A Community of Holistic Professionals Our Vision To strengthen and support the community of holistic professionals.
Our Mission Statement To create a unified community of compassionate holistic practitioners that will contribute to enhancing our profession and ourselves by providing a supportive space to share, learn, teach, grow, and lead.
Our Purpose The Holistic Mentorship Network supports the Holistic Professional, as well as the Community by providing the space to network, build a referral base, mentor and support each other in business development and growth, promote community awareness and education of alternative services and products, and meet potential clients.
What is MARCI®? MARCI® is a holistic magazine that provokes awareness to how we show up in our practices and our daily lives. In a time when there is a lot of chaos and stress, MARCI® reminds us of being present through “Mindful” actions and thoughts; to take responsibility for our choices and to change patterns that no longer fit. In the Holistic Field we busily take care of others, but how do we show up for ourselves? Are we taking care of ourselves and loving who we are? Trusting our own intuition and natural instinct, how often do we listen to that small voice within? MARCI® is not only a Seasonal E-zine, but a metaphor for the garden we live in as we go through the human experience. The Holistic Field is a rapidly growing industry. These inspirational stories are written by Professional Providers in the Holistic Field and our Clients that will inspire and empower you!
Why should you advertise in MARCI®? With advertisers like you, MARCI® is available electronically and distributed wherever the internet reaches! The Holistic Mentorship Network’s next step is making MARCI® available in printed form. With your support, your business will be exposed nationwide to HMN members, holistic minded practitioners and their customers.
What are our members saying about MARCI®? MARCI® provides so many great tips and interesting perspectives and they’re not just for healing practitioners! Anyone curious about alternative healing methods and important issues of today can benefit from the information shared in this magazine: parents with ADD/ADHD kids, people interested in global warming, breast cancer success stories, using intuition, growing your business, healthy foods, ancient healing traditions, nurturing…and so much more. I love this magazine with its positive outlook! -------Sarah Collins,
PhD candidate in Natural Health
Our Board Members
To Contact Us, write to: Holistic Mentorship Network 23 Main Street Sparta, NJ 07871
Erin Saxton Bjornson Justin Buffer Chuck Davis George Degan Cecelia Inwentarz Tracey Mendel Linda Mitchell Donna Price Vivian Sartoretto Michelle Zanoni
PHONE:
973-300-1184 FAX:
973-300-1189 EMAIL:
or Visit Us on the Web! www.HolisticMentorshipNetwork.com
Inside This Issue:
Our Sub-Committee Justin Buffer Sarah M. Collins Linda Mitchell
info@HolisticMentorshipNetwork.com
The Seed of Life.................................................................... 4 The Power of Focus............................................................. 6 Spring Book Review............................................................ 7 Your Personal Life Map....................................................... 8 The Mandala........................................................................ 13 From Self-Sacrifice To Self-Love...................................... 14 Exploring Sound Therapy.................................................. 16
Contributors
5 Tips For Safeguarding Our Children............................. 20
Jack Canfield Christine Clifton Sarah M. Collins Dorinne S. Davis Bill Harris Susan Levinson Elizabeth Olney Donna Price Denise A. Saracco Donna Slane Janet StraightArrow Hueina Su
Negative Thinking Is the Key To Success....................... 22 Baby, The Present Cat....................................................... 25 What Kind of World Are You Creating? ........................... 27 A Message For Teens......................................................... 28
HMN - MARCI
Linda Mitchell • Executive Director, HMN - MARCI® Editor-in-Chief Gregg Taylor • MARCI® Editor & Layout A.N. Moss • Graphic Designer
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If life begins as a seed, then how powerful can one little seed be?
The Seed Of Life
by
Linda Mitchell HMN Founder your clients? Do you fear success or challenges? Do you run from your life or, do you embrace it—even with all its ups and downs? This is the garden of life—your life…where all else falls away and you give life to the seeds that are germinating in your thoughts. Take a moment today to enter that place we call “home.” For me, it lies within my heart. This is where my passion and my dreams take form…this is where I trust the process and when the road gets bumpy, I practice having faith the size of a mustard seed.
The seed I planted eight years ago, as I started my career as a massage therapist, was to open up a retreat center--a place where my clients would come and veg. They would not have to get up off the massage table, but lay there until they were ready. I would have several other rooms available for clients and a lodge that would set the stage for rest and relaxation. But since that first seed was planted, my vision for a retreat center has changed drastically. The idea for a workshop began to develop—a workshop that would take on the name of MARCI® (an acronym for Mindfulness, Awareness, Responsibility, Compassion and Intuition). There came an awareness that took hold —that, without the presence of being “Mindful,” you would not be aware of the influenced by your parents, your seeds that you were planting. When I think of being in the holistic relatives, your parents friends, your field, I think about how important it peers, your partners…when life was simple and the breath was deep. is for each one of us to be Mindful This is the place where seeds are of our practice that we mirror from born and life begins again—where our personal to our professional life. we get to choose to live life in its What does that look like for you? fullest form!
How does one wake up to mindfulness? Start by waking up to your first breath--just as you breathed in that first breath when you were born... before you knew anything else, but the breath of life...before you were
What does your life look like today and how does that influence your practice as a holistic provider? Is your practice whole and what does that mean? Do you “practice what you preach” to your children, or to your clients? Do you teach your children to judge, or do you judge
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Today my garden looks much different than the garden of the past. The retreat is still a retreat for the holistic profession, except today it has many layers that have been implemented by more seeds that have been planted by people like you, who have come into the life of MARCI®. This year is the year for change. Much turbulence may be felt. You are not alone. Many of us are feeling the shift. With a new government taking responsibility for much of the turbulence and uncertainty, each one of us can best behold this place by quieting our thoughts and listening to that voice within. There is much work ahead for all of us… let us begin with mindfulness so we can leave the world a safer place for our children to dream, love and discover the seeds that they, our greatest teachers, will plant in their lifetime. —Linda Spring 2009
"Being that the mission of HMN is in accordance to the purpose of my work, the inspiration and community effort of HMN members especially encourages me to reach beyond my aspirations."
ADVERTISING Advertise in MARCI® and your business will be exposed to holistic minded readers nationwide. MARCI® is available electronically and is distributed wherever the internet reaches. With support from advertisers, we are working towards making MARCI® available in hardcopy. Please click on the link below to view Member and Non-member advertising rates.
Elizabeth Olney, Artist & Arts Therapist and new HMN member
Please click here to view the ad price and size list The Holistic Mentorship Network has moved its location to:
Advertise in one issue of MARCI® and get the next Ad free in the next edition…!
23 Main Street, Sparta, NJ 07871 This is a huge stepping stone for HMN, giving greater visibility for it Members and future growth of the organization. Plans for an open house are forthcoming!!
...You have all been a blessing in the life of the Holistic Mentorship Network and MARCI®. ----Linda Mitchell
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Spring 2009
S
everal years ago I co-wrote a New York Times bestselling book called The Power of Focus: How to Hit Your Business, Personal and Financial Targets with Absolute Certainty, with Mark Victor Hansen and Les Hewitt. It was a hit with leaders, managers, and HR people. Its principles are all still very relevant today, and will continue to be exceptionally valid as we course through what’s bound to be a challenging period ahead. The economic slowdown and financial shakeup has everyone feeling uneasy and uncertain. But this is when embracing and practicing key principles of success are essential—if not critical. It will allow you to do exactly what the subtitle of that book says: hit all of your targets with absolute certainty. So with that in mind, let me share two fundamental principles for engaging “the power of focus.”
Focus on Your Core Genius Every single one of us has a core genius; one thing that you love to do, and do so well, that you hardly feel like doing anything else. It’s effortless and a whole lot of fun. The ability to train and manage other people, for instance, is most definitely based on a core genius. You can also have smaller core geni-uses within that realm, such as a talent for training employees a certain way, or a knack for
covering a specific field in your company. In most cases, your core genius is directly tied to your life’s purpose, your passions, and chosen profession. Successful people believe this, too. That is why they put their core genius first. They focus on it and delegate everything else to other people on their team. Identifying and honoring your core genius, as well as those in people around you, is key to achieving success and productivity. If people you train, for instance, have no idea what their core genius is, then it’s helpful to engage them in ways that help them discover that. Yes, it’s possible to have more than one core genius, but often the genius revolves around a similar area. For me, my core genius lies in the area of teach- ing, training, coaching and motivating. I love to do it! I do it well, and people report that they get great value from it. Another core genius is writing and compiling books. Through the years I have written, authored and coauthored, compiled and edited more than 100 books. Compare that to the other people in the world who go through life doing everything; even the tasks they’re bad at or that could be done more cheaply, better, and faster by someone else. They can’t find the time to focus on their core genius because they fail to delegate even the most menial of tasks. continued on p. 10
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Spring 2009
The MARCI® Spring Book Review by Janet StraightArrow The Tao of Detox: The Secrets of TangSheng Dao
I loved the simplicity and ease for receiving the information. Clear and comprehensive, it is a reference book for your shelf of your office or home. —Detox as a part of your life.
Subtitled The Practical Guide to Preventing & Treating the Toxic Assault on our Bodies...
this book written by Daniel Reid is the most comprehensive, clear, easy to read and relate to book I have found on the subject. It’s good for practitioners and patients alike. Beautifully written. So much I knew about and then took it to the next level of knowledge and understanding. Easy food and natural recipes to use for specific organs and glands, explaining whys and wherefores. HMN - MARCI
I am enjoying and integrating this more deeply. Much is part of be The Medicine and now I will take it deeper. —enjoy! Janet
...Be LOVE
Be
Janet StraightArrow 18 Bank St, Suite 300 Morristown, NJ 07960 www.oasisforthesoul.com 973-647-2500
The Medicine Transforming Body & Soul
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Spring 2009 Be The Medicine Transforming Body & Soul
YOUR PERSONAL LIFE MAP: EnVision Success
Success is a personal journey. It looks different for each person. It’s more than money, profes-sional titles, or higher education degrees. Planning a life of success is about mapping out the aspects of your life. It is a holistic approach to success that includes mind, body and spirit—even if you are a corporate junkie, you need this balance. Similar to a map, you need to define the following details: origin, destination, vehicle, backpack, landmarks, and route.
Origin: Who you are A journey has a starting point. Your origin is who you are right now, at this moment. Most people when asked to introduce themselves identify themselves with their name and occupation, saying something like, “Hi, I’m Jean and I am a 17-year old senior high-school student.” It does not tell you about who Jean is, her values, her character, her interests or passions; it only tells you her present focus. Your origin and who you are is more than your name and occupation. It is your beliefs, values, and principles aside from your economic, professional, cultural, and civil status. Moreover, you can also reflect on your experiences to give you insight on your good and not-sogood traits, skills, knowledge, strengths, and weaknesses.
by DONNA PRICE
yourself, then your vision and targets for the future would also be unclear. Your destination should cover all the aspects of your being: the physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. With Jean, after she defined her beliefs, values, and principles in life, she decid-ed that she wanted to have a life dedicated to service.
Upon introspection, Jean realized that she was highly motivated, generous, service-oriented, but impaVehicle: tient. Her inclination was in the bioYour Mission logical- medical field. Furthermore, she believed that life must serve a purpose, A vehicle is the means by and that wars were destructive to human which you can reach your desdignity. tination. It can be analogized to your mission or vocation in life. To a great extent, your mission would depend on what you know about your-self. Based on Jean’s self-assessment, she decided that she was suited to become a doctor and that she wanted to become one. Her chosen vocation was a medical doctor. Describing her vision- mission fully; it was to live a life dedicated to serving her fellow people as a doctor in conflict-areas.
Travel Bag: Your Destination: A vision of knowledge, skills, and who you want to be attitude. “Who do you want to be?” this is your vision. Now it is important that you know yourself so that you would have a clearer idea of who you want to be; and the things you want to change whether they are attitudes, habits, or points of view. If you hardly know
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Food, drinks, medicines, and other traveling necessities are contained in a bag. Applying this concept to your life map, you also bring with you certain knowledge, skills, and attitudes. continued on p. 12
Spring 2009
Contact Us Today! 973-300-1184 or visit www.HolisticMentorshipNetwork.com/membership.htm
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Spring 2009
THE POWER OF FOCUS continued When you delegate the grunt work (the things you hate doing or those tasks that are so painful, you end up putting them off) you get to concentrate on what you love to do. You free up your time so that you can be more productive. And you get to enjoy life more.
So why is delegating routine tasks and unwanted projects so difficult for most people? Surprisingly, most people are afraid of looking wasteful or being judged as being above everyone else. They are afraid to give up control or reluctant to spend the money to pay for help. Deep down, most people simply don’t want to let go. Others (potentially you) have simply fallen into the habit of doing everything themselves. “It’s too time-consuming to explain it to someone,” you say. “I can do it more quickly and better myself anyway.” —But can you? One of the strategies I use and teach is complete delegation. It simply means that you delegate a task once and completely, rather than delegating it each time it needs to be done. As a trainer, teaching this tactic can mean the difference between quick results or very slow success. When my niece came to stay with us while she attended the local community college, we made a complete delegation: the grocery shopping. We told her she could have unlimited use of our van if she would buy the groceries every week. We provided her with a list of staples that we always want in the house (eggs, butter, milk, etc.) and her job was to check every
week and replace anything that was running low. In addition, my wife planned meals and let her know which items she wanted for the main courses (fish, chicken, peas, etc). The task was delegated once and saved us hundreds of hours that year that could be devoted to writing, exercise, family time, and recreation. Most entrepreneurs spend less than 30% of their time focusing on their core genius and unique abilities. In fact, by the time they’ve launched a business, it often seems they are doing everything but the one thing they went into business for in the first place. Many salespeople, for example, spend more time on account administration than they do on the phone or in the field making sales, when they could hire a part-time administrator (or share the cost with another salesperson) to do this timeconsuming detail work. Most female executives spend too much time running their household, when they could easily and inexpensively delegate this task to a cleaning service or part-time mother’s helper, freeing them to focus on their career or spend more quality time with their family.
Don’t let this be your fate— or the fate of your employees, colleagues and co-workers. Be an example to start. Identify your core genius, then delegate completely to free up more time to focus on what you love to do—and of course what you excel at—when you’re at work. Help the
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people you train to recognize and support their own core genius. Bring this lesson home with you, too. You’ll be amazed at how much free time (not to mention mental space) you’ll have to keep doing what you do best, and for the benefit of the entire team.
Focus on Determination It is extremely valuable to take action toward your goals, and help others do the same. But one of the most important qualities you will need to develop in order to continue taking action is persistence. You must be persistent in your disciplines and habits —perseverant in the face of adversity, hardship and challenge; and determined to achieve your dreams, no matter what. This becomes even more important the more people you have to train, mentor, teach, and advise. There will be many times when you will want to quit, give up, and go back to doing something else, but the one quality that will guarantee your success—as well as the success of others around you—is the willingness to stick with it, to see it through to the end and to refuse to settle for anything less; the longer you hang in there, the greater the chance that something will happen in your favor. No matter how hard it seems, the longer you persist, the more likely you and your team’s success will be.
Adversity and Discouragement Is Inevitable No matter how well you plan and how well you execute your plan, you are bound to meet with disappointments, adversity, Spring 2009
continued on next page
THE POWER OF FOCUS
continued
and failure along the way to your ultimate triumph. That failure, by the way, may come from other people that you rely upon. Sometimes, you will encounter what seem like overwhelming odds; sometimes, the Universe will test your commitment to the goal you’re pursuing. The going may be hard, and may require you to refuse to give up while you learn new lessons, develop new parts of yourself, and make difficult decisions. Adversity is what gives you the opportunity to develop your inner resources of character and courage. Adversity is also a great teacher. It will test you and make you stronger, but you have to hang in there and not give up! More than 4,000 years ago in China, Confucius wrote: “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
How to Deal with Obstacles
years may be filled with more obstacles and roadblocks than previous years, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still come out a winner and encourage others to succeed, too. Trainers in particular need to embrace their roles as leaders and teachers even more so. Remember, people who focus on what they want prosper. Those who don’t struggle. They inspire everyone around them to participate and contribute to the common goal. Focusing on core genius and determination alone will jumpstart your future suc-cess and accelerate results. -----JC Jack Canfield is
America’s #1 Success Coach, co-founder of the billion-dollar Chicken Soup for the Soul© brand, and a leading authority on Peak Performance. If you’re ready to be more accomplished and have more fun in all that you do, learn more and access a library of resources at www.FreeSuccessPrinciples.com.
Whenever you confront an obstacle or run into a roadblock, you need to stop and brainstorm three ways to get around it, over it, or through it. For every obstacle, come up with three different strategies for handling the potential obstacle. There are a number of ways that will work, but you will only find them if you spend time looking for them. Always be solution-oriented in your thinking. Persevere until you find a way that works. The next few HMN - MARCI
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Spring 2009
YOUR PERSONAL LIFE MAP: Anticipate Turns, Detours, and Potholes
continued from page 8
These determine your competence and help you in attaining your vision. Given such, there is a need for you to assess what knowledge, skills, and attitudes you have at present and what you need to gain along the way. This two-fold assessment will give you insights on your landmarks or measures of success. Jean realized that she needed to gain professional knowledge and skills in medicine so that she could become a doctor. She knew that she was a bit impatient with people so she realized that this was something she wanted to change.
Landmarks and Route: S.M.A.R.T. objectives Landmarks confirm if you are on the right track; while the route determines the travel time. Thus, in planning out your life, you also need to have landmarks and a route. These landmarks are your measures of success. These measures must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time bound. Thus you cannot set two major landmarks such as earning a master’s degree and a doctorate degree within a period of three years, since the minimum number of years to complete a master’s degree is two years. Going back to Jean as an example, she identified the following landmarks in her life map: completing a bachelor’s degree in biology by the age of 21; completing medicine by the age of 27; earning her specialization in infectious diseases by the age of 30; getting deployed in local public hospitals of her town by the age of 32; and serving as doctor in war-torn areas by the age of 35. The landmarks become your goals. The route is your strategy for reaching each landmark or goal. You can see that it all ties together with your vision. Without the vision it is hard to create a map with landmarks and routes. As you develop your route, you are working on strategies that make the most sense for getting to the next landmark along your journey. HMN - MARCI
The purpose of your life map is to minimize hasty and spur-of-the- moment decisions that can make you lose your way. But oftentimes our plans are modified along the way due to some inconveniences, delays, and other situations beyond our control. As in any path, there are turns, detours, and potholes —thus, we must anticipate them and adjust accordingly. And occasionally the road ends at a cliff that we didn’t anticipate and we find ourselves plunging out of control. In each of these situations it is where a compass becomes a vital tool. Your compass keeps you headed in the right direction, helps to get you back on your route. Your compass contains your values and principles; it is what guides your life along your journey. Values and principles are what guide your decisions. When a road block appears or a detour comes up, you need to take out your compass and get a new bearing of where you are headed. A life map is a valuable tool for building success year after year. You are not just driving down the road blindly. You have envisioned your destination. It is okay if the vision isn’t totally clear. The clarity can come as you come closer and closer to that vision. It is when you drive without a plan that you end up in a destination unknown and wonder how you got yourself there. By being the driver of your life and have a life map you are more likely to achieve the success you desire. -----DP Donna Price, President of Compass Rose Consulting, is the author of "Launching Your Dream", a business and life coach working with people to live their vision and dream instead of daydreaming.
Compass Rose Consulting PO Box 615 Branchville, NJ 07826 Office: 973-948-7673 www.compassroseconsulting.com Newsletter: www.BuildYourBusinessSuccessNow.com
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We must be the change we wish to see. —Mahatma Ghandi We live The Mandala; the whole of the sacred circle. We are one as we dance the wheel of universality. We are each and all an integral part of the cycle of life. Nature is as we are nature. Emerging from a darkened winter of coldness, possibly we experienced a consciousness of more contemplation than usual. We may have considered days of individuation, insight and reflection of self. Hence, we readied ourselves for renewal as the cycle inevitably aspires to the glory of spring. And as more sunlight shines upon us, it subtly ignites the intuitive sparks within us for reawakened sight. Wondrously, moments of awe offer us the sweetness of flowering with the brilliance of revitalization. Illumination.
emma Here again; the time of change, renewal and celebration of Creation itself with new life. Branches extend their delicate twigs offering buds of rejuvenating scents as silk is spun for the flight of color in motion. As our sensory awareness reminds us of the splendor of spring, our own creativeness reawakens. Innately, it awaits in our soul continually with a yearning to express. Springtime is the gift of time that naturally re-energizes our spirit as mammals, as humans, as beings. May we gratefully create anew.
Thank you sun, earth, moon & the circle of oneness...
tyler
Elizabeth Olney,
ataja HMN - MARCI
Artist and Arts Therapist
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Spring 2009
From Self-Sacrifice— to Self-Love
Heal yourself first, before you heal others. —African Proverb I remember vividly the day I told my mom that I was pregnant with my first child. My mom was overjoyed. This would be her very first grandchild, and it meant the world to her. She congratulated me, and then she said something that stunned me. “Be prepared to give up at least ten years of your life for this baby.” My first response was, “Sacrifice 10 Years?! Um, how about me? How about my own life?” Back then, I was approaching thirty, loved my career, and had no intention of being a stay-at-home mom (although later on, I did stay home for a few years—and I would never trade anything for that time with my children). I know my mom was simply telling her truth. That’s how she lives her life as a mother and wife. However, the concept of sacrificing ten or more years of my life was such a foreign idea, that it shocked me, intellectually and emotionally. To me, this self-sacrifice parenting model sounds too all-ornothing. Even as inexperienced as I was, I knew instinctively that it’s not good for my overall well-being. I remember thinking to myself, “Is this really the only way? Why can’t I have my baby, my career AND my life?” If you know anything about Chinese culture, you know that "selfsacrifice" is highly admirable, even expected—especially for women. Men are also expected to self- sacrifice, but usually only for a higher cause, like family honor, the emper-
or, or their country. The bottom line is, most people avoid being perceived as selfish at all cost, and they put their own happiness and self-worth at the mercy of others. I was reminded of the virtue of self-sacrifice, when we installed satellite TV, in order to watch Chinese programs. My "ulterior motive" was to spark an interest in Chinese language and culture in my children by exposing them to Chinese TV programs. Well, the jury is still out on that one, but I did get some insights from the Chinese soap operas that I'd like to share with you. My husband and I were watching this show about a group of young people who have complicated relationships—you know, A loves B and B loves C—that sort of thing. Some of them secretly love someone, but wouldn't express their feelings, because they think the other person is better at providing happiness for the person they love, and therefore they should "sacrifice" themselves for the best interest of the one they love. Of course, there's all the guilt, insecurity, and regrets. All of them act like they are not worthy of love, and their happiness and self-worth are entirely dependent on whether or not they receive the love from someone else. "Oh, come on!" I exclaimed in disbelief, "this is the twenty- first century! They are still showing this kind of story on TV?!" My husband just shrugged.
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by Hueina Su After almost twenty years of living in the US, and counseling and coaching countless people, I know that the Chinese are not the only group who think and behave in this way. The fact is, we are all more alike than different from each other. This reminds me of a story that Don Miguel Ruiz (author of "The Four Agreements") told in his book The Mastery of Love. In the story, a man and a woman are in love. They also respect and appreciate each other for who they really are. They have fun and enjoy their time together. There is no envy, jealousy, or any attempts to control or possess each other. One day, the man's heart is so full of love and joy that a miracle happens. When he looks at the beautiful night sky, he finds the brightest, most beautiful star. His love is so big that the star descends and lands on the palm of his hand. At that moment, his soul merges with the star. He is so happy that he can’t wait to see the woman and put the star in her hand to prove his love for her. However when he puts the star in her hand, she feels a moment of doubt. This love is too overwhelming. The moment she feels this, the star falls from her hand, and breaks into a million pieces..... The man is heart-broken, and swears continued on p. 15
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From SelfSacrifice To Self-Love continued
that love doesn't exist; the woman is heart-broken too, for she has lost the paradise she once had, due to a brief moment of doubt.
Who made the mistake? Don Miguel Ruiz said the mistake was on the man's part, thinking he could give the woman his happiness (the star). The truth is that happiness can only come from within us, not outside of us. The man and woman had been happy before because of the love inside themselves. As soon as he puts his star in her hand he makes her responsible for his happiness, and nobody can be responsible for another person's happiness. That's why she has the moment of doubt and breaks the star. The truth is, you’ll never be happy unless you have enough love for yourself. Sadly, most of us are like the man in the story— trying to give our precious star to someone else, and desperately hoping they will love us back and make us happy. Instead of looking outward for love, I invite you to practice Intensive Self-Care, which is an act of self- love.
What is Intensive Self-Care? I define it as taking good care of yourself physically, emotionally and spiritually.
It includes (but not limited to) beliefs and behaviors such as loving and accepting yourself unconditionally, respecting yourself, honoring your own needs, having regular Me Time for yourself —doing the things you enjoy, eating a balanced diet, having enough sleep, exercising regularly, having annual physicals, enjoying quality relationships (family, friends, colleagues, life coach, mentors) that support you, managing your time according to your core values and priorities, knowing how to ask for what you want, asking for help when you need it, honoring and pursuing your dreams, knowing how to say "No," and standing up for yourself, etc. Intensive Self-Care is NOT being selfish and it's NOT a luxury, but rather an essential practice for your survival and overall well-being. It's especially critical if you are in a nurturing role, either in your personal or professional life. —It's like putting on your own oxygen mask first before you help others put on theirs, when the plane hits turbulence in mid-air. You wouldn't be of much use to your loved ones, if you didn't put on your own oxygen mask and passed out. Research has repeatedly shown that chronic stress is linked to a host of physical and emotional symptoms and many major diseases. As a Nurturer, if you do not make a point to renew and recharge yourself, you will most likely end up stressed out, burned out, or having a physical and/or emotional disease. When you do, everyone you take care of will suffer with you.
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Over the years, being a mom of two, and having worked in many industries including nursing, counseling, coaching, education, nonprofit, small business, etc. I have found that learning to practice Intensive SelfCare is one of the most important keys to my personal and professional success, life balance, and happiness. This is why I choose to dedicate my coaching practice in helping Nurturers learn the Intensive Self-Care principles and incorporate the self-care practices in their daily lives.
How about you? What are your non-negotiable self-care practices? As a holistic health professional, you nurture your clients and family every single day. Don’t forget to put Intensive Self-Care as your top priority, to ensure your longterm success and overall wellbeing. Your clients and your family depend on you. ------------Hueina Su, The Nurturer’s Coach™, is an expert in helping people find the missing peace and balance in their stressful lives. She is a certified life coach, national keynote speaker, and founder of Beyond Horizon Coaching, a coaching and training company specializing in providing solutions for Work Life Balance, Stress Management and Intensive Self-Care. This article is an adaptation from her upcoming new book Intensive Care for the Nurturer’s Soul: 7 Keys to Nurture Yourself While Caring for Other. Visit www.BeyondHorizonCoaching.com for free sample chapters of the book as well as a FREE Intensive Self-Care Kit. You can contact Hueina Su at 973-664-0446, Hueina@BeyondHorizonCoaching.com. Spring 2009
GUIDELINES For Your Submissions to MARCI® Magazine: Submissions include ARTICLES, ARTWORK, and POETRY Your Name and Contact information (email, phone number, mailing address). Word length of finished article should be between 500-1200 words. Submissions should reflect the “Theme or Topic” of each edition. We welcome diversity. Send us your thoughts and ideas to: literaryhmn@HolisticMentorshipNetwork.com Include a brief bio with your submission (a photo of yourself is optional) Any photos must be in JPG format with resolution of 300 dpi or higher
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Exploring Sound Therapy For the Developing Child Teachers often complain
myelinated at 7 months. The baby that listening is the weakest skill is listening to the mother’s heartfor most students, yet listening is a beat, respiration, and vocalizations function of our body’s response to during the pregnancy and becomes sound. Sounds are not only speech comfortable and familiar with those sounds, so there is more to listensounds. Because the birthing proing than attending to our teachers. cess is often traumatic to the baby, Sounds are all around us. Our the mother’s voice, because of its body receives sound via our ear, familiar tone and rhythm, is soothbut also through our bone structure ing to the baby at birth. If the and our cell structure. Sound relmother’s voice is introduced at a ates to our basal body rhythms filtered level imitating the sounds such as our heart rate and breath within the utero, the baby often has stream and sound vibration goes to an immediate response of feeling our core. Our ear is our only sens- reassured. When the mother ory system that is fully functioning listens to a sound therapy program in utero and therefore the importduring the pregnancy, the benefits ant starting place for developing are shared with the infant. listening skills. A baby’s ear is developed at 4 ½ months in utero The effects of a sound therapy program for the mother are many: and the neurological system is HMN - MARCI
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Dorinne S. Davis, MA, CCC-A, FAAA, RCTC, BARA
· A soothing effect of her entire body that supports decreased levels of anxiety, tension, depression, and fear · An increase in creativity · A reported easier delivery · An increased connection with the baby · A decrease in back pains · Peaceful and positive dreams continued on next page
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EXPLORING Sound Therapy... continued These effects come about by repatterning how the mother processes sound vibration. A Listening Training Program creates a connection between the Vagus nerve and the ear, which shares the mother’s heartbeat, breathing, and body sounds with the fetus. The mother and child also share a connection with the transmission of sound by bone conduction through both bodies. Humans process sound through the air in the ear canal, through the bones of the body and through their connected cell structure. For the baby in utero, bone conduction is important for sound stimulation. In a study done in Italy, the baby’s right ear is placed against the mother’s spinal cord before descending down the birth canal, thereby supporting the baby’s need to process through bone conduction before entering the world. Because the sound program is enhancing the baby’s beginning developmental stages, mothers have reported their babies to demonstrate:
· · · · ·
A lack of tension and anxiety as they grow Better sleeping patterns An ability to go easily to other people A natural appreciation for classical music. Enhanced communication skills An inner peacefulness and less reactivity A feeling of security in their relationship with their mother
All of our body’s senses are also stimulated with vibrational sound stimulation through the ear. The vibrations are then sent through the central nervous system, circulatory system, and soft tissue network, so that sound impacts the entire body, which means our entire body’s response to sound impacts our listening skills.
Before a child learns to produce speech sounds, they begin to respond to sounds in their environment. They respond to their A study administered in 1988 in mother’s voice, a dog’s barking, or France at the Hospital Foch de children crying. These sounds Suresnes reported that pregnant imprint the developing brain with mothers were more relaxed and rhythm, inflection, pitch, intensity had increased energy levels. changes and more. In this way, Other outcomes reported were: sounds prepare the way for the ear to respond to incoming speech · A decrease in labor time · A decrease in the need for sounds. Then, differences in the instrumentation support pitch of people’s voices, the during delivery, i.e., forceps, suction cups, etc. inflection of meanings of words, and the rhythms of speech patterns · A superior birth weight all help establish the foundations when compared to for understanding future content of gestational age · The babies recouped better the spoken word. and faster than other continued on next page babies ·
The MARCI ®Community Corner
Q & A Section Do you have a question you would like to ask one of our Professional Members regarding a modality or other holistic matters? Send your questions to literaryhmn@HolisticMentorshipNetwork.com
Letters to the Editor Have something to say about the contents of MARCI®. We would love to hear from you. Please send your thoughts to literaryhmn@HolisticMentorshipNetwork.com We reserve the right to edit all submissions.
Book Review Please give a brief testimonial why you would recommend this book. Members Only. Please send your review to literaryhmn@HolisticMentorshipNetwork.com HMN - MARCI
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EXPLORING Sound Therapy...
continued
Mastering listening skills includes developing auditory perceptual skills such as auditory detection, discrimination, recognition, sequencing, and memory. The blend of these skills allow for vocabulary development, proper grammar skills, future reading skills, and the ability to listen in background noise. These skills, when weak, can be enhanced by repatterning how the ear responds to surrounding sounds. The best time to repattern these skills is during the preschool years, as the brain is still growing; yet the skills can be repatterned at any time during one’s lifetime. This can be done with repetitive activities that exercise the specific weaknesses over a long period of time, thereby making brain change. Dr. Alfred Tomatis, over fifty years ago, discovered the Tomatis Effect, a set of three laws that established a voice-ear-brain connection. These laws were proven in 1957 at a presentation of the French Academy of Sciences. These laws were the foundation for
the Tomatis Method, a method of sound presentation that impacts many developmental, emotional, and wellness issues, but especially helps listening. In 2004, D. Davis presented to the Acoustical Society of America, two additional laws that support a connection between the voice, the ear, and the brain. These laws are now known as The Davis Addendum to the Tomatis Effect.
What Are People Saying About MARCI® ?:
“MARCI is a great tool in looking at an industry that needs to be tended to by looking within our own gardens and within an industry that needs to come together rather than segregate, which we have seen happen within families, communities, and within a world that is so diverse.” HMN Member
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When the connections between the voice, the ear, and the brain are not functioning well, sound-based therapies can be used to create positive change. continued on next page HMN - MARCI
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EXPLORING Sound Therapy... continued
The Tree of Sound Enhancement Therapy® has become a developmental flow chart for the correct administration for any sound-based therapy. Listening skills can be enhanced with proper reception of incoming sound input. A test battery called the Diagnostic Evaluation for Therapy Protocol (DETP®) has been designed to determine if, when, how long, and in what order, any or all of the many sound-based therapies can make positive change for the individual.
a child’s total response to sound in general helps them develop to their fullest potential. Some day in the future, sound-based therapies will become an important part of all children’s developmental process.
Dorinne S. Davis, MA, CCC-A, FAAA, RCTC, BARA, is the President/Founder of The Davis Center, Succasunna, NJ. She is the author of 4 books: Sound Bodies through Sound Therapy®, Every Day A Miracle: Success Stories with Sound Therapy®, Otitis Media: Coping With The Effects In The Classroom, and A Parent’s Guide to Middle Ear Infections. She has demonstrated the scientific principles behind the Voice-Ear-Brain Connection in The Davis Addendum® to The Tomatis Effect, and established The Tree of Sound Enhancement Therapy® from which her Depending upon the outcome Diagnostic Evaluation for Therapy Protocol of the evaluation, and following the (DETP®) provides the correct administration of any sound-based therapy. Her work prodesign established with The Tree of vides the foundation of The Davis Model of Sound Enhancement Therapy, therSound Intervention®. The Davis Center is apies such as Auditory Integration considered the world’s premier sound Training, The Tomatis Method®, therapy center and Ms. Davis is recognized ® The Listening Program , and Bioas the world’s leading sound-based therapAcoustics™ can be used to enhance ist. Websites discussing her work are development and listening skills. www.DorinneDavis.com and Good listening skills are essential in www.thedaviscenter.com. She can be helping each child develop; however, reached at ddavis@thedaviscenter.com
Elusive Musings Elusive musings sail on by A cosmic wind at their back propelling them towards a distant harbor where they can take anchor and garner strength growing into a possibility Others aimlessly follow the ocean currents content to drift gently rocking back and forth, in unison with the unceasing ebb and flow of the sea never reaching the land of imagination Some will be recycled within the thought stream of idyllic musings awaiting the day greater inspiration appears and carries them off into unknown probabilities Copyright © 2007 Sarah M. Collins
Sarah M. Collins, HMN member, is a prolific writer, poet and healer. Her book of poems Soul Perception will be published in 2009. Visit her website www.WellnessCareToday.com for more info about Sarah and her healing work.
Share your work with our readers! Send them to: literaryhmn@HolisticMentorshipNetwork.com see page 16 for guidelines HMN - MARCI
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Tips For Safeguarding Our Children
by SUSAN LEVINSON Ask a pregnant woman whether she wants a boy or a girl and chances are she’ll say she wants a healthy child. That was my daughter’s reply before my grandson Nathan was born. It has been almost forty years since I was pregnant and being pregnant and raising a child seems much more complex now than it did then. Part of the complexity comes from the tens of thousands of chemicals which simply didn’t exist until just a few decades ago. I was shocked when I read that an average of 200 industrial chemicals and pollutants was found in umbilical cord blood from 10 babies born in U.S. hospitals in August and September of 2004. Of the 287 chemicals detected, 180 are known carcinogens in humans or animals, 217 are toxic to the brain and nervous system, and 208 cause birth defects or abnormal development in animal tests.
How could this happen? FDA is charged with the safety of our food supply and isn’t doing a good enough job so we’ve had salmonella in peanut products and peppers which have caused some deaths and a lot of illness. The Toxic Substances Control Act declared safe some 62,000 chemicals already on the market, even though there were little or no data to support this policy. Since that time another 20,000 chemicals have been put into commerce in the United States, also with little or no data to support their safety. When the Food, Drugs and Cosmetics Act was passed in 1938 the chemicals in use were assumed to be safe and not tested. According to the FDA: “FDA's legal authority over cosmetics is different from other products regulated by the HMN - MARCI
agency...Cosmetic products [this includes all personal care products, i.e., not just for women] and ingredients are not subject to FDA premarket approval authority, with the exception of color additives.” These are depressing and scary facts, so what’s my point of telling you all this? As parents we want to do everything we can that is in our control and seek to influence the things that are not in our control.
STEP 1: Become a More Educated Parent I consider myself to be pretty knowledgeable about how to be healthy. I’ve been eating whole grains and brown rice since Earth Day in 1970. In the summer of 2006, I found a big blind spot called what was my skin eating anyway. Someone told me to avoid products with parabens in them. I had no idea what parabens were so I did a web search. I learned they are common preservatives found in most personal care products, they mimic estrogens and have been found in breast tumors although no testing has been done to determine if they are the cause. On the same search page I saw: “paraben free, certified organic personal care products, no synthetic chemicals.” I decided to investigate further and found ONEgroup and their brands: Miessence, MiVitality and MiEnviron. I learned that I had been using products containing chemicals that are suspected of causing cancer, genetic mutation, birth defects or reproductive harm. The European Union has banned over 1,100 of these chemicals; in the United States only ONE has been banned. ONEgroup products are certified organic to international food standards which means they contain no synthetic chemicals, preservatives,
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parabens or GMO products. They are so good for you that you can eat them. In fact your body absorbs what you put on so, in a sense you are eating it. Miessence Baby Care Products are designed with great care because infants and children have a relatively large skin surface area in proportion to their body mass compared with adults, the skin is more permeable than adult’s and they tend to absorb environmental agents more efficiently. Baby Care Products contain gentle and beneficial certified organic ingredients, but unlike the rest of the Miessence products, have no essential oils. For mothers-to-be, there is a Breast and Belly Balm to minimize the occurrence of stretch marks and actively promote renewal, elasticity and suppleness. I trust these products and use them on my precious grandson. My daughter loves the baby cream wash and I am partial to the baby bottom cleansing gel which is also good for sticky hands and face when you are out because there is no need to rinse it off.
STEP 2: Choose Certified Organic ONEgroup is committed to organic farming, sustainability and being truly green and contributing to the health of people and the planet. As good as all this sounds I am happy that I don’t have to take the company at its word. I know I can trust the products because they have internationally recognized
third-party certifications such as ACO and IFOAM, the Australian and European equivalent of USDA Organic. Many of the products also have the USDA Organic seal. Feed your children organic foods as much as possible. Remember all those chemicals found in our bodies? Many of them are herbicide and pesticide residues. Evidence shows that they accumulate and concentrate in our fatty tissue.
STEP 3: Encourage the Good Bacteria The unsung heroes of our bodies are the complex bacterial eco-systems that colonize our skin, our intestinal tract and perform vital functions from digestion to providing barriers that protect us from harmful invaders. When babies are born, they pick up bacteria from the birth canal and that begins to seed their intestinal tracts. Turns out that playing in dirt is actually good for kids. The organisms in dirt help them build their immune sys-tems. Probiotic yogurt is the latest craze. ONEgroup’s Inliven is an organically grown probiotic superfood that is good for babies as well as adults. Don’t use anti-bacterial and anti- microbial products, soap and warm water is good enough. It’s crazy to use hazardous chemicals like triclosan to kill off the bacteria that protect us and encourage the growth of resistant bacteria that could harm us.
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STEP 4: Learn To Decipher Labels Become a very educated label reader and learn which ingredients are harmful. Check out ingredients and products at Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. Learn about the campaign and the companies that support it. According to greenerchoices.org, “Don’t assume that environmental and health claims are true. In many cases, manufacturers can make claims that are neither independently verified nor regulated by the government. Among the most common claims found on personal care products that may be meaningless are: natural, hypoallergenic, and nontoxic. Organic is also meaningless unless it is backed up by a recognized certification.
Even reading labels may not be enough. A recent study showed that many products labeled as natural or organic contain the contaminant 1,4 Dioxane. Contaminants are not intentionally added to products, so they are not listed on product labels. Products likely to be contaminated contain the following: sodium laureth sulfate, sodium myreth sulfate, PEG, polyethylene, polyethylene glycol, “oxynol,” “ceteareth,” or “oleth” are. 1,4 Dioxane was not found in any of the certified organic products. continued on next page
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STEP 5: Help Create a Safer World Ask your senators and representatives to support the Kids-Safe Chemical Act, House Bill H.R. 6100 and Senate bill S. 3040. Be sure to watch the video while you are there. Susan Levinson – Helps people be healthy from the inside out and the outside in with certified organic personal care and nutrition products and powerful coaching. She is the founder of Nurturing Organics and an independent repesentative of ONEGroup, makers of Miessence—internationally certified organic personal care and nutrition products. She has a degree in biology and loves the fact that the Miessence products are made up of gently processed organically grown ingredients that our bodies know how to
metabolize. She is happy to give a talk to groups about “The Dirt Secrets of the Personal Care Industry”. Susan loves to pamper people and will teach you and your friends how to do 10 step organic facial with the luscious Miessence products. You can also shop for these products at NurturingOrganics.com. She can also help holistic professionals add value to their clients and profit to their business. Susan has been a professional coach for more than 10 years. She specializes in empowering women entrepreneurs and managers in technical fields. She is certified coach with Results Coaching Systems where she was also a coach trainer and mentor. Her coaching web site is LeverageYourPower.com To contact Susan, call 732-494-1668, or email her at susan@nurturingorganics.com
Negative Thinking is the Key to Happiness by BILL HARRIS
...C’mon...Tell the truth. Like everyone else, sometimes I know. you get what you want and You think I’ve lost my marbles. sometimes you don’t. SomeEveryone knows that POSItimes you feel happy, and someTIVE thinking is the key to times you feel decidedly lesshappiness. But as Dr. Phil than-happy. What’s going on says, “How’s that working for here? Is the popular positive ya?” In my thirty years as a thinking, put- it-out-to-the-unipersonal growth teacher, I’ve verse school of thought wrong? taught hundreds of thousands Yes. ..And, no. Yes, what you of students to focus on what focus on hugely affects your life. they want. Some of them It generates how you feel in each report positive benefits. Many, moment. It generates your behahowever, don’t. And, a few vior. It determines which people report fundamental, life-chang- and situations you attract or are ing shifts. So let me ask you attracted to. And, it determines —since you learned that the the meaning you assign to what solution to life’s problems is to happens. Doesn’t this include think positive, are you happy? pretty much everything in your Is your life just the way you life? What you focus on is very want it to be? important.
I know,
continued on next page
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Here’s the problem, though—nearly all your focusing happens unconsciously, outside your awareness. Your mind automatically focuses in a way you learned when you were a child. The major internal activity that shapes your life, because it happens unconsciously, isn’t a choice! But how does that make negative thinking the key to happiness? Why do some people experience more bad feelings and more of what they don’t want than others? Some say it’s external circumstances, or just bad luck. And though external circumstances play a role, considerable evidence suggests that most of what you feel, how you behave, and which people and situations you attract or become attracted to—and all of how you respond to these things—is the result of something you do inside your mind. How you feel, for example, is a direct result of the internal representations you make— mostly internal pictures and internal dialog. Focusing, in fact, means making internal representations, which then generate how you feel, how you behave, etc. When you focus on something you want, you feel good; when you focus on something you don’t want, you feel bad. Because this happens almost entirely outside your awareness, how you do it isn’t a choice. When you feel bad, behave in a certain way, or encounter the same problem people or negative
outcomes over and over, your unconscious focus is generating it. Not on purpose, and not consciously, but still, it’s coming from something in you. Since the consequences are negative, why do people focus on what they don’t want? Traumatic childhood experiences create a belief that the world is a dangerous place, or at least a potentially dangerous place. To avoid that danger, whatever it is, we think we have to watch out for it—in other words, focus on what we don’t want. Focusing on what you don’t want doesn’t just make you feel bad. In addition, your mind sees it as an instruction to attract or create more of it. This causes you to act in certain ways, and to attract or be attracted to people and situations that help make it happen. All of this seems to contradict my statement that negative thinking is the key to happiness. Before I tell you why that’s true, let’s look at another type of negative thinking: You learned good and bad, positive and negative, from your parents. In one way or another they said, “To be okay in our eyes, don’t do this. This is bad. Instead, do this. This is good” The more they used negative reinforcement, the more strongly you felt the need to avoid what they didn’t approve of: “Don’t be noisy,” “Don’t want anything,” “Don’t show your feelings,” “Don’t disagree,” “Don’t make a mistake,” “Don’t trust anyone,” “Don’t think for yourself,” “Don’t show any weakness,” “Don’t try new
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things,” and so on. These negative injunctions become shadows— parts we disown or repress. When we see them in others, we’re triggered emotionally. Ironically, we attract such people, even though you don’t like them. They seem to be everywhere, and they upset us emotionally whenever we see them. Though disowned, shadows express themselves anyway, but in covert and dysfunctional ways. If you’ve disowned anger, you’ll express it anyway, but in an unhealthy way. Others will see your anger, but you won’t. You’ll also attract lots of angry people, who will really bother you. In fact, negative feelings, people, and situations that keep happening to you are directly related to your unconscious shadows. Shadows are just another way you focus on what you don’t want. Finally, here’s why negative thinking, as unlikely as it sounds, is the key to happiness. Over the last thirty years, I’ve noticed a fundamental principle about life:
You can only do what doesn’t serve you if you do it unconsciously. Focusing on what you don’t want creates bad feelings and attracts more of what you don’t want. Repressing qualities you think are bad or wrong causes you to express them anyway, but in a covert and dysfunctional way— and, to attract people with these qualities, who trigger you emotionally. continued on next page
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Obviously this doesn’t serve you. You can, however, keep doing it for your entire life—and most people do—as long as you do it unconsciously. But do it with awareness, and it will fall away. In fact, focusing on what you don’t want or disowning what you think is negative create harmful results only when done unconsciously. Do them with awareness and you’ll clearly see how they create bad feelings, lessthan-resourceful behaviors, and cause you to attract people and situations you don’t want. As that happens, you can’t keep doing them. As counter- intuitive as it might seem, negative thinking, when done with awareness, eliminates the negative outcomes! You just can’t keep doing what isn’t resourceful once you see how you’re doing it. In fact, watching your mind create your life is one of the most fascinating things you’ll ever do. As you watch, whatever does not serve you dissolves! The most effective way to increase awareness is meditation. Unfortunately, meditation can be difficult, and results can take years. Twenty years ago, however, Centerpointe Research Institute created a way to experience
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the brain wave patterns of deep meditation easily and effortlessly, using a sophisticated audio technology called Holosync, delivered through stereo headphones. This high- tech method allows anyone to dramatically and quickly increase their awareness. Awareness gives you choice. Once you have choice, you won’t choose what creates suffering for you. Knowing, however, is not the same as awareness. Knowing about the negatives in your life obviously has not caused them to fall away. Awareness involves watching how you focus, as it happen, and seeing the direct consequences—the feelings, behaviors, and so forth. When you watch in this way, you automatically stop sabotaging yourself.
So go ahead. Think negatively. Just make sure you do it with awareness. Bill Harris is Director of Centerpointe Research Institute and the creator of Holosync meditation technology, used by over 700,000 people in 173 countries. For more information about Bill Harris, Centerpointe, and to get a free Holosync demo CD, go to www.centerpointe.com.
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Robert and I call our cat, Baby, fussbudget. She's a talker, always letting us know how she's doing. It was vet day last month oh, come on, you cat lovers know the JOY of getting kitties in their carriers to the annual vet visit— that's where the phrase it's like putting a cat in a box' came from; though I digress.....
BABY
So Baby is telling me how awful it was to be poked at, stuck with needles, and put in that box for the ride up and back. Well, I was very busy, but she followed me down to my office and continued to complain, then insisted on being on my lap, too. I didn't really have time for this—I had to get my daily fix of electronic communication. After all, I had been at the vet all morning, too! Oh well, feeling a bit guilty about her ordeal, I acquiesced, saying, “okay, Baby...come on up into my lap—let's see how we can balance my need to work with your needs.” For five blissful kitty minutes, she sat on my lap in kitty heaven—I was checking email and she was getting stroked. Why only five minutes? Well, after that time, she promptly jumped onto her cat condo that sits next to my desk. She'd gotten what she needed; she had received my gift of presence (oh, and I got her gift of presence, too!) and felt content. Nature has an amazing ability to act upon its needs. Baby needed attention, presence, and got it. MN - MARCI
What a magical thing, something was pawing (literally and figuratively) at me for attention; I fully engaged and within five minutes, our needs were met. Human beings are of nature; can't we act upon our needs as well? How can we give the gift of presence in our everyday lives? “I’m so busy...impossible!” you say. Not enough time... too much to do..! I hear conversations of people who are talking about their emotional, physical, and financial stressors yet continuing (because of habit?) to act the same way as in the past, even though the state of the economy, and likely the world, is unlike any other we've experienced so far. Are these 'habitual' activities we fall into serving them and those around them? What if we just stopped —refused to sign on to our old habits, and reset the needle? What if we were to establish a New Norm for how we want to live? Hmm...what a concept—break from tradition and put on the brakes! What a yummy thought! But once we slow down, then what? We're left staring at the person or family across from us— who are you? What can we do now that we are no longer driven by societal forces and expectations? We are left with just the purity of us. Presence. Parker J. Palmer, a Quaker author, wrote a fabulous book, Let Your Life Speak, in which he shares his experiences during a period of severe depression in his life.
THE PRESENT CAT
by
CHRISTINE CLIFTON
No talking, warm chatter, or social graces ...just a sincere and caring presence 25
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BABY, THE PRESENT CAT One of the most profound experiences he had was of a friend visiting him regularly just to be with him. No talking, warm chatter, or social graces—just a sincere and caring presence for him as he struggled through a very serious depression. For Parker, the impact of this presence was so profound, because he didn't have to put on airs or give people answers as to why he wasn't yet better or listen to people giving him fixes for his situation. The presence of his friend showed true acceptance and love for him as he was. Eckart Tolle, in A New Earth, also references Presence throughout his book and describes it as pure awareness without ego— “...with no thought and no judgment ...listening in stillness without any mental commentary." Eckart says this type of Presence allows the person sharing to experience whatever they are sharing in that moment.
"When you are present, when your attention is fully in the Now, that Presence will flow into and transform what you do. There will be quality and power in it."
Try it first with just one person. Be aware. Can I put aside my need to formulate a response to someone's comments? Can I listen so intently to the person so that I really do hear them? LOOK across from you, SEE those people with whom you'd love to connect, and ENGAGE with them! Spend a quiet evening together with a cup of hot tea—read together—play game—tell stories—make cookies —look at photo albums. And know that in order to truly give you must first receive. Receive is the word with which I resonate when thinking of being present with others. I don't want people to actively listen, I don't want people to fix my problem; I want people to receive what I'm sharing—my presence with them. And I want to receive them and their gift. Just RECEIVE first when someone is interacting with you. ABSORB what it is they shared with you. ASK a question about what you heard. By BEING with that person, you will GIVE them the gift of your presence.
Let us look at those around us and say "I give you the gift of my presence." Then BE together, receive each other—forfeit the craziness of what we might have thought were expectations of us and bask in the purity of togetherness. If you do, I'm sure it will be a fruitful Spring season! Yesterday is history Tomorrow is a mystery Today is a gift that's why it's called 'The Present'
Christine Clifton partners with women who want to align what they do with who they are today. She blends coaching and body movement in her client work in order to honor the holistic person: mind, body, emotions and spirit. christine@BreakOutOfTheOrdinary.com or 201-738-7463.
We’re moving into Spring. Perhaps we might consider this connected way of being present as symbolic of Spring: New Beginnings! Sprout new hope...Build stronger communities…Deepen relationships. Start now being newly present with others in order to give to them. Stop the activity wheel for just a little while. Find ways to take back your own life. HMN - MARCI
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What Kind of World Are You Creating? by
DENISE A. SARACCO
Every thought, every action, every word is a transmission of what you want for yourself and the world around you. Like ripples in the Void of the Cosmos, these frequencies are sent out to the universe for manifestation. Such power and responsibility this awareness invokes. It takes but one look at the news and you are acutely aware of how ill this planet is. Humanity, in its Divine purpose of understanding and learning, has created a world of fear, pain, depression, rigid structure, and heartlessness. The illness that surrounds humanity clouds the inherent Divine soul that knows the way to beauty and harmony. Many have allowed the ills of the world to affect their thinking, their actions, and their words. Those affected then add to the manifestation of illness and so the cycle perpetuates. The current of illness is strong and swift. Its hypnotic gaze overtakes the weak of mind. Many have lost the will to fight, and instead drift robotically in the current of illness and heartlessness.
There are a rare and precious few who are of strong mind enough to challenge the current. They are ready to bravely venture outside of the norm and follow a most beautiful white Dove. In choosing to follow this Dove, they are met with criticism from their ill world. Everyone sees this Dove, but most choose to ignore its graceful flight of Freedom and Hope. These precious few cannot ignore the call of the Dove. Deep inside they know there is something more than the present experience. These brave few struggle free from the gravity of the ill world and look away from its hypnotic gaze. Their focus is ever toward the brilliant Dove. The Dove leads the brave towards freedom and they now find themselves in a whole new world. As a side effect, all the ill thinking, ill action, and ill words suddenly do not exist in this new place for they do not fit in the sacred rhythm of freedom that is now being experienced. Loving thoughts, loving actions, and loving words are now transmitted into the Void of the Cosmos for manifestation and a new cycle is established. More and more people join the new world that is being created. Day by day, more are following the Dove, their heart, and are led away from the illusionary chaos of the world and into a new world of Peace, Hope, Freedom, and Love. As more people join this new world, we are all adding our transmissions into the Cosmos and creating the ever-changing landscape of this new world together. continued on next page
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Every thought, every action, every word is a transmission of what you want for yourself and the world around you. What kind of world are you creating? Denise is a Shaman, Teacher, and Healer. She was initiated into the spirit world at the age of 2. The spirits taught her how to connect with them in a unique way. In addition to her own experiences and lessons directly from the spirits, she has also studied with spiritual teachers. They helped deepen her understanding of the spirit world and provided her with additional healing tools. Denise enjoys working with people in a nurturing, loving way to help them find harmony within themselves and their lives. Divination, Land Healing Ceremonies, Spiritual Counseling, Shamanic Healing Ceremonies, and House Blessing Ceremonies are offered.
A MESSAGE FOR TEENS: A Fulfilling Life = Balance by DONNA SLANE
Balancing all the elements in your life is the key to having a fulfilling life. There are so many parts of us that make us a whole person, including physical body, a spiritual self, thoughts, and emotions.
And our goal should always be to keep all of these in check. If one element is out of whack, we often see the repercussions in other areas of our lives as well. People have been aware of the concept of balance for thousands of years. The ancient Chinese were in tuned with how physical environment affected every aspect of their lives and they practiced the principles of Feng Shui, the art of placement where you balance the harmony and energy flow of your life based on enhancing the environment. continued on next page
A MESSAGE FOR TEENS: continued
The American Indians communicated with the Creator through interaction with nature— the forests, the birds, and other animals. They also knew the value of living in balance with nature, often using animal figures as representing good or evil. They drew upon animal powers for guidance, healing, wisdom, and spiritual wellbeing. Many were given symbolic power animals whose strength or character reflected the human character traits of the individual claiming the power of that specific animal. Back then, they did not have all the distractions that we have today; it was a simpler time, and they were more in tune with nature and their own thoughts. Today, we have so many things pulling at us and taking up our time and thoughts. We have to deal with outside influences of the media and modern technology, and we need to take time to step back and look at our lives and take a simpler approach to get or stay in balance. To have a healthy body and mindset, you need a proper balance with your diet/nutrition, sleep, exercise, study, fun, relationships and faith practices. When each of these is done with the proper moderation, you will feel balanced and in control. If even one of these is disturbed, you will see that it will affect the other areas of your life. For example, suppose you didn’t get a good night’s sleep. You might see yourself turn to excessive caffeine to wake up; you may not be able to focus to study and you may find yourself snapping at your friends or parents. You can see how one element had an impact on some of the other elements, but at the same time, too much of one element isn’t good either. Let’s say that it’s crunch time at the end of a semester, and you let some papers and studying go, and now you have too much to do. You are staying up late, eating whatever you can at your desk, not having the time to exercise or see your friends. If this has ever happened to you, just recall how miserable you felt. Was it worth it? Not at all! The better way would be to study and prepare throughout the semester. Many people in this modern time are going back to follow the principles of Feng Shui to keep in balance. The goal is to achieve harmony, comfort, and balance in one’s environment and life. The intent is to promote a healthy flow of Chi, or vital energy in the environment. A bagua, or map is used to breakdown the different areas in an environment into a grid, which represents nine areas of life; these areas include Knowledge, Career, Travel or Helpful People, Family/Ancestors, Health, Children or Creativity, Wealth or Prosperity, Fame and Relationships. When all of these areas are in balance, you have a more fulfilled life. This bagua can be used for an entire house, a single room, or even a desktop. You simply look at
a single room, or even a desktop. You simply look at where you would like to see changes or improvements in your life, then go to that area on the map and see where in your environment you need to make adjustments that remind our subconscious of where we want to be and this motivates us to get there. Energy follows thought. To demonstrate how this can work, let me tell you a little story. A friend’s son was having problems making friends and avoiding bullies since moving to a new town a year earlier. He was described as being a target for the bullies in the class. Since he was the focus of being picked on, other boys were reluctant to befriend him as they did not want to experience the same behavior from the bullies. Applying the principles of Feng Shui, we looked at the Fame area of his bed room. When standing at the door looking into the room, this would be far central area. This is the area of Fame and Recognition and how we see ourselves. Hanging on the wall was a dart board with a big bull’s eye!—this totally validated his feeling of feeling like a target. Subconsciously, he could have been sending this message to others. This was immediately taken down and relocated to the playroom in the basement. This is an area where he needed to display his proudest achievements, his goals, the things he is most proud of. He was happy to replace the dart board with his karate certificates which his mom placed in red frames. These were good symbols of achievement as well as strength in his life. The red frames were also a positive enhancement since this area of the bagua is also represented by the element of fire. Think of all the expressions that we have regarding representing yourself—let your light shine through...you light up the room...she was on fire, and so many more. With some simple changes in his environment as well as in his thoughts, this boy was able to make a positive change in his life. His social life gradually improved, and eventually he had the social connections that brought joy to his life. Balancing the energy in your life is not magic. It has more to do with common sense. It is simply tuning in, becoming aware and taking control of your environment and your life. Everyone has the ability to achieve a fulfilling and balanced life, but the first step is to examine yourself and the environment you put yourself in. It’s totally up to you—no one can do your sit ups for you! -----DS Donna Slane, a registered nurse and offers her clients the best possible combination of science and energy therapies. She has a BS in education from Seton Hall University, BS in nursing from Rutgers University, and school nurse certification from Caldwell College. Slane uses her hand-on techniques to help her clients achieve the energy balance that will provide them with better lives. She is the owner of Balanced Energy Work, providing energy therapy for the body, mind, spirit and environment. She also teaches and empowers individuals to use self-care and self-healing techniques as a perfect compliment to contemporary medicine and other alternative healing modalities. BalancedEnergyWork.com
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