Loving Without Control
~Adapted from The Path to Love, by Deepak Chopra (Three Rivers Press, 1997).

The key stances of letting go of control are all forms of allowing: Acceptance, tolerance, non-resistance. When control is ready to loosen its grip, a definite relaxation takes place. The façade of the demanding, critical partner who is so quick to blame begins to melt. You start to feel love once more, not as an idea but as a sensation in your heart. And at last you find it possible to allow.

When this stage is reached with the beloved, the healing process begins to branch out into other aspects of your life. The following changes will often be in evidence:

* You stop measuring people by whether they live up to your expectations. You begin to resist the urge to correct their mistakes and give unwanted advice.
* You lessen your habit of taking care of others without really caring for them.
* You become tired of trying to keep track of every detail of your life and bored with people who have always given in to you.
* You begin to listen to objections and disagreements instead of using them to trigger your own opinion.
* Unexpected emotions come to the surface. This usually arouses self-criticism because you can’t control your feelings anymore as you once did. At another level, however, this eruption of emotions comes as a great relief.
* Your impatience begins to lessen.
* You take stress seriously, no longer believing that you thrive on it.
* You begin to listen to your body, which has all along been giving you signals of tightness, fatigue, etc.
* Your mind gives up calculating every move in advance.
* You stop holding grudges and remembering slights. Resentment begins to be replaced by tolerance.
* You quit setting external goals for yourself and believing that achieving these goals faster, better, and more tirelessly makes you a good person.

How can you love without need? Know the difference between ego and spirit.

The snake is the symbol of kundalini rising. Here is a cool video that illustrates it:
LINK TO VIDEO

Snake represents TRANSMUTATION in the Medicine Cards
Snake medicine people are very rare. Their initiation involves experiencing and living through multiple snake bites, which allows them to transmute all poisons, be they mental, physical, spiritual or emotional. The power of snake medicine is the power of creation, for it embodies sexuality, psychic energy, alchemy, reproduction and ascension (or immortality).

The transmutation fo the life -death-rebirth cycle is exemplified by the shredding of Snake’s skin. It is the energy of wholeness, cosmic consciousness, and the ability toe experience anything willingly and wihtout resistance.

NO WONDER I SCREAM!
Enjoy Summer’s Surprises!

Wendy

A few posts back I mentioned a Native American Healing Circle that I attended in which one of the Elders said this:

“Grandmother Earth has much more power than we could ever imagine. To think that its our job to heal her is presumptuous. Its our job to heal ourSelves. If we heal ourSelves, we are healing Grandmother Earth. We always think we are improving when we are fixing something outside of ourselves, when She wants us to heal ourSelves which is the same as healing her.”

I was struck with an even deeper following of this thought vein, and I saw our reflection in the Earth. When herbs spring up in the spring, they are the earth healing herself. NOT US. Mamma Earth herself is reflecting the very sayings about - she is healing HERSELF as we heal OURSELVES, not one harming or healing the other. Its all inside of us, healing is not external.

Look at these photos:

ILLUSTRATION 1

This apple tree was backed over or plowed over by something before we moved in. Here the tree sits half out of the ground. Look at what is growing all around the base of the tree - Self Heal (Heal All). You can read more about Self Heal in the store

ILLUSTRATION 2:
Don’t try to cover me up, I’m under here! Rock was laid here as a water drainage, her skin was ‘cut by rock’. Here comes Dandelion to push up what has been covered up, to remove poisons, to clear toxins, and to be boistrous. This is why we see Dandelions in sidewalk cracks and driveways, it is earth trying to remove those toxins from her skin, which is the same healing component of dandelion when we take it as medicine, a liver detoxifier.

More about dandelion, and its ability to remove toxins here.

ILLUSTRATION 3
Now You’ve Really Pissed Me Off and I’m Sicking Thorns on You
(but because I love all beings and anger doesn’t really become me, please enjoy these berries while they protect me from more chainsaws).

The lesson I learned in this Nature Teaching, is that when we heal OurSelves, the side benefits are enormous. As earth heals herSelf, I can harvest these herbs and foods she is producing, just like my kids can harvest the good vibes from me when I take care of mySelf. Past generations have called spending time or money on ourselves “SELFISH”. I believe its absolutely essential to be selfish and take good care of OurSelves.

I attended a Native American Healing Circle last night and wanted to share a very compelling thought mentioned by one of the Elders:

“Grandmother Earth has much more power than we could ever imagine. To think that its our job to heal her is presumptuous. Its our job to heal ourSelves. If we heal ourSelves, we are healing Grandmother Earth. We always think we are improving when we are fixing something outside of ourselves, when She wants us to heal ourSelves which is the same as healing her.”

Ah hau, (in truth)
Wendy
www.gardenplum.com

Take a look at the following 5 element Chinese Medicine Wheel model for your career and see which of these imbalances may be holding you back in your career (this particular model is for doctors and holistic practitioners but you can apply it to any career):

Earth imbalance: I am not good enough, therefore I must exhaust myself in the endless effort to give patients what they need. I think I want to see more patients but, although I hate to admit it, I am pretty fried seeing the few patients I have. I attract a lot of needy, high maintenance patients.

Metal imbalance: I am not worthy of success and abundance, therefore I never attract the kind of money that I’d like and my practice always feels unstable. Even though I undercharge for my services, it is hard for me to fill my books. My patients seem to cancel a lot and don’t value my policies. Sometimes I feel invisible, like no one even knows or cares that I am here. I attract patients who either can’t afford me or have a hard time seeing the value in what I offer.

Water imbalance: I either put money first or pretend that it doesn’t matter at all. Either way, I am run by fear. My treatments don’t feel as powerful as I’d like them to and my patients don’t refer others to me as much as I’d like. I have been in a low grade state of fight or flight and can’t stop thinking about how to make this work financially, which I know is blocking me from my true potential. I attract patients who don’t offer enough of themselves in the treatment process. While I want to treat them at a deeper level, they just don’t seem to understand or be interested in this.

Wood imbalance: It is me against the world. There is a lot of competition in my area, so I have to try really hard to be successful. Usually I feel angry that it’s not happening as quickly as I’d like. Even though I put so much effort into it, my practice often feels stagnant, like it’s not moving forward. The harder I try, the more hopeless I feel. I attract really challenging patients who like to argue with me much of the time.

Fire imbalance: I am either really into my practice and totally in love with it or I have the urge to flee it as quickly as possible. My commitment wavers, which keeps the whole thing feeling superficial. Sometimes I wonder if the main reason I have done OK in my practice is because I am so friendly and I know how to connect with people. I attract patients who want to be my friend; they talk a lot and make me lose track of my schedule. Although they seem to love me, my patients can be flighty. They tend to disappear without notice. The whole thing can feel chaotic.

Be honest with yourself. If you are not at the place you’d like to be in your career, it is almost certain that one of these imbalances is the weak link for you. Can you see how this is not only holding you back in your career, but is preventing you from offering your very best to your employers, customers, patients, etc?

Courtesy of buildyourdreampractice.net/

If they erect structures that do not please them, then without an instant of remorse, they knock them aside, and make new ones… ~ Seth

A Psychic Vampire is a person who wants to interact with you to extract good energy. They envoke pity, sympathy, and understanding from you on a constant basis. Or it could be that they want to make you feel bad so that they can feel good, which could involve berating and belittling comments.

Some of us can slip into these behaviors as we are human, sometimes we do need our friends to help us feel better. A psychic vampire does this more than is normal, it is someone who chronically sings the same story every time you run into them. They can be toxic, and they will steal your good energy if you don’t recognize what they are doing.

In this mature new year 2008, we can spot these people easier and easier as we communicate and define what is really going on here. On some level, we recognize that they do not have our best interests in mind, that they do not make us feel good, and that they aren’t truly our friends. They simply use us to make themselves feel better. They are simply short on love and its up to you to decide how much “blood” you want to give them before you set a boundary.

Here’s a great article by Dr. Judith Orloff about the different kinds of vampires, and some great ways of stopping their negative drain on your positive energy. Instead of joining in the pity party, learn some techniques to turning the situations around.
VIEW VIDEO

I was cleaning out my bulk foods this weekend, because the plastic bags that they come home in are not free from threat of little ones moving in for the winter. I pulled out my ball jars, green peas in this one, mung beans in that one, white beans over here, red lentils, adzukis - ooh black beans! It was like….

It felt almost like art even though I was more excited about how organized my food would be and how much easier I could plan meals.

Then my thoughts turned to Marshall’s, Target, T.J. Maxx…. I recalled seeing glass jars filled with these edibles, in patterns, and sold for decoration. This strikes as Part II of my most recent blog rants.

DON’T PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD!!!

Mung beans are among the most prized health food, as they are elemental in DNA repair, balancing blood sugar, strengthening the heart… I could go on and on about the value of these little inexpensive beans, there is not a single reason why anyone should not eat these. Its another one of nature’s perfect foods. Protein, vitamins, the essence of sprouted life… just soak them in water overnight, and they will sprout the next day. Sprinkle them on salad, snack on them, blend them up to make a healthy hummus. yum yum! All beans are essential parts of a healthy protein diet.

Hope you are all enjoying the season and I’m off my little soapbox for now.

Keep it Green!

Wanted to reiterate a wonderful energy alert by Karen Bishop. Karen is an intuitive and she is currently following the much talked about “Ascension Process” that we are undergoing here on Earth. I have followed Karen for some time and her reads are accurate and they explain a lot of unexplained emotions going on among women. This may help to explain to women why they are acting outside of their normal routines, why they are feeling urgings and promptings. This may also help to explain to men why their mates are suddenly seeming as if they have large imbalance of emotions, aggressive behavior, or if it seems that someone has taken their mate and replaced her with a wolf of sorts.

She says…

“What is occurring now, in regard to our personal relationships with others, is the butting up of the feminine with the masculine. We are now in the new feminine more than ever before. This is the energy that must lead the way. This is the energy that closely and beautifully matches the energy of the new and higher realms. Masculine energy can be embodied by women, and feminine energy by men, so it is not all about a duality of the sexes here.

And how are these energies colliding for us? For many women, they absolutely can no longer tolerate, be supportive of, or in any way be submissive to men who are embodying the old masculine. This can be the same for men as well, but because of our old and now outdated socialization methods of masculine and feminine roles being embodied by specific sexes, women still tend to carry more of the feminine energy. But again, men carrying any of the feminine will be tortured and intolerant of any lower vibrating masculine energies as well, no matter where and with whom they are manifesting.

Read the entire message here and sign up for Karen’s energy alerts.

When I was a little girl my Aunt Leota had wall to wall shelves of salt & pepper shakers. Wow! I would stare at all the shapes and colors, and pick my favorites. All shapes and sizes from all over the world at least 200 pairs.

I have followed suit and do have quite a few scattered about AND recently I have come to learn a great use for them!

HERB SHAKERS!
My spice cabinet never allows me to find exactly the spice I am looking for when I am cooking, it is almost ALWAYS at the back of the cabinet. So I have decided to use my S&P shakers as herb shakers!

Meet Cinnamon and Nutmeg. The white headed is Cinnamon and the black headed Nutmeg. Now when I am pouring coffee, cooking french toast, or making a pastry, Cinnamon and Nutmeg are right there to chirp in without endless searching.

Cinnamon is excellent for the heart, it is warming, and moving - nourishing the heart. Its also used as a mouthwash, for yeast, athlete’s foot, and for an upset stomach.

Nutmeg - Recently I read some very interesting things about Nutmeg… it is used for gas, indigestion, nausea, vomiting, and kidney problems. Make a paste of powder with cold water and then add to boiled water. 1 tbsp of powdered nutmeg produces a floating euphoria for between 6 and 24 hours. Can cause near constant erections for men during that time. Side effects are bone and muscle aches, burning eyes, sinus drainage, and limited diarrhea. (What I always say… everything in moderation, I would never take 1 Tb of nutmeg at one time - ouch!)