9 minute read
personal growth
Living the Miracle with Dr. Mike Berlin
by Natural Awakenings Staff
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Dr. Mike Berlin begins another session of his 12-week Living the Miracle program in February. This course is for anyone experiencing stress, worry, guilt, conflict or emotional pain, and who wants to be free to live with more profound inner peace, love, spiritual connection and empowered authenticity. The three-month program starts February 7 and meets over Zoom every Tuesday from 7:30 to 9 p.m. All sessions are recorded and can be kept for reviewing as often as one likes.
Natural Awakenings readers will receive a free consultation before the program begins to address his/her particular stressor and two one-hour, one-on-one rapid transformation sessions with Berlin after the three-month course has been completed.
Our staff had a conversation with him to learn more about the program, his methods and system, and what participants can expect.
What does Living the Miracle mean?
Living the Miracle is all about learning how to truly live coming from love and your truest self. It teaches how to re-engineer our past emotional hurts and traumas to completely heal our past and learn to continuously live connected to our unique, empowered selves— that is, to live the miracle that we already are! It is not personal growth as much as it is spiritual growth, defined as being about reaching out to and connecting with our Soul’s purpose. It is a method of becoming more harmonious with life around us, developing our own feelings of inner power and strength that leads to living a happier life.
Do you have an overview of the course structure?
Each week, participants watch a module on one of the 5 Sacred Life Skills at home. Then, we discuss it in class, answer questions and help participants apply it to their lives. Action steps in between classes help everyone apply what they are learning to their lives. My unique, proprietary process is very hands on and participatory, complete with midweek tools and support.
Can you clarify more about how your system works?
From childhood hurts, traumas and neglect, we learn to come more from the fear and mistrust part of our brains. These unproductive/destructive life skills don’t allow us to create and cultivate the loving, mature and empowered relationships that we need to experience life’s true joy, peace, love, and abundance. Without these, we accumulate emotional hurt, guilt, anger, shame, loneliness and fear. The more fearful we become, the more we feel we need to control people and things inside and outside us. We begin to try to continuously manage our lives and emotional well-being. As this happens, we continually act out and become reactionary; our emotional suffering continues to grow. My work shows exactly how to reverse this and, using the 5 Sacred Life Skills live an authentic life, connected to our true heart and soul as a spiritual being having a unique, authentic and fulfilling human experience. You will be able to transform any stress and conflict in the moment and continually live with much more peace, purpose and passion.
What precisely are the five sacred life skills?
1. How to live from love and trust instead of living out of fear and mistrust. 2. Living empowered by absolutely knowing that only we are in charge of our own emotional well-being. 3. Learning why and how to love and forgive ourselves (and others) completely. 4. Being able to get connected fast and continuously live in the present moment, especially when we are triggered.
5. Being free to know and express our truth with passion, compassion and appropriate boundaries. When we master these 5 Sacred Life Skills, we will live connected with our true selves (soul), God/Spirit and all life. When we express and experience ourselves from this connection, then we can truly live our profound truth and soul’s purpose.
How will I get to my most profound
truth? Will I know it in 90 days? Our deepest values are our soul’s calling; those things that we always want to get, give and stand for, without exception. We can come to know them in 90 days, or at least begin to know them and how to keep cultivating them.
How is confidentiality taken care of? Will participants share personally with others
in the sessions? The program is limited to 10 people. Participants can share as much or as little information as they want with the group; however, we encourage individuals to step out of their comfort zone and be vulnerable and brave enough to share. The more that someone puts in, the more they will get out. However, it is not required. Also, all recorded sessions are in a private, password-protected folder that only our group can access.
Is there any follow-up support provided
after the three-month course? For a low monthly fee of $49, participants get access to our members-only site that has all my recorded masterclasses, upcoming masterclasses, discounts on supplements and other products to reduce stress and tension. They also can attend one group coaching class per month!
The course costs $1,997. For more information, call 516-780-3351 or visit DrMikeBerlin.com/ LivingTheMiracle. See ad, page 23.
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BRAIN POWER BOOSTERS
TIPS TO PRESERVE MEMORY AT ANY AGE
by Sheryl Kraft
Although it is completely normal to feel like our memories are failing us as we get older, this is not the time to panic. Regardless of age, it is always possible to learn, store and recall information, and there are numerous practices we can adopt to nourish and optimize our brains. Whether we’re looking for the car keys in all the wrong places or experiencing way too many tip-of-the-tongue moments, it may be high time to adopt the brain-boosting recommendations by these four experts.
Eating for Cognitive Power
“Having a better memory now and in the future means taking care of your brain and making the right lifestyle choices to slow down the aging process,” says Annie Fenn, M.D., founder of BrainHealthKitchen.com, who believes that what we choose to eat is one the most significant decisions we make each day.
Foods high in antioxidants like vitamins C and E, beta carotene and selenium have been shown to slow age-related memory loss. Think berries, grapes (which contain resveratrol, a memory-enhancing compound), beets, broccoli, almonds, avocados, carrots, eggs, salmon, onions and dark, leafy greens.
Avoid foods high in saturated and trans fats, which can increase “bad” cholesterol and lower “good” cholesterol. Studies find
that high cholesterol diets can increase the risk of memory loss, among other cognitive functions.
Whole grains and legumes like cracked wheat, whole-grain couscous and lentils are complex carbohydrates that boost the brain by providing a steady, sustained supply of glucose, and are high in folate, the memoryboosting B vitamin.
Finally, don’t forget to include culinary herbs like curcumin, rosemary, saffron, oregano and mint. They all help support brain health, especially saffron, which contains a potent constituent called crocin that is associated with slowing cognitive decline in human and animal studies.
Brain-Nourishing Supplements and Stress Reduction
Wendy Warner, M.D., the founder of Medicine in Balance, an integrative healthcare practice in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, recommends Ginkgo biloba (one of the oldest living tree species in the world) and ginseng, which have both been found to help enhance memory with their neuroprotective and antioxidant effects. Noting that the brain works best with adequate nourishment, she asserts that these supplements can play a role in increasing blood circulation to the brain, thus improving its function.
Also on her list are Bacopa monnieri for its antioxidant capacity, Rhodiola rosea for its neuroprotective and antioxidant effects and licorice (Glycirrhiza glabra) for its ability to increase circulation in the central nervous system.
Warner recommends regular stress management techniques like yoga, qigong and tai chi as well, noting, “These all help lower inflammation and cortisol (an inflammatory stress hormone) and have been shown to improve memory.”
Medicinal Herbs for Mental Clarity
Heather Houskeeper is a certified herbalist, long-distance hiker and author. When venturing out into the wild, she is able to spot and identify hundreds of medicinal herbs, including her favorite, top five ROSEMARY (Rosmarinus officinalis) supports healthy blood flow to the brain. It can be enjoyed through food, tea or diffused as aromatherapy.
ASHWAGANDHA (Withania somnifera), traditionally ingested as food or tea, can support mental alertness, focus and clarity of mind. Mix ashwagandha powder with warm milk, hot water or broth.
HOLY BASIL
(Ocimum tenuiflorum) is rich in antioxidants and supports cerebral circulation. Enjoy this delicious and fragrant herb as tea up to three times per day, use in cooking or take as a tincture.
GOTU KOLA (Centella asiatica) is a restorative herb that can support alertness and mental clarity. It is also popularly used as a tea, tincture or extract for up to 14 days at a time.
Slumber Savvy
Insufficient sleep can result in a variety of cognitive problems, including memory loss. Those suffering from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a common sleep disorder condition that affects breathing, should not ignore it.
High-quality sleep is key to reactivating memories, especially recalling the names of people we’ve recently met, according to Northwestern University researchers. Other experts have reported a strong association between sleep and the formation of memories. Strive for uninterrupted and deep sleep, as follows:
n The ideal amount for most adults is between seven and nine hours a night. n Wind down before bed with a consistent routine like reading, stretching or meditation. n Keep the bedroom cool—somewhere around 65° F— and dark.
n Shut off all electronics.
n Avoid late-day caffeine, alcohol and spicy, heavy meals too close to bedtime.
Treating OSA is important to improve both sleep and brain health, says Thomas M. Holland, M.D., of the Rush Institute for Healthy Aging, explaining, “Impaired sleep can lead to biochemical processes that can impact memory and cognition.”
Sheryl Kraft writes about health and wellness for Sage by Gaia and a variety of print and online media sources. Visit SherylKraft. com and SageByGaia.com to read more of her work.
