tag:www.naturalawakeningsnj.com,2005:/categories/inspiration?page=9Inspiration Inspiration | Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey Page 9Healthy Living Healthy Planet2019-08-15T22:13:04-07:00urn:uuid:3a7d7e12-b90c-4a80-b3a8-37d2e05066142019-08-15T22:13:04-07:002019-08-15T22:13:04-07:00Being Beauty: What Makes Us Glow2017-08-31 09:46:02 -0700Glennon Doyle Melton<p><span class="dropcap">P</span>lenty of people are pretty, but haven’t yet learned how to be beautiful. They have the right look for the times, but they don’t glow. Beautiful women glow.</p>
<p>That’s because beautiful is not about how we look on the outside; it is about what we’re made of and being “full of beauty” on the inside. Beautiful people spend time discovering what their idea of beauty is on this Earth. They know themselves well enough to know what they love, and they love themselves enough to fill up with a little of their particular kind of beauty each day.</p>
<p>When we are with a beautiful woman, we might not notice her hair, skin, body or clothes, because we’ll be distracted by the way she makes us feel. She is so full of beauty that some of it overflows onto us. We feel warm and safe and curious around her. Her eyes typically twinkle a little and she’ll look at us closely—because a beautiful, wise woman knows that the quickest way to fill up with beauty is to soak in another’s beauty. The most beautiful women take their time with other people; they are filling up.</p>
<p>Women concerned with being pretty think about what they look like, but women concerned with being beautiful think about what they are looking at, taking in the loveliness around them. They are absorbing the whole beautiful world and making all that beauty theirs to give to others.</p>
<p><br>
<em>Source: Adapted excerpt from </em>Love Warrior<em> by Glennon Doyle Melton (Flatiron Books). She’s the founder and president of the nonprofit Together Rising. Read more at <a href="http://Momastery.com/blog">Momastery.com/blog</a>.</em></p>
<p class="fineprint"><br>
<em>This article appears in the September 2017 issue of </em>Natural Awakenings.</p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:a593bb1b-1945-449b-b620-8a8019d88c4f2019-08-15T21:54:44-07:002021-03-11T13:07:24-08:00Aging with Passion and Purpose: Finding Fulfillment, Creativity and Meaning2017-08-31 09:45:53 -0700Deborah Shouse<p>Want to age well? The answer isn’t in your 401k. Self-acceptance, a positive attitude, creative expression, purposeful living and spiritual connections all anchor successful and meaningful aging. In fact, these kinds of preparations are just as important as saving money for retirement, according to Ron Pevny, director of the Center for Conscious Eldering, in Durango, Colorado, and author of <em>Conscious Living, Conscious Aging</em>.</p>
<h3>Savor Self-Acceptance</h3>
<p>While most people believe adulthood is the final stage of life, Dr. Bill Thomas is among the creative aging experts that identify another life chapter: elderhood. “Elders possess novel ways of approaching time, money, faith and relationships,” says Thomas, an Ithaca, New York geriatrician and fierce advocate for the value of aging.</p>
<p>“The best chapters may be near the end of the book,” Thomas continues. “Once you appreciate yourself and your years, you can relinquish outdated expectations and seek to discover your true self. Then the world can open up to you,” says Thomas. “Living a rewarding life means we are willing to say, ‘These chapters now are the most interesting.’” During this time, rather than feeling consumed by what we have to do, we can focus on what we want to do.</p>
<h3>Fill the Funnel of Friends</h3>
<p>For older people, relationships offer foundational connections; but as we age, friends may drift away, relocate or die. “Successful aging requires refilling our funnel of friends,” says Thomas, who considers socially engaged elders with friends wealthier than a socially isolated millionaire.</p>
<p>“Notice opportunities for interacting and connecting,” advises Shae Hadden, co-founder of The Eldering Institute in Vancouver, Canada. Talk with the checkout person at the grocery store or smile at a stranger walking her dog.</p>
<h3>Cultivate a Positive Attitude</h3>
<p>Our beliefs about aging shape our experiences. A Yale University study found that older individuals with more positive self-perceptions of aging lived 7.5 years longer than those less so inclined.</p>
<p>Older people are our greatest resource. We need to nurture them and give them a chance to share what they know.<br>
~Susan Perlstein, founder, National Center for Creative Aging and Elders Share the Arts</p>
<p>Connecting with positive role models helps us release limiting beliefs and embrace an attitude of gratitude instead. Other life lessons can be gleaned from observing how negativity affects people physically, emotionally, and socially.</p>
<p>Holding onto regrets traps us in the past zapping energy and self-worth; it also keeps the best in us from shining out says Pevny. He suggests a simple letting-go ceremony, with friends as witnesses. If possible, hold it in a natural outdoor setting.</p>
<p>At one of his conscious aging retreats, Pevny created a fire circle. Mike, 70, had been a dedicated long-distance runner for most of his life. Now plagued with mobility issues, Mike decided to let go of regrets. He brought a pair of running shorts into the circle and talked about what the sport had meant to him—its joys, challenges and camaraderie. Then he tossed the shorts into the fire, telling his friends, “I am letting go so I can find a new purpose and passion.”</p>
<h3>Understand Our Life Stories</h3>
<p></p><div class="image-with-caption image-align-right">
<img alt="EdBockStockShutterstockcom" src="//cdn0.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/574947/Older-Man-Painting.png"><div class="small">EdBockStock/Shutterstock.com</div>
</div>Creating our own life review helps us acknowledge and understand our most significant experiences and reminds us of all we’re bringing to our elder journey. Pevny offers these approaches:
<p>• Develop a timeline, dividing life into seven-year sections. For each, write about the strongest memories and most influential people.</p>
<p>• Consider what matters most, from people and values to challenges and dreams.</p>
<p>• Write to children and grandchildren, sharing tales of our life’s most significant events and lessons.</p>
<p>• Record key stories on audio or video.</p>
<h3>Explore the Arts</h3>
<p>The changes that aging brings can mire elders in depression and isolation. “Older people need to be brave and resilient,” says Susan Perlstein, of Brooklyn, New York, founder emeritus of the National Center for Creative Aging, in Washington, D.C., and founder of Elders Share the Arts, in New York City. “To age creatively, we need a flow of varied experiences, exploring new activities or reframing longtime interests from a fresh perspective.”</p>
<p>Expressive arts can engage people’s minds, bodies and spirits. A George Washington University study shows that people engaged in the arts are happier and healthier. Perlstein understands this firsthand, having begun taking guitar lessons in her 70s. Motivated to play simple songs for her new granddaughter, she subsequently learned to play jazz and blues tunes and joined a band.</p>
<p>“I’m doing something I love,” says Perlstein. “I’m meeting diverse people, learning new things and enjoying a rich life.”</p>
<p>Nearly three-quarters of America’s adults believe they are lifelong learners. It helps them make new friends and community connections and prompts volunteerism.<br>
~Pew Research Center</p>
<p>Musician John Blegen, of Kansas City, Missouri, was 73 when he realized his lifelong secret desire to tap dance. When Blegen met the then 87-year-old Billie Mahoney, Kansas City’s “Queen of Tap,” he blurted out his wish and fear of being “too old.” She just laughed and urged him to sign up for her adult beginner class. He asked for tap shoes for Christmas and happily shuffle-stepped his way through three class sessions.</p>
<p>“Tap class inspired me, encouraged me and gave me hope,” he says. “Now I can shim sham and soft shoe. It’s a dream come true.”</p>
<p>To unearth the inner artist, ask:</p>
<p>• Which senses do I most like to engage?</p>
<p>• Do I enjoy looking at art or listening to music? Do I like sharing feelings and experiences? If so, a thrill may come from writing stories or plays, acting or storytelling.</p>
<p>• As a child, what did I yearn to do; maybe play the piano, paint or engineer a train set? Now is the time to turn those dreams into reality.</p>
<p>• How can I reframe my life in a positive way when I can no longer do activities I love? If dancing was my focus before, how do I rechannel that energy and passion? If puttering in the garden is too strenuous, what other outdoor interests can I pursue?</p>
<p>The answers can lead to fresh settings, including local community centers and places of worship. Many universities have extension classes for lifelong learners. State arts councils support programs, and museums and libraries host helpful activities. Shepherd Centers encourage community learning and Road Scholar caters to elders that prefer to travel and study.</p>
<h3>Discover a Purpose</h3>
<p></p><div class="image-with-caption image-align-left">
<img alt="PhotographeeeuShutterstockcom" src="//cdn0.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/574948/Grandma-Helping-Grandson.png"><div class="small">Photographee.eu/Shutterstock.com</div>
</div>Upon retirement some people feel purposeless and lost. They yearn for something that offers up excitement, energy and joy. Hadden invites people to be curious and explore options. “We’re designing our future around who we are and what we care about now,” she says.
<p>Try keeping a journal for several weeks. Jot down issues and ideas that intrigue, aggravate and haunt. After several weeks, reflect on the links between concerns that compel and those that irritate. Perhaps we’re intrigued by a certain group of people or a compelling issue.</p>
<p>“A concern points to problems and people you want to help,” Hadden observes. This can range from lending a hand to struggling family members, maintaining our own health, volunteering for a literacy project or working to reduce world hunger. “Choose what inspires you to get out of bed each day, eager to move into action.”</p>
<h3>Develop Inner Frontiers</h3>
<p>People in their elder years may still be measured by midlife standards, which include physical power, productivity and achievement. “They come up short in the eyes of younger people,” dharma practitioner Kathleen Dowling Singh remarks. “But those standards do not define a human life.”</p>
<p>Rather, aging allows us to disengage from the pressures of appearances and accomplishments. As we release judgments and unwanted habits, we can increase our feelings of spirituality and peace. “When doors in the outer world seem to be closing, it’s time to cultivate inner resources that offer us joy and meaning. We have the beautiful privilege of slowing down and hearing what our heart is saying,” says Singh, of Sarasota, Florida.</p>
<p>Meditation is one way to deepen spiritually as we age. “Sit in solitude, gather your scattered thoughts and set an intention,” Singh suggests. “A daily practice shows what peace, silence and contentment feel like. As you become more comfortable, add time until you’re sitting for 20 to 40 minutes.”</p>
<h3>Acknowledge Our Shelf Life</h3>
<p>“We cannot speak about aging and awakening without speaking about death and dying,” Singh believes. “We need to confront our mortality.”</p>
<p>
<strong>Creative Aging Resources</strong><br>
<a href="http://CenterForConsciousEldering.com">Center for Conscious Eldering</a><br>
<a href="http://ChangingAging.org">Changing Aging</a><br>
<a href="http://DrBillThomas.org">Dr. Bill Thomas</a><br>
<a href="http://Eldering.org">The Eldering Institute</a><br>
<a href="http://Estanyc.org">Elders Share the Arts</a><br>
<a href="http://Sage-ing.org">From Aging to Sageing</a><br>
<a href="http://KathleenDowlingSingh.com">Kathleen Dowling Singh</a><br>
<a href="http://CreativeAging.org">National Center for Creative Aging</a><br>
<a href="http://ShepherdCenters.org">Shepherd’s Centers of America</a>
</p>
<p>Meditating on the coming transition opens us up to the blessings of life. We can ask ourselves deep questions such as, “What am I doing? What do I want? What does this all mean? What is spirit?” Singh believes such searching questions are vital. None of us knows how much Earth time we have to awaken to a deeper, fuller experience of the sacred.</p>
<h3>Help the World</h3>
<p>In today’s world of chaos and crisis, the wisdom of elders is more important than ever. “Older people need to be engaged, using their insights to help the Earth, community and world,” Pevny says. Creative aging is about improving the future for subsequent generations.</p>
<p>In 2008, longtime educator Nora Ellen Richard, 70, of Overland Park, Kansas, wanted to be of greater service. She asked herself, “What if I housed a foreign student?” and found the International Student Homestay Program. She embarked upon an exploration of cultures from around the world without leaving home.</p>
<p>Today, Richard has hosted more than a dozen female students and each relationship has expanded and enriched her life. “We talk about politics, food, religion and cultures; we even pray together,” Richard says. She points to memorable moments of bonding and respect, appreciation and celebration, and says, “As I’ve grown older, I’ve learned how vital it is to nurture the world I am in.”</p>
<p><br>
<em>Deborah Shouse is a writer, speaker, editor and dementia advocate. Her newest book is </em>Connecting in the Land of Dementia: Creative Activities to Explore Together<em>. Connect at <a href="http://DementiaJourney.org">DementiaJourney.org</a>.</em></p>
<p><br>
<em>This article appears in the September 2017 issue of </em>Natural Awakenings.</p><hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:3e232064-00b9-4dab-8e8c-3d99426bb1df2019-08-19T11:55:32-07:002019-08-19T11:55:32-07:00Keeping Love Alive 2017-08-29 12:04:30 -0700Sue Waldman, MA, LPC, BCC<p><span class="dropcap">P</span>eople commonly struggle with keeping love alive in their relationships. Regrettably, the energy once invested in the beginning of the relationship diminishes significantly, leaving one or both partners feeling disconnected from one another. Rather than creating joy together, couples are merely co-existing. A relationship needs vision and intention to grow. It is then possible for each partner to shift from a position of self-absorption to empathy, from blame to ownership, and from being a source of pain to creating safety, comfort and acceptance. This process involves exceedingly clear communication. Knowledge, understanding and compassion for the other not only strengthens a couple’s connection, but also opens up new and expansive possibilities that come with world experience.</p>
<p> Most couples who are struggling to stay together think that for things to improve, extraordinary changes, if not a miracle, have to take place. Most of us are conditioned to believe that these changes need to be made by our partner, not ourselves. But we often don’t realize that we have no control over our partner’s behavior.</p>
<p> As a result, we develop a sense of hopelessness and helplessness about the relationship. The breakthrough comes when we realize that by making small changes in ourselves, we can inspire huge, positive changes resulting in feeling more optimistic, hopeful and open to our partners.</p>
<p> Couples can learn to fine-tune and develop skills so they can effectively and lovingly navigate the challenging relational waters. Romance can be renewed and love can be celebrated. Getting there is not always easy. Without a compass or a roadmap, it is difficult for couples to find their way. Professional counseling can help.</p>
<p>Sue Waldman (aka Rose Suzanne), LPC, a licensed Psychotherapist and Intuitive Counselor in private practice for over 23 years, is a Board Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor, a Board Certified Personal and Executive Life Coach and published author. Her businesses, Advanced Counseling & Coaching Services and Rose Business Consulting, LLC, is all about inspiring, empowering and supporting people to reach their full potential. Sue’s passion is guiding people to deeply love who they are and the life they are living. She offers weekly Meditation classes, Stress Management, Marriage Counseling, Relaxation and more. Sue is also available for training, teaching engagements, and telephone coaching and counseling.</p>
<p><em>For more information, email <a href="mailto:Sue@SueWaldman.com">Sue@SueWaldman.com</a>, call 973-857-9090, or visit <a href="http://SueWaldman.com">SueWaldman.com</a> and <a href="http://Facebook.com/SueWaldmanLPC">Facebook.com/SueWaldmanLPC</a>. </em></p>
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<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:2cc7eeae-ecdc-4634-ada0-39b1dfd8a34f2019-08-19T11:55:37-07:002019-08-19T11:55:37-07:00Preparing for a Psychic Reading at the One Spirit Festival2017-08-29 11:49:50 -0700Anonymous<p><span class="dropcap">A</span>t One Spirit Festival, the very experienced readers are proficient at connecting with Spirit, aka God. They work equally well with your Spirit Guides and are capable of connecting with your loved ones who have passed to Spirit if they are available.</p>
<p>For an efficient reading, it is best to bring a focus for your inquiries or even specific questions. It will make the most of your time. No matter your concerns, recognize that you have free will and the guidance that is given through the reader is yours to keep or discard as you wish.</p>
<p>Use your appointment time wisely. If you have a strong feeling about something you should be doing, trust yourself. Opportunity may be knocking at your door, but you may not believe you are hearing it correctly. Take the leap of faith and ask what’s next.</p>
<p>If you experience chills at information you receive from the reader you have chosen, know that it is the body’s instinctive reaction to truth. Trust it!</p>
<p>Always make sure that any choice you make feels good in your gut, your solar plexus, the body’s largest psychic organ. It is known as the second brain because of the presence of over 100 million neurons. If a choice or connection is not in your Highest Good, you will probably feel queasy. If it’s right, you’ll feel happy.</p>
<p>The One Spirit Festival also has interesting vendors, healers, practitioners and lecturers. The fall festival will take place on September 23 and 24.</p>
<p><em>Location: Clinton Community Center, 63 Halstead Street, Clinton. To book your appointment, visit <a href="http://OneSpiritFestival.org">OneSpiritFestival.org</a>. Contact organizer Christina Lynn Whited at 908-638-9066 or <a href="mailto:Christina@CircleOfIntention.com">Christina@CircleOfIntention.com</a> with any questions.</em></p>
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<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:0ccce589-b0ae-45de-8fb3-3280a270708e2019-08-19T11:55:33-07:002019-08-19T11:55:33-07:00Transformation Through Practical Breathwork2017-08-29 11:42:42 -0700Anonymous<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>n September 17, from 1 to 4 pm, join Shannon Plummer, powerhouse intentional creation coach and shamanic practitioner, and Bob Sima, described as an “Eckhart Tolle with a guitar,” for an incredible workshop on how to use breathwork for transformation at the Center for Spiritual Living Morristown.</p>
<p>Shannon Plummer wraps spiritual, shamanic and metaphysical wisdom into a divine package. Her energy and presence creates a sacred space for expansion and deepening of what is waiting to be expressed in all who enter her energetic field.</p>
<p>Bob Sima is a troubadour, a way-shower, a guide, an awakener and a musical mystic. Through the medium of melody and message, he leads listeners to an expanded consciousness, deeper sense of connection and inner peace and purpose. His music bridges daily life and soul consciousness, the eternal with the now.</p>
<p>This event costs $35.</p>
<p><em>Location: Center for Spiritual Living Morristown, 331 Mt. Kemble Ave., Morristown. For more information about Shannon, visit <a href="http://SpeakMyPassion.com">SpeakMyPassion.com</a> and to learn more about Bob, visit <a href="http://BobSima.com">BobSima.com</a>. <a href="http://CSLMorristown.org">CSLMorristown.org</a>. </em></p>
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<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:c12ffb7c-1ebb-4277-8445-1a5bea9ec7c12019-08-15T21:43:28-07:002021-03-22T11:12:06-07:00Create a Love Nest: Set Out a Welcome Mat for a Soulmate2017-07-31 09:48:02 -0700Arielle Ford<p>Just as we need to create space in our daily schedule to nurture a new relationship, we must create space in our home to welcome in new love. It’s called “feathering the nest”. Think about the first time that our soulmate will walk into our home—what they will they see, smell and feel. Even an inviting, cozy environment may need an upgrade.</p>
<p>The underlying vibration or feeling of a place reflects the home’s energy. Whatever has happened there since its beginning, including arguments, illnesses or times of loneliness, have all left an unseen layer of negative energy. You could say that the walls “talk”.</p>
<p>To begin preparing our home to welcome a mate, first remove the clutter. Piles of magazines, stacks of unshelved books and excessive furnishings are blocking and keeping in old energy and preventing good, clean new energy from flowing. Be sure to remove all photographs and souvenirs that are reminders of past lovers; throw them away or put them in a box away from your home. These daily, unconscious memory triggers keep you stuck in the past. Clearing everything out is like putting out a cosmic welcome mat to the Universe that we are now ready, willing and available to receive new love.</p>
<p>Next, it’s time to dispel the unseen energies. The fastest, easiest method is the Native American technique of smudging. The smoke will purify the space. Light a piece of white sage on a small plate and when it is smoking (not flaming) run the smoke up, down and around every room, closet, door and window frame throughout the entire home. Alternatively, on a sunny day, open all the doors and windows and, applying a broom and imagination, sweep out the old energies.</p>
<p>Just as nature abhors a vacuum and calls in matter to fill the empty space, so making space in our home assists in calling in love. Consciously create “space” by placing an empty nightstand on “their” side of the bed, plus have at least one empty dresser drawer waiting for them. Create inviting space in a closet and clear a shelf in a bathroom cabinet. If we have a two-car garage and have been parking in the middle, pick a side and begin only parking on “our side”.</p>
<p>The most essential ingredient to “feathering the nest” is a strong intention to remove any old, outdated, limiting or negative energies that may be preventing love from finding its way to our door. Once free from unwanted clutter and obstructions, it becomes our sanctuary of vibrant, attractive energy.</p>
<p><br>
<em>Arielle Ford is the author of 11 books, including </em>Turn Your Mate Into Your Soulmate<em> and </em>The Soulmate Secret: Manifest The Love of Your Life With The Law of Attraction<em>. Her latest, </em>Inkspirations: Love By Design<em>, is a transformational coloring book. She lives in La Jolla, CA. Learn more at <a href="http://SoulmateSecret.com">SoulmateSecret.com</a>.</em></p>
<p><br>
<em>This article appears in the August 2017 issue of </em>Natural Awakenings.</p><hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:d0c94131-2284-4e32-9b82-1d85050535502019-08-15T22:00:57-07:002019-08-15T22:00:57-07:00An Awesome Antidote to Polarization2017-06-30 08:37:00 -0700Kirk J. Schneider<p><span class="dropcap">W</span>e live in polarized times. The current polarization of the American electorate and federal government is rooted in “the polarized mind”, a fixation by individuals on one point of view that excludes differing views and provokes intolerance. Complex issues become black and white, and those with differing views or lifestyles are demonized. Beyond politics, this is seen in gun violence and terrorism, corporate abuses of health and safety, and religious and ethnic strife—affecting major aspects of our daily lives.</p>
<p>An antidote to polarization is awe—the wonder of being alive; living life with hope, respect, humility, wonder and a deep reverence for the adventure of living.</p>
<p>Psychology experiments at Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley, have shown those that practice awe are better able to see outside their own experiences and appreciate other points of view, which can transcend the tunnel vision and pettiness of a polarized atmosphere. Here are some basic steps toward cultivating a sense of awe:</p>
<p>• Appreciate the passing nature of time and life. Even while doing something disagreeable, slowing down and affirming the preciousness of the moment can sometimes render alternative perspectives.</p>
<p>• Be open to discovery and surprise. This is especially helpful if we are constantly locked in by assumptions about people or things. Think how politicians might benefit by being open to the possibility of discovery or surprise during delicate negotiations. The same principle can hold true with family and friends.</p>
<p>• Step outside the box of personal judgments and consider the bigger picture of life. Replace the prison of self-criticism often stemming from comparing ourselves with idealized media images with appreciation of the many facets of who we are and what we can become.</p>
<p><br>
<em>Psychologist Kirk J. Schneider, Ph.D., is past editor of the </em>Journal of Humanistic Psychology<em>, president-elect of the Existential-Humanistic Institute and adjunct faculty at Saybrook and Columbia universities. His books include </em>Awakening to Awe<em>, </em>The Polarized Mind<em> and </em>The Spirituality of Awe: Challenges to the Robotic Revolution<em>. Visit <a href="http://KirkJSchneider.com">KirkJSchneider.com</a>.</em></p>
<p class="fineprint"><br>
<em>This article appears in the July 2017 issue of </em>Natural Awakenings.</p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:894789ff-a862-4abb-aebd-7198dc7c49b72019-08-19T11:55:03-07:002019-08-19T11:55:03-07:00Unconditional What? 2017-06-29 11:30:09 -0700The Reverend Doctor Frankie Timmers<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>here was a time in my life where I professed that unconditional love amongst humans did not exists and was simply not possible. Unconditional love was something that was universal, godlike, a higher form not for the lower realm of humanity. I was even quite pessimistic and sarcastic about it. Now that I can look back, I understand why I professed that with so much conviction.</p>
<p>Today, I truly know, believe and profess differently. Unconditional love is the only kind of love. There simply is no other kind. Conditional love is simply not love.</p>
<p>It is expectation, it is assumption, it is selfish need, and it arises out of our fears and our wounds from the past.</p>
<p>So, I was broken and wounded….. aren’t we all to some degree?</p>
<p>The shift from “not possible” to “the only kind” happened because I made a commitment to heal my own wounds from the past. I had a huge longing to be free and to be an instrument of love, so I chose to let love heal me, instead of looking for people, places or things to heal me. I decided to go right to the Source.</p>
<p>This happened because I was seeking a deeper experience of life and came upon a spiritual teaching that really spoke to my soul. It taught me that this Unconditional Infinite Love was already within me; always had been and always will be. I taught me that I was worthy of this Love.</p>
<p>Now Love is sweet, simple, free, and delightful and it still continues to challenge and grow me. And why not? It’s Infinite!</p>
<p><em>The Reverend Doctor Frankie Timmers is the Spiritual Director of Center for Spiritual Living Morristown, 331 Mt Kemble Ave., Morristown. 973-539-3114. <a href="http://CSLMorristown.org">CSLMorristown.org</a>. </em></p>
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<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:8a377978-2e19-4b75-a17a-049f46280aa72019-08-19T11:55:01-07:002019-08-19T11:55:01-07:00Tending Your Inner Garden: Tips for Staying Grounded When Things Feel Uprooted2017-06-29 11:25:49 -0700Dana Maria<p><span class="dropcap">L</span>ike a garden, our soul needs nurturing, care and protection from harsh elements in order to thrive. Things in the world are not easy right now, and we are susceptible to that uneasiness. The truth is we are all affected by what is happening around us, and the energy of each other; in yoga we would say, “What you exhale is what I inhale.” If we don’t want to add to the disturbance, and wish to lessen our own, what can we do to keep our composure when the world around us feels like there is no pocket of calm? Like the gardener who lovingly tends to his roses under the sun, there are some things you can do to take care of yourself so your Spirit doesn’t wilt from the heat:</p>
<p><strong>Weed and Trim: </strong>Cut back your interactions with people who are always naysayers or only broadcast the negative. Limit your intake of antagonistic social media and inflammatory news programs that foster fear to get ratings. Get the facts, forget the opinions. This is not denial or keeping your head in the sand, it just means to choose your sources wisely and consciously. You can stay informed without getting inflamed.</p>
<p><strong>Feed and Water: </strong>On the physical level, this means eating wholesome foods and staying hydrated. Incidentally, if an occasional sweet makes you feel sweeter (provided it is appropriate for your dietary restrictions, of course), that can be nourishing too. On the soul level, nourishing ourselves can be spending time with those we love, reading a great book in your favorite chair, watching an uplifting film. “Drink in” beauty by spending time with the arts and in nature; these are truly refreshing and feed the mind and spirit.</p>
<p><strong>Daily Maintenance: </strong>Like a good gardener, note the temperature to know what needs to be done. Try to balance stillness and activity. Begin a busy day by sitting in silence for five minutes—it can change its trajectory. Starting the day with hurry creates a momentum of harried-ness that probably won’t be constructive. You can’t give from an empty cup—know the points at which you start to tire or become impatient. Allow yourself short breaks to rest and recharge, and your activities will be much more productive. Hectic day tomorrow—plan to get extra sleep. This will enable you to be more present and non-reactive in your interactions, which creates a better outcome for everyone involved.</p>
<p><strong>Sustenance: </strong>Do you engage in practices that support your mind/body/spirit connection? Yoga, chi gong, tai chi, meditation, mindfulness (to name a few) have been proven to alleviate stress and create a sense of well-being, and to have true health benefits. Today, there are more options than ever before, at local community and religious centers and even on the internet.</p>
<p><strong>Stop to Smell the Roses: </strong>Even when things get tough, something that sparks hope or happiness will often cross our path. When this occurs, take the time to cherish it completely. Being present helps us feel more engaged in our life, and allows us to appreciate the high moments and better manage the low ones. Are you having a great day? Pause, breathe in that joy, exhale gratitude. Gratefulness is a powerful energy. Practicing gratitude is a potent tool for keeping your spirit raised and therefore resilient. Start a gratitude journal: write down a few things, both small (a great parking space) and large (like a loved one, or healing from an illness) that you are thankful for each day. Some days you will have one, some days you will have ten, the number doesn’t matter. As they accumulate, you can’t help but feel you have a life that is full and in bloom.</p>
<p><em>Dana Maria is a yoga and meditation instructor, and leads spiritual workshops and retreats. Learn more at <a href="http://AccessibleSpirituality.com">AccessibleSpirituality.com</a>. </em></p>
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<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:dd9efbc4-c4c6-49b6-a648-f4544e2f88952019-08-15T21:10:34-07:002019-08-15T21:10:34-07:00On Fatherhood: The Lifelong Lessons of Being a Dad2017-05-31 09:03:00 -0700Ben Greenman<p><span class="dropcap">W</span>hat is being a father? It’s, at least in part, about beginning. It is rejuvenating to locate ourself near the start of a child’s life. There are so many chances to get it right. The thought that we might also get it wrong flits across our mind, but it’s gone before we can even shiver at its presence. It’s also about returning to that question again and again, each time failing to acquire additional insight.</p>
<p>“What isn’t being a father?” is a better question. Being a father isn’t indifference, but neither is it a steady stream of calm wisdom or a place of consistent self-control or a clearly delineated set of exercises engineered to help produce self-knowledge in offspring. Bridges are engineered. We stare into our little one’s eyes, beaming thoughts that we hope are received, translated and appreciated, waiting for a beam to come back to us. Child rearing is worked toward, clumsily, imperfectly, with a deep and near religious faith in trial and error. Children are refined over time with the assistance of many imperfect philosophies.</p>
<p>When our second child opted in, my wife and I compared baby pictures of the two boys. “They look different,” I said.</p>
<p>“That’s not why I’m looking at them,” she said. “I want to remember this.” I remember looking at the pictures with her only because she has told me about it.</p>
<p>If, in part, fatherhood is remembering things that did not exactly happen, it is also forgetting things that did happen, some transformative to a degree that I could not have imagined five seconds before they occurred. Afterwards, I knew I would never be the same again. But I was.</p>
<p>As children grow, they are not the same again. Parenting boys instead of babies is already a grand departure from everything I have learned up until now and I am just coming to see that it will always be this way. Recently, in trying to figure out when a man that is not a father becomes a man that is a father, I remarked to my sons, “Even though I know being a father has changed me forever, I remember certain things that happened, but not as many as I would have thought.”</p>
<p>My older son explained, “Maybe it’s because you are thinking of us more than yourself. Maybe you want time to pass so we can get to the next thing in our lives.”</p>
<p>My younger son zeroed in, “The problem is that you think it’s parenting when really it’s childing.”</p>
<p>He’s right. What is being a father? It’s letting someone else be a child. It’s suffering through certain kinds of abstract pain so that they don’t. It’s bearing the brunt of disappointments so that they can go on feeling invincible. It’s teaching how to forget as much as it is teaching how to remember… but it is still very near the beginning.</p>
<p><br>
<em>Ben Greenman is a widely published author and journalist in Greater New York. Connect at <a href="http://BGreenman.com">BGreenman.com</a>.</em></p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:34bf9920-225d-457b-abbf-20093ef992292019-08-19T11:54:56-07:002019-08-19T11:54:57-07:002017 to be Exceptionally Bad Year for Ticks2017-05-25 15:05:00 -0700Anonymous<p><span class="dropcap">A</span>n article written in 2015 entitled “Acorn Glut Signals Lyme Risks,” by Richard S. Ostfeld and Charles D. Canham from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, predicted that this spring there would be an alarming increase in tick activity, which is a great cause for concern. The prediction was based on the large supply of acorns that fed all sorts of wildlife, including the white-footed mouse. More food readily available means more mice and therefore, more ticks. That, coupled with the mild winter, allowed for ticks to become active earlier.</p>
<p> Mice, chipmunks and shrews play a major role in infecting blacklegged ticks with the pathogens that cause Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis, Powassen and Babesiosis. Ticks feeding on these animals can acquire these pathogens from a single bloodmeal, says Richard Ostfeld. While there are several variables, rodents play a significant role in the incidence of tick activity. For example, mice are terrible groomers and don’t clean themselves as fastidiously as other woodland creatures. This means that mice can carry many ticks on their bodies at a time. As the tick bites the mouse, the likelihood of transmission is much higher than most animals.</p>
<p> The folks at Tick Tackler recommend taking steps to reduce the amount of rodent activity you have in your yard. In fact, part of the Tick Tackler service includes identifying variables that attract mice along with ticks.</p>
<p> Firstly, take care of your gardening materials. Keep all seeds in rodent-proof containers. This includes grass seed, plant seed, bird seed and any perennial bulbs. Next, install plants that many gardeners believe mice avoid. These include bulbs like daffodils and grape hyacinths and strong-smelling plants like lavender, catnip and other mints. Be sure that your patio cushions, gardening gloves and Styrofoam pool toys are stored away in mouse-proof containers. These items unfortunately make perfect nesting materials for the furry little nuisances. Ornamental trees and shrubs should be trimmed up and low-lying branches snipped back. The key is to take away the cover they provide for critters to hide under. Additionally, stacked wood, old pots and landscape materials offer shelter too.</p>
<p> Tick Tackler is focused on organic, residential tick control. They go far beyond the average “apply and run” pesticide company. Their two main objectives are major reduction of tick presence as well as client education. They serve most northern and central New Jersey along with some parts of Pennsylvania.</p>
<p><em>For more information, call Jennifer Molzen, founder, at 908-612-4736 or email <a href="mailto:Jennifer@TickTackler.com">Jennifer@TickTackler.com</a>. <a href="http://TickTackler.com">TickTackler.com</a>. </em></p>
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<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:f525f896-e313-46c9-aa13-af88f7b294c12019-08-15T21:00:34-07:002019-08-15T21:00:34-07:00When We Set Out: Let Spirit Steer Us2017-04-28 09:20:43 -0700Mark Nepo<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>eaching me how to steer the 30-foot-long sailboat he built, my father would say, “It’s the sail that follows the wind, and the rudder that follows the sail.” The sail, by its nature, will catch the wind and lean into it. The rudder is for steering once we’ve set sail.</p>
<p>Our soul is like a sail. Once hoisted, it’s filled by the wind of Spirit, which establishes our course and direction. Our will is our rudder; its job is to follow where the soul filled with Spirit leads, helping to steer our way. When we lean on will to make things happen, we can grow stubborn, confused or lost. Clear sailing comes when we’re being carried toward a vision greater than our self, feeling wholly alive along the way.</p>
<p>Scudding along the sea, my father was living once for all time, feeling the sensation of all life in that moment. We all yearn to live in these moments forever, yet even a taste of aliveness can fill, sustain and refresh us in the midst of daily tasks.</p>
<p>We all face times beyond our control when life doesn’t follow our designs and we’re asked to work with life and not fight, curse or hide from it. When insisting on our way, we can get so tangled in our will that we can’t find or feel the wind of Spirit. During these times—when we fear there is no meaning and it seems there’s nothing holding us up—our will can puff, snap and flap about in a desperate attempt to fill what looms as an empty life.</p>
<p>But even setting out on the sea, it’s never easy. My father remarked, “It’s always harder to sail toward a fixed point, because you will inevitably have to cross the wind several times to get there.” By contrast, a boat moves its fastest and cleanest when it simply follows the wind. It’s the same when we listen for where life is taking us, instead of busily thinking about where we’re going. Devoting ourselves to experiencing the journey, rather than determining a destination, we discover our way.</p>
<p>Like a sail, our life must be out in the open before the wind will show its face. Likewise, Spirit fills us when we can inhabit our true nature. We miss what awaits us if we hover too close to the shore of our past, our family, someone else’s dream for us, or an old identity. To feel the wind in our face, we must leave the shallows and harbors for the deep. Only then will the larger, timeless destination show itself and our soul be filled enough with Spirit that our smaller self will have no choice but to engage in steering us toward all that matters.</p>
<p><br>
<em>Adapted excerpt from </em>The One Life We’re Given: Finding the Wisdom that Waits in Your Heart<em>, by Mark Nepo (Atria). Connect at <a href="http://MarkNepo.com">MarkNepo.com</a> and <a href="http://ThreeIntentions.com">ThreeIntentions.com</a>.</em></p>
<p class="fineprint"><br>
<em>This article appears in the May 2017 issue of </em>Natural Awakenings.</p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:615725c3-6f0c-4e5c-b708-5297dcd0389d2019-08-19T11:54:45-07:002019-08-19T11:54:45-07:00Dreams—A First Step to Discover Your Life as a Spiritual Adventure : Featuring Mary Carroll Moore, keynote speaker and workshop presenter.2017-04-26 11:42:00 -0700Anonymous<h3><strong>What is the purpose of dreams? Why are they important?</strong></h3>
<p>Someone who knows the power of dreams is Mary Carroll Moore, who has years of experience working with her dreams using techniques she learned through her study of the teachings of Eckankar. Mary gives talks and workshops around the world, sharing how personal experience with dreams, past lives, and Soul Travel can help bring spiritual enlivenment to seekers from any faith. She is an award-winning author, teacher, and artist who will be the keynote speaker on May 20th at Discover Your Life as a Spiritual Adventure, a free one-day seminar from 12:30-8:30 pm at Raritan Valley Community College Conference Center in Branchburg, sponsored by Eckankar in New Jersey. </p>
<p> Eckankar puts strong emphasis on dreams being real experiences in our inner worlds, which can teach and heal us. Recently Mary shared how a dream experience helped her resolve a challenging work situation.</p>
<p><em>A routine work meeting had gone sour—there were unexpected conflicts among the members, and especially towards me, the trainer for that session. I came away feeling perplexed and upset at the outcome; although many people said they’d benefited, I was aware that a small group had not. I went over my notes and my training approach, but I couldn’t find what I had done to cause such conflict.</em></p>
<p><em>I called and apologized for anything I might have done, but it didn’t help. Weeks went by and discord was evident in the team. It made me not want to engage in my job or with these people, with whom I used to be very friendly. </em></p>
<p><em>I even thought of quitting my position. But I decided first to ask my dreams for help and guidance, especially because another meeting of the team was scheduled and I knew I had to attend. </em></p>
<p><em>The night before the meeting, I wrote a message to my inner guide, asking to be shown how to approach the meeting. If there was something I could do or say that would help resolve the conflict, I’d be very grateful. </em></p>
<p><em>That night in my dreams I was driving a fun car. I could soar above the landscape. I laughed a lot and felt very free. At the end of the ride, I tried to find the brake and clutch with my feet, but when I looked down, I realized I was driving a picnic table!</em></p>
<p><em>I woke up and shared the dream with my spouse. “A picnic table,” I said, “What a weird dream!”</em></p>
<p><em>“It means, this meeting will be a picnic,” my spouse said.</em></p>
<p><em>We both laughed, but I pondered this during my drive and decided it was a message from my dreams, answering my question—treat the meeting like a picnic, and all will go well.</em></p>
<p><em>When I walked into the room, I saw the person who had been most upset with me all these weeks. I walked over and gave a big hug. “I’m so glad to see you,” I said. I got a stumbled and astonished reply back, “So glad to see you too.” Following my dream guidance, I went around and greeted everyone with equal fun and enthusiasm, as if we were gathered for a fun afternoon, not a tense confrontation. </em></p>
<p><em>By the end of the meeting, everyone was laughing and enjoying themselves. The people who had been upset were smiling at me, talking freely, as if we’d never been in conflict. I left the meeting in awe, once again, for the healing power of dreams.</em></p>
<p>Mary suggests singing a sacred word before bed to spiritualize the consciousness and aid dream recall. She sings the word HU, an ancient name for God. You can experience the sound of HU and learn more at miraclesinyourlife.org. To receive more of Mary’s tips for accessing the healing power of dreams, email spirituality@eckankar-nj.org with “Dream Tips” in the subject line. At the seminar, you may also ask for a free copy of Spiritual Wisdom on Dreams by Harold Klemp.</p>
<p> In addition to her evening keynote talk, Mary Carroll Moore will be conducting a special afternoon workshop, Living from the Heart in a Challenging World. As life speeds up and challenges increase, learning spiritual techniques can help each of us stay balanced, uplifted, and energized. Seminar features also include talks, music, poetry, discussion tables, spiritual art, and youth activities. All are welcome to attend the seminar and explore spiritual tools to live an adventurous life, filled with divine love!</p>
<p><em>The Discover Your Life as a Spiritual Adventure seminar takes place at 118 Lamington Road, Branchburg, NJ and is free for those new to the teachings of Eckankar. For more information, visit <a href="http://eckankar-nj.org">eckankar-nj.org</a>, email <a href="mailto:spirituality@eckankar-nj.org">spirituality@eckankar-nj.org</a>, or call 800-870-9139. For other events, check out <a href="http://meetup.com/the-nj-spiritual-experiences-group">meetup.com/the-nj-spiritual-experiences-group</a> and <a href="http://facebook.com/eckankarnj">facebook.com/eckankarnj</a>. </em></p>
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<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:36d3ac54-a83e-4a4f-b258-dd8a327773792019-08-15T22:09:59-07:002019-08-15T22:09:59-07:00The Heart of the Wild Reveals Our Spiritual Life: Excerpts from “America’s National Parks” from The Hour of Land2017-03-31 07:31:15 -0700Terry Tempest Williams<p><span class="dropcap">I</span>t was standing inside Timpanogos Cave (a national monument) as an 8-year-old child that marked me. Hiking to the entrance of the cave with our church group, we were ushered in by a park ranger. Immediately, the cool air locked inside the mountain enveloped us and we wore it as loose clothing. Immense stalactites and stalagmites hung down from the ceiling and rose up from the floor, declaring themselves teeth. We were inside the gaping mouth of an animal and we were careful not to disturb the beast, traversing the cave on a narrow constructed walkway above the floor so as not to disturb its fragility. But it was the Great Heart of Timpanogos Cave that captured my attention.</p>
<p>When everyone else left the charismatic form, I stayed. I needed more time to be closer to it, to watch its red-orange aura pulsating in the cavernous space of shadows. I wanted to touch the heart, run the palms of my hands on its side, believing that if I did, I could better understand my own heart, which was invisible to me. I was only inches away, wondering whether it would be cold or hot to the touch. It looked like ice, but it registered as fire.</p>
<p>Suddenly, I heard the heavy door slam and darkness clamp down. The group left without me. I was forgotten—alone—locked inside the cave. I waved my hand in front of my face. Nothing. I was held in a darkness so deep that my eyes seemed shut even though they were open. All I could hear was the sound of water dripping and the beating heart of the mountain.</p>
<p class="pullquote">I learned early on we live by wild mercy.</p>
<p>I don’t know how long I stood inside Timpanogos Cave before our church leader realized I was missing, but it was long enough to have experienced how fear moves out of panic toward wonder. Inside the cave, I knew I would be found. What I didn’t know was what would find me—the spirit of Timpanogos.</p>
<p>To this day, my spiritual life is found inside the heart of the wild. I do not fear it, I court it. When I am away, I anticipate my return, needing to touch stone, rock, water, the trunks of trees, the sway of grasses, the barbs of a feather, the fur left behind by a shedding bison.</p>
<p>Wallace Stegner, a mentor of mine, wrote: “If we preserved as parks only those places that have no economic possibilities, we would have no parks. And in the decades to come, it will not be only the buffalo and the trumpeter swan that need sanctuaries. Our own species is going to need them, too. It needs them now.”</p>
<p><br>
<em>Excerpts from </em>The Hour of Land: A Personal Topography of America’s National Parks<em> by Terry Tempest Williams, reprinted with permission. Learn more at <a href="http://CoyoteClan.com/index.html">CoyoteClan.com/index.html</a>.</em></p>
<p class="fineprint"><br>
<em>This article appears in the April 2017 issue of </em>Natural Awakenings.</p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:9a72eb6b-4319-4cea-941c-0fb620c273732019-08-15T21:08:35-07:002019-08-15T21:08:35-07:00Reframing Your Life Story: Create Your Own Hero’s Journey2017-02-28 09:25:25 -0800Kim Schneiderman<p><span class="dropcap">E</span>very life unfolds as a uniquely dynamic, purposeful and potentially heroic story that is open to interpretation, especially our own. We are the star and spin doctor of this work-in-progress, with the power to tell our stories as triumphs, tragedies or something in-between. Our life story is filled with suspense: Big and little decisions affect our storyline, including the relationships we choose, our goals, how we live and the ways we nourish ourself physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.</p>
<p>How we tell our story matters. We are constantly sifting through competing narratives to make sense of our world for ourself and others. Whether we consider ourself a heroic figure overcoming obstacles or a tragic victim of destiny often depends on how we choose to read the text of our life and tell our story.</p>
<p>Creating a personal myth is a fundamental way we find meaning. We are always the protagonist, with supporting characters providing love and assistance and antagonists posing challenges that push us beyond our comfort zones. Rather than narcissism or navel-gazing, the more intimate we become with our own story, the more we realize that everyone has an equally valid and vital narrative in which they are the central character. Understanding that everyone is on their own story journey can help us establish connection and empathy.</p>
<p>In every myth, the protagonist has a character arc; a particular way they mature and develop due to shifting tides in their life story. Similarly, each of us is on an ever-evolving journey of self-discovery with choices about how to respond to situations, conflicts and happenstance. By reframing our lives as personal growth adventures, we can adapt to plot twists and view unexpected difficulties as opportunities for self-transformation. With gusto, we can reclaim and shape our personal narrative through choice and voice.</p>
<p>Thinking of ourself as the main character in our story can help us shift to novel perspectives on situations we repeatedly face. Instead of staying stuck in the same old storyline, try asking: If I were a character in a novel or movie…<br>
• What would I hope the hero would do when faced with these circumstances?<br>
• What actions or outcomes would I prefer as the observer of this story?<br>
• What might this situation be teaching the star?<br>
• How might the protagonist maximize this situation, perhaps becoming a more compassionate, caring, creative or stronger person?<br>
• Why would a benevolent author place this character in a particular situation?</p>
<p>With imagination and well-directed self-inquiry, we can step out of our story, check out the landscape and determine whether to stay on our current path or go in a different direction. We can then transform obstacles into opportunities to break bad habits and improve character to become the real hero of our own living, evolving story.</p>
<p><br>
<em>Kim Schneiderman is a New York City psychotherapist and author of </em>Step Out of Your Story: Writing Exercises to Reframe and Transform Your Life<em>. Visit <a href="http://StepOutOfYourStory.com">StepOutOfYourStory.com</a>.</em></p>
<p class="fineprint"><br>
<em>This article appears in the March 2017 issue of </em>Natural Awakenings.</p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>