Community Building Project
Whole Life Network Release
This spring,will again
hold a 5-dayin the Paonia area.dates are May 18-22. The place is to be
announced. For more informationthe retreat, you may call the Fire of Truth
office in Paonia at 970-527-4397.
Following the retreat,
starting on Monday, May 22 and continuing through Sat., May 27, there are
opportunities for anyone who would likeparticipate in different events on
Neelam’s land on Redlands Mesa. There will be a few "field trips" to
other places as well.
The objective of this
week is to extend the retreat intoFire of Truth Satsanga'scommunity. Events are
planned, to share, make friends, and to have the opportunity to give Seva*.
At close of the retreat
(May 22) and after cleanup of the retreat site and a rest period, there will be
a potluck dinner and then Arlyn Deva gets the music going for an Ecstatic Dance
party. Arlyn is a DJ who loves to dance. Her unique blend of tunes will get
everyone onto the floor for movement.
On Tuesday, May 23,
Jeanine Christman will holdtraditional Creativity Workshop.is an artist and
motivator, whose workshops are always thoughtful and designed to get
participantsjuices flowing.
This workshop will segue
into a land project brainstorming session and may spill over into some creative
action on Neelam’s land. Everyone is welcome.
On Wednesday, May 24,
Neelam will lead a group on a hike (not strenuous), which will culminate in a
Satsang** somewhere in the beautiful countryside on or near Redlands Mesa.
On Thursday, Jeanine's
Creativity class will put their plans together for particular projects on the
land. Other projects may arise as the creativity flows.
Friday's options include
another group hike or perhaps a visit to one of the nearby hot springs.
Neelam offers aSatsang**
on Saturday, geared to those whoengaged in volunteering for Fire of Truth.
Anyone whovolunteers some hoursNeelam's organization, or who would like to
volunteer in the future is invited to join this event.
*Seva is the Sanskrit
word for service and is an integral part of Fire of Truth Satsanga. Seva offers
us an opportunity to perform selfless service; it is a contribution to
life.
**Satsang, Sanskrit for
“gathering in truth,”is defined by Neelam as the “direct experience of Self,
not limited to person, circumstance, time or space.” In Satsang, through silence,
meditation, dialogue and discussion, time and space is created for resting from
the seeking and the struggle, todirectly the complete perfection of life in the
present moment. As Neelam says, “ We put ourselves on the search for happiness.
We think it is not here. We forget to recognize it as always present.”
For more information or
to volunteer your help in the community-building project,contact the Fire of
Truth office 970-527-4397, info@neelam.org.
“It is an amazing
gift to find Satsang in this lifetime”.
Neelam
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Education Series - May 10th
Whole Life Network Release
A lecture on Immortality
by Bruce Avenell, founder of the Eureka Society, will be offered to the public
free of charge on May 10th at 5:30 pm in the Montrose Library
Conference Room. The following is an
excerpt from one of Bruce’s several books on spiritual life.
“Beware of those who
would sell you immortality. Life is
already immortal. There is no other
kind. Yes, I know that you do not think
you remember a life beyond the physical life, but it is only because you do not
know how to remember. Consciousness
does NOT die. At the time of physical
death, consciousness just changes its residence to a different type of life
container. At death, consciousness
moves into another vessel, gaining access to another realm of life.
You may feel that you
have come here for some reason you do not know, or at least do not remember,
and you wonder what this is all about.
It is possible to remember. In
fact, it is easy to do. It is so easy
that when you finally do remember, you will wonder how you ever managed to
forget. You come from “somewhere”
before you were born and you go “somewhere” when you die. Religions attempt to define this experience
for you, but, the truth is, it can be known by one personally. It is possible to keep contact with that
“somewhere” while you are in a physical body.
As a consequence, a vast world of growth opens up to the seeker or
pilgrim soul. The normally unseen
structures (auras, charkas, soul, etc.) are part of one’s eternal being,
whereas one’s physical body and mind are a temporary residence of
consciousness.
LISTEN … You are already
immortal. It is only that your
consciousness does not have the energy, momentum, velocity and altitude
necessary to live in the eternal part of your being. You can have these things in yourself in useful access. This physical body that lives in this moment
of time is only a very small part of your total being. In order for your total being to function,
it needs more conscious energy. This is
easier to come by than you think. You
must learn how to manage the energy you already have to access to. The more energy you have, the more you can
have. The more energy you have, the
more you can hold. The more you hold,
the more alive you are. You can become
ever stronger, ever brighter, and ever more alive.
The planet earth is meant to be a Spiritual
School. You came here to learn how to
manage the energy of your total being.
Your beliefs hold your being in the in the mental realms. Beliefs create illusions. The stronger the belief: the stronger the
illusion. Life, your life, is trying to
teach you what you need to know. All
you have to do is listen. The magic of
life is within you. You can be more
than you are. That is the intrinsic
purpose and beauty of life which I have come to grasp from my extensive
experiences in the inner worlds, and as a spiritual teacher and student of life
on the physical plane.”
The Whole Life Network,
dedicated to education in spiritual, health and environmental areas, will be
offering a lecture in this series each month.
Please join us. For more
information call 240-0234.
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“Harmony with Nature”
by Charley Cropley
Increasingly people are
seeking Naturopathic Health care because Naturopathic Physicians specifically
address the fundamental cause of our modern illnesses; i.e. we are out of
harmony with Nature. Every living
system on earth is degenerating and the rate of degeneration is accelerating.
Two thirds of the resources that sustain our very existence are perilously
degraded: water, timber, oil, air, topsoil, fish and animals. Our earth, our home is becoming a most
inhospitable place. We are poisoned and injured on every level by the culture
in which we live. Our bodies, minds and
relationships are sickened by dead, poisoned foods, noxious air and polluted
water, artificial light, toxic buildings, noise pollution, electromagnetic
exposure, meaningless work and a mental environment of greed, fear and violence
propogated by media.
The attempt to heal the
illnesses of our corporate culture with corporate medicine creates only greater
sickness. The most obvious way
Naturopathic physicians restore harmony with nature is by employing natural, non
harmful medicines and therapies: Herbal
and homeopathic medicines, acupuncture, physical manipulations, natural
childbirth, water therapy, nutrition, fasting, exercise, rest, education and
psychological and spiritual counselling.
Naturopathic Physicians
are also teachers whose stated goal is “to restore Health by restoring people
to harmony with Nature”. What does it
mean to restore harmony with Nature?
One illustration of this is the Q’ero people of Peru. In the 1500s a small number of the Inca
people fled the Spanish conquistadores to the high Andes where they have lived
until now largely in isolation from modern civilization. They have preserved intact their ancient
ways of living. They eat organic food,
drink pure water flowing from mountain springs and glaciers, breathe pure
mountain air, work their fields, walk long distances carrying heavy loads up
steep mountainsides, sleep from shortly after dark until dawn, hear only the
natural sounds of birds and animals, wind and water. They are outside in natural sunlight most of the day and under
moon and starlight at night, they bathe in mountain streams, weave their own
clothes from Alpaca and sheep, build their own homes from stone, wood and
thatch, deliver their babies themselves and raise and educate their own
children. They have no artificial
lights, sounds, colors, building materials, foods or medicines.
The Q’ero are not
without Health challenges, however as a culture they are much healthier,
stronger and happier than we are. Their
natural ways of living are time proven methods of producing Health and
vitality. The fact is there are no
other ways that produce sustainable Health.
There never have been or will there ever be. All attempts to sustain Health by unnatural means are but short
sighted experiments.
The following are
practical ways Naturopathic physicians teach their patients to restore their
health by living more harmoniously with Nature in our modern culture. Take showers that are mildly warm not hot,
end with a vitalizing cold rinse followed by a vigorous toweling. Whatever part of your body is ill,
strengthen it by gradually accustoming it to cold water. Avoid using soap on the body except your
crotch and armpits. Pure foods, pure
thoughts and exercise will keep all your body secretions pure. The Q’ero call their natural skin oils
“Hili”. Hili is more than body oil
which imparts smoothness and lustre to their skin. It is an energetic field that protects their body from cold,
wind, heat and infections.
Allow your eyes to drink
natural sunlight unfiltered by glass, windows or contact lenses. Enjoy sun baths and air baths. Sun, cold water and cool air baths all
cleanse and strengthen the skin which is our natural protector from outer
“invasions”. Sun, air and water were
recognized as “angels of the living God” by the ancient Essenes. It is an expression of our insanity that as
a culture we fear and avoid the sun.
Our bones, moods and immunity all depend on sunlight. Says Clayton Dach “The sun is, after all,
the most familiar face of all, having been with us-watching us, warming us,
making our crops grow... from the very beginning.”
Minimize your exposure
to electromagnetic radiation; cell phones, computers, flourescent lighting,
Xrays. Do not, DO NOT sleep under an
electric blanket. Filter your water and
if necessary your air. Eat more
naturally. Practice regular
fasting. Exercise tons. Get outside more. Clothe your body in natural fibers. Build your home from natural
products. Use natural scents, cosmetics
and cleaning agents. Reduce your
consumption of toxic media. Go on a 30
day media cleanse. Seriously decrease
television, radio, movies, and “junk literature”. Reduce your noise pollution.
Cherish silence and natural sounds.
Keep your house cooler
and filled with fresh air whenever possible.
Go to bed earlier and get up earlier.
Don’t use alarm clocks. Sit on
the floor or simple straight backed chairs without leaning against the back of
the chair. Overstuffed chairs and sofas
weaken your posture. Walk barefoot on
the earth. Foot stimulation vitalizes
your internal organs. Strong
“intelligent” feet transmit accurately transmit gravitational force from the
earth aligning, strengthening and coordinating our muscles, bones, joints and
organs. Note the impeccable posture of
a squirrel, robin, deer or a human infant.
Compare this to your own. Weak
posture is a serious sqandering of your power.
All healing requires power.
Naturopathic physicians
have always taught that the earth is our external metabolism. There is
absolutely no separation between ourselves and our environment, none. Harmony with Nature is the modern, ancient
and eternal prescription for restoring Health.
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
CHEAP NUCLEAR POWER? … Maybe
in Walt Disney’s dreams, but in the real world, the “peaceful” atom has proven
a very expensive genii. Especially when you add in all the hidden subsidies and
externalized costs granted the nuclear industry … A recent study by scientists
at Yale and Harvard, after analyzing real costs not usually tallied in the
bottom lines for the nuclear energy fuel cycle, or for nuclear energy plant
construction, operation, and decommissioning, estimated that society would end
up paying 30 cents per kilowatt hour for all the electricity generated by
nuclear power plants in the country during the life of the U.S. nuclear energy
generation program … If one considers only the costs and subsidies associated
with the nuclear power plant itself, and externalizes the costs of mining,
milling, and enriching uranium fuel, and of waste disposal and isolation
measures which are not reflected in the cost of the fuel rod the utility
purchases, then the accepted cost per kilowatt hour for nuclear energy from the
Yale/Harvard study is 10 cents per kilowatt hour … Of course, if one takes only
the cost of fuel, plant maintenance and operation – the standard often used in
so-called comparison studies of various forms of energy production, the costs
in 2001 dollars at 2001 prices were: 1.83 cents per kilowatt hour for nuclear,
2.07 cents for coal, 3.52 for natural gas, and 3.8 cents for oil-fired electric
power plants. But like so many things in the dismal world of corporate
economics, those figures hide the true cumulative costs of industrial energy
development, to the people of the world, and to the earth itself … So let’s try
another analysis … Also in 2001, the U.S. Department of Energy's "Near
Term Deployment Group" prepared a report on the relative costs of various
forms of electrical energy generation -- when all the capital and other costs
of the generation facility were taken into account. This was no left-leaning
Democratic think tank – 77% of the Deployment Group's members were employees or
consultants for the nuclear energy industry. They found that the cost to get a
kilowatt hour's generating capacity from a nuclear power plant built with 2001
costs was $2,128 in 2001 dollars. The cost of a kilowatt-hour's capacity from a
natural gas-fired power plant, under the most expensive scenario in their
study, was $682. These numbers represent the total outlay of money to build a
power plant divided by its generating capacity in kilowatt hours of
electricity. This report on the relatively high capital cost to build nuclear
power generating capacity was used as the rationale for the new construction
subsidies to the nuclear power industry contained in the 2005 federal Energy
Policy Act. These subsidies were justified in terms of making building nuclear
power plants competitive with fossil-fuel-fired plants in the name of reducing
greenhouse gas emissions from new power generation … Imagine what those same
subsidies could do if applied to alternative energies? Already, wind, solar and
biomass electric generation are much cheaper per kilowatt-hour capacity to
construct than nuclear, have no greenhouse gas emissions, and also have no
costs associated with toxic "fuel" cycle byproducts or wastes … And
so, vote Democrat/Green/Libertarian this upcoming election, and get this
current gang of free-spending, nuclear-promoting, war-mongering,
backroom-dealing Republicans out of office … (Thanks to Lance Christie of Moab
for much of this item)
WEEKLY QUOTA … “Nature
is trying very hard to make us succeed, but nature does not depend on us. We
are not the only experiment.” -R. Buckminster Fuller
PAT MENDOZA … He’s
billed as a storyteller, and he has all the tricks and gimmicks. A guitar to
accompany songs interspersed with his stories. He does Loony Tunes voices for
great effect – Elmer Fudd, Bugs Bunny.
And his fanciful tales, done with perfect timing and cadence, are guaranteed to
make you laugh, scare you, haul you off to wonder … But what so impressed me
was the fact that Mendoza is a truthteller as well. Of Cuban-Irish heritage
(like an earlier Sixties hero of mine, Richard Fariña), Pat has spent many
hours listening to stories of other cultures far and wide. Like the tale of
shape-shifting passed down from one of the Tsitsista survivors of the Sand
Creek massacre here in Colorado, on a brutally cold November day in 1864. It’s
a tale full of the Cheyenne language. Not culturally mis-appropriated by a
non-Indian for profit, but received as gift from Pat’s Tsitsistas friends and passed
on as oral history … The same can be said for a magical Fijian tale of Ratu Sir
Penaia Ganilau, his home island of Taveuni and the totem sharks that honored
this hereditary chief in death … Mendoza has a must-read book about the Sand
Creek Massacre, Song of Sorrow, that tells the story from the
perspective of the oral histories of the Tsitsistas, with a foreword by Sen.
Ben Nighthorse Campbell (Willow Wind Publ., Denver, 1993). Highly recommended.
CIVICS LESSON … On
Wednesday, March 1, 2006, in Annapolis, Maryland, at a hearing on the proposed
Constitutional Amendment to prohibit gay marriage, Jamie Raskin, professor of
law at American University, was requested to testify. At the end of his
testimony, Republican Senator Nancy Jacobs said: "Mr. Raskin, my Bible
says marriage is only between a man and a woman. What do you have to say about
that?" Raskin replied: "Senator, when you took your oath of office,
you placed your hand on the Bible and swore to uphold the Constitution. You did
not place your hand on the Constitution and swear to uphold the Bible."
The room erupted with applause.
COMPUTER BUGS … My
laptop has become my portable office. I take it everywhere. It allows me to do
commissioner business whereever I go, and I do just that. Once it starts up, it
gets pretty warm and gives out significant heat … For most computer bugs I use
Symantec AntiVirus. But I was totally unprepared at last month’s Southwestern
Water Conservation District meeting for real bugs -- tiny ants that began
popping out of my IBM ThinkPad and making mobile black spots on the white
tablecloth at the Doubletree Hotel conference room in Durango, as we all
listened to Rick Gold of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation talking about Colorado
River law … I guess the little critters found the warm machine a safe haven on
some winter travel escapade, and decided the annual water meet was the time to
come out and play … I couldn’t bring myself to harm my laptop hitchhikers
(ahimsa and all) so I scooped them off the table and on to the carpet. I hope
they found their way out into the spring sunshine.
THE TALKING GOURD
before
before
we got into the car to ride with him
down the hill between the grass-grown plaques
to the open grave beside the folding chairs;
before
we stood in line to stand again
beside the open casket on the catalfalque,
his
high school photo framed in silk;
before
we rose, and numbly left the church,
the pastor, having said the customary words, added
that AIDS was god's wrath on faggots.
-Laura
J. Moore
San
Francisco
©
2006 Art Goodtimes
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Rock Soup - Less is more
by Dea Jacobson
(Author’s note: This month’s article is a revised version of
one I wrote two years ago in May of 2004.
I felt it was timely, and hope it reaches some new readers this time.)
Modern life has gifted
us with conveniences and technical advances which, at first, seem to make life
easier. Microwaves come to mind. Instant breakfast. Fast food. Drive up
windows. . . you needn't even leave your car! There'll be more time to make
more money to buy more stuff. .and the beat goes on. Gregg Easterbrook, in his
book The Progress Paradox: How Life Gets Better While People Get Worse
gives some examples of how society's success is actually counter to our health
and well-being. As living standards rise, so does the incidence of clinical
depression. Prosperity backfires. A century ago, he says, the typical American
walked 3 miles a day. Today the average is a quarter mile. A poor diet and a
sedentary lifestyle were ranked second only to tobacco use as the cause for
400,000 deaths in the U.S. in the year 2000.
Simplicity is the
antidote. Let’s get back to basics.
Spring is the time of rebirth and new beginnings. According to Wise Earth
School founder Maya Tiwari, each season has a personality. Spring is
"rebirth". She says." All life awakens, and we experience
increased vulnerability at this time.
Pay careful attention to your choices of foods and activities. Embrace
your vulnerability in this season, as it is the season of growth and
transformation. When you face what arises, you are no longer vulnerable."
Maya goes on to say that
our surroundings can heal us. Your
kitchen, especially, is a sacred space. Keep it clean and uncluttered, and
simplify by getting rid of utensils you don't use, eliminating electrical appliances
in favor of hand operated ones. Check out the yard sales and antique shops for
some practical conversation pieces. Use
your hands! When I left the city, I left my microwave behind. Think you can’t live without one? It makes you slow down. Try it! For aesthetics, fill your shelves with glass
jars of red aduki beans and yellow mung beans, dried fragrant green herbs,
shining black wild rice, golden cornmeal and buff basmati rice. Hang a wind
chime outside the window and put soul back in your cooking space.
One of the
vulnerabilities in our modern age is the fear of not having enough, which leads
to stress. When we overwork and come home exhausted, who wants to cook? When you make meals at home, it brings about
a sense of security and grounding, a sense of who you and where you
belong. What you can do is find healthy
shortcuts, especially if you live alone.
Rebecca Wood, in cooking class, taught us the “One Pot - Three Meal"
method. Try this: cook a large pot of grain first thing in the
morning. The quickest is quinoa, a South American grain. Rinse 1 cup of quinoa in cool water,
changing the water twice, to remove its bitter coating of saponin, then
strain. Add 2 cups cold water to one
cup quinoa or your favorite whole grain, in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil,
then immediately reduce the heat and simmer. If you don't have a gas stove, or
your pot has a thin bottom, you can use a "flame tamer" to keep the
grain from burning. Don't stir. Let it
steam. When all the water is absorbed, (for quinoa that will be in about 15
minutes), remove from heat and fluff.
Have some for breakfast with a little milk and maple syrup. What is left
should be put in a clean bowl and covered with a cloth or sushi mat. Don't
refrigerate. It won't spoil if you use it within 24 hours. For lunch, it can be
packed in a tortilla wrap with veggies or made into a salad. When you return
for dinner, if there’s any left, use it in a stir fry with your choice of
veggies and protein. Compost what you don't use in 24 hours. Keep a variety of fresh veggies and grains
to experiment with, and don’t be afraid to get creative.
Dea Jacobson, RYT, is
Director of Blue Heron Yoga, Fitness & Wellness of Cedaredge, CO. She may
be reached at www.blueheronyoga.com or 856-4905. She is also a graduate of Naturally Grand Cooking School, and a
licensed Religious Science Practitioner.
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The Ancient Lore on Stones
by Susan Palmer
Opals
Opal comes in so many
colorful variations, but here are three we commonly find available: The Australian opal is composed of hydrous
silicon dioxide, and the Mexican opal contains ferrous oxide. Milk opal
contains some alumina.
In the middle ages opal
was believed to be a panacea for all eye troubles, and to even grant
invisibility. In Italy, thieves often
wore opals for this very attribute.
But Romans thought it
the symbol of hope and purity and romantic love. Alas, opal without a backing
stone cracks very easily, like a broken heart.
Esoteric lore assigns
opal the power to clear the brain and improve the memory. Sacred to truth and altruism, opals provide
foresights to be used only for the good of others.
Fire opals are a visual
favorite, and supposedly enable one to see the highest astral planes. Most effective on people born in fire signs,
fire opals can provide vigor, understanding, and purify the body.
For many centuries black
opals were believed by several cultures to bring bad luck. It has the unusual
tendency to clear the chakras, which makes one’s outer life seem to be harder,
not easier. Eventually, life actually becomes quite improved. Each color of
opal has specific chakra assignments.
In Aruvedic medicine, opal is assigned to
water, fire, and ether. It us used to
treat vata and kapha conditions worn in gold at the neck, or on the right hand
index finger. Used to aid childhood
growth, it is believed to promote benevolence, love, faith, and good
relationships
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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Honoring Mother's Day
by Jill Burkey
Dozens of calls and
e-mails between six women in four states, and it's finally planned: a girls
weekend in Chicago! We met in college
16 years ago, and it's been three years since we were all together. The weekend we chose to reunite happened to
be Mother's Day weekend, but why not?
All of us are married, five are mothers, and we all work hard either
outside or inside the home or both.
What better way to honor our roles as mothers and wives than to give
ourselves the nurturing we provide our families everyday?
But in our buzzing back
and forth about details, I began to sense an undercurrent or guilt bubbling
up. One woman almost backed out due to
the cost of the trip, feeling it was too much money to spend only on herself
and not her whole family. Another felt
guilty about spending the money since she isn't earning her own income. Yet another woman (pregnant with her fourth
child) is cutting her trip short because she will have had another weekend away
a few months earlier.
I myself am often a
guilt-ridden mother. On any given day I
can find five things I'm not doing as well as I could or should for my kids, my
husband, or my house, but I refuse to feel guilty for taking this trip. I know how much I need it, how much it will
re-charge me, how long it will stay with me.
Part of what life is for is to experience joy and appreciate what you
have. One of the ways I can do that is
to spend time with the women who have known me since I was still trying to get
to know myself. Living each other's
histories has helped us appreciate how far we've all come and personal visits
like the one we're going to have allow us to connect on a deeper level. Even though my family is supportive of me,
by taking this trip I'm reminding myself, my husband, and my kids that I matter
too, that I have a life outside of them.
I'm not saying that you
have to take a once-in-a-lifetime trip to express that you're worth it. Just taking a class you've always wanted to
take, going for a walk alone, having lunch with friends, or volunteering for an
important cause can help you stay balanced and remind you of yourself. It's important for women to take up some
room in their lives, to stand up and claim their own value, whether that value
is recognized and rewarded by society or not.
Once a woman becomes a wife and mother, she doesn't have to become a
slave to other people's dreams. She can
be a good wife and mother and be her full self too, and by staying true to
herself and following her passions, you never know, she might even change the
world.
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"Healthy Coffee", no
longer an oxymoron!
Coffee is a 90 billion dollar industry!In North
America 85% of the population drinks anywhere from 3 to 5 cups of coffee daily.
No better way to start the day, right?Yet because of this we are seeing growing
health problems related to caffeine and acid intake. A prime example is the
alarming growth in cardiovascular disease related, in part, to the increased
heart rate and heightened blood pressure caused by caffeine.Caffeine also
stimulates the production of stress hormones raising anxiety levels, muscular
tension, indigestion,and a decreased immune response.
The human body is a
finely tuned instrument requiring a specific pH balance. The highly acidic
nature of regular coffee can alter that balance and contribute to a variety of
health problems including arthritis and gastrointestinal issues. These are but
two among a laundry list of minor to severe ailments that can be caused by, or
contributed to, by the consumption of "regular", that is to say not
"healthy" coffee.Although coffee itself does contain a number of
healthful attributes, the negative consequences of caffeine and acid content
have caused many thinking persons to give up drinking coffee altogether.
But need the
"baby" (the rich aroma and taste of coffee and the energy boost it
gives) be thrown out with the "bath water" (the negative impact of
caffeine and acid, the jitters and sleeplessness)? Is the term "healthy
coffee" just an oxymoron? In a word, "NO". A company in
Malaysia, Gano Excel, has developed a method to combine organically grown
Ganoderma Lucidum, also known as Reishi, with a naturally grown, low caffeine, Brazilian
coffee.
The resulting product
has lower caffeine than decaffeinated coffee yet maintains the robust flavor
and "boost" of fine gourmet coffee.
What gives this unique
product it's healthful properties is the Ganoderma Lucidum, or Reishi,
mushroom. This mushroom, also known as the "King of Herbs", has been
used for more than 4000 years in traditional medicine. Clinical studies have
shown that it is an immunomodulator, that can help reduce stress while
maintaining energy levels. Amazingly, this coffee actually helps balance the
body's pH level...in fact, Gano Excel coffee, when mixed with water, has the
same pH as human blood.
Now, with real
naturally-low-in-caffeine Gano Excel coffee as the delivery medium, coffee
drinking America can enjoy the benefits of this ancient "King of
Herbs" with their morning, afternoon, and evening cup of java and enjoy
great flavor, better health, and the energy boost they expect from regular
caffeinated coffee.
Information:
Contact: Manuela Ochoa
Phone: 1-970-963-1660
E-mail: worldshealthycoffee@yahoo.com
www.gethealthywithcoffee.com
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Montrose Farmer’s Market: 30 Years and Growing
Whole Life Network Release
Montrose boasts a proud
tradition that is riding the wave of increased desire for locally grown,
organic food, our own Farmers Market. People everywhere are finding that eating
local produce and humanely raised meats not only taste better, but it also
saves huge amounts of oil, keeps money in the local economy, and combats sprawl
by keeping land outside the cities in farmer’s hands. It also contributes to
peace-of-mind because the closer you are to where your food is raised the more
power you have over how it is raised. Better nutrition is another issue. People
want to eliminate suspect food and cut processed foods with added fat and sugar
out of their diet. Everyone should be consuming more fresh foods and
vegetables.
On May 13th the Montrose
Farmers Market will be opening the 30th season with a special tribute to
mothers. There will be Mothers Day events, prizes and gifts. There will be a
grand prize, as yet not specified, for some lucky winner. Let’s get the season off
to a great start by coming to Centennial Plaza, South 1st and Uncompahgre, on
Saturday May 13th, 8:30 am until 1:00 pm.
As in the past, the
farmer’s market season will run from May until October on every Saturday. In
addition, starting in Mid-July, there will be Wednesday session with the same
hours. Throughout the season there will be featured various events and guests
such as the popular chef’s tastings and demonstrations and other local
attractions. There are two tents set aside each week for local non-profits to
demonstrate their skills and tell their stories. If you would like to schedule
your time to appear at the market, call Frances Baer at 970 323-5756. Montrose
welcomes you to our friendly open-air market with knowledgeable people ready to
answer questions about their products and your concerns and interests.
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Cultural Awareness Series Presents Maulana
Whole Life Network Release
In the continuing
collaboration between the Community for Spiritual Awareness and the Whole Life
Network, we eagerly announce that we have made an arrangement to bring Maulana,
an internationally know Sufi saint to our community. Maulana presents heavenly teachings, including the teachings of
Sufism, which up until now have been locked away in foreign languages and
cultures. There are not many who are
familiar with Sufi traditions. The
Dances of Universal Peace, hosted so well in our area by Bernie and Adrianna
Heideman, were created by a Sufi Master.
Also, Sufi poetry, especially that of Jalal al-Din Rumi has been admired
for centuries. Rumi founded the Mevlevi
Dervish Order in Turkey famous for the “Whirling Dervishes”, whose dance leads
to transcendent rapture.
The gathering with
Maulana will address true spirituality, mercy, love, unity, and peace. He will lead Zikr (praising/chanting in the
remembrance of God), then will offer physical, emotional, and mental healing,
and will provide spiritual guidance to anyone who asks. Maulana comes from a 1500 year-old unbroken
Golden Chain of Sufi Masters and embodies the highest principles of true
spirituality. He helps all persons
regardless of color, creed, race or religion.
His lectures, full of wisdom, bless each person in his presence.
Everyone is invited to
participate in this joyous event on Tuesday evening May 23rd at the
Cimarron Creek Golf Community Club House, 901 65.30 Rd. in Montrose. The doors will open at 6:30 pm for the 7:00
pm program. Be sure to bring a bottle
of water and a bottle of olive oil to be blessed for your own use. Donations will be accepted.
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Praise for the Gifts from Maulana
Whole Life Network Release
Dear Maulana:
Maulana has touched us more than we can ever repay
him. Maulana was the first human who
put the love of God into my heart. I
never like to admit I weep in public, but the Great Saint Maulana has opened me
to things I cannot even speak of.
J. N.,
Los Angeles, California
I’m still floating around my truly blessed house this
morning. Thank you again for your
kindness in coming here. I have no real
expertise but many small talents and would love to offer manual labor to your
endeavor. Helping you and your family
would be an honor. Hopefully, you will
smile at my small attempt to express my gratitude for all of us who you have
effected as you move so selflessly around the country. All those “open hearts” you leave in your
wake…changed forever by a breath, a prayer or a look. We have been truly blessed being with you both. Thank you for
your gifts of pure and graceful love.
J.V.,
Granbury, Texas
I want you to know how grateful I am to you for coming
to Salt Lake City and for sharing your love and your message with me. I am forever changed by your love and your
kindness. I will hold you in my heart
every day …I have much work to do, which I hope to do with forgiveness and mercy
in my heart. You have made me feel
special for the first time in my life and it feels so good. I will miss you and
that feeling you give. I know that…you
will be there (in my heart) when I need you if I do my part. Your grateful and
loving student,
C.P.,
Salt Lake City, Utah
I write to you both with gratitude and appreciation
for all you do and are for not only myself but all humanity.
S.,
Salt Lake City, Utah
You have assisted me to understand on a deeper level
who I truly am!!! Thank you for your
touch. Thank you for your healing of such tremendous breakthroughs for my body,
mind and soul. I know that you are
always with me.
S., Los
Angeles
Maulana, you have so much wisdom…Thank you for the
amazing healing. I shall miss your
physical presence, but I KNOW you are with me.
E.,
Fareham, England
Words cannot express the gratitude I feel for
you. Just know that it comes from my
heart. …I don’t know how you have enough energy to do all of these beautiful
things for so many people, but I know that God does bless you. I love you.
F.C.,
Granbury, Texas
I remember fondly the kindness and goodwill that
Maulana generated. I feel thankful for
his presence with us and his generous gift of zikr.
P.S.,
Burlington, Vermont
I am grateful to God for meeting you. My life has changed in very tremendous way.
M.M.,
St. Louis, Missouri
On behalf of all of us, I thank you for your
visit. It was more than we
expected. You were so generous with
your time and your gifts – we were all honoured. The walls still resound with your voices and the whole house
feels blessed.
J.,
Southampton, England
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Community Garden
Whole Life Network Release
Be careful of what you
wish for…. Last month The Whole Life
Network set out to create a Community Garden.
This month the wish comes true.
The United Church of Christ located at the Southwest corner of Hillcrest
and Miami in Montrose has offered us the use of their already established
garden area. This garden is laid out
into plots served by individual water spigots and walkways. After last year’s gardeners are canvassed to
determine their interest in the current growing season, these plots will be
assigned on a first-come-first-served basis.
An application can be found below.
As in previous years, there will be a one-time fee of $20 to defray the
expense of rototilling and cleanup. The
United Church of Christ generously supplies the electricity and water. As soon as the plots have been assigned, we
will have an organizational meeting of the gardeners to get acquainted and set
some operational procedures.
This year all of the
gardeners in this community garden will be encouraged, but not required, to
participate in the Gleaning Project of the Western Colorado Food and
Agriculture Council. What is the
Gleaning Project? Working with a senior
volunteer organization and Sharing Ministries, the Western Colorado FAC
coordinates the identification, gleaning and transportation of excess fruits
and vegetables. They work with growers
and suppliers to provide healthy food for distribution to needy families. No food is resold. If any of the local producers in our valley
wish to assist in this worthy effort, you may contact Ed Page of the Colorado
State University Cooperative Extension at 970 249-3935 or
edward.page@colostate.edu.
There are many
significant trends in effect that are increasing our desire for a more
sustainable life style. It may be your
time to get some dirt under your finger nails and enjoy the fruits of the
back-to-the-land movement. Fill out and
return the application for your plot or call Larry at 240-0234 for more
information.
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Tofu and Asparagus Recipes
by Susan Palmer
10 minutes of cooking.
Tofu accepts flavors you
choose, and for this reason is more versatile than many meats.
Asparagus is mostly a
spring crop, but can be forced in greenhouses at any time.
Together on a plate,
they make a most attractive delight for the eyes, which makes eating a
pleasure, and thus, of benefit to the body.
Asparagus; this plant is a woody plant, and chooses to
emerge from the ground in fat juicy stalks in the spring. As the season (three
weeks) progresses, the stalks get more slim, until finally they emerge as thin
as sticks because they are sticks, intending to create the ferny growth
that absorbs the sunshine and makes red round seed pods. For this reason, the fatter the stalk of
asparagus, the more tender.
Break off the bottom
ends of the asparagus with your hands.
Where it snaps is where it should snap off, the base being more
stiff than the tops. Throw away the
bases that are hard and woody. Rinse
your asparagus, then lay in a bundle on the chop block and chop through all the
stalks at once at half-inch lengths.
Now you have little drums of asparagus and absolutely no strings
attached. If you have a steamer, you
can steam them for no more than 7 minutes and they will be delightfully
tender. If you have only a saucepan,
cook the asparagus in a half cup of boiling water for 5 to 7 minutes and save
the little water that is left for tomorrow’s soup. Melted butter or virgin
olive oil and a touch of salt will make it most delightful. It is good to leave
the cooked asparagus in the warm pan, dry, until time to serve.
Tofu Slabs
Drain the firm or extra
firm tofu and pat dry with a cloth dishtowel. Cut off slabs half-inch or less
thick, two per person. Put the
remainder of the tofu in a sealed container with water to cover and
refrigerate. Lay the slabs in a glass
or plastic dish for marinating. Mix ½
cup of soy sauce with ½ cup of water or strong ginger tea. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar if you are
allowing sugar in your diet. Sugar
gives the tofu an extra coating in the fry pan that most people prefer, but it
is not essential. Pour this marinade over the tofu, jiggling and lifting the
slabs to make sure all the tofu gets exposed.
Leave this all in the fridge 2 to 12 hours, covered.
Remove the tofu from the
marinade with a pancake turner or your fingers so it doesn’t break apart. Lay
each slice on a plate so the extra marinade puddles around it. Prepare a
heavy fry pan with 2 T. butter or olive oil. Tofu loves to stick to the
pan, so if you use more oil, that’s OK. Heat the pan to medium and lay the tofu
in gently. Cook until brown on both sides (about the same amount of time as it
takes to make the asparagus) and serve immediately. If you are ambitious, make some cashew gravy for the dinner
table.
Tofu and asparagus can
be accompanied by potato chowder or rice if you are eating starches. Otherwise, a side salad does just as well.
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Peaceful Contributions for the Soul
by Kathy Gates
Greetings to everyone,
happy day to you!
Instead of a meditation
practice, this month I would like to share a few things about meditation with
you.
There are many ways to
meditate; it can get a bit mind boggling to say the least confusing when you
first begin to meditate. The key is to find the right meditation practice that
works for your individual needs. Meditation is not a quick fix; it is a way,
our own unique way of getting in touch and knowing who we truly are.
Becoming still enough to
listen to the still small voice within, the voice that tries to get our
attention, the voice that already knows our every need. The voice of our
highest self, showing us the deeper self within.
This beautiful voice
within sees who we are, without judgment and helps us to find our truth. The truth of love, beauty and joy, which is
our divine nature. This truth holds the key to our happiness in all aspects of
life, for it truly loves us and guides us in a divine way, the way that is
right for each of us. This within place accepts our past as our great teacher in
the schoolhouse of life experience, it knows what we were and knows what we are
becoming. This inner voice, helps us to accept ourselves just the way we are,
and brings us to a greater understanding of peace. Accepting today for what it truly is, a new day to start loving
greater, giving to life and enjoying every moment of our sacredness in it.
Each of our lives is
sacred, with every breath, every step, and every person we meet.
To find a meditation,
which makes our inner voice hearable, we must become still and listen. How can we be still? To be still is to have
no thought. Thoughts come up every time
we try to be still, this is our ego that wants our attention constantly. So how
do we shut it off long enough to be still? I found that Louise Hayes had a
great idea, when thoughts come up just thank them for sharing and then let them
go. This really works for many others and me.
Always remember we are each unique and have different needs, and our own
way to become still.
There are breathing
meditations, centering meditations, walking meditations, devotional
meditations. There are meditations for everything and every way conceivable to
try different types until you find the type that fits your souls needs.
The main idea is to know
who you are. A child of the Divine
Universe, made as a gift from Life Itself, to life itself. A gift of love. Born
to express the spirit of your unique self and to love that self with all your
heart, soul, and mind no matter what.
To be free of the nice
opinions of others, to be free from any negative self talk and to know you are
a wonderful expression of God, Great Spirit, Universal Love, One Life, whatever
you call this Spirit, it is your life.
Love your Creator, love yourself and by doing that, loving others comes
naturally. You see the divine
everywhere. This is what meditation can
do for the self. I bless you with great
self-love, because you are so beautiful.
Peace to you Kathy
We are now taking
reservations for summer retreats, you can visit our website: at www.womensspiritretreats.com or call 970-856-7665 for information. If you
would like us to send you information, leave your name and address + zip on our
answering machine and we can get that out to you.
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Dandelion Recipes
© Anne Calzada Herbalist
Dandelions are fun and
delicious. They are little powerhouses of medicinal and edible benefit. The
whole plant is useful from the flower to the root. Dandelion leaves contain
Vitamin A and C, calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, manganese and more. The
leaves are less bitter before they bloom. The root can be harvested in the
spring or fall and the flowers, well when they are in full bloom!
Dandelion Tea
1 TBSP of dried roots
1 cup of water
Boil the water; add the
roots, cover and steep for at least 20 minutes or longer.
Sweeten to taste.
Dandelion Honey
Fill a small jar with
dandelion flowers that have been plucked from the sepal. Cover with honey. Let
sit six weeks. Strain if desired.
Dandelion Dip
1 part cream cheese
1 part mayonnaise
1 part dandelion leaves
Garlic powder
Salt
Mix the leaves,
mayonnaise and cream cheese together in a food processor. Add garlic and salt
to taste.
Dandelion Vinegar
Fill a jar full of
chopped up leaves. Fill the jar with vinegar, preferably apple cider or
balsamic, but not white vinegar. Make sure that all of your plant material is
covered with vinegar and strain after six weeks. You will have a mineral rich
tonic when this is done macerating.
Sautéed Dandelion Greens
6 cups of dandelion
leaves
6 cloves of minced garlic
2 TBSP of sesame oil
Heat a little olive oil
in a pan, sauté garlic and then add leaves. Tossing the leaves and the garlic
together, then add the sesame oil. Add salt, Braggs, soy or tamari to taste.
In the south they simply
boil dandelion greens up with bacon.
Dandelion Wine
1 quart Dandelion petals
1 gallon boiling water
3 lbs. brown sugar
3 lemons juiced and
peeled
3 oranges juiced and peeled
1 oz. yeast
Cover the petals with
boiling water for 45 minutes or longer your choice. Strain and discard petals.
In a large steel pot, add sugar, lemon peels and orange peels. Boil for 30
minutes. When it is room temperature or still warmed, add yeast. Cover with
cheesecloth for 3 weeks until the bubbling has stopped. Strain, and pour into
jars, but do not cap too tightly as it is still fermenting. After 3 weeks, pour
into jars, seal and label.
As you can see
dandelions are a versatile plant that can be eaten in many ways. Use the leaves
in salads, lasagna, quiche and soups. Your imagination will inspire you with
this plant! The dandelion…herbal royalty!
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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The Nature of Reality
by Dr. Jerry Overton
I’ve been a student and
teacher of A Course in Miracles for 15 or 16 years now. Every year as I go
through the lessons and readings, I get new insights into the nature of
Reality. The one thing I know for sure after all these years is that things
aren’t as they seem.
Now, that may not sound
like much after so many years of study and reflection, and yet that
acknowledgement is the very foundation for a life lived in peace. For if
I know that things aren’t as they seem, then I can choose to see them
differently—which means I have control over the nature of my reality.
For example, it would be
easy for me to see a world controlled by corrupt politicians motivated by greed
and power, hell-bent on war-for-profit, with little or no conscience and even
less consideration for the countless lives destroyed in the process. I could
produce volumes of proof-documents and witnesses for my position, rally perhaps
millions who would agree with my perception, and inspire them to take action.
Then, I could justify our attacks on those who made such a reality. And I could
do so with the best of intentions, all in the name of creating a better world
and a new reality—even though my day-to-day reality would be one of constant
attack, a great deal of anger and resentment, and little or no peace.
Or, I could draw on my
knowledge that nothing is as it seems, and choose to see this “reality”
differently. And herein lies the rub, for to do so requires that I accept the
huge challenge of being willing to turn loose of everything I think I know—and
see.
The Course says that
only Love is real—and that Love is the very nature of Reality. And therein lies
the test for what I think I’m seeing.
In the above example, I think
I’m seeing this corrupt, fearful, destructive reality—that has great power over
me to hurt me. And yet, according to the Course, if it’s not Loving, it’s
simply not real—that is, it doesn’t mean anything. To see what I think
I’m seeing as “real” is simply a mistake—a mistake that needs the correction of
Love.
The task for me then is
to look beyond what I think I’m seeing to the Love that is always
present behind that perception. I must change the way I’m seeing the people
involved—to see them not as corrupt, greedy, insensitive people, but rather as
they Truly are—as the Precious Children of God that they’ve always been. I can
then go the next step and acknowledge that everything that is happening is
actually Love at work serving the Greater Good, even though I may not “see” it
yet. And then, choosing Love as my vision, I can let Love do its work.
Although making that
choice to see both the people and the situation differently—as Loving—is almost
always a challenge for me, I can tell you from personal experience, when I do
choose to see the people differently, then not only do they become
different in my mind, but also the situation loses it’s power over me—for now I
can know that what I think I’m seeing doesn’t mean anything—it
has no power to hurt me, and is actually serving my greater good.
In fact, as I choose to
see the people as Love incarnate, then I can see Myself that way, too. And my
whole reality changes—because now I can see my life through the lens of Love
and see a loving world. And that’s truly amazing!
It’s a challenge to be
sure! And it takes a great deal of vigilance, patience, and practice.
And yet, it all boils
down to what kind of experience I want to have of life. Do I want it to be
fearful, chaotic, and vengeful, filled with hate, revenge and attack? Or do I
want it to be loving, peaceful, and peaceable, filled with precious, loving
interactions?
It’s my choice, and what
I choose will be my reality. And so will yours!
Copyright 2006. Jerry D. Overton
Jerry is a counselor,
life coach, and student/teacher of A Course in Miracles. He can be reached at
970-252-9311 or jerry@jerryoverton.com.
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Rejuvenation Retreat Weekend June 2-4, 2006
Stone Forest Retreat Release
Stone Forest Retreat experiences offer many healing practices leading to health, harmony and overall well-being. Our classes benefit both beginners and experienced practitioners and are conducted in a beautiful, quiet setting that supports the internal focus of these practices. Included in your cost for the weekend is one individual holistic healing session of your choice. We offer a variety of practitioners to support you in your goals for this retreat. Modalities include Massage Therapy, NLP, Intuitive Healing, Cranio-Sacral Therapy and more .... Additional sessions are available on a fee basis.
For $215 (if registration prior to May 20) or $235 (thereafter) your weekend will include:
On-site lodging in cabin-tents
Healthy Meals
Yoga
Tai Chi
Cranio-sacral Therapy
Neuro-Linguistic
Programming (NLP)/Guided Imagery
Energy Balancing
One individual healing session
To register: Send $50 nonrefundable deposit, name, address, e-mail and phone # to: David Koos, Ph.D., P.O. Box 36 Cedaredge, CO 81413
You will receive a map and other details upon registration.
Call David or Betsy at: (970) 856-9656 for more information.
For future workshops, retreats & relationship seminars, go to www.stoneforestretreat.com.
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