A little healing help on eating....:D

Here is a little helpful PDF file on eating for healing health. I am impressed with it and so deemed it worthy of the @llisonian reference guide. I have heard and used many of these suggestions in different ways through the years. I have not been medically studied, but for myself.
So, here is a food guide that might interest you, as it has caught my attention and the author is quite an expert.

Caio! It was cold enough for a real sweatshirt on my walk this morning. ;D I know I said that already, what do you say?
Cheers too! Yoo Hoo!!!

link titled dietary essentials;
http://www.shockabuku.com/living/dietary_essentials.pdf

Disclaimer; My journeling is for referencing my journeys into information and knowledge; and to share these insights publically, all feedback is most valuable and much apprieciated..

{Disclaimer; my blog is a public journal, it is only a reference tool for me and entertainment level, at best. I do not claim to be expert, but ONLY to be interested in the subjects I post. I have my bias' that should be evident, and know that you all understand this when reading. I appreciate your help where information is wrong or dated or anything else that make you go "hm". It is so exciting to hear from you about things I do not know about. I hope you all enjoy visiting and understand that I am not a professional, I am an interested citizen working on living a life and communcating interests I see and some needs that I feel compelled to voice. I apprieciate all the feedback from my readers. A special thank you to KaronV for her careful insights, profound guidances, her clarity, special kindnesses, and integrities.

 Please be consulted before trying any new herb or considering them first} and always remember to smile....tootles.


Thank you for the prompt. I am human and such.

I always try to be integral. I always biobliphy my information. When I add the Title, author, publisher and date, it is because it is excerpted directly from the text. I do add my thoughts and do make typos, but edit them as I see them, as well. When I add my person thoughts I use brackets or italicize it for clarity.

Thank you  most kindly, again, for visiting and for all of your insightful feedback.

Ciao and Cheers,
Allison of

©Allisonians

Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Dr. Weil's link with food pyramid;
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02012/anti-inflammatory-diet

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02995/Dr-Weil-Anti-Inflammatory-Food-Pyramid.html

MDJunction,
Jessica K Black, N.D.;
http://www.mdjunction.com/erythroderma/articles/anti-inflammatory-diet--recipe-book

http://www.hunterhouse.com/shopexd.asp?id=651

http://www.theantiagingartist.com/tag/jessica-k-black/
Excerpt of a yummy looking recipe;
Quinoa Vegetable Salad (this can be for lunch or dinner)

2 cups leftover cooked boneless, skinless chicken, cubed

1 cup cooked quinoa or 1/3 cup dried quinoa
1 medium apple, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, shredded
¼ cup walnuts
1/3-cup raisins
1 ½ tablespoons organic mayonnaise (w/ no preservatives or hydrogenated oils)
4 large lettuce leaves (for serving)
If dried, cook quinoa according to directions
Toss all ingredients together, and serve chilled over lettuce leaves.
Serves 4.
(Note; there is nutritional information in the site, link above)

More linkies of interest;
http://www.alaskaacupuncture.com/pdf/aca_ai_diet.pdf
Excerpt of food list example;
Some examples of great vegetables TO EAT:
Asparagus, Bean Sprouts, Beat Greens, Broccoli, Red&Green Cabbage, Mustard Greens, Parsley, Radish, Spinach, Cauliflower, Celery, Swiss Chard, Cucumber, Lettuce(red, green, Watercress, String Beans, romaine), Beets, Bok Choy, Brussel Sprouts, Chives, Collards, Eggplant, Kale, Leeks, Kohlrabi, Onions, Red Pepper, Pumpkin, Rutabagas, Turnip, Zucchini, Artichoke, Parsnip, Green Peas, Squash, Carrots, Yam (in small Amounts)

Europe's medicianl issues.....I have heard about this, but didn't know how plausalbe it was....Sorry EU

http://www.savenaturalhealth.eu/

Botanical Medicine

Cascade Anderson Geller.
Botanical Medicine expert
Tick the title to redirect there.

The Two Interests of the Day; Picasso and Reiki Hmmmmmm

Just wanted to list two sites I bumped into and didn't read in it's entirety, but will get back to later...
Cheers

Pablo Picasso
http://www.picasso.com/
Within it's first page is a video courtesy of www.5min.com
Very good.


Reiki
http://reiki.7gen.com/
Enjoyed this site.

Pumpkins medicinal properties, of course

http://www.botanical-online.com/medicinalscucurbitapepoangles.htm

http://www.medicaldaily.com/news/20101101/3192/pumpkin-boosters-for-healthy-skin.htm

Alkaline Food List

Respectfully from Raw Food Health

http://www.raw-food-health.com/alkaline-foods-list.html



Alkaline food list of Vegetables:

- Beets
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Kale
- Collard Greens
- Celery
- Cucumber
- Dandelions
- Eggplant
- Garlic
- Lettuces
- Green Peas
- Green Beans
- Onions
- Spinach
- Mushrooms
- Bell Peppers
- Radishes
- Sweet Potatoes
- Wheat Grass
- Sea Vegetables


Alkaline food list of Fruits:

- Avocado
- Grapefruit
- Lemon
- Lime
- Tomato
- Rhubarb
- Watermelon
- Fresh Coconut
- Sour Cherries


Alkaline food list of nuts and seeds:

- Almonds
- Brazil
- Pumpkin
- Sunflower
- Sesame
- Flax
- Cumin
- Fennel
- Caraway

Alkaline Grains and Legumes:

- Buckwheat Groats
- Lentils
- Spelt
- Fresh Soybeans
- Tofu
- White Beans
- Lima Beans

Alkaline Fats and Oils:

- Flax Oil
- Evening Primrose Oil
- Borage Oil
- Coconut Oil
- Hemp Oil
- Olive Oil
- Avocado Oil

Alkaline Foods List

Using an alkaline foods list will allow the body to heal itself by getting rid of the acidic waste that causes poor health. A list of alkaline foods will help you choose the right foods to take control of what goes on in your body.

The first time I glanced at a list of alkaline foods I was very confused, because it seemed I was not left with a lot of options. If meat, bread, and dairy are acidic what are we left with?

However, once I discovered the benefits of a raw food diet, the seemingly limited options made sense. Raw vegetables and fruits are our natural foods and the proof is in a healthy, alkaline body. Acid and alkaline foods have the power to determine our health.

Starting a raw food diet is the best way to flush out old waste from acid foods, as raw foods are mostly all alkaline, full of living enzymes, and easy on digestion. Most importantly, on a raw food diet there is no new waste to slow down your healing process.

The most alkalizing foods are green vegetables but you will find some fruits, nuts, seeds, grains, legumes, and oils are also alkaline. However, vegetables and fruits are the easiest on digestion and should be consumed in abundance to alkalize the body.

Acidic foods are: All meat, fish, seafood, dairy, eggs, most grains, some nuts, canned, processed, and microwaved foods, condiments such as vinegar, ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard and soy sauce, white sugar, artificial sweeteners, alcohol, coffee, black tea, and a few others that perhaps were missed.

The Miracle of Alkaline Foods

Alkaline foods will give you tons of energy, reverse disease and aging, and completely change the way you look and feel. Eating alkaline food is the perfect way to be in complete control of your health.

The human body goes to great lengths to maintain a slightly alkaline PH of 7.35, but poor diet and stress can change the PH to an acidic one in which disease can thrive.

What are alkaline and acidic foods?

Every food is either alkaline or acidic, but it is not necessarily true that if a food tastes acidic that it will be acid-forming in the body. Sometimes, quite the opposite is true. For example, lemons taste very acidic but they actually help alkalize the body, while some meat will test alkaline, but once in the body will be acidic.

What makes a food acidic or alkaline is the effect it has on the body after digestion. Scientifically speaking, balancing the acidity and alkalinity of our body is the same as balancing the hydrogen ion concentration in the fluids of the body. Foods actually leave an "ash" or residue behind, and if this ash is acidic it will give off hydrogen ions after digestion that make the body more acidic, while an alkaline ash will remove hydrogen ions, making the body more alkaline.

Alkaline Foods: All vegetables and some fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, oils, and grains.

Acidic Foods: All meat, fish, seafood, dairy, eggs, most grains, some nuts, canned, processed, and microwaved foods, condiments such as vinegar, ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard and soy sauce, white sugar, artificial sweeteners, alcohol, coffee, black tea, and others that perhaps were missed.

Click HERE for an alkaline foods list, and HERE for a list of acid and alkaline foods with their PH levels.

Are all acidic foods bad for you?

A common misconception is that all acidic foods are bad for you. Many fruits are acidic, but it does not mean that they should not be consumed, it simply means there has to be a balance between acidic and alkaline foods in ones diet. Most authorities on the subject of an alkaline food diet recommend we consume 80% alkaline and 20% acidic foods. You don't have to get technical about this ratio, just eyeball your plate.

Eating a diet rich in raw vegetables and fruits ensures there is a balance of alkaline foods and acidic ones in our diet.

For example, cucumbers have a PH level of +31.5 and blueberries are -5.3. On a raw food diet, we must consume sufficient fruit for calories which would increase the amount of acidic foods we eat, but the alkalinity of vegetables is so high that it all evens out.

On the other hand, foods such as beef, which is -34.5 and white sugar, which is -17.6, are the two staples of many peoples diets. Add in the acidity of dairy, bread, and coffee, and we have a problem on our hands that a tiny side salad at dinner is not going to be able to fix.

Alkaline diet plan

The average persons diet is highly acidic from eating predominately acidic foods such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy, grains, legumes, coffee and soda. Some of us have VERY little alkaline foods in our diet and it is no wonder that we are sick and tired. Now is your chance to transform your health by eating alkaline diet foods.

In general, all vegetables and fruits will alkalize the body, and simply by greatly increasing the percentage of these foods in your diet, you will dramatically be changing the PH of your body. On a raw food diet this is easily done, but if you are still eating some cooked foods you will have to be more careful. If you decide to become vegetarian , you will greatly decrease the amount of acidic foods in your diet, since meat has some of the greatest acidic PH levels of any food.

Tips for using alkaline foods to heal the body

1. Buy a juicer to make green juices, or a blender for green smoothies.

Your goal is to build up an alkaline reserve so that when you eat something acidic your body has somewhere to "steal" minerals from in order to neutralize the acid. Otherwise, your body will steal from your bones or store this acid as waste that creates disease.

The easiest way to build up such a reserve is to make green juices or smoothies. Juices in particular will allow you to take in a huge amount of alkaline enzymes and minerals without all the fiber that would otherwise fill you up. Alternatively, you can eat big salads with all your favorite alkaline foods.

2. Fill up on watermelon

These babies are extremely filling and alkalizing so enjoy this fruit liberally. They are mostly water (hence the name) so you can really fill up on calories without overloading the stomach. One 15" long melon has 1,355 calories and 27.6 grams protein!

3. Abuse lemons

They are one of the top alkaline fruits, so squeeze a lemon into your water any chance you get or make some fresh lemonade by using the juice of one lemon, 16 oz water, and one or two packets of stevia to sweeten.

Tips for eating cooked foods

A raw food diet is the perfect way to alkalize the body without having to worry about what foods you eat, but if you are still eating some cooked foods use these tips.

- Use sprouted bread and pasta such as those made by Ezekiel, or spelt products with no added ingredients, instead of other bread/pasta products.

- Drink goat milk and eat goat cheese instead of cows, and raw if possible.

- Drink green tea instead of coffee

- Have wine instead of beer

- Eat quinoa and brown rice instead of other grains.

- Have fresh water fish rather than pork, beef, poultry and other meats.

- Use stevia instead of sugar and artificial sweeteners.

- For cooked snacks, enjoy unsalted sweet potato chips, air popped popcorn with grass-fed butter, or unsalted corn tortilla chips.

- Avoid this list of extremely acidic foods: Beef, Poultry, Deer, Pork Bread, Pasta, Refined Cereals, Coffee, Sweetened Yogurt, Salt, White Vinegar, White Flour and Sugar, Pickles, Pickled Vegetables, Parmesan Cheese and Processed Cheese.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Inspired by Natalia Rose and her book "the Raw Food Detox Diet', Ashley Ward's mission is like mine, to educate and help inform them about the best soundest help out there.
Thank you Ashley!
I really enjoyed your website and insights!
Caio, Allison

Eye Health Sites; Referencing Sites AKA the eyes have it~~~

Peruvian Bark
Quinine

http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/p/perbar29.html


Naturopathic Site
http://www.doctorajadams.com/Cancer.html


http://www.earthclinic.com/CURES/melanoma.html


http://taoofmedicine.com/2010/08/acupuncture-and-eye-health/

Common Elderberry identification

Here is the link to an identification site
for a book excerpt on the matter;
here's the link:
http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Plants.Folder/Elderberry.html



"...The tiny, black, globular berries grow on branching, umbrella-like clusters..."



A Cautionary note;
Avoid elderberries species with red fruit growing in rounded, instead of flat clusters.

Honey and Elderberry; a couple of my favorite things~~~

Here are a couple of sites I wanted to hold on to and to share with others.

Apitherapy Raw Honey
Honey Gardens link;
http://www.honeygardens.com/letters.htm

~~~AND~~~

How to make Elderberry syrup link
You Tube Video;

Bubbling Foot Bath

http://www.ehow.com/how_2330355_treat-foot-fungus-bubbling-foot.html

Here's an amazing footbath! Had to share.

Cheers,
Alli

Respectfully from Ehow;
Thank you Ehow. You've done it once again.

Here's what I learned.

Bubbleeeeeee

Pour 3 cups of apple cider vinegar into the basin. This basin needs to be large enough to hold both of your feet when they are completely underwater.

Add the warm water and baking soda. As these ingredients interact with the vinegar, the entire mixture will start to bubble.

Soak your feet in the warm bath for 10 minutes. If you feel that the warm water is helping any itching or burning symptoms you may leave your feet in longer, but the bubbles will start to fade out and the water will cool.

Scrub your feet gently with the loofah. This will remove dead skin and also help work the vinegar mixture into cracks in your feet where fungus may be living.

Pat your feet dry with the towel. You can use this treatment every day until your foot fungus disappears, then cut down to once a week to keep your feet clean and healthy.


Read more: How to Treat Foot Fungus with a Bubbling Foot Bath | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2330355_treat-foot-fungus-bubbling-foot.html#ixzz10hFSCkYu


Read more: How to Treat Foot Fungus with a Bubbling Foot Bath | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2330355_treat-foot-fungus-bubbling-foot.html#ixzz10hF2Qdug

Herbs that Ease Anxiety and Fear; Nettle, Oatstraw, Motherwort, and more...

In this series of articles adapted from her best-selling book New Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way (available through www.ashtreepublishing.com, herbalist Susun S Weed shares her favorite herbs and home remedies for dealing with fear, anxiety, nervousness, grief, depression, rage, fatigue, and sleeplessness. Her Wise Woman remedies are simple and safe to use, easy to find and buy, and amazingly effective.

Fear and anxiety are closely linked, but quite different. Fear is focused, anxiety is diffuse. Fear is health promoting and protective: It keeps us from jumping off cliffs. Anxiety can destroy health and increase our vulnerability: It shortens our breath, narrows our blood vessels, and interferes with the functioning of the immune system. Fear is useful energy; it calls to our courage. Anxiety is useless; it promotes feelings of insecurity, helplessness, weakness.

Notice the difference in yourself between fear and anxiety. Whenever possible, find the fear hidden in your anxiety and let it call forth your strength and power. The following remedies can help you make this transformation.

Bach flower remedies are easy to carry and use. A dose is 1-4 drops, taken as needed. One or more of the following may ease your anxiety: Aspen (anxious about the future); Mimulus (anxious about the past); Red Chestnut (anxious about the safety of others); Elm (overwhelming anxiety); Rock Rose (anxiety that escalates into panic).

The smell of roses has been used for centuries to ease anxiety. A touch of rose essential oil on the seam of your sleeve will wrap you in calming fragrance all day. To magnify the effect, have a massage with rose-scented balms. Even one massage can cause a marked decrease in anxiety for weeks afterwards.

Yoga postures, yoga breathing, and quiet, focused meditation are excellent ways to tonify (and soothe) the sympathetic nervous system. Regular practice alleviates anxiety, often permanently. If you feel so anxious you think you might burst, try the lion pose. Open your mouth very wide; even wider! Stick your tongue out; even further. Open your eyes really wide; bigger. Rotate eyes left, then right. Breathe deeply and exhale fully up to ten times. Keep the shoulders and the forehead relaxed. This pose unblocks the throat, releases facial tension, relaxes the breathing muscles, and relieves anxiety.

Stinging nettle infusion strengthens the adrenals: relieving anxiety and building focused energy. Depleted adrenals often over-react, giving rise to sudden sensations of anxiety, fear, and nervousness. Use bulk herb, not tea bags, not capsules. Put one ounce by weight (about a cup by volume) of the dried nettle herb in a quart jar. Fill the jar to the top with boiling water and cover tightly. Let steep for at least four hours; overnight is fine. Strain herb out and drink the remaining liquid. Iced nettle infusion is particularly good. The taste is green, like spinach broth, and is better seasoned with salt than sugar or honey. Refrigerate your nettle infusion after straining it and drink it promptly as it is likely to ferment is kept for more than two days.


Oatstraw infusion is another favorite of those who want to feel less anxious. Preparation is the same as for nettle infusion; remember to avoid tea bags and capsules. The taste of oatstraw is softer and more mellow; you will enjoy it warm with a little honey. Green oat tincture is much more powerful than oatstraw infusion. It is especially useful for those whose anxiety is combined with excessive nervous energy. Or try a hot bath with lemon balm or oatstraw; an ancient remedy for bad cases of the “nerves.” Ahhhh. . . .

Motherwort tincture is my favorite calmative. It is not sleep inducing nor mind numbing. A dose of 10-20 drops can safely be taken as often as every ten minutes, if needed, to calm and soothe sore spirits. "Like sitting in my mother's lap," one satisfied user commented. Motherwort tea tastes terrible and is not very effective; likewise the capsules are not useful. Motherwort tincture can be taken every day if you wish, but you will find that you don't need it as you have used it for a while.

A dropperful of St. Joan’s/John's wort tincture is the remedy to reach for when you are on edge and feel like anything will push you over it. The dose can be repeated safely several times an hour if needed. This nerve-nourishing and nerve-strengthening herb relieves the immediate anxiety and helps prevent future distress as well.

Herbal tranquilizers are safer than prescription tranquilizers, but are best reserved for occasional use. Valerian is the best known. Because its action can be quite strong, it is best to begin with a five-drop dose, which can be repeated every 10-15 minutes until you are calm (and probably asleep). To avoid addiction, use valerian root as a tea or a tincture, not in capsules, and take it for no more than three weeks. Skullcap tincture is less addictive and often more effective. The dose is 10-20 drops of fresh plant tincture or 1-2 dropperfuls of dried plant tincture. Skullcap can also be sleep inducing, but it is rarely habituating.


Exercise is a ready remedy for overwhelming anxiety. If you feel like running away from it all, running or skating or walking briskly might be the very thing to do. Fifteen to twenty minutes of heart-pounding exercise will use up your excess adrenalin and “eat up” your stress.

Extreme fear or anxiety may lead to hyperventilation. If you are breathing rapidly and shallowly and feel spaced out you can 1) breathe into a paper bag until normal breathing resumes or 2) hold your breath (you can actually put your hand over your nose and mouth) for a count of 20; then breathe out as slowly as you can.

Calcium keeps the nerves steady. A glass of warm milk is an old wives' trusted ally for relieving anxiety. Stinging nettle is an excellent source of calcium when brewed as an infusion; one cup can contain as much as 500 mg of calcium. Oatstraw infusion is also loaded with calcium, with one cup containing up to 300 mg. Soy beverage can have the opposite effect -- that is, it may increase anxiety -- due to its ability to disrupt thyroid functioning and interfere with calcium metabolism. One herbalist who consumed large quantities of soy "milk" and soy protein bars wound up in the hospital with an irregular heartbeat and severe anxiety. If you think you are lactose intolerant, drink no more than four ounces of milk at a time, or use yogurt instead of milk. (Yogurt is generally free of lactose.)

Of course you don't want to do all these things at once! But you could join a yoga class, use nettle or oatstraw infusion daily, and have a bottle of motherwort or skullcap tincture handy for times when you are exceptionally anxious. By working with strengthening herbs and exercises, you not only relieve the bothersome symptoms but improve your overall health. That's the Wise Woman Way.
This article appeared in the December 2001edition as the first of a featured ongoing column by Susun Weed at http://www.awakenedwoman.com/

more on motherwort from Susun;
http://www.susunweed.com/Article_Motherwort.htm

TY my dear friends for sharing you insights and herbal introspective and more...
With much gratitude and love,
Allison

Happy 2nd Birthday Inspire me Today! Tick the title for the complete article and prize information! Peace!

PUTTING THE LIGHT BACK INTO ENLIGHTENMENT

ACTION PLAN...

Free yourself from judgment. Each judgment you have is a complaint with the Divine Mystery.

Let go of your attachment to being right. This doesn't mean you can't be right, only that you can't keep score.

Let go of your attachment to being wrong. Scrutinizing your actions to identify your "mistakes" is a justification for self-judgment. The opposite of being wrong and the opposite of being right is the same-just being.

Stop trying to fix yourself. You are not broken, you don't need repairing, and you don't need to try harder. All you need to do is accept yourself as you are.

Get over thinking your belief system is the cornerstone of reality. It isn't. Everything you think is real is based on an illusion. Laugh, its pretty funny if you think about it.

Detach yourself from your need to know. The problem with knowledge is it doesn't do anything. How much more knowledge do you need to embrace the truth of your magnificence. Your choices will distinguish you, not your knowledge. (Note: There is no exception for bad hair days.)

Stop justifying your actions. To move out of the duality of right/wrong thinking, you must be willing to stop defending your point of view.

Quit blaming anyone, including yourself, for the way you are experiencing the world. There are no victims, only volunteers. Assume responsibility for your experience of life, regardless of where you acquired your point of view.

Release the idea that any one human is better or worse than another. If ...

Another link I found of similar interest;
http://stanford.wellsphere.com/dr-ellen-weber/147061/posts

The Dalai Lama

Cosmic Happiness from Dalai Lama

What is enlightenment? What is that state of Cosmic Consciousness, the ultimate awareness called variously - enlightenment, nirvana, satori, samadhi, self-realization, rapture, salvation, ascension, unity consciousness, voidness, and many other terms by many various religions? It is the goal of life, the ultimate destination of every individualized being. It is brought about when the individual personality ascends beyond the illusionary perception of self separateness to merge in the Universal Self from which it originated so very long ago. Spiritual evolution towards this goal takes place over ages but the final ascent of Spirit can happen in an instant of time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our true nature is not limited ... it is like the vast ocean. ... When we touch Supreme Consciousness through meditation, then we are boundless, we are everywhere, we are eternal. (Amma Karunamayi)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To the enlightened one, the world as he knew it ceases to be, and everything now stands enmantled (shrouded) by a shining vesture of divine effulgence, hitherto invisible to his normal vision.(Swami Chidananda, Light Fountain Divine Life Society)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Everything that occurred to me while I was in this state of consciousness was vastly beyond anything that I had ever experienced and yet at the same time it was familiar - as if I had always known of its existence. Even now when I try to describe something so beautiful I am mute with awe. There are no words in any language to describe such grandeur.
(Anonymous, Unbounded Light)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How to Achieve the Goal ???

How does one proceed from the normal human condition to the goal of enlightenment? The easiest way to achieve this Ultimate Goal is to follow in the footsteps of those who have passed this way already. The sages, saints and ascended masters of all times have found this path - sometimes through their own unaided efforts but more often by following the written or spoken guidance of a previous Teacher or Guru. The enlightened master sees the grand achievement and encourages others to find the immense treasure within the reach of every sincere seeker. They point out the path, warn of dangers, offer encouragement, and elucidate the methods of advancing on the way.

Short of direct guidance by a living enlightened one (a rare piece of good fortune), there is no better way than to read the lives of saints and pay close attention to their words. These powerful beings are alert on the other side, watching for the seekers, waiting to help and remove hindrances in the path of all those aspiring to the higher life in spirit.

Read their stories. Draw forth their grace. Create that subtle link of consciousness with them. Their photographs are full of power; their words highly instructive; their stories saturated with the essence of enlightenment. Meditate on their actions and you will approach their subtle perfection.

This is a very special time during which spiritual evolution is being immensely accelerated. Powerful beings are working behind the veil with all who are consciously cooperating to change Earth and bring us into a radically new pattern of human attainment. Never before have even small efforts on the spiritual path been so greatly rewarded. So do not miss this rare opportunity - it may not come again for a long time. As it says in the Upanishads, Arise! Awake! From this very day vow to become the Self that you really are and join the army of lightworkers that are even now transforming the planet.


Cosmic Happiness link
http://www.cosmicharmony.com/index.htm#Tibet

Forgiveness; Fr. EHow. Tick the title to be redirected there.

Forgiveness is one of those concepts that most people have difficulty grasping. While we all have a mental image of what forgiveness "should" look like when others forgive us, knowing how to forgive ourselves or someone else isn't as easy to understand.

When someone else causes us emotional harm, whether unintentional or intentional, learning to let go of this pain can be one of the most difficult transitions we go through. Social workers in the prison system work with families on the process of forgiveness to help ease the transition between incarceration and life on the outside. Similar to restorative justice programs which involve the victim of a crime and the offender, these prison programs seek to develop an understanding of the offenders act(s) and come to terms with the eventual return to society.

The families involved tend to view forgiveness as an admission that the past is completely forgotten and life can return to normal as if nothing happened. As you can imagine, this effort at denying the behavior has a negative effect.

Carrying emotional pain, anger, anxiety, and other distressing thoughts about a situation or someone often is easier for us than beginning the forgiveness process. Cognitive-behavioral therapists often stress positive thoughts since it can be easier to invest more time in negative thoughts and redirect energy toward positive change. The more we concentrate our emotional energy on carrying a grudge and not forgiving someone, the more likely we are to become anxious, depressed and negative about the general situation.

Since it is often easy to think of forgiveness in terms of forgetting, we need to examine how we forget. Human memory does not work like computer memory. There is no way to reformat the past. Instead, we look at situations through different lenses. Psychologists often refer to these lenses as perspective. Reality of our situation is how we view it at the time that the impression or memory was formed.

Forgetting a past hurt refers to relearning the circumstances surround the situation, reprocess it through a fresh perspective, and move toward forgiveness. When we look at the outcome of what happened, we can either become bitter and angry or view the end result as an opportunity for personal growth and change.


5 Steps
1. The first and most important step is allowing yourself permission to forgive. When we focus more on the consequences of not forgiving ourselves, we shift the focus to ourselves and how we can move beyond the past hurt and blame. The situation becomes less about the person who wronged you and more about how you are able to heal and develop a sense of peace.

2. Forgiving someone else first involves recognizing that forgiving is not giving that person absolution for a previous wrong. Forgiveness is often confused with absolution since the terms are used almost interchangeably in most religions. What if the person who wronged you is not living? What if the person is someone who caused you extreme embarrassement during school 20 or 30 years ago? These people are not available to you to discuss the situation, nor do they have to be. Letting go of emotional pain does not mean that nothing happened; it means that you no longer want to be controlled by it.

3. Recognize that forgiveness is not denial. Whatever caused the pain was a real incident. Denying that it happened and calling it forgiveness means that it is too painful to work through the emotions. There is no timeline on forgiveness. Some steps take longer to get through, and it is acceptable to work through some of it and set it aside for a period of time. Part of forgiveness is understanding that whether or not someone takes responsibility for it (and may even demonstrate remorse), does not control whether or not you intend to continue investing emotional pain and distress each time you revisit what happened.

4. Understand that not everyone who forgives reconciles with the person who caused the pain. There are relationships that are toxic and even physically dangerous. While it is possible to forgive the past and move beyond it, it may also mean that the person who was involved no longer can play an active role in your life. If a person or situation is not safe, it may be best not to reconcile the relationship and then work on forgiveness at a time when you are emotionally healthy and physically safe.

5. Make a conscious decision to forgive someone. Even if they never apologize for what happened, determine within yourself that it is fine to proceed without this apology. Apologies should not be about permission to us to forgive someone. Apologies should be offered as an effort of true remorse and acknowledgement that taking personal responsibility for the situation is important. Even without that apology, make up your mind to forgive, forget, and eventually let go.


Sounds a bit like the 12 steps program developed by Bill W. Food for thought thought.
I allow myself to forgive myself, the people in my sphere of influence, and to forgive our government. Now I have to go work on the next steps.
Namesta