Heart 2 Heart Creative Healing Services, Inc.
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The
White Lotus
The
Heart2Heart E-Newsletter
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Creating
Unity Consciousness By
Unfolding the Potential Within Each Of Us
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February
2009
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 Hello and Welcome to the First Issue of
The White Lotus!
Early February is the traditional time for the celebration of Imbolc, or the festival of washing the earth's face. In ancient Britain, it was known as Oimelc, and later Brigantia, the Day of Brigit. She is the Celtic goddess of the maidens, and she rules over the movement outward from Winter to Springtime. This transformation is occurring in each of us, as we experience the shift from an inner contemplative focus toward an outer focus of conscious manifestation.
The time is coming when we will gather together all of the inner peace, love and wholeness that has quietly permeated our beings during the long regeneration of winter, and we will find that it becomes available for us to use in our daily lives. As we share this wholeness with others, it becomes even more available to us. ~ From the Essene Book of Days
Learning and practicing the ancient healing art of Ayurveda can facilitate the creation of unity within ourselves, with each other, the earth and the universe. - Dr. Joanna Carmichael
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Love Your Heart
Since it is February, the month of the heart, this issue will be focusing on keeping the heart healthy, physically, emotionally and spiritually and the facilitating and support of healing if it is encountering some challenges.
As many of you know, heart disease is the leading cause of death in this country. The manifestation of heart disease may be overt such as angina (chest pain), fatigue, or shortness of breath. But the more frightening part is that symptoms may be silent like hypertension and high cholesterol and why it is called the silent killer. So what can you do to make sure that your heart stays healthy and vital until the end of your life? Diet, adequate rest, and regular exercise and meditation to reduce stress are the key components to having a healthy heart, physically....... But,
Metaphysically, and more importantly, the heart is not just an organ that pumps blood through the body. The heart is the seat of compassion, unconditional love, forgiveness and joy. It is holistic and intuitive, relational and contextual. The feelings of comfort or discomfort that we can feel in this area can tell us a great deal about the choices we are making in all areas of our lives and whether these choices will lead to peace and contentment within ourselves and with each other. The heart taps into the cosmic computer, taking everything into account (with much more skill than our mind), and although not always rational, its computing ability is far more accurate than anything within the limits of intellectual thought.
In Ayurveda, we not only digest our food, but all of the experiences we take in through the five senses. If someone pays us a complement, we must digest it. If someone hurts our feelings or we have an argument with someone, we must digest it. The degree to which the digestive fire (or Agni) is burning determines how the information will be taken in, processed and then released. It is therefore very important to keep our Agni burning at a rate that is in balance and allows us to process our experiences skillfully. If you imagine a fire burning in your fireplace, and the fire starts to burn out of control, it could burn the house down. Conversely, a fire that has dwindled down to just the coals and ashes will not create the flame and heat desired and will just smolder down to nothing. We keep our Agni burning brightly by eating the proper foods in the right combinations, getting adequate rest and exercise, and through the practice of breathing, meditation and yoga. The use of color, music, and essential oils to increase our conscious awareness can also be invaluable in helping us to process the energy and information that our senses interpret. For more information on how you can incorporate these ancient practices into your daily routine for a healthier heart, contact us by phone or email. A list of classes is in this newsletter.
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 Spiritual Law of the Heart
To open the heart, practice the law of Giving and Receiving. Have the intention to give that which you would like to have in your life. Give love, attention, affection, and appreciation to everyone you meet. Since receiving is as important, also have the intention to receive the love, attention, appreciation and affection that others give to you.
Repeat the mantra "Om Vardhanam Namah" ; translation - "I am the nourisher of the universe and the universe nourishes me." The color of the heart chakra or energy center is green and the sound associated with it is Yam or Yum.
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 Crystal of the Month - Rose Quartz
A powerful heart cleanser and healer, it is the stone of unconditional love and infinite peace. It encourages self-forgiveness and acceptance and purifies and opens the heart at all levels - self-love, platonic love, romantic love. Promotes receptivity to all kinds of beauty.
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Essential Oil of the Month - Joy
A Young Living Essential oil with uplifting scents that create magnetic energy and brings joy to the heart. This fragrance eludes an alluring and irresistible aura that inspires romance, togetherness and the opening of the heart.
When diffused it can be refreshing and uplifting. Use it on pulse points, behind the ears, and on the heart marma point. You may also keep the bottle in your purse or pocket and inhale the fragrance throughout the day.
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Ayurvedic Herb of the Month - Garlic (Allium Sativum)
Considered pungent, this rejuvenative herb is a good source of vitamins and trace minerals including selenium. Garlic is a natural protector against heart disease. Its benefits derive from its effects on blood lipids, clotting factors, and blood pressure. It may also have protective properties against stomach and breast cancer as well as being an anti-infective agent and effective in soothing PMS and arthritic stiffness.
Ayurveda has long recognized the healing potency of garlic which carries five of the six flavors of Ayurveda (missing only sour). It is balancing to Vata and Kapha, but its natural heating may aggravate Pitta. If you are on medications to treat blood pressure, and/or cholesterol, or medications with blood thinning qualities, use caution and monitor yourself more regularly to be sure you are not over-treating yourself. This Valentine's Day, just make sure you both eat it. :-)
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Your Meditation Practice
If you do not have a meditation practice, now would be a good time to start one. This is still the time of the year when there is not a lot of outward manifestation, but a time of going within to plant the seeds of what we want to create in the Spring. Whether you use meditation as a spiritual practice or as a means to reduce stress, the benefits physically, mentally and emotionally are immeasurable and have been proven scientifically time and time again.
Meditation is the cornerstone of Ayurveda. It is through the practice of meditation that we can better know ourselves on the level of our soul and our relationship to other people and to the environment. When we meditate, we tap into that timeless aspect of ourselves that is eternal and unchanging. With regular practice, we begin to see the bigger picture of things, knowing deeply that we are more than our thoughts and our emotions and that the answers for everything, including ourselves, reside within.
If you are just beginning, simply spend some time in the morning sitting in a comfortable position and observing the inflow and outflow of the breath. Be sure to breathe from the belly since your lungs actually extend down that far. If you are thinking of your breath, you cannot be thinking of other things. So take a break from your thoughts and experience the peace and joy of a clear mind. You will be surprised at the enhanced creativity and peace that you experience in your life as well as better overall health, vitality and well-being.
Many of you made New Year's Resolutions at the beginning of the year, but like most of us, it is hard to keep them. Try making the one resolution you can't afford not to make. Make an appointment to meditate and see how inspired you will be to make other changes with no effort.
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Your Yoga Practice
Prayer Pose or Namaste - the Divine in me recognizes the Divine in you in the place where we are One. Standing or sitting with your spine straight, place your hands together in prayer pose with your thumbs touching your heart. Begin to breathe into this pose.
As your body and mind relaxes, feel the breath opening your heart Chakra as you imagine the color, green. Continue to breathe and see if you can feel your heart beating. Be present with any sensations that come up and breathe into them, and let them go. Feel the peace in the present moment with your heart.
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Heart Mudra
A mudra is a hand position we hold during meditation or during yoga to direct energy in a certain manner. The Heart Mudra is done by making a fist with both hands, and enclosing your thumbs within your fingers. This mudra opens up the channels to and from the heart so that energy can flow freely.
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 Your Home
From a Feng Shui perspective, the bedroom is the most important room in the house for love, romance and relationship. Make sure your bedroom is painted in a soothing and warm color and that it is free from clutter (yes, under the bed too!). It should be warm and inviting, have things in it that represent couples or yin/yang energy. Romantic artwork, flowers, and candles are great too. Diffuse lavender, rose, or Joy essential oils and try not to watch TV or work in your bedroom as it should only be used for sleeping and.....romantic endeavors.
Find out about making your bedroom even more conducive to love & romance at www.fengshuiharmony.com.
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Your Relationships
Falling in love can be the easy part. Staying in love can be the challenge. Use this month of the heart and Valentine's Day to remember the qualities you found attractive in the person you are with and begin to court each other again. Many times we get lazy about ourselves and our relationship because we take each other for granted and then wonder where the romance has gone.
If you are not in a relationship, remember that the love of Self is most important when trying to find love. Allow this love to radiate out to all beings and it will be returned to you 100-fold. And from the highest perspective, unconditional love is the most powerful force in the universe. It's potential to conquer, to heal and to help is limitless. This love is about immense compassion, forgiveness, joy, and unity. Let us remember that when we love ourselves and each other, we have the power to change the world. This also contributes to better heart health overall. What better month to begin?
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 Hank's Corner
Now who could not fall in love with this face? Taking care of the heart emotionally is one of the most important things we can do for its health and well-being. If you are feeling lonely or sad, consider getting a pet!
It has been scientifically shown that being with and petting an animal can improve mood, sense of happiness & contentment, and even lower blood pressure and heart rate. Pets love unconditionally which is the purest kind of love and something that humans could stand to learn more about. Woof!!
Please direct any questions you may have about your pet's health to my Labradoodle, Hank, at hank@heart2heartcreativehealing.com
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Ask Dr. J
Dear Dr. J:
I am in the midst of trying to shed the winter "sludge" and regain optimal energy and vitality in preparation for the Spring. It seems that the media bombards us with confusing messages and contradictory information, making it near impossible to separate fact from myth. Do you have any tips that I can easily incorporate into my daily routine?
Thanks, Perplexed in Philly
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Dear Perplexed in Philly,
I know what you mean. This time of hibernation, while very good for the soul, can make the body a little sluggish because we are not as active as we are in the warmer seasons. We are also inclined to eat heavier foods for comfort and warmth and so this can add up to some extra pounds and "sludge" as you mentioned. Now is a good time to start to become more active and to be more mindful of food combining and portion control.
From an Ayurvedic perspective, weight loss is never a goal in and of itself. Weight loss is a byproduct of Perfect Health. When the body, mind, heart and spirit is functioning optimally and in harmony, our body will normalize at the weight that is right for the individual.
Try adding some yoga to your daily routine if you do not already do it, or deepen your practice by adding some new asanas (poses) or deepening your existing poses by challenging yourself a little more. Remember, yoga is not a competitive sport - strength, flexibility and balance on the mat translate to strength, flexibility and balance in life.
Recommit to your meditation practice and remember to meditate twice a day for 30 minutes (ideally). Do not skip meditation if you do not have 30 minutes. Making changes will be easier when you are coming from an inspired place (in spirit) rather than a place of motivation, which is simply an intellectual exercise and rarely has lasting effects.
In the next issue I will talk about cleansing and the Spring is an ideal time to do this, but you can start now with mindfulness in your eating habits and continuing to care for your body, mind and spirit with meditation and yoga. You will start to feel more vital and energetic as the Spring season approaches because the energies will conspire in your favor and it will be easier to make more nourishing choices.
Consider the Perfect Health Course for additional information on how to maintain optimal health and make adjustments that will result in harmonizing body, mind, heart and spirit using the ancient art of Ayurveda.
Send Joanna your questions regarding health, spirituality and relationships and she will pick one or two questions to answer in each issue!
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Upcoming Events
In the Media - Go to www.weeu.com and click on "Straight Talk" to hear Joanna's latest interview with radio talk show host, Nick Lawrence, as well as some other very interesting topics and guests!
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Perfect Health beginning 09 Feb
See Printer Friendly Brochure Here
Learn Primordial Sound Meditation classes beginning 28 Feb and 03 Mar
See Printer Friendly Brochure Here
Monthly Satsang and Meditation 21 Feb and 07 Mar
Health and Wellness RoundTables 18 Mar and 15 Apr
For additional information or to register,
please contact Sandy at |
A Final Note
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Enjoy Valentine's month and take care of your heart this month and every month, and remember.....in Ayurveda, everything in moderation, including moderation.
I wish you all Peace, Harmony, Laughter & Love.
Namaste,
Joanna
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| Contact
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Dr. Joanna Carmichael
610-993-3357
drj@heart2heartcreativehealing.com
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