Blog Entries

Does Your Diet Support Your Life Force Energy?

michelle.cook — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 05:03:05 -0500

Food is not just something with which to stuff our faces, satisfy our hunger, or eat for taste alone. Food was meant to satisfy our body’s need for strong and healthy cells, which make up strong and healthy organs, which further organize to make up strong and healthy human beings.

The body is absolutely miraculous: It coordinates billions of functions every second. It has the incredible ability to heal wounds, fight infection, and repair broken bones. At the smallest level, it is composed of billions of cells, millions of which are eliminated, replaced, or repaired daily. The skin is totally renewed every 28 days. The heart has replaced all its cells in only 30 days, while our lungs are completely regenerated after only 70 days! This is astounding! What’s more, almost all of these functions continue to hum along quietly in the background with very little awareness from us: Our bodies have their own innate healing capacity.

Enzymes ensure virtually every function in the human body occurs without any glitches. If even a single enzyme is deficient or missing, any number of serious health complications can result, depending on the specific enzyme in question. Conversely, with plentiful amounts of enzymes, the body can repair damage, slow the rate of aging, and even overcome illness.

As I discuss in my new book The Life Force Diet, your diet holds the potential to provide the greatest source of enzymes to replenish your body’s stores. I say “potential” because it requires eating a diet that contains them in the first place—something that the average person does in only minor amounts, if at all. And the result is that at least 80% of the population is deficient in enzymes. But don’t fret: increasing enzyme-rich foods is easy to do and well worth the effort. A diet high in life force enzymes will help restore you to your ideal body weight, turn back the clock on aging from the inside, and even prevent or reverse many illnesses. But, there are a few side-effects of eating a diet high in life force enzymes: mental clarity, boundless energy, radiant good looks, balanced weight, clearer skin.

Start increasing your life force enzymes today by eating a large, raw salad with your lunch or dinner meal. Over the coming weeks, I’ll share many more ways that you can replenish your stores of life force enzymes along with some enzyme-rich and delicious recipes.

Michelle Schoffro Cook, DNM, DAc, CNC, is a six-time and best-selling author whose search to increase her energy, vitality, and overall health resulted in her newest book, The Life Force Diet. She is also the author of The 4-Week Ultimate Body Detox Plan and The Ultimate pH Solution. For more information, visit: www.TheLifeForceDiet.com.

Why You Need Flowers in Your Home

normaleh — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 11:23:38 -0500

In these times, it may seem foolish to spend money on something as frivolous as fresh-cut flowers, but there are several reasons why doing so is what will lift your spirits. The next few posts will address why flowers are important, how to arrange them yourself, caring for them and more.

In 1996, I was getting paid a pittance to work as the event director at a holistic education center called Wainwright House in Rye, New York. I loved the job, however and one of the perks was that employees could take classes for free. So, I studied Feng Shui and instantly fell in love with the practice. (Since then, I have refined Feng Shui to be more applicable to the 21st century and to include eco-friendly techniques, color theory and much more—I call it Harmonious Adjustments.)

Feng Shui taught me about the importance of real, fresh-cut flowers. So, even though I made little money, I purchased two vases and bought flowers once a week for my office. The flowers brightened my office and made me feel pampered and good about myself.

After I left that job, I took a position in a non-profit organization in New York City. The highlight of my week was the commute home on Fridays, and the best part of that was stopping at my favorite kiosk in Grand Central Station for flowers. So many gorgeous flowers—my challenge was to pick only one bunch! My husband got into it and looked forward to coming home to see the week’s pick.

At this point, my home just doesn’t feel right unless there are flowers in it. With the incredible amount of joy they provide, they are essential to my life.

Flowers enhance whatever space they occupy. They engage most of our senses; we see them, smell them, touch them and can even eat some of them. The actual vibration of flowers feeds us and feeds the Spirit! The energy that emanates from flowers literally has the power to elevate your mood! We enhance our most special occasions, like weddings, with flowers, not only because they are beautiful, but, because they are a physical manifestation of divine love.

Centuries ago, the Japanese created a special branch of Feng Shui called Feng Shui Seika. Feng Shui Seika is the practice of enhancing fortunes by using flowers in a particular fashion. The art was developed by a school of Ikebana called Enshinka International Ikebana.

Practitioners of Feng Shui Seika utilize grass, wood and flowers, as well as minerals, crystals and mirrors, to balance yin and yang. Followers believe that the energy within plants and flowers can best be channeled into one’s environment when they are arranged in a particular way. Based on Ikebana, the theory is that certain arrangements make it easier to receive the energy of the plants and flowers and that these auspicious arrangements will transform the recipients’ fortunes. Talk about flower power!

Tomorrow I’ll post about the research that proves flowers make us feel better.

3 Steps to Sustainable Change: Arzu Rugs Has it Right

olivia — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 15:25:21 -0500

I learned from my year in the Marshall Islands that paying market wages to artisans in developing countries, although a fundamental of economic justice, is only a partial solution to fostering true local economic growth. The Marshall Islands, like so many countries, is caught between a western monetary economy and its original self-sustaining system of barter and trade. Too reliant on modern currency, clothing and TVs to revert, but lacking the resources to compete globally, the Marshall Islands languishes in between two worlds. While I was there, volunteering with the Ministry of Education and acting as an ad hoc journalist, it never became clear to me which direction benefited the Marshallese, a progression to modernization or a return to traditionalism.

I'm sharing this experience to underscore my regard for Arzu Rugs, an organization that supports Afghani women through commerce, education and health care. Although technically a non-profit, Arzu (which means "Hope" in Daru) is working to become self-sustaining through its rug sales.

With the awareness that money alone will not change people's lives, Arzu goes beyond providing a market for Afghani rugs to establish structures for future growth in Afghani communities. By combining income, education and health care, Arzu is transferring the balance of power from foreign groups to individuals and family heads throughout Afghanistan.

Weavers are paid fair price and receive a 50% bonus upfront if they agree to Arzu's 'social contract.' The social contract mandates that all children under the age of 15 in the woman's household attend school fulltime and all women in the household attend literacy classes. If there is not a government school nearby, Arzu sets up schools in the local village. Health care initiatives under the social contract focus on reducing the country's maternal mortality rates, which rank the second highest globally. The organization partners with local health care practitioners to provide its community of weavers pre- and post-natal check-ups as well as transportation to the appointments.

As of 2007, more than 2,000 women were receiving fair wages, education and healthcare in exchange for their handcrafted rugs (Arzu's figures are somewhat outdated). Measured against the limited opportunities that Afghan society allows women, the impact and intelligence of Arzu's work is remarkable.

Big Love

normaleh — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 09:17:06 -0500

Finally, relax and enjoy the process of arranging flowers! Experiment with different flowers and vases, and allow yourself to create. Most importantly, honor yourself with fresh flowers on a regular basis!

I had been studying Feng Shui and manifestation techniques (law of attraction,) for several years, when I decided it was time to meet the man I would marry. I understood the importance of being specific when a change or something new was desired and out came a pad and I wrote down all of the characteristics that I was looking for in a partner. I also took a critical look at my bedroom and made some changes.

My bedroom was large but very long and narrow and half of the space was an office with a computer. The space felt awkward and lacked the cozy, peaceful feeling that I desired for my bedroom. So, I divided the length of the room into two sections by attaching a piece of fabric to a tension rod.

I removed all excess clutter, cleaned like crazy and organized what remained. Doing so is a crucial step when wanting to manifest, as clutter and dirt keep energy low and contribute to less than clear thinking.

Weekly, I placed fresh flowers in the love area of my bedroom, which is the far right corner of a room when standing at the doorway. I also had a pair of candles in the space. Daily, I would look at the flowers and candles and felt what it would be like to be in love.I would also "feel" those magical sensations of being in love when walking or driving or whenever I thought about it.

With my new decorations in place, the change in the energy in the room was remarkable! My office felt like an office and my bedroom felt cozy and romantic. My bed was in the commanding position. My dust ruffle was the pale pink fabric and my duvet cover was pinks and green. The pink color would bring in a new romance. I hung a crystal over my head to bring in the new energy of a man. Finally, I hung a loved-filled velvet quilt that I had made directly across my bed so that I could look at it and feel its energy. (I had conceived of this quilt at a retreat given by my spiritual teacher during a meditation. I designed the quilt in her meditation room and it has spent considerable time at the center.)

Then, I turned to the Internet and to the on-line personal classifieds. In 1999, on-line dating was still a fairly new practice and I chose Yahoo. I spent a few days reading the posted ads written by men and was struck by how generic they all sounded, “Fit, intelligent handsome man seeking beautiful, thin, smart woman…” How generic and boring!

So I wrote an ad that described me and what I was looking for in a man. I did not want hundreds of responses—I wanted men who fit the list I had already created! The first man who responded was an old student of my spiritual teacher, Bella. The second man was a friend of a neighbor. The third man became my husband!

Dave possesses the twenty traits I had written down! I found exactly what I had been looking for in a partner. You can, too. Just be specific in your intent and visualizations, project the feelings associated with meeting the perfect person (or any change), be proactive and apply Harmonious Adjustments until your environment looks and feels wonderful.

One more note...we met on what is considered an auspicious day by many, 9/9/99. We married exactly 2 years later and we are now planning a great celebration for 9/9/09!

For specifics on all the techniques I used, read Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify & Energize Your Life, Your Home & Your Planet.

A Separate Reality

daily.om — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 12:37:39 -0500

We all experience periods where we feel separated from the loving ebb and flow of the universe. These times of feeling disconnected from the source may occur for many reasons, but self-sabotage is the most common cause for us choosing to cut ourselves off from the flow of the universe. We purposefully, though often unconsciously, cut ourselves off from this flow and from the embrace of humanity so we can avoid dealing with painful issues, shun the necessary steps for growth, or prevent the success that we are afraid of achieving from ever happening. When you choose to disconnect from the source, you block the flow of the universe’s energy from passing through you. You become like a sleepwalker who is not fully awake to life, and your hopes, plans, and dreams begin to appear as distant blurs on a faraway horizon. Universal support has never left you, but if you can remember that you became disconnected from source by choice, you can choose to reconnect.

Reconnecting with the universe grounds you and is as easy as you making a concerted effort to become interested in the activities you love or responding to what nurtures or stimulates you. You may also want to make a list of the activities and kinds of experiences that touch your soul. Try to pinpoint the times when you have felt fully engaged and aware and ask yourself what you were doing. But one of the easiest ways to reconnect is simply by stating the intention of doing so.

When you disconnect from the universe, your sense of purpose, creativity, and ability to be innovative are not as easy to access. You may also experience a deep and empty sense of longing or feel devoid of ideas or unworthy of love. It’s important, however, to recognize that being disconnected from the universe is never a permanent state, and it can be reversed any time you decide that you are ready to reconnect. When you are connected to the universe, all aspects of your being will feel alive as the flow of the universe pours through your being and into your life.

For more inspiration, visit DailyOM.

My Beloved Nana

seon.ricks — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 21:56:41 -0500

My paternal grandmother, Lois Chaney Ricks, turned 86 years old last year. My brother and I call her Nana. My childhood memories include drinking nasty concoctions at her home, making yummy Popsicles by freezing smoothies, and playing educational games with a mathematical balance. She would have me walk around with a book on my head, and test my knowledge on a variety of subjects. She is one of those people who is always ahead of the curve, and is generally talking about esoteric subjects that disinterest most. She's not the typical grandmother.

Sometimes I am amazed at the longevity she has achieved, largely because she doesn’t necessarily have the “positive thinking” gene that’s usually attributed to seniority. I would lovingly say she’s cut from the “talk smack” strain. [When I read the preceding sentence to her, she laughed out loud, and said, “I like that.”] I talked with her at length to get some insight into why she thinks she has lived a long life. She credited her longevity to a variety of lifestyle factors:

Dental hygiene. My grandmother has all her teeth except for three. She said she started flossing regularly in her thirties. She is also a strong proponent of the water pik, which my brother and I used to play with when we were little. A couple of residents in her independent living community have been known to comment on her having all of her teeth. I am very proud of her example. There are many studies that have correlated cardiovascular health to oral hygiene.

Diet. My grandmother is a creature of routine and has had the same breakfast for decades. She believes in eating only fruits before noon. She calls this the "Diamond Method," after Harvey and Marilyn Diamond. Her signature smoothie consists of:
- Pineapple
- Parsley
- Aloe Vera gel or juice
- Flax seed oil

It might sound terrible, but it’s actually quite delicious. I think the pineapple takes the edge off the parsley.

Hydration. She tries her best to stay hydrated with liquids. This might be why her skin is absolutely beautiful! It glows, but if you tell her that, she’ll tell you that you’re jivin’. She’s been using shea butter to moisturize before it was in every store. Olive oil occasionally, too.

Exercise. When I would visit my grandmother in Los Angeles, I would often awaken to find her on the patio doing Tai Chi. She practiced Tai Chi from 1980 until she broke her hip. Power walking to the Museum of Science and Industry from her home in Hyde Park was a favorite pastime as well. Unfortunately, this changed after a terrible fall on the icy Chicago streets which forced her to get a hip replacement. She's had another hip replacement since then. After the first operation, she took up swimming for the first time at the age of 71.

Technophilic tendencies. She embraces new technology and seeks it out. She had a palm pilot in the 90's and is on her third or fourth computer (laptop).

Frugality. This isn't typically considered a factor for longevity, but my grandmother retired 30 years ago. She lived off her original salary for 29 years, and put the amount of each raise into an annuity. By the time she retired at the age of 57, she was saving more than half of what she earned on a teacher’s salary (grades 3-5). Because she saved for the future, she doesn't have the stress that others her age have. She has been able to enjoy herself and travel. She’s left the country several times in the last twenty years.

Service. I didn’t see much of my grandmother when I was young because she was always on a mission to make a difference. In 1968, she joined The Black Women's Committee for the Protection and Care of Our Children and started a store to help the community. She eventually partnered with other concerned women to purchase a house in the Blackstone Rangers' community, which was one of the most publicized Chicago gangs, to create a program for children. They hoped to interest the gang mothers in the process. Nana said her life has been more “than service; I was a revolutionary!" She laughed, and then said with a grin, "Don't say I was a revolutionary, just put I was a wannabe revolutionary." Nana has always felt a commitment to serve her community and has great passion for change. I think passion, and a commitment greater than ourselves, gives us a greater reason to live.

In the last year, there’s rarely a week that goes by that I don’t see my grandmother. We are making up for lost time! I admire all that she has accomplished. She bought her first home in the 1940’s, and had earned a master’s degree by the 1950’s. I have adopted many of the lifestyle factors listed above just by watching her example. Of course there is no magic formula to live a long life. Truly that is up to God. Hopefully the choices you and I make will support our health, communities, and give us the gratification that comes from a life well lived.

My grandmother wanted to make sure of one thing when it came to this post. She said, “I don’t want you to embellish it because I’m really not anyone that has done anything unusual.” This is normal for my self-deprecating grandmother. “During the day I eat fine, but at night I get hungry [for junk food].”

I read this post to her, and she’s given it the seal of approval. I’ve told it “like it is.”

Today's Astrological Forecast: Finish Tasks Now

kelli.fox — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:40:53 -0500

Mercury, our smallest planetary neighbor, will be going retrograde in a few days. That means now is a great time to pay those bills and clean up your Inbox, phone messages and desk. You know how communications can go awry during the three-week Mercury Retrograde period! Don't start new projects in the next month or so. Instead, finish up what you've already started, or continue working on long-term tasks. You can actually make a lot of progress.

OVER 100 UK PARLIAMENTARIANS CALL FOR END TO SLAUGHTER IN GAZA

dk.matai — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:52:45 -0500

Dear Friends

We are grateful to Richard Burden, Member of Parliament, United Kingdom; Chair of the Britain-Palestine All Party Parliamentary Group; and distinguished ATCA Contributor for his submission:

Dear DK and Colleagues

Over 100 UK Parliamentarians from different parties have so far signed a statement demanding an end to the slaughter in Gaza. The statement calls for an immediate ceasefire, an embargo on the supply of military equipment to both sides and for urgent intervention by the international community to stop the humanitarian catastrophe which is unfolding.

The continuing slaughter in Gaza is an outrage. The international community has to make clear that respecting its calls for a ceasefire is not simply an optional extra for those launching attacks on either side. International humanitarian law must be upheld. That means protecting civilians from military attack. Common humanity also demands that food, medicines and other essential supplies must be allowed to get through to the one and a half million people who are under siege.

The statement – below – was first published on 31st December 2008. It has now (as at 16:00 GMT on 06 January 2009) been signed by 106 Parliamentarians: 97 Members of Parliament and 9 Members of the House of Lords.

STOP THE SLAUGHTER IN GAZA

Israel's continuing massive military strikes on Gaza are an outrage that the international community must not allow to continue. Palestinian rocket attacks which traumatise the lives of communities in Southern Israel are also utterly unacceptable. Both sides must cease fire.

Israel's actions are disproportionate and counter productive to achieving either security for the people of Israel or peace in the Middle East. Physicians for Human Rights (Israel) have warned that "targeting of civilians and of medical facilities is a breach of international humanitarian law. The targets chosen by the Israeli military include also clearly civilian installations."

Gaza is one of the poorest and most densely populated places on earth. For the last two years, the blockade and previous Israeli strikes had already disrupted electricity supplies and access to clean water. Even before the current attack, Gaza's health system was near collapse. Hospitals are short of medicines, blood and essential equipment. Only half of Gaza's 58 ambulances are functioning.

We call on the international community, and especially the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention, to intervene to stop the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza. We call for an immediate ceasefire by all parties and for an embargo on the supply of military equipment to both sides. The international community must also assert unambiguously that there is no military route to peace in the Middle East and redouble its efforts to create a secure and independent state of Palestine alongside a secure and independent Israel.

Signatories:

HOUSE OF COMMONS: Nick Ainger, Danny Alexander, John Austin, Norman Baker, Anne Begg, Roger Berry, Clive Betts, Roberta Blackman-Woods, Peter Bottomley, Colin Breed, Lyn Brown, Karen Buck, Richard Burden, Lorely Burt, Alistair Carmichael, David Chaytor, Katy Clark, David Clelland, Harry Cohen, Michael Connarty, Derek Conway, Frank Cook, Jeremy Corbyn, Ann Cryer, Jim Devine, Jim Dobbin, Frank Dobson, Jim Dowd, David Drew, Mark Durkan, Clive Efford, Natascha Engel, Paul Flynn, Hywel Francis, Neil Gerrard, Ian Gibson, Roger Godsiff, Nia Griffith, Nick Harvey, John Hemming, David Heyes, Simon Hughes, Brian Iddon, Eric Illsley, Lynne Jones, Sir Gerald Kaufman, Sally Keeble, Peter Kilfoyle, Susan Kramer, Norman Lamb, Mark Lazarowicz, John Leech, David Lepper, Tom Levitt, Martin Linton, Tony Lloyd, Andy Love, Judy Mallaber, Rob Marris, Chris McCafferty, John McDonnell, Anne Moffat, Madeleine Moon, Michael Moore, Doug Naysmith, Edward O'Hara, Nick Palmer, Andrew Pelling, Steve Pound, Ken Purchase, Andy Reed, Alan Reid, Linda Riordan, Martin Salter, Mohammad Sarwar, Alison Seabeck, Virendra Sharma, Jim Sheridan, Clare Short, Marsha Singh, Andy Slaughter, Andrew Smith, Angela C Smith, Sir Peter Soulsby, Phyllis Starkey, Jo Swinson, Ian Taylor, David Taylor, Sarah Teather, Robert Walter, Steve Webb, Mike Weir, Alan Whitehead, Stephen Williams, Hywel Williams, Derek Wyatt, Tim Yeo.

HOUSE OF LORDS: Bishop of Winchester, Lord Cope of Berkeley, Lord Luce, The Right Reverend Michael Scott-Joynt, Lord Hylton, Lord Wright of Richmond, Baroness Northover, Baroness Tonge, Lord Sheikh of Cornhill.

Richard Burden, MP

[ENDS]

We welcome your thoughts, observations and views. Thank you.

With love and warm wishes to you and family

DK with family

DK Matai

The Philanthropia, mi2g.net

DK's online community participation includes:

Open ATCA, IntentBlog, Holistic Quantum Relativity Group, LinkedIn, Facebook, Ecademy, Xing, Spock, A&B Blog and QDOS. [Profile in pdf]

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Holistic (H) E8 Vector Visualisation in String Theory (Q+R) like the 1,000 Petal Sahasrara Lotus in Spirituality

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If You Could Be Anything, What Would You Be?

Lauren — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:53:16 -0500

As a therapist, I was trained in art therapy. How you draw a tree can tell you a lot about yourself. If the roots are deep into the ground, if the leaves reach up to the sky, if the colors are bright or dark…all are images that share mountains of information with simply the swipe of a crayon.

It’s the New Year and I love the energy of a new cycle. We can leave things behind and imagine the new “as if.” Anything is possible. Massive change can be created simply with an intent or a decision.

I decided to think up a new medium to express ourselves since the “tree” has been around so long. Even Barbra Walters will never live down asking Katherine Hepburn “What kind of a tree?” she would be.

So….
If I were a house, I’d be a big yellow house...

...with turquoise shutters and large windows that would drink in the sunrise and play with the colors of the sunset. A wild flower and herb garden would blanket the hills around me with carefully placed stone steps, winding their way up to my ancient wooden door.

My door would be slightly open and gently moving in the afternoon breeze, fanning something organic and delicious simmering on my stove.

“Come on in, have a bite and sit a spell,” I’d say.....

And for some reason, being completely out of your character, you would. After some time, a satisfying meal, and some genuine conversation, you’d wander off feeling not only loved, but also strangely more like yourself than you have ever been.

That is when my rusty old pipes would leak a little, not over too much use, but over the gratitude of being just who I came here to be..... a big, old, yellow house that offered the space for someone special to sit, eat, rest, and reflect awhile.

What would you be?

This is a fabulous exercise to engage our souls and is also a powerful tool to aid us in overcoming anything. That is my goal for the first ever, free, national tele-gathering focused on not only surviving, but actually thriving after sexual abuse. The call commences this evening at 6 pm PST.

To sign up, go to my website www.spiritoflivingwell.com, click on the tele-seminars page, and scroll down to the bottom. After you sign up, a telephone number will be sent to you. Talk to you on the call!

Blessings and love, Lauren

Lauren Simon is a therapist, certified hypnotist, Reiki Master, and the author of the forthcoming book, “I’m Broken, You’re Broken, Now Get Over It!” Lauren counsels people internationally. For more information: go to www.spiritoflivingwell.com. Lauren lives with her husband, film producer/director Stephen Simon, near Portland Oregon with two of their six children, and three beloved pets.

Virtual Community - Better, the Same, or Worse???

sarah.maria — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 23:47:00 -0500

As techonology continues to transform our world, I often wonder about its impact on relationships, health, and our overall sense of well-being.

Here is an example:

In a very real sense, technology has allowed us to make more friends, and make them quickly, than ever before. Take this wonderful community site, for example. (Thank you Intent for creating this wonderful opportunity!) Or take FaceBook. We are able to quickly connect with thousands of people from all over the world. On my FaceBook profile, I now have friends from Egypt, the Congo, the Ukraine. You name it, I prrobably know someone from there, in theory anyway.

However, sitting in front of a computer screen is, in another sense, very isolating. It only invovlves yourself, usually, typing away on a keyboard, or using a mouse, corresponding with virtual indicators of other people.

So there seems to be this profound paradox: on the one hand, technology has allowed us to connect with more people than ever before.

On the other hand, technology seems to isolate us more than ever before. Even if I have thousands of friends all over the world, if I am alone sitting in front of my computer, it is not the same as physically being with people.

In some ways, a viritual connection allows us a level of honesty that seems more difficult in person. People often find it easier to say uncomfortable things over text messaging or email, instead of face-to-face. In this way, perhaps it allows us a greater depth of connection.

Yet there seems to be a way of knowing, a way of experiencing, a way of connecting, that is most tangible in person. I am sure, for example, there is nothing that can yet substitute for physical touch...

What do you think?

Is the advent of virtual communities better, worse, or the same as being face-to-face?