Come to the Whole Life Fair
Whole Life Network Release
Saturday, January 28,
2006, at the Community Center in Ridgway, the Business as Unusual Group (BUG)
will host the second Natural Home Building Workshop. Dan Chiras, a leading authority on green building and renewable
energy, will start the day with a talk about “Superbia! 31 Ways to Create Sustainable
Neighborhoods”. He will outline the
problems with urban/suburban neighborhoods and how these problems relate to
design. He presents a set of ideas for
creating greater interdependence in neighborhoods while living saner, less
stressful, less expensive and less environmentally damaging lives.
Now that the world has
entered the Age of Aquarius, most everybody knows that whole life has a second
meaning that is separate from the subject of life insurance. Recently, health
was newly defined by the Duke University Medical Center, “An integrative approach
to medicine is what many people are seeking. People want their whole selves
cared for, not just their sick bodies”.
In the Whole Life Network, we consider the following five components to
be important contributors to the wellness of the whole person: Body, Mind,
Nutrition, Exercise, and Spirituality.
Each spring for the past 12 years the Whole Life Network has sponsored a
joyous celebration of Whole Life. This
year’s event will be held at the Montrose Pavilion on February 18th
from 9:30 am until 4:30 pm.
The world is changing at
an ever-increasing speed, so we can benefit from new connections, new networks,
and new paths to wellness. The best
place to check out all of this activity is The Whole Life Fair, A Journey
in Conscious Living. This is the one event on the Western Slope where you are most
likely to get the flavor of all of the newest in health of the mind and body
and spirit. Come visit and feel the
connections to others in our integrated medical community.
Here are some samplings
of the many attractions that will be yours to explore and enjoy.
You’ll want to check out
your current state of wellness by visiting with Dr. Alex Gilmore of
Total Family Wellness. They
practice Total Wellness through the best nutritional testing and analysis available,
fitness, Chiropractic & anti-aging, energized water products of all
kinds. Come by for a reflexology
massage or a Healing touch/Reiki session.
Sherree Sabelle/Singing Spirit will have information on taking
charge of your own life and health with Rapid Eye Technology therapy and energy
work . Solar Energy International will
be available to answer your questions on renewable energy technologies. Yarmony Mountain Herbal College will
be represented by Lynn Albers offering herbal/wellness education &
consultations & quality botanic products.
Pay a visit to the booth
of The Western Colorado Friends of Tibet.
They are currently involved in a great humanitarian effort to
relocate more refugees to our community. (see article, page 10) You can spend the
whole day with us! As you enter be sure
to register for door prizes donated by our vendors. Shop around, indulge in free massage samples, listen to the music
of David and Tamara Hauze, dine on the lunches provided by The Daily
Bread, network with your friends and enjoy the energy of like-minded
spirits. One more thing: The Whole Life
Network is a non-profit organization, and we will have a table at the entryway
doors so you can find out more about what we are doing and why you may want to
join our ‘family’. (booth space available, see page 2)
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Practical Spiritual Healing exercise:
by Charley Cropley, N.D.
Pick out one self
destructive activity that you want to overcome and/or one wholesome activity
that you want to instill. For example, reduce your sweets, coffee, or alcohol,
eat two large servings of vegetables daily, exercise three times this week,
give your spouse or child the gift of listening empathetically once a week or
to what they are upset about especially with you.
Think about how this
will effect you and list at least five benefits of doing this and five
consequences of not doing this that most move you. e.g. your energy, moods,
self esteem, income, relationships, health, posture, tension, anxiety, mental
clarity, fun.
Tell at least one person
the change that you are committed to making and WHY you have decided to do
this. Ask them if you can talk to them each day for a week about how its going.
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Remembering Aztlán
a Column of Poetry, Culture & Spirit by Art Goodtimes
Prognostications, Promulgations,
Prophecies & a State of Transcendental Naïve Bliss (Not)
ANOTHER YEAR
… Here we are. In the winter’s perfect storm of now. Global warming galloping
along as glaciers melt and we head blithely along as if the Day After Tomorrow
couldn’t be today … Overseas, our nation is at war, although at home we’re
carelessly shopping at Walmar and ruled by a nest of chickenhawks – sending our
sons and daughters into harm’s way in Iraq, Afghanistan for oil, lies & a
kind of faux patriotism, giving us presidential license to torture prisoners
and wiretap our own citizens (and who knows who’s next – Iran, Syria,
Venezuela?) … And after two terms of a conservative-turned-moderate Republican,
about to choose a new bureaucracy in Colorado. Could the Dems take both houses
of the Legislature and the Governor’s seat? …
And what’s most important to us as a community? Jobs? Health?
Deed-restricted housing for the middle and lower classes? … At my house in
Norwood Mary casts the Dakini Tarot, while I consult the E-oracles of
Cyberspace – and my expanding nets of friends all around the globe. But
nobody’s got THE answer. And any bloody shortcut to nirvana presumes you aren’t
there where you wanted to get to (are we there yet?), which in the end, getting
to, is the crux/crock of it all, i’nnit?
THESE PEOPLE VOTE
… While looking at a house, my brother asked the real estate agent which
direction was North because, he explained, he didn't want the sun waking him up
every morning. She asked, "Does the sun rise in the North?" When my
brother explained that the sun rises in the East, (and has for sometime), she
shook her head and said, "Oh, I don't keep up with that stuff." …
(From Jim Stiles of Moab, via Lance Christie. Check out
canyoncountryzephyr.com)
SALIDA
… Found a great new restaurant while traveling en route to the Front Range on
Highway 50. Just coming into Salida is a new building with riverside dining,
the Twisted Cork Café … I always note an eatery that serves vegetables, not as
some overcooked overlooked garnish to the main dish, but as a superb entrée of
its own. The menu here is full spectrum. There are a wide assortment of noodle
choices, from Spicy Penne to Twisted Thai Sweet & Sour Noodles, Big Plates
of surf and turf, Small Plates of Crab WonTons and Buddha rolls, rice dishes,
wraps, sandwiches and salads … For reservations, 719.539.7384. Highly
recommended.
INTELLIGENT DESIGN … Our
faith-based friends, emboldened by an administration overtly evangelical but
more ideological than religious (given its record of misinformation, perjury,
torture, and wire-tapping), are stepping into the political arena in Colorado
and hoping to wrest control of our public schools away from local school boards
and into the hands of the state. Legislators Sen. Brophy (R-Wray) and Rep.
Stafford (Aurora) have already proposed a bill to make the teaching of
“Intelligent Design” co-equal with the Theory of Evolution in public school
classrooms … Just what we need. More tinkering with local control by Denver or
Colorado Springs regulators enforcing statewide mandates … “Unlike Colorado
Citizens for Science, which is a formal organization with a formal membership,”
explained John Sigler to me in a recent email, "Maintain Educational
Standards In Colorado (MESIC) is simply a campaign/petition to mobilize support
among residents of our state. Essentially all we are asking concerned residents
to do is sign the petition at this stage.” …http://mesic1.blogspot.com.
MAKING A STAND … Ralph
Metzer, who lectured at the Telluride Mushroom Festival several years ago, sent
me this website to view a most amazing film. Mark Carroll’s Wild Horses of
Newbury (London, 2004) … http://www.supershots.org.uk/ … Watch the tragedy
unfold for England’s old oaks. Once revered. Now cut down under police guard in
spite of a grieving populace … And yet still honored by two dark steeds. Spirit
horses. Challenging the lilywhite policehorse, as though for the local
protesters kept at bay.
MONTHLY QUOTA … "The more I
discovered of the [natural creatures], the more I admired them; the more I know
[men], the more I am disgusted with them. Men I find to be a sort of being very
badly constructed, as they are generally more easily provoked than reconciled, more disposed to do mischief to each
other than to make reparation, much more easily deceived than undeceived, and
having more pride and even pleasure in killing then in begetting one another,
for without a blush they assemble in great armies at noon day to destroy, and
when they have killed as many as they can, they exaggerate the number to
augment the fancied glory but they creep into corners, or cover themselves with
the darkness of night they mean to beget, as being ashamed of a virtuous
action." –Ben Franklin (with thanks to Jack Mueller of Log Hill Village)
THE TALKING GOURD
The
Sixties Didn't Die
Not
when we ourselves held a wake
on
Haight Street for the hippie. Not
when
they shot the Kent State students. Not
even
when RayGun black-crewed the real
drugs
into the cities. Smack. Meth. Cocaine.
Made
some Contra money off our psychedelic
backs.
No the Sixties reassembles once
a
year for Rainbow Gatherings. Mushroom
Festivals.
Burning Man. Dreamtime & more.
Circulating
underground incognito
Or
sometimes in flagrant public
paleohippie
delicto, like me.
©
2004 Art Goodtimes
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Rock Soup - Freedom of Choice
by Dea Jacobson
Awhile back, I remember
hearing a radio commentator discussing his observations on different cultures
and what freedom of choice meant to them.
In a nutshell, it was noted that Americans seemed to value having lots
of choices in the marketplace, while some other cultures valued lots of choices
at the ballot box. While, in America,
we have two major political parties and a dozen brands of dish soap, some
countries may have two brands of soap and a dozen political affiliations to
choose from. His conclusion? The citizens of some countries value having
choices in their politicians rather than freedom to browse among endless brands
of products packaged to seduce shoppers with the latest new and
improved….whatever. I found this fascinating. Having been born on Long Island,
about an hour away from New York City, I remember the first malls (we called
them shopping centers back then), and advent of the big chain
supermarkets. The small neighborhood
markets closed down as the giant malls gave us “one stop shopping”, and lots of
choices that equated, I suppose, with life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness.
When I left the New York
area, I settled for over a decade in Paonia, and was happy to once again find
the intimacy of the small market, with three aisles, a wooden floor, and a
friendly cashier who would hold the baby while I dug out my wallet. The choices were fewer, but I never did like
trying to decide among five different brands of raisin bran. I had better things to do with my time. One of them was volunteer political
organizing, which, in retrospect, is why I was so struck by that commentator’s
observations.
In keeping with our
sustainable lifestyle, I choose, wherever possible, products that support the
earth and the environment, regardless of the other choices or cost. Awhile back, I figured that if I saved money
by buying cheaper, poorer quality food products, I would likely wind up
spending what I’d saved on doctor bills, and be sick, to boot! So I began to buy better quality, organic
foods where possible, and have not been disappointed. And, getting back to dish soap, I’ve been using Seventh
Generation, or other biodegradable vegetable based products for awhile now.
I’ve read the statistics on how much petroleum is used just for cleaning products
(for example, if each household in America replaced just one 25 ounce bottle of
petroleum-based dish soap with 25 ounces of vegetable based soap, it would save
81,000 barrels of oil, enough to heat and cool 4,600 homes a year). That’s a no-brainer. At first I had to get used to the different
feel of these soaps – and maybe to scrub a little more. To save more petroleum, some day I hope to
be able to get a hybrid car. In the
meantime, I won’t be shopping for the cheapest, kind-to-your-hands-but-tough-on-grease,
petroleum-based, wash-day wonder in the store.
Not me, and, I hope, not you.
And that goes for paper towels, napkins, toilet paper, laundry soap, and
so on. Save oil, save trees, live
well.
Let’s have a recipe,
okay? Quesadillas are a simple
and yummy for lunch or dinner and can be made from a variety of on-hand
ingredients. This is a basic recipe to
which meat eaters can add cooked chicken, beef, or pork.
Veggie Quesadillas
This recipe will make 6
quesadillas.
1 dozen flour tortillas
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
2 zucchini
2 cups frozen corn
½ cup chopped broccoli
2 cups grated jack or
cheddar
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
Starting with the onions
and garlic, sauté all vegetables in olive oil.
If you are using cooked meat, add it last. When the filling is cooked, lightly oil a heavy caste iron frying
pan or flat griddle. With burner at
medium setting, place a tortilla in the pan.
Spoon some filling in the middle of the tortilla, sprinkle with grated
jack or cheddar cheese, and place another tortilla on top, pressing firmly down
to flatten. You can cover the
quesadilla with a pot lid to hasten the cooking process. Turn the heat down a little and, after a
couple of minutes, check and see if the cheese is melting. When it is, carefully flip the quesadilla
and cover it again, heating it for a few more minutes, until thoroughly warmed
through. Slide it out of the pan and
cut into wedges. Repeat the process,
watching your portions so as to have enough filling for the other five. Serve with sour cream, salsa, lettuce, olives, or whatever
condiments you enjoy the most.
Thanking the Vegetarian
Times for the inspiration for this recipe, I hope you try it, and enjoy it!
Dea Jacobson is the
director of Blue Heron Yoga, a graduate
of naturally Grand Cooking School, and a Religious Science practitioner. She lives with her husband, Roy Martin, in
an Earthship, off the grid, 6 miles north of Cedaredge, Colorado. She teaches
group and private yoga lessons in Delta and Mesa Counties. She can be reached at www.blueheronyoga.com,
at 970-856-4905, or at P.O. Box 95, Cedaredge, Co 81413.
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Jaspers
by Susan Palmer
Jasper, also known as
sard and chalcedony, has been revered for thousands of years across the
world.The smooth, hard surface feels good in the hand and sooths the emotions.
Jasper is opaque, and agate is normally translucent, but both are forms of
chalcedony. One American Indian nations named jasper as “the rain bringer”, and
used it for arrowheads
In ancient Europe jasper
was revered as an antidote to nightmares and was given to pregnant women as a
help during the pregnancy, delivery and lactation. It was used to help babies
sleep better and calm the anxiety ofa new mother.Soldiers trusted it to stop
loss of blood from wounds.By the 13th century, it was believed red
jasper would strengthen the heart, soothe nerves and stomach, and keep the
liver healthy
There are of course many
colors of jasper, and some is veined with agate.In general, ancient lore
assigns jasper as an aid according to color variations;red for matters of blood
and liver, pink for lungs and stomach, yellow for bowels and intestines, brown forcuring
misunderstandings, and Bloodstone (dark green with flecks of red) as a mental
aid, bringing peace and understanding of subtle universal information.
Jasper is presently
assigned to Mars and Mercury, and to St. Peter,and in times gone by was considered
of most benefit to people born in March, May, June, and August.But the truth of
the matter is that when one looks over the cultural and social histories around
the world, we find Jasper is honored for every month and every astrological
sign.It may be this reason that today the Jewelers of America do not assign
jasper as a birthstone.
So the next time you are
wandering trails and happen on a piece of jasper that calls out to you, pocket
it and honor its calming and healing nature.
Susan Palmer is a new
resident of Montrose, most recently from Oregon. Previously she has lived in
Colorado Springs and on Maui. She is the author of several volumes of poetry
and a research text The Gemstone Healing Amulet, Making One That Works For You.
She offers private and public sessions for groking stones. 240-3605.
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Meditations - Soapbox of the President
by Larry Lemser
A new board has been
elected and everyone in the Whole Life Network eagerly awaits a new year full
of the promise of more achievement. However, at this writing, my thoughts are
centered on the capable, inspirational spirits who have decided for various
reasons of their own to decline to serve for additional terms on our board.
There are four of these former board members and I wish to recognize each of them
for their contributions.
Jody Nixon, stepped
up from Vice-President to President of The Whole Life Network following a
resignation in 2004. She served in this
position for the remainder of that year and for the full year that followed. She took on these duties while raising her
family and pursuing her career in horse training.
Christopher Blair
of Ridgway served in 2005 as our able and dependable Secretary. He also spent many hours in all kinds of
weather, not unlike our postal service, delivering Connections to the
communities of Ouray, Ridgway and Telluride.
During all of this he was still able to conduct his busy law
practice. We will sorely miss his sage
observations and steady leadership.
Laurel Ann Browne
will always be remembered for her involvement in advocacy of children’s
issues. She has moved to Texas in the
past year but, prior to her departure, she worked tirelessly with families that
were in need of counseling.
Jennifer Halback
served as our Event Coordinator during this past year. She accepted this
responsibility with confidence and ability. Tuesday Noon Talks were the result
of her efforts that culminated in the well-attended session with John Mayo last
July.
You see it will not be
easy to replace these four.
They will be missed but
their energy and their love will sustain those who carry on.
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Ordinary living is spiritual healing
Finding the miraculous in the mundane
by Charley Cropley, N.D.
I was raised by a U.S.
Marine who taught me above all else to be honest and not to lie. Perhaps that
is why in my career as a naturopathic physician I could not bear to offer my
clients any advice or therapy the results of which I doubted in the slightest.
Over my career I gradually abandoned all types of therapy–i.e., things that one
person does to or for another, such as herbal medicine, homeopathy,
acupuncture, etc.
I embraced as my entire
healing work teaching people to heal themselves using only their most ordinary
activities inspired by love and guided by truth.
By "ordinary
activities" I mean the four activities that all human beings can and must
perform for themselves alone: eating, moving, thinking and relating. I believe
these four life-sustaining actions are the most powerful, reliable and rapid of
any forms of healing. Here we find the extraordinary hidden in the ordinary,
the miraculous revealed in the mundane. The benefits resulting from the
skillful performance of the ordinary activities of living are nothing less than
the fulfillment of all our needs and longings.
To illustrate: Imagine
that you could purchase a medicine that empowered you to eat impeccably,
exactly in accord with the clearest direction of your intellect. The results of
this medicine would be a beautiful, youthful body free from almost every
illness. Or a medicine that gave you the motivation and skill to perform a
daily 90-minute balanced workout resulting in strength, flexibility and
endurance. How about a medicine that enabled you to think clearly and direct
your internal dialogue as an unbroken stream of positive, life-affirming,
self-esteem-building thoughts, one that freed you from collapsing into negative
emotions and governed your mental/emotional body with unshakeable faith, hope
and love. In your relationships the medicine of loving kindness and compassion
would heal you of arguments, misunderstandings, conflicts and violence.
Conversely, the
untrained, unskillful performance of these actions produces inescapable
physical, mental/emotional and social misery. The stakes could not be higher.
And we are given no option to not perform these actions. We are already and
always engaged in them. Our only choice is whether our actions will be
expressions of our wisdom and love or expressions of our ignorance and
indifference.
We long for these
blessings; we are miserable without them. We seek them through medicine,
religion and politics. Yet, look! They are here for the taking, nearer than our
breath and thoughts, inescapably available now and now and now. Life is
whispering, shouting: "Love me! Give me your all. Now!" Our bodies,
minds and relationships faithfully reflect back to us the caring and
thoughtfulness behind our actions. This is the one spiritual law: "As you
give so shall you receive." If you want quality from your body, mind or spouse,
give it. There is no other way.
As you can see, this
path of so called spiritual healing is
anything but mysterious, weird or far out. It is as rock-solid and practical as
you can get. It is accepting responsibility for our own behavior, for our thoughts,
words and deeds. It’s developing self-control, mastery of our appetites and
passions, our desires and fears.
The foundation of all
world religions is virtue–right action in thought, word and deed toward
ourselves and others. Don’t kill. Don’t steal. Don’t lie. Be honorable
sexually. Don’t covet. Don’t hoard. Eat pure food. Be clean. Exercise. Study
scriptures. Pray.
Through right action we
cease to harm ourselves and others, and therefore our minds become less anxious
over the inescapable consequences that wrong actions incur. We are then able to
relax and concentrate our attention in prayer and meditation, enabling us to
further discover and express in our mundane activities the divinity that we
are.
The healing of our own
behavior–physical, mental/emotional and social–is what I consider true healing.
How is it possible to be healthy and happy ourselves or at peace with others as
long as we are engaged in actions destructive to the health and happiness of
ourselves and others?
The art of living is the
art of healing. All life is sacred. Our mundane activities–breathing, walking,
eating, thinking, reading, talking, working–are sacred healing rituals and
therapies. Through our actions we touch the hand of God, allowing love and
truth to become incarnate as a human being, as you and me. This is my medicine
and my religion.
Dr. Charley
Cropley has been a practicing Naturopathic
Physician, teacher and author in the Boulder/Denver are for the last 25
years;He has trained hundreds of doctors in his methods of nutrition and
self-healing. He is author of numerous articles, several books and an array of
audio and videos; He has been a frequent lecturer at the colleges of
Naturopathic Medicine; and is widely regarded as one of today's leading
thinkers and teachers in the philosophy and practice of Self-healing. He loves
and lives what he teaches.
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Peaceful Contributions for the Soul
by Kathy Gates
Walking in gratitude
teaches a healthy attitude. Take a moment to focus on the word renewal. Breath
in renewal, breathe out old ideas, breathe in renewal, breathe out what is no
longer serving your growth.
Listen clearly to your
body, you physical expression. Is it asking to become healthy, well and fit?
Make a plan or decide to do one thing for your physical body.
It can be better
nourishment, more rest, or exercise or it could need some pampering. Go for a
relaxing massage or new haircut. Listen to your body, treat it as a dear
friend, acknowledge what it needs and do what you can to comfort it. It has
been providing for you ever since you were born. It is the way the spirit of
you gets around. Take a moment or two or three and listen with all your attention.
Take another moment to
breathe in renewal, breathe out any negative thoughts or unhealthy attitudes
you may be holding onto. Give this time of renewal to your thoughts. Take a moment to think of one area in your
thinking where you can make an effort to rebuild your view of it. Start with
yourself. Do you like the way you are
thinking about yourself? How about your view on life, is it good? Open yourself
up for new ideas to flow so you can restructure your thinking with positive new
ideas. Ask how can I love myself more? How can I be good to myself? How can I
create happiness for me? Then listen with all your attention.
Take a moment to breathe
in renewal, and then breath out Love, breathe it back into the atmosphere for
someone else to breath in. Renew your belief in the Great Spirit of all life,
the Creator of all that is around you. You are truly a divine being. Love who you are. Renew and move forward.
Have gratitude for the opportunity to be renewed in body and spirit.
Peace and blessings Kathy
Unlimited Potential
Creativity Workshops begin February 4th-11am-2pm workshops are being held at
Women's Spirit Retreat 20184 High Park Rd above Cedaredge. Call 856-7665 for
more info.
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A Taste of Chocolate
© Anne Calzada Herbalist
The month of February
with its lingering lusciousness has brought me to the taste of chocolate!
Chocolate is a well-known pleasure of life, feasted upon by almost everyone.
There was even a movie
made with its name, "Chocolat" and "Charlie and the Chocolate
Factory" in which Johnny Depp starred in both. Why do we as a culture love
chocolate so much? There are a myriad of reasons, some of which we will linger
over now. Chocolate traces its history from the ancient Aztec and Mayan
culture, where the cacao tree was recognized for its properties of food,
medicine and pleasure. The cacao tree from which "chocolate" is
derived is native to South America. It's Latin name, Theobroma cacao literally
translates to "food of the Gods". The word chocolate is derived from
the Mayan word "xocolatl".
Harvested for its cacao
beans, the Aztecs and Mayans created a bitter chocolate drink from the beans.
The drink was known to bring one health, wealth, wisdom and power. The Aztecs
consumed this drink known as "xocolatl" believing that the cacao tree
was brought to South America by Quetzalcoatl and considered it a sacred plant.
In his explorations and
later conquering of Mexico, the Spanish explorer Cortez was served this
chocolate cordial drink by the Aztec Emperor Montezuma himself and later
returned to Spain with this recipe, which was eventually sweetened After the
introduction of chocolate to Spain, it quickly spread through Europe and
eventually to North America.
The ancient Aztecs and
Mayans were correct in their knowledge of the healing benefits of chocolate as
most indigenous cultures are with their history of plants. Today we know the
many health-enhancing aspects of chocolate, dark chocolate retaining the
highest levels of nutrients. The recommendation of at least 70% cocoa is
optimum as most milk chocolate bars on the shelf contain 20% to 30 % cocoa.
Some chocolate creations contain even less.
Chocolate contains
adequate levels of calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, rutin,
vitamins A, E, C, D and thiamin. It also contains high levels of flavinoids and
amino acids such as phenylethylalamine, arginine, tryptophan and many other
nutrients.
The flavinoid levels in
chocolate are helpful in reducing platelet aggregation; relaxing the
constriction of blood vessels and balancing eicosenoids, which are known to
support cardiovascular health by reducing inflammation, dilating blood vessels
and therefore lowering blood pressure. The fat in chocolate derived from cocoa
butter is no more fattening than that of olive oil, as it is a monounsaturated
fat, therefore chocolate does not increase levels of cholesterol. Chocolate can
be a powerful stimulant as it contains phenylethylalamine, stimulating the
action of neurotransmitters in the brain to encourage the release of endorphins,
which naturally raise the mood level and energy level. This may also contribute
to its ageless reputation as an aphrodisiac.
The high magnesium
content is what premenstrual women are really craving as progesterone levels
taper off. Magnesium helps to balance these levels along with the sweetness and
comfort of this great food.
The theobromine, which
is actually related to caffeine, is anti-histamine in action and the amount of
caffeine itself in chocolate is really not that much. Chocolate can be a
decadent advantageous addition to one's diet, or it can be over used with much
less benefits unfortunately, nevertheless, on Valentines Day, many will
experience the delight and overindulgence of chocolate and to this I say
Cheers!!
Chocolate Martini
2 oz. chocolate liqueur
1 ½ oz. vodka
Fill a cocktail shaker
with ice and briskly blend.
Strain, pour and garnish
with chocolate shavings or mint sprigs if desired.
Spicy Hot Cocoa
1-cup milk of your
choice
2 tsp. cocoa more or
less your choice
Add a pinch of cinnamon,
ginger or cayenne and sweeten to taste.
Strain if desired and
enjoy.
Hot Chocolate Bath
1-cup milk of your
choice
1/2 cup cocoa powder
Blend these ingredients
and add to the bath. Slip in and invite the nutrients into your skin.
Anne Calzada is a
Certified Herbalist and founder of Healing Heart Herbs. Her products can be
found at Food For Thought in Ridgway and at other fine natural health outlets.
For consultations or classes she may be reached at 626-5663 or by email
annecalzada@aol.com.
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EFFORTS TO HELP TIBETANS AND NEPALIS
by Bill Duckworth,
Western Colorado Friends of Tibet
I'm in Kathmandu now as
of Friday, January 13.It seems that Friday the 13th turned out to be a bad
omen.On that day, the Maoists broke the "peace" accords and set off
several bombs in Nepal.Most of those were in Western Nepal but this weekend
several bombs were set off near Kathmandu, specifically along the main routes
of travel to India and to Bhaktapur, east of Kathmandu.It appears that the
government and Maoists are about to resume the war that has killed over 11000
Nepalis and Tibetans living in Nepal.It makes all the more urgent the situation
for both in this sadly war damaged country.I'm not suggesting sides because
there is so much behind the war scene, but it is a tragedy of the first order
and is harming the people here most of all.
I came here for several
reasons.One of the more important reasons was to help people whom we have long
been associated with.One, Tenzin Yankyi, Jigchen Tso's nurse, has already
secured a Visa to come to the United States and we will be seeing her today if
we can locate her.She plans to fly to Colorado and reside in our area.Another
is Radhika Gurung, the young Tamang girl whom we have been providing an
education for.She is with me now and we are going to secure letters from her
adoptive parents, her school, and from another source to support our bringing
Radhika to the United States for efforts to help her secure a very real life
for herself and for her family.Radhika has gone from K to 6th grade with our
support.The third person is a long time friend in Dharamsala, the Art Teacher,
who I plan to visit at her school.I also hope to visit the Dalai Lama there if
I can finalize those arrangements.
I am writing this letter
for two purposes. I want to make our organization and supporters of the efforts
I am making in behalf of Tibetans and Nepalis.I am very careful about who we
are offering assistance to so that we can be certain that our efforts and
resources are well directed and are of overall help to those whom we are
dedicated to helping.These three people are among those whom we have been in
contact with for several years and we know both the circumstances and the
opportunities and believe our efforts are consistent and supportive of the
goals and objectives of helping Tibet and Nepal in tangible and personal ways.
WE NEED YOUR HELP.The
cost of transportation alone will be about $2000.00 for each.In addition, we
plan to apply for asylum as it is deemed appropriate. We have help 12 persons
to date and have been successful in each case, far better than the national
average.In part it is clearly due to the fact that the people we are assisting
are truly appropriate for this assistance and we have handled each situation
carefully in full compliance with international and American law and in
accordance with need and appropriateness.In almost all of the cases, we have
used legal help because the process is clearly a complicated legal matter.We
have succeeded in each case because each person was clearly covered by the
international laws and our county's agreement to assist in clear asylum
cases.The legal costs vary with each person, but the average has been between
$2000 to $5000.To date Nora and I have tried to cover those expenses with some
assistance, but we can no longer afford to do that because we have dipped
deeply into our own life savings.So we are turning to each of you and all of
you and asking for your help. Finally, we also need to identify families who
are willing and interested in providing a home for each of the persons for whom
asylum is approved.In Radhika's case, if approved, we are personally committed
to adding her to our family knowing that she is part of our family and the
reason we have committed to covering her educational and other expenses.For the
others we will ask humbly for others to help us to provide a home for them.I
can assure each of you that both are very appropriate and very well qualified
to be a significant part of a personal home and family support.Our experience
with everyone for whom we have provided a home is that the value of the
addition to our family has FAR MORE benefited us than the nominal cost
involved.BUT WE DO NEED LOVING FAMILIES WHO ARE WILLING TO ADD A NEW FAMILY
MEMBER TO THEIR HOME.
Please consider opening
your hearts and your homes as well as your pocket books to assist persons who
will benefit from the assistance and who are clearly worthy of your/our help.
I expect to be back in
Montrose in early March and will be in touch.In the meantime, I will be
furnishing articles to our website for the Western Colorado Friends of Tibet,
www.wcfot.org, which I encourage each of you to view.I appeal to members of
both the Western Colorado Friends of Tibet and our companion organization, the Whole
Life Network, which has been a wonderful source of help and assistance to us.We
both share the same life values and I appeal to each of you to help as you feel
you can.Also please feel free to write to me with questions and suggestions as
you feel inclined and I will try to respond to each correspondence.My email
address if free_tibet@montrose.net.
In the spirit of love
and sharing our lives with others who truly need our help and can benefit
unlimited benefits from our simple assistance to offer ways of making
everyone's life better, I share our commitment to offer valid ways of offering
to share our commitments with those who need our help.
Sincerely, in peace and
love, Bill (and Nora) Duckworth
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The Problem With Greed
by Dr. Jerry Overton
Greed—excessive
desire, especially for money—Webster’s New World Dictionary
Recently, I received my
bill for the natural gas I use to heat my home. It was $223, up from $73 for
the previous month—which was actually much less than many with whom I’ve
talked. Now, it needs to be noted that in my case, during that billing period,
I was out of town for 10 days and had left the thermostat set on 56, and while
I was at home I had never raised it above 64 during the day, and had
turned it off at night. Not exactly a picture of toasty-warm!
As I sat there holding
my bill, I remembered the congressional interviews with the various CEO’s of
several international oil companies, and how they had calmly justified their
billions in profits—and how the politicians had so generously accepted their
defenses. Only one word came to my mind—greed—that excessive desire for money!
And what disturbs me is that greed seems to have become an accepted part of the
corporate culture—as well as the political agenda.
Fortunately, I was able
to pay my bill. But what about those who can’t? What will happen to them when
they can’t pay, and the company stops their service—and then it becomes a
matter of survival, of life or death for them and their children?
And that‘s the real
problem with greed. It’s not simply that the few get far more than they
need or deserve while the vast majority get less or none at all. Or that greed
has to do only with luxury items, like Porsche convertibles, that most of us
truly can do without. The problem with greed is that it often involves
necessities that we can’t live without. And then, when because of greed,
we can’t afford to have them, as in the case of natural gas to heat our homes,
it can lead to the truly heinous crime of the slow-suffering murder of the many
who will simply freeze to death—with absolutely no recourse whatsoever for the
greedy corporate moguls who caused it, or the politicians who let them get by
with it.
The thought just came to
me that this scenario is much like the case of those unfortunate ones who have
been targeted by the mafia and have to pay them off every month in order to
insure their survival. It’s the same simple extortion—that can surely lead to
extinction if you can’t pay up! The one difference is that most all of us, even
the politicians, would acknowledge that the members of the mafia are criminals
who are perpetrating a crime of extortion on their subjects and need to be
caught and punished for their crimes. We haven’t been willing to acknowledge
the same for the oil company CEO’s.
And dare I say it, it
seems to me that that’s part of the problem of having an administration full of
oil men presiding over our country, in both the White House and the Congress,
including both Democrats and Republicans. They don’t seem to see that crimes
are being committed in the name of profits, nor do they see the need to punish
the perpetrators.
So, who is left
to hold accountable those CEO’s who perpetuate greed-turned-to-extortion-turned
to-murder in the name of corporate profits? Who will put constraints on such
greed so that every American can at least go to sleep at night insured that
they won’t freeze to death because they couldn’t pad the pockets of the greedy?
Who will put a stop to such inhumane violence against humanity—which if it came
in any other form would be called murder?
Well, from all evidence
it won’t be the administration or the other oil-enriched politicians. It won’t
be the corporate moguls who engineer such greedy business practices. Nor,
perhaps, even the major shareholders of such companies.
From all evidence, it
looks like it’s up to us—you and me—the ones who have to pay such outrageous,
inflated bills in order to keep from freezing in the middle of the night. It’s
up to us to figure out ways to put a stop to such extortion and the subsequent
violence that can lead to cold-hearted murder of innocent people.
And yet, in order for us
to face up to the task, we have to stop playing the victim as we wag our heads
and our mouths saying “Ain’t it awful!” to one another as if that’s enough.
It’s more than awful—it’s extortion that often leads to the deaths of innocent
people, including defenseless children. And if we don’t do something to stop
it, then we’re no less than accomplices in these crimes who deserve the same
punishment!
So, once we’ve decided
to put a stop to it, what do we do? One sure way is to put the heat (no pun
intended) on those same oil-soaked politicians, both now and especially at
election time. Another is to continue to raise the consciousness of all whom we
can as to the nature of greed, and the very real crimes it causes. And another
is to support alternative technologies that can reduce our dependence on oil,
and thus on those who would continue to do us harm through their incessant
greed.
Changing the course of
the greedy is not for sissies, and yet, together we can do it. And for the sake
of all those who will otherwise suffer, we must.
God-speed!
Copyright 2006
Dr. Jerry D. Overton
Jerry is a personal
coach, counselor, and director of The Center for Personal and Spiritual Growth.
He can be reached at jerry@jerryoverton.com.
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