and - Blogs - The City of Shamballa Social Network

The Galactic Federation and SaLuSa - Wanderer of the Skies - January 12, 2012

Posted by Melodie Munro on January 15, 2012 at 4:15pm

Phil Nykamp posted in The Galactic Federation and SaLuSa.

Phil Nykamp

Wanderer of the Skies - January 12, 2012

Greetings from the Federation:

What must come to pass is presently being discussed at the highest levels of your world governments, behind closed doors and through emissaries to the various other governments around the world. As time draws closer to the inevitable, your leaders are aware that they cannot stop the tide of disclosure sweeping over your planet. They know that they will either be swept away by this tide or they must decide to take the reins and make disclosure their own. Their ability to waffle on this topic amazes even us as we see them fight among themselves for a common ground. Once reached, someone inevitably backs off and the process starts all over again. We wait in the background for what must be done, if not done so by your own people.

News will reach you shortly about a “new” scientific development in the field of what you have termed zero point energy systems. It will be touted as theoretical, but in reality it is a functioning model of a real energy device created a long time ago and only now being released. There will be interesting developments in your legal field over patent protections. The “news" of this breakthrough will be carefully monitored by those in power to determine what type of impact such a disclosure makes upon the people as a whole.

The Queen of England has ceded control over a faction of the Illuminati to a group over which our allies have “consulting” privileges. This means, in the longer term, that this faction will be more amenable to the changes necessary to effect disclosure and the release of the cabal’s hold over the people. This was a negotiated “peace” that came about after many, many months of positioning on all sides. We are confident that this is another roadblock successfully removed towards the inevitable.

You will have noticed a slight decrease in the sightings of late although those sighting that have made it to your news have been of a more spectacular nature. This is about to change. We are now in another stage of the disclosure process wherein the revealing of our craft to you will become more pronounced.

A major meeting of all factions of the Federation has recently been held. This was a very big event, not only in numbers but also in importance. It was the final preparation meeting of all involved to go over every detail of the coming events, including the political, social, religious, emotional, mental, and physical ramifications of disclosure. This meeting was held aboard one of our great spacers, a living machine so large as to dwarf your understanding of construction. Although the physical space was not really necessary to this process as we have telepathically discussed much of these issues, from time to time, we convene physically to resolve issues better dealt with in that fashion. Among those represented were earth humans, who voiced their opinions about coming events and whose opinions were held in the highest regard.

Although you have been beset with many setbacks over the years, we are excited by the prospects of the coming months and what this has in store for all of us. Bring yourselves to feel once again your excitement for the times in which you have chosen to live and the manner in which you have awoken to the truth. Your thoughts will create waves which will act as beacons for the truth and this truth will return to you powerfully.

Be at peace.

Channel: Wanderer of the Skies

OMG Angelica was shown the Kingdoms of Heaven and Hell...Warning: This may change your life...head for Shamballa

Posted by Krishna Kalki on January 2, 2012 at 8:30pm

The Kingdoms of Heaven and Hell and the Return of CHRIST. For a period of 23 hours, a young Ecuadorian girl named Angelica was shown the Kingdoms of Heaven and Hell, and the Return of Christ. She witnessed Jesus weeping as He overlooked multitudes of souls lost forever, a world that has rejected Him, a Church that is mostly unprepared for Him, a people that have stopped witnessing to the lost, and an entertainment industry that even lures children to satan. She witnessed many of our esteemed cultural icons suffering in the Pit; singers, entertainers, and even a pope. Angelica was also shown how the Kingdom of Heaven is all wonderfully prepared and ready, an unimaginable glorious place, where no evil exists. Though Jesus is ONLY coming back for a Holy People, and many of God's children will NOT be ready on that day, and will be left behind in a world that will fall apart. -aka.23 Horas Muertra This video is sure to be controversial, it has started a firestorm of discussions and argument all over South America. Now, finally translated into English, it will probably be just as contentious here. Many of you just won't believe this.

The Food Movement: Its Power and Possibilities

Posted by Melodie Munro on November 4, 2011 at 8:35am

The Food Movement: Its Power and Possibilities--by Frances Moore Lappé , Original StoryFor years I’ve been asked, “Since you wrote Diet for a Small Planet in 1971, have things gotten better or worse?” Hoping I don’t sound glib, my response is always the same: “Both.”As food growers, sellers and eaters, we’re moving in two directions at once.The number of hungry people has soared to nearly 1 billion, despite strong global harvests. And for even more people, sustenance has become a health hazard—with the US diet implicated in four out of our top ten deadly diseases. Power over soil, seeds and food sales is ever more tightly held, and farmland in the global South is being snatched away from indigenous people by speculators set to profit on climbing food prices. Just four companies control at least three-quarters of international grain trade; and in the United States, by 2000, just ten corporations—with boards totaling only 138 people—had come to account for half of US food and beverage sales. Conditions for American farmworkers remain so horrific that seven Florida growers have been convicted of slavery involving more than 1,000 workers. Life expectancy of US farmworkers is forty-nine years.That’s one current. It’s antidemocratic and deadly.There is, however, another current, which is democratizing power and aligning farming with nature’s genius. Many call it simply “the global food movement.” In the United States it’s building on the courage of truth tellers from Upton Sinclair to Rachel Carson, and worldwide it has been gaining energy and breadth for at least four decades.Some Americans see the food movement as “nice” but peripheral—a middle-class preoccupation with farmers’ markets, community gardens and healthy school lunches. But no, I’ll argue here. It is at heart revolutionary, with some of the world’s poorest people in the lead, from Florida farmworkers to Indian villagers. It has the potential to transform not just the way we eat but the way we understand our world, including ourselves. And that vast power is just beginning to erupt.The WorkIn a farmworker camp in Ohio, a young mother sat on her bed. She was dying of cancer, but with no bitterness she asked me a simple question: “We provide people food—why don’t they respect our work?” That was 1984. She had no protection from pesticides, or even the right to safe drinking water in the field.Twenty-five years later, in Immokalee, Florida, I walked through a grungy, sweltering 300-foot trailer, home to eight tomato pickers, but what struck me most was a sense of possibility in the workers themselves.They are among the 4,000 mainly Latino, Mayan Indian and Haitian members of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, formed in 1993—more than two decades after Cesar Chavez’s United Farm Workers’ victorious five-year grape strike and national boycott. In the 1990s, CIW’s struggle over five years, including a 230-mile walk and hunger strike, achieved the first industrywide pay increase in twenty years. Still, it only brought real wages back to pre-1980 levels. So in 2001, CIW launched its Campaign for Fair Food. Dogged organizing forced four huge fast-food companies—McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Burger King and Subway—to agree to pay a penny more per pound and adhere to a code of conduct protecting workers. Four large food-service providers, including Sodexo, were also brought on board. Beginning this fall, CIW will start implementing these changes at 90 percent of Florida tomato farms—improving the lives of 30,000 tomato pickers. Now the campaign is focused on supermarkets such as Trader Joe’s, Stop & Shop and Giant.The LandIn Brazil, almost 400,000 farmworker families have not only found their voices but gained access to land, joining the roughly half-billion small farms worldwide that produce 70 percent of the world’s food.Elsewhere, calls for more equitable access to land in recent decades have generally gone nowhere—despite evidence that smallholders are typically more productive and better resource guardians than big operators.So what happened in Brazil?With the end of dictatorship in 1984 came the birth of arguably the largest social movement in the hemisphere: the Landless Workers Movement, known by its Portuguese acronym MST. Less than 4 percent of Brazil’s landowners control about half the land, often gained illegally. MST’s goal is land reform, and in 1988 Brazil’s new Constitution gave the movement legal grounding: Article 5 states that “property shall fulfill its social function,” and Article 184 affirms the government’s power to “expropriate…for purposes of agrarian reform, rural property” that fails to meet this requirement.Well-organized occupations of unused land, under the cover of night, had been MST’s early tactic; after 1988 the same approach helped compel the government to uphold the Constitution.Because of the courage of these landless workers, a million people are building new lives on roughly 35 million acres, creating several thousand farming communities with schools serving 150,000 kids, along with hundreds of cooperative and other enterprises.Nevertheless, MST co-founder João Pedro Stédile said early this year that the global financial crisis has led “international capitalists” to try to “protect their funds” by investing in Brazilian “land and energy projects”—driving renewed land concentration.And in the United States? The largest 9 percent of farms produce more than 60 percent of output. But small farmers still control more than half our farmland, and the growing market for healthy fresh food has helped smallholders grow: their numbers went up by 18,467 between 2002 and 2007. To support them, last winter the Community Food Security Coalition held community “listening sessions,” attended by 700 people, to sharpen citizen goals for the 2012 farm bill.

The Seed

Just as dramatic is the struggle for the seed. More than 1,000 independent seed companies were swallowed up by multinationals in the past four decades, so today just three—Monsanto, DuPont and Syngenta—control about half the proprietary seed market worldwide.Fueling the consolidation were three Supreme Court rulings since 1980—including one in 2002, with an opinion written by former Monsanto attorney Clarence Thomas—making it possible to patent life forms, including seeds. And in 1992 the Food and Drug Administration released its policy on genetically modified organisms, claiming that “the agency is not aware of any information showing that [GMO] foods…differ from other foods in any meaningful or uniform way.”The government’s green light fueled the rapid spread of GMOs and monopolies—so now most US corn and soybeans are GMO, with genes patented largely by one company: Monsanto. The FDA position helped make GMOs’ spread so invisible that most Americans still don’t believe they’ve ever eaten them—even though the grocery industry says they could be in 75 percent of processed food.Even fewer Americans are aware that in 1999 attorney Steven Druker reported that in 40,000 pages of FDA files secured via a lawsuit, he found “memorandum after memorandum contain[ing] warnings about the unique hazards of genetically engineered food,” including the possibility that they could contain “unexpected toxins, carcinogens or allergens.”Yet at the same time, public education campaigns have succeeded in confining almost 80 percent of GMO planting to just three countries: the United States, Brazil and Argentina. In more than two dozen countries and in the European Union they’ve helped pass mandatory GMO labeling. Even China requires it.In Europe, the anti-GMO tipping point came in 1999. Jeffrey Smith, author of Seeds of Deception, expects that the same shift will happen here, as more Americans than ever actively oppose GMOs.This year the “non-GMO” label is the third-fastest-growing new health claim on food packaging. Smith is also encouraged that milk products produced with the genetically modified drug rBGH “have been kicked out of Wal-Mart, Starbucks, Yoplait, Dannon, and most American dairies.”Around the world, millions are saying no to seed patenting as well. In homes and village seed banks, small farmers and gardeners are saving, sharing and protecting tens of thousands of seed varieties.In the United States, the Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, Iowa, estimates that since 1975 members have shared roughly a million samples of rare garden seeds.In the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh—known as the pesticide capital of the world—a women-led village movement, the Deccan Development Society, puts seed-saving at the heart of its work. After the crushing failure of GMO cotton and ill health linked to pesticides, the movement has helped 125 villages convert to more nutritious, traditional crop mixes, feeding 50,000 people.On a larger scale, Vandana Shiva’s organization, Navdanya, has helped to free 500,000 farmers from chemical dependency and to save indigenous seeds—the group’s learning and research center protects 3,000 varieties of rice, plus other crops.Agri-Culture In all these ways and more, the global food movement challenges a failing frame: one that defines successful agriculture and the solution to hunger as better technologies increasing yields of specific crops. This is typically called “industrial agriculture,” but a better description might be “productivist,” because it fixates on production, or “reductivist,” because it narrows our focus to a single element.Its near obsession with the yield of a monoculture is anti-ecological. It not only pollutes, diminishes and disrupts nature; it misses ecology’s first lesson: relationships. Productivism isolates agriculture from its relational context—from its culture.In 2008 a singular report helped crack the productivist frame. This report, “The International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development” (known simply as IAASTD), explained that solutions to poverty, hunger and the climate crisis require agriculture that promotes producers’ livelihoods, knowledge, resiliency, health and equitable gender relations, while enriching the natural environment and helping to balance the carbon cycle. Painstakingly developed over four years by 400 experts, the report has gained the support of more than fifty-nine governments, and even productivist strongholds like the World Bank.IAASTD furthers an emerging understanding that agriculture can serve life only if it is regarded as a culture of healthy relationships, both in the field—among soil organisms, insects, animals, plants, water, sun—and in the human communities it supports: a vision lived by many indigenous people and captured in 1981 by Wendell Berry in The Gift of Good Land and twenty years later by Jules Pretty in Agri-Culture: Reconnecting People, Land and Nature.Across cultures, the global food movement is furthering agri-culture by uniting diverse actors and fostering democratic relationships. A leader is La Via Campesina, founded in 1993 when small farmers and rural laborers gathered from four continents in Belgium. Its goal is “food sovereignty”—a term carefully chosen to situate “those who produce, distribute, and consume food at the heart of food systems and policies, rather than the demands of markets and corporations,” says the declaration closing the group’s 2007 global gathering in Nyeleni, Mali. La Via Campesina connects 150 local and national organizations, and 200 million small farmers, in seventy countries. In 2009 it was included among civil society players on the UN Committee on Food Security.And in the urban North, how is the food movement enhancing agri-culture?For sure, more and more Americans are getting their hands in the dirt—motivated increasingly by a desire to cut “food miles” and greenhouse gases. Roughly a third of American households (41 million) garden, up 14 percent in 2009 alone. As neighbors join neighbors, community gardens are blooming.From only a handful in 1970, there are 18,000 community gardens today. In Britain community gardens are in such demand—with 100,000 Brits on waiting lists for a plot—that the mayor of London promised 2,012 new ones by 2012.And in 2009 the Slow Food movement, with 100,000 members in 153 countries, created 300 “eat-ins”—shared meals in public space—to launch its US “Time for Lunch” campaign, with a goal of delicious healthy school meals for the 31 million kids eating them every day.An Economics of Agri-CultureAgri-culture’s unity of healthy farming ecology and social ecology transforms the market itself: from the anonymous, amoral selling and buying within a market structured to concentrate power to a market shaped by shared human values structured to ensure fairness and co-responsibility.In 1965 British Oxfam created the first fair-trade organization, called Helping-by-Selling, in response to calls from poor countries for “trade, not aid.” Today more than 800 products are fair-trade certified, directly benefiting 6 million people. Last year the US fair-trade market passed $1.5 billion.The Real Food Challenge, launched by young people in 2007, is working to jump-start a US swing to “real food”—defined as that respecting “human dignity and health, animal welfare, social justice and environmental sustainability.” Student teams are mobilizing to persuade campus decision-makers to commit themselves to making a minimum of 20 percent of their college or university food “real” by 2020. With more than 350 schools already on board, the Challenge founders have set an ambitious goal: to shift $1 billion to real food purchases in ten years.Farmers’ markets, the direct exchange between farmer and eater, are also creating a fairer agri-culture. So rare before the mid-’90s that the USDA didn’t even bother to track them, more than 7,000 farmers’ markets dot the country in 2011, a more than fourfold increase in seventeen years.Other democratic economic models are also gaining ground:In 1985 an irrepressible Massachusetts farmer named Robyn Van En helped create the first US Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, in which eaters are no longer just purchasers but partners, helping to shoulder the farmer’s risk by prepaying for a share of the harvest before the planting season. On weekends, “my” CSA—Waltham Fields, near Boston—is alive as families pick and chat, and kids learn how to spot the yummiest strawberries. Now there are 2,500 CSAs across the country, while more than 12,500 farms informally use this prepay, partnership approach.The cooperative model is spreading too, replacing one dollar, one vote—the corporate form—with one person, one vote. In the 1970s, US food cooperatives took off. Today there are 160 nationwide, and co-op veteran Annie Hoy in Ashland, Oregon, sees a new upsurge. Thirty-nine have just opened, or are “on their way right now,” she told me.Funky storefronts of the 1970s, famous for limp organic carrots, have morphed into mouthwatering community hubs. Beginning as a food-buying club of fifteen families in 1953, Seattle’s PCC Natural Markets has nine stores and almost 46,000 members, making it the largest US food cooperative. Its sales more than doubled in a decade.Producer co-ops have also made huge gains. In 1988 a handful of worried farmers, watching profits flow to middlemen, not to them, launched the Organic Valley Family of Farms. Today Organic Valley’s more than 1,600 farmer owners span thirty-two states, generating sales of more than $500 million in 2008.The RulesThe global food system reflects societies’ rules—often uncodified—that determine who eats and how our earth fares. In the United States, rules increasingly reflect our nation’s slide into “privately held government.” But in rule-setting, too, energy is hardly unidirectional.In 1999, on the streets of Seattle, 65,000 environmentalists, labor and other activists made history, blunting the antidemocratic agenda of the World Trade Organization. In 2008 more citizens than ever engaged in shaping the farm bill, resulting in rules encouraging organic production. The movement has also established 100 “food policy councils”—new local-to-state, multi-stakeholder coordinating bodies. And this year, eighty-three plaintiffs joined the Public Patent Foundation in suing Monsanto, challenging its GMO seeds’ “usefulness” (required for patenting) as well as the company’s right to patent seeds to begin with.Even small changes in the rules can create huge possibilities. Consider, for example, the ripples from a 2009 Brazilian law requiring at least 30 percent of school meals to consist of food from local family farms.Rules governing rights are the human community’s foundational guarantees to one another—and the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights gave access to food that status. Since then, nearly two dozen nations have planted the right to food in their constitutions. If you wonder whether it matters, note that when Brazil undertook a multifaceted “zero hunger” campaign, framing food as a right, the country slashed its infant death rate by about a third in seven years.Food Power: Only ConnectThis rising global food movement taps universal human sensibilities—expressed in Hindu farmers in India saving seeds, Muslim farmers in Niger turning back the desert and Christian farmers in the United States practicing biblically inspired Creation Care. In these movements lies the revolutionary power of the food movement: its capacity to upend a life-destroying belief system that has brought us power-concentrating corporatism.Corporatism, after all, depends on our belief in the fairy tale that market “magic” (Ronald Reagan’s unforgettable term) works on its own without us.Food can break that spell. For the food movement’s power is that it can shift our sense of self: from passive, disconnected consumers in a magical market to active, richly connected co-producers in societies we are creating—as share owners in a CSA farm or purchasers of fair-trade products or actors in public life shaping the next farm bill.The food movement’s power is connection itself. Corporatism distances us from one another, from the earth—and even from our own bodies, tricking them to crave that which destroys them—while the food movement celebrates our reconnection. Years ago in Madison, Wisconsin, CSA farmer Barb Perkins told me about her most rewarding moments: “Like in town yesterday,” she said, “I saw this little kid, wide-eyed, grab his mom’s arm and point at me. ‘Mommy,’ he said. ‘Look. There’s our farmer!’”At its best, this movement encourages us to “think like an ecosystem,” enabling us to see a place for ourselves connected to all others, for in ecological systems “there are no parts, only participants,” German physicist Hans Peter Duerr reminds us. With an “eco-mind” we can see through the productivist fixation that inexorably concentrates power, generating scarcity for some, no matter how much we produce. We’re freed from the premise of lack and the fear it feeds. Aligning food and farming with nature’s genius, we realize there’s more than enough for all.As the food movement stirs, as well as meets, deep human needs for connection, power and fairness, let’s shed any notion that it’s simply “nice” and seize its true potential to break the spell of our disempowerment.

Our True Worth and Value Come from Being Created by God

Posted by Melodie Munro on November 4, 2011 at 8:31am

Our True Worth and Value Come from Being Created by GodOctober 13th, 2011Unfortunately the greater part of humanity has neither self-love nor self-worth. And those who actually have self-worth mostly base it on their accomplishments or outer success, whereas in truth our worth and value comes from within!Our self-worth does not come from what we do; it comes from who we are! Every human being is infinitely worthy and valuable because everyone in the world is a Son and/or Daughter of God. Can what God created be unworthy? Self-worth is our divine inheritance as a Child of God. It can be neither increased by our successes nor decreased by our mistakes. It is eternally unchangeable.The Integrated Ascended Master realizes his infinite worth and eternal value as a Creation of God and thus has full self-love and self-worth.So let it be written, So let it be done.© 2011, Dr Joshua David Stone and Gloria Excelsias,www.IAMUniversity.org

Today’s video is truly amazing as it literally offers portraits of Heaven from a child + Girl Goes To Hell And Lives To Tell and paint

Posted by Melodie Munro on November 29, 2011 at 4:36pm

The Tale What She Saw Today’s video is truly amazing as it literally offers portraits of Heaven from a child divinely inspired here on Earth.What’s most amazing about this incredible young artist artist isn’t justher talent, it’s that her faith and gift were received at birth- a time when both her parents were atheists.

http://youtu.be/YzKz3RuZXU0

Girl Goes To Hell And Lives To Tell and paint The Tale What She Saw

http://youtu.be/ci9KI4rSXw4

Seven Tips to Stay Focused on your Spiritual Path, Goals and Aspirations

Posted by Melodie Munro on November 4, 2011 at 8:30am

Seven Tips to Stay Focused on your Spiritual Path, Goals and AspirationsOctober 20th, 2011If we are not careful, it is very easy for the temptations of this world to steer us off our path. This is why it is crucial to stay focused on our Spiritual goals.For your enjoyment, here are seven tips to stay focused on your Spiritual path, goals and aspirations:1. Practice attitudinal healing: whenever a negative thought comes up, stop it and replace it with a positive one.2. Monitor and work with your dreams: make regular adjustments based on the feedback you receive from your dreams.3. Make daily adjustments in all areas of your life, as needed: both spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically.4. Create Spiritual battle plans: always have a Spiritual battle plan in place – there are always things to improve and polish.5. Write “Dear God” letters: it can be extremely soothing and inspiring to write a letter to God, sharing with Him/Her whatever is in your heart.6. Go over your list of goals: there is no way to stick to your goals of Self and God Realization and realize them unless you review them regularly.7. Go over your to-do-list and adjust it accordingly: do this at least every weekday.The Integrated Ascended Master follows his Spiritual path, goals and aspirations with iron discipline. He leaves nothing to chance but takes initiative every single day to stay attuned to God and mirror God’s Consciousness. It is actually not hard at all for him to discipline himself to do any kind of routine because what keeps him going is his all-consuming, insatiable desire and longing for God and God Realization!© 2011, Dr Joshua David Stone and Gloria Excelsias, www.IAMUniversity.org

Avocado and Mango Salsa Recipe

Posted by Melodie Munro on October 26, 2011 at 5:04pm

Take a Trip to the Islands Without Leaving HomeBrighten up a dreary winter day with a splash of island sunshine. This delicious Caribbean-inspired salsa is the perfect accompaniment to fresh fish or poultry.Alternatively, pile atop baby spinach greens for an unexpected light lunch. The creamy avocado provides heart-healthy monounsaturated fat and the sweet mango offers vitamins A and C. Jicama, which has a similar consistency to crisp water chestnuts, adds crunch while providing additional vitamin C and fiber.Avocado and Mango SalsaIngredients:1 ripe avocado, peeled and diced1 cup chopped ripe mango1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped1/2 cup chopped jicamaJuice of 1 lime, about 2 Tbsp.2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oilSea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped(As always, for the very healthiest recipe choose organic products as much as possible)Instructions:In a mixing bowl, combine the avocado, mango, jalapeño, jicama, lime juice and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Gently toss the ingredients together, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld.Top with cilantro before serving.Makes 12 servings (1/4 cup each).Per serving: 60 calories, 5 g total fat (<1 g saturated fat),5 g carbohydrate, 0 g protein, 2 g dietary fiber, 50 mg sodium

Why Do People Attack and Criticize Others?

Posted by Melodie Munro on November 4, 2011 at 8:29am

Why Do People Attack and Criticize Others?November 2nd, 2011There are many reasons why people attack and criticize others. For your enjoyment, here are listed some.People attack and criticize because:1. They have not been trained how to master and control their mind, emotions and negative ego programming.2. They are run by fear, and fearful people attack.3. They are out of control which causes them to get angry in a vain attempt to get back in control; however, this is illusion for their angry response is showing they are still out of control.4. They are too much run by their emotional body. When you allow your feelings and emotions to run your life, the negative ego becomes the programmer of your feelings and emotions.5. They are jealous. They suffer from low self-esteem and are constantly competing and comparing themselves with others to try to feel good about themselves. They are trapped in that negative ego complex of being better than others or worse than others.6. They are lacking self-love and self-worth. They attack and criticize to try to move to the topside of the negative ego instead of the bottom side of the negative ego. They don’t understand that they are trapped in negative ego duality altogether.The Integrated Ascended Master realizes that the only way to escape this roller coaster ride of the negative ego from self-inflation to self-deflation is to transcend the whole system and see there is another way of thinking, not based on fear and attack nor lower self-esteem and self-aggrandizement.And this other way of thinking is called Spiritual/ Christ/ Buddha/ Krishna/ Moses/ Mohammed/ Mighty I AM Presence thinking. It is a way of thinking that will bring you unconditional love, unconditional self-love and self-worth, unchanging happiness and inner peace at all times without having to ever attack, judge, hurt, compare, compete and be better than or worse than others.So let it be written, So let it be done.© 2011, Dr Joshua David Stone and Gloria Excelsias, www.IAMUniversity.org

A solution to Mexico City's dense population and strict Government building policy

Posted by Melodie Munro on October 18, 2011 at 11:39am

A solution to Mexico City's dense population and strict Government building policy - an inverted pyramid-shaped building 55 storeys below the surface. Proposals for the 'Earthscraper' were recently unveiled by a Mexican architectural firm, BNKR.

Forbidden Discoveries - Ancient Atomic Blast and Aeronautical Science

Posted by Melodie Munro on September 25, 2011 at 6:50pm

Forbidden Discoveries - Ancient Atomic Blast and Aeronautical Science

http://youtu.be/Y_PfhV_Hns4

18 Embarrassing Beauty Questions – and Answers

Posted by Melodie Munro on October 2, 2011 at 4:32pm

18 Embarrassing Beauty Questions – and AnswersThe Brain FreezeOh no, not again! Another frozen treat, another brain freeze. “Ice cream headaches” happen when something cold touches nerves in the roof of the mouth, triggering blood vessels in the front of your head to swell. This rapid swelling causes the familiar, jabbing pain of a brain freeze. An easy solution? Try eating ice cream or other cold foods more slowly to avoid getting a headache.Excessive Sweating (Hyperhidrosis)Sure, it’s a mood killer, but this problem is very common and happens to completely healthy people. While it can occur on the face, sweating is usually worse on the palms, soles, and in the armpits. Treatment may include aluminum chloride antiperspirants, Botox injections, oral medications, mild electrical currents, or even surgery.VertigoWhoa! If it feels like the room’s moving when it’s not, it could be vertigo. Sometimes caused by inner ear problems or nerve damage, vertigo can last minutes, even hours. To distinguish vertigo from dizziness, there must be a feeling of motion; other symptoms that may occur include hearing loss, ear discomfort, and unusual eye movements. Treating vertigo depends on the cause.Arm or Leg Goes to SleepEver get that dull feeling in your arm or leg like it’s asleep? This temporary and harmless sensation is caused by constant pressure on nerves, leaving them unable to transmit messages to your brain. The cure is simple: change positions. As feeling starts to come back to the area, you may experience tingling (“pins and needles”) for a little while. Chronic tingling indicates a more serious underlying condition that should be evaluated.HiccupsHiccups are an uncontrollable contraction of the diaphragm (the breathing muscle under the lungs). Eating too much or too fast, overdoing alcohol, or swallowing air can all cause the hiccups. They usually go away on their own, but you can try remedies like holding your breath, quickly drinking water, and breathing in a bag to help hasten hiccups away.Tonsil StonesAlthough those bad smelling lumps can be uncomfortable, tonsil stones (also called tonsilloliths) are generally harmless. Hanging out in the tonsil pockets, they form when bacteria and debris get trapped, forming a hard piece of matter and a bad taste in your throat. You can remove small stones with a swab, but if they’re not bothering you, no treatment is necessary.Ear PoppingWe’ve all yawned on a plane trip to “pop” our ears. What we’re doing is equalizing the pressure between the inside and the outside of our eardrum as the altitude changes. That “pop” means a tube connecting your middle ear to the back of your throat has opened, relieving pressure. To help, you can also close your mouth, hold your nose, and blow gently; or try chewing gum or yawning.Charley HorseThis startling muscle spasm can last a few seconds, even several minutes. Dehydration, muscle overuse, nerve irritation, and low levels of certain minerals -- like potassium and calcium -- can be culprits. Walk around to relieve the pain, or shake your leg and stretch the muscle. If cramps persist, see your doctor.Ear Wax BuildupKeep fingers and cotton swabs out of your ear canals. Earwax helps fight infection, keeps ears clean, and our bodies naturally get rid of excess earwax through the ear opening. Problems like impaction often start when we try to clean our ears with a swab or another object. Impaction symptoms include pain, itching, ringing of the ears, or hearing loss. Your doctor can remove excess ear wax with irrigation or manual removal.Black Hairy TongueNo, this isn’t something from a creature feature. Black hairy tongue occurs when the little bumps on your tongue grow long (instead of shedding), and bacteria grow on them. Poor oral hygiene, smoking, some mouthwashes, radiation therapy to the head and neck, and certain medications can play a role. To help, brush your teeth and tongue twice a day, use a tongue scraper, and avoid aggravating factors.Eye TwitchingEyelid spasms are unpredictable, bothersome, and harmless. Eye twitching can be caused by stress, fatigue, eyestrain, caffeine, and dry eyes, though more serious twitching may be caused by neurological disorders, like Tourette’s syndrome. Eyelid spasms usually go away on their own, but if they are severe, Botox injections may be recommended.Overdevelopment of Male BreastsGynecomastia is usually caused by normal changes in hormone levels at birth, puberty, and later in life. For newborns and boys, the ratio of estrogens (female hormones) to androgens (male hormones) balances out in time. It’s also seen in men as they age, often related to certain medications, liver or kidney problems, or tumors. A physician’s evaluation can get at the root cause, but by itself, the condition is usually harmless.Dark Circles Under the EyesGot raccoon eyes? People blame age or fatigue for these dark circles and they’re right. Lack of sleep makes your skin pale, emphasizing the dark circles, while age means thinner skin around the eyes, making it easier to see any discoloration. Allergies can also lead to dark circles, and heredity plays a role as well.Excessive Hair GrowthFew women enjoy excess hair on their face and body, but while hirsutism can be embarrassing, it’s generally harmless. Hirsutism affects about 5% of women. It may be genetic or caused by polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a condition characterized by an excess of androgens (male hormones) In rare cases, hirsutism is caused by hormone-secreting tumors. Treatment depends on the cause and can include bleaching, electrolysis, hormone therapies, and laser hair removal.Seen here is Mexican painter Frida Kahlo (July 6, 1907 - July 13, 1954).Discolored NailsCurious about color changes in your nails? About 50% of nail problems are caused by fungal infections. Greenish nails may come from pseudomonas bacteria and are easily treated with antibiotics. Yellowish nails are often a sign of fungus. And red, purple, or black under nails may be caused by blood resulting from injury. Changes can also be related to medical treatments or signal a more serious condition. Unsure? Get those nails checked!Red Nose From RosaceaRosacea often causes red patches on the sensitive skin of the face. In rare cases the nose becomes thickened and bumpy, a condition called rhinophyma. This is more common in men than women, and genetics do play a role. Treatments at this stage can include lasers and other light therapies, dermabrasion, and electrocautery.Seen here is comedian W.C. Fields, whose red, bulbous nose is characteristic of advanced rosacea.Canker SoresCanker sores are small ulcers inside the mouth. They are also called aphthous ulcers. Unlike cold sores, which appear as painful, small blisters and are very contagious, canker sores are not caused by a virus. Certain foods or nutritional deficiencies may trigger a canker sore, as can emotional stress and a mouth injury. When needed, treatments include topical medication and mouthwash solutions.

Miraculous Essential Miracle Prevents Cancer and Treats Magnesium Deficiency

Posted by Melodie Munro on October 2, 2011 at 4:23pm

Miraculous Essential Miracle Prevents Cancer and Treats Magnesium DeficiencyDanica Collins

If you’ve ever experienced aches and pains … that rundown feeling … or any other low-grade symptoms that you (or your doctor) can’t explain, it might be a signal that you have a magnesium deficiency.  

Magnesium deficiency is a dangerous condition that has been recognized since around 1971. That’s when Dr. Edmund B. Fink of the West Virginia University’s School of Medicine identified magnesium deficiency as a common and often undetected ailment.

  
Contrary to popular belief, magnesium is the most common mineral deficient in the American diet — not calcium. According to many health practitioners, without sufficient magnesium, the body degenerates rapidly, ages prematurely and accumulates toxins and acid residues.  

Initial symptoms can be subtle. Since most magnesium is stored in the tissues, the first signs may be leg cramps, foot pain, or muscle twitches.

Other symptoms of magnesium deficiency can gradually develop, including, but not limited to:

• Low Energy
• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Restless legs, Muscle Twitches
• PMS and Hormonal Imbalance
• Poor Sleep
• Muscle Tension and Cramps
• Abnormal Heart Rhythms
• Headaches
• Anxiousness
• Nervousness
• Irritability
• Kidney Stones

Chronic deficiency can produce long-term damage and even be fatal. Meanwhile, replenishing magnesium levels provides innumerable health benefits.

“Magnesium may be the most under-rated mineral in human nutrition,” says Mike Adams, health editor of Natural News. “It’s not only pivotal in preventing heart disease, it also prevents diabetes by helping the body properly regulate sugar metabolism.

There are perhaps a thousand benefits for magnesium in the human body, and yet most people are magnesium deficient!”

Can Magnesium Deficiency Cause Cancer?  

Some leading researchers say it can indeed cause cancer. “Of the minerals inside the cell, all are vitally important, but magnesium has a role that permits perpetuity of function, and the lack of it will impact a cell’s efficiency and duration of its useful life,” says Fereydoon Batmanghelidj, author of Obesity, Cancer & Depression: Their Common Cause & Natural Cure. “Magnesium deficiency in the body is a very serious unrecognized problem.”   

Researchers point to a wealth of studies showing a link between magnesium deficiency and cancer:

• A Polish study concluded that inadequate magnesium is an important risk factor in predisposing individuals to leukemia.

• Other researchers found that 46% of the patients admitted to an intensive care unit in a tertiary cancer center presented as deficient in magnesium (hypomagnesemia).

• Animal studies show that magnesium deficiency has caused lymphopoietic neoplasms in young rats.

• Researchers from the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota concluded that diets rich in magnesium reduced the occurrence of colon cancer. A previous study from Sweden reported that women with the highest magnesium intake had a 40% lower risk of developing the cancer than those with the lowest intake.

• Several studies have shown an increased cancer rate in regions with low magnesium levels in soil and drinking water. In Egypt, the cancer rate was only about 10% of that in Europe and America. Among the rural fellah (peasants and agricultural laborers), it was practically non-existent. These cancer-free populations have an extremely high magnesium intake of 2.5 to 3g — which is 10 times more than in most Western countries.

• The School of Public Health at the Kaohsiung Medical College in Taiwan found that magnesium exerts a protective effect against gastric cancer, but only for the group with the highest magnesium levels.

Why Magnesium Pills and Powders Are Not the Answer  to Magnesium Deficiency  
Supplementing magnesium has not always been easy. In the past, large, hard-to-swallow pills were the norm. These pills were cheap but could not be properly digested or absorbed by the body, thereby leaving a load of unused magnesium for the kidneys and liver to process and excrete. While the body’s magnesium levels remained nearly unchanged, the functioning of the liver and kidneys was threatened.  

Powdered magnesium supplements gained popularity over the last decade, providing better absorption. But for many people, too-quick absorption causes a laxative effect that ironically results in further magnesium loss.
  
The most superior form of magnesium supplementation is thought to be a very convenient and effective transdermal spray. These sprays are applied to high-circulation areas on the skin, allowing for easy absorption into the bloodstream. Transdermal magnesium can help your body maintain optimal magnesium levels — without the drawbacks of other supplement forms — because your body only absorbs the magnesium it needs.

Dr. Carolyn Dean, M.D., N.D., author of The Magnesium Miracle, describes the unique benefits of topical magnesium chloride oil: “It’s not actually an oil at all, but a super saturated solution of magnesium chloride. Magnesium oil can be sprayed or rubbed on the body, and is readily absorbed through the skin. It helps to greatly increase the amount of magnesium in body tissues and overcomes the problems that some people have with loose stools when they try to take enough magnesium to meet their needs.”

How to Choose a Topical Magnesium Product That Delivers Therapeutic Effects  

Not all types of magnesium, no matter what form of the supplement, deliver the same recognizable benefits. For example, the most common form of magnesium sold in pharmacies and grocery stores — magnesium oxide — has been shown to have as low as a 4% absorption rate. Similarly, transdermal magnesium can vary widely in quality and absorbability.   

The best lab-certified pure topical magnesium is made from a Dead Sea extract and contains magnesium chloride hexahydrate.   

This is the only form of magnesium that can be accurately measured in liquid form.
It’s the form most commonly used in hospitals and patient-care facilities where exact doses are needed. Because magnesium chloride hexahydrate comes from a liquid (most easily used by the body), it is bioavailable and readily accepted by your body.  

Not surprisingly, however, very few companies go to the necessary lengths to provide the ultra-pure food/pharmaceutical grade magnesium chloride in a form that is easy to use, effective, and available without prescription.   

In fact, there is only one publicly available product that contains magnesium chloride hexahydrate in an ultra-purified water solution. This means your body is supplied with the maximum amount of magnesium possible … and you are provided with all the benefits of this life supporting, ultra-energy nutrient.

Find out how easy it is for you to raise your magnesium levels, and consequently improve your health … recharge your energy levels … reduce aches and pains … and prevent cancer … using the only transdermal magnesium product with ultra-pure food/pharmaceutical grade magnesium chloride.

A Tribute Through Music and Poem To Mama, The Klamath River Whale. August 22, 2011

Posted by Melodie Munro on October 2, 2011 at 3:56pm

A Tribute Through Music and Poem To Mama, The Klamath River Whale. August 22, 2011

A Flute Song for Mama, the Klamath River

This is a beautiful tribute written by my friend, Mihael Kavanaugh (pictured), in a farewell poem he wrote for Mama. Mihael played the flute to Mama on two occasions while canoeing on the Klamath River, one of which I was honored to accompany him on the canoe.

A Flute Song for Mama, The Klamath River Whale 2

Mihael Kavanaugh
Peaceful Rest

She has laid down to rest
Her journey home now complete
Her story known by many
Her message, a mystery …
A sigh of sadness
For she touched many a heart
Her dance
Was with such grace
The mist of her spout
Still refreshes my face
Such a friend …
One can’t replace
Though in story and song
She’ll echo her grace
Mama whale ~~~
Peace be with you …
As you go
From this worldly place

©2011 Mihael Kavanaugh

Seth Altamus, a stand-up paddler, had hopes Mama would follow him out to the ocean. She followed him to the Klamath River RV Park, a short way from the bridge, but then she turned and swam back to her spot by the bridge and continued her circles. Here Seth is waving a bittersweet farewell to Mama when he realized she did not want to leave. In the other image, he was serenading her with his ukelele from his paddle board.

All of the above images were what I would term a “holistic” approach in an attempt to soothe Mama or an attempt to convince her to head back to the ocean. Music has the capability to touch all beings, but Mama had her own path to follow, a reason for which we do not know, and she seemed content to stay near the bridge and make her continual circles mesmerizing all who watched this beautiful creature.

Many more images can be seen at AshalaTylor.com and http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashala

Bette Davis and Joan Crawford - Stars who hated each other on set

Posted by Melodie Munro on October 2, 2011 at 4:34pm

Stars who hated each other on setBette Davis and Joan CrawfordThe granddaddy of Hollywood feuds - Bette Davis and Joan Crawford absolutely loathed one another.While filming ‘What Happened to Baby Jane?’, Davis actually kicked Crawford in the scene when she pushed her down the stairs.In return, when Bette had to drag Joan off her bed, Joan put on a weighted diver's belt underneath her costume, making her heavier to drag.Naturally, the duo also pitched in with some a-grade bitching. Discussing Davis' hair, Crawford said: “I don't understand these Poodle cuts on elderly women”. Davis retorted by saying Crawford was “single handedly responsible for the syphilis outbreak in America.” Meow.

Invocation to the Universal Underworld ~ Day 1

Posted by Darla Ken Jensen Pearce on March 4, 2011 at 4:41pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYf_PFRlT84Note: There is a prelude in the video that last 3.2 minutes prior to the start of the invocation. This is very powerful and drinking lots of water is recommended as always ; )Invocation to the Universal Underworld ~ Day 1I call upon the Overlighting of Mother/Father God,the Ascended Masters, Christed ET's, Ray Councils and Brotherhood of the Light,and all other Beings of Light from On High that I personally acknowledge,as I align with my I Am Presence, and ground myself into the crystal heart of Mother Earth.I now ask to be taken into the Crystalline City of Light above Table Mountain in South Africa,so I may undergo my initiation of Light to serve with empowerment, strength and wisdom,as a Keeper of Light to Mother Earth and all her Life.I am now taken in an external Merkaba Vehicle of Light to the doorway of this beautiful Crystal Temple of Light, where I am greeted by three High Priests to the Order of Melchizedek,and request permission to enter into this Crystalline City of Light.I am a seeker of Light, I seek the secrets of the Universe, the keys of enlightenment,I am in Service to Mother Earth and all her Life,and request permission to enter into this Crystal Temple of Light,so I may take on the keycodes of Light that will assist me to come into a deeper level of empowerment, Love and wisdom,so I may transmute all that is not of the Light,so I may take my Service work to another level of Light.The doors are now opened as I enter into this Temple of Light,walking up a beautiful crystal staircase into an Initiation Chamber of Light.I am greeted by my family and friends of the Light,by the Ascended Masters, Christed ET's and Brotherhood of the Light,welcomed and embraced as a seeker of Light.I am now guided into an Ascension Flame of Light,where I will experience this initiation of empowerment and wisdom,Overlighted by the Ray Councils of Light, my I Am Presence and all the Beings of Light from On High.I am now surrounded in a beautiful red flame of Light,through the first ray of will and power, and through this initiation of Light, I now recite the following:I take back the power I may have given to others and to my sub-conscious mind,releasing any issues of abuse and misuse of power,releasing any addictions or frequencies that hold me back from truly experiencing my Higher Light, as this first wave Soul in human embodiment of the I Am Avatar Blueprint of Light.As I take on this mantle of leadership, I step into a deeper level of my own power, trusting and surrendering to the Divine,and being guided by my I Am Presence and the Company of Heaven.And now, I am surrounded in a beautiful yellow flame of Light,through the third ray of Divine Intelligence.Through this flame of Light, I expand my consciousness to receive the teachings of Light from On High,letting go of "lesser than and better than" consciousness issues,so I may receive the wisdom of Mother/Father God,so I may remember my initiations of Light,so I may assist in co-creating this Golden Age of Light.I now experience the parallel mergers of my Highest Potential through the streams of consciousness of the various times lines, merging into this Now, I now unlock the codes as this first wave human Soul in embodiment of the I Am Avatar Blueprint, coming into full remembrance of my preciousness, uniqueness and individual puzzle piece.I now merge with my I Am Presence and the 144 Soul rays of which I am one,amplifying myself in this energy of Light,receiving these downloads of Light, activating the dormant DNA and aligning me to my sacred contact in this Now.I now receive the appropriate key codes, fire letters and sacred geometries through my body, energy field and hologram.I now direct these higher frequencies of empowerment and wisdom through the Unity Grid of Light for all Life to experience these ray frequencies of Light.I now link through my heart to the Sun,and now to the Central Sun on Alcyone and to the Great Central Sun on Sirius, and from here, take on all the encodings of Light I need as this initiate of Light in this Golden Age of Light.I now find myself back in my sacred space,surrounded in beautiful red and yellow flames of Light,honoring my Self as this magical Master Being of Love and Light.Invocation by Anrita Melchizedek www.pleiadianlight.netCo-created by Adi'El ‪http://www.newlightfusion.com‬Music by Mike Hammer ‪http://www.michaelhammer.com‬To advertise your Light events, go to ‪http://www.higherconsciousnessresources.com‬For 11:11:11 Light events, go to ‪http://solaraanra.org.uk/Default.aspx?element=257‬

Toxic Chemicals in Cosmetics, Toiletries and Household cleaners

Posted by Melodie Munro on October 3, 2011 at 12:55pm

Toxic Chemicals in Cosmetics, Toiletries and Household cleanersThe US has the worst record in the industrialized world for regulating toxic chemicals.Courtesy of our Corporate owned government and Congress, the federal agencies Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have exposed Americans to the highest risk from endocrine disruptors, found in most commercial cleaning and beauty products.These chemicals mimic the effect of estrogen and other hormones in the human body. Many epidemiologists believe they are linked to the current epidemic of breast cancer, premature puberty, and both male and female infertility. Much evidence links other synthetic chemical to the phenomenal increase in cancer that occurred with the “Better Things for Better Living…Through Chemistry.” (DuPont slogan in 1935) revolution that took place after World War II. Cancer was an extremely rare condition in young and middle aged population prior to the chemical revolution.Besides the current epidemic of childhood and young adult cancers , an asthma epidemic in children, linked to the use of commercial household cleaners during pregnancy is extremely alarming.

Food chemicals, pesticides residues are also a serious danger to your health and when considering the compounded and synergetic effects with all other chemicals ingested and used daily from birth, our home environment and health are incredible toxic. The FDA and EPA required these dangerous chemicals to be experimented on millions and millions of animals who suffered agonizing lives and deaths in the pretense of consumer safety, and the FDA and the EPA reviewed the negative reports of these chemicals over and over again in redundant studies, and still the agencies ignored the evidence and gave the corporations the go ahead.See list of Food chemical additives and Pesticide residues on food.Your government does not care about your health.Mr Obama following the steps of George H.W. Bush appointed a GMO proponent as Secretary of Agriculture and a former Monsanto executive to head food safety : action which may implicate you personally in millions of cancer cases and thousands of deaths worldwide. The chemical and biotech giant Monsanto has a documented legacy of greed, death, poverty and illness –from the creation (and subsequent cover-up) of Agent Orange and the spread of PCBs to Bovine Growth Hormone and patents on genetically modified seeds.The health and pharmaceutical industries do not care about your health. In fact, you bad health is quite profitable. Most of the companies, like Monsanto, Bayer, DuPont,Dow and their subsidiaries that research, develop and manufacture the chemicals and the pesticides also manufacture the pharmaceutical drugs.The phthalates and bisphenyl-A found in plastic water bottles, pacifiers, and baby toys has been pretty well publicized. These compounds function as synthetic estrogens can cause breast cancer, premature puberty, and low sperm counts in men.Shampoos, hand and body lotions, deodorants, toothpaste and sunscreen contain preservatives that function as estrogen disruptors. The US bans only eight of these compounds while the EU bans 1,000. The harm they cause to individuals, children and pets is compounded when they are flushed down the drain and accumulate in our waterways. Studies reveal that hundreds of these toxic chemicals have shown up in the blood and breast milk of third world and arctic populations who have otherwise never used these products.One of the worst offender is the paraben class of compounds (methyparaben or Paba) used as preservative in nearly all toiletries. The second most common is triclosan, found in most anti-bacterial products.Toxic Skin ProductsLess publicized are potentially toxic “nanosized” particles present in many popular sunscreens and so called “natural” mineral foundations.Nanoparticle containing skin products are strictly regulated in the EU France ” with laws requiring safety testing and mandatory product labeling as a minimum -” and an outright ban in some places.But the FDA, which has known for nearly a decade that many common sunscreens contain ingredients that accelerate the growth of skin cancer cells, refuses to act on this information.Nanoparticles are absorbed into the blood stream through skin damaged through eczema or psoriasis, a major health concern as mineral foundations are specifically marketed to women to conceal unsightly dermatitis. In addition, mineral foundation powders are often accidentally inhaled into the lungs during application. Moreover preliminary evidence suggests that nanoparticles can even penetrate healthy skin.The potentially hazardous nanoparticles in sunscreen are nanosized zinc oxide and nanosized titanium dioxide. Because there is no scientific data a whatsoever regarding “safe” level of exposure, any absorption is worrying. Zinc oxide nanoparticles have been shown (in very small concentrations) to kill brain stem cells in mice; damage colon cells; and play some role in the development of autism, epilepsy and Alzheimer’s – as well as crossing the placenta and potentially harming the developing fetus. Nano-titanium has been shown to cause cell and DNA damage (both directly and indirectly by increasing circulating free radicals).Not only are these substances totally unregulated in the US , but due to lax labeling laws, 80 percent of sunscreens that claim to contain no nanoparticles are found to contain them.Hair DyesPhenylenediamine (PPD) – present in over two-third of chemical hair dyes and by far the most toxic. Linked (in animals) to damage of the immune and nervous system, skin, liver and kidneys. Banned in France , Germany , and Sweden and use “restricted” in CanadaResorcinal - classified by the European Union as a harmful skin and eye irritant and dangerous to the environment.Ammonia – irritant to skin, eyes, and respiratory system (can cause asthma).Persulfates - irritant to skin, lungs (can cause asthma), and eyes.Peroxide – potential toxic effects on eyes, nervous and respiratory (can cause asthma) system. Can cause DNA damage, possibly leading to cancer. Banned in cosmetic use in Japan and use “restricted” in Canada .Lead acetate- lead has well known damaging effects on the brain and nervous system.4-ABP- linked to cancerMany “natural hair dyes still contain some PPD, only less.Resources below for safe brands and a cosmetics database:http://www.nochemicalcosmetics.com/http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com (http://www.ewg.org)Dangerous Chemicals in household cleanersAir fresheners- Usually contain methoxychlor, pesticide that accumulates in fat cells, as well as formaldehyde, a highly toxic known carcinogen, and phenol, a common culprit in contact allergies.Carpet and Upholstery shampoo- commonly contain perchlorethylene, a known carcinogen and ammonium hydroxide, a corrosive, extremely irritable to eyes, skin and respiratory passages.Dishwasher Detergents- (number one cause of household poisoning) most contain highly concentrated dry form of chlorine, which leaves a residue on dishes that accumulates with each washing and is absorbed into hot food.Furniture polish- contain petroleum distillates, which can cause skin and lung cancer and nitrobenzene, linked with low sperm counts, anemia and liver, kidney, lung and eye damage.Laundry detergents Residues can remain on clothes and dishes and are release in the water supply.Linear alkyl sodium sulfonates (LAS or anionic surfactants) – release carcinogenic and reproductive toxins into environment during production.Petroleum distillates (aka napthas) – linked to cancer, lung damage and inflammation (can cause asthma) and damage to mucous membranes.Phenols – linked with damage to nervous system, heart, blood vessels, lungs (can cause asthma) and kidneys.Nonyl phenol ethoxylate - endocrine disruptor banded in Europe, owing to link to breast cancer, premature puberty and low sperm counts.Optical brighteners (convert UV light wavelengths into visible light, making clothes appear whiter without making them cleaner) – toxic to fish and can cause allergic reactions when exposed skin is later exposed to sunlight.Phosphates (banned in many states) – contribute to water “dead zones” by stimulating algae growth that depletes oxygen needed for fish and other animal life.Sodium hypochlorite (household bleach) - highly toxic chemical which reacts with organic materials in the environment to form carcinogenic and toxic compounds that can cause reproductive, endocrine and immune system disorders.EDTA (ethylene-diamino-tetra-acetate)- chelating agent that biodegrades poorly and can re-dissolve toxic heavy metals in the environment allowing them to enter the food chain.Oven Cleaners - Contain highly toxic and corrosive lye and ammonia with fumes that can damage the respiratory system especially of children and pets and leaves residues always once the oven is turned on.Toilet bowl cleaners - Contain hydrochloric acid, a highly corrosive irritant which can damage eyes, skins, liver and kidneys and Hydrochloric bleach, a corrosive irritant that can damage eyes, skin and respiratory tract.http://peopleforethicalliving.com/toxic-chemicals-cosmetic-home/

Boost Your Metabolism, Curb Cancer, and Slash Blood Sugar with this Easy Culinary Trick

Posted by Melodie Munro on October 2, 2011 at 4:26pm

Boost Your Metabolism, Curb Cancer, and Slash Blood Sugar with this Easy Culinary TrickPosted By Dr. Mercola | April 04 2011 | 195,066viewsHerbs are not only great in meals for spice and added flavor but are key to the nutritional density in the foods you eat. Herbs can protect you against diseases, clear toxins from your body, and provide you with vitamins and minerals.Here are some examples of such, from a list of nine assembled by Planet Green:BasilBasil provides Vitamins A, C, and K, along with iron, manganese, magnesium, and potassium. Loaded with flavonoids, basil helps prevent cell damage from radiation and oxygen.GingerTreat nausea and an upset stomach with ginger; prevent and treat the common cold with its antiviral components.FenugreekThis Mediterranean herb is good for menstrual cramps, menopause symptoms, cholesterol, and diabetes.Flat Leaf ParsleyParsley is renowned for containing high levels of antioxidants and is full of vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber that help balance cholesterol and ward off constipation.TurmericThe Cork Cancer Research Centre's test results show that turmeric can kill gullet cancer cells in 24 hours!Dr. Mercola's Comments:Believe it or not, but common herbs and spices are actually some of the healthiest foods on the planet—topping the list of high ORAC value foods—so you can easily boost the nutritional value of your meal simply by spicing it up a bit. ORAC is a standardized method of measuring the antioxidant capacity of different foods and supplements. The higher the ORAC score, the more effective a food is at neutralizing harmful free radicals.So, every time you flavor your meals with herbs or spices you are literally "upgrading" your food without adding a single calorie.The Secret Powers of Herbs and SpicesBut scoring high on the ORAC isn't the only reason why herbs and spices pack such a powerful punch. They're also very dense in other nutrients such as vitamins and minerals, and because of their nutrient density, they're also thermogenic, meaning they naturally increase your metabolism.Additionally, herbs and spices have medicinal properties. This should come as no surprise considering they've been used as medicine for thousands of years prior to the advent of modern medicine that focuses on synthetic drugs in lieu of these natural counterparts.Lastly, spices can "upgrade" your meal by reducing toxic compounds created during the cooking process. A study published last year discovered that adding an antioxidant-rich spice blend to meat prior to cooking reduced the level of malondialdehyde (a chemical marker for oxidation) in the meat by 71 percent and levels in participants' urine by 49 percent.The researchers used a blend of:Cloves Cinnamon Oregano RosemaryGinger Black pepper Paprika Garlic powderYou can easily recreate this simply by mixing the dry spices together and rubbing them onto the meat before you quickly sear it, or add them to your marinade.You can also help prevent the formation of toxic heterocyclic amines (HCAs) by adding blueberries or cherries to your burgers. HCAs form when food is cooked at high temperatures, and they're linked to cancer. In terms of HCA, the worst part of the meat is the blackened section, which is why you should always avoid charring your meat, and never eat blackened sections.Which Herbs and Spices are the Most Potent Disease Preventers?Each spice has a unique set of health benefits to offer, but one study, published in the Journal of Medicinal Foods, found a direct correlation between the antioxidant phenol content of many extracts of spices and herbs, and their ability to inhibit glycation and the formation of AGE compounds, making them potent preventers of heart disease and premature aging.According to this study, the top 10 most potent herbs and spices are:1. Cloves (ground)2. Cinnamon (ground)3. Jamaican allspice (ground)4. Apple pie spice (mixture)5. Oregano (ground)6. Pumpkin pie spice (mixture)7. Marjoram8. Sage9. ThymeGourmet Italian spiceSelecting Spices for Their Medicinal BenefitsAs a general rule, you really can't go wrong when using herbs and spices and I recommend allowing your taste buds to dictate your choices when cooking. However, you can also choose spices based on their medicinal benefits.Here are some examples of herbs and spices that you may want to consider incorporating more of into your diet to achieve a certain aim:To boost your immune system:Licorice: Buffers the inflammatory response by increasing steroid output by your adrenal glands; a good buffer if your immune system is over responding to the flu.Turmeric: a general immune system booster due to its high antioxidant capacity.Turmeric is 5 to 8 times stronger than vitamins C and E, and even strong enough to scavenge the hydroxyl radical, which is considered by some to be the most reactive of all oxidants.Black Pepper: Increases the bioavailability of just about all other foods -- herbs and other compounds.Oregano: The active agent is rosmarinic acid, a strong antioxidant.To reduce inflammation, and treat inflammatory and infectious conditions:Turmeric: Its potent anti-inflammatory properties come from curcumin -- the pigment that gives turmeric its yellow-orange color, and which is thought to be responsible for many of its medicinal effects. There are an estimated three to five grams of curcumin in 100 grams of turmeric. Curcumin has been shown to influence more than 700 genes, and it can inhibit both the activity and the synthesis of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) and 5-lipooxygenase (5-LOX), as well as other enzymes that have been implicated in inflammation.Cloves: One of the most potent anti-inflammatories with anti-bacterial and antioxidant properties. Beneficial against muscle pains from injuries, arthritis and rheumatism. It also contains eugenol and its mild anesthetic benefits are useful for toothaches, gum pain and sore throats. Also offers relief from respiratory ailments such as asthma and bronchitis, and eliminates intestinal parasites, fungi and bacteria.Nutmeg: A study in the Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering found that nutmeg extract has antibacterial activity that can significantly reduce certain strains of E. coli. Nutmeg is also beneficial for joint pain and gout, and nutmeg oil has been traditionally used to treat toothaches. ** Please note that nutmeg contains volatile oils comprised of alkyl benzene derivatives, terpenes and myristic acid. The spice has a long history of abuse; taking too much nutmeg (one to three nuts; in some cases less) can cause side effects such as nausea, hallucinations, swelling and shock.Ginger: Has anti-inflammatory properties and helps protect against bacteria and fungi. Also eliminates intestinal gas and relaxes and soothes your intestinal tract, while boosting your immune system. Can also protect against atherosclerosis by lowering cholesterol levels and preventing the oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL).Peppermint: Traditionally used to sooth the digestive tract; a study published in the journal BMJ in 2008 found peppermint oil may even be beneficial in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. Also known to inhibit the growth of bacteria and fungi, and can help relieve symptoms of allergies and asthma.Cinnamon: A powerful antimicrobial agent that also enhances your antioxidant defenses. It's been found to kill E. coli and many other bacteria. Its anti-inflammatory compounds help relieve pain and stiffness of muscles and joints due to arthritis. Also helps prevent urinary tract infections, tooth decay and gum disease.To boost mental health and/or reduce anxiety:Nutmeg: According to a study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food, an extract of nutmeg seeds elicited a significant antidepressant-like effect in mice; in some doses comparable in potency to the antidepressants imipramine and fluoxetine. In fact, reducing anxiety and treating insomnia are two ailments that nutmeg has been traditionally used for.Natural salt: According to a 2008 study published in the journal Physiology & Behavior, salt may be a natural mood-elevating substance. Sodium deficiency can induce behavioral changes such as reduced motivation, fatigue, and feelings of depression. However, it's important to understand that common table salt and the salt used in processed foods is the highly processed variety, and NOT at all the same as the natural salt your body needs to perform its vital functions, including the maintenance of proper brain function. So when adding salt to your meal, make sure you're using a natural unprocessed salt, such as Himalayan salt.Turmeric—A Potent Cancer-Fighter!A couple of spices deserve further review; one of which is turmeric. It was already mentioned twice above, both as an immune booster and potent anti-inflammatory. But perhaps its greatest value lies in its anti-cancer potential.In India where turmeric is widely used, the prevalence of four common U.S. cancers -- colon, breast, prostate and lung -- is 10 times lower. In fact, prostate cancer, which is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in U.S. men, is rare in India and this is attributed, in part, to the curcumin in turmeric.Dr. William LaValley from Austin Texas is one of the top natural medicine cancer physicians I know and he recently shared this important information with me.Interestingly, curcumin—the active ingredient in turmeric—actually has the most evidence based literature backing up its anti-cancer claims of any other nutrient!Numerous studies have looked into this potential cancer-fighting link, with promising results. For instance, curcumin has been found to:Inhibit the transformation of cells from normal to tumor, as well as inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells already existingHelp your body destroy mutated cancer cells so they cannot spread throughout your bodyDecrease inflammationEnhance liver functionInhibit the synthesis of a protein thought to be instrumental in tumor formationPrevent the development of additional blood supply necessary for cancer cell growth (known as anti-angiogenesis)Curcumin affects over 100 different pathways once it gets into a cell. Interestingly, this also applies to the metabolite of curcumin and its derivatives, which also have anti-cancer properties. According to researchers from the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, curcumin blocks a key biological pathway needed for development of melanoma and other cancers.The spice actually stops laboratory strains of melanoma from proliferating and pushes the cancer cells to commit suicide by shutting down nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB), a powerful protein known to induce abnormal inflammatory response that leads to an assortment of disorders such as arthritis and cancer.Best of all, curcumin appears to be safe in the treatment of all cancers!To get the full benefits that curcumin has to offer, you will want to look for a turmeric extract with at least 95 percent curcuminoids that contains only 100 percent certified organic ingredients.The formula should be free of fillers, additives and excipients (a substance added to the supplement as a processing or stability aid), and the manufacturer should use safe production practices at all stages: planting, cultivation, selective harvesting, and then producing and packaging the final product.For further details on how to use curcumin, please see this previous article.Cinnamon—An Excellent Choice for DiabeticsThe other spice I want to review further is cinnamon, simply because of its potential benefits against diabetes, which is a problem of epidemic proportions in the US.Researchers have investigated the "insulin-like" effects of cinnamon for a number of years now, and it keeps proving it's a viable contender in the fight against diabetes.Among this spice's most impressive health benefits is its impact on blood sugar and ability to improve glucose control. For example, just half a teaspoon of cinnamon a day has been shown to significantly reduce blood sugar levels, triglycerides, LDL (bad) cholesterol, and total cholesterol levels in people with type 2 diabetes. In another earlier study, cinnamon was found to increase glucose metabolism 20-fold!Interestingly, cinnamon lowers your blood sugar by acting on several different levels, including:• Slowing the emptying of your stomach to reduce sharp rises in blood sugar following meals• Improving the effectiveness, or sensitivity, of insulin• Enhancing your antioxidant defenses. A study published in 2009 stated that "polyphenols from cinnamon could be of special interest in people that are overweight with impaired fasting glucose since they might act both as insulin sensitizers and antioxidants." Yet another bioflavanoid compound called proanthocyanidin may alter the activity of insulin signaling in your fat cells.Researchers have suggested people with diabetes may see improvements by adding 1/4 - 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to their food, and I see no reason not to give this a try if you enjoy cinnamon (along with doing the other essentials to improve diabetes, including eliminating fructose and grains from your diet and exercising daily).Clearly, adding ample amounts of cinnamon to your diet is an incredibly inexpensive and great tasting tool for diabetics, and the likelihood of this food causing any long-term complications is very small.Go Ahead, Spice Up Your Life!All these benefits give you ample reasons to be adventurous in adding spices to your meals, and to be generous in the amounts you use. It will be worth it for the flavor enhancement alone, and the boost it will give your health is the icing on the cake!For helpful recipes, see PlanetGreen's article, which offers cooking advice for many of the herbs and spices mentioned here.

Sweet Friends 11-12-10, The Men of the Early Times &, The search for the Middle and the Hardening of the World - A Zuni Legend

Posted by Melodie Munro on November 12, 2010 at 5:41pm

Hi, to my Sweet soul friends, I wish you a beautiful weekend and week of love, laughter, peace, abundance and joy. Blessings full of positive Energy coming your way, Melodie

Sweet Friends 11-12-10, The Men of the Early Times - A Zuni Legend

Eight years was but four days and four nights when the world was new. It was while such days and nights continued that men were led out, in the night-shine of the World of Seeing.

For even when they saw the great star, they thought it the Sun-father himself, it so burned their eye-balls.

Men and creatures were more alike then than now. Our fathers were black, like the caves they came from; their skins were cold and scaly like those of mud creatures; their eyes were goggled like an owl's; their ears were like those of cave bats; their feet were webbed like those of walkers in wet and soft places; they had tails, long or short, as they were old or young.

Men crouched when they walked, or crawled along the ground like lizards. They feared to walk straight, but crouched as before time they had in their cave worlds, that they might not stumble or fall in the uncertain light.

When the morning star arose, they blinked excessively when they beheld its brightness and cried out that now surely the Father was coming. But it was only the elder of the Bright Ones, heralding with his shield of flame the approach of the Sun-father.

And when, low down in the east, the Sun-father himself appeared, though shrouded in the mist of the world-waters, they were blinded and heated by his light and glory. They fell down wallowing and covered their eyes with their hands and arms, yet ever as they looked toward the light, they struggled toward the Sun as moths and other night creatures seek the light of a camp fire. Thus they became used to the light.

But when they rose and walked straight, no longer bending, and looked upon each other, they sought to clothe themselves with girdles and garments of bark and rushes. And when by walking only upon their hinder feet they were bruised by stone and sand, they plaited sandals of yucca fiber.

The search for the Middle and the Hardening of the World – A Zuni Legend

As it was with the first men and creatures, so it was with the world. It was young and unripe. Earthquakes shook the world and rent it. Demons and monsters of the under-world fled forth.

Creatures became fierce, beasts of prey, and others turned timid, becoming their quarry. Wretchedness and hunger abounded and black magic. Fear was everywhere among them, so the people, in dread of their precious possessions, became wanderers, living on the seeds of grass, eaters of dead and slain things. Yet, guided by the Beloved Twain, they sought in the light and under the pathway of the Sun, the Middle of the world, over which alone they could find the Earth at rest.

When the tremblings grew still for a time, the people paused at the First of Sitting Places. Yet they were still poor and defenseless and unskilled, and the world still moist and unstable. Demons and monsters fled from the Earth in times of shaking, and threatened wanderers.

Then the Two took counsel of each other. The Elder said the Earth must be made more stable for men and the valleys where their children rested. If they sent down their fire bolts of thunder, aimed to all the four regions, the Earth would heave up and down, fire would, belch over the world and burn it, floods of hot water would sweep over it, smoke would blacken the daylight, but the Earth would at last be safer for men.

So the Beloved Twain let fly the thunderbolts.

The mountains shook and trembled, the plains cracked and crackled under the floods and fires, and the hollow places, the only refuge of men and creatures, grew black and awful. At last thick rain fell, putting out the fires.

Then water flooded the world, cutting deep trails through the mountains, and burying or uncovering the bodies of things and beings. Where they huddled together and were blasted thus, their blood gushed forth and flowed deeply, here in rivers, there in floods, for gigantic were they. But the blood was charred and blistered and blackened by the fires into the black rocks of the lower mesas. There were vast plains of dust, ashes, and cinders, reddened like the mud of the hearth place. Yet many places behind and between the mountain terraces were unharmed by the fires, and even then green grew the trees and grasses and even flowers bloomed. Then the Earth became more stable, and drier, and its lone places less fearsome since monsters of prey were changed to rock.

But ever and again the Earth trembled and the people were troubled.

"Let us again seek the Middle," they said. So they traveled far eastward to their second stopping place, the Place of Bare Mountains.

Again the world rumbled, and they traveled into a country to a place called Where-tree-boles-stand-in-the-midst-of-waters. There they remained long, saying, "This is the Middle." They built homes there. At times they met people who had gone before, and thus they learned war. And many strange things happened there, as told in speeches of the ancient talk.

Then when the Earth groaned again, the Twain bade them go forth, and they murmured. Many refused and perished miserably in their own homes, as do rats in falling trees, or flies in forbidden food.

But the greater number went forward until they came to Steam-mist-in-the- midst-of-waters. And they saw the smoke of men's hearth fires and many houses scattered over the hills before them. When they came nearer, they challenged the people rudely, demanding who they were and why there, for in their last standing-place they had had touch of war.

"We are the People of the Seed," said the men of the hearth-fires, "born elder brothers of ye, and led of the gods."

"No," said our fathers, "we are led of the gods and we are the Seed People."

Long lived the people in the town on the sunrise slope of the mountains of Kahluelawan, until the Earth began to groan warningly again. Loath were they to leave the place of the Kaka and the lake of their dead. But the rumbling grew louder and the Twain Beloved called, and all together they journeyed eastward, seeking once more the Place of the Middle. But they grumbled amongst themselves, so when they came to a place of great promise, they said, "Let us stay here. Perhaps it may be the Place of the Middle."

So they built houses there, larger and stronger than ever before, and more perfect, for they were strong in numbers and wiser, though yet unperfected as men. They called the place "The Place of Sacred Stealing."

Long they dwelt there, happily, but growing wiser and stronger, so that, with their tails and dressed in the skins of animals, they saw they were rude and ugly.

In chase or in war, they were at a disadvantage, for they met older nations of men with whom they fought. No longer they feared the gods and monsters, but only their own kind. So therefore the gods called a council.

Changed shall ye be, oh our children, "cried the Twain." Ye shall walk straight in the pathways, clothed in garments, and without tails, that ye may sit more straight in council, and without webs to your feet, or talons on your hands."

So the people were arranged in procession like dancers. And the Twain with their weapons and fires of lightning shored off the forelocks hanging down over their faces, severed the talons, and slitted the webbed fingers and toes. Sore was the wounding and loud cried the foolish, when lastly the people were arranged in procession for the razing of their tails.

But those who stood at the end of the line, shrinking farther and farther, fled in their terror, climbing trees and high places, with loud chatter. Wandering far, sleeping ever in tree tops, in the far-away Summerland, they are sometimes seen of far-walkers, long of tail and long handed, like wizened men-children.

But the people grew in strength, and became more perfect, and more than ever went to war. They grew vain.

They had reached the Place of the Middle. They said, "Let us not wearily wander forth again even though the Earth tremble and the Twain bid us forth."

And even as they spoke, the mountain trembled and shook, though far- sounding.

But as the people changed, changed also were the Twain, small and misshapen, hard-favored and unyielding of will, strong of spirit, evil and bad. They taught the people to war, and led them far to the eastward.

At last the people neared, in the midst of the plains to the eastward, great towns built in the heights. Great were the fields and possessions of this people, for they knew how to command and carry the waters, bringing new soil. And this, too, without hail or rain. So our ancients, hungry with long wandering for new food, were the more greedy and often gave battle.

It was here that the Ancient Woman of the Elder People, who carried her heart in her rattle and was deathless of wounds in the body, led the enemy, crying out shrilly. So it fell out ill for our fathers. For, moreover, thunder raged and confused their warriors, rain descended and blinded them, stretching their bow strings of sinew and quenching the flight of their arrows as the flight of bees is quenched by the sprinkling plume of the honey-hunter. But they devised bow strings of yucca and the Two Little Ones sought counsel of the Sun-father who revealed the life-secret of the Ancient Woman and the magic powers over the under-fires of the dwellers of the mountains, so that our enemy in the mountain town was overmastered. And because our people found in that great town some hidden deep in the cellars, and pulled them out as rats are pulled from a hollow cedar, and found them blackened by the fumes of their war magic, yet wiser than the common people, they spared them and received them into their next of kin of the Black Corn. . . .

But the tremblings and warnings still sounded, and the people searched for the stable Middle.

Now they called a great council of men and the beasts, birds, and insects of all kinds. After a long council it was said, "Where is Water-skate? He has six legs, all very long. Perhaps he can feel with them to the uttermost of the six regions, and point out the very Middle."

So Water-skate was summoned. But lo! It was the Sun-father in his likeness which appeared. And he lifted himself to the zenith and extended his fingerfeet to all the six regions, so that they touched the north, the great waters; the west, and the south, and the east, the great waters; and to the northeast the waters above.

and to the southwest the waters below. But to the north his finger foot grew cold, so he drew it in. Then gradually he settled down upon the Earth and said, "Where my heart rests, mark a spot, and build a town of the Mid-most, for there shall be the Mid-most Place of the Earth-Mother."

And his heart rested over the middle of the plain and valley of Zuni. And when he drew in his finger-legs, lo! there were the trail-roads leading out and in like stays of a spider's nest, into and from the mid-most place he had covered.

Here because of their good fortune in finding the stable Middle, the priest father called the town the Abiding-place-of-happy-fortune.

Crispy Seared Salmon and Black Lentils

Posted by Melodie Munro on November 10, 2010 at 3:39pm

Why not try a new recipe that tastes fantastic - and just happens to be good for you? This recipe was created by Damien Wilmot of Colborne Lane Restaurant in Toronto.

Crispy Seared Salmon and Black Lentils
(Yield: 4 servings)

Ingredients:

4 salmon fillets
Salt and pepper, to taste
30 ml vegetable oil
400g black lentils, raw
2 L water
4 sprigs thyme
1 small white onion, finely diced
40 g celery, thinly sliced on the bias
50 ml white wine
1 small bunch scallions, thinly sliced on the bias
4 medium cloves garlic (2 whole, 2 minced)
1 medium shallot, finely diced
16 cherry tomatoes, halved

Preparation:
1. Set the white onion, celery, scallions, garlic and shallot aside.

2. Combine water, lentils, thyme sprigs, 2 whole cloves of garlic, white onion and 2 tsp of salt in a medium pot.

3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer lentils uncovered for approx. 20 min (or until desired tenderness is reached).

4. Heat a large pan and 10 ml vegetable oil on medium-high. Sautee the shallots and minced garlic together.

5. Once slightly cooked and lightly brown, add the white wine and reduce.

6. Strain the lentils, and remove the thyme sprigs and garlic cloves.

7. Add the lentils, tomatoes, celery and scallions to the garlic and shallot mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir, remove from heat and cover.

8. Meanwhile, coat the salmon with 10 ml vegetable oil, then season both sides with salt and pepper.

9. Place a large pan and 10 ml of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, gently place the salmon skin-side down (listen for immediate crackling / sizzling to ensure pan is hot enough).

10. After 3-4 minutes, flip the salmon over.

11. Cook for 2 or 3 more minutes until salmon reaches medium/medium-rare. It should be slightly firm to the touch.

Serve the salmon skin-side up on a bed of the lentil mixture

DailyOm – Softening and Expanding

Posted by Melodie Munro on August 31, 2010 at 4:00pm

DailyOm – Softening and Expanding
August 26, 2010

Softening and Expanding

Being Receptive to What You Want

We go through life with defenses we created early on, are you willing to soften those barriers to allow good things?

In order to get what we want in life, we have to be willing to receive it when it appears, and in order to do that we have to be open. Often we go through life with defenses we developed early on in order to protect ourselves. These defenses act as barriers, walls we needed at one time to feel safe, but that now serve to shut out desired influences, like intimacy or love. So an essential part of being receptive to what we want is to soften these barriers enough to let those things in when they show up. For example, we may spend a lot of time alone as a way to protect ourselves from being hurt by other people, but we can see how this is now preventing us from meeting new friends.

Another obstacle to our receptivity can be our tendency to believe that we have to act aggressively in order to achieve our desired goal. This can cause us to become mono-focused and to fail to see, and be open to, opportunities on the periphery of our vision. So becoming receptive involves a softening of our defenses and a willingness to remain open to possibilities outside our immediate realm of vision. If we are looking for love or friendship, it means first looking within ourselves to see where we are shut down, and second, not getting too fixated on where we might find the love we want. In this way, we become more open as individuals and more expansive in terms of what we see as possible.

Often, the things and people we want to draw into our lives elude us because we are unconsciously blocking them out, either with our defenses, or with tunnel vision that causes us to not see them when they appear. When this is the case, we can take action by exploring and softening our barriers, and expanding our vision to encompass new possibilities. These actions are the essence of receptivity.

Note: this page contains paid content.

Note: this page contains paid content.

Note: this page contains paid content.