tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88126308011644315752024-03-18T17:45:06.104-07:00Josephine Laing's BlogWelcome to my blog. Here you will find whatever is bringing me joy right now.
Please join me in this spiritual agreement, from my mentor and friend, Jana Massey:
"Together we agree that everything that we think, that we say and that we do at this time will be of the highest good. And together we ask for truth, the understanding of that truth and the wisdom to use it in our lives."
Thank you.
Josephine Laing's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16288191036600708973noreply@blogger.comBlogger209125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812630801164431575.post-49715179810024382892024-03-18T17:44:00.000-07:002024-03-18T17:44:15.957-07:00Good Fortune<p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpdc_E18AnbK-mc2298lsWkKDCb0duHN9FoPwLMFwUhd-l5_7xXBNscgnTBIYBLRfws7WUMYfCM_k2K-CM78X5OzhH870psjVLulo6mmsjB4LCq2YHjq7x0Dg22QAncmWjA4fZ9WqQ1b-H38rrrTWRTGPULMUUCYAnDP90AD4Xvc_3z9pJZnWGIHD2dC7q/s4368/FZ_k%202.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4368" data-original-width="2912" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpdc_E18AnbK-mc2298lsWkKDCb0duHN9FoPwLMFwUhd-l5_7xXBNscgnTBIYBLRfws7WUMYfCM_k2K-CM78X5OzhH870psjVLulo6mmsjB4LCq2YHjq7x0Dg22QAncmWjA4fZ9WqQ1b-H38rrrTWRTGPULMUUCYAnDP90AD4Xvc_3z9pJZnWGIHD2dC7q/s320/FZ_k%202.tiff" width="213" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">My husband <a href="http://frankzika.com/http___frankzika.com/Home.html" target="_blank">Frank</a> makes beautiful glass, both art and architectural works. Not too long ago, he made this door with black glass undulating beneath the Chinese characters for happiness, blessings, and good fortune. I came across this photo of it recently and it reminded me of all of the good fortunes that I have received, not only in my life, but also in Chinese restaurants over the years as I have enjoyed their delicious fare.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Being as spring is upon us and as it brings its promise of renewal and the good fortune and bounty of summer ahead, I thought I’d take this opportunity to share with you some of the good fortunes that I have collected and saved from the many fortune cookies that have blessed my dining table and my life. I share them with you now, like affirmations to brighten your day as they have continued to brighten mine. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Let yourself think of these like a waterfall of blessings showering over, around and through you. And, as a little experiment, let yourself believe each one. <br /><br />You are always welcome in any gathering.<br />You have an ability to sense and know higher truth.<br />You should be able to make money and hold on to it.<br />You enjoy giving gifts of yourself to others. You will be rewarded.<br />You are going to have a very comfortable old age.<br />Consider gain and loss, but never be greedy and everything will be all right.<br />Things are not always what they seem.<br />You have a captivating style all your own.<br />Elegant surroundings will soon be yours.<br />You will inherit a large sum of money.<br />Your energy is at its peak. Channel it into fun activities.<br />You will be showered with good luck.<br />You will spend many years in material wealth.<br />Your love life will be happy and harmonious.<br />Your air of confidence naturally draws others to you.<br />The star of happiness is shining on you.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br />May we all be renewed with the love and joy for life that spring so often brings.<br /><br />Josephine Laing<br />© 2024<br /><br /></span></p>Josephine Laing's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16288191036600708973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812630801164431575.post-3646599796873820692024-01-17T16:13:00.000-08:002024-01-24T16:42:50.945-08:00Cast Adrift<p><span style="font-size: large;"> <br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5SEmBGx4arNiszV1BtCVFYB6mtO_MoN-nMyM7WXrMUWISKbl8PqXa7yTWgAeFg85lDraDNJOPDG86KlV_kFeaOmVzxldowd2v4iTwYZ2zB0_eZOtzD1M_4w0i-z_twnQce8sW3mcsYDgJVm71qRmbR1Mz3rG5YfPL2oR1nfqRx7MsEoeI5sRco0byg8Ux/s2016/Wailea%20Beach%20sunset.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5SEmBGx4arNiszV1BtCVFYB6mtO_MoN-nMyM7WXrMUWISKbl8PqXa7yTWgAeFg85lDraDNJOPDG86KlV_kFeaOmVzxldowd2v4iTwYZ2zB0_eZOtzD1M_4w0i-z_twnQce8sW3mcsYDgJVm71qRmbR1Mz3rG5YfPL2oR1nfqRx7MsEoeI5sRco0byg8Ux/s320/Wailea%20Beach%20sunset.jpeg" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Cast Adrift. That's how we feel sometimes. It's as if we don't know where we are going, or even why. But often the soup just has to cook. Time spent not knowing, just simmering has proven, in the past, for me, to be extremely beneficial.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The clouds of not knowing can settle down around us with a damp chill, closing in about our bodies and minds, leaving us feeling directionless, purposeless. Sometimes, it's illness, sometimes it's financial devastation. It can be social or environmental injustice, or simply a lack of connection with others and their support. But if we hang in there, give it a little time, and our consideration, let the flavors, ideas and feelings meld together, our way forward gradually comes clear. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I like to use affirmations and gratitude practices during those darker days to help me keep hope and trust alive. All of the spiritual practices that we have learned can give us some direction. Prayer, mantras, along with inspirational stories, poetry, music and art, these are the tools I turn to, to help me find the light ahead.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I remember years ago, while I was healing from a major injury, wondering day-after-day, why this devastating thing had happened to me. What was to become of my life after so many changes had occurred, flipping everything I trusted and knew on its head? I had gotten a degree in horticulture, had been running my own landscape business, had employees, had just bought a home and was planning to remodel and then everything stopped. I had to let the business go. My financial situation shifted drastically. I became sincerely dependent with no guarantee that I'd ever recover.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In that dim light of life, with the heat turned way down low, I simmered and grabbed what ingredients I could and tossed them into the stew pot of my days. Meditation, dream-work, time spent musing quietly, alone with my thoughts, taking what small steps I could to help restore my peace of mind and my physicality. It can be a slow process marinating in transformation. The egg in the nest takes time to change and open. The seed doesn't sprout overnight. Dismal news can come. We just have to let it go and keep focusing on the next one or two possible steps that we can see for the way ahead.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.peacepilgrim.org/" target="_blank">Peace Pilgrim</a> used to say, "Stay in the present moment. Do what needs to be done. Do all of the good you can each day. And the future will unfold." This is a lovely prescription for finding one's way. It has helped me greatly over the years. It's the little steps that matter. One at a time. There is no rush. It's a long life, and from my perspective, there are plenty of them. So, we don't need to hurry. We can take our time and go slow.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So, there I was, all those years ago, stuck in bed, doing next to nothing except visiting my chiropractor once a week, and slowly, incrementally, finding my balance again. And that's when my empathy, my clairvoyance, my ability to see and know what was going on in the health and well being of others, started to emerge. It certainly wasn't anything I had expected to have happen. I had guided the ship of my life in a totally different direction. But there it was, arising quietly and consistently from within me. It took a process of many years to refine and smooth off the rough edges of my psychic skills. But, as sure as the lady bug transforms from the larvae, a new me emerged. When we trust ourselves and let our lives flow, riding the hills and valleys as gracefully as we can, our path eventually comes clear.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I remember hearing the story of a young man in Great Britain who had gotten off on 'a wrong foot,' and began his early adulthood stealing things. He wound up in jail, got out, took on a small job that at first he didn't know how to do, but learned. Then he found himself helping others, newly out of prison, in finding work and learning how to do those small jobs as well. In time he had founded a nationwide service providing support for others who had walked a similar path and his purpose in life was revealed. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We never know where these roads will take us, but if we hang in there, and do what we can to stay present and work daily to hold our heads above water, and help others whenever we can, the way before us will unfold. We find that we were never really cast adrift, we just needed an unexpected course correction, to set us on the good and right road that was always before us. From there we can look back, at the end of our lives, and see that the way was really always clear. We just needed to simmer a little, let all of the ingredients meld and blend and create the true sustenance of our beings.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So, hang in there. Trust yourself and the Universe. Stay in the moment. Stay the course and expect the best. A deeper part of you already knows the way. We just need to let it all gradually and gratefully unfold before us.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I will leave you with a little haiku-like poem that I wrote years ago. It came to me after I awoke from a dream where I saw three of my footsteps in front of me, in a forest, in the deep snow. Just three footprints. On a clear bright sunny winter's day.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><i>My feet are always falling - steadfastly - on my path before me.<br /></i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">© Josephine Laing 2024</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /></p>Josephine Laing's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16288191036600708973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812630801164431575.post-2972576485272046102023-11-09T12:41:00.013-08:002023-11-09T15:28:02.699-08:00Taking the Time to Heal<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJYY3_pKTMOhITAwVog23G3p_kWSSecZ0O8AiJcXzUMFE8PkDNtGNP2UCn9gMgm9_cKHWCPblMMX_2byCTfYFZNGfOY74R4AM8ARUHA5uFJUJLnEnZfaMLbCBMonxeayU5lY1aita3rrVon_y_cVEfktdbuMcApEtwfMeWIi84E5ZB1uPETCTIfRkA0CVI/s1793/Hearts%20to%20you.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="783" data-original-width="1793" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJYY3_pKTMOhITAwVog23G3p_kWSSecZ0O8AiJcXzUMFE8PkDNtGNP2UCn9gMgm9_cKHWCPblMMX_2byCTfYFZNGfOY74R4AM8ARUHA5uFJUJLnEnZfaMLbCBMonxeayU5lY1aita3rrVon_y_cVEfktdbuMcApEtwfMeWIi84E5ZB1uPETCTIfRkA0CVI/s320/Hearts%20to%20you.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />I recently pinched a nerve in my neck. Nowadays they call it by a more technical term, Cervical Stenosis. But this very human problem has been around for ages, probably since we evolutionarily started standing upright. And quite a few people wind up in trouble with this sort of condition, especially in the later decades of life. <br /><br />For my own part, I had gotten a little too frisky flexing my neck one day and within two weeks, it went from bad to worse and then into agony. I had to stop all of my work, lost all strength in my arm and then my fingers began to go all tingly and numb. The pain was intense and traveled from my hand up to my shoulder. <br /><br />I did all of my usual home remedies: anti-inflammatory supplements and diet style, hot baths, homeopathics, natural herbal analgesics, massage, hot and cold therapies and I also visited a few alternative practitioners. But no matter what I did, it just kept getting worse and nothing seemed to really help. <br /><br />The only thing that brought me any relief at all was sitting very still, with my arm propped up in just the right way and then after a time, the pain started to abate and it would begin to get a little more comfortable. So that's what I did. I simply sat and read some nice uplifting books.<br /><br />The medical profession had quite a few options for me. They had drugs, and I tried a few, but they just made me feel pretty awful on top of being in pain. A friend of mine had gotten a cortisone shot in her neck, some years before, with her pinched nerve. She said it took about four months after that to fully resolve itself. I considered that, but the down side was that it would most likely seriously mess with my blood sugars. Another option was to do what they did to my brother and carve away some bone and put a mini railroad track in my neck, in order to separate and support my vertebra. I figured that all of those were things that I could certainly consider down the line if I needed them. But I thought I'd first try time.<br /><br />It did take a couple of months for things to start to settle down. But then they did. And I remembered that that was what my mom used to say about healing from significant injuries, back on the farm, when she was a girl. Doctors were few back then and medical care was rudimentary. Mostly the farmers, themselves, were the vets, and the housewives were the healers. When someone got really banged up, they put them in bed and kept them there.<br /><br /> In our modern culture we try to speed the healing, and make the repairs as quick as possible, so we can get back in the game. But, I'm thinking, after this recent episode, that there is some real wisdom in simply taking the time to heal. <br /><br />Now, it is true that all of that lounging around let me get drastically out of shape, even very muscularly weak. And, putting a stop to my work hit our pocket book quite a little bit as well. But our spending dropped too. There wasn't much need to go out and get anything, other than groceries. And with so much free time, I wound up having lots of laughs and plenty of chats with my friends and with my sweet husband, Frank. So, other than the pain in my arm, I was quite happy and relatively healthy. <br /><br />After about eight weeks, the pain had subsided enough that I could start doing a few things around the house, but I could tell I was really out of shape and my balance wasn't great, either. I figured I needed to have some basic physical therapy. Fortunately my new niece, my nephew's betrothed, is a <a href="https://vimeo.com/drlaurengastall">physical therapist</a> and I was so relieved to be able to work with her. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We met in either of our homes, instead of going to a P.T. clinic, where the therapists always seem to be rushed these days, and often have to yell over the booming exercise music. That sort of an environment didn't seem as healing to me and I really appreciated the quiet and personal attention of one-on-one. It has been another eight weeks now, of daily exercises, starting very gently at first and checking in once a week for a few more exercises and some nice deep tissue massage and I'm so very glad to say that I'm starting to feel good as new once more.<br /><br />Sometimes all it takes is a little time and the willingness to let the world go on by for awhile until we heal and are ready once more to get back in the swing of things. And blessedly, in this case, for me, that was true. But, whether it is a pinched nerve, a different injury or an illness, listening to your own inclinations and guidance from within and then taking the time to do what needs to be done to heal is always a good idea.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br />My wish is for us all to have the good grace to be able to take the time to go slow, do less and accomplish more. Blessings to you as we enter these longer nights and the darker half of the year. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><i> </i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><i> </i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><i>As a Clairvoyant Healer, Spiritual Counselor and Intuition Instructor, I share many tips for leading a healthy and fulfilling life. Please be advised that I am not a doctor. Nor am I licensed in any healing modality. However, I have had years of experience in alternative and complementary health and healing. All healing programs, including standard western medical protocols in addition to natural therapies, can cause harm rather than the benefit that you may be searching for. After all some people can have a strong reaction to something as seemingly innocent as peanuts or strawberries. Therefore, anything that I may recommend in these blogs and in my videos could be dangerous for you to try. So, it is important that you Ask Your Doctor First before trying any natural healing protocol. However, most medical doctors have little experience regarding natural healing programs and herbal medicine. So please understand if your doctor is unfamiliar with these ideas.<br /></i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>Josephine Laing's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16288191036600708973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812630801164431575.post-48486740812448404682023-09-30T16:51:00.009-07:002023-09-30T17:15:47.901-07:00"Do nothing. Time is too precious to waste."<p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibjZaZKJnf6Uhk66AAdzXYF_XzhtrLzxQU99axP2wQlyyaBEjRMrV6PDQDVgolv488FkDEf2tVX-Ite1Yzvoh99pyWKegtf58YCs2pg0qY6uNc2VIl7dgHjcMSrAd6ygs9bA-aiPAhYGt30GtFhTRklmW3VWiY5AV6gsLdDzejoEwNovMQ00J9NuYmYtYM/s1344/Zinnias.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1344" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibjZaZKJnf6Uhk66AAdzXYF_XzhtrLzxQU99axP2wQlyyaBEjRMrV6PDQDVgolv488FkDEf2tVX-Ite1Yzvoh99pyWKegtf58YCs2pg0qY6uNc2VIl7dgHjcMSrAd6ygs9bA-aiPAhYGt30GtFhTRklmW3VWiY5AV6gsLdDzejoEwNovMQ00J9NuYmYtYM/s320/Zinnias.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This somewhat famous lesson from the Buddha, "Do nothing. Time is too precious to waste." has indeed perplexed me from time to time, because there are so many important and worthwhile things to do. And there is also so much that really and truly needs to be done. But then, blessedly, I find myself just sitting quietly somewhere, maybe gazing up at the clear blue sky, or indulging in a little day dream, and then I get it. The being part of me, the human being, rather than the human doing, settles my mind once more, and I fall into a deeper reality, a freer and wiser place within myself. <br /><br />There is such an emphasis on productivity in our Western culture, what with the rush and pushing of time. And yet so often our most profound understandings and our sudden unexpected inner knowings for our best course of action pop into our heads, not while we are trying to figure it all out, but instead these insights occur most often while we are doing nothing. It is as if we humans really do need to step aside once in a while, to let it all come clear and slide into place.<br /><br />Ram Dass, in his seminal work, <u>Be Here Now</u>, demonstrated the bursts of creativity that can come when we allow ourselves to simply focus on the moment. Watching the cat stalking stealthily in the garden, or a bee visiting a series of flowers, gazing into a campfire, or taking in the silence and stillness of the night, letting the mind simply focus on what is present, for just a few minutes, now and then, is natural and a very important part of who we humans are.<br /><br />In our rush of technology, and too often wrongly in the name of efficiency, somehow the current trend has resulted in us letting these precious moments of doing nothing slip farther and fewer away. Instead we play word games or distract ourselves with videos, leaving the television or the radio to play in the background. Or we listen to talks or the news. All good ventures unto themselves and completely justifiable. But not so good for the seemingly ever increasing abstinence from open windows of freely attentive time. Time where nothing is happening. Time where we are not trying to meditate or take a nap. Time where we just take a little break and let ourselves be.<br /><br />Our brains get so used to us filling every moment with varying pursuits, sounds and distractions, that it actually starts to feel uncomfortable to do without. Open space for our mind's to gaze at something, or to wander around in, become no longer familiar, and it can start to feel really weird to do so, unless we consciously begin to cultivate empty time, intentionally, once again. <br /><br />Allowing this free flow of mind is important, because it is in this open state of simple clarity that epiphanies arise. Inspirations live here. The non-focused gentle resting of our attention opens the door to our connection with everything. This is how we spontaneously see the bigger picture and move past our fears or self-imposed limitations and progress into the free flow of fresh ideas and more prescient understandings and deeper connections.<br /><br />So, though I too can get frequently lost in the 'brownie points' of checking things off of my 'to do' list, and rushing on ahead to getting things done, the Buddha's words do reach through this furor from time to time and remind me of the clarity that I can find by just taking a moment to look around and do nothing. So, join me. Let's just relax and let the moment in.<br /><br /></span></p>Josephine Laing's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16288191036600708973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812630801164431575.post-63921968901716113152023-07-20T16:12:00.009-07:002023-07-20T16:23:56.327-07:00Swedish Death Cleaning and Plein Air<p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwvOU-JvyFxyFP-NMICpcEhCQqxEKgKpUQw2_Zq2Yj_F2t3YcT7RWhPsD7NlP3nVUTpjU70JZnv0z-VXhAXvQzj_JfSaF81ujmCOengo0b5g5wH6YzWs3YQpRmzh6ZHu6_FJU34isKi2pG3tilsf2Jn6DtwFRGiRqFtsYJ920YiQlPq9nVGY-JRJ7Zmq4P/s2666/IMG_3804.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1585" data-original-width="2666" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwvOU-JvyFxyFP-NMICpcEhCQqxEKgKpUQw2_Zq2Yj_F2t3YcT7RWhPsD7NlP3nVUTpjU70JZnv0z-VXhAXvQzj_JfSaF81ujmCOengo0b5g5wH6YzWs3YQpRmzh6ZHu6_FJU34isKi2pG3tilsf2Jn6DtwFRGiRqFtsYJ920YiQlPq9nVGY-JRJ7Zmq4P/s320/IMG_3804.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I recently heard a talk on Swedish death cleaning by a woman who wrote a <a href="https://www.secondsale.com/p/the-gentle-art-of-swedish-death-cleaning-how-to-free-yourself-and-your-family-from-a-lifetime-of-clutter/580500?ean13=9781501173240&id_product_attribute=58760694&campaignid=19230516235&adgroupid=&keyword=&device=c" target="_blank">book</a> on this idea. Apparently it is an old tradition in Sweden where, as the decades of one's life march along, we prepare progressively more and more for our eventual passing. This primarily involves lightening our load and cleaning up our act. It also makes everything a lot easier for those we leave behind. This sounds like a good and sensible thing to me.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">For all of us baby boomers and for all who come after, as we enter our fifth and sixth decades or are even pushing our ninth, it only makes sense to let go of some of the things we enjoyed in our twenties, thirties and forties. I no longer wish to drive a convertible and I don't keep a horse anymore. The convertible I drove in high school was an old beat-up jalopy that got me into my twenties and my former wild mustang lived with me, on the skinny, for nearly four decades. We sure did have some fun. But, when she put her old tired bones to rest, letting go of that time and lifestyle was appropriate for me too.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The seasons of our lives do change and paring down can be a blessing. Several of my friends have really embraced this and have significantly downsized: giving away two thirds of their wardrobe, emptying filing cabinets and bookshelves, re-distributing or tossing old photographs and art works, and leading lighter lives. One friend of mine re-homed her two little dogs. She loved them enough to realize that they needed more care and she needed more time to rest and heal. It's all good and we can let go.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This brings me to <a href="https://waynepleinair.org/about/what-is-plein-air/" target="_blank">plein air</a>. Because, as we come to realize that statistically we may only have five, ten, fifteen, or, if we are lucky, twenty years, of quality living still to go, (which of course can happen to any of us, at any age,) it only makes sense to spend this precious gift of life doing as much of what we love to do as we can. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I have one older friend who is devoting her life to caring for wild birds. She is increasing our local bird species populations and supporting others on their migration routes. When walking past her home, the birdsong is more than noticeable, it's incredible and loud, a veritable symphonic cacophony. Given how precipitously our bird species numbers have fallen in the last five or six decades, this use of her time and energy is remarkable. She also loves to paint. And so do I. But I love colored pencils, for their simplicity, even more.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Together, she and I enjoy sharing plein air sessions. <i> En plein air</i> is french for "in the open air," and refers to painting out of doors instead of in an art studio. During our day to day travels about town, we each keep our eyes open for beautiful views. And then, as often as we can, </span><span style="font-size: large;">carving out a little time, </span><span style="font-size: large;">w</span><span style="font-size: large;">e set a date, deciding on morning or afternoon light and we go! And then we sit. W</span><span style="font-size: large;">e bring our jars of water and pads of paper, pencils, </span><span style="font-size: large;">brushes, </span><span style="font-size: large;">blankets and colors. And then, for hours at a time, with little sandwiches packed and a few pieces of fruit, we chatter away about this and that, matching the colors, as busy as those birds, doing what we'd really love to do. May you be so blessed as to be able to do so, too.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /></p>Josephine Laing's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16288191036600708973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812630801164431575.post-18777690717517245892023-05-20T17:56:00.002-07:002023-05-20T18:31:37.544-07:00Take Me To A Novel<p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikXCl5KT3AxeDVUg6Qr8v3Ytsb5TPy0gPVqBHzuks0VsWhboVvF95Je5fjWpoGCVrq0f9XjsufsEojjXgYqYzmSywki3vCuIB5mpNi7HFjwHPh4gS1bjvUKxIHM79cDGXdr3OlbfU7WqvNxdX_rOI_vOdFykmRiydM1MxObg3snE2AtMHKBeYpjbZsaQ/s3264/IMG_4198%202.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikXCl5KT3AxeDVUg6Qr8v3Ytsb5TPy0gPVqBHzuks0VsWhboVvF95Je5fjWpoGCVrq0f9XjsufsEojjXgYqYzmSywki3vCuIB5mpNi7HFjwHPh4gS1bjvUKxIHM79cDGXdr3OlbfU7WqvNxdX_rOI_vOdFykmRiydM1MxObg3snE2AtMHKBeYpjbZsaQ/s320/IMG_4198%202.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Sometimes we just need to push pause and find a way to take a break from all of the 'ins and outs,' and 'ups and downs' of life. And thus, in steps the novel. We all love a good story. And reading a novel is my way of slipping into the La-La land of "Don't worry. Be happy."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It is not something that I recommend all of the time, because there really are very serious things that require our attention, both personally and globally. We need to care for ourselves and our loved ones. And we need to care for our world, literally. On the very serious side, and for an extremely illuminating reality check, I recommend listening to a recent <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUOvpIOAmYk" target="_blank">Q&A</a> with Noam Chomsky about the Future of our World. He speaks of the systematic dismantling of arms control measures that has taken place over the last few decades, leaving just one in place, making a nuclear holocaust a very real potential, and the lack of awareness about this, and about the reality of climate change, both looming very large before us all. He also proposes what we can do about it. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We do need to lend our energy to movements for positive change. This is part of our responsibility as global citizens. Like our self care, it is part of our soul growth. And, I certainly do put time and effort into this aspect of my life. But I also need a little down time from time to time. TV doesn't often interest me much, I prefer stories. So, I thought I'd share with you a small handful of some of my favorite novels.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Recently I've been reading some rollicking good fun, in the form of historical fiction. I've been focused on changes that women have made which have helped to generate cultural advancement. My recent favorite is <u><a href="https://hpb.com/products/lessons-in-chemistry-9780385547345" target="_blank">Lessons in Chemistry</a></u> by Bonnie Garmus. I fell in love with her protagonist, Elizabeth Zott. Set in the 1950's, this book is full of humor and hope and shows how things were and why they got better. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I also really loved, <u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43925876-the-giver-of-stars" target="_blank">The Giver of Stars</a></u>, by Jojo Moyes. This novel is based on the true story of the depression era Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky. These women rode out into very rural areas and brought books that people could borrow for free, increasing literacy and connection for isolated families. Jojo Moyes wrote another book that I truly enjoyed with some great girl-inspired capers, bringing wrong doers to right, called <u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/62971668" target="_blank">Someone Else's Shoes</a></u>. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Being a woman myself, of course I do love to read about strong female characters. Another author who focuses on historical fiction </span><span style="font-size: large;">to elaborate on our past and how women have helped to change things for the better is </span><span style="font-size: large;">Barbara Kingslover. She has some of the most insightful and far reaching stories in her quiver of novels. Perhaps my favorite of hers is <u><a href="https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/prodigal-summer-by-barbara-kingsolver/247612/#edition=2334490&idiq=2863053" target="_blank">Prodigal Summer</a></u>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">One of the classics of modern literature, and an absolute must read is Beryl Markham's <u><a href="https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/west-with-the-night-by-beryl-markham/250233/item/8050047/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=pmax_high_vol_frontlist_under_%2410&utm_adgroup=&utm_term=&utm_content=#idiq=8050047&edition=2294538" target="_blank">West With the Night</a></u>. This book, about the true stories of her life is filled with love and the bravery of a woman living and working in a man's world. If you read nothing else on this list, this would be the one.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">All of these books have helped me to see and appreciate the (albeit slow,) changes and much needed progressive strides that we have made toward love, respect and allowance. They have brought me joy and have helped me to hold a positive view in the face of all that life here on earth has to offer.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">There are three others, by male authors, that are really fun and wonderful. My grandmother gave me my copy of <u><a href="https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?isbn=9780141374109&cm_sp=mbc-_-ISBN-_-all" target="_blank">My Family and Other Animals</a></u>, by Gerald Durrell. Frank and I have both read this one many times and we laugh and giggle our way through it every time. Durrell's prose and descriptions of nature on the pre-war island of Corfu are beautiful. And the antics of his family are sure to bring a smile into your heart.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><u><a href="https://www.alibris.com/search/books/isbn/9781401940584?invid=17548778110&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=NMPi&gclsrc=ds" target="_blank">The Dalai Lama's Cat</a></u> by David Michie, is one the most heartwarming and enjoyable books I've found. This wise little cat lets us peek into the inner sanctum of life at Dharamsala, bringing insights on how to find delight and peace of mind in our own lives.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And lastly, Niall Williams, with <u><a href="https://www.betterworldbooks.com/product/detail/9781635574203?shipto=US&curcode=USD&gad=1" target="_blank">This Is Happiness</a></u>, for it's sheer beauty, left me transfixed by the inner workings of the heart, a young boy's first tender loves, and how the culture of old world Ireland reaching into today, has shaped his perspective and brought him to the eloquence of a life enlightened. This is a book to be savored and it brings happiness, indeed.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">May you all have some fun with this list, 'push pause' when you need to and take a little break. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> <br /></span></p>Josephine Laing's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16288191036600708973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812630801164431575.post-51255408706018856632023-04-12T19:24:00.020-07:002023-04-20T17:12:38.858-07:00I Went From a "Positive" Test to a "Negative" Test, In Just Two Days, Naturally<p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPvoGMEqHCOdxc0D58qjRc-_HDXfzALyv9FvKvyAknKU_33-6IzWAgmnlzkhCjudHP-ekoVkCYDYXqWkDBG9UyeQ6547vmXYZKUwY1w20nTxXIWjp7nh4Qw_5Qy3CkTIa8E_vqnbSn1j4s7IF-Si61bj8TMsPpjIgfVmZraBHAEfr7MqtouBfnnO85fQ/s1574/IMG_1117_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="1574" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPvoGMEqHCOdxc0D58qjRc-_HDXfzALyv9FvKvyAknKU_33-6IzWAgmnlzkhCjudHP-ekoVkCYDYXqWkDBG9UyeQ6547vmXYZKUwY1w20nTxXIWjp7nh4Qw_5Qy3CkTIa8E_vqnbSn1j4s7IF-Si61bj8TMsPpjIgfVmZraBHAEfr7MqtouBfnnO85fQ/s320/IMG_1117_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I've been as careful about COVID as can be for three years now: washing hands, masking, not hugging my friends. But then the old wall that holds the creek behind my house fell early one morning. This happened, blessedly, between storms, so our soil profile did not wash away. The city had built the wall and they stepped up to fix it, since it fell behind two other houses as well, and its absence threatened to undermine the nearby boulevard. This resulted in crews of workmen coming and going with engineers and firemen and building inspectors all gathering in and parading through my backyard. Some of them I needed to catch up with and let them know some particular or another before they disappeared.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I think that is when it happened, because two or three times I found myself out there, speaking with a small group, having dashed out without my mask. Just four weeks before this, a friend had come round for a birthday visit on the patio. He had come down with COVID the next day and we had been exposed. Fortunately, I had recently remembered how effective overheating baths can be at stopping nasty viruses, (I had read that this had happened with the AIDS epidemic.) So, I took an overheating bath and dodged a bullet that time. (You can read more about that experience in my <a href="https://stepintomagicwithme.blogspot.com/2023/03/exposed-and-overheating-bath.html" target="_blank">March 2023 blog </a>titled "Exposed and the Overheating Bath.") </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">My husband, Frank, has a good friend who comes round most mornings with his little French Bulldog who loves to play with our dog, on the front lawn. The two men stand at a good distance from each other and talk about the repairs and various projects they are working on while the dogs dance around together, racing back and forth. Two weeks ago, our friend showed up with a cold. Not COVID, just a cold. And Frank caught it. Our friend later said he "thought that they weren't that close." Very funny. But air borne microbes can be like that, and as we all now know, quite contagious.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">For some reason, I knew that I wouldn't catch Frank's cold. It's amazing how you just know. Though we took a few slight precautions I really wasn't worried about it. Then, four days later I woke in the night, quite surprised and a little pissed, to find that I had a sore throat. I reached for my ever handy arsenal of cold remedies: Dr. Schulze's Super-C Plus, Healthy Trinity by Natren and Equinacea Supreme by Gaia Herbs. That backed the sore throat down quite successfully, but by morning, my sinuses, normally always free, were slightly congested and I groused at Frank about it. By afternoon, I was feeling slightly headachy, and somewhat fatigued, with the start of a drippy nose. I took my temperature and found it was at 99.5 degrees. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I accused Frank of having had the dry scratchy throat proceeding his cold and said that he had just not remembered having one. He was denying that anything was off at the onset of his cold, as he always does. Having a full work week ahead I really didn't want to come down with what felt like a mild viral infection. And I wasn't supposed to anyway, so I jumped into an overheating bath, which is always very effective at fighting viruses.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Frank said he had read up on the difference between a cold and a flu earlier that day, in <a href="https://www.webmd.com/linda-page" target="_blank">Linda Page</a>'s book, <u>Healthy Healing</u>, (the same edition I referred to in my last blog with the instructions on how to properly do an overheating bath.) I asked him to read the difference between the two again, to me, while I was in the tub. While he was reading, he kept noting the onset of a "cold" for himself, and I kept noting the onset of a "flu" for myself. That was when it dawned on me that maybe we had two different bugs. And that maybe I hadn't caught this from Frank after all.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Anyway, that night, after my therapeutic hot bath, I slept in a pool of sweat and had to change the sheets and start washing everything in the morning. I took a shower to clean the gunk off of my skin and then it occurred to me, "wait a minute, wait a minute,": sore throat, slight fever, headache, sinus congestion, fatigue. It finally ran a bell. And so there, on the morning of day two, I took a COVID test, and to my surprise found the faint pink line, indicating that I had the presence of the proteins in my mucus that reveal the presence of the COVID virus. Blessedly, Frank did not. And that hot bath, from the day before, had done me a world of good. Apart from a slightly drippy nose, and a tendency toward chills and sweats, I felt pretty good.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">That afternoon, I decided to do another overheating bath. I took my temperature before hand and to my surprise found I was already at a hefty 102 degrees. The day before, with my previous overheating bath, rising up from 99.5 degrees to 103 degrees had been a bit of a struggle and I definitely needed my assistant, Frank, to hand me the thermometers and hold my cup of hot tea, with a drinking straw, for me. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Killing and then moving all of those viruses out is a lot of work for the body. It can leave one feeling very weak. And holding a manufactured fever of 103 degrees for fifteen minutes can be quite daunting. So, a therapy like this is not for everyone. Our ninety year old friend, Einar, mentioned that he had to do overheating treatments as a child for serious illnesses. But, as he said, the only problem was that sometimes they'd "loose one" due to the rigors of the therapy. So, this method is not something to be taken lightly. And a capable assistant is essential. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">For me, with my second bath, going from 102 degrees up to 103 degrees was easy, I barely noticed it. I even spiked briefly up to 104 degrees a couple of times. It is generally not advisable for adults to go over 102 degrees for more than two full days at a time, but briefly spiking fevers of a slightly higher range are generally considered acceptable by many natural method healers who are familiar with overheating therapies. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Fevers in the body are important. They happen for a reason. </span><span style="font-size: large;">T</span><span style="font-size: large;">hey burn out pathogens and then throw them off through sweating. </span><span style="font-size: large;">They also deactivate virus replication. Lots of liquids need to be taken to stay hydrated, and the skin needs to be kept clean to avoid having toxins being partially reabsorbed by the body. Sometimes a persistent high fever can be a sign of a more serious problem, but typically </span><span style="font-size: large;">a fever, with a cold or flu, will help someone get better faster.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I do my overheating bath differently from the more measured and safer method that Linda Page, N.D., Ph.D. describes in her ninth edition of <a href="https://www.abebooks.com/9780912331218/Healthy-healing-alternative-reference-Rector-Page-0912331216/plp" target="_blank"><u>Healthy Healing</u></a>. She suggests not eating for several hours beforehand, emptying the bladder and colon before beginning, </span><span style="font-size: large;">having a nice big tub and </span><span style="font-size: large;">using two thermometers constantly, one for the bath water and one for the body temperature, both in use, for the entire duration of the treatment. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">For her version of the bath, the patient should be completely submerged, with only the eyes, nose and mouth above water. She suggests starting the bath water at skin temperature, then raising the temperature of the water to 100 degrees fifteen minutes later, and then up to 103 degrees fifteen minutes after that, holding it at 103 degrees for a final fifteen minutes. Since the person is completely covered, no body heat can escape and the body temperature will rise to match the water temperature. The bath takes about an hour and constant supervision is required. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">She also suggests an alternative way to use overheating therapy which is a sauna. The heat of a sauna will also inhibit the replication of pathogens, speed up metabolism and stimulate all of the glands and vital organs into increased activity. This supports the immune system and accelerates healing functions. Detoxification then occurs through the sweating process. The sauna can then be finished with a cool shower and a rubdown to eliminate the toxins that have been removed from the body via the skin.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">She notes that though induced fevers can be natural and effective healing modalities, advice and supervision from expert practitioners is advised. She also notes that general vitality and heart health check-ups are also advisable and that it is necessary to determine in advance that the patient has the ability to perspire, which sometimes is absent in folks who are seriously ill.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The overheating bath that Linda Page gives is a great and quite safe technique. But I go about mine a little more simply. I know my body pretty well and feel comfortable doing my overheating bath this way. And I am certainly not suggesting this method for anyone else. But basically what I do, for me, is this, I get the tub really hot and I jump in </span><span style="font-size: large;">and I stay there. </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">More specifically, before I begin, I plug the overflow valve of the tub with duct tape so I can fill it right up to the top, nice and deep. I set at least four clean towels on the floor, a quart of liquid to drink while in the tub, my two thermometers, a box of tissues and an empty quart sized plastic cup, all in close reach. Then I put at least one cup of various mineral salts (see my previous blog for details,) in the tub and fill it right up. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I generally empty the hot water heater into the tub with the water at or slightly higher than 115 degrees. I plop myself in there and start to cook with one thermometer in my mouth, shaking it down periodically and retaking readings to keep track of my body temperature. I also use a quick reacting candy thermometer to keep track of the water temperature. If the bath gets too cold, below 112 degrees, Frank carefully pours in more hot. Periodically using an oximeter, (the little finger gizmo that most doctors have for reading blood oxygen levels,) I keep track of my pulse. Mine usually stays around 90 but may rise up to 105 when I'm really cooking with my body temperature at or above 103 degrees. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Once the fifteen minutes at or a little above 103 degrees has been accomplished, I start adding in a little cold water to cool the bath gradually. I usually soak for a good long time at these lower bath water temperatures anywhere from 105 degrees, (the average hot tub temp,) to 110 degrees. After drinking all of my liquids and having a good long soak and sweat, to finish off the bath, I cool it a little more and linger a little longer. Then I drain the tub and using the quart sized plastic cup, I rinse the mineral salts off my skin. Then I carefully climb out of the tub, using all four, arms and legs.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Once I do get out, I'll often lay on and cover up with the towels on the floor to recover for a while before getting up and walking into the bedroom, where I have the heater on and piles of blankets on the bed. I also tuck a few beach towels in between the sheets to absorb some of the sweat and I have more, at the ready, in case I want to change them in the night. Then, using my skin as the amazing eliminative organ that it is, I sweat all of those dead viruses and other toxins out of me all night long.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I did this overheating therapy three days in a row. The first bath, the one before I realized it was COVID, starting with a low grade fever was the challenging one. The second one, when my natural healing body fever had kicked in and let me start the process already at 102 degrees, was a snap. Easy. For the third, my fever had dropped down to 99 degrees again, and it was easy too. This morning, the third day, when most COVID cases start to really ramp up, and just two days after I tested positive for COVID, I have now tested negative and guess what? I feel fine. Absolutely fine. No fever. No brain fog. No loss of taste or smell. No decline in memory or cognitive faculties. No cough. No shortness of breath. Isn't that amazing!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I'm still going to self isolate, with Frank, and take care of my self. My house is full of the virus and I wouldn't want to relapse. So, I'll stay inside, keep warm, take the recommended COVID supplements: Vitamin C, Vitamin D3, Zinc, Usena barbato extract, Bee Propolis, Goldenseal root, and Echinacea root extract. And I'll test again in a few more days and over the next two weeks. But I'm so happy to say, I went from a positive COVID test, with all of the initial symptomatology, to a negative test result in just two days. And I credit that to an age old natural healing remedy, the overheating bath. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Wishing all, good health and a very happy spring.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Update: It has been nearly two weeks now and I still feel absolutely fine. I did a third COVID test and remained negative. For the first week, I was very gentle with myself and didn't push myself physically. Now, nearing the end of the second week, I'm back to my full vigor and enjoying life immensely. Though there can occasionally be a false positive COVID test result, it is very rare. And, I feel that my positive test was accurate and that I did contract the virus. I experienced the typical initial symptomatology: the headache, the sore throat</span><span style="font-size: large;">, the fatigue</span><span style="font-size: large;">, the minor fever and chills. And now, all of those symptoms are long gone. And, I feel so very blessed.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><i>As a Clairvoyant Healer, Spiritual Counselor and Intuition Instructor, I share many tips for leading a healthy and fulfilling life. Please be advised that I am not a doctor. Nor am I licensed in any healing modality. However, I have had years of experience in alternative and complementary health and healing. All healing programs, including standard western medical protocols in addition to natural therapies, can cause harm rather than the benefit that you may be searching for. After all some people can have a strong reaction to something as seemingly innocent as peanuts or strawberries. Therefore, anything that I may recommend in these blogs and videos could be dangerous for you to try. So, it is important that you Ask Your Doctor First before trying any natural healing protocol. However, most medical doctors have little experience regarding natural healing programs and herbal medicine. So please understand if your doctor is unfamiliar with these ideas.</i></span><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>Josephine Laing's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16288191036600708973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812630801164431575.post-88736037829913082302023-03-25T15:36:00.003-07:002023-03-25T18:37:38.139-07:00Exposed and the Overheating Bath<p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC3dfqFBTBByRuQxNpu3gAXRjWjONNV9Fq5N-RuxJmZj1wtz3w_USmZ4wKqxqmufdA6L1s-I8RFtL10DN0fYTQ2OjQrZtWLGIGPBBp3T6y0kYt2RShGStXR7jo_IbxBiYyCr50pvgiIg2oxSnO2LOqpMJU7S-mYnVVUgoCSQtmOotALWW_GBmmDDgecQ/s2589/Natural%20Creek%20Side%20Hot%20Springs%20Bath.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2063" data-original-width="2589" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC3dfqFBTBByRuQxNpu3gAXRjWjONNV9Fq5N-RuxJmZj1wtz3w_USmZ4wKqxqmufdA6L1s-I8RFtL10DN0fYTQ2OjQrZtWLGIGPBBp3T6y0kYt2RShGStXR7jo_IbxBiYyCr50pvgiIg2oxSnO2LOqpMJU7S-mYnVVUgoCSQtmOotALWW_GBmmDDgecQ/s320/Natural%20Creek%20Side%20Hot%20Springs%20Bath.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We've been having friends come and visit on our back patio over these last few COVID risky years. Sitting in the sunshine, with the table between us, giving us all a good six to eight feet distance and only a few guests at a time feels pretty safe and is a nice way to connect in person. This may seem overly cautious to some, but since many of us now know a few COVID "long haulers," or even some who have died, or who have come close to death, I certainly don't want to take any chances. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><i>The New York Times</i> printed an article last month (February, 2023) titled, <i>"The Pandemic is Not Over for Older Americans."</i> (Because dis-information is so prevalent these days, it's good to consider reputable news sources with a history of journalistic integrity and accurate reporting when sharing information of this nature.) <i>The New York Times</i> reported that there were 11,500 COVID related deaths for the month of January, 2023 alone. Roughly 50% of the people who died were vaccinated, and 50% were not vaccinated. The number of deaths rose proportionately with each decade of age, being over 65, over 75 or over 85 years old. And, only 10% of the 11,500 people who died in January were under the age of 65. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">To put this in perspective, during all of the years of the Vietnam War, we lost almost 60,000 United States combatants. Though I was barely in my teens at the time of the active protests against the war, I remember how intensely our population rose up to try and prevent our young men from going off to Southeast Asia. And now, with this country's January COVID deaths, we've had over one sixth of all of those Vietnam years of total "casualties," in just one month's time. Yikes! So, yes, I agree, for older Americans the pandemic is not over. And some of the all too common lingering symptoms like brain fog and fatigue are quite terrible so, I like to be cautious.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Though I am cautious, we all make mistakes, often without even realizing it until we look back with the hindsight view. Last week, one of our dearest friends was fresh in town, just off of two airplanes. It was his birthday and I wanted to make him a pie. So, we invited him to the patio the day after his arrival, (my first oversight being immediately after his multiple public airport and plane exposures,) and served him an all fruit, no sugar home baked pie, (my second oversight because we do sometimes get a little close, with masks off, while serving and eating,) and then we wound up standing and talking, also a bit too close without our masks on, as the clouds floated in front of the sun, (my third and forth oversight.)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The next day, he came down with flu symptoms, achy joints, headache, coughing and he called that night to tell us. The following day, he tested positive for COVID. The next day he couldn't lift his head from his pillow and was experiencing rapid cognitive decline. His family lives here and fortunately they were able to safely take care of him. The next day, the forth day after we were with him, he started on the new Rx Paxlovid, within the five days suggested to stop the viral damage before it becomes too severe. We are dropping off some lovely homemade chicken soup for him today.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In the meanwhile, having been exposed and in the susceptible age groups, Frank and I have put ourselves in 'home isolation' and have jumped on precautionary and hopefully preventative actions. (Please see my YouTube channel for <i>"My COVID-19 Prevention Routine."</i>) First and always, as we already know, after being in public: soap and water. Washing hands, clothing, dishes, kitchen counters, a nice shower and shampoo does wonders. Second, supplements: Vitamin C, Zinc, Vitamin D, Andrographis, Monolaurin, Usnea, and Propolis are all good friends of mine. Third: I like to use either a simple salt water solution snorted up my nose or Xlear nasal spray: both the salt or the xylitol, when delivered to the sinuses helps to break through the biofilm, which is a protective barrier that infectious materials form around themselves to keep our immune response at bay. Breaking through this barrier gives our immune system access to, and a better chance at overcoming the invaders. Forth: holding a positive outlook and sleeping well. Getting afraid, catching a chill or lack of sleep can dip our immunity. So, it's good to avoid those stressors and hold positive thoughts, dress warm and tuck in a little earlier.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">These are all great strategies to use on a regular basis, especially during the cold and flu season. But, when I really want to stop something in its tracks, I turn to the overheating bath.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I first tried an overheating bath in the 1990's when my dad had a quadruple bi-pass surgery and I flew home to take care of him. On the plane I caught something nasty and woke the next morning with that 'uh-oh feeling.' I had recently read about this technique in Linda Page's excellent book <u>Healthy Healing</u>, the 9th edition. We know that overheating therapies have been used since the time of the ancient Greek physicians and are still used by natural healers in clinics world round. Many cultures of the world value the healing properties of heat and utilize: dry saunas, wet saunas, natural hot springs, sweat lodges, etc. Since none of these are immediately available to me and I have a bathtub, I like using the overheating bath and I have found that I can gain some of the same healing effects right here in the comfort of my own home.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In her book, Linda Page, N.D., Ph.D., explains that virus replication is considerably reduced with even slight increases in body temperature and has long been successfully used against acute infectious diseases. At the time when she wrote her ninth edition, the AIDS epidemic was raging. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Linda cited reports where</span><span style="font-size: large;"> overheating procedures were found to be effective in reducing symptoms of AIDS and even in eliminating the virus from the blood. Without any effective medications available at that time and with overheating therapies being so effective, she felt that hyperthermia might again become recognized for the wonderful healing tool that it is.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As for myself, back then, not wanting to risk infecting my still hospitalized and vulnerable father, I enlisted the help of my sister-in-love and gave the bath a try. It worked. The hot water treatment raised my body temperature to 103 degrees, for fifteen minutes. That night I sweated it all out and woke the next day feeling great and ready to see and start taking care of my dad.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">An overheating bath is a pretty tricky procedure and I always enlist the aid of an able bodied assistant before hand, just in case I have need, because I have found that it can leave me feeling weak as a kitten. And it is important to realize that overheating baths may be counter indicated or dangerous for people with various pre-existing conditions. So, do some research in advance, (Linda gives a full how-to description in her 9th edition on pages 38, 50 and 51) and talk it over with your healing team before giving this a try.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I'm glad to say that it really works for me. And I do a variation that simplifies it. I start with two thermometers, a candy thermometer to register the bath water temperature and a standard glass and mercury mouth thermometer to keep track of my body temperature. I have a nice deep tub and I block the overflow outlet, so I can fill it all the way to the top. Again, do your own due diligence here before attempting this procedure. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">For my body, I can tolerate a high bath water temperature, and I put in Epsom salts and other minerals like dead sea salts and magnesium chloride flakes to aid in the detoxification and remineralization of my body. As I spend time in the tub, my body temperature rises. My assistant and I keep track of both. Again, caution should be used with anyone either young or old and as Linda advises, the pulse should never rise above 130. Additionally, if someone is ill, constant supervision is absolutely necessary. I use this as </span><span style="font-size: large;">more of an early stage or morning after
kind of a prevention treatment rather than a cure, because someone who is
already sick with a virus might be too weak to tolerate the heat very well. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">During the bath, I usually keep a quart of herbal tea to hand, so as to prevent dehydration from sweating while the bath salts pull out toxins. I usually take a shot or two of Dr. Schulze's Cold 'n Flu formula (https://www.herbdoc.com/cf-herbal-shot#KCFS) as well, to boost my immunity as the heat races my blood and the herbs all around inside of me.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Once I've held my internal body temperature up nice and high, preferably at 102 or better yet, 103 degrees for fifteen minutes or so, I start cooling things down by letting out a little hot water and adding in some cold water. And, as I mentioned, high fevers can leave one feeling weak, so this is where an assistant is essential to help keep track of and monitor the situation. </span><span style="font-size: large;">(Healing clinics with spas and saunas have attendants for good reasons.) As the bath water gradually cools over time, my body temperature returns back to normal, and I rinse the bath salt residue off my skin. Then I slowly and carefully make my way to my bed to sweat out the reminder of any toxins, perhaps with a few beach towels between the sheets, and I sleep it off. I keep a quart or two of water bedside to rehydrate with if I wake during the night and in the morning. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It has been five days now, since my nice hot bath, and I'm not expressing any symptoms. So far, so good, with my recent exposure. I'm still going to keep myself in isolation for the full two weeks, just in case. As we know, this virus is not just an ordinary flu. It can be really dangerous and I wouldn't want to take the chance of being a vector. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Bless you all. Be careful and stay well.</span></p><p> </p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><i>As
a Clairvoyant Healer, Spiritual Counselor and Intuition Instructor, I
share many tips for leading a healthy and fulfilling life. Please be
advised that I am not a doctor. Nor am I licensed in any healing
modality. However, I have had years of experience in alternative and
complementary health and healing. All healing programs, including
standard western medical protocols in addition to natural therapies, can
cause harm rather than the benefit that you may be searching for. After
all some people can have a strong reaction to something as seemingly
innocent as peanuts or strawberries. Therefore, anything that I may
recommend in these blogs and videos could be dangerous for you to try.
So, it is important that you Ask Your Doctor First before trying any
natural healing protocol. However, most medical doctors have little
experience regarding natural healing programs and herbal medicine. So
please understand if your doctor is unfamiliar with these ideas.</i></span> <br /></p>Josephine Laing's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16288191036600708973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812630801164431575.post-72084236069473242862023-02-19T14:27:00.016-08:002023-03-22T15:16:42.676-07:00Fantastic Water Fasting<p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEippvaGNQTGh3qWbDlicvmjxouQMvGY4RVVlH8Vy2m5F-PZKKHq76phwHyMdaT6puk06fRbBxVaox0xMTssTFeUCNyGbE-eSDafBKH_PUzyc1AuUVslFkqF5yyjW1Og8MDIFrUsNDZ3wrj5mBJlnScgrOmg6Ycx25qtAPdVye3BXJGAJOfL7TVg5JGrtQ/s2048/Blog%20200.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEippvaGNQTGh3qWbDlicvmjxouQMvGY4RVVlH8Vy2m5F-PZKKHq76phwHyMdaT6puk06fRbBxVaox0xMTssTFeUCNyGbE-eSDafBKH_PUzyc1AuUVslFkqF5yyjW1Og8MDIFrUsNDZ3wrj5mBJlnScgrOmg6Ycx25qtAPdVye3BXJGAJOfL7TVg5JGrtQ/s320/Blog%20200.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">My mother used to say, "Starve a cold, feed a fever." But I like to say, "Starve Everything!" Whenever I am feeling punky or out of sorts, I find that the quickest way for me to turn a situation around is water fasting. I've had friends ask, "Wait a minute, Josephine, do you mean that you don't drink any water?!," because fasting usually means abstaining from something. But, no, on the contrary, it means drinking a ton of water and abstaining from all foods, ideally, not one single calorie. Instead, I try to get at least one gallon of water down a day. <br /><br />When it comes to healing and detoxifying my body, whenever I do cleanses, I prefer to use distilled water, as it can really pull the junk out. Unfortunately, my first distiller turned out to be all aluminum on the inside. Not wanting to risk alzheimer's in my later years, I quickly ditched that one and blessedly found an H2O Labs distiller instead, which is very well made. The water only touches either stainless steel or glass and it will give me a full gallon, or 128 ounces, in one night, drop by drop. I am always amazed by the stench and the scum that I find in the bottom of my water <a href="https://www.h2olabs.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQiArsefBhCbARIsAP98hXRSmKBpfi_yF3FxGlbugMbEtaXuCpCQmWBo_qd7n18Jk-x2GnQBtGMaAkBMEALw_wcB" target="_blank">distiller</a> when I go to clean it, with a little white vinegar, which I do in the mornings, after I have run it. <br /><br />Water quality is important. For our drinking water, years ago I found out that the 5 gallon plastic water bottles, that I had been putting on top of my ceramic water cooler in the kitchen, were made from a poor grade of plastic. The days are now long gone since those bottles used to be made of glass, and all <a href="https://purewaternorth.com/top-5-reasons-to-ditch-your-water-bottle-habit/" target="_blank">plastic </a>water bottles hold the potential for releasing toxins into our drinking water. Not wanting to risk potentially toxic exposures, we now have a charcoal based water filter to use for our drinking <a href="https://www.usaberkeyfilters.com/product-category/berkey-water-filter-systems/?gclid=Cj0KCQiArsefBhCbARIsAP98hXTZ8XiDnEPgxTuVDED63LuVresHB87YlBI9mzwchA9tK5Q-0Kbp-rEaAu6XEALw_wcB" target="_blank">water</a>, which we originally get from the kitchen sink. <br /><br />As Mary Oliver, the beautiful poet has said, one of the greatest crimes of her lifetime was losing the ability to drink water freely from the wild springs, streams and ponds she encountered while venturing forth into the natural world. And this is truly a crime, sadly world wide. But, at least, and thank goodness, in most of the western world, our water from the tap is potable, and safe enough to drink. Many people around the world do not have that blessing these days. And though I prefer distilled for my water fasts and cleanses, due to it's lovely clear flavorless taste and it's ability to pull toxins from my body, any pure or filtered water will do for a water fast.<br /><br />When we give our bodies a break from all of the hard work of digestion, they can put that energy into the task of healing. Water fasting also engages an activity know as autophagy or self-eating. That may sound a little scary, but actually it is a tremendous benefit because it is like an internal house cleaning. Children naturally have a high level of autophagy going on in their bodies because of the constant creation of new cells associated with growth. Our bodies have a deep wells of incredible wisdom and are always trying to find or maintain the balance of health and this includes getting rid of old cells and toxins. And when we do a water fast, that is exactly what can happen. <br /><br />The thing about water fasting is that it is extremely important how you break the fast. Of course, we already do a little fasting during the night, while we sleep, and in the morning we usually break-the-fast with breakfast, often the lightest meal of the day, typically something like toast and tea. But for a real water fast, say one or two or three days long, it is especially vital to be mindful about how you break the fast. It is also best to prepare for the fast in a similar way. So, if I am planning on doing a one day fast, I plan on three days: the pre-fast day, the fasting day and the post-fast day. If I am going for a three day fast, I try to plan on nine days: three pre-fast days, three fasting days and three post-fast days.<br /><br />In the days before a fast, I gradually move from solid and more dense foods toward liquids. I'll stop eating heavier foods like concentrated proteins, beans, nuts or eggs, and move to foods like soft cooked vegetables or fruits and then to liquids like blended soups, juices or smoothies. After the fast, I do the same, only in reverse. I start with a liquid diet, move to well cooked veggies or fruits and then later onto the proteins. The reason for this is that your digestive tract shuts down during fasting and it is best to awaken it slowly and gently. Otherwise, you can do more harm than good. No one wants to do their heaviest lifting without first warming up. Cars like to be idled for a little while before driving off.<br /><br />During my fasting days, as I mentioned, I drink a lot of water, at least 128 ounces a day to really help my body flush and clean itself out. Water is good for cleaning everything, and this is where distilled water is especially helpful as it is so empty and free of dissolved substances. This lets the fasting water pick up and carry out more toxic materials than regular water can. And, if ever I find myself feeling a little hungry or head-achy, I just drink more water and those feelings will quickly pass.<br /><br />Here is my typical routine. I have 16 ounces by my bedside that I may drink if I wake during the night and I have an additional 16 ounces that I get down before I start my day. That's 32. Then I might have a cup of herbal tea. I like Throat Coat by Traditional Medicinals. Another 8 ounces. Mid morning I do another 16 and may take a multi-vitamin or mineral supplement with that water, just so long as the supplement doesn't have any added calories. That's now 56 ounces. Around mid-day, I might enjoy a quart of water with two tablespoons of nice Bragg's Raw Apple Cider Vinegar and perhaps a drop or two of stevia extract or a little splash of vanilla or orange essence. That brings me up to 88 ounces, and I'm well on the way to 128. In the afternoon another cup or two of herbal tea, brings me now up to 104 ounces. And a nice 16 more ounces in the evening gets me up to 120, and that leaves just one more glass before bed to reach 128 ounces in the day's total. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Generally, if I decide to do a longer fast, say longer than 5-7 days, I add some calories to the additional days. Perhaps I'll include a clear vegetable potassium broth, (to see the recipe I use scroll to the bottom,) or lemon/lime water, (</span><span style="font-size: large;">after drinking, </span><span style="font-size: large;">always rinsing my mouth with clear water so as to preserve the enamel on my teeth,) and perhaps a half of an avocado, capping my daily caloric intake at around 200 calories total. Though autophagy best happens with zero calories, once activated, I personally feel that it continues with minimal calories. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In addition, I also stop the distilled water and switch to filtered water, for my longer water fasts, as distilled water can lower one's pH, thus inhibiting nutritional uptake, if used on a regular daily basis. And while fasting, distilled water can also result in a rapid loss of electrolytes, like sodium or potassium, and it can deplete our trace minerals as well. But it is great for a shorter termed fast or for any short term detoxification program because it so actively absorbs toxic substances from our bodies, helping to eliminate them. </span><span style="font-size: large;">And I do always use distilled water when I make my potassium broth, as it really pulls the minerals from those vegetables, making them available for me to absorb when I drink my broth.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br />As Peace Pilgrim, who was a big water faster, once said, "Water fasting makes one feel preternaturally clear." I couldn't agree more. When we fast, little cells in our brains, called appropriately "janitor cells," get active and gobble up all of the old, dead, or toxic materials that are lying around. They only do this when digestion is not taking place, typically at night. But while we water fast, they really get an opportunity to dust away all of the cobwebs and we wind up thinking much more clearly. After a water fast, I also notice that all of my joints move more easily, I have tons of energy and I feel much lighter, because I am lighter. <br /><br />We now know that almost all diseases, including cancers, are caused by or worsened by high levels of inflammation. Water fasting drops inflammation down quick as a flash. A water fast lasting just two to four days in length, also reactivates a tired immune system, generating new white blood cells by reactivating our stem cells. And the good news is, if I do a fine water fast for just three days, I may loose 3-5 pounds. And, if I do my post-fasting exactly according to plan, it says off, especially if I take care to not go crazy with the calories in the weeks that follow. This is just one more benefit to the beauty of water fasting, permanent weight loss. <br /><br />But, don't take my word for it. I recently discovered a gem of a little book, and a really quick read, titled, <u>Water Fasting</u>, by Kate McCarthy. Her subtitle is, How to Lose Weight Fast, Increase Mental Clarity, Heal Your Body and Activate Autophagy with Water Fasting. Her book is packed full of beautiful instruction and truly convincing studies showing just how effective water fasting can be for preventing, reversing or stopping potential disease conditions like: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, hormonal imbalances, obesity, blood sugar problems, cognitive decline and many other health concerns. And she answers all of the questions one might have. So, read Kate's <a href="https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=30832172118&searchurl=sortby%3D17%26tn%3DWater%2BFasting&cm_sp=snippet-_-srp1-_-title9" target="_blank">book</a>. It's great. <br /><br />I have periodically enjoyed water fasting, my whole life long. It has certainly helped me to get out of some tricky situations. And is often one of the first things I turn to when I find myself in trouble or have a little problem developing with my health. It is surprising to discover how easy water fasting can be, once you make your mind up to give it a try. It always really helps me to increase my level of health, and I'm sure it will be able to help you do so too. Enjoy.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Potassium Broth<br /><br />In one or two large stainless steel or glass cooking pots add:<br />the peelings of 5 potatoes,<br />the peelings of 5 carrots,<br />one whole head of celery, chopped into small chunks,<br />three whole beets, chopped into small chunks,<br />half a head of dino kale, loosely chopped,<br />half a bunch of parsley, loosely chopped,<br />two onions, peeled and chopped into small chunks,<br />five cloves of garlic, minced and aired for 5 minutes before adding,<br />all of the nice beet greens that came with the beets, loosely chopped,<br />one tablespoon of Celtic Sea Salt, which contains over 84 different minerals.<br /><br />Cover the ingredients with distilled water and cook for four hours.<br />Take the lids off of the pots for the last hour and turn the heat down to sim, to reduce the liquid a little. This concentrates the flavors and makes a lovely broth.<br />Strain and store in glass jars. This broth can be frozen, to use after your water fast.<br /><br />I put my cooked vegetables in a nut milk bag and first hang them to drain and then squeeze the veggies into a separate bowl, to get more broth before placing them in my compost. The squeezed veggies have more chance of bacterial involvement from my hands, so I keep that broth separate and consume it first. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><i>As
a Clairvoyant Healer, Spiritual Counselor and Intuition Instructor, I
share many tips for leading a healthy and fulfilling life. Please be
advised that I am not a doctor. Nor am I licensed in any healing
modality. However, I have had years of experience in alternative and
complementary health and healing. All healing programs, including
standard western medical protocols in addition to natural therapies, can
cause harm rather than the benefit that you may be searching for. After
all some people can have a strong reaction to something as seemingly
innocent as peanuts or strawberries. Therefore, anything that I may
recommend in these blogs and videos could be dangerous for you to try.
So, it is important that you Ask Your Doctor First before trying any
natural healing protocol. However, most medical doctors have little
experience regarding natural healing programs and herbal medicine. So
please understand if your doctor is unfamiliar with these ideas.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>Josephine Laing's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16288191036600708973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812630801164431575.post-40241202302614721742023-01-22T18:59:00.009-08:002023-03-22T15:16:17.403-07:00 Christine Kent - A Whole Woman (or, How to Heal Your Knees, Hips or Prolapse Naturally) <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV7CuyjlAdmkHmLo2d-ecOsxjNo30R4GabmU7NwxYMjoXpShc-sGAONVMAUaYyooD0byAv_eQtZS1oqIWKfrdwKOiw550MGCuErYsS1OxW7LjaySAzF3hY8x-jfQoFdC0l8xNk8kIjLczlmYcHdQLR1mcIJuEPV7T6y9N3y1XyU4UaMAwnaN7YHkUsIw/s3264/IMG_3300.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV7CuyjlAdmkHmLo2d-ecOsxjNo30R4GabmU7NwxYMjoXpShc-sGAONVMAUaYyooD0byAv_eQtZS1oqIWKfrdwKOiw550MGCuErYsS1OxW7LjaySAzF3hY8x-jfQoFdC0l8xNk8kIjLczlmYcHdQLR1mcIJuEPV7T6y9N3y1XyU4UaMAwnaN7YHkUsIw/s320/IMG_3300.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Some of us have to fight the dragon before we can bring home the gold.<span> </span> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In
the 'Hero's Journey,' so beautifully encapsulated by Joseph Campbell, the
hero, or in this case, the heroine, goes forth into the unknown. They
enter the forest in their own place and way. In Christine Kent's case,
this was a journey of prolapsed organs after a surgery for a minor
incontinence problem. The surgery and its subsequent prolapse left
Christine emotionally isolated from the image of a whole or intact woman
that she had previously known. In an attempt to heal she found herself
going against all of the conventional wisdom that the medical community
had to offer. This was the fighting of the dragon.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">When the
hero fights the dragon, he gets the pot of gold that the dragon was
guarding and can then bring it back to his community, for the benefit of
all. Our heroine, Christine, has done just that. She has not only
healed herself, but she has also brought to all of womankind the ability
to heal our hips and knees and pelvis of all sorts of disorders. All
of this is done with a few simple exercises to help us correct our
beautiful posture and maintain our true natural feminine carriage, gait
and grace. And it is blessedly done without the drugs and surgeries,
which are so invasive and yet are considered to be 'the gold standard of
care' common these days in the medical view.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Unfortunately, our Western cultural postural ideal is based on a misinformed view of how we should
stand and walk. We all know this "ideal." It involves tucking the
butt under and holding the belly in. I can't tell you how many times my
mother whispered this to me and then tapped or struck me lightly
between the shoulder blades to stick my chest out, with shoulders forced
back, in the military position. Sadly, this was all wrong, wrong,
wrong, for keeping a woman's body healthy and whole.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">When we
tuck our rear ends under, it does indeed minimize the look of our
butts. But it also tips our pelvis forward. As we do this our 'pubic
bone,' which is actually a cartilaginous arch between two joining bones,
moves to the front of the body instead of staying underneath our
abdomen where it belongs. Without this support, the female body is
vulnerable to having organs fall down and out, especially if a woman has
birthed children. As Christine explains, all of the Kegels and
tightening exercises to 'strengthen the pelvic floor,' are unnecessary
and even damaging to the natural alignment of the organs within the
female pelvis. The real support for these organs should come from the
pubic bone, acting like the straps under a saddle, naturally placed at
the bottom of the body. And this only happens when we tilt the bottom of the pelvis
back, which makes our butts stick out a little bit.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It is
harder to tilt the pelvis back when the stomach is pulled in. "Pull in
your stomach!" As well intentioned as our mothers were with these
words, they set us up for all sorts of pelvis and breathing disorders.
When our stomachs are pulled in we can not naturally relax and receive
our in-breath. The belly has to be loose and dropped down in order to
breath properly.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">For Christine's Whole Woman posture, this is the
start. Let the pelvis tilt naturally back and relax and drop the
belly. Then, as well, we don't want to collapse the ribs with a forward
slouch, we want to lift the ribs and at the same time tuck the chin. A
chin-jut, which happens when we stick our chin out forward, crimps our necks in the back and pinches our cervical spine.
It also realigns the way we look at the world through our eyes.
Instead, when we lower our chin, our eye lids naturally open, allowing
us to see more easily as well.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Many cultures, far older than
our Western one, often embrace the posterior alignment of the rear end.
It is part of the natural feminine grace and strength. A woman's natural posture involves: </span><span style="font-size: large;">keeping the feet pointing forward while walking, </span><span style="font-size: large;">tilting the pelvis back and dropping the belly softly forward to allow easeful abdominal breathing, lifting the
chest and tucking the chin by letting the back of the neck be long and
lifting the crown of the head from behind. When we do this, it opens our eyes as we
look forward and creates a beautiful feminine form.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But don't
take my word for it. Go directly to the source and see for yourself the
vast array of support and information available to you at Christine's
website, <a href="http://wholewoman.com">wholewoman.com</a>. Whether you have problems with your hips,
knees or pelvis or are lucky enough to already have comfort and ease in your body, you will find a
true wealth of information there. I hope that you enjoy it as much as I
have.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Blessings to you all and may you have a Healthy and Beautiful New Year. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><i>As
a Clairvoyant Healer, Spiritual Counselor and Intuition Instructor, I
share many tips for leading a healthy and fulfilling life. Please be
advised that I am not a doctor. Nor am I licensed in any healing
modality. However, I have had years of experience in alternative and
complementary health and healing. All healing programs, including
standard western medical protocols in addition to natural therapies, can
cause harm rather than the benefit that you may be searching for. After
all some people can have a strong reaction to something as seemingly
innocent as peanuts or strawberries. Therefore, anything that I may
recommend in these blogs and videos could be dangerous for you to try.
So, it is important that you Ask Your Doctor First before trying any
natural healing protocol. However, most medical doctors have little
experience regarding natural healing programs and herbal medicine. So
please understand if your doctor is unfamiliar with these ideas.</i></span><span style="font-size: large;"> <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><br /></p>Josephine Laing's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16288191036600708973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812630801164431575.post-90357287822697405702022-12-29T15:54:00.010-08:002023-03-22T15:15:59.613-07:00Nutritional Genomics or How What You Eat Affects Your Genes<p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQT2aiomGkurjpX2vd9Nvis-s8TQhxbRSqsS4oDjqc2aRCtSbA-1HkYZsoKQcrpTf0LVgTSpGpzdv1TBwgRDBvzU0yh9ITtvkaSZbJFkWf2k8Zq5soyhNQreuhkKobgJsrE90rH3A8kpu8eRcl6j7GRcEvkMSewONOUPVyOeR7aL9HR7iqgGt8wie4Q/s1774/IMG_3363.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1325" data-original-width="1774" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQT2aiomGkurjpX2vd9Nvis-s8TQhxbRSqsS4oDjqc2aRCtSbA-1HkYZsoKQcrpTf0LVgTSpGpzdv1TBwgRDBvzU0yh9ITtvkaSZbJFkWf2k8Zq5soyhNQreuhkKobgJsrE90rH3A8kpu8eRcl6j7GRcEvkMSewONOUPVyOeR7aL9HR7iqgGt8wie4Q/s320/IMG_3363.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">When I'm working as a Clairvoyant Healer, I've often wondered why I can look at one person and see that their main underlying problem is coffee and yet when I look at someone else, who is drinking coffee all day long, it is not a problem at all. It turns out that there is a gene CYP1A2, that does not express itself well for some people who have that gene and drink coffee.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Bruce Lipton, <a href="https://www.brucelipton.com/product/the-biology-of-belief/" target="_blank">author</a> of <u>The Biology of Belief</u>, uses a good analogy to describe this phenomenon. He says that how our genes are expressed is like someone wearing a long sleeve shirt. When the shirt sleeve is long, we are expressing those genes in the normal way. But in the presence of certain conditions like stress, or negative self talk, or a particular pharmaceutical medication, or various foods, then it is like rolling up the shirt sleeve of that genetic code and a whole different expression of those same genes are revealed. In people who have the CYP1A2 gene, it is the coffee that rolls up the sleeve.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">When it comes to nutrition, the field of genomic research is still relatively in its infancy, but it certainly holds vast promise for helping us to understand why some of us react one way to a certain food while others react another way. Donna Gates, who wrote the <a href="https://bodyecology.com/about-donna-gates-m-ed-abaahp-bestselling-author-gut-health-expert/" target="_blank">book</a> <u>The Body Ecology Diet</u>, now in its eleventh year of publication with Hay House, is passionate about the study of nutrition and how the foods we consume relate to our individual genes. She is the one who coined the term "inner ecosystem" to describe the vast array of non-human organisms that preside over digestion in our gut tracts. We need this network of microbes, now called "the microbiome," in order to digest our food. And the foods we eat feed not only us, but also these organisms, which are comprised of a variety of bacteria, viruses, funguses, yeasts and more. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">If we eat a diet of primarily white flour, coffee, alcohol, meats and lots of sugar, we promote populations of little critters in our gut tract that thrive on those foods. If we eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, we promote the growth of a very different microbiome. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Many of us now realize that one of the biggest problems associated with poor digestion in our culture stems from the overuse of antibiotics, especially in childhood. The current medical trend for occasional or rare use of antibiotics is helping to correct this, and fortunately does not cause the same devastation to our microbiome and the "good bacteria," as the regular use of those drugs did in previous decades. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">However, after WWII, it was discovered that the use of antibiotics in animal feed either significantly increased weight gain and/or prevented disease in farm animals. </span><span style="font-size: large;"> The practice of including antibiotics in animal feed in the animal husbandry industries, continues to this day and has had a very serious lasting effect on many a digestive tract in our American human population. So, if you are eating non-organic animal products you are adversely affecting your microbiome with low level doses of antibiotics with quite probably every one of those meals.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Most of us have heard the term 'probiotics' by now. These are the 'pro' meaning positive, and 'biotics' meaning relating to or resulting from living things, like gut flora. But not that many people are familiar with the term 'prebiotics.' 'Pre,' meaning that which comes before or creates, and biotics, which is basically life. Prebiotics are fiber rich foods, like fruits and vegetables, that create the conditions that are favorable to the intestinal flora or 'friendly bacteria.' These foods are what we need for good digestion. Prebiotics feed the microbes so that they can first break down our foods so that we can absorb the nutritional components. Prebiotics in the form of raw fruits and vegetables are best for breaking down into materials that promote good probiotics in our gut tracts.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Fermented raw foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, or live culture nut and other milk yogurts, (with an especially favorable nod to organic raw goat milk kefir,) are particularly good at feeding and rebalancing the microbiome. These foods have been used for centuries among human populations to restore healthy gut flora or to assist digestion when it tends to decline in advanced age. As my husband who makes a spectacular kimchi sometimes says, "There is a reason for why people eat these things."<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile, pasteurized, cooked or canned sauerkrauts, kombuchas, yogurts, et all will have very little to no positive effect on repopulating a microbiome as their cultures have been killed primarily through heating, but also through other food processing methods. So, "Rah, Rah, Raw!" for raw fermented foods.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Now, back to nutritional genomics. Genes are in every cell of our bodies. They are located in the mitochondria of the cell, which holds the DNA. The DNA, as you probably recall from biology class in school, is a pair of twisted strands, looking something like a spiralized ladder. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Our </span><span style="font-size: large;">genes are located on these two strands and they</span><span style="font-size: large;"> contain all of our genetic material.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Each and every cell in our body has genes </span><span style="font-size: large;">and every cell needs food. </span><span style="font-size: large;">That food comes from our digestion. The food is delivered to the cell by our blood. The nutrition in the blood that feeds the cell also feeds our DNA. If our DNA is fed bad food, we then get the bad expressions of the genes, also known as disease. The shirt sleeve gets rolled up. It's that simple. That's why junk food is bad for you. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Our </span><span style="font-size: large;">individual genetic code</span><span style="font-size: large;"> explains why some foods are good for some people while those same foods may be bad for other people. Knowing one's </span><span style="font-size: large;">personal set of DNA</span><span style="font-size: large;"> answers the question of why some of us do poorly with too many carbohydrates while others do really well with non-refined carbohydrates and actually need them for good quality sleep, and good mental and physical health. Our genes can explain why some foods serve us and some foods don't.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">None of our genes, not a single one, is positively expressed in the presence of sugar. I'm not talking about the sugar from fruit here, which is a natural and very healthful food, loaded with bioflavonoids or other wonderfully nutritive elements like enzymes, vitamins and minerals. But the processed, stripped bare, plain old sugar that comes in a box or a bag, does not feed your good genetic expression. It feeds the bad ones.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Genes are labeled using a series of numbers and letters. The MTHR677 gene is very common in Italian and Hispanic populations. When people with this gene eat the good 'Mediterranean Diet' with plenty of vegetables and fresh olive oil, they have good energy, less cardiovascular disease, increased fertility and lots of happy smiling faces. People with the "slow" version of the CYP1A2 gene don't do well with caffeine and will feel jittery and nervous when they drink coffee or eat chocolate. Children with autism will always have an MTHFR gene mutation and will be unable to methylate or detoxify their bodies adequately. For individuals with this gene a clean healthy diet, free from junk foods, is especially important since it is harder for their livers to detoxify their bodies.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">There are companies that can analyze your genetic code from saliva and many people are doing this now. But there are only limited ways to figure out what all those letters and numbers mean. I'm guessing that it is a bit like getting a printed off and analyzed astrology chart, somewhat helpful, but not terribly clear. Hopefully more diet and nutrition majors in food science studies will enter this very promising field because coaches are not yet all that readily available. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Also, it is worth mentioning that some of the bigger corporations have been found snatching up
personal genetic information, presumably for advertising opportunities.
I understand that this was the case with a major online retailer. They were purchasing
personal data from the genetic code company called "23andMe," who was
offering genetic testing comparatively inexpensively until the FDA
issued them a warning, which shut down their marketing for a while, opening the door
for dialogue on standards. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">If you do choose to get your genes analyzed, see if you can find a good nutritional gene coach. They can help with bringing balance and suggest supplements to support various situations, but the main tool for creating balance and stability is always diet. Donna Gate's <a href="https://shop.bodyecology.com/products/the-body-ecology-diet" target="_blank">book</a>, which I mentioned earlier, <u>The Body Ecology Diet</u>, will get you there, pretty much no matter what your genetic code may be, because diet is always at the root of our good or bad health. And her number one tool is first clearing the chalk board by cutting out the common offenders and stopping eating whatever is causing the trouble and then rebuilding the microbiome with raw fermented vegetables. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So, check out my husband's wonderful kimchi <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6R2u5NApoQ&list=UUxL6pZU81PTOrn8sf2LZ3Yw&index=1" target="_blank">video</a> and start off your New Year with a fresh clean slate of healthy prebiotics and a great diet element for creating beautiful lasting health.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"><i>As
a Clairvoyant Healer, Spiritual Counselor and Intuition Instructor, I
share many tips for leading a healthy and fulfilling life. Please be
advised that I am not a doctor. Nor am I licensed in any healing
modality. However, I have had years of experience in alternative and
complementary health and healing. All healing programs, including
standard western medical protocols in addition to natural therapies, can
cause harm rather than the benefit that you may be searching for. After
all some people can have a strong reaction to something as seemingly
innocent as peanuts or strawberries. Therefore, anything that I may
recommend in these blogs and videos could be dangerous for you to try.
So, it is important that you Ask Your Doctor First before trying any
natural healing protocol. However, most medical doctors have little
experience regarding natural healing programs and herbal medicine. So
please understand if your doctor is unfamiliar with these ideas.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /></p>Josephine Laing's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16288191036600708973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812630801164431575.post-80724970806080022882022-11-22T19:37:00.007-08:002022-12-02T13:29:59.685-08:00I'm So Grateful for Homeopathic Medicine<p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR6lABz_BbAk62lAdijmYCXlE9LfdQ21gVF0HRplHkA_b0tk68QUIfnzxTs8EtViDnHYCpPUaHSya5kls0kIw7Sswk9r4x6PhUs_iLpBqwr0R_rgqPoC2AMb8emMMSzBrERavhvJZkYUEkZtfK0DR5kM514vO5XHGS2KArN_0G7RXoTrNs4Ewc5QQcxQ/s2667/IMG_3714.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1729" data-original-width="2667" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR6lABz_BbAk62lAdijmYCXlE9LfdQ21gVF0HRplHkA_b0tk68QUIfnzxTs8EtViDnHYCpPUaHSya5kls0kIw7Sswk9r4x6PhUs_iLpBqwr0R_rgqPoC2AMb8emMMSzBrERavhvJZkYUEkZtfK0DR5kM514vO5XHGS2KArN_0G7RXoTrNs4Ewc5QQcxQ/s320/IMG_3714.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Decades ago one of my main mentors, Charles Otto, D.C., introduced me to homeopathic medicine. And I'm so grateful. This extremely effective and subtle healing therapy works in part on the principle of 'like treats like,' somewhat like vaccinations. This is known as 'The Law of Similars,' where something that triggers a disease can also be used to treat that condition. With homeopathy, the substance is used in minute concentrations, where it is almost a mere whisper of its former self, and the more dilute the preparation the stronger it is. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Homeopathic medicine was first created by Samuel Hahnemann, a German Doctor in the late 18th century. It found widespread use throughout Europe and North America. Though still embraced in Europe, its use was diminished significantly in America, in the 1950's, when the pharmaceutical and related industries began stacking the Boards of Directors of all of our medical universities with men who would promote their approach to healing using drugs and surgery to the exclusion of all other types of healing modalities. The end result of this planned monopoly was that hundreds of natural healing clinics fell out of popularity and closed their doors in the decades that followed. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Fortunately, two natural healing colleges have remained, Bastyr University in Washington State and until very recently Florida College of Natural Health. (Sadly, as of 2020, FCNH no longer exists.) Students of natural healing, known as Naturopaths or Naturopathic Doctors, can practice in many states in America, though a number of states require additional licensing or certification. Similar to how a plant that has been sprayed with poison may die in one area, blessedly what works well for nature will continue to survive and pop up in another area. So, we do still have access to Naturopaths, which include herbal doctors and homeopaths, who can help us with our healing journeys using tools other than the too often dreaded standard western medical approach of drugs and surgery, sometimes referred to as allopathic medicine. Naturopaths are often preferred as they can offer more gentle, less invasive options which are still very effective.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Most healthy food stores across the western world do offer herbs and supplements along with homeopathic medicines. These persist due to their efficacy even though they are not supported by our insurance industries and are paid for out-of-pocket. Consumers spend billions of dollars annually on these products. This alone stands as a testament to their usefulness. My own personal apothecary is full of natural healing products. I have supplements to address many vitamin and mineral needs. I have herbs to provide broad spectrum healing, many of which I grow and harvest myself. And I inherited a Standard Homeopathic kit from Dr Otto after he passed. Many different homeopathic medicine kits are available for purchase like the HomeoFamily Kit by <a href="https://www.boironusa.com/product/homeofamily-kit/" target="_blank">Boiron</a>. But I love my old one, with the good doctor's hand written notes alongside the map of remedies inside the top. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Homeopathic medicines come in the form of tiny little tablets or balls that have been
infused with the energy of the plants or other substances from which
they were derived. And as I mentioned, the more dilute they are, the
more powerful they are. So a homeopathic medicine that has been
diluted two hundred times, 200x, is more potent than one that has only
been diluted six times, 6x. A 6x formulation can be used many times a
day, for instance, one might prefer to take a 6x dose of Hypericum perforatum along with 6x Arnica montana every half hour, or as needed, to speed the healing and ease the pain of a burn. Whereas, a 200x formulation
of something like Ignatia amara might just do the trick, with a one time dose, for easing the sighing disappointments of a teenager.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> Some of my favorite remedies are as follows. I frequently use Arnica montana for injuries like bruises and scrapes, Hypericum perforatum for nerve troubles like aches and pains, or Belladona, also for pain. Whenever I get something in my eye or a little sliver or a splinter or have a run-in with some fiberglass, I turn to Silica, sometimes labeled Silicea, to help bring relief. Apis mellifica eases the sting of insect bites or punctures, the ones that like cold compresses. Ledum palustre also helps with puncture wounds, the type that likes hot compresses. Ledum is good for dog bites, impalements and vaccinosis. Symphytum (comfrey) helps with fractures and torn tissues. I have used Ignatia amara for grief and the negative thoughts that can sometimes accompany that situation, along with Aconitum napellus for the shock of bad news. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">My basic homeopathic kit holds several dozen remedies along with descriptions of their common uses or indications, but </span><span style="font-size: large;">there are hundreds of homeopathic medicines, all with wonderful uses and I only have a working knowledge of a very few. Often homeopathic remedies can be quite specific,</span><span style="font-size: large;"> depending on the individual and how the symptoms are uniquely presenting themselves, so, it is, of course, best to consult with an experienced homeopath or naturopath to really dial in an appropriate cure. However, if you need a little shortcut, the Boiron company has a homeopathic medicine finder on their website, <a href="https://www.boironusa.com/mf/">https://www.boironusa.com/mf/</a>. They also have a hot-line that you can call at 1 (800) 264-7661 where their knowledgeable staff can help you to make a selection. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Dr. Otto taught me, years ago, that homeopathic medicines should always be taken away from food, either a half an hour before eating or an hour afterward. They do not like to be taken while someone is using essential oils, or drinking strong beverages, like coffee or black tea. These are subtle medicines and they can be influenced by other materials, so they do not like to be stored near any electronic devices. They prefer to be stored in a cool dark place, (as is also the case for most herbs and supplements.) When taking homeopathic medicine, one should </span><span style="font-size: large;">place a single little pellet under the tongue and let it dissolve there, </span><span style="font-size: large;">taking care not to touch the fingers, lips or mouth to the inside of the container</span><span style="font-size: large;">. If they are handled carefully, none of these subtle medicines will ever expire.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Interestingly enough, prior to the 1950's and the subsequent takeover of our medical approach to healing by the </span><span style="font-size: large;">pharmaceutical</span><span style="font-size: large;">, surgical and related industries in this country, most medical doctors were quite proficient at prescribing appropriate homeopathic cures. They used them to help with healing and as an adjunct to their procedures. But, now that time has passed, and very, very few medical doctors in the U.S.A. have any knowledge of homeopathics, nor of most other natural therapies for healing, including the basics of diet and nutrition. Hopefully this tide is turning with our new millennium. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Please understand that I am not opposed to the standard western medical approach to healing. Prescription medications and surgical remedies certainly do have their place and I will absolutely avail myself of their services, should I have need and gratefully too. But, sometimes a more subtle, or more far reaching approach to healing is worthy of consideration. So, for those among us who enjoy being self empowered and prefer to care for our own bodies for most of the ills that seem a part of life, I'm writing this blog to encourage you to check out homeopathic medicines if you have not yet been introduced. You will find them right there, in your local neighborhood healthy food store. So stop in, and say 'Hello,' because a good thing will always prevail.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><i> As a Clairvoyant Healer, Spiritual Counselor and Intuition Instructor, I share many tips for leading a healthy and fulfilling life. Please be advised that I am not a doctor. Nor am I licensed in any healing modality. However, I have had years of experience in alternative and complementary health and healing. All healing programs, including standard western medical protocols in addition to natural therapies, can cause harm rather than the benefit that you may be searching for. After all some people can have a strong reaction to something as seemingly innocent as peanuts or strawberries. Therefore, anything that I may recommend in these blogs and videos could be dangerous for you to try. So, it is important that you Ask Your Doctor First before trying any natural healing protocol. However, most medical doctors have little experience regarding natural healing programs and herbal medicine. So please understand if your doctor is unfamiliar with these ideas.</i><br /><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> <br /></span></p><br /><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p>Josephine Laing's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16288191036600708973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812630801164431575.post-28001826024514297692022-10-25T15:01:00.017-07:002022-10-26T10:20:36.665-07:00The Secret of Life is Enjoying the Passage of Time<p><span style="font-size: large;"> <br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgzBjVWR8KUGjPjpktPi1J8UeddcpWZlO_7I-UkvkOxELsC_0fGUlqeqzaGViM42iPCbWoOR_pOQFJY3TaagAzuqyGSt45fcDw8GIH_JCI5_UO2gpit9xvmCoXyFweOEbh7pxcgT_Ry6GrjBMg_aPyoSqZ-AQcXZ0OtVRLjtUzUd3XS-xteZrkK_w_Pg/s1280/morro%20rock.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgzBjVWR8KUGjPjpktPi1J8UeddcpWZlO_7I-UkvkOxELsC_0fGUlqeqzaGViM42iPCbWoOR_pOQFJY3TaagAzuqyGSt45fcDw8GIH_JCI5_UO2gpit9xvmCoXyFweOEbh7pxcgT_Ry6GrjBMg_aPyoSqZ-AQcXZ0OtVRLjtUzUd3XS-xteZrkK_w_Pg/s320/morro%20rock.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">More than forty years ago, James Taylor recorded a song with this refrain: "The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time." This musical lyric has been playing in my head all month, and I believe it to be true. As the words have been percolating deeply into my psyche, I find myself relaxing into greater and greater levels of contentment and an underlying sense of joy. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Allow me to digress for a moment into the physiological anatomy behind all of this. The autonomic nervous system of our bodies is comprised of two basic parts, the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous systems. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The sympathetic nervous system is our 'fight or flight' mode</span><span style="font-size: large;"> and it is our common response to stress.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> This is where we are all charged up, our heart rate increases and our kidneys release adrenaline. When our sympathetic nervous system is engaged, we are on our guard and ready to go, full speed ahead.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The parasympathetic nervous system is our 'rest and digest' mode. Here our bodies can tend to housekeeping and maintenance. We are relaxed, our heart rate slows and we are at ease and can undergo repair. Too often in modern life, this aspect of our beingness is over-ridden by stress and the cares and concerns of the day, leaving us in an unbalanced state.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">For a healthy nervous system it is best if we allow both these modes of being to occur, perhaps </span><span style="font-size: large;">giving </span><span style="font-size: large;">a little more time to our parasympathetic mode, in order to even out the balance. When we take the time to pet the dog, cuddle the cat, smell the roses or gaze up into the blue sky, even if just for a few moments, we are tipping the scales more toward that balance. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It is worth our while to note that our internal mental climate is so often controlled by habit. We do have choices. And sadly, we sometimes choose to develop habits of being self-critical, or routinely pessimistic, or even being easily offended. These types of thought habits put us in that 'fight or flight' mode. Should we choose instead, (using our will and consciously directing our attention,) to notice what is beautiful, right and good around us, we shift our energy into a calmer more relaxed way of being. And this is not only a healthier way to be, but is also a much more enjoyable way to spend time. All it takes is a little self-observation and a tiny bit of conscious effort.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Now, I'm not saying that we should ignore the world's suffering. Our advocacy on behalf of what we believe is right and good in the world can be a passionate and very positive use of our sympathetic nervous system. There is a time and a place to vehemently defend what we believe in. But I feel that it is best if we don't allow it to habitually completely consume our light. We can also have gratitude and give ourselves time to remember and enjoy the beauty that we may have been fighting for.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">A great healer and a friend of mine recently told me some profound wisdom and I typed out on a piece of paper. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">He called it "The A,B,C's." </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"A" is for Awareness. (Be) Aware that I have choices. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"B" is for Breathe, Better. When we Breathe Better, we pause, we take a moment that allows us to relax or rethink our stance just a little. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"C" is for Choose, Better. I can think about how to Choose Better.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">My friend is a healer of the physical body, and this was intended as a first response for injury or trauma, but right away I noticed how in my life his same wisdom could also be used for my mental, emotional and spiritual health as well. Why not find ease and grace in my mind as well as in my body? So, I leave you with these beautiful A,B,C's of his and the secret of life, which is enjoying the passing of time.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">P.S. Vote.<br /><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>Josephine Laing's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16288191036600708973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812630801164431575.post-17355007160357592872022-09-22T17:12:00.003-07:002022-09-22T17:17:50.377-07:00Your Most Elevated Thought of the Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvVw6znLOlWyqRzMJtHj13gFEo2sJ-8J_ZufV0d_3AgoIX23Jvm5CyG7wu99xzjjatT2666um4zbS9JZg4Xt4Mpdh5K55fCf3MUWI3nBN6Q0AsiTb__ipxIbT8SGWYEQ2vN_-wNqjPoXzT2jKai-YtOVu-Qjo-55eNtUehfH7imzNDm12YfZ0_qTpLdQ/s1988/IMG_1731.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="1988" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvVw6znLOlWyqRzMJtHj13gFEo2sJ-8J_ZufV0d_3AgoIX23Jvm5CyG7wu99xzjjatT2666um4zbS9JZg4Xt4Mpdh5K55fCf3MUWI3nBN6Q0AsiTb__ipxIbT8SGWYEQ2vN_-wNqjPoXzT2jKai-YtOVu-Qjo-55eNtUehfH7imzNDm12YfZ0_qTpLdQ/s320/IMG_1731.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />Lately, an elderly friend of mine has taken to asking me what was my most elevated thought of the day. This has given me the opportunity to stop and notice from time to time where my head is at. Just like any other part of our routines, our thoughts can become quite habitual and his question has been reminding me that it is good to remember to cultivate elevated ones.<br /><br />I feel that we are more creative than we realize. Our thoughts, and where we are focusing our minds, are the first step of that creative process. <br /><br />One of the things that my spiritual teacher, Jana Massey, used to advise, being as we live right next to a major earthquake fault line, was to take care not to envisage disaster in our area. After the Santa Rosa fire, of 2017, here in California, and initially after the Y2K concerns at the beginning of the new millennia, my husband and I have taken the very practical steps advised regarding having an emergency evacuation kit ready-to-go. So, we have copies of our important documents, pet carriers, change of clothing and other essentials packed and gathered should there be need. And though thus prepared, I try not dwell on it. As Jana suggested, I like to see my community as happy and whole and settled in my mind's eye.<br /><br />Here, on the Central Coast, mere days after a severe heat wave, it is natural to be concerned about the very real results of climate change, and its varied and widespread impacts on human communities and wildlife world wide. This is certainly something that we want to address and give pro-active efforts toward. And though there is always room for improvement, I do much toward that end. <br /><br />Then, as well, similar to what Jana advised with envisaging peace and tranquility, I also like to make an effort with what might be called spiritual activism, thus I place some of my thoughts positively in the etheric realms as well. <br /><br />Years ago, I saw a PBS documentary called 'Next Year Country.' It was about the severe drought in Montana, in the early 2000s. Several ranchers, fearing for their livelihoods, pooled their resources and hired a rainmaker. He came from the Mount Shasta area and brought with him large long metal pipes and other equipment and camped out on the land for several weeks. He aligned the pipes with underground water ways and ley lines. Then he chanted and sang. And he laughed and spoke with and got to know the people. And he did indeed call the rain. That year, that corner of the state was green and full of rain and grain.<br /><br />I've been remembering what the rain-maker said. He explained that clouds are alive and that they are like children or animals or anyone else, and we need to be delighted to see them if we want them to come around. He said we need to let them know how we feel and engage with them, talk to them and smile and celebrate their presence. <br /><br />So, as one example of my most elevated thought of the day, lately I've been engaging in etheric, spiritual activism by practically jumping up and down with joy at the sight of these big cumulonimbus clouds that have been sailing around the edges of our sky since the two glorious days of gentle rain that fell on our dry ground right after the heat wave. Those drops of rain swirled among the leaves of the oak trees, moistening their branches and the earth and the air. I went out several times and danced in the rain, loving those cold drops on my skin and in my hair. Glad of my happy warm home to come in to, and of the moisture that was soaking deep into the ground.<br /><br />I remember once coming across a quote. It might have been <a href="https://www.ramdass.org/" target="_blank">Ram Dass</a>. In any case, it spoke deeply to me and I'll leave you with this as a beautifully elevated thought for you, if you'd like, to hold for today.<br />"The foundation of our spirituality is to be appreciative of the gift of life, to have fun, to play, to laugh, to see our lives as a piece of God."<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><br /></p>Josephine Laing's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16288191036600708973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812630801164431575.post-65612850988546780062022-08-18T14:53:00.007-07:002023-03-22T15:15:26.197-07:00Fleas!<p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHgQq5DPnd_zYAV8X86diNtsxnJ3GPIjUBYDCPy48pz6aFoxWxqPWKOfinhqe1-IRuEX0296PqKpj9n2iqwKyDc2KDeL5bxJs0OMwKmhPW8FN5SwzeYd2YASJ6IsR0aplpTaxvvF6WDrE0XmbZueDCIZlD2RoAw3qChdX10gRxo7XzDGsPTsAJEkRrmw/s3264/IMG_5160.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHgQq5DPnd_zYAV8X86diNtsxnJ3GPIjUBYDCPy48pz6aFoxWxqPWKOfinhqe1-IRuEX0296PqKpj9n2iqwKyDc2KDeL5bxJs0OMwKmhPW8FN5SwzeYd2YASJ6IsR0aplpTaxvvF6WDrE0XmbZueDCIZlD2RoAw3qChdX10gRxo7XzDGsPTsAJEkRrmw/s320/IMG_5160.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We recently became overwhelmed with fleas. So I called my retired naturopath friend and asked for assistance. She said that Neem Oil works great and we found that it did.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">For the past few years, when the summer-time flea bloom has occurred, we have resorted, as so many of us do, to using the veterinarian prescribed drops. These are placed on the back of the animal's skull, near the base, where it meets the neck. The solution gradually spreads over the animal's entire body and definitely kills the fleas. But it is very toxic and can be transferred to our hands while petting our furry friends. So, it is not what I consider safe.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Contrary to the label instructions, we have typically used a half dose of these flea treatments on each animal, to minimize the amount of poison that we use. But even with that, our cats languished listlessly for a day or two, with very little energy or interest in food, and looked like they had really bad headaches. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As well, for the previous two years, within a day or two after the application of the flea drops, our dog collapsed as if dead, after retrieving her ball at the park. She lay limp and motionless at our feet, leaving us, fearing for her life, down on the ground with her, until she miraculously came back, half a minute later, a little confused at first, but then seemingly fine. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This was very alarming, and the vet didn't know what might have caused this reaction in our dog nor what exactly it could be. But the event was very concerning to us, and I had my suspicions that it could be related to the neurotoxin in the standard flea treatment.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> So, this year, not wanting to take a chance on the possibility that it could be the drops, I decided to take a more aggressive natural flea care approach.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Of course flea combing is essential. We use a nice fine tooth metal comb. I find that the plastic combs don't really get them and the larger toothed metal combs can miss some too. This required that we have our dog's hair cut quite short as the weather grew warm so that we could get the comb through her coat. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The cats, with their finer hairs are considerably easier to comb, but they are not that fond of having their belly's combed, so a few get missed that way. And, it seems that the combing really does have to become a part of the daily routine.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We use a container of water with a drop of dish soap stirred into it to assist with the flea combing process. After a pass through the animals coat, combing as close to the skin as possible, I immediately dunk the comb into the water. This confuses the flea and gives me a moment to remove it from the comb. The soap breaks the surface tension of the water and prevents the flea from being able to jump out. Instead it sinks to a watery demise. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Our dog's groomer says that the lawn at the park is a common source of fleas. And that dogs often pick fleas up there.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Both our cats and the dog go in and out of the house at will, </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">and we live on a creek, s</span>o they also get exposure to the fleas carried by the wildlife that share our home with us. We have raccoons, possums, rats, squirrels and lots of birds that share our space with us. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">One trick that we are blessed to be able to avail ourselves of is letting our dog swim in the ocean. Apparently the combination of salt water and then freshwater can kill fleas. Fleas can endure submersion in either type of water for a time, but both types, one right after the other, really messes with their ability to survive. So, we take our dog to the beach for a nice swim, retrieving her toys, and then rinse her off with the hose once we get back home. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Vacuuming is another helpful approach. We regularly drag out the vacuum and clean all the rugs and sweep the floors. We also use diatomaceous earth. This is made from the shells of tiny crustaceous creatures </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">that has been ground into a very fine dust. When insects come in contact with the dust, it scratches and damages their exoskeletons and causes them to die. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Diatomaceous earth is very effective so long as it remains dry. But</span> the powder can cause irritation to the skin and eyes along with respiratory troubles if used indiscriminately. We handle it very carefully, so as to not raise any excess dust and carefully place it under and inside the covers of the sofa cushions, which we then additionally cover with a sheet or other piece of fabric. We also put it deep in the dog's bedding under several layers of top fabric, so her skin or lungs will not become inflamed. This approach helps to do away with the fleas and their eggs that are living deeper in the bedding.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In addition, we also change all of the bedding covers regularly to avoid having flea eggs and larvae, that are on the surface, hatch out in their beds. We put these covers right into the washing machine and then the clothes dryer. The water and the heat does the trick there.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But still, despite all of this, the fleas got ahead of us this year. And I just didn't want to take a risk with our beautiful dog's life or cause the cats so much discomfort with the neurotoxins, which after all, are neuro, meaning nerve and toxins, meaning poisonous.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Thus the <a href="https://www.greatpetcare.com/wellness/neem-oil-for-dogs-is-it-safe/" target="_blank">Neem oil</a>, to the rescue. It has been used, diluted as an insect repellent for hundreds of years on crops in agriculture. It doesn't kill insects or the fleas, but they really don't like it, and stay away.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Neem oil is solid at room temperature, so if you use it in your pet shampoo, you need to warm it lightly first before adding it. I just put a small amount, like a half teaspoon in perhaps two cups of warm water with about one tablespoon of shampoo. Use it all up, as neem breaks down rapidly in soap. It may leave a slight odor on your dog's coat, but that is what repels the fleas. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Another way to apply neem oil is as a spray, diluted in alcohol. Neem oil will stay in suspension in the alcohol. I use four ounces of a good quality vodka, (I always like to support organic producers, even for a use such as this,) and add one dropperful, or fifteen drops, of neem oil into the alcohol, in a small spray bottle. Shake first, before applying and lightly mist the dog's coat and then rub it in. This is also a great thing to do before going for a hike in tick season, as it will prevent these insects from getting on your dog as well. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Of course, whenever using any new product on your animal, it is good to observe how they react to it. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Cats do more grooming than dogs, thus they may consume more of the oil on their coats. </span>Most will do fine. But we are all unique and anyone can be allergic to anything, so it is good to be attentive. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Neem oil not only repels fleas, but it also helps to reduce itchiness and has been used for fungal infections and for treating ringworm and mange. Perhaps you'd like to give it a try with your dog or cat. It has worked great for us and it might just work well for you too.<br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><i>As
a Clairvoyant Healer, Spiritual Counselor and Intuition Instructor, I
share many tips for leading a healthy and fulfilling life. Please be
advised that I am not a doctor. Nor am I licensed in any healing
modality. However, I have had years of experience in alternative and
complementary health and healing. All healing programs, including
standard western medical protocols in addition to natural therapies, can
cause harm rather than the benefit that you may be searching for. After
all some people can have a strong reaction to something as seemingly
innocent as peanuts or strawberries. Therefore, anything that I may
recommend in these blogs and videos could be dangerous for you to try.
So, it is important that you Ask Your Doctor First before trying any
natural healing protocol. However, most medical doctors have little
experience regarding natural healing programs and herbal medicine. So
please understand if your doctor is unfamiliar with these ideas.</i></span></p>Josephine Laing's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16288191036600708973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812630801164431575.post-48064300142859025292022-07-20T18:56:00.006-07:002022-12-02T13:29:42.701-08:00Scratchy Throat? Here's What I Do<p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Htp-3puLpuWWgXcNyMhcWEcDbXIbf0Z-I7cOnfvuOXfs-8_GeOfwAt4FeN91KwB8EblCJ1D5D0VT12DH7mdPvM1lMVFMsRNZXlTPT9VBw4apfdj9lNyu7O7y7ZgzHZ-AZjUlCBHE8Id0Li-QV-0muGYuBZy1oVqyH5UbeydBo0-IuKoQF5HdDVed4g/s2201/Scratchy%20Throat.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2128" data-original-width="2201" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Htp-3puLpuWWgXcNyMhcWEcDbXIbf0Z-I7cOnfvuOXfs-8_GeOfwAt4FeN91KwB8EblCJ1D5D0VT12DH7mdPvM1lMVFMsRNZXlTPT9VBw4apfdj9lNyu7O7y7ZgzHZ-AZjUlCBHE8Id0Li-QV-0muGYuBZy1oVqyH5UbeydBo0-IuKoQF5HdDVed4g/s320/Scratchy%20Throat.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Sometimes I just do something super simple like gargling with salt water or diluted Raw Apple Cider Vinegar, (I like <a href="https://www.bragg.com/collections/apple-cider-vinegar/products/organic-apple-cider-vinegar?variant=39436558434400" target="_blank">Braggs</a>,) and that always helps to ease a tickle in a throat. But, when I really want to stop something in it's tracks before it even gets started, I have a much more thorough approach.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And that is one of the main keys, 'before it even gets started.' So often, we want to deny the subtle signs that anything is wrong because we really don't want it to be real. Instead, I openly refer to this phase as 'a slight imbalance in my wellness.' And I let people know that I'm going to be tending to this, because this is the most crucial time to tune in and take action, rather than hoping it will just go away. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Our bodies are masters at sending us subtle cues well before bigger symptoms occur and it pays to pay attention to them. Headaches, backaches, changes in the bowel habit, these are all ways our body talks to us to let us know that something is amiss. And that little, tiny scratchy throat is no exception. So, here is what I do.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">First, I drop everything, clear my calendar, at least for the rest of the day, stop what I'm doing, go inside, get warm, stay warm and start heading in the direction of rest and wellness. I don't eat junk food or sugar, but if I did, I'd stop that nonsense pronto as that sort of eating habit is sure to dip the immune system and kick a bad thing into high gear. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Generally, I'll then reach for a salt water gargle, first, which is always right at hand with </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">good quality <a href="https://www.celticseasalt.com/" target="_blank">Celtic Sea Salt</a> or <a href="https://redmond.life/collections/real-salt" target="_blank">Real Salt</a> being permanent residents in my kitchen</span>. I use one teaspoon of salt, dissolved in, first a half a cup of hot water, stirred, and then another half a cup of cold water added in order to dilute the solution to a comfortable temperature. While standing at the sink, I pour some of the salt water into the palm of my hand and while closing one nostril with my fingers, I snort the puddle of salt water, </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">from my hand, up my into my sinuses, </span>with my other nostril. Then, I trade hands and nostrils and pour and snort some more. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">After that, I take a nice big mouthful of the salt solution and gargle and spit. I repeat this several times, hitting high notes and low notes, and all the notes in between, vocally, while gargling. This exposes all of the many folds of my vocal chords to the salt solution. These folds can be hiding places for invading microbes and it is best to let them know, with the salt, that they are not welcome.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Natural salt, from dehydrated ocean water is full of minerals and it is also a good bio-film disruptor, which means that it can break through the little crust that microbes, like bacteria form, as a protective layer, on top of their colonies. These colonies are where they can thrive and multiply. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Xylitol is another great bio-film disruptor. So, I also reach for my <a href="https://xlear.com/xlear-sinus-care/" target="_blank">Xlear</a> nasal spray, which has xylitol in it, and I shoot a couple of good squirts up into my sinuses after I've recovered a little from the salt water snorting.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I tend to have very clear sinuses, but when I inhale Xlear up my nose, I am always amazed at how much mucus is liberated. I'll generally need to spit and blow for a good five minutes after a good application. It is surprising how much material can be undetected and stored up in those sinuses. And those hidden, mucus-rich areas can be fine homes for microbes and their bio-films. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Xlear is also one of the tricks I use for staying healthy after having spent time out in public, where I may have been exposed to any number of infectious, air-borne microbes. In the same regard, I may use my nebulizer to inhale a very dilute mist of .75% hydrogen peroxide. I learned about this technique from a May 2020 article that a friend of mine shared from Dr. Mercola. Just a couple of breaths using this mist can really knock back pathogens from the lungs.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> While the water is still hot in the tea kettle from making my salt water solution, I generally brew myself a couple of cups of Throat Coat Tea by <a href="https://www.traditionalmedicinals.com/products/throat-coat-tea/" target="_blank">Traditional Medicinals</a>. This is a very soothing combination of herbs to support the health of the throat, coating it with slippery elm bark and marshmallow root. Wild cherry bark, fennel and cinnamon add their goodness, drying mucus, easing airways, reducing inflammation and acting as antioxidants. The licorice root boosts the immune system and gives it all a lovely taste. Sipping this nice warm tea all day also helps to rinse away any little microbes that may be trying to set up housekeeping in the mucus membranes of my throat.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">At this point I might additionally reach for a throat spray, like <a href="https://www.herbsetc.com/singers-saving-grace-extra-strength-1-oz/" target="_blank">'Singer's Saving Grace'</a> or HerbPharm's <a href="https://www.herb-pharm.com/collections/shop-all/products/soothing-throat-spray" target="_blank">'Soothng Throat Spray.'</a> A couple of squirts in the back of my mouth are very soothing and also help to discourage any invasion.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I'm a big fan of Dr. Richard Schulze and his American Botanical Pharmacy. He is one of our great contemporary herbologists and his <a href="https://www.herbdoc.com/daily-oral-therapy" target="_blank">'Oral Therapy'</a> mouth wash is miraculous. I'll also gargle with that, to really knock back any invaders and I follow it with his beautiful 100% food sourced Vitamin C tablets, <a href="https://www.herbdoc.com/superc-plus" target="_blank">'Super-C Plus.'</a> I'll suck on one or two of those and they feel so good. In fact, they could go in my top paragraph as the one or two things that can be done to start turning a situation around. After having successfully managed to conquer the invasion with this protocol, I keep a few of these little C tablets in my pocket </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">for a few days,</span> so I can pull one out and suck on it from time to time, in order to keep the internal balance in my throat in good health. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">After all of this flushing and chasing away of bad microbes, I like to go to my refrigerator where I keep what I need to replenish my throat flora with healthy microbes. For this I use a beautiful probiotic capsule that has been carefully preserved from an old world source. It is called <a href="https://www.natren.com/collections/probiotics/products/healthy-trinity?utm_source=google&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=1573553696&utm_content=139160358230&utm_term=healthy%20trinity%20by%20natren&gadid=591849140156&gclid=Cj0KCQjwz96WBhC8ARIsAATR253oHBFmDnxJ-O5BuPZz041CTOt2u8yBcwjMntCIbv6QCR3xEsMJYPwaAg3BEALw_wcB" target="_blank">'Healthy Trinity'</a> by Natren. I put two of these beautiful capsules in my mouth and let them slowly dissolve there. I'll often do this just before I fall asleep, for good internal mouth flora and also, incidentally, for tooth support. This is, as the French would say, the </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span data-dobid="hdw">pièce de résistance, or the final important feature for regaining the balance of health in my throat. </span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span data-dobid="hdw"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span data-dobid="hdw">I keep all of these things on hand</span></span></span> because having a fully equipped apothecary, or in-home store of herbs and remedies, is a big part of natural healing. This is a good idea for anyone who is interested in a holistic approach to health. My throat care prevention supplies are just a small portion of my personal apothecary. I also keep herbal stores for organ cleansing, injuries and first aid, brain health, heart health and a host of other simple mostly herbal remedies for maintaining and creating beautiful health, in the way that nature provided.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span data-dobid="hdw"> A good cook knows the importance of having basic staples on hand: vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, grains, what have you. The same holds true for natural healing techniques. What I have given you here is one recipe from my cookbook. There are hundreds more. And like any recipe, it may shift and change as the years go by. My storehouse of home remedies started decades ago, with one cupboard. Now it is quite extensive, housed in several cabinets, a dresser or two and even a mini-fridge. And if you haven't already, this is a perfect place to get started, a few powerful healing allies, to help stave off a sore throat, before it even gets started. Enjoy.<br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span data-dobid="hdw"> </span></span><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><i>As a Clairvoyant Healer, Spiritual Counselor and Intuition Instructor, I share many tips for leading a healthy and fulfilling life. Please be advised that I am not a doctor. Nor am I licensed in any healing modality. However, I have had years of experience in alternative and complementary health and healing. All healing programs, including standard western medical protocols in addition to natural therapies, can cause harm rather than the benefit that you may be searching for. After all some people can have a strong reaction to something as seemingly innocent as peanuts or strawberries. Therefore, anything that I may recommend in these blogs and videos could be dangerous for you to try. So, it is important that you Ask Your Doctor First before trying any natural healing protocol. However, most medical doctors have little experience regarding natural healing programs and herbal medicine. So please understand if your doctor is unfamiliar with these ideas.</i><br /><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>Josephine Laing's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16288191036600708973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812630801164431575.post-12778620670753969432022-06-10T15:42:00.003-07:002022-06-16T19:12:35.307-07:00One Can't Say Enough About Gratitude<p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt6AD87FOiyO2xaS9Ug9vv9Q_TuGc5MuUdxFIDiVu9DBCjgM36KL4oDCthPL_qH4k_Ka05_DH_Hnim3SeTebBDeChfY1ugXj2vrg9dBW1SbLifq4DudVKzH5onaT2O3ufSsYOgvEhsCVAM9FfHbPd507QJICIfC5rCTAlZip_AIMF2MYhsU62QOoTyWw/s1382/IMG_4282.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1372" data-original-width="1382" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt6AD87FOiyO2xaS9Ug9vv9Q_TuGc5MuUdxFIDiVu9DBCjgM36KL4oDCthPL_qH4k_Ka05_DH_Hnim3SeTebBDeChfY1ugXj2vrg9dBW1SbLifq4DudVKzH5onaT2O3ufSsYOgvEhsCVAM9FfHbPd507QJICIfC5rCTAlZip_AIMF2MYhsU62QOoTyWw/s320/IMG_4282.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Can there ever be enough said about Gratitude? I don't think so.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And talk about a healing balm. Picking up the reins of our mind and turning our thoughts toward thankfulness in any situation shifts the energy instantly and brings about positive change. Not to mention, gratitude is one of the three main types of prayer, commonly known to all of humankind, next to, 'Help,' and 'Silent Union with the Divine.'</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So, yes, Gratitude. It is always worthy of mention. And I could almost stop right there, with 'enough said.' But, I'll elaborate just a little more.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Habitually switching our thoughts to gratefulness can take some practice, but it is one of the best ways I know of for coming up out of a funk. One does need to first recognize and realize that a funk has descended. Sometimes we can really get lost in a negative internal mind climate, festering and stewing like an infection.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This is where the idea of 'the witness,' (from Jnana Yoga, from Hinduism,) comes in. Here, there are the two birds sitting in the tree of life. One is busy doing and experiencing all of the activities of life, while the other is just watching. This watching bird, within ourselves is 'the noticer.' And the noticer gives us a little perspective. It notices when we are happy. It notices when we are sad. And it can alert us, as the rider of our own horse of life, when it is time to turn a run-away situation around and head in a different direction, like toward Gratitude.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Listening to the news or just tending to the day-to-day chores or foibles of life can really get us all wound up. But, there is always something to be grateful for, even in moments that can seem quite stinky. If we look, we'll find it. And that gives us our first step up out of that place in our heads. "The sky is a beautiful blue." "I can take a breath." "I'm sitting next to you." There is always something to be grateful for. We can start there.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huston_Smith" target="_blank">Huston Smith</a> in his seminal book, <u>The World's Religions</u>, 1958, noted the three types of prayer that I was referring to earlier. Universal to all religions, both oral and written, they are: 1.) The Asking Prayer, "Please help me." 2.) The Prayer of Gratitude, "Thank you." And 3.) The Prayer of Silent Union with The Divine, where we loose our sense of self and become one with everything.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">From the asking prayer, I've heard that we can get three different answers: "Yes, of course." "Yes, but later." And, "No, I have something better for you." All worthy of gratitude. And when we loose ourselves in oneness, doing what we absolutely love, be it dancing in the waves or climbing a mountain peak, we have reached a state of bliss and what is not to be grateful for there. So, yes, gratitude. It is what keeps the world going round and helps us to attain humanity's greatest desire, Peace, both within and without.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So, let's pick up the reins, together and come round to a unity of being, reaching for and finding gratitude, as often as possible, in every moment of every day. <br /></span></p>Josephine Laing's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16288191036600708973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812630801164431575.post-67826536668206522452022-05-17T13:45:00.002-07:002022-05-17T14:11:44.141-07:00Focusing on Goodness and Beauty Through Challenging Times<p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdjed7xiU5f8XzJoKymagkSWWVhMSE1JsqXTkOhzNtbk6AxYFAXGL1Z8NSruRVdiGc8F3543plSDuYrIa107yJ0MV7ub8V1-ct01pNIQRiz8BwakWr_-rVKawRdr9aRpOxiBVjpb57M4VM_JZaGbF4BbrVsRB5KvIoCKf1EFi_nFUVr3wIyUtfeyS3AQ/s2048/IMG_0985.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1435" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdjed7xiU5f8XzJoKymagkSWWVhMSE1JsqXTkOhzNtbk6AxYFAXGL1Z8NSruRVdiGc8F3543plSDuYrIa107yJ0MV7ub8V1-ct01pNIQRiz8BwakWr_-rVKawRdr9aRpOxiBVjpb57M4VM_JZaGbF4BbrVsRB5KvIoCKf1EFi_nFUVr3wIyUtfeyS3AQ/s320/IMG_0985.jpg" width="224" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">There are so many scary things going on in the world right now. Even our day to day experiences can be frightening and sometimes overwhelming. However, in spite of all of that, I find that it is important to realize and remember that at our core, we are love, all is well, and there is nothing to be afraid of.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Holding to a deep and abiding belief in the beauty and goodness of all things isn't always easy for me either, but thanks to the help of some of my favorite authors, I've become so practiced at it that on the occasions when I slip into despair, I find that those moments have become fewer and farther between and that they last a lot less longer. So, I'd like to share with you some thoughts that I've embraced in my life that help me to more swiftly make the transition back into trust and joy. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">1. Remembering Miracles and Gratitude. In his book, <u>Pronoia</u>, <a href="https://freewillastrology.com/books/pronoia" target="_blank">Bob Brezsny</a> explains that we tend to have the habit of thinking that the whole day is going wrong if we do something like stub our toe on the way to the bathroom in the morning, instead of recognizing that we've already experienced twenty-five miracles in just waking up from sleep and moving our bodies, flicking on the light switch and taking a nice deep breath. His point is well taken. There is a stupendous amount of things to be grateful for in every moment of every day.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">2. Realizing Our Higher Self's Perspective. One of my favorite mentors, <a href="https://www.peacepilgrim.org/to-receive-free-peace-pilgrim-book" target="_blank">Peace Pilgrim</a>, has a chart of her spiritual growth that is shared in the book, <u>Peace Pilgrim, Her Life and Work in Her Own Words</u>. It shows how we can vacillate between the emotional ups and downs of the low self and the high self. As we progress on the journey of a life dedicated to spiritual development, our ability to move more swiftly through the challenges of a self-centered nature become easier and we engage more regularly with what she calls our God-centered nature. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">3. We Alone Control the Direction of Our Thoughts. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viktor_Frankl" target="_blank">Viktor Frankl</a>, in his life changing work, <u>Man's Search for Meaning</u>, wrote of his experience in a concentration camp during WWII. He said that they could take everything away from him except his own mind and that where he held his thoughts, or his attitude, was completely under his own control. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">4. Healthy Clean Blood Makes for Healthy Clean Thoughts. The teachings of the great contemporary nutritional, health and well-being herbologist, <a href="https://www.herbdoc.com/revolutionary-journey" target="_blank">Dr. Richard Schulze,</a> consolidates the knowledge that we have gained over the last few centuries in regards to the role that good nutrition, internal organ cleansing and self-care play in our lives. He says to "Stop doing what is making you sick and Start doing what makes you feel well." Our bad junk food habits and sedentary lifestyles do catch up with us. Keeping our internal organs clean and functioning well, helps to keep the rest of us clean too. This includes our blood and thus our brains. When our brains are not so busy dealing with dirty blood, our thoughts can become cleaner, as well.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">5. Choosing Our Level of Engagement. <a href="https://www.drjilltaylor.com/whole-brain-living/" target="_blank">Jill Bolte Taylor</a>, in her wonderful new book, <u>Whole Brain Living</u>, shows us how we can identify and begin to choose between the four main parts of our brains. We can decide which part of our awareness we would most like to have holding the microphone of our lives. It seems that too often, we tend to jump into our left emotional brain, which is all about, "Me, Me, Me," and about all of the things that are wrong in this moment. Instead, we can learn how to engage the other parts of our brain to skillfully handle and move through difficult events. We can consciously choose where we want to place our awareness like: in our ability to reason and figure out how to move forward, or in our playful side, or in our expanded sense of deep interconnectedness which holds everything with compassion and love.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">6. We Can Heal Our Lives. <a href="https://www.louisehay.com/" target="_blank">Louise Hay</a>, in her ground-breaking work, <u>You Can Heal Your Life</u>, shows us how creating the habits of positive thinking through self love and affirmations can move us into new dimensions of gratitude and joy in our lives. Her 'go to' reminder of, "All is well. Everything is working itself out for the highest good. Out of this experience only good will come. And, I am safe." has been life changing for me. It has helped me to work through some of the scarier situations in my life, allowing me to shift my perspective into trust and love.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">7. When We Change Our Perspective Amazing Miracles Occur. Near Death Experiences</span><span style="font-size: large;">, like <a href="https://www.anitamoorjani.com/" target="_blank">Anita Moorjani's</a> <u>Dying to Be Me</u> or <a href="http://ebenalexander.com/books/proof-of-heaven/" target="_blank">Eben Alexander's</a> <u>Proof of Heaven</u> or <a href="https://www.mellen-thomas.com/" target="_blank">Mellen-Thomas Benedict's</a> <u>Journey Through the Light and Back</u>, demonstrate the miraculous effects that changing our perspective can hold. <u>A Course in Miracles</u> teaches this too. Our beliefs have the potential to help us let go of the most dire of circumstances and turn them into bliss. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">8. Our Consciousness Lives On In Love. Some very accurate and persuading examples of the ongoing presence of human consciousness have not only been shown in cases of Near Death Experiences but have also been shown through the work of talented mediums. These professional psychics have been able to share intimate details from loved ones who have passed on and who have reached out to their living family members to help them move beyond grief. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">This type of profoundly healing information </span>allows those who remain alive to be assured that consciousness not only lives on but is whole and happy and well. Some of the mediums who have inspired me are <a href="https://www.thetylerhenrymedium.com/" target="_blank">Tyler Henry</a> with <u>Here and Hereafter</u>, and <a href="https://gordonsmithmedium.com/" target="_blank">Gordon Smith</a> with <u>The Unbelievable Truth</u>. Death is not the end.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">9. Good News is Great News. Most of our journal and broadcast news focuses on what is alarming and seriously concerning. But there is a lot of good going on in the world that we hardly ever hear about. Brilliant people, young and old are coming up with new perspectives and innovative solutions all the time. It serves us well to search some of these good news sources out and share them with others. Many of my environmental journals like National Wildlife from the <a href="https://www.nwf.org/" target="_blank">Nation Wildlife Federation</a> or Nature Conservancy Magazine from <a href="https://www.nature.org/en-us/" target="_blank">The Nature Conservancy</a> often have great reports on collaborations that are turning the tides toward a healthier world or things that we can each do like planting for wildlife in our gardens. Also, the <a href="https://thegoodnewshub.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjw7IeUBhBbEiwADhiEMTJQNpEh2lCSBRmKacrE0mC4x75kJsSs87OfoKmHmkPp-I5urJ-rKxoC2Z8QAvD_BwE" target="_blank">Good News Hub</a> reports great good news stories online. News like this always lifts my spirits.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">10. Singing and Dancing Our Way to Beauty and Goodness. I sing everyday. It makes me feel happy, even if I'm just humming. And I dance whenever I can. When we do these two, we lighten our hearts and leave our troubles behind. Even if you have to 'Fake it until you make it,' it is time well spent. You will feel lighter. And it's fun. Just allow your playfulness to come forward. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I hope these ten tips help you to hold a more positive outlook as much for you as they have for me. And finally, I'll leave you with this one last idea. Stay in your joy, as much as you can. Try to do something that you'd love to do every day. Make it your top priority and it will make your day, every day.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>Josephine Laing's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16288191036600708973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812630801164431575.post-40658305330883153392022-04-14T15:06:00.005-07:002022-12-02T13:30:38.889-08:00Gaining and Maintaining Beautiful Eye Health Along With Great Vision<p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwj0Kl_XvFQ_oqTK4QjW5yQlzY9I7iAHiQDxcWfnBhE3kzXzmMzjpQJpvKNYJQ3APK5WA_tRcfE4FDwXCkZ7wwi8Ktb73CYtLew21yyIyFk6awsavhfyMSYGq1uQmNW9s3kOfp1eLj66GtEc8svP_yMSJRWFjcQOlDft222op98C698MJR5fMSBFqLoA/s2684/IMG_3392.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="2684" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwj0Kl_XvFQ_oqTK4QjW5yQlzY9I7iAHiQDxcWfnBhE3kzXzmMzjpQJpvKNYJQ3APK5WA_tRcfE4FDwXCkZ7wwi8Ktb73CYtLew21yyIyFk6awsavhfyMSYGq1uQmNW9s3kOfp1eLj66GtEc8svP_yMSJRWFjcQOlDft222op98C698MJR5fMSBFqLoA/s320/IMG_3392.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"></span><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Vision is our dominant perceptual sense.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Dogs smell. Rabbits hear. But we humans predominantly use our eyes to inform us about the world around us. We see.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Just like any other muscle in the body, the muscles around our eyes can become weak or tight. When they do, our eyeballs can loose their nice round shape, becoming more oblong or egg shaped, either too long or too wide. If one or more of the six muscles that surround our eyes pulls habitually on that beautiful fluid filled ball of ours, then we can't see as well, becoming either nearsighted or farsighted. When we correct this visual disturbance with eye glasses, the problem gradually gets worse as we lean progressively more heavily on that crutch.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Practicing regular eye exercises is one of the basics of maintaining or reclaiming great eye health. Another basic is calming the optic nerve.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The optic nerve is a comparatively long and large structure that comes right from the eyeball itself, straight back into the brain. (A portion of the nerve fibers coming from each eye, actually cross each other, but that's a detail we can save for another time.) When the optic nerve gets highly stimulated from bright light or the tension of muscular strain, it becomes overburdened with chemical messages causing fatigue. When this happens, it can take a little while to calm down. This is where "palming" comes in. I'll describe that a little later.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">When I was a young girl, growing up, my mother and my grandmother were both writers. They each spent many hours a day reading and writing. Yet neither of them wore glasses. Though sadly my mother passed quite young, my grandmother lived into her mid-nineties and lived her whole life long without getting any prescription glasses. And she read almost all day, everyday. This was because she had learned how to care for her vision from an eye health pioneer of her time, Dr. William Horatio Bates, M.D. (1860-1931.) She read his books, did the exercises, and blessedly taught my mother, who taught me. Many was the day when I would come across my mother or my grandmother palming or moving or resting their eyes. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Back in the day, instead of celebrity rags at the checkout line in the grocery store, you could pick up little self care books on natural health techniques. I still have a 35¢ hard cover copy on correcting vision problems naturally that I purchased in my early twenties. It is titled <u>Sight Without Glasses</u>, by Dr. Harold M. Peppard. The top of this little book's spine is ragged from the number of times I have pulled it out from my bookshelf. Another small paperback, that I have from back in 1994, by Richard Leviton is called, <u>Better Vision in 30 Days</u>. These little guides have kept me on track and I am so very pleased to say that they work! And there are lots of more very detailed resources available, like <u>Help Yourself to Better Sight</u>, by Margaret O. Corbett or <u>The Eye Care Revolution</u> by Robert Abel, Jr., M.D..</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The exercises, or 'movements,' as Dr. Bates used to call them, are remarkably simple. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Palming.</b> Palming comes first and foremost, for calming the optic nerve. This is done by placing the palms of your hands gently over your eyes to create a dark environment where your eyes can begin to drain off the remaining chemical residue caused by light from inside the optic nerve. This is best done in a darkened room, with a straight spine and the elbows resting on a surface which is at about chest level. Resting the elbows keeps them from fatiguing. Care should be taken that the palms rest very lightly on the bony structures of the skull, around the eyes with no pressing. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Bates felt that imagining movement, like a black boat, on a black sea, sailing in a figure eight was helpful while palming. I like to imagine a herd of black horses running around on a black beach at night. Doing visualizations, like these, while palming seems to help the optic nerve drain more quickly and completely.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">When palming, it can take a little while for the eye to no longer see patches of lingering light and see only blackness. I can see complete blackness typically in about five minutes. But I have very good vision and well cared for eyes. Bates liked for people to palm for twelve minutes, warming the hands first by rubbing them briskly together, (raising the chi,) before starting. He also liked for people to palm before starting the other exercises or movements. This relaxes the eyes before asking them to engage their muscles. Then, just like gently stretching any muscle, you move first one way, and then the other.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Though there are a host of exercises allowing one to address any number of possible corrections such as double vision, wandering eyes or astigmatism, I have focused on just a scant handful of them to maintain my good vision. Almost all eye exercises are best done outside and my favorites are these five:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sunning.</b> This feels really great. I step out into the morning air, while the sun is still low on the horizon. I close my eyes and point my nose right at the sun. Then I slowly move my head from left to right, allowing my shoulders and upper torso to move as well, so that my face is moving in an arc of 180 degrees. I might do this for as long as four or five minutes.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Looking at a Distance.</b> The next thing I like to do is see if I can see some distant hikers on the trail going up the mountain near my home. The trail is probably about a mile away from my front door. It's fun. We tend to have a lot of hikers here, and my husband and I often try to see who can see someone first. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In our modern day and age, we rarely look at a distance, but if we were people in ancient times, it would be very helpful to see if that distant fruit tree was ripe or not, or to notice if anyone else was over there. Spending just a little bit of time looking at a distance helps us to counter act all of the time that we spend reading or staring at close up screens while engaging with technology. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Often while driving, on open roads, I'll rest my eyes by looking over the steering wheel at the far off landscapes ahead of me, allowing my peripheral vision to keep track of what is happening near by. And while I'm at my computer, I frequently gaze out the window, behind my screen, at the large tree across the street, allowing my eyes to focus on its leaves and branches for just a moment or two. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">These kinds of tiny habits give the close up muscles of
my eyes a little chance to rest and relax and greatly reduce any
symptoms of eye fatigue. </span>My grandmother used to say, "Look up." She said that gazing into
the sky or the trees overhead was very relaxing for the eyes and the
mind.</span> <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Looking Close and Looking Far.</b> This is one of my very favorites. I enjoy seeing how quickly I can change my focusing ability. After looking at the mountain in the morning, I'll take a few moments to briefly look at my thumbnail, held about eight inches from my face. As soon as I can clearly see my cuticle and the details of the skin around my nail, I glance back at the mountain and see how long it takes for me to see details there. Then I look back at my nail, and then back at the mountain. I maybe do this half a dozen times, or more, depending on how acute my eyes are and how quickly my vision can adjust.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Swinging.</b> This one I do seated, with my eyes closed. It is important not to move your eyes too quickly for this exercise. Slow and steady is best. Begin by holding your head in a comfortable position and looking straight ahead. Then close your eyes, and start by moving just your eyes to the left, as if you were looking to the left. Then to the right. Back to the left again, and back to the right. Go easy, especially when you are doing this for the first time. Go nice and slow and not too far. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Repeat a comfortable and gentle number of times. </span>Pause for a moment or two after you've completed this, keeping your eyes closed. 'Rome wasn't conquered in a day.' </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">After that, with eyes still closed, let your eyes swing up and down. Then, after that, try moving on to the diagonals. First up on the left and down on the right. Then, up on the right and down on the left. Try to make your movements nice and even, gradually moving your eyes without letting them jump along. And always come to center, resting your eyes for just a moment or two before changing directions. This really gives those six muscles a nice, deep, long stretch.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Watching My Dog Chase the Ball. </b> This one is really lovely and I do it every day. We take our dog to the park and throw the ball for her. I watch her very carefully, yet with soft and relaxed eyes, not straining, never straining. As she quickly moves away and back toward me again, my focus naturally changes to follow her. The muscles around my eyes actually change the shape of my eyeballs, in a steady fashion, slightly longer or wider to maintain the focus in a continual stream of gentle natural movement.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">If you don't happen to have a dog, maybe you have a ball, a similar version of this exercise happens when you hit a ball against a wall and let it bounce back to you and hit it again. Tennis, or pickle ball or ping pong accomplish a similar effect. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">My grandmother was a great ping pong player, well into her advanced age. And she often rested her eyes, by sitting down and closing them briefly after a game. She rested her eyes while reading too. She'd hold her finger on the page, so her eyes would not have to strain and search for the next line. She also blinked, a lot, not only at the end of every line while reading, but also while just looking around or speaking with someone. She always read with good and even light and she never stared or let herself strain her eyes in other ways. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Just like any exercise program, doing it once or twice won't get you there. It takes a near daily commitment to see lasting results.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Meir Schneider, of the School of Natural Healing, based in Berkeley, California, has taken this type of work to a beautifully refined level. He was born legally blind and can now drive on the freeway. He teaches how to work with and improve or prevent a variety of eye health challenges including blind spots, glaucoma and macular degeneration. There are more answers to eye health problems than just drugs or surgery.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I am currently working on not only maintaining my beautiful and blessedly perfect vision, but also on preventing cataracts. I'm having success doing this by adding in a few new eye exercises, that I'm now learning, along with keeping my self fully hydrated and doing periodic water fasting, (please see one of my new favorite books on this method of natural healing by Kate McCarthy titled </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <u>Water Fasting</u></span>.) I also use two or three drops of <a href="https://www.herbdoc.com/eyebright-formula" target="_blank">Dr. Schulze's</a> Eyebright Formula in distilled water in an eye cup, every day. This gives my eyes a nice bath in healing herbs that definitely help to increase the blood circulation to all of my eye structures, while keeping them nourished and healthy. So far, it is all definitely working!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">May you and your family and friends come to know the joy of </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">maintaining and reclaiming beautiful eye health and vision with </span>these simple habits of </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">relaxation and </span>gentle movements that you can easily incorporate into your lives.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><i>As a Clairvoyant Healer, Spiritual Counselor and Intuition Instructor, I share many tips for leading a healthy and fulfilling life. Please be advised that I am not a doctor. Nor am I licensed in any healing modality. However, I have had years of experience in alternative and complementary health and healing. All healing programs, including standard western medical protocols in addition to natural therapies, can cause harm rather than the benefit that you may be searching for. After all some people can have a strong reaction to something as seemingly innocent as peanuts or strawberries. Therefore, anything that I may recommend in these blogs and videos could be dangerous for you to try. So, it is important that you Ask Your Doctor First before trying any natural healing protocol. However, most medical doctors have little experience regarding natural healing programs and herbal medicine. So please understand if your doctor is unfamiliar with these ideas.</i><br /><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>Josephine Laing's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16288191036600708973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812630801164431575.post-68736703901070401092022-03-15T17:59:00.003-07:002022-03-15T17:59:30.099-07:00Step Into the Magic of Your Dreams<p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NXLZddu833Y" width="320" youtube-src-id="NXLZddu833Y"></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Hello everyone. My friend Cyndi Silva asked me to do an
interview exploring perspectives on Dreamwork. Please enjoy this 50
minute zoom discussion on various types of dreams, helpful tips on how
to remember your dreams and a few ideas on how to easily interpret
them. To learn more about Cyndi and her lovely work visit:
https://geneticalchemy.com and https://metaphysicalwisdom.com </span></p>Josephine Laing's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16288191036600708973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812630801164431575.post-73793638918389402732022-02-18T11:20:00.474-08:002022-02-18T18:09:46.206-08:00A Few of My Tips on How to Have a Happy Marriage <p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSMKfyvdgpUKMi7cfr5euwvYNOoVkGn9oTCrTcCpTTmX1WQ9V7BQCYG7_GYCQSoHoWflfAMnb3BghdC1oSiAH9Tpo-WWBV5gfTjNe3H-tfhje6mrzMmSCyzhsbXQs-4wXQ1y2kIIcO3bIKhcZQ0Wd5EgTOgTMIubzKAQ3coMmmGVVsP1SAyECesVzl5Q=s3264" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSMKfyvdgpUKMi7cfr5euwvYNOoVkGn9oTCrTcCpTTmX1WQ9V7BQCYG7_GYCQSoHoWflfAMnb3BghdC1oSiAH9Tpo-WWBV5gfTjNe3H-tfhje6mrzMmSCyzhsbXQs-4wXQ1y2kIIcO3bIKhcZQ0Wd5EgTOgTMIubzKAQ3coMmmGVVsP1SAyECesVzl5Q=s320" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Standing on the steady ground of four decades of a successful marriage, I realize that there are a few things I've learned about how to navigate the waters of close relationships. I'd like to share some of them with you now.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Perhaps the first and most important is self love. If we do not love and value our own self, we will not have the ability to stand up for ourselves and meet our most basic needs in life. Self love gives us boundaries. And good boundaries keep us safe and whole. They protect us from what I call, "Deal Breakers."<span style="font-size: large;"> </span> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">If I realize or discover that someone who I am becoming close to has unresolved issues that they need to work through such as: </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">alcoholism, drug addiction,</span> illegal activities or basic moral or ethical problems like lying, cheating or stealing, I can make a choice as to whether I feel called to help them with that soul growth or not. For a potential life partner, either of these would most likely be a 'deal breaker' for me. And for a friendship, depending on how much drama I might want to allow in my life, I might find myself distancing from that relationship. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">A couple of other examples of 'deal breakers' might be when one person is wishing to start a family, while the other does not feel called to that experience. Or, if one person really wants to pursue higher education, or a higher station in life while the other finds that they are contented with how things already are. These are perhaps less difficult for a couple to consider than say, addictions or what not, but they can none-the-less be good reasons for not being in a marriage together.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">A second relationship dynamic that I've observed is that we often choose and are attracted to people who have mastered qualities that we ourselves have not yet fully cultivated and would love to be able to express. When we find someone who has those qualities, it allows us to observe and hopefully develop some of those traits in ourselves so that we can become a more well-rounded individual. Thus, the engineer is drawn to the artist. The structured and orderly life craves some of the freedom and spontaneity of the creative life and visa versa. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The trouble begins when we start to judge the other through the lens of our own perspective. The artist can't understand why the engineer won't just take a day off to relax and have some fun for a change. And the engineer gets to the point where they can no longer abide by the constant messy chaos of those art projects scattered all over the place. Each tries to make the other be more like themselves. What first attracted, can later become the thorn of contention. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Herein lies a bit of surrender. It just becomes so much easier when we let the people in our lives be who they are and do what they are capable of doing. Yes, we all have chores and we absolutely do need to contribute, in the way that we each best can, to our shared lives together. But, it is good to remember that the only person we can actually change is our self. And the more we try to change someone else, the more frustrated or resentful we become. If, instead, we change our tack and simply accept them, just as they are, the less burdened we become in our own minds. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In addition, when we allow our own internal emotional climate to be determined by the actions of others, we potentially set ourselves up for a lifetime of misery. We need to realize that we are all flawed individuals. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Who among us is perfect? No one. </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is very true in a marriage too. We are all here, to learn and grow. </span> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So, yes, we all have improvements to make. But we need to grow at our own pace and in our own time. We wouldn't force a six year old to do a twelve year old's algebra problems. We would allow them to gradually develop into that capacity. And in the meanwhile, rather than focusing on what's wrong with each other, we need to focus on what's right. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This is my main point here. Keep the grain and let the chaff blow away. I like to ask, what makes me feel better? Do I like being criticized for what I haven't done or did wrong, or do I like being complimented for what I did right and thanked for all that I do do in the marriage? The answer is clear. I appreciate being appreciated and thanked. It is good to remember this. I love that old saying, Gratitude Brings More Blessings.<br /><br />Peace Pilgrim used to say, "If you smile at the world, it smiles back at you." So, for homework here, and to start making changes in yourself, the next time you feel frustrated or angry with your significant other, stop yourself and think of 10 things that they've done right. And warm your heart with those realizations. Let them remind you of why you were attracted to this person in the first place. And, then mention and focus on these things instead.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It is amazing how transformative this practice can be on a relationship. When one person starts doing it, often the other responds in kind. Soon, rather than complaining about your spouse to others, you are off to form a mutual admiration society and come to be, as Frank and I like to point out, "President of each other's fan club."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Another relationship pattern that I have noticed in myself is irregardless of whatever the fault or error or misdeed that I may see in the other, if I look closely enough. I'll find that at one time I have committed some version of that same misdeed.<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Introspection is good and it helps us to see the bigger picture.</span></span></span></span><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is not to say that I am always to blame for everything that goes wrong in a relationship, because some people, and it is especially common for women, can fall into this trap and feel that if they just work harder on themselves, or make changes in who and how they are, everything will right itself. But a happy marriage takes mutual effort. Gentleness, caring and loving respect, on the part of both parties, is essential. This is a daily task. Both have to pull their weight. If one does all of the work, that is not going to yield any kind of lasting results. </span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">I remember one marriage where the woman was so in love with being in love that she did everything to hold onto the relationship. And it is important to realize that <i>we teach people how to treat us</i>. In this case, she taught him, right from the start, that she would do it all, diminishing her self and her own needs in the process, and he didn't have to do a thing. Unfortunately that even included his not remembering to treat her with loving care or consideration. Until too near the bitter end, she </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">felt that</span></span></span></span> being in relationship had greater worth than her own sense of self.</span></span></span> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">When the love of oneself is strong, and our boundaries are good, we can remind our self, and the other, that this is a partnership. We can ask how can we help each other to get each of our needs met. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Sometimes the stressors in a marriage arise from outside of the relationship. Jobs can be too demanding. Grief or difficulties with aging parents or other problems can cause us to become overwhelmed. When this occurs, we can say, "I see that you are not happy." Or we can say, "I'm not happy." And then, "What can we do, or what change can we make, together, so we can both be happy?" </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Oscar Wilde said that the core of any good relationship is conversation. This is another key that I find to be extremely valuable. Life is meant to be shared. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"> It helps us to stay connected when we talk. </span>And often it is the simple things, the little things that we remember and love. This is where the long burning embers of love lie. And it is how we grow together and not apart. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Everyone is different and some are not as free with words. But even with quiet ones, we can create the time and space to talk. Sometimes it is easiest to begin with the day to day events of our lives. And opening the doors to communication can happen in any number of ways. We can chat during meals, or go for drives together. We can take a walk, or share a cup of tea after a movie. Just asking each other about any little thing can get the words rolling. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Cultivating the habit of conversation is good. And it gives us the opportunity to share about the more challenging things in a relationship, when they arise, like miscommunications or finding and admitting to our own short comings, or very importantly, expressing our gratitude for what is right and good in our partnerships. <br /><br />Another valuable tip for cultivating healthy relationships is loving touch. Our hands and arms make a circuit to our hearts. Even our friendships need a gentle touch on the shoulder or a nice hug from time to time. But, in our marriages or more significant relationships, it really helps to remember to express the love that is in our hearts through the gentle articulation of our hands. We need to help each other up when we have fallen and let each other know that we care by patting a back or taking hold of a hand or softly caressing a cheek.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">A fairly common relationship challenge can happen when a family is born. When a new baby comes into a partnership, quite often the parents place nearly all of their attention on the child, as they should. But, sometimes the connection between the mother and infant can allow the bond between the parents to lapse. The husband may be able to understand this mentally, but emotionally he can feel left out. As things settle down, it helps to remember to share the love, all the way around. When raising a family, I feel that it is important to remember where the primary relationship lies and to keep that strong. It takes a lot to navigate family life and the load is best shared.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This was one of the gifts that my parents gave to me in my childhood. And I feel so blessed because of it. They worked together as a team and they directed the lives of their children. My brothers and I knew where we stood and neither of us kids stood at the helm. Our parents worked together to raise us, each with their own specific roles. There was a tremendous sense of comfort and confidence that that brought to us all. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> In family dynamics, it is also good to remember that ch</span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">ildren's minds are not fully developed and their
capacity for rational thought still lies ahead of them. They are simply not capable of being a fully functioning life partner. </span> It just seems to work best when adults are holding the reins. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">This lets the child feel the consistency, order and security of adult decisions being made.</span> And when there are two adults, they can each look to each other for guidance and decision making. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">This, a</span>s well, models for the child what a successful working marriage looks like, one that they can then pattern their own life after. <br /><br />I'm not forgetting 'deal breakers' here. Sometimes we have to let go of a relationship. Our work together is done and we go our separate ways. And if a marriage doesn't work, for whatever reason, being a single parent or sharing parenting in separate households is a much better option than having ill-will and contention rule the home. But if we can work through our differences and keep a happy home, it does wonders for a child to be able to witness that.<br /><br />One of the enduring markers to health, which includes the health of relationships, is to ask oneself, 'When did I stop singing?' And, 'When did I stop dancing?' If you have stopped, start the work there. And then do it together. We need to remember to have fun. To sing and to dance and to be playful. We need to laugh and crack jokes, and have a good time. We need to touch and smile and chase each other mirthfully around the house every once in a while. We need to sit together and watch the sunset and make and eat good food. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">last but certainly not least, </span>we need to remember that the doors to love open from the inside. It is not so much who someone else is, or how amazing they are. We are all amazing sparks of Divine Love. What matters is that we hold our focus on seeing that spark in the other. They didn't cause us to fall in love with them so much as we came to the place in ourselves that was ready to open the doors of our hearts, to open ourselves to love. And this is a choice that we can make everyday. We can choose to love.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>Josephine Laing's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16288191036600708973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812630801164431575.post-13737249186800289622022-01-03T16:59:00.040-08:002022-01-18T14:00:32.554-08:00Our Refined Sugar Addicted Culture<p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFVos4P5OX-4IwkNiTDRAbQVsIrFylY-Xv-tvycfs4dAX2avDj4MTzUrjKTOorVALWYqmWHA1A0GKsf7sE15wsqrvo8ExqZeebvHmwjVxyThSHf2SAY2pC9_saeku_JLfNdYfQEjzugzmltcAd56Z66IrqTLLRt4hSI1upuQanFrtEenxxLMCIfuOO7g=s640" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFVos4P5OX-4IwkNiTDRAbQVsIrFylY-Xv-tvycfs4dAX2avDj4MTzUrjKTOorVALWYqmWHA1A0GKsf7sE15wsqrvo8ExqZeebvHmwjVxyThSHf2SAY2pC9_saeku_JLfNdYfQEjzugzmltcAd56Z66IrqTLLRt4hSI1upuQanFrtEenxxLMCIfuOO7g=s320" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I have quit sugar hundreds of times, and I'm not exaggerating. I think I first started stopping when I was about seventeen, after a fully sugar-saturated childhood, commonly having it with my three meals a day, often complimented with two or three sugar snacks or desserts in between. I began perfecting my strategy to overcome this addiction in my twenties, researching the health problems, reading books like Sugar Blues, by William Dufty, a classic, and observing the co-craving pulls, like my body's need for magnesium, which is found in dark chocolate. Not only would I engage my rational mind and my will power, but I'd also put a few tablespoons of tart cherry juice concentrate in my drinking water in order to keep my magnesium levels nicely replenished all day. And this is still a strategy that I advise for those who just can't say 'No' to chocolate, which is very hard for many of us to do.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Another sugar stopping strategy for chocoholics, (if the caffeine therein isn't posing a problem,) is to turn to non-sweetened sources of chocolate, like Pascha 100% cacao unsweetened organic dark chocolate baking chips. These are Fair Trade Chocolates, which means that unlike 95% of the chocolate that is sold in the world, no human rights abuses or child slave labor was involved in the production of this product. That is a really good thing. And it is available at most healthy food stores. Another non-sweetened source that is very good, comes from the UK and is available here in the states at many of the Trader Joe's stores. This is Montezuma's 100% Cacao Solids, Dark Chocolate, Absolute Black bar with Cocoa Nibs. These bars are ethically sourced, though they are not certified Fair Trade chocolates. With a similar ethic, another popular favorite is Addictive Wellness Raw Wild Cacao With Adaptogenic Super herbs. With mostly organic or wildcrafted ingredients, it is not only refined sugar-free but it is also gluten-free, keto, vegan and paleo. Unlike the other two that I've mentioned, which are not sweet, the Addictive Wellness chocolates are sweetened with xylitol and stevia. This small company also makes their chocolates with health promoting herbs so the consumer gets more than just the chocolate fix. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But it is not just chocolate that is at the root of our problem here, it is the refined sugar. Our primary sugar crops are sugar cane or sugar beets. Currently 95% of the sugar beets in the USA are grown from genetically modified seed. This means that if you are eating something sweet, say at a restaurant or friend's house and the sugar used was not cane sugar, which is highly likely, then you are, quite assuredly, inadvertently, consuming a GMO product. Just so you know. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">When sugar is refined, all of the naturally complimenting nutrients are washed away, leaving only the pure white crystalline substance we all crave so hungrily. Molasses is the by-product of the rinsing and the concentrated result of all that has been removed. This is part of the reason why molasses is seen by many as a healthy food. Molasses may help to prevent anemia because it offers iron. It also provides calcium, magnesium, potassium, along with a variety of B vitamins. I've learned that one half of a teaspoon of molasses per day, perhaps served in a cup of herbal tea, can prevent a tendency toward easy bruising, which sometimes happens in people with anemia.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">After the molasses has been removed, those remaining refined sugar molecules are significantly different. When they passes through our bodies, they try to make themselves whole again. They grab onto and rob us of our own vitamins and minerals on their way out. This seriously depletes our health and compromises our immunity. And that's not all refined sugar does. Recently there have been studies that show how those stripped sugar molecules accumulate in the folds of the skin contributing to wrinkles. Other studies show how <a href="https://www.skinanddiet.com/post/2018/03/12/why-consuming-too-much-sugar-can-lead-to-wrinkles-and-aging-skin" target="_blank">sugar</a> destroys collagen causing sagging skin. But that is not the worst of it. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I've heard that we all successfully process and eliminate something like thirty million cancer cells per day. That is amazing and wonderful. The problem happens when some of those thirty million cells slip past our bodies immune system and set up housekeeping somewhere, like in one of our nutrient rich internal organs. Cancer cells have a great affinity for sugar way more than any other cell in the body. They need huge amounts of it for their growth and they use roughly 200 times more <a href="https://www.webmd.com/cancer/features/cancer-sugar-link " target="_blank">sugar</a> than normal cells. And, along comes our regular sugar-addicted intake to feed that growing cluster of cells and 'Voila!' we find ourselves in trouble. It is good to remember that when we are regularly eating sugar we are feeding cancer cells. Not a good idea. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So, yeah, bad bad bad. We don't want to do it. But, it's addictive. Very addictive. In animal testing experiments, mice who were made to be addicted to both sugar and cocaine, chose the sugar first, over the cocaine, when deprived of both. That shows us how extremely addictive refined sugar is.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Some people are under the mistaken assumption that brown sugar isn't white sugar, but it is. It is just that it has had a little molasses added back in for color. So, it is good to also watch out for that common trap or justification, thinking that brown sugar is somehow better for you. It's not. It is still white sugar with just one other little ingredient. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">A few years ago some of my British friends told me that for health reasons food producers in the UK were no longer allowed to put added table salt in their processed foods, like crackers and such. But sales dropped way off, so they started including more sugar instead and sales shot back up. Now, I see that currently the UK has introduced legislation to restrict low-priced offers on foods that are high in fat, sugar or salt content. When the government pays for health care, it tends to care a little more about everyone's health. But here in the United States, sugar related illnesses are increasing every year: Type 2 Diabetes, obesity, cognitive decline, cardiovascular disease and obesity. And sugar is a big part of our lives.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">For my own part, I know that my little sugar addicted self can hardly stop me when I am confronted with a nice salty, sweet cracker, like a Ritz or a Wheat Thins, especially if it is paired with cheese, (the casein in which is another addictive substance.) The internal justifications come flying to the fore of my thoughts. "It's only a teeny bit of sugar. I'm not eating the desert. It's just a few pieces of cheese and a little cracker or two." (More like ten.) </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And then there are all of the other processed foods, laden with refined sugar and other empty calories. White flour, for instance, which though high in caloric value, has been stripped of almost all of it's nutrients. Most of it's vitamins, protein and fiber get lost during processing. Thus it is empty or nearly devoid of all nutritional value. Almost every loaf of bread sold in supermarkets is full of empty calories and they most often also contain sugar. Deli items like coleslaw, canned goods like soups or three bean salad, all too frequently have sugar in them. Almost all potluck food table dishes, "My, your beets are so sweet and lovely." Yes, and there is a reason for that. The glaze is laced with more than 'just a pinch' of brown sugar. Not to mention restaurants. Chefs know what makes us want to come back for more.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And, food scientists have been perfecting this for years. Sugar. Fat. And salt. Our brains are hard wired, from our distant past, to seek out these three qualities in our foods in order to keep us well fed and alive. But, when we were foragers, we would only find one of these big three at a time. Fruit would give us sweetness. Vegetables like beet greens and celery or sea kelp would give us that savory saltiness. And fats would come from nuts and seeds. But those three didn't come paired or tripled together in any one food. We had to seek them out separately. And we did. And the pull for each was plenty strong enough to get us there. But when you put these together, like the salt and sugar of those fatty crackers that I was mentioning, or a good cheesecake with all three, salt, sugar and fat, then our little brain cells go berserk, "Pay day!" And you can bet we will want to come back for more. Those who support the food industry with research to increase consumer sales absolutely know this and definitely capitalize on it.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In my long personal history of stopping sugar, again and again, all of these points have helped me along the way to strengthen my resolve. In my earlier decades the main concern was slowing my gradual wight gain. But the holidays and all of their temptations would lure me back. "Just one chocolate bar, it's Christmas," or a few pieces from the annual gift box of "Sees." Then New Year's Resolutions, "That's it. No more." But then Valentines Day comes along, and "It's such a nice candy heart, given with such sweet love," or Easter with fluffy yellow Marshmallow Peeps. Birthdays and cakes of distinction in summer, jello and cream and puffy dry light meringue cookies with chocolate chips, marzipan and baklava, not to forget Halloween or those lovely Thanksgiving pies. Then it is Christmas, all over again. So, yes, hundreds of times. At least five times a year for decades. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I have one friend who shared with me that she had stopped sugar, once and for all. Then she woke up six months later, with a cold and the realization that it was probably due to all of the sugar which she had been eating that past week. She was shocked to remember that she had forgotten all about quitting sugar and had been on an unconscious bender with it for nearly five of those six months time. So, she quit again. This is often the way it goes with addictions. How many tries has it taken the smokers you've known to finally move beyond it. Addiction is not easy to overcome.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I would like to mention that in some cases a sugar addiction can save us from more potentially imminently dangerous addictions, like alcoholism. When I've attended AA meetings as a guest with family members or friends, I'm actually glad to see the cookies and punch that can help keep those folks coming to their meetings. A lesser addiction can be a solution. And that's a good thing.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But for those of us who just want to get off sugar, I've learned a few tricks. First if you typically have sugar every day at say 2:00 pm. Then, a 1:00 pm it can really help if you can beat yourself to the punch and have a big hit of sweetness that is not made with refined sugar. Both honey and maple syrup are not as addictive as refined sugar and they are a whole food, so they don't try to rob you of nutrients as they pass through. Both of these natural sugars provide a lot of good minerals. So, take a big spoonful, enough to beyond satisfy. I'll make a 'cookie bowl' of one tablespoon of honey, one half of a sliced banana, one pat of softened butter, one tablespoon of peanut butter, ten or twenty raisins and or the same number of non-sweetened chocolate chips. (Organic, vegan unsweetened dark chocolate chips are sold in most healthy food stores or are available on-line.) I stir it all together and wolf it down. Then when 2:00 pm comes around, I've already had my hit.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">For holidays, have some fun and learn how to bake. Make all of those special treats, like pumpkin or apple pie, substituting honey or maple syrup for sugar, cup for cup, in the recipes. This will get you through and it is delicious. Honey burns a little quicker than sugar so watch your temperatures and times. In decades past, I've even made butter brickle with equal parts maple syrup and butter, stirring constantly in a hot pan until 'the hard ball stage.' But, remember, we want to use these natural sugars as a step down plan. The idea is to get through the tough temptations and then gradually let them go too.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Next you can go a little further. Instead of apple pie with super sweet honey and empty calorie white flour crusts, try baked apples. No need to peel, just core them almost to the bottom and then put some spices like cinnamon or nutmeg in the cavity with a pat of butter or not. If that's not sweet enough to satisfy you, try dropping a teaspoon of St. Dalfour 100% fruit jam in there and slow bake them with a little water in the bottom of the pan for several hours until they are well caramelized, nice and brown, and their skins have started to split. These not only make a satisfying desert that you could serve with a little raw cream, for a holiday treat, but they also make a great cold breakfast food too.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Some years back, I learned a great mantra, which holds me in good stead now. "If it is sweet and it is not a raw organic piece of fruit, spit it out." Recently, I've actually made it two whole years without a single molecule of refined sugar passing through these lips. And if a slight indiscretion should occur, like one of those crackers, I can immediately feel that dip in my immune system, telling me to watch my step. This is because sugar knocks your immune system a nasty set back for generally four hours after just a small consumption. Not something that I want to do during the holidays, this year or any year when the viruses and bacteria of colds and flus are flying around.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So, just in case your New Year's Resolution includes cutting back on white sugar or quitting it all together, I thought I'd share my path to healing and give you all a few tips and a little boost with your resolve. A Very Happy New Year to you. May it be full of great health and joy.</span></p>Josephine Laing's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16288191036600708973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812630801164431575.post-31488946860525447102021-12-22T12:56:00.014-08:002021-12-22T15:15:18.763-08:00The Return of the Light<p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNgUYBQb9u8lEEvsvTPfys2KJ1SeRkLPZNPt1lY0whn6SiRbd89sAq8_rahKvrfiP1ljtLUWJVRQ-nYKto-NScg5iAuNP9MzhunCTEdCl8Kvv6rValuYBlQserK7hnafmvZrB2AXaOFD5RUkPWVAShcSIrJv51TxSwxrjkrbj22LMb-ZnO-9ewW8O88Q=s633" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="508" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNgUYBQb9u8lEEvsvTPfys2KJ1SeRkLPZNPt1lY0whn6SiRbd89sAq8_rahKvrfiP1ljtLUWJVRQ-nYKto-NScg5iAuNP9MzhunCTEdCl8Kvv6rValuYBlQserK7hnafmvZrB2AXaOFD5RUkPWVAShcSIrJv51TxSwxrjkrbj22LMb-ZnO-9ewW8O88Q=s320" width="257" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As the Winter Solstice slides away behind us and our Earth begins another annual circuit, twirling daily on her axis as she travels around the sun, it seems only well and good to take a few moments contemplating what we are leaving behind and what we are entering into with this new Return of the Light. As of today, the days will be getting a little longer and the nights will each become progressively shorter until we reach our new year's Summer Solstice, six months from now. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I would like to suggest that we take a little time to first honor some of the darker experiences we've each felt, both personally and collectively, from this past year. Winter is a time when some of us hibernate. We can all set aside a little time to go within. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Perhaps you'd like to write something down that you are willing to let go of and then release it. Maybe the recycling bin would be the perfect vessel to receive it, or it could be buried in the garden, or using good fire safety, it could be carefully burned over the kitchen sink. It's good to consciously let go of whatever we no longer wish to have in our lives. This year, I'm burning any and all limitations to our arising human consciousness, that which understands and fully honors the absolute sacredness of all life on earth. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Then, while still in personal private ceremony, we can begin this new journey, into the increasing light of the coming year, by honoring and calling to us all that we would love to see and do and think and feel. I like to use my five senses when I am imagining what I'd like to manifest in my life. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We can ask ourselves, "What would my body love to do? How would that feel? What does it smell like, taste like, sound like?" If it is walking on the beach more often, can I imagine seeing the crashing of the waves on the shore, can I hear the seabirds call and smell the good salt sea spray? And then, when I get to the beach, I try to consciously remember all of that and take it all in.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We can seek new experiences and awarenesses on every level of our being, be they spiritual, mental, emotional or physical. And we can ask for help. I used to call on the spirit of Domingo, an old Portuguese friend of mine, who could build anything out of nothing. Whenever I've needed some help with a project, I've called him to me and there I suddenly see just exactly what is needed to finish my work.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So, think of a change that you would like to see happening in your life. While these days are still quite short, realize that we see differently in the dark. Ask for help from spirit if you feel like you could use it. Let yourself have a little quiet time to visualize what you'd like to see in the coming New Year. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Go ahead and ask, "What is a new pattern that I would like to see in my life? or in the world?" "What changes can I easily make to improve my stability or balance or my level of health? or the health of those around me? or the health of our planet?" "What would I love to see in my life?" "What would help me to bloom?"<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It is important for us to wake up to what we love and what we long for. This can help us to look within to see where our joy and purpose lie. It is good to take the time to listen for whatever miracles may be available to open up for you. We don't often need to know more than the next two or three steps ahead. But if we pay those heed and meet their needs, often the rest of the path will open up before us.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As Rumi said,</span></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Listen, make a way for yourself, inside yourself.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">(painting by my friend Aya, The Stairs to Dinky Creek) </span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></i><br /></p>Josephine Laing's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16288191036600708973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812630801164431575.post-19889727952002643262021-11-25T14:10:00.009-08:002021-11-25T15:00:14.105-08:00 My Spontaneous Gratitude Prayer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBNud-dRZ8BH00_OwQP5VyYILx7E63EK9WzICJ9z5yqQkBj69s2MIHEmIuufOb-9UJ7acmp9NUXKf54FbTSRT50AIqlGOLXkwfHoqUwZ8r7igXrzE_9ljW7n-TqILsVBhMQj1AOI80U3Tr/s2048/gracie+flower+connie+ret.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBNud-dRZ8BH00_OwQP5VyYILx7E63EK9WzICJ9z5yqQkBj69s2MIHEmIuufOb-9UJ7acmp9NUXKf54FbTSRT50AIqlGOLXkwfHoqUwZ8r7igXrzE_9ljW7n-TqILsVBhMQj1AOI80U3Tr/s320/gracie+flower+connie+ret.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> This Thanksgiving I would like to share with you one of my favorite prayers. It just burst out of me one day while I was dancing in a large golden room, with my women friends, during a Thanksgiving Holiday, some many years ago. I call it My Spontaneous Gratitude Prayer. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> I most like to do this prayer while dancing, allowing my body to engage in free form interpretive movement. I let myself twirl and swoop and rise to my toes with the words, before sliding down onto or toward the floor and then reaching up again, to frolic or slow down and sway and then romp about some more. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> This prayer is a sort of free association experience. I let myself drift into a slightly altered state of consciousness, and then I just begin to think of this and that and say whatever pops into my mind that I am grateful for, which is pretty much everything. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> So this month, I'm inviting you to play with this idea, even while sitting or standing or lying down. But if you are feeling frisky enough, try it while moving. And in either case, set yourself free. Let your mind drift and open your voice to express your feelings about the many, wonderful aspects of being alive on earth.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>Here is an example to get you started.<br /><br /> "I am grateful for roses and kisses and bright sun shine. I am grateful for the moon and the wind and still winter nights. Oh how I love horses and birds and bees and trees and my beloved husband and all the children of the world and all the people and animals and plants of the world. Thank you for each and everyone of them. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> I'm grateful for barns and cats and fine wine, even though I rarely drink any, but I'm glad for those who enjoy it so. And I'm grateful for the food that finds it's way to our table and for all who helped to bring it there.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> I'm grateful for soil and mulch and the good green and blue earth. I'm grateful for the strength in my body that allows me to plant my garden and dig my fingers into the dirt and pull out potatoes and carrots and beautiful shiny bright earth worms. I do love the worms and I'm grateful for my horse, who is in spirit now, and for all of the joy she brought to me, and all of the fun we had together, and how she helps me to laugh out loud, even to this day. I am grateful for laughter. Oh, how I am grateful for laughter and dancing and swimming and sleeping and eating and all of the lovely pleasures the world has to offer.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> I'm grateful to everything and everyone, who has helped me to form my life. I'm so very grateful for the moments that have helped me to grow, even if they seemed difficult, they helped me to know better who I am and what I need and to better know my love for life.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> I'm grateful for grasses and the wild herds that feed themselves on the great plains. I'm grateful for forests and rivers and all of the fishes and the great families of animals and herbs. I'm grateful for volcanos and the fire of spirit that burns in us all. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> I'm grateful for the cells and tissues of my body and the great inner wisdom that resides there and guides me through my days, with skill and expertise, all innate and free. I'm grateful for health care providers and their assistance, so lovingly given and compassionate. I'm grateful for compassion and love and for every human emotion and for all of the emotions of all sentient beings. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> I'm grateful for rocks and pathways into the woods. I'm grateful for dogs and for cats and bumble bees, antelope and whales. I'm grateful for leaves on the trees blowing in the breeze. <br /><br /> Moving in my mind into the prayer position, I'll stop here. But, let me just finish with how grateful I am for you.<br /> Happy Thanksgiving. With love. </span><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><br /></div><br /><br />Josephine Laing's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16288191036600708973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812630801164431575.post-57360414126454935632021-10-12T18:55:00.004-07:002021-10-16T14:40:28.711-07:00A Way Forward<p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibMYjESMe-45sxwD2QE4rx8yUu_WK-a8oU0eRl3HsWKCJvgkWEjkIy8ce-4djUTfOdmJgXbUhGK6rVlAMzjo792UJSWrRihR109sxEb4TeQUgQuTXz0_Y39d5IKsWULTEhK5cO7dYHhy4v/s2048/IMG_0639.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibMYjESMe-45sxwD2QE4rx8yUu_WK-a8oU0eRl3HsWKCJvgkWEjkIy8ce-4djUTfOdmJgXbUhGK6rVlAMzjo792UJSWrRihR109sxEb4TeQUgQuTXz0_Y39d5IKsWULTEhK5cO7dYHhy4v/s320/IMG_0639.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We have become so diametrically opposed. We are either a Red or a Blue State, anti-vax or pro-vaccine. We have completely fallen into a left brain style of thinking where it is "me" instead of "we," feeling that I'm right and they are wrong. And it is no surprise, since we've been taught judgement and duality from the womb up: good/bad, right/wrong, up/down, dark and light. By the time we are in our twenties, we've become pros at this way of seeing the world. Too often it takes decades, if not to the very ends of our lives, to learn how to loosen our grip on these more rigid perspectives.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> One day, years ago, while I was out gardening, it dawned on me that Diversity Negates Right and Wrong. In a world of so much intricate beauty and variety, there can be no absolute truth. A field of daisies requires different care than a rose. What is right for a cat may or may not be right for a dog. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> When we think that we have found THE way, either through original thought, or because we have heard or seen something that resonates with the way we feel or have been taught to think, we jump on that band wagon and look for or join a tribe that supports us. A shaky new faith has always been bolstered by the presence of others who agree. Then, to make ourselves feel even more reassured about being right, we try to recruit others and begin proselytizing. Dominant religious and political beliefs are good examples of this. And they give us a feeling of belonging, of being a part of something. It helps us to feel less lonely, even if we are still sitting alone in our own home somewhere. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> And, we can get really invested in our stance. "I'm a thumb and I know what is best for the rest of you fingers. I've got it all figured out and if you will just listen to me..." But, the baby finger says, "No, that doesn't work for me!" Because, we are all unique. We've each got different requirements and various jobs to do. And yet, more importantly, in this example, "We are all cells in the body of humanity." (<a href="https://www.peacepilgrim.org/" target="_blank">Peace Pilgrim</a>.) We are all a part of the same whole.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> We've got too many big jobs ahead of us to get lost in the squabbles over details. And we've got a baby to birth here, a new human consciousness that is waiting to be born, where we embrace our "We" rather than just "Me."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> So, how do we start to come together? <br />1.) I like to go outside and take a little break from all the details involved in organizing details. Here I can pause, look up and see the beauty around me. If even just for a moment, this lets me expand into a greater viewpoint that involves more than just me.<br />2.) Reaching out and connecting, helping someone with something or asking for help is a great way to come together. We all like to help each other. We feel honored when someone asks us for our help and we feel good about ourselves when we give it. Or, just calling a friend for a chat lets both of us feel more connected.<br />3.) Finding common ground, (it's always there even if we have strong differences,) be it baseball, knitting or a love for animals and plants, this is always a great way to come together. We can acknowledge our differences, we don't have to focus on them. (John and Susan Marks have made tremendous headway in finding peace and moving forward along these lines with their global work, <a href=" https://www.sfcg.org/" target="_blank">Search</a> For Common Ground.) </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> Basically, I think we all really want the same things. We all want to feel safe and have peace in our lives. We all want to be healthy and get a good night's sleep so we can awaken with bright new ideas for our day ahead and do what we would love to do. We all want to have fun and laugh and play. We all love to marvel at the beauties and majesty and awesomeness of nature and to feel one with all around us. And all of this opens us up to greater love. Love is the core essence of our being. Love is what we have come from and will return to. It is also what we are all really reaching for when we feel so divided.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> And I think that these common goals are what we really want and would be best for us to focus on and come together around. So, let's try to find ways, that we each feel inspired to do, to help make that happen, first in our own lives and then letting that naturally flow out, in whatever way it best fits, to others.</span></p>Josephine Laing's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16288191036600708973noreply@blogger.com2