tag:www.naturalawakenings.com,2005:/categories/wise-words?page=18Wise Words Wise Words | Natural Awakenings Magazine Page 18Healthy Living Healthy Planet2019-08-28T16:15:55-04:00urn:uuid:1dc82003-f103-42ef-a5b4-19365e0a21ea2019-08-28T16:15:55-04:002019-08-28T16:15:55-04:00Wild Attractions: A conversation with Paul and Betty Richards2010-02-01 03:00:00 -0500S. Allison Chabonais<p><em>Healthy energy habits, applied to gender awareness, result in extraordinary relationships, say Paul and Patty Richards, whose 59 “Energetic Facts of Life” emanate from their own experience. They teach these principles through the Senté Center they co-founded in the United States and New Zealand. Both are trained seers who formerly enjoyed dynamic careers in aerospace engineering and nursing. They call for the intelligent harmonizing of masculine and feminine energies in intimate relationships as pivotal to humanity’s survival.<br><br>Natural Awakenings explores some of the key principles this lovingly aware pair practices, as articulated in their new book, <strong>Wild Attraction</strong>.</em></p><p><em><br></em></p><p><strong>How do we ensure that we are attracted to and attracting a safe, available partner?</strong><br><br>At heart, you must first have a confidently open, positive expectation that qualified candidates exist. It’s a complex process these days to find a healthy, well-suited individual. Knowing this helps you relax, rather than worry about the near misses, whose roles are to teach us about fatal flaws and help us make better choices. <br><br>Two things lead to a successful selection process: time and community. Getting to know a potential partner over time, in many environments and circumstances, draws you close as you see into their world, become a part of their community and erase ‘knowledge gaps’ about their life that can make you feel unsure. Look for a compassionate view of both genders, one not tangled in self. How do they treat people over whom they have power? Tune out their words and witness their actions.<br><br>Ask the most glorious couple you know for help in discerning the qualities that would make an ideal mate for you. Women best evaluate women. A good man has the eyes to see another good man. In today’s highly mobile communities, we’re operating blind when it comes to an individual’s roots and reputation. Ask around.<br><br><strong>How do welcoming eyes see others?</strong><br><br>Welcoming eyes have a ‘bring it on’ expression, projected in the upper half of the face, from the nose to the hairline. They exude confidence in their own power to move forward and to connect in mutual joy with another, with no need to prove anything. Elijah Wood’s visage in the final leaving Middle Earth scene of The Lord of the Rings embodies welcome. Babies’ and dogs’ faces evidence such love in motion.<br><br>In contrast, the sorting eyes we use in the workplace, constantly evaluating good versus bad, are on guard against the unknown, warily seeking <br>to squelch unpredictability. These are not helpful in setting up a relationship of a lifetime.<br><br>A welcoming, yes-based life embraces new people and experiences. It loves and accepts the mystery in us more than what is known and enjoys the inevitable surprise.</p><p><strong>Why is it essential to constantly assure your mate that he or she is your first choice?<br></strong><br>Feeling chosen changes a person’s energy. Something compressed inside lets go when you register that someone has selected you as the center of their universe. If you are fortunate, you first experienced this from a parent, as a child. Women, in particular, want to feel cherished and claimed. When you declare your primary choice, all other choices line up around it. Getting behind your choice is transformational; it facilitates the formation of a stunning relationship. A mate, lover, best friend and life companion needs to have uncontested access in a heart-space not filled with children, work, hobbies or a pet.</p><p><br><strong>What can lovers do to consciously keep the fire alive and the embers glowing?<br></strong><br>The hallmark of Cary Grant’s appeal for women is that he was constantly paying attention to them, not out of need, but in sophisticated appreciation of the feminine. Men bring the energy of attention that women thrive on. Even simple rituals, like arriving each day declaring, “I love seeing you when I get home,” communicates that you value her presence in your life. Asking what she needs and responding chivalrously, with a natural spring in your step, acknowledges that you find her interesting. Men are relieved to understand that their service is needed and appreciated and thrive on hearing what a “Good job!” they are doing.<br><br>Rather than ask “What attracts me?” ask “What changes me?” Avoiding change and continuing to do things your own way dulls an already tame attraction, but doing the work to connect with what delights your lover keeps the relationship charged and fires the wild attraction that answers your heart’s desire far beyond your imaginings.<br><br><br><em>Paul and Patty Richards apply their extraordinary powers of awareness to see beyond the ordinary fabric of physical reality in order to help individuals perceive and cultivate their own greatness. Learn more about Wild Attraction at </em><span class="link-external"><a href="http://www.sentecenter.com/"><em><strong>www.SenteCenter.com</strong></em></a></span><em>.</em></p><hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakenings.com">Natural Awakenings National</a></small></p>urn:uuid:0934723c-073b-40fd-89ee-f6d0e4a2cfbe2019-08-28T16:24:15-04:002019-08-28T16:24:15-04:00A Conversation with Shakti Gawain: Author and Counselor in Prosperity Consciousness2010-01-01 03:00:00 -0500Ellen Mahoney<p>Shakti Gawain is co-founder of New World Library and an internationally renowned pioneer in the fields of personal growth, visualization and prosperity consciousness. Her many best-selling books have sold 6 million copies in 30 languages. For 20 years, she has helped thousands of individuals develop greater awareness, balance and wholeness in their lives. Today, she continues to give talks and lead workshops throughout the world.</p><p><strong>What is “prosperity consciousness?”</strong></p><p>Most people think prosperity means having money, and that the more money you have, the more prosperity you have. Money is part of the process, but truly experiencing prosperity, I believe, has to do with discovering and satisfying our heart and soul’s deep needs and desires. Prosperity is an experience, a feeling of fulfillment or richness in your life, not something you can count.</p><p><strong>So, how is money related to individual and community prosperity?</strong></p><p>If you look at people in the world who have millions or billions of dollars, some are doing creative, interesting and purposely helpful things with their money. But too often, people become solely hung up on the money factor and don’t end up doing much that really satisfies them. They’re not feeling as safe and secure, as successful and free, as they hoped they would.</p><p>In contrast, those living an elegantly simple life may not be making a lot of money, but if they’re right where they want to be in life, they often experience a deep sense of satisfaction and peace of mind.</p><p><strong>Can anyone arrive at a place of ongoing, conscious prosperity?</strong></p><p>Each of us moves through many stages on our road of self-discovery; it’s a lifelong process of growth and development and we arrive there at different times. This is what life is really all about—the discovery of what’s meaningful to us and how we can live the life that’s most satisfying to us on all levels. I’ve observed that an important part of most people’s satisfaction comes from activities associated with being in nature or singing and dancing, creating space to relax and taking in the beauty of life.</p><p><strong>What’s the secret to boosting our joy and love for life?</strong></p><p>One of the most important things that I’ve found, for myself and others, is to understand that we all really do have a wise part inside of us that’s our inner guidance. You can call it many different things. The wisdom within surfaces in an intuitive way and doesn’t necessarily depend on knowing things intellectually. It’s a sense that somewhere deep inside, there is an understanding and conviction of what’s just right for us. This can serve as a guiding force on a highly practical level.</p><p><strong>How can we stay “up” if we are unemployed, underemployed, or otherwise overwhelmed by economic hardship?</strong></p><p>Well, if we try to stay “up,” we’re often not allowing ourselves to see what’s truly going on underneath, and this can be a form of denial. What’s going on underneath can be scary to look at if we’re really feeling frightened, sad or upset, but it’s important to look at these things. It has to do with becoming more conscious and more aware of our feelings and thoughts on a day-to-day, moment-to-moment basis. It’s not easy, but it’s what every psychological and spiritual process is trying to help us to do, become more conscious of what’s going on inside of us.</p><p>Once we do, we can see what is holding us back and take steps to help ourselves feel better. Instead of denying what’s happened, we can embrace it and figure out what can be done to make it better. Getting out in nature, meditation and talking to someone you feel comfortable with are ways to nurture yourself and heal. I always would urge you to do what feels right for you.</p><p>For more information visit <span class="link-external"><a href="http://www.shaktigawain.com/">www.ShaktiGawain.com</a></span>.</p><p>Ellen Mahoney is a writer and teaches writing at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Email <span class="link-mailto"><a href="mailto:evm@infionline.net">evm@infionline.net</a></span>.</p><hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakenings.com">Natural Awakenings National</a></small></p>urn:uuid:a86e73c4-5552-437d-bf27-5a20f6a70b932019-08-28T16:18:05-04:002019-08-28T16:18:05-04:00A Conversation with Peter Rodger: Filmmaker, Author and Spiritual Seeker2009-11-01 02:00:00 -0500Brett Campion<p>Frustrated with religious turmoil, fanaticism and fundamentalism, filmmaker Peter Rodger set out on a global quest to understand why the concept of God has become so politicized. In his stunningly beautiful, just-released documentary, <em>Oh My God</em>, an intriguing assortment of celebrities and ordinary people around the world share their perspectives and individual understanding of God.</p><p><strong><em><br>What inspired you to undertake this epic documentary?</em></strong></p><p>I was fed up with the irrational, schoolyard mentality that permeates this world—I call it the “My God Is Greater than Your God,” syndrome. What is this entity that goes by the name of God, which causes so much friction, violence and pain? I decided to travel the world and ask people from all walks of life what they think about God.</p> <p> <br><strong><em>Most of us personalize God in some form or another. Why did you ask, “What is God?”, rather than, “Who is God?”</em></strong></p> <p>I wanted to look at God as an objective concept. Humanizing the concept by referring to God as “Who” already puts that concept into the image of man, and the objectivity is lost. Did God create man, or did man create God? Asking “What is?” instead of “Who is?” leads us to look at God from the outside in, rather than from the inside out, and helps quench preconceptions.</p> <p><em><strong><br>Did you find a common theme in the answers you received?</strong></em></p><p>Yes, so much commonality emerged from all over the world—“God is everything”… “God is the Creator”… “God is the energy that binds us all together”—that at one point, I thought I didn’t have a film at all. Then I realized that the problem is how man uses the God concept to control others by creating politicized ‘clubs,’ or religions, that we are expected to join. And some of these clubs dictate that if you don’t abide by the club’s laws, you are going to Hell when you die. When I recognized the role man has played in the question of God, I realized I had a film.</p> <p> <br><strong><em>What personal spiritual insights grew as a result of your journey?</em></strong></p> <p>I realized that we all have a responsibility to live our lives with tolerance and understanding for one another. When we learn about other cultures and come to appreciate our shared humanity, we realize that the only barriers among people are of our own creation, not God’s.</p> <p> <br><strong><em>You believe that children are natural vessels of Godliness. Why is that, and what can we learn from them?</em></strong></p> <p>I think children are enlightened—look into a child’s eyes and you see absolute grace. I love the truth of children, their generosity of spirit. They mingle with one another with no worries about skin color or where they come from. They absorb into themselves this amazing environment that Earth gives us, and then project it out in a beautiful, untainted, spiritual manner. As we grow older, we often lose the spiritual essence that is innate within children. They love life and laughter, and are nonjudgmental.</p> <p><strong><em><br>What do you hope people will take away after watching your film?</em></strong></p><p>I would like people who see the film to come away feeling that they have experienced an amazing journey, seeing places they would never normally see, hearing music and words that inspire them. I’d like them to be ambassadors for the discussion the film creates.</p><p>No ‘club’ is better than another club, and every human being on the planet experiences the same basic desires and feelings. There is far more that unites us than divides us.</p><p class="pullquote">"If we can open our hearts to the tolerance and<br>peace that every religion and spiritual practice<br>preaches, then we might have a chance at a good future."</p> <p><strong><em><br>How do you now answer your primary question, “What is God?”</em></strong></p><p>I believe that all of us, collectively, are what we refer to as God. God is the energy that binds us together. God is everyone’s inner consciousness. So, if true godliness is within us all, our collective energy is what drives the Universe.</p> <p><br><em>To locate a screening of Oh My God, visit </em><span class="link-external"><a href="http://www.omgmovie.com/"><em>www.omgmovie.com</em></a></span><em>. Also learn more about Peter Rodger’s upcoming books (the story of the film’s production, and a photographic essay with interviewee quotes) and a CD based on the movie’s soundtrack.</em></p><hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakenings.com">Natural Awakenings National</a></small></p>urn:uuid:4d881ff7-43d9-4649-bdbb-262351f4ff482019-08-28T16:18:04-04:002019-08-28T16:18:04-04:00A Conversation with No Impact Man: Is "No Impact" an impossible concept? Colin Beaven shares his ideas.2009-10-01 03:00:00 -0400Ellen Mahoney<p>From November 2006 to November 2007, New York City author Colin Beavan, his Prada-wearing wife Michelle and 18-month-old daughter, Isabella, went on a yearlong reduce-recycle-reuse odyssey to cut down on their daily ecological footprint. Beavan’s new book, No Impact Man, chronicles their extreme year off of America’s conspicuous <span class="highlightedSearchTerm">consumption</span> merry-go-round. Their story, also featured in a documentary film of the same name, reveals unexpected lessons about what brings happiness.</p><p><br><strong><em>What does having “no impact” mean to you?</em></strong></p><p>The concept of the no-impact experiment was that we would reduce our negative environmental impact as much as possible, by changing everything from not making trash to not using carbon-producing transportation. Then, we increased our positive impact through volunteering for environmental nonprofits, helping to plant trees and cleaning up litter on the street on our own.</p><p>The reduced negative impact, plus the increased positive impact, resulted in no net impact. Philosophically, ‘no impact,’ was a matter of trying to do more good than harm and living life more gently.</p><p><strong><em><br>Why did you and your wife challenge yourselves and your toddler daughter with a yearlong experiment in no-impact living?</em></strong></p><p>I was in deep despair about global warming and didn’t feel that anyone was really paying attention, so I wanted to write this hectoring, finger-wagging book, telling Americans how they were all bad and wrong. But then, one day I came into my house and saw both air conditioners were on and thought, “Oh my God, you’re such a hypocrite.” I realized the truth of the adage that when you have one finger pointing away from you, there are always three fingers pointing back at yourself. I realized that if I lived my core values in my own life, it could be a story vehicle to discuss environmental issues at the same time.</p><p> <br><strong><em>Please share the most vital lessons you and Michelle learned in your efforts to live a greener, cleaner lifestyle for a year.</em></strong></p><p>I learned that I can personally make a difference, and by extension, that everybody can make a difference. I realized that living life according to one’s values and being involved in your community through civic engagement actually does change things; we’re not powerless as individuals. I think that Michelle, who would be the first to tell you she was a consummate consumer, learned that letting go of the <span class="highlightedSearchTerm">consumption</span> paradigm can result in being happier.</p><p> <br><strong><em>Are you going to continue your no-impact lifestyle?</em></strong></p><p>We have kept a lot of it these past two years and we continue to do what makes sense in our lives, but there are no ‘rules’ left. So, for example, it makes economic sense to give away our air conditioners. We use electricity, but now we only use 20 percent of the electricity we used before. We sometimes use the subway now, but mostly we get around on our bicycles. We will occasionally eat in restaurants, but we prefer to shop at farmers’ markets and choose food that’s good for us.</p><p>The adaptations we’ve made in our lives are not done out of a sense of moral obligation, but because they are better for us.</p><p> <br><strong><em>What are five important sustainable living tips we can all realistically adopt to immediately minimize our impact?</em></strong></p><p>You can stop eating beef, give up bottled water, make getting fit part of your everyday life and volunteer for an environmental organization. Also, take an ‘Eco-Sabbath,’ which means taking an hour, an afternoon or a day a week when you don’t buy anything, turn anything on or off and don’t travel anywhere.</p><p><br><strong><em>What do you tell people who think the whole concept is impossible or unrealistic for them?</em></strong></p><p>The reason why it looks so hard is because our larger systems are not sustainable. This means we need to get involved in collective action and let city officials and state and national legislators know that we want sustainable systems. The truth of the matter is that, sooner or later, we are going to have to start living differently if we want to maintain the habitat that we depend upon for our health, happiness and security.</p><p><em><br>For more information visit </em><span class="link-external"><a href="http://www.noimpactproject.org/"><em><strong>www.NoImpactProject.org</strong></em></a></span><em>.</em></p><p><em><br>Ellen Mahoney is a freelance writer and teaches writing at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Contact </em><span class="link-mailto"><a href="mailto:evm@infionline.net"><em><strong>evm@infionline.net</strong></em></a></span><em>.</em></p><hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakenings.com">Natural Awakenings National</a></small></p>urn:uuid:9bec93d8-bdc1-4f10-8b43-1a6c89f066632019-08-28T16:29:41-04:002019-08-28T16:29:41-04:00A Conversation with Sally Bingham: Community Minister, National Activist 2009-10-01 03:00:00 -0400April Thompson<p>The Rev. Canon Sally Bingham, a priest at San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral, is founder and president of the Regeneration Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to greening faith-based communities. Through their Interfaith Power and Light campaign, Bingham and her eco-apostles have helped some 10,000 congregations in 28 states to reduce their carbon footprint.</p><p>A stay-at-home mom until she enrolled in college at age 45, Bingham is a recipient of the Purpose Prize, which honors leaders over 60 who are taking on society’s biggest challenges. She is the lead author of the 2009 book, <em>Love God, Heal Earth: 21 Leading Religious Voices Speak Out on Our Sacred Duty to Protect the Environment</em>.</p><p><strong><br>What scriptures or spiritual teachings specifically impel you and others to act to save the environment?</strong></p><p>The first and great commandment is to love God and love your neighbor as yourself. Your neighbor isn’t just the person next door; it’s also the generation after us. This is a mandate for environmental protection.</p><p>God asked us to be fruitful and multiply and “tend the garden.” We’ve certainly multiplied; now we need to focus on gardening. God gave us dominion—which is different from domination and exploitation; it means taking care of the Earth.</p><p><strong><br>How do you engage average church-going Americans in big-picture issues like the environment, when they may be struggling to pay the bills?</strong></p><p>We show people ways they can save money. We gave out 48,000 free compact fluorescent light bulbs to our congregation, and they took them home and reduced their energy bills immediately.</p><p>There is a start-up cost to some of the alternatives we promote, but sometimes you have to spend money to save money. For example, we help congregations put in solar panels, which have a payback period of about eight years. Once installed, that congregation will start getting electricity for free, and they receive credit for any excess electricity they sell back to the grid.</p> <p><strong><br>You founded Interfaith Power and Light in 1997, when the idea of putting solar panels on churches was revolutionary. Now that “green” has gone mainstream, is it easier to get congregations on board?</strong></p> <p>We no longer have to be proactive. People now come to us in such swarms; we barely have sufficient staff to deal with the requests, even though our national office employs eight people.</p><p>We have some tremendous success stories. Perhaps the most dramatic was when a 10-day blackout hit. The Catholic priest who runs our Michigan office and has a solar panel wired to a wind turbine to supply power to his congregation became a beacon of light by serving up hot food and warm-water showers to the community.</p><p>Our “Cool Congregation” program encourages families to compete with each other to have the most energy-efficient home. We hear stories of kids riding their bikes to church and even taking cold showers to decrease their energy use. Once people get the message of conservation, they become admirably creative.</p> <p><strong><br>How are you building an interfaith coalition that cuts across the political spectrum?</strong></p> <p>These days, we’re doing a little more advocacy work than we used to, getting people to ask their legislators for laws that will cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. During our lobby day in Washington in May, rabbis, Buddhists and Catholic priests walk the White House halls to talk about these issues.</p><p>An unexpected consequence of our work is that people of diverse religions have put their theological differences aside for this common purpose. We deliver a similar message to politicians: If you are a person of faith, then you have a responsibility to care for creation, no matter your political affiliation.</p> <p><strong><br>How can we learn to see living an eco-friendly life as a spiritual practice?</strong></p> <p>The first step is to understand the present situation of environmental degradation. People generally want to do the right thing. Years ago, I unconsciously behaved in ways that harmed our environment, but now, among other things, I compost, drive a fuel-efficient car and unplug appliances when they’re not in use.</p><p>There is a discipline involved in following any kind of spiritual path. But eventually, it becomes who you are; you’ll find that your heart grows bigger in the process.</p> <p><br>For more information, visit <span class="link-external"><a href="http://www.theregenerationproject.org/">www.TheRegenerationProject.org</a></span>.</p> <p><br>April Thompson is a Washington, D.C.-based writer, entrepreneur and consultant whose work has appeared in dozens of books and magazines. Connect at AprilWrites.com.</p><hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakenings.com">Natural Awakenings National</a></small></p>urn:uuid:949d92ed-2dbd-419e-86c7-8beec263acca2019-08-28T16:18:56-04:002019-08-28T16:18:56-04:00Wayne Dyer: Excuses Begone: A Conversation with the Best-selling Author2009-09-01 03:00:00 -0400Ellen Mahoney<p>Internationally renowned author and speaker Wayne Dyer, Ph.D., has devoted his life to helping others become healthier and happier. He is the author of more than 30 books and producer of the motion picture, <em>The Shift</em>. His newest book, <em>Excuses Begone!</em> <em>How to Change Lifelong, Self-Defeating Thinking Habits</em>, was inspired by the ancient teachings of the Tao Te Ching.<br> </p><p><strong><br>Q. What common excuses do people use in grappling with their conscience?</strong><br>Excuses are the explanations we use for hanging on to behaviors we don’t like about ourselves; they are self-defeating behaviors we don’t know how to change. In <em>Excuses Begone!</em> I review 18 of the most common excuses people use, such as “I’m too busy, too old, too fat, too scared or it’s going to take too long or be too difficult.”</p><p>We spend a big hunk of our lifetimes contemplating what we can’t have, what we don’t want and what’s missing in our lives. What we have to learn is to put our attention and focus on contemplating what it is we would like to attract, and not on what is missing.</p> <p><strong><br>Q. You talk about mind viruses. What are these?</strong><br>A virus has three purposes: to duplicate, to infiltrate and to spread from one host to the next. Ultimately, even a single virus can shut down an entire system.</p><p>A mind virus is different in that there is no form to it; these are ideas placed in our heads when we are little. We get programmed by well-meaning people like our parents and their parents, our culture, religions and schools. We get conditioned to believe in our limitations and what’s not possible.</p><p>After a while, we start really believing these things are true. People who have had self-defeating behaviors for a long time, such as people who have been overweight since they were children or people with longtime addictions, actually believe there is no other alternative.</p> <p><strong><br>Q. What’s the payoff for living a life filled with excuses?</strong><br>There’s a payoff for everyone. The reason we hang on to self-defeating behaviors is because it’s easier not to take responsibility. If you’re blaming something or someone else for the way you are, then that person, those people, those circumstances or those energies, are going to have to change in order for you to get better; that’s most likely never going to happen. It’s also a way to manipulate other people.</p><p>Usually, making excuses is just something we can get away with, rather than challenging or changing ourselves. If you want to change and you want your life to work at a level you’ve never had before, then take responsibility for it.</p><p>I’m not saying that a child who was abused or beaten or abandoned made that happen, but your reaction to it is always yours. While you were four, you didn’t know anything other than being terrified and scared; you’re not four any longer. Now [as an adult] you have to make a choice and recognize that even the abuse that came into your life offers you an opportunity to transcend it, to become a better person and even more significantly, to help someone else not go through what you did.</p> <p><strong><br>Q. What is your seven-question paradigm to help people change long-established habits of negative thinking?</strong><br>The paradigm helps a person identify the thought system, which is almost always false, that is behind the rationale for the continuation of excuses. It helps them really look at excuses from an objective point of view and realize that everything they’ve been thinking is just as likely to be not true as it is to be true.I believe if you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.</p> <p><strong><br>Q. When we look at our own lives and think about the lives of loved ones, what is key to living a healthy, happy, love-based life?</strong><br>The key is to trust in your own divinity, to know that you are a piece of God, and that you are like what you came from. As a spiritual being, you have Divinity within. When Albert Einstein was asked about the impact of quantum physics, he said, “It’s just all details, I just want to think like God thinks.” And God thinks in terms of creating, kindness, beauty and goodness.</p> <p><br>For more information visit <span class="link-external"><a href="http://www.drwaynedyer.com/">www.DrWayneDyer.com</a></span></p> <p>Ellen Mahoney is a freelance writer who teaches writing at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Contact <span class="link-mailto"><a href="mailto:evm@infionline.net">evm@infionline.net</a></span>.</p><hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakenings.com">Natural Awakenings National</a></small></p>urn:uuid:0f35c4f1-9b7a-4def-a584-f1bbc74e7d5b2019-08-28T16:32:38-04:002019-08-28T16:32:38-04:00A Conversation with Loretta LaRoche: Author, Stress Management Consultant and Humorist2009-08-01 03:00:00 -0400Gail Condrick<p>Loretta LaRoche, author, speaker and corporate stress management consultant, was the winner of the 2007 National Humor Treasure award. Her seven books reflect the lighter side of her life philosophy. This month, <em>Lighten Up!</em> joins her title hit parade that includes <em>Life is Not a Stress Rehearsal</em> and <em>Life Is Short – Wear Your Party Pants</em>.</p><p><em><strong>Q. Why does your message, “Life is not a stress rehearsal,” resonate with audiences?</strong></em></p><p>I have found that, in the last 30 years, Americans’ paradigm for living has become busyness and stress. We live as if every minute is stressful and define our lives that way. Some stress is essential to life; it excites us and moves us forward, signaling when to pay attention to that which gives us passion and happiness. It also helps us discern when we are in danger. What incapacitates many people is catastrophising and awfulizing, which leads to feeling they have no choices.</p><p>Discovering how to find the “bless in the mess,” and living in appreciation encourages a more peaceful, rich and juicy life.</p><p><em><strong>Q. Your books and talks blend humor, common sense and values, like living in the moment and optimism, as a sure-fire antidote to stress. How does this work?</strong></em></p><p>We all choose how to interpret the events in our lives. We can opt for humor, wisdom, compassion or the willingness to accept the<br>situation for what it is.</p><p>Many of us spend our time listing our weaknesses. Then we make the mistake of sharing them with other people<br>who listen and help us add to them. We anticipate problems and practice misery.</p><p>Optimists know that bad things can happen, but they don’t obsess over them. A true optimist wakes up thinking: “Anything can happen today and I can deal with it, as I have in the past.”</p><p>We’ve all experienced difficult times in our lives, and for the most part we survive them and go on. It’s these bumps in the road that give us that can-do feeling.</p><p><em><strong>Q. Why do you believe that it’s never too late to have a happy childhood?</strong></em></p><p>Children are masters of living in the moment; but for most adults it takes some work. If we integrate some of what kids do we can approach each day with awe and look at everything with new eyes. We let go of a “been there, done that” attitude and really look around us. That creature on the floor is not just another bug, it’s a BUG!</p><p>When we are truly involved in the natural flow of our life, time and space disappear; we now live in the moment, we are at our best and feel oh, so good. Allow your children or grandchildren to lead you down the slippery slope to a place where you can act silly and be a child again. There, you will rediscover the simple pleasures that bring you happiness, joy and a pure sense of awe.</p><p><em><strong>Q. What advice do you have for families to create a home filled with joy rather than anxiety?</strong></em></p><p>Role modeling joyful, optimistic behavior ourselves is one of the best ways to create a happy family. Often, we have no clue how powerful our everyday conversations and body language are in influencing children’s behavior.</p><p>I suggest doing simple things together, like eating dinner. Let everyone in the family have unstructured play time. And don’t waste your day worrying; instead pat yourself on the back for what you have done right.</p><p>Don’t reserve fun for weekends, birthdays and holidays; pick a day and celebrate for no reason at all. Live life as if you only have a few moments left. Just break out the champagne and party pants and celebrate!</p><p><em><strong>Q. How can people maintain their joy during difficult times?</strong></em></p><p>Few can be joyful 24/7, but even in the darkest times, there can be humor and laughter. Laughter makes life easier; it allows us to see the absurdity of it all and gives our brains a vacation and a reality check. Being in good humor keeps life simpler, lighter and more<br>humane. Let’s all have amazing lives, where you become the fun you are seeking—your own entertainment center. That way, wherever you go will be joyful, if you just show up.</p><p><br><em>For more stress-busting fun, visit <a href="http://www.Loretta-Laroche.com">Loretta-Laroche.com</a>.</em></p><p><em>Connect with freelance writer Gail Condrick of Sarasota, FL, at <a href="http://www.niavisions.com">niavisions.com</a>.</em></p><hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakenings.com">Natural Awakenings National</a></small></p>urn:uuid:55e8c244-e57d-4ea1-aec6-372a4dd9e8bc2019-08-28T16:30:13-04:002019-08-28T16:30:13-04:00A Conversation with Michael Pollan: Activist, Author and Journalist2009-07-01 03:00:00 -0400Ellen Mahoney<p>Acclaimed author and journalist Michael Pollan argues that Americans eat too many “edible foodlike substances” and not enough real food. Pollan is the bestselling author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, and his latest book, In Defense of Food, sheds light on how everyone can make more thoughtful, healthy food choices. His best advice? “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”<br> </p> <p><br><strong>Q. How do you define the term “food” versus “edible foodlike substance”?</strong></p> <p>Foods are basically the plants, animals and fungi we have been eating for a long time and are more the product of nature than industry. Edible foodlike substances are relatively recent and novel and are characterized by higher levels of processing and synthetic ingredients. In general, one way to look at it is that edible foodlike substances contain ingredients you don’t have in your pantry, such as high fructose corn syrup, xanthan gum and carrageenan.</p> <p><br><strong>Q. Why do we need to defend our food?</strong></p> <p>Well, because food is under attack. On the one hand, you have the food industry that is trying to replace real food, which isn’t very profitable to sell, with processed food, which is much more profitable to sell. Over time, the new products getting to the supermarket tend to be more of the edible foodlike substances. </p><p>The other thing food needs to be defended against is this whole way of looking at it as a pile of nutrients, so that food disappears. When we walk down the aisle of the supermarket, we don’t see the names of traditional foods, we see omega-3, calcium and vitamin D. It’s all this biochemistry that’s getting in the way of perceiving actual real foods. <em><br> </em></p> <p><br><strong>Q. Realistically, how should people eat for maximum health?</strong></p> <p>First, tune out all the nutritional advice that’s out there—all the health claims, all the latest studies telling you whether it’s carbs or protein or fat that you have to worry about, and focus on the foods themselves. Take back control of your diet.</p><p>I think cooking is one of the keys, because a big part of our problem is that the culture of cooking has collapsed. We’re outsourcing our food preparation to corporations, and they don’t do it very well. They tend to cook with far more salt, fat and sugar than any normal human being would ever think to put in their food. When corporations want to cook for you, their goals are to sell you more food, to get you to eat as much as possible, and to replace good quality ingredients with salt, fat and sugar, which are very cheap to insert into a food and very seductive. </p><p class="pullquote">The garden suggests there might be a place<br>where we can meet nature halfway.<br>- Michael Pollan<em><br> </em>
</p> <p><br><strong>Q. In a recent interview, you claimed that democratizing organic food is crucial. Please explain that.</strong></p> <p>We need to democratize healthy food; not just organic food, but fresh produce also, which is more expensive than junk food. If you’ve got a dollar to spend in the supermarket and you’re poor, you’re going to end up in the middle aisle buying processed food, because by the calorie, it’s a bargain. <em><br> </em></p><p>One of the things we need to do is to change the agricultural policies of the country, so that we’re not subsidizing the least healthy calories in the supermarket, which are high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated soybean oil. This is what our policies make cheap, because we subsidize corn and soy. It also makes feedlot meat cheap because those [corn, soy] are what we feed the animals. We need to find ways to stimulate the consumption of and production of what are called specialty crops. The fact that the Department of Agriculture calls real food a specialty tells you all you need to know; it shouldn’t be a specialty, it should be routine.</p> <p><strong><br>Q. You have suggested many new national food initiatives. What can individuals do?</strong></p> <p>I think it’s vitally important that we teach kids how to grow food by putting gardens in the schools, how to cook food by having teaching kitchens (what used to be called home economics) and how to eat food. I think Alice Waters has it completely right; lunch should be an academic subject. You should get credit for lunch in the same way you get credit for physical education. </p> <p><strong><br>Q. In an open letter to President Obama, you state that the health of our food system is a national security issue. Why is this?</strong></p><p>Because it’s so highly concentrated and there are so few companies processing food these days. Four companies are basically packing all the beef. A single, hamburger-grinding plant could be making millions of patties a week and feeding so many people that if there is contamination in any of the meat going into that plant, it could affect millions of people. So, there’s a strong national security argument for decentralizing the food system. It doesn’t mean there won’t still be problems, but they won’t affect so many people.</p> <p><br><strong>Q. What is your view on the relationship between food and living a conscious, wide-awake life?</strong></p> <p>Food is one of the most profound ways we engage the natural world; not just the landscape, but the species we share this planet with. One of the traditional uses of food has been to remind us of this critical relationship—our dependence on nature. That’s why people say Grace. Yes, they’re thanking God, but they’re also thanking the creatures that gave their lives for us and the land that brings forth this bounty. I think eating at its best is a profoundly spiritual experience. </p><p>There’s a wonderful quote by Thomas Merton: “From the moment you put a piece of bread in your mouth you are part of the world. Who grew the wheat? Who made the bread? Where did it come from? You are in relationship with all who brought it to the table. We are least separate and most in common when we eat and drink.”</p> <p><em><br>For more information visit </em><span class="link-external"><a href="http://www.michaelpollan.com/"><em>www.MichaelPollan.com</em></a></span><em>.</em></p> <p><em>Ellen Mahoney is a freelance writer and teaches writing at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Contact </em><span class="link-mailto"><a href="mailto:evm@infionline.net"><em>evm@infionline.net</em></a></span><em>.</em><em><br></em></p><div class="body-sidebar-right p-4">
<strong>Michael Pollan’s 12 Commandments of Food</strong><br>1. Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.<br>2. Avoid products containing ingredients you can’t pronounce.<br>3. Don’t eat anything that won’t eventually rot. <br>4. Avoid food products that carry health claims.<br>5. Shop the peripheries of the supermarket; stay out of the middle.<br>6. Better yet, buy food somewhere else: the farmers’ market or community supported agriculture.<br>7. Pay more, eat less.<br>8. Eat a wide variety of species.<br>9. Eat food from animals that eat grass.<br>10. Cook, and if you can, grow some of your own food.<br>11. Eat meals, and eat them only at tables.<br>12. Eat deliberately, with other people whenever possible, and always with pleasure.<em><br> </em>
</div><hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakenings.com">Natural Awakenings National</a></small></p>urn:uuid:4545ca8a-86c0-4978-83fc-118f97102f832019-08-28T16:15:39-04:002019-08-28T16:15:39-04:00An Interview with Michael Bernard Beckwith: Spiritual Thinker, Author and Teacher2009-06-01 03:00:00 -0400Linda Sechrist<p>Dr. Reverend Michael Bernard Beckwith is the founder and spiritual director of Agape International Spiritual Center, in Los Angeles. A teacher featured in the film, The Secret, he teaches universal truth principles found in the New Thought-Ancient Wisdom tradition of spirituality.</p><p><strong>Q. While writing your latest book, Spiritual Liberation, did you experience any “Aha” moments?</strong></p><p> A: Yes. I discovered that there’s nothing like sitting down before the blank page and realizing that the “you,” which sees itself as an author, isn’t who is writing the book, but rather is the vehicle that made itself available as a scribe. It’s much like the great composer, Brahms, who said that when he sat to compose, he entered a deep, interior state and literally “saw” the notes, “heard” the instruments and wrote down what was revealed to him. Writing the book was a truly a humbling experience, because I encountered the subtle line that separates ego from surrender to the Divine muse. It wasn’t something that I anticipated; however, I’m grateful that it occurred. </p> <p><strong>Q. How do you envision the book serving as an influence for good?</strong></p> <p>A: My intentions were to stir an inner fire in readers to develop passion—and compassion—in their lives, and to help them realize that venturing into a spiritual practice reveals how we can awaken and fulfill our highest potential as spiritual beings having a human incarnation. I also wanted to offer practices that would support readers in becoming a beneficial presence on the planet: processes that can cultivate inherent goodness, wholeness, joy—the keys to healing ourselves and the planet.</p> <p><strong>Q. What do you mean by the concept, “conscious participation in evolution,” and why do you believe humanity can achieve this?</strong></p> <p>A: My personal experiments in the laboratory of my own consciousness proved to me that, by consciously entering practices used by great spiritual teachers—Jesus, Krishna, Sri Aurobindo, St. Theresa of Avila and others—to evolve qualities like compassion, joy, peace, creativity and enlightened awareness, I could make progress in these directions. I know that if I can do it, everyone can. If one person is a candidate for enlightenment, then, just as the Buddha taught, we’re all candidates. It’s great news that we’re no different from these illumined beings; all we have to do is commit to waking up, just as they did.</p> <p><strong>Q. Please share some of the practices that evolved people apply and how they make a difference in their lives?</strong></p> <p>A: Evolved people give thanks for what most people take for granted. In today’s economy, we’re seeing an escalation in gratitude, because people are reflecting more deeply on what happens in a society that is based on consumerism. Being increasingly grateful for the simple things in life is a wealthy way to live.</p><p>Evolved people give without an agenda, simply for the joy of being generous beings, because they see themselves in others. They have an awareness of their oneness with all beings.</p><p>Forgiveness of self and others is another hallmark of an evolved person. Rather than seeing life as a problem to be solved, evolved people see life, including all of its challenges, as a celebration of our precious human birthright.</p> <p><strong>Q. What basic understanding do we need in order to grow into spiritual adulthood?</strong></p> <p>A: Immaturity’s mantra is: “He who dies with the most toys, wins.” When we shift that to: “I want to know more of who and what I really am; I want to express my true nature of love, joy, creativity, abundance, compassion, self-giving and generosity; and this same good, which I desire for myself, I also desire for all others,” we embrace the personal law of life. We align with the laws governing the Universe and begin to grow up and show up.</p><p>When we quit demanding that others make us happy, stop believing that the outside world and outer accomplishments determine our self-worth and drop the notion that the world owes us something, then we are on the road to spiritual maturity. We grow out of our childhood fantasies that there is a “Great Something,” outside of us, manipulating the environment and running the affairs of the Universe by a reward-punishment system. We realize that we, ourselves, are responsible for our own life. Being a spiritual grownup is a liberating way to live.</p> <p><br>For more information on Michael Beckwith’s global ministry, visit <span class="link-external"><a href="http://www.agapelive.com/">www.AgapeLive.com</a></span>.</p><hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakenings.com">Natural Awakenings National</a></small></p>urn:uuid:7e477b8a-0cba-4217-9f6e-1314e70af3352019-08-28T16:32:09-04:002019-08-28T16:32:09-04:00A Conversation with Ina May Gaskin: The Leader in America’s Natural
Childbirth Movement2009-05-01 03:00:00 -0400Gail Condrick<p>Ina May Gaskin is the author of <em>Spiritual Midwifery</em> and <em>Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth</em>, developer of the Gaskin maneuver for shoulder birth complications, and founder of The Farm Midwifery Center, in Tennessee. Since 1971, she has influenced and inspired women around the world with her views on natural childbirth.</p><p><strong>Q. You have been called the nation’s leading midwife and the founder of the natural childbirth movement in America. How did you get started?</strong></p> <p>Like many women, I had tried a hospital birth and vowed never to be treated that way again. It was the late 1960s and Americans were in rebellion. Women began demanding access to birth centers and midwives.</p><p>At the time, my husband Stephen and I were traveling on a cross-country lecture tour with a caravan of 50 school buses; along the way, babies were born and we midwifed each other. We began to coalesce into a community, finding roots and settling in Tennessee, where we founded The Farm. Some members of our community were doctors and nurses and we made contacts with local hospitals and health authorities. We had good outcomes with our pregnancies and breastfeeding rates right from the start. Our on-the-job training grew as we learned from each other as midwives and friends.</p> <p><strong>Q. What do women and their partners need to know about natural childbirth?</strong></p> <p>Women need to know that their bodies work better than they think they do. It is vital to trust the process of nature. We must believe that women’s bodies are perfectly made for childbirth and the natural rhythms of giving birth. When our larger culture understands how women’s bodies work and we trust that ours will work, we will have an entirely new psychology of childbirth.</p><p>Natural childbirth can provide a holistic approach to childbearing, one that includes the physical and emotional, spiritual, and cultural needs of each unique birth. To attend the birth of another person is a great, humbling, wonderful opportunity.</p> <p><strong>Q. Why does the mind/body connection play a key role in childbirth?</strong></p> <p>When the biological process is allowed to unfold in the most peaceful way, the mother experiences the natural release of a mixture of ecstatic hormones, oxytocin and beta endorphins. Birthing mothers actually have the ability to become more fluid and are able to relax the muscles that need to open. If the body senses fear, the muscles of the involuntary system become rigid and inflexible, which makes it hard to change shape. Then, the immobility escalates, causing extreme pain where normally, labor would continue unimpeded. Fighting this natural functioning wastes a lot of energy.</p><p>Yet, a birthing mother can make an instant change and release the ecstatic hormones naturally, simply through deep breathing, laughter and even experiencing gratitude for those helping her. All of this works best in an atmosphere of privacy and calm.</p> <p><strong>Q. Will you explain what you refer to as our country’s “big secret” regarding childbirth?</strong> </p><p>There is a generally held belief that childbirth is safe in the United States while, in reality, we lack accurate reporting on this country’s rising maternal death rate. The reports we do have, based on long-term data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and a later National Vital Statistics Report, reveal a doubling of the annual maternal fatalities tracked per 100,000 live births, from 7.5 in 1982 through 1996 to 15.1 in 2005. Given suspected under-reporting due to misclassification, some estimate that the number of deaths attributed to pregnancy and its complications (which include Cesarean births, or C-sections) may be as high as three times that.</p> <p><strong>Q. What can families do to ensure a more natural birthing process is available to us and our daughters?</strong></p> <p>We need to do a lot of rethinking. Americans believe that the more technology we throw at problems, the better. But, that is not necessarily true in giving birth. We need to study why the death rate is rising and take major steps to turn it around. We need a national system collecting data, more midwives, a revolution in obstetrical education and a national health-insurance system, with better prenatal and postpartum care for all women. Families must insist on it. All of this is possible. </p> <p><em>For more information visit InaMay.com and consult a health care provider. Ina May Gaskin’s latest book, Ina May’s Guide to Breastfeeding, will be released this fall.</em></p> <p><em><br>Gail Condrick is a freelance writer in Sarasota, FL. Reach her at </em><span class="link-external"><a href="http://www.niavisions.com/"><em>www.NiaVisions.com</em></a></span><em>.</em></p><hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakenings.com">Natural Awakenings National</a></small></p>