23 Nov 2019
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Why Losing Your Mind Is A Gift

“The human mind is kind of like… a pinata.

When it breaks open, there’s a lot of surprises inside.

Once you get the pinata perspective, you see that

losing your mind can be a peak experience.”

~ Jane Wagner, playwright, “The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe”

Though it may sound strange, “losing your mind” — living for a time empty, without a constantly chattering brain — can help you find yourself. When the brain takes a break, it’s easier to hear your heart, and to follow its guaranteed guidance.

But few of us go willingly. For me, the shift from a left-brain, Type A personality took the form of illness. “Losing my mind” catapulted me into my body and into present time in a way I’d never experienced. I couldn’t think, reason, or talk my way out of what was happening. With my brain on an extended vacation, I began to live by — and trust — my intuition.

The truth is, our heart and brain are in continuous dialogue. Rollin McCraty, PhD, co-founder of the Institute of HeartMath, says the heart has a special intelligence, and sends “far more signals to the brain than the brain is sending to the heart.”

Yet we idolize the brain and give the heart short shrift, except when it demands attention — via a heart attack, for example.

Hm.

The Longest Journey You’ll Ever Take

Americans come from diverse backgrounds and speak different languages, yet we can all become fluent in a common tongue: the language of the heart. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, author of The Little Prince, wrote, “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.”

Seeing with our hearts creates kindness. In Jewel’s song Hands, the bridge brings tears to my eyes: “In the end, only kindness matters…” It touches something primal in me. Similarly, TV talk show host Ellen DeGeneres closes each broadcast with the invocation, “Be kind to one another.”

The greatest gift we can give each other and ourselves is moving from the brain to the heart. Traveling these 14 to 18 inches is both the shortest and the longest journey most of us will ever take. This nine-minute breath-heart-brain coherence meditation can help you get started.

Leaving Normal

A brain-break catapults you out of your comfort zone, notes feminist icon Gloria Steinem. It can be a conscious choice in lieu of a crisis. Profiled in Oprah Winfrey’s latest book, The Path Made Clear, Gloria maintains that a constant “on the road” mentality keeps her open to new experiences, because travel “brings people out of their heads and into their hearts.”

Living in the moment is the very definition of “flow,” agrees Oprah. This is how we enter what athletes call the zone: the place where it all comes together because you’re being your truth.

You can’t think your way into the zone. It’s a heart-centered space in which, says Gloria, you feel “boundaryless, spontaneous, at one with everything.”

So pry those mental fingers loose. In free-fall, trust that there’ll be an invisible cosmic trampoline beneath you — or you’ll grow wings in mid-flight.

What Competition Really Means

Kindness grows from this expansive feeling: knowing there is enough to go around, enough of whatever you feel you need: love, attention, money, etc. Yet our cultural paradigm fosters competition, and competition fuels an “either/or” mentality: either you win or I do; either I get what I want or you do.

It’s hard to live from your heart when you need to win — and when somebody else has to lose. It’s also intriguing to realize that “compete” actually means, “to seek together.” The prefix “com” means “with.” So when we compete, we’re really striving together towards a common goal.

We’re more likely to cooperate when we feel there is enough for everyone. Cooperation is about holding a “both/and” perspective. Holding the both/and, choosing collaboration rather than competition, is a refreshing way to dance with life — and the key to honor and respect.

A Politics of Love

Some people use the word “spirituality” to mean religion. But spirituality is not about religion. It’s broader than our 3D compartmentalizing. And the moment for an integrated spiritual perspective (heart and mind) has arrived.

Recognizing this beckoning opportunity, spiritual teacher and author Marianne Williamson threw her hat into the 2020 Democratic presidential race, courageously re-crafting her message to reach voters for whom a politics of inclusivity is a new concept. She speaks about the power of Love, with a capital L.

In the early days of her campaign, people laughed at her platform, even as the number of Google hits on her name soared. Then the New York Times Magazine ran a feature. Fewer people are laughing now.

Does Marianne stand a chance of securing the Democratic nomination? That’s beside the point. Her work is not about winning the White House, or even about government. She’s stirring the conversational cauldron, whetting the appetite of those stirring to consciousness with an amuse-bouche of pure essence.

Who we are at core (the etymology of heart!) matters so much more than what we think, so much more than any political party or ideology. Spiritual teachers such as Marianne know the mind must be in service to the heart in order to elevate humanity to our next level of evolution. The body politic is not separate from our bodies: as above, so below. As within, so without.

This is something our Founding Fathers understood. As our youthful country has grown, we’ve become lazy, relying on the government to solve the very problems it creates. Einstein said, “You cannot solve a problem with the same level of thinking that created it.”

Realizing heart and brain must not just co-exist, but co-create, is a giant step, and bringing this awareness to the world stage is a major mission. Marianne answered her own heart call to take the leap, as a gift to humanity’s unfolding.

Show Me the Money

A heart-centered culture will also radically alter how we exchange life energy, better known as money. In her pivotal book, Beyond Prophecies and Predictions: Everyone’s Guide to the Coming Changes (which I finished reading the night before 9-1-1), Moira Timms speaks of a “New Order of the Ages,” which many indigenous cultures had prophesied to begin between 2001 and 2012.

She writes, “The mind analyzes — the heart synthesizes. The turning point is where the heart is awakening. Historically speaking, we are at this juncture. America’s motto, inscribed on the banner in the beak of the eagle of the Great Seal [of the United States], reminds us that America was founded on the principle of ‘E Pluribus Unum’ — ‘Out of the Many, One.'”

Further, the inscription beneath the Great Pyramid (the centerpiece of the Great Seal on the back of a one dollar bill) says, “Novus Ordo Seclorum” — which translates, appropriately, as “A New Order of the Ages”! Isn’t this amusing? The answer is in money, but it’s not about who can become the richest at others’ expense.

If we insist on remaining on the fast track, consuming planetary resources and each other at the speed of greed, the money will not follow. True wealth/prosperity/abundance flows from alignment with purpose. It’s about tuning in to a higher frequency. The clues are everywhere. In my computer’s thesaurus, one synonym for prosperity is well being.

Our Highest Expression

I’ve long maintained that the Internet is our precursor to global telepathy. In recent times we’ve become seduced by technology, tethered to our phones, barely breathing life, let alone our fullness. Yet in a crisis, we respond from the heart.

California just experienced some of the worst wildfires and mass evacuations in the state’s history. As people flowed into safe locations, many businesses opened their doors to share desks and WiFi with displaced workers, fitness centers offered free showers (even supplying towels, soap, and shampoo), and grassroots organizers provided the essentials people would need after leaving home in a hurry.

I always marvel at this kind of outpouring, which typically ceases along with the emergency (“emerge and see”). If people and systems were as open and loving all the time as they are during a disaster, there would be no homelessness or hunger.

Reverence for the Real

When heart and mind align, it’s whole-brain change: we marry the dreamer and pragmatist within, and move ahead without selling out.

It’s radical. It’s possible. It’s the new world order, a different form of self-government we’re beginning to embrace as the planet awakens en masse. Idols may make useful teen heartthrobs, but in adulthood our hearts seek a deeper, lasting Love.

The heart calls. The brain responds. It’s incumbent on each of us to make the journey.

This is how everyone wins.

About the Author:

Amara Rose is Managing Editor of Ascension Lifestyle. Her work is widely published in health, business, lifestyle, and new thought magazines, both digital and print. Visit LiveYourLight.com, where you can also subscribe to her monthly e-newsletter, What Shines.

13 Sep 2019
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5 Holistic Ways to Reduce Stress

Stress in our modern society is, unfortunately, very common—especially as so many of us try to juggle a career, parenting, and other responsibilities. And in the U.S., it seems to be getting worse with each new generation. According to an American Psychological Association (APA) Stress in America survey, Millennials report feeling more stressed than Baby Boomers, Generation X, and other older adults.

No matter your age, chronic stress may tempt you to take anti-anxiety medication. But before you decide to go that route, know there are many natural ways to reduce stress that don’t require a prescription.

Here are five things you can do to ease your stress level today.

Listen to Your Favorite Playlist

It’s no secret that listening to soothing music can bring your stress level and blood pressure down rapidly, but what’s interesting is that it may also help prevent it in the first place. A study found that women who listened to music before being exposed to a stressful situation recovered from the stress-inducing incident more quickly.

And it’s not just slow music that can alleviate stress. Whatever you’re into jazz, disco, rock, or ’80s pop, turning up your favorite tunes and dancing along is a great way to forget about your worries and blow off some steam.

Meditate

Meditation is a great way to combat stress. Just sitting or lying down and focusing on your breathing forces you to be in the present moment, so you’re not worrying about the past or future. You can even retreat to your car during your lunch hour to grab some peaceful time for yourself. If quieting your thoughts is challenging for you, try a guided meditation online. They are often set to soothing music and will help you visualize pleasing situations.

Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center discovered that people who practiced mindfulness meditation had sharply reduced stress-hormone and inflammatory responses to a stressful situation. Practicing meditation at bedtime can also help you drift off into more peaceful sleep.

Get Enough Quality Sleep

Stress affects your sleep quality, and vice versa. When you’re stressed out, you may have a difficult time falling asleep and staying asleep through the night. And not getting enough zzzzzs can make you feel more stressed and just cranky in general.

Try to end the sleep and stress cycle by doing what you can to bring down stress levels before bedtime. You can try meditation, reading, doing some yoga poses, and enjoying a healthy snack that will help you relax.

Tickle Your Funny Bone

Laughter really is the best medicine, according to the Mayo Clinic. Laughing at something you genuinely find funny relieves stress immediately and can help bring down your heart rate and blood pressure. And the more you can find humor every day, the better your health gets: long-term effects from laughing include an improved mood and immune system.

So watch your favorite funny clips online or a comedy movie to stop stress in its tracks.

Create Something

A study found that making art drastically reduces levels of cortisol—the stress hormone—in the body. Creative activities help take your mind off whatever is bothering you. Creating any kind of art also helps improve mental health, no matter what your skill level. So draw, paint, knit, make a scrapbook, or anything else and feel your stress melt away.

Don’t Let Stress Control You

As you can see, there are many holistic methods to help you manage your stress. Try some of these and check out our latest health and wellness posts for more tips on how to feel at peace and live your best life every day.

About the Author: Ascension Lifestyle Contributor Krista Harper

Krista Harper is a freelance writer and yoga instructor in Southern California. She regularly covers lifestyle, mental health, and nutrition topics and has a passion for helping people create balance in their lives.

08 Sep 2019
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How to Live Forever

“You must go through the way in which you are not. 

And what you do not know is the only thing you know 

And what you own is what you do not own 

And where you are is where you are not.”

~ T.S. Eliot, excerpt from Four Quartets

When I began deleting my personal history, as Paulo Coehlo describes in The Zahir, it was the most joyous and bizarre experience of my life: I was simultaneously aware of who I was and who I was not, and 3D appeared both silly and sublime. It was expansive, akin to the seatbelt sign blinking off in flight as the Captain announces, “You’re now free to move about the cabin.”

Similarly: In college I listened to Woody Allen’s amusing audiobook Without Feathers. The title refers to the Emily Dickinson poem, “‘Hope’ Is the Thing With Feathers”.

Living Without “Hope”

The idea of “giving up hope” is as intriguing as stepping outside our conditioned responses. The day before the U.S. World Trade Center attacks in 2001, I’d finished reading Beyond Prophecies and Predictions: Everyone’s Guide to the Coming Changes by Moira Timms, and felt suffused with a calm knowing, a sense that something was about to happen. As 9-1-1 unfolded I sent out a global message contrary to popular reaction, and was castigated as well as thanked. (Email me if you’d like a copy of This IS A Test.)

In this era beyond prophecy, how do we transcend hope, transcend history, alter how we might once have responded, and simply observe our unfolding? How can we begin to live fully in the moment, as what one healer calls, “a constant stream of consciousness”?

We begin by enlarging the lens from microscope to kaleidoscope, as compassionate trickster Caroline Casey illustrates: “We are remembering our true selves, our destiny, our role in the Dynamic Mystery Play. You know how sometimes people ask that harumphitudinous question, ‘Who do you think you are?’ We reframe: ‘Hoo-Doo! You think! You Are!'”

This is how we morph into “forever beings” says thought leader Soleira Green. “Forever beings are not trapped by history, by past mistakes, learning, cultural influences, etc. Freedom isn’t a concept since there is nothing but complete and utter freedom on every level, available all the time… A forever being lives within limitless possibility, seeking change and creation constantly and always. This re-orients us to the ever streaming NEW and not to the static past.”

In her Quantum Awakening newsletter, Gillian Macbeth Louthan reminds, “It takes more molecules to create anger than it does a joy. It takes more molecules to hold disease than it does to hold love. All that is Holy is light and fluffy with no expiration date.”

Without “hope,” without history, we’re closer to our true nature than ever before. Think of it this way: if you “lose control,” you’re free. And you have everything.

###

About the author:

Amara Rose is a metaphysical “midwife” for our global rebirth. She offers personal and business guidance, content creation, e-courses, and a CD/mp3 to accelerate your evolutionary journey. Learn more at LiveYourLight.com, where you can also subscribe to her inspirational e-newsletter, What Shines.

17 Jul 2019
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Can Meditation Improve Your Sleep?

Meditation and Sleep

A 2015 study from the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) concluded that mindfulness meditation helped improve sleep quality among older adults with moderate sleep disturbances. 49 participants whose with an average age of 66 were split into two groups. Half of the group was taught mindfulness meditation, and the other half was taught sleep education. Both groups met 6 times, once a week for two hours. The mindfulness meditation group showed significant improvement relative to the sleep education group regarding insomnia symptoms, depression symptoms, and daytime fatigue.

Table of Contents

What is Mindfulness Meditation?

The Mindfulness Meditation program used in the JAMA study is from the UCLA Mindful Awareness Center (MARC), whose purpose is to “foster mindful awareness across the lifespan through education and research to promote well-being and more compassionate society.” MARC’s website defined mindfulness as “Paying attention to present moment experiences with openness, curiosity, and a willingness to be with what is. It is an excellent antidote to the stresses of modern times. It invites us to stop, breathe, observe, and connect with one’s inner experience. There are many ways to bring mindfulness into one’s life, such as meditation, yoga, art, or time in nature. Mindfulness can be trained systematically, and can be implemented in daily life, by people of any age, profession or background.”

Their program isn’t just seated meditation but includes mindful eating and mindful movement. Participants started with a 5-minute session, and gradually worked their way to 20-minute sessions.

How to Practice Mindfulness Meditation

There are many ways to practice mindfulness. Many meditation teachers recommend practicing both seated and moving meditations.

Seated Meditation

Here are some steps to practice mindfulness in a seated meditation:

Find a place that is quiet and without distraction.
Sit cross-legged, on your shins, or seated on a bed or chair with spine erect. Place the backs of your hands on your thighs so your palms are up.
Breathe in for a count of 10, hold your breath for 10, and exhale for 10. Repeat that 5 times.
Breathe in and tense your entire body for a few seconds, then relax and exhale quickly. Repeat 5 times.
Let your breath flow in and out without controlling it, and spend some time feeling a sense of relaxation. If you feel a tension in any body part, you can tense and relax that area and try to consciously relax it.
Watch your breath without controlling it. Let go of any thoughts and feelings that come up. It’s a habit to think about the past, the future, what you have to do, to worry, to fear; remind yourself that this is your break from the normal mental routine. When any thoughts or feelings arise, just go back to watching your breath and feeling that sense of calmness.

It’s easiest to start with just a few minutes of practice and gradually increase the amount of time. Understand that some days may feel very peaceful and other days will feel like mental warfare. Over time as you build the habit it will get easier.

Moving Meditation

Moving meditation is practicing mindfulness while doing many activities. Many people use martial arts such as Tai Chi as a form of moving meditation, but you could practice mindfulness while driving, washing the dishes, doing yoga, dancing, or walking.

Here are some steps for practicing mindfulness while driving:

Turn off the radio, or turn on some calming music.
Start by taking a few deep breaths and let go of any tension in your body.
Practice being aware of all of the different components of driving without thinking about or feeling any emotions. Notice your grip on the steering wheel, the pressure you put on the brake and accelerator, and be aware of where you are on the road.
If any thoughts or feelings come up, just go back to focusing on the practice of driving. Don’t hurry, enjoy the present moment, and keep yourself in a relaxed and aware state.

Many mindfulness practitioners find it helpful to practice both seated and moving meditations. If you experience a lot of stress and anxiety throughout the day, you may find it difficult to slow your mind down at night. But if you had practiced some relaxation and mindfulness during the day, it will be easier to get into a state of calmness when you sit to practice meditation.

For more ways to practice mindfulness, visit the MARC website.

Neuroplasticity

The term “Neuronal plasticity” was first used in the early 1900s by Santiago Ramon y Cajal, a Spanish neuroscientist and pathologist. Neuroplasticity was first used by Polish neuroscientist Jerzy Konorski in 1948 to describe changes in the neuronal structures that make up our brains. An easy way to understand it is that certain activities can “rewire” your brain.

In an article published by the National Institutes of Health entitled “Buddha’s Brain: Neuroplasticity and Meditation,” researchers explain “Over the course of meditating for tens of thousands of hours, the long-term practitioners had actually altered the structure and function of their brains.” Researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and measured hemodynamic changes to study the brains of experienced meditators.

How Your Genes Respond to Meditation

Harvard University doctor Herbert Benson first coined the term “relaxation response” (RR). He was one of the early medical pioneers to write about the benefits of meditation, noting the relaxation response was recognized by decreased oxygen consumption, increased exhaled nitric oxide, and reduced psychological distress. He wrote about meditation reducing anxiety, depression, and insomnia, and he said it also leads to genetic changes. Benson, the author of The Relaxation Response and founder of the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine and Massachusetts General Hospital, claims that the relaxation response is “Effective with virtually all diseases with a stress component.”

Dr. Benson explains further in a Washington Post article, “What we have found is that when you evoke the relaxation response, the very genes that are turned on or off by stress are turned the other way. The mind can actively turn on and turn off genes. The mind is not separated from the body.”

Another study published by the National Institutes of Health found that people subjects who meditated for 8 weeks had an increased change of expression of genes that control inflammation, circadian rhythms, and glucose metabolism.

Can Mediation Help you?

Meditation can be an effective way to help increase the amount of restful sleep you get every night. As with any skill it takes practice, so don’t expect amazing results right from the beginning. Start with just a couple minutes twice per day, and gradually add more time. If you find your mind wandering, you can reduce the time to get a more focused practice.

And don’t expect meditation to fix your sleep issues. You may be breaking some of the basic rules of getting good sleep. Learn the basics from top experts of good sleep hygiene to find out what you are doing that’s preventing you from getting to sleep, staying asleep, and/or waking up refreshed.

About the Author: Aaron Karns

Aaron Karns

Director of Communications | Startsleeping.org

Email: [email protected]

24 Jun 2019
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Healthy Eating, Self-Care and You

If you are interested in maintaining your physical health without neglecting your mental health as you age, then self-care should be a critical aspect of your daily life. However, it can be difficult to know where to start. Changing your diet is one of the most effective changes you can make in your everyday routine that will prove to have a lasting impact, both in the immediate short-term and across the years and decades to come.

Here are some ways you can begin to change your eating habits, ideas for maintaining a healthy eating routine in the long run, and cooking ideas to keep it entertaining for yourself.

Start with small alterations to your existing habits

Changing your habits is all about making small alterations to your current schedule that eventually add up to an entirely new routine. While you may know that following a whole-food plant-based diet consisting of mostly vegetables is one of the best ways to ensure your overall health, it can be difficult to jump in without getting accustomed to your new habits. To begin, try swapping out one meal a day with healthier food. Be sure to use minimal amounts of sugar and salt, or none at all. As you get used to this routine, add another healthy meal, and so on until your entire routine is that much better for you.

Adjusting your portion sizes

The size of the portions you consume are almost as important as the quality of the food you consume. Many people in Western cultures are accustomed to almost comically large portions focused on providing good value for their money, where they have enough food to eat past feeling full.

As you begin your healthy eating journey, new portion sizes may seem small by comparison. Eating healthier, smaller portions will help you feel full for longer, without the uncomfortable, overindulged feelings that accompany eating too much. Although there are many ways to get started, you can easily take control of your portion sizes by signing up for a service that delivers fresh food to your home. Not only will you receive great food, but you also won’t have to find the time to take that trip to the local market after work.

Establish a culinary routine you will maintain

The specific time you eat your largest meal of the day doesn’t really matter, nor does the frequency at which you consume meals. While there is a small amount of evidence to suggest that several smaller meals throughout the day may be slightly better for your system than the traditional three square meals a day, what is far more important is that you establish a routine you are likely to maintain over a long period of time. Regularity, maintenance, and your own dedication to your diet are what will ultimately help you to become a healthier person.

Broaden your picture of self-care

Adjusting your eating habits can help you feel fitter, sleep better, and have an overall effect on your mood. But food is only one part of the self-care puzzle. It’s also important to have a healthy way to deal with stress. There is a strong correlation between chronic stress at work and substance abuse, so it’s crucial to find healthy coping mechanisms to deal with feelings of being overwhelmed.

Exercising is one of the best ways to battle stress, and it has been repeatedly shown to help as a natural mood booster. If pain or soreness contribute to a lack of exercise, look for ways to lessen the pain and reduce inflammation. For example, CBD is a great supplement to consider to help you get moving and recover more quickly from a workout, and research points to this being a solid option to reduce inflammation. If a workout session isn’t possible to squeeze in, whether due to your schedule or physical condition, a simple meditation routine can do wonders for your mood, and they’re easy to do at home. Simply set aside part of a room that doesn’t see a lot of foot traffic, clear it of electronics, add a mat and a few pieces of calming decor, and follow a guided practice. Even five or 10 minutes can give you a mental health boost.

Self-care is ultimately about finding a way to deal with the stresses of daily life. Healthy eating, used alongside exercise and a regular routine, can significantly help you feel physically and mentally better each day.

Author, Ascension Lifestyle Contributor:

Stephanie Haywood of mylifeboost.com.

Photo Credit: iStock

03 Jun 2019
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Why Nutritional Psychiatry is the Future of Mental Health Treatment

A lack of essential nutrients is known to contribute to the onset of poor mental health in people suffering from anxiety and depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and ADHD. Nutritional psychiatry is a growing discipline that focuses on the use of food and supplements to provide these essential nutrients as part of an integrated or alternative treatment for mental health disorders.

But nutritional approaches for these debilitating conditions are not widely accepted by mainstream medicine. Treatment options tend to be limited to official National Institute for Care Excellence (NICE) guidelineswhich recommend talking therapies and antidepressants.

Use of Antidepressants

Antidepressant use has more than doubled in recent years. In England 64.7m prescriptions were issued for antidepressants in 2016 at a cost of £266.6m. This is an increase of 3.7m on the number of items prescribed in 2015 and more than double than the 31m issued in 2006.

A recent Oxford University study found that antidepressants were more effective in treating depression than placebo. The study was led by Dr Andrea Cipriani who claimed that depression is under treated. Cipriani maintains that antidepressants are effective and a further 1m prescriptions should be issued to people in the UK.

This approach suggests that poor mental health caused by social conditions is viewed as easily treated by simply dispensing drugs. But antidepressants are shunned by people whom they could help because of the social stigma associated with mental ill-health which leads to discrimination and exclusion.

More worrying is the increase in the use of antidepressants by children and young people. In Scotland, 5,572 children under 18 were prescribed antidepressants for anxiety and depression in 2016. This figure has more than doubled since 2009/2010.

But according to British psychopharmacologist Professor David Healy, 29 clinical trials of antidepressant use in young people found no benefits at all. These trials revealed that instead of relieving symptoms of anxiety and depression, antidepressants caused children and young people to feel suicidal.

Healy also challenges their safety and effectiveness in adults. He believes that antidepressants are over-prescribed and that there is little evidence that they are safe for long-term use. Antidepressants are said to create dependency, have unpleasant side effects and cannot be relied upon to always relieve symptoms.

Nutrition and Poor Mental Health

In developed countries such as the UK people eat a greater variety of foodstuffs than ever before – but it doesn’t follow that they are well nourished. In fact, many people do not eat enough nutrients that are essential for good brain health, opting for a diet of heavily processed food containing artificial additives and sugar.

The link between poor mental health and nutritional deficiencies has long been recognised by nutritionists working in the complementary health sector. However, psychiatrists are only now becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of using nutritional approaches to mental health, calling for their peers to support and research this new field of treatment.

It is now known that many mental health conditions are caused by inflammation in the brain which ultimately causes our brain cells to die. This inflammatory response starts in our gut and is associated with a lack of nutrients from our food such as magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, probiotics, vitamins and minerals that are all essential for the optimum functioning of our bodies.

Recent research has shown that food supplements such as zinc, magnesium, omega 3, and vitamins B and D3 can help improve people’s mood, relieve anxiety and depression and improve the mental capacity of people with Alzheimer’s.

Magnesium is one of most important minerals for optimal health, yet many people are lacking in it. One study found that a daily magnesium citrate supplement led to a significant improvement in depression and anxiety, regardless of age, gender or severity of depression. Improvement did not continue when the supplement was stopped.

Omega-3 fatty acids are another nutrient that is critical for the development and function of the central nervous system – and a lack has been associated with low mood, cognitive decline and poor comprehension.

The role of probiotics – the beneficial live bacteria in your digestive system – in improving mental health has also been explored by psychiatrists and nutritionists, who found that taking them daily was associated with a significant reduction in depression and anxiety. Vitamin B complex and zinc are other supplements found to reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Hope for the Future?

These over-the-counter” supplements are widely available in supermarkets, chemists and online health food stores, although the cost and quality may vary. For people who have not responded to prescription drugs or who cannot tolerate the side effects, nutritional intervention can offer hope for the future.

There is currently much debate over the effectiveness of antidepressants. The use of food supplements offer an alternative approach that has the potential to make a significant difference to the mental health of all age groups.

The emerging scientific evidence suggests that there should be a bigger role for nutritional psychiatry in mental health within conventional health services. If the burden of mental ill health is to be reduced, GPs and psychiatrists need to be aware of the connection between food, inflammation and mental illness.

Medical education has traditionally excluded nutritional knowledge and its association with disease. This has led to a situation where very few doctors in the UK have a proper understanding of the importance of nutrition. Nutritional interventions are thought to have little evidence to support their use to prevent or maintain well-being and so are left to dietitians, rather than doctors, to advise on.

But as the evidence mounts up, it is time for medical education to take nutrition seriously so that GPs and psychiatrists of the future know as much about its role in good health as they do about anatomy and physiology. The state of our mental health could depend on it.

About the Author: Joyce Cavaye

Joyce Cavaye is a senior Lecturer in Health, Well-Being and Social Care at The Open University.

**This article was originally feature at The Conversation and is re-posted here under a creative commons license.

03 Jun 2019
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Your Cells Are Listening: How Talking To Your Body Can Help You Heal

Your Cells are Listening

Every part of your body has its own consciousness or its own soul.

These transformative words, spoken by indigenous medicine women, began my journey within to discover the extraordinary healing capacity of the human body.

When this perspective was introduced to me, I was suffering from a severe chronic pain disorder. I suddenly imagined incorporating this concept into my meditation routine.

I thought, can my body hear me… can I talk to it to gain its cooperation in healing this condition?

The Path to Freedom

That night, after reaching a state of deep calm through meditation, I inwardly engaged my body in a heartfelt conversation, with hope, but having no idea what to expect. After about one hour of this focused communication, something amazing happened.

My tissues began to respond. Connective tissue pulled and stretched apart layers of scar tissue. Nerves fired and my calf muscles began to perform flexion and extension exercises independently of my conscious control.

As this response continued, one of my calf muscles that had become paralyzed by the neuropathic condition — diagnosed as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy — came back to life as electric-like jolts shot through the area.

My heart pounded as I realized that the path to my freedom from this condition had finally begun.

Guidelines for Dynamic Healing

With a background in acupuncture and Oriental medicine, I knew too well how prevalent chronic pain is in this country and I wondered what the implications of this phenomenon could mean to so many others who were suffering.

As I continued to make progress with my condition, I organized my approach into a system that I could teach to clients and shifted my professional focus to hypnotherapy.

When instructing my clients, I explain that a regular meditation practice is necessary to train the brain to enter alpha and theta brain wave states. While in these states, communication between the conscious mind and the physical body is dramatically enhanced.

I have found that when communicating, there are three key steps to gaining the cooperation of the body:

Approach your body with genuine compassion, understanding that it is made up of conscious cells who experience emotions.
Build trust by engaging your body in mental conversations about your desire for the two of you to cooperate and overcome the ailment.
Allow changes in the conversation by using different thoughts and words that elicit spontaneous elevated emotions.

From my experience, the above guidelines are necessary to achieve dynamic healing responses in the body.

The Force of human Intention

I recently came across a very similar set of factors that were discovered by researcher Cleve Backster, who spent 36 years studying biocommunication in plant, animal and human cells. He referred to these factors as real intent, attunement, and spontaneity.

Backster, formerly an interrogation specialist for the CIA, wrote about the defining moment which led him to his real work in this world, in his book Primary Perception.

This moment occurred one February morning in 1966 when he decided to monitor the Dracaena plant in his lab utilizing polygraph equipment.

He attached the electrodes to a leaf and began to think about ways that he might induce a surge in electrical activity in the plant. In humans this surge in electrical activity is associated with intense emotions.

He suddenly imagined burning the electroded leaf. The same instant this idea entered his mind, the polygraph pen shot to the top of the chart showing an extreme reaction on the part of the plant.Amazed, he walked to his secretary’s desk to retrieve a set of matches while pondering the possibility that this plant was somehow detecting the force of human intention.

Can Plants become Attuned to their Primary Care Takers?

When he returned with the matches, the plant was still showing the same high level reaction which would interfere with tracking additional changes on the chart. Backster decided to “remove the threat” by returning the matches to the desk.

At this point, the chart displayed a downward trend as the plant apparently began to calm down. When Backster attempted to repeat the same results by pretending that he was going to burn the plant, there was no reaction. The plant seemed to sense the difference between real and artificial intent.

He eventually discovered that plants become attuned to their primary care takers, responding to both their positive and negative emotions and to their return after being away for a time. Chart findings also showed that plants prioritize the emotions of their primary care takers over the emotions of others nearby.

Signs of Consciousness

Backster later expanded his research to include testing human cells for signs of consciousness.

He collected white blood cells from human donors, electroded them in a test tube and then recorded the cells’ reactions as the donors experienced different emotional states. He found that spontaneous emotions were necessary in order to elicit an electrical reaction in the cells.

For instance, if a donor forced herself to feel an emotion, the cells would not respond. However, when she received a distressing phone call from her daughter, the cells reacted significantly.

He noted that distance seemed to be irrelevant in these experiments. For example, a donor left his electroded cells behind in the lab, then kept a detailed log of any stressful emotions experienced on his trip home to another state, such as missing a turn on the freeway, standing in a long line at the airport, and the take-off of his plane.

Later, his logged incidents compared with the chart recording showed strong correlations between the timing of the stressful events and the electrical reactions in his cells. The chart became quiet again when he arrived home and went to sleep.

Raw Creative Healing Ability

These experiments were conducted while using equipment that screened out electromagnetic radiation — the usual energies used for information transmission. The cells behaved as if the screens weren’t there, suggesting that this communication is carried by a field still unidentified by conventional science.

Some scientists believe that the further development of quantum physics may help guide us to understand this field that communicates emotional intent between living things. Quantum Entanglement is a process where two particles of matter which have interacted with each other, still behave as if they are connected after being separated by many miles.

When an energetic change is made to the properties (position, momentum and rotational spin) of one of the particles, the properties of the other distant particle will change at the same instant.

This scientific phenomenon and the research of Cleve Backster, point to the Eastern concept of oneness — the view that all of nature is interdependent. Ancient cultures understood this interconnection as a living universal energy field that sustains life while guiding the evolution of consciousness throughout the universe.

The meditation techniques involved in my practice bring the mind into attunement with this field. Energy from this field is then focused into a physical healing event through clear intention — delivered by means of a conversation that evokes spontaneous emotions — and attunes the physical body to the conscious mind.

This method which I call Antara (Sanskrit for within), enables one to experience the raw creative healing ability generated by an alliance of the mind and body with this living universal energy field.

Source: antarahealingarts

23 Jan 2019
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2019 and the Law of Attraction

The year 2018 passed in a blur, and to be honest, I’m glad it’s over. I had many awesome experiences. And I was “sufficiently challenged”, as my friend Evy likes to put it. This is not necessarily a bad thing. We grow from challenges and become clearer about what we want and what we don’t want. Then all we need is focus and mindfulness to move forward. The much-cited Law of Attraction is rather simple: whatever you focus your attention on will get bigger in your experience. Happy or sad, pleasant or unpleasant, wanted or unwanted, the thoughts in your mind attract more of the same. So as we begin another journey around the sun with new — or repeated — resolutions, how do we focus our energy on what we desire, rather than on the things that make life unpleasant?

We are genetically predisposed to our mind’s negativity bias. For the evolution of our species it was beneficial to remember foremost the painful, damaging experiences. As a caveman, once you got burned by fire, you did not forget the experience. You were more careful around fire and avoided more physical damage. This is why we remember negative experiences better than the good stuff.

However, if cavemen avoided fire altogether after being burned, they would have frozen to death in a Northern winter. So while one part of the mind rings the alarm at the sight of fire, another says: “This is good, nice and warm.” Both aspects are right. Both deserve attention, and optimally they modify each other to create safe, prudent behavior. In an extremely oversimplified nutshell, this is mindfulness: paying non-judgmental attention to the different, often contradictory parts of your being. On the basis of such awareness and acceptance you can learn to navigate life with your personal inner GPS.

In her brilliant book “Loving What Is”, Byron Katie asks four questions regarding any thought that causes distress:

1. Is it true?

2. Can I know with absolute certainty that this is true?

3. How do I feel when I think this thought?

4. Who would I be in this moment without this thought?

“How do I feel when I think this thought?” is really important if I want to attract more positive experiences in my life. In many situations I am not able to immediately change the external circumstances. But if I don’t like how I feel under these circumstances, I can examine the story I am telling myself about the situation and determine if I get some satisfaction from my story. Am I the victim? Do I benefit from feeling like a victim? If it makes me more angry, what is the benefit?

Short bursts of anger are energizing, invigorating. They call us to action and help us survive dangerous situations. Anger is a necessary progression when we claw our way out of depression. Anger may arise as a signal that someone has crossed my boundaries. In that case, feeling my anger and acting appropriately helps me to reaffirm boundaries for my safety and comfort. That is satisfying and beneficial. However, if I am still angry about a transgression of my boundaries 5 hours or 50 years after the fact, the anger serves only this purpose: to raise my blood pressure and make life unpleasant. Why would I do that? Habit. I have repeated an angry thought pattern so many times, it has formed an 8 lane freeway in my brain. Once I’ve headed up the on-ramp, I am cruising.

In my childhood, people frequently transgressed my boundaries, and I was helpless to do anything about it. Expressing my anger had very unpleasant consequences, so I did not repeat the expression more than a few times. Therefore, anger did not lead to the satisfying resolution of reestablished boundaries, and it remained stuffed away, building and growing, attracting more of the same. Eventually my anger turned against me, because it had nowhere else to go. This caused dis-ease, and I got sick. I know I am not the only one with such an experience.

With a habit of thinking angry thoughts, it is very easy to find things to be angry about. The world is full of injustice, atrocities and sheer stupidity to get upset over. People LIKE being upset over such things. The Evening News proves that. TV stations need to sell ads, and bad news attracts more viewers than happy news. If our focus is on things that make us angry, the world will deliver plenty of justifications to be angry. That is the Law of Attraction.

However, it works the other way around, as well. When we come to the conclusion that we would like to feel better, physically and emotionally, we can turn off the TV and look around our neighborhood for evidence of goodness. There is plenty of evidence in our daily lives that kindness exists, and that it is natural to the human condition. Find kindness in yourself, and you will find it reflected in your environment. When I walk through town looking into people’s eyes with a smile and the intention to lift someone’s spirit, I am met with smiles in return. Not by everyone. Some people are just too caught up in their struggles with life, and they don’t notice me smiling at them. That’s okay. Smiling makes ME happier. It puts a bounce in MY step. And then good things can happen.

When I am feeling joyful and expanded, I am in greater alignment with the Goodness of Life, and it will present itself as delightful synchronicities. I end up in the right place at the right time. I meet a person with the solution to my problem just when I need it. I have an inspired thought and act on it, causing a cascade of beneficial effects for everyone involved. The right words come to me at the right moment. I need a little extra cash, and someone tips me for my services. I am in the zone and things are flowing.

How do I get into the zone when I am not? When I am on my mental freeway of anger, resentment or depression, how do I find an exit ramp? Fast, busy traffic may carry me miles down the road, and it takes a lot of backtracking to get to where I really want to go, which is to feel good. It is much easier to recognize the on-ramp to my anger freeway as I am approaching it and not take it, but that takes mindful practice. Sometimes I succeed, often I don’t.

Intentional distraction from my familiar thought patterns provides a diversion for me. I turn my mind to something totally unrelated that makes me feel better. Playing sudoku or a card game on my phone. Intensely listening to good music. Reading a good book or watching a movie. Taking a bath and being aware of my bodily sensations. Recalling things I find most pleasing, like memories of beautiful places I have been to, people and activities I really like. I hug trees and play with my dog or snuggle with the cat. I go for a ride. I meditate. Focus on my work. Do something nice for someone else. I go through my practice of gratitude. We all have much to be grateful for, starting with a roof over our heads, food on the table, and the ability to get out of bed most mornings. I can be grateful for my toothbrush and indoor plumbing. For the elevator in my office building when my hip is aching. For not getting hurt myself when I drove into a deer on Christmas eve.

Finding a silver lining in the clouds makes them dissipate. Above the clouds, the sun or stars are always shining. The essence of my being is the sky, not the weather. This too shall pass. All manifestations are impermanent. My soul always experiences contrast; what else is an eternal creator being supposed to do? There is nothing wrong with where I am at in this moment. I am simply having an experience. All these thoughts and mantras are exit ramps for me. Find or make up your own. Affirmations only work when they actually ring true to you.

If I can hold a positive feeling in my mind for just a minute or so, and if I can intentionally relax the muscles of my face, neck and shoulders and take a few deep breaths, I have found an exit ramp. Getting into the zone usually takes a little longer. Practice is good. It actually does not make perfect, because there is no such thing as “perfect” in a world that is constantly evolving. We are always in the process of becoming something else, new and different. Do your best to relax into that thought, and smile. At the end of an upper level CranioSacral Therapy class a student said to me with astonishment:

“You know, it feels GOOD to feel good!”

In 2019, give yourself permission to embrace feeling GOOD as a mindfulness practice even for just a few minutes per day. Over time you will pave a new freeway of positive thought habits, which will take you to the zone quickly and easily. May the New Year bring you many genuine smiles!

About the Author: Ascension Lifestyle Contributor Shana Dieterle

Shana Dieterle, PT, CST, is a CranioSacral Therapist practicing in Missoula, MT. She has trained with the Upledger Institute International and is presently working on her Diplomate certification. It is her pleasure to explore the amazing health benefits of light touch therapy to optimize brain function and self-healing.

For further information and contact information, go to www.ShanasHeartofHealing.com

24 Oct 2018
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Becoming Homeopathic: You Are Your Own Medicine

Just as our planet contains all of the resources we need to create and heal — awaiting only our discovery and ingenuity — we contain the ability to self-heal on an intrinsic level. This was brought home to me one day when, in the midst of a strong (and highly unusual for me) allergic reaction, I was looking for a homeopathic remedy.

To my great astonishment and amusement, one of the chief ingredients in the remedy I selected was ignatia amara. I picked another remedy off the shelf, and discovered ignatia amara listed there as well.

In fact, when I did an online search of the remedy, it seemed to describe my very nature to a “T”: “Women of sensitive nature, mild disposition, quick to perceive, rapid in execution. Rapid change of mental and physical condition, opposite to each other.” The website also stated a supreme aversion to coffee — and I can’t stand the smell of brewing coffee!

The Heart of Healing

I smiled in wonder at all this: I am my own antidote. The feeling was immensely empowering. We each, all, contain the answer to whatever toxin that’s currently affecting us, whether physical or mental, personal or global. We need not use a canon when a kiss will suffice: becoming homeopathic is about recognizing, and choosing to use, the smallest possible “dose” to activate healing.

This is how we begin crafting the new global community we’ve been inching towards for decades. It’s a spiritual emergence-y (emerge and see), as we emerge from the cocoon of complacency, the old paradigm, into a courageous new world. Courageous, from the French, means “heart”.

Now it’s about choice: how quickly and collectively we will segue from the old reptilian, limbic brain (the same impulse that drives materialism, separation, self-interest, and misuse of power) into the higher realms of consciousness, where love, wisdom and power are synthesized into service.

It’s a quantum yet infinitesimally subtle shift: from scared to sacred, density to destiny, toxic to tonic, reactive to creative. Homeopathy operates on the principle of “like cures like”, and the minusculedose: the more dilute the dosage, the more powerful the remedy. It’s the exact opposite of what you might expect to effect a healing. Not a canon, a kiss.

I invite you to become homeopathic. Discover and embrace your inner healing/wholeness that has always been there, and decide to make the subtle shift that brings you back to balance.

As for me, I’m going to live ever more deeply into my own name. Blessings!

About the author:

Amara Rose is a metaphysical “midwife” for our global rebirth. A former personal health columnist for Nation’s Business magazine, she’s written for numerous other publications, both digital and print. Subscribe to Amara’s resource-rich monthly newsletter. You can connect with her on social media at Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

24 Sep 2018
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The Benefits of Yoga and Meditation For Seniors: How to Get Started

Yoga and meditation have long been known for their beneficial properties, including reducing stress and anxiety and helping to build muscle strength and balance. They are two of the best activities for people of any age who want to focus on both their mental and physical health, and when done properly, they are excellent ways to stay active even with a health or mobility issue. For seniors, yoga can be done just about anywhere and can be incorporated into daily routines.

Getting started with a new regimen can be difficult for many seniors, however; not only are there often safety precautions involved, but it can also be hard to start a new routine and stay motivated, especially if you have existing health issues. You may be worried about maintaining your balance or hurting yourself in the process. With some careful planning and a little help, you can create a workout regimen that will keep you safe and healthy.

Keep reading to find out how to get started.

Learn the Benefits of Stretching

Stretching can be extremely beneficial when it’s done correctly; not only can it help ease tension, pain, and stiffness, but it can also help reduce stress and allow you to slowly relax. If you experience chronic pain or have arthritis or joint issues, stretching can help you find relief. Just make sure you move through the poses slowly, and always stop immediately if you feel pain. Yoga incorporates lots of stretches into each pose, but they should never hurt.

You Can Do It Just About Anywhere

Yoga has many benefits, but one of the best is that it can be done just about anywhere, at any time. If you’re sitting at a desk for a long period of time and need to stretch your muscles, lay out your yoga mat and do some quick, simple poses to feel better. If you need to alter the poses to fit your needs — seniors with mobility issues can practice yoga in the water or with a chair, for instance — you can do it easily without sacrificing any of the benefits.

Get a Mental Health Boost

Yoga and meditation go hand-in-hand because they focus on mindfulness, which is the art of looking inward to narrow your vision down to the present moment rather than worrying about the past or future. This, combined with breathing exercises and poses, can help you tear down any stress or anxiety you’re feeling for a mental health boost that will stick with you all day. It’s also a great way to practice coping with difficult emotions in the moment.

Know Where to Begin

It’s imperative that you know your limitations and abilities when it comes to your workout routine. In many cases, yoga looks much easier than it actually is, so you’ll want to start slowly and gently. If you haven’t had a workout routine in a long time or have lost muscle mass, it’s important to take it easy on your body at first to avoid injury. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions about the best ways to begin.

Yoga can be hugely beneficial to people of all ages; it’s simply important to understand the proper ways to use your body to make the most of your workout. Talk to a healthcare professional before beginning any new routine, and give yourself plenty of breaks in the beginning. With some care and attention to your own safety, you can create an exercise plan that works for your specific needs.

About the Author: Ascension Lifestyle Contributor Julie Morris

Ms. Morris is a life and career coach who strives to help others live the best lives that they can. She believes she can relate to clients who feel run over by life because of her own experiences. She spent years in an unfulfilling career in finance before deciding to help people in other ways.