The Great Community Giveaway
Whole Life Network Release
The way in which a
culture takes care of and supports all its members is an important illustration
of the values and identity of that culture.
The way in which a community shares its abundance with others is an important
illustration of the morals and ethics of that community. Supporting and sharing are two of the
reasons the Community for Spiritual Awareness created the Great Community
Giveaway. Based in part on the Native American
tradition of giving away gifts to honor individuals, the Great Community
Giveaway honors the residents of Montrose who have gone out of their way to
help their neighbors, who have given of their time, talent and money to those
organizations who are dedicated to improving the quality of life in our
community, and who have stretched the foundations of their beliefs to become
inclusive.
We are reminded when we
give freely from the heart that people will help each other in the hard times
and provide acknowledgment in the good times.
The Great Community Giveaway is an opportunity to freely share what you
have with your neighbors as a way of honoring our families, friends and
others. Other communities across the
nation have been sponsoring such events.
In Ohio, the Community Food Initiative gives away free seeds. In Minnesota, one town hosts an Annual
Community Involvement Fair. And in New
Orleans, the Odyssey House sponsored a community giveaway to help rebuild its
own community after the hurricane.
Some giveaways focus on
one item such as seeds, bulbs, computers, clothing, even digital cameras and
cell phones. The Great Community
Giveaway in Montrose will help you give away anything you want to share with
someone else. A board will be available
to write the name of the person or persons you wish to honor with your
giveaway. Doors open at 8:00 a.m., Saturday morning June 24th for
donation and set up. The Giveaway
begins at 10:00 am and goes until 2:00 p.m.
Everything is free. If you need
something, take it with you. Large
furniture items will be set up out in the parking lot. Please make sure your items are in good
condition and clean before bringing them to Lions Park. You may also post a picture and description
of any large item on our bulletin board with your phone number to be
contacted. Volunteers are needed to
help set up and clean up. Call 252-0908
to volunteer.
This year we would like
to also sponsor a cookie giveaway. Bake
your favorite cookies and package them in zip-lock bags and bring them down to
give away. This is a great way for
children to be involved in doing something for their community.
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What is a Dowser?
by Joe Smith
My wife and I began
dowsing in 1974 when we needed a water well on the farm to save a soybean crop
during a drought. I had seen dowsing before. My wife's granddad could dowse;
they called it water-witching at that time. I got in touch with a fellow in
Tecumseh, Nebraska who could dowse, and he came over and asked for a map of the
farm. Then he proceeded to swing a pendulum over the map to see where there
might be a spot to drill a well big enough to help us out. My wife, Marta, went
into the other room so he couldn't see her laugh. She thought, "Oh yeah,
this won't work."
Well it did, and I was
hooked. So I learned to dowse, or at least started to learn. Within a couple of
years my wife decided to join me in my new craft and we have been dowsing ever
since. Are we always right? No, we are not, but we have made a lot of money
dowsing for oil wells, made a lot of money decisions on the strength of the
dowsing, and I am glad to say most have been good ones.
Dowsers are the most
giving people in the world; they try to help anyone at any time. Dowsing can
become a way of life. There isn't hardly a day goes by that I don't do some
dowsing for someone. Dowsers look for
water, lost items, lost people, lost planes, oil, gold, pets, and so on. Anyway
you can think up a question you can get an answer by dowsing. Dowsing is like
playing a piano, the more you practice the better you become. Dowsing is now
used to locate health problems, what vitamins to take, business deals, stock
market, weather forecasting, storm watching (tornados), planning trips, and
more.
My wife and I can teach
you to be a dowser. We will be holding
a free workshop in Olathe on Saturday June 24th at the Community
Center. (Pot-luck lunch) This workshop is co-sponsored by the Whole
Life Network and The Rocky Mountain chapter of the American Society of
dowsers. Call 240-0234 for information.
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Hypnotized By Fantasies
by Charley Cropley
Living in a body sick, exhausted and hurting
with pain, a worried, overactive mind and deceitful, angry, violent
relationships is living in hell. Any other hell is hypothetical, and probably
unnecessary. Conversely the experience
of a healthy body, joyful mind and kind, caring relationships is heavenly. It is our nature to long for health on all
levels. Without it we ever feel
unfulfilled and dissatisfied; something absolutely essential to us is missing
and we sense it. Man’s eternal quest is
for that elusive “something” that will permanently satisfy us. Fame, money, power, talent, intelligence,
youth, beauty... nothing else can compensate for or satisfy this yearning. The knowledge of how to acheive Health of
our body, mind and relationships is knowledge that qualifies as truly
“meaningful”.
There are specific
activities that nourish and sustain health.
These activities are common, simple to understand and everyone
experiences their benefit. Our body is
formed by food, movement and rest; our mind by thoughts and emotions; our
relationships by our actions towards others.
You can readily
experience the power of these common, simple activities. Overeat at one meal and undereat at another
and tell me which is more beneficial.
Eat only apples, salads and fish for one to three days. Follow that with three days of pizza or
Mcdogfood and report back. After work
stay at the office an extra hour or spend an hour dancing or working out. Sleep for as long as you want. Then get up
two hours earlier than usual. Not one
sane person would be confused as to which of these activities are beneficial
and which are harmful.
Why then would anyone
choose to harm themselves more than once?
Obviously we must be compelled by factors other than intelligence. Perhaps desire, fear, hatred, lust, gluttony,
envy, greed or laziness?
Repeating self-injurious
actions daily over years causes disease, in the same way as smoking does. Although this may seem somewhat obvious, the
fact is there is almost universal failure to recognize this vital connection
between the performance of wholesome activities and our state of Health. What causes health and disease remains an
utter mystery to most health professionals. This ignorance is the root of our
national crisis in “health” care.
It is impossible to be
alive and not perform the acts of eating, moving, thinking and relating. They are essential to being alive on this
planet. The actions that give us what
we passionately desire are precisely the actions Nature ordains that everyone
must perform. These arts of living are
the art of arts: the art of creating healthy, happy, kind human beings. Like all arts we improve through study and
practice with a skilled teacher.
Untrained persons are
unable to discern the difference between skillful and unskillful performance of
the arts of living. The actions of a master appear more or less the same to
most people as those of an uneducated person.
But I promise you it is not so.
Years of serious education are required to learn to control our
appetites, to walk, stand and sit with poise, to think intelligently and relate
kindly.
If people were taught
even the slightest appreciation of the power of their own actions it would
transform our culture and world.
Because we are completely unaware of and therefore misuse our innate
power to heal we become dis-eased. We
then search feverishly and futilely elsewhere for some “cure” for our
self-generated dis-ease. It is as if we
were ignorant of the value of sunlight and seeds in growing plants and so we
begin a quest to find a new means to grow plants without using sunlight and
seeds. Where would we look for this
other means? In DNA or bacterial cell
walls? Amazonian herbs? The refrigerator?
I trust we are all well
aware that our “experts” are absolutely baffled about how to resolve our
national health crisis. In essence they
are looking for a substitute for sane living.
They are looking into genetic engineering, technology, organ
transplants, cloning... everything but mastering our own actions. The problem appears baffling and
unintelligible precisely because it is.
It is impossible to ever know where to look because there is nowhere
that such an answer exists. It is impossible to grow plants without sunlight
and seeds. It is equally impossible to
be healthy, happy and at peace with others without doing the actions that
produce this.
If a formula could be
made that could produce the same benefits as a good night’s sleep or a good
workout it would be sold out. The fact
that such a miracle has never been and will never be found does not slow our search
in the least. We were born into a
culture hypnotized to worship fantasies.
The more distant, foreign, unintelligible and mysterious the better. We have been brainwashed to regard what is
natural, simple and readily available as worthless.
In reality there is no
other way to heal ourselves other than the ways Nature has provided. She provides one and only one means to meet
every need. She offers no second, no
backup for sunshine, seeds, vaginas or honeybees. Nature, our own Nature accepts no substitutes for treating
ourselves and others intelligently and kindly.
Each and every action that we do today dictates what we will experience
tomorrow.
Dr. Charley Cropley,
N.D. has been a practicing Naturopathic Physician, teacher
and author in the Boulder/Denver are for the last 22 years; He has trained hundreds of doctors in his
methods of nutrition and self-healing.
Charley teaches people how to master their illnesses by mastering
themselves; specifically their eating, thinking, relationships and exercise.
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Remembering Aztlán
A Column of Poetry, Culture & Spirit by Art Goodtimes
ON THE ROAD
… It’s been a busy off-season for me … It started with an invited session with
Dr. Patty Limerick and the Restoration Institute of Colorado State University
in Fort Collins for a brainstorming two-day workshop on the concept of historic
range of variation (HRV) in our national forests, held at the historic Hotel
Colorado in Glenwood Springs. The participants were uniformly brilliant, the
discussions stimulating. Turns out that there’s something called a Mid-Atlantic
Oscillation that appears to correlate with a 60-year no-fire cycle in Western
forests. And I got to see a fascinating map from CSU’s Dr. Dave Theobold that
calculated “Accessibility” from major population centers via the state highway
system and guess what place was the most inaccessible in Colorado – yep, San
Miguel County … Then it was back home in time for the Talking Gourds Spoken
Word Festival – a dazzling Opera House weekend of performances, song, poetry,
workshop/interactives and the unexpected – like the kickoff guitar licks of
local troubadour Bob Beer to the kick-ass bewitchment of the Denver poetry trio
Roc’em Soc’em (Day Acoli, Oracle Speaks and Bianca Mikahn) … Then immediately
off to Fort Collins to lecture to Dr. Maria Fernandez-Gimenez’s undergrad and
graduate classes about the Burn Canyon Monitoring Task Force – multi-party
community processes being increasingly looked at as the model for future
natural resource issues on public land forests … And then off to New Mexico for
a poetry reading in Las Vegas for the new litzine out of Santa Fe, Desert
Shovel, and on to Cochise Stronghold in Arizona to visit a friend – bringing
along my youngest son … Nothing off about it, really. Except that Telluride is
mostly deserted of visitors, which suits me just fine, so long as ReStore Our
World is still open.
GREGORIO
… We named my youngest son Gregorio. More ethnic Italian than his dad, who
translated the family’s Italian patronymic into English – mirroring the tongue
of my mother’s British ancestors. Although my boy’s name, strangely enough,
also hints at the Spanish side of her family which traces its roots back to a
certain jefe de policia of Monterey, California, 1794. It’s a name that stumbles
on the tongue of most English speakers. But it’s a proud one. And one that
caught my eye when I read a recent story from the Boston Globe about El
Salvador – a country much in the news during the Reagan Era and never heard
from these days … Auxiliary Bishop Gregorio Rosa Chavez of El Salvador was in
Cambridge two months ago to receive the Romero Truth Award from Centro
Presente, a Latino immigrant advocacy organization. The award is named for
Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero, the Salvadoran cleric assassinated in 1980 by
a right-wing death squad. The assassination was part of a 1980-1992 civil war
between leftist guerrillas and a U.S.-backed right-wing government that
resulted in at least 75,000 deaths and thousands more disappeared. According to
Bishop Chavez, what’s happened in Iraq demonstrates that El Salvador was a
lesson unlearned. The Reagan and first Bush administrations gave the Salvadoran
government $6 billion in economic and military aid during the war. Bishop
Chavez said the Catholic Church condemned the killings on both sides but was
often threatened by the government because its pleas for human rights for
peasants were seen as too far to the left … No amount of government-condoned
killings mattered to anti-communist hard-liners in Washington, not even the
murders of four Maryknoll nuns from the United States and six Jesuit priests.
One such hard-liner was then-Defense Secretary Dick Cheney. Intelligence
documents released in 1993 indicated that Cheney opposed attempts by members of
Congress to withhold military aid to El Salvador during that government's
slothful investigation of the murder of the priests. In a 1989 appearance on
ABC's ''This Week with David Brinkley," Cheney claimed there was ''no
indication at all" that the Salvadoran government or the army were
involved. Documents and soldier confessions in the mid- and late-1990s showed
that the killings of the priests and nuns were directly tied to the military,
and the Reagan administration suppressed and overlooked intelligence on
state-sponsored terror links. As late as 1990, U.S. military officers were
training Salvadoran elites linked to death squads … A decade later, Vice
President Cheney turned that legacy upside down, trumping up discredited
intelligence to invade Iraq. In the 2004 vice presidential debate, he had the
nerve to use El Salvador as an example of what would happen in Afghanistan and
Iraq. “I was there as an observer on behalf of the Congress,” he insisted. “And
today El Salvador is a whale of a lot better because we held free elections.” …
Bishop Chavez, part of the religious vanguard that risked life for peace and
elections, remembers a whale of a lot more than Cheney. He remembers U.S.
ambassadors denying witness protection and cruelly interrogating courageous
people who came forward with information on the state-sponsored terror. ''It
was really terrible because [U.S.] politics were not based on values and human
rights," said Bishop Chavez. ''During the war, I had to receive many U.S.
delegations, and frequently I got the impression they really did not care about
the people. It was painful.” … Added the Bishop on the world situation today as
compared to back then, “I would say the Salvadoran case is even worse than
Iraq. In Iraq, the U.S. sent its army. In the Salvadoran case, the arms came
from outside, but the deaths were all Salvadorans.”
THE BEAT GOES ON
… I know it’s hard for some people to understand the connections between
American prosperity and foreign wars, but the roots of the Iraqi debacle extend
back into the murderous proxy wars carried out in El Salvador, Nicaragua,
Honduras, Argentina, Colombia, and Chile over the last several decades. This
administration may have a meaner, more deceptive face, but the globalist battle
for resource domination has been going on for some time.
SAGE GROUSE
… … It’s unbelievable to me how the U.S. Fish & Wildlife could tell us,
with a straight face, that Gunnison Sage Grouse Grouse numbers are “stabilized
or improving” across its range here in Southwestern Colorado. And then refuse to
list it as “endangered,” thus removing it from candidate status and any
protection under federal guidelines … Everyone who lives on the Western Slope
is quite aware that the bird’s numbers are down significantly from a decade ago
(although up slightly with the last non-drought year). And that local entities
have been working overtime to do everything to help the bird recover … This
decision is a slap in the face of science, and yet another example of this
administration playing politics with environmental issues, like the Endangered
Species Act ... And I would be embarrassed, if I were an employee of the
Colorado Division of Wildlife right now, which made this bald-faced lie to the
Washington Post about the non-listing decision, “Colorado Division of Wildlife
spokesman Tyler Baskfield said the federal agency's decision showed that the
state's program and partnerships are working." … Working politically
maybe, but they sure as hell aren’t doing much for the Gunnison Sage Grouse, if
we look at the scientific facts.
CHURCHES SAY NO TO WAR
… The World Council of Churches – an international ecumenical body of some 347
Orthodox and Protestant churches and denominations across 120 countries --
sharply denounced the U.S.-led war in Iraq several months ago and accused
Washington of "raining down terror" on innocent civilians
<http://news.ucc.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=462&Itemid=54
>. The group’s American wing apologized to other countries for "the
violence, degradation and poverty our nation has sown." … The statement,
issued at the ninth gathering of the World Council since its founding in 1948,
also warned that the U.S. was pushing the world toward environmental
catastrophe with a "culture of consumption" and its refusal to back international
accords seeking to battle global warming … "We lament with special anguish
the war in Iraq, launched in deception and violating global norms of justice
and human rights," added the 34 U.S. members of World Council of Churches.
"We mourn all who have died or been injured in this war. We acknowledge
with shame abuses carried out in our name."
U.S. REP. RON PAUL
… If you haven’t heard of this brave legislator from Texas (Republican in name
but Libertarian at heart), I suggest you visit his website (www.house.gov/paul)
and read his speech on “Iran: the Next Neocon Target.” It is absolutely point
on. And it explains better than anything I’ve seen why I am seriously worried
about the state of the world and our government, under its current leadership …
I heard Ron speak at an Eris Society gathering in Vail last year, where I too
was a speaker, and where I suggested a coalition on shared issues between
Greens and Libertarians. Of course, that idea was, and is, too radical for
either party, and no one has followed up on that proposal. But when it comes to
opposing the interventionist foreign affairs policy of the current Neocon cabal
that runs this administration, I think both parties are on the same page.
THE TALKING GOURD
Neocon
Pledge
I
pledge allegiance to the flag
Of
the Corporate States of America
And
to the Republicans for which it stands
One
nation, under debt, easily divisible
With
liberty and justice for oil.
©
2006 Art Goodtimes
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Help Raise the Spirit of the Valley
PRESS RELEASE
Are you searching for
meaning in life and ways you can make a difference? If so, consider helping
with the Spirit of the Valley Festival.
The fall colors should be beautiful
in Telluride for the September 22 – 24, 2006 festival. Local and
internationally-known experts will present workshops, lectures, and lead events
on holistic healing, Native American culture,
spiritual traditions, sustainability, and social/political justice. In
addition, vendors will sell beautiful wares, wholesome food, and services.
There are still slots available for
speakers and vendors, so contact us if you would like to suggest a presenter,
give a workshop, or rent booth space.
The festival committee is also
looking for volunteers to help with publicity, logistics, the programs, art,
layout and design, and fundraising.
Speaking of fundraising,
if you’d like to donate to the Spirit of the Valley Festival, donations are
tax-deductible. Donations at certain levels will include free ad space in the
program brochure. Levels include:
| Seeker |
under $500 |
Name in program booklet |
| Disciple |
$501-$1000 |
1/8th page ad in program booklet |
| Monk |
$1001-$3000 |
1/4th page ad in program booklet |
| Lama |
$3001-$5000 |
1/2 page ad in program booklet |
| Bodhisattva |
$5001-$10,000 |
Full page ad in program booklet |
| Buddha |
over $10,000 |
Full page ad-inside front or back cover |
To help out, or for more
information, contact Eva at 708-0466 and osha13@bluewin.ch or Jed at 708-9565
and augustusreturn@hotmail.com.
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The Ancient Lore on Stones
by Susan Palmer
MOONSTONE
In ancient times,
moonstone was believed to be quitemagical, able to reveal the future, or the
present in distant places. It even was used to try to make some people crazy by
putting it in their clothing secretly.The moon itself was suspected of making people
crazy, and this is the basis of the term lunatic (moon affected one) and lunacy
(crazed by the moon).
The moonstone is a form
of feldspar adularia. The best quality
moonstone has a milky color with a surface sheen of blue seen only from one
direction. Not all moonstone is white or milky. Some is even quite a dark
yellow. Spectrolite and Labradorite are cousins of moonstone and will also
display this blue sheen when moved and are largely considered to be green.
Labradorite is very effective for strengthening the thyroid when worn at the
neck.
Moonstone is a sacred
stone of India, displayed only on yellow cloths, revered as holy. It is believed to arouse the tender
passions, and young men and women will sit under the full moon with a moonstone
in the mouth for a glimpse of a future
romance.
Because moonstone
heightens the watery emotions, some women may need to put it away for a few
days each month. But generally, it is believed to calm the mind and reflect the
inner nature. It is said to cool out the tendency to over-react. It activates the pineal gland and clears
lymphatic nodes, cures fevers and cools sunburns and ulcers.
Moonstone is assigned to
Archangel Gabriel, and the planets Neptune and Venus. Aruvedic medicine
recommends this stone for pitta conditions, to be worn on the right hand ring
finger and set in silver.
Moonstone picks up your
energy easily, so it will need cleansing in water and moonlight
occasionally. It should always be
mounted in silver or platinum, as gold is too hot for this stone.
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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Peaceful Contributions for the Soul
by Kathy Gates
Oh happy day! Our Creator created everything to grow. To move forward to expand, to grow..
June is the greatest
example of continued growth. Watching
nature is a meditation. A perfectly great way for all of us to get away from
the walls we find ourselves surrounded by. The walls at work, at school, at
home wherever they are. Walls keep us in and keep us confined. Begin to make a
habit for spending time in truth, in a place where there are no walls. A place
where we can see that life is limitless in every direction. This place is in nature, it is natural it is
free.
In nature we can see
that nothing has ever been separated.
The way the sky touches the earth in all directions, the trees on the
earth touch the sky, reaching for the light. The suns rays embrace all life
everywhere. The natural way everything grows into exactly what it is, a simple
flower knows to be a rose or sunflower, flowers never question life they trust
in the abundant soil from which they grow.
The leaves of the trees just become, they don't ask why. Hummingbirds
and butterflies know its time to be here its their time. Animals big and small, bringing to life
their young, life moving forward and expanding, never questioning just knowing
what to do and how to do it.
June is most beautiful;
its time brings warm days, warm waters, warm sun, warm green growth all around.
One valley connecting to a mountain, connecting to a stream, to meadows and
grasses to plants in every color.
Sounds are everywhere;
birds are happy, joyful, flying about. Oh yes with nature it is definitely a
glorious meditation and naturally brings us to a place of oneness.
Being with all that is
helps us to feel connected to all that we are.
Experiencing Divine Life in all that is around us. Each of us so unique
and all such wonderfully made beings, living in a unique and wonderfully made
universe. Becoming a part of the beauty
of all that is, we are connected to the Divine One, to each other to Life.
Breathe in, take in to
yourself all the air you desire, let the sun warm you, let this June day fill
us all with the unlimited self, without walls to become right where we are.
Let us acknowledge the
good in life, and the ever-expanding self that lives within us.
Thank you Creator for
the gift of all life everywhere.
Peace
and blessings to all Love Kathy
Women's Spirit Retreat
is sending out our summer program-if you would like us to mail you a copy email
wsretreat@aol.com or you can call 970-856-7665 leave your name and address,
state and zip and we'll send you a copy. Happy Summer!
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The Lymphatic System
© Anne Calzada Herbalist
The role of the
lymphatic system is sometimes over looked in terms of cleansing and rebuilding,
it is essential in our health and immunity. The word "lymph" in Greek
means pure stream. Lymph fluid is composed of lymphocytes (white blood cells)
that circulate through the pathways of the lymphatic system that also include
bone marrow, the spleen, thymus, tonsils, lymph glands and vessels. There are
lymph nodes in your neck, under your arms, in the groin/pelvis, abdomen and the
largest concentration surrounding the intestines.
The lymph fluid is
responsible for cellular waste removal, circulating and cleansing the body via
filtering fluid back into the bloodstream and fighting infections. However it
does not have its own pump to increase circulation such as the blood has with the
heart, so it only moves through exercise or muscle contraction. Therefore
exercise encourages cellular detoxification, as does the practice of deep
breathing.
When this system becomes
stagnant or "backed up" it reserves waste in the glands, blood, lymph
organs and fat cells. Some signs of a sluggish lymphatic system may be
overweight, cellulite, aches or pains, lumps or growths, chronic fatigue,
puffiness or swelling under eyes or elsewhere in the body.
Walking, running,
cycling, swimming, jump roping or other aerobic exercise enhances lymphatic
circulation. Access to a trampoline is of benefit; even hanging upside down on
a slant board moves the blood and lymph. Elevating the feet and legs everyday
will help your lymph. Alternating in hot and cold-water temperatures ensures
rapid circulation.
Another helpful key in
the movement of lymph fluid is massage. Regular massage not only releases
tension, but also enhances circulation and increases immunity. Practitioners
skilled in lymphatic drainage techniques may be sought ought for specific
treatments; however simply obtaining regular massage greatly increases
lymphatic health. Other techniques that you can do at home would be to
regularly use a salt scrub, loofah sponge or dry brush the skin.
To dry brush the skin,
use a natural bristle bath brush, start at the extremities and brush the entire
body always moving towards the heart. You can add a few drops of rosemary,
grapefruit or juniper essential oil for enhanced stimulation and
detoxification. Using massage oil with some of theses essential oils in it is
wise. Essential oils are carried to all parts of the body within minutes, via
the olfactory, lymphatic and circulatory systems.
Attention given to the
internal balance of your body is important. A diet high in fat, promotes
lymphatic stagnation, as digestive fats must process through the lymphatic
pathways and making for a thicker sluggish lymph fluid after meals.
Eating a more alkaline
diet with raw fruits and vegetables will consistently help to detox the lymphatic
system. Squeezing a lemon in some water throughout the day enhances this effect
as well.
Herbs of course are
ageless in their assistance to mankind. These plants are traditionally used by
herbalists for their potent and effective actions.
Cleavers (Gallium
aparine) is helpful in the reduction of swollen glands and growths such as
tumors or cysts. It helps to correct the passage of metabolic wastes.
Red Root (Ceoanthus
americanus) is astringent and decongesting of the lymph nodes, spleen and the
liver. It helps to reduce tumors and cysts.
Ocotillo (Fouquieiria
splendens) decongests lymph congestion and reduces swellings. It has an
affinity for the glands in the pelvic region.
Burdock (Arctic lappa)
stimulates the flow in lymphatic pathways and helps to clear the body of fatty
tumors and growths. Appears in the famous Hoxey formula for cancer.
Poke (Phytolacca
Americana) promotes the dispersal of waste. It is indicated for glandular
swellings, mumps and mastitis. It reduces inflammation in lymphatic tissues.
Echinacea (Echinacea sp.) helps to clear lymph congestion with swollen glands
and lends support to the immune system.
The traditional herbal
formula "essiac" is an alterative cleansing the lymph, blood, liver
and kidneys. It rebuilds and discourages the growth of abnormal tissues and
growths. It contains burdock, sheep sorrel, slippery elm and turkey rhubarb.
Available at your local health food store.
Other lymphogouge herbs
are astragalus, stillingia, wild indigo, blue flag, red clover, yellow dock, dandelion,
mullein and calendula. Consult with your local herbalist or an educated natural
health care practitioner on formulas and protocols for cleansing and
strengthening the lymphatic system.
Detoxifying
Massage Oil
¼ cup of almond
7 drops rosemary
7 drops grapefruit
4 drops lemon
2 drops juniper
Massage as needed.
Lymph
Tea Blend
1 part burdock
1 part calendula
1 part sarsaparilla
½ part fennel
½ part orange peel
Combine and use 1 heaping tsp to 1 cup of water. Drink 1 to 3 cups as needed.
Anne Calzada is a
Certified Herbalist and founder of Healing Heart Herbs. For consultations
please call 626 5663 or email her at annecalzada@aol.com.
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Learning to Love Ethel
by Dr. Jerry Overton
We all have at least one
of them in our lives—that person whose very presence drives us up a wall. They
don’t have to say a word. All they have to do is walk into the room, or even
just come into our minds, and we’re already hooked as the emotions come washing
over us—feelings of rage, disgust, guilt, repulsion to name but a few. And our
first response is either to want to attack them or to get away from them as
fast as we can.
Let’s call them the
Ethels of our life (no offense to the real Ethels of the world).And whenever my
Ethel shows up, it’s the same thing all over again. She knows exactly where my
buttons are, and she’s not timid about pushing them. And I never like it!
And yet, here’s the
truth of the matter. My Ethel is serving a huge and important purpose in my
life. She’s showing me the exact location of my work—my personal,
psychotherapeutic, spiritual work—the work that needs to be done in order for
me to remember who I really am and live a life of joy, peace, and abundance.
For she, and only she, knows exactly where to show me to look to find all those
old self-defeating self-perceptions and beliefs that need to be addressed—as
evidenced by my feelings and reactions to her presence.
For example, I have an
Ethel (actually a male) who I see to be arrogant, condescending, and haughty.
Every time he enters the room and speaks, I find I want to go on the attack.
Now, why do you suppose I want to do that? For when I go on the attack, I’m not
simply attacking him. More importantly I’m attacking myself as I pull myself
out of peace.
So, why would I choose
to go on the attack—and lose my peace? For generally speaking, I’m a
peace-loving man and I like to be in peace. I go on the attack because in that
moment I feel threatened by Ethel, which means that I feel vulnerable, which
means that I have forgotten the Truth of my Self—which is that I am a Precious
Child of God, perfect, whole, complete, and invulnerable to the attacks of
others, even Ethel, and as such can live in perfect joy, peace, and abundance
no matter what Ethel does.
And the fact is that my
Ethel, once I get past my initial reactions, helps me, through her presence and
actions, to finally remember the Truth of myself. Now, to be sure, my Ethel
doesn’t know that, nor is she (he) intending that. And yet, in Truth, that’s
the role Ethel is playing for me—to help me remember and claim once again the
Truth of my Self.
Now who couldn’t love
that! And who wouldn’t want to learn to love the one who so efficiently and
effectively helps us remember the Truth of our Selves so that we can live in
peace, joy, and abundance?
Thus, learning to love
our Ethels is critical to our well-being and our experience of life. And
learning to love them begins by being willing to see our Ethel differently.
Instead of seeing her as the bane of our existence and the bearer of suffering
and pain, we can choose to see her as the bearer of the healing of a lifetime
of woundedness and false self-perceptions. For that’s precisely what she is.
And it all begins with just that little willingness on our part to see Ethel
and all that she brings up in us differently—not as attack, but rather as a
source of healing.
So, here’s what you
might do. Bring to mind your Ethel. Decide to see her as the perfect gift to
you to help you to remember and reclaim the Truth of your Self. Then, trust her
to do her work—to show you what old self-defeating self-perceptions and beliefs
are in you that need healing. Let yourself feel the old feelings that she
elicits in you. Use those old feelings to uncover how you’re seeing yourself.
Then compare those feelings to those you would feel if you were to claim the
Truth of your Self—and let that motivate you to see Ethel differently.
And now, you’re ready to
make some new decisions about what you truly are—as a Precious Child of God who
can live in perfect peace, joy, and abundance. If that sounds good to you, then
take the time to learn to love your Ethels. It can make all the difference in
your world!
Godspeed!
Copyright
2006 Dr. Jerry D. Overton
Jerry is a counselor,
coach, and teacher of A Course in Miracles. He can be reached at
jerry@jerryoverton.com.
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