Leadership | May • June 2009 | FREE
ReadVelocity.com Velocity Magazine | Leadership | May • June 2009
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Secrets For Living A Magnificent Life
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he Holistic Dental Health office of Dr. George (Bill) Edwards and Dr. David Edwards offers full service family dentistry with emphasis on treating your teeth as a functioning part of your physical and emotional body. Holistic Dental Health seeks patients who choose to be healthy, and are actively working to achieve excellent health. Both Dr. Edwards work closely with your health advisors to develop an optimum plan for you to reach your health goals. They understand that a healthy mouth equates to a healthy body, mind, and spirit. Holistic Dental Health is a full service dental office offering restorative dentistry, oral surgery and cosmetic dentistry, as well as dental hygiene, checkups, and periodontal care. Drs. Edwards and Edwards practice general dentistry using a whole body, holistic approach. Drs. Edwards and Edwards are mercury-free dentists and they follow the IAOMT protocol for amalgam removal. They use the latest technology such as digital x-rays which reduce radiation exposure. Dr. David Edwards, a graduate of the University of Florida College of Dentistry, is continuing to increase his knowledge and practice of holistic dentistry. He currently uses procedures advanced by the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology and is in the process of obtaining certification. In his desire to obtain first hand knowledge of applying holistic principles to dental practice, he and his dental assistant have visited several holistic dental offices. He shadowed 40 year holistic dentistry veteran Dr. Doug Cook, DDS, in Suring, Wisconsin. Dr. David Edwards and his dental assistant also received instruction from holistic dental pioneer and instructor, Dr. Hal Huggins, of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Dr. David is well trained in the latest dental advances and excels in procedures involving restorative and cosmetic dentistry. The senior Dr. Edwards graduated from the University of Louisville in 1966. After dental school he completed an internship in Tampa, Florida and served two years in the United States Public Health Service providing dental care to the servicemen of the U. S. Coast Guard. Dr. Edwards started his independent practice in 1969 in Sanford, Florida. Holistic Dental Health welcomes new patients. Please call 407-322-6143, visit www. holisticdentalhealth.com and refer to ad, right. Velocity Magazine | Leadership | May • June 2009
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Secrets For Living A Magnificent Life
Velocity Magazine | Leadership | May • June 2009
www.ReadVelocity.com •
Secrets For Living A Magnificent Life
Special Features
40-41 C A L E N DA R O F E V E N TS 24-25 CO N S C I O U S C RO S S WO R D P U Z Z L E! 58 F R E E F O R V E LO C I T Y R E A D E R S 26, 40 TA ROT 53 A S T RO LO G Y
ANIMALS
48
Top Ten Human Medicines Toxic to Pets BY COLLEEN GORDON
BY RAVEN MOONDANCE
BY WANDA BARUCH
ARTS
55 57
The Movie Mystic: “2012” What’s Life Without Music?
59
BY STEPHEN SIMON
BY PURUSHA K. RADHA
The Word On Books: Suggested Reading CONSCIOUS COMMUNITY
34 Divine Mother Earth Boutique in Sanford 36 A Gathering of Women 62 Dump the Pump and Raise Your Company Profile
GREEN
15
Good for Your Community, the Waste Stream and You BY DENISE GAINER
BY PAT JOCELYN
20
FAMILY
30
Journey to Natural Motherhood
BY JULIE NORRIS, CONTRIBUTING COMMUNITY EDITOR
FOOD
18
16
Upholding Our Freedom
BY EMILY RUFF, CONTRIBUTING GREEN EDITOR
Beauty and the Beet BY MAMA J
Eating Well on a Budget BY KIMBERLY LANHAM
H E A LT H A N D H E A L I N G
11 A ‘Pain in the Neck’ 12 Under Observation 26 Petals of Transformation: You Could Be ‘In Clover’
BY CHARNG-SHEN WANG, AP, MA, PT, CMT BY DAWN GATES, MASTER HERBALIST
BY SHINAH B’NAI
35 Skin Care, Naturally 35 The Color Pink
BY CLAUDIA VIRGA
BY RAHANSIA P. BEN-MEJURI
I N S P I R AT I O N
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Creating a Future of Hope BY DIANE J. ACKERMAN
Velocity Magazine | Leadership | May • June 2009
17 Opening Minds to Alternative Sources of Income 29 Are Leaders Born or Made? 38 The Feeling Side of Leadership 32 The Power of Influence 39 A Stress Management Meditation for Leaders
BY DEBORAH ORR, RN, PhD BY ANITA TORRES
BY JOANNE M. KELLER, ARNP
BY DAVID BOTSFORD
Purusha K. Radha PUBLISHER-EDITOR
Nancy Butler-Ross ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Emily Ruff CONTRIBUTING GREEN EDITOR
Ramah Wagner, D.C.
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Take Me to Your Leader BY JOANNA HACKLEY-DAVIS
CONTRIBUTING HEALTH EDITOR
Julie Norris CONTRIBUTING COMMUNITY EDITOR
SEXUALITY
52
Albert J. Nuñez, DVM, CVA CONTRIBUTING SPIRITUAL LIFE EDITOR
Be the Sensual Leader In Your Life! BY STACEY MURPHY SPIRITUALI T Y
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We’ve Got a Built-In Guidance System BY PURUSHA K. RADHA, PUBLISHER
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22
Each One Must Reach One BY ANGELA LAMBERT
Get In Touch With Your ‘Leader Ship’ BY CHRISTINE SOKOLOWSKI
45 What Karma Is 43 Take the Lead 50 Dreaming the New Dream Into Being BY DAVID WOLF, PhD
BY REV. DONNA WEINHEIMER
BY ALBERT J. NUÑEZ, DVM, CVA, CONTRIBUTING SPIRITUAL LIFE EDITOR
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The Modern Mystery School: Advanced Spiritual Training for Modern Times BY CINDY MYERS
56
Thank God I Am Not Enlightened!
BY RAMAH WAGNER, DC, CONTRIBUTING HEALTH EDITOR
60 Our Leaders: Our Reflection 61 Unity Through Potent Leadership
BY VIL-AM BEN-AHIM, DC BY REV. DR. CAY THOMPSON
also at ReadVelocity.com Comment on the articles in this issue and find archived writings from past issues. Answer our WebPoll questions anonymously on the article pages. Sign up for our monthly electronic newsletter. Blog with us.
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Secrets For Living A Magnificent Life
Velocity Magazine is an independent Central Florida regional publication. Velocity is distributed in more than 500 locations in Orange, Seminole, Volusia, Lake, Sumter, Marion and Alachua Counties.
Advertising Inquiries 407-454-3443; 352-357-7122 ReadVelocity@comcast.net Subscriptions $24 Call with credit card 407-454-3443; 352-357-7122 To Subscribe Online visit www.ReadVelocity.com Or Mail to P. O. Box 132 Mount Dora, FL 32756-0132 We Welcome Your Feedback ReadVelocity@comcast.net P. O. Box 132, Mount Dora, FL 32756 The Velocity Vision
To serve as a catalyst in raising the velocity of mass consciousness as we strive to create a new world that embraces lasting peace, sharing and cooperation. All material contained in this issue ©2009 PKR Communications- Velocity Magazine. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without express permission from the publisher. The views expressed in Velocity represent the opinions and beliefs of the writers and do not necessarily reflect those of Velocity or its staff. Velocity is not responsible for the contents, products or services represented in any advertisement. Velocity Magazine is printed in a local Central Florida facility that recycles all waste including paper and aluminum plates.
Sharing, Peaceful, Loving and Green ...
contributing editors 1
2
3
Announcing Lake Yale Equestrian, an intimate, full care equine boarding facility in Umatilla, south of the Ocala National Forest and West of State Road 19. Sharing ... When you board your horse at Lake Yale Equestrian, bring a friend with you to ride. Oscar, our 15 year old, beginner safe Arabian Gelding will be glad to accommodate your friend. Oscar has been used as a Freedom Ride horse, working with children and adults with disabilities.
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1 Contributing Community Editor Julie Norris is manager and co-proprietor of Dandelion Communitea Café, founding board director of the Progressive Local Alliance for Community Enrichment (PLACE) and serves on the boards of Slow Food and Mills Fifty Mainstreet. She’s an avid supporter of the local art, music and food culture, and showcases the diverse people and happenings in ‘Ourlando’ on her weekly radio program, Front Porch Radio. Her passion for community, delicious fair food, the environment and culture are the driving forces behind all her endeavors. More on her ventures: www.dandelioncommunitea.com, www.frontporchradio.wordpress.com and www.ourlando.com.
2 Contributing Green Editor
Emily Ruff, herbalist, is director of the Florida School of Holistic Studies, a 501c3 nonprofit educational institution committed to creating sustainable communities by empowering individuals to reclaim their radiant well-being through reconnecting with the natural world. Emily has studied herbalism on three continents over the past decade and consults individuals on holistic nutrition, herbalism, aromatherapy and flower essences. She is also owner of the sustainable lifestyle store, Evolve, located just a few doors down from the school in Thornton Park. Contact Emily at FSHL: 407-595-3731. Visit www.HolisticLivingSchool.org.
Peaceful ... Lake Yale Equestrian is situated right on 4,000 acre Lake Yale, with a white sand bottom horses do not hesitate to swim in. Enjoy the trail along the lake on a shady berm — absolutely beautiful. Trail riding often creates a truly wonderful life for you and your horse. The facility is within riding distance of the Sawgrass Island Preserve. Lake Yale Equestrian offers a huge 35 acre field to do flat work or canter across. Horses and their families are welcomed to our peaceful setting where you can enjoy the gorgeous lake or bury your toes in the white sand while sitting in a comfortable chair under a 100 year old oak tree. Loving ... Should your horse need medication, Lake Yale Equestrian will administer the meds as prescribed. If it’s really cold out, the owners will blanket your horse at no extra charge. Lake Yale Equestrian’s very reasonable boarding rates include, deworming, feed with probiotics, Timothy/ Alfalfa Hay, and even a trim every six weeks. Green ... Chemicals are not applied to the pastures. Lake Yale mows and drags to supply horses with healthy grazing. Rye grass and millet seeds for the winter and summer, respectively, are planted so that all horses can be happy and healthy. Their happiness is also ensured by being part of a herd that goes out together every morning and comes in together every evening. All horse bedding is reused for mulch and compost. Stalls are 12 x 12, matted, with automatic water and industrial ceiling fans. The tack room is carpeted and air conditioned. Current happy boarders come from Winter Park, Apopka, College Park and Sanford. Camping is also available with electricity, water hook-up and fire pit. Please see ad for Lake Yale Equestrian below.
3 Contributing Health Editor Ramah Wagner, D.C. is a third generation chiropractor with degrees from the University of Iowa and of South Dakota. She received her graduate degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic (the founding college of chiropractic). Watch for Dr. Ramah Wagner’s new book, “The Health of Business - How to Balance Your Life for Greater Return.” Dr. Ramah is available for speaking events and intensives. Visit www.DoctorRamah.com or call: 352-589-5443. www.HealthOfBusiness.com.
4 Contributing Spiritual Life Editor Albert J. Nuñez, DVM, CVA is a lifelong mystic and student of spirituality. He has studied and applied many of the profound practices and tenets of Catholicism, Shamanism, Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Zen, Kabbalah, Paganism, Mysticism, Hinduism, Tantra, energy and sound healing, “Shadow Work,” Kundalini Yoga, many forms of meditation, and Qi Gong. A spiritual and cultural musician and recording artist, his first CD is entitled “Earth School Now.” He is an environmental advocate and educator, nature lover, happy hippy tree-hugger, and rescuer of many baby squirrels. He has been practicing fully integrated and wholistic veterinary medicine for almost 20 years, with two Animal Hospitals in the greater Orlando area. Dr. Al is committed to awakening human beings to their highest self. Contact him at 407-897-8555 or visit: myspace.com/animalhospitaloflakemary
Velocity Magazine | Leadership | May • June 2009
Purusha K. Radha
We’ve Got a BuiltIn Guidance System We all know of that ‘still, small voice’ inside ourselves and perhaps we are fortunate enough to have cultivated our relationship with it. The phrase itself comes from the ‘Kings’ Bible account involving Elijah the prophet. Many figures of the Old Testament, like Moses and Abraham, had well known encounters with the ‘voice,’ and when they followed it, they never went wrong, although it sometimes took incredible faith to do so. After Elijah follows Divine instruction to wipe out those who worshipped the god Baal, he incurs some serious wrath coming back his way. Some of the citizenry are out for his blood. Fear gets the best of him and he flees to the mountains to hide and, hopefully, save his own life. There, on Mount Horeb, feeling very alone, afraid and abandoned, angels minister to him. Elijah basically says, come on, Lord, I’ve done everything you’ve told me to do. I’ve laid my life on the line and this is what I get for it?! God then shows Himself to Elijah, first as a mighty wind, next as a thunderous earthquake and finally, as a blazing fire. In all this noise and tumult, Elijah did not hear the Lord. But in the paradoxical, profound silence that ensued, Elijah hears the ‘still, small voice’ which told him to surrender his mantle to Elisha, thereby anointing him his protégé. Elijah would never have to feel alone in his leadership position again for Elisha would be that one-of-a-kind devotée who would never leave Elijah’s side. On the one hand, leadership can have people all around you. On the other hand, it can be very lonely on planet earth, for once you make a controversial decision (and the biggest decisions are controversial by their very nature), leagues of people join forces to object or fight you. (I have often wondered how our past Presidents were able to bear up under all the negative energy pelting their auric fields.) And just like Elijah above, leaders lay their lives on the line for their people, only to get rejected and slammed. Often, it is only when they are gone that the body of their service can be fully understood and appreciated. Perhaps most of us have been guilty of throwing stones. Not wanting to compromise our internal value systems, we find ourselves caught in a personal dilemma. In the end, there’s no pat answer other than we need to get in our hearts, go within and surrender for
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even if the leader is making a really bad decision on our behalf, no harm can come to us, truly, if we’re wearing the armor of light and love. Perhaps the best thing to do is pray for the Highest Divine Truth. So back to the incredibly inspiring story of Elijah and Elisha. Elijah comes down the mountain and finds Elisha in the backbreaking, arduous work of plowing his fields. Elijah follows the ‘still, small voice’ and places his mantle on Elisha as if to say, follow me. In an instant, Elisha is his. He drops everything, leaves his family and serves Elijah the prophet for ten years, all the while witnessing much and learning even more. The day finally comes for Elijah’s ascension and the implications for Elisha are huge. The scene is the River Jordan. Always the faithful servant, Elisha does not leave Elijah’s side for one second on this day (contrary to the treatment Jesus received from his apostles in the Garden of Golgotha). The prophet Elijah performs a miracle: he smites the river with his cloak and the river parts so they may cross to the other side. Elijah asks his devotée what gift can he give him before he leaves. Elisha says, “Give me a double portion of your spirit.” (What a wise request.) In an enormously dramatic scene, a ‘chariot of fire’ appears and Elijah ascends in a whirlwind of light. Elisha, understandably emotional, tears his garment in two. Elijah’s mantle drops to the ground. Elisha picks it up and strikes the River Jordan with the high velocity cloak, at which time the river parts and Elisha walks across to the other bank, demonstrating the mantle of leadership has truly passed and he has, indeed, received a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. (Great leaders want their apprentices to become even greater than they.) What we can take from this story is that surrender is key when we are leading and when we are following. We can take that unwaivering faith and persistence is key in both, but that if we ask the Divine for a boost to keep going, the Divine will send angels to minister to us. We can take that the rewards for listening to that ‘still, small voice’ are spectacular. The voice is always with us. It’s our infallible leader. In every moment, we can place our hand on our heart and ask the I AM That I AM, what to do next. It’s that simple. We have the most incredible guidance system known to all beings in all universes right inside of us! We have never been abandoned at all. The key to future love, light, success and glory lies in that ‘still, small voice within!’
Secrets For Living A Magnificent Life
N
eck pain is a symptom that can stem from a variety of causes. It may be localized in the neck or radiate to the shoulder and arm. It is often associated with stiffness and decreased range of motion. Possible causes include trauma such as whiplash injury, chronic strain usually associated with stress or poor posture, degenerative disorders, herniated disk, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, and infection. It is critical that an accurate diagnosis for neck pain be made because neck pain can result in other life-threatening conditions. The treatment for neck pain may require a change in posture or occupational surroundings. Physical therapy provides a thorough musculoskeletal and postural assessment as well as a workplace evaluation, if needed. Joint mobilization and exercises are prescribed to align bone structures, strengthen weak muscles, and improve range of motion. Wayne Free, a motorcycle loving young man of 44 had been suffering from constant neck pain for over five years. The pain was a result of a motorcycle accident. Wayne was in too much pain to even ride his motorcycle. He wasn’t getting very much sleep and driving to work was extremely uncomfortable. Wayne sought treatment from an orthopedist, a chiropractor and from traditional physical therapy with the hope of getting some relief. He tried pain medications and epidural shots, both of which supplied only temporary relief. At a visit with his rheumatologist, Wayne was recommended to visit ARC Physical Therapy and Pain Center for treatment. Willing to try anything at this point, Wayne agreed to receive acupuncture and cupping treatments along with massage and physical therapy. After a couple of treatments, Wayne was sore and manifested a headache, but with encouragement from the ARC staff, he persevered. Wayne’s pain was initially a level 9 out of 10, with 10 representing the most acute pain level. Now it’s 1 or 0 out of 10. His range of motion has improved and he is now able to turn his head left and right, making driving to work more comfortable, and getting a (in Chinese medicine) a therapy in which heated glass cups are applied to the skin along the meridians of the body, creating suction as a way of stimulating the flow of energy.
good night’s sleep more common. He even started riding his motorcycle again and recommends ARC Physical Therapy and Pain Center to the men he works with who have back pain. In addition to acupuncture, acupuncturists utilize many treatments for neck pain such as massage and cupping. These treatments are designed to relax the muscle and promote nerve healing. By invigorating blood circulation, the inflammation in the neck is reduced. Acupuncture releases the body’s endorphins to reduce the pain associated with neck disorders. Please see ad for ARC: Physical Therapy and Pain Center, above. Charng-Shen Wang, A.P., M.A., P.T., C.M.T. serves as the CEO and Director of four ARC: Physical Therapy and Pain Centers in Central Florida with his newest office open in Mount Dora. Dr. Wang is both a Licensed Acupuncturist and Physical Therapist. He apprenticed in the field of Traditional Chinese Medicine prior to receiving his bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from the National Taiwan University. He then pursued and received his advanced master’s degree in physical therapy from New York University. In 1993 Dr. Wang attained certification as a manual therapist and graduated from the John Shen Institute with his certificate in acupuncture. He has served as a clinician and Physical Therapy Director for numerous companies in the Central Florida area. He is a member of the National Commission for the Certification of Acupuncturists.
Velocity Magazine | Leadership | May • June 2009
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circulatory system, which was affecting her kidneys and lungs. We discussed her diet, gentler ways to exercise, and I gave her some herbs to help her stop smoking. One of the herbs I recommended was elderberry. On her follow-up visit she had stopped smoking, was breathing easier, and was able to walk two blocks without getting winded or having leg pain. I knew that elderberry was the perfect herb for her not only due to her symptoms but also because of the visual signature of the plant. Learning from observation is an important part of being a healer. We learn from observing our teachers when we learn our craft, and we learn from our students when we teach them. We learn from observing our Using the Power of Observation in Healing clients and how they react to by Dawn Gates, Master Herbalist the healing experience. We learn by observing nature and each other. Observing the world around us is long time ago, when I was just a girl, my grandmother taught me a skill that many have forgotten but is important the importance of paying attention to the things around me. She to remember, because observing is how we learn to taught me to watch the wind as it blows in the trees to predict connect with the universal energies. the weather. She taught me to observe how the ocean swells at different times during the moon’s cycle and how to decipher the stars in the Dawn Gates, Master Herbalist, aromatherapist, flower esnight sky. She also taught me how to look at the plants around us and how to sence and gemstone elixir practitioner, has studied natural see the wisdom that Mother Nature gives us on a daily basis. This ability to healing for 18 years. She has herb and aromatherapy consulting offices in Paisley, Deland and Orlando, Florida. Her observe nature and learn from the plants has assisted me to help heal others. school, “The Live Oak School of Natural Healing” offers
under observation
a
Herbalist Certification courses both in classroom and online.
Everything in nature has a visual signature that allows us to see its spiri- Visit: www.dawnsenchantedgarden.com or call for a consult. tual and medicinal attributes. Plants and their signatures, which in medi- In Lake County, call: (352)669-1963 and in the Orlando region, (407)967-6042. See ad below. eval times were named the Doctrine of Signatures, show us what they can be used for with their colors, textures, stem shapes, and growing habits. Before the advent of modern medicine, herbalists understood medicines and spirituality in terms of these visual signatures. For example, a certain heart-shaped leaf and red flower meant that the medicine was good for the heart. A yellow flower with yellow bark may have meant that the plant was good for the liver. Today most herbalists use science to justify the uses of plants for medicine, but some of us also use observation, with wonderful results. One of my favorite studies “proved” that elderberries were useful to treat respiratory infections, even though elderberries have been used to treat colds and flu symptoms for centuries. You can see the elderberry’s visual signature by holding a cluster of berries upside down (see image above); it looks like a set of lungs. The stems are also reddish-purple, which indicates that they can be used to improve circulation, especially for those with varicose veins. They are non-toxic and nourishing on the cellular level. I recently had a client who came to me with an imbalance in her
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Secrets For Living A Magnificent Life
July 1 “Language Mastery” First Class in a Six Part Series 6:00-7:30pm Presented by Janet Slimak Natural Health Institute (ad above) at Mystic Realms, Ocala
352-732-5433
Velocity Magazine | Leadership | May • June 2009
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a
mericans are party animals. We celebrate holidays for everything using a plethora of iconic images like turkeys, rabbits, cupids with arrows, and groundhogs with top hats, to name just a few. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but perhaps it’s a bit misguided. We have also become a nation of complainers, blamers and wasters. We demand change as long as it’s for the other guy, and make heroes out of over-medicated athletes and entertainers, while our politicians quibble over whose party is going to win an election that is four years in the offing. What about today? Why not create true leaders in our homes by showing our children good, old-fashioned, homespun values and integrity by walking our talk and standing by our word. What are we actually doing to create change in our personal spaces? Look around, guys. •
know what it’s like to watch the other guy throw away furniture, clothing, blankets, food or even money, just because the color is wrong or it’s out of style, or it tastes funny? We are a world in crisis and yet we are still complaining about the other guy. Hey folks, we are the other guy! So, why not extend a kind thought to the one you don’t love (or even like, for that matter). Then ask, How can I help? How can I create the world we both dream of? Allow me to show you I care, because by caring for you, I will ultimately be caring for myself. Rather than leaving behind a legacy of lack, let’s create a future of hope. Instead of looking for change, be the change. Instead of wanting a family, be a family. Let us participate in the rediscovery of true leaders by creating balance and acceptance based on solid family morals and integrity, rather than bottom lines and popularity. It’s impossible for one person to change the world, but the world will change, one person at a time. Diane is an anger management and conflict resolution facilitator and author of “The Gathering,” a book of poems addressing life’s addictions, codependencies and obsessions. Her workbook on anger management, “Shut the Duck Up,” has been used with great success at The Anthony House, a homeless shelter in Zellwood, Florida. Please see Diane’s ad below.
Are we talking to or at our spouses, children, co-workers and friends? • What are we doing personally to preserve our environment? • Are we putting forth an honest effort to show responsibility and accountability for our actions? Or are we contributing to social irresponsibility by condoning social indiscretions. Is it because we don’t care or is it because we don’t know?
We accuse our “leaders” of failing us in many ways by pointing fingers at them. Well, perhaps we have failed ourselves by taking for granted things that are considered luxuries in other cultures. Then we turn a blind eye to simple traditions like respecting our elders, eating dinner as a family, and helping out with household chores without expectation of financial reward. Do we know what it’s like to have no transportation, whether it be for pleasure or work? Do we
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Secrets For Living A Magnificent Life
W
e want your Newspaper, Magazines, Catalogs, White Office Paper and Shredded Paper. AND, we will pay you for it!
Yes, that is true. By way of explanation, I want to share a story with you. It’s called “The Waste Stream” and it is the story of your trash. This story does begin with YOU, me, and all of us. Nationally, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, we throw away roughly 4.6 pounds of garbage every day, and even though recycling and going green has never been more popular, we still recycle only about a third of our waste. By comparison, Floridians throw away around ten pounds of garbage per day totaling over 35 million tons in 2006. Of that amount, only 8.5 million tons (or 24%) were recycled. Our trash, depending upon what it is, can be managed in several ways. It can be reused, recycled, composted, burned and converted to electricity in wasteto-energy plants (if your community has one), and landfilled. Can we do something about this state of affairs? Yes. Can we recycle more? Yes. In fact, Governor Charlie Crist wants to see Florida recycling 75% of its reported waste by 2020. Industry and community leaders are working toward that lofty goal now. As citizens, we can be proactive by looking at what we presently do with our waste and by changing our habits appropriately. http://www.epa.gov/osw/nonhaz/municipal/msw99.htm
State of Florida DEP, Municipal Solid Waste 2006 Final disposition
Many of us take our plastics, cans and paper to recycle centers. Others enjoy the benefit of single-stream curbside collection of our recyclables, which is wonderful! Except for paper recycling. It becomes contaminated when mixed with the other items, so much less than what is collected can actually be recycled. In fact, of the 1.5 million tons of newspaper collected in 2006, only 39% of that amount were actually recycled. That figure is just one reason why, we want your newspaper! Here is how we can work together to accomplish at least three really good things: (1) We can raise money for your organization or favorite charity while (2) pulling tons of newspaper and other paper out of the waste stream, specifically (3) to be turned into recycled newsprint. This is accomplished by placing a recycling container at your location, kicking off your recycling program to collect at least two tons per month. It is so easy to do! For more than 28 years churches, schools, clubs and communities have recycled in just this way to raise money. And right now, who doesn’t need money?! We have the formula, the know-how, and all the information you need to create and maintain a successful newspaper recycling program. Call me to do something good for your community, the Waste Stream and You! Go Green and Get Green! Learn more about paper recycling at the SPRC webpage: www.sprecyclingflorida.com. Recycling Specialist, Denise Gainer has been “talking trash” since 2000 with anyone who will listen! Her goal is threefold: to educate people about their waste stream; recycle as much newspaper as possible; and by so doing, contribute to community fundraising throughout Central Florida. Please refer to ad this page for SP Recycling.
Velocity Magazine | Leadership | May • June 2009
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Beauty and the Beet I
n the last issue I wrote about zany zucchini with its chameleon personality. This time, let’s enjoy the uncooked, visual beauty of the beet.
Yes, the beauty of the beet! The uncooked beet has a personality that’s been unnoticed and untried by two generations of consumers eating canned, flavorless beets. In contrast, the fresh, raw beet can be a flash dance of taste and color at any dinner party. It can add pizzazz to any vegetable platter and is especially zesty with pineapple. Beets range in color from red to yellow or white to Chioggia’s red and white concentric rings. When serving raw beets, rubbing them with lemon juice can preserve the color. When selecting fresh beets, choose smaller ones to avoid toughness, cracks, and shrivelling. Beets can be refrigerated for weeks without diminishing their color or sweet, earthy taste. Of course, by eating raw and organic beets you avoid all the pesticides, waxing and preserving agents that deplete our immune systems. In their raw state, beets are high in vitamin B, iron, potassium and magnesium. One half cup of beet greens supplies 92% of our daily need for beta-carotene. Spring is a bouncing ball of colors, so let’s bring this lavish rainbow inside. If you’ve only known beets as Russian Borscht and German pickled beets, you will find the Rainbow Salad a fountain of color and flavor. And a beet pâté recipe! Who would have thought of beets in a pâté? Wedded with cashews, this “Lady in Red” flavor dances like a waltz on the palate. Enjoy taking part in this springtime rainbow of deliciousness!
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Purple: 1 medium beet, grated Blue: Blue pansy edible flowers (make sure they were not treated with chemicals) Green: 1 bunch of greens of your choice Yellow to Green: 1 medium avocado, diced Yellow: 1 yellow bell pepper Orange: 1 carrot, grated Red: 2 large Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced White: 1 cup jicama, peeled and finely diced
Rainbow Salad Serves 2
Just toss all ingredients together and mix with Blood Orange Dressing: 1 to 2 blood oranges, peeled and chopped small (include all the juice) ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 1” piece ginger, peeling and grated ½ teaspoon cardamom Dash of sea salt
Don’t stop at Rainbow Salad. Here’s a sweet, nutty pâté that will catch the eye and dance on the tastebuds.
Beet Cashew Paté
1 cup cashews, soaked 4 hours and drained 1 large beet, peeled and diced, chunky 1 large carrot, grated 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced 1 stalk celery, finely chopped Serves 2 1 tablespoon sweet onion, minced 1 ½ teaspoons of nutritional yeast 1 tablespoon Bragg’s Liquid Amino Acids (available at healthfood stores)
Place cashews, beet, carrot, parsley, and cilantro in a food processor and blend well. Transfer mixture to a bowl and add the celery, onion, yeast, and Bragg’s. Mix well and serve with crudités such as carrots cut 1/8” thick on a diagonal, and circles of cucumber.
Mama J, Chef & Instructor, is a graduate of the world premier Living Light Culinary Arts Institute, Fort Bragg, California. Learn raw the ‘funway’ with Mama J. See ad, top of column 1, next page. www.ReadVelocity.com •
Secrets For Living A Magnificent Life
“Recession causes people to open their minds to gaining alternative sources of income,”
says Lou Clements of Marketwave, Inc. These times cause us to get creative with the way we perform at our jobs or the way we the keep the flow going at our businesses. The trend toward homebased businesses is always rising, but more so during challenging economic times when many people’s jobs are put on indefinite hold. “Innerpreneurs” will tell you that there is no better job security than being a business owner. Innerpreneurs know that creativity and intention will forge the way through any economic challenge. Says Kathryn Vercillo at HubPages.com, “Many would say that it’s a really bad time to start a new business and there is definitely support for that belief but those people who are true innerpreneurs will see that there is no better time than the present to begin pursuing the work that you truly care about.” Whatever people may think of network marketing, there is no other type of business that has such a low barrier of entry and can easily be worked from home. After finding and becoming affiliated with an integrity network marketing opportunity you can feel passionate about, a card table, chair, telephone and notebook are the only other tangible supplies that are needed. The most important requirement is heart. You don’t need any special skills to tell people about your great product. You just have to know when to stop talking and take the order! The history of network marketing has shown it has thrived during economic slowdowns. It’s a countercyclical business. During the past few years, the so-called world economic boom has made people complacent. Jobs, paychecks and customers came more easily creating less need for creativity and entrepreneurship. Necessity being the mother of invention paves the way for people to take matters into their hands and network marketing in a quality, integrity opportunity is a very viable, low cost option to have a business of your own. If you’re thinking about looking for an integrity network marketing opportunity, please consult the ad for Arbonne International/Peggy Alvarado, to the left. Another network marketing opportunity can be found on page 20 for Smart Clean Products. Velocity Magazine | Leadership | May • June 2009
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These days when money is tight, I ask myself, Do I sacrifice the health and nutrition of my family to stay on budget, or do I come up with creative ways to eat organically on a budget? The first step to answering this question is to determine if organics are really worth it. I have concluded after much research that YES, organics are worth it, and that the USDA Certified Organic seal really does mean something. This seal certifies that: • • •
foods grown and produced are 100% organic, the producer of the food followed rules established by the USDA Organic Standards Board, and it was inspected to make sure that the rules were followed.
The rules basically state that fruits and vegetables must not be treated with synthetic pesticides or fertilizers and cannot be genetically modified, irradiated, or fertilized with sewage sludge. Animals must be fed organic feed, may not be treated with antibiotics or hormones, and must be permitted access to the outdoors. When we choose to consume organics we are voting for a planet with fewer pesticides, richer soil, and cleaner water supplies. Now firmly convinced that I am doing the right thing by choosing to eat organically, how do I do that and still maintain the budget of a single income family of three? I went to several moms for their tips and favorite rules. The GOLDEN RULE of sticking to a budget as stated by Jill Anderson, Executive Chef for Get Green Organics and The Home Grown Gourmet is: the cook shops alone! No non-cooks or (gulp) children allowed! The reasoning is that others joining in the shopping will always have you purchase more than you intend. The next tip is to make a meal plan and stick to it! I say, “Failure to plan is planning to fail.” This will save money because you will have cooked a meal that is much healthier and cheaper than eating out, and you won’t throw away food that you never got to use. The next budget tip is to be flexible and to use substitutions. Just because a recipe calls for a laundry list of spices or expensive exotic ingredients does not mean that you have to follow it precisely. Learning how to use substitutions has allowed me to take advantage of sales, specials and locally grown/raised foods. (Visit http://homecooking.about.com/od/substitutions1/Recipe_Substitutions. htm for a variety of resources for substituting spices, sugars and altering recipes.) The final tip is to not waste money on foods that you can easily prepare at home, such as stocks/broths, sauces, frozen pizzas, veggies packed in sauces, and prepared pasta dishes. These items are easy and inexpensive to make, and you have total control of the ingredients. It takes some creativity to develop a budget that will allow you to eat organics, and some determination to maintain it, but I have found that taking some time to plan, using what I have, and soliciting advice from friends makes the process a lot easier. And sometimes even fun! Kimberly Lanham, CEO of Get Green Organics whose vision it is to empower, educate and provide organic foods for the purpose of creating better and healthier lives, has a Masters Degree in Applied Economics from the University of Central Florida and a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Rollins College. See Kimberly’s ad, right, next page.
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Secrets For Living A Magnificent Life
Velocity Magazine | Leadership | May • June 2009
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hat an exciting time to be alive! In the midst of extreme challenges, we also find some of the greatest opportunities humanity has known, to live the change we wish to see in the world.
As an herbalist, this change includes being a steward of the plants and a servant of humanity. The challenges we face are the very moments of opportunity we are offered to embrace. In the face of a broken paradigm of healthcare, which destroys our individuality and personal responsibility, we are gladdened to watch millions of people flock to natural forms of healing. While we rejoice in the reclamation of the traditions of our ancestors, we witness a new challenge to the plants and our herbal traditions. Where just a few herbalists would once “wildcraft” plants from their native habitats, we now witness an explosion of herbal companies harvesting from ever-dwindling native plant communities. Coupled with rampant urban development that destroys plant habitats, we are witnessing an ever-increasing shortage of plant resources, including many of the most time-honored medicinal plants we know and use in practice today. When substituting an herbal capsule for a pharmaceutical capsule, with no attention to the plant from which that herbal remedy was produced, herbalists fail as leaders. When we remember the living plant, and its plant community, and act mindfully to use herbs responsibly, we act in a spirit of leadership. The plants are calling us to rise up in leadership. They speak to us not only for self-protection, but yet again in service to humanity. If the plants are no longer available, they can no longer serve us as medicine. Beyond the valuable resources offered by non-profit organizations like United Plant Savers (www.UnitedPlantSavers.org), I also look to my backyard to provide an answer. Practicing bioregional herbalism allows me to commune directly with the plant communities from which I harvest, so I can know, firsthand, the impact my medicine has on the plant species. I watch for those that pop up in my yard in abundance, and take care to ensure my harvest is not
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Secrets For Living A Magnificent Life
so large that it limits these plants from setting their seeds and propagating again.
E
very time I harvest an herb from my garden or from the woods, I am filled with gratitude that I have the freedom to choose the form of healthcare that is right for me, my family, and the planet. Each bud I steep in a cup of tea inspires me to envision a nation of people making informed decisions to experience vibrant health through sustainable means. H o w e v e r, when I watch the docket before Congress, I am reminded that the freedom to choose how we care for our families is challenged daily by large corporations, such as those from the pharmaceutical i n d u s t r y. Our health freedom is championed because holistic health techniques and natural medicine removes us from the dominant health-profit system. In 43 states in this country, including Florida, existing laws are in conflict about which natural healthcare practices are regulated or legal, and thus consumers are at risk for losing access to healthcare practitioners and holistic health means. Doctors, naturopaths, and alternative practitioners around the country are being harassed and investigated for offering consumers a natural health option. Further, access Concluded column 2, page 23
Velocity Magazine | Leadership | May • June 2009
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If we are all One, could there possibly be any human being left out or left behind? I think not. We are all the collective consciousness finally reaching the purpose for which we incarnated on this planet at this exact time. The awakening has been going on for some time now. We all desire the veils be lifted from our eyes.
the intentional spreading of the Divine Light. It can happen in a grocery store or an office cubicle. Have you ever complimented someone and literally seen the person light up with a big smile? I do this often because it reflects back to me that big is small and small is big. I also do it because it is so easy. As a saying goes, “We get there through each other. No one gets there alone.”
Many of us felt the energy shifts early on. The vibrational energies are now at such an accelerated rate that we can sometimes feel as if we are in a fog as we go through this shift. We have physical symptoms because these shifts affect us at our core — the cellular level of our third dimensional being as we ascend to the fourth.
I hang out at a neighborhood pub where I like to shoot the breeze. One of the bartenders was truly a lost soul, immersed in illusion. She was in the darkness of life and miserable. Her face and eyes were downcast and gloomy. Then, last week a shift in energy brought a wonderful light to her face, her eyes, and her presence. My partner and I said, “She is ready. Let’s take her under our wings.”
We are all Light Workers, co-creating with the Divine Source. Each of us has a spiritual job to do right now that cannot be ignored. We are in service to others to bring them out of illusion. We dance to the heartbeat of the Divine in preparation for the Ascension. And we will all ascend together. As leaders, it is in our best interest to reach out and hasten the gathering.
Look deeply into the eyes of the beings of our collective consciousness and send messages with loving intent. Since we can’t get there alone, EACH ONE MUST REACH ONE. So my brothers and sisters:
Being a Light Worker is an everyday task — an awareness and watchfulness of those around us. It’s being in service, dedicated to the energy shift and turning on the light in a dark closet. You might ask, What is this gigantic step I must take as my part in being a Light Worker? There are no gigantic steps — the steps are
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LET’S ROLL! Angela Lambert is an Acupuncture Physician, Medical Massage Therapist and Reiki Master. She is a partner in Alternative Health Blueprint in Winter Park, Florida. Please see Angela’s and her partner Susan Mair’s ad, left. Secrets For Living A Magnificent Life
Upholding Our Freedom, continued from page 21 to natural healthcare products is also at risk, as federal agencies investigate natural companies for their work. Global trade agreements are currently being drafted that will affect our access to the very natural products we depend on to maintain our health. These challenges offer us immense opportunities for gratitude and action. Connecting with the many organizations working to protect the right of all people to access their preferred form of healthcare (such as National Health Freedom Coalition, www. NationalHealthFreedom.org) is the first step to upholding our health freedoms. Personal freedom requires personal responsibility. As with most freedoms, we won’t miss it until it goes away! Use your power to uphold your freedom to practice your preferred form of healthcare – and you’ll be leading the way, paying true service to the health of our humanity. Emily Ruff, herbalist, is director of the Florida School of Holistic Living, a 501c3 nonprofit educational institution committed to creating sustainable communities by empowering individuals to reclaim their radiant well-being through reconnecting with the natural world. Emily has studied herbalism on three continents over the past decade and consults individuals on holistic nutrition, herbalism, aromatherapy and flower essences. Contact the school at 407-595-3731.
Earn Income In Advertising Sales Serving the Greater Orlando Area Contact Velocity’s Publisher 407-454-3443 Velocity Magazine | Leadership | May • June 2009
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EVENTS
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“Call upon the Divine Mother, sing her names, narrate the tales of her saints, and become inspired to greater achievement.”
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— Shree Maa, Hindu Mystic May 2 Central Florida Earth Day (www.CFEarthDay.org); 10:00am-6:00pm; Lake Eola Park; Downtown Orlando; info@CFEARTHDAY.ORG; free to attend May 2-3 Gifts of the Spirit; 10:00am-6:00pm; Spiritual Channeling Intensive! Connect with your own ability to channel spirit and connect more fully to certain aspects of God here in the physical. A Center for Wellness and Light, Fern Park; (407) 252-2682; fee; ad p. 54 May 3 Good Grief Workshop; 12:30-2:30pm; Golden Triangle Center for Spiritual Living, Eustis; 352-5892620; love offering ; ad p. 61 May 4 Circle of Celebration; 6:00pm; Artful Living Center, Belleview; 352-391-3040; love offering; ad p. 37 May 5 Introduction to Reflexology; 10:00am-1:00pm; Artful Living Center, Belleview; 352-391-3040; love offering; ad p. 37 Care and Exercise; 10:00am; Golden Triangle Center for Spiritual Living, Eustis; 352-589-2620; love offering, ad p. 61 Guided Imagery Class; 7:30pm; Gematria, Mount Dora; 352-357-5918; love offering. May 6 Big Thinkers’ Group; 6:45pm; Golden Triangle Center for Spiritual Living, Eustis; 352-589-2620; love offering; ad p. 61 Feng Shui; 5:30-8:00pm; Artful Living Center, Belleview; 352-391-3040; love offering; ad p. 37 May 7 A.S.K.; 1:00-4:00pm; Artful Living Center, Belleview; 352-391-3040; love offering; ad p. 37
Reiki Circle; 3:30-4:30pm; Artful Living Center, Belleview; 352-391-3040; love offering; ad p. 37 May 10 Happy Mother’s Day! Meditation Group; 7:00pm; Discovery Counseling Center, Winter Park; 407-421-2165; love offering May 11 Psychic Development; 5:30-7:00pm; Artful Living Center, Belleview; 352-391-3040; fee; ad p. 37 May 12 Care and Exercise; 10:00am; Golden Triangle Center for Spiritual Living, Eustis; 352-589-2620; love offering; ad p. 61 May 13 Big Thinkers’ Group; 6:45pm; Golden Triangle Center for Spiritual Living, Eustis; 352-589-2620; love offering; ad p. 61 Healing Arts Class; 7:30pm; Gematria, Mount Dora; 352-408-9626; love offering. May 16 Spiritual Healing Techniques; 1:00-4:00pm; Artful Living Center, Belleview; 352-391-3040; fee; ad p. 37 Building Sacred Space at Home and Work; 7:008:30pm; presented by Dawn Gates at Avalon, Orlando; 407-967-6042; fee; ad p. 12 May 17 Art of Fearless Flirting; 4:00-6:00pm; presented by Blissful Lotus at 7 Sisters Coffeehouse, Orlando; Contact tel.: 407-462-8298; Women Only; fee; ad p. 53 Living the Yoga Lifestyle: Nutrition-You Are What You Eat; 3:00-4:30pm; come lay the foundation for a healthy body and mind with a look at yoga-inspired nutrition: clean, fresh, whole foods; food will be served; Jeweled Lotus Yoga, Leesburg; 352-8743272; fee; ad p. 63
May 7 Secrets of Weight Loss; 5:30-7:30pm; Artful Living Center, Belleview; 352-391-3040; fee; ad p. 37
May 18 Skin Care Naturally with Claudia Virga; 5:30-7:30pm; Learn how to care for your skin right from your own pantry; Artful Living Center; Belleview; Contact tel.: 352-504-2893; fee; ad p. 35
May 8-10 Healing Arts School; 10:00am-5:00pm; presented by YAHWEH Academy of Light at Gematria, Mount Dora; 352-357-5918; fee; see ad p. 2.
May 19 Manifesting Your Heart’s Desire; 10:00am-1:00pm; Artful Living Center, Belleview; 352-391-3040; fee; ad p. 37
May 8 Directionally Challenged.; 1:00-4:00pm; Artful Living Center, Belleview; 352-391-3040; fee; ad p. 37
Care and Exercise; 10:00am; Golden Triangle Center for Spiritual Living, Eustis; 352-589-2620; love offering; ad p. 61
May 9 Abraham Study Group; 2:00-3:00pm; Artful Living Center, Belleview; 352-391-3040; love offering; ad p. 37
Guided Imagery Class; 7:30pm; Gematria, Mount Dora; 352-357-5918; love offering.
Meditation for Beginners; 8:00am-9:30am; Jeweled Lotus Yoga, Leesburg; 352-874-3272; fee; ad p. 63
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May 20 Essential Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP); 7:15pm; transform your internal experiences and ethically influence others to do what you want; pre-
Secrets For Living A Magnificent Life
sented by David Botsford, Hypnotist at YOU Health Center; Orlando; Contact tel.: 863-420-3634; fee; ad p. 24 Big Thinkers’ Group; 6:45pm; Golden Triangle Center for Spiritual Living, Eustis; 352-589-2620; love offering; ad p. 61 May 21 Reincarnation/Past Life Workshop; 1:00-4:00pm; Artful Living Center, Belleview; 352-391-3040; fee; ad p. 37 May 23-24 Universal Kaballah-Part One; 10:00am-9:00pm; alchemically transforming program of study and ascension up the Tree of Life, as brought forth from the Ancient Mystery Schools. Part one of four, taught over one year; A Center for Wellness and Light, Fern Park; 407-252-2682; fee; ad p. 54 May 24 Introduction to Ashtanga Yoga with Master Teacher Sarasvati Devi, CYT1000, ERYT500.; 10:00am-12:00pm; learn the primary series of the Ashtanga Yoga practice; tailored to beginners and practitioners of other styles of Hatha Yoga; Jeweled Lotus Yoga, Leesburg; 352-874-3272; fee; ad p. 63 May 25 Meditation Is More Than You Think - 8 Week Class Begins; 7:00pm; Golden Triangle Center for Spiritual Living, Eustis; 352-589-2620; fee, ad p. 61 May 26 Care and Exercise; 10:00am; Golden Triangle Center for Spiritual Living, Eustis; 352-589-2620; love offering; ad p. 61 May 27 Big Thinkers’ Group; 6:45pm; Golden Triangle Center for Spiritual Living, Eustis; 352-589-2620; love offering; ad p. 61 May 27 Shavou’ot/Pentecost Healing Arts Class; 7:30pm; Gematria, Mount Dora; 352-408-9626; love offering. May 28 Pet Wellness Seminar; 4:00pm; Whole Earth Pet Supply, Lady Lake; 352-391-5806; free; space limited, RSVP immediately May 30 Reiki I; 9:00am-5:00pm; Artful Living Center, Belleview; 352-391-3040; fee; ad p. 37 Green Cleaning Workshop; 2:00-4:00pm; bring two spray bottles and two mason jars; all else provided; Jeweled Lotus Yoga, Leesburg; 352-874-3272; fee; ad p. 63
EVENTSJUNE
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June 2 Care and Exercise; 10:00am; Golden Triangle Center for Spiritual Living, Eustis; 352-589-2620; love offering; ad p. 61 Guided Imagery Class; 7:30pm; Gematria, Mount Dora; 352-357-5918; love offering.
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“Father!- to God himself we cannot give a holier name.”
— William Wordsworth, (1770–1850), English Poet
Reiki Circle; 3:30-4:30pm; Artful Living Center, Belleview; 352-391-3040; love offering; ad p. 37 Growing a Money Tree; 9:00am-12:00pm; Artful Living Center, Belleview; 352-391-3040; fee; ad p. 37
June 3 Big Thinkers’ Group; 6:45pm; Golden Triangle Center for Spiritual Living, Eustis; 352-589-2620; love offering; ad p. 61
June 14 Holistic Health and Psychic Fair; 11:00am5:00pm; presented by The Om Bookstore at Eustis Community Center; Call 352-978-1181; see ad p. 5
June 4 A.S.K.; 1:00-4:00pm; Artful Living Center, Belleview; 352-391-3040; love offering; ad p. 37
Meditation Group; 7:00pm; Discovery Counseling Center, Winter Park; 407-421-2165; love offering
Toddler Yoga.; 11:00am-11:30pm; presented by Jeweled Lotus Yoga at Leesburg Public Library; Contact tel.: 352-874-3272; free; ad p. 63
June 15 Mayan Calendar Readings; 1:00-7:00pm; Artful Living Center, Belleview; 352-391-3040; fee; ad p. 37
June 6 Past Life Regressing; 1:00-4:00pm; Artful Living Center, Belleview; 352-391-3040; fee; ad p. 37 Healthy Cooking Class; 2:00-4:00pm; demystify vegetarian food preparation; presented by Jeweled Lotus Yoga at First Baptist Church of Leesburg; Contact tel.: 352-874-3272; fee; ad p. 63 June 7 Adam Kadmon Light Body Activation; 10:00am8:00pm; Return to the full Divine Human state with the highest level of activation; A Center for Wellness and Light, Fern Park; 407-252-2682; fee; ad p. 54 Living the Yoga Lifestyle: Ethics and Actions - You Are What You Do; 3:00-4:30pm; learn the foundation of a lifelong yoga practice, both on and off the mat; the 8-limbed path of yoga, including the yamas and the niyamas; outline valuable tools for coping with modern day problems; Jeweled Lotus Yoga, Leesburg; 352-874-3272; fee; ad p. 63 June 9 Introduction to Kinesiology (Muscle Testing); 10:00am-1:00pm; Artful Living Center, Belleview; 352-391-3040; fee; ad p. 37 Care and Exercise; 10:00am; Golden Triangle Center for Spiritual Living, Eustis; 352-589-2620; love offering; ad p. 61 June 10 Big Thinkers’ Group; 6:45pm; Golden Triangle Center for Spiritual Living, Eustis; 352-589-2620; love offering; ad p. 61 Healing Arts Class; 7:30pm; Gematria, Mount Dora; 352-408-9626; love offering. June 13 Abraham Study Group; 2:00-3:00pm; Artful Living Center, Belleview; 352-391-3040; love offering; ad p. 37
June 16 Reincarnation; 5:30-7:00pm; Artful Living Center, Belleview; 352-391-3040; fee; ad p. 37 Care and Exercise; 10:00am; Golden Triangle Center for Spiritual Living, Eustis; 352-589-2620; love offering; ad p. 61 Guided Imagery Class; 7:30pm; Gematria, Mount Dora; 352-357-5918; love offering. June 17 Stress Management; 7:15pm; explains the nature of stress and teaches simple but effective methods of making stress work for your benefit; presented by David Botsford, Hypnotist: at YOU Health Center; Orlando; Contact tel.: 863-4203634; fee; ad p. 24 Big Thinkers’ Group; 6:45pm; Golden Triangle Center for Spiritual Living, Eustis; 352-589-2620; love offering; ad p. 61 June 18 Dump the Pump Day sponsored by LYNX; all day; Trying a new way of getting to work can have a significant impact on your wallet and the environment. Call 866-610-RIDE to find out your transportation options.; ad p. 64 June 19-21 Healing Arts School; 10:00am-5:00pm; presented by YAHWEH Academy of Light at Gematria, Mount Dora; 352-357-5918; fee; see ad p. 2. June 20 The Ear Hears; 1:00-4:00pm; Artful Living Center, Belleview; 352-391-3040; fee; ad p. 37 Aromatherapy 101; 4:00-5:30pm; presented by Dawn Gates, Aromatherapist, at Avalon, Orlando; 407-967-6042; fee; ad p. 12 June 21 Happy Father’s Day!
June 22 Circle of Celebration; 6:00pm; Artful Living Center, Belleview; 352-391-3040; love offering; ad p. 37 June 23 Care and Exercise; 10:00am; Golden Triangle Center for Spiritual Living, Eustis; 352-589-2620; love offering; ad p. 61 June 24 Big Thinkers’ Group; 6:45pm; Golden Triangle Center for Spiritual Living, Eustis; 352-589-2620; love offering; ad p. 61 Healing Arts Class; 7:30pm; Gematria, Mount Dora; 352-408-9626; love offering. June 27 Reiki II; 9:00am-5:00pm; Artful Living Center, Belleview; 352-391-3040; fee; ad p. 37 Worship of the Goddess; 4:00-7:00pm; Integrate the Goddess and her energies into your life! Presented by Dawn Gates at Avalon, Orlando; 407-967-6042; fee; ad p. 12 June 27-28 Spiritual Adepthood and Initiation; 10:00am8:00pm; Receive this Holy Blessing of the physical initiation necessary to do specific Light Work on this planet and become permanently affiliated with the Hierarchy of Light!; A Center for Wellness and Light, Fern Park; 407-252-2682; fee; ad p. 54 June 28 Kissing for Couples; 4:00-6:00pm; presented by Blissful Lotus at 7 Sisters Coffeehouse, Orlando; Contact tel.: 407-462-8298; fee; ad p. 53 Prana Vinyasa and Power Flow with Master Teacher Sarasvati Devi, CYT1000, ERYT500.; 10:00am-12:00pm; flow with power and grace in a dynamic practice suitable for beginners to advanced yogis; Jeweled Lotus Yoga, Leesburg; 352-874-3272; fee; ad p. 63 June 30 Care and Exercise; 10:00am; Golden Triangle Center for Spiritual Living, Eustis; 352-589-2620; love offering; ad p. 61 July 1 Language Mastery-First Class in a Six Part Series; 6:00-7:30pm; presented by Janet Slimak of Natural Health Institute at Mystic Realms, Ocala; 352-732-5433; fee; ad p. 13 July 3-5 Transformative Communication and Self-Empowerment Seminar; 9:00am; 3-day adventure in daring communication and bold exploration, discovering your strength, abilities, and potential for growth; presented by Satvatove Institute at Country Inn, Gainesville; 386-4188840; fee; ad p. 45
Velocity Magazine | Leadership | May • June 2009
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FREE!
for Velocity Readers A FREE 20 minute transformative communication consultation; receive the tools and skills to built rewarding, successful relationships with your spouse, children, clients, or business partner; also 7 Principles For Fulfilling Relationships FREE Audio CD: GO TO http://Satvatove.com/velocity; also FREE Sponsored 3 hour Relationships That Work Workshop: GO TO http:// Satvatove.com/register; Courtesy of Satavatove Institute; see ad page 45. A FREE sample of stress reduction tea to take home and try; also FREE half hour herbal consult (worth $50.00) for first 100 new clients. courtesy of Dawn’s Enchanted Garden, Umatilla; see ad page 12. FREE Reiki Level I, II and Master/Teacher classes in Orlando. Call or write for class dates: 407-913-9280 or e-mail: beautifulfutures@hotmail.com; see ad page 28. FREE skin analysis and skin care consultation; courtesy of Claudia Virga Organic Skin Care; see ad page 35. FREE one hour, at-your-site workshop for your staff on The Emotional Journey of Change. Get your team ready to serve in the new year completely empowered to manage personal and professional change ... the #1 constant in life! Courtesy of Anita Torres; see ad page 38.
free
FREE cup of tea at Dandelion Communitea, Orlando; see ad page 31.
all experience fears throughout our lifetime. They are imprints in our minds, oftentimes from a previous experience. Some of us are afraid of dogs, having been chased or bitten in the past. Other unexplained fears may be stage fright, fear of the dark or intimacy. Sometimes we feel afraid or anxious and aren’t even sure why. Have you ever walked into a public place or been in a situation where you feel a gripping sensation in the pit of your stomach for no apparent reason? Perhaps you felt this in times of high stress when you couldn’t think clearly and felt confused? Some of us can recall feeling that way even after watching the news.
FREE 15 minute individual wellness consultation with any class or any full length wellness consultation at Florida School of Holistic Living, Orlando; also FREE ‘Gene’s Law’ bumper stickers that read “If anything can go well, it will,” compliments of Florida School of Holistic Living, Orlando see ad page 20. FREE 30 minute coaching session on ways to be happier, healthier and more prosperous (any individual request is honored). An affirmative prayer is included. At Golden Triangle Center for Spiritual Living; see ad page 61.
Receive a FREE Jeweled Lotus Yoga t-shirt with the purchase of an unlimited monthly class package at Jeweled Lotus Yoga, Leesburg; see ad page 63.
Experience Life Coaching FREE! Complimentary 20 minute coaching session via telephone with Joanna Hackley Davis, CLC; Visit www.Rx4Joy.com to schedule your FREE session today! See ad page 47. FREE initial phone consultation concerning your pet with Colleen Gordon of www.HealingforPets.com; see ad page 48. FREE first yoga class at Yoga Central, Mount Dora; see ad page 5.
One FREE 4 oz. bottle of Worm Tea when you buy one quart; see ad page 23.
Discount on office visit fee on your second visit to Holistic Dental Healthcare in Sanford when your driving time is one hour or more; see ad page 3. FREE scholarship program offered by Melissa Holmes/Feminine Earth, L.L.C. for teen mothers; good for the full tuition of “Birthing From Within® childbirth preparation classes. FREE birth doula services (labor support) to those teen mothers who apply for the scholarship; see ad page 13. FREE pack of incense (your choice of fragrance) at Magickal Muse, Renninger’s Twin Markets, Mount Dora; see ad page 41.
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Our body has within and around it an energy field that is sensitive to that same energy from others, which is generated by thoughts and feelings. This energy flows through our central nervous system and can affect our thoughts, feelings and health. For instance, we can feel when someone is particularly loving or when someone is sad or disturbed. We can often feel others’ emotions as much as we can our own. So imagine the impact, particularly for one who is sensitive, when there are dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of people who are generating the same negative or fearful thoughts — like the ones people have during family traumas, disasters, wars, or the current global economic crisis, for example! This potent web of emotional energy is termed a “collective mind or group consciousness,” capable of transmitting currents of fear and confusion. A psychic infectious disease of sorts creating states of unexplained anxiety, panic or nervous disorders, often without our even realizing it. In Flower Essence Therapy sessions, we unveil the negative emotions behind these fears and transcend them through healing, self-awareness and use of natural Flower Essence remedies. The old fears are then pathways to new opportunity and expression. However, more and more recently, the most shrouded fear clients
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Secrets For Living A Magnificent Life
express is an unexplained sense of anxiety. It can cause great angst and suffering, sometimes leading to depression. For some, it is so intense they are led to medications, with the source of the anxiety even more deeply masked. Red Clover, long known for its herbal properties as a blood tonic, has unique healing qualities as a Flower Essence, directly clearing and stabilizing these electrical currents of energy within the body. It imparts strong forces of calm and centeredness in any challenge and certainly in the face of our current global changes. A woman we’ll call “Lauren” came to us after seeing several therapists and complaining of unexplained anxiety for which she was medicated for nearly two years. She was beginning to experience side effects and wanted to explore ways to discontinue the medication. There were no apparent problems in the home and she was aware of feeling the height of her symptoms midday into her job. She would get headaches and then uneasiness in her chest and stomach.
It turns out a woman she befriended at work was in a horribly abusive relationship at home. This friend was afraid to leave her partner because she didn’t believe she could support herself and children if she did. Lauren began using Red Clover Flower Essence and within weeks noticed a shift. She became able to work there without being so affected by the energy and actually assisted the woman through her challenges. Through this, Lauren was able to heal some of her own trauma around a previous relationship and is now medication free. Learn more about Flower Essences at Shinah B’nai’s website: www. illumin-essence. com. Shinah B’nai is an authorized Flower Essence Practitioner and member of The Flower Essence Society. Since 1995, she has been using Flower Essences to assist in healing emotional issues and health imbalances of children, adults and pets. She is also a licensed massage therapist and Thai Yoga therapist (MA39336). Contact her by calling (352)250-1038. Please see ad below.
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forward, on to new adventures in China. I arrived in China with no map, no understanding of the language or where I was going, and to all onlookers I appeared alone. But, I had surrendered to my leadership within and I allowed it to pull me gently and safely closer to port, closer to God.
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itting outside of each bus or train terminal during my travels, I waited for one who listened to their inner leader to come and guide me into port, assist me to purchase a ticket to a place my inner leader had not yet revealed to me.
That is true leadership. We cannot find our inner leader, the leader of our ship, while our engines are running full tilt. As we shut down and become quiet and still, we will notice the power drawing us on, taking us to shores of wealth and greatness we did not imagine possible. There, we can watch as those who stood on our deck and trusted our cause, receive the bounty they journeyed with us to receive. Leaders keep their eye on the horizon as they allow themselves to be pulled forward by a great, great force. A Leader Ship. We all have a Leader Ship within. Now get quiet and listen.
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Please refer to Christine Sokolowski’s Reiki Manual ad below.
ave you ever seen a tugboat in action? You know, those tiny little boats that pull the huge ships behind them? I have, and I was sincerely astounded.
As I reflect on the importance of true leadership during these transformative, blessed times, I think of the tugboat. Leadership means to go within to your great strength — to the source of it all. We are often called upon to be in service to others, leading them out of the dark. We must be able to carry the light to do this. If the humble shall inherit the earth, then who shall the leaders be, as certainly they must be power and inspiration in action. Where does this power come from? We must go within to find true power, to release ourselves of all the little ego would tell us to do, and to listen to the tugboat quietly leading us forward. If you were to stand on the bow of a great ship, as it was pulled you may not even notice the little guide drawing you forward. This is true power, true leadership. Humble. We must close our eyes and feel that inner stillness in order to know it is not us, with our engines firing, pushing us forward. We must feel, in the stillness, the humble, yet powerful leader drawing us forward. I once stood on the stern of a boat leaving a port in South Korea, my home of three years. I remember feeling a force drawing me
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Secrets For Living A Magnificent Life
Are Leaders Born or Made?
“Six Cs” of leadership comes from my own life experiences. The person who leads “from the front” and embodies these six qualities IS a leader. Conviction: A leader has a passionately held conviction, belief, or vision with which all thought and action are aligned. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mohandas K. Gandhi, and Nelson Mandela had deeply held convictions which drove their actions.
by Deborah A. Orr, RN, PhD
When we think of a leader, who comes to mind? There are examples from the past and present, adults and children, and leaders in spiritual, political, or even physical realms. A leader’s influence may be felt globally, or only in their neighborhood or family. Always demanding more of themselves than others, leaders are at the front of the charge, not observing from a distance. There are tremendous military examples, and there are also quieter examples: the team leader who stays with the emergency crews during disaster relief efforts, shift after shift, instead of monitoring progress from a distance. So what characteristics do leaders have? The following list of the
Commitment: Leaders remain committed to their cause regardless of circumstances. Joan of Arc, a French peasant girl whose spiritual experiences fueled her heroic leadership of French troops against English enemies during the 1400s was always at risk of injury, torture, capture, and death. Yet her actions changed history. Do you know a child who toils toward a goal, committed in thought, word, and deed? Confidence: A leader has confidence that goals will be achieved and radiates this to others. A leader does not dissipate valuable mental and physical energy through doubt. This knowing attracts the very outcome desired. Courage: A leader has the courage to act on beliefs. Courage isn’t a lack of fear; courage is acting in spite of fear. Pat Tillman, a professional football player at the peak of his career, joined the military after the terrorist attacks of September 11 specifically to protect others from terrorists. The handicapped child who risks failure and humiliation in order to achieve the same developmental milestones as their peers is an example of quiet, endless courage with no fanfare. Consistency: Leaders hold true to their values, words and actions, and do not change direction according to the winds of favor. Think of the parent (leader) who consistently faces anger and rejection from a teenage child (follower) when limits are enforced. Conscience: None of the other five qualities matter without conscience. My father was one of the most conscientious people I have ever met. His conscience was an integral part of his physical and spiritual fiber. As a child, I was often frustrated by what felt like his rigid code of ethics, which interfered with my immediate gratification. A lifetime later, I value this ruler, this measure by which choices must be made in life’s often “gray” areas. He bequeathed much to me, yet nothing more precious than this. Leaders are made, not born. Every decision point offers the opportunity to choose leadership. It is a simple, difficult way of being. Choose now, and at every moment. Deborah A. Orr, RN, Ph.D. is a grateful psychologist with many life changing experiences to date. She has begun a new venture where leadership thrives. For more information, visit Phoenix and Dragon, Inc. at www.growinginspirit.net. See ad this page.
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Last August, I turned 30. An excerpt from my journal reads: “I’m celebrating so many things and I am truly grateful for so much. I have an amazing, energizing, bustling café that nourishes the bellies of beautiful people. I have a business partner who graciously allows and supports me in my harebrained schemes. I have wise, wonderful women surrounding me who inspire and conspire to make this world and me a better place. I have a tribe of creative, intelligent, passionate individuals who all believe in fairy tales breathing humor and sweetness into my life. I have so many people and places and passions around me that are so beautiful — the art, the food, the fun, the MUSIC!” My gratitude has only gotten deeper since that entry, in a way that can only happen by stepping into a new role: motherhood. As the little babe within stretches my belly, a new layer of community begins to reveal itself to me. I had set out to change the world by being the change I wished to see, and how grateful I am to my younger self for becoming a changeagent, as I begin to understand who I’ve been doing this for, on a much more profound level. It’s a total blessing to know that the community I will birth this child into is one that I am distinctly proud to bring him or her up in, as well. While there are many features I still dream of as being a part of our fair land (such as vibrant Community Supported Agriculture), I have confidence in the passionate people who are already busy creating solid farmers’ markets, offering classes about self-sufficiency, starting community gardens, bike collectives and localized music festivals. Ours is an authentic DIY community, and my bébé will be raised like a child of the village, exposed to a rich diversity of people, thoughts and experiences. At this moment in time, I am also thrilled I can allow my body to go through this awesome transformation without having to receive my education about toxins in our environment during a time when I should be totally blissed out and stress-free. Unlike a lot of first time moms who discover organics and whole foods for the first time during their pregnancy, I’ve been eating 90% organic for the past three years, thanks be to my other child, the Dandelion Communitea Café. It took me years to fully understand how dangerous our current conventional food system is, and to open my palette to whole foods after years of fast food and a sugar addiction in the form of high fructose corn syrup — found in practically all processed food and recently discovered to be contaminated with mercury (see sidebar, next page). This discovery led to my education about toxins in almost everything manufactured today, from make-up to baby formula to furniture. I accumulated my knowledge over years, and I remember feeling overwhelmed, angry and helpless in the face of the
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monumental and grossly neglectful practices across all industries. So, while these destructive products are still manufactured and mass consumed, my relationship with them has fortunately changed so dramatically that I feel at peace with my lifestyle choices and empowered by knowing there are safe alternatives available locally. Many of my customers thank me for opening Dandelion, and today I’m reconnected with how important access and availability to these “alternatives” are. I can now return those thanks on an even deeper level, for supporting the café is what will sustain my growing family. I am most grateful though, for my early curiosity about pregnancy and birth. I have already witnessed four births: two attempts at natural childbirth in a hospital setting, two at home with a midwife, one of which I acted as the birth partner for my older sister, attending hypnobirthing classes and acting as a doula during the actual birth. My experiences left me with no question about preparing for my own planned home birth using hypnobirthing and an experienced midwife to guide me through the spiritual passage. I am new to all this motherhood stuff, but I plan on sharing what I know and the many things I will be learning over the coming months with the community at large, since the empowering aspects of natural pregnancy and childbirth options (and the dangers of hospital births) are rarely discussed in our society. It is my hope that everyone, not just pregnant ladies, will tune in to the natural pregnancy and birth discussion so that we can all be more educated and less fearful about the most natural and spiritual act on the planet. As I turn 31, I will be welcoming a new life into my family and stepping into the most important leading role of my life — that of an earthy mama. Please visit www.gaiamama.wordpress.net for more information about the journey to natural motherhood. Julie Norris is co-proprietor of Dandelion Communitea Café, co-founder of the Progressive Local Alliance for Community Enrichment (PLACE) and serves on the board of Slow Food Orlando. She’s the host of Front Porch Radio and blogs about natural parenting. More on her ventures at www.dandelioncommunitea.com, www.ourlando.org, www.frontporchradio. com and gaiamama.wordpress.net.
Get Started with Your Natural Pregnancy Books: •
Spiritual Midwifery and Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin • The Pregnancy Book and The Baby Book by Sears and Sears • Mothering Magazine Birthing Techniques and Preparation: • Hypnobirthing • The Bradley Method • Birthing from Within
Films: • • •
Orgasmic Birthing The Business of Being Born More resources, and to join the discussion, visit : gaiamama.wordpress.net
In a Monday, January 26, 2009 report by the Washington Post, nearly half of tested samples of commercial high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) contained mercury. Staple foods such as breads, cereals, breakfast bars, lunch meats, yogurts, soups and condiments are commonly sweetened with HFCS. “On average, Americans consume about 12 teaspoons per day of HFCS, but teens and other high consumers can take in 80 percent more HFCS than average.” “Mercury is toxic in all its forms. Given how much high-fructose corn syrup is consumed by children, it could be a significant additional source of mercury never before considered. We are calling for immediate changes by industry and the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] to help stop this avoidable mercury contamination of the food supply,” said Dr. David Wallinga of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP). An organization representing the sweetener refiners disputes these results. “This study appears to be based on outdated information of dubious significance,” said Audrae Erickson, president of the Corn Refiners Association, in a statement. “Our industry has used mercury-free versions of the two re-agents mentioned in the study, hydrochloric acid and caustic soda,* for several years. These mercury-free re-agents perform important functions, including adjusting pH balances.” “The bad news is that nobody knows whether or not their soda or snack food contains HFCS made from ingredients like caustic soda contaminated with mercury. The good news is that mercury-free HFCS ingredients exist. Food companies just need a good push to only use those ingredients,” Wallinga said in his prepared statement. *Caustic soda is another name for sodium hydroxide, or lye. SOURCE: Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, news release, Jan. 26, 2009
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hile gathering my thoughts to write this article, my mind steered away from traditional leadership stories and turned toward the awesome people who have crossed my path in my nurse practitioner practice. I thought about how people look to me to be a leader of sorts, to help them in ways they do not yet know and to coach them in their health goals as they learn the skills to then go out and become leaders in their own right. One story is an incredible example of how I have seen leadership grow in its true form and then be passed on to others. Upon the insistence of his heart doctor, a gentleman in his sixties came to see me. He needed to quit smoking, and his doctor sent him to me for a counseling session. I gave him a plan of action, a pep talk that he could do this, and he walked away with his mind set on quitting smoking. Four years later, this same gentleman returned to my office to share with me that he had successfully quit smoking, but that he had gained nearly 50 pounds since doing so. He was here this time, again upon the insistence of his cardiologist, to learn how to lose weight. Again, he was given a plan of action, another pep talk, and he walked away with his mind set on losing weight. Thirty days later, he came back weighing 31 pounds less. He shared that he had gotten his wife to embrace his eating plan along with him, and was walking up to two miles per day and feeling more energetic than he had in years. I was impressed and told him to keep up the great work. Another month went by and he returned to see me, less another 27 pounds, having lost a total of 58 pounds. He reported that several men in his neighborhood now join him for a daily five-mile walk. These mens’ wives had seen him walking, and noticing how much weight he’d lost, urged their husbands to get off the couch. He joked about how they called him the “Pied Piper.” The follower had become the leader. He had influenced everyone around him without even knowing it. Through modeling for his friends what was possible, he was able to cast vision and direction for his neighborhood “walking club,” and was there to give encouragement and affirmation as each of them reached their personal health goals. When we least expect it, we become leaders and we then pay that forward to others. Doesn’t that give us the feeling of belonging to something greater than ourselves? After all, if our lives in any way connect with others, we are all leaders or influencers in each other’s lives. Let us all strive to become wonderfully positive influences for each other, and to be the kind of leader we ourselves would follow. Joanne Keller is an ARNP (Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner) specializing in Women’s Health and Nutrition. She teaches self-care skills and empowers her patients to take full responsibility for their health and wellness. She practices at Joanne M. Keller, ARNP, Women’s Health and Wellness Practice in Mount Dora. Please see Joanne’s ad for Womens’ Health and Wellness, top of column 1, next page.
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Divine Mother Earth Boutique
in downtown Sanford is an eclectic boutique supporting fair trade, organic and locally produced goods for the spiritually and eco-conscious individual. The cozy, intimate store offers statuary and pottery, import and bohemian style clothing, art and wall-hangings, accessories and jewelry, crystals, organic blend teas and herbs, incense and perfume oils, natural beauty products, meditation tools and more. Many of these intriguing products come from such exotic places as Kathmandu, Nepal, India and Indonesia making your visit to the store an exciting experience of wonder.
Earn Income In Advertising Sales Serving the Greater Orlando Area Contact Velocity’s Publisher 407-454-3443
Guests of Divine Mother Earth will be treated to the warm welcome of owner Radha Ananda Prema. The store’s motto is “Where Spirituality, Sensuality, and Style Converge,” and all clothing and most other articles are one-of-a-kind. Call for times and dates of henna art and readings which also happen at Divine Mother Earth, a shopping destination whose atmosphere encourages you to be exactly who you are. The store is open Tuesday through Thursday from 1:00 to 7:00 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
ACROSS 3 5 7 9 10 14 15
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antioxidant Thai catchment selfless Atlantis Red Clover Ruiz
DOWN 1 Tolle 2 Obama 3 beet 4 kinesiology 6 acupuncture 8 hydroponics 11 Kabbalah 12 vegetarian 13 Buddha
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light sustainability astral citrine meditation Rolfing Mount Carmel velocity vermi
Skin Care, Naturally
The Color Pink
by Claudia Virga
moved into our summer season. With pollution on a constant rise and the ozone layer thinning, taking the lead “naturally” for our skin’s well-being is extremely important. Food, soaps, laundry detergent and beauty products are just a few of the chemicalcontaining items we use daily that also affect our skin. As a teenager, I spent hours out in the sun working on my tan thinking it made me look healthier. In actuality, it was doing quite the opposite. It was creating dead and damaged skin. Did you know that most of our lifetime exposure occurs before the age of twenty, and that sun damage can appear years later and leave skin with premature aging and wrinkles? I used to think if I wasn’t lying on a beach, the sun didn’t affect me. But just driving in our cars we’re exposed to direct sunlight through the windshield, leaving us vulnerable to sun damage. Ultraviolet rays can reflect off snow, water, sand, porches and decks. Living in beautiful sunny Florida, it is impossible to avoid the sun, but we can take precautions when exposed to the sun. Wear a wide brim hat, sunglasses and long sleeves. Use natural sunscreens, which work by absorbing, reflecting or scattering the sun’s rays. Apply sunscreen at least twenty minutes prior to going out, and re-apply throughout the day. In order to promote healthy bones we do need ten to fifteen minutes of sun daily for our bodies to create vitamin D, so drink your morning tea outside, or unwind poolside in the late afternoon to obtain your daily intake of vitamin D. What we eat can also help fight sun damage. Major antioxidants (vitamins A, C, and E) help decrease the risk of sun damage. Daily snacks of seeds and nuts are excellent sources of zinc, which is required for the production of healthy skin cells. Green tea contains anti-inflammatory properties and can help reduce the risk of sun damage. Vegetable juices are highly rich in antioxidants. Beetroot juice helps in getting rid of toxins present in the liver, because a healthy liver is crucial for healthy skin. Just two carrots a day help fight the harmful effects of sun-rays. Should you find yourself caught off guard by too much sun exposure, be sure to drink plenty of water and use one of these quick remedies to help relieve the effects: Spread mustard or aloe vera thinly on the burned skin to help relieve stinging and speed the healing process. Apple cider vinegar can be added to bath water to help take the sting out of sunburned skin. Green tea compresses will draw heat out and relieve inflammation. Claudia Virga is a licensed Cosmetologist in Florida and New York and a Certified Aromatherapist. A dedicated professional, she is a member of Associated Skin Care Professional and Association of Holistic Skin Care Practitioners. Visit www.claudiavirga.skincaretherapy.net or email her at ClaudiaVirga@SkinCareTherapy.net. See ad, left, previous page.
by Rahansia P. Ben-Mejuri
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fter close to 20 years in energy healing, I’ve recently found the color pink coming up as a possible healing tool both in my personal life and in the healing sessions I offer. I heard spirit say to me that pink light would help to remove density in the body and the auric field. I began using pink candles much more, and just recently purchased a color light machine that has a new pink light. I was previously using a color light machine equipped with only the main chakra colors. The new machine includes pink, turquoise and white. Using the pink light, I have been amazed at what has happened. One woman who has been receiving color sessions for about two years was in such bad shape when she first came to see me, the doctors were ready to put her on morphine. They were giving up on her and let her know they had come to the end of their treatments. With the color light machine, she has been completely well for a while except for when she runs herself down. Her family and friends find it hard to believe how well she is doing now. In the last month, I used the new pink light in her healing session and could not believe how much density was released from not only her, but even myself. I am reminded of a healing meditation using pink light which came from my spiritual teacher in the early 1990s. This meditation was given for the future when air quality and our surrounding environment would be much more polluted. It is meant to not only heal but cleanse the blood. The color pink corresponds to a little known pink light chakra just above the heart, the chakra of unconditional love. The Pink Light Meditation: Sitting with your hands face up on your knees, visualize the chakras in the hands opening and silver white light pouring out and pushing up, out into the aura. When this light hits the outer limits of the aura, “just use your sense of when it hits the end of your aura, about two to three feet or so,” see it turn to pink light. Using the breath, breathe the pink light from the edge of the aura into the body and into the bone marrow. Exhale the pink light into the aura continuing to fill the aura with pink light. Continue to inhale the pink light from the aura deep into the body, blood and bone marrow, and exhale pink light into the aura again. Continue this for some time as you create a bubble of pink light around the auric field and the body, creating a bubble of purified air in your own environment. Rahansia P. Ben-Mejuri is a licensed massage therapist (MA12828). She is a practitioner of energy healing and clearing, color light therapy and aura balancing. She offers healing classes and may be reached at (352)735-6842. Please see Rahansia’s ad for Marble Healing Table on page 44.
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en of us have been studying the Law of Attraction for little more than a year now. We are a diverse group, all spiritually based, with backgrounds in dance, corporate education, real estate, hot air ballooning, holistic healing, meditation, journalism, and numerology. You name it and one of us has probably done it. Six months after our group began meeting, we realized that each of us had a strong desire to share our spiritually based knowledge and to share it under the umbrella of the Law of Attraction — the very thing that had drawn us together in the first place. What began as a seed of an idea was soon transformed into a women’s three-day spiritual retreat — a retreat with the Law of Attraction as its cornerstone. It was Vickie Haren, a holistic healer and study group member, who asked if I would work with her to turn this idea into a reality. Both of us worked full time, so we met evenings and weekends to accomplish in three months what should have taken six months to complete — and it could not have been done without using the Law of Attraction as our guide and our manager throughout the whole development process. In effect, we practiced what we would be preaching. We invited women to come, experience, discover, share, laugh and learn. The retreat offered discussions and breakout groups on the Law of Attraction, sessions on meditation, yoga, primitive dance, numerology, hot air balloon rides, and more; again, using the Law of Attraction and the skills of our study group members as our base. The women who attended the retreat were as diverse as their spiritual facilitators — single working moms, retired women, women fighting illnesses — women all wanting to discover more about themselves and the spiritual world they were a part of. But as anyone who teaches knows, it’s often the teachers and facilitators who learn as much as the students, and this retreat was no exception.
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Pictured from left to right, Pat Jocelyn and Vickie Haren I learned that women who had known each other less than a day could quickly bond as they laughed, danced and sometimes cried together. I learned that a woman would share a difficult and private part of her life so that another in her group would realize that hope was alive and well. I learned that women sitting in a circle, holding hands, could pass the strength of their convictions to the one in their group who needed it the most. I learned that although just one woman voiced her opinion when she said, “You are never alone as long as there are two women on this earth,” others were nodding their heads in agreement. I learned that a strong fabric of spiritual growth could be woven in several days, by using threads of understanding, strength, tolerance, and the will to survive. A fabric that, like a warm blanket on a cold winter night, would keep these women safe and warm long after the retreat had closed its doors.
Please see ad top of column one, next page, to participate in this year’s Women’s Spiritual Retreat.
Pat Jocelyn is a feature writer for a central Florida newspaper. Prior to moving to Florida, she worked for a large computer firm specializing in corporate education and employee development programs. She has been a practicing student of the Law of Attraction for 18 months and says it has transformed her life. Vickie Haren is a clinically certified life coach, Reiki Master and holistic health educator specializing in spiritual counseling, hypnosis and Emotional Freedom Technique. She currently offers sessions and teaches classes at the Artful Living Center in Belleview (ad next page also) and can be contacted at 352-502-3898.
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Have you been able to stay focused and productive while keeping your emotions shelved? It may work some of the time, but certainly not all the time. Leaders are human beings expressing themselves physically, mentally, emotionally, and yes, spiritually. The dictionary defines a leader as someone who guides and influences. Think of a role model who inspired you down to your soul, guided you to make good decisions, or was always there to listen and support you. Get a clear picture of that person for a few seconds. Now, how do you feel? Happy, energized, confident, powerful, appreciated? If so, your role model was leading from the heart. Leading from the heart, versus the head, requires a willingness to look within, to know ourselves, to be aware of our emotions, to identify them, to understand how they impact our behavior and decision making, and to manage our emotional reactions. This level of self-awareness provides the opening for leaders to recognize others’ emotions, understand them, and manage relationships effectively. Unlike the Intelligence Quotient, research studies show that emotional intelligence can be improved because it is a set of skills that can be learned and practiced. Intelligence Quotient defines our innate ability to learn — a capacity we are born with.
The Feeling Side of Leadership by Anita Torres
No doubt emotional intelligence is more rare than book smarts, but my experience says it is actually more important in the making of a leader. --Jack Welsch, Former CEO of General Electric
We all are leaders, guiding and influencing friends, family, children, customers, and community members. Then what skills do we need to work on to improve our leadership abilities?
empathy
What does Jack Welsch mean, emotional intelligence is “more important in making a leader?” What do emotions have to do with leadership? Weren’t we taught to leave our emotions at home and not bring them to the workplace?
Empathy is one of the most critical and powerful leadership skills, but is easily confused with sympathy. Empathy is the ability to recognize and respond to others’ emotions in an open and non-judgmental way. For example, with empathy, we can intellectually wear the shoes of a person who has experienced a loss, and have a sense of what the person is feeling, but we may not be able to run, jump, scream, and cry with those shoes on. With sympathy, not only can we wear those shoes, we can also run, scream, and cry with them because we’ve experienced loss ourselves. The people we lead want us to recognize the signs, to notice their pain, and to validate their experience, even if we don’t agree with them. So take the time to actively listen beyond the words that are spoken. Confirm the emotion by paraphrasing what they are saying, and respond genuinely from the heart with a simple action — a smile, a hug, or by sitting still a bit longer. Practice empathy and notice how your interactions become deeper and richer when you are leading from the heart. Anita Torres, owner of Alternative Learning and Life Designs, is a Certified Professional in Learning and Performance and a Business Coach for individuals and organizations. She delivers personal/professional development workshops for life and at work. Contact her at alt@ altlearningdesigns.com. Please see Anita’s ad, left.
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Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.
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hakespeare understood that the greater one’s responsibilities, the more difficult it is to achieve tranquility. Here is a brief stress management meditation for those in leadership positions.
Place your hands by your side, close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Become a witness to your thoughts. Let those thoughts fall silent. Let go of any thoughts, as if a thick, cool white fog of oblivion is descending over them, so they become invisible, forgotten. And if a stray thought drifts into your awareness, let the white fog of oblivion envelop it. In a moment, that fog will lift and you will see a recent situation where you suffered the adverse effects of stress. Perhaps you will be able to see other people, too. People who are a part of your daily life. When you see that scene, you will work with the people constructively and lovingly, giving them all of your resources, good health and fortune. Let that fog lift now, and just observe that scene. Notice yourself experiencing that stress, and the people around you. Observe the scene closely, in slow motion, so that you can see your facial expression and the way you hold your body. See the other people in the scene.
Let the image on the left re-form into your new self, re-energized and invigorated, so that the energy of loving-kindness permeates you in that image and beneficially affects the others, too. Let the energy work constructively and lovingly to bring about that transformation. Once the transformation is complete, and the image pinned on the left is charged with transforming energy, close the window on the right and step into your own body in the image in the left. Feel that transformation within you.
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ive this new life of serenity in which the energy flows through you and is projected in the compassion and empathy you feel and project onto others.
In your own time, return to waking awareness and open your eyes. David Botsford is a hypnotist with 15 years experience. He has produced a series of self-hypnosis CD sets, including “From Stress to Calm,” and is the author of the book “Hypnosis for Smoking Cessation.” He teaches workshops at the You Health Center, Orlando. His websites are www.4cornershypnosis.com and www.selfhypnosiscd.com. He can be reached at 863-4203634.
Imagine now a wall. Pin the image of yourself in the stress situation on the left side of the wall, pinning it up like a poster. On the right side of that wall is a window. When you open that window, it will reveal behind it all the reserves of resourcefulness, good health, fortune and loving-kindness which are there for your use. Now open that window.
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erhaps you can see images of yourself or others enjoying resourcefulness, health, fortune and kindness. Or perhaps you can be aware of it as a warm light of energy or some person, spirit or symbol. However you experience it, let your compassion and empathy direct the positive flow from the scene behind the window on the right toward that image of the stressed self and others pinned on the left side. Direct it now, so that the positive loving-kindness energy neutralizes and dissipates the stress.
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As the sun moves through the earth sign of Taurus (April 20-May 20), enjoy the unfolding beauty of Spring. Taurus is a fixed sign. There is a fixed sign in the middle of each season — Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius – which sets, consolidates and grounds the energy of that particular season. During Taurus we are offered opportunities to ground whatever is unfolding in our life, examining it realistically and making revisions accordingly. Mercury in retrograde, May 7-30, will assist us in this process as we are encouraged to go within, taking time to review our progress and growth. Around the full moon of May 9, be particularly aware of any insights that are revealed to you. Ask for guidance through your prayers and meditations and then, listen!
ARIES (March 20-April 19) The three months after your birthday are a time to set the foundation for your year ahead. Open your heart and be gentle with yourself. You are exactly where you are supposed to be. Practice self-love and self-acceptance in every moment to set a loving foundation for the year to come. AFFIRMATION: I love, accept and appreciate myself in all that I do and in all that I AM.
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TAURUS (April 20-May 20) The time is coming for you to take that leap of faith and step forward. You have been doing the work, preparing yourself. Let go of your fears, release your doubts, take a deep breath or two and when you feel the time is right, take that step you have been contemplating. You will be very glad you did! AFFIRMATION: It is okay for me to move forward in my life. The earth supports my every step and the Universe guides me in every moment. I AM loved. I AM grateful.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Stand tall in your power, feeling good about who you are and all that you have moved through over the past year. Let go of the past. It is over! Your birthday will initiate a new cycle. Step into it with confidence and joy. AFFIRMATION: I allow my inner light to shine. I am loved, supported and guided in all that I do.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) You are in a time of deep inner transformation. Take time for yourself — to feel, to contemplate, to let go of some of the old tapes and baggage. Don’t be so hard on yourself or others. Let go of that victim role, let
Secrets For Living A Magnificent Life
go of taking everything so personally! By the time you reach your birthday, you will be able to spread your wings and fly, but for right now, negotiate each moment consciously and let go! AFFIRMATION: I am transforming deep within, continually moving towards a place of greater joy and self-love.
LEO (July 23-Aug.22) Take a good look of where you are focusing your thoughts. Is it what you want? If not, catch those thoughts and change them! Let go of the worries, doubts and obsessing and go for it! You have the power, so use it to your advantage and create the life of your dreams! AFFIRMATION: My thoughts create my life. My life is wonderful. I AM blessed. I AM grateful. I AM in joy.
VIRGO (Aug.23-Sept.22) Allow yourself time to integrate the challenges, insights and experiences of the past few months. As you do so, keep your thoughts on the most positive you can imagine. Contemplate how wonderfully you are being supported on your journey. It may not always be easy to move through a challenge, but doesn’t it always turn out well and often even better than you ever expected? All is indeed in Divine Order. AFFIRMATION: All I do, feel and experience assists me on my wondrous path towards growth. I AM grateful! I AM blessed!
LIBRA (Sept.23-Oct.22) If life has been a bit intense for you lately, give yourself a much needed break. Take a vacation if you can or do something to have some fun. It will give you a chance to step out of your usual routine and to perhaps get a little different perspective on things. Connect with like-minded people for support and to enjoy yourself. AFFIRMATION: I
With the sun moving through the air sign of Gemini, a very different energy comes into play as we move from solid earth to ever-changing, ever-moving air — the wind, the breath. As a mutable sign (like Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces) Gemini prepares us for change, a change of season and change in our life. This transition time allows us to clear out the old and get ready for the new. Starting ten days before through the ten days after a seasonal change, our bodies may go through a period of cleansing. This may manifest as a cold, runny nose, or digestive upset as our body gets ready for a new season. Take care of yourself during this time of transition by eating locally grown foods, drinking lots of water and cleansing teas and enjoying the wonder of our ever-changing lives and world! joyfully tap into the flow of the Universe, creating a nice balance between working and enjoying myself. Life is good! I am at peace.
SCORPIO (Oct.23-Nov.21) Breathe, breathe, breathe! You are doing fine, just stay out of your head. Taking a deep breath or two when you feel overwhelmed or stressed will help to calm your mind. Have some fun as a way to help balance the intensity of this time of the year for you. Try something new as a way to break some old habitual patterns — perhaps take a new route home or try a different flavor ice cream. Shifting little things can open the flow making it easier to shift the big things. AFFIRMATION: It is safe to make changes in my life. I am always supported, no matter what I do. Ahhhhhhh! Life is good!
SAGITTARIUS (Nov.22-Dec.21) Now don’t go crazy every time you meet with a challenge! Check your tool box and use those tools (yoga, meditation, prayer, time in nature). There is an ebb and flow to life. Some days, weeks, months flow while others push us to rise to the occasion. Now is your time to rise above the chaos occurring around you and in your own head! AFFIRMATION: I AM peace. I AM full of peace. Peace is all THAT I AM.
CAPRICORN (Dec.22-Jan.19) All things flow when the time is right. Totally trust in that! You have put in the work and now you are reaping the rewards of your diligence. Do you feel the support you are receiving from the Universe? One day at a time, keep your focus on the moment. Feel good about the abundance you are attracting in prosperity and in supportive friends. Be sure to share your good fortune
with others. AFFIRMATION: From a place of balance, I give and receive love. From a place of balance, I give and receive abundance. With every step I grow healthier, happier and more content.
AQUARIUS (Jan.20-Feb.18) Breathe through any challenges that you encounter. Remember, everything changes! Tomorrow is a bright new day! See your bright new tomorrow unfolding before you. Jump over the hurdles, and there definitely may be some big ones, but as we move through the sign of Gemini (May 21-June 20), life will flow more easily and you will have a greater understanding and appreciation for what has occurred in your life over the past few months. Keep moving forward. AFFIRMATION: My spirit guides and angels are with me in every moment. I AM supported. I AM guided. I AM loved.
PISCES (Feb.19-March 19) What has been unfolding for you since your birthday? Perhaps some new ideas, opportunities or plans? Research them well during the time of Taurus (April 20-May 20). Then, during the time of Gemini (May 21-June 20), use any challenges to help you refine your plans and ideas to be more workable and realistic. And don’t forget to make time for relaxation and fun. AFFIRMATION: I breathe out tension and stress. I breathe in peace and joy allowing it to fill my body, mind and spirit. There is time in every day to enjoy myself! Raven Moondance (aka Shenna Benarte), ad top of next column, writes the newsletter, MOON ASTROLOGY UPDATE and monthly column on MOMA BEAR, a magazine for Gainesville, Florida moms. For a complete Moon Astrology reading or to attend a monthly Moon Astrology Class, call Raven at (352)372-8594 or email: moondance_ raven@hotmail.com. See ad top of next column.
Velocity Magazine | Leadership | May • June 2009
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“Position Yourself Now to Benefit from Our Economic Shift to Green and Healthy” Research* shows that businesses which advertise during a recession not only increase their business during that time but for years after as well. Those are the entrepreneurs who truly thrive and it’s all about staying in the minds of your consumers.
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ou’ve got a fantastic product or service. You’re doing what you love to do. The world needs more people like you. At the same time, you have to have people to serve and finding the means and the ways to reach just the right thousands of people takes time, energy and know-how. Have you ever wished for a simple proven way to seamlessly reach those people? Have you ever thought you should start working smarter, not harder? Do you think you might enjoy being in business more if you had a pipeline of potential new customers constantly flowing to you? Imagine having someone working for you who’s constantly keeping your name in the minds of tens of thousands of people every month, hundreds of thousands every year. And by taking advantage of one simple, yet effective method of advertising, you’d have laid at your feet a marketing platform leveraging your precious time as it went to work for you using multiple ways to help you reach the public, simultaneously. And that if you were lost or confused on how to attract new business, or just too busy to get to it, we’d make it easy for you and make you look good in the process. Sure, there are many newspaper, journal and radio outlets hoping for your business. But after you’ve signed a long contract and given them your money, do they treat you like the incredibly important client you are? Do they appreciate you and highly value your business by giving you literally, hours and hours of creative marketing service designed just for you? Or do they push you through their cookie cutter and move you along? Do they partner with you, desiring your every success, connecting you with the right people, supporting you with information you need to reach more people, working tirelessly for you to get your ad and presentation really right? We think you know the answer ...
Grow Vibrantly or Fade . . . At Velocity, the phone keeps ringing and new customers keep coming our way. In fact, our green and conscious living magazine has grown over the last six months. That should tell you something. We have found that if your intent is to serve more people and you back it up with consistent action, you can’t lose. If you keep your buzzwords like ‘fair trade,’ ‘locally grown,’ ‘sustainable,’ ‘organic,’ ‘holistic,’ ‘healthy,’ in the forefront of substantial numbers of responsible consumers’ minds, your business will grow. It can’t help but grow in today’s climate. But you have to keep your name and message out there. Our publication is now so popular in Central Florida
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we are challenged daily just keeping our distribution sites stocked up. People are clamoring, now more than ever, for the kind of information we publish that can transform their lives. Your business helps people make positive changes in their lives, too. So if our numbers are growing, yours can as well. We see that even with the economy in flux, consumer responsibility and awareness is at an all time high. Green and holistic are moving from luxury to necessity. If your business contributes to personal or environmental sustainability... You’re in the right place at the right time. You’re perfectly poised to take advantage of the shift to green and healthy that is happening now. But in order to reap the rewards you have to first find a way to maximize this golden opportunity. At last, there is an answer, a powerful advertising vehicle with a brand so strong in Central Florida, it can help you take advantage of your unique position, a vehicle that will: • appreciate your business and your uniqueness incredibly • give you all you’d expect for your advertising investment, and then some • give you far more than a patch of bland space with which to educate your consumers • find every way possible to make that education effective • lend you spectacular credibility in the community just by association with our brand • constantly present to you new ideas and creative methods to help you attract new business • put total mind and heart energy into everything we do for you, designing first class ads and editorial layouts penned by you and that are so compelling, new business will stream your way • get and keep you in the minds of hundreds of thousands of people every year • always make you Priority #1! All this is unusual and even more, priceless. Yet there is still more we’d like to give you that we can put a dollar value on. Just with the free benefits alone which all our customers enjoy (valuable editorial space and other listings throughout the magazine and in our electronic promotions, graphic design services and more), you’ll get several times the value of your ad. Up to $1900 worth - each issue.
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Secrets For Living A Magnificent Life
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Take the Lead by Rev. Donna Weinheimer I have always thought of myself as a leader and I’ve discovered that leading and controlling are two different things. When we lead we allow; when we control we take away. What are we allowing, and what are we taking away? Power. If we truly want to be a leader, we have to be in our power at all times. For the majority of my life, I gave my power away. I gave it away to my parents, friends, husband, and even God. I was controlling my life, instead of allowing myself to live life. In my attempt to lead, I became physically, mentally and spiritually strong in creating the image of strength. I even had myself fooled from time to time, believing that I was something that I was not. I always did my best at whatever job I did. Money meant little to me compared to a pat on the head saying, Good job. When I graduated from high school, I wanted to impress my parents, my boyfriend and his family, so I got a job in an engineering firm. But I hated the job from day one. I was an artist, but wanting to impress others, I got this “great” job to prove myself to them. I know now, what I really wanted was to feel accepted and loved. After 18 years as an engineer I said, I’m not going to do this any more, and asked God to lead me to my next job. I opened the Clermont Tae Kwon Do Academy and again was successful, but I allowed myself to fall into the same trap of pleasing others and giving away my power. I ended up closing my school of ten years, and asked God again, Where do I go from here? Massage therapy was the path I was given, and for nine years now I have been in the service of others. Yet old patterns are hard to break, and again I fell into the trap of pleasing, but this time it was different, because this time I was trying to please God. This, too, proved to be a big mistake because, as a human, what could I possibly do, in my finite self, to please the Infinite Creator of the universe? Nothing. If we truly want to be leaders, the first and most important thing to remember is that God loves us, no matter what. There is no need to please, or try to please God or anyone else for that matter. As selfish as it may seem, the only ones we need to please are ourselves. When we take control of our lives, we become leaders of ourselves. We claim our power instead of giving it away. Once we claim our power we become God-in-the-flesh, One Power. And as this One Power, there is no need to lead or to follow. We are simply ourselves and that is enough. Rev. Donna Weinheimer is a licensed massage therapist (MA27125, MM12675) and ordained ADL minister. She holds a third degree black belt and is a Tae Kwon Do and Chi Gong instructor. Donna is also certified in Thai Yoga Bodywork, native hot stone massage, breema bodywork, shiatsu, tui na and shamanism. See ad for ‘Out of the Blue,’ next column. Velocity Magazine | Leadership | May • June 2009
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“I guess it’s just my karma.” e’ve commonly heard such statements referencing karma. In the seminars, coaching and counseling that I conduct, people frequently allude to karma, often with a tone of predestination.
Based on my understanding of sources of ancient wisdom, the concept of karma is fully aligned with a world view of 100% personal responsibility. In a very practical sense, we have created our present karma through our past actions. We are accountable for our actions, as well as our thoughts and feelings, and thus responsible for our karma — past, present and future. Even if you are not aligned with this perspective of full accountability, I ask that you at least consider it to determine whether such a stance might be valuable in some parts of your life. Though it may in a sense be true that our karma limits us, our self-determination remains quite alive, if we wish it to be, within the constraints of the karma we’ve generated. Suppose I purchase a ticket for a flight from Tampa to London. By purchasing that ticket and boarding the plane, I have created my karma. Once the plane is in flight I am limited in certain ways as a result of my karma, which comprises my previous choices and actions, such as buying the ticket and entering the plane. For example, if I wanted to visit my favorite restaurant in Tampa that evening, I would not be able to do so because I am limited by karma, by the fact that the plane is over the Atlantic Ocean.
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Even though there are limiting conditions resulting from past choices, that doesn’t mean my life is fated. I continue to possess a multitude of choices and thereby an abundance of possibilities for creating future karma and opportunities. On the plane I could read a book and thereby enrich my spirit. Or I could make a productive business contact that produces abundance for years to come. On the other hand, I could commit a terrible crime on the plane, resulting in prison time after the flight.
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ther essential points about karma are that it is temporary, and we can transcend it. “Karma” is a way of referring to our past. Our past can explain a lot about the present, but it can’t take responsibility for it. Only we can do that. The “Bhagavad-gita,” perhaps the prime book for understanding the principle of karma, explains that by cultivating consciousness, we step out of our past and change our karma. William Hutchin son Murray said, “…the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves, too.” We speak of the Law of Karma, and there is a mechanical aspect to the exercise of that law. Also though, there is a thoroughly personal element to our relationship with karma, invoked by cultivating conscious living and our relationship with the creator of the law. To the extent that we do this, our history, or karma, does not determine our destiny, and we are the transcendent, creative wellspring of our life. David B. Wolf, Ph.D., is a life skills coach and communications specialist, a highly sought-after teacher and speaker, and the author of Relationships That Work: The Power of Conscious Living (Mandala Publishing, 2008). As part of his doctoral studies he developed the Vedic Personality Inventory (VPI), a personality assessment tool based on Vedic psychology. He has more than twenty-five years of professional experience in a variety of social and mental health fields, including counselor training, medical social work, and children and family counseling. Dr. Wolf founded Satvatove Institute (www.Satvatove.com), a nonprofit organization based in North Florida dedicated to spiritually based personal and group transformation through empowered communication, courageous introspection, and purposeful action. He has conducted personal transformation seminars in more than a dozen countries, including India, Canada, New Zealand, France and Switzerland. Please see ad, right.
Velocity Magazine | Leadership | May • June 2009
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Take Me To by Your Joanna Hackley Davis Leader I thought I was a follower until I unexpectedly came faceto-face with the evidence of my power as a leader. My darling son had just begun speaking in full sentences when I did something he didn’t appreciate in the grocery store. “Do you want to go in time out?” my toddler demanded, a very stern look on his face. In that moment, I experienced consternation, laughter, and the awareness that he had learned that very statement and behavior from me. Have you met your inner leader? In every moment of every day, we are leaders. Each choice we make impacts the fabric of the Universe and creates a shift. We lead that shift with our focus and choices. When we set an intention to be positive, people around us notice, and make choices in their own lives based on their experience of us. Isn’t that the essence of being a leader? When we are compassionate, loving, forgiving, nurturing, passionate, honest, encouraging, grateful, and joyful, we are leading. So, too, when we are fearful. We lead in every focus we take and every choice we make, even in the choice to refuse to voice our choice. Someone is always watching, for our True Self is present and observing every choice we make. We lead ourselves as well as others throughout life. For much of my life I led as a victim and chose to be small; I was a doormat. Making myself as small a target as possible was a self-protective mechanism. I wasn’t aware of the Universal Law of Focus (what we focus on expands) and that what I was doing (motivated by fear) to protect myself had the effect of bringing more of what I feared into my life. If my focus had been different, there would have been
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a different imprint on the Universal fabric, and my experience would have been different. As I choose now to live as my True Self, the Goddess of Light and Laughter, I am taking the ultimate step in leadership. I am living as a Spiritual Being having a human experience. In doing so, I change my imprint on the Universal fabric and every person I encounter. Every time we experience someone who is living as his or her True Self, we have another awareness of our own potential as Spirit. I invite you to know your True Self. Know your purpose, passions, values, goals, loves, strengths and what’s most important to you. You are the best expert in your own life; you are the only one who has been there the whole time. No one has the authority to speak into your life unless you give it to them. I invite you into being aware of your focus, since what we focus on expands. I invite you to focus on your True Self and your value as a Spiritual Being. I invite you to focus on your magnificence and re-discover the beautiful leader you are!
Your questions, comments, suggestions and thoughts are always welcome! Contact Joanna Hackley Davis, Certified Life Coach at 352-874-7817 or 352-483-0000, Joanna @ Rx4Joy.com or by visiting www.Rx4Joy.com. In addition, Joanna has been practicing healing arts for over 30 years as a licensed massage therapist, certified personal trainer, licensed esthetician and certified hypnotist. She also practices spiritual healing with energy. Please refer to Joanna’s ad this page. Velocity Magazine | Leadership | May • June 2009
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Top Ten Human Medicines that are Toxic to Pets through plastic prescription bottles, even childproof caps. Pet owners must be especially careful to immediately recover any spilled medication. Remember that cats can access countertops and tables where drugs may be openly placed. The best place for human medication is inside a closed cabinet, not on your nightstand.
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any pet owners are aware of the potential hazards and possible poisons that can be found around the home. However, thousands of animals are accidentally poisoned each year by well-meaning owners who give human drugs to ease their pet’s pain, or who accidentally leave human prescriptions where their pet is able to access and ingest them. Recently, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) completed a study listing the top ten human medications that poison our pets:
If you ever suspect that your pet has ingested human drugs, or other poisonous hazards such as caffeine, chocolate, alcohol, garlic, onions, or household cleaners, immediately call your veterinarian or the ASPCA’s animal poison control 24 hour hotline: 888-426-4435. ©2008 “Healing For Pets and the Special People Who Love Them.” All rights reserved. Content may be reproduced in whole by special permission of author. Colleen M. Gordon is a pet communicator, pet reiki/massage therapist, and herbalist. She is president and founder of Healing For Pets, and is committed to improving the health and the lives of pets and their owners. Colleen has been helping pets and owners with behavior and health issues for over ten years. Please see ad below. *We recommend that all health issues be discussed with your veterinarian, and that your pet has a thorough examination by a qualified veterinarian.
1.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen (Advil) which, even in small doses, can cause ulcers in dogs and kidney damage in cats. 2. Antidepressants have been linked to vomiting, lethargy and serotonin syndrome, which can lead to tremors and seizures. 3. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is particularly dangerous to cats, as it damages red blood cells and causes liver problems in dogs. 4. ADHD medications (methylphenidates) when ingested by animals can dangerously elevate their heart rate, blood pressure and cause seizures. 5. Fluorouracil, used topically to treat cancer in humans, can be fatal to dogs if they simply chew on the discarded cotton swab used to apply the medication. 6. Isoniazid, used to treat tuberculosis in humans, is particularly fatal to dogs since they cannot metabolize the drug, resulting in seizures and death. 7. Pseudoephedrine is a decongestant in cold and sinus products, and can cause cats and dogs to have elevated heart rates and seizures. 8. Anti-Diabetic drugs used to treat human diabetes cause pets to have a drastic drop in blood sugar levels. 9. Vitamin D derivatives, even a small exposure, can be life threatening to pets. Signs include vomiting, loss of appetite and increased urination due to kidney failure, usually occurring 24 hours after ingestion. 10. Baclofen is a muscle relaxant that, if ingested by your pet, can attack their central nervous system and lead to seizures, coma and death.
Pet owners should never give any medication to their pets without a veterinarian’s approval. Dogs, especially puppies, can chew
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Velocity Magazine | Leadership | May • June 2009
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Dreaming the New Dream by Albert J. Nuñez, DVM Contributing Spiritual Life Editor May you live in interesting times. -- Chinese curse
In case you haven’t figured it out, we’ve all been collectively cursed. The times are not just interesting, we stand at a crossroads of global economic, environmental, humanitarian and political disaster — or, a heaven on earth. And, this is all wonderful and right on time! Mankind has been in its infancy until this century. It is only recently that we have entered into a reckless adolescence. We have experimented with a culture of the mind and invented all sorts of efficient things which solve short-term problems, but which create long-term disasters. We have been operating from the idea that it’s us against the world, versus the more global idea that we are but cells of one organism called Mother Earth, and humanity as a whole constitutes just one organ. There’s another proverb: “All the ills of the world are caused by our own good intentions.” When our intentions are not anchored
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in the heart and tempered by the ideas of global well-being, then we can expect more of the types of disasters we are currently facing. These disasters and wars have a hidden blessing in that they offer us contrast, and let us experience what we don’t like or want. When we are so tired of war and conflict that our blood lust makes us sick, we will collectively choose diplomacy and cooperation. When we realize that the next great heart-centered invention or leader can come from anywhere, we will not allow whole populations to die of disease and starvation. When we realize that all species are extensions of our very selves, we will protect and honor our rich biodiversity as jewels in the fabric of our own being. When we realize and honor our collective and individual darkness and shadows, we will move out of the energy of shame and guilt, and climb the emotional ladder finally into gratitude for all that is. The wonderful thing that most of humanity is not aware of, because they have been caught up in their unconscious sleep of religiosity, nationalism, fear and pride for millennia, is that all along there have been secret mystery schools and groups of shamanic societies that I call earth-keepers. These groups have kept the dream of an enlightened humanity on earth. They have safeguarded the tools until the right time, and that time is NOW! Being, or God [whatever you want to call it], has never left humanity alone. From the heart center of fools, demons and crude yogis, he awakens and creates masters in order to serve the collective whole in his/her name throughout time and in the darkest of times. The potentiality of the highest self awakens within individuals. Their names are recorded in history and many world religions and movements have been started. Examples are Akhenaton, Hermes Trismegistus, Orpheus, Zoroaster, Buddha, Confucius, Lao Tzu, Plato, Jesus, Mohammed, Quetzalcoatl, Krishna, Marcus Aurelius, Ramana Maharshi, Paramahansa Yogananda and the list goes on. The ancient knowledge of the earth-keepers, the mystery schools and shamanic societies have also kept the dream of an enlightened earth and humanity alive. Examples of these are: the right and left eye of Horus mystery schools, Taoists, Kabbalists, some African shamans, aborigines of Australia,
Secrets For Living A Magnificent Life
I n t o B e i n g
the Essenes, the Gnostics, the earth-based pagan societies, the Hopi, the Sikhs and the Peruvian shamans. These leaders and keepers of the truth have been maintaining a vision and technology while the rest of humanity fights and sleeps in a dream of unconsciousness. Many of these societies’ truths are shrouded in symbology in order to protect their deepest secrets, keeping their powerful knowledge from misuse. Of the many tests and shamanic schools I’ve been exposed to, a few stand out as exceptional, timeless and much needed. “Japji Sahib” or ‘Song of the Lord,’ written by the 15th century enlightened master Guru Nanak is the opening book of the Holy Sikh scripture, “The Siri Guru Granth Sahib.” This is an overview of union and the nature of being, God, complete with techniques for staying in the vibration of the highest self. “Hua Hu Ching” by Bryant Walker is credited as the lost teachings of Lao Tzu. This book echoes the words of Zoroaster, “Think Beautiful Thoughts, Say Beautiful Words and Keep a Beautiful Heart,” and Jesus’ words that urge us to love (Being) God above all else and love your neighbor as yourself — because it is yourself. Finally, the Peruvian shaman descendants of the Inca have been instructed by spirit to share their secrets with the world at this time. These earth-keepers have passed down an energetic transmission and spiritual technology needed to anchor humanity in the new faster energy of the Aquarian age. They have been dreaming and holding a vision of an enlightened humanity for aeons and now need the help of those destined to hold the vision, to help witness the death of the old ways and the birth of the new enlightened vision collectively. I have had the privilege of receiving the Nine Rites of transmission known as Munay ki from a very powerful shaman and energy healer, Debra Kruljac.
When I realized the power of the Nine Rites, and their ability to radically shift the collective chaotic dream of death and destruction into the new vision of a healed earth and an enlightened humanity at the level of spirit, I was called to help get the word out. If you feel called upon to step up and help dream the new dream as an earth-keeper and guardian of mother earth, I highly recommend the Munay ki. Leadership is about holding on to a dream that others can step into when they can’t see it for themselves. For information about Munay ki, contact Debrah Kruljac at the Center for Healing Arts; 321-733-7633. If you’re called to do the work of earthkeeper, welcome, brother and sister. If you’re not, sit back, pop open a beer and enjoy the show. Dr. Al Nunez is a lifelong mystic and student of spirituality. He has studied and applied many of the profound practices and tenets of Catholicism, Shamanism, Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Zen, Kabbalah, Paganism, Mysticism, Hinduism, Tantra, energy and sound healing, “Shadow Work,” Kundalini Yoga, many forms of meditation, and Qi Gong. A spiritual and cultural musician and recording artist, his first CD is entitled “Earth School Now.” He is an environmental advocate and educator, nature lover, happy hippy tree-hugger, and rescuer of many baby squirrels. He has been practicing fully integrated and wholistic veterinary medicine for almost 20 years, with two Animal Hospitals in the greater Orlando area. Dr. Al is committed to awakening human beings to their highest self. Please see Dr. Al’s ad, left, column one.
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eflecting on the evolutionary journey of intimacy, I thought of my own sexual evolution, starting with healing the guilt-ridden teachings of my youth while trying to make sense of the contradictory sexual messages from Hollywood. I know my story isn’t unique when I say I was looking for more meaning and pleasure in my relationships. The pleasure seemed one-sided. My partner was content, yet I felt unfulfilled. Leadership, in my family, meant taking charge of my life, charting my own course, and leaving my mark on society. But taking
the reigns of love, accepting and appreciating the body I was given and understanding my own sexuality was unexplored territory. We’re conditioned to be afraid of sex, to be in judgment of sex, to be overwhelmed by sex, but the underlying emotion of this fear is control. Why? Conscious sexuality is the one act of loving-kindness that can bring us closest to the creative essence of life. This creative essence is freedom. Throughout history, freedom has been seen as a threat to those in control, ultimately a threat to the ego. But times are changing. We are consciously
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by Stacey Murphy
in Your Life!
shifting from control to leadership. True leadership, a quiet confidence, a compassionate ear and a loving acceptance are the domain of Spirit. Spirit gives us the freedom to lead from a place of inner knowing and joy. The leader within has the knowing to guide you from the darkness to the light. When it comes to healing the heart, the body, or the mind, we can find a wealth of resources, someone willing to lead us. But when it comes to healing our sexual wounds, instead of finding a leader you get an odd look, or someone flushed with embarrassment. We have been led to believe, on some level, there’s something wrong with our essential and divine desire yearning to break free, to be whole. Many are at a loss, because ego isn’t concerned with the higher good of the person, but solely focused on survival. I, for one, am no longer content with mere survival! My deep desire to feel and experience true joy, to bask in the ecstasy of divine play, has led me to the journey of the Sensual Artist. Women are undergoing a positive cultural shift toward openness and honesty and are taking a leadership role in their own sexual fulfillment. We can help lead a dialogue of change, and become examples of wholeness and respect in our society. Evolve into the conscious leader of your journey.
5 Tips to Be the Sensual Leader in Your Life
1) Lead from the Heart. Listening to the truth in our hearts leads us to the circumstances and connections that provide authentic joy. 2) Empty the Mind of Outdated Paradigms — of guilt-teachings that attempted to keep you disconnected from your joy. 3) Suspend Judgment. Be kind to yourself and others. 4) Create Your Vision of the Sensual Artist You Desire to Be. 5) Express with Passion and a Zest for Life. Stacey has been a student of White Tantra (Kundalini) Yoga for nine years and is a Level 2 Initiate in the Ipsalu Tantra Kriya Yoga Tradition (Pink Tantra). Stacey is a Certified Rootworker specializing in Love Mysticism and is currently studying to receive her Love Coach and Sex Expert Certifications under the leadership of Dr. Ava Cadell, founder of Loveology University. For the past year, Stacey has led private in-home intimacy events teaching women how to reclaim their sexual joy. Her teaching style offers students a balanced approach of technique within an artistic mindset. See ad top of column 1, next page.
Secrets For Living A Magnificent Life
Velocity Readership’s Collective Reading for this issue and time period The question you have been asking is being Divinely answered for you now. Card Three The Rebel
Card One Ripeness
Card Two Thunderbolt
Card One – Center: RIPENESS Everything is now in place; time is UP. Hopefully you are prepared. Card Two – Right: THUNDERBOLT There will be multiple events that will shake the world. Card Three – Left: THE REBEL Events will challenge every belief you have lived by; it will set you free and allow you to discover your OWN wisdom.
Please Patronize Our Advertisers. Give them your feedback. Let them know you saw their ad.
Hint: Stop trying to replace what you have lost, whether it is a belief or an object. Detach and be the “Most Magnificent Version of Yourself.” This will serve you and others. This is what we have all been waiting for; a version of life in Harmony — Prosperity as it was intended. Wanda Baruch started reading cards for her great grandmother when she was three, using her solitaire deck to tell “stories.” Usually they were about dead people she knew as a child. Later she could see and hear things about any name given to her. Wanda has made intuitive service her profession for the last 16 years. She has studied Quantum physics, String and Brane Theory extensively. Please refer to Wanda’s ad below.
Velocity Magazine | Leadership | May • June 2009
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has always been a rite of passage and a key transition point in any of the old spiritual traditions. Initiation continues to maintain its power in these modern times and brings us into alignment with the Powers of Heaven and the Universe to create a greater personal connection to God and the fulfillment of our life purpose. Activations reawaken our own Divinity and allow us access to spiritual energies here in the physical.
ven as a child, I suspected there was a greater purpose in life beyond what most perceived and all my life I have sought a higher level of understanding. In my quest for truth, I was led to the Ancient Mystery Schools. I started attending seminars and learned through words and experience that the purpose of the Mystery Tradition is the conscious realization of our True Selves and our connection to others, both in the physical and in the spiritual realms. With this expanded awareness comes the power to bridge spiritual energies into the physical world. These spiritual energies hold the true powers of the Universe, and with consciousness, they can be used for transformation and healing on all levels. Within the Mystery School, we receive advanced spiritual training, training to access the consciousness and bring forth the spiritual forces that often lay dormant in our lives. Mystery Schools have been likened to “Universities for the Soul.” The curriculum of the Mystery Tradition focuses on how to awaken and develop our inner strengths, hidden gifts and innate powers and abilities. It also awakens the power of our own true will — the will to enhance our spiritual direction, to reach our highest potential and to attain Divine Awareness. What I learned, and continue to learn, is
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that within this deep level of true spiritual healing, we rapidly shed the old and reawaken the remembrance of who we truly are. We awaken our Divine Blueprint and the special gifts and abilities we were born to manifest. This level of empowerment and awareness is accessed through the power of Initiation and special Activations. These are brought forth with the power of the ancient lineage through the oral tradition. Initiation
Secrets For Living A Magnificent Life
As with all spiritual paths, the goal is not the destination, but rather the journey of discovery of our true self. Therefore, the ancient decree of these esoteric schools has always been – KNOW THYSELF. The Modern Mystery School, the only one on the planet open to the public, offers specialized paths in teaching, healing, art, leadership, parenting and much more. The door is also open to those who seek deeper esoteric teachings and methods. In these times of change, there are “NO MORE SECRETS.” Perhaps that is why even I was allowed to enter the Halls of the Ancient Truths, a path that has changed my life, a path that I have to wonder may have been guarding its very secrets for these exciting times! Rev. Cindy Myers works locally in Central Florida with Rev. Mary Holloway as Initiated Teachers in the Modern Mystery School. They are key holders here to serve you with DNA Activation, ancient healing methods, teachings and Initiation. Either can be reached at Info@ rmmssehq.com. Call the author Cindy Myers at (407)252-2682 and Mary Holloway at (321)217-9912.
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o, it has already begun. The drumbeat of doom and gloom about the socalled end of the Mayan Calendar in December, 2012 can now be heard, seen, and read with increasing frequency in all forms of media. Apocalyptic books about 2012 are on publishing schedules worldwide. Networks are preparing documentaries and series about the “end times.” A recent search of www.imdb.com, the movie business go-to website for past, present, and future films, lists some upcoming titles in just 2009 and 2010: “Nostradamus: 2012;” “2012: The Earth Was No More;” “2012: The War for Souls,” and my personal favorite title so far, “2012: The Day the Earth Bent Over.” And we still have 2011 and 2012 to go! An entire industry is being fashioned around that December, 2012 date, almost all of which is designed to worry, terrify, and depress as many people as possible. To which I have this response: Phooey! Your electricity and credit card bills will still have to be paid in January, 2013, so please don’t assume otherwise. There is one new film, “2012: Science or Superstition,” that puts all of this fear mongering in the proper perspective. The millions of us who have made a commitment in this lifetime to evolution and hope, rather than despair and destruction, must now be vocal and steadfast. If we’re right, and I personally know we are, we can help ease the fear for so many others who truly do fear that the world will physically end in 2012. If we’re wrong, and they’re right, they can scold us when we all pass over together in whatever cataclysm descends upon us. But, don’t count on that fire and brimstone moment and, for goodness’ sake, please don’t bet on it, financially or otherwise. As I said above, there are a whole lot of people who are going to be shocked to see that the outer appearance of life is going to look awfully similar in January 2013 as it did the month before. Remember the last “disaster” moment of Y2K? New Year’s Eve of 1999, or was it 2000? People who awakened on January 1, 2000
to find that Hal of “2001: A Space Odyssey” had not become the ruler of the world, then told us that the next New Year’s Eve, 2000, would be the moment of mayhem. Well, unless you drank too much on December 31, 2000, or had a terrible date or something, January 1, 2001 looked pretty much the same as the day before. That is one reason why I so passionately recommend “2012: Science or Superstition.” This wonderful documentary calmly and accurately explains all the theories that have led some people to believe that the end-times are near. The extraordinary author Graham Hancock is an integral aspect of the film and deservedly so. Hancock’s epic book, “Fingerprints of the Gods,” features the best explanations of flood myths, equinox mysteries, extraterrestrial astronomy, etc. In the film, Hancock and many others patiently illuminate all of the underpinnings of the 2012 phenomenon. They show, with clarity and insight, that there is no reason for us to assume that our outer, physical world is coming to an end in 2012. There is at least as much evidence, if not more, that the 2012 phenomenon bespeaks an inner, spiritual demarcation point for humanity. And that is the crucial distinction that those of us who believe in the manifest destiny of human evolution must champion as we approach December 2012. (The film will, by the way, be the feature selection that we send to all the members of the Spiritual Cinema Circle in July of this year.) THE CHOICE IS OURS AND OURS ALONE. We, indeed, can choose light over darkness, evolution over destruction, and enlightenment over extinction. This is our exquisite moment. We have the power now to assure not only our survival but also the manifestation of our most profound dreams for our species. I choose the light and invite you to stand with me. Stephen Simon co-founded www.spiritualcinemacircle.com. He produced “What Dreams May Come” and “Somewhere In Time” and directed and produced the film version of “Conversations with God.”
“an inner, spiritual demarcation point for humanity” Velocity Magazine | Leadership | May • June 2009
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Thank God I Am Not Enlightened! by Ramah Wagner, DC, Contributing Health Editor
When I was a very young girl I began my quest for enlightenment. I craved an “awakened state of being” like other children craved candy. My mother first introduced me to spirituality by talking about the saints. She also mentioned a sort of mystic in the chiropractic field. I say “sort of” because I hadn’t heard anyone label him a mystic. This mystic, Dr. Jim W. Parker, had a deep concept, “What you see in the universe sees you.” My mother told me things like this while we folded the laundry. It was this idea that caused my youthful mind to run sagacious scenarios of the Universe, which to me at the time meant God: He was watching me, like I was watching him. I say ‘him’ because I began my spiritual journey in a lively sect of Christianity called Pentecostals where God was a father figure. I remember being told in Sunday school of saints having holy fires on their heads that only those with enlightened spiritual eyes could perceive. Or while taking grape juice communion and crackers that these elements could turn into poison, because the Universe or God could see if it was taken with a selfish inclination. It was in this church, that encompassed all those wild and spiritual men and women speaking in tongues and prophesying, that I first was “illumined.” I remember being nine years old and sitting cross-legged, or as it’s called in the east, the lotus position, opening my whole heart to God. I believed at that tender age that I was embarking on a different path by this act of totality. I emphatically promised myself to God in my path through life. At first this manifested as inner-directed messages that were not my own as I walked down the red-carpeted halls in silent contemplation. Then at 12, with an elucidated knowing for wisdom and beauty, I began praying at the sanctuary altar. I promised God I would not use these gifts in vain. I also knew wisdom is beauty and beauty is wisdom. I desired to be like Solomon, stories of whom I often pored over in the Bible while the pastor rattled on in the backdrop. It was at this time that I first had visions and was cognizant of the seeds of greatness growing and glowing in my being as if my heart were on fire for God. In my teens, as I transformed from an ugly “bucktoothed” duckling into a lovely and perceptive young lady, my desire to be one with God continued. I spent many of my teen hours reading about mystical saints and apostles, the great thinkers of my religion. My discontent with the ordinary took me to find solace in quietude. My illumination in God was fragmented into blissful moments here and there, like beautiful glass chips that make up a stained glass window. My thirst was for a holy vision so bright it would burn down everything inside of me and make room in my being only for God. It was easy to see from the saints that this mystical dream was not something to consider attainable. In my late teens and early 20s this realization led me into other philosophies and religions. I was vigilant at delving deep into the philosophies of the wise. I was hopeful to find a route to enlightenment. I enjoyed the Buddhist concept of Nirvana as a state of being like heaven on earth. It was what I was seeking in order to remove suffering and hardships.
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I had my first near-death experience at that time by almost dying from pneumonia. It changed me forever, finally to know that for the mind to remain pure, the body must be pure as well. I learned that the mind and body are intricately connected and, like my heart, was with God. I learned how to harness the powers of the mind, and to realize that the contemplative life meant selecting what thoughts to dwell on. I felt my mind was pure until I added an impure thought that would steep like a tea bag in water infusing the whole. The inner pull towards finding enlightenment deepened as I moved through my twenties. I shifted my studies to the esoteric world while learning about Universal Intelligence in chiropractic college. It seemed I was getting closer, but I needed to go further. My friends laughed at me when they would find me, again, cross-legged in contemplation, this time in the self-empowerment section of the bookstore. They told me I should change my address to that of the bookstore, because I pretty much lived there! I found great masters, gurus, and authorities on enlightenment who lent me their brilliant minds while I pondered the wisdom of their lives. Simultaneously, I was getting a nine year education in the sciences educating me as a doctor. When I was just ripe to finish graduate school at age 27, I traveled to India seeking enlightenment like a man with his hair on fire seeks water. In an Ashram, wearing red robes, sitting cross-legged for hours, I still could not seem to grasp enlightenment. I left, again feeling a familiar glow of energy, but not the life-changing experience of enlightenment. Later that year I had a car accident and had my second near-death experience. I split out of my body and was hovering far out above my car. I felt so much bliss and so much of the deep blue inner peace of God. I understood my life and could apprehend the complex order that was all love. And then, suddenly, I was back in my body! I was back in the ‘samsara of life.’ Once again there was the white light loving experience but it, too, was only momentary. Why couldn’t you let me die, God? I wanted to experience that enlightened bliss forever! I knew it was pure stupidity being mad that I had to live. I knew I must still have something important to experience here on planet Earth; but it didn’t change my apprehension towards coming back here to once again be in the struggle of life. I was close to returning to God, then slung like a rock from a slingshot back to the chaos of daily life. This ennobled my desire for enlightenment and to be one with God. I re-emerged into life with the willingness to do whatever it takes to become enlightened. Not long before my 32nd birthday, I came back to the fullness of the totality of my wish. I had spent several years in my own practice melding myself with my patients. It was dedicated to having the ‘seer’ that would be me, and the ‘seen’ that would be my patients as the same. I laughed, cried, and experienced the fullness of each of their challenges as my own. We looked together at the divine order of how events like s rapes, divorces, molestations, abuse, cruelty, diseases, and suffering of all varieties served their lives. My degree in Clinical Counseling was meaningless compared to sharing in the facilitation of the order of the lives of my patients. I felt a warm glow and fathomed the concept of “Thank God I...” I began to be extremely masterful at showing others that in their great traumas there were great blessings. I explained that these challenges are the things that are the great catalysts for growth in each of our lives. We grow with challenges, and our capacity to love and to be loved is enlarged. Yet I still was hoping for something greater than the growth of these challenges. I wanted so badly to become an enlightened mystic. I wholeheartedly desired to be one with God. I felt I would be forever in that state of bliss, and free from life as I had known it. I prayed that fateful night at 32 years old, with the thoughts of the many gurus, mystics, sages, and mentors scanning in my vision. I prayed to God, “Let me for just one moment have the view of the universe from Your eyes. I don’t long for money, or a perfect husband, or children, wealth or fame, just You,
Secrets For Living A Magnificent Life
God. I long to be one with You, for the seer and the seen to be one! That’s all I want, God!” My tears sprung out like sprinklers, and I fell asleep with a wet pillow against my cheek. A few days later I sat down with my visiting parents at the kitchen nook for an ordinary dinner. I felt a familiar warm glow opening in my heart. This was a sort of wonder that I had in the peak moments of my life. I have heard these moments called white light experiences, a fleeting inner bliss I first felt at nine years old. I glanced at the roast, potatoes, and broccoli in front of me at the dinner table. I smiled at my ordinary parents and felt a strange glow in each of them, and me. Suddenly a deep reflective thought passed my mind, and I said, “I am already enlightened, aren’t I!” They both smiled, and my father said to my mother, “She is starting to get it!” Then another thought illumined my perception, “Enlightenment is an ongoing thing, isn’t it!” My father stated emphatically to my mother, “Honey, now she is really getting it!” I continued, “It’s these moments where we see life as it truly is!” Their grins widened. I humbly bumbled on, “I’ve been enlightened in this way since I was nine. That means I’ve been chasing my own tail all my life!” I experienced no shame, only absolute freedom. “I have been one with God all along, haven’t I!” The thought was as lucid as their glowing faces. Finally I understood the deep mystery of Dr. Jim Parker: “What you see in the universe sees you!” When John Castagnini, one of the pioneers of “Thank God I...,” called to discuss my contribution, I answered with an inculcated tone, “I would love to write, Thank God I Am Not Enlightened!” We laughed in unison, two who were grateful to be one with the Universe. Dr. Ramah J. Wagner is a third generation alternative health doctor. She graduated from Palmer Chiropractic College in Iowa, where chiropractic was first discovered in 1895. Her clinic is located outside of Orlando, Florida, where she works with cutting edge technology in the alternative healing arts including chiropractic, specific nutrition, detoxification of heavy metals, and acupuncture. Dr. Ramah, as her patients and friends call her, is an internationally recognized author and nationally known speaker. In her recent book, “The Health of Business: How to Balance Your Life for Greater Returns,” she shares colorful stories and powerful healing methods to achieve a larger energy field. Visit www.HealthofBusiness.com or www.DoctorRamah.com. Please see ad, page 4.
New Release
EP “Optical Illusions;” Artist: William Orbit; Guerilla Studios; Genre: Electronic; Just Released; from the album “My Oracles Lives Uptown” to be released May 4 William Orbit’s Optical Illusions cut is available now on iTunes and it’s just one of the many velvet smooth stellar tracks from the upcoming My Oracle Lives Uptown album due out May 4. Orbit is, arguably, the king of ambient electronica music and there really are no adequate words to describe most of his solo creations. It’s incredibly creative electronica, gentle in tone and exquisite in construction. Orbit’s got a signature sound all his own. No one even comes close. Recently well known for his producing efforts on Madonna’s “Ray of Light” album, he shares two Grammys with Madonna for Best Pop Album and Best Dance Recording. He co-produced Sting’s first debut single, “If You Love Somebody, Set Them Free” and has worked with Prince, Belinda Carlisle, Peter Gabriel, Julian Lennon, Erasure and Human League, among many others. Born William Wainwright in London, England back in the 50s, he eventually was dubbed “Orbit,” because his friends perceived him as spacey. His is the story of a young man who serendipitously happened upon his station, his life’s work, in great contrast to former times when he supported himself by taking a series of menial, depressing jobs. Says Orbit, “When people talk of something being soul-destroying, I know exactly what they mean. And the cause of it lies not in the work, no matter how boring that might be. It’s to do with the environment and the amount of respect--or lack of it--that you’re accorded as a human being. It’s being treated as worthless, day in and day out, that destroys people’s souls. I knew I wanted to be creative, but couldn’t figure out what it was that I was meant to do.” It was only after moving in with a friend following a quickly failed marriage at a very young age that he found his groove. His friend had been stockpiling recording equipment and the light switch was turned on for Orbit. Visit Orbit’s website: www.WilliamOrbit.com. It changes from time to time and he and his webmaster always make it fun and interactive. I’ve mixed music on his site in the past and currently, you can hear previews of two new songs from the new CD, “White Night” and “My Oracle Lives Uptown.” Have fun mixing your own version of “Optical Illusions” by playing the “sound fx buttons” however you please. View Orbit’s music video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECD-4SS9TGU. Velocity Magazine | Leadership | May • June 2009
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effect on blood-sugar levels. 37 developer of the theory of relativity; mystic who lived 1879-1955 38 a substance produced by a living organism that acts as a catalyst to digest food, for example 39 Indian yogi and guru who introduced many westerners to the teachings of meditation and kriya yoga through his book, "Autobiography of a Yogi"
DO W N 1 author of "The Power of Now"and "A New Earth," who at the age of twenty 20 21 22 23 nine experienced a profound inner 24 25 transformation which radically changed the course of his life 26 27 28 2 silhouette found on page 60, this issue 29 3 vegetable profiled in Mama J's column, this issue 30 4 otherwise known as 'muscle testing' 31 32 6 system of complementary medicine 33 originating in ancient China that 34 involves strategic placement of very thin needles to treat many physical, 35 mental, and emotional conditions 36 8 the process of growing plants in sand, 37 gravel, or liquid, with added nutrients 38 but without soil 11 the ancient Jewish tradition of 39 mystical interpretation of the Bible, first transmitted orally and using AC R O SS wishes of others than with one's own; esoteric methods and remains 3 the yoga of devotion unselfish significant in Chasidism 5 starting on January 1, 1953, in 25 a legendary ancient island, beautiful, 12 a person who does not eat meat, and Pasadena, California, pacifist Mildred prosperous and technologically sometimes other animal products, esp. Lisette Norman adopted this name and advanced which sank into the sea for moral, religious, or health reasons. walked across the United States for 28 26 the flower discussed in the Petals of 13 an ascended master, also known as years Transformation article, this issue Siddhartha Gautama 7 this issue's theme 27 author of "The Four Agreements" 16 visible electromagnetic radiation 9 luminous atmospheric phenomenon 29 mantra considered to be the holiest 18 conserving an ecological balance by 10 a small herd or school of marine verse of the Vedas known to protect avoiding depletion of natural animals, especially dolphins and the body, mind and spirit from harm resources whales 30 author of the classic, "As a Man 21 of, connected with, or resembling the 14 the quality of being honest and having Thinketh;" philosophical writer of stars strong moral principles; authenticity British nationality known for his 22 a glassy, yellow variety of quartz with Self; internal consistency or lack inspirational books and poetry crystal; said to help fulfill our spiritual of corruption 32 a person's emotional state, the potential 15 a natural food regarded as especially atmosphere of a place, or the 23 the act or practice of silencing the beneficial because of its superior associations of an object, as mind and listening for Divine guidance nutrient profile or its health-protecting communicated to and felt by others 26 massage technique aimed at the qualities 34 musician profiled in What's Life vertical realignment of the body, and 17 a substance such as vitamin C or E Without Music column, this issue therefore deep enough to release that removes potentially damaging 35 a photographic technique for muscular tension at skeletal level oxidizing agents in a living organism recording images of corona invented by Ida P. Rolf 19 type of massage in Thai style that discharges and hence, the auras of 28 in the Bible, the site of the defeat of involves stretching and deep massage living creatures; from the name of the priests of Baal by the prophet 20 the action of collecting water, Semyon D. and Valentina K. Kirlian, Elijah (I Kings 18); also known as a especially the collection of rainfall Russian electricians metaphor for the mystical life over a natural drainage area 36 type of system that ranks foods on a 31 vibratory frequency 24 concerned more with the needs and scale from 1 to 100 based on their 33 of or relating to a worm or worms 19
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Secrets For Living A Magnificent Life
SUGGESTED READING A Velocity Publisher Favorite! Hiring the Heavens, by Jean Slatter. Whether you realize it or not, you play a part in the divine plan of creation. Once you recognize this, you can gain access to the immense power in the universe. It’s simple: when you engage the right celestial helpers, anything becomes possible. In New World Library Novato, California Hiring the Heavens, Jean Slatter shares $12.95; 132 pages how she learned to hire the Heavens and ISBN 9781577315124 offers a fresh, revitalized way of bringing spirituality back into your everyday life. Whether the task is large or small, whether you want to manifest your dreams, find a soulmate, improve your finances, or simply get through your days without stress and worry, the Heavens are ready to help. With their assistance, you become co-creator and co-director of your life, experiencing more joy and more serendipity every day. Practice the simple method outlined in Hiring the Heavens and you definitely will ‘wield the creative power of the Universe!’ If the Buddha were alive today, he’d be the epitome of green living. He’d be collecting cans on the freeway, riding his bike to work, and replacing all of his light bulbs, one little satori at a time. Proving that green is the color of enlightenment, WHAT WOULD THE BUDDHA RECYCLE: The Zen of Green Living by Rosemary Roberts is the Adams Media Avon, Massachusetts first book to uniquely highlight the funda$11.95; 215 pages mental connection between Zen practice ISBN 9781605501178 and eco-friendly living. By transforming one’s eco-footprint through conscious living and mindfulness, Roberts shows that living purposefully green is not only vital to our survival, but the true embodiment of a harmonious mind, body and spirit. The author of the instant New York Times bestseller, The Expected One, Kathleen McGowan continues to illuminate the fascinating world of Christian esoterica with a new spiritual thriller, The Book of Love. Continuing the devoted quest of journalist Maureen Pascal, The Book of Love leads readers through a labyrinth plot with clues hidden in renowned art and architecture, captivating historical legends and Christian texts.
A Touchstone Book New York, New York Hardcover $25.99; 516 pages ISBN 9780743299978
The book recounts the story of the warrior countess of medieval Europe, Matilda of Tuscany, who secretly married Pope Gregory VII. He joined her in using the Gospel of Jesus to form a radically new kind of church. Each is an extraordinary figure in history and together
they ruled Italy for 20 years in the eleventh century, reforming the church and attempting to bring down the Holy Roman Empire. For the first time in history, the story of Matilda of Tuscany and The Book of Love are being brought to the attention of readers. Combining expert research with dazzling plot twists and controversial historical information, The Book of Love is a sweeping tale of medieval Europe embedded in a modern thriller. Yes, Dorothy’s really not in Kansas anymore... she’s now Lilly Segovia in the “Land of Ten Kings and Roses,” in J. L. Kimmel’s masterful, The Magic Gown. Not since the Wizard of Oz have young readers of all ages enjoyed such a lush tale of colorful characters and thrilling adventures, all to the accompaniment of the award-winning author’s enchanting illustrations.
Spring Tree Press Atlantic Highlands New Jersey $17.95; 148 pages ISBN 978500709
Join Lilly in The Magic Gown as she embarks on the journey of her life when she receives an anonymous package at her new home containing a mysterious red wooden box carved with hummingbirds and flowering vines and filled with tiny black seeds that grow into magical flowers unknown anywhere in the world. Readers will be challenged to put the book down until its last page, an ending so unexpected, beautiful and heartwarming that one could only wish that the author’s next book would be waiting. Central Florida author Daya Devi-Doolin shares the secrets of the 14 realms to love, happiness and success in The Only Way Out Is In. This book is replete with examples and practical applications of how you can be and remain in the PresPadaran Publications ence, consciously and continually. The Deltona, Florida Only Way Out Is In takes readers on the $19.95; 231 pages ISBN 9781877945144 path of learning to be in the present moment and to be able to hear the “soft, gentle, quiet Voice saying, ‘The Only Way Out Is In, Come Follow Me.”’ Millions have read Neale Donald Walsch’s Conversations with God series. Now read the companion book. Full of exercises, assignments, and study questions, The Conversations with God Companion will expand your understanding of God and strengthen your personal dialogue with him. The guide explores core concepts of Walsch’s teachings Hampton Roads and illustrates, in clear language, how to put Charlottesville them to work for you. Explore techniques Virginia that will lead to greater self-awareness. Ex- $18.95; 302 pages amine your present circumstances. Create ISBN 9781571746047 a blueprint for change. Awaken your spiritual life. The Conversations with God Companion can be a caring guide on your spiritual journey.
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found myself initially resistant to writing about leadership, perhaps due to my personal issues with authority and my need to struggle against the establishment (a leftover from my history during the sixties and seventies). Then I remembered an idea I developed years ago about the type of leader we really need: Not one leader but three, to limit the amount of personal ego and selfishness that might affect their decisions. There were three important qualities for a leader to have, and it seemed impossible for all three to be in just one person.
with “rapid cognition” or what we call gut feelings or intuition. It points out the value of trusting our first impulse, and how this has helped many successful people and leaders achieve results beyond what one might expect. This reminded me of how research has shown that our left brain, or linear thought process, is limited in the speed and amount of information it can process. Yet our right brain, the spatial and feeling side, has an almost unlimited and instantaneous ability to give us information. The adage of “A picture (or feeling) is worth a thousand words” rings true.
First was someone who could inspire, communicate, and be the “front person” to make a good impression. Second was the numbers person, the intellectual, the one who could grasp the complexities
Recent research at HeartMath our heart intellidirects
of our world. The third was the spiritual person, keeping us in integrity and making sure all decisions were the highest for all involved. I finally realized it might be difficult to rewrite the Constitution, and I eventually dropped my concept, yet there was still something bothering me about our expectations of leadership. Several weeks ago my son shared about a book he was reading, “Blink” by Malcolm Gladwell. This book deals
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the Institute of has shown that has a separate gence. It and
aligns many systems in the body, communicates with the brain, and makes many of its own decisions. Doc Childre, founder of the Institute of HearthMath, says, “New discoveries now reveal that within each of us there exists an organizing and central intelligence that can lift us beyond our problems and into a new experience of fulfillment even in the midst of chaos. It’s a high-speed, intuitive source of wisdom, and clear perception.” It’s called heart intelligence. Many ancient cultures maintained that the heart was capable of influencing and directing our emotions, morality and decision-making abilities. And Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” So my thoughts on leadership have led
Secrets For Living A Magnificent Life
me to our accepted processes of making decisions. Since our leaders are a reflection of who we are, it is up to us to expand and trust our abilities to decide from a new and deeper perspective not only who we choose to lead us, but also how we choose to lead ourselves. As Albert Einstein said, “The significant problems we face today cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.” Dr. Vil-Am Ben-Ahim has been a Chiropractor for 29 years using craniosacral and deeper energy techniques to help people get to and release the seed concepts and fears that have led to their physical and emotional pain. He conducts seminars and workshops based on these empowering ideas and is codirector with his wife Yashoda Yehudit of the YAHWEH Academy of Light, a healing arts school in Central Florida. Please see ad page 2.
U N I T Y
T H R O U G H
potent leadership “Tao cannot be defined. One can only say that it is the single principle responsible for every event or thing. When the leader has regard for this principle, and for no less theories, the group members trust the leader. Because the leader pays equal attention to everything that happens, there are no prejudices to divide the group into factions. There is unity. Potent leadership is being aware of what is happening in the group and acting accordingly. Specific actions are less important than the leader’s clarity or consciousness. Leaders who lose touch with what is happening cannot act spontaneously, so they try to do what they think is right. If that fails, they often try coercion. But the wise leader who loses the sense of immediacy becomes quiet and lets all effort go until a sense of clarity and consciousness returns.”— Heider, The Tao of Leadership
The Tao may not be defined and yet it can be felt! The leader who intuits the Divine Spirit within all people truly empowers others to feel inner joy and to shine their inner light with ease and grace. The Golden Triangle Center for Spiritual Living leaders are conscious of the here and now because each one is aware of the Power and Presence of God that always says YES to that which we have the consciousness or belief to accept! Our leaders are conscious that God/Divine Spirit is not an external personality but a Loving Presence that resides in all things and that everyone is equal within this Presence. Our group activities are harmonious, peaceful and loving because the group leaders have a sense of clarity and conscious awareness of the Good in all who are in attendance. The peace that is experienced from this sense of unity is ever present. The Tao is felt as moving energy of free flowing joy! Weekly classes are offered to discover ways to better express/feel the unity of all life and learn the benefits of powerful leadership. You are welcome to visit our Center! Please refer to ad top of next column. Velocity Magazine | Leadership | May • June 2009
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iving a green lifestyle is about more than just buying green – it’s also about riding green. What many of us don’t realize is that transportation accounts for about half of our individual CO2 emissions.
The best way to make an impact is to utilize public transportation. LYNX is the public transit provider for Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties. If the bus isn’t the route for you, LYNX also provides carpooling and vanpooling services, as well as free telecommuting consultation services. About 80% of Floridians drive to work alone every day, significantly contributing to congestion and local CO2 emissions. If you’ve never tried a different way of getting to work and don’t know where to start, you can receive personalized information by calling 866-610RIDE. And you can find out how to participate in the Dump the Pump 2009 Business Challenge! In 2008, LYNX participated in the national Dump the Pump promotion. All across the United States, people rode the bus on June 19, many of them for the first time. So many locals joined in to Dump the Pump in 2008 that LYNX experienced a 20% spike in riders that day (the daily norm is 82,422 riders) and took 101,415 people to work, to shop, and to schools throughout Central Florida. For this year’s campaign, LYNX wants to see what kind of impact Central Florida businesses can have on congestion and CO2 emissions. But it’s not just a “feel good” day. Your business can raise its local profile by participating in the Dump the Pump 2009 Business Challenge! There are two separate categories – one category for businesses with less than 500 employees; and a second category for businesses with 500 employees and above. With a chance to win an advertising package with LYNX worth more than $75,000, it’s definitely worth it! Ready to get involved? Here’s how: Designate an ETC at your work site: To participate, you must register an Employee Transportation Coordinator (ETC) with LYNX Commuter Services. Get schooled: A LYNX Green Saver will visit your worksite and tell you all about carpooling, vanpooling, telecommuting, walking or biking to work, and riding the bus. Pick your promotional materials: Let LYNX know the best way to get the word out to your co-workers. Live, breathe and eat: Dump the Pump. The only way to win is to have the highest percentage of employees participating on Thursday, June 18. Wait on pins and needles. LYNX will announce the winners of the Dump the Pump 2009 Business Challenge on Wednesday, July 1.
tion on Thursday, June 18 will receive: • Exterior and Interior Bus Advertising for one year • Business featured in local print media • Advertising in the next LYNX Schedule Book and System Map • $100 gift certificate for the designated company ETC
The top business from each category with the largest documented percentage of employees using an alternative mode of transporta-
Sign up today to Dump the Pump! Call 866-610-RIDE or email MobilityInfo@golynx.com. See LYNX’s ad, back cover.
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Secrets For Living A Magnificent Life