Austin All Natural April 2013

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April ‘13

ALL NATURAL

Houston

| San Antonio

BODY * MIND * SPIRIT

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AUSTIN ALL NATURAL PRESENTS

Quantum Reiki THE MASTER INTENSIVE INCLUDING

The Reiki of the Fire Dragon A new look at the history of Reiki and its founder, Dr. Mikao Usui, with Reiki Master Teacher Michael Abedin

Everything you need to be a Reiki Master

• History and concepts of Reiki.

• How to do treatments on yourself and others, in-person and long-distance.

• What the Reiki symbols are, and how to use them.

• Attunement to First Degree, Second Degree, and Master levels.

• A powerful Journey into Mastery meditation.

• How to attune others.

• Reiki Master certificate, and a chart tracing your lineage from Reiki founder Mikao Usui.

• An opportunity to assist in future classes to receive Reiki Master Teacher certification.

• Tips on setting up a practice, or incorporating Reiki into a current practice • Introductory manual, and illustrated handbook.

Friday May 3 7-10pm

Sat. May 4 10am-5pm Sun. May 5 10am-5pm Register by April 20th, AND RECEIVE 20% OFF

(512) 879-7299

“An outstanding teacher – clear, articulate, caring,

and careful in how you help people absorb the potent information. I wouldn’t do the class with anyone else.

It’s Reiki on an accelerated level of learning.”

— JOE VITALE

Instructor: Michael Abedin Reiki Master Teacher

michaelabedin@yahoo.com (Please include phone number with email)

Inside Austin All Natural

GOOD CAR KARMA Romancing the Fisker– Dr. Joe Vitale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 FANTASIZE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 THIS IS YOUR BRAIN, LIVING HIGHER The 95% solution– Dr. Michael Cotton BE A MAGNET – Crystal Nuding EVERY KID LOVES KUNG FU FILMING –Thomas Leverret YOGA, BLISS, AND THE TROPICS – Bonnie Argo FEELIN’ DOWN, DOG? Yoga with your best friend -- Michael Abedin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 THE BLACK BUTTERFLY – Michael Abedin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Natural body care – and playing with your food HOW HEATHER REVERSED HER GRAVES’ DISEASE – Nerissa Oden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Back from the Graves’ EVOLVING WITH INTENT Qi Gong, Intended Fitness, and Intended Medicine . . . . 17 THE SILVER BULLET An old remedy makes a comeback. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 THE WATER WHEEL CEREMONY Blessing the Source – Camilla Blossom. . . . . . . . . . . 19 UPCOMING EVENTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 AUSTIN NATURAL RESOURCE GUIDE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 SAN ANTONIO AND HOUSTON NATURAL RESOURCE GUIDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 DEAR ASHTARA – Ashtara Sasha White. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 publisher/ editor Michael Abedin (512) 382-7354 Office (512) 879-7299 Mobile michaelabedin@yahoo.com art director Pun Nio associate ad design Sioux Storm advertising Don Draper distribution Charles Martin Cover art: Planet +3

by Kristin Starr Austin All Natural © 2013.

All rights reserved. The information in this publication is believed to be accurate, and Austin All Natural will not be held liable for the performance of goods and services provided by advertisers or any other portion of this publication.

Austin All Natural is printed on environmentally sound paper certified under the rigorous production standards of the Forest Stewardship Council, an international organization devoted to creating true sustainability. For environmental reasons, we do not use soy-based inks.

See www.AustinAllNatural.com for details.

100% Natural. No preservatives or additives.

IT CAN BE FUN (No matter what) – HeatherAsh Amara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 BACH CHRONICLES: CLEMATIS – Michael Abedin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 HOW TO NAVIGATE THE UNDERWORLD (Part 3) – Bruce P. Grether . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

A letter to Our Readers

BREAKING NEWS! As this issue was going to press, the Monsanto Corporation released a statement apologizing for introducing genetically-modified crops into the U.S. food chain without adequate research, thereby endangering the health of American consumers and the economic health of independent farming while aggressively fighting any regulatory attempts.

“We have’” a spokesperson said, ”made egregious errors in judgment, and will immediately cease growing such crops.

We will also make repayment to retailers, growers, and consumers for the recall of all such foodstuffs already on the market, effective April 1, 2013.”

He then screamed “April Fool, you turkeys!” and tossed a bucket of Roundup on the assembled press corps and ran from the room, laughing maniacally and leaving a trail of tainted cash and suspiciously glowing kernels of corn.

Nice fantasy, huh?

In real breaking news, at press time, it was announced that a budget bill amendment by a Democratic Senator from Arkansas requiring labeling of GMO fish – a product several large retailers have already said they won’t carry – had passed a Senate voice vote. The bill’s nonbinding, but it’s a huge step.

Happy April – let’s not get fooled again.

–Michael Abedin

GOOD KARMA

Romancing the Fisker

I have good reason to complain.

A year ago, I bought a new electric car, the Fisker Karma.

Same one Neil Young and Leonardo Dicaprio have. Same one Ashton Kutcher drives on Two and a Half Men. I was excited to contribute to the environment with a sports car that uses solar energy and electric power. I was one of the first in the country to own one. I was one of a handful in Texas alone. Plus the car looks stunning. People stop and stare.

The car’s just plain sexy.

But I had problems from day one.

Before I even received it, it was recalled. The battery had to have a different clamp to prevent possible fires. Once I received it, there were numerous issues. In fact, I listed seventeen of them to show the service department.

For example, sometimes when I was traveling sixty miles an hour on a country road, the car would turn off. Off! It would reboot itself in the middle of the drive. First time it happened was pretty scary, as I didn’t know if I’d lose control. I didn’t, but – that wasn’t comfortable at all.

Other times the car would be playing my favorite music when, for no apparent reason, it would switch to a Latino AM station.

And then there were times when the car ran out of stored electric energy and rolled over to the gas-powered generator, which makes more electric juice. At those times, at least for a few minutes, the climate control in the car malfunctioned and the cabin heated up. I live in Texas. You rarely want the car to heat up. When you do, you want it to be your idea.

Then there were the fires.

Two Fiskers caught fire. Fires aren’t pretty.

The last Fisker fire triggered a recall of all cars – over two thousand. I took mine in, and was shocked to learn the

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by Dr. Joe Vitale

company decided not to give loaner cars anymore. I paid $100,000 for the car, they’re recalling it and inconveniencing me and everyone else, and they won’t give a rental car to ease my pain? It was appalling.

After the last trip to the San Antonio dealership, I called them and reported the car still had two issues. They took notes, said they’d call me back.

They didn’t.

The following day I received a snail mail letter saying the dealership was surrendering their Fisker franchise. I’d have to go elsewhere for repairs and service.

What the…?

Then, last October, sixteen Fisker Karmas caught fire and burned to the ground after being submerged in saltwater from Hurricane Sandy. They were all at dock in New Jersey, not delivered to customers – but, still.

And then the battery maker for the Fisker went bankrupt, forcing Fisker to stop making cars for a while.

Good lord! Will this ever stop?

All during this adventure, I complained.

I complained to Fisker.

I complained to the dealership.

I complained to the salesperson.

I complained to people who would marvel at seeing the car when I drove it and ask about it.

I complained to friends, family, complete strangers, myself.

I was so frustrated and discouraged that I started looking at other cars, wanting to trade in my Karma for a car – any car – I wouldn’t complain about.

Taking my own medicine, I finally stated a new intention – to have the Fisker fixed once and for all, or get into a new car I’d love, and be issue-free.

I was tired of complaining.

And then it dawned on me.

My complaining wasn’t helping.

At all.

When you add the fact that I’m on the board of directors for A Complaint Free World, a movement to stop us all from complaining, I was more than embarrassed.

I decided to start looking for the good in the car. The entire matter might not change, and the car might not become foolproof or fireproof, but I’d feel better.

After all, my complaining wasn’t changing anything and was making me feel terrible.

Time for a change.

I would never complain about the car again.

It was a simple but firm decision.

No more complaints.

Don’t find fault, find a remedy. Anybody can complain. – Henry Ford

I had to run errands right after that awakening. I charged up the car and took off. Everywhere I went, people asked me, “Gorgeous! What is it?”

I’d tell them. But I left off complaints. I focused on the fifty miles I get on a charge, and two hundred fifty more miles I get with the gas generator making more electric energy. Plus solar panels on the roof added a couple hundred miles a year. Sweet.

After running errands that day, I came home and noticed I had one mile left on the stored charge. That meant my entire morning of running from place to place never used a drop of gas. I was suddenly proud of my car. I started to think it’s pretty cool after all.

I contacted the Austin dealership to look at final problems with the car. No one called back for over a month.

What did that mean?

It meant my car didn’t need service!

After all, I’m not going to complain!

A friend of mine likes to complain. He defends his choice by saying, “Complaining adds color to life! I like it!”

But I notice he rarely gets what he wants. And that might be the big insight.

When you complain, you stay focused on the negative. As the Law of Attraction teaches, you tend to get more of what you focus on. As long as I saw faults in my car, I attracted more of them to see.

Time to break that pattern.

After all, it’s all in your perception.

When you stop and rephrase your complaint as a positive intention, you morph your energies into a beacon of light, seeking out the positive.

When I praise my car rather than condemn it, the car seems to work better. And even if that weren’t true in some measurable way, I felt better driving it.

My feeling better about the car actually seemed to make the car better.

The Fisker dealership in Austin finally called back, and I took the car in for a software upgrade and service. They kept it two weeks, having to order parts and such.

When I picked up the car, it looked brand new. They’d

detailed it and made it look showroom-ready. That was wonderful to see.

They also said every issue I had was resolved. That was a huge relief.

I got in the car, drove it home, didn’t notice any issues.

I had nothing to complain about.

At all.

Weeks have passed, and my car’s working flawlessly.

I love my Fisker Karma!

It’s the best car ever!

What was the change here?

What really happened?

My not complaining led to a situation where I have no complaints.

Think about it.

Complaining wasn’t helping and made me feel lousy.

Complimenting what worked made me feel great, and seemed to help the car with its repairs.

The opposite of complaining is complimenting.

I know it sounds impossible, at least unlikely, but the moment I switched from complaining to complimenting my car, always keeping in mind my intention to drive a car I love, it began to get better. Or maybe I got better first, and that influenced my car. Either way, it’s a win.

Before you complain, think of what you really want instead.

Then speak your intention rather than your complaint. That simple step will cause you to move in a new and more positive direction. Focusing on complaints keeps you stuck in lower energy; focusing on intentions moves you into higher energy.

No one’s asking you to overlook poor service or deny your disappointment, but to focus instead on service and outcome you actually want.

There’s a huge difference in how you feel, and the results you get.

This is a reminder to focus on what you want, not on what you don’t want.

Here’s the secret.

Before you voice a complaint, stop.

Ask yourself what you really want.

Then voice your intention, not your complaint.

That’s the formula for happy results.

Now don’t complain about it.

Joe Vitale is a star of the hit DVD The Secret and author of The Attractor Factor and dozens of other best-selling books, CD’s, and DVD’s. Hear and order his new music CD Sun Will Rise at www.HealingRockMusic.com, and other music CD’s at: www.TheHealingSong.com Photo by: Brian Fitzsimmons www.GetUpandStrut.com www.HealingMojoMusic.com www.AligningtoZero.com More about Joe Vitale at www.JoeVitale.com

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Fantasize

here’s an old Robert A. Heinlein sci-fi novel in which, after the final great battle of Armageddon, the righteous ascend to heaven in physical form – just as promised. Problem is, no one’s ever ascended in physical form before, so no thought was given to installing plumbing.

Details, details – the devil’s in them, they say, and they can bring all your manifestations and all your carefully set intentions crashing down, if you let them. At the Hay House I Can Do It event in Austin in late March, Joe Vitale told a packed house something about intentions they probably didn’t expect to hear.

Forget about them.

Since they’re ego-based, he explained, they could easily limit you to getting only exactly what you think is best for you at the time. Go for the bigger picture, and give the universe a little wiggle room to manifest what’s best for you, based on what’s already there that you just can’t see.

Planet +6.

Here’s where it gets interesting. He went on to suggest that the answers to your current problems might well be on a newly discovered planet identical to this one, where identical life exists – including your own life. That planet, however, is about six months in the future, a place where your problems are already solved.

Rather than setting specific intentions that may not prove to be for your highest good, ask for P+6 answers – the ones that are still on the way.

Think about that for a minute. (Not too hard, though. You might hurt yourself.) Just send a message to yourself on Planet +6 and ask for a little advice from your smarter future self.

Want to see an example of such goings-on in the movies, where every reality is created by magic?

Check out the 2000 Disney flick The Kid, in which Bruce Willis’ past self helps his present self, and they both get some help from his future self to solve the biggest problem in his (or their) life.

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Planet Bollywood.

As long as you’re creating planets like you’d create a movie, might as well go all out and create them to your liking. How about a custom-made version of the Earth in which, at crucial points in your own plot development, everything bursts into a psychedelic Bollywood song and dance routine?

Continents shift and turn to gold, the oceans turn to silver, and the moon becomes a complete circle of orbiting pink satellites with silver ohms. The entire stratosphere is filled with meditating Buddhas and dancing Shivas, the universe is filled with colorful stars that really look like stars, and with spirals and jewels and glitter and an Aurora Borealis of dancing waves – and the whole thing is surrounded by elephants.

Oh, wait – that one’s already been done, and it’s on this month’s cover. It was created on canvas by the lovely and talented Kristin Starr at one of mandala artist Paul Heussenstamm’s workshops in Maui. (Coming soon to an Austin near you.)

It arrived untitled, as new planets usually do, and since it was created not six months but three months before its future self became the perfect April Fool/Earth Day cover, maybe it should be – Planet +3.

Plan it. Do it.

Go create a planet of your own. This whole issue, front cover to back cover, features fantasies that became realities – from electric karma cars (with personality) to new creative careers or new brains, from yoga for dogs to shea butter in East Austin to Kung Fu movie-making for kids.

Tweak to your heart’s content. In addition to Joe Vitale’s riveting talk, the I Can Do It conference also had a great show by angel and mermaid Doreen Virtue, resplendent in sequins, along with her fiancé and the truly outrageous Radleigh Valentine – who apparently dropped in from his very own planet just for the gig, wearing outrageous sparkly shoes that made Dorothy’s ruby slippers look like Grandpa’s house slippers.

If they can do it, so can you.

Just don’t forget the plumbing.

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The 95% Solution

THIS IS YOUR BRAIN – LIVING HIGHER

by Dr. Michael Cotton Evolution’s latest advancement, the prefrontal cortex of the human brain, lies largely dormant in humanity. It’s been said that we use only five percent of the potential in this newest, highest part of the brain.

Virtually all of humanity’s challenges are largely due to lower brain dominance. Violence, depression, addictions, the inability to heal physically or change destructive behavior, the degradation of the environment, failing educational and financial systems, the inability to sustain positive life changes – all are signs of a world trapped in the lower primitive brain.

Our future is in the higher brain.

The higher brain (the prefrontal cortex) allows you the experience of empowerment, joy, gratitude, purpose, and meaning in life – and the ability to transcend all these things and experience direct intersection with the Divine, the ultimate ability to experience Spirit directly.

Historically, though, humanity has not been able to upload into these higher brain structures predictably and consistently – but here’s a simple exercise that can show you how it feels: • Close your eyes, and remember one of the best moments of your life.

• Imagine back to a time when you felt the most alive, when nothing could have ruined your day.

• You were in the moment, present, feeling utterly alive and in tune with the world around you. Maybe you were getting married or getting a job promotion, or were completing some project or artwork, or you were having your first child.

• Maybe you donated your time to a community service event, or helped someone in need. Perhaps it was the fulfillment of some big dream you had.

• Go on, feel it – that feeling of empowerment and joy and even invincibility.

• In this moment you were unstoppable. Feel that for a moment… let that feeling sink in.

Salus – a toast, to your health!

What if you could have that feeling for longer intervals?

What if you could have that feeling every day?

What if there existed a way to energize the higher brain and upgrade physiology, immediately followed by the introduction of gentle bursts of physical, mental, and spiritual components that themselves become integrated into the body, further advancing the higher brain connection?.

What if you could walk into any situation and instantly be in that place of invincibility? How would your life be different

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if that empowered feeling, produced by the prefrontal cortex of your brain, became your baseline in life?

Scientists have discovered that the higher brain has salutogenic mechanisms. This sounds like a technical term, but it’s actually derived from the Latin word salus – a common toast to health, vitality and well-being.

Consider the following words of a recent article titled Functional Salutogenic Mechanisms of the Brain, published in the peer-reviewed journal Perspectives in Biology and Medicine: Although little is known about salutogenic mechanisms, further research on the relationship between salutogenisis and brain function can be expected to provide new strategies for improving health worldwide. Thus, functional salutogenic mechanisms could have provided organisms with a selfperpetuating cycle of enhancing self-confidence and wellbeing.

In other words…

What researchers are saying is that your brain has mechanisms designed to produce confidence, empowerment, and well-being, but you only use approximately five percent of the higher brain’s potential. The large part of your brain lies dormant, and may hold the keys to the kingdom.

Wouldn’t you like to know what you’d be capable of if you could energize more of your higher brain, and discover the other ninety-five percent of your potential?

Dr. Michael Cotton is the founder of Higher Brain Living ®, designed to activate the highest brain, let your body, mind, and spirit soar in all areas of your life, and awaken to a career of joy, passion, purpose, and profit. Presentation and live demonstration – Thursday, April 18, 6:30-8:30pm at Austin Marriot South, 4415 S. IH-35, Austin, 78744. FREE when you pre-register ($25 at the door). For more information, and to pre-register, visit www.higherbrainlivingevents.com

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BE A MAGNET

by Crystal Nuding My life completely turned upside down (fabulously!) in October, and I was wondering how it was all going to work out. Financially supporting myself without a “job” with a paycheck for the first time was nerve-wracking and exciting, all at the same time.

Today I have a thriving practice working with businesses and individuals, doing most sessions over the phone or via Skype. The money is coming, steadily and surely – but it took months before I realized how stuck I was.

Years of doing things the way other people want them done can take a toll on you. You begin to think someone else might actually know what you should do better than you.

Wrong.

Always.

A belief is just a thought you keep thinking, whether it’s true or not. To create space for success, don’t get into some dramatic story of what’s happening and why and who’s wrong or right.

You’re already attracting what you focus on, think about, talk about. If life’s going great and you’re loving it, then keep

doing what you’re doing. But if you want more (or less) in your physical reality, learn how to magnetize what you want.

The grip of “what’s going to happen” can be strong, but let the energy move and it always works out.

Always.

An exclusive excerpt from 4 Tips for Living a Happy Life, Crystal Nuding’s new eBook:

What we don’t want in life, and things we find upsetting, are always at the front of our minds. This is merely a habit that can be shifted to focus on more pleasing thoughts and better perspectives. broader, more pleasing andperspective. move, and you’ll have access to a Once As humans, you become we’re trained familiarfrom withamoving very early energy age to in please your body, people, other those negative and thatthoughts they should won’t please have us. such We’re a hold taught on you. to The energy follow the herd will shift and to not step out of the lines, for fear of the consequences. We’re trained by society, family and religion to expect certain behaviors from others and ourselves. now the youfutility sets happy, us of up you’re needing for much constantly others disappointment. toatmake their you mercy. happy.

Recognize makeThis You’ll begin Decide todaytothat realize you’re thatgoing livingtoyour begin own looking truth and for what being happy YOU makes yourself happy. creates It will the take space some forfocus moreand of that consistency, in your but immediate you’ll get there. world.

You’ll Yourdiscover own personal what pleases joy andyou. authenticity If you need will be a light help – getfor it. those around you.

When you Living for others feel that willpeople never make have to you acthappy, in a certain way to but living for yourself will open you up to a whole new world of freedom.

Crystal Nuding is a Consciousness Coach, helping individuals and businesses find and move old stagnant energy that keeps them stuck. Phone, Skype, or live sessions South Her new eBook in 4 Tips forAustin.

Mention Austin Life All Natural Living a Happy is and receiveataCrystalNuding.com, $25 discount. available or as a Kindle book at Amazon.com (512) 665-4414 www.CrystalNuding.com

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A simple, user-friendly way to rewrite the software of your subconscious

Change

Your Emotional Blueprint

The Austin Chapter of the national Holistic Chamber of Commerce is going into its third year, and new President Anne Marie Pizarro is bringing the grassroots BASIC PSYCH-K WORKSHOP energy of BLEND Connection HCC to spice up PSYCH-K is an easy to learn tool thatinto allows you Austin to work directly Austin’s holistic with youreclectic subconscious mind community! to change your emotional beliefs This synergistic blend brings innovation, creativity, APRIL 6-7, AUSTIN and opportunities for holistic practitioners to grow their Discounted pre-registration by businesses, network, and expand their visibility on and April 1, and $50 off for each off-line. friend family member Byor establishing fun educational events, information rich networking meetings, and community outreach programs, the Austin HCC is here to support holistic businesses in becoming more professional, profitable, and successful in what they do.

Peter Gonzalez FOR INFORMATION ON HCC AUSTIN International AND PSYCH-K HCC MEMBERSHIP: Instructor anne@HolisticChamberofCommerce.com OR VISIT Information & free demonstrations: www.HolisticChamberofCommerce.com www.EmpoweredLivingCenter.com Now775-3377 with Chapters in San Antonio and Houston (512)

HCC AUSTIN meets the second Wednesday of each month 6:30pm, Beets Café, 1611 W. 5th St. FREE ATTENDANCE members and non-members INFO: meetup.com/Austin-Holistic-Chamber-of-Commerce/ AUSTIN ALL NATURAL Austin’s homegrown natural publication, now in its seventh year, is a charter member of the Austin HCC. Partnership program of ads, articles, and professional marketing assistance.

Discounts for HCC members.

Michael Abedin, Publisher, Editor (512) 879-7299 www.AustinAllNatural.com

LeslieKell

P h o to graph i c In terp retations

ANNE MARIE PIZARRO, RN, BSN President, Austin Holistic Chamber of Commerce. Body Energy Connection, Akashic Records, Integrated Energy Therapy (IET), Alchemy of DNA. Clearing pathways to consciousness www.bodyenergyconnection.com (512) 291-8061 WINGS OF HEALING WELLNESS Teresa Lyles Licensed Massage Therapist and Esthetician.

Passionate about healing inside and out.

Massage, Skincare, Wellness. Smooth Sculpt Holistic body contouring. Since 1999.

(512) 970-9445 www.wingsofhealingmassage.com REV. MICHAEL ZARCHIAN Free initial consultation and optional distance energy healing. Certified Life-Changed™ Intuitive Co-Creation Life Coach. New Paradigm methods, tools, actions for enjoyable change. Limited Time Offer.

(512) 947-1033 www.iamlifechanged.com.

COACHING Destiny mentoring with Bright Michelle.

Global clientele, phone and Skype. Romantic relationships, business, career, spiritual mastery, stress management, self-coaching Start with an activation session at www.BrightLightCoach.com/activation-session (512) 588-3405 EARTHSONG POMEGRANATE BREAST OIL Yes! It’s possible to reduce breast cancer risk. A healthy lifestyle that includes self-massage with Earthsong Pomegranate Breast Oil puts the future of your breasts in your own two hands.

Break On Through © Kell Creative. www.pomegranatebreastoil.com

Sunset Valley ArtFest 2013

MARIA K. BENNING Saturday, April 27 Wellness Sessions, distance or inTony person. Experience great Inner PeaceBurger Center - 9am-3pm - Live Music and relief from health challenges.

Archival prints in custom sizes available at Akashic Record Readings and Classes, leslie-kell.fineartamerica.com Reconnective Healing, or BodyTalk.

(512) 340-0082 lesliekell.com | 512.917.0104 www.mariabenning.com Please visit website for exhibition schedule and complete collection.

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YOGA, BLISS, AND THE TROPICS Yoga Seva Retreat, Nicaragua, June 29-July 6

by Bonnie Argo Living in the Western world can often feel like you’re chasing the White Rabbit from week to week, trying to make it to the weekend, or – if you’re lucky – the next vacation.

Restoring yourself is a game of getting enough sleep, eating the right food, carving out time for a yoga class.

The reality of living in the rhythm of go-go-go is increased stress and risk of disease. Addiction to cell phones, computers, TV, cars, and multi-tasking creates a state of sensory overload, fight or flight, hormones at high alert and ready for anything.

Constant adrenal overload leaves the nervous system overwhelmed, the immune system depleted.

Yoga has existed for centuries as a remedy for stress, and a practice to cultivate deep inner listening and relationship with yourself so you can understand and serve your natural inner rhythms. One of the most profound parts of a yoga practice is finding connection to the bigger picture of who you are, what you have to offer – and compassion for the world.

As you commit to regular practice, the hunger for embracing yoga as a lifestyle unfolds. You’re hardwired to

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be the best version of yourself, and yoga unlocks the bindings of societal influence to liberate you into a state of radical self-awareness, compassion, and understanding.

Living yoga.

One branch of yoga is Seva – sacred service. From random acts of kindness to volunteer work, fundraising, or donations, it’s the practice of empowering others through empathy rather than disempowering through sympathy.

There are projects that use yoga as a rehabilitation tool in the developing world, and some retreats are also beginning to integrate a service project, allowing visitors to experience local culture and community and make a lasting impact through simple yet profound connection.

The beauty of taking a journey where you make a local connection and an offering is that your practice of yoga embraces the idea of living yoga – connected enough to your energetic resources to share authentically with others and understand the impact of the simplest gestures.

Retreats have become a popular vacation choice for both beginners and practiced yogis. Carving out a dedicated period of time away from the rituals of daily life, email, Facebook, Twitter, and texting have proven to facilitate transformational restoration. Waking up on the beach, doing a morning yoga practice, and having the day to explore or rest offers a spacious schedule that integrates vacation with healing and invigorating practice.

Incorporate the opportunity to connect with local needs – meet children living in an orphanage and bring them simple supplies, sponsor a child through education – and your spirit is suddenly lit up by the possibility of living in a more connected world. Add gourmet, healthy food and like-minded people, and it can quickly become a recipe for bliss – a tropical vacation that offers the deepest level of rejuvenation, and new perspective on how to live with serenity, no matter what.

Take time to invest in yourself, take a deep breath – and know that even the smallest act of kindness towards another person can create a deep state of compassion and inner peace.

Bonnie Argo, E-RYT 500, is an international teacher offering immersions and teacher trainings around the world, and co-founder of the non-profit Africa Yoga Project. Join the next Seva Retreat to Nicaragua June 29-July 6, with Thomas Leverett and Claudia Castro, at www.yogasevaretreat.com www.bonnieargo.com

EVERY KID LOVES KUNG FU FILMING The Kung Fu Summer Camp for Kids, June 10-14, June 17-21

by Thomas Leverett How would your child react if you told them they were going to spend a week or two learning kung fu – and making movies? They’ll probably do a back flip and make you their biggest superhero. It’s the perfect fantasy!

It’s easy for kids to get lost in the latest app and disconnect from the world around them, and it’s increasingly difficult to engage them in opportunities to express their own creativity instead of being absorbed in someone else’s creativity – YouTube, cable TV, smartphone. Kiddos can lose themselves for hours at a time and not say a word to those around them, slowly losing much-needed social skills, or failing to develop them at all.

So what do we do, you ask, as you glance at your son or daughter staring at a smartphone or tapping away at a text? It’s actually pretty easy: • Set up a safe learning environment where kids feel free to express ideas.

• Create a group where interdependence is necessary and there are plenty of varied parts, where every child can find their talent and contribute.

• Whether it’s helping come up with the concept, drawing a storyboard, choosing camera shots, writing a screenplay, working with dialogue, building a set, holding a camera, or editing video, the process of making a “movie” holds layers of creativity on so many levels that kids get swallowed up in this whale of creativity – and can’t help but go along for the ride.

kung fu, and you have a vehicle of self-discovery and selftransformation.

Big ideas. Almost sounds too big, but when you consider that a child’s self-image is created early on in life, it becomes your responsibility as a parent to offer opportunities for them to shine, to realize that they’re not stuck, but are active participants in their own lives – with the power to create, comment, and be heard.

Thomas Leverett, best selling author and co-owner of Del Sol Martial Arts and Fitness in South Austin, has taught Kung Fu for over fifteen years, and was a middle school teacher of language arts and video production for seven years, helping inspire and teach thousands of kids how to reach inside and discover the wealth of power they have as young people – and human beings. For information on the Del Sol Kung Fu Summer Camp in June, call (512) 535-4749 or visit www.austinkungfusummercamp.com

Creating their world.

Top it off by having them use smartphones and tablets to seal the deal, and they’re off and running.

After a week or two of learning time-honored self defense techniques, elements like plot, theme, conflict, and climax, and how to go from start to finish making a video on their own smart phone or tablet, imagine what the rest of their summer will be like – or the rest of their life.

When you step out of everyday realities and create a world all your own, you get ultra-giddy. Your mind floods with endless realities you could create, and a process is started.

When a child gets a whiff of this kind of selfempowerment, like a spotlight they begin to shed light on all the possibilities before them. They get hungry for more, and begin to see the world in a whole new way. Layer this with the mutual respect and life skills inherent in the martial art of

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Yoga with your Best Friend F

eeling a little 3-D – down, depressed, dejected? Old stuff from the past rearing its ugly head again?

If mainstream counseling doesn’t scratch the itch for you, there are a lot of alternatives out there – but what if your life coach is in the middle of a family crisis, your energy healer is sick, your psychic had something unexpected come up?

Time for something different.

Long before there were offices with diplomas on the wall where you went to attend to matters involving the mending of body, mind, and spirit, people found their own way back to balance through art, music, dance, meditation, yoga, dogs, shamanic journeys to – Wait.

Dogs?

Yoga BFF’s.

Animals have always played an important role in humanity’s connection to spirit, from the shaman’s guides to warriors and hunters who took on animal traits. Tens of thousands of years ago, though, it was the wild dog who first came to sit by the fire with humans – and they’ve been buddies ever since. (Best Friends Forever, actually.)

Ever done yoga with your best friend? With all of the animal poses in yoga, it’s not that big a stretch (so to speak) of the imagination.

Nicole Vykoukal is a registered yoga teacher in Austin, a lifelong animal lover, and an animal advocate. “Both the mindbody connection of yoga and companion animal integration can be powerful healing techniques. What if you could integrate these tools as vehicles to assist people in reducing stress, increasing clarity and self-awareness, processing grief, recovering from trauma?”

What if, indeed? The integration of dogs and yoga, she says, is a natural. (They don’t call that asana Downward Facing Person, now do they?) It’s such a natural it was pretty easy to name – doga. Nicole is one of a handful of teachers offering doga, and it’s catching on fast.

“It’s an embodiment approach to personal wellness,” Nicole explains, “using the human-canine bond along with yoga poses, pranayama breath techniques, and meditation to reset your over-wired nervous system.”

Therapy animals are a recognized technique for dealing with grief, loss, and abuse, and are often used in nursing homes and in working with children with autism, learning disabilities, or other special needs. An animal’s love is unconditional and joyful, and throwing a little doga into the mix in your mental and physical health routine can help with the spiritual side by adding an element of fun, laughter, and play to the proceedings.

It can also help foster the bond with your canine companion, she points out. “You’ve probably noticed your dog is very in tune with your emotions, your mood, and the state of your nervous system. You can Zen out, and both you and your pup can benefit from settling into your body while you’re in a relaxed, calm state.”

Dogs, of course, are masters of being in the body, and enjoying every second of it – not a bad way to move beyond stress or trauma. They also have a thing or two to teach you about a specific style of yoga. (You can just see this one coming, can’t you?)

Doggie style.

Nicole Vykoukal, RYT-200 offers doga at several locations around Austin: (512) 413-3648, www.austindoga.com As a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW), she also offers canine and yoga supported psychotherapy with Phoenix Thriving, PLLC under the supervision of Heather Davies, LCSW: (512) 560-7294, www.phoenixthrivingaustin.com

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THE BLACK BUTTERFLY Natural body care, and playing with your food

by Michael Abedin

L

ooking for Old Austin? There’s a touch of it still on Congress south of the river, but it’s quickly turning into a toohip tourist destination. South Lamar’s becoming one giant condo/retail project, with the occasional pocket of old-school cool preserved like a museum display.

Go east, where Old Austin still floats like a butterfly, a beautiful and fanciful thing that lights when and where it feels right. Condomania’s creeping down a big chunk of E. 5th and 6th – but head for the teens, and you’ll still find places where a butterfly can land.

One of them is at E. 13th and the northbound access road of I-35, and it really is a butterfly. Black Butterfly Bath & Body landed there after a metamorphosis that began about ten years ago – one that started, says owner Gloria Henry-Manor, with a proposal.

Diving in.

It was December 2002 when Gloria’s husband David Manor popped the question. “I accepted, and chose to get married as an African queen. Not one fabric store carried African fabric, so I went online and located my dream fabric at a wholesaler, registered a DBA in the name of Black Butterfly Interiors, and bought loads of fabric.”

They tied the knot, and discovered their wedding had created more than a marriage – by October 2004, they had a boutique. “People kept asking for shea butter! We closed the doors, removed the boutique stuff, replaced it with products filled with shea butter, and had a grand reopening as Black Butterfly Bath & Body.”

Diving into shea butter (sounds like fun) opened the door to natural healing through aromatherapy, and Gloria became an alchemist, infusing natural essential oils into anything she could find. Black Butterfly eventually started its own line of natural bath and body products – whipped shea butter soufflés, hair milk, Dead Sea salts, body butter, hair butter.

House brands include Mocha Mint, Citrus, Pink Sugar – or she can whip out a spatula and whip up a custom blend with a dash of this and a touch of that.

Sounds more like a gourmet kitchen than an alchemist’s lab. “I was always the kid who mixed my Kool Aid flavors, mixed up my mashed potatoes,” she laughs, gesturing around with a shea soufflé-covered rubber spatula. “This is what comes from playing with your food.”

Good analogy. Anything that goes on your skin is absorbed directly into your system, and you can’t always trust the natural or organic label on body care products – unless, maybe, you saw it whipped up in the converted kitchen of the three-bedroom house on E. 13th where the Butterfly landed as it expanded.

AFRICAN SHEA BUTTER

Shea (shay) butter comes from the nut of the African Shea Tree. It’s edible, rich in essential vitamins and fatty acids, and is traditionally used for everything from cooking to conditioning wood and leather – and your body. Its reported health uses include: • Protecting the skin from sun and wind • Scars, burns, stretch marks • Dry hair and scalp, dandruff • Skin irritation for babies • Dry, cracked lips and skin • After shaving • Eczema, psoriasis • Aging skin, wrinkles • Bruises, toxins from sore muscles • Massage for joint pain, arthritis

The expansion was into natural hair and nail care and facials, using her own products, and now there’s something different happening in every part of the Butterfly – including the cozy back yard she rents for parties and events.

Like UT Coach Darryl Royal used to say, though, you dance with who brung you, and Gloria’s not shy about who (other than David) brung her. “Use shea butter, baby. It’s amazing!”

Black Butterfly Bath & Body, 811 E. 13th St. @ I-35 (512) 673-3126 www.ShopBlackButterfly.com

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Back from the Graves’

How Heather Reversed Her Graves’ Disease

by Nerissa Oden

Heather builds green sculpture works, lives in a house built with recycled materials, maintains a garden and chickens, powers her diesel car with grease, and built an online marketplace supporting local food producers catering to Austin, Wimberley, and Fredericksburg. She’s a role model and inspiration.

And yet, before the age of forty, Heather was diagnosed with Graves’ Disease, an autoimmune disorder that makes a thyroid become hyperactive. Hers had been hyper for over eight years, and her condition was getting worse. It’s believed Graves’ Disease is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. One traditional medical treatment?

The elimination of the thyroid – and lifelong thyroid hormone replacement.

Heather’s endocrinologist said her thyroid would need to be killed with radioactive iodine, or removed with surgery.

Heather understood it was being adversely affected by something, but removing it instead of identifying the cause of its adverse behavior seemed quite dramatic. She decided to look for another solution, and found a functional medicine MD in Austin.

The decision to look for the source of her thyroid disturbance changed forever the way Heather looks at food and its correlation to everyday health.

The food alternative.

Heather’s new doctor immediately ordered a food sensitivity test and put her on a food elimination diet while they waited for results – about three weeks. After two weeks, she felt twenty again, with energy and clear thinking, and could fall right to sleep and sleep soundly. “I just didn’t realize how bad I felt until I felt good,” Heather says in a YouTube interview.

Her chronic back pain was first to disappear. Her ragweed allergies weren’t bothering her anymore, and she even stopped taking prescription antihistamines. Swollen, popping, painful joints were also eliminated.

Today, she’s off all medications, her thyroid functions normally without help, and tests show no indication of Graves’ Disease – a radical paradigm shift in health that Heather wants to share with others. She let FoodPowers.com share her story on YouTube under the title, Heal Graves’ Disease, Parts 1 and 2.

Nerissa Oden is a citizen advocate for knowing your unique individual food sensitivities via laboratory testing. Annual testing from one of a variety of sources can be an important aspect of individual wellness. Testing options, testimonials, and FAQS available at: www.FoodPowers.com (Save 10% – use code AAN)

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Evolving with Intent

Qi Gong, Intended Fitness, and Intended Medicine Although it might not seem like it in Austin, where new sections of skyline seem to materialize out of thin air, you can’t build a building from the top up. You start with a solid foundation and a blueprint, and then construct a framework.

Same thing’s true of a fitness or wellness or program.

“Extreme Boot Camp” workouts (or extreme anything – cleanses, diets, supplements) can create more stress and health problems than they relieve. Traditional systems of health, wellness, and energy cultivation, however, are based on creating a solid base, then evolving in stages.

Intended Evolution.

Jingui Golden Shield Qi Gong, for instance, activates the stored power of qi and puts it to work, strengthening internal organs and clearing your meridians using some combination of five progressive levels. The progression usually starts at the lower abdomen and advances to the crown of the head. Each level takes months to complete.

Dr. Dongxun Zhang of Austin’s China Health Center, a highly respected Golden Shield master, created a simple, fun exercise program based on the principles of Eastern disciplines like Qigong, combined with Western scientific methods and the theory of Intended Evolution – the theory that mankind is genetically programmed to live for 150 years. All that’s needed is the correct blueprint.

Fit-150® is a mind-body intended fitness program that provides that blueprint, through a flexible program of safe, non-strenuous exercises, meditations, and intentions that activate your own inherent inner power and focus it on the task at hand, whether it’s burning fat, or conditioning internal organs to help fight imbalances that can become diseases like diabetes.

If those imbalances get to a tipping point, however – the point where they’ve created serious disease states like cancer – your own qi may be too low to focus.

Intended Medicine Healing is the third part of the equation of Intended Evolution, for those who have been diagnosed with or are recovering from cancer. It involves acupuncture treatments and consultations with Dr. Zhang on diet and herbs, combined with energetic qi jumpstarts from him and his team of advanced Golden Shield practitioners.

Golden Shield Qi Gong, Fit-150®, and Intended Medicine Healing are the three sides of the health and wellness triangle of Intended Evolution. For information on all programs: (512) 368-2824, intendedmedicine@gmail.com www.Jingui.com www.Fit-150.com www.IntendedMedicineHealing.com

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The Silver Bullet An old remedy makes a comeback B

efore antibiotics, before antibacterial soaps, sprays, and wipes, there was a disinfectant used to prevent and fight illness and infections. It was (and sometimes still is) used on bandages. Royalty stored food in it and ate and drank with utensils made from it before food was preserved with refrigeration, and because it was said to counteract the poisoner’s art. Churches served communion in it, hoping to prevent the spread of disease from shared chalices.

Silver.

Like a lot of traditional remedies, this seemingly magical substance fell into relative disuse when more sophisticated medications came along. Silver is making a comeback, though, particularly now that antibiotic-resistant superbugs are popping up. It’s a popular dietary supplement in colloidal form – suspended in microscopic particles in distilled water by an electrical charge.

Colloidal silver is said to be effective as a form of both prevention and treatment of bacteria, viruses, parasites, yeast, mold – some even say cancer, HIV, and AIDS. Burns, skin infections, and acne are also said to benefit from silver.

According to herbwisdom.com, …silver acts as a catalyst, disabling an enzyme that facilitates actions inside cells. It is not consumed in the process, so it is available to keep working again and again. The enzyme silver destroys is required by anaerobic bacteria, viruses, yeast and molds. It stops them from using the body’s own cells as vehicles for replication.

Since it’s not designed to combat a specific pathogen but rather works against the very nature of their life cycles, it might be an effective preventative agent against all illnesses caused by pathogens, including future mutations. Laboratory tests show anaerobic bacteria, virus, and fungus organisms are killed within minutes of contact.

There’s an old wives’ tale that says that throwing a silver dollar in a well will keep the water pure. There may be some basis to that – silver is an element in some water filters, and colloidal silver may help keep bacteria and parasites from growing in water. (Old wives should probably just be put in charge of the whole health care system – couldn’t do any worse.)

Clear colloidal silver is said to be an indication of smaller particle size that’s more easily absorbed. There is no official recommended daily allowance for colloidal silver, but, as with any potent natural remedy, use common sense and follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for dosage.

Don’t fall prey to the all too common idea that if a little bit of silver or any supplement or herb is good, a whole lot is better. If you drink nothing but gallons of water with colloidal silver every day, thinking you’re creating an invincible immune system, you may wind up singing the blues – and doing natural health a disservice by giving ammunition to the “We told you so” crowd.

All information in this article is solely for educational purposes, and is not intended to diagnose, prescribe treatment, or take the place of consulting with a health care professional.

Nature’s Pure Organics offers Colloidal Silver and other natural and organic health and wellness products, including Blood Root Black Salve. Available online or by appointment at 1904 Guadalupe @ MLK. Contact owner Gary Hanna at (512) 264-4043 or naturespureorganics@ymail.com www.NaturesPureOrganics.com

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The Water Wheel

Ceremony

by Camilla Blossom

We are not here to heal Mother Earth. We are here to heal our relationship with Mother Earth.

– Golden Eagle Indigenous people say our purpose as humans is to nurture planets – and we are all indigenous. Far back in our lineage, our ancestors were caretakers of the land, waters, plants, and animals. Today, many feel a calling to join with others of all races, tribes, nations, and religions to take care of regional lands and waters, to return to sacred relationships with all living things.

The water elementals, the spirit of water, are calling us home to renew our inner emotional waters by nurturing our regional source waters.

The veins of the Earth.

Marshall Frank is Native American, a Paiute ceremonial elder. When he was a child, his tribal elders spent more than a month every spring in ceremony to energize source waters for the Yosemite region in California, so the people, plants, animals, and lands would be healthy and strong and rain and snow would replenish the valleys. It’s deeply touching to hear his stories, to be reminded of the power of offerings and blessing ceremonies.

Years later, when source waters were neglected, the trees became diseased, the animals got boils, and the health of the region and its people suffered. Many of the elders have passed, and now it’s time for all humans to step up and take care of the living waters.

Co-creating water medicine wheels in ceremony with the water elementals helps gather and distribute energy for water through crystalline energy, sacred geometry, healing spirals, and loving intentions. It can heal your inner emotional waters, as well.

Creating water wheels actually feeds the water and all living things by providing a sacred place to hold ceremony, make prayers, and offer blessings, loving intentions, and gratitude for water – and after every water ceremony, it rains!

A network of water wheels linked together with intention will reconnect the veins of the Earth, and its people, communities, tribes, and water elementals as well.

Now Available: THIEVES Essential Oil Blend Call About Our Aromatherapy Workshops

APRIL SPECIALS

Join flower essence and elemental alchemist Camilla Blossom and the water and flower elementals to bless the water. April 18: Water Ceremony and Elemental Teachings, 7pm, Cicada Recovery Services, by donation. April 27: Water Wheel Altars, 10:30am, Herb Bar, free. (775) 721-0358, www.camillablossom.com

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UPCOMING EVENTS THAI MASSAGE May 24-25, 10am-4:30pm.

Learn the ancient art of Thai massage, revised for the table. This beginner class was created to introduce massage therapists to this technique while allowing them to protect their backs and knees. This profound bodywork benefits the giver and the receiver, physically and spiritually. 12 CE’s are available for LMT’s. $300 for two-day course. To register, contact Kimberly Sybilla at (512) 771-6421.

Limited Space. Venue – Casa de Luz. BREATHWORK REBIRTHING Ebb & Flow Integration™ Therapy Breathwork Rebirthing Groups facilitated by Rima Star, Catherine Sikora, and other EFI certified practitioners. Three monthly groups: N. Austin: 2nd Sat. (4/13) 2-5pm South Austin: Thurs. (4/18) 7-10pm Georgetown: 4th Wed. (4/24) 6:30-9:30pm $25 each (512) 420-0068 www.meetup.com/Austin-Breathwork/ HIGHER BRAIN LIVING Presentation and live demonstration, FREE with pre-registration ($25 at the door).

Thursday, April 18, 6:30-8:30pm Austin Marriot South, 4415 S. I-35,78744.

For more info and to pre-register, visit: www.higherbrainlivingevents.com GABRIELLE ROTH’S 5Rhythms® in Austin Galaxy Studios, 1700 S. Lamar #338 Offered by Lisa DeLand (512) 444-0443 ldeland@earthlink.net www.dancingfirelizards.com

Ron Northcutt Custom Web Sites 512-850-4569

QUANTUM REIKI MASTER INTENSIVE The Reiki of the Fire Dragon, with Reiki Master Teacher Michael Abedin May 3-5. Learn to do in-person and long-distance treatments on yourself and others, attune others to all three levels.

A new history of Reiki and Dr.Usui.

Discounted pre-reg. (512) 879-7299 An outstanding teacher – I wouldn’t do the class with anyone else.– Joe Vitale BECOME A PROFESSIONAL LIFE COACH IN ONLY TWO DAYS Affordable certification. Two-day Intensive course. Interactive, hands-on training.

Austin: Apr. 13-14.

Colorado Springs, CO: May 18-19.

San Antonio: June 29-30 All classes Sat.-Sun., 9am-5pm Information and Registration: (877) 500-5242 or visit: www.lifecoachingamerica.com METAPHYSICAL LIFE FAIR Apr. 27 10am-6:30pm. Apr. 28 11am-6pm NEW LOCATION: Marchesa Hall, 6406 N. I-35 #3100. GPS, Google maps use 6226 Middle Fiskville. www.SpiritualLifeProductions.com POSITIVE SPIRITUAL MOVEMENT SEEKERS A meetup group that inspires people to learn metaphysics. Join at www.meetup.com/ positive-spiritual-movement-seekers Metaphysical and Spiritual POSITIVE HIGHER LEARNING CLASSES For more information: www.positivehigherlearning.com

Get to the Root of Healthy Teeth and Gums Dr. William Heggen

Endodontist

Grow your own Organic Web Site Starting at $297 http://www.RealTidings.com/Free

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• Specializing in Root Canal Treatment • New and Restorations A cracked tooth, gum disease, loss of a filling or crown — all of these can open your teeth and gums to infection.

Prevent tooth loss.

Keep your natural teeth as a healthy foundation.

7800 Mopac, Ste. 250 • (512) 345-9779

KUNG FU MOVIEMAKING: A SUMMER CAMP FOR KIDS June 10-14, June 17-21.

Kids learn kung fu and self defense, shoot their own kung fu movie, and build creativity, inner strength, and teamwork with Thomas Leverett, Del Sol Martial Arts and Fitness. (512) 535-4749 www.AustinKungFuSummerCamp.com HEARTS WIDE OPEN YOGA AND SEVA RETREAT, NICARAGUA June 29-July 6 Yoga, relaxation, and gourmet healthy food in a tropical paradise.

Vinyasa, AcroYoga, Thai Massage, and sacred service to an orphanage and elderly community. www.YogaSevaRetreat.com Fit-150: Intended Evolution Fitness® MIND/BODY EXERCISE PROGRAM FREE Introductory Presentations (512) 757-3538 www.Fit-150.com CHECK OUT A PATH OF LOVE: Intro to A Course in Miracles Every 1st Tuesday http://Meetup.com/Intro-to-ACIM ASHTARA SASHA WHITE’S EVENTS • TRANSFORMATION & ASCENSION AT THE HIGHEST • at the Healing Light Center Master’s Teachings Second Thurs. each month: Thurs., April 11 Arrival: 6:30PM for group, party & potluck 7018 William Wallace Way, Austin 78754 Call for a Private Session including Psychic, Medical and Extraordinary Healings 2ND ANNUAL CHAPEL OF LIGHT CONFERENCE: April 25-28.

(512) 278-0559, Angels@AshtaraSashaWhite.com www.AshtaraSashaWhite.com

UPCOMING EVENTS Upcoming Classes

April 5-7: Chi Nei Tsang Level 1, Part 1

with Jampa Stewart April 13: The Joy of Plant-based

Gluten-free Eats and Treats April 17: Plant Walk with Nicole Telkes April 20: Heaven Earth Gong with Master Li Junfeng May 10-12: Chi Nei Tsang Level 1, Part 2 with Jampa Stewart May 11: Intro to Aston® Kinetics More information at:

aoma.edu/community-classes 512-492-3034 community@aoma.edu

Living in the Heart of the Wave Key We st D ol ph in Ad venture

Rima Star invites you to join her in exploring breath, consciousness and spirituality with free dolphins in the Key West Ocean Wildlife preserve. Are the dolphins are calling you? Go to our website for more information about this extraordinary adventure happening July 21-27, 2013.

Meetup.com/Austin-Breathwork

Ebb & Flo w Int egration Brea t hwor k Trainin g 2 Weekend Workshops

Prepare for the Dolphin Adventure Strengthen your own Breathwork Learn to facilitate others April 5-7 & April 27-28 $375-$450 $200 for Dolphin Trip Participants

• • •

512-420-0068 cpsikora@gmail.com

AUSTIN NATURAL RESOURCES

A Guide to Practitioners, Products, and Services for the Body, Mind, and Spirit Bodywork/Energywork PRANIC HEALING (512) 772-1001 www.AustinPranicHealing.com Assess and remove old blocked energy.

Projects prana, life-force, to start the body’s natural innate healing ability.

Pro bono clinics, private sessions, practitioner classes.

Creative Publishing and Marketing Services for Small Businesses Contact: Austin All Natural (512) 382-7354 • (512) 894-0489

Body Image PLUS-SIZED HEALTH AND HAPPNESS (512) 539-7105 www.TheresaWoodsong.com Better health and more happiness are here for you now! Call Theresa Woodsong, plus-sized Personal Image mentor, for comfort, joy, and ease with yourself today.

Breathwork EBB & FLOW INTEGRATION THERAPY (EFI) (512) 420-0068 • www.meetup.com/Austin-Breathwork/ Learning to use breath consciously opens the door to greater health – physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Three monthly groups and private sessions available.

Hypnosis PAST LIFE MEMORY THERAPY Kelly Burnett LCSW (512) 940-5580 austinmemories@hotmail.com Curious about your past lives? Past life therapy uses hypnosis to explore your subconscious and past lives. Train

by Dr. Brian Weiss. Relief from anxiety, relationship challenges, grief & loss.

Counseling KELLY KIMBERLIN, LMSW (512) 861-8991 AustinCounselorKelly.com Living an authentic life starts with healing from the past and regaining self-compassion. You can rid yourself of self-defeating thoughts and embrace hope, health, and happiness.

Psychics and intuitives DANI STAITE (512) 772-1001.

Phone/personal sessions www.TheHealingState.com info@TheHealingState.com Healer, prophet, clairvoyant, psychic.

Medical intuitive, energy worker, coach, teacher, friend.

ASHTARA SASHA WHITE (512) 278-0559. Phone/In person sessions www.AshtaraSashaWhite.com Angels@AshtaraSashaWhite.com Master teacher. Speaker. Psychic.

Medical intuitive. Healer. Questions answered. Problems solved. Pain alleviated. Deep, gratifying readings.

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SAN ANTONIO NATURAL RESOURCES RETREAT CENTERS

HEALTH LIFE MOTIVATIONS Elizabeth Keller APRN-BC, LPC (210) 704-1018 www.lifemotivationssa.com Lose Weight and feel great! Hormone replacement available. The first consultation FREE. Call today!

Seminar: Whispering Rocks Ranch, March 9,10am-2pm

ENERGY HEALING

NAMASTE www.NamasteRetreat.com (830) 385-2333 Beautiful creekside retreat just north of San Antonio near Boerne. Rent for classes, retreats, seminars. Overnight accommodations.

Hot tub, salt water pool, Zen garden, labyrinth.

PRANIC HEALING For local San Antonio classes, meditations, and pro bono (free) Pranic Healing sessions, contact Bernie Kosta (210) 257-5991 (Se habla Espanol) www.AustinPranicHealing.com

HOUSTON NATURAL RESOURCES CENTERS THE SPIRIT QUEST CENTER (281) 288-7815 www.TheSpiritQuestCenter.com 240 Noble Street, Spring, 77373. Retail, classes, practitioners. Crystal Color Light and Sound Bed. Ghost tours. Rent for parties, weddings, workshops.

SPECTRUM CENTER (713) 840-8957 www.spectrumcenter-houston.com 4100 Westheimer Road, 77027 Psychotherapy, coaches, spirituality, massage, acupuncture, Zero Balancing, naturopathy, energy medicine. Workshops, space rental.

BODY MIND SPIRIT

EDGAR CAYCE’S Association for Research and Enlightenment www.edgarcaycehouston.org 7800 Amelia Road, Houston, 77055 (713) 263-1006 Researching and presenting concepts in Cayce’s work.

Events, practitioners, activities at the Houston Center.

CRAZY MAMA’S CELESTIAL EMPORIUM Perfume as a Weapon. Personalized Pheromone Essential Oil Blends by Diana Diamonds 11-6 Wed.-Sun. Old Town Spring (713) 409-3730 www. Dance of the Divine Dragonfly.com

ENERGY HEALING

BODY, MIND AND SPIRIT – LIVING IT Theresa Buede, Certified Health Coach, addresses nutritional imbalances and self-sabotaging mental patterns to restore harmony. Individual and group sessions. (979) 799-6877 www.theresavertrees.com

PRANIC HEALING For local Houston classes, meditations, and pro bono (free) Pranic Healing sessions in multiple locations, call (512) 472-1001 (Se habla Espanol) www.AustinPranicHealing.com

ADVERTISE YOUR SAN ANTONIO OR HOUSTON BUSINESS AND EVENTS (512) 879-7299

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E ISSUE 72 FRE

zza Fantasy and Pi erous?

Is Magic Dang Helpers Mother’s Little

Emerge

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Michael Abedin (512) 879-7299 michaelabedin@yahoo.com

The Spirit Quest Center www.TheSpiritQuestCenter.com New Age Gift Store Psychic and Holistic Fairs Full-time Psychic Readers Alternative Healing Practitioners Rental Space for Events and Classes

PSYCHIC FAIR April 7

• 1-6 PM • Spirit Quest Center • Spring, Tx.

Old Town Spring Ghost Tour www.SpringGhostTour.com 240 Noble St. Spring, TX 77373 (281) 288-7815 • www.TheSpiritQuestCenter.com

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Dear Ashtara:

Messages from Your Angels and Master Teachers

Dear Ashtara, I seem to have lost my direction from the very beginning.

What do I need to be doing to find it? Deb, 51, Victoria, TX Dear Deb, According to your Akashic Records, you are supposed to be a nurse or an MD/healer. However, your direction now is to learn how to accumulate and invest. When you can achieve this, your direction will be shown to you. Climb any little mountain and you will again find yourself. (Literally climb.) Your High Teacher is Michael, the angel.

Dear Ashtara, I am writing a book and I am wondering when it will be published. Sharon, 48, Georgetown, TX Dear Sharon, It seems that you are supposed to be an author of three books already, so you’re definitely on the right track.

By August it should be finished. Therefore, you will have it published by December, 2013. In your life, you will publish eight books. One of them will be a motion picture. You will also be able to incorporate everything that you’ve already written into another book. So keep your spirit high and don’t give up. Your Teachers are Ashtar, Lord Maitreya, Raphael, and God Himself.

Dear Ashtara, I feel my life is not congruent with my soul’s desires. What are the top three things I can do, or must happen for me, to put my best foot forward and allow my soul to soar? Renee, 48, Cedar Park, TX Dear Renee, It is interesting that according to your wise Akashic Records, you are doing exactly what your records say

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you are to be doing at this moment. However, you are supposed to be speaking and teaching more often. 1) Step forward with your ability to lead. 2) Approach the almighty within with a particular desire and see if it will not be fulfilled. 3) Do not underestimate your innate abilities because it seems that sometimes you do.

Travel is in your future, and you will also be asked to formulate your life so that you can head an enormous venture. Consider yourself fortunate, for in your life, you will be “gifted” a considerable sum. Your High Teacher is Maitreya.

2ND ANNUAL CHAPEL OF LIGHT CONFERENCE When the Saints Go Marching In Lake Whitney, April 25-28, The Chapel of Light is a magnificent spiritual center 2½ hours from Austin, close to Hillsboro on I-35. At the first Conference, people came from all over the state.

We’re reconvening the end of April, which should be beautiful weather. The Chapel of Light and Conference Center (www.TheChapelOfLight.com) was my mother’s vision in the 70’s – rainbow colored windows with healing vortexes, a Fountain of Light with crystals.

Speakers, musicians, Paul Hubbert’s crystal bowls, Friday restaurant dinner, Saturday lunch and outdoor pavilion dinner – all on the lake. Join as our spiritual family grows and reunites.

Details: www.AshtaraSashaWhite.com, (512) 278-0559.

Private Sessions can be scheduled (in person or phone) that include psychic, medical, profound healings, questions answered and more. Ashtara/Sasha is a gifted psychic, healer and channel from the Ascended Masters/Archangels. She is also a Reiki Master Teacher, Sound Current Healing Master Teacher, mystic, profound speaker and minister. Events at www.AshtaraSashaWhite.com. Call (512) 278-0559 or email Ashtara@SashaWhite. com to submit your question for ‘Dear Ashtara’ (10 to 20 words) with name, age, city and state.

It Can Be Fun

No Matter What!

by HeatherAsh Amara

Man is most nearly himself when he achieves the seriousness of a child at play. Heraclitus

Can you imagine being delightfully, playfully excited about obstacles that arise in your life?

The sense of awe and wonder you once oozed as a child gets brittle and stiff as you age if you don’t keep working your celebrate-everything muscle. Even the most dramatic times can be an inner party waiting to happen.

Why pop open champagne when the going gets tough?

Well, because the hard places, those he/she broke my heart I’ve lost my job my child is sick I’m scared and don’t have enough support what do I do songs we all sing are where we grow, deepen, and recover who we truly are. They’re gifts, opportunities presented on a shiny platter.

Shifting shapes.

Besides, can you think of a good reason not to enjoy something you’re experiencing? It is happening – so repeat after me: “Yes! I am a warrior of love, a beam of light, a courageous magician, an alchemical visionary, a shaman shapeshifter, ready to transform lead into gold. I walk with eyes and heart wide open, ready to embrace and dissolve demons of self-judgment, frustration, and struggle.”

Gleeful ecstasy may not be the first thing that arises when your car breaks down on your way to an interview or you spill coffee on your new shirt. But you can work up to it!

Anything can be made into sweet play, an invitation to creativity, lightness, and flow as you surf the ocean of life.

Wouldn’t you rather be buoyant, ready for the next wave, than weighed down by judgments, fears, and the disbelief of this can’t be happening to me?

You can choose to feed your joy and see the play even in the most difficult places, or feed anger, jealousy, and fear.

Start small – smile to yourself when you stub your toe or lock your keys in your car. Find the hidden gift that’s always shining beneath the current challenge.

HeatherAsh Amara is the mama of Toci, the Toltec Center of Creative Intent in Austin, and author of The Toltec Path of Transformation. Toci is a community dedicated to supporting awareness, authenticity, and action from love, and having fun doing it. For events, visit www.toci.org or like the Toci Toltec Path Facebook page.

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Clematis The Woo Woo Remedy In the 1930’s, English physician Edward Bach created a series of thirty-six flower remedies, prepared from plants found in his native England, to address underlying mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of physical disease. This is part of an ongoing series describing those remedies.

Bach Chronicles, Part Fifteen

by Michael Abedin A quick lesson in astrology – three or four times a year, the orbits of the Sun, Earth, and the planet Mercury make it appear as if Mercury is moving backwards in its path through the sky.

For about three weeks, Mercury is said to be “retrograde”.

If you remember your mythology, Mercury is the guy with the winged sandals and helmet, the swift and sure messenger of the gods who governs matters of communication. When his namesake planet is moonwalking backwards, all forms of communication are, to use a technical astrology term, completely screwy. If electronics are involved, things get even crazier – cell phones, computers, i-Whatevers – screwy.

As this piece was written, ‘round about the Ides of March, a run of Mercury retrograde that started the last week of February was heading for a big finish, one that really messed with interpersonal communications and the ability to get anything done quickly and efficiently. If you didn’t get sideways with something or someone back then – well, how are things at the monastery these days?

Merc retro ended March 17, same day the exercise in entertainment-seeking known as SXSW (“South By So What”) ended. It’s also a day set aside to honor a Catholic saint with total, unequivocal drunkenness.

It’s a Clematis sort of day.

Clematis is the remedy created by Edward Bach for times when you’re out to lunch, off the planet, en otro mundo – lost in a different world, all your very own.

It’s the Woo Woo remedy, when you’ve loosened your ties to the physical realm and are hanging out somewhere between Graceland and Neverland.

Nice place to visit, but you don’t wanna live there – unless you’re independently wealthy and don’t have to make a living. On the Clematis planet, little things like memory, attention span, focus, and concentration aren’t really part of your worldview. Creative, idealistic, and talented people who aren’t able to put their finely tuned sensibilities into a practical format could use some Clematising.

So could New Age dreamers waiting for the arrival of a land of milk (raw, organic) and honey (local, unfiltered) and instant manifestations. Creating anything you want out of thin

26

air is one possibility in a universe of infinite multi-dimensional possibilities, but when you’ve picked a world that requires walking around in a body, there’s a little work required.

Your operating system.

There’s a tendency in holistic and spiritual circles in these heady days of paradigm-jumping to learn new modalities and accumulate as many “energetic downloads” as possible, as if acquiring more tools will make the job of healing, enlightening, or otherwise altering yourself or others easier.

Sounds good out there in the astral plane, but energy is only as good as its conductor – and, as any electrician will tell you, its ground.

As any computer geek will tell you, new downloads are only as good as your operating system. Feeling a little uncomfortable in your body, a little off? Getting so sensitive to light, sound, or other sensory input that you block them out? By the time you finish doing all your meditations, manifestations, and incantations to start the day, is it time to do the ones to get ready for bed?

Feel like your head is always up in the clouds – or maybe up a portion of your anatomy that doesn’t face the clouds? Get some Clematis. Meant to get some and forgot, or got some and can’t remember where you put it?

Get some more.

The Mercury solution.

If you get really grounded and want to do something about this Mercury thing, support the solution put forth in these pages before: • Assemble all Earth’s nuclear devices into one giant missile, point it at Mercury, and blast the little bugger right into the sun.

• Gravity on Earth might be thrown a bit off.

Take lots of Clematis.

• Complete nuclear disarmament might result in world peace, a good thing. (Beauty queens would require something besides world peace to wish for, but it would be a small price to pay.)

Michael Abedin, publisher and editor of Austin All Natural, is a Reiki Master Teacher who offers classes and consultations on personalized flower remedy combinations. (512) 879-7299.

(Information only, not intended to diagnose, blah, blah, blah…)

FEEL GOOD AGAIN IN 2013!

27

How to Navigate the Underworld Part 3 of 3

by Bruce P. Grether We all have our own stories. This is part of human nature, and yet, like the proverbial tip of the iceberg, most of what’s really going on with us is submerged in the unconscious mind.

And in the unconscious are powerful stories we share with everyone. These are often shared as imaginative tales, even as mythology, and serve as the foundation or underpinnings of your own stories.

Such stories emerge directly from the unconscious, and they can help you navigate your experience of everyday life. Such a story is always about you – the reader – and if you surrender to it and follow through, you will always learn something important about yourself, and about your place in the world.

Further, when you really absorb and digest the entire story, the entire world where it happens is within you, and everyone in that world is some aspect of yourself.

In Middle Earth.

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Among the most dramatic, beloved, and most widely known tales of powerful imagination are those written by Professor J.R.R. Tolkien. Millions have enjoyed the books, but at the start of this new millennium, with the release of Peter Jackson’s film versions, millions more have been entertained and enriched by the meaningful events in Middle Earth.

In Tolkien, the Underworld is within the mountains, where Bilbo finds the Ring. It’s where Gandalf fights the Balrog, and where Aragorn recruits an army of the Dead.

In fact, to perceptive eyes, The Lord of the Rings speaks of precisely what’s happening in the “real” world. Just as relevant are what the Egyptians called the Duat, and the Greeks called Tartarus – where Mother Earth’s Beloved Monsters are imprisoned. Those monsters are vast, powerful forces of Nature that we need to make peace with.

Until our species makes peace with Nature, how can we make peace with one another?

Simply observe how such a story reveals something of your own life; then you’re navigating the Underworld of the unconscious mind – and charting your course.

And, in fact, this is a great deal of fun!

Bruce P. Grether is a published novelist and regular Austin All Natural contributor who conducts workshops about Egypt and the Stardust Tarot he created.

Learn more about his writings, artwork, and events at www.9realities.com

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