Spiritual Paths

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INSPIRATION 11 Money Magnets in the Twilight Zone 16 Real Security is an Inside Job 17 Divine Partnerships 19 The Spirit of Astronomy 20 Your Spiritual Path: Superhighway or Dirt Road?

30 Reboot Your Day! 32 Self Evolution: Recognizing the Feminine TOOLS & TIPS 21 Nature & Yoga: Balance with Essential Oils 24 Allowing Success: The Ultimate Spiritual Path 26 The True Meaning of Mindful SPIRITUALITY 4 Becoming a Spiritual Mentor 8 Decisions, Decisions 10 Invitation to the Spiritual Path 12 Nature & the Divine: A Cal for Reverence 13 The 5th Element 28 Enlightened Beings: Walking a Conscious Path HEALTHY LIVING 34 How to Crush Your Sugar Cravings TRANSFORMATION 6 Upsetting the Apple Cart RELATIONSHIPS 14 When Love Happens 18 Are Relationships Going to the Dogs?

22 Attracting Your Divine Mate

Š Copyright 2014 Transformation Magazine. All rights reserved. www.TransformationMag.com

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Spirituality

By Berenice Andrews It’s not for the faint of heart, for becoming a spiritual mentor involves a sustained striving for “impeccability.”

“[It] begins with a single act that has to be deliberate, precise and sustained. If that act is repeated long enough, one acquires a sense of unbending intent, which can be applied to anything else. If that is accomplished, the road is clear. One thing will lead to another until the [spiritual] warrior realizes his full potential.”

—Carlos Castaneda, The Fire from Within For you, a spiritual warrior (aka soul searcher), that “single act” is your sustained response to an inner summons to undertake your journey of spiritual evolution. From that first step, you are committed to living the spiraling, ongoing paths of opening the way, coming into being, entering within and finding wisdom. It’s a “circuit” that can occupy five minutes and/or 50 years.

With every turn, you strengthen your intent, for this is a journey of “becoming” that is constantly culminating into higher “being.”

Your intent requires, above all, ”heart awareness.” It’s a “knowing” (gnosis) that you are an energy being—a soul—a microcosmic creator who generates your “bodies” of consciousness (i.e., who and what you are physically, emotionally, mentally and transcendentally) with the power of the centers of consciousness

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(chakras) contained within your human energy system. Guided by the indwelling Spirit, you make those bodies (soul structures) out of the consciousness energies (soul substance) of the “quantum sea”—the Soul Field—in which you live, move and have your beingness. Your heart awareness resides in the heart center of your human energy system. With it, you have all the power you need to maintain your intent.

That’s because your heart center connects with the transcendent life, light, love and law energies of the Soul Field.

Then, this chakra acts as a “bridge” for channeling the healing life energies from your “higher” centers of consciousness (your throat, third eye and crown chakras) down to your root, sacral and solar plexus chakras that vibrate at a much lower frequency.

Your heart center also acts as a “crucible,” (a word from alchemy meaning a container in which something “base” is changed into something enormously valuable). In your heart center crucible, the love energies of the Soul Field catalyze your transformation.

Thus, your heart center/Soul Field connection maintains the unbending intent while the “road” is being “cleared.” The clearing work involves…

Three Concurrent Tasks Essentially, you the soul searcher are required to “clean up your act,” a work made necessary because human energy beings begin this lifetime as animal souls—their first developmental stage. It repeats an earlier evolutionary phase that included the primitive instincts and the other primal characteristics required for survival. During this stage, human energy beings can sustain much damage. Even in the uterus and certainly afterward you, as an animal soul, can experience soul loss and soul wounding—

trauma to your centers of consciousness that causes parts of your energy field to go missing. Thus, you can generate (and reinforce) damaged soul structures—perceptions, beliefs, feelings, thoughts, etc.—that seriously hinder your human development.

On your evolutionary path, while you maintain your unbending intent, the clean-up that heals the damage and promotes spiritual evolution happens within your heart center.

There, the tasks involve purifying, simplifying and unifying the consciousness energies of your chakras and thence your “bodies.” (Form follows consciousness!)

Although there are many ways that the clean-up/healing can be done, the shamanic paths of seeking spiritual knowledge in the Otherworld—especially the ways of love—are tried-and-true.

On those paths, the journey can often unfold like this...

For the task of purifying, the spiraling path of opening the way takes precedence. You focus on your survival-driven root chakra and, in particular on its perceptual filtering system—instrumental in producing your beliefs. While you spirit journey and learn the ways of love, you explore that chakra’s functionality and examine the beliefs you carry about yourself and about life. And, you begin lovingly to replace them with the truth and repair the damage to the root center.

Now, this can be challenging, for two reasons: first, an animal soul’s emotional “body,” generated in an environment dominated by the root center’s survival imperative, usually resists any change and second, there’s the likelihood that the heart center itself has been damaged, perhaps from before birth. Thus, the first stage of purifying will also involve some intense, heart center explorations in addition to those for the root center ... in the Otherworld.

In the meantime, with the work of transmuting the old, false beliefs, you are gently healing your emotional body, despite its resistance. Your former enslavement to it is being replaced with growing discernment and detachment. And, because yours is a holistic energy system, you are also adding to the power of your heart center. Thus, the energies of life can start flowing over the “bridge” and the transformative power of the “crucible,” informed by the energies of love, can begin to manifest. And, in all of this process, the consciousness energies of your root, sacral and solar plexus chakras are being raised to a higher vibration.

(As above; so below.) While this happens, the “i-am” consciousness energies of those centers—the crucial first stage of a human sense of “self” that will eventually merge with the Self—are also evolving upward. Fortunately, in your holistic system, all this is actually taking place at once.

Thus, with unbending intent, you are cleaning up your act by healing a lot of damage and instilling the love connection. And you are learning—through discernment and detachment—to be who you truly are—a multidimensional soul-- a human energy being.

Meanwhile, within this holistic system, the task of simpli-

fying has already been unfolding—mainly on the path of coming into being. This is also a challenge, because animal soul structures, especially those of the emotional and mental “bodies,” are often convoluted and even compartmentalized. Many of them are defense mechanisms sometimes initiated before birth. They are often expressed by emotional instability and “muddled” thinking. Thus, there can be a lot of “clutter” to uncover and transmute in your root, sacral and solar plexus chakras and in those “bodies.” With your ongoing, unbending intent to evolve spiritually, you continue the explorations of the damaged chakras and their “bodies” in the Otherworld, while you progress along your spiraling paths.

The simplifying task will likely continue on the path of entering within, mainly because you are connecting more and more with the unending flow of love energies. Meanwhile, you have been immersing in the other transcendent energies. Thereby, your capacity for discerning and detaching has greatly increased.

Within your heart center’s awareness, the intent has remained unbending and the tasks have become easier. And all that time, the indwelling Spirit has been guiding you, while you lived, moved and had your being in the Soul Field. Throughout all of this raising of animal soul consciousness, the healing work in the lower centers was changing the energies of the entire system. And your heart awareness expanded constantly. Thus, there was developing an increasing capacity to embrace “oneness,” for all along, your third task of unifying had been unfolding. But it was not a “merger.” It was (and will continue to be) a “dance” of balanced and healthy centers of consciousness—a wholeness.

They have been generating truly human “bodies” whose “i-am” consciousness energies were being readied to be one with the indwelling Spirit.

It’s a transformation and a culmination. In your heart awareness there is a newness of being. It’s the joy of entering within...and finding wisdom. That’s the goal of spiritual evolution.

At that pinnacle, you—the soul searcher—are both lovingly discerning and lovingly detached. That’s what makes “impeccability” possible. With this wonderfully human attribute, you can become a spiritual mentor. If this is the result of your striving, you should be honored and revered. The world has great need of you.

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Berenice Andrews is a shamanic teacher/healer. To learn more about her teachings, consult her book Rebirthing Into Androgyny: Your Quest for Wholeness, And Afterword. To become her student, see her web site, thestonecircleclassroom.com.

[Author’s note] For additional information about microcosmic creator, consciousness energies, soul, Soul Field, soul substance, soul wounding, the human energy system, chakras (i.e., centers of consciousness) and “bodies” of consciousness (i.e., soul structures), see my articles in the September, 2013, to June, 2014, issues of Transformation Magazine.

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Transformation

By Natalie Amsden Rivera Nothing stands still in life. Change is constant, inevitable.

As you read these words you are moving, growing, changing. This being the case you would think we humans might be more accustomed to the change process. Instead we often live in resistance, or even fierce opposition, to change, and therefore to life itself.

There are many reasons for this, but generally the cause is fear brought on by our unconscious attachment to our mind-made identity. By unconscious I mean we’re not aware of it. By attachment I mean a clinging-to, a dependency on. By mind-made identity I mean the who-we-think-we-are; our roles, our beliefs, other’s beliefs about us, our material goods, our accomplishments, our relationships, our failures, what we do for a living—our egos.

In other words:

We cling to the circumstances that make up our current life situation because we believe that if they change we will lose part of our “self,” and therefore, we fear change.

There are many ways to dismantle this false identity, bring the unconscious into awareness, and break through the fear. But, those are all topics for another day. Today I’m going to discuss why we are seeing unprecedented change going on around us and why so many of us are choosing to ride the wave of change and seeking a deeper understanding of life through a spiritual path.

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The Applecart: If you have ever been advised (or heard the idiom) “Don’t upset the applecart,” you are being told not to disturb the way things are done because it might ruin things. In general, we all tend to live by this often unspoken rule. We go about our lives collecting apples and piling them neatly into our carts, taking care not to “upset” the others. The apples here represent all of those aspects of the “mind-made identity” that we discussed above.

When the road gets bumpy our primary goal is to traverse the challenge unscathed—applecart intact. A tremendous amount of our energy goes into sustaining the applecart. When we discover rotten apples, we usually discretely tuck them underneath a shiny one, afraid discarding it might cause too great a shift. When we encounter new apples we face them with an intense skepticism; we evaluate whether any new apples will shift the balance within the cart, or perhaps make us question the value of other items in the cart. Even a very appealing, potentially healing new apple— that deep down we know is “just right”—will quickly be passed by if we get even a hint that it might lead to a change in the contents or structure of our applecart.

“God forbid we’d have to shift, change, or adjust. Oh no, no, we mustn’t do that.

Anything, but upsetting the applecart.”

So, we already agree that life is a continuous change process, and we’ve already acknowledged that humans have a strong tendency to resist this change. However, we left out one

important point, and that is that the resistance to make large-scale changes—total transformations—is not something unique to humanity. All of the natural world appears to operate the same way.

Natural scientists and evolutionary psychologists alike have shown us that all evolution (which simply means passing to a different stage or changing inherited traits) follows the same pattern: extremely long periods of time in which a particular species exists unchanged, followed by a rapid period of evolutionary growth.

From fossil records we have been shown clearly that species change and adapt only after pushed to their limits of survival.

For instance, fossil records show compelling evidence that at some point(s) fish transformed in order to live on land.

Imagine Earth covered in water. The earth’s inhabitants freely roamed the waters until the geologic forces of volcanoes and tectonic shifting (along with other processes) brought more and more of the earth’s land above the surface of the water. As groups of fish found themselves in pools of water cut off from the main ocean, they had to adapt to their new surroundings. As the water evaporated, and wasn’t being re-fed from another source, the fish were pushed to the brink of extinction. Their only means of survival was to evolve to life on land, which they did, growing legs and lungs and stepping foot onto dry land. And once they began this transition, it happened rather rapidly.

Back to the Applecart…

What does this have to do with the applecart? Well, humans are no different.

We wait until we are pushed to the brink of extinction before we are willing to change, to evolve, to look within for answers.

On a broad scale, many believe humans are pushing our limits and that without rapid, wide-spread change, both internally and in how we interact with our world, we will no longer be able to sustain our current form of existence. On an individual scale (partially in response to this broader change that’s occurring) we are each being pushed toward our personal evolution points.

As the economy has tumbled in the last decade, more and more of us are losing our jobs, our houses, our possessions, as well as the mind-made selves and identities that we have wrapped up in such things. Even those of us who haven’t been affected directly are feeling the fear that we might be next or the unease knowing that our world may never be the same. To put it plainly, our applecarts are being upset.

So many people are breathing a sigh of relief, often to their own surprise. No longer do they have to spend countless hours obsessing over their apples. No longer do they have to worry that someone might suspect, or even get a glimpse of, their rotten apples. No longer do they feel obligated to pass by apples that don’t neatly fit in their cart. It’s already upset, already “ruined.” So, now there’s nothing to lose.

With nothing left to cling to, we finally let go.

Once the applecart has tipped, people begin to truly look at what they have been storing. They examine the decay and toss out the ones that no longer serve them – the relationships, the jobs, the locations, the stuff. And just like the fish, once people have reached this point, evolution takes over and kicks it up a notch. Once you start the process of change and begin to look for a deeper meaning in life—beyond the identities and the stuff— more and more change keeps happening. Before you know it you have completely transformed.

And so has life. If you, too, have found yourself standing in awe of the remnants of your old life, your old identity, and finally in integrity with your True Self and on a path of exploration, join the club. You are not alone! So, knowing all of this, instead of resisting these changes, embrace them; go with the flow, allow them to transform you. Use the confusion, the pain, the newness, and the synchronicities and inspirations to awaken you to new possibilities and the deeper parts of your true self. Enjoy the journey!

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Natalie Amsden Rivera, Publisher of Transformation Magazine, is a visionary speaker and entrepreneur. She is passionate about empowering others to GET REAL and live authentically. After a decade of living a life that wasn’t hers and developing Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Natalie let go of everything and completely transformed.

Through her journey to healing she rediscovered her true self and greater purpose—to inspire others to transform their lives. Natalie “retired” from the rat race at 24, put herself through school as a freelance designer, created a non-profit teen center, and later created Transformation Services, Inc., which offers motivational speaking, curriculum development, life coaching, event management, and publishing. Visit www.joeelandnatalie.com.

Tipped on its side, our apples spill out, destroying their precise arrangement, uncovering the rotten apples that were meticulously tucked out of site—now obvious and exposed, rotting in the sun. How embarrassing. Or not!

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Spirituality

By Marcia Bender The choices we make today can limit, or free, our tomorrow. Our lives are filled with choices. From our first breath to our last, we are making decisions that will profoundly affect us.

A young child begins the choice process by deciding which toy to select for playtime or which flavor of juice he or she would prefer for a snack. As the child advances, the choices may include which shirt to wear to school or which movie to select from the choices offered by the parent. These seem like very elementary decisions to an adult, but to the child they are just as important as many of the future life decisions to be made. As the child matures, the decisions become more complicated: Who to invite to the birthday party, who to invite for a sleep over, which homework assignment to begin first, etc. The childhood decisions are not what we would consider life-changing, but as children progress into the teen years and beyond, the decisions really do affect their futures in profound ways.

The majority of people do not really think beyond the moment of choice to the future consequences of their decisions.

This is normal, but a mistake. It is possible to train ourselves to look beyond the choice of the moment, to envision how the current choice may directly impact our future and the future of those whose lives are connected to our own.

The Buddha said, “It’s better to take one step in the right direction than 10,000 in the wrong direction.” The Buddhist masters tell us, “Be careful. What you think is so, and what seems to be so, may not be so.” If we can consider those two statements before

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making our choices, we can free ourselves from the world of illusion and begin to make the choices that will give us the freedom to live happier and more productive lives.

The Fool in the Tarot Deck (Major Arcana Key 0) talks to us of choices. His number is 0 and “zero” can contain all things or nothing. We all enter a new incarnation with the ability to attain Cosmic Consciousness, to fill our lives with all things or nothing. This is why our choices are so important. As you think, so you are.

As humans, it is common for us to allow other people to make our choices. From the day of our birth we go through a conditioning process that consists of other people’s rules, regulations, and choices that are made for us. It is easy to just drift along and let others do the thinking and selecting for us. We are then rewarded by the parents, the teachers, the religious leaders, the government authorities, etc., who tell us what good and well-behaved children/followers we are. Many of us are brought up to believe that it is wrong to enjoy life too much. In general, religions and governments have a tendency to control their followers.

While the purpose of religious teachings may be to get “all the cows in the barn,” the purpose of metaphysical teachings it to get “all the cows out in the pasture.”

The barn is not a creative place and the entire idea of metaphysics is to encourage creativity and self-expression. Instead of starting out with the idea that we are all sinners, begin with knowing that we are glorious, wonderful, excellent, and intelligent beings. One must realize the greatness of Self before that greatness can be expressed. In reality, we can be emancipated. We can choose to analyze and overcome this conditioning and learn to think for ourselves.

However, we must choose to make that decision. Yet another choice.

Metaphysical study states that people are able to create their own realities.

We are taught that we enter a new incarnation with many lessons that must be learned—lessons that we may have failed to learn in past lifetimes and have chosen to work with in the current one. This is called “karma.”

My students often ask me how they can have free choice when karma and destiny are affecting an entire lifetime. There are many situations in life when we find ourselves at a fork in the road where there are two or more directions we can choose to take and still fulfill our karmic lessons. When we find ourselves facing these decisions we must try to select the path that will lead us to the best possible outcome.

Our destiny may lie before us, but we have the free will to make our own decisions.

We must learn to think of what effect our actions will have on others, before we act, knowing that we do have responsibilities to others in our lives, as well as ourselves. We also must try to understand “what comes around goes around,” and our choices will come back to us in this lifetime or in a lifetime to come.

The Bible says, “As ye sow, so shall ye reap.” An example of how we can choose to fulfill a karmic lesson would be the following. A woman meets a man, in business or socially, and feels an immediate attraction to this person. As student of metaphysics would know that this feeling of “knowing” a perfect stranger is a result of having known and interacted with this individual in one or more past incarnations. The friendship continues to grow and the need to interact becomes stronger and stronger. This would be an ideal situation except for one thing—the man is married!

The woman now has a choices including to attempt to break up the marriage, to become a close friend, or to take it as a lesson and end the friendship. Any choice would fulfill the karma in this relationship. Destiny has brought the two together once again,

but they have the free will to decide how to fulfill the karma.

One of our major goals in life is to discover as much as we can about ourselves. When we begin to know ourselves, we can improve the quality of our lives. The more we know about ourselves, the better we can deal with any life situation that comes along. As we get to know ourselves better, we can begin to accept responsibility for the decisions and choices, positive or negative, that we have made up to this point in our lives and free ourselves from the past.

The universe is vast and strange, and no one individual can control what happens in it. We can take responsibility for our own actions and decision and realize that, like it or not, whatever we do, whatever we experience, whatever we choose, contributes to our development. Life demands that we respond to many things, but the way we respond is our choice.

The choices you make will directly affect your future.

Choose wisely.

And remember, Knowledge is the Greatest Power, so Walk in the Light.

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Marcia began her career as a school teacher, working with preschool through inner city high school students. She has worked with all aspects of Metaphysics for over 40 years and specializes in Tarot and Numerology. Marcia’s clients and students are in every state and throughout Europe. Marcia has taught over 400 students to “read” the Tarot for the purpose of self-guidance and to use the powerful symbolism of the Tarot to reach higher levels of spirituality. Her column, Spiritually Speaking, originally ran for 8 years in Attitudes Magazine. Email marlou2000@aol.com

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Spirituality

By Rev. Marla Sanderson Should you get invited to tread a Spiritual path, be sure to RSVP. It’s Your New Life calling.

Your invitation may come in many forms, and sometimes when you least expect it.

How was I to know that my own personal horror movie would point me to a brand new way to experience my life?

“Am I going crazy?” I asked myself, as I struggled to maintain my usual cheerful demeanor around friends and coworkers. As long as there were people around me, I felt OK, but every time I was alone, an ominous, deep voice in my head terrorized me.

I couldn’t tell what it was saying, but I had never been so terrified. I wondered if I should seek out an exorcist, but I didn’t believe in that stuff.

One evening, while home alone and looking for company, I called a friend. I confessed to what was happening to me and she suggested I simply get down on my knees and ask God to take it away.

At this point, it’s important to know that I had left the church of my upbringing years earlier in utter frustration because it had no answers for me. As far as I knew, God and I were not on particularly good terms.

I felt pretty silly as I got ready to do this ritualistic thing but I was desperate. Self-consciously, I looked around my room to be sure nobody was watching. I was afraid to close my eyes. After all, I was confronting some resident creature from Hell AND my lack of faith all at once. Remember, I was desperate.

I got up my nerve and got into position. With eyes closed, I whispered my request, “God, please take this away from me.”

Instantly (not a second had passed) it was gone. GONE! Completely gone, and I knew it would never come back. I cried and cried. Tears

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of release. Tears of thankfulness. Tears of joy!

I called my friend back with the exciting news – it worked! It was at this point that she recommended I reread a book she had lent me months before.

This time it was as if I was reading a completely different book, and it got me thinking about Life Itself and how it works. It was refreshing to have something to think about besides my weekend plans.

After that, my “weekend plans” included trips to the public library, and staying home on a Saturday night meant I could read to my heart’s content.

• What happens when we die?

• How do I develop ESP? Automatic writing?

• Is there really such a thing as reincarnation?

• Your thoughts create your world?…WHAAAAT? That could explain everything! With that discovery, I found what I was really looking for. Strangely, I was aware that I already knew.

“Your thoughts create your world.” That mystified me—made me question everything I knew up to this point. As I explored my spirituality, I drove myself to go further and deeper.

I questioned my choices, my priorities, my job and my relationships. My old life didn’t satisfy me anymore. I wanted change—radical change. I got a chance to join a group of spiritual explorers in a New Mexico ghost town.

I quit my job. I sold everything I owned. I became the Assistant Director of The Next Step, a psychic and humanistic growth center. The leader of this amazing venture would become a life-long friend and partner-of-sorts.

When The Next Step closed, I was virtually homeless—and absolutely free. My home became wherever I was, and there was a world to see. We traveled.

We explored. We chased rainbows. We grew. We did it all without an ounce of fear.

That was many years ago, and I have a “Rev.” in front of my name now, but I still follow my path and I can’t wait to see what’s around the next bend.

Your spiritual path can lead you into exciting adventures and areas of selfdiscovery, but it will always lead you home.

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Rev. Marla Sanderson has been a student of spiritual practice for more than 35 years. She began as Assistant Director of The Next Step, a psychic and spiritual community in a New Mexico ghost town. She’s been a workshop leader, teacher, practitioner, and min- ister of Living Love, and the Science of Mind. She recently founded the New Thought Global Network, a virtual “church” that offers inspiration anytime, from anywhere. The site showcases many powerful Science of Mind and New Thought speakers and writers, and intends to expand these teachings to the world. Check it out at www.newthoughtglobal.org.

Inspiration we became true believers with the sheer volume of our voices! Timeless time passed; our rhapsody ceased spontaneously. And in that stillness, the miracle appeared.

“Look who’s here!” My friend broke the silence to welcome a generic, medium brown dog who magically appeared at our table. The handsome boy-dog happily nosed our two gracious girl-dogs and wagged his tail respectfully to us. We petted him, making him welcome.

“How ya doin’, boy?” I noticed his jade green eyes.

A young couple came into view, clearly the people of this beautiful dog. There were smiles all ’round, for we dog people were as friendly as our dogs.

And there it was, the Twilight Zone. The young woman called out, “Here, Money. Come on, Money.”

I kid you not! The obedient dog cheerfully trotted over to her, as she offered him a doggie treat.

My friend and I stared at each other, wideeyed and speechless.

“MONEY! That dog’s name is MONEY!” We howled uncontrollably until the tears came.

“We are money magnets!”

By Sylvia Edmonds And now, for your comic relief, an irresistible touch of woo-woo.

This is a true story…

On a brilliant, sun-filled afternoon 10 or so years ago, a friend and I entered the 17th St. Paw Park in Sarasota, FL, with her young, bouncing Aussie and my sedate, elderly German Shepherd. They were BFFs who had lovingly adopted each other.

Little did we realize we were also entering the Twilight Zone! As our girl dogs went off to socialize, we ambled around the length of the park and shared our issues. Today’s topic du jour was the state of our finances and what we could do to improve it.

In an inspired flash of enthusiasm, I blurted out, “Hey, let’s do an affirmation!”

Maybe it was the sparkling, open space all around us or some innate sense of adventure that sprang from our depths, but she grinned and agreed.

We headed for a covered picnic table, parked ourselves on top, put up our feet on the bench and watched our two beauties settle into the cool, shady earth. No one else was around.

And so we began, “I’m a money magnet.” “You’re a money magnet.”

“We are money magnets.”

We grew loud and rambunctious as the chanting took over our minds, erasing the haunting fears that echoed though our bodies. Oh yeah,

I’m thinking, here we are in a dog park and the magnet magic worked! What if we had done our chanting in a bank!?

My friend amazingly had the presence of mind to ask, “How did Money get his name?”

The young man replied, “It’s his eyes. They look like money. Plus, he is such a blessing in our lives.

We are rich to have him.” And away they all went.

We had never seen him before, and we never saw him again. Personally, I think he was an animal angel who showed up to remind us who we are. For sure, the Money that I magnetized that day reminded me to value my relationships and to stay open to Life’s great mysteries. And maybe most importantly of all…to lighten up and laugh!

••••••••••

Sylvia Edmond is the founder of Touch For Animals, a practice focused on service to dogs and their people.

Her work and personal experiences include many years as a psychotherapist, Licensed Massage Therapist for two-leggeds, grief counselor, petsitter and pet companion. Sylvia also offers grief counseling for end-of-life issues. As a former hospice bereavement counselor, she brings an especially tender touch and understanding to families that are anticipating or who have already experienced the loss of a pet. For more information visit: touchforanimals.com.

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Spirituality

Nature & the Divine

A Call for Reverence

By Elizabeth Egan

“When I admire the wonders of a sunset, or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in the worship of the creator.”—Gandhi Nature and the Divine…how can the two be severed? For through my eyes, they are the reflection of one another. Whenever I find myself wrapped in the mysterious blanket of Nature, in all its wonder, sounds, and intricate detail, I sense I must be gazing straight into the mind of the Creator.

It seems the ancient ancestors and cultures of Earth knew this union well, and honored the vibrations and transitions of Gaia with reverence. The cycles of the sun, the moon, the waves, the seasons, all held a secret significance to those who could hear and interpret its whisper. Humanity seemed interwoven with the ebbs and flows of the natural world, and knew its place within such a miraculous tapestry.

Nevertheless, with the dawn of reason, humanity seemed to begin its journey toward empowerment, leaving behind the mastery of intuition and emotion, for the perceived greatness of the mind. As science developed, and attempted to explain the world in which we found ourselves, sleepiness came to linger over our consciousness, and soon the mysterious had been explained out of life, leaving amnesia to settle over our innate, inherited abilities. We traded intuition for scientific knowing, and ancient natural remedies for prescription drugs. The exploitation of our planet and its resources has been a direct result of the loss of reverence we once held for the world that sustains our lives. It seems that, as a species, in our quest for power and wealth, we have become more of a force of nature than a component of its spiritual fabric.

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Too often, we lose sight of the fact that if it were not for the sacred union that exists between ourselves and the plants that surround us, we could not even take a breath.

Look up at the sun and feel its warmth. It sustains all life on this earth. It powers photosynthesis, all feeding relationships, wind patterns and the water cycle. Shall we just look at it as merely a hot ball of Hydrogen and Helium gas? Look at a drop of water. It is an odorless, colorless liquid made up hydrogen and oxygen, but it is also the liquid of life. It sustains our existence, while bringing healing and vitality to our lives, and the lives of all members of the plant and animal kingdoms. Its gentle sounds lower our stress levels, and it holds the power to reshape the contours of earth’s landscapes. What’s more, after the astonishing results from Dr. Masaru Emoto’s water experiments, we have discovered that water even has the innate ability to reflect in form the image of our thoughts and words.

It is the ultimate evidence of the cosmic truth that “all is one.”

Without water and sunlight, all life would perish from the earth. It is important to understand the chemistry of the Universe, but with that must come a deep respect. For it is the language the Creator uses to construct magnificence.

I believe there is a new dawn upon us now, one that will unite both the heart and the mind, both intuitive knowing and scientific evidence. We are embarking upon a great human journey, where science will now prove what the ancient cultures had known all along. A global reunion is taking form between the Earth and her creatures. We are starting to awaken to a deeper understanding of the natural world, and the Divine language that is spoken within every molecule of our existence.

The language of Divine Intelligence pulsates through every star, every leaf, every molecule, and every atom. It is around us and within us. We are the life force of Divine creation, and it is our cosmic responsibility to rebirth a reverence for our world and in so doing, a reverence for our Creator. It is up to us. We can bring the awareness of nature’s mystery and spirituality to the conscious minds of the new generations. We can reacquaint ourselves with the mysteries and marvels of the natural world. We can ignite a passion for all living beings, a love for this planet, and a harmonious existence between science and spirituality. We must shape our consciousness, for it is only through compassion and unity that our planet can heal.

•••••••••••

Elizabeth Egan is a 6th grade science teacher, Reiki Master, and spiritual singer-song writer with a passion for learning and teaching about the infinite nature and wisdom of the soul. She has spent her life singing in spiritual settings, and last spring released her first album, INSPIRED, in which most of the songs were self-composed. You are welcome to visit Elizabeth’s blog for inspiration, thoughts, prayers and meditations any time at www.spiritlightandlife.wordpress.com.

Spirituality

5 U

th

Element

by Owen K Waters The legendary Fifth Element holds the key to the answer to one of today’s top mysteries in the worlds of physics and cosmology. Scientists estimate that 84 percent of the matter in the universe is composed of invisible dark matter, but they have no idea what it is. With a short venture into the world of metaphysics, you are about to find out the answer!

In ancient Greece, all material things were said to be composed of a mixture of the four elements of earth, fire, water and air. There was also said to be a more subtle, fifth element. This was called the quintessence (literally, “fifth element”), implying its very delicate or refined state of existence.

For many centuries, philosophers considered that all matter consisted of combinations of the basic elements in the Greek tradition. In the early 1500s, Philip von Hohenheim boldly renamed himself Paracelsus, meaning “beyond the medical pioneer Celsus” and came out with a counter-proposal. He declared that, instead of the old elements, all things consist of the subtle essences of elements that he called salt, sulfur and mercury. However, this only served to confuse the situation further as both theories did little to identify the basic chemicals that combine to form the enormous variety of compounds that are found in nature.

Next, fast-forward to the Age of Enlightenment. In the late 1600s, the early scientist Robert Boyle published The Skeptical Chemist, rejecting both schools of thought in favor of the then-novel idea that materials are composed of a variety of basic chemicals which, unlike compounds, cannot be further reduced by chemical operations. This demystified chemistry, laid the basis for its development as a science, and made possible the development of the table of elements that we use in chemistry today.

As the science of chemistry developed and accumulated physical knowledge, however, it became focused entirely on physical materials and ignored the old idea of anything more subtle.

The fifth element has been given various names in traditional Eastern thought and practices – such as prana, chi, qi, and mana—but it can be better understood by calling it vital life energy or etheric energy. From a physics perspective, the most concise term is etheric energy, which implies a more subtle energy than electric energy.

When electric and magnetic energies combine in complementary motion, they produce physical light as well as the building blocks of physical matter. Your body is composed of electromagnetic energy. Etheric energy is actually more common in the universe than electric energy. Its manifestation, etheric matter, forms most of the matter in the universe. Cosmologists know that it exists, even though they can’t see it (hence the term, dark matter), because of its gravitational effects on physical matter in the cosmos.

“Dark” energy and “dark” matter are roughly five times more prolific than their physical counterparts, so their influence in the cosmos is quite marked. The gravitational effect is a result of the fact that both energies—physical electric energy and the more subtle etheric energy— share a common interaction with magnetic energy. The magnetic energy component is provided by the ever-present fabric of space, which I term the God Field.

By using the term the God field, we can reduce a common form of confusion that exists today. The God field was traditionally called the aether and, although that sounds a lot like etheric energy, the two are quite different.

The God field is the fabric of space. It is a subtle, fluid, magnetic energy which fills all space. It is intensified within and around matter, where its attractive nature produces the force of gravity.

Etheric energy, or vital life energy, is the primary energy of the universe. Electric energy is, by comparison, a secondary, more physical energy. Electric energy interacts with the magnetic fabric of space to form physical light and physical matter. Etheric energy interacts with the magnetic fabric of space to form etheric light and etheric matter.

Etheric energy is a subtle, primary life energy, while electric energy is a physical, secondary energy. Both energies interact with the magnetic fabric of space, producing etheric matter and physical matter.

The great advantage with knowing about etheric energy is that this vital life-giving energy holds the key to vibrant wellness.

Vital life energy or etheric energy is present in all effective healing systems. In acupuncture, it is the “qi” energy that is enhanced or balanced in its flow along acupuncture meridians. It is the healing energy transmitted in distant healing. It is the same healing energy that is passed to the recipient in Reiki or Polarity Therapy.

Vital life energy is the essence within sacred healing oils.

It is the energy that flows into a person as they practice Qigong.

It is the life energy in organic foods, in water exposed to sunlight, and in the oxygen that we breathe.

Without vital life energy, we would not physically exist.

With additional vital life energy, miraculous healings can occur.

•••••••••••••

Owen K Waters is a cofounder of the Spiritual Dynamics Academy, where a where a free spiritual growth newsletter awaits you at: www.SpiritualDynamics.net. He is an international spiritual teacher who has helped hundreds of thousands of spiritual seekers to understand better the nature of their spiritual potential. Owen’s life has been focused upon gaining spiritual insights through extensive research and the development of his inner vision. For the past 12 years, he has written a spiritual metaphysics newsletter which empowers people to discover their own new vistas of inspiration, love and creativity. Spiritual seekers enjoy his writings for their insight and clarity.

13

Relationships

When Happens

By Joeel A. Rivera Since a young age, I’ve been intrigued by observing patterns in people. In fact, I recall times in elementary school when I would notice patterns in my friends, family members, and even teachers. One of the reasons I looked at people’s patterns during my early years is because my family moved often, which regularly exposed me to many people and required me to quickly understand their personalities. Often, I did not have the time and history in a new school to be part of the “in-crowd” or have relationships that where based on years of shared experiences.

I realized that regardless of where I moved, people had similar patterns and needs. I also developed an understanding of subtle body language and what these gestures revealed about a person’s character, trustworthiness, and intentions—and if they were the type of person that I wanted as a friend. As I went on to study psychology, I recognized that the majority of communication is nonverbal, and I developed a talent of being hyperaware of this nonverbal language. I also confirmed and developed a deeper understanding of what I believe are some of the core key needs that we have as people.

One of these core needs is to love and be loved. While searching to meet this need, many people display common patterns in relationships that seem to repeat. For example, many single people seem to spend a great deal of time looking for, intending, and longing to be in a relationship and to experience that connection with someone. However, at the other end of the spectrum, many people end up in relationships where they are not fulfilled. When they discuss their relationships, it seems that they long to be out of them. They see more bad than good, and they are consumed in the negative, insignificant parts of the relationship instead of 14

remembering why they wanted a partner to begin with.

It is interesting because relationships can give us happiness, passion, and a zest for life that we cannot receive in any other way; it is imprinted in our DNA to want this type of connection. However, the same way that a relationship lets us experience deep emotions of happiness, it can also give us deep feelings of disappointment, sadness, fear, and pain if our “needs” are not met.

This can be especially true if we do not take the time to truly understand our patterns in relationships. That’s because, when we don’t understand those patterns, we tend to experience them even more intensely in each new relationship going forward. The experiences become a strong part of our belief system regarding what we think a relationship should be, even if we consciously want something different.

The most transformational part of my life was when I made a conscious decision that I would no longer continue to exhibit the same repeating patterns in my relationships—even though I was in a relationship at the time.

I was not just thinking that I wanted a change, I was drawing a line in the sand that stated my non-negotiables and my true intentions for my life. I wrote it down and even recorded it on my phone so that I could listen to it and remind myself of the patterns and why I wanted to change them. As a result of this process, I ended the relationship that I was in and forever changed my patterns in relationships and in life.

I did not want a relationship based on needs. I wanted a relationship based on love. I wanted to find someone I could call my best friend. I found that person, not just consciously but at a deep subconscious and spiritual level, and that person was myself.

At that point, I did not want another relationship because I did not want to feel like I had to give up this friendship with my new best friend (myself).

Another pattern I have observed is that when people stop looking for a relationship—when they truly become their own best friend and are able to change their

patterns and meet their own needs, without feeling that someone else must meet those needs—something magical happens.

Love happens!!!

When I met my wife, Natalie, we were both in the same place. We were both committed to meeting our own needs and loving ourselves first. In fact, as our relationship developed, we both realized that we each had a non-negotiable list and that we both met the other’s non-negotiable criteria. More importantly, we didn’t push our baggage on each other. Instead, we took the time to work on ourselves.

We also accepted each other unconditionally, which freed us from wasting our energy on trying to change each other.

Instead, we spent that time loving each other.

Without the need to have someone else meet our needs, we can focus our time on enjoying each other’s presence—because we want to.

We both want to continue to grow, individually and together. We hold each other accountable for continuing to grow and improve as individuals, not from a place of fear but out of respect, trust, appreciation, and admiration for each other.

After five years I can say that the “in love” feeling that one experiences when first meeting someone does not have to dissipate. In fact, it can grow stronger and deeper if the relationship is based on love and want, rather than need. It also depends on whether or not both parties are fully committed to working on their own baggage instead of dumping it on the relationship.

I feel like the luckiest soul in the universe, and I am grateful beyond words to be able to experience life with my best friend (well, both of them—Natalie and myself).

I have come to realize what “soul mate” truly means, and I feel like life has been preparing me to be fully open to true love and the opportunity to express the love that my partner deserves. If I could make one wish, it would be to for everyone to experience the gift of love. I wish you many blessings!

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Joeel A Rivera, M.Ed., is a visionary, entrepreneur, and motivational speaker. From an early age, Joeel faced adversity, including immigrating to the United States, failing his freshman year of college, losing his brother, and being in a nearly fatal car accident. These experiences inspired him to return to college, where he earned a Master’s Degree in Education and is currently completing his dissertation for his Ph.D. in Psychology, with an emphasis on happiness. Joeel opened a nonprofit teen center in honor of his brother and developed curriculums for the Juvenile Justice System. In almost a decade, Joeel has reached over ten thousand people as an educator, entrepreneur, speaker, and consultant. Visit www.joeelandnatalie.com.

Relationships with Joeel A. Rivera, M.Ed. 15

Inspiration Tools & Tips

By Alan Cohen While passing through the Honolulu airport I stopped for a moment to look at some items in a shop window. A female security guard approached me and struck up a casual conversation. She asked me where I was headed, and I told her I was on my way to Japan to teach some classes. “What do you teach?” she asked.

“I help people get in touch with their passion and purpose and live authentically,” I told her.

She lit up. “Then give me some tips, would you?”

I asked her what was going on in her life.

“I’m the single mother of nine children,” she told me. “Most of my time goes to my kids.”

I placed my hand gently on her shoulder. “Is there anything you would like to do for yourself?” I asked her. “What could you do to nurture your own spirit?”

Tears came to her eyes as she showed me her hand. “I’d just like to get my nails done. That would make me feel pretty.”

I smiled and told her, “Then please do get your nails done. You’re worth it. You give so much to your kids. You deserve what makes you happy.”

The woman smiled and told me, “I guess you’re right.”

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As I went on my way I thought about the fact that she was a security guard. We generally think of security as protecting our body and possessions from people who might violate them. Yet when we live in fear or a constant need to protect ourselves, we violate our spirit—a far greater injury than any that might occur to our possessions. Real security operates at a much deeper level than people who stand at the doors of banks and airports.

Oddly enough, when I returned from Japan I had another synchronistic encounter with a security guard walking through the airport parking lot. Our caretaker had come to pick us up, our family of dogs waiting eagerly in the back of our SUV. As the guard passed, he saw the dogs and told us that he missed his beloved companion dog he had to put down over a year ago. “I’m still grieving,” he confessed, the burly morphing to a little boy as he spoke. My partner Dee, sensitive to the man’s open heart, asked him if he would like to hold our Maltese, Nani. He took the little dog and began to pet her affectionately. As he did, we could see the fellow melt, on the verge of tears. He lingered in snuggling for a long time, obviously not wanting to let go of the little cutie. Finally he did, and told us, “It’s time.

I need another dog. I will get one.” We wished him well as he went on his way.

A Course in Miracles talks about “holy encounters.”

That was one.

Inspiration Tools & Tips Real security is an inside job. You can take elaborate means to lock down your home, store, or computer programs, but if you are afraid, you are insecure. On the other hand, you can take few or no measures to protect your stuff, but if you feel safe in the universe, you are extremely secure.

After dealing with a health challenge, my friend Bette decided to turn her life into a trust walk. She did things no one else would do, like leave her keys in her car ignition while the car was parked at a New Jersey mall. One day Bette picked up a young hitchhiker who told her that he had left his wife after a fight, but now he was going home to reconcile. Bette offered him the use of her new car to get home to see his wife. He promised to return the car early that evening. When he didn’t show up, Bette wondered if she had made a mistake. Finally he arrived with his wife, and both of them thanked her profusely for helping them get back together.

I am not suggesting that you leave your car with the keys in it or lend it to someone you don’t know. I am suggesting that safety and security are states of consciousness we choose.

We are protected not simply by locks and gates, but by Higher Power. My friend Cliff Klein, an avid Course in Miracles student, heard someone in his Brooklyn apartment bedroom. He investigated to find that a burglar had entered through the fire escape. The man began to flee, but Cliff told him to wait. He asked the guy what was going on in his life that had caused him to break in. They had a heartful talk and Cliff gave the man some money to get some dinner.

Cliff’s faith transformed a potentially dangerous situation into an altar of healing.

Bette and Cliff were ordinary people with extraordinary faith. My encounters with those security guards were ordinary moments that led to extraordinary results. You and I have the power to transform any situation, especially ones in which we feel insecure, into a demonstration that we have a security team functioning at a far more profound level than eyes can see. We are always secure if we remember the Source of our well-being. As the proverb declares,

“Fear knocked at the door. Faith answered.

No one was there.”

••••••••••••••

Alan Cohen is the author of I Had it All the Time: When Self-Improvement Gives Way to Ecstasy. Join Alan and other renowned teachers in Maui this December 7-12 for an extraordinary Course in Miracles Retreat: Coming Home to Love. For information about this program, Alan’s books, free daily inspirational quotes, and his weekly radio show, visit www.alancohen.com.

DIVINE p artners hi p

I pray that I am brought together with the perfect collaboration partner(s) each union created in divine design as the universe declares it so.

In this moment I promise to serve in perfect unison as cocreator, accept divine guidance, and let this magnificent universe do what it does so well.

I am a YES to everything and everyone that God brings in my path because I know that it is by divine appointment that my life unfolds in this and every other area of this amazing life I get to live.

I release this prayer to the universe and to God in all his Glory in thanks and gratitude that it is already done and already so as we are all one and one in God. And so it is.

Amen

By Angelica Love Valentine www.angelicalovevalentine.com

17

Relationships

By Linda Commito

My goal in life is to be as good a person as my dog already thinks I am.—Anonymous Do you long to experience an unconditional love relationship?

Despite our disillusionment over the years, perhaps deep down many of us are still holding out hope for “The One”—the ideal person who will make us feel special, listen to us, comfort us when we feel sad and lonely, take care of us when we’re sick, greet us when we come home, be our best friend, and always believe the best about us.

We may have thought we’d found that partner, some of us may have even married him or her. And we thought it would last forever—but forever is a long time and people change. Perhaps we’ve become disenchanted; desirous, but less hopeful, of finding someone to share our lives with.

Where can we find that unconditional love, that consistency in our lives? Those who have deeply loved their canine companions can talk to you about unconditional love. Dogs have been devoted to humans for centuries. They were domesticated to be our best friend, ally….and over time that relationship has evolved. Dogs sometimes become surrogate children, friends, family, and partners.

They listen with total attention, give affection liberally, love us no matter what we do or don’t do, and even comfort us when we experience sadness or loss. And they inspire us to great love.

My friend Paula Montana, an advocate for dogs of all shapes and conditions—she adopted a three legged dog, Opie, who became the “love of her life,” and fostered a one-eyed, single toothed Chihuahua (beautiful only in her eyes)—asked me, “Why can’t I love human beings like I do my dog?” Paula laughingly answered her own question, “Oh, it’s because they don’t talk. They don’t argue with us.” We couldn’t argue with that one! And we came up with other qualities that we both have discovered in our dogs:

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they offer total devotion and unconditional love.

“So,” I asked, “how can we be more like dogs?” Paula replied, “Be in the moment. What would it mean if we could do that for one another? It would mean a lot of forgiveness, not carrying grudges from one moment to the next.”

Paula reminisced about her dog Buckwheat, who had passed many years earlier: “She was so old and her breath smelled so badly—and I didn’t care. Where was that love coming from…because I LOVED her so much!”

I could relate. I’ve always been a dog lover, but never so much as in my single adult years when my dog was a huge part of my life. It was an unconditional love relationship, a total acceptance that I rarely found with humans.

My German shepherd, who had MS, arthritis, and needed three shots and eye drops daily, was my “love” for eight years. Somehow the ritual of putting in eye drops and giving him shots became a tender time for both of us. I loved him so much I would do anything to maintain his health for as long as I was able. He outlasted many a relationship and was dedicated right to the very end of his life. How is it that we can inspire and experience that kind of love?

Terry, my mom, LOVES dogs and believes, “Dogs give more than they require. They make us feel needed and loved.

Most of the time dogs are better companions than humans.

The human is complex with mood swings…sometimes you get along and sometimes you don’t.” She continued, “It’s easier to live with a dog than with your husband. Get a dog! Find your best friend.” My mom has kept her husband AND she has chosen a dog—an incorrigible two-year-old terror (I mean terrier).

It’s so sweet to see them acting like a new family.

She sums it up by saying, “My dog loves me and I love him. It gives me a purpose, he entertains me and gives me attention and love…It fulfills my needs. He’s well worth it!”

How can we learn from our canine companions more about what it means to be in a loving relationship? How can we love others the way our dogs love us? I would like to be the kind of person that my dog has always believed me to be AND I would love to be in a partnership with a human where we’d share the same qualities of loyalty, playfulness, respect and unconditional acceptance, love, and friendship. Well, I’m willing to learn. Woof! Woof!

••••••••••••••

Linda Commito, author, speaker, entrepreneur, consultant and teacher, is passionate about her vision to leave this world a kinder, more loving, and interconnected place. Her award-winning book of inspirational stories, Love is the New Currency, demonstrates how we can each make an extraordinary difference in the lives of others through simple acts of love and kindness. Linda believes that in order to inspire a kinder world the place to start is with children. She recently volunteered at a Title One elementary school, working with over 500 students, to create and facilitate “Kindness Starts With Me,” the results of which include a website (www. kindnessstartswithme.com) and a book for children. Also visit www.loveisthenewcurrency.com for more information and/or to sign up for an uplifting monthly newsletter.

Inspiration little uncomfortable about the sheer size of the cosmos.

Astronomy and spirituality offer two complimentary ways of seeing and experiencing the Universe.

By Sam Selig Everyone has a deep desire to find inner peace, reach enlightenment, understand a Higher Power; to make a connection to something so vast, so omnipotent, that it can never be something we fully comprehend. To me, this is where Spirituality meets Astronomy, and for this reason everyone actually loves astronomy.

If I set up a telescope on a sidewalk somewhere, anywhere, people will gather without knowing why. A small crowd will form, full of questions. A little congregation of pent-up curiosity that has finally found an outlet.

Most of us have an innate curiosity about the planet we live on and the universe surrounding us.

It never fails that someone will walk up, peer through the eyepiece, ask me a question that’s been on their mind for years, and breathe a great sigh of relief: “Wow, that’s amazing” or “See, I knew it!”. The thing is, most people think about these things, but they don’t always get a chance to actually find out the answers. Life seems to always get in the way.

It is my firm belief that a small portion of time taken out of your life to explore the universe is an investment that brings back enormous returns. What kind of return? A return that helps define the difference between mere ‘existence’ and a life well lived.

Looking at the people that gather around my telescopes, feeling their appreciation for the simple act of letting them look through the eyepiece and for my willingness to answer their questions, reaffirms to me that people are hungry to learn about astronomy, about the universe and about our place in it.

Looking into the night sky and appreciating its beauty comes naturally, we all have a hard-wired curiosity that compels us, whenever we get the chance, to get more information about what’s up there. We are innately interested in, and more than a

The science of astronomy provides the observational and theoretical basis for our physical understanding of the external Universe, while spirituality involves our individual experience and understanding of the inner Universe. Our lives are greatly enhanced by a blending of both the scientific and the spiritual rather than solely relying on one as a means of interpreting the Universe.

Whether it is a sunset, a meteor shower, a full Moon, a sunrise, an eclipse, or the beautiful starry sky, an astronomical understanding of what we see leads us to feel more deeply connected to the world around us, and this love of what we see brings us joy, awe, inspiration and transformation.

I find it a great help, spiritually, to have something which grounds me, and in times of difficulty, can give me hope. I’ve had some wonderful times in my life, but I’ve also had some severe and difficult times. In those hard times, I would go out and look at the sky and perhaps see Orion, my favorite constellation, looking very strong and brave.

Always a resolute friend—one that I could come back to when in need.

Looking up, I remember how amazing things truly are. I gain a sense of bravery from the stars, a feeling that I am part of something more, something eternal. That I would get through the tough times and would find a better place. A place where I could walk with that of God.

•••••••••

Sam Selig is an Amateur Astronome and owner/operator of Star Party Productions.

Visit www.starpartyproductions.com.

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Inspiration Power

By Gregg Sanderson

“The Truth doesn’t care how it’s packaged.— Kuthumi “All paths lead to enlightenment,” says the sage. They also lead from enlightenment. In an infinite eternal Universe, all paths lead everywhere. Some have more bumps than others.

Eternity takes a while, so we’ll have a chance to try everything on one plane or another. One of those things is bound to be enlightenment.

You’ll probably catch a little “endarkenment” along the way as well.

Enlightenment is more fun, so we’ll presume that we want to get there (assuming of course, there’s a “There” there). With all the options available, how do we tell the difference between the dirt road and the superhighway?

First, you need to recognize the dirt. The biggest bumps in the road are righteousness and approval. Righteousness claims to be the only way, and judgment is its tool. Approval requires obedience and conformity, enforced by ridicule and ostracism.

Choose Carefully No Spiritual path is completely free of these attitudes, but some minimize them, some advertise them. No matter what form the particular belief system takes, there are three characteristics to examine when you make your choice: Love, Power, and Support.

Love

I define Love as the unconditional acceptance of what is. The unpleasant emotions you feel when you reject what life presents, from mild irritation through anger, guilt, and despair are all facets of fear. Love and fear are mutually exclusive.

Love feels good and fear feels bad. Many speak words of love, but if you spend few moments in their company, you’ll see if they really mean it. Do they put you down or build you up? Does their energy “feel” good? If you weren’t so polite, would you just want to hug the stuffing out of them?

Love relishes differences. Not only artificial surface diversity, but different ways of being and varied points of view. With Love, superficials are irrelevant. It’s down deep that counts. Love laughs a lot.

Recommendation: Follow the love. It’s more fun.

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Most paths acknowledge a power beyond earthly cognition. It can be anything from the gods on Mt. Olympus to the Force in Star Wars. It’s always something.

What will appeal to you?

Some teach duality, with forces of “good” and “evil” constantly in battle. They rely on judgment and condemnation, all for righteousness’ sake... “And we’ll tell you what’s right, thank you.”

Others speak of an anthropomorphic heavenly Deity demanding sacrifice and obedience as payment for favors, or to escape punishment. They claim theirs is THE way, not A way.

Then there are belief systems that teach of an infinite creative Force that is everywhere and everything, including you and me. It is a power you direct with your thoughts to create your life day to day.

Recommendation: Think your own thoughts. It’s more fun.

Support How are you supported along the way? Is there an earthly hierarchy or a supernatural power to obey?

Perhaps a guru to bless you? Is there more emphasis on the teacher than on the teaching?

Do they proclaim your limitations, then sell relief for the price of your independence...or your soul?

Or do they teach of your own connection with the Infinite. Do they respect your individuality and encourage your creative power? Do they honor you as an unlimited being?

Recommendation: Seek out the latter. It’s more fun.

Have you noticed that I always lean in the direction of “more fun?” That’s my chosen Belief System, which sees each of us as an expression of the Infinite One. It entertains Itself through us as we experience our adventures in the world of space/time.

As Infinite Love, of course It prefers fun over suffering—the superhighway over the dirt road, but as It lives life through every individual, no matter what the experience, it’s all entertainment.

Of course, all this is just the “elevator speech.” I could write a book to fill in the details.

Oh wait...

•••••••••

Gregg Sanderson is author of Spirit With A Smile, The World According To BOB. He is a licensed practitioner in the Centers for Spiritual Living, and a Certified Trainer for Infinite Possibilities. His earlier books were, What Ever Happened To Happily Ever After? and Split Happens - Easing The Pain Of Divorce. His latest project is the New Thought Global Network, where subscribers can enjoy the best in New Thought presentations from anywhere at any time.

Launch is planned for mid-July, and it can be reached then at www.newthoughtglobal.org.

Tools & Tips

By Elasa Tina Tiernan Sherbs When we spend time in nature, we experience remembrance of our perfection and the divine harmony of all creatures and creations. While immersed in nature, we can sense and experience its knowingness of balance. And just like nature, our bodies intrinsically understand how to come back to balance.

When we seek practices to move the body or still the mind into alignment, such as meditation and yoga, the ripples of self correction are received gracefully into our being.

From this point, we can seek an even higher level of evolution in balance by weaving together the brilliance of plant consciousness into our daily yoga and meditation practices by using essential oils!

In this marriage, we allow the codes and understandings from nature herself to help us enter into a receptive inner state, align with well-being, and actualize our intentions with the assistance of all creation. Use the following daily practice to meld the beautiful nature of essential oils with a yoga and meditation for balancing body, mind and soul.

Into Practice During this practice, you can use essential oil compounds in three ways: aromatic, topical, and internal (provided the oils are food-grade and safe for consumption). The adaptogen nature of high-quality, unadulterated essential oils allows the body to take in what it needs and then use these substances to bring the body back to balance. But before you start, please remember to dilute essential oils with a carrier oil if you have sensitive skin or if the oil has a tendency to be hot on the skin.

• Beginning of practice: Diffuse or breathe in Cypress to allow the lungs to begin cleansing any stagnant energies, bacteria, and/or fear.

• Set the intention for your practice: Drop two drops of food-grade Grapefruit into a glass water bottle and drink to invite the kidneys, lymphatic system, and vascular system to let go of that which seeks release and flow.

• Breathe work: Place one drop of Juniper Berry on your third eye brow point to come into the lighter and elevated space of peace in your mind, letting go of anything that is not needed in your practice and to ground your presence in the “now.”

• Sun Salutation (one to five repetitions): Place two drops of Basil diluted in one tablespoon of coconut oil and apply to all joints before sun salutation movements. There

are many variations of this sequence. Use your favorite or check out options online at resources such as Yoga Journal (http://www.yogajournal.com/ practice/1040).

• Tree Pose (balance pose): Prior to taking this posture, place one drop of Rosemary on your heart and one drop on your navel for knowledge of your higher connection and divine guidance to attain perfection, releasing any confusion around how to maintain balance. (Visit Yoga Journal for instructions on tree pose http://www.yogajournal. com/poses/496.)

• Savasana (rest pose): Place 1 drop of Roman Chamomile in hands and rub briskly to awaken the compounds of “purpose,” cup your hands around your nose and breathe in deeply for two to five minutes while laying down in savasana.

(Visit Yoga Journal for instructions on savasana or corpse pose http://www.yogajournal. com/poses/482.)

• Meditation: Place one drop of Sandalwood on the top of the head at the crown. Hold hands in a mudra of thumb and index finger touching, while resting the hands palm up on the thighs.

Allowing the brilliance and pure potential of all that surrounds us on this great earth to assist with the flow of energies forward through the entire universe, come to accept, understand, and live a life of true balance.

• Affirmation: Say “I am in allowance of balance in my life.”

Namaste!

•••••••

Elasa Tina Tiernan Sherbs is the cocreator of Sol Terra Lifestyle Center and Bliss Empowerment Center. An author and creatix with Soul Star Productions, she offers Essential Oil Yoga Workshops (CEU); Sol Sessions and Education; Sol Art; Terra Gardens; and Lifestyle Yoga for Children Programs.

Visit www.everythingessential.me and www.SoulStarSource.com.

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Relationships

By Emily Rivera Andrews In early June, I was blessed to witness and officiate the union and marriage of two beautiful souls. There are moments in one’s life that reveal so eloquently the Divine’s signature of love, and for me this ceremony was one of them. Their souls reflect a perfect eight, an infinity sign, within their blending of lights. I see this symbol when twin flames, ideal soul mates, or basherts, connect. It is a relationship with infinite possibilities in the areas of Love, Joy, Creation, and Expression—unique and complete individuals coming together to create in a combined form. They are souls that thrive and awaken each other’s potential and encourage through patience, kindness, and peace. A kind of Love that reminds us why we each feel a desire to connect to our own Divine Mate because, when aligned to that partner, beauty, expansion, joy, and inspiration are revealed.

Through synchronicity, during this month I was able to share with many individuals advice on how to connect to their Divine Mate, a wisdom and guidance that I would like to extend to my readers today. The notes provided herein are the words and visions given during my meditation in response to questions about soul mates and Divine Mates. I have narrated a more detailed explanation within the parenthesis. If guided, you can access the event’s recording by visiting my website theangelcoach.com.

May your hearts be filled with love, your minds with clarity, your lights with harmony, and your lives with flow.

How can individuals align to their Divine Mate?

“Is about aligning to that, rather than the lack of it.

It’s about aligning to the truth that the exchange and conception is already at play, in a state of continual engagement.”

(Aligning to the truth that you and your Divine Mate are already aligned and connected. Exchanging lights and love in many forms. Energetically engaging in ways that enhance and enable the uniting of physical forms. When they said conception, I saw a vision of a soul in the womb communing with the soul of its Divine Mate. With an exchange of love, the two souls connected and, within that state of awareness, each conscious presence witnessed the different potentials regarding how they would meet each other through their life journey.

Each of our souls has had this exchange. It is a revelation that we each have within our own awareness and subconscious; it is the knowledge of our reunion in the physical form with our Divine Mate. It is the reason that, when Divine Mates meet, they can consciously experience a remembrance that is not only part of the soul’s awareness, but of the mind’s as well. That being stated, we each have free will, and within that free will we have countless possibilities. Our free will can delay and/or align us to different soul mates and/or that Divine Mate in different ways within different time frames. Whether we meet or not, we are continually and actively engaging with each other’s soul. All in its own perfect Divine harmony.)

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What can individuals do to connect more consciously to their Divine Mate and help hasten a meeting?

“Connecting energetically to this light, soul, and presence.”

“Engaging with the flow of this powerful love.”

(There are meditations and energetic exercises we can do to connect to our Divine Mate. These are further explored in my events and in my recordings.)

“This allows the self to align to the hidden knowledge that is inherent and available; hidden to most conscious minds due to the fallacies that have been taken from the collective’s whole idea of the self and loving relationships.”

(As individuals consciously engage with the inherent truths of the soul and Divine love, we can more powerfully break free from the negating patterns and/or beliefs that have been acquired from our human experience.)

“Open all your keys to loving...

Each individual has a role to play that you feel drawn and connected to.”

(After hearing these words, I was shown a vision of the angels and the Holy Spirit tweaking our inner codes and inner keys, making individuals more available to their Divine Mate. In other words, helping to accelerate the process of availability and assist in the physical manifestation of this sacred love. These are energy centers within our bodies. When connecting with others, these energy centers respond and activate through the exchange. Certain individuals turn certain keys, but maybe not all the keys that are required to create an honoring alignment. It’s important to understand that, at times, certain keys require turning and activating by specific individuals to help us become more available to our Divine Mate.

That means every connection you are drawn to experience has a Divine purpose, even if that relationship it is not with your Divine Mate.)

What is the purpose of relationships?

“To perfect one’s loving. There are individuals who connect to soul mates that have a pull from a different source.”

(The purpose of our journey is to learn to better love and be loved. Some individuals feel drawn to each other due to a connection that is guided by inner fears, doubts, insecurities, negating patterns, or false beliefs. When this occurs, it creates a false illusion of Divine Mates connecting, and the couple then finds themselves in struggle and dishonoring circumstances.)

“The energies in conflict create a whirlpool of change as they try to reengage into an alignment between the both.”

(When drawn from a different source.)

What are soul mates?

“Rays of light that have agreed to come together, unite in writing their story.”

How can people speed up the process for the arrival ?

“How can one play with Divine timing?”

“Energetic aligning is a plus, but understand the true gift within the encounter.”

(Divine timing.)

What can individuals do to connect to their soul mates sooner rather than later?

“Reconverge.”

(Converge means to meet at a point, to come together, as if to incline towards another. As we choose to consciously reconverge, we are choosing to remember we are already communing with our mate in a multidimensional way. As we reconverge, we are aligning to the remembrance and the experiences that will enable us to better and more quickly connect with our Divine Mate in the physical form.)

In moving forward, what is to be understood?

“A hidden fear for most that one will be alone.”

“Unsustained by another physical partner.”

“A fear of un-fulfillment with an intimate friend.”

(Release these fears.)

“Understanding there’s no paralysis.”

“Offering highest and best.”

(There is no lack of movement; we are in a state of moving forward. And with that, we need to offer the best of ourselves in every relationship and circumstance.)

“Complete and whole individuals.”

(We are each complete and whole, and this process is about embracing that truth and making it part of our reality.)

“When these individuals are harmony in vibration, the two energies become one.”

Blessings on the journey to find your Divine Mate.

••••••••••••••

Emily Rivera Andrews is a certified Angel Healing Practitioner, Reiki Practitioner, and an Angel Manifesting Master Practitioner. Emily shares techniques that have helped her become a Gifted Intuitive, Intuitive Channeler, Healer, Manifester, and Angel Communicator.

To ask your Angels a question, visit www.theangelcoach.com. with Emily Rivera

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Tools & Tips much like observing the proverbial white mouse in the flour barrel or being deposited into the ocean in the total darkness of 10,000 feet: There is no point of reference, nadda, zip. Our physical form and unique perspective is THE way that the deliciousness and delight of joy/alignment/enlightenment/communion/ success can be experienced. So why not embrace, celebrate and enjoy this fantastic body, heart, mind and planet that gives us the ability to HAVE spiritual experiences?!

Infinite Paths, One Destination

Though you will hear about many different paths, teachings, philosophies, and ideologies in this month’s issue, I’d like to offer one word of advice: Remember that ALL teachings and ideas area always filtered through the eyes of the beholder/believer (present company included!), and that all any of us can offer is our unique perspective based on what works for each one of us—no more, no less.

No matter who you talk to, when any individual finds something that really makes sense and really, really works for her/him, it’s difficult to fathom that ANY other path could deliver the goods.

Take me, for example: I very much believe that the path to spiritual connection and true success in life is through feeling clear, focused and alive. My own personal experience has shown me that when I prioritize joy and clarity, everything flows beautifully; I have meaningful and productive interactions with others, great ideas come, I always have what I need, I find solutions faster, my body thrives, and I truly CAN be of service to others.

The “right” spiritual path is—and always has been—in the heart, mind and spirit of the beholder, AKA YOU!

By Terez Hartmann Spirituality and Physicality

Did you know that YOU already have the compass AND the map to THE Ultimate Spiritual path?

Did you know that no matter where you are physically or emotionally, you are actually ON that path right now?

Contrary to popular belief, the path to spiritual connection actually lies in being PHYSICAL and experiencing your flesh-andblood, 3D life. For it is only through this vantage point that you CAN even begin to detect the path!

Consider this: If you were floating around in “oneness” and singularity, and there was nothing to distinguish you from the “ALL,” there would be no way to experience spiritual connection—or anything else. Being in a state of zero emotion (with no contrast) is 24

And one thing is certain, no matter the reason for your quest, EVERY spiritual road or desire for understanding or enlightenment is linked to the same core “destination:” to—in one way or another—feel good or better about your experience of being human.

Play the “Sustain Game™” (I Dare You!)

Your mission: Do whatever it takes to allow yourself to be in a state of happiness and clarity, and then do whatever it takes to keep the good mojo flowing for as long as you possibly can!

Why play the game? You “win” every single second you allow yourself to feel good, alive and clear, and every additional second, minute, hour, day, week, thereafter, the “prizes” get bigger and bigger!

The “down” side: You have to give up times of stress, misery, guilt, self-doubt, pain and suffering.

Bummer, dude.

What about paying bills, taking care of the kids, etc.? Let’s be real: Most likely, you just won’t allow yourself to feel very good if you tell your 4-year-old to just get a job, or notice that the electricity is shut off from nonpayment.

There are things that we each feel is right and good to do, so you might as well just DO them, since living in integrity really makes it easier to feel good across the board. But rather than resent your day-to-day “non-negotiables,” make it your mission to find as much fun and appreciation in these things as possible. You will find that if you can keep the playing the “Sustain Game,” great ideas come to you, everything you touch or create is filled with excellence and quality, nicer and nicer people show up in your life, you NATURALLY want to do things for others and life starts to cooperate with you in ways that once seemed improbable and even impossible!

How’s THAT for a spiritual experience?!

(BTW…Want to know how to REALLY play “The Sustain Game™?” Join us in Asheville, NC, for our next “SavorVacation™” this November! Find out more and visit www.

AllowingAdventures.com.)

The Bottom Line on Allowing YOUR Success with the ULTIMATE Spiritual Path

Every spiritual teacher and master had (and has) the same goal: To help others live happier, more fulfilling lives and to interact with each other in ways that are harmonious and beneficial. All teachings/religions/paths have their strengths and each are criticized, but YOU are still the only one who can know what gives YOU a sense of peace, understanding and purpose. And in my humble opinion, a life well-lived is THE ultimate expression of true spiritual connection.

Choose your path, whatever that may be at any given moment, and as a certain Vulcan would say, “Live long and prosper.”

“And this life of mine is mine to create And I experience whatever path I choose to take Only I can open the door to living my dreams And I see when I believe.”

—From “Remembering” TTRH ©2012-2014

•••••••••••••• Terez Hartmann is the President/CEO of ALLOWING Your Success & BEYOND!, LLC, author of the book ALLOWING Your Success!, a professional Keynote Speaker, Retreat and Workshop Facilitator, Coach, Recording Artist, Show Host and Singer-Songwriter. For more about Terez, access to FREE Allowing resources and “Words, Music, Adventures & BEYOND for LETTING Good Happen and ENJOYING the Journey!” visit www.AllowingYourSuccess.com To order her book, ALLOWING Your Success! visit www.Transformation-Publishing.com

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Tools & Tips

By Amanda Jewel DeJong

“Live in the moment.”

We have all heard this worn-out line repeatedly, but when was the last time we actually did it? I mean truly practiced it, without reservation? This piece of advice, if embraced, has the potential to improve our physical, mental and all-around well-being, yet it remains consistently overlooked. To be inspired to understand this concept to its fullest extent, all one has to do is find the nearest child and observe!

Case in point, a few days ago I was delightedly inspired to make Snickerdoodle cookies for my two-year old. I told her I wanted to show her my favorite way to eat them, so I poured two glasses of ice-cold milk and meticulously picked out four plump cookies to split, then set them on our table as we both eagerly sat to enjoy them. I will admit that I had envisioned her immediately reaching for them and attempting to eat before my instructions were complete. Yet, to my great amazement, she instead sat completely still, hands placed delicately in her lap as her dark brown eyes watched my every move in eager anticipation. It was as

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if she was beholding one of the most important moments of her life and hung on every second.

I couldn’t help but smile as I broke off a chunk of cookie and dipped it into the milk. I gobbled up the morsel while attempting to explain the rules of this time-honored tradition. Then I informed my patient child it was now her turn to try. I watched as her eyes became fixed upon the feast laid out before her. With the grace and agility of a dignified little lady, my toddler picked one up and examined the sugarcoated beige circle. Turning it over in her tiny fingers, she slowly brought it to her nose and over-dramatically proceeded to take in its aroma. “Mmm, it smells good!” she informed me as she set it down gently just before breaking off a small piece. She smoothly transitioned it into the liquid, brought the section to her mouth and methodically began chewing with patience rarely found. “Mmm, this is delicious!” she proclaimed, slightly fumbling over the last word as sheer enjoyment radiated from her core.

As I watched in admiration, I was embarrassed to notice both of my own cookies had been devoured before her second bite had even been taken.

I was so eager to eat them that I ended up practically inhaling them instead and can honestly say that although I noticed their delicious flavor, I was too busy getting the next bite to my mouth to fully enjoy them. I continued to sit dumbfounded, realizing I had thought I was teaching something to my daughter, yet somewhere along the way, I ended up the student. It dawned on me that all the while I had missed the real point to this timeless ritual passed down from parent to child.

What she taught me was what it means to be mindful.

I was reminded again on the day of my son’s birth. Here I was in a room full of people admiring my little bundle of joy. Everyone was snapping pictures left and right, texting family and friends and joyously spreading the news. They would tell me to smile or hold him this way or that as I did my best to comply with all of their requests. At one point, my father-in-law looked around the room and let out a hearty laugh. He said that just a decade before this would never have happened. He reminded us of how technology has changed us all so much that instead of enjoying where we are at any given time, we are instead trying desperately to “capture the moment.”

To this, we looked around the room, almost ashamed to have our cell phones in hand as the words “I’m sorry” and “I’ll put it away” erupted from my guests. I sat dumbfounded for a moment, as it dawned on me that I too had been wrapped up in the chaos. Born almost an hour earlier, I had yet to truly admire the boy that lay sleeping in my arms. To take a private moment to feel his skin, breathe in his scent and memorize the curvature of his face. It was time to get back to basics, turn off the technology and be mindful with my son.

Living in the Moment

So, what does it truly mean to be mindful? It is simple really. All it entails is for us to be completely aware of what is happening to and around us. It is literally being present in the current time and space or more commonly called “living in the moment.” The concept seems to be a rare occurrence for all of us in our current society, but it holds the key to heath and happiness. It means paying complete attention to the task at hand and no longer being distracted in any way.

This act of being present is such a simplistic concept, yet sadly most of us miss it completely on a daily basis.

We have been conditioned to multitask. To immediately draw conclusions and anticipate a perceived outcome at all times. If we are doing anything that may be considered mundane in the slightest we immediately disconnect from the experience and focus on something “more important.”

If what we are going through is sad or painful in any way, we immediately push it away in attempt to cope. When in truth, we are supposed to go through all emotions. Our minds, bodies and souls are designed to do just that!

So I ask, when was the last time you played with your children totally unabashedly? Not thinking about what other people may say, chores that needed to be done, what to add to your shopping list and or what you should be doing instead. When was the last time you have bitten into a piece of fruit and savored the flavor, texture and enjoyed the experience to its fullest extent? If we were able to attain this state of being, all of life would be more enjoyable. Imagine the way we would then eat, bathe, play, and make love. No longer would it be in manic anticipation to have had the experience but rather in phenomenal ecstasy as it is currently unfolding. This would be the very definition of the word sensational. Imagine how much richer the coveted experience of life would be to those of us with the ability to embrace it.

The truth and irony of it all is that we are doing what we should. In any given moment, we are exactly where we should be. Therefore it is imperative that we not get caught up in thinking about something else. Chores will always be there. Work is never done and there will continue to be one more thing on a “To Do” list to accomplish. The secret is in this knowledge, and in learning how to accept these facts and instead focus on the present and “live in the moment.”

••••••••••••••

Amanda Jewel DeJong holds a degree in Holistic Healthcare with emphasis in Mind/Body Psychology from the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts where she majored in Clinical Hypnotherapy as well as Spiritual Studies. She has been a Licensed Massage Therapist and Body Worker since 2005, is a nondenominational Minister, Reiki Master/Teacher and Transpersonal Life Coach. She is the owner/ operator of the Utah based Transformational Therapies where she helps clients to achieve personal goals and all around wellness.

Email Amanda at ajewel65@gmail.com.

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Spirituality

By Jo Mooy Recently, I was asked to participate in a study called “What Is An Enlightened Being?”

As I reviewed the questions in the study I realized how much my opinions on the topic have changed. Thirty years ago, without hesitation, I would have answered that an enlightened being is a Bodhisattva, one who has reached the ultimate state of purity yet delays that passage in order to alleviate the suffering of humanity. But now, many years later and many more miles on the journey, I answered the questions quite differently.

Everyone on the spiritual journey aspires to become “enlightened” some day.

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It seems to always be “the goal.” For surely, if we achieve enlightenment it will change everything about ourselves and about the world we live in. Once we start walking the path of a spiritually attuned life, we attend classes and seminars that satisfy our need to become “enlightened.” We read books devoted to mysticism, we learn about the value of meditation, and we practice diligently. The esoteric teachings support us by saying that if we do those things and apply ourselves to the noble path, we too can become a Bodhisattva—or at the very least an Arhat. Teachers say it could happen instantly (rare) or it could happen after several thousand incarnations (much more likely.)

As I explored the questions posed in the study I focused on my personal journey. I’d followed a spiritual path for more than 40 years.

In that time I studied with some very well-known and some not so well-known mystical teachers. The not so well-known teachers had as much influence (sometimes more so) in my development as some of the very well-known ones. A not so well-known teacher told me what I’d be doing with my life at ages 40, 50, 60 and 70. She was right for the first three decades. (I haven’t reached the last one yet.) So, I wondered, was she enlightened? Or, did she plant a seed that caused me to do what she said in the timeframe she’d indicated.

This much I know: She kindled a blaze a long time ago that allowed me seek the answers that I was now trying to decipher about enlightened beings.

Some self-realized masters said they were enlightened. There’s probably little disagreement that Buddha, Paramahansa Yogananda, and Jesus were enlightened beings.

But what if I toss in a few others that might alter your belief systems. Does Genghis Khan, Alexander the Great, Einstein, Darwin, Saladin, DaVinci, Gandhi, Akbar the Great, Nikola Tesla, Mao Zedong, and King Darius of Persia, to name a few, qualify? They were warriors and conquerors, sci-

entists and peacemakers, but should they be considered enlightened beings? I now think so because they had purpose, conviction, and a focus on their life’s goal. And, they had a global impact on their fellow humans.

But what about normal people who don’t have a global impact? I realized my current beliefs had changed and those changes caused these questions to rise to the top. Is anyone I know enlightened? Or, is everyone I know enlightened? I shelved the first one after a few hours of review. But the second question stayed, creating even more questions. Why wouldn’t everyone be enlightened? After all, each person is a spark of the pure “ultimate reality” we refer to as “God.” If “It” is the ultimate in enlightenment then each of us must also be enlightened. Except in the vastness of consciousness, each of us is in differing states of realizing it. Therefore, I concluded, everyone is enlightened to varying degrees. And that enlightenment affects the whole.

So, “What is an enlightened being?” When I got to the summary question on the survey I answered it this way. Today, I believe an “enlightened being” is one who lives a conscious life daily. These individuals have great awareness of their fellow humans. They are conscious of their words and actions and how they affect those fellow humans. They are conscious of the food they eat and how it affects their spirit and their bodies. They are conscious of the individuals they associate with and wisely choose to be among those who uplift their spirits. They make daily time for meditation and reflection. They are more in tune with silence and nature. And they choose to walk their path with ethical dignity and perseverance.

These individuals, no matter how great or small their circle of influence, travel their chosen path with focused consciousness and full awareness.

They are “beings of enlightenment” who live a conscious, purpose-driven life. They hold a brilliant beacon of light that illumines the way for all of us who also must walk up to the top of mountain. To them we are indebted.

••••••••••••••

Jo Mooy has studied with many spiritual traditions over the past 40 years. The wide diversity of this training allows her to develop spiritual seminars and retreats that explore inspirational concepts, give purpose and guidance to students, and present esoteric teachings in an understandable manner. Along with Patricia Cockerill, she has guided the Women’s Meditation Circle since January 2006 where it has been honored for five years in a row as the “Favorite Meditation” group in Sarasota, FL, by Natural Awakenings Magazine. Teaching and using Sound as a retreat healing practice, Jo was certified as a Sound Healer through Jonathan Goldman’s Sound Healing Association. She writes and publishes a monthly internationally distributed e-newsletter called Spiritual Connections and is a staff writer for Spirit of Maat magazine in Sedona. For more information go to www.starsoundings.com or email jo@starsoundings.com.

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Inspiration Then imagine you are like a computer that can shutdown and reboot by simply clicking the “restart” button. Next, follow the tips below for a better day: 1. When something upsets you, feel it. Things will upset you. You will get hurt, angry and disappointed.

Recognize when it is happening and have patience with yourself and others.

Buddhist teachings tell us that anger is one of the primary causes of “suffering” in our lives, and “patience is the antidote to all anger.”

2. Notice your thoughts about an upsetting event.

Tune your attention to what you are thinking and ask yourself, “Are you kitchen sink brooding?” Recognizing that your thoughts are spiraling out of control is the first step toward stopping them in their tracks.

By Tracey Ashcraft

“It’s never too late to restart your day!”

Not too long ago, I saw this slogan on a decorative sign in a home goods store. At first it annoyed me; it sounded like another piece of fluffy, impossible-to-follow advice dished out by a marketing company to make a buck. Then I gave it a second thought. I have had days when an interaction with someone goes sour or I get disappointing news, and then it instantly seems like the whole day— and even the rest of my life—is going to be ruined. As I stood in the aisle pondering the sign, I realized that when I end up in situations like this somehow I always seem to notice a beautiful bird singing in a tree or a kid giggling uncontrollably in a nearby yard. It immediately changes my mood, and I know in my heart that my life doesn’t have to plummet into the “abyss” just because the previous moments were emotionally upsetting and unpleasant. I can reboot!

Our negative thoughts often spiral out of control across the board when we have a disagreeable encounter with someone or something. For example, a big fight with a spouse or an air conditioner that goes out on the hottest day in August results in an overall state of mind that tells us: “Everyone and everything is ‘out to get me’ and ruin my life.” I call this “kitchen sink” brooding. When one thing goes wrong, we throw it into a proverbial pot with all the other things we can think of that we are unhappy about—including the kitchen sink. Before we know it, we are in despair, a victim of life and all of its injustices.

When we find ourselves in situations like this, the best advice is to focus on the here and now.

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3. Take no action when angry or upset. Do not act on the negative thoughts you are having. Just notice them like you are watching a scene from train window as you travel from destination to destination. You recognize and see the negative thoughts, and then they pass by like trees or buildings alongside the tracks.

4. Notice what you are feeling. Allow time to process and express the disappointment in a safe environment.

Give yourself five to 10 minutes to feel and express your reaction to the upsetting event and your thoughts about the event. It’s fine to verbalize your emotions to yourself. You might want to cry or talk out loud. I often find a releasing a “primal

scream” in the car to be very therapeutic.

5. Decide to have a “good” rest of the day. Making this decision may seem hard in the moment, but do it anyway. You can choose to be in despair or you can choose to have a good day. It’s all a matter of perspective in your mind.

6. Notice the moment. Observe your surroundings. What do you hear? What do you see? In the moment are you safe, do you have caring friends or family, do you have a place to live and food to eat, do you have a pet that loves you unconditionally? Make a mental or even written “gratitude list” for what you have right now in your life that is positive, even the small things. Sometimes, we have to remind ourselves of our blessings to put life into a positive mental framework.

7. Reboot your thinking. After you have spent time contemplating your negative thoughts, you can consciously choose to think more positive thoughts. Can you laugh at yourself? Is there something near you that you can smile about? Maybe it’s a pet, or a friend, or a funny joke you heard recently. When you smile and laugh, even if it’s faked, you will start releasing chemicals in your body that actually will induce happiness.

a learning lesson. This attitude will keep you out of “victim mode” and empower you to take charge of your emotions and life. Remember, happiness is an inside job!

The way we feel in any given moment is up to us. Blaming a bad mood on someone else on a situation is a waste of time.

I know; I have tried and it doesn’t work. What makes us feel better is bringing our thoughts into the present moment and understanding that our happiness is not dependent on external factors.

Rather, it is dependent on our state of mind—and that is in our control. Try it. What’s the worst that can happen? You might just have a better day!

••••••••••••••

Tracey Ashcraft, M.A., L.P.C., is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Coach. She specializes in helping adults and college students cope with emotionally intense people. With a Master’s Degree in Counseling, Tracey has been helping people heal from toxic relationships for more than 10 years. She brings her sense of humor and a tell-it-like-it-is style that helps people get to the truth quickly. Sessions are offered in Boulder, CO, and via phone or video chat. For more information visit www.bestlifetherapy.com.

8. Choose to be happy. Once you reboot your day, continue to focus on the positive and stay in the “NOW.” The upsetting event is history and you have the choice to regard it as

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Inspiration

By Noel Marshall The Divine Feminine energy brings to my mind the image of Mother Mary: gentle, loving, encouraging, flowing, and peaceful, as well as showing “might for right” when needed. It also summons forth the archetype and patterns of Mother Nature, which show us that there is a time for blooming, a time for pruning to bring forth beauty, and a time for strength and character to come to the forefront.

Those are not any of the words or phrases that I would use to describe myself prior to my transformation.

Born the seventh of 15 children, I aligned my thought system with our planet’s prevailing paradigm: To thrive I had to master masculine “survival” techniques. I felt strongly that there was only one person who would take care of me, and that was me. Competition, manipulation, colluding—whatever it would take.

It “appeared” that I had won my prize! I successfully put myself through school and earned a Ph.D., married a wonderful and loyal husband, and had a beautiful home, so why wasn’t there a feeling of fulfillment? Was the game I played just a farce? What was rising in me? Unbeknownst to me, it was a desire for balance—a welcoming of the feminine.

Letting Go

Through personal development work, I began to get hints that the world as I knew it was extremely limiting. A teacher I once had clued me in: Transformation isn’t about finding or getting something, it’s about letting go. Further, I 32

was encouraged to “drop my story” as it wasn’t serving my highest good any longer. My choices and how I wanted to live my life were new in every moment and virtually unlimited. I can very truly say these words of wisdom were like pearls dropped before swine; I just didn’t get how powerful and unlimited I could be if I let go of how I viewed myself and others. Indeed, what I just summarized took at least half a dozen years for me to fully integrate. And that’s when I learned the importance of compassion. I must have it for myself before I can have it for others.

My desire, indeed my hunger, now was for release literally and figuratively. This led to a very intense time of “wandering through the desert” and the painful process of self-examination and developing new skills: discernment and listening to the wisdom of my heart, AKA my Higher Self.

I can tell you it would have been easier to take a standardized test that only required regurgitation of “facts” than it was to learn how to listen deeply and feel from my heart.

And as I grappled with my life’s path, I was blessed to have the company of my beloved husband, Bob. One thing I have learned is that gender has nothing to do with balance of male and female energies. I would even go so far as to say that my husband, buried in his workaholism, had more feminine energy than I did! Perhaps that is why as I started to ponder, read, and introspect. I found him such a willing and able partner.

The release of all-that-did-not-serve-me was happening on the physical as well as the spiritual level. One day Bob came home from work and I asked him, “If our house

was burning down, what is the one thing that you would take?” Little did I realize the power of that question: It would prompt him to let go of all. Within the year, Bob “vibrated” himself out of his 37-year career in aviation association management and so began our “retirement,” though we prefer to call it our “rewirement.” We survived our heavy mortgages on my tiny income, but by the end of the year the Universe blessed us immensely. On my birthday in December 2008, we not only closed on the sale of our five-bedroom, five-bath house on 10 acres but also on our 175-acre farm complete with an FAA-approved grass runway that we purchased with the dream of developing a residential airpark.

I’ve come to realize that awakenings happen on an individual soul’s own timeline. As one of my spiritual teachers said: “We are all like kernels of popcorn, and we all pop at our own temperature.” Bob and I were starting to pop.

Fueled with curiosity, we were becoming like an empty vessel surrendering to Spirit and listening, with discernment, for guidance. We gratefully gave thanks for the tremendous blessings we had received. The most powerful realization we had was that we were being prepared, balanced, and aligned with an energy that we had previously sought so vigorously to control: the Divine Feminine.

The Holding Pattern

The beginning of 2009 found us in what we aviators call “a holding pattern.” We continued on our spiritual path, feeling more awe and wonder. Every day it felt like rays of sunlight were breaking through as guidance as we continued to develop our spiritual practice of prayer, introspection, and meditation. I continued to sell real estate, and Bob and I both volunteered at the organization where Bob previously worked. We always held the “loss” of Bob’s job as a blessing to help us welcome the new direction of our lives, always asking our question: “How does it get any better than this?” We are true believers that when one door closes another opens, provided you don’t continue to stare at the door that closed.

It didn’t take long for the Universe to answer our question. The volunteer project that we were working on almost full-time was completed in July 2009. The next month, we went to visit my Mom and attend a family wedding. The day after the wedding celebration, my second oldest sibling informed the family that she had been diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer and was “given” six months to live.

This was a much tougher idea to face in our new “Everything happens for our good” or “How does it get any better than this?” thinking. This news challenged me to release even more, to surrender and accept that it is not my job to judge or design the works of the Universe. I was definitely at a choice point: rage or trust the Divine. Why this sibling?

Surely she was the kindest, gentlest, and meekest amongst us? And yet, how could I possibly presume to understand and judge her soul’s path and agreements? And is death true? I certainly was given much to ponder.

In truth, my sister and I had once been extremely close, but there came some unmemorable event, and we barely spoke after. It’d been more than a dozen years since

our hearts kindled together. Was I going to let that be? With the help of my spiritual family, I received lots of input that mostly boiled down to: Tell your ego to shut up and pick up the phone and talk to your sister. I listened. I wrote her.

I apologized that I let my ego separate us. Like the father of the prodigal son, she welcomed me home. Even more, she invited me to move to her community and help her as she went through hospice. Thank you, Spirit, for allowing me to serve such a beautiful soul. I didn’t feel worthy (and I thanked my ego for that thought) but soon thereafter Bob and I moved halfway across the country. As I write this, my sister was returned to the Light three years ago this month.

Thank you, Spirit for our collective souls’ growth.

In April 2009, it appeared that Bob and I had completed two short-term assignments and again found ourselves wondering: What’s next? And quickly, like a faithful companion, our answer came: travel. Really? We had never had an RV or even camped, and the Spirit wanted us to sell our truck, buy a new one, and go on the road? An additional irony is that we previously owned a model of airplane called an “RV” (an RV-6A), and we had previously purchased a building lot on an airport only 30 miles from where my sister then lived. Surely it made more sense to purchase another RV airplane and build in the residential airpark? Right?

Wrong. Go! And so we did. Less than a month after my sister’s transition, we purchased a 38-foot fifth-wheel motor home, sold our truck, and bought a new one capable of pulling our new home. It seemed that the more we surrendered, the more exotic our life became! How does it get any better than this? (Be sure not to say: It CAN’T get any better than this, because then you stop the flow!)

Listen to the Small Voice

The underlying theme of our life, as we understand it now, is that we are always being prepared. This is the quiet, gentle power of the Divine Feminine. It feels like it is always delivered in that small, quiet voice—if only I get quiet and listen.

For the next two years we continued with our spiritual group and helped produce events and spiritual retreats.

We spent most of our time in Southern California, with our motor home hooked up at a friend’s private airport. We were also blessed to be travelling with our dog, Boomer, who is just as much a triple Sagittarius as I am! (During this period, I learned that Triple Sags are filled with wanderlust, are gregarious, and freedom lovers. Our motto might be: “Don’t fence me in!”)

Life seemed to be perfect, but then the small quiet voice, which I was trying very hard to ignore, kept telling me something that I didn’t want to hear: You have outgrown your current spiritual community; you aren’t expanding; say goodbye!

Making that move was very painful, particularly since Bob and I weren’t in the same place with this message.

After navigating through a very emotional summer, we both felt our pain of separation from the group and from each other start to gently heal as we honored our feminine call 33

for harmony to prevail.

Shortly thereafter we were again eagerly asking, “What’s next?” And this time we got a very funny answer.

Well, funny in retrospect. The wisdom “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear” certainly applied here. As with our former teacher, there was another teacher waiting to serve our growth, but this time we decided not to share the same teacher. Bob decided to do a tele-class with Neale Donald Walsch, and I was called to take a tele-class with Barbara Marx Hubbard.

For the rest of 2011, Bob and I were roaming in our RV; one night I’d hear him on his call with Neale and another night he’d hear me on my call with Barbara—our home is only 300 square feet, remember! We were both enjoying the universe of new ideas that we were swimming in. Then that “funny thing” that I eluded to above came to pass. At the end of my class, Barbara invited all her students to come to Los Angeles and hang out for two days and discuss conscious evolution. I was in! I had fallen in love with Barbara’s message ever since I saw her movie “Humanity Ascending: Visions of a Universal Humanity.” I felt a deep “knowing” that I was supposed to be in that conversation. Bob delivered me to my out because Neale had just published a book about Barbara entitled Mother of Invention. While I was in the room falling in love with Barbara and her message, Bob was in the lobby reading Neale’s book and doing exactly the same thing. Wonderful! We were on the same page together again!

What was next for us, we barely needed to ask: Barbara and Stephen Dinan of the “Shift Network” announced “Birth 2012,” which would be a celebration of the new era of humanity on, coincidentally, Barbara’s 83rd birthday, December 22, 2012. We stepped up as mentors to assist in bringing awareness to this glorious effort. Then Barbara stumped us when she asked, “What is your gift to the shift?”

After a period of prayer and meditation, we recognized that living in our RV was exactly what the Universe ordered for us to contribute to this global movement. We committed to travelling to all 48 states in our RV and presenting Barbara’s movie, “Humanity Ascending: Our Story” and practice “deep listening” and follow the energy of the conscious conversation of those who were drawn to Barbara’s message.

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And that is how and why we drove to all 48 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada in less than six months.

And Boomer was able to travel with us for most of the 20,000-plus miles of our volunteer journey!

At the conclusion of our tour, we had made more than 90 presentations in a wide variety of locations, a couple in our RV, but mostly in spiritual centers, bookstores, coffee shops, and private homes. We knew that we were never alone and felt protection throughout our journey; after all, we were co-creating with the Divine Feminine as well as local collaborators. We were privileged to meet conscious evolutionaries of all size, shapes, and ages. Our youngest who spoke up was six, and he wanted to talk about saving Mother Earth. Our oldest attendee was a 97-year-old retired minister who invited us to dinner at her assisted living facility. She plays Barbara’s movie to whomever she can find, and finished writing her own life story at age 94. We were inspired at every turn and event along our route; even the maintenance bill on our RV just became part of “what is,” and our journey unfolded with ease and grace and flow.

During the course of our adventures, we were interviewed by a documentary filmmaker who is telling the story of “Bold Mother Hubbard” and her vision for the new era of humanity. She asked us to describe the most difficult thing we encountered along our “self” evolution tour. We agreed that it is people not believing in their own power and shrinking from the unknown. Then I reflected on myself: I was offered the opportunity to write this article, and I initially disqualified myself as knowing nothing about “Feminine Energy.” It reminds me that we only stop growing when we close the door to new opportunities!

In love, praise and gratitude, I AM Divine... and so are YOU!

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Noel Marshall, Ph.D., and Bob Warner are the founders of “Light Partners.” They are available for coaching on an individual or group basis and remain actively involved in contributing their time and talents to the evolution of humanity. Visit the website www.LightPartners.org or email: NoelBob@LightPartners.org.

Healthy Living your body reacts more dramatically to any sugar you feed it. Remake your breakfast to focus on proteins, vegetables, healthy fats and whole grain carbs, like a scrambled egg, spinach and avocado sandwich, and you’ll get your day off to a great start.

Sugar Cravings Crushing Tactic #2: Eat fruits to get some sweetness.

While fruits can contain a lot of sugar, their fiber helps slow down your body’s absorption of sugar so you are less prone to sugar highs and lows.

But just to be clear, fruit juices don’t cut it. Don’t get deceived by packaged juices and/or the juicing fad. With juices you lose out on most of the fiber in fruits, leaving your body vulnerable to a sugar overload. If you prefer to slurp your fruit, make use of the whole fruit and try a smoothie. Add some sugar-moderating veggies and proteins, and the sweetness in your fruit will go down even slower.

Sugar Cravings Crushing Tactic #3: Invite some bacteria inside.

By Dr. Michael E. Rosenbaum, MD

If you have great intentions of eating healthy—but get sidetracked by sweets—you’re not alone!

According to Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, author of Beat Sugar Cravings Now!, the average American eats about 150 pounds of added sugar each year in processed foods and drinks. That’s more than seven times the amount Americans ate in 1820—two centuries ago!

Sugar is in just about everything we eat from salad dressings, to cold cuts, to pasta sauce. Even if we avoid cookies, we may be getting too much of this sweet stuff unbeknownst to us.

And this isn’t sweet news for our health…

Sugar weakens immune cells, and sugar can cause the body to age prematurely. It binds with proteins in our body through a process called glycation, which damages our body’s tissues, robbing us of vitality and health. Excess sugar can lead to obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and even attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It also may be as addictive as major drugs like heroin.[1] Now, to be fair, craving sweetness is not always a bad thing. Our simian ancestors depended on sweet fruits for easy energy.

The real problem is that our craving for sweets is too easily catered to in this day and age. Where natural scarcity put some limits to our sugar consumption in earlier generations, these days we can eat sugar to our heart’s content.

It’s so easy to get!

Fortunately there are some tactics you can use to keep your sweet tooth in check and crush sugar cravings:

Sugar Cravings Crushing Tactic #1: Eat high-protein meals frequently.

Sugar cravings often can be due to dips in blood sugar levels. Slowly digested proteins help stabilize the level of sugar in your blood, quelling the urge to get some sugar in you.

This is particularly critical in the morning, when you serve up breakfast. After a long fast while you were sleeping,

Thanks to overuse of antibiotics and germ-killing soaps, we’ve done serious damage to our internal ecosystem, the helpful probiotic bacteria that are a part of our digestive system. As these bacteria dwindle, often the yeast candida takes, and it is notorious for causing us to crave sugar—its favorite food.

To bring your bacteria count back to a healthy number, consider taking a probiotic supplement. And feed these bacteria well with their favorite food: prebiotics. Chlorella is a terrific probiotic-boosting prebiotic.

Sugar Cravings Crushing Tactic #4: Attend to your hormones.

In women, sugar cravings can sometimes be linked to hormonal fluctuations. By mediating these shifts with some hormone balancers, like licorice root tea, eleuthero or raspberry leaf, women can help their bodies recover hormonal balance and reduce cravings for sweets.

Sugar Cravings Crushing Tactic #5: Get proper exercise and sleep.

We turn to sugar instinctively when we need an energy hit. Unfortunately, while sugar can give you a temporary lift, it drops you hard soon after. Instead of turning to sugar to wake up, get moving. Exercise is one of the best energizers, along with clean, pure water. And finally, get proactive about feeling tired. If you’re craving sweets, check yourself to see if you really need an earlier bedtime or a nap instead.

Crush Your Sugar Cravings And Charge Ahead!

All these tactics work. But bottom line, they all work better when you shift your perspective in one fundamental way: Don’t see cutting down on sugar as deprivation. See it as a gift to yourself. And this gift includes more energy, a sharper mind, a better mood, a slimmer you, stronger immunity and better health overall.

You’ll be amazed at how much sweeter life can be when you cut down on the sugar.

Remember, reducing sugar intake is one of the best things you can do for your body.

••••••••••••••

Dr. Michael E. Rosenbaum is a 35-year veteran and widely recognized pioneer in the field of nutritional medicine, alternative healthcare and medical acupuncture. As one of America’s most respected experts in natural health and healing, Dr. Rosenbaum has been a frequent lecturer to professional medical groups and has participated in numerous television and radio talk shows. He is also an esteemed member of the Sun Chlorella Advisory Board, which helps guide the medical innovation behind Sun Chlorella products. Visit his website at drmichaelrosenbaum.com. You also can download a free copy of “Why Didn’t My Doctor Tell Me This?” at sunchlorellausa.com/why-didnt-my-doctor-tellme-about In this eye-opening report, five pioneering natural health experts reveal nutritional secrets that can change your life.

Sources: [1] Avena NM. Examining the addictive-like properties of binge eating using an animal model of sugar dependence. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2007 Oct;15(5):481-91.

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