LifeChanger Hypnosis Blog

Just because he's angry

2010-12-18T09:51:00.000-06:00

... doesn't mean he's right.

... or even well-informed.

Something to think about when dealing with a customer, a leader or even a neighbor.

It's easy to assume that vivid emotions spring from the truth. I'm not so sure. They often come from fear and confusion and well-told stories.

- Seth Godin

Sure, but what's the hard part?

2010-12-16T09:54:00.000-06:00

Every project (product, play, event, company, venture, non profit) has a million tasks that need to be done, thousands of decisions, predictions, bits of effort, conversations and plans.

Got that.

But what's the hard part?

The CEO spends ten minutes discussing the layout of the office with the office manager. Why? Was that a difficult task that could only be done by her? Unlikely.

The founder of a restaurant spends hours at the cash register, taking orders and hurrying the line along... important, vital, emotional, but hard? Not if we think of hard as the chasm, the dividing line between success and failure. No, the hard part is raising two million dollars to build more stores. Hard is hiring someone better than you to do this part of the job.

Hard is not about sweat or time, hard is about finishing the rare, valuable, risky task that few complete.

Don't tell me you want to launch a line of spices but don't want to make sales calls to supermarket buyers. That's the hard part.

Don't tell me you are a great chef but can't deal with cranky customers. That's the hard part.

Don't tell me you have a good heart but don't want to raise money. That's the hard part.

Identifying which part of your project is hard is, paradoxically, not so easy, because we work to hide the hard parts. They frighten us.

CINNAMON AND HONEY

2010-12-12T09:49:00.000-06:00

Honey is the only food on the planet that will not spoil or rot. It will do what some call turning to sugar. In reality honey is always honey. However, when left in a cool dark place for a long time it will do what I rather call "crystallizing". When this happens I loosen the lid, boil some water, and sit the honey container in the hot water, turn off the heat and let it liquefy. It is then as good as it ever was. Never boil honey or put it in a microwave. To do so will kill the enzymes in the honey.

HEART DISEASES:
Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder, apply on bread, instead of jelly and jam, and eat it regularly for breakfast. It reduces the cholesterol in the arteries and saves the patient from heart attack. Also, those who have already had an attack, if they do this process daily, they are kept miles away from the next attack.. Regular use of the above process relieves loss of breath and strengthens the heart beat. In America and Canada , various nursing homes have treated patients successfully and have found that as you age, the arteries and veins lose their flexibility and get clogged; honey and cinnamon revitalize the arteries and veins.

ARTHRITIS:
Arthritis patients may take daily, morning and night, one cup of hot water with two spoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamon powder. If taken regularly even chronic arthritis can be cured. In a recent research conducted at the Copenhagen University, it was found that when the doctors treated their patients with a mixture of one tablespoon Honey and half teaspoon Cinnamon powder before breakfast, they found that within a week, out of the 200 people so treated, practically 73 patients were totally relieved of pain, and within a month, mostly all the patients who could not walk or move around because of arthritis started walking without pain.

BLADDER INFECTIONS:
Take two tablespoons of cinnamon powder and one teaspoon of honey in a glass of lukewarm waterand drink it. It destroys the germs in the bladder.

CHOLESTEROL:
Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of Cinnamon Powder mixed in 16 ounces of tea water, given to a cholesterol patient, was found to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood by 10 percent within two hours. As mentioned for arthritic patients, if taken three times a day, any chronic cholesterol is cured. According to information received in the said Journal, pure honey taken with food daily relieves complaints of cholesterol.

COLDS:
Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one tablespoon lukewarm honey with 1/4 spoon cinnamon powder daily for three days. This process will cure most chronic cough, cold, and clear the sinuses.

GAS:
According to the studies done in India and Japan, it is revealed that if Honey is taken with cinnamon powder the stomach is relieved of gas.

IMMUNE SYSTEM:
Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacteria and viral attacks. Scientists have found that honey has various vitamins and iron in large amounts. Constant use of Honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles to fight bacterial andviral diseases.

INDIGESTION:
Cinnamon powder sprinkled on two tablespoons of honey taken before food relieves acidity and digests the heaviest of meals.

INFLUENZA:
A scientist in Spain has proved that honey contains a natural ' Ingredient' which kills the influenza germs and saves the patient from flu.

LONGEVITY:
Tea made with honey and cinnamon powder, when taken regularly, arrests the ravages of old age. Take four spoons of honey, one spoon of cinnamon powder, and three cups of water and boil to make like tea. Drink 1/4 cup, three to four times a day. It keeps the skin fresh and soft and arrests old age. Life spans also increase and even a 100 year old, starts performing the chores of a 20-year-old..

SKIN INFECTIONS:
Applying honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts on the affected parts cures eczema, ringworm and all types of skin infections.

FATIGUE:
Recent studies have shown that the sugar content of honey is more helpful rather than being detrimental to the strength of the body. Senior citizens, who take honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts, are more alert and flexible. Dr. Milton, who has done research, says that a half tablespoon of honey taken in a glass of water and sprinkled with cinnamon powder, taken daily after brushing and in the afternoon at about 3:00 P.M. when the vitality of the body starts to decrease, increases the vitality of the body within a week.

The Times They Are A Changing - Bob Dylan

2010-12-10T09:44:00.000-06:00

Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin' or you’ll sink like a stone'
For the times they are a-changin'

Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin'
And there’s no tellin' who that it's namin'
For the loser now will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin’

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside and it is ragin'
It’ll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changing

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can’t understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is rapidly agin'
Please get out of the new one if you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is rapidly fadin'
And the first one now will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'

A good quote

2010-12-08T09:56:00.000-06:00

"A leader is not an administrator who loves to run others, but someone who carries water for his people so they can get on with their jobs."

~Robert Townsend

Neat!

2010-12-06T10:01:00.000-06:00

A new IKEA store in the Denver area will employ 500-foot-deep
holes in its cooling and heating system. The 130 holes will be
just below the store's parking garage. Temperatures in the holes
hover around 55 degrees year round, so air inside them can be
pumped up into the cooling and heating system to reduce energy
costs by up to fifty percent. Nationwide, geothermal has the
potential for saving billions of dollars in energy costs.

Opening in 2011, the new Denver store has the National Renewable
Energy Laboratory as a partner in the design and construction of
the geothermal energy components. The system works basically as a
series of pipes placed in the holes containing a liquid like
water, which takes on the temperature of the soil walls of the
holes and then is transported back up to surface level. If the
temperature at the surface is hot during summer, the 55-degree
water is used for cooling, and if it is winter, it is used for
warming.

Erin Anderson, geothermal analyst said, "We're trying to
determine what the temperature is all the way down as a way to
achieve a comfortable temperature in the store. We have this
ground that is pretty steadily cooler in the summer when you want
cool air and warmer in the winter when you want warm air."

Digging the 500-foot holes requires four to five hours at a time,
if everything goes well. If there are difficulties, one hole can
take all day. The cost of drilling should be offset by energy
savings fairly early in the store's life and the geothermal
energy system is expected to function well for as long as the
building is in use. The hope for the Denver area store is that it
will be a model for other commercial geothermal projects.

A Chanukah Message

2010-12-02T10:01:00.000-06:00

Every human being was created with the unique capacity of bringing light in some form to this world! Chanukah celebrates the triumph of that light over selfish, dark, senseless impulses in humanity. Ultimately, this holiday teaches each and every willing and able person that in the battle of light and dark, light will always prevail and that light is infinitely more powerful than darkness.

We begin lighting the menorah with one candle. And we end up with eight. Why? Because goodness is contagious and lies at the natural essence of each created being!

So, in brief, Chanukah teaches us that we can all light up the world one good deed at a time, one little flame at a time. When you have done one good deed today, never be satisfied. Do one more tomorrow. And soon you will see that your candle, together within mine, will rid the world, once and for all, of the darkness of hatred and pain

From Shirley MacLaine Newsletter

2010-10-04T16:15:00.000-05:00

Although space fare has steadily improved over time, a team of
scientists says the best is yet to come. They look forward to
when residents of future lunar or even Martian outposts can dine
on luxuries such as fresh vegetables.

Paragon Space Development Corporation has unveiled what it called the first step toward growing flowers - and eventually food - on the Moon. Paragon, an Arizona company that has partnered with NASA in previous experiments on the Space Shuttle and International Space Station, calls it a "Lunar Oasis". It's a sealed greenhouse that looks like a bell jar encased in a 1.5
foot tall triangular aluminums frame.

It's designed to safely land a laboratory plant on the lunar
surface, and protect it while it grows. The miniature greenhouse
is to be launched into space by Odyssey Moon Ltd, a participant
in the Google Lunar X Prize. Paragon officials say future testing
of the "Lunar Oasis" will be driven by Odyssey's flight schedule,
which will not happen until 2012 at the earliest.

When it does lift off the greenhouse will contain the seeds of
Brassica, a hardy plant related to Brussels sprouts and cabbage
that is used in the production of cooking oil and livestock feed.
Because Brassica goes from seed to flower in just 14 days, it can
complete its life cycle in a single lunar night.

"Colonizing the Moon or Mars seems so far away, but it is
important that we do this research now," Paragon president Jane
Poynter said. "It takes a long time to get a lot of research,
and to get integrated, reliable efficient systems" before
colonists move in, she said.

NASA, which will retire its Space Shuttle fleet this year, has
committed to two new goals: returning astronauts to the Moon by
2020, and a manned mission to Mars by 2030.

"I was pleased to see this (project) put together by Paragon,"
said Gene A. Giacomelli, a professor at the University of Arizona
Department of Plant Sciences. "NASA has pulled back on funding
for bio-regenerative life support systems, and most of the
centers in the US that had been doing that research had stopped."
Giacomelli and students at the university's Controlled
Environment Agriculture Center (CEAC) are working on their own
as-yet-unfunded lunar greenhouse.
The agriculture center also makes remote operational improvements
to its existing, state-of-the-art hydroponic "growth chamber" at
the National Science Foundation's new Amundsen-Scott South Pole
Station in Antarctica.

Conditions at the South Pole, which include a high-altitude, low
air-pressure environment, and wind-chill factors of minus 100 C,
make the project a "good analog" to conditions at a lunar
outpost, Giacomelli said.
The South Pole greenhouse, now in its fifth year, allows workers
living in the coldest place on Earth to dine on tomatoes,
peppers, lettuce, strawberries and fragrant herbs. It produces
about 27 kilos (60 pounds) each week, enough to provide each of
the 75 scientists there with two salads per day.

"This isn't science fiction," Giacomelli said. "We have the
technology to sustain life on the other planets right now, if we
could get there."
There are many challenges to growing plants in space, but the
biggest is finding enough water on site to support a permanent
outpost. An expedition to Mars will take three years to
complete, so plants must multi-task: remove toxins from the space
facility air, recycle wastes, generate oxygen, provide nutrients
for future crops, and produce food.

I wouldn't mind having something like that in my backyard!

A few things to think about ...

2010-09-27T16:12:00.000-05:00

1. Anyone who rushes through life always finishes last! This is a truth unseen by the masses, but evident to those weary of going nowhere fast. You race as you do to escape the unhappiness you feel being where we are, running towards what you imagine will free you from that dissatisfaction. But such races are always lost before they begin because you can't outrun yourself!

2. All forms of momentum are mindless, but never more so than when a mind--blinded by desire--runs after what it wants without any awareness of its action.

3. Patience is a great virtue whose cost is paid by becoming painfully conscious of what our impatience does to others.

4. The rush to judgment is a race that nobody wins!

5. Allowing the rushed state of another person to push you into an anxious state of mind is like letting the horse you're about to ride convince you to wear the saddle!

6. You are well on our way to reclaiming your original fearless Self when you find your source of peace and contentment in just being alive.

7. Rushing through life lends the one who habitually hurries the feeling of being "important," but loans such as these come at the high cost of always having to justify one's unkindness--like when we have to convince ourselves that our impatience with others is a necessary evil along the way to that "greater good" towards which we think we run.

8. The main reason it's wise to listen to one's own heart--whenever we can step out of the rush and remember to do so--is because there's much more to be learned from the parts of us that don't "speak" in words . . .than those that do.

9. The most important thing to remember whenever you find yourself in a mad rush is that what you are really trying to get to is a quiet mind . . . a peaceable state of self reached only by realizing there is no place more empowering for you to be than in the present moment.

(Excerpted from The Courage to Be Free, Weiser Books, 2010

Guy Finley is the best-selling author of more than 38 books and audio albums on self-realization. He is the founder and director of Life of Learning Foundation, a nonprofit center for self-study located in southern Oregon where he gives talks four times each week. For more information visit www.guyfinley.org,

Great article on Hypnosis in Psychology Today

2010-09-10T16:00:00.000-05:00

http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200101/the-power-hypnosis

Good advice!

2010-09-05T15:59:00.000-05:00

Just pursue your goal…inhabit it. Wear it, act it, live it, taste it! Get committed—take action!"

~Gary Ryan Blair

"A Parent's Note to a Teacher"

2010-09-04T15:55:00.000-05:00

by Anonymous

I'm the voice of a grateful parent
whose child was in your class...
the one who needed help to find his way

You've been a special blessing
as you helped my child succeed
and I'm thankful for the part you had to play

You gave him so much more
than just the lessons in the books
you gave him wings...so he could learn to fly

You ignited a flame within his soul
a passion to learn and grow...
to never give up and always be willing to try

Your encouragement inspired him
and your kindness was so real
but the thing that thrills my heart the most is this...

By building his self-confidence
you changed his life this year
he believes in himself...and a brighter future is his!

Good News from Shirley MacLaine Blog

2010-09-02T15:53:00.000-05:00

They leap from helicopters or speeding boats, bringing aid to swimmers who get into trouble off Italy's popular beaches.For these canine lifeguards, the doggie paddle does just fine.

Hundreds of specially trained dogs from Italy's corps of canine lifeguards are deployed each summer to help swimmers in need of rescue.

These "lifedogs" wear a harness or tow a buoy that victims can grab, or a raft they can sit on to be towed back to shore, and unlike their human counterparts, they can easily jump from helicopters and speeding boats to reach swimmers in trouble.

With millions flocking to Italy's crowded beaches each summer, the Italian Coast Guard says it rescues about 3,000 people every year — and their canine helpers are credited with saving several lives.

It takes three years for the canines to reach expert rescue status, and currently 300 dogs are fully trained for duty, said Roberto Gasbarri, who coordinates the Italian School of Canine Lifeguards program at a center outside of Rome in the seaside town of Civitavecchia.

"Dogs are useful in containing the physical fatigue of the lifeguard, to increase the speed at which casualties are retrieved, to increase the security of both the casualty and of the lifeguard," Gasbarri said.

"The dog becomes a sort of intelligent lifebuoy. It is a buoy that goes by itself to a person in need of help, and comes back to the shore also by himself, choosing the best landing point and swimming through the safest currents," he said.

The Civitavecchia center is one of a dozen around the country for the school founded more than 20 years ago in the northern province of Bergamo by Ferruccio Pilenga, whose first trainee was his own Newfoundland.

Check out this New York Times article on Past Lives

2010-08-28T15:52:00.000-05:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/29/fashion/29PastLives.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1&emc=eta1

5 things that ruin strong marriages

2010-08-26T15:48:00.000-05:00

By Dr. Marion Goertz, RMFT

As a child, I used to wonder what happened to the couple after they walked off into the sunset at the end of a Hollywood movie. As an adult, I know that sunset strolls and happy endings take lots of hard work and planning. Here are 10 life situations couples may face...post credit roll...and some ideas about how to keep the music playing!1. Fighting fatigue… careers, children, caring for aging parents and on it goes. Life's responsibilities take every ounce of creative energy that we have, often short-changing our couple time. Five fatigue busters: Good nutrition, proper rest, adequate exercise, recharging social times as a couple and grounding spiritual practices.2. The battle of the budget…Stretching finances, unforeseen expenses, different perspectives on money and power differentials can all cause feelings of hurt and insecurity. Be responsible and be fair. If necessary, involve an objective third party to help establish and monitor a mutually workable budget.3. Failure to honour…Our primary relationships are about as healthy as we are. Shaky self esteem, poor physical fitness, depression, untreated illness and unrealistic expectations can sometimes lead to poor coping mechanisms like addictions and even affairs. We have the right and the responsibility to take good care of ourselves, our partner and our relationship. As needed, seek the best medical and emotional care that is available.4. Friendly invasions… As an adult, your new, chosen family needs to be your first priority and demands your strongest loyalty. Does your spouse take second place to other people in your life? Who gets your time, your energy and therefore your respect? A healthy and undivided home, surrounded by appropriate boundaries, allows for the greatest enjoyment of friends and extended family members.5. Words that wound…While differing opinions are necessary in healthy relationships, criticism, hostile humor, avoidance and dismissal will surely poison even the most committed unions. As you talk to or about your spouse are you building strong connections through your words, your facial expressions and your body language or demolishing your own happiness? Do yourself a favour, love your spouse!

Winners and Losers

2010-08-24T15:47:00.000-05:00

You will only become a winner by doing what winners do. Losers do what losers do. They never seem to change. Nobody goes overnight from loser to winner. It’s not like suddenly winning the lottery. Winning in life is a growth experience.

Remember, by the inch it’s a cinch, by the yard it’s hard.

For you to be a consistent winner in life, the negatives must be removed. If any of the negative habits and attitudes of a loser persist in your life, isn’t now a good time to identify them and begin to work on improving? All you have to do is tackle the most difficult habit or task each day and work on it.

Do the difficult first and all else will be easy.

What is the most difficult task you have before you today? Do it now—don’t wait! If you truly want to be a winner in life, you must act today. Remember, “today is the tomorrow you hoped for yesterday.” Now is the only time any action can take place. If you don’t begin now, you will never begin. Success on any level of being occurs through the hourglass effect—little by little, grain by grain, the habits of winning accumulate.

Soon, your life will be filled with fulfillment and richness. I wish you the very best in developing a winning personality. So, act now on the realization of your fondest dreams and hopes. Act today the way you’d feel having them already within your grasp. They are already there once you begin to act on them. Act today—do not delay. You’ll be forever glad you did!
Bless you in the sweet richness of life,

-Peter Ragnar

A Heart Pump Ticks Down, and a Stranger Steps In to Help

2010-08-10T15:43:00.000-05:00

By DENISE GRADY

ASSIST PUMP Khristine Orlanes, a nurse practitioner, found the batteries for Mr. Volpe.
Mr. Volpe, 67, a slight, gray-haired man, looked in his car for the bag he always keeps nearby with spare batteries. But, no bag. In his mind’s eye he saw exactly where he had left it, to make sure he would not forget it, on a chair near the door back home — an hour and a half away. He thought of the clever little hand pump he had been given to keep his mechanical heart going in an emergency. It, too, was in the missing bag. Standing in the parking lot, he could hear one thing. Beep. Beep. Beep.
“I have to admit, I panic,” he said.
Mr. Volpe is one of thousands of Americans who have had these pumps, called left ventricular assist devices, surgically implanted to help their failing hearts. Former Vice President Dick Cheney is another. Sometimes the pumps are used to keep people alive until a transplant becomes available, but in other cases they are meant to remain as long as the patient lives.
Mr. Volpe, a retired subway conductor who had had two heart attacks and two bypass operations, had an assist pump implanted in October 2009 by Dr. Yoshifumi Naka at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia hospital.
The pump is placed near the patient’s own heart. A power line emerges about waist level and connects to a controller, a mini-computer which plugs into a pair of one-and-a-half-pound, 12-volt batteries. Patients wear a black mesh vest over their clothing that holds the controller and batteries. The pump Mr. Volpe had, a HeartMate XVE, made by Thoratec, could run for about four hours on two batteries. The pumps cost $70,000 to $80,000, usually covered by insurance.
That day in the parking lot in December, in Fishkill, in upstate New York, Mr. Volpe was too far from Columbia to get there in time. But his wife phoned its heart-pump clinic, and nurse practitioners told her to call 911 for an ambulance to the nearest hospital.
Mr. Volpe knew that if the pump stopped, he was not likely to die immediately; his own heart, though weak, would probably keep him alive. But he was still in real danger, because clots would form in the mechanical heart if it quit, and cause a stroke if they escaped into his bloodstream.
Dr. Donna Mancini, Mr. Volpe’s cardiologist and director of the heart failure and transplant program at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia, said the hospital had not encountered a situation like this before.
“But with these devices getting more use, it may arise,” Dr. Mancini said.
Right now, Dr. Mancini said, Columbia has 45 patients with pumps who are waiting for transplants. Just a few years ago, there were only 10.
She said she did not know why, but this year fewer donor hearts have become available than in the past, leaving more patients dependent on the pumps. Usually, the hospital performs 80 to 100 transplants a year.
“This year we’re on a course that will probably yield around 60 transplants,” Dr. Mancini said, adding that there were about 150 patients on Columbia’s waiting list.
Nationwide, 3,138 people are waiting for heart transplants, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing. Last year, 2,211 received new hearts.
Thoratec said that in the past decade or so, a total of 6,000 XVE devices and 5,000 of a newer model, the HeartMate II (the one Mr. Cheney has) had been implanted.
An ambulance took Mr. Volpe to Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie. But that hospital does not implant assist pumps, and had no batteries or hand pump. Doctors there, advised by Columbia, began dripping in a blood-thinning drug, heparin, to prevent clots.
Meanwhile, Khristine Orlanes, a nurse practitioner at Columbia, began trying to find another patient with an assist pump who was close enough to bring Mr. Volpe a set of batteries in time.
She called Robert Bump, 61, a building contractor who worked near Poughkeepsie. He had six spare batteries in a knapsack.
“I’m on my way,” Mr. Bump said.
An electrician offered to drive, and they tore off in his pickup truck. The electrician called a state trooper friend, told him the story and said, “We’re not stopping.”
A police car met them partway to Poughkeepsie and escorted them. They made the half-hour trip in about 20 minutes.
Mr. Bump strode into the emergency room and spotted Mr. Volpe on a gurney, surrounded by doctors, nurses and his frantic wife. The alarm was still beeping. A doctor, noticing Mr. Bump’s black-mesh vest and the controller, said, “Oh, he’s got one, too.”
Mr. Volpe, who had no idea what plans had been hatched on his behalf, said: “I see this big fellow walk in. I recognized the outfit right away.”
Mr. Bump snapped the batteries in place and said, “O.K., you’re good.”
There was a small round of applause in the emergency room. Mr. Volpe could not stop saying thank you.
His pump, due to run out in 15 minutes, had somehow lasted nearly an hour, but apparently had just minutes left when Mr. Bump arrived.
The two men had different pump models that happened to use the same batteries. If Mr. Bump had been using a newer version of the batteries for his model, they would not have been compatible with Mr. Volpe’s.
“Mr. Volpe’s stars were aligned that day,” Mr. Bump said. “There is some reason that gentleman needs to be here.”
On July 24, after nearly a year on his assist pump, Mr. Bump made it to the top of the waiting list and received a transplant at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia. At the hospital, his wife overheard the spouse of another transplant patient say that she, too, was from upstate.
Mr. Bump’s wife mentioned that her husband had helped another patient from the same area who needed batteries for an assist pump.
“That was my husband,” the other woman said.
By coincidence, Mr. Volpe had also just received a transplant.
Last week, the two were up and about, in good spirits. Both said they owed their lives to the assist pumps — but were thrilled to be free of them. Both were desperate for showers, after nearly a year of sponge baths. They would not miss the vests, either. On more than one occasion, Mr. Bump had had to reassure strangers that he was not wearing a bomb.
Leaving a sitting room at the hospital last Thursday, Mr. Bump rose first and offered Mr. Volpe a hand getting up.
“No thanks,” Mr. Volpe said softly, smiling. “You gave me enough help, Robert.”

Why am I shy? New study offers insight on introverts

2010-07-28T15:45:00.000-05:00

Shy or introverted people may actually process the world differently than those who are more extroverted, according to a new study.
Researchers have determined that about 20 percent of people are born with a personality trait called “sensory perception sensitivity,” or SPS, which facilitates an inhibited, even neurotic, demeanor.
Colloquially, we say those people are “slow to warm up” to social situations, or may cry easily, or offer deeper than expected thoughts, according to the study.
Researchers at Stony Brook University in New York and Southwest University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences in China gave 16 participants a questionnaire to separate participants into two groups: sensitive and non-sensitive.
The researchers asked the participants to compare a photograph of a visual scene with one of a preceding scene, asking whether or not the scene had changed. Some changes were subtle; some were obvious. While participants looked at the scenes, the researchers scanned each participant’s brain with functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI, machine.
The scientists found that participants deemed “sensitive” analyzed the scenes with subtle differences for a longer time than “non-sensitive” participants did, demonstrating greater activation in brain areas involved in associating visual input with other input to the brain and with visual attention.

The results suggested that highly sensitive individuals:
- Prefer to take longer to make decisions.
- Are more conscientious.
- Need more time to themselves in order to reflect.
- Are more easily bored with small talk.

Those attributes complement previous research, which found that highly sensitive individuals are more bothered by noise and crowds, affected by caffeine, and easily startled compared to “non-sensitive” individuals.
All that may seem obvious, but the research suggests that sensory sensitivity is a result of an inherent nature to be more attentive to experiences — not the other way around.
A sensitivity trait is found in more than 100 other species, suggesting that it could offer an evolutionary advantage or disadvantage: the thinkers versus the doers.
Example: Thinkers could survive in a dangerous situation that requires thought, but doers may have better chances in situations that require aggressive action.

Their results were published in the March 4 edition of the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience.

U.S. News & World Report reveals five ways that exercise can enhance your brainpower and mood:

2010-07-24T15:39:00.000-05:00

It reverses the detrimental effects of stress. Exercise boosts levels of soothing brain chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Exercise may actually work on a cellular level to reverse stress's toll on your aging process.
It lifts depression. Sustained, sweat-inducing activity can reduce symptoms of depression about as effectively as antidepressants.
It improves learning. Exercise increases the level of brain chemicals called growth factors that help make new brain cells.
It builds self-esteem and improves body image. Even simply seeing fitness improvements, like running a faster mile or lifting more weight, can improve your self-esteem and body image.
It leaves you feeling euphoric. High-intensity exercise can leave you with a feeling of euphoria. Try running, biking, or swimming as fast as you can for 30 to 40 seconds and then reduce your speed to a gentle pace for five minutes before sprinting again.

Further, a new study by researchers at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago have revealed impressive insights into why exercise is so good for your brain. In short, it appears that exercise lowers the activity of bone-morphogenetic protein or BMP, which slows the production of new brain cells.
At the same time, exercise increases Noggin, a brain protein that acts as a BMP antagonist.
According to NYTimes.com:
"The more Noggin in your brain, the less BMP activity exists and the more stem cell divisions and neurogenesis [production of new brain cells] you experience."

The Nature Conservancy:

2010-07-14T15:37:00.000-05:00

On the very bright side, never in peace time history has there been such a gallant effort, by so many people, spending so many billions of dollars with no end in sight, to rapidly clean up your environment.
Never before have numerous heads of state and representatives of a corporation as large as many smaller nations, pledged to work together, sharing expertise and resources to get a job done.
Never before have so many prayer and meditation groups suddenly formed, amongst and in between every religion and those belonging to none, to foster healing of your precious planet.
Never before have finger pointers, conspiracy theorists, and blame mongers been so idle and unnecessary in the face of such a tragedy.
Never before have industry titans across every sea chosen to reexamine their own safety procedures, revisit their own environmental safeguards, and expend their own fortunes to voluntarily reflect upon and demand that they do an even better job from this day forward. And to top it all off, the planet has a loving, brilliant consciousness all her own, and of her countless balancing acts, healing herself is one in which she truly shines.

We're in this together...

Ubuntu - South Africa welcomes the world.

2010-07-01T15:35:00.000-05:00

Archbishop Desmond Tutu explains the word Ubuntu in 2008:

One of the sayings in our country is Ubuntu - the essence of being human. Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can't exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You can't be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality -- Ubuntu -- you are known for your generosity.
 We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole world. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity.

Gum goots designed with a blast to charge mobile phones

2010-06-29T15:36:00.000-05:00

By Jim Drury

LONDON (Reuters) - Modern festival-goers who dread ending up with a dead mobile phone battery after days stuck in a muddy field with no electric plug power points may now have a solution -- power boots.
Mobile phone company European Telco Orange has introduced a phone charging prototype -- a set of thermoelectric gumboots or Wellington boots with a 'power generating sole' that converts heat from the wearer's feet into electrical power to charge battery-powered hand-helds.
The boot was designed by Dave Pain, managing director at GotWind, a renewable energy company.
Pain said the boot uses the Seebeck effect, named after physicist Thomas Johann Seebeck, in which a circuit made of two dissimilar metals conducts electricity if the two places where they connect are held at different temperatures. "In the sole of the Wellington boot there's a thermocouple and if you apply heat to one side of the thermocouple and cold to the other side it generates an electrical charge," Pain told Reuters Television.
"That electrical charge we then pass through to a battery which you'll find in the heel of the boot for storage of the electrical power for later use to charge your mobile phone."
These thermocouples are connected electrically, forming an array of multiple thermocouples (thermopile). They are then sandwiched between two thin ceramic wafers.
When the heat from the foot is applied on the top side of the ceramic wafer and cold is applied on the opposite side, from the cold of the ground, electricity is generated.
After a full day's festival frolics music lovers can plug their phone into the power output at the top of the welly and use the energy generated throughout the day to charge their phone.
But the prototype boot does have one drawback. You need to walk for 12 hours in the boots to generate one hour's worth of charge.
Pain said GotWind was working on improving the technology, which could then also be used in other forms of clothing.
"The technology's not just limited to footwear, or indeed boots, but you could for example make clothing out of it, you know, a headband, for example. So really anywhere where you're limited to using grid power, you could use this sort of technology,"he said.

(Editing by Belinda Goldsmith)

Pantry, Counter, Fridge? Where To Store Produce For Maximum Shelf Life

2010-06-27T15:41:00.000-05:00

No matter how good a deal you got on those in-season blueberries, tomatoes or basil, it’s money wasted if some of that produce goes bad before it makes it to the table.
It’s an all too common budget dent. Americans throw out roughly 14% of what they buy, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Worse, that figure is before factoring in the leftover food you scrape from your plate.
Knowing how long fresh fruits and vegetables last and where to store them for maximum shelf life leads to better deals. You can make smarter decisions about how much to buy of a particular food, and use more (if not all) of it before it goes bad. (That’s not to say you can’t keep peppers on the counter or oranges in the fridge, of course – just that if you opt to keep something in less than ideal storage conditions, you might need to eat it a few days sooner.)
The solution: Our handy storage guide below, compiled from chefs’ experience, as well as research by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, MealsMatter.org, Self magazine and the Food Marketing Institute. (Got your own tips to extend the shelf life of fruits and veggies? Post them in the comments.)

Apples
Store on the counter. Move any uneaten apples to the refrigerator after seven days. In the fridge or out, don’t store near most other uncovered fruits or vegetables — the ethylene gases produced by apples can ruin them (making carrots bitter, for example). The exception: if you want to ripen plums, pears and other fruits quickly, put an apple nearby for a day or so.

Artichoke
Refrigerate whole for up to two weeks.

Asparagus
Store upright in the refrigerator in a plastic bag with either an inch of water or with a damp towel wrapped around the base, just like you would have flowers in a vase. They’ll last three to four days that way.

Avocados
Ripen on the counter. Can be stored in the refrigerator for three to four days once ripe.

Bananas
Store on the counter. Refrigerate only when ripe — they’ll last for another two days or so.

Beets
Remove green tops an inch or two above the crown. Refrigerate beets in a plastic bag to prevent moisture loss, which leads to wilting. (They’ll last seven to 10 days.) Refrigerate greens separately, also in a plastic bag.

Berries
Grower Driscoll’s recommends refrigerating berries, unwashed and in their original container. Blueberries and strawberries should keep for five to seven days; more fragile raspberries and blackberries up to two days.

Broccoli
Refrigerate in a sealed plastic bag. It’ll keep for three to five days.

Carrots
Refrigerate in a sealed plastic bag for up to three weeks.

Cauliflower
Refrigerate, stem side down, in a sealed plastic bag. It’ll last three to five days.

Celery
Refrigerate one to two weeks in a sealed bag. Keep in the front of the refrigerator, where it’s less apt to freeze.

Citrus fruits
Store oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit on the counter. They can last up to two weeks.

Corn
Refrigerate ears still in the husk. They’ll last up to two days.

Cucumbers
Refrigerate, either in the crisper or in a plastic bag elsewhere in the fridge. They’ll last four to five days.

Garlic
Store in the pantry, or any similar location away from heat and light. It’ll last up to four months.

Green beans
Refrigerate in a plastic bag for three to four days.

Green onions
Refrigerate for up to two weeks.

Herbs
Fresh herbs can last seven to 10 days in the refrigerator. “When I use fresh herbs and store them in my refrigerator at home, I keep them in air-tight containers with a damp paper towel on the top and bottom,” says Raymond Southern, the executive chef at The Back Bay Hotel in Boston. “This keeps them fresh.”

Leafy greens
Refrigerate unwashed. Full heads will last five to seven days that way, instead of three to four days for a thoroughly drained one. Avoid storing in the same drawer as apples, pears or bananas, which release ethylene gases that act as a natural ripening agent.

Mushrooms
Take out of the package and store in a paper bag in the refrigerator, or place on a tray and cover with a wet paper towel. They’ll last two to three days.

Onions
Stored in the pantry, away from light and heat, they’ll last three to four weeks.

Peaches
Ripen on the counter in a paper bag punched with holes, away from sunlight. Keep peaches (as well as plums and nectarines) on the counter until ripe, and then refrigerate. They’ll last another three to four days.

Pears
Store on the counter, ideally, in a bowl with bananas and apples, and then refrigerate after ripening. They’ll last another three to four days.

Peas
Refrigerated in a plastic bag perforated with holes, they’ll last three to five days.

Peppers
Refrigerated, they’ll last four to five days.

Potatoes
Store them in the pantry away from sunlight and heat, and they’ll last two to three months.

Radishes
Refrigerate. They’ll last 10 to 14 days.

Summer squash
Refrigerate in a perforated plastic bag. They’ll last four to five days.

Tomatoes
Spread them out on the counter out of direct sunlight for even ripening. After ripening, store stem side down in the refrigerator and they’ll last two to three days.

Tropical fruit

Mangoes, papayas, pineapples and kiwifruit should be ripened on the counter. ., ripen mangos in a paper bag in a cool place, and then refrigerates them for another two to five days.

Watermelon
Kept at room temperature on the counter, it’ll last up to two weeks,

Winter squashes
Store on the counter for up to two weeks.

Frugal Foodie is a journalist based in New York City who spends her days writing about personal finance and obsessing about what she’ll have for dinner. Chat with her on Twitter through @MintFoodie

From the Universe

2010-06-24T15:38:00.000-05:00

Please tell anyone who wants to know, that a dream not followed by consistent action, however humble or small the actions may be, points to either a huge contradiction or a gigantic misunderstanding.

From James Allen

2010-06-18T15:34:00.000-05:00

Composer, sculptor, painter, poet, prophet, sale, these are the makes of the afterworld, the architects of heaven. The world is beautiful because they have lived; without them, labouring humanity would perish.

Og Mandino says -

2010-06-14T15:33:00.000-05:00

I am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand. Henceforth will I apply ALL my efforts to become the highest mountain of all and I will strain my potential until it cries for mercy.

A simple way to energize!

2010-06-10T15:31:00.000-05:00

It is helpful to take time each day to breathe deeply, to sit quietly and allow the Spirit's love and light to pour into us. This helps us to recharge, to replenish and remind us that we are not alone.

It is true that butterflies spread their wings every morning. They sit and soak up the sunlight because the scales on their wings are actually solar cells. Without that source of energy, they cannot fly.

Be the butterfly. Soak up the light and feel the presence of the Divine pour love, energy and healing into you.

Interesting ...

2010-06-08T15:30:00.000-05:00

"Children seldom or never dare to live a happier or more fulfilling life than their parents. Unconsciously they remain loyal to unspoken family traditions that work invisibly. Family Constellations are a way of discovering underlying family bonds and forces that have been carried unconsciously over several generations."

- Bertold Ulsamer

Helping IBS with Hypnosis

2010-06-02T10:23:00.000-05:00

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) also known as spastic colon or colitis affects 15 – 20% of the population – predominantly women.

The severity of IBS symptoms changes from person to person and from time to time. For some people it restricts their movements to such a degree that they have trouble making travel plans. For others, it’s a sporadic situation where the symptoms come and go, with no discernable reason, and for others, it’s a low lying, ongoing manageable but painful situation.

Whichever category you fall into, the basic result is the same. You live with pain and uncertainty, always being aware that at any time you may need to fine a toilet or washroom in a hurry.

Never mind what else is going on around you. The need to get to a washroom is urgent and immediate.

Interestingly enough, the causes of IBS are unknown, and the diagnosis is usually a diagnosis of exclusion, everything else is ruled out. While it’s not clear exactly what causes it, we do know that there are anatomical changes in the lining of the colon and to the nervous system of the colon.

You’ve probably tried diet management, which to some extent works for many people. You may have tried medication – but sometimes the side effects are worse than the IBS.

But there is another way to manage or in some cases, eliminate the IBS altogether, and that’s with hypnosis. The evidence is overwhelming that IBS symptoms respond dramatically to a series of hypnosis treatments.

Hypnosis has been approved by the American Medical Association as a valid medical treatment since 1958 and over 20 years of solid scientific research has demonstrated hypnosis to be an effective, safe and inexpensive choice for IBS alleviation for 80-95% of clients. Dr. Diane Fugh Berman chair of the National Women’s Health Network in Washington DC has said that hypnosis should be the treatment of choice for IBS.

“It totally makes sense” explains Georgina Cannon, Director of the Ontario Hypnosis Centre, “all body sensations are managed and recorded in the subconscious mind, so if you want to make change in the body, one of the best ways is through the subconscious mind with hypnosis.” Cannon went on to explain – “There are absolutely no side effects – except that you get better! The treatment is relaxing and enjoyable. And best of all, treatment often leads to improvement of other stress related problems – like teeth grinding or sleeplessness.”

The hypnosis treatment starts with the client bringing a physician’s letter to the Ontario Hypnosis Centre Clinic “We only work with a client on pain management with the approval of their doctor” Cannon explains. The number of sessions needed ranges from 7 to 10 “this enables our clients to develop their imagery skills, which will help them for the rest of their life. We start the process with a very thorough intake so that we understand how IBS affects that particular client. Then the mind-body training begins.”

Good advice ....

2010-05-31T10:22:00.000-05:00

Listen well to inner voices.

Then, get a grip and make new choices.

Timelessness

2010-05-29T10:20:00.000-05:00

Imagine that expanded awareness is normal. Time and space could just be convenient concepts that hold true in the material world but dissolve gradually as you approach the quantum level. This is what I believe reincarnation is about. Former lives fall into the unexplored territory of expanded awareness. It isn’t absolutely necessary to decide whether they are “real” or not.

All of the quantum and virtual levels are open to us all the time. To navigate them completely is impossible; they open up to us according to our own needs and abilities. But no part is intentionally closed off. Although we normally look no deeper than the personal domain, to look deeper is always possible.

It is more normal to learn from the past than not to, and people who shut out their former lives – if we want to use that terminology – are shutting out lessons that give this present lifetime its purpose and meaning. For someone who has absorbed these lessons fully, there is no need to go beyond this lifetime, and yet such visitations are still part of the natural order of things.

Finally, the fact that we are not confined to our physical body and mind gives us reason to believe in the existence of a cosmic intelligence that permeates life and brings us close to the mind of God.

In the quantum model there is no inside or outside. God is no more in us than he is anywhere else – he is simply not locatable. To say that we go within to meditate, to pray, or to find God is really just a convention. The timeless place where God exists can’t be reduced to an address. Our exploration into former lifetimes indicates that the same may be true of us as well.

Adapted from How To Know God by Deepak Chopra

A wish for you

2010-05-27T09:56:00.000-05:00

Wishing you starlight in your soul, heaven in your heart, and miracles in your life during these miraculous times which manifest as though we are smack in the middle of the end times of a transition. Know we are on track even though it may not appear so at times.

A little strange, but interesting!!! from TELEGRAPH.CO.UK

2010-05-25T16:17:00.001-05:00

Jobless Dutch forced into past-life therapy

By Bruno Waterfield

The long-term Dutch unemployed are being forced into “regression therapy” in the hope that coming to terms with past lives will help them find a job.

Use of the New Age technique has sparked controversy after an unemployed woman in Maastricht was sent on a 10-week course at a cost of £720.

Other unco-operative welfare claimants have been told they will lose benefits unless they accept the guidance of a regression therapist to help them get in touch with their past lives.

Luc Winants, the councillor responsible for social affairs in Maastricht, has defended the technique as a spiritual method for helping the unemployed.

“It might very well be true that reincarnation therapy is a means to get people back to work,” he told De Limburger newspaper.

“Past life regression” is a psychological therapy linked to New Age movements and the belief in reincarnation.

Practitioners often use hypnosis to induce a trance during which a person is allegedly taken back to their past lives.

Klaas Boffcher, at the Dutch Ruach Boraka Centre for Complementary Therapy, uses the technique to help “people find experiences from past identities that could be negatively affecting them today”.

“It is very useful. When someone has a problem finding work it is often more about the need to find out about themselves. Reincarnation therapy can help,” he said.

“Reincarnation therapy is regression to a previous life. People’s complaints and problems have causes not just in the present but also in previous lives.”

Marcus Huibers, a senior lecturer in clinical psychology at Maastricht University, is unimpressed.

“We are speaking here of an entirely obscure therapy that does not even merit the term therapy,” he said.

Piet Hein Donner, the Dutch social affairs minister, is facing growing calls from MPs for an explanation as to why therapies including reincarnation, tarot card readings and astrology are getting government funding as part of efforts to get people back into work.

Dutch unemployed and people on incapacity benefit can get state hand-outs of up to £4000 to pay for courses to help them find work.

Last year up to 42,500 people signed up to spiritually-based “personal development programmes”.

10 Steps to Gentle Change - Part 2 by Georgina Cannon

2010-05-25T09:36:00.000-05:00

Continued from 10 Steps to Gentle Change Part 1 ...

6. Time to dump the junk!
What are you going to get rid of to make room for the new you? Old thinking? Old attitudes? Old fights or arguments? Old clothes? Old habits? Old beliefs about who you are and how you are? (Shy? Accident prone? Not efficient? Not smart? Not musical?)
This is one way to do that. List all the stuff to let go – relax with your eyes closed and visualise a huge garbage bag and put everything you want to let go into that bag, including all of your thoughts and feelings about the stuff you’ve put in the bag, see it all there – tie a knot at the top of the bag, and kick it out to the far reaches of the universe. Watch it disappear beyond the stars. You’ll notice you feel much, much lighter!

7. Your new life!
Now it’s time to bring your new life, with the changes into fruition. Start by visualising what this new life will look like. Find a place to relax, close your eyes, and see yourself 3 months in the future, having achieved your goal. You are where you want to be, with the change complete. See yourself surrounded by people you know, love and admire, hear what they are saying to you, hear the laughter and conversation, feel the confidence that comes from being in charge of your life. Spend about 5 minutes there. Do this twice a day for 7 days. This is one way of putting the vision deeply into your subconscious mind so that you are pre-programmed for success.

8. Your Action Plan – or Blueprint
Write your goal, your action plan. Step by step. What you will do by when. Each step, how you will accomplish your goal. For instance, if your goal is to be more outgoing, maybe the first step is to talk to the cashier at the supermarket or gas station every time you go in. Ask them how they feel, talk about the weather – whatever. But make conversation with at least three people each day.

This action plan should have at least 7 steps to achieve your goal. Each step is an action – not a thought – and each step has a deadline.

9. Visualising working the plan.
Find somewhere comfortable to relax. Put on some soothing music, close your eyes and allow yourself to slowly visualise yourself working through the plan. Step by step. Notice how, at each step, you change. Notice what happens at each step. The support you receive. The different reactions you get with your new habit. The confidence you feel. See yourself reaching each deadline easily and comfortably and taking the action needed towards your goal. If you do this for at least 21 days you’ll find the whole process of change becomes easier and smoother as your subconscious mind aligns with your conscious mind to keep you intellectually and emotionally in balance for your change.

10. Take Action!
Take the first physical step towards your change. Follow the plan you set out. Use your support systems. Congratulate yourself each step of the way, and make sure you notice how much more confident you feel as you begin to recognise your power, the power of your mind.

Tools to help you make healthy changes in your life

2010-05-23T09:38:00.000-05:00

Our Move Forward with Confidence and Starting Over recordings have been helping our clients make remarkable changes in their lives for over 10 years now.

These programs are a co-creation, meaning that they are able to help you in profound ways as long as you are willing to do your part.

If you have reached a point in your life where

change is needed
you are ready and wanting to start the process of making your life better
you just don't know where to begin

these two recording are powerful tools to help you start your process of change.

STARTING OVER - CD

STARTING OVER - MP3

MOVE FORWARD WITH CONFIDENCE - CD

MOVE FORWARD WITH CONFIDENCE - MP3

10 Steps to Gentle Change - Part 1 by Georgina Cannon

2010-05-21T09:33:00.000-05:00

Why ‘gentle’ change? Because change is disruptive – it takes planning, foresight and courage. But like anything else, if you follow a plan, it is easier, plus you start to recognize progress along the way as you accomplish each step in the plan.

Georgina , Director of the Ontario Hypnosis Centre School and Clinic, has worked with thousands of clients over the past 10 years to help them transform their lives into powerful, successful, joyful living. “The interesting part of change, or transformation is that you let go of the feeling of being a victim of uncontrollable circumstances. You choose to experience something that you CHOOSE for your life: A new emotion; a new pattern; a new skill”

Here is Georgina’s blue print for change:

1. Know what it is you want to change.
Do your belongings, attitudes, ideas, habits, emotions such as guilt or anger, commitments, career or relationship still fit you? Do they still suit who you are – and who you want to be in the future? Do they serve you well?

2. What exactly do you want to change?
When you have decided it is time to ‘lighten your load’ and get rid of some of the baggage you carry – the first step is to decide what it is you want to change. If there’s a whole raft of things begging for change, then choose just one to start with. And be very sure of what that one thing looks like.

3. How will your life change with this one change?
Write down what you want to change in a short sentence. Think about how it makes you feel when you think about the thing you want to change. Are you excited? Is there some fear? And can you imagine your life and how it will be with just this one change? Be realistic about the impact of this change, but most of all, be committed to making it happen.

4. Who and what will be affected by your change?
We don’t live in a vacuum. When we make change it affects other people and events around us. Many people don’t like change, so as you change you may find that some people start to resent your personal change work and try to undermine you. Ask someone who has made a lifestyle change around eating, and see what happened in their family! You need to make a very comprehensive list of who and what your change will affect

5. Have a support system.
Change takes courage – even the smallest changes are profound. You’ll need some support systems. Build a team around you that will support you emotionally and physically with your change. People who really have your well-being at heart and understand your courage and commitment. Make sure you let them know ahead of time what you will be doing differently, and how you need their support.

Continued in part 2

Developing and expanding your intuition - Georgina Cannon

2010-05-20T09:23:00.000-05:00

As discussed on Talk Radio Europe

Everyone is intuitive! Everyone has the ability to be warned of danger or future experiences. It's just a matter of 'tuning in' and allowing.

Sometimes it's a gut feeling, that you should do...or not do...something. Sometimes you might hear the words, 'don't do that'.

Or you may see an article or see something on television which plugs right into your current dilemma and it speaks directly to you. At some other time you might not have even noticed this program or article.

Developing your intuition, is like developing a muscle...the more you use it, the stronger it gets.

Watch for synchronicities.. Carl Jung was a great believer in these. They are telling you something.

Generally speaking, if you allow your critical conscious mind to get out of the way, so you don't question or criticise these feelings or thoughts, you'll feel an expansion, a gentle body reaction to following your intuition, as if you are on the right path.

Intuition is primal...it is there initially to keep us safe...so when you follow it, you will feel safe.

Practice every day, watch the results... and learn to lean on your subconscious mind to live your fullest, most abundant, and joyest life. Remember, if you don't lose it you'll lose it.

A MUST Read Article!

2010-05-18T09:20:00.002-05:00

ASP AR T AME: " DON'T EVEN CONSIDER IT" ARE YOU FEELING BETTER? - WORLD ENVIRONMEN T AL CONFERENCE: POWER OF ASP AR T AME INDU STRY.

GOOGLE REMOVES REPORT

By Dr. Betty Martini, D.Hum.
Mission Possible International
9270 River Club Parkway
Duluth, Georgia 30097
Telephone: 770-242-2599
E-Mail: BettyM19@mindspring.com
Web Site: http://www.mpwhi.com

Posted: 05 November 2007

NOTE: This report mysteriously disappeared out of Google news and Google in general. It makes one wonder if this report ruffled some feathers some place.

Atlanta, November 3, 2007

For a little while yesterday morning Google carried Andrea McCreery's report, ASP AR T AME, DON'T EVEN CONSIDER IT. Immediately my phone started ringing, Are you Nancy Markle? the caller asked. "No", I replied, "I'm Betty Martini who lectured for the World Environmental Conference. Nancy Markle is an unknown plagiarist who signed her name to my original report on my lecture at the WEC in1995. It became a shot heard round the world that has helped millions escape the deadly effects of AspartameDisease, an Ignored Epidemic, which happens to be the name of a 1,038 page medical text by Dr. H.J. Roberts. http://www.sunsentpress.com He was named The Best Doctor in the United States by a national medical journal in 1984. The text is dedicated to me and Mission Possible volunteers and documents the symptoms and diseases I discussed at the lecture."

Documentation including my invitation to speak is at: http://www.dorway.com/nomarkle.html Monsanto sold the NutraSweet Company in l999, as they could not put out the fire with people getting well off the toxin the world over. Then victims, physicians and activists expanded more operations of Mission Possible circling the globe. MS victims walked out of wheelchairs, many blind regained their sight, seizures ceased, joint pain/fibromyalgia and psychiatric problems disappeared, and women who thought they would never have children started families. Aspartame is an endocrine disrupting agent, stimulates prolactin and causes infertility. It's also an abortifacient and teratogen triggering birth defects and mental retardation should it be used in pregnancy. It interacts with drugs and vaccines as discussed in the medical text making no drug safe to an aspartame user.

I downloaded Andrea McCreery's article just in time, because Google immediately deleted it, though they left it on the menu. Somebody at aspartame [Diet Coke, Equal, NutraSweet, E951, Ajinomoto, Merisant, or the other suspects] had the clout to kill the release to continue blinding consumers about their addictive neurotoxic, carcinogenic junk. In this case what you don't know can kill you.

McCreerys article follows below my signature. For 16 years from the creation of aspartame our FD A denied approval of that chemical because it causes brain tumors. The agency even compiled a list of 92 symptoms of aspartame poisoning from over 10,000 volunteered consumer complaints. FD A now denies there ever was such a list but here it is on their stationery: http://www.mpwhi.com/92_aspartame_symptoms.pdf It took Don Rumsfeld to leave his job as head of the company that made aspartame to become Reagan's Secretary of Defense. The day after President Reagan taking office, Arthur Hayes, a pharmacologist became the new FD A Commissioner. He over-ruled the Board of Inquiry that had revoked the petition for approval and then hired on with NutraSweet's public relations firm. So aspartame was approved not by science but political chicanery. From the aspartame documentary, Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World, is a clip by Attorney James Turner explaining how Rumsfeld committed this deadly deed and poisoned the world: http://www.sweetremedy.tv/pages/rumsfeld3.html President Reagan even wrote an executive order making the FD A powerless to do anything about aspartame until Hayes could get to the FD A.

Aspartame's record is one of smarmy anti-science and political pressure plays. The FD A and CDC have become branch offices of the profiteers, and these agencies disregard the research and revelations of world famous doctors. A 3 year study on 1,800 rats by Dr. Morando Soffritti at an Italian cancer research institute concluded aspartame is a multipotential carcinogen. It was peer reviewed by seven world experts. For his work Dr. Soffritti was honored with an award at the Mount Sinai Institute in NYC earlier this year as he released a new study showing it only takes a small amount of aspartame to trigger cancer and babies who survive a pregnant women who used it can grow up to cancer.

Here are the summaries of these two important studies that confirmed the carcinogenicity of aspartame that FD A acknowledged in original studies.

The first ERF study (2005) was conducted on 1800 Sprague-Dawley rats (100-150/per sex/per group). In order to simulate daily human intake, aspartame was added to the standard rat diet in quantities of 5000, 2500, 100, 500, 20, 4, and 0 mg/Kg of body weight. Treatment of the animals began at 8 weeks of age and continued until spontaneous death. The results show that APM causes a statistically significant, dose-related increase of lymphomas/leukemias and malignant tumors of the renal pelvis in females and malignant tumors of peripheral nerves in males. These results demonstrate for the first time that APM is a carcinogenic agent, capable of inducing malignancies at various dose levels, including those lower than the current acceptable daily intake ( ADI) for humans (50 mg/kg of body weight in the US, 40 mg/kg of body weight in the EU).

The second ERF study (2007) was conducted on 400 Sprague-Dawley rats (70-95/per sex/per group). In order to simulate daily human intake, aspartame was added to the standard rat diet in quantities of 100, 20, and 0 mg/Kg of body weight. Treatment of the animals began on the 12th day of fetal life until natural death. The results of the second study show an increased incidence of lymphomas/leukemias in female rats with respect to the first study. Moreover, the study shows that when lifespan exposure to APM begins during fetal life, the age at which lymphomas/leukemias develop in females is anticipated. For the first time, a statistically significant increase in mammary cancers in females was also observed in the second study. The results of this transplacental carcinogenicity bioassay not only confirm, but also reinforce the first experimental demonstration of APMs multipotential carcinogenicity.

The National Soft Drink Association (now American Beverage) originally protested to Congress against aspartame approval. Their objections cover many pages in the Congressional Record of 5-7-85.

Cover up is customary for the criminals who concoct this poison and feed it to half the world. In August the New Zealand Soil & Health and Safe Food Campaign brought me to their beautiful land for a 3-weeklecture tour and to present official documents and medical reports to their NZ Food Safety Authority. Abby Cormack's case of poisoning on Wrigley's aspartame gum in NZ had been making world news. The NZFS A Authority is an agency responsible to protect New Zealanders from toxic substances, but they refused to see me or even to accept the federal and medical documents I traveled 10,000 miles to bring them. Chris Wheeler, Mission Possible New Zealand wrote the most indepth report on what was going on. http://www.rense.com/general78/dying.htm It was obvious who was writing the propaganda for the NZFS A since Ajinomoto was using this as an advertisement on the web.

Reminds me of when there were efforts against aspartame in New Mexico and I wrote this paper, " Aspartame Makers In A Tizzy" - http://www.wnho.net/aspartame_makers_in_tizzy.htm

It has been 12 years since I actually lectured for the World Environmental Conference when Dr. Clarice Gaylord of the EP A said: "We have an epidemic of MS and lupus and can't identify the toxin". I answered, "I'm here to lecture on MS and lupus and identify that toxin as NutraSweet (aspartame/E951/Equal/Canderel, etc.). Today it has been fully confirmed. Besides Dr. Roberts medical text, Dr. Russell Blaylock wrote "Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills" on the subject. http://www.russellblaylockmd.com His lecture "The Truth About Aspartame" discusses the famed Ramazzini Study.

Dr. Gaylord knew MS and lupus was epidemic from field reports as she discussed with me. Today there is a New report showing MS is escalating at an incredible rate proving Dr. Gaylord and myself were right. http://www.mpwhi.com/new_report_at_neurology_conference.htm

MS victim Cori Brackett, co-owner of Sound and Fury Productions, was a heavy diet pop drinker. In a wheelchair hardly able to talk she had a hard time of it, but after abstaining from aspartame eventually walked out of her wheelchair as did many others who read this report. Eight months later her large lesion all but disappeared. She went on to make the documentary, "Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World", http://www.soundandfury.tv Other MS victims appear in this film.

The epidemic of lupus is obvious to explain. James Bowen, M.D. says "the ability of methyl alcohol/formaldehyde to create antigenicity, especially as combined in aspartame molecules is so great as to cause severe autoimmune reactions to the tissues deformed by formaldehyde polemerization, adduct formation. The immune system turns against the victim's tissues: Lupus."

It was l996 when 60 Minutes did the story on aspartame and brain tumors because of famed Dr. John Olney's journal article in Neurology. Neuroscientist Dr. John Olney founded the field of neuroscience called Excitotoxicity and tried to prevent approval of aspartame. Dr. Ralph Walton explained even at this time 92 per cent of independent scientific peer reviewed studies showed the problems. http://www.dorway.com/peerrev.html In the last 24 months 13 more studies have shown the toxicity.

I contacted Andrea McCreery and let her know her story had been deleted. She wrote and said, "Yes, I am aware of the feathers ruffled." Since I had printed out the article it appears below to prevent the sabotage. Let's forward it so it will get many times more publicity than it would have, and show the aspartame industry their attempts are foolish. Keep it going folks and save a life today. We simply won't allow industry's shenanigans to continue. The public deserves the facts. Enough is enough of the front groups as well: http://www.wnho.net/aspartame_no_hoax.htm Dr. Betty Martini, D.Hum.

Founder, Mission Possible World Health International
9270 River Club Parkway
Duluth, Georgia 30097
770-242-2599
E-Mail: BettyM19@mindspring.com
http://www.wpwhi.com
http://www.whno.net
http://www.dorway.com

Aspartame Toxiocity Center: http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame

ASP AR T AME - "Don't Even Consider It" by Andrea McCreery (Roseville & Rocklin Today)

"In the keynote address by the EP A at the World Environmental Conference, it was announced that there was an epidemic of multiple sclerosis and system lupus and they did not understand what toxin was causing this to become rampant across the United States.

"When the temperature of aspartame exceeds 86 degrees F, the wood alcohol in aspartame converts to formaldehyde and then to formic acid, which, in turn, causes metabolic acidosis. Formic acid is the poison found in the sting of fire ants. The methanol toxicity mimics multiple sclerosis; thus, people are being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in error. Multiple sclerosis is not a death sentence; methanol toxicity is.

"Systemic lupus has become almost as rampant as multiple sclerosis, especially in Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi drinkers. With methanol toxicity, the victims usually drink three to four 12 oz cans per day, some even more. In the cases of systemic lupus, which is triggered by aspartame, the victim usually does not know the aspartame is the culprit. The victim continues its use and aggravates the lupus to such a degree, that it sometimes becomes life threatening. When people quit using aspartame, those with systemic lupus usually become asymptomatic. Unfortunately, this disease cannot be reversed. On the other hand, in the case of those diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, (when in reality, the disease is methanol toxicity), most of the symptoms disappear. In some cases, vision and hearing have returned. This also applies to cases of Tinnitus. If you are using Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc.) and you suffer from fibromyalgia symptoms, spasms, shooting pains, numbness in your legs, cramps, vertigo, dizziness, headaches, tinnitus, joint pain, depression, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, blurred vision or memory loss, you probably have " Aspartame Disease".

"The Ambassador of Uganda noted that their sugar industry is adding aspartame. He continued by saying that one of the industry leader's sons could no longer walk due in part to product usage. This is a very serious problem. Additionally, during a visit to a hospice, a nurse said that six of her friends, who were heavy Diet Coke drinks, had all been diagnosed with MS. This is beyond coincidence!

"Here is the problem. There were Congressional Hearings when Aspartame was originally included as a sweetener in 100 different products. Since this initial hearing, there have been two subsequent hearings. Nothing has been done. The drug and chemical lobbies have very deep pockets. Now, there are over 5,000 products containing this chemical and the patent has expired. At the time of this first hearing, people were going blind. The methanol in the Aspartame converts to formaldehyde in the retina of the eye. Formaldehyde is grouped in the same class of drugs as cyanide and arsenic - deadly poisons. Unfortunately, it just takes longer to quietly kill, but is killing people and causing neurological problems. Aspartame changes the brain's chemistry. It is the reason for severe seizures. This drug changes the dopamine level of the brain. Imagine what this drug does to patients suffering from Parkinson's disease. This drug also causes birth defects.

"There is absolutely no reason to use this product. It is "not a diet product"/ The Congressional record said, "It makes you crave carbohydrates and will make you F AT." Dr. H. J. Roberts, a diabetic specialist and expert on Aspartame poisoning, states that when he took patients off of Aspartame, their average weight loss was 19 pounds per person. Aspartame is especially deadly for diabetics. All physicians know what wood alcohol will do to a diabetic. We find that physicians believe that they have patients with retinopathy when, in fact, it's caused by the Aspartame. The Aspartame keeps the blood sugar level out of control, causing many patients to go into a coma. Unfortunately, many have died. It was reported at the Conference of the American College of Physicians that those patients that switched from saccharin to an Aspartame product had eventually gone into a coma. Their physicians could not get their blood sugar levels under control. The patients suffered acute memory loss, and, eventually, coma and death. Memory loss is due to the fact that aspartic acid and phenylalanine are neurotoxins without the other amino acids found in protein. Thus is goes past the blood brain barrier and deteriorates the neurons of the brain. Dr. Russell Blaylock, a neurosurgeon, said "The ingredients stimulate the neurons of the brain to death, causing brain damage of varying degrees."

"Dr. Blaylock and Dr. Roberts will be writing a position paper with some case histories and it will be posted on the Internet. According to the Conference of the American College of Physicians, "We are talking about a plague of neurological diseases caused by this deadly poison." Dr. Roberts realized what was happening when aspartame was first marketed. He reported, "My diabetic patients are suffering memory loss, confusion and severe vision loss." At the Conference, doctors admitted not knowing why. They had wondered by seizures were rampant (the phenylalanine in aspartate breaks down the seizure threshold and depletes serotonin, which causes manic depression, panic attacks, rage and violence). Just before the Conference, Norway asked for a possible antidote for this poison because they are experiencing so many problems in their country. This poison' is now available in 90 plus countries worldwide. Fortunately, speakers and ambassadors at the conference from different nations have pledged their help.

Take anything that contains aspartame back to the store. Monsanto, the creator of aspartame knows how deadly it is. They fund the American Medical Association, American Dietetic Association, Congress and the Conference of the American College of Physicians.

On November 15, l996 the New York Times ran an article on how the American Dietetic Association takes money from the food industry to endorse their products. Therefore, they cannot criticize any additives or tell about their link to Monsanto. How bad is this? A mother who had a child on NutraSweet was told to get off the product. The child was having grand mal seizures daily. The mother called her physician, who called the AD A and was told not to take the child off of NutraSweet. The mother can not be convinced that the Aspartame is causing the seizures. Every time someone gets off Aspartame, seizures stop.

There are 92 documented symptoms of aspartame, from coma to death. The majority of them are neurological because Aspartame destroys the nervous system. Aspartame Disease is partially behind some of the mystery of the Desert Storm health problems. The burning tongue and other problems discussed many cases can be directly related to the consumption of aspartame. Several thousand pallets of diet drinks were shipped to the Desert Storm troops. (Remember: heat can liberate the methanol from the aspartame at 86 degrees F). These diet drinks sat in the 120 degree F Arabian sun for weeks at a time on pallets. The serviceman and women drank them all day long. All of their symptoms are identical to aspartame poisoning.

Additionally, Dr. Roberts says, "Consuming Aspartame at the time of conception can cause birth defects." According to Dr. Louis Elsas, Pediatrician and Professor of Genetics at Emory University, in his testimony before Congress, the phenylalanine concentrates in the placenta, causing mental retardation. In the original lab tests, animals developed brain tumors; phenylalanine breaks down in DKP, a brain tumor agent. When Dr. Esposito was lecturing on Aspartame, one physician in the audience, a neurosurgeon said, "When brain tumors are removed and studies, high levels of Aspartame were found in them."

"Stevia or Xylitol, a sweet food and "not an additive" helps in the metabolism of sugar. It would be ideal for diabetics and has now been approved as a dietary supplement by the FD A. For years, the FD A has outlawed this sweet food, because of their loyalty to Monsanto. If it says "sugar free" on the label - do not even consider it."

Andrea McCreery, Ph.D. is located in Fair Oaks, C A. She may be contacted at http://www.life-sources.com or 916-536-9930.

__________________________________________________

(Since this time a safe sweetener has become available called "Just Like Sugar" which is sold in Whole Foods and Wild Oats)

With regard to Multiple Sclerosis here are two reports by Doctors H. J. Roberts and Russell Blaylock.

Multiple Sclerosis or Aspartame Disease, by H. J. Roberts, M.D.:
http://www.mpwhi.com/ms_or_aspartame_disease.htm

The MS and Aspartame Connection by Russell Blaylock, M.D.:
http://www.wnho.net/ms_and_aspartame.htm

13 new studies showing Aspartame Toxicity in 24 months:
http://www.mpwhi.com/13_aspartame_research_studies.htm

Read the proof and my invitation to speak at the World Environmental Conference:
http://www.dorway.com/nomarkle.html

Dr. Russell Blaylock's article: "What To Do If You Have Used Aspartame":
http://www.wnho.net/wtdaspartame.htm

Dr. Ralph Walton's new article on psychiatric disorders and aspartame:
http://www.mpwhi.com/aspartame_and_psychiatric_disorders.htm

The whole timeline on aspartame from the Ecologist:
http://www.mpwhi.com/ecologist_september_2005.pdf

A not so old article I wrote and wanted to share again - one of my faves

2010-05-17T10:36:00.003-05:00

The Certainty of Purrfection

Yes, I know it’s a cheesy title – but how else could I talk about the certainty of cats that they are lovable and perfect? And they’re not alone. Cared for dogs have that look and presence also – they can’t imagine you not wanting to be with them – night and day. In your face. Under your hands – and feet.

On the bed.

Charlie – the black and white “jellicle" male cat in the household, teaches us each and every day, the value of good strong self esteem. But like all good teachers, once he sees I’ve learned that lesson, he moves on to the next. It’s a humbling business trying to keep up with the daily teachings of a not so dumb animal.

The first lesson of the week, Monday morning at 6.30a.m and repeated at various times during the day, was “Attention must be paid”. It took the paw pounding on my ribcage at 6.30, the balancing act on the bathroom sink at 8 a.m. and the ‘I am so much more important’ walk-about in front of the computer screen at 11 a.m. for it to sink in.

The lesson of the day? Attention must be paid.

Every day, I have a choice to decide what is important in life – at that moment, and each and every moment after that – and use that information to enrich my life. How I wake up – the attitude I take to the morning, the weather, the chores, the news. I decide how to see it.

At the computer, I can make decisions about my body – how and how long I sit to keep my body pain free. I can make decisions about the information I share – some of it – or all of it.

In the kitchen, Charlie doesn’t have to worry, his food is pre-balanced - for optimum health it says. But when he needs salad, or oil, he lets me know.

He knows and understands what his body needs. Ha! Attention must be paid.

Georgina Cannon

That Oscar Wilde once said -

2010-05-15T09:43:00.000-05:00

Life is not complex. We are complex. Life is simple, and the simple thing is the right thing.

A Cut Above – Healing quickly and successfully after surgery. Part 2

2010-05-14T09:53:00.002-05:00

After surgery, recovering at home -

This is the hardest. You’re in familiar surroundings, but energy is lower than you may be used to. Your brain isn't engaging like it should . You see things around the house, now that you’re home during the day, that really need fixing – or doing. Don’t! This is a time of recuperation and healing. Listen to healing music and healing hypnosis. Take some gentle walks around the block. Stop and chat to dogs and their walkers. Read a silly book – one that you might read at the beach. Start your vitamin regime, and take the time to really consider what you’re eating and how it make you feel.

Give yourself at least two full weeks before making any lifechanging decisions.

Surgery does change your perception of life – for the better – if you allow it to.

You appreciate life more, and those you share life with. Let it happen.

My protocol: Back to Dr. Ee for more acupuncture (boy does it boost my energy) and the Myers injections. Finding ways to ‘gentle-down’ my life. Starting very gentle exercises just to get the body moving. Visualising a strong healthy body, working the Healing the Body. Waking up each morning with a ‘thank you’ and each evening counting my blessings. Question – why didn’t I do this before – it feeels so good?

As I wrote this, I had just marked two weeks post surgery, and although the energy wasn’t where I wanted it, the incision healed fast and was beginning to fade, my mind was connected, and the doc said I was way ahead of the usual healing trajectory.

It felt great to own my healing and by using hypnosis and other healing modalities my body was responding well, and, as I expected, this just became a memory.

Georgina Cannon

A SPIRITUAL CONSPIRACY

2010-05-13T09:44:00.000-05:00

On the surface of the world right now there is war and violence and things seem dark.
But calmly and quietly, at the same time, something else is happening underground.
An inner revolution is taking place and certain individuals are being called to a higher light.
It is a silent revolution.
From the inside out. From the ground up.
This is a Global operation.
A Spiritual Conspiracy.
There are sleeper cells in every nation on the planet.
You won't see us on the T.V.
You won't read about us in the newspaper.
You won't hear about us on the radio.
We don't seek any glory.
We don't wear any uniform
We come in all shapes and sizes, colors and styles
Most of us work anonymously
We are quietly working behind the scenes in every country and culture of the world.
Cities big and small, mountains and valleys, in farms and villages, tribes and remote islands.
You could pass by one of us on the street and not even notice.
We go undercover.
We remain behind the scenes.
It is of no concern to us who takes the final credit,
but simply that the work gets done.
Occasionally we spot each other in the street,
we give a quiet nod and continue on our way
During the day many of us pretend we have normal jobs,
but behind the false storefront at night is where the real work takes a place.
Some call us the Conscious Army.
We are slowly creating a new world with the power of our minds and hearts.
We follow, with passion and joy.
Our orders come from the Central Spiritual Intelligence
We are dropping soft, secret love bombs when no one is looking..
Poems ~ Hugs ~ Music ~ Photography ~ Movies ~ Kind words ~
Smiles ~ Meditation and prayer ~ Dance ~ Social activism ~ Websites ~ Blogs ~ Random acts of kindness...
We each express ourselves in our own unique ways with our own unique gifts and talents.
Be the change you want to see in the world.
That is the motto that fills our hearts.
We know it is the only way real transformation takes place.
We know that quietly and humbly we have the power of all the oceans combined.
Our work is slow and meticulous.
Like the formation of mountains
It is not even visible at first glance,
And yet with it entire tectonic plates shall be moved in the centuries to come.
Love is the new religion of the 21st century.
You don't have to be a highly educated person.
Or have any exceptional knowledge to understand it.
It comes from the intelligence of the heart
Embedded in the timeless evolutionary pulse of all human beings.
Be the change you want to see in the world
Nobody else can do it for you
We are now recruiting…
Perhaps you will join us.
Or already have.
All are welcome
The door is open
~ Author Unknown

From St. Francis of Assisi

2010-05-12T09:42:00.000-05:00

Start by doing what's necessary, then what's possible and suddenly you are doing the impossible.

We honour one of the great masters of hypnosis.

2010-05-11T16:21:00.000-05:00

He left a huge legacy for us all.

http://www.gilboyneonline.com/1455/obituary-of-gil-boyne-1924-2010/

A Cut Above – Healing quickly and successfully after surgery. Part 1

2010-05-10T09:49:00.003-05:00

For most people the prospect of having surgery or “going under the knife” is a terrifying prospect. Totally giving over control of your life to a comparative stranger who will make changes to your body. Cut pieces off or out, or sometimes put pieces in – or move pieces around. The idea of cutting into flesh is abhorrent, and let’s face it, scary!

There is a way of making the whole process more acceptable to mind and body, and encourage the healing process so that you can surprise the doctors and yourself with how quickly and dynamically you heal. I’ll give you some overall suggestions and then tell you my personal protocol. The process breaks down into three sections:

Pre-surgery-

Once you are over the shock of having to go into surgery, start using your self hypnosis to let your body know that surgery will be happening for healing purposes.

Start visualizing the healing and the coming together of tissues, the ease of blood flow and the levels of energy returning to your body. In other words, visualize success at all levels.

My protocol: Listen to the Healing the Body at least twice a day for 10 days prior to surgery.

Visit my superb Naturopathic Doctor, Dr. Leslie Ee for acupuncture to balance the energy in the body, Myers Injections (vitamins and minerals) and other supplements to prepare the tissue to heal, stopping these 3 days prior to surgery.

During surgery and immediate recovery -

Turn yourself over to the process knowing that you have the best surgical team available (you did do your research and check them out didn’t you?) This is no time for control issues or dignity. You will be poked, prodded, looked at in the most embarrassing positions – and really, know it doesn’t matter. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about your meds and process. Treat the hospital staff gently and with respect and they will do the same for you.

My protocol: Listen to the Healing The Body, as many times as you can.

Drink water. Sleep. I walked as often as I could and imagined I was taking my pole for a walk – I gave it a name too.... Percy. Gotta find a giggle somewhere! I made sure I said thank-you a lot to my body, my nurses and those I love.

Georgina Cannon

Part 2 - Post surgery

A quote from Charles Mingus

2010-05-09T09:41:00.000-05:00

"Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity'.

A Reason Not to Quit: The Story of the Fern & the Bamboo

2010-05-07T09:36:00.000-05:00

One day I decided to quit...I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality.... I wanted to quit my life. I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.

"God", I said. "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"
His answer surprised me.

"Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"

"Yes", I replied.

"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.

"In the second year the fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.

"In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit. The same in year four.

"Then in the fifth year, a tiny sprout emerged from the earth.

"Compared to the fern, it was seemingly small and insignificant.

"But just six months later, the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.

"It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle.

"Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots? I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you.

"Don't compare yourself to others." He said. "The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern. Yet they both make the forest beautiful.

"Your time will come", God said to me. "You will rise high."

"How high should I rise?" I asked.

"How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.

"As high as it can?" I questioned.

"Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."

I left the forest, realizing that God will never give up on me. And He will never give up on you.

Never regret a day in your life.

Good days give you happiness; bad days give you experiences; both are essential to life.

--Author Unknown

LEARN AND EXPERIENCE PAST LIFE REGRESSION – an open course for everyone!

2010-05-05T09:04:00.002-05:00

If you have ever wondered about past life regression or reincarnation, this is the perfect opportunity to explore that wonderment.
Georgina Cannon, author of” Return – Past Life Regression and You”, and “Discovering the Interlife – Your Life Between Lives”, will guide you on a soul journey which includes forgiveness, healing and wisdom from your past lives.
You will learn about how your soul journeys from lifetime to lifetime, decisions made before birth, and more about Karma and Choice.
This will be a fun, pragmatic, interactive and profound workshop that will help you bring forward the wisdom and understanding to benefit your relationships around the current life as well as understanding any current mental, physical or emotional dysfunction.

Dates: May 14 – 15, 2010
Fee: $150 + Tax.
Location: Ontario Hypnosis Centre, 94 Cumberland St.

CLASSES ARE SMALL, SO EMAIL NOW TO HOLD YOUR SPACE
or REGISTER ON-LINE

How do you find Success?

2010-05-03T10:45:00.000-05:00

by Zoilita Grant of CO.

The definition for achieving success is:

Success is where preparation and opportunity meet.

Motivation is a very powerful force that moves us to success and the achievement of our goals.

Ten Tips to increase motivation:

1. Make sure that your really want the goals.
2. Make your goals very clear. Writing it down makes it happen.
3. Focus on your goals and think about it often.
4. Imagine your goal as if it is already happening.
5. Read books or articles about the subject of your goals.
6. Read and think about people who have achieved similar goals.
7. Think often about the benefits you will gain by achieving your goals.
8. Imagine and think about how you will feel achieving your goals.
9. Create a positive affirmation about your goals and repeat this affirmation daily.
10. Every day do something towards achieving your goals.

Remember the Good Times

2010-05-01T10:44:00.000-05:00

All flowers begin with the potential to grow and
blossom. Yet in winter, perennial flowers are buried
under the snow. Inside the dark earth, they are
patiently waiting for their time to bloom. For the
flowers, faith is believing that spring will return. It
is carrying the light of summer deep in their roots so
that even in times of cold and dark, there is hope
that they will bloom again.

When spring does return, they shoot out of the
ground and burst into blossom. In times of light,
they drink it deep into their roots--deep enough to
sustain them through the next season of darkness.

We can do the same, keeping the memory of good
times deep within us, so that when we're feeling
low, it will keep our faith in the happy future strong.

Anonymous

A Quote from Theodore Roethke

2010-04-30T10:05:00.000-05:00

Deep in their roots all flowers keep the light.

Tips to Breaking Negative Habits - by Georgina Cannon

2010-04-29T10:57:00.001-05:00

We all have habits we want or need to break for health reasons, to preserve relationships at work or home, or to keep financial health. But in spite of warnings from doctors, many individuals continue to smoke, or eat too much. Others spend more money than they know is healthy. Another has the habit of flying off the handle and getting himself in trouble with peers or at work.

To make changes we need to change our beliefs “All habits - or unthought actions - emanate from the subconscious mind. And these habits start either as learned behaviour, which we learn subconsciously from watching or hearing others, or consciously through repeated learning; like learning to read or say our times table.”

Tip one: Initiate a positive habit
The first principle in attempting to alter our behavior is to realize that we are all creatures of habit. Since positive habits are far more beneficial than bad habits, the key is to initiate a positive habit (the “suggestion”) strong enough to overcome the bad habit. This can be accomplished by developing new patterns, or by selecting a habit so effective and enjoyable that it acts to overpower the undesirable bad habit.

Tip Two: Implant a new positive image
So now you’re motivated, you want to change something, how does it work? If we took a smoker who desires to quit smoking, for example, hypnosis can help by changing your self-image into that of a ‘non smoker’. A new positive image is implanted into your subconscious (the first factor required-motivation-is imperative). Now you’re old feelings, attitudes and fixations about smoking have been dismissed. Or say for example that you want to lose weight. You know all the reasons you should lose weight. You really want to get in better shape. You want to take better care of yourself. Hypnosis helps by suggesting to your subconscious that you don’t want to ‘lose weight’ but ‘be healthy’. These are the ‘believable suggestions’ at work. You are now focusing on what you want to gain, for instance, better health, self-esteem and vitality.

Tip Three: Change for yourself not for someone else.
If you are changing because someone else wants you to, the chances are greatly reduced that hypnosis will work.

Tip Four: Repeat, Repeat, Repeat
Most of the habits, feelings and emotions we want to change are deeply implanted in our subconscious mind and will not just "go away" with one set of suggestions.

Tip Five: Make suggestions Believable
If you are to accept a suggestion, your mind must first accept it as a real possibility. Saying I will lose 100 pounds in a week is not believable or possible. Once you can find a believable suggestion you are well on the way to real change.

Desiderata

2010-04-27T14:47:00.000-05:00

It's been around for a loooong time, but worth repeating... and remembering

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender.
Be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;and listen to others,even the dull and the ignorant;they too have their storybook loud and aggressive persons,they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,you may become vain and bitter;for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;many persons strive for high ideals;and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,no less than the trees and the stars;you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,whatever you conceive Him to be,and whatever your labours and aspirations,in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy

Great info!

2010-04-25T14:45:00.000-05:00

Fight-or-flight hormones help tumor cells escape to spread - perfect reason to use hypnosis to combat stress!!

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100412172830.htm

Just one thing.....

2010-04-23T14:19:00.002-05:00

Most of us go along in life, allowing life to happen to us, until there’s trauma, an event, or an awakening of some sort that forces us into a different perspective. It doesn’t have to be huge...it doesn’t have to be dramatic, but it allows us to look at life differently.

In the clinic, I see many people for whom that ‘aha’ moment comes when they discover – or re-discover a part of themself that allows them to move ahead with a different energy and joy in life. The light in their eyes sparkles and joy dances within. It’s glorious to watch.

For me, a few years ago, a conversation I had allowed me to discover I had choice about who I was and how I could live my life. Sounds simple now... but then it was life changing.

I’ve been asking some colleagues and friends about their ‘aha’ moments.... comments or realisations which changed the trajectory of life and how they live it.

“The moment I realised that religion and spirituality are two entirely different concepts...and I could fly free, guilt free, of years of religious restrictions...” Angie Noon – Therapist. UK

“Watching a sunset and realizing that there is no death.” BE – U.S.

That each soul chooses it's path and my sister's death was something her soul needed to experience. Tim M - Toronto

The purchase of an itty-bitty booklight, it stopped arguments at bedtime and probably saved our marriage! R G

Reading the last stanza from Mother Teresa's poem The final Analysis "... You see, in the final analysis, it's all between you and God... it was never between you and them anyway." Hilla - Healer. U.S.

I can easily divide my life into two parts - during the first forty years I believed that I wasn't a very effective person; after going to war-torn Ethiopia to search for the lost girl who eventually became my daughter, I felt a surge of self confidence that I've been able to call upon ever since when times were rough. Judie Oron - Author

Seventeen years ago, in the middle of an Orlando FLA airport, with my two young daughters at my side, I made the decision to leave my marriage. Our flight was delayed and my husband was agitated and began his routine of verbal and emotional badgering,I didn’t respond so he began to harass our four year old. This triggered a switch in me that brought such clarity to the situation. I realised I wasn't responsible for my husband's happiness. My life, my direction and my attitude changed in an instant. Lynne P

I was depressed and overweight when suddenly something told me to..switch the TV on.... I saw on the screen a person I later came to know as someone I'd known in a past life, and the loss of whom had been the reason for my depression. Once that happened I could release the depression, I immediately changed, and within a few years my wildest dreams were overtaken as I progressed through songwriter, TV presenter, columnist and author for the top MBS publisher in the world. That second of karmic recognition really did change everything. Jenny Smedley – Author, Broadcaster Great Britain

Yes the one thing I remember, that took My breath away was when I learned how to stop blaming others for what I thought was their wrong, and put the blame on me instead, it was the first step on the way to freedom and liberation. - Rafael Monterrubio Spain

When my Maternal Grandmother (who I was close to) died. I decided to reach out to my paternal Grandmother, Rosie G, who I loved but didnt really know. So I started calling her. At first it was for a recipe or a bit of family history or just to talk. We began to talk almost weekly about stuff, nothing important, just stuff. When she died a few years later I was sad. But instead of the 'if onlys' and 'shoulds', I felt like I had done something right, I had not regrets with her. She knew I loved her. R. New York

I think the most profound LifeChanger was the loss of several people who gave meaning to my life.My dearest friend Arthur Gelgoot who passed away a few years ago after battling cancer. The passing of my Father and Mother, and my great dog Zebediah. Their loss combination amalgamated into one larger event about mortality. In knowing the advice they would project, I changed my career path to find a purer sense in my own being through my art. Tim Forbes – artist Canada

When I was about 20, my uncle died at 45, and my aunt died at 50. It was around then that I started saying, "Life's too short." As soon as I finished university, I started saving money and then I began to travel. In the next 10 or 12 years, I went around the world 3 times and spent all my money on travel. It took me several years to realize that those early deaths had changed the course of my life forever. Penny Hozy - Editor. Author Thailand

Some small ‘aha’ moments, some much larger, but each one profound and meaningful enough to change life direction. What one moment has changed your life? Let us know and we’ll print them here – with your permission of course – and you’ll receive a gift from us as you gift us with your ‘aha’ moment.

Thinking of you all-ways

Namaste.

Georgina

From the book Conscious Women, Conscious Relationships by Darlene Montgomery

2010-04-21T12:59:00.000-05:00

“The honorary duty of a human being is to love.”
~Maya Angelou
My Aunt Rachel, known to all my friends and colleagues as
“Auntie,” was the oldest of four siblings. Her mother was taken
away to a mental hospital when she was 12, her father earned a
sporadic living selling door to door in Glasgow, Scotland, and it
fell to my aunt to take care of her siblings: Clair, one year
younger, asthmatic, Betty, my mother—a self-professed Diva of
entitlement, and Mark, the youngest brother—a lost soul who
eventually committed suicide by walking into the sea from
Brighton Beach.

Needing to earn money to feed the family, my aunt started
dressmaking. She had seen her mother cut and sew their clothes
over the years and decided she could do that too. Offering her
services to the next door neighbor, this 13-year-old took the
piece of fabric given to her, folded it in half, cut a hole for the
neck and did what she could with the rest! Somehow she made
it work as she did everything else in life. This crude beginning
turned into her profession as a couturier, eventually making
bridal and evening gowns for the English wealthy, including a
series of gowns for Opera Singer, Joan Sutherland.

In her 40s she married the man who had been asking for
years. Stanley Lewis loved my aunt unconditionally, gently
laughing and coaxing her through some of her more dynamic
interactions. They shared the same birthday, same day, same
year, March 11th 1912. With him she lived a little more secure
life, still working, she turned her love of color to art. Started
painting, and never looked back.

She came to Canada when she was 70, bringing her husband
(Stanley) and her paints and canvases with her. Vibrant, active
and opinionated, she started to teach art and to sell her
paintings. Her neighbors, students, and select teachers, all
became part of her life mosaic.

At that time I was running an active, consuming public
relations business. From time to time she came into help, when
we were busy getting ready for a client’s special event.

We became very close. She had always been a stand in
mother to my sister and me. At those times when her sister, our
mother, sporadically decided to take off, she would step in, so
we knew each other well.
It wasn’t always easy between us. Both of us had strong
opinions and definite ideas. When we argued my uncle would
say, “This is what happens when an irresistible force meets an
immovable object.” We'd laugh, hug and start chattering about
something else.

In her vibrant mid 80s she developed a brain tumor, which
fortunately was operable—and watching her curled up in the
hospital bed, bald, vulnerable, baby like, I realized with a shock,
for the first time, how old she was. I had forgotten. Recovering
faster than her doctor forecast, she was soon back in the saddle
painting, teaching and walking around Toronto, but just a little
slower.

Stanley, my uncle, became ill with Parkinson’s and all her
attention went to him. She no longer painted; she took care of
him and made sure that the doctors they went to listened to his
story and gave him what he needed to stay as strong and as pain
free as possible. When he died, she was 89. She missed him
terribly and talked about him all the time. But after a few
months she went back to painting and teaching.

Once a week or so, usually on a Saturday, we’d have a ‘ladies
on losing a loved one • 93
lunch’ together, and chat about politics, our lives and what was
next for both of us. One lunch time, I looked at her and said
“You know, I’ll miss you when you’re gone.”

"Gone!” she said, “Where am I going?”

“When you die, I mean.”

“I may die,” she said, “But I’m not going anywhere! You’ll
always hear me talking to you, and reminding you about colors
that are good for you to wear. Don’t worry, I’m not going
anywhere!” She laughed. So did I. Because I knew it was true.

At 94, she chose to die. For the previous year she hadn’t been
well, and had slowed down to the point of her irritation. No
longer painting, she couldn’t concentrate. She was forgetting
who and how she was, and hated it. One weekday morning
while watching television, she chose to leave.

Packing up her things I noticed that she had donated some
paintings to friends, my sister and to me; the empty canvases
and paints she left to my sister, who carries on the painting gene,
and the rest was to go to people who needed it.

As I plan to paint my new home, her voice guides me very
strongly about the colors I choose. “That one has too much
yellow in it. Too grey. That green isn’t flattering to you. That one
is OK, but it needs to be punched up.”

She didn’t ‘go’ anywhere. Her paintings are on my walls. Her
opinion about color is vibrantly and sometimes irritatingly
available in my ear. And as her soul moves on to rest and choose
another journey, I’d like her to know that I still hear her voice,
see the twinkle in her eye—that woman, my aunt, known as
Rachel.

Namaste.
From my heart to her heart.
I am blessed.

~Georgina Cannon

A great idea ...

2010-04-20T10:53:00.000-05:00

Available April 30 great looking postal stamps go on sale that benefit animal shelters.
They will be available in your post office and may be ordered anytime.

Link to see about them:
http://www.stampstotherescue.com/

'Near-death experience' explained by carbon dioxide

2010-04-19T12:57:00.000-05:00

PARIS (AFP) - People who have "near-death experiences," such as
flashing lights, feelings of peace and joy and divine encounters
before they pull back from the brink may simply have raised levels of
carbon dioxide (CO2) in the blood, a study suggests.

Near-death experiences (NDEs) are reported by between 11 and 23
percent of survivors of heart attacks, according to previous research.

But what causes NDEs is strongly debated. Some pin the mechanisms on
physical or psychological reasons, while others see a transcendental force.

Researchers in Slovenia, reporting on Thursday in a peer-reviewed
journal, Critical Care, investigated 52 consecutive cases of heart
attacks in three large hospitals.

The patients' average age was 53 years. Forty-two of them were men.

Eleven patients had NDEs, but there was no common link between these
cases in terms of age, sex, level of education, religious belief,
fear of death, time to recovery or the drugs that were administered
to resuscitate them.

Instead, a common association was high levels of CO2 in the blood
and, to a lesser degree, of potassium.

Further work is needed to confirm the findings among a larger sample
of patients, say the authors, led by Zalika Klemenc-Ketis of the
University of Maribor.

Having an NDE can be a life-changing experience, so understanding its
causes is important for heart-attack survivors, they say.

Something to think about ...

2010-04-18T12:56:00.000-05:00

History belongs to the ego

Memory belongs to the soul

THE HE ALING POWER OF HYPNOSIS

2010-04-17T10:48:00.000-05:00

Hypnosis: Hocus pocus it's not
For starters, how about surgery without anesthesia?

There was nothing remarkable about Victor Rausch's gallbladder operation. Nothing at all except that he underwent the surgery without so much as swallowing an aspirin.
Rausch, then a young dentist from Waterloo, Ontario, wanted to see if he could skip the anesthetic and rely on hypnosis to keep him relaxed and free of pain while his gallbladder was removed.
AS THE SURGEON sliced into his abdomen, Rausch entered into a hypnotic trance, focusing on Chopin's lush Nocturne in E-flat as it was played in the film The Eddy Duchin Story. He visualized scenes in the movie, enlisting sight and sound to swaddle his mind in a virtual reality infinitely more appealing than the one he was living at the moment.
Throughout the 75 minute operation, Rausch maintained steady blood pressure and pulse rate; he even talked and joked with the surgical team. And implausible as it may seem, he swears he felt no pain--only a little tugging. After the surgery was over he stood up, walked down the hall and rode the elevator to his hospital room.
SOUND LIKE a medical parlor trick? Yes, surgery without anesthesia is a bit of a mind-bender. But the truth is, even in its less startling applications, hypnosis still evokes the image of its sideshow past. Just murmur, You are getting sleepy, very sleepy, and some people envision one of those 1950's mad-doc movies in which creepy old men hypnotize lovely young women to do all sorts of things.
NEVERTHELESS, as researchers learn more about the mind-body connection, hypnosis is ever so quietly becoming part of mainstream medicine. Doctors and therapists often use hypnosis to help people quit smoking, lose weight, manage stress, diminish pain and overcome phobias-- some of the more typical uses of the method. Health maintenance organizations and major insurers are generally willing to pay. In addition, patients are also being taught self-hypnosis to ward off asthma attacks and epileptic seizures; hemophiliacs are using it to stop their own bleeding; and last summer, after reviewing the medical literature, the National Institutes of Health concluded that the technique is effective for easing several kinds of discomfort, including headaches and pain associated with cancer.
It's easy to imagine the advantages. Once you become proficient at hypnotizing yourself, you can do it anywhere and anytime. There are no side effects. And it doesn't cost a dime. Such control is a powerful tonic for many patients, even when hypnosis is used as an adjunct to conventional remedies.
So how does this healing method work? How do you know if it will work for you?
Except for lack of props, current techniques aren't all that different from those of early practitioners. Whether through counting backwards from 100 or asking the patient to concentrate on a peaceful setting, the goal is to relax the body while creating a state of mental awareness that makes it easy to assimilate therapeutic suggestions. An addicted smoker might be told to imagine h/herself as a nonsmoker, going through daily activities without a cigarette; a frustrated dieter might be encouraged to imagine h/herself thin and trim in a new swimsuit, eating only foods that are healthy.
ACCORDING TO electronic tracings of brain waves of people undergoing hypnosis, there is a surge of theta waves, which are associated with enhanced attention. That may explain why suggestions introduced during this state are particularly effective: The mind has tuned out everything else and is focusing exclusively on the new idea.
OF COURSE, HELPING people kick bad habits is one thing; if they are not trained in self hypnosis, getting them to take a surgical incision without anesthesia is quite another. However, Helen Crawford, a psychology professor at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, says the sensation of pain is like any other mental process that can be controlled to some degree. Indeed her tests of people experiencing hypnosis--she's been mapping brain waves and measuring cerebral blood flow--have shown increased activity in the brain's frontal region, which is known to inhibit sensory information. Pain still registers in other areas of the brain, but the hyped-up frontal cortex blocks its ascent into consciousness.
Brain maps or no, it's precisely this squishy, is-it-or-isn't-it proposition that keeps some people from taking hypnosis seriously. Think hard and you, too, can learn to ignore excruciating pain. Or more troubling: If it continues to hurt, perhaps you're not tough-minded enough. These suggestive statements are giving the wrong message to the brain and therefore produce more P AIN. When the methods are properly used they work. Proponents insist, it doesn't really matter whether the pain no longer occurs or the mind just shields you from it. Either way, you don't feel it!
Some people do feel it, however, because they are not as receptive as other individuals. Artists and writers often make good subjects because they are comfortable with fantasy and learning new things, says Herbert Spiegel, a psychiatrist and one of the foremost experts on the medical uses of hypnosis. Yet many practitioners believe motivation is as important as innate capacity. Anyone can be conditioned to use hypnosis effectively, if they have normal intelligence.
PERH APS TH AT'S why people in acute medical crises are particularly responsive to hypnotic suggestion. This is where the miracles happen, says Marcia Greenleaf, assistant clinical professor of psychology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. Over the years, Greenleaf has seen many patients in the cardiac intensive care unit with heart rates as high as 190 beats per minute. With hypnosis, they are often able to stabilize their condition within minutes, without using medications.

Burn recovery can be another of those wondrous turnabouts, says Dabney Ewin, a clinical professor of surgery and psychiatry at Tulane Medical School. His most startling case involved a 28-year-old factory worker whose leg had slipped into a vat of molten aluminum heated to approximately 1,750 degrees F.
EWIN, THEN THE PL ANT PHYSICI AN, hypnotized him almost immediately. He told him that his leg felt "cool and comfortable," and the man said that indeed that was how it felt. What's more, after additional treatment in the emergency room, the burned skin healed much faster and better than physicians had anticipated, without infection and without forming any scar tissue.
The desire for long term results also can serve as motivation, and experts say that with training and practice almost anyone can use hypnosis for simple healing purposes. In a study sponsored by the government's Office of Alternative Medicine, Crawford taught 17 people to use the technique to ease backache. In the laboratory, subjects reduced pain sensation by more than 80 percent. At home they felt significantly less depressed and were able to sleep better at night.
For Robert Jackson, a retired jet engine mechanic in Ft. Worth, Texas, hypnosis ended two years of torturous pain. As a consequence of radiation treatments he had undergone in 1993, Jackson's esophagus was so badly scarred that eating had become almost unbearable. He ended up on a feeding tube, which left him feeling hungry all the time.
HE W AS CURIOUS ABOUT HYPNOTHER APY, but the first physician he approached scoffed at the idea. Eventually Jackson wound up at the Center for Pain Management in Fort Worth. There, he says a doctor showed him the ropes. I learned to put my mind someplace else, he says, so the pain, though still real, wouldn't dominate his experience. It took a while, but he is now so adept at hypnotizing himself that he goes into a trance almost instantly.
I have three children, and I'm relatively a young man at 50, he says. But two years ago all I could do is sit around and cry. I still have pain, and I still take drugs every once and a while, but my suffering is greatly reduced. Best of all, I can actually eat real food now. Sometimes, I even feel full.

Editor's Note:
By Jean Callahan - Edited by Anna H Spencer, PhD
Edited and reprinted from YOUR HE ALTH August 19, 1997, pages 27-30.

Hypnosis World Summit 2010

2010-04-16T15:52:00.000-05:00

http://www.hypnosisworldsummit.com/cmd.php?Clk=3663904

Hypnosis World Summit 2010

2010-04-16T10:39:00.003-05:00

Are you sick & tired of struggling with the same problems over and over again? Do you want to learn how to get relief from these issues once and for all? Learn EXACTLY how From the world's leading self hypnosis experts... for FREE

Self Hypnosis is the safe, natural timeless practice that has been used in cultures around the world for centuries with startling results. Our leading experts will show you how to harness this natural ability for your personal relief and success.

Contrary to what you might think, overcoming your emotional and physical challenges doesn't have to be a struggle... actually it can be easier than you ever imagined.

From His Holiness the Dalai Lama

2010-04-15T12:54:00.001-05:00

We are not born for the purpose of causing trouble and harming others. For our life has to be of value. We need to foster and nurture such basic good human qualities as warmth, kindness and compassion. If we can do that or lives will become more meaninful, happier and more peaceful, we will make a positive contribution to the world around us.

Believe ...

2010-04-13T12:53:00.000-05:00

Those who achieve great things, defeat long odds, and become legends, didn't have anything you don't have.

They just kept showing up, expecting a miracle, long after everyone else got practical.

from Spain

2010-04-02T17:31:00.000-05:00

It was a day of birds, bees and olive oil! We drove out through the Sierra mountains to buy limited edition olive oil
from a very small farm... and along the way stopped at a marshland to see pink flamingos resting and nesting before
taking off to go North. We also stopped along the way for lunch... (delish), to buy honey from a farmer and again for tomatoes and bags of oranges from a roadside farm cart. Sitting in the garden at the end of the long and lovely day,
a flock of Canada geese flew overhead honking their way to goodness knows where! Probably Ontario Place.
Tomorrow we see the Easter Parade of Penitants ... and so it goes. Pictures coming....

from Spain

2010-04-01T17:30:00.000-05:00

Arrive to a loving warm welcome from my friends, but unfortunately not from the weather. I have promises that the grey skies and drizzle will change.... hmmm heard that one before!
In the breaks we walk to the town centre and I capture memories:
The vision of orange blossom lined streets.... the overwhelming sweet and wonderful fragrance
and I wonder why more warm countries don´t do this.

Sunny days on the patio playing with the dogs.
Being woken each morning with a crash of the the bedroom door, whump and humpf of two Shar Pei's jumping on my bed, breathing doggie breath into my face and then settling down alongside and at my feet. Fortunately I love them!
Walking to the market each day to buy food for the magnificent lunch my friend cooks for lunch which is the largest meal of the day. Saying hi to friends of the friends who seem to know everyone here!
They have decided (my hosts) not to siesta after lunch, but walk. I stick to tradition!
I´d forgotten how cool the inside of a southern Spanish home can be when it´s not uber hot outside....chilly...
Off for a magnificent weekend at Jerez de la Frontera and finally hot...sunny...warm... but still lots of orange blossoms and oranges in trees. Beautiful Moorish inspired architecture... and oh the horses! I dream of them and see them in my minds eye before we go to visit the stables of the famous Andelucian horses... even better than my dreams! Photos to come!
And I´m warm... even hot!
We eat, we laugh, we look, everywhere the eyes fall, they land on beauty...drink lots of sherry.... visit Bodegas...
walk and walk in this lovely town
On the way back visit mountaintop quaint villages with more churches than houses.... ports... beaches...restaurants (of course) and I finish off the first week with an interview with Hanna Murray, talk radio Europe..... and am booked for next week with them for an evening phone in show.
That´s it for now....more some time soon........hey it´s Spain!!

Motivating words ...

2010-03-25T11:47:00.000-05:00

I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something.

And because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something that I can do

Wise words

2010-03-23T11:47:00.000-05:00

If you want to reach a state of bliss, then go beyond your ego and the internal dialogue. Make a decision to relinquish the need to control, the need to be approved, and the need to judge. Those are the three things the ego is doing all the time. It's very important to be aware of them every time they come up.” ~ Deepak Chopra

Boosting Your Teen's EQ

2010-03-21T11:45:00.000-05:00

Do you have a bright teen with a poor EQ?

Do you have a bright teenage child who is nevertheless struggling at school or having

difficulty socially?

Your child's IQ and S AT scores probably isn't the culprit. Child education psychologists agree that EQ--or emotional intelligence--has much more influence on your child's success, now and in the future.

Emotional intelligence, first described by Peter Salovey and John Mayer, two Yale University psychologists in 1990, refers to five main emotional competency areas:

· Emotional self-awareness: recognizing, naming, and understanding the cause of one's feelings;

· Handling emotions appropriately: demonstrating productive options for managing stress and upsetting feelings rather than "acting-out" negatively;

· Self-motivation: thinking, planning, and solving problems by using impulse control, frustration tolerance, and delayed gratification to reach a specific goal;

· Empathy: recognizing and understanding emotions in others; and

· Social skills: handling emotions in relationships and interacting harmoniously with others.

As a parent, you can help your child develop her EQ. It's never too late--and your child is never too old--for you to begin talking with her, asking her sensitive questions, listening to her responses, and offering gentle guidance or advice. Teenagers often get less physical touch and less one-on-one intimate conversation time with their parents than younger kids and toddlers do. And although they are good at hiding it, teens crave parenting.

To help a teen boost his EQ, look at each of the five competencies above, and use them as a framework to observe your child's behavior. Perhaps your child cursed up a blue streak when he didn't get what he wanted. Or he failed to notice that you were very tired and stressed out after dinner when he had all his demands. Consider such behaviors teaching moments. Give him a hint about a different way to handle or look at the situation. Instead of telling him how to behave, however, ask him what he noticed, felt, or wanted. By gently pointing out new ways to interact with others, you give your teen an opportunity to learn and practice some new skills.

To reinforce these behaviors don't forget to praise your teen when she is exceptionally kind, or intuitive about another's feelings, or is patient, flexible, or communicative. Little by little, your bright teen can grow into an emotionally brilliant adult.

By Charlotte Reznick PhD who is a child educational psychologist, an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychology at UCL A, and author of the L A Times bestselling book The Power of Your Child's Imagination: How to Transform Stress and Anxiety into Joy and Success (Perigee/Penguin, 2009). In addition to her private practice, she creates therapeutic relaxation CDs for children, teens, and parents, and teaches workshops internationally on the healing power of children's imagination. You can find out more about her at http://www.imageryforkids.com

Powerful affirmations

2010-03-19T11:44:00.000-05:00

I want to be the best that I can be. I want to do and have and live in a way that is in harmony with my idea of the greatest goodness. I want to harmonize physically here in this body with that which I believe to be the best, or the good way, of life. If you will make those statements, and then do not take action unless you feel good, you will always be moving upon the path in harmony with your idea of that which is good.

--- Abraham

On this day of your life, I believe God wants you to know ...

2010-03-17T11:42:00.000-05:00

...that the possibility of making an error should never, ever stop you from doing anything.

Don't ever be afraid of "not getting it right." In truth, there is no "right" was of doing anything...there is only the way you are doing it. So go ahead. Do it.

Nothing wonderful has ever been accomplished by anyone who was worried sick about it not being wonderful.

Exciting ...

2010-03-15T11:45:00.001-05:00

Discovering the Interlife - the book by Georgina Cannon is now available through the gift shop at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. http://www.rom.on.ca/dining_shopping/shopping/museumstore.php

It's a fabulous store and well worth a visit.

Meet them where they are ...

2010-03-15T11:42:00.001-05:00

In order to help someone who's in a very different vibrational frequency, you've got to adjust your vibrational frequency so that they can hear you. And if we were standing in your physical shoes, we would not adjust our vibrational frequency down—ever. We would not introduce more resistance in our vibration for any reason whatsoever, because disconnecting yourself from resources does not give them more to eat.

--- Abraham

Don't be afraid to stand out from the crowd

2010-03-03T12:09:00.000-06:00

Some years ago I met Michael White, the now departed co-founder of Narrative Therapy. Soon after, his star rose rather quickly and he became a very well known teacher and writer.

But all was not well in Australia, his home country. As Michael traveled around the world, his colleagues at home began to make snide remarks about him: Who the hell did he think he was? Better than everyone else?

An Australian friend of mine told me that this was a reflection of what they called there "The Tall Poppy Syndrome." Anyone who stood above the crowd was likely to get cut down, like the tallest poppy in the bunch.

I don't know if you worry about that kind of thing holding you back at all, but I can tell you the world and thousands of clients are better off for Michael sticking his head above the crowd and making the contribution he made.

Sure, some people will think you are arrogant and "too big for your britches" if you step outside your comfort zone and go for making a bigger and wider contribution, but I would advise you to focus on your passionate mission and your desire to make this world a better place instead of worrying about the naysayers and petty people who would hold you back and keep you in your place.

- Bill O'Hanlon - writer, therapist and guru

The Art of Focus

2010-03-01T12:08:00.000-06:00

Energy Protection ~

All of our life tools can be helpful if we use them wisely and keep ourselves engaged in all the world has to offer.

As humans, we don't always know what is good for us. Sometimes what appears to be a negative situation contains a gem of wisdom that leads to our highest growth. Rather than focusing our thoughts on what we want to keep out of our experience, we may want to turn the light of our attention to the good we'd like to create while leaving room for something better. By doing this, we allow space for the wisdom of the universe to work its magic on our behalf. If we trust the universe, we know that good is present even if it doesn't look good on the surface. When we shift our focus this way, we actually attract those things into our lives, and the rest falls away without the effort of filtering. By practicing the art of focus, we invest our attention and energy into making our lives a positive experience.

Source: www.dailyom.com

The Hunger Scale - with thanks to James Giunta

2010-02-28T12:10:00.000-06:00

As you ready yourself for Spring Training and Slimming down.... train your brain to recognise the

Hunger Scale, so you can monitor yourself everytime you bring food to your mouth.

1 - extremely hungry, low blood sugar, possibly a low grade headache

2 - hungry, stomach growling, reminding you to eat

3 - feeling irritable for no reason

4 - slightly hungry - peckish

5 - blood sugar back to normal

6 - food tastes good

7- feeling not hungry

8 - satiated - full

9- more than full - more than enough

10 - extremely full - feel bloated.

Once you get the idea of this, you cannot un-know it. It becomes easier to monitor what goes in --

because we know, what goes in -- goes on!

Something to think about ...

2010-02-26T12:09:00.000-06:00

It is as easy to create a castle as a button.

It's just a matter of whether you're focused on a castle or a button.

--- Abraham

Paper or Plastic

2010-02-24T12:07:00.000-06:00

The next time you are asked "paper or plastic" at the grocery check-out, you can do your part to save the environment by answering "neither" and using your own reusable shopping bag.

Obviously, these bags are more eco-friendly, but here are just a few more advantages they have that you may not have known:

· Typically, reusable bags can hold twice as many items - and sometimes four times - as other bags.

· They are easier to carry and will not rip or tear like other bags.

· They are washable and will last for years.

· They are made of non-toxic, non-allergenic material.

· Most reusable bags have a flat-based design that allows them to stand upright, making packing and unpacking easier.

· Using just one cloth reusable bag can save up to six paper or plastic bags a week ... or 24 bags a month ... or 288 bags a year ... or 22,176 bags in a lifetime!

Albert Einstein -

2010-02-22T12:09:00.001-06:00

You can either live your life as though nothing is a miracle or as though everything is a miracle.

Biology of Belief

2010-02-20T10:57:00.000-06:00

Bruce Lipton, Ph.D. professor at Wisconsin University and Stanford University Schools of Medicine pioneered in the 1960's stem cell research. What he learned from his research is that we as living beings are not machines run by bio-chemicals and DNA. In his book Biology of Belief, he states; "What we now know is that our entire biology is shaped by the intelligence of each of our fifty trillion cells. And the single most important way to influence them is through the energy of our beliefs."

With this in mind we must explore our own thoughts and how they shape who we are and who we become. What we know, is that we were programmed starting 5 months before we were born by the energy of our parent's thoughts and our surroundings. The stresses, the happiness, the fears and the worries they had, were programmed into us. We continued to be affected by outside environmental signals until the age of six and continuing to a lesser degree to the age of nine. So in actuality we are today in attitude and personality what we learned before birth and until the age of nine. We were programmed like a computer or recorded on like a cassette tape, so that we just keep playing the same programs over and over. Unless we change the recording, we can not change the behaviour.

You may have a fear of snakes because your parent was afraid of snakes and one day seeing a snake in the back yard the parent screamed snake, grabbed your hand and jerked you into the house. You were just taught that snakes are something to be afraid of. However, if your parent saw the snake and said "look there is a snake in the yard" and explained that some snakes are harmless and that others are dangerous, you would have a respect for snakes but not have the fear.

The most amazing thing discovered by Dr. Lipton was that any behaviour we have acquired in the computer brain or cassette tape of the mind can be recorded over or written over. However, the only way that can be done is in the Alpha or Theta brain way frequency; which is actually the frequency we are in until the age of six. If we can record over these behaviours in the Alpha or Theta Brain wave frequency, how do we do it?

Simple, either by meditating or hypnosis, both are Alpha and Theta brain wave states. Therefore if you change your mind or thinking while in a hypnotic state you begin to change or rewire the brain. When you rewire the brain the chemicals produced by the brain sends new messages to the cells which changes the cells response which changes the behaviour. The reason most people have trouble making the changes they want is because they live as if today was yesterday so they continue to carry around the baggage form the past. When I teach people how to use self-hypnosis I instruct them to "see themselves, not as they are, but as they want to be as if they had already achieved it and to imagine it in a realistic and believable manner. You also can make changes in your life by changing your thoughts, to change your brain to change your behaviour. The behaviour can be chronic pain, smoking, overweight or any behaviour you are ready to change.

Create a "What I Enjoy" List

2010-02-16T10:56:00.000-06:00

"As simple as this may sound, it is very important for you to make one. This list should include everything that brings you pleasure and passion in life. If you aren't sure what brings you joy right now, think back to what used to bring you joy. This may require some exploration, but what did you do when you were a little kid that brought a smile on your face? Did you used to go horseback riding? Walk outside in a garden? Whatever it may be, write it down. This list doesn't mean that you have to do them every day. It's just to make you aware that there are things in the world that do make you feel alive. If you are able to do something you enjoy at least once a week, do it and help yourself feel alive in that moment. You have to behave the way you want to feel before you feel the way you are behaving! It's about opening yourself up to a new experience or something that you stopped doing. Try to rediscover what it feels like to look or feel differently from the 'not enoughness' you have been putting into your head for a long time now. When you start doing this, you will launch yourself back into aliveness!"

— Dr. Robin Smith

Very interesting ...

2010-02-14T10:54:00.000-06:00

Align your personality with your soul. Until that happens, you won't be able to give the gifts you were meant to.

Remind yourself daily of the following:

You are a soul first and a personality second.
You are worthy. You are not on this Earth by accident. You have a reason to be here. There's a difference between accepting that in your mind and accepting it in your heart.
It's not an "it" that you're looking for—it's your life that you're living.
You are here to create an authentically empowered life. There is no guarantee you will do it. It's up to you.

— Gary Zukav

As Good As Your Word

2010-02-12T10:54:00.000-06:00

Promises

Ever since human beings could speak to one another, they have been making promises and keeping them or not keeping them. Those who keep their promises are regarded as people of integrity, while those who don’t keep their promises are regarded as people who at best can’t be taken seriously and at worst can’t be trusted. Sometimes we forget how powerful our words are, and we use them haphazardly or unconsciously, creating expectations that are never fulfilled, leaving disappointment and distrust in our wake.

Patients with chronic back pain show "brain shrinkage"

2010-02-10T10:51:00.000-06:00

MEDSCAPE Medical News

Zosia Chustecka

November 30, 2004

Chicago, IL - Patients with chronic back pain lasting for more than a year showed significant brain changes compared with a control group, displaying around 5% to 11% atrophy of cortical gray matter [ 1 ]. Given that normal brain aging results in 0.5% atrophy per year, this is equivalent to about 10 to 20 years of aging, say the researchers.

The findings are reported in the November 17, 2004 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience by a team led by Dr A Vania Apkarian (Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL). They note that this is the first study to show brain morphometric abnormalities in chronic pain.

As this was a cross-sectional study, it cannot establish whether chronic pain leads to brain atrophy, but researchers suspect that it does. "We saw the largest decrease in gray-matter volume in the patients with the longest duration of pain, so there is a correlation," Apkarian tells rheumawire in an interview.

The researchers hypothesize that as the atrophy progresses, the pain condition becomes more irreversible and less responsive to treatment. "The therapeutic implications of this are clear—it's imperative to kill the pain," says Apkarian. "It suggests that if you get in early and treat aggressively, you may have better outcomes. It may be possible to prevent some of this brain atrophy, and even if the chronic pain has persisted for some time and the atrophy has already developed, it may be possible to reverse some of the changes, but we don't know yet." But he acknowledges, "What to treat the pain with is another issue, as we don't really have effective therapies—that's why we refer to pain management rather than pain treatment."

Two specific brain regions affected

Apkarian et al used structural MRI brain scan data and 2 independent automated morphometry approaches to contrast brain morphology of 26 patients with chronic back pain to matched normal subjects. Both assessments found a similar amount of overall neocortical brain-volume decrease in the chronic back-pain patients. The decreased volume was related to pain duration, indicating a 1.3-cm³ loss of gray matter for every year of chronic pain. The largest decreases were seen in patients with both chronic back pain and sciatica (approximately half the patients).

The atrophy was localized in 2 specific brain regions, the thalamus and the lateral prefrontal cortex, which are both involved in pain perception. "The prefrontal cortex is 1 of the highest cognitive regions in the brain and is involved in memory, planning, decision making, and rational thought, so atrophy in this region may explain why chronic pain patients develop, over time, a more emotional response to their pain and are less able to deal with it by rational coping mechanisms," Apkarian explains. "The thalamus acts as a gateway for sensory input from the body to the cortex, and atrophy here may explain the sensory abnormalities that are seen with chronic pain, such as the increased sensitivity to touch," he adds.

The researchers suggest that this pattern of brain atrophy—which is quite distinct from that seen in chronic depression or anxiety—is directly related to the perceptual and behavioral properties of chronic back pain. "The regional atrophy dictates the brain activity observed in chronic pain, and it may explain the transition of acute to chronic pain."

"It is possible that some of the observed decreased gray matter reflects tissue shrinkage . . . implying that proper treatment would reverse this portion of the decreased brain matter," the researchers speculate. However, "the atrophy may be also due to more irreversible processes, such as neurodegeneration," they point out, adding that they favor this explanation because of 2 other findings. The main brain region involved, the prefrontal cortex, also exhibits decreased levels of the neurotransmitter n-acetyl-aspartate, and this has been observed in most neurodegenerative conditions, implying that it may be a marker for cell density in the brain. Also, their group has shown in a previous study that in rats with neuropathic pain, spinal neurons undergo apoptosis.

"Given that, by definition, chronic pain is a state of continuous persistent perception with associated negative affect and stress, a parsimonious mechanistic explanation for the decreased gray matter is overuse atrophy due to excitotoxicity and inflammatory agents," the researchers write.

Words of wisdom

2010-02-08T10:51:00.000-06:00

"Stop censoring your actions. Be you—the only you there is. No one else is qualified for the job. Have fun, have a sense of humor and have a million laughs. Be an optimist; be the person you were as a child. Do something new, exciting and different. Look at life from a different point of view. Get curious; ask a trillion questions and experience the joy in looking for the answers. Make new friends and cherish the old (some are silver and the others gold). Invite creativity to become as much a part of the fabric of your daily life as your everyday routines like making the bed, cooking meals, cleaning the house and caring for the people you love. Look at these everyday, seemingly mundane tasks and see where you can infuse them with spirit, individuality and fun."

— Sandra Magsamen

CA-NA-DA

2010-02-06T10:50:00.000-06:00

Now that Vancouver will be hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics, these are some questions people from all over the world are asking.

Believe it or not these questions about Canada were posted on an International Tourism Website.

Obviously the answers are a joke; but the questions were really asked!

Q: I have never seen it warm on Canadian TV, so how do the plants grow? ( England )
A. We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around and watch them die.

Q: Will I be able to see Polar Bears in the street? ( USA )
A: Depends on how much you've been drinking.

Q: I want to walk from Vancouver to Toronto - can I follow the Railroad tracks? ( Sweden )
A: Sure, it's only Four thousand miles, take lots of water.

Q: Is it safe to run around in the bushes in Canada ? ( Sweden )
A: So it's true what they say about Swedes.

Q: Are there any ATM's (cash machines) in Canada ? Can you send me a list of them in Toronto , Vancouver , Edmonton andHalifax ? ( England )
A: No, but you'd better bring a few extra furs for trading purposes.

Q: Can you give me some information about hippo racing inCanada ? ( USA )
A: A-fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe Ca-na-da is that big country to your North...oh forget it. Sure, the hippo racing is every Tuesday night in Calgary Come naked.

Q: Which direction is North in Canada ? ( USA )
A: Face south and then turn 180 degrees Contact us when you get here and we'll send the rest of the directions.

Q: Can I bring cutlery into Canada ? ( England )
A: Why? Just use your fingers like we do.

Q: Can you send me the Vienna Boys' Choir schedule? ( USA )
A: Aus-t ri-a is that quaint little country bordering Ger-man-y, which is...oh forget it. Sure, the Vienna Boys Choir plays every Tuesday night in Vancouver and in Calgary , straight after the hippo races. Come naked..

Q: Do you have perfume in Canada ? ( Germany )
A: No, WE don't stink.

Q: I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Where can I sell it in Canada ? ( USA )
A: Anywhere significant numbers of Americans gather.

Q: Can you tell me the regions in British Columbia where the female population is smaller than the male population? ( Italy )
A: Yes, gay nightclubs.

Q: Do you celebrate Thanksgiving in Canada ? ( USA )
A: Only at Thanksgiving.

Q: Are there supermarkets in Toronto and is milk available all year round? ( Germany )
A: No, we are a peaceful civilization of Vegan hunter/gathers. Milk is illegal.

Q: I have a question about a famous animal in Canada , but I forget its name. It's a kind of big horse with horns. ( USA )
A: It's called a Moose. They are tall and very violent, eating the brains of anyone walking close to them. You can scare them off by spraying yourself with human urine before you go out walking.

Q: Will I be able to speak English most places I go? ( USA )
A: Yes, but you will have to learn it first.

Quote

2010-02-04T10:48:00.001-06:00

To meet everything and everyone through stillness instead of mental noise is the greatest gift you can offer to the universe.

- Eckhart Tolle

The Smell of Generosity

2010-02-02T10:45:00.001-06:00

You may describe the smell of lemons as fresh, clean or citrusy. But would you say lemons smell like generosity?

In a recent study, titled The Smell of Virtue, participants were placed in two different rooms - one of which had been sprayed with a citrus-scented cleaner.

In the first part of the test, participants were given cash and asked to share some of it with an anonymous person in another room. The group from the citrus-scented room gave away twice as much money as the other group.

In the second part of the test, participants were quizzed about their willingness to volunteer their time for community work and to donate money to charity. Again, subjects in the more aromatic room expressed more interest in volunteering, and they were three times more likely to indicate that they would make donations.

While none of the participants said smell was a factor in how they made their decisions, co-author of the study, Chen-Bo Zhong from the University of Toronto, proposes the theory that how clean a room smells is unconsciously linked to how pure participants see themselves.

"People in a clean environment," says Zhong, "might also naturally think of themselves as more moral."

From Abraham

2010-01-21T15:00:00.000-06:00

What anyone else has or does not have has nothing to do with you. The only thing that affects your experience is the way you utilize the Non-Physical Energy with your thought. Your abundance or lack of it in your experience has nothing to do with what anybody else is doing or having. It has only to do with your perspective. It has only to do with your offering of thought. If you want your fortunes to shift, you have to begin telling a different story.

--- Abraham

Release Others’ Expectations.

2010-01-19T14:58:00.000-06:00

If you focus on what others expect of you, you’ll continue to act on and attract more of what they desire for you. But when you can shift your inner thoughts to what you intend to create and attract into your life, you will no longer have to give mental energy to what others want for you....

Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

Lesson from Abraham

2010-01-17T14:58:00.000-06:00

Complaining about anything, holds you in the place of refusing to receive the things you've been asking for. Justifying about anything holds you in the place of refusing to let in the very things that you've been asking for. Blaming someone, holds you in the place of refusing to let in the things that you've been asking for. Feeling guilty, feeling angry, it doesn't matter what you call it, it is a refusal, not a conscious one. You're asking; you can't help but ask. The Universe is yielding; it must yield. It's a big question, folks: why aren't you letting it in?

--- Abraham

About the new year ...

2010-01-15T14:56:00.000-06:00

John Dance
Senior Producer, CNN On-Air Promotion

2010 could not have started in a better way than with the people, and one very large sardine, of Eastport, Maine.

I joined 150 residents and tourists in downtown Eastport to ring in the New Year with the dropping of a Maple leaf at 11 p.m. and the dropping of a sardine at midnight.

They were both lowered from the third story window of the Tides Art Institute and Museum which puts on the event. The maple leaf is for the town's Canadian neighbors and the sardine represents the history of fishing and canning in Eastport.

Smiles and the sounds of "Oh Canada" and "Auld Lang Syne" filled the night air as families and neighbors filled the streets. This southerner was met with open arms and open hearts by the folks of Eastport.

For anyone looking for a unique experience to ring in 2011, put Eastport, Maine and The Great Sardine and Maple Leaf Drop at the top of your list.

2010-01-13T14:56:00.000-06:00

Asking for help is often an amazing gift of honour to give someone you care about.

- Curt Skene

Check out ...

2010-01-11T15:02:00.000-06:00

The Dr. Oz Show: Jan 12th -11 a.m.

Audience members undergo hypnosis to help with weight loss goals.

Color has a powerful effect on behaviour, researchers assert.

2010-01-11T14:55:00.000-06:00

By Lindsey Gruson

WHEN children under detention at the San Bernardino County Probation Department in California become violent, they are put in an 8-foot by 4-foot cell with one distinctive feature - it is bubble gum pink. The children tend to relax, stop yelling and banging and often fall asleep within 10 minutes, said Paul E. Boccumini, director of clinical services for the department.

This approach to calming manic and psychotic juveniles contrasts sharply with the use of brute force favoured as little as three years ago. ''We used to have to literally sit on them,'' said Mr. Boccumini, a clinical psychologist. ''Now we put them in the pink room. It works.''

Not all psychologists are quite so sure; many, to put it mildly, remain sceptical. Nonetheless, officials at an estimated 1,500 hospitals and correctional institutions across America have become sufficiently convinced of the pacifying effect of bubble gum pink to color at least one room that shade.

Passive pink, as it is also called, is perhaps the most dramatic example, and certainly the most controversial, of many attempts to use light and color to affect health and behaviour. Already, there are enough color schemes to spark nightmares about mind control: red to increase appetite and table turnover in restaurants, ultraviolet to reduce cavities and spur children's I.Q.'s, and blue to swell the ratio of female chinchilla babies to males.

In industrial societies whose members spend more and more time in enclosed areas under artificial lights, any effect of color and light becomes important. And now that man is primed to build artificial habitats under the seas or in outer space, totally isolated from sunlight or totally exposed to it, the urgency of understanding the effect of artificial light can only become critical. As a result the ancient and once discredited field of chromotherapy has been rejuvenated. Many scientists have become convinced that light has a far greater impact on health and behaviour than previously thought. (Chromo is now called photobiology or color therapy to distinguish it from the once-popular work of Victorian quacks.)

''It seems clear that light is the most important environmental input, after food, in controlling bodily function,'' reported Richard J. Wurtman, a nutritionist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Several experiments have shown that different colors affect blood pressure, pulse and respiration rates as well as brain activity and biorhythms. As a result, colors are now used in the treatment of a variety of diseases.

Within the past decade, for instance, baths of blue light have replaced blood transfusions as the standard treatment for about 30,000 premature babies born each year with potentially fatal neonatal jaundice. Further, because the blue light irritates nurses working in these wards, many hospitals have added gold lamps to soothe their staffs.

Meanwhile, in England, London's Blackfriars bridge was repainted blue in an attempt to reduce the number of people who commit suicide by jumping from it. The Soviet Union, one of the leaders in photobiology, showers coal miners with ultraviolet, which they believe prevents black lung disease, and supplements the fluorescent lights of schoolrooms with ultraviolet lamps.

The result, said Faber Birren, a color consultant for industry, is that ''children grow faster than usual, work ability and grades are improved and catarrhal infections are fewer.'' Mr. Birren has published hundreds of articles and books on color and is widely considered the most authoritative source on the subject.

In the United States, ultraviolet has become a standard treatment for psoriasis. And white fluorescent light, in conjunction with photosensitizing drugs, is widely used to help heal herpes sores. More controversially, several municipalities are experimenting with passive pink to stop graffiti, while football coaches try the color in visitors' dressing rooms, hoping to debilitate their opponents.

Though doctors and researchers may differ over how much is too much, they agree that some portions of the electromagnetic spectrum -such as X-rays, microwaves and ultraviolet rays - have significant effects on health. But by and large they reject such suggestions for visible light.

For example, Richard Wener, an environmental psychologist at the Polytechnic Institute of New York, said the claims made for passive pink were inflated. ''People love to see a magic bullet,'' he said. ''It strikes me as very unlikely that we'll find such a simple solution to very complex problems. In the real world, we usually find that the magical is fantastical.''

Some scepticism may be owing to the scars left by 19th-century color healers, who claimed to cure everything from constipation to meningitis with glass filters. Nor has photobiology's roots in mysticism, which empowered color with symbolism and magic, added to its credibility.

In addition, most color studies have been psychological, focusing on how light and color may affect behaviour. Assertions about physiological effects have not, at least until recently, been based on strict and scientifically designed research. Mr. Birren also asserts that the training of 20th-century doctors makes them favour ''pills and surgery'' and ''shots and prescriptions'' over such cures as color therapy.

Many color therapists complain that their work is dismissed out of hand. John Ott,* a retired banker and a leading photobiologist who directs the Environmental Health and Light Research Institute in Sarasota, Florida, ., said he has been called ''a crackpot'' for suggesting experiments on the relationship between color and behaviour.

Color therapists themselves disagree about why and how color acts as they believe it does. Mr. Birren, who has concentrated on the psychological effects of color, said he does not believe those effects are directly physiological. As designers and interior decorators have discovered, color sets a mood; this in turn, Mr. Birren said, affects health because as many as half of modern man's diseases may have a psychosomatic component.

But Alexander Schauss, director of the American Institute for Biosocial Research, said color had a direct physiological impact. The electromagnetic energy of color, he said, interacts in some still unknown way with the pituitary and pineal glands and the hypothalamus, deep in the brain; these organs regulate the endocrine system, which controls many basic body functions and emotional responses, such as aggression.

''Color very definitely has a physiological effect,'' said Harold Wohlfarth, who is president of the German Academy of Color Science and a photobiologist at the University of Alberta. In an experiment at the Elves Memorial Child Development Centre, a private school for handicapped children in Edmonton, Alberta, he found that light had the ''identical'' impact on the blood pressure, pulse and respiration rates of two blind children as on seven students with normal sight.

In the study, reported in the International Journal of Biosocial Research (Volume 3, No. 1), the walls of the schoolroom were changed from orange and white to royal and light blue. A grey carpet was installed in place of an orange rug. Finally, the fluorescent lights and diffuser panels were replaced with full-spectrum lighting.

As a result, Professor Wohlfarth reported, the children's mean systolic blood pressure dropped from 120 to 100, or nearly 17 percent, The children were also better behaved and more attentive and less fidgety and aggressive, according to the teachers and independent observers. When the room was returned to its original design, however, the readings gradually increased and the children once again became rowdy, he said.

Professor Wohlfarth said the minute amounts of electromagnetic energy that compose light affect one or more of the brain's neurotransmitters, chemicals that carry messages from nerve to nerve and from nerve to muscle. Several experiments on rats and other small mammals already have provided evidence, he said, that light striking the retina influences the pineal gland's synthesis of melatonin, a hormone that has been found to help determine the body's output of serotonin, a neurotransmitter. The precise role of the hormone, however, remains to be established.

As part of a $500,000 study of the effect of light on pupils in four schools in Edmonton, Professor Wohlfarth is trying to identify which of the brain's thousands of neurotransmitters, besides serotonin, is affected by electromagnetic energy.

''Perhaps these are new beginnings,'' concluded Mr. Birren. ''The magical properties of light and color, granted by men since the earliest of times, accepted, renounced and accepted again through the ages, have forever held fascination. It would be delightful, of course, if a thing of such psychological beauty - color - also held a mundane role in human physiological well-being.''

New word for the new year!

2010-01-09T14:54:00.000-06:00

Pronoia --- is the opposite of paranoia.

It is the belief that the universe is plotting to make you happy and there is nothing you can do about it. You experience joy, love, bliss, ecstasy, sexual feelings, peace-fullness and oneness with the world around and within

2010-01-08T14:59:00.000-06:00

May 2010 bring us wisdom- reflection, discernment, clarity and right action- for ourselves and the world. May we know and accept both our individual smallness (so we don't take ourselves too seriously) and our need to live lives that are not too small for the complete unfolding of the story we are here to embody. May we...e love well, and accept both the joy and sorrow of a human life.

Oriah Mountain Dreamer