Discover the path to a peaceful life among other living beings. We are all made of vibration and light in the universe to manifest our energy around all livingness.
Photo by ISABELLE RUEN
PHYLLIS KING
SHERI DETERMAN
ZEE
JOE SANTOS, JR.
ISABELLE RUEN
GREG DOHERTY
ARTIN MARDIROSIAN
EDWARD HAKOPIAN
ALEXIA MELOCCHI
Maryam Morrison
GRETA
PAZZAGLIA
SHERRI CORTLAND
Eden Magazine
The Eden Magazine is a free online publication focuses on spreading compassion to all Sentient Beings living in a healing and peaceful world
FOUNDER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MARYAM MORRISON
EXECUTIVE EDITOR/ CONTRIBUTING WRITER DINA MORRONE
COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR/ CONTRIBUTING WRITER ALEXIA MELOCCHI
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS ZEE PHYLLIS KING JOE SANTOS, JR. SHERRI CORTLAND HEIDI CONNOLLY
GUEST WRITER PHILIP SMITH
CONTRIBUTING STYLISTS + MAKEUP ARTIST EDWARD HAKOPIAN LISA JOY WALTON
GRAPHICS & PHOTOGRAPHY GREG DOHERTY BEN ROLLINS ISABELLE RUEN SHERI DETERMAN GRETA PAZZAGLIA ARTIN MARDIROSIAN (Nexision) JSQUARED PHOTOGRAPHY @J2PIX
WEBSITE www.theedenmagazine.com 325 N. Maple Dr. Po Box 5132 Beverly Hills, CA 90209
maryammorrison@theedenmagazine.com
By Phyllis King
By Sherri Corland
Stress: it’s something we all have and something we all struggle with in some capacity. It’s an unavoidable part of life. And we could all benefit from strategies to cope with it. In this article, we’re going to examine our stress. Let’s talk about exactly what stress is and learn life-changing strategies to help deal with it.
Stress is the result of our activity level surpassing our energy level. When this happens, we have two options: we can decrease our activity level — mental or physical activity, and the responsibilities we take on — or we can increase our energy. Option one — decreasing our activity level — is often not an option. After all, life comes with responsibilities and activities we need to fulfill for survival. Option two — raising our energy level — makes more sense, and we can take charge of this area.
There are four sources of energy: food/nourishment, sleep/ rest, exercise and breathing, and actively maintaining a calm state of mind (addressing our problems rather than avoiding them).
Often, we don’t realize how depleted we are feeling and how much all we take on and carry drains our energy. Take a moment to think about situations in your life that stress you out. What springs to mind?
Once you’ve identified your sources of stress, you’ll quickly surmise that while you may be able to eliminate some stressors, most of your responsibilities are not going to go away any time soon. The way to cope with stressors in life is to increase our energy. How do we do that? Let’s look closer at our energy sources.
Number one is the food we eat. We often eat food to fill our bellies, but we don’t necessarily choose quality foods that provide energy and nourishment. We reach for overly processed foods that spike our insulin levels or stimulants such as caffeine-laden coffee or chocolate, or other sugary treats that give us a little boost. We often choose carb-heavy comfort foods that make us sluggish over nutrient-rich foods that give us the energy we need to get through a stressful day.
Sleep is our second source of energy. Often, without realizing it, we deprive ourselves of quality sleep. Quality sleep is crucial in helping to raise our energy levels to sustain our day-to-day activities. It’s when we rejuvenate, replenish, and repair our bodies after the wear and tear of the day. Through poor sleep hygiene, we deprive ourselves of
much-needed sleep. Eating just before bed, for example, stimulates the metabolism, which, in turn, keeps us awake. Exercising before bed also raises our energy levels and gets in the way of sleep. And these days, a growing source of poor sleep hygiene is technology. Though it may feel relaxing, binge-watching movies or TV shows on our laptops or phones or scrolling through Facebook and other social media just before closing our eyes stimulates our minds and can keep us awake into the wee hours rather than helping us wind down and fall asleep peacefully.
We need to realize that, especially when our day has been super active, we need to define a period of time before we go to bed where we wind down and arrive at a place of calmness, ready for rest, relaxation, and deep, quality sleep. No TV, reading, or catching up on social media. Your bedroom is really for two things: intimate recreational activities and sleep.
Our third source of energy is exercise and breathing. One reason we feel so great after a workout is that exercise forces us to take full, deep body breaths. Throughout the day, especially when we’re under stress, we’re running around, taking short and shallow breaths, no deeper than chest level. This is an unhealthy breathing pattern, as the resulting lack of oxygen to the muscles prevents us from feeling our best.
When we do cardio, Pilates, or yoga, or go for a brisk walk or run, we are forcing our bodies to counter the stress response of short and shallow breaths. We’re literally going deeper, breathing more deeply. These deep breaths restore and rejuvenate every muscle in the body and calm the mind. But we don’t need exercise to breathe a little deeper. Thoughtfully, from time to time throughout your day, take a moment and pay attention to your breath. Breathe deeply. You will feel your stress level lower immediately.
This brings us to the fourth and final source of energy: a calm state of mind. But how do we get there? Doesn’t just hearing someone tell you to calm down the stress you out? One of the goals of A Deeper Wellness is to help you clean up your life and foster a calm state of mind by addressing issues, dealing with past hurts or disappointments, and looking at life in new ways to help deal with situations, feelings, and challenges that are problematic in your life. Am I paying my taxes on time? Am I dealing with relationship struggles? Am I doing okay at work? Am I taking care of myself?
Just as exercise and breathing calm the mind, so too does meditation. Spending some quality time with
them can lead you to a calm state of mind. When you spend time with yourself, alone with your thoughts, what comes up? Are you worried about things? Are you stressed out? Do you ruminate, imagining worst-case scenarios? Or are you feeling at peace? Can you plant a seed of hope for good in your own life and the world? It’s important to prioritize yourself and begin to introduce self-care that allows you to feel calm and at peace in your daily life.
Explore the four sources of energy in your life and where you are — and are not — prioritizing yourself and practicing good self-care.
Are your food habits good, fair, or problematic? Do they need some attention? Do alcohol, drugs, or other substance habits negatively impact your energy level and/ or quality of life? Examine the quality of your sleep. Are you getting enough sleep? Are you prioritizing it? Do you struggle with serious insomnia or other sleep issues that should be addressed?
Look at your exercise regimens and breathing habits. Are you getting some exercise every day? Are you paying attention to your breath, or rushing around throughout the day stressed, taking short, shallow breaths? What is your state of mind? Are you addressing things from the past that bother you? Are you forgiving people; are you forgiving yourself? Do you have compassion for how heavy your life can sometimes feel?
The answers to these questions will give you a snapshot of your current energy-enhancing habits and routines — aspects of your life that impact your sources of energy — right now.
One of Canada’s highest-rated clinical psychologists, Dr. Monica Vermani provides a multi-faceted treatment approach in treating adolescents and adults suffering from trauma/abuse, mood, anxiety, substance addictions, and other related conditions and disorders, as well as family and couples therapy. She employs a dynamic range of techniques and evidence based treatment modalities, including psychotherapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness Meditation, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprogramming (EMDR). Dr. Vermani believes that good mental health doesn’t just happen; it deserves the same time, attention, understanding, and effort as our physical well-being. Dr. Vermani’s latest book, A Deeper Wellness: Conquering Stress, Mood, Anxiety and Traumas, and its companion online, A Deeper Wellness Life Lessons mental health program, provides the tools to create a deep, authentic sense of wellness and wellbeing. Over the last several months, she has been featured on media outlets such as CTV News, News Channel 8 WFLA | Great 38 WTTA | Bloom, Well and Good, HuffPost, Martha Stewart, CNN Health, and she publishes her own blog on Psychology Today, A Deeper Wellness.
By Dina Morrone
My interview with Cristina and Paul has been a highlight of 2022. They are so enthusiastic and devoted to sharing their stories and vast knowledge with the world through photography and images. Hearing them speak was powerful, and I must admit, I was quite moved. Their passion for their work and love for the planet and all sentient beings is on another level. And their commitment to ensuring future generations will inherit healthy oceans is an absolute must and a priority for them!
I encourage all our readers to please get involved. Whether it's a signature on a petition, a financial donation or a contribution, or to learn more about what you can do to make a difference, please share this interview, or visit SeaLegacy.org.
"This is our last stand for our planet - this is it! If we can't get this right now, what will we leave for future generations? I think half the species on the planet are already dead through extinction, and we're facing the next big extinction." ~ Paul Nicklen
Photo by Chris Ryan Location; British Columbia, Canada
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The work we do aims to be a reminder that we do live on a beautiful planet that is worth protecting. But it's more than that. It's the spaceship carrying all of humanity across the universe, and the wildlife we share this planet with are our fellow passengers.
When did you first pick up a camera, and what was your subject?
Cristina The truth is, I didn't pick up a camera until I was in my mid-20s. I was already a mother and married, and I picked up a camera only by accident.
Paul: Growing up in Baffin Island, my mom had a dark room inside one of our closets where we kept all our dried food because our groceries came once a year by ship. I was always in awe of my mother, but it wasn't until I was 16 that she let me use her Pentax K1000, a very manual camera. I never knew that the world of becoming a photographer would be open to me. I started shooting underwater for the first time when I was 19 years old when I went to the University of Victoria.
Cristina: Some photographers are enamored with the equipment and have stories about their parents giving them Brownie cameras. I've always been artistic and love so many aspects of art, including writing, painting, and music, and I didn't know that I would be good with a camera. It was a total surprise to realize that you can create images and imagine images before you even shoot.
Paul: The thing about photography is that it's so subjective. I'm not able to put any of my work on the wall because I'm too critical and pick it apart. With photography, it's a journey. It's not like a sport where you can say, "I've got the fastest time."
I love the moments with the animals and nature and being lost in it, but I never sit and say, "Wow, that's an amazing shot. I took that." For me, you're always a student of nature. Nature is the perfect art, so you're trying to do it justice. You're trying to celebrate it, and sometimes you get an image worthy of the scene in front of you. It's ongoing growth.
At what point did you know photography was more than just taking pictures?
Cristina: For me, it was early on. Photography has the power to captivate people's attention. We are naturally curious as to how the image is made. What is the witchcraft that allows water to blur across a frame? I always thought it was easier to engage people's attention to the important conversation about protecting nature.
When I first attended photography, seminars were male-dominated, and even within the nature photography realm, it was very action-oriented and competitive. Who has the best growling bear? Who got the best shot? I didn't think about it that way. I really wanted it to be artistic, poetic, and captivating.
Paul: I was at the University of Victoria. I had all my scientific professors who are the world authority in their various fields, whether it's salmon or, in this case, invertebrate life in British Columbia. I was diving and showed a few of my pictures to my professor, a world expert, post-doc with a Ph.D., and he was blown away.
My professor wasn't a diver. He was drawing these animals for the class on a chalkboard. But my images could be of value to connect an underworld to the above world. You realize that very few people get to explore the ocean, and with a camera, you can bring the ocean to everyone.
Paul, what do you love that is uniquely Canadian, and what about being Canadian has shaped the person you've become?
Paul: I have a lot to be thankful for about my upbringing. I was shaped more by the Inuit of Baffin Island, which doesn't get more Canadian. People have been living on and connected to the land for 20,000 years. When you grow up in a community where you're one of three or four non-Inuit families, and you have no television, no radio, and your entire time is spent outside on the sea ice playing with your Inuit friends, you learn two things, A) survival skills, B) to develop the right-brain creative side of oral storytelling, visual storytelling, and drawing.
When I was 11, one of my drawings was in the Ottawa Museum of Civilization. I was sent there because I loved drawing and connecting visually with this incredible polar world. I'd say those two things shaped me the most, survival skills and being tough. I say the skill I'm better at than any photographer in the world is I'm better at freezing and being miserable. I'm good when you can't feel your feet or hands, and you get frostbite. Your ears are frozen. Your cheeks are frozen. I'm in a happy place, still working through it all. I attribute a lot of that toughness to my Inuit friends, who taught me to suck it up and keep going, not only when diving under sea ice that is 10 feet thick and the
water temperature is -1.5. You not only have to survive, you also have to create art, for some of the most discerning magazines in the world, like National Geographic.
Cristina, did someone in your family, in Mexico, inspire you to embark on this journey?
Cristina: Yes. I loved growing up in Mexico, and I love everything about Mexican culture and tradition and our history going back thousands of years. My father loved the ocean. He grew up in a coastal town in the coastal city of Tampico in the Gulf of Mexico. He's the one who taught me how to swim in the ocean, how not to be afraid, but be respectful of the ocean. My mother is the one who is an artist.
She's a painter, she plays guitar, and she's always had this tremendous appreciation for the great Mexican artists, people like Alfaro Siqueiros or Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. We used to go to museums and visit their works of art, to take it in, and to be proud of being Mexican and having this incredible artistic heritage. She always encouraged that. Today, as a Mexican artist, I feel the weight of that responsibility to carry on with these Mexican traditions.
How do you stay grounded in your work when I'm sure you get very emotional seeing firsthand the beauty you encounter and the flip sidethe perils of our planet and what lies beneath our waters?
Paul: Most people stand on the beach, look out at the ocean and see the sun reflecting on the water and think, "All is well in the world." But when you put on a dive mask and lower your face an inch below the surface, you see a different world. You see ocean acidification, bleaching and dying coral reefs, a 95% decline in big fish, and 100 million sharks killed yearly.
Once you go down the path of caring for this planet, you carry a hefty weight on your shoulders. I think we stay grounded by being active. If we were inactive, we would get very down and depressed. We work tirelessly daily to connect the global audience to the most significant issues facing our planet and request people to come on a journey with us to help drive change.
The only way we can deal with our climate-global-ocean-Earth anxiety is by taking action. That's what grounds us. What grounds me, from a humble point of view, is that I'm careful to tell my mother that even if I got my Honorary Doctorate yesterday, I'm reluctant to tell her because she'll tell me I'm getting a big head. We all need that mother and that person in our lives to bring us back to Earth, and Cristina's mother is the same way with her.
Of all the places you have traveled, in search of the perfect image, please tell us one of the places that stands out the most and why.
Cristina: Paul and I are very guilty of falling in love with every place we visit. Many years ago, I went to University in the Gulf of California and Northern Mexico and always wanted to return. As an artist, I wanted to return with Paul so he could see for himself this special place.
Several months ago, we arrived in Mexico on our boat, the SeaLegacy1. I don't think we were ready for the abundance of life and the magnificence of the wildlife that lives in the Gulf of California because it's been so overly exploited by the industrial fishing fleet. I was not expecting to encounter blue whales, 15 minutes away from the beach bar, millions of Mobula Rays jumping out of the water, and sharks. It was mind-blowing.
Paul: For me, it's a no-brainer to think of South Georgia, Antarctica, where no animal is afraid of you. If you could design the perfect habitat for a wildlife lover, photographer, and artist, that would be it. You walk into the most beautiful canvas you've ever seen when you've got a backdrop of 9,000-foot mountains, knowing the history of Shackleton. To walk onto the beaches where there are 10,000 elephant seals and 10,000 fur seals. You walk up over a little rise and see 300,000 king penguins filling an entire valley floor stacked so tight. You sit down, and the second you do, animals come and sit on your lap, or baby elephant seals come and sleep against you. You can't imagine. If there is a heaven, for me, it would be that. It would be that moment where you are immersed and surrounded by the most beautiful, charismatic megaphone on the planet. For me, it's definitely South Georgia.
Cristina: The work we do aims to be a reminder that we do live on a beautiful planet that is worth protecting. But it's more than that. It's the spaceship carrying all of humanity across the universe, and the wildlife we share this planet with are our fellow passengers.
Paul: I meditate in nature, just by virtue of sitting on a mountaintop and looking out over vast expanses of land. My eyes are focused on looking for bears and animals. I enter a deep state of concentration. The most powerful journey I've ever been on was when I lived on the open barren lands for three months with just the wolves, bears, and musk oxen. I didn't see another
human for three months. It was like entering into a constant state of meditation. The physical aspect of walking 20 to 40 kilometers a day with a heavy pack, sitting there and looking day in and day out for wildlife, and the 24 hours of sunlight floating down these beautiful Arctic Rivers, you are in a constant state of meditation. It's amazing how your senses become attuned to the environment around you.
It's like becoming a wild animal. I could look up and see a wolf that's five miles away running across the ridge line with my open eyes. I wouldn't have been able to do that before with my pair of binoculars. You become like a wild animal. For me, that's my favorite level. That's the deepest state of meditation that I will enter. It's definitely my church, my spiritual place. It's where I feel connected to life and Earth and everything around me. It's very, very powerful.
Cristina I would say it's the same for me, and to add to that, the opportunity that is so remarkable that we both have to spend time in the company of Indigenous people that are still connected to the operating system of planet Earth. You learn to be in place differently, in a way that doesn't see the world in nouns. Things are not nouns to be exploited. The tree, the bear, the whale, you learn to see it in verbs, how things work together.
The forest is alive because the salmon swim in the river because the bear forages for berries. So you learn to start seeing, like Indigenous people do, the ecosystem as a whole and not just in the parts that can be sold.
How do you inspire young children and young adults who want to pursue a career in photography to choose your line of work so that they will continue to tell the stories you are telling now about animals, nature, and sea life?
Paul: We both love mentoring and helping young photographers. The advice I have for young people now is very different from the advice I had, say, 10, 15 years ago when the whole goal of life was to make it into National Geographic as there was only that.
The chances of getting there were next to impossible, but if you did, your life was stressful but beautiful. Nowadays, young people will say, "I want to help. I want to do what you do." I tell them that the photography world is very different today. The entire visual storytelling world is fascinating, and if they want to get involved in making a difference on this planet, then they need to become a great writer.
To have the gift of being a good listener, a storyteller, and a writer is the greatest gift. I tell them they need to be able to communicate on social media, shoot and edit videos, take pictures, and use pictures and videos to understand graphic arts and to understand marketing. When you think of many of the best scientists in the world on the frontlines of conservation, they may not be the best communicators as they have a significantly developed left brain. They're looking at the world in numbers and math, and they can write scientific papers that will only be seen by a handful of their peers. If a young person with an incredibly diverse set of skills can communicate and transcend that and put that into the public media, they've added tremendous value for that scientist and ultimately, great value for storytelling and our planet. That's how we encourage young people.
Cristina: Back in 2004, nature photography didn't include any purpose in the action of taking photographs. I coined the term 'conservation photography' to get an active and purposeful art form to say taking photographs is not enough. If we want to change the world, we must make sure that those photographs are purposeful and seen by the people who can make decisions that change how we see the world.
The most valuable contribution I've been able to make is the idea of conservation photography. Today, so many thousands of young photographers find a compelling argument for getting involved in the profession to use their cameras as a tool to shine a light on the importance of protection.
In 2005, we built the International League of Conservation Photographers to provide a platform for photographers on environmental issues.
How do you find the right collaborators?
Cristina: There are a couple of kinds of collaboration. Our work, especially the work we do with SeaLegacy, is very much intended to benefit the conservation partners with whom we work. We look for smaller organizations that cannot afford to hire a team of the best photographers and filmmakers in the world but need the type of impact media we create to move the needle on whatever issues they're working with. We look for people that are working on the frontlines all over the world.
We currently have partners in Panama, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Mexico. Our plan with our boat, the SeaLegacy1, is to travel around the world and then working on the front-lines with our partners. As for our team, we need people that subscribe to the idea that storytelling
is valuable. For many people, it's hard to wrap their heads around the intrinsic value of convening around a story because it sounds far-fetched. Still, it is undeniably powerful. It builds constituencies that support what ministers, and decision-makers need to change the colonial legacy legislation that is very destructive to our planet.
This world is ours. It's not up to us to save the world. It's up to all of us collectively to work together.
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What will it take for the curriculum in schools to include a lot more about our oceans?
Cristina: Understanding the operation of our planet, as if it's a spaceship and we need to understand how to fly it, is a priority. Instead, from the time we are in school, we are taught how to exploit it. You study to become an engineer to find ways to exploit, not protect. It's a mindset that needs to shift completely. Every person that lives on this planet is an operator of the spaceship, and we need to understand how it works.
Paul: I was the main climate photographer for National Geographic about 21 years ago. At the time, I couldn't get a scientist to go on record to even say the words 'climate change.' When I was on a lecture tour in 2004 and 2005, I was asked to ease up on the word 'climate change' as it would upset the audience.
The fact that we're all talking about climate change now and about the loss of coral reefs, we are moving in the right direction. The problem is that nowadays, we are inundated with noise with social media. At times it's as if Science almost doesn't matter. It becomes about everyone's opinions. Also, world leaders play a big part as they can have a serious impact by accepting Science or dismissing it.
How do we rally adults and government who will not listen to the facts?
Cristina: We believe that the power of the people is greater than
the people in power. If we can galvanize inspiration, passion, and then action, on behalf of our planet in all corners of the world, to push the people in power to make the decisions that we, the people, demand of a living planet, that's the purpose of our work.
We focus a lot of our effort on creating action in young people coming of age to vote and demand the change we need in the next ten years. We don't have any more time. We have to focus on all of it now.
Where do you feel most at home and in your comfort zone?
Cristina: At home in Nanoose Bay, British Columbia.
Paul: Diving and disappearing for two hours underwater to sit with the fish. That's where I'm most at home.
What do you eat when you're on expeditions?
Cristina: We keep it simple. We eat a lot of grains. On the boat, we have a storage of fresh vegetables. We have a bilge where you can keep stone fruit and root vegetables for a long time. We found this farm that does freeze-dried vegetables. They last forever in sealed cans, and then they're restored with water and last for years, and they're delicious.
Paul: I wouldn't say we're vegan or vegetarian, but we're massive reducetarian.
What is the solution to the growing demand for seafood and overfishing?
Cristina: The wild stocks of fish that are left in the ocean should be left there because they're part of the carbon cycle that keeps our planet alive. The food that's necessary for people to survive-- and the fish in the ocean should also be available to coastal communities with no other options.
The rest of us who have an option should eat a lot lower in the food chain. There should be enormous investments in the right aquaculture technology to grow fish, not in ocean pens, where they pollute. They breed parasites and viruses, but in land-based facilities where the water is treated and not returned to the ocean or polluted and contaminated and where we're not feeding aquaculture fish with more ocean fish and wild fish. We need to figure out the aquaculture bit in a way that doesn't destroy the ocean.
Paul: When you think about it, at an Atlantic salmon fish farm, originally brought in because we thought it was a healthy solution, it takes anywhere from two to four pounds of wild fish to make one pound of farm fish. When you have hundreds of millions of pounds of farm fish growing worldwide every year, that's maybe a billion pounds of wild fish in the form of anchovies and herring, which is also used for chicken feed.
There are many innovative companies making great strides in sustainable aquaculture. What's being done in this sector is a big part of the solutions we need.
What do you want our readers to know about SeaLegacy.org, which you co-founded in 2014?
Paul: I go back to the phrase Cristina and I keep saying, that 'the power of the people is greater than the people in power.' If you're sitting there frustrated, scared, and helpless, the strength of SeaLegacy. org is a convening spot. We will provide the campaign, purpose, and call to action. We're only as effective as people willing to come and get involved, whether it's lending a small dollar donation, sharing on social media, or something as simple as talking to the principal at school and demanding they no longer use plastic.
This world is ours. It's not up to us to save the world. It's up to all of us collectively to work together. Everyone has petition fatigue, but when you go to SeaLegacy.org or our social media, you will see that we've had many incredible wins through petitions. For example, we were just able to ban the mile-long death nets off the coast of California because of the power of the people. We were able to get 125,000
signatures. These mile-long nets kill turtles, dolphins, and whales indiscriminately through the night.
People need to get involved and open themselves up to becoming active in the conservation movement.
Please tell us why fishing for Swordfish creates this huge problem for other marine life?
Paul: There is high demand for Swordfish in restaurants, but it's a hard fish to catch on hook and line, so they use nets that are a mile long and about 100 feet deep. They cast them out at night, and they sit there all night. In a mile-long net, anything swimming by gets caught in it and tied. When you swim along with these nets, you see Thresher Sharks, Mako Sharks, Great Whites, Mobula rays, Stingrays, and a ton of Dolphins.
They're supposed to report all this bycatch, but we have, through our partners, The Turtle Island Restoration Network and Mercy For Animals, put observers on board and were able to film and witness the illegal sinking of Dolphins and to see Gray Whales dead wrapped up on a beach in nets, and Sea Lions dead in the nets. It's really sad. By the time a slab of Swordfish arrives on your plate, you have no idea you're a part of this problem. If you like to see this video and more please visit our YouTube channel the video called The Death Nets. It's horrific, gross, and terrifying. But it's that powerful visual storytelling that was able to push this over the edge and get this banned.
You said on your website that you fail 98% of the time. Can you please explain what you mean by that?
Paul: When I wake up in the morning and say, 'I'm going to go shoot the most powerful image for the most discerning magazine in the world,' there's a 98% chance that I'm going to fail. I did a wolf story for National Geographic, which took over three months, and I only saw wolves for five days. I only photographed them for three days, and I only had two good days of shooting out of those 90 days. That's a typical shoot.
Cristina Mittermeier & Paul Nicklen, and the crew onboard the SeaLegacy1 for capturing images of the life onboard.
Many of Paul and Cristina's images shown here are available as limited edition prints at: www.paulnicklen.com and ww.cristinamittermeier.com.
By Gail Lynn
The secrets of the ancients may hold the key to solving the problems of the present and the future.
After years of extensive research and design that draws from sacred geometry, Nikola Tesla's theories of 3, 6, and 9, heliotherapy, chromotherapy, and bio-resonant frequencies, inventor and author Gail Lynn's patented Harmonic Egg® is rolling out in the hundreds across the United States and around the world.
Designed to promote healing and wellness in those suffering from seemingly hopeless afflictions, Gail Lynn's Harmonic Egg® is now used by health practitioners, from nurses to chiropractors. She opened her first therapy center in Colorado in 2010, and now the technology can be found in virtually every major U.S. city and beyond.
In her book Unlocking the Ancient Secrets to Healing, Gail details her journey into the compelling field of light and sound therapy, her experience with alternate medicines, the yearslong process of developing the Harmonic Egg®, and explains the science behind the egg.
Key Infromation:
• Light and sound therapy is a growing field: people worldwide are seeking new breakthrough remedies to promote healing and wellness. Gail Lynn is innovating in a field of holistic practice which sees little evolution.
• The Harmonic Egg® is broadening access to therapy: sound baths and therapies have existed in one form or another for centuries, but the proliferation of the compact and purpose-built egg means more people than ever before have access to therapies once considered exclusive or hard to find.
What is the science behind energy medicine and the emerging therapies of sound and light? It's a question I have found myself having to answer on many occasions these days. The term is not well defined and linked with pseudo-scientific ideas about healing, not helped by the increasing number of unqualified "quacks" calling themselves energy healers. Despite this, "energy medicine" has recently gone mainstream, its roots are ancient, and there is plenty of evidence backed by scientific research for its value and efficacy.
Let's start with a credible definition. The US government's lead agency for research on non-conventional medicine, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), describes energy medicine as the "act of channeling and manipulating the energy that courses through your body to heal it." And the truth is that many well-renowned institutions across the US now have departments practicing and researching "energy" in the body, including UCLA, The Cleveland Clinic, and John Hopkins.
At the same time, growing numbers of people are experiencing for themselves the potential healing benefits of sound, light, and color as medicine, an adjunct to other "energetic" healing methods, and I only see those numbers growing in importance and usage. We can all agree that Western medicine has made tremendous scientific breakthroughs, but it is not a panacea. Some of us, sick and tired of not living to our full potential, are open to other healing modalities that
complement and sometimes replace the western medical paradigm.
My team of scientists and engineers have leaned into the ancient and current cutting-edge science of sound, light, and frequencies to develop a pod that promotes healing by harnessing their effects on our emotional, mental, and physical states. The thousands of people who have tried it attest to its benefits.
For centuries, mystics argued that sound creates matter and that all things, from the biggest planet to the smallest seed, are coagulations of sound waves; in effect, the world reflects infinite combinations of sound patterns. Scientists who examined these ancient teachings agree that the galaxies are not randomly arranged but are gravitationally bound patterns of clusters. And now, new research suggests that primordial sounds from the moment immediately following the big bang created this cluster pattern. Just as the human body is a cluster pattern of matter, certain instruments affect the body in specific ways. For example, the sound wave of the flute is the most primordial sound wave used by the ancients for healing. The Bible tells us that young David's harp music was the only thing that soothed the tormented soul of King Saul.
In our research, we see the different waveforms of instruments affecting the matter of the body, bringing harmony and balance to the organs and systems of those who try our sound and light therapy pod. By bringing balance to the organs and systems, we create an environment for the body to self-heal.
According to the Greek philosopher Pythagoras, who lived around 2,500 years ago, music contributes significantly to health. The earliest known culture to use sound healing for health was the Aboriginal people of Australia. Playing the didgeridoo was believed to help heal broken bones, muscle tears, and other illnesses. Sound healing has gained traction in the modern world thanks to the pioneering research of sound healers like Jonathan Goldman, Dr. John Beaulieu, and Kay Gardner.
Dr. Beaulieu was involved in a study titled, Sound Therapy Induced Relaxation: Down Regulating Stress Processes and Pathologies. The study showed that music-induced positive emotions and subsequent relaxation in patients centering on music's ability to reduce feelings of anxiety, stress, and numerous other pathologies. The study also proposes that nitric oxide (NO) is the molecule chiefly responsible for these physiological and psychological relaxing effects.
Furthermore, the importance of this molecule extends beyond the mechanistic; it is integral to the development of the process that it mediates. Nitric oxide aids the development of the auditory system participating in cochlear blood flow and the induced exhibited physiological effects.
Interestingly, various tissues from vertebrates and invertebrates respond to external signal molecules by rapidly releasing nitric oxide (NO) when exposed to music. Not all music produces these results, though, so when creating music for our sound and light therapy pod, I consult with musicians with high heart energy to produce music tracks imbued with love.
Further proof of music's health benefits was revealed in 2015 by Dr. Dominique Surel, the Dean of Faculty and a professor at Energy Medicine University (EMU, California). As a Council Member of the Society for Scientific Exploration (SSE) and Co-Founder of the World Institute for Scientific
Light and color are essential to our health and well-being. Light nourishes the body and stimulates and supports our important endocrine system, organs, and immune system.
,,
Exploration (WISE), she gave a lecture on the Power of Sound and Music aa conference in Helsinki, in which she shared evidence from a slew of scientific studies. For example, she described how music listening impacted the psychobiological stress system, releasing endorphins and increasing the body's pain tolerance. When music is listened to before a stress-filled situation, the autonomic nervous system, the unconscious part of us that controls our physiological reactions to stress, is impacted to a lesser degree.
In 2013, the Journal of Pediatrics published a study demonstrating that mothers who sing lullabies to premature babies reduce stress levels in the child. The babies' heartbeats slowed, the babies became calmer, and the blood oxygen saturation increased. Another study commissioned by Baltimore Hospital Coronary Care Unit, revealed that 30 minutes of classical music produces the same effect on the body as 10 mg of the pain killer Valium. In contrast, a Johns Hopkins University study showed Rock music causes people to eat more food and eat it faster.
In her Helsinki lecture, Dr. Surel spoke about the work of French musician, composer, acupuncturist, and researcher, Fabien Maman, who was the first to link music with acupuncture. He created a system that uses tuning forks instead of needles on acupuncture command points. Maman described Sound Therapy as a "treatment based on the finding that human blood cells respond to sound frequencies by changing color and shape."
Maman hypothesized that sick or rogue cells could be healed or harmonized by sound. Light and color are essential to
our health and well-being. Light nourishes the body and stimulates and supports our important endocrine system, organs, and immune system. We are, in essence, beings of light and vibration from the source. We require color and light to support our innate ability to self-heal. Dr. Jacob Liberman trained as an optometrist and vision scientist and is a pioneer in studying light, vision, and consciousness. Dr. Liberman writes about treating cancer, AIDS, and other illnesses using color and light, which he calls "an essential nutrient."
In The Ancient Art of Color Therapy, Linda Clark outlines the possibility that colors link to replenishing vitamins for the body. For example, she suggests reds and oranges can replenish B vitamins, and yellow can replenish vitamin A.
While I have been able to outline only a handful of the most significant evidence demonstrating the significance of energy medicine and sound and light therapies, research continues with many scientists exploring the efficacy of sound, light, and frequencies as powerful healing tools. The ancients' intuitive understanding of sound and light on human physical and emotional states is finally receiving attention and study. We are at the beginning of our knowledge of energy medicine as a complement to healing techniques. I hope this information sparks your mind to explore energy medicine for yourself, be discerning, and ask questions about how your body will best benefit from the many available options.
Photos by AdobeStock
Gail Lynn is a veteran of the highintensity automotive, telecom, and film industries, bringing decades of practical business experience to her field. These same careers, coupled with trying personal relationships, took their toll on Gail’s physical, emotional, and spiritual health. In the search for answers which conventional medicine could not provide, she discovered light and sound therapy. In the hopes that others would find new hope in the same therapies which worked for her, she was determined to carve out her own niche in a field saturated with empty promises and a fear of radical change.
Gail is a true trailblazer in the area of holistic practice.
https://harmonicegg.com/author/ gaillynn/
Could believing that be an obstacle? For many people, yes. Why?
Because if I believe that granting forgiveness to someone who hurt me, and for whom I still hold a grudge, is a gift to that person, an inner voice will immediately arise to say, “NO, no way! I’m not making him or her that gift! I was hurt; I suffered a lot, so don’t count on me to grant forgiveness.” In thinking that way, I’m convinced I’m punishing the other by refusing forgiveness. I believe it’s that person who will suffer now.
Is this a fair way to see things? Actually, not really. In fact, not at all.
If I am physically attacked and
wounded, not taking care of myself will make me suffer first. If the other person has a change of mind, that person might also be affected. But they may also not care less or may never know about it. In the same way, if my heart was hurt, if I suffered things that deeply affected me in my emotional integrity (not the physical one), refusing to heal – which means refusing to grant forgiveness since forgiveness is described here as healing the wounds of the heart – is mainly going to make me suffer. I’m the one who will go on poisoning myself with hatred, resentment, and the desire for revenge. I’m the one who will spend months, years, maybe decades with open and painful wounds in my emotional body. I’m the one who will have a wounded heart, emotional cysts, and an emotional handicap.
Will the person who hurt me suffer from my refusal to grant forgiveness? Not sure. It varies a lot from one person to another. While some would like to be forgiven for their wrongs one day, others really don’t care. However, it’s true that from a spiritual point of view, my hatred – which is a negative energy though an invisible one – will do no good to the person to whom I send it. It’s a kind of psychological attack that may sometimes have tangible effects. Except that by going through me first before reaching its goal, I would be the one to have to pay the most for it. Secondly, it will inevitably have an effect on all of my other relationships, including those I am closest to, who would also, indirectly, pay the highest price. Because yes, the human heart is one, and if it exudes hatred on one side, it cannot box itself off and express pure and unstained love on the other side.
Thirdly, all the negative energy I express – just like everything I sow with my thoughts, my intentions, and my feelings –is going to attract similar energies to me, therefore negative ones too, and I risk locking myself into a vicious infernal circle.
Do I really want that? No, obviously not. And most of us fall into that trap out of sheer ignorance of its mechanics and consequences.
The best way to avoid this obstacle is precisely to be aware of the fact that forgiveness is, first and foremost, something we do for ourselves! We for-
give to free ourselves from the poison of hatred, to heal our own wounds, and to cure our own hearts. We forgive in order not to remain crippled in our hearts and unable to love again fully, even those who are closest.
What’s difficult here lies in the fact that resentment is a link. In French, there is, in fact, the expression, Je t’en veux – unknown in other languages –that I find very expressive. It literally means I use my will on you. It means I have a hold on you through a link of resentment and hatred. I don’t want to let you go because of what you’ve done to me. If I ever for-gave you, I’d relinquish this link, I’d free you . . . No way! So I continue to hold it against you, and the link of resentment I cultivate chains me to you, therefore, limits me. To get rid of this link and to be able to heal oneself, it’s necessary to make the distinction between two levels, two dimensions within us that we tend to confuse and mix up: our heart and our mind. As we’ll go deeper into this matter later, implementing forgiveness (healing our hearts) does not mean becoming an idiot intellectually and making stupid decisions. I can forgive... and bring a legal charge against someone.
I forgive everything . . . but I leave nothing out!”, said one of my spiritual mentors. “I forgive everything” means “I refuse to poison myself with the venom of hatred, so I do “what’s necessary to heal my heart.” And “leaving nothing out” means “I also don’t lack judgment and common sense.
If my heart was hurt, if I suffered things that deeply affected me in my emotional integrity (not the physical one), refusing to heal – which means refusing to grant forgiveness since forgiveness is described here as healing the wounds of the heart – is mainly going to make me suffer.
I know that what you’ve done is unacceptable. So, without hatred, I do what is needed so that you’re confronted with the consequences of your actions.”
I’ll go deeper into this main subject later. What’s important for you to understand while tackling this specific obstacle is that you can forgive, you can make this gift to yourself, and grant yourself the healing of your emotional wounds without necessarily freeing the others – those who hurt you – from the legal consequences of their actions. Yes, you free them from your hatred since you’re the first one to get something out of it. But you don’t necessarily give the others a blank check that would shield them from all responsibility. So, you must make the difference between two important things to protect yourself from this obstacle:
• a first difference between how we act towards ourselves and towards others: what do I plan to do for myself, to heal myself, to recover my integrity? And what will I do towards the person who did me wrong? These are two very different things that you must deal with separately, making the distinction between them. The choice is not between “I suffer to make the other suffer” or “I heal, but in the process, I free the other.” There is a third way to deal with this: “I heal, I take care of myself . . . but I keep a free hand on acting towards the other as required by the wrong committed.”
• a second difference between what happens in my heart and in my mind: instead of the
two working together (either negatively, “I don’t forget and I condemn”, or positively “I forgive and accept”), I develop their respective autonomy: my heart forgives, heals, and recovers its integrity and flow, while my mind keeps all its ability to judge and makes the fair decisions that are required to protect my heart, and puts the people concerned in front of their responsibility. We shall see that this is the condition for the inner couple “heart/ mind” to take their full space instead of alternatively submitting one to the other while our decisions err one way or the other.
Once this third obstacle is put aside, the word forgiveness should automatically mean something that does you good! The center of gravity of this word would stop being on the same level as the other person, what that person says or does, what that person deserves or not, to reposition it on ourselves: how do I want to live? What state do I want to be in? How can I heal? Once I’ve healed myself, the decisions I make concerning others are not dictated by my hatred or resentment anymore: they can therefore be more objective and fairer because they come from a space within me that has calmed down.
Bear this in mind: when you forgive, you are, first and foremost, freeing yourself. The opposite, holding a grudge, is a dangerous form of emotional constipation. Would forgiveness be an emotional laxative?
Here is an unexpected metaphor, though very significant, to add to the others!
He is the founder of the international program Circles of Forgiveness, based on his life-changing experiences in Mexico with don Miguel Ruiz.
With his wife, he created a yearly conference on forgiveness and founded the Association Pardon International (API).
The author of The Gift of Forgiveness lives in Cluny, France.
the term “friend” is often misused. I
of the most amazing people ever.
There are a few defining moments in each person’s life; some are obvious, like graduation, marriage, or the birth of a first child. Other turning points come when you least expect them and change the trajectory of your life. It was one of those unforeseen moments that led to a most memorable friendship, which was filled with wisdom, love, and plenty of life lessons.
It was a friendship that could not have been any timelier. Being a third-generation workaholic, I was busy with ten-hour workdays and a laundry list of to-dos. Having a large family only complicated the schedule, and life could only be described as Fast and Furious meets Cheaper by the Dozen Things were so crazy that I didn’t even stop to see just how crazy they were.
It was 2012, and I had just started working on a book entitled Age to Perfection: How to Thrive to 100 Happy, Healthy, and Wise. Writing a book is hard, but writing a book while working full-time and being a mother of school-age children can be a monumental task. After many long hours digging through the scientific research on longevity, I had an idea, one that later seemed obvious. It was to take my questions to the real experts—the centenarians themselves. When I asked my research assistant to find seniors over 100, I feared it would be impossible to find one, let alone several who were able to carry on a meaningful conversation. My incorrect assumption was that people over 100 would be cognitively imparted, physically unable, or otherwise unwilling to participate. On the contrary, my assistant surprised me with several centenarians who were of sound mind and very actively engaged in life. What I discovered during the interview process was
nothing short of amazing. These people didn’t know one another, but their answers were eerily similar. They spoke of the importance of being social, all believed in a higher power (although they were of varied religious backgrounds), and they knew the importance of eating right and exercising. To say they were delightful would be an understatement. Somehow, they all exuded the joy of life and deep gratitude, regardless of the trials they had faced along the way. Tough as nails and as soft and sweet as fresh cotton candy, all at the same time.
Before the book was complete, I had another idea. This time I visited an elementary school classroom. When the young children were asked what they thought it took to live to 100, they quickly answered, completely confident in their responses. They knew inherently that having friends, spending time with family, having strong muscles, and eating fruits and vegetables were all important. It was as if we’re born knowing what our body needs and those that can remember and follow the plan have the best chance at survival. We may think we all have it figured out by middle age, but the very young and very old seem to possess real wisdom.
One centenarian I interviewed, Lucille Fleming, became my best friend. I met her just after her 100th birthday, and that meeting was a defining moment in my life. She was spry and funny, understanding, and wise. Dressed like someone straight out of old Hollywood, each day, she wore a coordinating ribbon around her neck and a flower on her lapel. Even after a century of life, Lucille also felt compelled to wear heels and a dress or skirt. She celebrated each day by gifting it with all she had to offer.
,,In this world of modern technology and social media,
was fortunate enough to find a best friend and be a best friend to one
What started as a chance meeting became weekly lunches and then almost daily conversations. My meetings with her were the only additions to my calendar that didn’t speed my life up but rather slowed it down. Our time together was the antidote for workaholism. Each conversation was lived in the moment and savored. During our outings, we also befriended some of the most interesting people, and soon I found the outside world much more interesting than my profession of building a medical clinic.
When it came time for me to go out on a book tour for Age to Perfection, Lucille went with me. It started with a local morning show, but it took no time at all for her to catch the media bug. Soon enough, we were jet-setting across the country. She loved it, every minute of it. I loved it too.
Once, we entered a television studio in Memphis, her flowing and colorful skirt trailing behind her as she lifted her large sunglasses, batted her false eyelashes, and promptly told the kind lady at the front desk, “let them know the talent is here.” We laughed about that moment time and time again.
Our friendship had blossomed over the years as we shared stories and secretes, each swearing to take those secrets to our grave. There were fun times, sad times, and everything in between. We dined at some of the best restaurants, met the most amazing people, and even shared the stage with Suzanne Somers. Lucille passed away two weeks shy of her 104th birthday. I learned in those four years that true friendship knows no age.
Lucille taught me many life lessons, each seemingly more important than the last. Her friendship was so powerful, and those lessons so timely that I will forever remember them in my memoir Love, Life, and Lucille: Lessons Learned from a Centenarian, a book that takes the reader with us
on our journey. Suzanne Somers was kind enough to write the foreword. Lucille was just what I needed when I needed it. Her life sped up while mine slowed down. Our friendship changed my life and broke the generational curse of workaholism. She reminded me of the truly important things in life. Even now, as a CEO, I often make decisions based on the lessons she taught me. I also react a little slower, giving me time to think before I speak.
Lucille never met a stranger and could get a life story out of just about anyone. As I sat witness to these incredible conversations, I realized that everyone has a backstory. It’s that backstory that colors our decisions and reactions. Knowing and understanding this truth has given me great patience and grace with those who may not act or react the way I may. It’s also within that acceptance that I’ve allowed others to enrich my life with what they uniquely bring to the conversation.
In this world of modern technology and social media, the term “friend” is often misused. I was fortunate enough to find a best friend and be a best friend to one of the most amazing people ever. Lucille taught me the meaning of friendship as we laughed like old schoolgirls and cried together when the other one hurt. We shared an unconditional bond that will forever be part of my story.
I know that life can beat you down, and sometimes it’s hard to remember who you are or what your purpose in life should be. For anyone who thinks they’re too washed up, too old, too burnt out, or that they just don’t have it anymore—take a lesson from Lucille. Even after a hundred years and a lifetime of ups and downs, she was able to reinvent herself as a longevity expert. If you still have breath in you, then you still have a purpose. Find that purpose and embrace it. Who knows, you may just leave behind a legacy.
Judy Gaman is the CEO of Executive Medicine of Texas (www.emtexas. com), the award-winning author of seven books, and the host of Stay Young America! Podcast.
Learn more at www.JudyGaman.com Judy’s mission is to educate and elevate people by helping them discover their true life passions and reach their full potential while living longer, healthier, and more fulfilling lives. She is a true inspiration, impacting lives, both young and old, by advancing the modern understanding of what it means to age gracefully and what it takes to live your best life.
Award-Winning Author and Public Speaker Judy Gaman inspires and empowers people of all ages and all walks of life. She is the Healthy Living Expert often heard on FOX News Radio, the CEO of Executive Medicine of Texas, and the wellrenowned host of the nationally syndicated, decade-spanning Stay Young radio show, now the Stay Young America! Podcast.
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Micro2 Sound MachineJovanka Ciares is a former entertainment executive turned integrative herbalist, nutrition educator, and author. After years of suffering from ulcers, IBS, and fibroids, she embraced alternative therapies. She is a featured expert in People Magazine, Whole Foods, and numerous other national media outlets. She offers workshops in English and Spanish. Through her journey of self-healing, peace, and happiness, she now inspires and motivates hundreds to embrace their journey. www.jovankaciares. com
You are an artist but were also an entertainment executive. Now you are an integrative herbalist, author, and wellness coach. What is the secret to your ability to reinvent yourself?
I am a person with many passions. I come from a very musical family. I love singing. I played many instruments as I grew up. But life gave me what I call a SmackDown. I had diseases considered chronic and non-life-threatening. I found an amazing passion in the world of healthy living and wellness organically. I decided to leave my
corporate job. That was ten years ago at this point. I went back to school and became an herbalist and certified nutrition coach.
Could you share more about the smackdown?
I grew up in Puerto Rico. I have what I believe was an idyllic childhood close to the rainforest. We were 20 minutes away from the ocean. We ate home-cooked meals and ate fruit from the neighbors’ trees. Then I moved to New York City to build a life and a career, and I moved away from that lifestyle. Eventually, my body gave me what I call a SmackDown. I had ulcers. I had IBS or irritable bowel syndrome. I had endometriosis. I had fibroids. Western medicine or allopathic medicine did not have solutions for me. They simply said, take this when you feel uncomfortable, and off you go. I was 25 and 26 years old. I said to myself this cannot be the answer. I decided to reclaim the lifestyle I grew up with but also to go elsewhere for answers. I began to travel the world. I learned about traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, and western herbalism. Then I started to incorporate those practices into my daily routine mindfulness techniques.
Much of what you have gone through was quite difficult. It is easier said than done. I think from the moment I realized it was something I would love to do, I asked myself can I make a living doing this? It took me five years to make a plan that was financially and emotionally sound. I had a very lucrative fancy-sounding career in the entertainment industry. I was working with fancy people like Beyonce and JayZ. I was climbing the corporate ladder, and so it was a risk. I realized I did not want to go to my deathbed, thinking I had not tried because it was not worth the risk.
What is one of the biggest misconceptions we have about moving toward better health?
In modern society, we need instant gratification. We expect to feel immediately better. The second part of it is part of the same concept. We often wait until we are far in a disease process before we seek help. When we have been in pain or discomfort for many months, sometimes many years, we need to understand that healing will not occur overnight.
What if you do not have a frame of reference or experience with healthy eating, and it is all brand new?
Well, that is an incredibly good question. In this generation, chances are you grew up with TV dinners and fast-food restaurants. That is why I wrote this book. To help people recognize that a whole life happened before they were born. Whether it was grandparents, great-grandparents, an aunt, or a neighborhood grandmother, they went to the market every
week and found groceries with different colors and textures. They brought them home and learned how to cook them.
I have always been amazed at how I can train my palate. Our mind plays such an important role. Do you agree? Absolutely. We change habits every 21 to 28 days. Our taste buds change every 21 to 28 days. You may feel I will never like something. But let us say you love strawberries. What other berries have you never tried, but it is in the same family? Start there. Next, begin to use your senses, touch and smell. Begin to commune with food truly.
You said something in your TEDx video that was so powerful, talking about it is not just food that we digest but emotions and thoughts. We feed our minds tens of thousands of thoughts every single day. A lot of them are repeated thoughts and are negative. We repeat the fight we had with our spouse, our boss screaming at us, or the road rage circumstance that causes a reaction in the body, too many stress hormones, testosterone, and adrenaline, running through our veins for too many hours. They eventually weaken our systems.
Another thing I noticed on your website was specific coaching to get off sugar. Sugar is the 21st-century version of tobacco. We know that sugar causes an inflammatory and acidic response in the body, which is the catalyst of viruses and bacteria propagating in our system. We also know that things like cancer cells love sugar. We need to learn a healthy way to consume healthy sugar.
When you teach people about herbs, plants, and things, are these things we can usually get at the grocery store or the health food store?
The vast majority of the ones I recommend to people are things you might be familiar with and can easily find in the supermarket. Some others may require you to go to a health food store or buy them online.
You have a lot of different ways you are trying to help people. You have books, a bundle, and a three-week Ultimate Detox Challenge.
The Bundle is inexpensive. People get that immediately in their inboxes. It gives a lot of recipes, all of which plant based on a 21-day food-based cleanse.
Do you have a typical type of client?
The people who gravitate toward my offerings tend to be women over 30 or 35. They are people at all stages of health and wellness. Some people have just lost a lot of weight, and their bodies seem to be undergoing changes they do not recognize. I also get people who may be struggling with life-threatening diseases, like cancer, that are already in treatment and need some support with holistic practices.
My experience with medical doctors is much needed to learn a lot about nutrition. Is that an area you look at in terms of partnering with these practitioners and how open they are to it?
There are a lot of practitioners that are not interested. I do not necessarily blame them. I believe that the system has been designed to not allow them in their training to learn about
nutrition. It is a missed opportunity because they are the experts in the human body, and so they should be the experts on what works well in terms of nutrition.
And your processes are developed to help people who have busy lives.
Oh, absolutely. It is. I get a lot of professional women, single mothers, and women out there in the world giving a lot of themselves and do not have extra time to make a 1-hour meal every day or work out for 90 minutes a day. That is not sustainable. How can I support these mothers, these professionals, men, and women, to make tiny changes?
Are you still involved with music?
I do not do music that much anymore, sadly. Now I am just a listener. My partner is still in the music industry, so I get a lot through osmosis through him.
What do you want to share with the readers and viewers that we have not touched on?
The book Reclaiming Wellness talks a lot about many topics in depth that we have discussed today. As you begin this journey, remember you are honoring the people that came before you, those that sacrificed to get you to where you are today. You are honoring this incredible machine we call a body that is going to carry you as the only home you have to live in
Photo by Christopher Campbell
Many years ago, I joined my husband on an inflatable kayak adventure. Tall red sandstone walls surrounded us as we floated down the Colorado river. The afternoon sun was warm on my face, and the sky was blue. What could go wrong on a gentle, lazy float?
Several people had warned us of a small patch of rapids that would require teamwork.
It wasn't long before I heard the sounds of heavily churning water. I could feel the river moving faster, pulling at whatever it touched. In the distance, other kayaks were being sucked into a deep vortex of water. This served as a reminder that my husband and I would need to be in sync.
Fear kicked in when I noticed a big rock directly in our path. As our boat entered the chaotic and uncontrolled water, I called out.
I felt helpless as our kayak hit the boulder that I had desperately wanted to avoid.
If love and Grace were in the moment, my body would have gently slipped out of the kayak. It would have been easy to laugh and not resist the turbulence. Instead, panic dumped me into the water and slammed my body against the unyielding rock, which I grabbed onto for dear life.
I kept holding onto what I feared in the churning water and my difficult emotions. Eventually, I released my grip and surrendered to the flowing water. Grace continued to elude me as anger sat heavy in my heart.
I think of this memory often. Letting go of fear and trusting the Universe is a lesson many of us are here to learn. Creating a life that honors high vibrational energies is where we will find ease, love, and Grace
I only really understood this about a decade after the kayak adventure. Logically I was aware of how I could or should live my life, but my thoughts and actions were not aligned with my deepest knowing.
Commune with nature on a regular basis. Discover Mother Earth's natural rhythm. Notice when the energies quicken and when they sleep. Surrender to the guidance of the Divine feminine. Know when to plant the seeds of your dreams and when
to harvest your success. Go hiking, sit outside, or garden. Do whatever helps you connect with Earth's Divine and abundant energies.
Honor your deep connection to all that is. Here you will feel the pull of the Divine masculine. Receive this energy that helps motivate and inspire you. Share your unique talents with the world. This can be an art project or some other passion. Here is where you can find your life force energy.
Notice where you put your attention; this is your power. You get to choose where your energy flows and what you connect with. Are you supporting your fears or your dreams? What does your world look and feel like at this moment?
Courageously release your fears. Recognize they only have the power you give them. When life offers a challenge or an opportunity to shift your perspective, notice your feelings and thoughts. Remember that you always have choices that are aligned with love and Grace. Lean into others when you need support. This allows love to flow between hearts and souls.
Pay attention to how you move through the world. What do you need in your life to thrive? Where does your life feel the easiest? What people and activities support you and help you connect with love? What areas of life are dull, heavy, and lifeless? Give yourself permission to create a life that feels good.
Have gratitude for who you are and what you are creating. Gratitude opens your heart and boosts your manifestation skill for the yummy stuff in life.
My reality shifted and expanded in a timeless way. Every part of who I was changed. Sometimes I feel like I was turned inside out, making it possible for the sun to light up the deepest parts of me.
Notice your mindset and what is working for you. This goes back to where you are paying attention. What feels good to you? Do more of it.
Laugh as often as you can. This is a great heart opener; it clears your mind and shifts your energy.
Pay attention to who you share the boat and rapids with. If there are people that bring more drama into your life, let them go.
Honor the timing of the Universe. There is a beautiful magic to how the Universe reveals secrets and gifts at the perfect time. Sometimes we see a glimmer of what is promised, but it doesn't come to fruition until much later in life. The unfolding of our journey is something to be treasured and honored.
Know your food. Eating grains, fruits and vegetables help you to connect with natural abundance. It can also remind you of the seasons and how they represent cycles of high energy and growth balanced with the need to slow and rest.
At 44 years old, I crossed a line and discovered my truth. This is where I found peace, love, and Grace. It wasn't the life challenge that held my truth; it was when my heart and mind opened because I was forced to slow down. I let go of everything I knew.
My reality shifted and expanded in a timeless way. Every part of who I was changed. Sometimes I feel like I was turned inside out, making it possible for the sun to light up the deepest parts of me. My words changed,
my mind believed in new possibilities, and my eyes saw things differently. I loved differently.
Before this, I had spent a good part of my adult years raising children, working, volunteering, and running marathons. I had mastered the art of staying busy. Eventually, my body and mind became tired, even exhausted.
I slowed down. I began having heartache changes in my consciousness and cardiac rhythms. I could no longer run from my truth and purpose.
Searching for answers in Western medicine didn't provide crystal clear answers or even a great prognosis.
Oddly, when I was told that I might have a short life expectancy, I released my grip on my fears, and my world completely transformed. I felt at peace. I still wanted to know what was occurring in my body, but I didn't cling to a particular outcome.
I stopped everything. My self-prescribed recovery was spending hours in meditation and prayer daily, and my world expanded in the most unexpected ways. Reality no longer held the concerns that used to trip me up. My life's journey transformed.
Today I am well and thriving. I continue to consciously connect with love and Grace in my practices of meditation, prayer, and hiking in the desert. My failures make me laugh on my best days, and my wins are celebrated with others. I have learned that every day is an opportunity to choose love and Grace and that we can always choose again.
Polly Wirum is a psychic, life coach, and writer. Years ago, she experienced a health crisis that led to a complete spiritual and life transformation. When she thought her life was crumbling, the universe was easing her grip on everything, distracting her from the truth. The healing helped her discover the beauty of a joyful and uncomplicated life.
It is here that she connects with wisdom and magic. She shares this with her clients through life's coaching psychic readings and spiritual retreats.
I0 discover more, visit Pollywirum.com
By Susie Schroadter
When I was little, I always knew I would have twins. It was simply destined, an immutable point on my life path. What I didn't foresee was that I would never bring either of my twins home. My sons passed away in my sleep when I was thirty-six weeks pregnant with them; part of me went with them when they left. It only took an instant, and my soul shattered into pieces.
After their death, I had a choice. I could give up, or I could live a life with meaning and with love. The choice did not happen immediately. During the first few months, I could barely get out of bed. However, as I began to come out of my shock, I chose to honor my sons' sacrifice. I would not mar their death by allowing darkness to engulf my love. I fought to come back from the brink of absolute despair, and I won.
Every morning I sat outside and spoke to my sons in my mind. We met in a garden full of roses and sunshine. They would run up to me, and I would hold them in my arms. I would love them in all the ways I cannot do in this physical world. I fought to keep my heart open. I fought to find a purpose for their death. And I did. The reason is my daughters. The reason is love.
The next two pregnancies were not easy. I couldn't allow myself to believe that my babies were real, that they would stay with me until I finally held a living, breathing child in my arms. My first daughter was a miracle; she was the answer to every prayer
I ever had. Her sister arrived a few years later, and I was and am so immensely blessed. I have been granted the most incredible gift. Two beautiful souls that I can mother, nurture, hold and kiss. I cannot say a moment of my life didn't have to happen exactly as it did so that I could have these children in my life. They are infinite love. They are an incredible joy. They are my purpose. They are my love.
My girls are everything I have done right. They will change the world simply because they are present. They are here because my sons gave up their lives for their sisters'. They knew they had to leave so that my girls could stay. My son's death, by some magical alchemy, broke my heart open, and the lives of my daughters are filling it with love. I am healing.
Alchemy is the turning of a challenging and heart-wrenching situation into something positive. Because of this, I know there is a higher purpose and plan behind even our most devastating life experiences. When you experience trauma and fight to survive, you will get to a point where you can ask to be shown a higher purpose for what has occurred.
This is the point; this is the moment your heart breaks open to an infinite capacity of love. If you can get to this point, if you can survive long enough to get to this moment, you will find a greater sense of inner peace than those who have not walked through hell. Without the trauma, you would not have the capacity to feel the depths of divine love.
There are some of us who have accepted the responsibility of experiencing challenging, heart-wrenching tragedy so that we may bring love, freedom, and light to the collective of those who are on the same journey. If this is you, you will learn to witness beauty where others simply see a chore. You will see a miracle with every sunrise. You will feel a warm embrace with every smile from your child. Your laughter will be filled with so much joy and love, and every cell in your being will be filled with light. Since you know the extreme depths of pain, your capacity to feel absolute, intelligent, divine, and unconditional love will be absolutely as extreme.
You will live such a tremendous life because you survived. Because your heart was not just broken but shattered, it is now bigger, stronger, filled with love and joy, and the absolute knowledge that miracles do exist. That unconditional love is real. And the scars, those marks on your heart from what you endured, from what you lost, you would not have it any other way. Depending on where you are on your journey, you may not believe this, but trust me. Have faith. Those scars, the quiet aches, show your strength and that you survived what another couldn't. You are incredible.
reason, and you will survive.
You have a mission. You have a purpose. You have something to do on this Earth, and you can do it. Not only can you, but if you are reading this, you will. You are here to show others the healing power of unconditional love. It can heal not only your heart but the hearts of all others you meet, be it in person, through the internet, through what you write, or through the convergence of your energy with another. You were chosen to be here. The love you bring to Earth will be a miracle for many. You are a miracle.
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There are some of us who have accepted the responsibility of experiencing challenging, heart-wrenching tragedy so that we may bring love, freedom, and light to the collective of those who are on the same journey.
So, if you are hurting, allow yourself to feel. Allow yourself to live; allow yourself to heal; allow yourself to love. Find your reasons. All four of my children are the reason I know I can get through anything and that I know I can always rise again. If you are in the trenches of heartache, take time to find the
In the end, does trauma change you, yes? You may not have a conscious choice in the destruction, and yet you do have a choice in what you will become after the darkness. Will you be bitter, sad, or broken? Or will you fight your way back to life? Once you make that choice, you again can choose. Will you move from mere survival to actually thriving? If you choose to heal, to give a purpose to your pain, then this is the point, this is the moment, that your heart will break open to an infinite capacity of love. It will be filled with a golden light that will cause you to grow stronger, shine brighter, and love more than you could imagine.
Because your heart was not just broken but shattered, it is now bigger, stronger, and overflowing with love. You are now gifted with the absolute knowledge that miracles do exist. And the scars, those marks on your heart from what you endured? They will remain a testament to all you lost, and you would not want this any other way.
Susie Schroadter, once a practicing attorney and mediator, has has turned her focus to creating Sage, a safe sanctuary to allow others to heal. She offers consulting and strategy for those going into mediation or dealing with life altering events so that they may be empowered and advocate for themselves. Once those events have occurred, she also offers different modalities for healing such as life and spiritual guidance and energy work. www.sanctuaryforpeace.co
Perhaps you are sitting quietly with every window lit by the sun, and then your life implodes. Someone so beloved has passed away; Your brain cannot absorb this information. Your body churns and shakes.
I was sitting in that chair when I received a phone call from a friend saying she was very sad and sorry for the loss of my son, Alex. I didn’t know what she was talking about. I called the police, the sheriff, and the coroner. They could tell me nothing. I called my husband. I was holding the phone and circling the room faster and faster. The pain in my chest became severe and then worse. My heart had broken.
This was the first day of my long, zig-zag path from mourning and despair to something edging toward joy.
Nothing prepared me for this journey of grief. Benumbed and lacking ideas or a plan, I reached out. Many people offered comforts and practices to try and unusual occurrences to observe. I want to share their wisdom on healing for those who are fighting the shock of loss.
I had trained as a journalist and worked as an editor before becoming a physician. My son was in college. He was a peace-and-conflict scholar, a mountaineer, a veteran, a photographer, and an adventurer–at home atop Denali’s peak or on the border of Afghanistan.
The day after the phone call, people came. Some were such old and remote friends that I had trouble recognizing their faces. They brought food and stories of Alex’s escapades. Laughter snuck into the room and lingered with the tears.
Others held my hands and described time-tested practices or rituals. “Burn a lamp of coconut oil,” one friend whispered, “for 14 days and 14 nights. It will help your loved ones pass and will one day bring them back as if there were no parting.” I lit a storm candle, and oddly, the light softened my pain. Another friend told me he lights candles, sometimes fifty of them, all placed around his child’s picture in the kitchen. In the reflected radiance, her eyes glow and blaze.
You may want to come together for a religious service, where loving words, along with exquisite music and song, can quiet grief. Or you may decide to hold a celebration of life in a great room lined with flowers. We did both, pulling friends and family together to fete Alex’s courage, knowing each one’s desire to carry away a piece of him, a memory of his life–ablaze and unconfined–caught in words, photos, arcs of a song. But my family and I could not manage the magnitude of such an effort at that time. People heard about the idea of a gathering. They came forward and found a room, brought flowers and food, contacted Alex’s friends, offered music, and spoke lovely words.
A friend, who had lost his daughter, gave me this advice: “You must watch for secret signs. You are so dear; the one who is gone will sneak back for a moment, wearing the antennae of a cricket, or grazing your cheek like a drunken honeybee.”
I was unprepared for the first secret sign. We were walking down the
stairs from the funeral home, having just left Alex in his beautiful cold body. Across the black asphalt of the driveway, an iridescent-green praying mantis was following us with his eyes. I had never seen a praying mantis in the thirty years I had lived in this area. Over the next decade, grasshoppers, crickets, and praying mantises came to visit at the most usual times. We often found one on the hallway stairs or hopping through the living room. This could happen at Christmas, on one of our birthdays, on the anniversary of Alex’s passing, or during an important family event.
A similar magical occurrence took place a month after my father passed. I had been driving on the border between farm county and open space. In the distance, I could see a big warm rock calling me from a sandy bank. I sat there, closing my eyes. I’m unsure if I heard or felt something, but suddenly my lids flew back. A white cloud of butterflies surrounded my head, inches from my face and shoulders. I couldn’t count, but I know there were more than a hundred.
Although people might scoff if they knew, when I see a white butterfly, a praying mantis, or a grasshopper, I feel the delighted “hello” from my loved ones.
One rough day, I wandered into a nearby wilderness. Walking blindly, I found myself on the edge of a river. The current was pitching and foaming. I kneeled and reached toward the spray. I was hollering and crying. Water ran down my hair and my arms. The granite stones held me, and I was comforted.
Usually, my walks are not so dramatic, but they provide quiet healing. Even a path along a seawall or a parkland, or a quiet tree-lined street can connect you with the mothering earth.
I had read, of course, of people having conversations with their loved ones who had passed. What was there to lose in trying? I sit in some wild place and close my eyes. I fix in my mind the most vivid picture I have of Alex. It is of Alex as a toddler, asleep on his small futon bed with all his loved trucks and cars parked in careful circles around him. Then his 24-year-old face appears.
I also listen to my dreams. Others who are close to Alex sometimes tell me about their dreams. The messages amaze and console me.
Amritsar, where 100,000 poor and hungry people come to be fed each day. We stood in the shade of the Bodhi tree that descended from the original one, under which the Buddha sat around 400 BCE, waiting for enlightenment. We wandered through beauty and suffering. Here was the lesson. We are not alone. We all share this path through light and shade as best we can with the tools and practices we find.
After Alex passed, I surrendered my world of work and engagement for a time. Poems came into my brain and demanded to be written. They helped me understand my wounds, my triggers, my progress, and my blocks. The paper would absorb my frenzy, and I would feel lighter. After several years I realized that my verses were guides to healing, and I wanted to help others who mourn. Over twelve years, these poems, paired with one of Alex’s amazing photographs, became a book: Blown into Now – Poems for a Journey
Perhaps you sing, play music, have a journal, want to keep a journal or paint. You will feel the beauty and truth you have shaped.
Take an adventure
Adventures can take you out of yourself and away from your pain. There may be something you always wanted to attempt, but something stood in your way. An adventure can be of any size. It may involve traveling, moving, a pet, training for a 5-K or a marathon, learning to garden or to speak a new language, joining a gym, and keeping a journal. It must be something you have longed for, takes effort, and brings you delight.
My adventure was huge. I wanted to understand how people of different religions coped with death. My husband and I, with a close friend of Alex, journeyed across India. We stayed in ashrams, hotels, and camps. We visited the funeral pyres along the Ganges River and the Golden Temple in
Here is one poem from my book to encourage your artful spirit:
Fall holds the land like a lover, takes off her robes of cloud, jeweling her daybreak with a glaze of slanted light, soothing the wind to a faint warm breath.
Into the stillness, on white sidewalk, a praying mantis jumps. I reach to rescue him, and he holds me with tiny claws as if he could not leave me here.
Now
a
an editor, and a physician engaged in global, low-resource settings before she took a left turn into poetry. After a shocking phone call revealed the passing of her 24-year-old son Alex, grief carried Mylo on a 12-year exploration. Bereft, she reached out to others to understand what might help, and her poems reveal a guide from hopelessness toward joy. They describe the wisdom, actions, and practices that Mylo absorbed and wants to share with those who mourn. Alex Lowenstein’s photos of wildness and beauty accompany each poem, providing a pause from grief and a glimpse of something we want and cannot name.
Her book is available from Blurb.com: https://www.blurb.com/search/site_ search, and her e-book is available from Amazon.com/books
Visit her website for more poems and to connect.. https://myloschaaf.com
Let's consider our earthly plane as our whole universe without going into an open debate about chasing our tails. Within this wholeness, there are literally thousands of directions that humans could and do choose to travel in their conceptual understanding of how to live their life. After being educated, we choose to work as a follower in an organization or step out and create financial success and freedom by relying on and trusting in one's own abilities. Either way, through experience, we learn the art of knowing when and how to sidestep around, or through those many interesting obstacles we or the universe dishes up to benefit one's progress along one's journey path.
Are experiences real?
When observing the world, it's difficult not to notice the great divide occurring between the so-called all-connected! The question here is, who amongst us has decided the easy path is to "go your own way" and choose one of those thousand different directions and hustle only for the I am? Is this what we have become, and are we now all living with the unforeseen consequences of our actions? Has the path of our future now become a collection of creative repetitions of our past human experiences?
"Go your own way" definition
"The Great Separation Begins."
Photo by By Prostock-studioAdobeStock
Humans pride themselves on being the most intelligent beings alive on this planet; at least, that's what we have been led to believe. Looking back, the great scholars from each of the various cultures set the tone for how those in charge would lead, conquer and build our nations. We mortals were now given over to the hands of a human thinking mindset whose choosing over time, from those thousands of directional experiences, has totally separated humanity from the universal consciousness of Free and Flow.
For thousands of years, Mother Nature has existed in Free and Flow. We, the intelligent species, failed to notice Mother Nature was alive and living in complete unison with all of her surroundings.
How did all the collective intellectual minds that have led us down this garden path we now travel, past, future, and now today, still miss something so enormously obvious?
Knowledge is only an IDEA. Wisdom is the POWER.
Questions are so beautiful when answered completely and fully to the question being asked. Don't you just love that? Like, say, was the real direction for mankind and all its different cultures the path toward spiritual freedom? Could humanity function in multiple directions and still unify with all that existed before we arrived? Or will we live as separate materialism, where choice in any way and loose is the norm? Better yet, was humanity's future decided after we climbed out of our rice bubble mindset of snap, crackle, and pop? Now let's take this baby out for a ride. One had to ask!
It occurred at a time after the big beginning, around 50 million years BC to the day when she arrived here on Earth. The heavens joined in an astrological pattern to allow the commencement of a long-fore-
told incoming convergence. It was the emergent sign from an ancient storyline, and so it began. It was late afternoon when, out of seemingly nowhere, a fine wispy cloud announced in the sky above the Western horizon, rising out from our mother's earth, a single cloud appeared across the empty sky, darkness on the left, fire on the right reaching, expanding far up into the heavens for all to witness.
Her crystalline body of Aztec blue shone brightly as she ascended from the depths of the ocean's waters. It was, as the ancient storylines had foretold, coming to fruition. There she stood in all her nakedness. Flashes of light appeared between her fingertips. From within these beams of light, many images appeared as if inside a circular bubble. This strange language of formed images moved from one beam to the next as if to convey a message to the waiting people of this world.
Grace, finely tuned in all her glory, is the dream-weaver of this universe. She is the embodied magnificence of pure grace in all its encompassing glory. Her body was also covered in many images of unusual circular, octagonal patterns, appearing similar to our earthly tattoos. Looking closer, these were not markings on the surface of the skin; they were fully incorporated into her ethereal body structure. It was as if one was looking through the planets of our solar system. Each delicately positioned up and down her body in an unfamiliar sequential pattern.
Life before we; existed long before our knowledge tells us today. There was, did exist, a time of great knowledge. Mankind had learned how to harness the combined frequencies of all humans so as to elevate the consciousness of the human species. Yes, siree, it's the same old storyline of the ages, as it still exists to this today. Only a select few were chosen to receive what was then termed and known as "The Gift of High."
These select few were given the title of "Council of the High." They were charged with the task of being our finite Creators here on Earth. In order to carry out this enormous task of raising the consciousness here on planet Earth for all humanity, they gathered to themselves a small group of lesser-degree humans who would spread the word so all could follow and embrace mankind's great achievement.
Unity will bring us all together! After a lengthy period of nonaction and endless debates, unnoticed out on the fringes of the social norm, the restless became restless. An unsettling had begun to stir among those who did not wish to go through the relegated ritual of distillation, combined with the experimental process of "we are one" conformers.
As these knowledgeable isolated few had the ability to roll back time towards our human birthing, they had a first-hand witness to when humans proclaimed their life teachings through the spirit of "Grace." They also immediately noticed and were alarmed by the insurmountable visions of when mankind had taken a left-directional turn from our natural conscious flow. Now, after eons have passed, here we stand in all our glory, altered and disembodied. Humanity's questions, now looking skyward, remain unanswered.
Fortunately for us at this time of the Great Revealing, one thing remains shakenly obvious. If infinity does exist, then we, all of us, individual you, still hold and carry within our original blessing, the gift we humans ARE INFINITE!
Mankind may stare out across the horizon into the heavens, only to bear witness to the
self-created darkness which exists here with us today. And one may wonder why there is a fire in the skies. It is painfully obvious when one reflects back, down the path of one's past experienced memories, why one may not feel real physical, mental, or spiritual comfort.
Nature comes and goes, ever the eternal product of its own harmonic production in free flow. Nature is a consciousness that knows and acknowledges its true being, a completely open order, which flows along its natural pathway from past beginnings to its life-giving eternal infinity. Humans forever traveling in the footsteps of the shouts of "it's all in the name of progress" will, as nature does, also travel the pathway to infinity. The difference being us humans have no idea; mistakenly, we may THINK we know, but sadly, we have no tangible vision of the endgame.
Humans have been avid followers of many self-appointed creators; it is what we have been joined together in professing in the name of advancement. In reality, it is nothing more than reliving past memory ideas in today's timeline. We accept and live in our bespoke world today as a separate "Wakanda Forever," where our young produce freely from their creative innocence, with absolutely no concept of impending self-indulgent consequences.
Grace, in all her glory, reminds humanity of a cleaner past. That the very same opportunities still exist here with us today, which can, should, and will be our humanity's future. Where will you stand in yours, our self-proclaimed future? Forever we are one.
CREATORS, WE WERE NEVER MEANT TO BE!
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Fortunately for us at this time of the Great Revealing, one thing remains shakenly obvious. If infinity does exist, then we, all of us, individual you, still hold and carry within our original blessing, the gift we humans ARE INFINITE!
I’ve never been a big one for New Year’s resolutions, and this year is no different. I prefer to think of the new year as a time of endless opportunities more than a time to look back and wish I could change an unappreciated aspect of myself or that there’s a part of me that could do with some fixing. Not that resolve isn’t a good thing. It’s just that as soon as I even go so far as to think the word, I immediately feel myself doing an automatic little clench in resistance. And, as we all know, what you resist tends to persist far longer than we might like.
This year, one of my whopper-tunities arises from a practice I’d like to practice more: Receiving musical messages from Spirit.
Brad was one of the first spirits to contact me after my deceased husband. Brad came “attached” to Suzanne, a fellow flutist friend who’d played in orchestras with Suzanne throughout her growing-up years and who had died suddenly. Brad was also one of the first spirits to teach me (that is, to get me to pay attention to) one of the primary ways spirit contacts me and gets me to listen: through music. Like today, when I opened up a blank Word doc and distinctly heard, “Send in the clowns,” and knew it was time to make contact with Suzanne, in this case, or
sometimes that there’s someone with a musically inclined Spirit hanging about who doesn’t want to be left out in the cold.
Lots of people have experience where lines of music lyrics or melodies run over and over in their heads; I am no different. Where things took a divinely interesting turn was once I realized that hearing an endless loop of music was much more than an irritation.
When I think back to my days as a musician in New York City after college and how much of my head space was keyed to the tune of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” when Mozart might have been more apropos, it’s still enough to make me blush. If people on the bus and the subway only knew what was going on inside my head, a Christmas song in the middle of August, hummed by a Jewish girl who knew nothing more than Rudolph had a shiny nose. Then came a few years of the Mr. Ed song. Remember the talking horse? “A horse is a horse, of course, of course….” It’s hard to believe that it took me almost 35 years to connect with Rudy, the deceased stepfather of a medium I met in Canada, and Ed, the deceased father of my ex-husband—not someone from whom I would ordinarily feel compelled to take advice.
There are so many wonderfully validating aspects to these communications:
• Songs that once dog-paddled around and around in my head rarely dip a toe in the water once their messages have been received. If and when they do surface, there’s always a good reason, some reminder or other for me to note.
• I get to share miraculously loving messages with people still on this side of the veil.
• It does my soul good every time words, seemingly dropping at random from the air, land into the pool of my mind, float to the surface, and knock on the door of my consciousness.
While it’s true that I studied music performance in college, I’ve never been much of a singer, saving my vocalizations for the car and the shower to spare the masses. Yet I’ll hear bits and pieces of songs that I never knew existed until I Google them. Words make no sense until I look them up and find they’re a line to a song and that the particular song they belong to happens to be played at my client’s wedding or sung by her deceased sister’s band during a special prom night performance.
I love when it happens…when, out of nowhere, thought packets of words Wordle themselves into sense. The more unlikely the words, the less they fit some pattern of coherence, and the more I have learned to trust them, write them down and share them when the time feels right.
Recently, for example, during a usual pre-client meditation, I found myself singing along to “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” and then, “The worst is over now/the morning sun is shining like a red rubber ball.” The client and I sat in tears when I conveyed how her loved one who had passed over was lamenting his role and subsequent death as a soldier, as well as the fact
that he wanted her to know that she would soon find her way out of the grief cycle with the “shining of the morning sun.” No matter how often such revelations occur, they never become commonplace, and I’m left wondering if it’ll ever happen again.
Two as yet un-validated endless loops have been swirling for a long time now: “Oh, dear, what can the matter be; oh, dear, what can the matter be; Oh, dear, what can the matter be, Johnnie’s so long at the fair,” and, “Oh, Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz; my friends all have Porches, I must make amends.”
Of course, Johnnie at the fair is an old ballad, and the other is a Janis Joplin tune, and they don’t seem to have much in common. They’ve been long-running, these two lyrical loops, and my curiosity has been noticeably ramping up. When will the human counterparts to these spirit communications step forward? When will they show up in my life and clarify the reason for their dedication to this pursued connection? While currently unattached, I know eventually, the spirits who are doing the yammering will make themselves known to me via their human counterpart. It’s the discovery that’s the really fun part, so now I don’t mind anymore. I sing along, sometimes over and over for days on end, knowing that Johnny or Bonnie or Sylvia will show up to have a fuller, richer, deeper conversation when we’re both ready.
This is the reason why such “irritants” have become much beloved indicators. The information that arrives simply fills up my higher self’s delicious waiting room of gleeful anticipation.
How does your soul call to you? What will your highest Self share with you in this New Year that it’s never shared before? Inviting in the Oneness of All There Is is surely a reSOULution all of us can keep.
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When her husband Randy transitioned in 2012, Heidi Connolly’s life took a dramatic turn. Owner of Harvard Girl Word Services for over 20 years, Heidi focused on the work of others; now, through the writing with Randy of her awardwinning book Crossing the Rubicon, Heidi understands that she is capable of much more than she’d ever given herself credit, including her ability to communicate with the Other Side.
Currently, her multidimensional compass is set to the practice of writing, intuitive/mediumshipcoaching, spiritually guided healing music, and living life as a “Vacationing Angel.” Heidi’s newest book, The Gateway Café, is the enticing story of a teenager’s journey of awakening through inter-dimensional travel and angelic intervention.heidiconnolly.com
By Phyllis King
When life is not turning out as we expect or hope, the immediate response for many is to fall into the energy of the victim. Life is not working for me. How could this bad thing happen to me? Why don’t I ever get what I want? Something must be wrong with me. I am obviously broken.
There are two reasons many find themselves in this state of being. One relates to the inherent challenge in the human experience of remembering who we are. I call it the dance of duality. We are more than a body. We are spiritual beings having a human experience. We are much greater than anything the body can conceive.
In this, the goals of the body and of the soul are different. The body classifies happiness as pleasure and comfort. The soul classifies expansion as the ultimate joy. When we only see our moments from the point of view of the human body, it is easy to fall out of the flow of energy.
When we are not in the flow of energy, we cannot be receivers.
We become resistant to abundance.
The second reason relates to an inability to shift focus. We identify so strongly with the moment or experience we are in; we close down our ability to recognize the abundance in action in our lives in other formats. We can only see abundance if it meets the limited point of view that the ego and human body can conceive.
We must develop the ability to recognize the value and the abundance of all our experiences.
For instance, if you are going through a breakup, it is easy to focus on the loss of your partner. If you step back even a bit, you can recognize that you have a complex and interesting life by creating many experiences by which you can grow and understand yourself. In this, your awareness expands, making it possible for you to receive even more.
If we identify solely with the discomfort of a moment as the ultimate truth, we deny that abundance exists and set up a pattern of self-fulfilling prophecy
The energy of scarcity and lack takes over our mindset and our creative process.
To remain receivers and stay in a position to allow both expansion and joy to continue in the human experience, these focus points will help:
Support. -Allow your friends, family, therapist, or coach to help support you in a moment of difficulty. We are not meant to live life alone. We are part of a collective. When one of us succeeds, we all succeed. When one of us fails, we all fail. It is in the best interest of the whole that we help each other. That sense of connection and belonging to each other is what soothes the soul and paves the way to greater abundance for all.
-Practice. Create a consistent practice of remembering who you are. You are more than a body. This remembering can be done through meditation, listening to your favorite spiritual teachers, or reading books that remind you of the greater truth. In that, you condition your mind. We all have enormous conditioning from culture and external reality. We need to actively condition our minds with spiritual truth. Then, when challenging moments arrive, we have access readily to the truths that set us free. Absent access to these truths, we will default to the narrow view and scope of
the ego and its conditioning.
Notice. When energy is flowing, we are happy, we feel free, and we are optimistic about life.
If we are not happy, not feeling free, or optimistic, we are out of the flow of life. We are not able to receive it. When we notice this, the most important thing we can do is get back into the flow of energy. Attend to ourselves until we surrender to higher wisdom. Otherwise, we will create competing energy patterns that thwart the abundance we yearn to experience.
Learn to See. Challenge yourself to see the abundance in your moments. Not abundance simply from the ego’s perspective. Such as “I drive a BMW.” “I live in a million-dollar home.” “I am thin.” “Others think well of me.” Rather “I am learning and growing so much from this experience.” “This experience hasn’t been fitting for a long time, and now I am free of it.” “What an interesting life I have created, so many twists and turns.” “I am so much more compassionate and caring than I used to be.”
The art of receiving is as much related to your state of being as it is to set an intention and ask for your heart’s desire to manifest. Absent good receivership, your goodwill passes you by. If we create competing energetic patterns, we nullify the seeds of our good intentions. Focus on becoming a good receiver. From a place of receiving, being in the flow of energy, set an intention to receive.
You will receive abundance in a form that you thoroughly enjoy.
Known as the Common Sense Psychic (tm), Phyllis King has worked with tens of thousands of peoplein 25 countries. She is known for her practical and down to earth approach. She has been featured on, ABC, CBS and NBC TV, radio programs across the country, and has been published in over 70 print and online publications.
She has four books, including Bouncing Back, Thriving in Changing Times, with Dr. Wayne Dyer. Her latest book The Energy of Abundance is available in bookstores now. Phyllis holds a B.A. in Sociology. www.phyllisking.com
,,The art of receiving is as much related to your state of being as it is to set an intention and ask for your heart’s desire to manifest.
Spiritual Growth Checkpoint:
By Sherri Cortland, ND
Photo by By rolffimages AdobeStock
If you read my column or check out our “GG” Friday messages on Facebook, you know that my Guide Group is all about the evolution of our soul and how we can facilitate this for ourselves. During the holidays, I found myself meditating more and more on evolution as a whole and specifically about the Law of Soul Evolution and what it means.
It’s not talked about nearly as much as the Universal Laws of Cause and Effect (Karma) and Attraction (as in “The Secret”), but it’s something that we Lightworkers should be familiar with. After all, our job description includes easing the evolution of our souls, our species, and our planet. While researching, I found five main points that helped me come to terms with what this law is all about…
1. The evolution of our soul is a goal that everyone, incarnated or not, shares.
2. We reincarnate so that we can work on aspects of ourselves in different planes of existence.
3. As we achieve the learning and experiences we seek, we evolve spiritually, and in so doing, our soul evolves as well.
4. Spiritual growth is the evolution of our soul.
5. The goal of the Law of Karma, the end result of cause and effect, is reaching har-
mony. Striving for harmony is a practice that will help our souls evolve.
I also found the following in Dr. Frank Alper’s book, Universal Law for the Aquarian Age, which neatly ties together this Law, Karma, and the ongoing progress of our soul: “…The law states that when a soul has evolved to a predetermined level, it has earned the right to end its series of Karmic physical incarnations and assimilate within the vibrations of the Spirit Core. At that point, it is the soul’s choice either to immediately begin new levels of evolution or to voluntarily remain within the present vibrations to do service in assisting other souls who have not yet completed their patterns. A soul may not avoid its obligations of growth…”
So, what does this mean to us? It means that we continue our work—on ourselves and helping others and the Earth because the bottom line is that we are always in a continual state of evolution. This really shouldn’t come as a big surprise to us, though. Raising vibration energy and moving the human race forward is something that Lightworkers have been working on for decades.
The universe is clear: What we do today and every day affects what our future selves will have to deal with just as much as it affects our evolution.
,,
In considering this law, especially as it relates to what my Guides have shared over the years, it seems to me that the more focus and emphasis we put on making our current lifetime a rousing success, the better off we’ll be in the long run. Striving for harmony is how we will reach that place where we have a choice in what we’re going to do next and what will come next for us.
And this is where taking the time to figure out the best use of the here and now comes in. My sister, Debbie Smith, sent me a quote from an unknown source that I have posted and quoted many times; It goes like this: “Do something today that your future self will thank you for.”
Such simple words, but so impactful. We continually hear how important it is for us to pay attention to our thoughts, words, and actions; we hear this to the point where the advice almost sounds cliché-ic. Cliché or no, it’s important advice that ties directly into the above quote. In my humble opinion, this quote is actually an important chunk of universal wisdom because paying attention to what we say and do leads to making better choices. Making better choices is what enables us to expedite our spiritual growth and contribute in a positive way to the continued evolution of our souls.
The universe is clear: What we do today and every day affects what our future selves will have to deal with just as much
as it affects our evolution. We have the power to make this and future incarnations easier, and all we have to do is follow this great advice. My Guides, Selena & Gilbert, would each like to give us a little kick-start with the following messages:
From Selena: “You cannot see yourself the way that we who are not in the body see you. We see your light. We see how brightly you burn. We see how we are all connected, and we see how the smallest act on the part of one soul affects the progress of so many. Your power is great even though you may not consciously realize it. Part of remembering who you are is remembering the power that you wield.”
From Gilbert: “The time is now to look for things that you like about yourself, not the things that you would change. Change is an important part of the evolution but an important part of spiritual growth; loves who you are—you are, after all, made of the same stuff as God/Goddess/Source/ Creator. When you identify what you like about yourself, meditate on these things, and you will find yourself a step closer to finding your calling. The great things about YOU are clues to what you are good at and things you can and should share with others.”
Dear Reader, you have within you the power to move forward and expedite the evolution of your soul—that is the power of YOU!
Sherri Cortland has been communicating with her Guide Group, the “GG,” since 1987 via automatic writing. Much of the information she has received is included in her four books, which were originally published by Ozark Mountain Publishing and are currently available on her website and on Amazon.
On Sherri’s website, you will find several free classes and meditations, along with more articles and workshops on video. https://www.facebook.com/SherriCortlandAuthor
www.Sherri-Cortland.com
This quote by writer Max Ehrmann, found in the poem The Desiderata, is one of my favorites. This world we are living in, where aging gracefully no longer exists, is in itself getting old. There is even hypocrisy found in that. Parents are pushing their children to become "Entrepreneurs" as young as four. Trust me. I'm not mad at them for this as long as their parents or mentors do precisely that: parent and mentor.
Let's be honest. Any truly successful person hones their skills, sharpens their tools, and respects the process. Things most children ( as talented or gifted as they may be ) haven't learned yet—things like support, hard work, passion, humility, perseverance, and naivety. Okay, the latter may be their sharpest tool. My fear is what they may become despite their successesdespite themselves. What kind of men and women will they grow into and become? And worse, by the time they turn 25, what will they have to look forward to, even gain? It's like a life swap. Children behave and accomplish things as adults, and adults accomplish very little and behave like children. ( I shook my head as I wrote that.) Scary thought, isn't it? Well, it gets scarier. Think about it. In their notso-distant future, I guarantee more money will be spent on frivolous cosmetic procedures than on Alzheimer's research!
People are already not looking or acting human, with expressionless faces, zombie-like movements, and attitudes. Mommies and their underage daughters are booking plastic surgery appointments together so they can both look 40. Huh? After a while, we will all look and behave alike and feel nothing inside. It's not just girls and women, either. Men are getting plenty of cosmetic procedures. Too many to mention here. I'm not against a healthy dose of fillers every 6-8 months but let's keep perspective. I believe in psychological evaluations before undergoing most treatments. Maybe even a spiritual "procedure" such as a Faith Lift!
If we're going to secure a better world for future children and grandchildren, forget it. That ship has sailed. Honestly, she's out to sea. Maybe, what we can still do is search for a bit of kindness, find patience, and practice civility. This way, for as long as we have left, maybe the powers of this great Universe of ours might take pity on us and grant us a tugboat to help bring that "ship" back to port. Until then, I hope.
Joey Santos is a Celebrity Chef, Life Stylist & Co-Host of The Two Guys
From Hollywood Podcast on iHeart Radio. A Columnist for The Eden Magazine since 2016.
Joey was raised in NYC, Malibu, and West Hollywood. He is the son of Film & Television Actor Joe Santos, and his Grandfather is World-Renowned Latin Singer Daniel Santos.
To follow Joey on IG: @jojoboy13
To contact Joey; whynotjoe@gmail.com
"Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth."
Looking back, I thought my raging and untreated PTSD was caused by being in a four-year-long relationship (marriage) that was filled with emotional, psychological, spiritual, and a lot of physical abuse. I know one thing – well, two things – getting out of that situation was one of the most courageous acts of self-love I’ve ever done for myself, and the second thing I know is that I was a different person when I left.
After just three weeks of dating, my then-boyfriend and soon-to-be husband and abuser slapped and punched me in the face and then threw me down and began strangling me. I left without hesitation but went back after listening to “I promise I’ll never do that again – I love you so much – please, forgive me this one time – you won’t regret it.” I was already dealing with untreated, severe PTSD from the sexual assaults I experienced as a naïve teen, so I “went along” because I could not see my worth, identity, or value.
After going back, my abuser beat me until I was unrecognizable in the face. My arms were covered in bruises, and my back was cut. Again, I left. This time, I not only went back after profuse apologies, edicts, etc., but I married him and relocated far away from my hometown with him. Again, he vowed unequivocally that he would NEVER HIT ME AGAIN. But the verbal and emotional abuse increased exponentially as he began to call me three abusive names daily, that no woman ever deserves to be called under any circumstance. After he bit holes in the sides of my nose in a jealous rage, I got up and threw him out the next morning. He complied, leaving me with no furniture whatsoever in the apartment. I slept on an air mattress on the hardwood floor. I continued to work at a fantastic job and developed a mentorship relationship with one of the residents there. He would invite me over to dine with him and his wife, and together they reflected on who I still was and that I had the courage to leave.
I was so very thankful that I had been able to keep my job. That had a lot to do with the resident that mentored me. When my ex had bitten holes in my nose, the resident had come to my apartment and demanded that he see me. My ex-husband told him I didn’t feel well and could not come to the door. My colleague told him that he would not leave until I came out and that if I did not come out, he was going to call the police. My
ex then came and got me. That act from that brave friend felt so amazing to me. Someone cared about me enough to do that. I began to realize that now it was up to me to care that much about myself too!
So, I began crafting my safe escape plan. The day came after every item on the list was checked and rechecked for me to leave.
The cab was waiting downstairs, but there was one last thing I had to do – Ring, ring, “Hello ______, when you come home tonight, I won’t be here – I am leaving you.” I said. I gathered my personal belongings and left everything else behind. (By this time, we had moved into another awful apartment, and a resident at work had given me beautiful living room furniture. I knew that my life was more important than that furniture. All I could focus on was getting out of there safely before he returned.
Since he knew where I worked, he took it upon himself to begin coming there with flowers and jewelry and extending additional gestures to lure me back with him. It was an embarrassment to me to have him show up at my work because, by this time, everyone in the entire department knew I was getting abused. I had gone to the emergency more than once. I had to take extra precautions when on my route home so that he would not follow me and find out where I was residing. But he kept persisting.
Seek help if you have not and remember that you are worthy of love – especially the love of YOU. When you love yourself, your life will open to new possibilities.Photo by
So, I devised a plan of revenge. I moved back in with him for an entire week. I would not have sex with him, but I slept in the bed, stringing him along so that I would get back together with him. He began talking about us having a baby and living happily ever after. However, my dangerously divisive plan based on giving him a modicum of the pain that he had given me was always first and foremost in my mind. Saturday came (the day I planned on leaving). I got up, packed, and walked toward the door. He said, “Where in the heck are you going?” I replied, “I’m leaving you – to stay with you I would have to be STUPID, and I am not stupid”. The door slammed behind me. I was extremely lucky I didn’t get abused or killed doing something of that nature. But that is the nature of the mentality you develop when being emotionally, verbally, psychologically, and physically abused.
I thought my life would turn around after that strength-filled act, but it continued to spiral out of control. Every time I would get some momentum going in my life, I would meet someone and get into a more toxic relationship than the last. I had no understanding of why this was happening – that I was in fact dealing with untreated PTSD.
This downward spiral went on to the point of losing my vehicle and becoming homeless. After finally confiding in my parents, I started receiving financial aid from them. I chose to move across the country in the hopes that a geographical relocation would solve my problems. When I was again rendered homeless from yet another failed relationship, I still could not see that the PTSD was running rampant within me and it was making my life decisions, not me. I continued to spiral downward until one day; I realized I could not let myself get any lower and prayed for help. That was the moment when I began treating my PTSD. I continue to treat my PTSD to this day because PTSD (especially as much as I have) is not curable, but it is manageable.
During the writing of this article, I came upon information through my research that indicates that I was not only suffering from PTSD but from C-PTSD, which is complex PTSD. It has another host of symptoms (which I exhibited all of them). My journey of recovery from C-PTSD (which I will now call it) began, fortunately, with me taking a long, difficult look at the reality of my life. It could have been caused by incarceration, being placed in a mental health facility, being hospitalized, etc. I’m not going to tell you that I looked at myself that day, and presto – I was healed because C-PTSD or PTSD is a mental illness that requires management because there’s no cure for it. The most dominant characteristics you need to get back to your true self are perseverance and determination.
I suffered from sexual assaults at a very impressionable age. I hid it all from my parents, friends, authorities, and professionals. I believed that I was ‘fine .’What specifically was happening to me as I began to suffer from PTSD, which, in turn, caused me to make unhealthy choices for myself, which, in turn, created C-PTSD. My life spiraled downward for over 20 years because the C-PTSD was left untreated as well.
My book When Birds Sing – My Journey from Trauma to Triumph is both a cautionary tale and a story of amazing triumph.
I detail my trauma and abuse vividly and my path to a healthy, happy life so that you will not have to continue to go through what I went through. Seek help if you have not and remember that you are worthy of love – especially the love of YOU. When you love yourself, your life will open to new possibilities.
Remember, keep going – never give up.
Tips for Managing Severe PTSD Anxiety and other PTSD and C-PTSD symptoms:
• Set your intention that you are not going to let your life continue in the manner that it has.
• Seek a therapist’s (preferably a Ph.D.) help; however, make very sure that the help you choose is highly qualified in PTSD or C-PTSD.
• If you don’t have a friend you can trust (which I did not) and you have the funding, seek a Life Coach (again, make sure that they are well-versed in what you’re dealing with).
• Go to my website to read my blogs on PTSD and find many helpful resources at www.ariellespring,netRemember; its progress, not perfection – look for small improvements each day – then add them all up and at the end of the week and see how much you’ve progressed.
• Journal daily – Getting the feelings out (whether they be genuine or PTSD induced) is critical for your healing.
• Practice self-love-induced self-care acts daily. This can be as simple as taking the stairs on some days or as involved in a therapy session or walking with a friend.
• Begin to listen to that still, small voice inside you – this is your intuition –it knows so pay attention to it. If you know people are toxic, stay away from them. If they persist, contact the authorities safely.
• Breathe deeply at intervals throughout your day – breath in through the nose filling your lower belly, and going up into your diaphragm and chest – hold for a second and release through the mouth – repeat as necessary.
• Get a job that works for your current situation and recovery level.
• If you’ve experienced sexual assault, harassment, or trauma, contact someone. If you’re currently with the abuser, you must put your SAFETY FIRST. If it’s not safe to call the police at that moment, remove yourself from the environment ASAP. When you’re in a safe environment, call the police.
Arielle Spring, author of When Birds Sing: My Journey from Trauma to Triumph, is a living example of a phoenix rising. Her idyllic life spiraled out of control for over 20 years due to experiencing many traumas. In her darkest moment, she saw the light to freedom and began her ascent to wholeness. Spring’s openness, insight, and warm, empathetic heart have inspired her to share her story. A health and life coach, Arielle also has served as a group facilitator for abuse and trauma victims.
Visit: https://www.ariellespring.net/
Our thoughts are the building blocks of our lives. Our thoughts govern our actions. What we think can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. What happens if you believe your marriage will never get better? You often don’t bother putting in the work to get the result you really want: a healthy marriage. Because of your negative thoughts, you don’t put intention or action in that direction. You close off the door to that potential.
However, when you pray and believe it will get better, you open the door to the possibility of what could be. Your faith is set on what’s possible. You still have to put the work in to see the potential realized, but you are willing to do it because you know that all things are possible with God.
Your thoughts are the starting point to get you going in the right direction. You can apply this concept to every area of your life: work, finances, family, health, spiritual life, etc. Your thoughts either propel you forward or hold you back.
Roger Bannister was the first man to run a mile in under four minutes. Before 1954, it was believed that it was impossible for any runner to run a mile in less than four minutes. The prevailing mindset was that this was physically impossible and, if achieved, would lead to the death of the runner. It was thought that a human being simply couldn’t run that fast. “Experts” conducted profound studies to show it was impossible to beat the four-minute barrier. And for centuries, they were right. Nobody ever ran a mile in less than four minutes.
“We don’t get stuck in life because of what happens to us, but because of what happens in us.”by By polinalovesAdobeStock
However, Roger Bannister believed he could break that barrier. He didn’t dwell on the impossibilities. He refused to let all those negative words form a barrier or stronghold in his mind. He simply began to train, believing he was going to break that record, and sure enough, he went out one day and broke the four-minute-mile barrier. He did what the experts said couldn’t be done. He made history. We know now that it wasn’t a physical barrier but a mental barrier.
Here is what is so interesting about the Roger Bannister story: Within ten years after Roger Bannister broke that record in 1954, 336 other runners had also broken the four-minute-mile record! For three thousand years, as far back as statisticians kept track-and-field records, nobody ran a mile in less than four minutes. Then, within a decade, more than three hundred people from various geographical locations could do it. What happened? Simple. The barrier was in the athlete’s mind all along. For all those years, runners believed what the experts were telling them. They were convinced that running a mile in less than four minutes was impossible. Roger Bannister had the right mentality. He refused to believe that it was impossible.
Now, think about your own life for a minute. What limits have you imposed on yourself because you believed what other people have said? Where have you allowed the limitations of others’ experiences to become your own? If you are not careful, you can become trapped by your thinking and develop what is called a mental stronghold. This is a mindset that becomes impregnated with hopelessness and causes you to
accept something as unchangeable, even though change is possible.
In 2005, the National Science Foundation published an article summarizing research on human thought. It was found that the average person has about 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts per day. Of those thousands of thoughts, eighty percent were negative, and ninety- five percent were exactly the same repetitive thoughts as the day before.
We can see that one of the strongest tendencies of our mind is to focus on the negative. It’s no wonder people often feel stuck. Whatever you allow filling your mind, whether positive or negative, will eventually show up in your life.
Your thoughts compound day after day, month after month, year after year. Here’s the good news: if you don’t like what’s happening in an area of your life, you can change it by changing your thoughts in that area. This is one of the most profound truths we can learn in life. It allows us to regain control of our lives. I don’t have to be a victim of my circumstances or the environment around me. It doesn’t matter what happens to me; I get to choose the course of my life by selecting my thoughts.
“Your thoughts determine your future.”
“The direction of your focus determines the direction of your life.”
It’s very important where we choose to set our focus and which thoughts we allow ourselves to meditate on.Photo
We can either focus on what’s going wrong in life or on what God can do in the midst of our circumstances. But it’s very important where we choose to set our focus and which thoughts we allow ourselves to meditate on.
One of the most vulnerable times is when you are left alone with your unfiltered and unguarded thoughts. It happens to all of us, right? For me, that’s when I’m driving. One time I was driving down Benton Road at a railroad crossing, about to pass through the light. I wasn’t intentionally thinking about anything. (My wife tells me she doesn’t understand how that’s possible.) But then, something started meddling in my mind. I was frustrated at a personal conflict earlier that day, and, lo and behold, I started having negative thoughts in my head about the other person.
Those thoughts became so strong that I started having an argument with that person in my head! I was literally saying in my mind, “No, you don’t know what you’re talking about!” Then I mentally started telling the person off. My imagined argument was so real I could feel my blood pressure rising, and I started to get angry. My driving became a little more aggressive than before. I was frustrated. I was sitting in my car alone, but I thought I knew how this other person would respond. Then I decided how I was going to respond in return.
I had imagined a whole conversation in my head by the time I finally arrived at my destination. Then, as I arrived, I saw this person. Before thinking, I spoke to him in frustration—before he even said or did anything to me! I was all worked up because of my mental conversation before I arrived. I had to remind myself that the conversation I had in my head wasn’t real and then ask for forgiveness.
My frustration was unfounded and unwarranted. It’s so important to guard your thoughts. You must choose the direction of your thoughts with intentionality.
Don’t allow yourself to live your life on autopilot. A recent study by Marks & Spencer determined that ninety-six percent of the three thousand people surveyed lived on autopilot. Ninety-six percent are going through the motions of life, day in and day out. There is an epidemic of non-engagement in our culture today. People have become comfortable going through life without much conscious thought, completely unaware of how they have relinquished their lives to the automatic programming of subconscious thought. Most people go from one situation to another, rarely taking control of life. They bounce around from one situation to the next, becoming victims of whatever circumstances impact them. This is living life on autopilot, with no intentionality, no goals, and no drive. It’s like a self-driving car that one might see driving around town. A person may be sitting in the driver’s seat but only go along with the program, passively observing the world going by. Someone is there, but merely as a disengaged passenger.
“You have no control over what happens to you, but you do get to choose what happens in you.”
Maybe as you read this, you recognize this is how you’ve been living. Although you are sitting in the driver’s seat, you have relinquished control. You are no longer engaged in the process but are simply along for the ride. Have you become nothing more than a spectator in your own life? If that’s you, it’s time to take back control, reengage, and go on a journey to discover the truth about yourself and ultimately achieve freedom.
Jimn Kyles is the lead pastor of Anchor Bend Church and author of Unstuck & Unstoppable: Shake Off The Past, Find Your Purpose, Get On With Your Life which reached No. 1 status on Amazon’s list of new releases. He is an entrepreneur and real estate investor and has worked with, trained, and coached thousands of leaders across the nation to get unstuck and reach their full potential.
He’s the host of Unstuck and Unstoppable, a podcast designed to help you move your life forward. Jimn is passionate about helping you live your life with purpose and passion, discover your identity, have a clear vision for your future, and identify and change negative paradigms that secretly sabotage your life.
He and Phyllis have four kids, Caden, Carson, Addison, and Raylin.
After much-needed time to relax with family and friends over Christmas, getting back into your routine in the new year can be quite the challenge, specifically when it comes to working out. In fact, research shows that December is the quietest calendar month at the gym, so it’s vital to start the preparation early.
However, it doesn’t need to be so difficult –experts at Fitness Volt have highlighted five tips to ease yourself back into a workout routine after the festivities.
Set specific times Scheduling your workout time is a simple yet effective step. Getting back into the right frame of mind after the Christmas buzz is just one of the ways you will have to readjust, and it can certainly take its toll on you. So, without a gym schedule, it’s likely that you will make plenty of excuses not to partake in any exercise. Consider your dayto-day schedule and choose your workout slot based on where you have the freest time – this way, you can mentally prepare yourself as well as avoid any excuses that you are
too busy. Plus, a planned exercise slot will ensure that your workload won’t take over, as it’s a given that you will be getting back into a busy work routine, too.
Don’t overexert yourself. While pushing yourself is usually encouraged in fitness, it’s sensible not to push yourself to the extreme, particularly after some time away from exercise. Whether it’s weightlifting or cardio, doing too much exercise can lead to overuse injuries, including muscle strains and tendon injuries, thus making you a lot less capable of meeting your fitness goals. After some time off, it’s natural not to be able to lift as heavy or run as far – so it’s crucial to not let it discourage you, as you will soon gain your ability if you stay consistent with your exercise. As well as this, overdoing it can lead to burnout in the early stages and make you dread a workout as opposed to enjoying it. If you feel yourself giving up, try to commit to five minutes and finish your workout if you don’t feel capable of doing anymore; but this five-minute rule, will likely motivate you to do more.
Personalize your workout
Fitness lovers aren’t necessarily all gym-goers. In fact, there are plenty of ways to work out which don’t involve the gym – and this is key for making it an enjoyable part of your routine again. If you’re a nature enthusiast and wish to do more cardio exercises, go for a run – or even a walk – at your local beach, local park, or even around the block. Alternatively, if you’re into strength training but don’t enjoy the gym atmosphere, invest in equipment such as dumbbells and kettlebells to work out from the comfort of your own home.
Partner up Finding a friend with similar fitness goals is beneficial for many reasons, one being that it acts as motivation after some time away. For the days that you don’t feel like exercising, a fitness partner can motivate you to get ready and get it done – plus, during a workout, your partner can even push you to take it to the next level, such as lifting a slightly heavier weight or increasing the incline setting on the treadmill. Having a partner can also keep you accountable to stay on track with your fitness plan and recognize any goals that are yet to be met. Better yet, it makes it a time to socialize so that you look forward to it more, not to mention your partner can spot you to make your workout safer.
Set short-term goals too
It’s always important to think of the long-term result; doing so allows you to plan your workout and figure out which
exercises are best suited to your needs. However, having only a long-term goal can become frustrating when you aren’t seeing progress straight away and can even result in you giving up completely – which is especially easy to do when you’re trying to get back into your routine. Therefore, it’s vital to set goals over shorter time frames that are manageable, as well as not just focus on your appearance. For example, you may wish to become stronger, so a short-term goal for the end of a month could be to increase your squat load by 45 lbs.
A spokesperson from Fitness Volt has commented: “When it comes to Christmas, the last thing that needs to be on our minds is working out – it’s a time that we wish to be spending with family and friends, and it’s important to make the most of that. However, it can be difficult to find the motivation to get back into it after some time off.
Thankfully, there are simple steps that can increase your ambition again as well as make your workout more enjoyable to ensure that you can stick to your fitness routine in the new year and, as a result, enjoy the Christmas festivities without feeling guilty.”
The research was conducted by Fitness Volt, a comprehensive online resource dedicated to Strength Sports, from healthy eating to exercise and everything in between.
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by Tara Lohan
Soil’s microbial communities keep it healthy, just like the one in our guts. But new research finds we’re not doing a good enough job of protecting it.
Tackling the biodiversity crisis may mean starting small — very small.
The life we can’t see is some of the most threatened, say researchers of a new study in Nature Microbiology. And those microbial organisms — tiny bacteria, fungi and viruses that live in the soil — are fundamental to our existence.
“A functioning Earth without a functioning microbiome is nearly unimaginable,” they write.
But soil microbes today are at risk of extinction and homogenization. A wide variety of environmental changes has spurred these losses, including deforestation, intensive agriculture, pesticides, soil compaction and soil sealing.
There’s also the threat from “accelerated co-extinction” — as host plants decline, so do their specialized microbial networks.
The Earth microbiome urgently needs our defense, the researchers urge in their study. And they provide three avenues to help do just that.
“We need to conserve, we need to restore and we need to integrate microbes into managed landscapes,” says study co-author Tom Crowther, a professor of environmental systems science at ETH Zürich. “The belowground world is exactly as important as the aboveground world. It’s also exactly as diverse.”
The first step to conservation is data collection, so we know what exists where and how it’s changing over time.
Thousands of soil ecologists all over the
world are engaged in this process, which has been streamlined by the use of DNA sequencing.
“By compiling all of those data sets, you can start to see the patterns in microbial communities across the globe,” says Crowther. “Then we link it up with satellite observations and climate information to look at the correlations.”
But we need to devote more effort to quantifying and mapping the Earth’s existing microbiome to identify knowledge gaps and emerging threats. The researchers note several projects already underway attempting to do just that, including SoilBON, the Global Fungi Database and the Earth Microbiome Project.
But while data availability has exploded, they warn that “there are clear and persistent sampling gaps in our global picture of the Earth microbiome.” There’s still a lot we don’t know and many places where data doesn’t yet capture a long-term picture that can help identify decline. Places where we lack information include the northern parts of Canada and Russia, the Amazon, southeast Asia, and the entire African continent.
This information could aid efforts to include microbial biodiversity in conservation planning and in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of species in need of conservation, the researchers say.
In the second step, the research shows that ecological restoration efforts should include attention to restoring microbiomes.
Restoration can take place by allowing nature to regenerate on its own, but that can also be an incredibly slow process. There’s now evidence that active microbiome restoration — which includes mixing microbial spores into water and spraying the landscape or using soil inoculants that contain microbes— can help the speed and resiliency of ecological restoration projects.
The researchers reviewed the findings of dozens of previous studies that examined these practices and found that restoring native microbial communities helped boost plant growth by an average of 64%.
This kind of restoration can be used not just for natural landscapes, but also those managed for agriculture.
Managed landscapes are “a vital and underappreciated avenue to promote microbial biodiversity,” the researchers write, and exploring the possibilities of microbial restoration in these areas is the third avenue the study recommends.
Efforts should be made, they say, to identify diverse, native microbiomes that can be restored to fields and forests managed for agriculture, which covers nearly half the planet’s land.
For farmers, the benefits are twofold. “Simply spraying these microbes — healthy, diverse mixtures across soils — increases your diversity within the system, will be beneficial in itself to farmers,” says Crowther, especially if incentives for promoting biodiversity become available in the future. And it can also help boost plant production.
That, he says, is “a rare example in ecology where we’ve got something that improves biodiversity and at the same time increases (crop) yields.”
The end goal of this work is for belowground ecosystems to receive the same attention as the ones aboveground, so we know how to appropriately restore them and protect them.
“If we manage a tropical forest the same way we manage a boreal forest, it wouldn’t work very well. 'So we manage them very differently,” he says. “We also need to be managing our soils relative to the variation in microbial biogeography. We need to understand those ecosystems if we’re going be able to manage them right.”
Crowther believes that’s starting to happen, but there’s still a long way to go.
Fungi have gotten the most attention so far, which is important, “but fungi are just the tip of the iceberg,” he says. “There’s a wealth of soil biodiversity that’s absolutely critical for the survival of everything on this planet — the bacteria, the nematodes and the soil animals that are essential.”
Despite an increasing awareness of the importance of protecting soil biodiversity, there’s still no strong conservation planning around it, says Crowther. “We really have to start getting serious about it — that’s the case for all biodiversity and particularly the belowground world.”
The next big chance to do that will be in December at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference, he says.
“I hope it will be a big turning point in the environmental movement for bringing biodiversity up to a place that’s as important as climate in our international policy governance.”
Tara Lohan is deputy editor of The Revelator and has worked for more than a decade as a digital editor and environmental journalist focused on the intersections of energy, water and climate. Her work has been published by The Nation, American Prospect, High Country News, Grist, Pacific Standard and others. She is the editor of two books on the global water crisis.
http://twitter.com/TaraLohan
This story originally appeared in "THE REVELATOR" It is republished here as part of The Eden Magazine partnership with Covering Climate Now, a global journalistic collaboration to strengthen coverage of the climate story.
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