Chemtrails

I have been following a rather disturbing story for awhile now. Chemical trails are not what we think they are - they are not just contrails from airplanes flying at high altitudes. Needless to say, this is deeply disturbing information - especially because it is being done in secret. CMN has been on this story for some time, and as the mother of an asthmatic daughter, I find this information chilling.

The island of Maui is trying to detour all airplanes from flying over the island because the organic produce being grown on the island is no longer organic.

The following video is short - only 10 minutes - and is one that everyone should watch. It's time to wake up to what is going on around us, and more importantly, to us.

The Heart, Contd.

In relation to my newest learning curve, how the heart may actually have a mind of its own, I've learned a few things I thought I would pass along. But first let me say - I have been finding more and more references to the heart and how it will play a very different role in the future then it does now. Most of us see the heart as an organ, nothing more. It pumps blood throughout our system and keeps us alive - without it, we die. That is certainly true.

But for years we've heard stories of people with heart transplants having the memories of the donor through Cellular Memory. This theory postulates that the brain is not the only organ that stores memories or personality traits. In fact there are documented cases where transplant recipients awaken with mild personality changes, cravings, opinions, and tastes, that they didn't have before the surgery. One classic example of this is Claire Sylvia, who after a heart and lung transplant in the 1970's wrote the book A Change of Heart.

So if we entertain the idea that the heart may also be more than just an organ that pumps blood and keeps us alive, what else might that mean? Here are a few things to consider:

• A new discipline of neurocardiology has confirmed that the heart is a sensory organ, and can actually learn, remember, and make independent functional decisions that does not involve the cerebral cortex. 
• Emotions that we once thought only originated in the brain are now known to be a product of both the brain and the body acting together.
• Feelings of appreciation are good for your heart. 
• Our nervous system acts as an antenna and responds to the magnetic fields produced by the hearts of others.
• Data has shown that it is possible for the magnetic signals of the heart to influence the brain rhythms of others at conversational distances.
• We can learn techniques that can help us stabilize internally in order to be less vulnerable to being affected negatively by the fields coming from others.
• Your heart can synchronize with your loved one in your sleep.

So I will continue my study, but I hope I've piqued your interest. There are several websites out there that talk about this subject. My favorite so far, mostly because it is scientifically based, is the Institute of HeartMath, which had been referenced in other reading I've been doing lately. I bought their book on Transforming Anxiety for someone else, and I downloaded The Energetic Heart for myself. Most of the above information comes from that e-book. I would highly recommend it for anyone wanting to understand more about the heart and its effect on your overall health, and the health of others.

All of this reinforces my belief that we are so much more than we ever could have imagined. We only use 10% of our brains,  so maybe the other 90% actually comes from our heart...

Billy's Greens

I watched an interview on Conscious Media Network a while back with Billy Merritt of Billy's Greens. Greens have become a big thing with people focused on good health and nutrition.

This young man has quite a story. Plagued with brain tumors and resulting seizures, he went on a quest to try and heal himself. He tried drugs, looked into surgery, but found nothing was working. Unable to work, or live a normal life, he started eating better, mostly raw foods, fresh fruits and vegetables. His health improved some.

He also spent time every morning meditating. It was during this time that he started praying, hours and hours of prayer, during his day.  He would let God know of his desire for health and then he said he would listen, believing that we need to let the Universe know what we need and then pay attention to strong hunches, instincts, those ideas that say go this way - go that way. He was reluctant to admit, but finally did during the interview, that at one point he heard a small quiet voice that said he must drop everything and "go to Nepal." He said he has only heard voices a couple of times in his life - so it's not like he hears them all of the time - but this one time he followed his instincts and did exactly that - he dropped everything and went to Nepal. After hiking 300 miles in the mountains from one guest lodge to another, he was still having seizures and felt the journey was for nothing. Sad and dispirited, he booked a return flight through the Bangkok airport for home.

It was during time of protests in Bangkok, that included the airport, and flights were canceled. He decided to spend time in Laos, admitting he had never felt so alone and sad. The food in Laos was not what he was used to so he ate coconuts for two weeks. And guess what? He cured his seizures! Something in the coconuts!

This sent him on a path that continues to this day. At 22 years old he has his own business, honed by trying different combinations of algaes, herbs, botanicals, probiotics, enzymes, and superfoods into nutrient-dense combinations that he found to be incredibly effective while working and perfecting his blends at the Ashram Health Retreat of Calabasas, CA.

I came across this interview while concerned for my own health. Struggling with one major virus after another, a feeling that something was wrong, or going to be wrong very soon, I went to his website and ordered a couple of his products. I felt, instinctively, that I needed an immune booster. I have to admit to feeling better - much better. Is it from the superfoods? I don't know. It could be because I'm eating better and exercising again, but I did order some for my family. They just received it, so I haven't had any reports so far.

I think Billy's story is one that proves we have what we need to help us in this world. Paying attention to God, Spirit, Higher Self,  or whatever you want to call it - is the answer. Going within with our questions,  and most of all - listening to the answers. They don't always come in word form. It could be hunches, ideas, synchronicities, something we read, something we hear, someone who comes into our life at just the right moment, symbols, music, pictures. The important thing is to pay attention and remain open.

For me, at this time in my life, it was Billy. I'm now looking at my health from a nutrition standpoint that will include products that help me in this endeavor.

Besides, I believe in supporting grass-roots businesses that feel they are lead by Spirit. Billy proves we don't need to rely on big corporations to meet our needs. This is our future.

General Anxiety Disorder

I have been in a discussion with someone this week about anxiety and how she feels it on a daily basis, often needing alcohol to calm herself down. It reminded me of my own bout of anxiety-related issues during my early twenties. There is absolutely no doubt there is nothing scarier than feeling as though one is going to faint - especially when you are driving, or are in some other compromising position. Which, for me was driving on fast-moving highways and standing in lines. I know I have talked about this before in this forum, but I believe we are living in times where we are going to see more problems with nervous disorders.

I don't think this is rare in our world. We have plenty to be anxious about. All we have to do is turn on the news and read about all of those blackbirds falling from the sky in Arkansas. But what can we do to alleviate the symptoms? How can we deal with this debilitating issue?

There are different types of anxiety disorders, but the one I'm talking about today is GAD - or General Anxiety Disorder. It's symptoms are also very generalized, such as:

• Restlessness or a feeling of being "keyed up" or "on edge"
• Being easily fatigued
• Difficulty concentrating or a sense of your mind going blank
• Irritability
• Muscle tension
• Difficulty sleeping

• Trembling, twitching, muscle soreness
• Headaches, sweating or chills, nausea, dizziness
• Shortness of breath
• Diarrhea
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Being easily startled

I think it's safe to say, we all experience at least some of these symptoms at some point in our lives. But what if we feel these symptoms most of the time? Do we have to take drugs to calm ourselves down? In some cases, especially when the brain chemicals serotonin and norepinephrine are involved, that may be the case. But in my case, it was more a matter of getting myself out of a situation that made me feel trapped that eventually alleviated the symptoms.

Which is what this post is all about. I'm not a doctor, nor do I profess to know all the answers, but if you are feeling these symptoms, maybe you could try one or more of these coping mechanisms:

• Diaphragmatic Breathing, and changing one's thinking patterns. Slow deep breaths, followed by replacing unwanted, scary thoughts with pleasant, calming thoughts. I use a mantra of all the things I have to be grateful for, which works for me when I have unwanted thought patterns.
• Meditation - it has been scientifically proven that our brain chemistry changes during meditation, but that is a post in itself. Maybe my next one...
• Exercise - single bouts of exercise, whether intense or not, has show to be of benefit for mental health hours afterwards.
• Nutrition - stimulants, salt, preservatives, hormones in meat, and sweet, refined foods can all play havoc with anxiety. Soda water (not sodas - soda water) actually helps relieve symptoms, and foods such as whole grains, asparagus, garlic, wheat germ and many more help with the symptoms of anxiety. Not to mention making sure you have enough magnesium, calcium and B vitamins.

These are a few ways we can care for ourselves during difficult times. I think I'll do a post on all of the new science surrounding meditation at another time. The bottom line is we can do many things to make our lives more livable and reduce the stressful causes of anxiety. You may have a few ideas of your own. Care to share?

The Flu!

So we were having a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner - 21 in all - when I noticed my brother, who loves Thanksgiving wasn't eating. That was the beginning - by Sunday six more were down with a nasty stomach flu. There would have been more, but they had already had it the week before. I'm sitting in bed writing this, thinking how fast something contagious can spread. We really are at the mercy of things that we cannot see.

Next year I will be thankful for something that I hope will not be sitting at the table.

Visual Migraine

I have been very lucky in my life to not suffer from headaches very often. In fact, unless there is a low pressure system coming in fast, or I've imbibed too much, I never get headaches. However, it appears I do suffer from visual migraines.

They can be quite scary - coming on when you least expect them, and lasting for around 20 minutes. At first I thought it might be a stroke, which was of course - terrifying! I do not have any pain, just a feeling of not being able to see well for a time afterwards. Below is a video of what one may look like. If you have these symptoms it is recommended that you have them checked out, but I was relieved to read they are fairly common, and generally do not require medical attention:

Phobias

Phobias are one of those things that I think everyone has - at least one. In my case it's doctors, doctor's offices, medical equipment, nurses, or anything that has to do with messing with my body, short of having a hot stone massage. I find myself either surly, or worse in my opinion, desperately insecure, whenever I have to visit the doctor. My blood pressure rises and I have a hard time sitting still while waiting. And waiting is something you do when visiting the doctor. My phobia even as a name - Iatrophobia - a fear of doctors.

At any rate, I am of the age where one has to have preventative tests. The usual mammogram, blood tests, and colonoscopy. Somehow I have managed to dance around not getting any of these tests for two years. I've had good excuses. At one point we were not sure when our insurance would be canceled from a company that had merged with my husband's company and had a contract to pay our insurance for two years. Unfortunately that company went bankrupt six months after the merge. So for the next year we waited to be canceled. Not a good time to have tests that might preclude being able to get insurance at all. We all know insurance companies would like nothing better than to exclude you from any policy for a pre-existing condition. Our health care is now in corporate hands, not doctors.

The dreaded colonoscopy I've managed to avoid for six years. Each year I visit the doctor and the doctor writes an "order" to have it done. I would put it off and, lucky for me, I would move and then have to start all over again. But now I'm back to my original doctor, the one I had six years ago that first sent me  to have it done. I ignored last year's, telling her our insurance had been canceled, which was true, just not at the time she wrote the order. But this year I had absolutely no excuse. I was caught with no way out. I had put it off long enough, and with colon cancer in the family, it was just plain irresponsible.

Phobias are debilitating. They often have absolutely nothing to do with reality, but they keep us from doing things that are in our best interest. And there are many, many different types of phobias, from a phobia of erect penises, Medorthophobia, to gaiety, Cherophobia. You can find a complete list here. Chances are you have a problem with something on the list.

Phobias are treated in a number of ways, some listed here. But I have found from my own experience that using relaxation techniques, combined with actually facing the fear, works well for my phobias. Simply put yourself in a relaxed state and walk through the fear. Do it over and over. In my case, I walked myself through the entire colonoscopy procedure in my mind. I watched myself get up, shower, get dressed, get in the car, etc., all the while feeling relaxed and free of fear. Did it work? Yes. It worked enough to get me there and do what I needed to do without freaking out.

My point is that fear is something that is constructed in the mind, and the mind can help you release the fear. It's more a matter of controlling the thoughts and programming our brains to think the thoughts we want it to be thinking. The body's autonomic nervous system will follow the directions from the brain, and the brain will follow directions from the mind. Does that make any sense?

What about you - any phobias?

Paying Attention

So many of us ask for answers to our questions, but how often do we listen for the answers?

My younger daughter has been struggling with what she wants to do for post-graduate studies. She is leaning toward nursing school, and has started the process to begin the pre-requisites to apply. But she isn't totally sure that she doesn't want to go into Naturopathic Medicine, of which there is a really good school in Portland. It is exactly like entering medical school, in terms of curriculum and cost. Not a decision to make unless one is fully engaged.

Yesterday she was buying some veggies from a fruit and vegetable stand when the man behind the counter said he was a clairvoyant/psychic and was picking up on her "frequencies." He said he saw her doing something with healing, children, and plants. He saw plant starts, but didn't know what kind. He also said her father's father was around her.

Now for someone to say these things out of the blue is odd, but what is even more odd is that her grandfather passed away a year ago and was a doctor who, while being an Internist, believed in preventative care to the extreme. This daughter is very interested in plants and sustainable gardening, asking to attend the Master Gardner program as a recent graduation gift. She took this as a possible answer to her question - nursing school or naturopathic medicine.

My point is that we often ask questions to difficult questions, but don't always pay attention when the answers come our way. We expect them to come verbally, or in some way definitive. I think we need to pay attention to subtle cues and gentle reminders that often come to us in obscure ways. Whether or not you believe this man to be a psychic, he gave her information that she needed. Her desire to heal and her love of plants can be combined in a naturopathic way, which is something I see for the future as more and more people become aware of the inherent risks of a pharma-based medical system.

Which makes me wonder how many of my own questions could be answered if only I were paying attention?

Cha Cha Cha Chia!

Most people know what a Chia Pet is, but did you know that chia seeds are good for you to eat? (Not the ones used for Chia Pets, however.) Yes, in fact the chia seeds were used as a high energy endurance food by the ancient Aztec warriors who subsisted on the Chia seed during conquests. The Indians of the Southwest and Mexico would eat as little as a teaspoon full when going on a 24-hr forced march, or when running from the Colorado River to California to trade turquoise for seashells. It is said to have tremendous nutritional and medicinal properties, and only one tablespoon could sustain an individual for 24-hours.

Dr. Weil has noted that "Chia is very rich in omega-3 fatty acids, even more so than flax seeds. And it has another advantage over flax: chia is so rich in antioxidants that the seeds don't deteriorate and can be stored for long periods without becoming rancid. And, unlike flax, they do not have to be ground to make their nutrients available to the body. Chia seeds also provide fiber (25 grams give you 6.9 grams of fiber) as well as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, molybdenum, niacin, and zinc."

Dr. Oz also likes the chia seed, discussing it in his bestselling book "YOU, Staying Young" and  Oprah.Com  has a wonderful recipe for a Pumpkin and Chia Seed Muffin.

You can sprinkle them on salads, fruit, just about anything. Add them to bread flower, put them in your oatmeal, or drink them in a glass of water with lemon. They have no flavor or their own, which makes them nice to sprinkle on foods. Since my husband ordered two pounds, (yes, you heard that right), from Amazon, we have plenty of chia seeds for the next couple of years! Thank goodness they keep well. For those looking for smaller quantities, we also found them at Whole Foods.

Nurturing Nature

(a bit hazy as there was a nearby fire)

I've decided it's nurturing to be out in nature. It's like our mother wrapping her arms around us and giving us a big hug. We just returned from one of our hikes in the mountains, and I'm exhausted. We went about five miles at around 8,900 feet. I just may have overdone on this one - a bit more tired than the last time. But new boots helped, and the scenery was spectacular. Other than on a few occasions looking over my shoulder for mountain lions, we had the mountains pretty much to ourselves.

I really think we need to go outside as often as possible to really understand what it means to save our environment. We simply cannot have the same sense of our mother earth if we are continually inside, and never experience the earth in it's raw form. Even walking through a park will give a different perspective. And actually getting out where there is no one around is extremely rewarding. You begin to see the grandiosity of it all. How important it is to pass on to future generations. How imperative it is that we act, in every decision we make, to make sure those decisions have as negative an impact as possible, for all life forms, including our earth.

Have you been outside lately? What did you experience?