Chapter One

Dramatics

As we go through life, on our journey to seemingly nowhere; Playing the game of survival So we can live long enough to die, We fill in series of moments With dramatically important things, Which are usually eventually forgotten As new dramatically important things take their place. Then finally, having lived just long enough to die, All those dramatically important things Which remain, fade off into the empty Portals of time, only to disappear Forever.

On the surface, this poem’s meaning appears to be simple enough. We’ve all had those experiences in life, which seemed so dramatically important to us at the time, and our emotional attachments to the outcome so intense, that other things seemed to fade away or disappear, and the dramatically important thing became our focus. So much so that we possibly approached (if not exceeded) levels of insanity during it all. Then, years later, if we even remember them at all, we laugh about those dramatically important things as funny anecdotes and wonder why we ever found them so important to begin with.

But in this story, it is not the surface upon which we wish to travel. The surface is merely the place where our journey begins. The surface is an illusion. A poetic apparition into with which we must blend, passing from that which we see into that which we know. Like the 3D picture, in which the true picture lies hidden within, we must look beyond the surface.

For hidden deep within the words of this poem, lay not the romantic notions of dramas past, but veiled facets of mysteries and thought. What begins as words on a page, ends as understanding of thought.

What this means, is at the beginning, we read a poem. A poem which seemed to have a reasonably clear meaning. But even though the poem’s interpretation seems simple enough, there is much more to than initially meets the eye. If we were able to open the poem up, so as to clearly see the thoughts behind it, we would realize that this poem is not just a poem, but a portal to something much larger contained within it.

Let us imagine for a moment, that this something that is contained within the poem, is a very powerful book. One that contains the deepest of all secrets. Secrets so deep, that they extend to the very core of our existence. Now let us further imagine, that an entity of immeasurable magnitude, has determined that the information contained within this book to be so powerful, that it must not be revealed except to the very deepest and wisest of minds.

So to keep this information from being exposed, and falling into the hands of those whom must not have it, this entity of immeasurable magnitude decided to hide this book in such a place, that only the deepest and wisest of minds could possibly find it.

Now, let’s say that the name of the book hidden within is called, “The Human Game”. And that it is called “The Human Game”, because it is a journey into you and I as physical beings. Only it doesn’t stop there. It reaches into the farthest fathoms of our minds. Deep into the infinite realm of our own spiritual selves, and that (if you don’t mind me saying) of God’s. For it is in the spiritual realm that we find the most powerful of all things. Creation.

Creation is what turns desires into realities, and wishes into dreams come true. Creation sends karma to balance the unbalanced, and answers prayers. And even though creation is the most power of all things; in order to create, there must be a creator. That is the destination of our journey. The infinite place where the creator resides. For it is there we shall find our book.

As we begin our journey into the poem, we must trust the words previously spoken. “What begins as words on a page, ends as understanding of thought.” We see the words of the poem, but the true meaning does not appear immediately to us. The true meaning of this poem is not about dramas past, but the significance of the dramas themselves. This is what we must understand.

Dramas are like waves of an ocean. We swim in the ocean of physical life, barely noticing the waves of time as they roll steadily by. Day after day high and low tides come in and out, lifting us up and down, as subtle emotional currents pull us gently along. Constantly sending us off into new directions, taking us from one drama to the next.

Some waves glide gently onto the beach, then back out again, carrying with them insignificant dramas that come and go. Usually ending up as minor irritations, or momentary must haves, that soon disappear with little affect.

Other waves crash violently into the rocks like fits of rage lashing out in anger, revenge, or jealousy. And just as the waves create change in the rocks upon which they crash, do these type dramas reek havoc upon those caught up in them. Bringing with them emotional intensities that build, only to explode into out of control reactions that bring murders, assaults, or destruction to property. Forever effecting those in its wake.

Some dramas are as tidal waves, creating much larger effects. Bringing with them catastrophic results, such as wars, terrorism, fanaticism and the such. While other waves just roll along, carrying the dramas with them. Slowly building until evaporation turns them into clouds that can hold no more, releasing gentle tears of rain, or violent storms to relieve the pressure. So it is, on and on, until death finally takes our dramas from us, and sends them eternally nowhere.

When we think of the waves in the ocean, it is easy picture them rolling in softly as they do when we go to the beach. We have all seen waves crashing into rocks, whether in person or on television. Maybe we wish to picture a surfer riding a big wave as it curls over the top of him, creating a tube for him to ride though, as he comes out the end. We may even be able to conjure up a tsunami coming in as a twenty foot high wall if we so put our minds to it.

No matter what kind of wave we picture, they all have one thing in common. They are all on the surface of the ocean. But the ocean is made up of two parts. The surface, and below the surface. The surface is always active, while the farther below the surface you go, the calmer it gets. If you are far enough under water, there can be a monster storm going on above you, and you will be none the wiser.

This representation of the ocean, is also a representation of dramas. Dramas exist on the surface of the ocean. Or at least the part of the drama we see. That is because dramas are a product of the mind. A physical manifestation of the thought from which it came. The closer we stay to the surface of the mind, the more waves we will find. This is because on the surface, the surrounding elements have a greater effect they do at deeper levels. It is much easier to get caught up in a storm on the surface, than deeper where tranquility and wisdom lies.

It has been said that the world is a stage, and we are but actors in it. This describes “The Human Game” to a tee. We get caught up in the dramatics of our own self made universes. We imagine characters we desire to be, don the costumes of their roles, then wallow around in the emotional energies of it all until we become that character we alone have created. Eventually forgetting, or never realizing, that in reality; that we are not this character. Each one of us; you, me, and all living creatures; are eternal evolving spiritual beings experiencing physical life through the body.

The Beginning

Yet, it is not our fault. From the beginning, we tumble from the birth lottery barrel into the sea of physical life. Randomly cast into one of an infinite possible scenarios awaiting our arrival. Once we arrive, this becomes our universe. Our world. Our reality of physical life. It is so because we are at the beginning and we know no nothing else.

We begin our physical journey at the moment of conception. The actual moment of our physical birth. It is at this exact moment we first become our physical selves, no more than a mere dot inside the womb. We are a zygote, the true baby from which we emerge. A microscopic sized single celled human being, in the first physical stage of our lives.

At this stage our minds are completely empty. Blank. A clean slate from which to start. We have no previous memory or experience from which upon to call. This is extremely important to understand. When we begin life, we know nothing! We have no idea about color of skin. We have no religious preference. No zealous ideologies. We are a microscopic sized dot. Nothing else. We could be that dot in any womb of any woman, anywhere.

Yet, amazing as it may be, even at this tiniest of sizes, our minds are already at work. Basic instinctual thoughts prepare to carry out the instructions with which we came. We must survive. We must grow. It is a battle of life and death. If we make it far enough, we will eventually awaken at some point to the realization of our own existence.

The moment we develop physically to the point that we are able to begin storing information, the Human Game actually begins. From that moment, every piece of information we take in is stored and becomes a basis for our realities. Mental perceptions begin to steer us into directions. By the time we finally make it out, based on our ride and all that our mothers put us through, we will already have begun to form personalities

Once we are born, our environment then becomes our reality. Wherever we do end up, we end up as babies. We can’t walk. We can’t talk. We can’t even feed ourselves. So other than gaining a bit of personality, we are still a relatively clean slate. A program ready to be written. And unless the instructions we receive tell us to get off the surface, and out of the game, we may continue as products of our environments our entire lives. Living on the surface, and never knowing what lies in the depths below.

The next thing you know, one of us are steering a plane into a building because the instructions we received in our life told us that is what we were supposed to do. Which of course came from someone who received similar instructions, in their life as well.

But this is not how the game is supposed to be played. Somewhere along the way, the instructions must have gotten lost in the translation. Either that or they were in the apple when Adam ate it. Because according to the story, that is apparently when we all went haywire. Then again, maybe a program was never written. Maybe by the time we finally realized that we were no longer monkeys, we were already caught up so far in the game, that no one ever thought to rewrite the ‘human’ instructions. Or, maybe we were dropped off by aliens, and the instructions were written in the alien language, so no one understood them. Of course the instructions could have been blown up in the ‘big ‘bang’, and no one received them at all.

In reality, the instructions are very simple. Its just by now, our programming has apparently dulled so many of us into an unconscious state; that until we are blasted back into consciousness, those that actually receive and understand the instructions have to fight through such a raging storm of ignorance, that the task of trying to get society to follow them is like trying to swim up river in a flash flood.

Adam and Eve

The story of the Garden of Eden is a really good example to use as a metaphoric representation of our lives as humans. Whether or not the Garden of Eden, or Adam and Eve, ever actually existed is completely immaterial. The story is merely being told to help paint an understandable illustration, in an attempt to bring us together in mind.

As the story goes, the Garden of Eden is the perfect place on the planet. A veritable paradise where everything is as it is supposed to be. In Eden, there is want for nothing. There is food everywhere, beautiful scenery, a temperate climate, and clean fresh air to breathe.

In the story, Adam and Eve are the very first humans to ever exist on Earth. They lived in the Garden of Eden, where life was perfect for them. In the Garden of Eden there was only one rule. The rule was not to eat the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. They could eat the fruit from any other tree, and were in fact, encouraged to eat from the Tree of Consciousness, because eating the fruit would apparently tell them right from wrong.

Adam and Eve clearly understood this rule. As long as they were willing not to do this one thing, all would remain good. And all did remain good, until one day, along came a serpent that was up to no good, and before long, the serpent convinced Eve that the only reason they weren’t allowed to eat the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge was because if they did, it would give them powers of a God. So Eve then convinced Adam that if he ate the fruit (an apple) from the Tree of Knowledge, he too could have the powers of a God. So he finally gave in and ate it.

This story as it is told, is a good example of seeing things on the surface. On the surface, the Garden of Eden is literally the perfect place on earth, and the trees in it had magical fruits that would do really cool things. Like the Tree of Life which would give eternal life to those whom ate the fruit. A tree of knowledge, (which apparently grew apples), and a tree of consciousness. Probably others that we don’t even know about as well. Here, Adam and Eve are the first and only humans on the planet. Not to mention the fact that the serpent is a talking snake.

But if we were to take a look at the story of the Garden of Eden from below the surface, what we would see would not be a garden, but Earth. Earth as it was in the beginning. Beautiful, clean, and abundantly filled with food, clear water, and fresh air to breathe. A virtual paradise for the human species to live on.

Instead of Adam and Eve being the first two people to live on this planet, Adam and Eve represent mankind at the very beginning of their new consciousness as humans. A new born baby race with a chance to create and live in a virtually perfect world.

The magic trees represent our minds. The Tree of Consciousness represents what we know to be right or wrong. The Tree of Life is our constitution. Who we are inside. The Tree of Knowledge has to do with temptation. That emotional desire to fulfill a self serving purpose, while consciously being aware that is the wrong thing to do.

The Tree of Knowledge which contains the apple, has many temptations to choose from. It represents the ‘naughty’ side. Only ‘naughty’ can be deadly, as one of the apples on this tree contained the desire for Cain to kill Able.

The serpent of course isn’t a talking snake. The serpent is however, a voice. Sometimes the serpent is the voice in our heads telling us to go ahead and do it, even though we know its wrong. Or sometimes the serpent is the voice of another. A peer. As was in the case with Eve. The serpent was a peer talking to Eve, then Eve became the peer talking to Adam. Until eventually the serpent was the voice up in Adam’s head convincing him to fulfill his desire.

Welcome to the Game

When we are born, we have no way of receiving any information to explain what just happened. We have no idea where we are, who we are, or what is going on. All we know is that we are no longer in that nice, warm, dark, wet place; and someone just smacked us on the butt. We are scared, confused, pissed off, and hungry. So we do what every young strapping new born baby does. We cry. Which pretty much turns out to be our announcement to the world, that we are now joining the game.

Of course, when we make this announcement, we have no idea of who our character for the game is going to be. Possibly because we have no idea that we are even in a game to begin with. Not to worry though, the game has a way of quickly assimilating us, so that we can start playing almost immediately. First of all, as a sort of ‘welcome to the game’ gift, we are given a complimentary name for our brand new character. Which we unknowingly accept, as it becomes ‘who we are’ for the rest of our lives. Unless, of course, somewhere down the road we decide change our names, and create ourselves a brand new character.

Along with our new complimentary names, we also get to learn a language. It is, of course, the default language of the scenario into which we are cast. Once we learn our new language, we can then start memorizing the rules of the game. When our programming is complete, we will have a religion to believe in, an ethnic heritage to be proud of, a country to pledge allegiance to, a family to be loyal to, and a basic fundamental understanding of who we are. Based on our perceptions of what reality is, according to what we told, by those who ‘know’.

Understanding the ‘game’

Before we can move forward, we must establish clearly the concept of what it is the poem is trying to tell us. It is vitally important that we have a solid understanding of this, because, until we do, there is no need to move forward. Moving forward without completely understanding will only send us running around in circles. Keeping us lost, until we can gain understanding and once again find our way.

To begin with, there are two things we need to understand about this poem. The first one is what the poem is really about, and the second thing is what it has to do with the ‘Human Game’.

The poem speaks of dramas, but in actuality it’s real intention has to do with significance. Its purpose is not to point out the fact that we have dramas, then forget them. Its meaning has to do with the levels of insanity we subject ourselves to, over situations in our lives. When in the end, these dramatically important things are only important until something ‘more important’ comes along, or until our emotional interest in it runs out.

Day after day we run around being driven by our dramatically important things. Yet, when it comes to the significance of it all, we choose what is significant or not. We create levels of necessities based on what we want, according to our desires. We do this because we get so caught up in our realities of it all, that we know no other way.

This in a nutshell is the ‘Human Game’. We live our lives based on perceived realities of whom we are. These ‘realities’ are the processed results of every piece of information we have received since our conception. Wherever we land in the random birth process, and our subsequent ‘programming’, becomes our realities in our minds. Therefore we base our ‘character’ or who we are, from this reality. If we were born into a different scenario, our realities would change. Therefore so would our character.

The best example of this to help make it easier to understand, would be what we read about what happens after we make our crying announcement to the world that we have joined the game. It basically stated that our character was given a complimentary name (Humor). Then given a complimentary language to speak, which was the default language of the scenario into which we were cast.

At this point we are babies. We don’t know that where we are is merely random. That we could have easily been in another of a billion other situations. So when we are given an ethnic background to be proud of, a religion to believe in, and a country to pledge allegiance to, we believe it to be real. We believe that we ‘are; Latinos, or ‘African’ Americans, or Asians, or whatever our programming tells us we ‘are’. Even though ethnicity has nothing to do with who we really are or why we are here.

We believe we are Muslims, or Buddhists’ or Baptists, or whatever we are told we are. And everything that goes with ‘being’ that as well. Including blowing ourselves up or flying into building so we can kill the infidels. Not to mention that we ‘are’ Soviets, or Americans, or Iranians, or half of this and half of that. And we must surely die for ‘our’ countries if push comes to shove. Even though our country could have been any country had our random landing been different.

The Human Game. We create the characters we think we should be, don the costumes of their roles, and get caught up in the emotions of it all. We do this without knowing we are doing it. Unless at some point we realize it, then we can step away from the game. If we are lucky enough to do that, we will then see the world in a whole other way. In the mean time, take a look around. The game is everywhere. It is easy to spot. There will be hyper emotions, fanatics, murders, suicides, gossip, fights, greed, and all kinds of tell tale signs everywhere.

And if we are brave enough, and pay attention, we will even be able to see when we are playing the game, and who our character is…….

It is amazing what an injury can reveal. Did you know you have an opportunity to up the ante on your self-care plan even when you are injured? Don’t wait until you have a serious injury like mine before you start appreciating the precious gift of your body. Ask yourself,

1. What will I stop doing NOW that does not support my body?
2. What can I do NOW to acknowledge and appreciate my body?
3. What three things will I do NOW to support my body?

Years ago, too soon after a car accident, I was doing abdominal exercises in one of my classes and felt a sharp pain in my neck. Ice, massage, and rest did not cure the pain, so I saw a doctor. Several painful tests, especially the one where you have to lay down flat for the MRI, revealed a herniated disc pressing on my spine and nerves. After several months of physical therapy, sleepless nights, and unbearable pain, in consultation with my doctor, I decided to have surgery.

I was pretty frightened after the doctors reviewed the risks with me; death, paralysis, infection, stroke, swallowing difficulty, speech problems, or injury to the nerves or vessels of the neck… However, the thought of living with chronic pain, and curtailing my activities for the rest of my life was definitely, not how I wanted to live. I knew too many people who were “out of commission” for extended periods because their backs “went out”, and that was not for me. I could not imagine having to be so careful all the time. I wanted my life back and would face my fear and go “under the knife” to get it…

It had been weeks since I taught a fitness class, or worked out. Having to wear a neck brace all the time to alleviate the pain prohibited a number of activities and kept me absorbed in my injury.

As my inactivity continued, I realized I was depressed. After 20 plus years (at the time) of teaching weekly fitness classes, a sedentary lifestyle was foreign to my body, and I knew I had to get moving, somehow. I figured I could not hurt myself any more, so I attended a few exercise classes. Even though I worked out in pain, I started feeling better emotionally and somewhat physically too. I knew from research that exercise is a highly effective treatment for depression, and the treatment was working, even after a few workouts. It’s amazing what exercise can do for your emotional state. The cures for so many of our ailments are within easy reach…

Just before the surgery, my family and friends threw me a “last supper” celebration. We laughed and joked, but secretly I my terror grew. When I got to the hospital and met with nurses, and anesthesiologists, et al, they asked me how I was feeling, and told them I felt good (because of the effects of exercise…). The next thing I remember was waking up in the operating room with my doctor looking down at me and asking if I had told everyone I was feeling good. I groggily said yes, I was feeling better. He said, I am not going to operate on you then, and he sent me home…

Now I was really depressed because I had already resolved and processed the fear, the shaving of the back of my head, and recovery time, and I had my last supper… I wanted this surgery, and now feared I would have to live a life limiting and pain filled existence.

The next day I met with my doctor, and after a discussion, the surgery was rescheduled and successfully completed. My pain was instantly gone, the recovery was tolerable and I resumed my fitness-teaching schedule in five weeks, which was pretty amazing.

When my neck injury healed, I had a new appreciation for my body. I realized how much I rely on its strength and stamina on a daily basis, and how much I take it for granted. I depend on its health and well-being, and in return, I gain freedom and independence in the world. I became fully aware of how well my body had served me during my lifetime, and I was filled to overflowing with gratitude.

I had been teaching fitness classes and offering personal training to help others. I had never really worked out to help me, Patricia… My neck injury was a gift, which helped me, connect with my body and acknowledge and appreciate what it does for me. With this knowledge, I vowed to up the ante on my self-care plan. I became more gentle and caring in all things I did for me. I vowed to become stronger, to apply my personal training skills on myself too. With this new purpose, fitness took on a completely new meaning for me.

When I am practicing self-care, which includes lovingly tending to my body, intellect, emotions, social, environmental and spiritual dimensions, I am teaching myself to acknowledge, nurture, and value myself. This not only enables me to be more effective in whatever I set out to do, it also fills me up and provides me with more to share with others.

It is interesting what an injury can reveal… Many blessings to you all.
Patricia

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Patricia_Eslava_Vessey

Stress can drain one’s energy resources. Life however doesn’t always cater for our needs in terms of restful sleep during times of stress. There is so much to contend with - family, work, finances, tasks around the home, social schedules, appointments… it’s never ending!

Sometimes we reach a point where we feel like we could just sleep for at least a week and not worry about anything else. Anyone who has tried that knows that it usually just makes you more tired.

In my sleepy surfings, I came across some interesting information on a ‘new’ sleeping pattern called Polyphasic Sleep.

Usually we go to bed at 10pm and wake up at 6am - that is called Monophasic sleep, with all the insomnia, nightmares and the occassional sweet dream we experience. When we are pushed for time, we are more likely to stick to a sleeping schedule to which our bodies adjust. Knowing you have to rise earlier tomorrow, you may go sleep earlier tonight to “catch up” on the hour or so that you will miss in the early morning. This, they say, is the worst mistake - as you may not be able to fall asleep immediately due to your body’s clock being set to the time you usually go to sleep.

Sleep experts say that you should go to sleep only when you are too sleepy to do anything else, even if that means a different time every night. However, you should get up at a set time daily in order to promote early rising which has it’s own benefits including increased productivity and a sense of well-being. Your body clock will automatically adjust eventually and on more tiring days, you’ll feel sleepy earlier. If you don’t fall asleep within 5 minutes every night, you go to bed too early!

The Polyphasic Sleep method is a method whereby you sleep at regular intervals for 20-30 minutes. For instance, naps would take place at 1am, 5am, 9am, 1pm, 5pm and 9pm. This means that you end up sleeping about 3 hours a day, however people that have tried it claim to be more energetic and productive than ever. It’s essential that you stick to the routine and not miss naps or oversleep as this would cause your body to take some time to recover from such a slip-up.

Opinions on whether this is healthy vary. The old school believes that we need a solid 8 hours of beauty sleep. Those who are for the Polyphasic method say that one becomes more rested as the body learns to enter the REM-sleep phase quicker and therefore one achieves more restful sleep.

The jury is out and I may just give it a try… let me first sleep on it!

I am sure you know of at least one reason why you need to take vacation. Some reasons include spending quality time with your family, taking a break from work, or to simply regroup so you can go back to work feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. So why do so many Americans’ vacation days go unused and how much is this trend costing you?

In 2007 alone, Americans failed to take an estimated 438 million vacation days. The projected cost of these unused days is roughly $60 billion, based on average hourly wages. What you may not realize is that by leaving unused vacation days on the table, you could end up paying later.

Let’s look at a variety of situations that might take place as a result of unused vacation days, and what the annual cost associated with those things are.

Work stress: In dealing with stress you end up munching on unhealthy food to make you feel better. Result: Yearly visits to your cardiologist, costing you $624.

Lack of sleep: Lost downtime means lost sleep, which leads to weight gain. Result: Using a personal trainer twice a week, costing you $7,800

Depression: Women who take time off less than once every two years are more depressed than those who take time off twice or more per year. Result: Prozac, costing you $1,920.

Loss of energy: By not breaking out of your every day routine you are less productive. Result: A triple-shot grande latte every day, costing you $984.

Vitamin D deprivation: Exposure to artificial light rather than sunlight robs your body of vitamin D, which protects your bones and lowers your risk of cancer. Result: Daily supplements of vitamin d, costing you $24.

Total yearl cost: $11,352. I bet you could take a pretty nice vacation for that chunk of change. Even if you do not realize these costs and have the money outright for a vacation, there are plenty of things you can do close to home that do not have to cost thousands of dollars.

If you are not using all of your vacation each year make a pact right now to begin doing so. You will be amazed at how different you feel when you return to the office feeling rested, energized, and full of new ideas.

Rachel Lukasavige is a Health & Wellness Coach with Lukas Coaching. You can view more free articles, download free books, and become a member of the Reader’s Group at no cost by visiting http://www.lukascoaching.com

For more free resources to help you improve your health, finances, business, career & life, visit http://www.lukascoaching.com/resources.htm

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rachel_Lukasavige

Your subconscious mind will solve your problems for you the best way it can in the absence of instructions from you and it will almost always sacrifice your body to save your mind. How is being overweight and/or overeating keeping you sane?

Women abuse their bodies over and over again by going on diets and depriving themselves. They are battling themselves and that’s the one battle they are guaranteed to lose!

Human behavior is not random; there are reasons for our behaviors. One of the most common reasons women are overweight (there is not much research using male subjects relative to weight loss) is that they are afraid -of relationships, intimacy, being “seen” -any number of emotional reasons. Unless the reasons are made known and dealt with, of course the diet will fail or the weight will come back.

Balance is the key to weight loss and there is no overnight cure for bringing your life into balance. It takes patience, work and kindness toward yourself. When people begin treating themselves as well as they treat most of the other people in their lives-kind of a reverse of the Golden Rule! -then balance can begin. When overweight people look inside and see and fulfill their real needs, food will no longer be needed in such large quantities. According to Dr. Wayne Dyer, author and lecturer, “You can never get enough of what you really don’t want.” If, for example, you really want love in your life, all the food in the world won’t fill that need.

According to John Bradshaw, therapist and author, over 96% of all overweight women were abused in some form as children. When those childhood wounds are healed, the weight is no longer necessary as a form of protection and it can be released. Hypnotherapy has been shown to consistently and fairly quickly heal childhood trauma.

Many people today are using food to fill a spiritual void in their lives, some without even knowing it. Often, when these people begin some sort of spiritual practice, such as meditation, for example, they are filled with peace instead of Baskin and Robbins.

One way to find out quickly some underlying causes of being overweight is to begin to reduce your food intake. Eating a fistful of food 3-5 times a day is recommended to maintain a healthy weight. As you do this, you may feel an urge to binge. That is your opportunity to ask yourself what you are really feeling. An answer, often an emotion, will usually pop into your head. These emotional triggers are a doorway to get to know yourself better. Then you can decide what to do with the emotion rather than eating it. You may be addicted to a specific food, such as chocolate. Be aware of the words going through you mind just prior to buying that Hershey bar. You may find some anger or frustration-and all the chocolate in the world won’t fix it! It is another signal that something is out of balance and needs your attention. The food will merely distract you for a time and then you’ll feel guilty and still angry and frustrated.

There are many reasons why people are overweight. Obesity is an epidemic in America and around the world. The problem is not the food-it is why you eat. Food is just another drug of choice. When you heal the body, mind and spirit, the reasons for the addiction are healed and the weight leaves the body freely and easily. Balance is the key and abundant good health on all levels is the result.

Katie Evans is the founder and CEO of the Living Lite Weight Loss Program, which shows people HOW to create a healthier lifestyle. When you use hypnosis and the incredible power of your subconscious mind, you will never diet again, you will simply learn how to create a new relationship with food. For those who wish to make a living helping people heal their lives so they can lose weight and keep it off, there are now Living Lite Franchises available.This is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to own her own business (we accept men franchisees, too!) and still have support and guidance in setting up the systems. Ms. Evans is a published author, lecturer and entrepreneur. She also teaches “The Mental Game of Golf” on cruise ships. You can reach Katie at: http://www.livinglitenow.com/tapes-cds.htm or http://www.hypnosisweightlossbusiness.com or http://www.livinglite.net

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Katie_Evans

A lot of people are turning towards a holistic health approach for their health care needs today because of the rising costs and dangerous side effects of traditional medicine and synthetic drugs.

Our health care system is failing us in many ways and it seems one of the best ways to address this problem is by taking matters into our own hands, but that isn’t always easy and can sometimes be frightening. It can be hard to get past the skepticism of those around us.

Traditional medicine doesn’t embrace holistic or alternative health remedies because they claim there aren’t enough scientific studies to support it, but the truth is they don’t support research in these areas because they can make more money on patented drugs and they don’t want to cure health problems because if they did they couldn’t make anymore money by selling their drugs.

Holistic medicine looks at the underlying cause of a disease or health condition and attempts to correct it, instead of just treating symptoms. It is an individualized whole body approach that may incorporate many different modalities into it’s treatment plan. These modalities may include herbal remedies, massage, detoxing the body, nutritional supplementation, changes in diet and lifestyle, cleaning up your environment, meditation, exercise, colon cleansing, acupuncture, Chinese herbs, yoga, chiropractic adjustments to name only a few.

Anytime you bring up natural, alternative or holistic health issues you can always find a handful of people who will say it’s voodoo or quackery. They may claim they tried several alternative methods and they were worthless or they experienced some negative side effects.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that if you ask another group of people about their experiences with a specific prescription drug that you will find that many of them did not have relief or success as well and they are likely to have a lot more side effects. Hundreds of thousands of people die every year from negative reactions to prescriptions drugs. It is rare that people die from holistic health methods.

That’s because everyone’s body and disease process is different and each person may respond to a particular treatment in a different manner, whether it is through traditional or alternative methods. What works great for one person, may not work at all for another person and vice versa. A particular prescription drug or herbal remedy can bring about completely different results in different people, depending on many different factors.

The benefit of a holistic health approach is that they are aware of this issue and will work with each individual to understand their unique needs, make adjustments, try different methods and develop a treatment plan that will work for them. While traditional medicine usually has only one course of action and that usually involves drugs or surgery.

It’s also important to note that many holistic health treatment plans use remedies and procedures that have been used successfully for many centuries and that almost all synthetic pharmaceuticals on the market today are based on a particular herb or natural plant substance. Take aspirin for example, it originated from an herb called white willow bark, or digitalis the popular heart medication was derived from an ingredient found in the herb foxglove.

Another crucial point to keep in mind is that just because something is natural does not mean it comes completely without risk or side effects. Herbs and other alternative health methods can be very powerful and must be taken or performed as prescribed. A good degree of learning and education is necessary to make sure you don’t achieve results that are undesired.

For example, the herb Lobelia when taken in correct dosages is great for soothing the nervous system, however if you take too much you may find yourself throwing up. Herbs can also have interactions with prescription drugs or reduce their effectiveness. You should always talk with a holistic doctor before medicating yourself and disclose all medical conditions and prescriptions you may be taking.

It can be very hard for people to break free from the medical conditioning that is pounded in our head and believe that drugs and surgery are not always the best path. Many alternative health approaches seem foreign and sound strange.

Embracing an alternative or holistic health approach will require an open mind, a hunger for truth, a sincere desire to learn, the willingness to take risks and try new avenues and the ability to listen to your higher consciousness and stand strong in the face of skepticism.

Cynthia Perkins, M.Ed. is an author and holistic health counselor helping individuals living with chronic illness or chronic pain to live life more fully.

http://www.holistichelp.net/

More Holistic Health Tips

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“Let us be about setting high standards for life, love, creativity, and wisdom. If our expectations in these areas are low, we are not likely to experience wellness. Setting high standards makes every day and every decade worth looking forward to.” - Greg Anderson, American athlete

“It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.” - Mohandas Gandhi, Indian leader

Wellness and health play a huge and important part in my life, my actions, my thoughts, and my schedule. I am presently leading twelve fitness classes a week that vary from step aerobics, balance and core work on the large stability ball, weight lifting, modified yoga and several classes that focus on functionality. The participants are all ages and the common denominator is to have “fun” while working out.

When I started searching for “wellness” quotations, I found excellent ones, but few. Then when I searched for “health” I was completely blown away by the number. I could write a hundred blogs filled with “health” quotations. So I picked some for you and for me which follow:

Some general feelings:

• “There are six components of wellness: proper weight and diet, proper exercise, breaking the smoking habit, control of alcohol, stress management and periodic exams.” - Kenneth H. Cooper, American soldier
• “What is called genius is the abundance of life and health.” - Henry David Thoreau, American author
• “Health is the greatest possession. Contentment is the greatest treasure. Confidence is the greatest friend. Non-being is the greatest joy.” - Lao Tzu, Greek philosopher
• “To keep the body in good health is a duty… otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.” - Buddha, Indian leader
• “You can have peace of mind, improved health and an ever-increasing flow of energy. Life can be full of joy and satisfaction.” - Norman Vincent Peale, American clergyman

Those with a bit of a twist:

• “Time and health are two precious assets that we don’t recognize and appreciate until they have been depleted.” - Denis Waitley, American writer
• “If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health.” - Hippocrates, Greek scientist
• “You end up as you deserve. In old age you must put up with the face, the friends, the health, and the children you have earned.” - Judith Viorst, American author
• “Our greatest happiness does not depend on the condition of life in which chance has placed us, but is always the result of a good conscience, good health, occupation, and freedom in all just pursuits.” - Thomas Jefferson, American President
• “Yoga is wonderful. It clears up most health problems. It also gives you an overview.” - Helen Reddy, Australian actress

And three to think about and work upon:

• “Health is not a condition of matter, but of Mind.” - Mary Baker Eddy, American scientist
• “Look up, laugh loud, talk big, keep the color in your cheek and the fire in your eye, adorn your person, maintain your health, your beauty and your animal spirits.” - William Hazlitt, English critic
• “The first wealth is health.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson, American poet

Have a healthy and well week!

Chris King is a free agent, professional speaker, storyteller, writer, website creator / designer, and fitness instructor. Chris has what she calls a “Portfolio Career” — many different careers at the same time. If you wonder if you could handle and love having a “Portfolio Career” you will find a free assessment to take at http://www.creativekeys.net/portfoliocareertest.htm Sign up for her eclectic E-newsletter, Portfolio Potpourri, at http://www.freelanceliving.com You will find her information-packed E-book How to Leave Your Audiences Begging for MORE! at http://www.OutrageouslyPowerfulPresenter.com

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Think back for a moment to see how this has worked in your life already. The last time that you really desired something and then received it either by earning it or by having it given to you as a gift, can you remember how great you felt all over? It may have been clothing, jewelry, a car, a promotion at work, the day you met the love of your life. When these desires become realities in your life, your eyes sparkle brighter, you smile more, and you have a pep in you step that is obviously noticeable by you and those around you. These are the signs of your youth being renewed by good things.

To renew your youth, start desiring good things this very minute and when you get them be genuinely thankful and grateful. Make a list of those things that you really want right now that affordability is seemingly keeping you from having. Maybe it is more free time with your family or getting all of your bills paid off. Imagine for a moment being able to use the money you currently spend making monthly payments to spend on doing things that your loved ones and you love to do. These things start to become realities when you become a cash buyer for all of your present and future purchases including clothing and food.

The next step is to put the current date next to the good things that you write down and also the date when you desire them to become realities in your life. Without these two dates, you will not have a target to aim or focus your time, and energy on. This minute by minute aiming and focusing is what will turn those previously elusive good desires into realities. Think about this for a moment. There are 1,440 minutes in each day. When you focus just 10% of that time, 144 minutes, on the desires that you want, you can easily see why good results will start happening. Many people who never get the good things that they want make resolutions at the beginning of each year and then in a week or two completely stop thinking on these things. This is not rocket science.

Being thankful, grateful, and having a giving Spirit is also a very important part of renewing your youth. Remind yourself each day of all of the good things that you have already been given. Eyes that see, ears that hear, fingers that move, hands that grasp, arms that hold, legs that walk, lungs that breathe, heart that pumps. The list is quite long and you would not want to do without any one of them. If you would trade any one of these items, how much would you ask for it? This is a good time to make a decision to immediately start taking better care of these very good things. A good idea is to put them on you list of good things desired!

Last but not least, take the time to find a career that is Fun and Meaningful Work and one that rewards you for your productivity and also allows you to leverage your time and money. People who love what they do have eyes that sparkle and pep in their step. They are renewing their youth minute by minute. It’s also a proven fact that people who love what they do live longer than those who just go to work.

God bless you with an overflowing abundance of good health, love, happiness, success, prosperity, and a bright new future and lifestyle that you will allow yourself to have.

I am helping people across the USA & Canada to activate their new lifestyle of Fun, Wealth, Travel, & Bright Future through having their own successful, fun to run, Online, home-based business. Tens of thousands of happy people are already enjoying these benefits; you can too. FREE details & help for the asking at the HOME PAGE button at: http://www.TravelAgenciesRus.com (Harry R. G. Becker, Founder. 817-491-9834; hdbecker8@sbcglobal.net

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I don’t watch Oprah on television but I was first in line for her web cast on Monday night.

The impact she is having on this planet (whether people like her or not) toward creating heightened levels of consciousness is profound.

Bringing Eckert Tolle’s book “A New Earth” to the awareness of thousands of people through a web cast is only something Oprah can do.

Or is it? Can others besides Oprah have the same impact?

Can you have the same impact? (answer below in special section).

~~~~~~~~~

How we perceive things affects our life experience.

Eckert Tolle said in the beginning of the web cast that “he didn’t decide to write this book, the book wanted to be written through him.”

I thought to myself “that perceptual shift alone explains what it is like to be connected to one’s purpose.”

~~~~~~~~

Shifting the way we view things can change our lives for the better.

If a bunch of us decide at the same time to change the way we view certain things - then positive change can take place in our individual lives much faster then if we did it on our own.

That is the power of what Oprah is doing. This is a collective movement that will impact each life tremendously.

~~~~~~~~~

Would you like to change your health and body?

Making slight perceptual shifts based on the Listed quantum facts (below) can:

–Offer you hope

–Help you realize that healing is always possible

–Have the awareness that health doesn’t have to decline just because we age

These quantum facts are from Deepak Chopra M.D.’s writings from “My Quantum Mechanical Body”:

–Our interpretation of our body determines its very molecules

–We should view our bodies in non-materialistic terms

–98% of the atoms of our body are replaced once a year

–Our skin is new once a month

–Our stomach lining is new every five days

–Our skeleton changes every three months

–We make a new liver every six weeks

–Even our DNA at the level of the atoms change every two months

–We are constantly changing our body, even more effortlessly than we change our clothes

Having this knowledge, awareness, and perception can positively affect our health, bodies and our lives!

This made such a huge impact on me when I read this fifteen years ago. It made me pay much more attention to my thoughts and the way I perceived my body to keep it healthy!

Use it to help you!

Visit http://www.HomeSpaLady.com for simple tips on natural health and beauty that you can do at home. Subscribe to Home Spa Lady’s free “Tips of the Week” newsletter delivered to you each and every Wednesday in your e-mailbox. Visit Home Spa Lady’s blog to read tips right now!

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Have you ever heard of a Lightworker? Up to about a year ago, I had never heard of this healing practice. What is a Lightworker? Well, in part, he/she is a “caretaker of the earth”. The medicine people of the Americas call such a person a pampameseyok, or Earthkeeper. I am a Lightworker. Through my personal journey, I have transcended from needing healing to healing others. This article will not only tell how I became a Lightworker, it will also inform you about how Lightwork can help you heal your body.

To begin, I had a severe herniated disc in my lower spine. The pain was excruciating. I could barely walk. Chiropractic treatment, acupuncture, and physical therapy made it worse. No amount of medicine took away the pain. I cried myself to the little sleep I got each night. My doctor said I had two choices - I could either have a numbing block injected by needle into my spine, or I could have spinal surgery. I did not like either choice. Although I was delirious with pain and physically incapacitated, I left the surgeon’s office with my mind made up - right then and there I knew I was not going to have the surgery or the spinal injection. I am not stating everyone should make this kind of choice, nor am I advising people to do so. Rather, I am just illustrating that this choice was the one I made.

As I lay in bed, I began to pray, and I prayed very hard. And when I wasn’t praying, I was reading. I believe that God led me to the books that opened up a path of healing for me to heal myself and to bring healing to others. More specifically, the books led to communication and a healing session with the books’ author — an internationally known Lightbody Worker who hasn’t accepted a new client for many, many years.

After my session, for several weeks, my body went through a huge upheaval and clearing. It wasn’t always pleasant - but I knew that toxins were leaving my body in all sorts of ways. And after about a month, everything began to even out. I saw the changes happen day by day - gradual increases in healing. I was walking again. I was sleeping.

Rejuvenated in my body and spirit, I got to a place physically where I could begin to study this work, so that with Divine assistance, I might continue to bring healing to myself and others. I believe it is part of God’s plan for me, because it brings me into harmony with the work I do for all creatures, great and small.

Studying energy medicine and healing led me to the traditions of the Native American, Inka and Mayan medicine people. These healers come from long lineages that believe that energy systems surround our human bodies, creating a luminous energy field (LEF), or lightbody. Over time, these energetic systems and the luminous body become congested with heavy energy, or sludge, which can cause physical (such as acne, and other medical conditions), mental and emotional illness, and premature aging. So, I work with clients to help them heal themselves - as lightbody work affects all levels of our being - physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.

The medicine people of the Americas recognize that we have four bodies: physical, emotional, mental and energetic. The energetic body or energy field contains an archive of all our personal memories, and physical or emotional traumas from our past may be stored as imprints in it. These imprints predispose us to recreate painful dramas and events, affect our moods, influence our emotional and physical well-being, and can depress our immune system.

Energy Medicine works at helping to erase or clear the imprints of disease from our energy body, thus returning the person back to health. Energy Medicine also addresses other issues, such as soul loss, nostalgia and grief, energetic blockages, and energy body (chakra) balancing. When our energies are brought into harmony, our body flourishes and provides a soil for our soul to blossom.

All dis-ease or illness begins at the energetic level and therefore within our Energy Body. If we know that 98 percent of our interactions are energetic while two percent are matter, where should we focus? Energy Medicine addresses the source of a given situation, regardless of whether the manifestation is emotional, psychological and/or physical.

Healing at the energetic level is immediate, although its manifestation at the physical level is more gradual. Everyone processes lightbody work differently - your physical body, working in conjunction with your light body and energy body, and all of its levels, has its own individual and unique pace and speed for healing. Some of my clients heal at a fast and accelerated rate, while others process more gently and slowly. We heal in layers, and your body knows how much and what is right for you at any given time. All of us have an innate wisdom about how to heal ourselves. We just need to learn how to access it, and I help my clients do that.

Lightworkers study closely with the medicine people, developing techniques to track for and clear negative energy from the luminous and physical bodies of those seeking their help, thereby allowing them to regain energetic equilibrium and wellness. The Lightworker takes a heart-centered approach to healing, wellness, and individual empowerment.

Lightbody work includes cleaning all the chakras of the body, to make the way for wellness. Our bodies contain seven chakras, or energy sources, which connect to different aspects of healing in the body. These spinning vortexes of energy, and their roots all connect to different places all along our spinal cords. For example, our root chakra, which is located at the base of our spines, is considered our physical foundation, and affects the elimination of wastes and toxins from our bodies. The seventh chakra, located on the crown of our heads, affects the skin, brain, and hormonal balance. Thus, some work with clients who have acne would most likely involve cleaning of both their root and crown chakras. Cleaning of these two chakras could assist the body in removing the toxins that let acne rise to the surface of the skin.

Another part of healing the lightbody involves illumination. Part of this process includes holding sacred space for each of my clients, as they help their own lightbodies to heal through breathwork and meditation. Another part of illumination involves bringing a Divine healing light to the affected chakra and lightbody connection - to assist in the client’s healing process.

And yet a third part of a healing session includes removing debris from the luminous energy field (LEF). The debris can include karmic imprints from our past and toxic energies, such as anger, fear, and envy that can clog up our LEF. By creating and holding sacred space, and through this energy work, I assist people in helping themselves clear the imprints of karma and disease from their luminous energy field. In turn, this helps them bring about their own healing at the blueprint level of their being. This type of healing helps to bring balance to the body, the soul, and the earth.

As I hold sacred space for my client during our session, the Divine is with us. And I believe that the Divine assists my clients and continues to hold sacred space for them, after they leave, as they continue their healing journey.

A big part of healing the luminous energy field is the initial interviewing process, where my clients discuss with me in confidentiality how I might help them. To begin a healing journey, you must open your heart to all that can be. Another crucial part of the healing journey is processing after the session. I often give “homework” - important things to do that help the lightbody, and the energy and physical bodies make progress and move forward on the healing journey. The homework is so important. One must actively participate in their own healing. Sometimes, people don’t do the homework. And then they wonder why nothing beneficial happens for them, or why only partial healing occurs. I can hold sacred space for you - but you must help your body heal itself!

To all of you reading this article at this moment in time — all of God’s children, created in His own perfect image — I wish you health, happiness and peace. And much love and light to you on your healing journey.

—This article was written by Georgia Stelluto for Breakout Betty. Breakouty Betty is a free interactive online magazine created specifically for Women, ages 18 and over, with acne-prone skin that discusses a holistic approach to healing acne and is psychological affects.

To find out all that Breakout Betty has to offer, visit us at http://www.breakoutbetty.com

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