Spring Healing: Creativity In Your Life

Living is an act of creativity. Not just being an artist, writer,
painter but the sheer act of living is a creative force that we often
do not acknowledge. Living consciously and with awareness is an act
of even deeper creativity. On many levels, creativity is an inner
process: what you dream, imagine, and then give physical form to as
an outer process.

Starting a Creativity Journal can help unblock the artist in you and
unleash your creative genius. Creativity Journal exercises are
designed to help you get to know yourself through means such as
drawing and doodling, color and images, and creative writing. Keeping
a Creativity Journal can be fun and can help you in many ways!
Creating one can be as different and as diverse as you are. All you
need is a book to write in.

The Sacral/Spleen Chakra is where the spark of creativity initiates.
Here it is about the manipulation of the senses and the world in
relation to them. This chakra represents the movement of the spark
upwards to the Throat Chakra in order to be expressed on the outside.

The Throat Chakra is about creative expression. Using your "voice",
be it physical or through your fine art, paintings, body as with a
dancer or actor or even writing. Any form of creative expression is
released from the Throat Chakra.

Aura stimulation: Etheric template: The energy field of communication
and creative expression. This is the level where sound creates
matter. It is at this level that "sound" in healing is the most
effective. Use a blue crystal for this layer, which coordinates with
the throat chakra. Visualize a blue orb of light at this point
saturating and balancing this center in your body. Utilize the power
of music when healing this layer. Bring your focus on the music you
may have put on at the start of your healing session. Music soothes
the soul and calms the spirit layers. "I can express my deepest
truth gracefully, respectfully and confidently. "

The Free Flow of Qi

Qi, often referred to as "life force", or "energy" is that which
flows through all things. Qi is containing, activating, transporting,
protecting and warming. Qi is something that cannot be seen or
recorded but yet, inevitably, is upon and within all things. "Qi is
the thread connecting all beings. Qi is the common denominator of all
things-from minerals to human. Qi is the fundamental quality of being
and becoming."

Crystals for Creativity

Amazonite
Assists in courage of personal expression, giving us the power to say the words we're afraid to speak. Creativity may be a process of co-creation with others. Green stone instrumental in distilling the raw information used for personal expression. Good for anyone involved in the arts.

Aquamarine
Helps us to access our souls' wisdom, and on the deepest level to the wisdom of universal consciousness. Tranquilizing, uplifting, openness, innocence, lightheartedness, creativity, communication, self-awareness, confidence, purpose. Filters out unnecessary information to the brain. Has an affinity with sensitive and mystical people. Increases creativity and sharpens intuition.

Blue Lace Agate
When we need to be clear and yet peaceful in our verbal expression, this is a helpful stone. Agates are grounding stones. They help obtain a better physical and emotional balance. They work to raise consciousness. Builds self-confidence. Blue Lace Agate helps to focus on the inner source of love within you that transforms and heals all wounds. Contains the qualities of flight, air, movement, and grace.
Highly inspirational when working with the inner self. Works well with
manifested growth.

Chrysocolla
Calms us so that our thoughts flow freely. This is a good stone for those who find their thinking processes to be intellectually sound, but lacking emotional quality. Excellent for Heart Chakra;
flushes and heals heart blocks (loss, hurt, guilt, fear...) for allowing, flexibility, self-forgiveness, peace of heart, patience. Keeps one in light, love, and healing daily. On Throat, expressing feelings, verbal and artistic creativity. Helps one feel more comfortable speaking the truth. Helps develop personal confidence. Historically used by musicians, perhaps because of its reputation for having healing properties for throat and lungs.

Turquoise
This is valuable for clarifying our desires and expressing them to others who can help us manifest them. Speech enhancer for communication. It opens the Throat Chakra, for open communication, creativity, serenity, spiritual bonding, and uplifting. Opens the Heart Chakra for giving/receiving. Strengthens and aligns all meridians, chakras, and energy fields.

Andrew Pacholyk, MS, L.Ac
http://www.peaceful mind.com/ creativity. htm
Therapies for healing
mind, body, spirit

A New Book!

If you have a chance you've got to check out my friend Ellen's book "Ask Mother Nature, A Conscious Gardener's Guide. For more information on Ellen,her book and Good Earth Garden School, go to http://www.goodearthgardenschool.com

Movie "Cancer, Nutrition, and Healing"

Well, Dear Eco-Gardeners,
we all know loved ones who are dealing with cancer. Here is an inspiring way to learn and to help.

Please join us in Anchorage on Saturday from 4pm to 6pm.

Free Movie! Saturday Matinee

Come watch and then discuss the film, Cancer, Nutrition, and Healing.

Seven years ago, eco-consultant Jerry Brunetti received word that without aggressive chemotherapy treatment he would be dead in as little as six months from an aggressive form of lymphoma. He opted not to travel that route, and instead embarked on his own journey seeking advice, treatments, alternative protocols and hands-on care from a wide variety of sources. The result has been depth of understanding that is almost beyond compare, steady improvement in his own overall health, and a return to normalcy of the affected lymph nodes. Oh, and he’s very much alive.

Learn about: strengthening immunity, holistic treatment protocols, health-boosting recipes, supplements and detoxification, supplementing conventional therapies, foods to eat, and foods to avoid.

When: Saturday March 21 Time: 4 – 6 pm. Cost: free!

More Information: Linda at 562-2259
and www.goodearthgardenschool.com

Location:
Terra Bella Bakery Café
601 E. Dimond, Anchorage
Next to Bed, Bath and Beyond, across from Dimond Mall


Ellen Vande Visse
Good Earth Garden School
www.goodearthgardenschool.com

Creating Better intention

Good Morning!

Creating Better Intention and Essential Oils

Finding focus is a welcomed clarity in order to bring awareness to
our lives. How many people do you know who lead an almost incomplete
and unexamined life? Art of any kind is the ability to tune in and
make it your own. The attaining of your goal through intention is one
of the most rewarding and self gratifying accomplishments we can do
for ourselves. And guess what? You deserve every single bit of it!

Tuning in to any energy is the ability to quiet the mind, allowing
your inner self, or intention, to perceive truth. By practicing this
art, we develop a sensitivity toward inner information and the
ability to condition our mind to listen on a much more subtle level.
This developing can give us the ability to sense energy and actually
perceive our intention on an even more subconscious plane.

Techniques are vast and varied, all of which, can be used in calming
and clearing the mind, therefore, achieving clearer perception.
Include some of the following:

1. Clear intention is a result of meditation: Meditation is a time-
honored technique that can take you into infinite dimensions of
consciousness. It is a simple effort that becomes effortless as we do
it more and more. One major principle to meditation is the ability to
completely quiet your mind. By quieting our mind, it can allow us a
clearer picture of what we really intend.

2. Become more mindful: Mindfulness is the act of being fully aware
of what happens in each moment. Try living in the NOW. Be present.
Honor each moment you are given. Acknowledge each task you take.

3. Energy follows thought. As you think of your intention, you are
made aware of it. As you are made aware of it, you are able to bring
it to fruition by asserting your energy. When you program thought to
be positive, your intention will be positive. The outcome is
inevitable. Especially when you see it as such.

4. Moving is the action to your motivation!: There is a mountain of
proof that movement is the best thing for mind, body and spirit.
Moving helps with depression, increases our cardiovascular system,
moves energy (Qi) and blood, stimulates the brain, increases hormone
production and takes us from one place to the next. Use movement as a
tool to move intention forward.

5. Intention reverberates. When we throw a stone in a calm lake, we
can see how the ripples start at the center point, where we dropped
the stone (our intention) and move outward from that point. When we
specify our intention, it moves out through the Universe as do the
ripples in the lake.

6. Intention is a reflection of many values. Our values are a direct
reflection of our beliefs. When we have strong, sensible values, your
beliefs reflect it. These same beliefs are an expression of our
experiences. Most often, people who have relatively good or tolerable
experiences have a better outlook on their beliefs.

7. Make Room for Change: Make it a nourishing, self respecting place
for change to take place in your mind. In the same way, create a life
affirming, positive path to reach your goal. Make no excuses.
Procrastination is the bi-product of feeling unworthy. Self worth
leads us in the right direction.

8. A lack of awareness + not being grounded + being unfamiliar =
FEAR: Become familiar with what your intention is. Once you are
familiar with the reasons why your intention is important and
familiar with the information you did not know or understand about
reaching your goal, this takes the fear out of it! Take initiative
and responsibility in seeing your true goal through to completion.
This all begins with the intent. Once you are familiar, there is less
fear and you become more grounded in your approach.

9. Make Every Effort: to do something each day that brings your
intentions closer to your goal. You will do this now, because you
understand why you want to reach this goal, what it means to you and
the fear behind it is gone. You will make the effort now because your
are aware of the fact that you love and respect yourself more and
deserve to make the effort.

10. The Honoring of Ourselves: This is something we tend to lose
sight of, especially as we grow older. "Excuse instead of action"
seems to be the norm, instead of the exception. Honoring everyone
else first (husband, wife, children, family, friends, colleagues) is
the path we so often go down first, before we take care of our own
needs. If you are not in tip top (mind, body, spirit) shape, how can
you effectively care for others?

Essential Oils for Intention

The power of our senses can be harnessed as an unbelievable tool that
you can use to your life's advantage! Diffusing essential oils
stimulate our olfactory nerve. These essence can restore balance and
harmony to your body and to your life. The energy of a scent can
invigorate your intention. Here are some of the most interesting oils
below:

Basil: This oil is wonderful for poor concentration, nervous tension,
digestive problems and insomnia. Basil is used to support the process
of deep change. Rich, sweet and pungent, use this oil to evoke
intention.

Bergamot: Uplifting, refreshing and encouraging. It can help relieve
anxiety and depression, ease grief and sadness and increase mental
alertness.

Cinnamon: Cinnamon bark was first recorded in Chinese formularies as
early as 2700 B.C. The herb has been used as a healing aid for
stomach upset and gas, diarrhea, rheumatism, kidney ailments, and
abdominal pain. Cinnamon bark contains the essential oils of cinnamon
and can stimulate concentration focus and memory.

Frankincense: Sedative, elevating, warming, used for anxiety,
apprehension, fears, nervous tension and stress-related conditions.
It slows down and deepens the breath, which makes it helpful for
meditation. This oil is helpful for bringing about clarity in
decisions.

Lavender: Balancing, stimulating, strengthening, good oil for mind
clearing and focus.

Peppermint: Refreshing, increases concentration, increases memory,
strengthens the nervous system and is used for fainting, headache,
mental fatigue, migraines and stress. Peppermint oil is used to
pinpoint intention and stimulate action.

Rosemary: Stimulates the adrenal cortex, used for nervous and
emotional exhaustion, apathy, depression and stress. Clears the head,
improves memory and concentration, reduces mental fatigue, combats
headaches.

Andrew Pacholyk, MS, L.Ac
http://peacefulmind.com/intention.htm
Therapies for healing mind, body, spirit

Taking Time for Yourself

Modern life compels us to rush. Because we feel pressured to make the most of our time each day, the activities that sustain us, rejuvenate us, and help us evolve are often the first to be sacrificed when we are in a hurry or faced with a new obligation. It is important we remember that there is more to life than achieving success, making money, and even caring for others. Your spiritual needs should occupy an important spot on your list of priorities. Each task you undertake and each relationship you nurture draws from the wellspring of your spiritual vitality. Taking the time to engage in spiritually fulfilling activities replenishes that well and readies you to face another day. Making time for the activities that contribute to your spiritual growth has little to do with being selfish and everything to do with your well-being. Regularly taking the time to focus on your soul’s needs ensures that you are able to nurture yourself, spend time with your thoughts, experience ! tranquility, and expand your spiritual boundaries.

It is easy to avoid using our free moments for spiritual enrichment. There is always something seemingly more pressing that needs to be done. Many people feel guilty when they use their free time to engage in pursuits where they are focusing on themselves because they feel as if they are neglecting their family or their work. To make time for yourself, it may be necessary to say no to people’s requests or refuse to take on extra responsibilities. Scheduling fifteen or thirty minutes of time each day for your spiritual needs can make you feel tranquil, give you more energy and allows you to feel more in touch with the universe. Writing in a journal, meditating, studying the words of wise women and men, and engaging in other spiritual practices can help you make the most of this time.

Making time to nurture your spirit may require that you sacrifice other, less vital activities. The more time you commit to soul-nurturing activities, the happier and more relaxed you will become. The time you devote to enriching your spirit will rejuvenate you and help you create a more restful life.

www.dailyom.com

CHOCOLATE!

If you love chocolate!
You will love this site!

http://www.xocoatl.org/history.htm

Agave--Healthy??

From RealAge.com (for the record...I'm a Stevia fan myself :O)

True or False: Agave’s the Healthiest Sweetener Out There
Could it be true? Is there really an all-natural, low-calorie sweetener -- with no aftertaste -- that doesn’t send your blood sugar into the stratosphere? Fans say agave (ah-GAH-vay) nectar fits that description. And to judge by the flood of agave-sweetened foods and drinks on supermarket shelves -- hundreds have been introduced in the last 2 years -- the new sweet stuff has a lot of believers. It’s even showing up in cocktails at trendy bars. So, is it true? Or too good to be?

T or F: Agave is super sweet.
True indeed! It’s four times sweeter than white sugar. Just 1/4 teaspoon of agave nectar/syrup approximates the sweetness of 1 teaspoon of sugar, costing you just 4 calories instead of 16.

T or F: Agave is all natural.
True, sort of. But “all natural” doesn’t mean “not processed.” Agave comes from the desert-dwelling succulent Agave tequilana, which is also the source of tequila. However, turning the plant’s juicy sap into a syrupy nectar you can drizzle on yogurt or stir into tea takes some doing. Some manufacturers heat the sap; others use enzymes to convert it into table-ready syrup.

T or F: Agave has no flavor.
True and false. It depends on whether the syrup is light or dark. The lightest types are virtually flavorless, but darker varieties have a maple- or caramel-like taste that you may take to . . . or not.

T or F: Agave has a low glycemic index (GI).
True. Because agave nectar is mostly fructose, it makes a pit stop for processing in the liver, which lowers its glycemic index (GI) -- a measurement of how quickly a food makes blood sugar rise. Table sugar is about half glucose, which goes straight to the bloodstream and sends blood sugar zooming in minutes.

T or F: Agave is a healthy sweetener.
More false than true. The major health benefit is that you may use less agave than sugar to get the same sweetness. But that’s about where the health-buck stops. People who’ve heard all the bad press about high-fructose corn syrup -- and avoid it like the plague -- need to realize that agave nectar is a high-fructose syrup (at least 75% fructose). Many health experts believe high-fructose foods are not good for you. “Perhaps most worrisome is that excessive fructose may increase the risk of metabolic syndrome and diabetes,” says Richard Johnson, MD, author of The Sugar Fix: The High-Fructose Fallout That is Making You Fat and Sick (2008). It also triggers a combination of unhealthy effects that can eventually lead to a host of troubles, including heart disease and stroke, according to Johnson and others.

Bottom line: If you’ve got a serious sweet tooth, a little agave syrup now and then may help you control calories and blood sugar spikes. But that’s as far as it goes -- and the trade-offs aren’t great. Sorry about that.

IN YOUR GARDEN (Meditation)

Meditation channeled on the 7th January, `2008 by the group Lazarus.
This is a guided meditation for the beginning of a circle, or just
for a reprieve to ground yourself after a stressful day.

Sit comfortably, feet on the floor and hands resting gently on your
lap. Take three deep and cleansing breathes and centre yourself.

Now with eyes closed, let your subconscious bring into your vision a
gate! Let it come as it will and take gentle note of it, what it is made of, the height, width and structure.

Approach the gate and although you may see a lock on it, know that
it will open for you.This is your own boundary, one you have put there; no-one else can get in except you. Now the gate will open and you will walk in to YOUR garden.
Take a moment and turn around to look at the rest of your boundary, see what the gate is attached to, or not as the case may be. Just take gentle note, then turn around and face your garden.

Here there is perfect peace, here you can see all there is to see.
Look around and take note. No-one else can come here and the only living beings will be animals, so if you see them take a note, and then explore where you are.

Please do not have any perceptions of what you will see, allow the
higher guide (your sub-conscious)to show you what is you, a meadow, a lakeside, a beach or a mountain side, it depends on you.

Take a few minutes to look and relax, and when you are ready, sit
down and breathe in the air.Just relax with yourself knowing that you cannot be disturbed, and when you are ready to come back look at your feet.

When you look at your feet, you will see a beam of white light
touching them.On looking up at the beam you will see that it stretches in the far
horizon and is without end.Watch as the beam gentle moves over you and completely encompassesyou within its light.As the light enfolds you, you are surrounded by protection, by love
and by the divine healing that is your right.

The light will transport you back to your chair, safely and with
gentleness, and when you are ready,you will open your eyes and be back again.

Footnote:

The garden represents you, the inner you. On reflection of what you
have been shown, a great deal of where and why things are as they are should/could be made easier to understand.

Please remember that you and only you are the only one allowed in
the garden.If another being is there, even a guide, then there is a problem
with your control.You are allowing others to control you and even when it is with
love, it is truly in my opinion, not the best state of affairs.


Walk in light
Rose
www.onebigcircle. org