The Eden Magqazine October 2023

PROTECTING THE OCEAN'S LEGACY WITH

COUSTEAU Jean Michel

Photo by Jess Bailey

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.

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Since 2010

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8

THE LINES THAT DIVIDE IN THE WEB OF LIFE by Dulce Garcia-Morman, Ph.D.,

14

EXPERIENCING NATURE & BEAUTY by Cheryl Pallant

20

JEAN MICHEL COUSTEAU An interview by Alexia Melocch

32

YOU FIND WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR EVERYTIME by Cortney McDormott

36

MOULOUK by Liliane Fortna

40

IT'S TIME TO TURST THE SIGNS by Diane Lilli

44 IRONING OUT THE LOGICAL MIND by Isha Foundation

50 A ZERO WASTE LIFE by Anita Vandyke

Cover photography

BRENDA SAINT HILLAIRE (from 2018 Photoshoot)

Designed by ARTIN MARDIROSIAN (Nexision)

Life is Essential, Feel it

by Stephanie Mines Ph.D.,

by Polly Wirum

by Zee

by Susie Schroadter

by Sherri Cortland

Photo by engin akyurt, Robert Koorenny, Richard Jaimes & visualsofdana

The Lines That Divide in The Web of Life

By Dulce García-Morman, Ph.D.

What is sentience? Why is it so easy to see it when we look at our next-door neighbor or the couple having coffee across from us but can hit a “glitch” for many when we look at the cat or the dog they own? Why does the term seem even more “glitchy” when we think of animals that are not domesticated, farther removed from our couches and beds, and who do not go on road trips with us? Sentience is a comfortable and obvious concept to embrace when we apply it to people, but one that is open to debate and may not be so naturally embraced when we apply it to animals.

The question of animal sentience has been fairly absent from Western philosophical traditions, with the first serious attempt being made in 1997 by French philosopher Jacques Derrida at an academic conference. Derrida shocked the audience by engaging with metaphysical questions on the essence nature of non-human animals, with ethical questions about the treatment of animals, especially slaughter, and by questioning the basic assumptions around the differences we draw between our human selves and animal others. This was a huge, and probably eye-rolling, moment in the history of philosophy!

Yet the concept of sentience is relatively simple -coined by philosophers in the 1630s; it is defined as the ability to experience feelings and sensations. Why the term becomes debatable outside of human experience has always been a mystery to me. Is it not safe to assume that non-human animals also have this capacity to sense and feel? Maybe it’s the primacy of verbal language that has complicated this matter. In other words, if animals cannot express their feelings and sensations through [our] language, then their experience is not verifiable or believable. It is a reductionist and primarily Western view of the world that ignores the immense complexity and interconnection of the world we inhabit. On the other hand, Eastern traditions such as Buddhism and Hinduism embrace the notion of animal sentience.

Geoffrey Barstow is a scholar of religious studies and Tibetan Buddhism at Oregon State University. He reminds us that the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, like other forms of Buddhism, “Recognizes that animals, like humans, are sentient beings capable of emotions and some level of thought. As such, there is no question that animals can suffer and that humans should consider their needs when making ethical decisions”.

In the face of scientific uncertainty, why not err on the side of grace and extend our compassion to all the animals that inhabit our world? Is it really important to have empirical proof of the degree to which animals experience suffering? We assume the jellyfish cannot experience pain because they lack a brain, heart, and respi-

ratory system. But can we be 100% certain of what their basic neuron network does? It allows them to sense the world around them, but can we ever really know their lived experience? I remember going to the Monterrey Aquarium some years ago and being called to hang out with the jellyfish. I stuck my face on the glass and watched one very closely. Soon, I found myself meditative, almost perfectly synchronized with what felt like a pulsing, throbbing, fully alive life energy from the jellyfish. I lost sense of time and found myself “coming back” about 30 minutes later from an altered state that I can only describe as fully present, primal, and alive in a way that was unlike anything I had ever experienced. In other words, a jellyfish offered me an experience of awe and spiritual connection, a pure state of beingness that only the “primitive” can access. Years later, I look back at that experience with immense gratitude.

As a facilitator of equine-assisted learning and a lifelong equestrian, I have experienced equally awe-inspiring moments with horses. What is in the jellyfish, as in the horse, that allows us to connect to something so overwhelming and sweet that it cannot be spoken? When Nature breaks us open, the need for scientific explanation rolls away as we become immersed in a world of experience that cannot be mediated by the human mind. It is a world that can only be accessed by the primal parts of the Self that will always remain a mystery. In the presence of Nature, we open to something simple, wild, and infinitely fulfilling.

On a basic level, just the idea that our horses, our dogs, and the jellyfish roaming the oceans do/might feel pain should be compelling enough. As animal ethicists Acampora, Bekoff, and Calarco have argued, it is a sufficient condition that we share with all animals the condition of having a body and a mind and, therefore, share the capacity to suffer pain.

Besides philosophers, there are many scientists doing good work in the area of animal sentience and consciousness. For example, the Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness was signed on July 7, 2012, where a prominent international group of cognitive neuroscientists, neuropharmacologists, neurophysiologists, neuroanatomists, and computational neuroscientists gathered at The University of Cambridge to reassess the neurobiological substrates of conscious experience and related behaviors in human and non-human animals. They declared the following:

The absence of a neocortex does not appear to preclude an organism from experiencing affective states. Convergent evidence indicates that non-human animals have the neuroanatomical, neurochemical, and neurophysiological substrates of conscious states, along with the capacity to exhibit intentional behaviors. Consequently, the weight of evidence indicates that humans are not unique in possessing the neurological substrates that generate consciousness. Non-human animals, including all mammals and birds, and many other creatures, including octopuses, also possess these neurological substrates.

I ask if we are fully sentient without recognizing the sentience in “the other”? One act that can change our perspective on animal sentience is a simple change in language. Instead of speaking of humans and animals, it may be useful to speak of human animals and non-human animals. The simple reminder that we are animals is a good start. In fact, Jacques Derrida argued that human denial or forgetfulness about their own animality was the primary obstacle in “the question of the animal.”

As the ecological crisis rages on, causing massive levels of collective distress, perhaps this is a good time to understand our place in the web of life. Is it time to rethink the lines we have drawn between human and animal life? Is the answer to double down, re-draw, or abandon those lines of separation? From an evolutionary perspective, and from the perspective that unconditional love may be the ultimate savior, what is the intelligent conclusion? Human and non-human animals share an embodied experience capable of a range of emotions that is more or less the same or similar and that alone should evoke an ethic of compassion. Instead of getting caught up in the distinctions, let’s focus on the beauty of all life forms, without which the human-animal experience would be incomplete.

Dulce García-Morman, Ph.D. is founder of Life-Is-Art™ Equine Assisted Learning & Coaching. She has facilitated learning and therapeutic experiences through the horse-human connection for the past 17 years. Dulce’s practice draws from different wisdom traditions and is strongly oriented toward a Jungian approach to the restoration of the authentic Self. For more information, visit https://life-is-art.us/

Animals, like humans, are sentient beings capable of emotions and some level of thought. As such, there is no question that animals can suffer and that humans should consider their needs when making ethical decisions.

~ Geoffrey Barstow

Human and non-human animals share an embodied experience capable of a range of emotions that is more or less the same or similar and that alone should evoke an ethic of compassion.

Photo by Jonas Vincent

Experiencing NATURE

and Beauty

By Cheryl Pallant

During one of my short breaks from writing, I walked the modest path meandering through my backyard and viewed the young dogwood tree with its first-ever pink blooms, a sure sign of recuperating from a bout of fungus. Nearby, emboldened violets fill the interior of the fire pit. Each year furthers the transformation of this small plot of land into a refuge for bees, bats, and birds, pluckings for salad, inspiration for creative work and healing, and a space for meditation. When I pour compost-rich water onto the tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, basil, and cilantro, a part of me enlivens as if my own chlorophyll bathes in the sunlight.

A close look at the leaves reveals their venation, reticulated, palmate, or parallel, unfurling or spreading, and their particular shade of green best identified by naming the plant. I lean into peer at the ferns, hostas, and rhododendrons as if to hear secrets they may impart. But it’s not words I seek during these garden respites but a marveling and connecting with nature and beauty. Regardless of whether the sun is high in the sky,

the moon peers down between branches, or the yard is shrouded by fog, and beauty awaits the dilation of my pupils, my heart and attention tuned to nature’s changes.

Shape and color delay my return to pending work. Or it’s the wind swaying a stem or a ladybug hiking across a leaf. These are the siren calls that disrupt my usual preoccupations. I am summoned to witness and tower above them like a giant, careful not to crush these delicate forms with an inattentive step. They are reminders of resilience, an intimate call to my own nature, and a marvel at how life unfolds. We grow alongside each other. We journey out from the earth. Witnessing feels like a high calling and an opening that returns me to the home of my body.

A similar summons occurs when I gaze upon an infant. We share a field of curiosity and love. In that invitational space, I’ve no disagreements with life, no need to assert a claim, no need to do anything other than align with what is taking place and breathe in the awe of homecoming.

Photo by Fantastic-B

I hope most of us have experienced a similar exquisite connection with a beloved, be it a family member, pet, or plant, the separateness of our life expanded by another’s presence, the heart pulsing in a quiet ecstasy. Such unity waters and fertilizes being. The connection amplifies the breadth of who we are and reinforces a sense of belonging that includes our achievements as well as our imperfections and unfinished tasks. What takes place is experiencing inclusion in something larger than our limiting ego, often wrangling for top place. Turning away from a vibrant connection feels like a violation of natural laws, an existential fall, a violence against being, the delusion of an isolate, a symptom of toxic individualism. Instead, there is only one wise choice: turning toward. Turning toward is to join a consciousness larger than our singular worries, despair, and hopes. We get to whisper with the wind, follow the flight of hummingbirds, or sit beneath the maple tree. The process assigns us membership into a club whose doors remain open, and no forms or background checks are needed. Just us, as is; no references needed.

This joyful connection, like a ripe peach for the soul, also happens with art, poetry, music, and dance, among the reasons many of us agree to practice them or be their audience. A brush stroke, a verbal phrase, the reach of an outstretched arm, or a vibrato filling a room quickens the heart, activates mirror neurons, and alters consciousness. Who we were a moment ago shifts. Thoughts usually jostling for position settle down. The heart steadies into an easy, wondrous beat as if lights turn off in one part of the room to illuminate the entire house, as if pain dissolves into relief, as if exile from a tribe ends with a feast for tongue, ears, heart, and soul, as if every precious moment, every trial, hope, and aspiration was preparation for this moment which is perfect.

The beauty is unmistakable. Over here, it says, and gladly we go to receive its gifts. Imagine the mosaic ceiling of a chapel or mosque or the jeweled torso of a beetle. Recall the shudder when a

warm voice and a gentle hand upon our arm melted the freeze of our hearts and rekindled the glow of love. Recall the resplendent harmony and compulsive beat of music. Attention broadens, and the mind opens to a design of grandeur, a shift that is humbling and awe-inspiring. Beauty is a portal to an expanded consciousness and irrefutable splendor.

The call to practice art, poetry, music, or dance opportunities to engage beauty in its creative flow that is unconditionally welcoming and resonant. Just be. Just express. Creativity embraces our idiosyncratic rhythms, hesitations, alacrity, sloppiness, and grace, saying, seeing, and motion, the boundaries of self-edging inward and outward simultaneously. We touch into the intimacy of our body and the region larger than our usual sensing. We stir the cauldron of the unconscious toward consciousness. A creative practice puts us in dialog with nature, with integration, with the unfolding of order and chaos. Any medium works when we alternate control with letting go, soliciting form with being informed, when we engage imaginably, inviting a dreamlike awareness and a furthering of cognitive awareness. Deep satisfaction arises from riding the waves of expression, one word or image or note offering its hand to the next, one gesture spilling into the next, a flow state that connects into a field that is affirming, inspiring, and generative.

Experiences of beauty, be it with nature, art, or a beloved, situate us in the thick of life as an integral player who has pursued or lucked into a moment of connection. I wish an experience of beauty upon everyone. Such connections recalibrate temperament and shift brain chemistry to release dopamine and oxytocin, hormones that reinforce joy and a sense of belonging. Such connections renew our sense of purpose and authenticity. The connection reduces stress, the harbinger of so many illnesses. Instead, all systems shift toward balance; we are situated in contentment crowned by an acceptance of all that is. This deep connection, no part of us exiled, is, I believe, what most of us want.

Cheryl Pallant, Ph.D., is an awardwinning writer and poet, Reiki and Healing Touch practitioner, somatic coach, dancer, meditator, and teacher.

She has published more than 200 articles on dance, writing, healing, somatics, and spirituality and is the author of several books, including Writing and the Body in Motion and Contact Improvisation. She teaches at the University of Richmond and leads workshops in the U.S. and internationally. She lives in Richmond, Virginia.

By Alexia Melocchi

In Volume 2, join the legendary Jean-Michel Cousteau as he embarks on a new, awe-inspiring adventure in the world of ocean life. Dive deeper into the mysteries of our planet's most vital ecosystem and discover what's next in his mission to protect and preserve our oceans for generations to come. Prepare to be captivated by the wonders of the deep!

ean Michel CousteauJ Protecting the Ocean's Legacy with

Jean Michel Cousteau needs no introduction: he is an icon, and the Founder of Ocean Futures Society. A French oceanographic explorer, environmentalist, educator, and award-winning producer and the son of Jacques Cousteau.

Your passion for the Ocean is palpable. You're about to have a critical fundraiser event at the Ritz Carlton on November 10th in Santa Barbara, the 78 Years of Diving and Discovery Gala, which will celebrate your career and share the magic of whales. Many Hollywood celebrities are very outspoken about protecting the Oceans and wildlife, but what can we all do to make a change, to make a difference?

Jean Michel Cousteau: : Everybody can contribute to ensuring the human species will not disappear. Education is critical, and that's why I am honored to work with the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in six different locations worldwide. We aim to communicate with visitors who come there and ensure they have access to information they might not otherwise have. Our programs often focus on young people because they are the decision-makers of tomorrow. Young people are like sponges; they absorb everything and never forget it. So, it's crucial to focus on young people because what they absorb will always be there. These young people often become better decision-makers when they grow up.

What about adults??

Jean Michel Cousteau: : I have the privilege of sitting down with decision-makers, whether it's in politics, government, or industries. And I never accuse them. I never point a finger. I try to reach their heart. Everybody has a heart.

It's truly inspiring to see your commitment to education and your belief in the potential of young people. And I'm sure they are fortunate to have you as a mentor. You said your father put a tank on your back and pushed you onto a boat when you were seven, making you a scuba diver. You've since dedicated your life to exploring the underwater world. What is the difference between going to SeaWorld and being in the Ocean, amongst the wildlife?

Jean Michel Cousteau: I began my journey underwater thanks to my dad and his colleagues, who co-invented the scuba diving equipment. When you're in the Ocean, you're weightless. You can be upside down, and it doesn't matter. This weightlessness is incredibly liberating and allows you to explore a different world. I've been scuba diving for 78 years. Every time I'm in the water, I see something new—new species, new animal behaviors, unique interactions between creatures, and the fascinating behaviors of underwater plants. This constant learning and discovery are what fuel my passion for diving. The Ocean holds countless mysteries, and I believe that the more we explore and understand it, the better equipped we are to protect it.

,,

"Years ago my father presented me with an honor and challenge when we were on our way to New York City on our Wind Ship Alycone. He said to me," And it is you Jean-Michel who will carry on the flame of my faith

I was going to ask you what keeps you so vibrant and ageless.

Jean Michael Cousteau: I am 85. And I intend to grow until I'm 107 because I want to celebrate 100 years of scuba diving. And I will continue for those years to come to share the privilege and the information that I have accumulated with my colleagues, my friends, people who care, and there are more and more of those people. But time is of the issue. And the sooner we take care of the Ocean, the better off we will make it. No other species can have the privilege that we have to decide not to disappear. It's our choice.

Why is the focus of the November fundraiser on whales?

Jean Michael Cousteau: Whales are the ones who recycle most of the CO2 and are creating the air that we breathe and much more. And so, we need to protect them. Ocean Futures, as you know, is a not-for-profit company that also produces content. And we want to start with whales. We began before the catastrophe took place in Maui, where the humpback whales and many other species came and the mothers with their babies, and we were able to film them from a drone and see that a mother had a baby this year. There are probably 1000 species of animals and plants in the Ocean. Things we don't even know anything about, how can we protect them? Or understand them? And that's what I learned from my dad when I was a kid, and I never stopped. And that's why I dive!

If you were to be reborn, and come back as a sea creature, which sea creature would you choose to be? Jean Michael Cousteau: The Orca. It’s the biggest of the

dolphins. They have been called killer whales, and that's wrong. They are the most sophisticated creatures in the Ocean. They are in every Ocean, which means 70% of the planet, and they oversee the entire ocean. We need to release the most intelligent and sophisticated creatures and stop putting them in captivity. They communicate with a different communication system, which is their primary sense. And, of course, smell is very important. And vision comes when the water is clear. I would love to be an Orca and communicate with the other families on the planet.

What are the most significant threats humans pose to the Ocean's delicate ecosystems? Is it plastics, oil spills, climate change, or a combination of these factors?

Jean Michel Cousteau: Humans are the most significant threat to the Ocean. We must remember that one of our primary senses is vision, and we are very sensitive to what we see, such as plastic pollution. However, other threats exist, like chemicals and pollution from various sources, including pharmaceuticals. When we take a pill, it eventually finds its way into the Ocean, often carrying heavy metals. We need to address these issues before they reach the Ocean. The public, even those who don't live near the Ocean, must realize that we are all connected to it. For example, when we see snow on a mountain, it's still part of the Ocean, and the water we drink is sourced from the Ocean through the water cycle. So, our impact on the Ocean is far-reaching, and we must change our behavior and protect it. Education is crucial in this process.

You have a background in architecture, and you once dreamed of building a city underwater. Can you tell us more about that dream and whether it's still something you're pursuing?

Jean Michel Cousteau: As a child, I expressed my desire to my parents to become an architect and build underwater cities. My father encouraged me to follow my dreams, so I pursued an architecture degree and even built schools in Madagascar. However, my path led me to the Ocean and marine conservation, my lifelong passion. The dream of underwater cities remains a concept that captures my imagination. Still, I focus on exploring and preserving the natural world beneath the waves. Our planet is a water planet, and the Ocean is the cornerstone of life on Earth. Our priority should be to protect and understand the existing ecosystems rather than building artificial ones.

There are probably 1000 of species of animals and plants in the ocean, what we don't even know about how can you protect, which we don't understand. And that's what I've learned from my dad, when I was a kid, and I never stopped.

Do you have any upcoming projects or initiatives to share with our readers?

Jean Michel Cousteau: I'm continuously involved in various projects, including my work with the Ocean Futures Society and the Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort in Fiji. I'm also working on several documentary films to inspire and educate people about the Ocean and its importance. My message is simple: The Ocean is our life support system, and we must protect it for our sake and the sake of future generations. I encourage everyone to get involved, whether through education, supporting conservation organizations, or making sustainable choices in their daily lives.

For more information about Ocean Futures Society Visit: www.oceanfutures.org

Special Thanks to:

Jean Michel Cousteau

Ocean Futures Society

Nan Marr

Carrie Vonderhaar

National Marine Sanctuary Foundation

Dina Morrone

“For thousands of years, sharks have haunted the human imagination. These perfect predators, 400 million years in the making, are unique hunters with awesome power. But their reputation as cruel, senseless killers of human nightmares is a far cry from reality. These powerful creatures play a vital role in the intricate balance that makes up the oceans' ecosystem. Andre Hartman is best known for his work with Great White Sharks. Under his professional guidance I joined him snorkeling surrounded by my film team and safety diver I took a ride on this 11ft female great white shark.”~ Photo Courtesy from Jean-Michel Cousteau's Private Collection.

1. 1945 JMC and his mother Simone Melchior Cousteau putting on fins.

Photo Courtesy the Jean-Michel Cousteau Private Collection.

2. Family 1st Dive.

Photo Courtesy the Jean-Michel Cousteau Private Collection.

3. JMC and his father Jacques Yves Cousteau adjusting the regulator.

Photo Courtesy the Jean-Michel Cousteau Private Collection.

4. 2002 Olympic Flag Honorees Steven Spielberg, Jean-Michel Cousteau, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Jean-Claude Killy

Photo Courtesy Private Collection

5. In 2006 President George W. Bush following a screening at the White House of Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Adventures PBS special Voyage to Kure a documentary expedition to The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands extending 1200 miles northwest of the main Hawaiian Islands, was designated Paahānaumokuākea the 1st Marine National Monument. The planet’s largest marine protected reserve at the time. On September 8, 2016 President Obama quadrupled the original boundary of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument to an additional 200 miles around the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

Photo Courtesy National Marine Sanctuary Foundation

6. Jean-Michel Cousteau Face to face with a Hammerhead shark in the turquoise hued waters of the Caribbean Sea.

Photo © Richard Murphy, Ocean Futures Society

7. On Expedition to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands exploring one of the most remote beaches on Laysan Island, the sight of all kinds of plastic and debris confronts Jean-Michel Cousteau and his team, stretching for miles along the shoreline.

Photo © Nan Marr, Ocean Futures Society

9. 21st Century Oceaneering: JMC Testing the Exosuit designed and built by Phil Nuytten, Nuytco Research LTD

10. May 11, 2016 in Paris, a Historical Day. Jean-Michel Cousteau officially awarded the highestFrench Civilian Order of Distinction, the Chevalier de la Légion D’Honneur, Knight of the Legion of Honor, from President Hollande of France at the Élysées. Photo © Neil McDaniel, Nuytco Research Ltd.

11. JMC up close with Keiko of “Free Willy” at the bay pen in Iceland in the ocean where he was born. The first captive whale to ever be rehabilitated for release into the wild overseen by the JMC team.

Photo © Tom Ordway, Ocean Futures Society

12. There are many wonderful surprises when diving the beautiful coral reefs of Papua New Guinea; Jean-MIchel Cousteau and his expedition team enjoyed this beautiful hawksbill sea turtle on their morning dive.

Photo © Carrie Vonderhaar, Ocean Futures Society

Photo by Alexander Krivitskiy

(EVERY TIME) YOU FIND WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR

By Cortney McDermott

The reality is we find what we expect to find. Without fail. Every time. And those expectations and consequent “evidence” are a result of what we believe about ourselves and the world around us. Period.

It’s as simple (albeit elusive) as that.

To understand a bit more clearly why we find what we are looking for, we also need to talk about the most sophisticated search engine ever created: your reticular activating system (RAS), which connects the brainstem to the cerebral cortex. The RAS is that part of the brain that is responsible for matching our thoughts, beliefs, and expectations to the environment around us.

The RAS always finds what we are expecting to find: the information and circumstances that correspond to our dominant thoughts, questions, and beliefs.

It sorts through extraordinary amounts of data and filters through to our conscious awareness only that which matches our specific search requirements. Since our sensory receptors are exposed to a gargantuan amount of stimuli every day, this fundamental function of the mind is essentially keeping us sane. Without it, we would experience a complete sensory overload and be entirely unable to operate in any conceivably “normal” way.

Unfortunately, however, if not understood and consciously directed, this part of the brain often finds the answers to questions we don’t want answered. Why do I always procrastinate? How come I just can’t lose the extra weight? What are all the things I don’t like about this person/place/situation? With questions like these, we are misdirecting and misusing this phenomenally powerful tool that is available to all of us.

Again, we are either being lazy and allowing unconscious beliefs to inform these questions, or we are consciously directing this part of our brain.

Which will you choose? To be unaware of the questions you’re asking, or to ask way better questions, like: What do I enjoy about this person/place/ situation? How can I shine brighter? How can I free the way for love?

The quality of your questions determines the quality of your results in life. So, what version of yourself and others do you wish to find?

TAKING YOUR POWER BACK

The modern mystic and author Neville Goddard talked of the power of belief thus: “We are all born with an infinite power, against which no earthly force is of the slightest significance.” Henry Ford put it even more directly with: “Whether you believe it or not, you’re right.” In other words...

You don’t attract what you want. You attract what you believe about yourself and the world.

And the questions you’re asking (consciously and unconsciously) are a mere reflection of those beliefs and of where you are choosing to place your trust.

When you consciously choose what you want to believe, you are also shaping truth, or reality, as you will perceive and experience it. When you hold that decided truth with conviction and ask questions based on that conviction, then reality bends to display that belief. Your actions will also begin to align

with that belief and generate the momentum that shapes form or matter (like the chair).

Know that you can only do what you are. That is to say, the “doing” happens through you as a result of who you believe yourself to be. When you have arranged the concept of yourself in a certain pattern (beliefs), your actions will demonstrate that concept in the physical.

This is akin to the phenomenon of magnetism—when particles are arranged in a random, mixed formation, there is no magnetic charge, whereas when a number of the same particles face in a single direction, the substance is a magnet. Hence, magnetism, just like who you are becoming, is not created but rather displayed. The potential exists, as do myriad other probability outcomes, simultaneously.

Now, before we step into the next chapter, THANK YOU for reading this far. What it indicates to me is that you are ready to reclaim your attention and direct it toward beliefs that empower rather than disempower you. This means that you are in a very small percentage of the world population at the moment of this writing. I congratulate everything it took for you to get here, and I invite you to dive much deeper with me in the chapters that follow.

For now, officially grant yourself permission to believe... especially in yourself and in your power to shape a new reality and the most exciting expression of you. And if believing means changing your mind about a lot of stuff, we’ll cover how to do that now.

Cortney McDermott is an award-winning author, TEDx speaker, and mind-body expert who helps the world’s leading organizations and creatives disrupt old patterns of behavior, grow healthy businesses, and apply the physiology and psychology needed for success. Cortney works with clients and audiences at companies like Universal Music Group, Google, Nike, and Virgin Unite. Her new book is Give Yourself Permission, an immediate Amazon bestseller. https://www.cortneymcdermott.com/

Moulouk

By Liliane Fortna

Photo by Moulouk

Since I was raised by my grandmother, who abused me physically, I hadn't experienced much warm, human contact—except for those infrequent visits from my aunt and uncle during my early years. It was rare for me to be allowed to speak or play with other children, so any interaction with Nature and animals was always welcomed. I had a special bond with another neighborhood dog named Moulouk, a tall black dog with pointy ears, who often came to visit me. He was a poor, wretched creature, mistreated by his owner, especially when she was drunk. We spent what seemed to be hours at a time playing on the beach, wading in the water, eating oysters and mussels on the rocks, or, when the tide was high, playing in the woods on the other side of the road. And when I was craving tenderness, which I had rarely experienced, Moulouk gave me, in a different form, the warmth I was looking for. To rest on his belly felt like I was cradled by someone who loved me.

One day, since I hadn't seen him for a while, which was unusual, I decided to find out what happened. As I was walking up the path leading to his house, I saw him lying in the dirt. I called out, but he did not respond. I found it very strange that he did not move, for he had been my friend for as many years as I could remember, and he was always very excited to see me. A closer look showed me he was tied up beside the front door of his house and had become very skinny and dirty. As I approached him, he barely moved. He lifted his head a bit wagged his tail slightly, but seemed unable to get up. His hair was matted, and his ribs were

showing quite a lot. His owner had beaten him to the point that a bone protruded from a big gash on his side. I didn't know what to do except pet him and quietly talk to him. There was nobody I could ask for help, and I was very afraid the owner would come out and tell my grandmother I was trespassing.

The next day, I was home and heard a dog howling at the end of the road. I looked and saw my wounded friend standing right in the curve of the road. I ran up to see him, but he had already disappeared into the woods. The following day, a man said he found Moulouk dead, lying near the pond in the woods—a place where he and I went quite often. I don't know how he managed to escape and where he found the strength to walk so far. But I do know my best friend came to say goodbye and then went to the place he and I visited often, a special place where we had fun and peace, away from those who mistreated us.

To this day, I cannot think about Moulouk and his last days without a tug in my heart. He came into my life at a time when I had no friends and rarely had the opportunity to play with other children. His frequent visits were always a great source of joy. Although he was not ours, he must have spent a lot of time with me, for I remember him as almost a constant companion.

I'm convinced he was sent to me by my Spirit Guides not only to help me survive the years of my difficult childhood but also to learn love and compassion. I was going to catechism and learning about love and kindness, yet it was not what I could observe around me. I had a hard time trusting people.

Liliane Fortna has been a professional contemporary dancer (performing in both Europe and the US), European fashion model, fashion consultant, Amazon rain forest explorer, wife, mother, grandmother, energy healer, Reiki master, consciousness explorer, artist, and most recently, a bestselling author of Winks from Above.

NEW BOOK OFFERS INSIGHT AND INTERACTIVE JOURNALING PAGES TO GUIDE YOU

By Diane Lilli, Founder, Rebel Books Press

Does this sound familiar? Everything seems to be going well, and then, just like that, it isn't. Perhaps your career goes up in flames, or your marriage disintegrates. Or maybe you feel like you are on a treadmill, going nowhere, and that you are losing your zest for life.

Sometimes, we all need to reevaluate our lives without judgment and with plenty of self-compassion. Author and educator Luisa Frey has some timely advice for anyone seeking guidance on how to become more fulfilled as a human being living in this hectic world.

Ms. Frey's first book, published by Rebel Books Press, is 'Trust the Signs.'

In her breakthrough first book, author and teacher Luisa Frey offers readers a priceless gift: a guide on translating the life-changing messages the universe is sending each of us. Part memoir and part guide, Trust the Signs, is a gift for everyone seeking a deep understanding of the universe and how to recognize the magnificent messages that will empower our everyday lives.

The core of this deeply meaningful book is based on the author's unique journey through the trials and tribulations of a divorce, financial insecurity, and a yearning to find her place in the world. Luisa Frey translates the mystical power of the universe into clear, actionable steps you can take to transform your everyday life right now.

As an extra bonus, there are a number of interactive journaling pages to assist you in finding what YOUR signs are.

Trust the Signs will teach you to open

your heart and your eyes to the significant messages the universe is sending you, time and time again. If you are ready to embrace your best life and welcome the gifts of the universe, this exceptional book will set you on a motivational path to personal and financial success.

Enjoy this excerpt from 'Trust the Signs.' The book is available in bookstores and easy to order online from any bookseller, including Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Apple, your favorite Indies stores, and anywhere books are sold.

About Luisa Frey

Luisa Frey, a high school English teacher, writing tutor, and former professional travel writer, has been aware of signs (aka personal symbols) since she was a little girl.

It was 1970, and the Beatles' Let It Be had just hit the charts. Her family was touring a college campus that her older brother considered attending. When they walked into the chapel, someone was randomly playing Let It Be on the organ. Immediately, Luisa's mother said, "It's a sign" that her son should attend that college – which he did.

Years later, as an adult, Luisa, too, started observing signs that had meaning and provided her with guidance. Throughout recording her personal symbols in over 50 journals, Luisa has made sense of their meaning and utilized them to help her take big steps in her life. She now wants to share her true stories with you and provide practical tips on spotting your personal symbols and using them to empower, inspire, and guide you on your journey.

We've all been there -- we see a number, a symbol, or literally a street sign that connects to something about which we have been thinking. It is only natural to think of these signs as coincidences. However, if you keep track of the signs and personal symbols that you see on a regular basis, you will start to notice that there is a bit more to it than mere coincidence. By doing so, personal symbols and signs will become a language all their own that is individually tailored to you.

So why should you care about how signs and symbols can communicate with you? The fact is that signs can play a vital role in your life -- as they have in mine -- to help guide you through difficult times. Signs or personal symbols can affirm that you are on the right path and empower you to

take steps toward change that might seem radical or illogical on the surface. By recognizing that you are receiving signs to help you make these changes, you are affirming that they are the right decisions to make--the universe and your very soul are telling you so!

Consider the wise words of global Deepak Chopra, who said, "There are no extra pieces in the universe. Everyone is here because he or she has a place to fill, and every piece must fit itself into the big jigsaw puzzle." We are all part of the complex fabric of the universe, and each of us plays a unique role in the great puzzle of life itself. There are always signs to guide us as long as we are open to them.

Photo by Motoki Tonn

I am living testimony that following the guidance of signs and personal symbols can lead to amazing, positive transformations. Over a period of twelve years, I filled up fifty-five journals with notes about my own personal symbols. Looking at these journals now affirms that this plethora of signs was no mere coincidence. Instead, it was guidance to help me transform from a caterpillar into a graceful butterfly, spreading her wings.

There are many parts of my life in which "sign language" has specifically guided me toward a happier, more peaceful and fulfilled life. For example, I followed my personal symbols to a path that included going back to college, getting an additional degree, learning a drastically new craft at the age of 52, and ultimately a major career change.

Each time I took a big, scary step on this path, I was always supported and affirmed by my personal symbols. It was as if the signs were saying, "Keep going -- you are totally on the right path." And I was!

As a matter of fact, people who used to discount my personal symbols now text me and ask me for guidance on the meaning of the signs that they see. Even my children, who were 21 and 29 years old at the time of writing Trust the Signs, used to roll their eyes when I would say, "Look, it's a sign!" Now, they even point out obvious displays of our personal symbols. All this has made me realize that all those years of recording my signs have not only helped me achieve a more fulfilling career, but it has also inspired others to take major steps in their lives toward greater happiness and financial security.

The goal of this book is for you to consider allowing signs and personal symbolism to become part of your mental and spiritual "tool kit" to empower you to take steps toward personal fulfillment. Each chapter is devised to lift your spirits with an inspirational poem, provide you with tips on how to read and follow your personal symbols and entertain you as I weave in my own "no coincidence" stories of how the signs guided me.

The poems included here were all written before I made my career change. At the time that I wrote them, I was going through tremendous financial stress despite working very hard on my travel writing and social media business. The words in each poem came to me after I grew quiet in the early hours of the morning during brief meditation. Since I always had my journals on hand to record the signs, I could quickly write down the inspirational poems that came out of me like a gushing waterfall. They helped me stay positive despite the grim reality of my life at the time. I include some of them here to help lift you up to a place of positivity, inner strength, and knowledge that, no matter how dire your situation may be, there is a guiding force* outside of us that can help us achieve a life of beauty and happiness. One of the many ways that this force manifests itself is through the appearance of signs and personal symbols in our daily lives.

*Note: It is entirely up to you as to whether you attribute the Divine orchestration of signs to God, the Universe, the Spirit, or any other force. Here, I will simply use the term "Divine orchestration," but feel free to substitute it in your own belief system.

Over a period of twelve years, I filled up fifty-five journals with notes about my own personal symbols. Looking at these journals now affirms that this plethora of signs was no mere coincidence. Instead, it was guidance to help me transform from a caterpillar into a graceful butterfly, spreading her wings.

IRONING OUT THE LOGICAL MIND

When one makes an attempt to walk the spiritual path, there are many things that come up as obstructions. It is not only about the spiritual path. Whatever one tries to do in their life, spiritual or otherwise, there are many aspects within a human being that can become a stumbling block and a mode of self-destruction and self-poisoning. Most people always think poison is something that they drink or that gets injected into them when they get bitten by a snake or something. Life can get more poisoned with just one wrong idea or one wrong emotion than with the poison that people drink.

Once it happened, the devil decided to go out of business. Because he was going out of business, he thought he would put all the tools of his trade on sale. He displayed all his wares: anger, jealousy, hatred, ego, self-love, and passion for possessing things – like this; he put many things on sale. All these things were sold out; people bought them in plenty. But someone noticed that he still had a couple of things in his bag that he was not putting up for sale.

They asked the devil, "What is it that you have in the bag that

you are not putting out for sale?" The devil said, "These are too expensive. These are really the most effective tools to stop a man from reaching his ultimate nature. They are not for sale. If I put them on sale, they will be too expensive." So people asked, "What are these? You already put everything on display, and we thought this is it. What more do you have?" So he said,

"Frustration and Depression. I will not put these two things on sale because they are the best tools to destroy people's longing to reach their full potential in their lives."

Though he did not put them on sale, many people have managed to acquire these tools and keep using them upon themselves and everyone around them. Unfortunately, in this world, the more intellectual a person thinks he is, the more frustrating and depressing everything about him is. Once people get into the trap of the logical mind, the accumulated mind, frustration, and depression become a natural process.

In societies where large populations are educated, you will see depression as one of the biggest problems. There is a deep sense of depression because intellect is all that you have.

And if you dissect your life logically, it is only natural to be frustrated and depressed.

Whichever way you look at it, except for handling a few physical realities, the accumulated mind is a stupid process. Once you get entangled in this stupid process, it will not allow you to perceive life the way it is right now. Once you do not perceive life the way it is right now, everything that you do is going to be distorted. Every action that you perform is bound to be twisted out and a distortion of life.

It happened once. There was a little village that got news that the king was going to visit.

They were all excited and, at the same time, very nervous because they were simple folk. They were afraid they might do something stupid and earn the king's wrath. So, they wanted someone to represent the village, but they found no one in their village. They had heard about a wise man, Shankaran Pillai, in a nearby village.

Shankaran Pillai, who was seventy years of age, was known to be well-versed in all kinds of matters of the world. So, the villagers went and begged him, "Please, you must represent our village. The king is visiting us. We don't want to do something stupid during his visit."

Shankaran Pillai said, "Okay, that's no problem. I have seen many kings. I have been in many courts. I know these matters very well. I will come and handle it."

The king's men came to the village to prepare for his arrival the next day. They knew it was a simple village with simple people. So, they told the villagers, "Don't say anything unnecessary and get into trouble with the king. The king will ask three simple questions. You just answer those. Who is the representative here?" All of them pointed towards Shankaran Pillai.

The king's men trained Shankaran Pillai. "The king will just ask these three questions. First, he will ask you your age. So, what's your age?" Shankaran Pillai

said, "Seventy." "That's all.

Don't say one word more. Just say seventy, that's all. The next thing the king will ask is about how many children you have. How many do you have?" "Six." "So just say six, that's all. The third question the king always asks is about how the rains have been this year. How has it been?" "Good." "Just say good, that's all. Don't say one word more. First question,'Seventy,' second question, 'Six', third question, 'Good."

Then they went back to the king and, as they were bringing him, appraised him, "This is a little village with simple people. They may be too overwhelmed by your presence and do something stupid. Don't get angry, just ask simple questions. You just ask the representative's age, how many children, and how the rains have been." The king said, "Okay." For him, it was a routine. He just wanted to be done with the exercise. When the king came, all the villagers bowed down and welcomed him. Then he asked, "Who is your representative?" Shankaran Pillai came up. The king had forgotten the order of questions.

So he asked, "How many children do you have?" "Seventy." The king thought, "Oh! This old fellow… seventy children!?" Then he remembered the next question and asked, "How old are you?" "Six." The king said, "Are you crazy? What are you talking about? Is everything alright with you?" "Good."

The king said, "This is an insane man. Why is he representing the village?" Shankaran Pillai said, "It is not me who is insane; it is you. I am answering the questions properly. You are asking the wrong questions."

The mind is always about the past, about what you have accumulated; it is never about what is now. When I say mind, I am talking about the logical mind, not about the essential intelligence within the being. Where you need accumulated knowledge about the materialistic aspect of life, the mind is fine. But if you employ it to handle your own life, then it is a total mess.

If you want to perceive the nature of your life, you must be able or willing to look beyond the limitations of the logical mind. Only then can you perceive the nature of life.

Infrastructures to Raise Human Consciousness

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Right now, you are trying to perceive the nature of life with a logical mind. You try as hard as you want; it is not going to happen. You are trying to figure out life with an instrument that can never do that job. It is like your destination is the moon, but you are riding a bullock cart. Someone advises you to take a horsewhip and really give it to the bulls to get there. You may kill the bulls, but you will not get there. Unless you have an appropriate vehicle, you will not get there; it is as simple as that.

If you want to perceive the nature of your life, you must be able or willing to look beyond the limitations of the logical mind. Only then can you perceive the nature of life. Otherwise, it is going to be one long, endless, fruitless struggle; it can never produce a fruit. It can never get you to a solution. It can only increase the complexity of the problem.

The logical mind, which is the fundamental instrument through which you are trying to do everything, is only equipped to handle the duality of existence. But if you as a being become dual, you become a constant struggle. Two things which you divide as separate things, no matter what you do, you cannot put them together.

The logical mind is the one that has divided your perception of existence into many million pieces, and now it is trying to put it together. It is never going to happen. The more you use the logical mind, the more it builds up a certain level of tension within. If it is constantly strung like this, then one thing is, the very life energy in you will become weak over a period of time; it will lose its intensity and vibrance. All the spiritual practices are designed to take away this tension, which is happening because of dividing the two and trying to hold them apart or trying to put them together.

There was a very beautiful incident in the life of Aesop, the fable writer. He always loved to play with children, and one day, as he was playing with them with a bow and arrow, a serious-looking wise man

looked at him and said, "What is the purpose of a grown man wasting his life playing with children?" Aesop wanted to convey a message, so he took a bow that was strung, unstrung it, and put it on the floor. This is the purpose. The wise man said, "I don't get your message." Aesop said, "If you keep your bow constantly strung, over a period of time, it loses its strength and intensity, and then it will be a no-good bow. If you want to retain the strength and intensity of your bow, you must unstuff it sometimes. Only then will it be ready for use when you want to use it." So that is all it is, and that is meditation – to unstring yourself.

Every kind of logic builds a certain tension. Once there is logic, there is room for argument.

The more logical you become, the more horribly argumentative you become about everything in your life. Meditation is a way of unstringing this – letting the mind just be without employing the logical distortion. If your mind learns just to simply be, it becomes like a mirror. The beauty of a mirror is that it has no face of its own. Logic has a face of its own. Have you seen that everyone has their own kind of logic? Why two people can argue endlessly about the same simple issues is simply because everyone's logic has its own face.

But a mirror has no face. You can reflect the whole mountain, or you can contain the sun in the little mirror.

So, once the mind goes beyond the duality of logic, it becomes like a mirror which can contain the whole existence, the creation, and the creator. Fundamentally, all spiritual practices are aimed at ironing out the logical mind. Once you become like a mirror, anythingcan be contained in you because you have no face of your own. Spiritual practice does not mean you are making yourself into something other than what you are. It simply means erasing the false faces that you have created for yourself so that the mind becomes like a simple plain mirror that reflects everything just the way it is, without any distortions.

A Zero Waste Life

By Anita Vandyke

Start Where You Are

When I started my zero waste journey, the state of the environment was the last thing on my mind. I had just quit my job and was trying to make ends meet for two people on a single income. I began the journey not to save the planet but to save money. I could only afford the essentials, forcing me to question every purchase and get creative with my limited budget. Since then, I’ve discovered so much about the environmental impact of waste, and my motivations have gradually changed. I have come to understand that we need to leave a gentler footprint on the planet because Earth is the only planet we can call home. But without that initial financial incentive, I wouldn’t have made the decision to start.

Declutter Your Mind

Mental decluttering is just as important as physical decluttering. This is the final day in the three-day decluttering challenge and is dedicated to freeing the mind and letting go of toxic relationships.

In decluttering my home, I stripped away the excess, the layers of stuff we use to hide who we really are. For the first time in my life, my values and beliefs were exposed for the world to see. It was liberating. In doing this, I had also inadvertently decluttered my relationships—I no longer tolerated toxic friendships. But the biggest relationship I changed

was the one with myself.

Letting go of physical, unwanted baggage also allowed me to let go of mental and emotional baggage. I removed the superfluous and examined what I really wanted to do with my life. When I was younger, I always wanted to be an aerospace doctor, studying the effects of space travel on the human body. I was so excited about the prospect of learning about the unknown. But then, a teacher dismissed my goals, making me feel as if I was acting too big for my boots. As I grew older, I always felt like I was lacking at work, even though I successfully climbed the corporate ladder. Something was amiss; I felt I wasn’t enough. All these moments of loneliness were not because of my external circumstances but because I wasn’t being my true self. A friend of mine introduced me to the saying “you do you”—a motto I’ve lived by ever since.

Three Steps to Getting Rid of Your Mental Clutter

1. Reduced Mental Clutter

a. Unfollow or Hide Posts

It’s time to do a social media clear-out! Start by unfollowing or hiding posts from people or companies who irritate or annoy you. Your social media feed should inspire and connect you with others and be a space for learning. The internet should be a tool for purposeful interaction, not a place for hatred or negativity.

Reduce any source of noise and light pollution. Giving yourself a proper night’s sleep is the most effective boost to your productivity.

b. Remove Advertisements

Remove the “noise” in your home by removing labels from objects. Colorful labels with shiny marketing slogans add to the clutter in a room. One benefit of living a zero-waste life is that you’re exposed to a lot less packaging and, therefore, less marketing. Mute the TV when commercials come on, unsubscribe from email advertising—the less noise we have, the less marketing we are exposed to, and the less temptation there is to buy more stuff.

2. Low Mental Clutter

a. Make Self-Care Rituals

Make a “joy list” of five to ten activities that are nourishing to your soul.

Whenever you have a stressful day or feel overwhelmed, treat yourself to one or more of those activities. This may include a bubble bath, a slow morning reading the paper, or seeking refuge in your favorite café with a book.

b. Establish a Morning Routine

During the first one to two hours of the day, I like to be in autopilot mode.

Decision fatigue is something we all face. We can make up to one hundred decisions in the morning, so why not save that energy for things that truly matter? I have a written routine for what the first hour of my day looks like, and I don’t deviate from it. This includes the activities that help me “prime.”

myself for the day, such as meditation, light exercise, and eating a healthy breakfast. Setting yourself up for the day al-

lows you to be more effective, creative, and productive.

3. Zero Mental Clutter

a. Practice Meditation

This has truly changed my life. Sitting quietly with oneself is hard, yet it is the most rewarding daily habit you can establish. I suggest that beginners try a short guided meditation using an app. Start with a tenday meditation commitment and experience the benefits immediately.

b. Break the Twitch

How often have we interrupted a conversation to check our phones? Do you reach for your phone whenever you have a quiet moment to yourself? It’s time for a digital detox! Start small (I turn my phone on airplane mode whenever I’m studying or writing), and eventually, you can extend this to having a day offline every week.

c. Make Sleep a Priority

Did you know if you have fewer than seven to eight hours of sleep at night, it’s the equivalent of being drunk? Fatigue is a huge issue we are facing in the workforce. Our 24/7 connectedness has made it almost impossible for us to disconnect, and, as a result, our sleep suffers. Remove electronics from your bedroom and set an old-fashioned alarm clock. Reduce any source of noise and light pollution. Giving yourself a proper night’s sleep is the most effective boost to your productivity.

About the Zero Waste Life

Overwhelmed by clutter, anxious about your environmental footprint, and looking to make a change? You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to reconfigure your consumption—still, it doesn’t hurt that Anita Vandyke is. A qualified engineer and the eco-luxe lifestyle champion behind the popular zero-waste Instagram @Rocket-Science, Vandyke has made the change to a zero-waste life, and through hands-on advice and charming illustrations, she shows us that with ease and style, we can, too. By incorporating thirty simple rules one day at a time, A Zero Waste Life is a manageable guide to forming a more conscientious, intentional life in just one month. While it’s common to see calls for greenifying our lives and homes, Vandyke offers an easy-to-follow action plan presented in a highly readable, illustrated format. With her signature elegance and encouraging voice, she proves that we can stop depending on plastics, tidy our homes, and clear the way for a cleaner future—and that when we stop wasting, we start living.

Anita Vandyke is a qualified rocket scientist and medical doctor (with Bachelor of EngineeringAeronautical Space and Doctor of Medicine degrees) and, most importantly, mother to Vivian. She was born in Guangzhou, China, raised in Australia, and currently splits her time between Sydney and San Francisco.

Her first book, A Zero Waste Life, won Gold at the Nautilus Book Awards in 2019 and has been translated into seven languages.

PAINTERLAND SISTERS

ORGANIC SKYR YOGURT

Consumers looking for nutritious and sustainable snacks are in luck.

Stephanie and Hayley Painter of Painterland Farms, a fourth-generation family-run dairy farm, today announced the retail launch of Painterland Sisters Organic Skyr Yogurt. Skyr (pronounced "skeer") is a thicker, creamier Icelandic-style organic yogurt that is lactose-free, rich in probiotics, and high in protein. Produced in Pennsylvania, the skyr is made from organic whole milk and sweetened naturally using fruits and cane sugar. Painterland Sisters Organic Skyr Yogurt is available in 5.3 oz single serving size cups in five flavors: Plain, Blueberry Lemon, Strawberry, Vanilla Bean, and Meadow Berry.

"We both grew up on our family farm and feel deeply connected to the land and the animals. As farmers, we now have the opportunity to take control of our own destiny by connecting directly with consumers," added co-founder Stephanie Painter. "Painterland Sisters is connecting consumers with a vibrant, sustainable, and meaningful food system. We aim to empower them with honest and convenient dairy products that support our family'sfamily's fourth-generation dairy farm."

"From all-natural fertilizers for the soil to cows that graze freely on open, rotational pastures, we carefully think through every action and its impact on food, the environment, the animals, and our community," added co-founder Hayley Painter. "All that goodness goes into each cup of skyr."

Within a year of launching, Painterland Sisters has already sold over $1 million in skyr and plans to continue expansion nationwide. It is sold in over 45 states, nearing 1,500 locations. The brand launched in March 2022.

About Painterland Sisters

Sisters Stephanie and Hayley

Painter launched Painterland Sisters Organic Skyr Yogurt as part of their mission to preserve, showcase, and utilize their family's Pennsylvania organic dairy farm, Painterland Farms. Painterland Sisters offers healthy, honest, and sustainable products that connect consumers to the direct source of their food: the American farmer. A fourth-generation family-owned and operated farm, Painterland Farms practices regenerative farming and uses rotational grazing to keep the farmland as nutrient-rich as possible. Painterland Sisters

Organic Skyr Yogurt contains billions of probiotics (BB12), is high in protein and calcium, is lactose-free, and is Kosher. Painterland Sisters is a certified Woman-Owned Business.

"My sister and I both have very active lifestyles, and we wanted a healthy snack that gave us the energy we need throughout the day, was rich in protein and calcium, and convenient for on-the-go people," said Painterland Sisters co-founder Hayley Painter. "Skyr checks off all the boxes, with the added benefit that it's delicious!"

Rivers of

The Rivers of Splendor restore the core of being where shock strikes.

Splendor

By Stephanie Mines, Ph.D.,

Photos by AdobeStock

As a survivor of early childhood abuse, police brutality as a social justice activist, and a series of dysfunctional and abusive relationships, Mines was profoundly curious about how the human nervous system finds resilience despite the cumulative burden of chronic stress and traumatic life events. While earning her doctorate in neuropsychology, she met Mary Iino Burmeister, master of the Art of Compassion, or Jin Shin Jyutsu, through one of Mary’s first American students, Pamela Markarian Smith, founder of the Jin Shin Institute. Art of Compassion consists of non-invasive touch, using the fingertips, on sites of the body that are like acupuncture points.

After the Art of Compassion helped Mines resolve her own trauma and awaken her innate resilience, she began to incorporate it into her clinical research. She discovered that the map of the body she learned from Burmeister sites correlated with the Chinese Extraordinary Meridians or Rivers of Splendor, which developed prenatally. She then began investigating our earliest neurodevelopmental processes and was able to correlate the Extraordinary Meridians with specific embryological events. She found that subtle touch on these sites, in combination with trauma resolution, amplifies neuro resilience, enhances creativity, restores motivation, and heals the fragmentation and disconnection associated with trauma and shock.

Sharing her personal journey as a Wounded Healer, Mines reveals not only how to unlock the secrets of resilience for individual healing but also how embodied resilience will help us heal our wounded planet.

Prenatal life is a university of sensory intelligence. It is the athletic field of evolving bio-identity. Each individual has a completely unique prenatal experience. Alongside the unfolding of organs, limbs, muscles, tendons, joints, and all the articulations of movement that build structure and function, there are energetic or bioelectrical accompaniments to action and being. The channels or vessels that accompany embryogenesis are the Rivers of Splendor. The tributaries that flow into these rivers are the Sacred Sites.

Bioelectrical forces weave matter and purpose—form and intention. They infuse each developmental cycle, from the very beginning of life until its end. You—meaning your embryonic self—design what acupuncturist Yvonne Farrell calls your “curriculum” or the physiology of your unfolding purpose. Bioelectrical and hormonal forces cohere into conduits that inform the flow of the Rivers of Splendor. These are a merger of genetic and epigenetic factors and the unique contribution you bring to that mix.

You have already met the central channel, the Main Central Vertical Flow, or the primary River of Splendor. She is the Master Weaver, the coordinating force that

drives purpose into form. She embodies, restores, and ignites perfect alignment. She is the bioelectricity of your midline, which she can, if signaled, resuscitate each time it is damaged. Whenever we enact the ritual of this flow in any of its forms, we reinforce our memory of this birthright. The other conduits are her servants or her handmaidens. The Rivers of Splendor never cease being available for us. They may be burdened or suppressed, but we always have the capacity to relieve them of stressors. You revivify these channels through touch and awareness and thereby reignite your personal life force. This can happen at any age. You are never too old or too young to swim in the waters of the Rivers of Splendor.

THE SACRED SITES AND THE RIVERS OF SPLENDOR

The Sacred Sites are the recharging stations of the Rivers of Splendor. They are the power points for bio-identity. When I received this template, it marked a point of departure. It was a numinous, revelatory moment, though I could not acknowledge it at the time. It was and continues to be a personalized experience of hope and companionship, meeting me as who I am with every touch. Even from my first awkward engagement with the Sacred Sites, I did not sense they were outside of me. I recognized the meeting with myself in a way that I can now call sensory but was then simply a mystery. From the standpoint of neuroscience, I was turning on latent expression that had been put in the off position by trauma, shock, colonialism, misogyny, and manipulative cultural distortions.

The Map of the Sacred Sites

is a physiological, emotional, and spiritual ally to whoever befriends it. It meets all illnesses and injuries with relief and insight. It recalibrates nervous system function and, thereby, all responses to the world. It is always accessible, no matter what the circumstances. It is utterly reliable and dependable as a resource that one cannot lose. It is the best of all friends, with no possibility of loss, abandonment, or betrayal. No matter what the duration of self-care, resilience is always awakened.

I don’t think I am the only person who was raised with virtually no orientation to my body or how to respect and regenerate it. Through the practices of the Art of Compassion, I was stunned to discover that my body is a resource and that I could interact with it, learn from it, and regenerate it and my entire being. The regeneration I refer to here is the particular function of the Rivers of Splendor. I have designed a map to share with you, based on what I received from Mary, along with one created specifically for children and another one for our four-legged companion friends. The Rivers of Splendor are constructed of these sites, held in different combinations, with the express purpose of reminding you, physiologically, of your Original Brilliance— your embryonic radiance.

The Rivers of Splendor are named:

- The Main Central Vertical Flow

- The Diagonal Mediator Flows

- The Supervisory Flows

- The Mother Flow

- The Wash Your Heart with Laughter Flows.

Each of the Rivers of Splendor is vitalized through flow sequences that combine the Sacred Sites.

The Rivers of Splendor never cease being available for us. They may be burdened or suppressed, but we always have the capacity to relieve them of stressors. You revivify these channels through touch and awareness and thereby reignite your personal life force.

CLINICAL RESEARCH DOCUMENTS THE RIVERS OF SPLENDOR AS MICROSCOPIC CHANNELS

In the 1960s, a Korean scientist named Bonghan Kim (also known as Kim Bonghan) discovered novel threadlike structures that were called, at various times, ducts or corpuscles. These ducts, microscopically detected, contain fluids that are highly responsive to stimulation. They express their responses through bioelectricity. While these ducts, vessels, or channels are around acupuncture points, they are distinct from them. Dr. Bonghan Kim referred to their special capacities to signal functional shifts. Since then, various researchers have documented these channels and added language to describe them, such as cell membranes emitting cellular activity in the form of voltage. Studies conducted in 2013 investigated further and renamed the ducts Bonghan Channels (after Dr. Kim Bonghan) and posited that they contain DNA. These channels are also called the primo vascular system. Research is ongoing, and papers continue to be published in acupuncture journals and from research laboratories in South Korea, including at Kyung Hee University, the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, and Korea. University. Dr. Sang Hyun Park is a primary investigator. Some of this microscopic and bioelectrical ongoing research has detected these threadlike structures could potentially be considered a circulatory system and that this system develops in utero. It is posited by acupuncturists and OMDs (Oriental Medical Doctors) that these channels validate the Extraordinary Meridians or Rivers of Splendor.

The Rivers of Splendor and Their Prenatal Functions

The Main Central Vertical Flow

provides a sense of wholeness and integrity. This flow maintains our connection to the Divine pre- and postnatally. This sustains a sense of inherent worth. The translation of this flow from the Japanese is: I am the Divine Presence in the Honorific Center of the Universe. This River emerges immediately upon conception and continues to evolve throughout life.

The Supervisory Flows allow the fetus to experience dynamic movement-based embodiment. These Rivers empower the limbs and extremities so they can make reaching, gesturing, and contact with self and the environment in utero and postnatally. These Rivers are designed to allow the right and left sides of the body to have purpose, strength, and integrity of expression and function.

The Diagonal Mediator Flow coordinates movement from the right and left sides of the body and the right and left extremities (arms and legs) across the midline. This is the integration of all human activity, including expression and communication, whether in social engagement or in dance or other movement activities. This River is essential for balance. This flow integrates the right and left hemispheres of the brain to support evolving intelligence. It paces and sequences learning.

The 13 Flow provides an integrating function for emotional as well as physiological processes and change. As the fetus develops and differentiates (including sexual differentiation and differentiation from the mother), the 13 Flow sorts, prioritizes, and organizes sensations. It manages the organization and distribution of reproductive hormones.

Stephanie Mines, Ph.D., earned her doctorate in neuropsychology at the Union Institute. She is the founder of The TARA Approach, a nonprofit dedicated to providing sustainable health options to individuals and communities. She is the founder of Climate Change and Consciousness (CCC), a global network to accelerate regenerative responses to the climate crisis. The author of 5 books, including We Are All in Shock: Energy Healing for Traumatic Times.

DESCRIPTION

This toast is so refreshing for breakfast, lunch, or a snack! We could eat it all day every day!

INGREDIENTS

1 Traditional Pizza Crust

2 Tbsp. Spero Sunflower Cream

Cheese

Cucumber, sliced

Optional: Greek seasoning and bagel

seasoning

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat oven to 425 F.

• Place the crust in first, without toppings, for a crispier crust.

• Bake for 3 min.

• Evenly add the spread, top with cucumbers, and sprinkle with seasonings.

Atoria's Family Bakery is a family-run bakery that bakes real-bread flatbreads with simple ingredients and nothing artificial. Whether you're planning dinner for six, looking for a quick grab-and-go breakfast, or a protein-packed post-workout snack, their flatbreads make any meal a snap. Non-GMO and Vegan, with two low-carb and keto-friendly options, the tasty varieties include NEW Cauliflower and coconut and Traditional Pizza Crusts, Roasted Red Pepper Mini Lavash, Coconut and cauliflower Mini Lavash, Flatbread, Whole Grain and flax Mini Lavash Flatbread, Traditional Flatbread, Garlic Naan Flatbread, Pita with Whole Grain Flatbread, Traditional Pita Flatbread and more. www.atoriasfamilybakery.com

FAJITA PIZZA

DESCRIPTION

Next time you’re craving fajitas but your family wants pizza, try this!

INGREDIENTS

1 Traditional Pizza Crust

1 Tbsp. Taco Sauce

2 Tbsp. Cheese

Bell Peppers, sliced Onion, sliced Cilantro

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat oven to 425 F.

• Bake pizza crust for 3 min. if you want it crispy.

• While crust is baking, saute the peppers and onions.

• Top with sauce, cheese, and veggies. Bake for another few minutes until the cheese melts.

• Garnish with cilantro and enjoy!

DESCRIPTION

Nut butter and banana are a perfect pair! Placed them on our lavash and roll it up for an even better bite. These are great to pack for lunch or a quick snack during the day.

INGREDIENTS

1 sheet Mini Cauliflower & Coconut Lavash

2 Tbsp. nut butter

1/2 banana

DIRECTIONS

• Spread nut butter over the entire Lavash.

• Thinly slice the banana half and arrange evenly over the whole Lavash.

• Roll tightly and slice for a fun bite size snack!

VEGAN CUCUMBER TOAST

MINI LAVASH NUT BUTTER BANANA WRAP

GO VEGAN

"Animals have souls Don’t put them in your bowls"

Photo by By Pajaros Volando AdobeStock

THE POWER OF AWE:

Overcome Burnout & Anxiety, Ease Chronic Pain, Find Clarity & Purpose In Less Than 1 Minute Per Day

Jake Eagle

Michael Amster

Please tell us what A.W.E. means. Awe is a positive emotion, and of all the positive emotions, it may be the most powerful because it affects our physiology, which in turn affects our emotional well-being. When we use the word in all caps—A.W.E., that is an acronym for a very brief mindfulness practice we developed called The A.W.E. Method. Part of the power and appeal of this method is that it only takes 15-20 seconds to do, and in a world where people are feeling so busy, this is a mindfulness practice that we can do no matter how busy we are.

A.W.E. is a three-step method we created to help people access the emotion of awe in the ordinary moments of their lives.

Attention means focusing your full and undivided attention on something you appreciate, value, or find amazing. Look around the room you're in. Find that special, beautiful something that you value and appreciate. Look at it closely. Really look. If it's a small object, pick it up and begin to notice everything about it. If it's a plant, touch the leaves; notice the texture, color, and smell, and notice the life inside it. If it's a painting, imagine the painter painting it and notice the depth, light, and colors.

W-ait: means slowing down or pausing. So take a breath—inhale deeply while you appreciate this cherished item in your home.

Exhale and Expand: amplifies whatever sensations you are experiencing. As you exhale—making a slightly deeper exhalation than normal—allow what you are feeling to fill you.

When did you decide to collaborate?

We, Michael and Jake, initially met in 2005 after Michael went

through a divorce. A friend of Michaels recommended Jake as a psychotherapist, and we worked together for several years. Michael also attended the personal growth retreats Jake and his wife Hannah led through their organization, Live Conscious. Over time, our relationship transitioned to friends and colleagues, and we started collaborating on The A.W.E. Method design and research in 2018.

You've indicated it only takes 1 minute a day. How can something work in 1 minute a day? Well, if you think about it, how quickly can you change your state of mind? It doesn't take long. We hear some sad news, and our state can change in an instant. We hear some good news, and our state can change in an instant. The point of The A.W.E. Method is to help people shift their state.

We know the practice works based on our two large research studies with over 400 participants that we completed at the UC Berkeley Greater Good Science Center. We saw significant improvements due to the participants practicing The A.W.E. Method three times, each time for about 10-15 seconds, which we recommend, which all totaled less than one minute per day.

You two have developed The A.W.E. Method that has positively impacted lives, from overcoming burnout and fatigue to easing chronic pain and finding clarity and purpose.

Yes, we developed the A.W.E. Method, and in research studies we conducted, we demonstrated that this method does reduce burnout, ease chronic pain, reduce depression, anxiety, and loneliness, and yes, because of those things, it helps people find clarity and purpose.

What is the difference between mindfulness and being present from A.W.E.?

Mindfulness is an umbrella term for numerous practices, many of which originated in the East, in Hinduism and Buddhism, thousands of years ago. Meditation is one form of mindfulness. Yoga, tai chi, and qigong are other examples. They all require a certain amount of discipline, a bit of training, and a time commitment. Reaping the benefits of these formal practices requires first acquiring the skills and then committing to the discipline. But being mindful can be experienced through simple acts—such as by giving your full attention to whatever you are doing. We consider The A.W.E. Method to be a type of informal mindfulness practice.

What are some things people notice as they begin to implement A.W.E.?

When people begin the daily practice of microdosing awe at least three times a day, they report experiencing a shift in their level of consciousness. For most people, this experience reduces mind chatter (thoughts may even cease for a brief period of time), increases feelings of presence and peace, con-

nection and joy, and the sense of time slowing down.

The book is chalked full of possible benefits. What are some of the most common benefits the average person can experience?

Overall, the greatest benefit is that the A.W.E. Method resets our nervous system, which translates into reduced depression, anxiety, feelings of loneliness, and physical pain. Because the positive emotion of awe reduces inflammation, there are many potential long-term benefits in addition to the short-term emotional changes that occur when we access awe.

What's next for this work and you two?

We just completed our next nationwide research study in collaboration with the Department of Cardiology at UC Davis, exploring the effectiveness of The A.W.E. Method for people suffering from long COVID symptoms. Future endeavors might include studying The A.W.E. Method in I.C.U. Survival and heart attacks. Jake is currently writing a home-study course that introduces the reader to six life-altering skills,

one of which is A.W.E. Michael continues his clinical practice as a pain specialist and is teaching The A.W.E. Method to patients and healthcare professionals.

How did you come up with the term micro-dosing mindfulness?

In 2018, we discussed our meditation students' challenges with finding the time and discipline for traditional meditation practices. We started to explore creating the ideal informal brief mindfulness practice, and that's when we came up with the terminology microdosing mindfulness.

What do you say to someone who says they don't have enough discipline to do a daily A.W.E. practice?

This is what makes this practice so special and unique. It literally takes less than a minute a day to benefit from this practice. Everybody, no matter their circumstances in life, can find at least 15 seconds three times a day to experience a moment of awe in their life. This practice can be done at any time and any place. You can have a moment of awe at a red light while waiting in line at the grocery store while taking a shower or brushing your teeth. Awe is everywhere; all you need to do is connect with what you value, appreciate, find amazing, and enjoy a few breaths in awe. Also, it's a pleasurable experience, so most people want to do it because it makes them feel better.

I love the suggestions in the final chapters about places or situations where you can practice A.W.E. Which is your favorite?

In starting a new awe practice, we encourage people to practice a moment of awe with a behavior they currently do on a daily basis. This is called habit stacking, where you associate the new habit you are learning with something you already do on a daily basis. Michael's favorite way to begin his day with

awe is making coffee. There are so many ways coffee can be a moment of awe. The experience of opening the bag of grounds and experiencing the rich aromas, watching the water boil and the grounds floating in a French press. Frothing milk and the texture of the foam. And then the ultimate reward of experiencing the texture, flavor, and smells of an AWE-inspired cup of coffee.

Jake's favorite moment of awe is when he goes outside at night, just before going to bed, and takes the time to focus on things that happened that day that he appreciates, values, or finds to be amazing.

How important is paying attention to language to someone's well-being?

The way we use language has a significant impact on our experience, and it affects how well we connect with other people. When people use The A.W.E. Method, we notice that they begin to change their language—the way they speak. This is because when we access the emotion of awe, we shift to a higher level of consciousness than the one we normally occupy. When we shift our level of consciousness, it affects everything, including the way we talk to ourselves and other people.

Is A.W.E. the wave of the future? Well, the leading awe researcher in the country, Dacher Keltner, Ph.D., described The A.W.E. Method as "the future of mindfulness." Why? Because he realizes that we live in such a busy and fast-paced world that, sadly, many people won't take 10-15 minutes daily to meditate, but they will take 10-15 seconds daily to microdose on mindfulness. And because of that, this may be the future of mindfulness. And for those people who meditate 10-15 minutes a day, The A.W.E. Method is a great complement.

"The Power of Awe" is a timely and transformative book that offers a groundbreaking approach to mindfulness and well-being. For someone who can't sit still like myself, it offers a very simple solution to being in a state of mindfulness. Jake Eagle, L.P.C., and Michael Amster, MD, introduced the A.W.E. method in a world where stress, anxiety, and chronic pain have become almost the norm. This simple yet powerful threestep practice promises remarkable results and allows us to be more present and calm daily in less than a minute. Their method, which stands for Attention, Wait, Exhale, and Expand, has been clinically proven to alleviate symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain. What sets this book apart is its accessibility and simplicity. It doesn't require elaborate equipment or trips to picturesque locations. Instead, it encourages readers to find inspiration every day, making it a practical solution for everyone.

It takes 21 days to build a new habit. The suggestions and ideas offered in the third portion of the book can trigger the state of A.W.E. From admiring a piece of art to dancing, listening to music, and tasting food, we find ourselves naturally grateful and attentive to the present in a grounded way that blends with our everyday lives. The authors recognize that not everyone has the luxury of time for traditional meditation or the mental space for it due to intrusive thoughts. This simple method circumvents these challenges and offers an invaluable resource for busy professionals, healthcare workers, multitaskers, overachievers, skeptics, and anyone seeking a quick yet effective path to greater clarity and purpose. Additionally, the book's emphasis on the scientific underpinnings of A.W.E. adds credibility to its claims, appealing to those who value evidence-based approaches to well-being. "The Power of Awe" offers readers the tools they need to build their "awe muscle" and experience the profound benefits of everyday transcendence.

By Polly Wirum

A SACRED RELATIONSHIP What Is

and How You Can Thrive Within Them

Do you believe in sacred relationships or contracts? Do some of your relationships feel like they will last through eternity? Have you broken a commitment that you still feel connected to? What can you do to strengthen your bonds or release the relationships you have outgrown? This blog is for you if you have ever entered a sacred relationship in this life or beyond.

As I Write

My husband and I are flying to San Diego for an intensive couple’s retreat. The purpose is to reset the energy of our marriage, our most sacred shared contract. Our children are mostly grown, and the landscape of our lives is different from when we began. We have changed and desire the deepest part of our connection

to also shift. It no longer fits our emotional and spiritual world.

I have been looking forward to this experience as an opportunity for us to rediscover each other and call in the energy that will best support us in our next chapter. When I think about our marriage, I am grateful for what we accomplished. I also noticed that our love was in adolescent form. We lived with gangly emotions and actions that sometimes unintentionally hurt each other. There were occasional pushing boundaries and lots of growing pains.

We have yet to reach a patient, steady state. There was always an undercurrent of change as we navigated parenthood and work. To be sure, we had many wins in our lives, but now we are both seeking a deeper, steady state.

Like many people, I wonder why we came together. What lessons are we helping each other master? Do we have a karmic contract, and is it complete?

Will Karma Allow Us to Rewrite Our Sacred Contract

I believe that when relationships have been outgrown, karma steps in to help us renegotiate the terms and transform the relationship. This is the opportunity to restructure how you support each other. Sometimes, this is releasing each other from a r elationship that has been more legal than sacred.

There is karma involved in every ending and a new beginning. This energy will always help us transform into the next life lesson or sacred experience.

with expansion in mind. It is the university’s promise to help keep you on a path of higher learning. Everyone who has stepped into your world has supported you in shifting your perspective into deeper love.

To be sure, some gifts of expansion are easier to see and move through.

A Couple Types of Sacred Relationships

Your family, however they come into your world, is a bundle of sacred relationships. Of course, some of these relationships feel filled with love; others might feel like they only carry hard lessons. Are there any you are ready to shift the energy in?

Spiritual commitments and communities are a form of sacred relationship. Sometimes, we find ourselves outgrowing a religion or practice, even though it carries love and growth into our world.

What Is a Sacred Relationship

A sacred relationship is an agreement between two or more people, beliefs, or experiences. They are designed with the intention of supporting everyone involved, including the collective. It is made with an open heart, possibly before this life. This can be assisting with a healing of some sort and experiencing love in an expanded form.

Often, the support we receive in a sacred contract involves a life lesson; these are not always easy. People come into our life, helping us understand all spectrums of love.

Sacred relationships or contracts are often made before we take our first breath in this life. We decide who our parents, siblings, and potential partners are before this life experience even begins to unfold.

A sacred relationship is designed

Marriage is a sacred relationship. Does a legal contract make it sacred? I am not convinced that it does, and it does potentially complicate things. We have many sacred relationships that are never legal in form, just bonded by love.

All sacred relationships are karmic, even those that are painful. This is a big concept to grasp. This includes our relationship with abundance, wellness, and other connections in our life. These karmic experiences hold great potential for healing the deepest parts of self. Is there a difficult part of your life that can be infused with prayer and transformed or released?

Do you pray? If you do, this is a sacred relationship with angels and other high-vibrational beings that help carry our prayers through eternity. You also have a sacred relationship with whoever you are praying to.

You literally have the potential to have a sacred relationship with every moment of your life. It just takes an open heart and awareness of now.

Soul groups are a type of sacred relationship. This is found when people come together to work on a particular issue. An example of this might be every one that comes together to bring awareness on animal rights or environmental issues. You may never meet all the people in your soul group, but you are connected by a common cause, a sacred relationship.

You have a sacred relationship with yourself. How has this been going? Do you take care of all the beautiful parts of you?

When exploring all types of sacred relationships, you can see the many levels you are connected to others. You literally have the potential to have a sacred relationship with every moment of your life. It just takes an open heart and awareness of now.

Sacred relationships also allow us to heal and experience miracles. When a difficult lesson is learned, you are free.

When To Modify

Now is the perfect time to look at your relationships and discover what sacred contracts need more intentional love and sacred energy (prayer) infused into the connection. This includes all relationships, even relationships with self.

Do you have any relationships that are no longer serving you? This can be staying in a career too long; it can be a belief about your health, or family connections.

Ways To Modify or Dissolve Contracts

Many sacred contracts can be modified legally, such as divorce or quitting a job. This is not always the best answer, and it does not completely shift the energy.

When you are confused about the best course of action, seek guidance from a professional to help you negotiate a relationship that feels better. Therapy or life coaching can be a great tool for insight into what you need to feel empowered, connected, and loved within your relationships.

Prayer is another tool for helping modify or dissolve contracts. Many sacred contracts are on a level beyond our human mind. Prayer can reach these unseen connections and bring them healing.

The trick is having faith in the Universe while you take the steps needed to create change. This means quitting the job or getting divorced, combined with gratitude and prayer, can help you completely release what is no longer serving you.

Wrapping it Up

Regardless of the type of sacred contract, it takes awareness of what is serving your highest good combined with an intention to transform the connection. You cannot control how this will be received by the other person involved, but you can pray for the best and highest outcome for all.

My most recent experience has filled my heart with gratitude for the love I have in my life. I have also discovered ways of communicating that can help navigate the feelings that come up as contracts shift.

All beginnings and endings are a sacred contract coming into play. You get to decide if you are ready to end a sacred relationship or shift your mindset and allow expansion to occur in new ways.

Wherever you are on your journey, celebrate your ability to take control of your life by embracing your relationships within and everything around you.

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 Zee

AS A DRAGON YOU WERE BORN

Wow, where do we start? That's a pretty big statement! Relax before you positive thinkers jump onto your usual best-dressed negative auto response. The first aspect to consider is whether it is possible and, if so, if one's functioning mindset can comprehend such a ridiculous, profound understanding of what translates into the origin of pure human essence!

Did we get it wrong? How could anyone ever contemplate anything outside what has already filled our heads for generations? That has been delivered unto us as lollypop stories beginning with "once upon a time." Hundreds of fairy tale stories of long, long ago, starting with their lives in the mountain caves, a mysterious beast sounds strangely like a monk meditating towards devouring self-enlightenment.

There are those of you out there who are today facing confusion when only yesterday you were strong, confident, perfectly sure of yourself, and with purpose. There are those of you out there who are aware that the very fabric of all you have been led to believe, think, and acknowledge is falling by the wayside. Exploding in on their nothingness offering.

"KILL THR DRAGON."

Photos by Lance Reis

Confused and uncertain, where do you go for answers and certainty?

Unfortunately for the millions, it was recognized long ago this help department was built into the system under the invisibility cloak. Yes, it's a sad, sad story. But we do love our stories.

To make up for the eternal, never-ending treasure hunting in the haystack of human essence, humans have invented all manner of systems, strategies, and touchy-feely stuff to comfort one another in one hour of need. You can feel the connection as we are held so closely to avoid any healing experience, any learning experience. This could be the definition of a sheep sleepwalking!

We need you. Can you feel it?

As we think this concept through, what have humans of long gone taught us about dragons? They are strong, compassionate, capable of breeding with humans, resilient, dangerous, and ever so loving. Did we ever consider what dragons have taught humans about being human? Well, one thing springs to mind: thanks to all those stories we embody, we are capable of everything that exists under the sun. We may be the dragons of old living today. That's scary.

Connection is an unbroken line that remains a false sense of security on self-defined truths that we embrace fully as acceptable. These creations, unfortunately, exist outside of the self. Separation is a FEAR-based construct built as a survival mechanism within the self. Fear yields incredible power over the lives of all humans. And yet, it is nothing more than an imagined little worm, self-created to sustain its false existence. Totally based on misunderstood responses to one's life experiences. To top it off, it's an energy that only exists in the 2-legged earthbound mindless organisms.

Are you afraid to feel what is real?

Imprisoned, are we in a closed world in which we must engage to become free?

As individual white knights in shining armor, off we go now to challenge the dragon to save and capture our missing masculine or feminine selves. To become whole by breaking our bound to separation. This is the necessary connection that will allow any form of evolution within the individual self. Kill the dragon is the QUEST of every single human, allowing one to conquer all past and present limitations. We slay our dragon (FEARS), slice the dragon open, and free our true selves to be united once again.

As above, so below, masculine and feminine unite, and so it is.

Consider this: masculine and feminine are two energetic spirits that exist here in this 3D realm disguised as a multitude of different physical expressions. By placing human definitions, labels, opinions, gossip, and judgments on every object/subject, our conceptual thinking has maintained a complete separation on any aspect of discovering why we are here in this earthly universe. No wonder we have no idea how to function in relationship with our earthly universe.

MASCULINE and FEMININE are the MOTHER and FARTHER of all humans, past and present.

Believe it or not, we live on a hostile earth. When masculine and feminine combine come together as one, that unity will excite the manifestation required to help humans live freely and begin human evolution. All engaged physical thinking and purpose help to maintain the divisions within oneself and the larger community. Hence, all dual concepts contribute to perfecting all separations and divisions, thus continually creating them and us. This is the intelligence we perceive as the real world. No wonder we are deep in it.

Believe it or not, we live on a hostile earth. When masculine and feminine combine come together as one, that unity will excite the manifestation required to help humans live freely and begin human evolution.

The ego is your natural white knight. It's the number one protector willing to help you in your quest to survive. Doesn't always get it right. Observing a person's egoic strength gives one first-hand knowledge of their history, their emotions, and the level of their over-sensitivity. Remain aware before casting any labels that may be gravely incorrect. Killing the dragon and or the ego remains a misunderstanding that keeps one in a state of CONSTANT separation from oneself and all potential to expand within this realm. False connections maintain that separation. Live the delusion.

We are not aware.

What more do you need to know?

For centuries, the dragon myth has been completely misunderstood throughout history. For all who sprout having profound and enlightening experiences, it will be interesting to see if the mindset can grasp a truly astonishing step into reality.

Dragons are not and never have been villainess creatures. They are the connection personification of what is missing within our human existence to enable any form of human evolution. Stories are another way of maintaining how fearful we are about making changes in the life we already know how to navigate. We give thanks to our experienced builtin response mechanism, regardless of, even when they are sometimes misguided. Hence, think before action.

Your dragon quest, if you so choose, is that everyone on this planet is negotiating to honor and acknowledge the realization that you are:

• A dragon spirit.

• A complete embodiment equal to a god.

• Living within this earthly dimension.

The marriage of masculine and fem-

inine energies is the birthing of the NOT-SELF. Thus, a new beginning will befall the individual and encompass all humanity when unity engages the human mind to think beyond the limited self and one's tribe.

Consider two of the systems on this planet. One allows us to remain separated from self, therefore subject to constant false change. The other allows us to remain neutral and, therefore, not subject to change, instead to acknowledge we have the ability to interact with or create change. This will show up in a multitude of variants due to one's perceived experiences and shift us beyond being "still-bound" by the number of human connections we have engaged with in our life's journeying. It is time to let go and move past being a fearful five-year-old pretending to be an adult.

STEP UP

Speaking of experiences, how many times have you seen written in a book or heard on a podcast? We were designed to have experiences so the big fellow could have that experience through us. If this is real, why has he repeatedly broken his/her leg a million times and repeatedly continues to do so? It begs the question, why has the lesson yet to be learned after the first time?

People write and talk constantly about getting real. Walk the Talk is a great example. Unfortunately, we are still waiting for the will of another to step forward, perhaps someone not from this earth, to define its meaning so we can get started.

Know your DRAGON.

Now might be the moment in humanity's time of existence when we start, begin to acknowledge, and reconsider what we have assumed as learned knowledge could be nothing more than an absolute dream!

By Sherri Cortland, ND

Ghosts

Spirits Or

It's October and the perfect time to chat about "ghosts!"

Metaphysically speaking, there are different types of ghosts.

A ghost can be the soul of a person who has died and doesn't realize that s/he has passed, or a ghost can be someone who died violently or unintentionally. This type of ghost generally hangs out where it died or someplace that has meaning to it, and it can even be attached to furniture or people.

I once asked my Guides about this type of situation because it seemed to me that this soul would be missed by its soul group and would probably need to reincarnate eventually. They told me that the Spirit ultimately seeks out and brings these souls to the other side, although the amount of time it takes for the Spirit to act varies.

In my humble opinion, the right thing to do when coming into contact with a soul who doesn't realize they've died is to explain to them that they've passed on and send them to the light. Many psychics and mediums help souls cross over, and, really, this is something we can all do. If you tell a soul that's stuck on this side or hanging out here to go

to the light and it doesn't go, try calling on their Spirit Guide, your Spirit Guide, or Archangel Michael to come and help them cross over.

I recall reading something once where the author (I can't remember who) said that she sometimes calls for the deceased pets of the stagnated soul to come and help them cross over. Bottom line, why not help if we can? Wouldn't we want someone to help us move forward if we were caught in this in-between state?

A poltergeist is a German word to describe a ghost that is disruptive or destructive and makes itself known by knocking things over, throwing things, etc. Sending them to the light is always a good idea, but they are often more resistant—and deciding to deal with one is a good time to call in Archangel Michael or a professional psychic or medium to help.

Some people see ghostly activity that is more of a repeating energy pattern, like an energy signature that remains when a person has died violently or unintentionally. In these cases, the same action is seen over and over in the same exact place—the energy pattern is stationary.

Photo Wachirawit/AdobeStock

This happens because of the intense emotion experienced at the time of death. According to my guides, the energy eventually fades, but it could take hundreds of years, depending on the intensity of the emotion.

And what about our deceased friends and relatives who stop by for a visit? I would not categorize them as ghosts; I would classify them as Spirit stopping by for a friendly visit or to pass along a message. My grandmother stops by to say hello every year on the anniversary of her death—the lights flicker on and off a couple of times, and I smell apple cake, which is something she used to make for us when she was on this side of the veil.

So, how do we perceive a ghost? We might see them, or we might smell a particular odor (like Gram's apple cake), and sometimes we might even hear a sound(s). It's also very possible that we can feel them around us, and when this happens, and you're not sure who it is, go ahead and ask whoever is making contact with you to identify themselves and then ask for a message.

If you have a poltergeist experience, and I hope you never do, you'll know it from the relative violence of the contact, and honestly, if I had a poltergeist in my house, I would not hesitate to bring in help to move it to the light. Sending a ghost to the light is the right thing to do, and we can all do it. I love what Spiritual Teacher Bree Melanson wrote on this topic in her blog (breemelanson.com/blog), and here are some of her words of wisdom… They could use your help. Often, ghosts are distressed and confused, and sometimes, they don't even know they are dead! "Casper, is it? I'm sorry to break it to you, but you're, like, dead." They can literally be stuck for hundreds of years, feeling lost, helpless, and fragmented. I go crazy watching those ghost shows when they pick up the EVP recording, and the ghost is actually saying, "Help me." They may be asking for your help!

They are bugging you for a reason. They know you can feel them. If you've been haunted before, you are sentient; you have a stronger 6th sense than most people.

• But just because you can sense things doesn't mean they have power over you.

• They're not the boss of you. Your fear only feeds their energy. There are some darker, denser spirits out there, but you can protect yourself through your own connection, power, and light. When you turn on the light switch in a room, the dark goes away. The same goes for your light; it's more powerful than the dark.

• It's your playing field. They're literally stepping into the physical realm, our home turf. So you have the right to tell them to scram. It's important to have boundaries, and in most cases, it comes down to this: your strength in standing up for yourself and your space.

If you find yourself in the position of helping an entity move to the light, stay calm, cool, and collected. Call on Archangel Michael and ask him to lend his support and provide you with protection (it never hurts to do this). Next, set your intention to send the ghost to the light as you say something like the following while visualizing it taking place.

"I am surrounded by the love of God, and I stand in the light with, and I am protected by, Archangel Michael.

I am enveloping you now in this love and light and commanding you to move into the light."

Helping entities cross over is a great kindness that no doubt will also earn us some positive karma.

Happy October! Namaste.

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/Sherri CortlandAuthor

www.Sherri-Cortland.com

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Less is MORE: Less CLUTTER, Less HAZARDS, Less OBSTACLES

By Susie Schroadter

The Practice for a Balanced Life Heart Brain Coherence:

As a yoga instructor and meditation practitioner, I have tried and used multiple tools for mindfulness and meditation. In 2017, while watching Gregg Braden’s show Missing Links, I stumbled upon Heart Brain Coherence and The HeartMath Institute, whose beautiful mission is to co-create a more compassionate world by scientifically studying interconnectivity and changing the way we love from a life of discord to one of coherence. From these two discoveries, I found the magic, love, and abundance that the coherence of our hearts and brains can bring into our lives.

I learned that our bodies are a complex network of organs, systems, and functions that work together to maintain physical and emotional wellbeing. Among these, the heart and the brain have a powerful connection that can tremendously impact our overall health. Recent research on heart-brain coherence, the state of bringing heart, mind, and emotions into energetic alignment, suggests that this can lead to numerous health benefits that spread over our physical, psychological, emotional, and mental health. These include but are not limited to a strengthened immune system, increased anti-aging hormone production, decreased anxiety, increased feelings of gratitude, increased creativity, improved sleep quality, greater clarity of thought, and improved emotional stability.

Photos by AdobeStock

How To Practice

To begin the practice of heartbrain coherence, find yourself in a comfortable position and close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths, roll your shoulders up to your ears on an inhale, and exhale them down your back. It should feel as if your shoulder blades are holding your heart. Place one hand in the center of your chest. Your other hand can be on top of it, on your stomach, or resting on your legs. Imagine if you are breathing in and out through the heart center, bypassing your nose and your throat. Breath is coming directly into your heart and out from your heart.

Once you have settled your breath, bring to your mind a time when you felt safe and at ease, nurtured and loved. Focus on this moment as if it were occurring in the present. Feel the touch of the air on your body, the smells coming to your nose, the sounds in your ears, and the sensations around you. Feel the gratitude of that moment. Sink into so much that you lose focus on the breath. Remain in this space as long as you would like, and then as you feel yourself ready to return, pause and send love directly out from your heart center to someone you love. This love moves faster than the speed of light. As soon as you think the thought of love, that person is immediately wrapped in your love. Pause again, and send this love to yourself, acknowledging

the diving being that you are. And then gently allow your eyes to open and breath to come back to a natural cadence.

Benefits

As discussed above, there are many benefits to this practice that will weave themselves through your entire life. Beyond the physical benefits are the emotional, psychological, and spiritual.

You will change your emotional baseline.

“By choosing your thoughts and by selecting which emotional currents you will release and which you will reinforce, you determine the quality of your Light. You determine the effects you will have upon others and the nature of your life experiences.” — Gary Zukav.

With consistent practice, heartbrain coherence changes our emotional baseline, which becomes our normal attitude and vibration. This means that as we change our vibration, we also change what we attract into our lives, hence the Law of Attraction. As we emit a positive and balanced energy, we will attract positivity and balance in return. The Law of Attraction states that we attract what we signal to the universe. So, if you are emitting gratitude, joy, and happiness, you are likely to draw more of the same into your life.

Heart-brain coherence is a simple but powerful technique that can transform your life in many ways. You can increase your overall well-being by cultivating a positive emotional baseline filled with gratitude, joy, and love

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With consistent practice, heart-brain coherence changes our emotional baseline, which becomes our normal attitude and vibration. This means that as we change our vibration, we also change what we attract into our lives, hence the Law of Attraction. As we emit a positive and balanced energy, we will attract positivity and balance in return. The Law of Attraction states that we attract what we signal to the universe. So, if you are emitting gratitude, joy, and happiness, you are likely to draw more of the same into your life.

As you cultivate gratitude, you will live more often in a state of ultimate receiving. “Your self-beliefs are shaping your experiences. Change what you believe to be true about yourself, and everything will change.” - Tiffani Churchhill

In this state, you are open to all the possibilities that life has to offer and will believe that a life of abundance is your right. You will approach every situation with an open heart and mind, ready to receive the gifts and blessings that await you. Heartbrain coherence can bring you to this state of being, allowing you to live fully and with great fulfillment and joy.

As you open your heart to the magic around you, your relationships with others will improve.

“We create our lives with our beliefs, and we broadcast those beliefs into the energetic environment around us. We are creating our relationships, and with that knowledge, we have the freedom to create whatever kinds of relationships we want.” – Dr. Bruce Lipton, The

Honeymoon Effect. When we are in a state of balance and harmony, we radiate positive energy, which has a ripple effect on those around us. This positive energy opens up the space for deeper connections and meaningful relationships.

Your life will become more balanced.

“Balance is the perfect state of still water. Let that be our model. It remains quiet within and is not disturbed on the surface.” ~ Confucius

Heart-brain coherence is essential for a balanced life because it allows us to access our true self - the part of us that is always calm, centered, and in harmony. This state of being enables us to respond to life from a place of clarity, intuition, and creativity. We become more resilient to stress and anxiety because we know how to access our inner peace and balance.

Heart-brain coherence is a simple but powerful technique that can transform your life in many ways. By cultivating a positive emotional baseline filled with gratitude, joy, and love, you can increase your overall well-being. This state of being also has the potential to attract more positivity and abundance into your life, making it an incredibly valuable tool for anyone seeking to live a more fulfilling, joyful, and abundant life. It allows us to access our true selves, respond to life from a place of clarity and creativity, and improve our relationships with others. So today, take a deep breath, place your hand on your heart, and begin cultivating your heartbrain coherence.

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

By Nikki Pattillo

Photo by Alexander Kirivtsky

Signs That Your House May Be Haunted

People also claim to have Angels or loved ones that have passed next to them when this happens before they choose to enfold their spirits back into their bodies. Although Near-Death Experiences have nothing to do with ghosts, they just may be proof of the possibility that an afterlife does exist.

Aghost is the spirit or the soul of a person who has passed and is believed to appear to the living. Belief in ghosts is based on the ancient notion that the human spirit separates itself from the physical human body at death and maintains its existence in another spiritual place called Heaven or another place called Hell. Some people refer to the afterlife as “beyond the veil.”

In ghostlore, the traditional belief surrounding ghosts and hauntings, the descriptions of ghosts vary widely. This can be anything from an invisible presence to a translucent or barely visible wispy shape to realistic, lifelike forms. The deliberate attempt to contact the spirit of a deceased person is known as necromancy, or in spiritism as séance. Other terms associated with ghosts are phantom, haunt, poltergeist, spirit, spook, demon, and ghoul.

In most cultures, there is evidence or a belief in some sort of an afterlife, as well as manifestations of the spirits of the dead. This is a widespread belief dating back to pre-literate cultures. Religions such as Hindu and Buddhist have a belief in the afterlife, including reincarnation. There are even modern-day studies of NDE’s or NearDeath Experiences. NDE’s are surprisingly quite common. A recent poll shows 4 to 15% of people have survived a NDE. The stories are very similar to NDEs experiences where the person has risen above their body and viewed medical personnel resituating them. People also claim to have Angels or loved ones that have passed next

to them when this happens before they choose to enfold their spirits back into their bodies. Although NDEs have nothing to do with ghosts, they just may be proof of the possibility that an afterlife does exist.

Surprisingly, new statistics show that nearly half of Americans say they’ve previously encountered a ghost, leading many to believe their homes are haunted. A recent survey of 2,000 people aged 21 and over found that 63% of respondents believe in the paranormal in some form. People shared that the unexplained beings they believe exist are ghosts (57%), visitors from other planets (39%), and Bigfoot (27%). A third of respondents (35%) even said they’ve felt an unexplained presence in their homes, prompting them to worry that a paranormal entity is haunting them.

Whether you believe in the supernatural or not, there are seemingly tried and true signs that you have company that you may not want in your home. The following are a few signs that your house may be haunted:

• You may spot an infinity number in the middle of the night on your clock, such as 11:11 or 2:12, etc. This is the ghost or even your loved one trying to tell you they are there.

• You may smell something rotten. This could be a sign of a demonic infestation. Alternatively, you could smell tobacco, cologne, or perfume, a sign that the spirit smoked or wore a particular scent on their bodies.

• You’re having unexplained electrical or plumbing problems. Spirits can manipulate technology, so you may see your lights flicker, or you may have appliances that turn on and off by themselves. Water leaks are common as well.

• Your house has unexplained and sudden cold spots. This is a common phenomenon with ghosts. The temperature in the room the ghost is in can drop 20 or more degrees, where you can see your breath in the air.

• Items in your house are relocated. This could be your spirit having fun or purposely trying to scare you.

• You may have nightmares or very unusual scary dreams. It is believed that ghosts can affect your subconscious, and you may dream that something is attacking you.

• You have an eerie feeling that you are being watched. You may feel a presence or something that you can’t just make out because you think your mind is playing tricks on you.

• Your beloved pet is hissing at something in the air. Animals have great extra sensory abilities. They might be able to see something that shouldn’t be there even though you yourself can’t see it.

If you feel you have a ghost or another presence in your home, there are many things you can do about it. First and most importantly, you can tell the spirit to leave. It may be important to tell them that they do not belong in your home and they certainly are not welcome there. Next, you can have someone “bless” your home. This may be a minister, priest, or even a spiritual dowser. You can also place salt around your bed. It is a known fact that ghosts don’t seem to like salt, so you can place a bowl of salt next to your bed, on the four corners of your bed, or even make a circle of salt around your bed. Finally, you can whip out the sage. Light a bundle of sage and smudge each room in your home. This will help clear out the negative energy.

Finally, it is important to note that sometimes objects are haunted, not just the fact that your home was built on or near a cemetery or a place that people passed. Ask yourself if you had recently bought something that you brought into your home just before the unusual activity began in and around your house? The best way to dispose of a haunted object is to burn it. Please be careful of burning toxic plastics or anything that is flammable. Let your fire burn out naturally, and then add salt to the ashes. You can then mix the ashes and the salt together, place them in a container, and then bury them in a remote location where they will not affect anyone else.

Happy Halloween

Nikki Pattillo graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas and began her clinical and molecular biologist career. As a child, Nikki was psychic, conversing regularly with her angels and guides, and it wasn't until she was in her 30s that she accepted her gift. She is now an international author with Ozark Mountain Publishing. She authored Children of the Stars: Advice for Parents and Star Children, A Spiritual Evolution, A Day in Spirit: A Spiritual Calendar for Teens, and A Golden Compass She has been featured on BRAVO and The History Channel and writes numerous magazine and newspaper articles to help raise awareness and consciousness on environmental and spiritual issues.

Photo by By pornpunStockPhoto

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Diane Lilli is a published poet, author, and journalist who lives 8 miles west of New York City. She attended Emerson College and is the recipient of the Shirley Chisholm Award for journalism.

The Last Invention is her first published novel. She founded the first digital online and occasional print newspaper in New Jersey, The JerseyTomatoPress.com (2004), and created Under the Apron, a digital food magazine (2005); founded and served as the designer and sole salesperson for The Lilli Group, a leading national women's fashion company based out of New York City, and was a professor of English at Monmouth University. She was the ghostwriter for three non-fiction books and currently works with authors in the US, EU, and UK. Her poetry has been widely published in over 250 prestigious literary journals.

Diane Lilli is the mother of three adult children, has two daughters-in-law, and (as of 2023) one granddaughter, a beloved "grandson Golden Doodle" Bilbo, and a feisty black cat.

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ways to fix your sleep schedule...

Experts reveal 6 INCLUDING EATING KIWIS

By bedkingdom.co.uk

Not getting enough sleep due to a poor sleep schedule can lead to many health problems, such as an increased risk for insulin resistance, diabetes, hypertension, weight gain, and stress. As well, lack of sleep decreases physical and mental performance during the day, which can lead to an increased risk of injury while on the road, at work, and at home. That’s not to mention the negative effects on your mood when you feel tired.

With daylight savings putting the clocks forward, now is a perfect time to get back into good habits by resetting your sleep schedule to one that gives you the quality sleep you deserve. This may sound daunting at first, so BedKingdom. co.uk has provided six ways to help you reset your sleep schedule.

1. Use light to your advantage

Adjusting the light levels for when you want to sleep and wake up will greatly help reset your sleep schedule because properly timed light triggers can reset the human clock within one to three days.

In the morning, you should try to let the Sun wake you up or, if this isn’t possible, use a bright light to act as a stand-in for the Sun. Light-up alarm clocks are perfect for this since they use light that gradually increases in intensity to simulate a sunrise, waking you up gradually and gently. At night, the opposite applies, and you should do your best to have as dark a room as possible when getting to sleep. Blackout curtains are ideal for removing unwanted light from outside, which will be particularly useful as the days get longer heading into summer. Turning off lights inside your bedroom as you wind down for the night will also help, especially lights with lots of blue light, since blue light has been linked to increased wakefulness. Some light-up alarm clocks also have a sunset function, gradually decreasing light to help you drift off to sleep at bedtime.

2. Adjust your sleeping and waking times

gradually

It is tempting to try to reset your sleep schedule in one go by going to bed early or by staying up all night so you are completely exhausted at bedtime the next day. However, this is probably not the most effective way: a 2005 study by C. Eastman et al. found that adjusting one’s sleep

schedule by one hour each day was more effective than more significant steps in adjusting sleep schedules; the larger steps provided no benefit over the one-hour adjustment group. This finding can help you to adapt your sleep schedule by moving your sleeping and waking times by one hour a day, which can be particularly useful in dealing with jet lag after a long flight.

3. Stick to a schedule

Structure helps a lot in keeping a healthy sleep schedule because it lets your body stay in tune with its circadian rhythm more easily. Sticking to a set bedtime and wake-up time will help keep your body in order, as well as help prevent your sleep schedule from drifting away from your ideal timings, providing the best opportunities to get that seven to nine hours of good quality sleep a night. This will be particularly useful for people who might not have a set daily schedule since providing structure will help stave off too many unwanted late nights and sleep-ins.

To dial in the schedule, you can gradually wind down as bedtime approaches and, if possible, slowly induce wakefulness as your wake-up time approaches. It is useful not to use electronics an hour before bed for bedtime since they keep your brain alert. The light from the devices disrupts our circadian rhythm because the bright light, which is usually composed of lots of blue light, they output makes our body think it’s still daytime.

REM sleep is also hypothesised to help prepare you to wake up, in addition to promoting brain development.

Depending on what the device is being used for, this can also contribute to keeping your brain in a state of wakefulness. Instead of using electronics before bed, try something like reading. If reading isn’t your thing, you can substitute something else that helps your brain relax and unwind, such as a nice bath. If you must use electronics late at night, you can use blue light filters on your devices to mitigate the worst effects of blue light exposure. These are referred to as Night Shift on iOS or Eye Comfort Shield on Android, plus you can find other programs and apps for use on things like computers and laptops.

4. Do intensive exercise in the morning instead of at night

A 2015 study by Yamanaka et al. found that vigorous exercise before bed disrupts the body’s natural rhythm and makes it harder to get to sleep. This then makes it harder to keep to a sleep schedule, as well as reduces the quality of sleep achieved after intense exercise performed before bedtime. This study found that rapid eye movement (REM) sleep was decreased by 10.5% in the people who performed intensive exercise before bed. REM sleep is important because it is the time when your brain consolidates your memories, committing things learned during the day to long-term memory, as well as being the time when you dream most vividly, which is hypothesised to help in processing your emotions. REM sleep is also hypothesised to help prepare you to wake up, in addition to promoting brain development.

The same study found that sleep quality was improved when the intensive exercise was done in the morning. Therefore, it is best to avoid intensive exercise in the run-up to bedtime, ideally moving the exercise session earlier in the day to accommodate the best quality of sleep and allow for the best sleep schedule.

5. Don’t drink caffeine too late Caffeine is a stimulant commonly found in things like coffee, tea, certain soft drinks (especially energy drinks), and certain diet and exercise supplements. Caffeine is relatively long-lasting; after six hours, roughly half of the consumed caffeine is still present in the body, and it can take up to 10 hours to leave the bloodstream completely. To keep a healthy sleep schedule, limiting caffeine intake in the later parts of the day is a good choice, and removing it entirely as bedtime approaches. Caffeine consumption before sleep has also been linked to insomnia, so avoiding caffeine at this crucial time is particularly important.

6. Eat kiwifruit

Kiwifruit has been a feature in many people’s bedtime routines for many years, and the science backs up the kiwi’s value as a sleep aid. Studies have shown that kiwifruit can help improve sleep quality, sleep timings, and sleep efficiency after a month of regular kiwifruit consumption before sleep. Kiwifruit contains high amounts of serotonin and antioxidants, as well as vitamins like folate, a B vitamin, which can help to treat sleep disorders as well as help reset your sleep schedule.

Richard is revered for his multidisciplinary modalities, blending academic acumen with research and transformational acuity - embodying the role of a healer, intuitive engineer, and energetics specialist.

Richard has spent three decades transforming and elevating the lives of a client list that includes television personalities, entre preneurs, athletes, and actors. As a renowned author,inventor, and frequent featured guest across European TV networks, Richard is regarded as a leader in alternative energetics.

Richard trained in both Eastern and Western methodologies, Richard has gathered a unique library and toolbox of ancient energy modalities (Taoism, Tibetan studies, Qigong) and modern-day neuroscientific techniques (hypnosis, NLP/ neuro-linguistic programming). Richard offers new perspectives, insights, and teachings from his travels around the world, and exchanges knowledge with thought leaders in alternative practices and disciplines, including Tibetan, Taoist, and Shaman Native American masters, among others.

~Richard Garnier

The thought process plays an important role and influence on metaphysical energy.