to be of service, pray, to engage, to activate change. My book is a balance of personal narrative from my experience of yoga back in the 80s to different life experiences that happened to me. After each narrative is a teaching that invites everyone to reframe their own narrative, to see
the value even in the devastation, in the heartbreak and in the loss, to see how the universe seems to conspire to mature our souls, to bring us to love.
CLJ: You said our stories are stored in some of our body parts. Can you give me an example of a body part and what possible story can be stored there? SC: Remember, energy is vibration with information. The chakras are responsible for delivering prana or energy to different parts of the body. Each chakra holds a different kind of information and impacts a different part of the body. Let’s say I’m in conversation with someone and I notice they’re putting their hand over their belly. The third chakra is the way we give away our power or take it back. It affects all the vital organs in the body that include the liver, gall bladder, spleen, pancreas, kidney, adrenals, and the stomach itself. When someone puts their hands over their stomach like that, it means they’re starting to feel insecure, doubting, second-guessing themselves, or I’m being too intense and they’re trying to protect themselves from my energy. But this is historical. It’s not happening in present time. They’ve actually time traveled to another trauma when they didn’t have the words or ability to call their power back. That’s why yoga’s so important. That’s why understanding chakras and the energy system is important, and understanding the way in which trauma and our personal narrative live within our body, not just in present time but also historically. It’s important to look back at our history, our ethnicity, our religion, our education, our gender, and see what is it that we learned. How does it live in our body? How does it affect the way in which we see the world today? How does it affect the way in which the world experiences us? Yoga gives us insight. It’s so much more than just the stretch. It’s the experience. It doesn’t matter what physical limitations you think you have. Because it only happens based on what we’re willing to see, and within that awareness we can change our perspective and, as a result, become empowered. And if we become empowered and walk around making healthier, more mindful, more loving choices, then who cares if you can bend over and grab hold of your ankles? Who cares about that extra five pounds or whatever you’re kvetching about? It’s about the love. The yoga practice helps us to see the ways in which we separate ourselves from our own empowerment and heal that. And that’s where real change comes from. f
The Law of "Gender"
WISDOM THOUGHTS by Melba Black, PhD
“Gender is in everything; everything has its Masculine and Feminine Principles; Gender manifests on all planes.” – The Kybalion
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he Law of Gender, the seventh and last Hermetic law, embodies the principle that there is gender manifested in everything and that the masculine and feminine principles are present on each plane of existence and in all of life. In the Hermetic sense, “gender” originates from the Latin root meaning “to beget; to procreate, to generate; to create, to produce.” Masculine and feminine energies are found on the physical, mental, and spiritual planes. Gender, in the Hermetic and Universal sense, is a division of labor or effort which is needed for creativity and expansion. The masculine energy directs itself or takes action on the feminine energy, which receives it and does the creative work. Within natural law, a woman cannot fertilize her own eggs; the eggs need the sperm provided by the man. A battery cannot function without positive (masculine) and negative (feminine) poles to produce energy. One is interdependent on the other in a balanced state. Not only do our brains have masculine and feminine energies, but our bodies have a masculine and feminine side. On the mental plane, our brains have a left hemisphere—the logical, analytical side—and right hemisphere—the creative and intuitive side. Research shows that balancing both sides of the brain is necessary for optimal success. In other words, you have a creative idea (right hemisphere) and take action to implement the idea (left hemisphere). In healing, the male side gathers clinical data, synthesizes it for a diagnosis, and carries out a treatment plan. The female side’s intuitive insight and compassionate energy provide a nurturing field that supports actual healing and transformation. This is whole-brain functioning at its best! Another valuable application of the Law of Gender is in the healing process itself. Acupuncturists, Qigong Masters, Yogis, and others draw from their ancient philosophies and teachings about the masculine (yang) and feminine (yin) principles to balance not only the body but the mind and spirit as well. Every person has both male energy (external, dynamic action) and female energy (internal, receptive, inspiration) within them. Both are required to move forward in life, to get things done. So, how do you create the balance that allows you to function optimally? Try these two simple but effective exercises: 1) S pend ten minutes in active visualization, including goal planning, and then ten minutes in breathing meditation following your feelings about your goals. This will blend and balance both masculine and feminine aspects. 2) S pend twenty to thirty minutes doing some type of physical exercise and twenty to thirty minutes reading an inspirational or personal development book. Each person has to find the most advantageous state of balance between masculine and feminine energies in the physical, mental, and spiritual planes. Once achieved, the impact to productivity will manifest itself in a profound way. It is a practice well worth the time! f Melba M. Black, PhD, CLC is a writer, mentor, innovator, and scholar. She has over thirty years of experience in holistic health, spirituality, and energy healing, including Life Coaching, Reiki, Intuitive Development, Meditation, Yoga, Qigong, and more. She currently teaches classes and conducts personal sessions at Sphere Innovation Group. www.sphereinnovationgroup.com January/February 2018
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YinYang
AN EXPLORATION OF OUR
How important is body I
t makes my heart hurt to see research showing that eight out of ten women are dissatisfied with their reflection or see a distorted image when
“We have a sacred responsibility as conscious women, both to ourselves and to the younger women in our lives.” by Kathy Shaul
they look in the mirror. Men generally are much more forgiving of what they see looking back at them. Women are so much more critical because society continually bombards us with images and made-up standards for the “ideal” face and body. These messages put the mind in charge instead of the heart, and our value and self-worth become tied to our body image. Conscious women realize we are so much more than just our physical body. We radiate as a complete being—intelligence, creativity, emotions, sexuality, spirituality. We view our body as a messenger and one we should listen to. We accept, appreciate, love, and honor the container we live in. We feed it, exercise it, laugh in it, sing in it, dance with it, create with it. We let it rest.
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Because we care for ourselves, we also care for one another and mother earth. We grow. We get our hearts broken. We make choices that don’t serve us and we forgive, keep our hearts open, and lean in to fear. Then we love, make different choices, and love again. We love men and all the things that make us different. We love women. We connect, appreciate, and champion one another; we don’t tear each other down. We inspire one another to be our best selves. We are curious. We leave the light on during sex and enjoy a vibrant sex life with or without a partner. We talk to ourselves as we would our best friend. We are brave and vulnerable and don’t take ourselves so seriously. We choose to live joyFULLY and believe we really do get better with age. Accepting your body and your partner is about loving yourself. ALL of you. Paying attention to your thoughts and words. Moving your body because you can. Finally letting go of limiting beliefs and judgments (your own and those of others) and allowing yourself to love what you see in the mirror. Meeting your aging self with compassion and gratitude. Deciding you are worth it. We have a sacred responsibility as conscious women, both to ourselves and to the younger women in our lives. To remember we are beautiful not for the shape of our container, but for the volume of the soul it carries. To nourish and honor ourselves. And to choose and celebrate partnerships that do the same. f Kathy Shaul is passionate about mobility, self-care as health care, and empowering you with transformative tools to de-stress and live better in your body. A certified Yoga E-RYT 200, Yoga Tune Up®, and Roll Model® Method Practitioner, Kathy teaches private, small group, corporate wellness, and public classes. www.kathyshaul.com
INNER FEMININE AND MASCULINE
image?
F
rom the standpoint of consciousness, the more “hung up” a man is on his body image, the more unconscious he is of his real self. He identifies himself as his body, when his body is really just a reflection of his state of consciousness. The man whose self-value depends upon how he views his looks may care more about his appearance than how he actually conducts his life. The high he feels while admiring his image in the mirror can blind him to the inconsiderate, insensitive, even narcissistic ways he relates to his partner. Believing his good looks are all-important, he overlooks how unnoticed his partner may feel in the relationship. When he dislikes his mirror’s reflection, his foul mood can make him cutting, harsh, caustic, or even abusive. When outer beauty masks a selfish attitude or stingy spirit, it becomes a mixed blessing. We naturally feel attracted to a beautiful body, but this attraction can set us up for deep hurt when it draws us into being heartlessly used. The saying “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” expresses volumes about the relationship between consciousness and body image. You can learn to see your body as beautiful or as ugly. A man who sees himself as the possessor of an unbecoming body—or worse, who sees himself as an unbecoming body—places himself at a psychological disadvantage in his relationships. He suffers from low self-worth, and even shame, not because of how his body is, but because of how he has trained himself to criticize and negatively judge it. This can then lead his partner into feeling somehow flawed or not good enough for him to fully trust and accept a loving appreciation of him. There is a direct relationship between a man’s capacity for intimacy and his body-image. When you see your body as ugly you resist physical closeness and place barriers between you and even the most adoring of lovers. When you regard your body as
beautiful you welcome physical closeness and touch and you can relax into the bliss of unrestrained sensual love. What we have here is the need for a careful, conscious balance. It involves training ourselves to accept, trust in, and feel our bodies as beautiful, without turning that into a license to treat our partners in a less than beautiful way. It is about integrating a loving view of our bodies with a conscious recognition of our true spiritual nature, which is all about expressing the beauty of loving kindness in our relationships. f
“There is a direct relationship between a man’s capacity for intimacy and his body-image. ” by Bob Lancer
Bob Lancer is an author, inspirational speaker, seminar leader, and coach on a process he calls “The Method.” The Method is used for emotional healing and releases internal blocks to allow for a more joyful life of authentic success and abundance. He wrote Parenting with Love, without Anger or Stress and Lighten Up: Harness the Power of Happiness. www.LoveTheMethod.com
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A Healthy Relationship with by Christina McCarthy
S
me people are blessed with a great deal of o physical talent, others of us not so much. No matter where you are on that scale it is important to have a healthy, loving relationship with your body.
Communication
Your body is communicating with you all day long, telling you what it needs—rest, exercise, food, water, a bathroom break. And you are communicating by listening and acting in the moment or not listening at all. As you read this, check into how your body feels. Do you need to get up and stretch, are you comfortable in the position you are in, are you hungry/ thirsty? These seemingly small signals are very important. The more we strengthen the communication by listening and acting, the more in tune we become to the subtle changes and needs of our bodies.
Honor Your Body and It Will Honor You Take a moment to truly appreciate what an amazing channel your body is for you. Not only is it doing all the hard stuff like breathing and making your heart beat all day without forgetting, but everything you have felt, tasted, seen, smelled, and experienced today has been thanks to your wondrous body. We often get stuck in the trap of comparing our bodies to everyone else’s. In that state of comparison, we lose what is special and unique about who we are and what our bodies are doing for us. Your body is your unique channel. It is what will give you the experience of the world around you, so why not cut it a little slack and try to see the beauty in that. Because we have different levels of physical talent and interest, what appeals to one person might not be for another. Just because your partner loves going to the gym and lifting weights, doesn’t mean it is your cup of tea. Maybe you need nice scenery to motivate you, so exercise outside. Maybe you need your brain engaged, so try a sport that involves strategy or simply listen to a book on tape while exercising. If you find something that you enjoy, you are much more likely to make it a regular habit.
Accept Where You Are
Find What You Love, Not What You Think You Should Love
Do not judge what you did or didn’t do, stay in this moment. Judging yourself only keeps you tied to the past, and you want to move forward. It is easier to make a loving choice for yourself, when the fear of judgment isn’t looming over you.
Ask For Help No matter what we look like on the outside, our internal wiring determines how we interact with our physical selves. A good facilitator or therapist can help you examine your views and beliefs that stand in your way to a loving, cooperative relationship with your body.
Your Body
“Take a moment to truly appreciate what an amazing channel your body is for you.”
A Meditation / Mindfulness Aid Buy Yours Today on Amazon.com
Your body is your avenue to experience the world around you. It is up to you whether you make it an enjoyable, full spectrum experience or not. When you honor your physical self, you bring it into balance with your emotional and mental realms for the complete spiritual experience we are all meant to have. f Christina McCarthy has a degree in psychology and is a Cer tified Master Facilitator in the Burgess Process. Full of compassion for each client’s individual journey, Christina has a passion for helping clients navigate their own unique system of wiring to reveal the potential within. www.mar thaburgessnovak.net/Facilitators
Visit www.MindVizor.com for details ...
Holistic Healing teaches you how to communicate with your body, awaken you to the doctor within, and return you to health and wholeness. It is a complement to conventional medicine that will activate your body’s natural ability to heal itself. “Your body has everything it needs to heal, you just need to learn how to listen.”
~Mindy Strich
Dr. Rankin Certified Instructor | Mindy Strich www.mindystrich.com | (678) 642-7771 January/February 2018
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W i t h E l i s e Va c h o n
LOCAL
spotlight I n t e r v i e w w i t h D r. M a r k D e B r i n c a t
Healing From Within
"The first step to
CLJ: Tell our readers about your journey.
healing is realizing that
MD: My wife and I were in a head-on
your thoughts control everything. They change the way you think, and as you change the way you think, your body will change the way it functions." CLJ: What work are you passionate about? MD: As a Doctor of Natural Health,
I specialize in helping people with traumatic brain and spinal injuries, as well as anxiety and depression disorders. My mission is to help patients restore optimal health and support the body’s proper function of the nervous system.
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collision with an 18-wheeler. I was permanently disabled at the age of forty. I had several back surgeries and a computer implanted in my spine to block out the pain from my chest down. I suffered from horrible anxiety and depression as I no longer had purpose as a healer. I found myself in bed and wheelchair bound for three and a half years, living in constant agonizing pain. I was told not to give up hope, that someday I would find technology or products to help me with major breakthroughs with my health. I remembered a quote from my childhood, “If you want something bad enough you have to be willing to fall down six times and get up seven.” Since the accident, I have been introduced to several technologies, therapies, and products that helped me gain my life back. It is truly a miracle and a gift from God that I’m able to walk again and live a pain-free life doing all the activities I used to enjoy.
CLJ: What therapies did you use to help gain your life back? MD: I began with nutrition and diet,
which includes something as simple as increasing water intake. Next, I started supporting my brain and spine, which
are the computers and programmers of our body. I started neurofeedback therapy. This impacted how the rest of my body communicated with my brain, as well as how I felt emotionally.
Then I learned essential oils have properties to enhance the heathy restoration and support of muscles, tendons, ligaments, and nerve function. Essential oils changed my life and the way I supported my body, not only physically but also my emotional response to circumstances. I began using microcirculation technology, the key to getting nutrients and support to cells using blood. I was helping my body to exist optimally so it could do the job it was supposed to. I also used body cleanses like foot detoxes, massage, and chiropractic therapy. It’s my blessing and honor to share these therapies with others.
CLJ: Are you following your dream? MD: My dream has always been
to have a healing center in the mountains of Colorado that people can come to and start over—literally change their life from the cell to the entire organism. It’s called Destination Genesis. Having broken through all of the barriers that held me down, I’ve now made it my life’s purpose to help those who are being held back by their health and guide them back to their quality of life.
CLJ: What advice do you have for others when it comes to healing? MD: The first step to healing is realizing that your
thoughts control everything. They change the way you think, and as you change the way you think, your body will change the way it functions. The field of energy medicine has grown exponentially over the last couple decades. Energy and frequencies can evoke a potential in the cell to stimulate change. There are two different technologies that helped me with my recovery. The first deals with microcirculation, bringing high concentrations of oxygen and nutrients into the cell and pulling the metabolic waste and carbon dioxide out of the cell.
The second is neurofeedback, creating neuroplasticity, which means growing new brain and spinal tissue. We now have technology that can reverse degenerative conditions and assist the body to heal the root causes. This has inspired hope in those who were told they will always live with their “condition.�
CLJ: Why do you do what you do? What drives you? MD: It is my greatest privilege to be able to help others find their breakthrough with health challenges naturally, without the harmful side effects of many traditional approaches that merely mask the symptoms.
All healing comes from within. We have an innate intelligence that lives inside of us and works diligently at healing us. It creates over 21,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 chemical reactions every second to keep us alive and balanced. Yet so many believe that healing comes from a magic pill or something outside the body. Changing and impacting the health of a single cell will eventually change and impact the health of your entire body.Â
CLJ: What is the one thing you want our readers to know? MD: Healing first begins with wisdom and aligning
our thoughts in a positive direction. Then we can use natural technologies and therapies proven to accelerate the healing process and reach new levels of healing never before possible. I am the doctor of good news! You can always improve your quality of life with the right tools, energy, and attitude. f Dr. Mark DeBrincat, DC is a natural health doctor specializing in global health solutions to optimize performance, health, and well-being. As a chiropractor, Dr. DeBrincat has over twenty years of experience in empowering individuals to live a healthy lifestyle using natural, alternative therapies including PEMF microcirculation, neuro-feedback, bio-feedback, vascular, nutritional, and essential oil therapies. mark@drdebrincat.com www.thegoodnewsdoctor.com https://www.facebook.com/drmarkdebrincat January/February 2018
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Decode Your Physical Pain
By Josh Richardson
Sources Directly Tied to Specific Emotions
P
ain is first energy, second perception, and third physical manifestation. There is no other source of pain but energetic. Physical presentation is always secondary. Every single origin of pain in our bodies can be traced back to a specific emotional state which functions to warn us that there is still work to be done in areas of our lives for which we have yet to integrate lessons. Once we integrate those lessons, the pain disappears. The body is extremely literal when it comes to pain. The experiences in your life directly manifest in your body and when you encounter an emotional stress, your body shows you exactly what the problem is. The only thing you need to do is decode it.
In Your Head. Headaches are contributed to not making Pa ain decision. Migraines are the daddy of headaches of knowing what
decision to make and not making it.) Be sure to take time out of every day to relax. Do something that eases the tension.
Your Neck. Pain in your neck is an indication that you PmayainbeInhaving trouble with forgiveness of others, or even yourself. If you’re feeling neck pain, consider the things you love about yourself and others. Consciously work toward forgiveness.
In Your Shoulders. Pain in your shoulders may indicate Pthatainyou’re carrying a real emotional burden. That’s where the saying “shouldering a problem” comes from. Focus in on some proactive problem solving and distributing some of that burden to other people in your life.
ain In Your Upper Back. If you’re feeling pain in your upper back, Pyou’re probably coping with a lack of emotional support.You might be
feeling unloved or you could even be holding your love back. If you’re single, it might be time to go for a date.
In Your Lower Back. Lower back pain might mean you’re Pain worrying too much about money or you’re lacking in emotional
support. It may be a good time to ask for an overdue raise or consider a financial planner to help you utilize money a little bit better.
In Your Hips. If you’ve been afraid of moving, that may Pain manifest as a pain in the hips. Sore hips could be a sign that you’re too
resistant to changes and moves. It may also show a caution toward making decisions. If you’re thinking on some big ideas, it’s time to make a decision. General pain in the hips relates to support. When they slip out, it generally relates to an imbalance in how you are relating to life. Feeling the lack of love and support. ain In The Knees. Seeing life as unsupported. PInside knee; Community, job, friends. Outside knee; personal issues. Humble yourself. Spend some time volunteering. Make sure you remember that you’re mortal. You’re just human and although you have an ego, don’t let it rule over your life.
Causing Fatigue. Boredom, resistance, and denying what Pain it takes to move forward, “What’s next?” Open yourself to that
little voice which speaks ver y softly and nudges you towards a new experience.
In Your Feet. When you’re depressed, you might feel some Pain foot pain. Too much negativity can manifest in your feet not feeling so good. Look for the little joys in life. Find a new pet or a new hobby. Look for joy.
That Is Unexplained In Different Body Parts. Pain The cellular structure is currently being recoded in the human
body and in the process it is purging and letting go of predominant resident frequencies that are being eliminated. For this energy to clear, the immune system and actually all systems within the body must be effectively weakened. So while the body may appear to be in a state of illness, it is more or less in a state of clearing. Know that it will pass. l
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Reprint from http://preventdisease.com/news/15/060815_20-Sources-Pain-Tied-To-Specific-Emotional-States.shtml
Are you motivated to move out your suppressed emotions? Here are healthy ways to do so:
How Emotions
Manifest in Your Body by Tammy Billups
W
hat if you knew that physical problems manifest in your body simply to warn you that there are stuck emotions that need to be cleared? Your emotions and thoughts have a direct impact on your physical health. Your emotions affect every cell in your body. Our unhealed emotional wounds are held in our energy. If they are not cleared they will repeatedly manifest into a physical issue to make you aware of their presence. Your emotions must be released for longterm wellness to ensue. Initially, our suppressed emotions can take the form of life dramas, fear, anger, hurt, grief, shame, guilt, pain, shock, or resentment. When a person (unconsciously) fears that the release of emotional pain will be too uncomfortable because they have not yet developed good internal parenting skills, they will instinctively suppress the emotions to selfprotect. And there they will hole up until the inner healing journey begins cracking the door to the emotional pain that desperately longs for freedom. Poor emotional health will weaken your body’s immune system. However, good thoughts and feelings, scientists now know, have healing effects on the body. Researchers studying everything from the flu to HIV continue to find eyeopening evidence that a person’s thought patterns can influence their immunity and the rate at which they heal from injuries and illness. Avoiding dealing with emotional wounds is understandable, but know that you have the courage within to remove the band-aids to your pain. It can be much easier than you realize. This comes from a person who was on eight daily medications and is now on none. You are stronger than you think . . . and you are worth it. f Tammy Billups is a Certified Interface Therapist, author, and speaker. Tammy has facilitated thousands of Bioenergetic sessions to help her clients release their emotional wounds to reveal their authentic, empowered selves. With compassion and commitment, she helps restore a sense of safety so those in need can embrace the life they truly deserve. www.tammybillups.com
1. Exercise and physical movement like yoga and tai chi will help release the emotions in your energy field and body. Movement for twenty minutes a day can be instrumental in helping discharge stress and anxiety versus suppressing it. 2. Crying is one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself. The deeper the release of the pain, the more your body will reap the rewards. Think of crying as a beautiful gift to your soul. 3. Daily meditation is one of the best ways to allow the energy behind your emotions to release. It is proven to alleviate stress and anxiety and even improve cardiovascular health as it promotes a deeper state of peace and contentment. 4. Move out your anger. Scream in your car, hit a pillow, or do an anger release technique to help you move out your anger in a healthy way before it turns into long-term resentment. 5. Journaling your uncensored thoughts, anger, and pain is a good option to help discharge emotions. 6. Seek out a spiritual community or therapist or get a massage or energy clearing.Your emotional wounds will heal more quickly when you partner with healing practitioners. 7. For five intentional minutes every day, give yourself a healthy dose of compassion and self-love. Then visualize love moving through every cell in your body to promote a positive healing environment. January/February 2018
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Caregiving for the Elderly by Carmen Ford
C
aregivers are the world’s unsung heroes. The caregiving experience can offer long hours, little to no compensation, and excessive stress. Caregiving will leave the uninitiated worn thin, sleep-deprived, and left with little energy to care for themselves—the most important element of caregiving. So let’s get initiated. Your attention to the elderly should be solicitous and always two steps ahead. If their minds are being stolen by dementia, then you must be two thoughts and two steps ahead of them, and relate to them in their world, not yours. You must live consciously—in the now. Their “now” may sound like the past to you, but it isn’t about you. It is all about them and their journey to completion. Learn from them and let them teach you what it means to be fully present in your heart and mind. If you do, you’ll reap great rewards. To hold space and enable people to focus on themselves and the final stage of their lives is a wondrous gift. In order to give that gift, you must strive to be your best self as a caregiver. If you don’t take care of yourself first, you’ll falter in your abilities to address the needs of the elder. Sleep, meditation, exercise, and good nutrition are all examples of essentials for being a good caregiver. Another necessary component for the gift you’re giving is to have an open heart and mind to all possibilities. Be a good listener. Listen not only to the words that are spoken, but hear those unspoken, as well. Observe the facial expressions and body language, which provide clues when their words fail to express their thoughts—hear what their hearts are saying. They will also hear what your heart is saying. Make sure that your energy towards them is positive and loving and that your body language says that your purpose is to be there with them.
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Offer genuine engagement with your elder. Genuine engagement encompasses being fully present in all of your interactions. Be interested in them, and also be interesting to them. We all have the desire to connect with one another, and your goal is to enable that heart connection. Hear their life stories, learn their favorite music, know their preferred foods, and do your best to climb into their shoes and see the world through their eyes. How do you think it feels inside their bodies? There is wisdom in experience. Breathe it in. Accept. No matter what they have been through in their lives, accept your elders for who they are, where they are at this time. They need you, and they want you to hear and understand them. They need a voice, an advocate, and an ally. True acceptance is found by your being their conduit to healing, and allowing them to express their true selves as their journey in this lifetime nears completion. The greatest gift of life is love. We were born with it, and we all deserve to die with it. Being a caregiver for the elderly means that you understand how to genuinely care for another in every sense of the word, for the elderly are truly the heroes for aging. f Carmen Ford has been a caregiver to the elderly for the last twenty plus years. She can now be found assisting elders through The Elder Law Practice of Daniel D. Munster in Sandy Springs. Carmen also spends her time volunteering with Crossroads Hospice, and has her own business offering concierge services to elders. www. georgiaelderlaw.net
Exercise
for the Elderly
Mindful Movement is our Medicine
by Susan Johnson
“Elderly”
may simply be more a state of being—or feeling—than a certain age. And the question may not be whether someone else thinks of you as elderly, but whether you think of yourself as elderly. It’s about how you feel, and more precisely how you feel about how you feel! Many of us have found that the exercises we have practiced for years, generally in our twenties and thirties, are causing us pain. As we age, often what we have been doing with great vigor and determination now appears to have caused stress to our joints, especially the knees and the spine. These activities are no longer something we can continue doing. The physical impact from these high impact sports, and the physical work we may have done on our jobs, have made us feel elderly even when we are not. Injuries and medical conditions may have created a similar affect. Is the solution to stop exercising and start taking pain relief drugs? Most certainly NOT! The best pain relief is to KEEP MOVING! Esther, now ninety plus, says she feels great and attributes it to the fact that she has never stopped dancing and doing Yoga even though she has had to adapt to less strenuous versions, such as Chair Yoga and free dance.
“Tai Chi and Qi Gong are related ancient arts that can be used to develop one’s life force energy for improved health and increased longevity.” The solution is to shift to low impact exercises. The best choices are practices that also include MINDFULNESS, such as Qi Gong, Tai Chi, and Yoga. We benefit the most, and feel younger and more vital, when we are in harmony—body, mind, and spirit. Tai Chi and Qi Gong are related ancient arts that can be used to develop one’s life force energy for improved health and increased longevity. The obvious physical benefits are strengthening, balancing, and coordination. At a more subtle level, both Qi Gong and Tai Chi integrate body and mind by using techniques of gentle movement combined with focused, conscious breath, and intention. Yoga accomplishes similar results but it is essential to find a class that is gentle and a level that you can handle. Iyengar Yoga is a slower more careful yoga style
and the teachers are trained for many years to teach proper alignment. Some students prefer flow style yoga such as Gentle Yoga, Chair Yoga, Restorative, or Yin Yoga. The goal during yoga practice is to challenge yourself physically, but not to feel overwhelmed. At this “edge,” the focus is on your breath while your mind is accepting and calm. Yoga develops inner awareness. It focuses your attention on your body’s abilities at the present moment. It helps develop breath and strength. It’s not about physical appearance. Students walk in the door on their way into Yoga or Tai Chi or Qi Gong looking tired and stressed. When they leave, they are ALL noticeably lighter, happier, and feeling so much better! For classes like the ones mentioned here check out Decatur Healing Arts: http:// decaturhealingarts.com/class-schedule. html. Not near Decatur? Try this: http://www.karateandtaichi.com/tai-chi/ tai-chi-class-times. f Susan Johnson is the owner and visionary of Decatur Healing Arts which offers an integrative approach to health and wellness with a variety of classes and therapies. In 2008 she stepped up as owner to keep the doors open and expand the vision. The original owners, Corinne and Jude, continue to teach Qi Gong and Tai Chi here. www.decaturhealingarts.com January/February 2018
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DNA and Telomeres
The Keys to Reverse Aging
I
by Adele Lamborn
“Hundreds of scientific studies have been conducted and published in peer reviewed journals, showing that our telomeres, our DNA, listen and respond to our thoughts, emotions, and our behavior.”
n 2009, the Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn, Dr. Carol Greider, and Dr. Jack Szostak for their discovery of how our genetic material, our DNA, is protected by telomeres and the enzyme telomerase. Telomeres are located at the ends of our chromosomes and are a key part of the process that ensures DNA is accurately copied. They protect the ends of chromosomes in a manner similar to the way the tips of shoelaces keep them from unraveling. At every cell division, telomeres lose a bit of their DNA. When a cell is old and has lost much of its telomeric DNA, the cell cannot replicate and, as a result, dies. Thus, the loss of telomeric DNA with every cell division acts as an aging clock for the lifetime of the cell. Short telomeres are associated with agerelated decline, disease, and even mortality, whereas long telomeres can prevent physical and cognitive age-related damage, adding years of health and vitality to our lives. Now, what’s the big deal? Why are telomeres and telomerase considered one of the most groundbreaking discoveries ever made? The most fascinating fact about telomeres is that not only can telomere length be sustained through our lifestyle choices, it can be increased, which means the biological, physical aging process can literally and measurably be reversed. Hundreds of scientific studies have been conducted and published in peer reviewed journals, showing that our telomeres, our DNA, listen and respond to our thoughts, emotions, and our behavior. When our wandering mind is poisoned with toxic thoughts, endless circles of rumination, or psychological stress, our telomeres tend to prematurely shorten, robbing us of our aliveness. The same can happen when we feed our bodies with dead food and ignore the natural impulse of our bodies to move and rest. At the same time, the physical aging process can be slowed and even reversed through consciousness-based
practices such as meditation in nature, living in the now, yogic chanting, a plant-based diet, and/or swift walks in nature. These positive lifestyle choices can maintain our telomeres and prevent premature aging, but some can specifically increase telomerase activity and rebuild our telomeres. The largest increase seen so far, of 44 percent, was shown in a study of highly stressed caregivers doing the Kirtan Kriya chant “Sa Ta Na Ma” for twelve minutes a day for eight weeks. This Nobel prize-winning discovery of telomeres and telomerase went almost unnoticed by the general public. As we have often seen in the past, old scientific paradigms die hard and new ones can take years to become common knowledge. It might take time for the general public to grasp the role of telomeres and telomerase but this important discovery has the power to change how we live our lives and motivate us to live consciously in all areas of human existence! Conscious living is no longer the pursuit of a lofty ideal based in a belief system with no tangible, psychophysiological implications. Maybe we chose a conscious lifestyle out of love for the intangible, for the soft impulse in our soul, but now Nobel-prize winning discovery in medicine allows us to measure the remarkable implications of our conscious life choices on our own DNA. Those choices no longer simply have a philosophical impact on our lives. We now know that when we choose to live our lives consciously, we also directly impact the blueprint of life itself—our DNA. f Adele Lamborn is an Academic Researcher in the field of Longevity and Consciousness. She holds a Master’s Degree in Consciousness and Transformative Studies and is currently studying Genetics and Genomics at Stanford. Her doctoral research focuses on examining how Kundalini activation affects our biology,physiology,and psychology as well as spirituality. www.adelelamborn.com
in the brain by Beth Huey-Levine
H
ow often have you heard that doing crossword puzzles and games like Sudoku were healthy practices that helped your brain stay strong and active? While these games are helpful, they only focus on a portion of your brain. In order to feed and nurture both sides of the brain, create a party inside yourself with body movement and sound that harmonizes all aspects of you. The Ageless Grace fitness and wellness program activates all five functions of the brain: strategic planning, memory and recall, analytical thinking, creativity and imagination, and kinesthetic learning. By using twenty-one simple tools while sitting in a chair listening to music, you develop new neural pathways of the brain while exercising the physical body. This challenges your brain to think in new ways, activates all the body systems, strengthens your core, and is fun to practice. Plus it only takes ten minutes a day, so you can do it anywhere, anytime.
Each Ageless Grace Tool Emphasizes Different Anti-Aging Techniques The “Gentle Geometry” tool—you sit in a chair and draw vertical and horizontal lines, circles, and triangles in the air with your elbows, toes, or bellybutton, all simultaneously!— increases flexibility in the hip joints, psoas muscle, and feet; improves balance and coordination; and improves the neural response. By practicing an Ageless Grace tool
for a few minutes a day, you can increase the neuroplasticity of the brain, which is the ability of the brain and central nervous system to change form and function! According to Dr. Norman Doidge, author of The Brain’s Way of Healing, the brain “lights up” even if you’re not physically performing the act. So if you visualize yourself dancing in a room filled with joyful friends and family, your brain will light up and send those neurons into a party of their own. Give it a try! Close your eyes and visualize a party with confetti tossed into the crowd, colorful party hats on people’s heads, your body moving, feet tapping, and hands shaking to the tunes of Benny Goodman. Does your body twitch? Do you feel a boost of energy throughout your body and mind? Do you feel alive? Your neurons are firing and wiring together, dancing hand in hand, developing the neuroplasticity of your brain. By all means continue your problem solving with crosswords and Sudoku, but remember to combine a few other playful tools to harmonize the rest of your mind and body, so you can fire and wire those neurons and learn to party like a rock star! f Beth Huey-Levine is a certified Ageless Grace Educator, certified in Healing Touch through Level 3 and member of the HTPA, certified Usui/Holy Fire II Reiki Master and member of the ICRT, and contributor in Reiki and Christian Beliefs:Where Do They Intersect? She received her BA from the University of California at Berkeley. www.bessieloubrew.com
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Aging Well
by Brenda Cobb
“ Walking after a meal is easy exercise that improves digestion and boosts the immune system.”
T
he benefits we receive from taking good care of our health pay off and are especially important as we age. We all lead busy lives and it takes effort to prioritize the most important things to do to create optimum health. But it’s well worth the effort. Here are a few suggestions on how to optimize your wellbeing. Start your day with a warm cup of water and a squeeze of organic lemon juice. Skip the caffeine, which is very acidic and will dehydrate you. Caffeine exhausts the liver and increases cortisol levels, which can lead to the inability to eliminate toxins and efficiently burn fat. Keep a positive attitude even through the most trying situations. Surround yourself with upbeat people and involve yourself in activities that make you happy and bring you joy. Identify the things you love to do in your spare time, find a group of people who share this interest, and spend time with them. Hang around people you get along with and have a natural affinity for. Read articles or books that inspire you and write down affirmations and post them anywhere you are sure to see them frequently. Repeat positive affirmations throughout the day and remember to include what you are grateful for. Reduce stress and improve your health by keeping active with exercises like yoga, walking, swimming, and dancing. Walking after a meal is easy exercise that improves digestion and boosts the immune system. Include weight bearing exercises to build your muscle tone and strengthen your bones. Deep breathing and meditation can do wonders in lowering stress. Meditate or simply
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sit and focus on your breathing for at least five minutes building up to twenty minutes a day. Take time to just relax with a good book or watch your favorite movie. Get a good eight hours sleep each night to restore energy, repair your body, and improve your memory and concentration. Adequate sleep can even help you maintain a healthy body weight. Eat a diet that includes lots of organic fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Avoid fast food, junk food, and processed food. Invest in organic foods that are grown without chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Eliminate sugar and gluten and drink herbal teas that are full of antioxidants. Eat in a peaceful, quiet place and take time to chew your food properly. Try chewing each bite thirty times. Chewing is essential for optimal digestion and helps you maintain a healthy weight. Start your day with a green smoothie full of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and enzymes. Add a tablespoon of a green whole food vitamin and mineral powder supplement. This will energize and nourish you in a powerful way. Raw green vegetable powders can be easily added to a smoothie, juice, or water and they are absorbed by the body much better than pills. Check your vitamin and mineral levels to be sure that you are absorbing the nutrition you are eating and find out if you are eating any foods you are allergic to. Inflammation develops when you eat a food you are allergic or sensitive to and this can lead to pain and health issues. An inexpensive test to determine this is the HealthScope Scan.
Good gut health is of the utmost importance so include the Mega Spore Probiotic in your daily routine as it is the only type of probiotic that is not destroyed by body heat and stomach acid. It will help you produce vitamin B12 in the gut, which is essential for good nerve health, brain health, heart health, mood, and outlook. Drink plenty of filtered alkaline water to help alkalize your body and counteract acidity, which is a contributor to poor health. Adequate water hydrates your skin, organs, and glands and helps flush out toxins. Drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water each day. Please don’t drink ice water. Water needs to be warm or at room temperature for your body to be able to receive the benefit. Everything you put on your skin absorbs into your blood stream so choose products you can trust. Moisturize your legs, feet, arms, and hands regularly. A good and inexpensive moisturizer is organic coconut oil. It has a nice fragrance and is an excellent lubricant. Pamper yourself with a massage, a soothing bath with lavender essential oil and bath salts, and light a beeswax candle. Take a nap for a quick pick me up and don’t feel guilty about it. Laugh out loud every day. Laughing is food for the soul and will put you in a good mood. Laughing can heal you and keep you young.
ENERGIZING MORNING SMOOTHIE • 2 cups spinach or kale (if using kale, include the leaves and the stems) • 1 cup sunflower or broccoli sprouts • 2 cups seeded apple with the peel, or pineapple or mango • 1/2 avocado flesh • Squeeze of organic lemon juice • 1 tablespoon organic raw green powder • 2-3 cups alkaline water Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender and drink immediately. Add the amount of water you like to achieve just the right consistency for you. f Brenda Cobb, founder of Living Foods Institute,
author of The Living Foods Lifestyle®, and featured on documentaries “Healing Cancer Inside Out” and “Eating,” has an Honorary Cultural Doctorate in Therapeutic Philosophy and the Phoenix Award honoring her work. She personally healed breast and cervical cancer without surgery, chemo, or radiation. http://livingfoodsinstitute.com January/February 2018
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Conscious
BUSINESS
Digital Technology and Your Spiritual Sanity
C O N S C I O U S
P E R S P E C T I V E S
by Sharron Ragan
I
t happened to me and it can happen to you. You roll out of bed eager to get to work, check your emails, finish that book, finalize a client proposal or research your next business venture. You consider yourself a spiritual person who seeks balance and purpose in your life. However, this morning you just didn’t have time to set an intention for the day to help you stay present as your morning unfolds. After all, the advancement of technology in our business and life is supposed to promise more leisure time. Right? I pushed that button to wake up my computer and it had a big surprise for me. The blue screen of death. I blinked at the screen that was doing nothing, going nowhere, and I clicked again. Nothing. How could this happen? I had work to do, a book to finish, and deadlines for clients. I clicked the mouse again and nothing happened. Then the horror set in. Did I back up my files? Was everything lost? Lately I was so busy I did not take the time to back up the files. My spiritual balance drained from my body and I screamed at my computer. “How can you do this to me?” I ceased to be the calm, “in the moment” person I thought I was. I resorted to hopping up and down and flailing my arms and legs, which could have been described as a form of “trance dance.” Then the tears flowed and my brain whispered, “You’ve lost everything!” In that moment I was listening to my head and not my heart. How could I continue my work without my files? Could my hard drive be recovered? What would I do while I waited in suspense for technology experts to save my files? I felt I would just die if all my years of work were lost. The frustration and fear was creeping throughout my body. Lately I found myself being upset by system upgrades, thousands of emails, 24/7 text messages, complex apps, and social media addiction. Why was I letting this little metal box with a screen and button take me down the path of grief and despair? Where was that balance we as humans are supposed to achieve in technology and spiritual living? Is it possible to achieve this balance? Will my life really be over if they can’t recover my work?
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A recent technology study of 2,000 people by a team from 24 Hour Fitness shows that the average person gets frustrated by technology 41,000 times in their life. Sixty-five percent experienced “tech rage” and 50 percent yelled at their phone or computer, and 16 percent were reduced to tears. One man even “shot” his computer because he was so angry. The commitment to being a conscious, empowered person when using technology doesn’t start and stop with a computer. It’s about choosing what’s really important and making choices each morning to be present in our daily life, weaving together each activity from the moment we wake up until we turn off the lights at night. I realized in my moments of despair and anger that I had lost myself with hours of unnecessary work and senseless browsing in this little metal box. In fact, while my files were being recovered, I, too, was being recovered. I discovered the pencil again and wrote my work in notebooks. I enjoyed quiet moments after waking up. I was not rushing to download emails from the night before. I watched the sun rise each morning instead of closing the blinds to avoid the glare on the screen. I cleaned out closets and organized my office. My anxiousness of getting everything done quickly and instantly was dissolving. I was balancing my spirit and didn’t know it. My tears of frustration from the loss of files turned to acceptance. I realized that this was a purging of old energy and letting go. It was a sign and a message to back up my files and stay calm when technical challenges occurred—it was not a life or death situation. I no longer felt guilty if I couldn’t keep up with the pace of technology. After a month, only half my hard drive was recovered but, most importantly, it was my spirit and ALL of my heart drive that was truly recovered. f Sharron Ragan is a brand creativity consultant and intuitive change agent. She’s a former corporate brand/marketing strategist having worked with many Fortune 500 companies including Coca-Cola and Wendy’s. As CEO of Visionary Business Worldwide, she applies her creative and intuitive spirit to inspire professionals to seek a purpose-driven life and career. www.SharronRagan.com
Toward a Greater Understanding of the Spirit and Science of
LIGHTBODY by Diane Ruth Shewmaker, MA
M
y introduction to the world of energy was my first Reiki attunement in 1982. The training was traditional with no mention of the energetic aspects of the human energy system such as chakras and the aura. Rather, the oral teachings followed a treatment protocol emphasizing bodily functions like digestion and respiration. They also instructed us to trust the light intelligence of the universal life force energy to create the miracle of healing. Fast forward to today and much has changed. Though the spiritual mystery factor is still present, we have an expanding understanding of ourselves as energy thanks to quantum physics and related disciplines. We also have the contributions of spiritual traditions like Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism, as well as esoteric and metaphysical approaches, in describing the functions and structures of our energy anatomy. Even with these advances, we are still on the frontier of this inquiry into the nature of who and what we really are. For example, one very fascinating area of exploration is an aspect of the energy field called the body of light, or lightbody. Though there is some variance in how each spiritual tradition describes lightbody, generally this component is said to emerge as a person’s spiritual development advances, and involves the gradual refinement, upgrading, and revamping of the entire energy system, including the physical. An essential ongoing phase of the emerging lightbody process is the clearing and healing of the negative patterning carried within the cellular memory and the layers of the auric field. The molecular and cellular structure of the body becomes amplified, increasing its capacity for holding light. As this progresses, the so-called “junk” DNA, which has been awaiting the perfect time of quickening and remembrance, is awakened and activated by the resulting increase in light. This ultimately brings about the full embodiment and expression of the soul and spirit in action, what is often called enlightenment. This dramatic shift in consciousness can happen in a flash or, most often, in stages over time. Does science have anything to say about lightbody? No and yes. No, because science does not use terms like this. Yes, because increasingly scientists’ experiments are showing
that what spiritual traditions have long accepted and taught since ancient times about meridians, chakras, and the auric field actually does have some basis in fact. And though progress is being made, better experiments and instruments need to be developed. Truly it is just a matter of time. The work of Dr. FritzAlbert Popp, a German biophysicist, provides a current illustration of a leading scientific viewpoint. He has often been quoted as saying: “We know today that man, essentially, is a being of light.” “We are still on the threshold of fully understanding the complex relationship between light and life, but we can now say emphatically, that the function of our entire metabolism is dependent on light.” These statements arise from his theory of biophotonics, a branch of quantum biology. It deals with biophotons, which are emitted from organisms when photons and living cells interact, and have been referred to as “the light of our cells.” Biophotons are particles of ordered light, and are believed to be responsible for many biological functions, such as interand intracellular communication, and how our DNA and genes behave. Thus, where light is concerned, both science and spiritual traditions have some common ground on which to meet in this inquiry. One does not have to exclude the other. Though the two can appear to be at odds, the former being based on reason and the scientific method and the latter centered on ancient wisdom, faith, and trust, the seeming gap between them is narrowing. A mutual understanding is arising that one very likely informs the other, resulting in their combining to create meaning and purpose in life. There is a place where science and spirit meet—in the hearts of all of humanity and all our relations where we are united as one in the unified quantum field of consciousness. Herein lies the miracle of healing that I was encouraged to trust in during my first Reiki class! And so it comes full circle! f Diane Ruth Shewmaker, MA specializes in multidimensional healing, lightbody activation, trauma release, and angelic DNA restructuring approaches. She is the author of All Love: A Guidebook for Healing with Sekhem-Seichim-Reiki and SKHM, and is available for workshops and sessions in person and from a distance. www.hear tpathcenter.com January/February 2018
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Swipe Right or Left? Personal Characteristics and the
MATING GAME
C O N S C I O U S
P E R S P E C T I V E S
by Rober t Dallas
H
istorically men tended to base their selection of potential partners on appearances while women attempted to clarify potential suitors that were intelligent, had good job prospects, and stability. Let’s explore this a little more fully. Tinder aside, what do you look for when searching for a partner or simply a new friend? Maybe more importantly, how do you assume people are assessing you? How many of your interpersonal and intrapersonal assessments are subconscious versus conscious decisions based on logical analysis? There are two categories of selection according to the people who research this kind of thing. The first is intrasexual—which is how we assess ourselves in relation to our own group. “How do I see myself in terms of measuring up to other males so I will win the selection game?” The other category is intersexual, which is how do we choose a potential mate? More explicitly, it is the evolutionary process in which selection is strongly related to the attractiveness of an individual’s phenotypic traits. I know . . . if you haven’t completely glazed over by now, you’re asking phenowhat?! Phenotype is simply a word used to express the idea that we all possess physical characteristics that we associate with certain traits. For instance, some women might see a man with a strong jawline as ruggedly handsome, and subconsciously associate this with being a strong protector. With consideration, we may be able to list physical attributes we would prefer in a mate. Yet, we often don’t realize this could be a response to subconscious urges that override our conscious analysis. A key point is that much of this has changed drastically in a fairly short time. Mate selection was largely based on the continuance of the species, as is true of all nature. In an overpopulated world, this is becoming less of a factor. Even given that some of these dynamics are still in play, they’ve shifted quite a bit. Going back to my earlier example, throughout most of our history a “ruggedly handsome” man was desirable to many, if not most, women. The implication, both conscious and subconscious, being that he would be a good protector
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and strong provider. Now we have the new phenomena whereby geeky guys, that used to be the outcasts, are now the desirable group. Why is this? The supposition is that they are smart, and these days, thinking your way to success is typically more likely than punching your way there. Of course, this is very recent in the overall scope of things, so nerdiness hasn’t completely dethroned brawn as a dominatingly desirable characteristic. Recent studies that reflect the main aspects of attraction patterns can currently be summarized by the following points. Facial symmetry has been one of the most consistently positive attributes over time for both men and women. It theoretically implies health and good genes. Or maybe that’s good jeans—either way, it’s very desirable. An easy smile implies agreeableness and friendliness. Maybe, surprisingly, many men apparently prefer less makeup on a woman these days. The assumption is that this is because it indicates honesty and directness. The other main physical characteristic is scent. For most of us, it is totally subconscious, but a huge number of studies have shown that the subtle scents (pheromones) given off by our bodies strongly affect attractiveness to potential mates. It may be interesting to notice what traits and characteristics you find appealing in others. Also notice if you have, over time, broadened your perspective on whom you see as desirable. In other words, do you reserve judgment until you really get to know someone? My guess is that as we go through life and get to know ourselves better, we put less emphasis on the physical aspects of others in terms of seeing them as potential partners or close friends. However meeting another occurs, we can explore how to express our genuine selves such that the persons drawn to us are the ones with whom we will feel a reciprocal connection. f Robert Dallas holds a PhD in Counseling Psychology from Georgia State University. He has been a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice for the past twenty-five years. He helps people with career and life focus, works with individuals on their anxiety and self-esteem issues, and works with couples in the realm of relationship issues. www.TheDallasCenter.com
Sustainability and Population Control through
HUMAN RIGHTS by William N. Ryerson
D
epending on your unique body, each mindful breath you take—in-and-out—could last about that long. If so, during just that breath, Earth’s human population will have grown by ten people. Each hour, according to the United Nations, global population grows by 9,000 individuals. That is annual growth—births minus deaths—of over eighty million people. At a 7.5+ billion total global population today, we’ve doubled in size since 1970. Without unprecedented conscious attention to the social dynamics that keep population growing, humans will number 11.2 billion by 2100—50 percent larger than present. One may be tempted to have faith in the nurturing power of the Earth: to easily provide land, food, shelter, and other resources for the human community, no matter our size or behaviors. Yet, based on global extinction rates of non-human life, destroyed habitats, altered chemistry of oceans and sky, changing climate, and toxification of the environment, it is clear we are already asking way too much of the Earth. Remembering the nature of co-existence, we realize that we, too,—as individuals, communities, and a global civilization—are existentially threatened. Today, the world’s average woman will bear 2.5 children in her lifetime. This may strike the casual observer as reasonable and sustainable—but, ultimately, it is not. The demographic concept of “replacement level” fertility shows that for populations to remain stable, women should average 2.1 children. The current global figure (2.5) is 20 percent higher than this. The challenge is that because so many young women are now entering, or within, their childbearing years, even if humanity achieved replacement level fertility tomorrow, our “population momentum” would ensure a global population of 10.3 billion by century’s end— boding ill for both nature and human civilization. To achieve the end of population growth this century, fertility must fall to “sub-replacement” levels. For example, if global fertility fell to 1.77 by the year 2045, global population would stop growing in the year 2053—at 8.76 billion people. Better still, if fertility continued to decrease and reached 1.5 by the year 2100, human population would have actually decreased back to 7.2 billion. While still an enormous burden upon Earth, 7.2 billion would be four billion less than our current path towards 11.2 billion. Achieving this, in combination with more sustainable
lifestyles and holistic economic systems, might give Earth a chance to heal. Today’s global fertility of 2.5 is simply an average of extremes. It includes South Korea’s low fertility of 1.2, Niger’s high fertility of 7.6—and everything in between. The former number reassures us that change is possible: voluntary social norms of sub-replacement fertility are already happening on Earth. The latter number reminds us we cannot blame the victim as we search for population solutions. At Population Media Center, we believe deeply that gender inequality lies at the heart of high fertility. Around the world, women still suffer from discrimination in education, political representation, and labor markets. Worse, too many countries are similar to Niger, where oppressive cultural practices such as gender-based violence, female genital mutilation, and child marriage continue nearly unabated. The negative repercussions for women’s autonomy and freedom of choice are immense. When their rights are impinged upon or totally absent, family size decisions are often controlled by husbands or in-laws. Families end up much larger than if educated and empowered women could truly decide “how many?” That is why PMC prioritizes advancing the status of women in our international work. Combining social learning theory with entertaining stories, we engage huge regional audiences with TV and radio programs. We use the airwaves to reach across socio-economic, educational, and other cultural strata. Everybody loves entertainment. By creating positive fictional role-models, who navigate dramatic stories and surprising plot-twists, we help raise the consciousness of both men and women on new ways of approaching gender relations and other sustainability issues. In this way, we fight the social norms that disempower women and spur unsustainable population growth. Importantly, we also catalyze capacity in the community to construct and implement broad normative change on these issues. We are working, in our own way, to solve the population issue: one drama at a time. f William Ryerson is President of Population Media Center (www.populationmedia.org), an organization that improves the health and well-being of people around the world through the use of entertainment media. PMC creates long-running serialized dramas on radio and TV, in which characters evolve into role models for the audience on various issues. January/February 2018
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LIFESTYLE
E A R T H I N G M o r e
W hen
Po w e r
by Donna H. Bowman
walking outside barefoot, you and the Earth are exchanging something powerful! Grounding your body, or “Earthing,” is simply skin-to-skin contact with the Earth. Throughout mankind’s history, people naturally walked barefoot or with heelless leather moccasins. They slept on the ground, on leaves, or on an animal hide. What happened when we began elevating and insulating our beds and homes and wearing rubber or plastic soled shoes? We broke our connection to the Earth! Podiatrist Dr. William Rossi explains, “Every living thing, including human beings, draws energy (from the Earth) through its feet, paws, or roots.” About 70 percent of the body is salt water, making us a terrific antenna to attract energies around us. Being around man-made electricity, Wi-Fi, etc., promotes sticky blood cells, and increases inflammation. Chronic inflammation torches artery linings that feed the heart
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t o Yo u !
and brain, possibly fostering heart attacks and strokes. Inflammation chews nerve cells in the brain, feasibly promoting dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. The brain, heart, and entire body, is electrical. EKG readings show dramatic changes within two seconds of Earthing. Tapping into Earth’s energy allows blood cells to repel each other, and inflammation—believed to be the root cause of disease—is decreased. Cardiologist Dr. Stephen Sinatra said, “Grounding your body is like taking handfuls of antioxidants, only you’re getting them through your feet!” Top athletes including Tour de France cyclists, NFL football players, triathletes, etc., routinely ground themselves. They report better sleep, less illness, faster performance recovery, and faster healing of injuries. Earthing doesn’t have to be done on ground. Dipping your feet in a nearby lake can also help decrease or eliminate pain and inflammation. The wetter the
E A R T H I N G
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E A R T H I N G continued
call 404.252.7550
Higher Brain Living™ at
FREE
intro events and special discounts every month Leslie Clayton
connection, the faster the relief! (Note that chronic pain and inflammation sometimes takes longer to remediate than acute issues.) When was the last time you walked barefoot outside? f
E a rth in g Tip s •
To increase conductivity before Earthing, boost your intake of water and electrolytes.
•
Any part of the body can exchange electrons with the Earth, but the foot’s 1,300 nerve endings per square inch seem ideally designed.
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Walk barefoot on moist grass, dirt, sand, or unsealed cement. Sealants and asphalt contain petroleum which breaks our connection.
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Garden without rubber gloves.
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Take a dip in the ocean, lake, or river. Water with naturally elevated salt or minerals is extra conductive.
•
To ground your body from inside your home, look online for Earthing products.
Core Strength | Flexibility | Uplifted Posture | Mental Clarity
Body Awareness Studio is dedicated to balancing your body, mind and soul with customized private and group Pilates sessions. We uniquely combine Pilates and body awareness to dramatically enhance your brain and body communication for more embodied joy, ease and freedom in every area of your life. Contact us for special discounts! www.bodyawarenessstudio.com • Book your appointment today! • BodyAwarenessStudio@gmail.com
WhiteWinds Institute of Integrative Energetic Medicine presents ~ The acclaimed certification program ~ Atlanta, GA – February, 2018
Integrative Energetic Medicine A Holistic and Clinical Approach to Energy Healing With Dr. Fernand Poulin
Who would benefit by taking the program? Medical Doctors, Psychologists, Chiropractors, Massage Therapists, R.N., Reiki Practitioners, and whoever is interested in learning this 21st Century medicine.
Call Now to Register – 404-636-3749 Email for an e-brochure – drpoulin@whitewinds.com
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Donna H. Bowman is cer tified in Foot Reflexology, a Reiki Master, and author. She’s a passionate researcher of hidden causes of dis-ease and nature’s remarkable array of gifts for healing.
RealTalk
with Martha Burgess Novak
ACCEPTANCE IS THE HEART of Creating the Life You Want
H
The Burgess Process A comprehensive program of healing for all serious students of consciousness that is totally unique! Learn to live the life you really want by unearthing the deep and complex psychology of the egoic child’s mind. Address the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual bodies, while Martha takes you on the most amazing journey of your life through her no-nonsense approach.
e was handsome, talented, and stuck. For every suggestion I made—and as a business coach I can come up with a lot of suggestions—he demurred and told me why nothing was going to work. What he didn’t realize was that you can’t say “no” to everything without getting “nothing” in return. When I pointed this out to him, a real discussion on acceptance began because acceptance is at the heart of creating the life you want. His first question was, “What? Do I just fling open the doors to everything and everybody?” The answer, of course, was no. One must simply accept all possibilities. It is saying “yes” to everything and then “no” on consideration rather than saying “no” to everything and never getting around to saying “yes.” Fear blocks our acceptance. As children we learned to manipulate and control our world. We push to have what we want the way we want it but this blocks the one thing that is going to give us everything: Spirit. Contrary to Spirit aligning with our egos—this will never make us happy in spite of what we think in our egoic state— we must learn to align with Spirit and by this I mean the Mind of God. This is what consciousness is, aligning with the global and love-centered Mind of God. Here we realize that we don’t need the control we have exerted egoically, and that there is something else much safer and abiding to rely on: the ascended God as who we are. To do this, we must go on the journey we call consciousness. As we travel, we surrender more and more of our old devices of control and, consequently, we accept more and more of reality. Then we find out we can create our reality and that’s pretty exciting—and then we start doing just that. To have this life though, we need to make our peace with acceptances along the way. We must accept who we are; we must accept what we have done and what we haven’t done; we must accept what we are responsible for and trust the rest to God; we must accept “what is” and “go from there”; we must accept our talents, gifts, and abilities which we often deny because it means we would have to move on them; and we must accept our fears and weaknesses and, in this, our precious, faulty humanness. f Martha Burgess Novak is a spiritual teacher, author, lecturer, and peak performance trainer who works with individuals and corporations. She also has a school for spiritual healing and development where she teaches her method and is the author of The Life You Want and The Teacup Prophecies. Visit her radio show on www.blogtalkradio.com/mar thaburgessnovak. www.marthaburgessnovak.net
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CONSCIOUS 360
CONSCIOUS 360
Hope Merrill | Founder, Conscious 360 The Conscious 360° model is used as our foundation to organize the wisdom and guidance in the Conscious Life Journal. Following the 5 stages of healing—Mind, Body, Spirit, Integration, and Balance—our goal is to provide a roadmap for individuals on their journey to a higher state of consciousness. Used together, stage by stage, while building upon each other, this 5-stage process moves you from confusion and inaction to clarity and peace.
STAGE 1:
YOUR CONSCIOUS MIND is the stage of healing which uses your mind and the powerful word “why” with the intention to see yourself and your life with greater clarity. In Stage 1 you may experience feelings of Confusion, Denial, and Anger.
STAGE 2:
YOUR CONSCIOUS BODY is the stage of healing that works through the body so that you can experience true acceptance. In Stage 2 you may experience feelings of Fatigue, Relief, and Gratitude.
STAGE 3:
YOUR CONSCIOUS SPIRIT is the understanding of forgiveness and how it is imperative for personal healing. In Stage 3 you may experience feelings of Connectedness, Tolerance, and Peace.
STAGE 4:
CONSCIOUS INTEGRATION explores a deeper level of personal responsibility and choice. In Stage 4 you may experience feelings of Clarity, Happiness, and Empowerment.
STAGE 5:
CONSCIOUS BALANCE examines the joy and happiness found in living fully conscious and in a state of freedom. In Stage 5 you may experience feelings of Peace, Expansion, and Freedom.
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I’m stuck in the same situation again. I just can’t believe it!—Mary
Q: A:
Dear Hope, I have been married to my second husband for about a year and I am so frustrated! I thought this man was the one—the man of my dreams—and now the relationship seems to be just like my last one. I just can’t believe that I’m headed for divorce, again. Help! ear Mary, I completely understand. First of all, just D breathe. Remember that you are strong and alive and what is learned from our experiences in life is never lost— especially experiences that bring us to a different level of growth. Since we heal in spirals, you may be facing the same situation, but you are now different and can make different choices! If we approach your question from the Conscious 360 model, it seems you are nearing the end of Stage 1 because you are “seeing” the situation clearly enough to spot your pattern. Go as deep into the patterns as you can in order to move into Stage 2—Body. Your goal in Stage 2 is to simply accept this truth: you are where you are in life. Don’t fight it. Don’t try to change anything right now. Just feel it in your body. Feel the surrender. Let your resistance to your situation diminish. Embrace that right now your situation simply “Is what it is.” Don’t judge it! Allow your feelings to process through your body. Give yourself that time and be sure to amp up your self-care—more massages and long walks! This acceptance will move you into Stage 3, Spirit, where you can forgive yourself and your partner in order to move into Stage 4, Integration, and make a different choice about how you want to be, so that finally you arrive in Stage 5, Balance, where you can take healthy action!
Need help using Conscious 360? Contact Hope for a private session. Or submit your question for a future issue of the Journal. hope@myconsciouslifejournal.com w w w.myconsciouslifejour nal.com
STAGE 1 | mind THE IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP by Sherri Danzig
Sleep is perhaps the most misunderstood and yet greatest influencing
factor on your health. According to Stanford University Sleep Expert Dr. William Dement, called the “American Father of Sleep Medicine,” how well you sleep is a bigger determinant to your longevity than your diet, exercise regime, and genetics. After large scale studies on the impact of sleep deficiency, leading neuroscientist Matthew Walker stated, “The shorter you sleep, the shorter your life.” The effect of sleep deprivation is very clear. It significantly and negatively impacts almost every system in the body. For those who negotiate how much they sleep around their work and other responsibilities, the serious impact of sleep deprivation should be a “wake-up call.” After one night of only four to five hours of sleep, the immune system’s function is lowered by up to 70 percent, and there is a direct correlation between sleep deprivation and acquiring Alzheimer’s, Cancer, Obesity, Diabetes, and Heart Disease. Inadequate REM sleep cΩan cause mental fogginess, irritability, and a propensity for expressing anger and rage. Sleep is categorized in five stages. In order for the body to benefit from the replenishing aspects of sleep, it is critical to stay asleep long enough to cycle through all stages four to six times per night. Stage 1 is the period when you first drift into sleep. Stage 2 is a restful stage, preparing for Stages 3 and 4, or deep delta sleep. Stages 3 and 4 are restorative for the body (heart, lungs, liver, kidney, bones, and the immune system). Muscle memory is improved, addressing stamina, alertness, and responsiveness. The production of growth hormone, which replenishes the cells, is the
highest. REM sleep, Stage 5, is responsible for restoring the mind. This is the dream state where the body cannot move. The brain is very active during REM sleep, retaining memories, organizing information, and expanding creativity and the capacity to learn new skills. Quality sleep is the pinnacle of preventative health. Improving sleep habits starts with prioritizing the importance of sleep, followed by a self-evaluation to determine your sleep debt and level of sleepiness during the day. Here are some simple tips for better sleep: • Go to bed and wake up around the same time every day to support the body’s natural circadian rhythm. • Create a quiet, cool, and dark sleep environment to enhance the body’s production of melatonin.
• Refrain from drinking alcohol or exercising three hours before bedtime. • Keep electronics, work projects, and stressful conversations out of the bedroom to induce a blissful bedroom environment. • Develop a bedtime ritual of relaxation and meditation. It is possible to sleep your way to better health and more vibrancy! f Sherri Danzig’s wellness journey began twenty-five years ago. Her recovery from debilitating back pain using energy medicine inspired her founding of Wellness Resources International, whose mission is to empower others with natural and simple solutions for Self-Care. Sherri is a passionate speaker and trainer, in particular, on topics of sleep and hydration. www.EmpowerTheWorldWithWellness.com January/February 2018
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CONSCIOUS 360
My own personal
plan to become pregnant have their mercury levels tested first. experiences with mercury toxicity Holistic dentistry recognizes years ago sparked a passionate that oral health is an important interest in holistic dentistry and aspect of overall, systemic biocompatible dental materials, health. These practices utilize giving me the understanding mercury-free and mercury-safe that elements and compounds dentistry while considering the compatible for one person may biocompatibility of dental materials. STAGE 2 | aggravate sensitivities or allergies Holistic dentists seek the safest, in another person. least toxic way to offer modern MERCURY FREE Mercury is a heavy metal and dentistry, with specific regard to how By Roberta Cann, DMD, AIAOMT neurotoxin, known to be poisonous to that treatment will affect the entire the human nervous system. Considered body. Biocompatible mercury-free filling by the World Health Organization to options are environmentally friendly, be one of the top ten chemicals or groups of easier to repair, durable, and preserve more chemicals of major public health concern, mercury of the natural tooth structure. accumulates in the body and any amount of exposure is Mercury-free typically refers to dentists who do not place considered hazardous. When dental mercury is released into amalgam silver fillings in their patients’ teeth. However, the environment it can cause long-lasting damage. patients should understand that just being “mercury-free” A growing number of countries have already made great does not mean there are safe protocols in place to remove progress in phasing down, and even phasing out, dental an already existing amalgam filling. The process of removing amalgam usage. Unfortunately, silver fillings are still widely amalgam fillings releases even higher quantities of toxic used in the U.S. The American Dental Association continues mercury vapor and fine particulates that can be inhaled and to recommend amalgam fillings; yet many families no longer absorbed through the lungs. This is potentially harmful to want their children to receive mercury. Many of our patients’ patients, dentists, other dental personnel, and the fetuses of functional medicine physicians recommend that women who pregnant patients.
body
STAGE 3 | spirit
LETTING GUILT AND SHAME GO: SELF-FORGIVENESS by Burge Smith-Lyons
Guilt and shame are
the two culprits in the inability to forgive yourself. If you are feeling guilty or ashamed, you need to go within and find out why so you can return to your inner nature of innocence and acceptance. 34
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Many things in our lives can trigger us and add to the layer of guilt and shame that we learned during our formative years. You may enter a relationship and feel you are letting the other person down. Maybe you feel you aren’t doing your best at your job, or you are afraid to move forward for fear of failing. When you are sending out vibrations of guilt, whether consciously or subconsciously, you are demanding punishment from others or creating self-sabotage. We start believing that’s who we really are—this trash compactor full of guilt and shame. Maybe we’ve done a lot of release work on ourselves and let the pressure valve go which may have cleaned out the trash compactor some. However, things will continue to happen in our lives that trigger those same feelings. Holding onto guilt can affect our bodies in a serious way. The vibration of guilt and shame goes into our bodies, causing cancer or dis-ease, and stays there until we release it. We feel sick or tired and hold in the pain and the pain manifests in our body. But
by letting go of stress and guilt we can release the physical effects. This exercise will help you get out of that cycle. Think of something you are upset about. Hold that situation in your mind and then answer the following six questions in order. Write the first thing that comes up for you. Don’t censor yourself. The first three questions help you get in touch with your feelings regarding the situation and the reason behind why you were triggered. The last three questions help move you out of the place of shame and guilt and focus on the lesson that you are learning. Visualizing what life would be like is the most powerful part of the process. Really picture how life would be if you forgave yourself. How would you feel? How would your relationships be? Using this technique can help release much of the guilt and shame you have experienced and add years to your life and body. Remember, you are innocent. We are all created in the image and likeness of Divine perfection. And in that knowing, all is well. f
Mercury-safe typically refers to dental practices that use rigorous safety measures to limit or prevent mercury exposure when removing a previously existing silver filling. Mercury safe dentists have specific training, equipment, experience, and necessary skills to minimize patient exposure to mercury during amalgam removal. The International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT) has strict protocols for safe mercury removal. Look for a dental practice that completely follows their “SMART” protocols to prevent your exposure to both visible and microscopic mercury particles and vapor. f CONSUMER RESOURCES:
International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology https://iaomt.org/for-patients/ Mercury-Safe Dentist Directory www.dentalwellness4u.com/freeservices/find_ dentists.html
Your healthy lifestyle is our practice style • Mercury-free for more than 25 years • Safe removal of mercury fillings: SMART protocol • Dental Ozone treatment • Biocompatible dental materials • Very low-radiation digital x-rays • Perio Protect non-invasive treatment for periodontal disease
Roberta D. Cann, D.M.D., AIAOMT
Cann Dentistry welcomes chemically and environmentally sensitive patients, as well as patients who simply want their dental care to be in harmony with their healthy lifestyle. Joyce Kim, D.M.D., IAOMT
404-233-1102 CannDentistry.com 3525 Piedmont Road Building 5, Suite 408 Atlanta, GA 30305
Roberta Cann, DMD, AIAOMT, SMART certified, has been practicing holistic dentistry for total body wellness for over thirty years. This commitment arose from her desire to feel well and be well. Dr. Cann appreciates the ability to work collaboratively with patients and their healthcare providers to find dental solutions that work for their overall health goals. www.CannDentistry.com
Facebook.com/CannDentistry
1. I ’m upset with myself because
2. T he reason I’m not willing to forgive myself is 3. M y payoff for not forgiving myself is (what do you get out of it) 4. T he lesson I’m learning from this is 5. I am most grateful for myself for
6. I f I forgave myself my life would be Burge Smith-Lyons is an international bestselling author, motivational speaker, intuitive healer, cer tified rebir ther, hypnotherapist, channeler, minister, and founder and CEO of The Essence of Being, Inc. For thir ty-six years she has helped thousands of graduates globally with emotional and spiritual healing, better communication techniques, relationships, prosperity consciousness, and enlightened leadership. www.Burgesmithlyons.com, www.essenceofbeing.com
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Nowadays, it feels like we’re always looking for the
STAGE 4 | integration
EXERCISE BRINGS HEALTH, CLARITY, HAPPINESS, AND EMPOWERMENT by Dr. Nelson Bulmash
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where personal transformation meets love in action
next app to solve yet another of life’s problems. The challenge with this ease and temptation is that it allows us to continue speeding along, spending less and less time on the manual processes of life, those activities that require us to be our own “app.” When we remove the daily struggles that help to shape us, we become more and more disconnected from ourselves and our unique life processes. The practice of exercise has been used for centuries to tone and condition the mind and body, and even calm the mind that one might more clearly connect with the voice of God. It’s important to choose physical activities that help shape and design not only your body but your mind and spirit as well. Many people suffer through the process of exercise, becoming victims of the struggle that is inherent to the act of physical exertion. These people fail to understand that the “process” of physical training is far more important than the outcome. Every conscious form of physical expression allows you to connect with specific attributes and skills that help shape you on all levels of your life. There are five principles that round out a comprehensive exercise program—balance, coordination, flexibility, endurance, and strength. Balance helps stabilize us as we work out but also contributes to developing sure-footed steps as we move through life. As we place our attention on keeping balance in time and space, we also bring greater balance to our own lives.
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CONSCIOUS 360 A focus on coordination helps us become more mindful of how to move with less effort through time and space to achieve our desired outcomes. Flexibility improves suppleness and adaptability, not only to the stresses of our exercise routines but also to the challenges of life that require us to bend to avoid breaking. Endurance prepares us to not only withstand the difficulties of a tough routine but also to be able to endure the hardships presented by life’s challenges. Lastly, we have strength, which is required to shore up any weakness from within. It’s hard to be confident when one feels weak, and without confidence it’s tough to feel happy and empowered.
A conscious approach to exercise should bring attention to improving and balancing individual weaknesses of the body that, if otherwise not corrected, can ultimately be reflected as weaknesses of ourselves in the world around us. By learning and choosing to be consistent with the implementation of your program, you’ll find your health, happiness, mental clarity, and sense of empowerment will also find new levels of satisfaction and expression. f Dr. Nelson D. Bulmash lives in metro Atlanta and has been practicing as a chiropractor, naturopath, nutritionist, and high level strength coach for over twenty-five years. He and his wife Susan own and operate Health Matters located in Alpharetta, Georgia. He specializes in Clinical Nutrition and Physical Performance. www.health-matters.net
It is estimated that 31 million Americans
rotates forward, and goes up. Your head brings your spine up with it, then let your sit experience either low back bones release down into pain or neck pain, which the chair. is also the leading cause Now move your feet of disability worldwide. back a bit. Hinge forward The Alexander Technique using your hip joints. When teaches you how to recognize your weight is sufficiently inefficient and harmful habits over your feet, send your of movement that are likely feet into the floor and come contributing to your back pain. up to your full height. There’s Once you recognize them, you’ll no need to use neck tension, or ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE learn how to move in a healthy, easy lower back tension. There’s no by Melba M. Black, PhD way that relieves tension in your body need to crane your neck, or arch and promotes ease of movement. your lower back. Here is a diagram The method was created by F.M. Alexander of the incorrect and correct way to do (1869-1955), an Australian actor who suffered from this exercise. chronic laryngitis that hindered his performances. When In the diagram on the right (the correct posture), conventional medicine couldn’t help him, he recognized notice the alignment of the spine. When doing this extra tension in his neck and elsewhere in his body exercise, your body should feel less tension in that was creating problems. the lower back and neck. The cervical spine The Alexander Technique helps you to will feel more open and more balanced feel better and move with more relaxation so that the head can rotate freely and and comfort—the way nature intended. The naturally. The muscles in the upper back Technique places emphasis on the way you do not have to over compensate due to hold and position your head in relation to your poor alignment. neck. A compressed head/spine relationship Alexander Technique exercises are will have ramifications for the rest of your mindful exercise for the body. The lessons help body. The goal is to free this relationship so create a more balanced body without pain, as your head balances lightly at the top of your long as you practice the technique! To experience spine and your neck muscles do not overwork. An optimal results, find a certified AT teacher at Alexander Technique teacher analyzes your whole www.alexandertechnique.com.f movement pattern, not just your symptom, and alerts you to your habits of sitting, standing, and walking. You’re then Melba M. Black, PhD, CLC is a writer, mentor, innovator, and guided to move in a freer, more integrated way. scholar. She has over thirty years of experience in holistic health, Let’s use the standing up exercise as an example. Start spirituality, and energy healing, including Life Coaching, Reiki, Intuitive with sitting because even the idea, the thought of standing, Development, Meditation, Yoga, Qigong, and more. She currently teaches classes and conducts personal sessions at Sphere Innovation Group. produces early, preparatory, unnecessary tension. Let go of www.sphereinnovationgroup.com the muscular tension in your neck and notice that your head
STAGE 5 | balance
January/February 2018
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BOOK The Energy MedicineYoga Prescription
REVIEW
by Lauren Walker
As Reviewed by
Nanette Littlestone
I
If you’re anything like me, you’re not an exercise person and you don’t do yoga. But not only is this book easy to read and full of fascinating information, it makes you want to take care of your body. Our bodies are the ones on this journey through life, not our spirits, and when we “allow” our bodies to process on their own time, that alignment between body and spirit can happen, and happen faster. Lauren Walker’s The Energy Medicine Yoga Prescription gives you the perfect tools for embracing that journey. Energy Medicine Yoga (EMYoga) blends the power of energy medicine with the practice of yoga. “It is the energy that needs to heal first. Only then can everything else heal.” Walker explores how to feel energy, how to listen and talk to your body, the power of visualization, and the amazing benefits of Tapping (Emotional Freedom Technique). Then she explains the Five Elements and their relationship to your body. Every person is predominantly one element and knowing your primary element helps you understand how your particular system flows or becomes blocked, how your emotions cycle, and how you can release those blocks and emotions more quickly. To determine your element, take the self-inventory test on page 39. Then consult the chart (pages 52-64) for specific ailments and their associated elements and refer to the beautifully illustrated exercises
(beginning on page 78) for element-related help for those issues. Throughout the book you’ll find highlighted Rx tips to speed your progress, plus many of the exercises in the book are available online at www.soundstrue.com/emyoga. If nothing else, Walker advises, do the Wake Up daily. You’ll feel charged and invigorated and ready for the new day. “You hold the key to healing inside yourself,” Walker says. “Your beliefs and ideas affect you more than any other single thing on the planet.” Through these exercises and the wonders of Energy Medicine, you can forge a new intimacy with your body, stop the destructive habits you’ve been practicing, and create supportive habits. In other words, EMYoga gives you the tools to create lasting change. Much of life is repetition, a continuing daily routine that perseveres despite our age. But Walker asks us to investigate how we perceive ourselves, how we love ourselves, how we feel. This is what composes a healthy EMYoga diet. Are you strong and resilient? Can you accomplish the things you want? Do you feel vibrantly alive? Those are the keys to a healthy body the EMYoga way.f Nanette Littlestone is a best-selling author, editor, writing coach, and publisher with Words of Passion, helping new and award-winning authors to write with passion and inspire others. Her published works include F.A.I.T.H. – Finding Answers in the Heart, Vols. I and II and The Sacred Flame. www.wordsofpassion.com
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Looking for something… special?
Wherever you may be on your spiritual journey, Unity North Atlanta has something special for you! With over 30 ministries ranging from our organic garden to our travel ministry headed to Machu Picchu next year, from our yoga and meditation classes to our lecture and workshop series featuring internationally recognized thought leaders, you’ll not only find what you want, but what you need. We believe in backing up our words with action, and we encourage everyone to have a voice. This is your journey after all, right? Welcome to Unity North Atlanta… welcome home!
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