"What a Weekend of Healing Light!"

(Today's special guest post comes from Gerry Krieg, who attended The Power of Qi workshop that Carol Look and I put on in Jersey City three weeks ago.  Here's what he wrote on his blog about the event...)

The Power of Qi - Breath-giving!

I attended a 3 day workshop in Jersey City last week entitled The Power of Qi. It was an incredibly powerful blend of two energy healing modalities, EFT and Qigong, springing from entirely different traditions. EFT has its origins in the western psychological world where it was developed a few decades ago to treat anxiety disorders. It uses a method of tapping on certain acupuncture points on the body (its Eastern component) while addressing (usually) verbally an emotional or physical problem of the individual being treated. Qigong stems from ancient Buddhist Chinese traditions that integrate physical and  meditative practices.

I developed a health problem (in simple terms, neuromuscular weakness, though nothing was ever diagnosed, thank goodness) a good dozen or so years ago which led me eventually to discover what many call Energy Medicine.  I’ll write more about that journey some other time, but my path back to the light was mainly illuminated by the these two practices, punctuated with some Marx Bothers and Seinfeld and similar masters of laughter qi (what more fun way to move energy?). So when I heard that they were being combined in a workshop (and by two instructors I closely follow and deeply admire) I knew I’d been tapped.

The entire event was exceptionally well conceived and run by EFT Master practitioner Carol Look and Martial arts Master Symeon Rodger (see below for more on both.  It was structured so that a one and a half hour presentation and practice of Qigong by Symeon was followed (after a break) by an hour and a half instruction and healing session with Carol. The synergy between the two modalities was both obvious and subtle.  As I tapped along with others’ issues, I could feel the energetic lift even as many of their issues revealed insights into my own situation. The mindfulness component of the Qigong (Symeon emphasized the integration of breath, movement and mental attention as critical to achieving a state of inner peace) seemed to ground the sometimes volatile emotional energy produced by the EFT workshops. So much incredible energy was produced at the workshops and having an energy modality that effectively directs and grounds that energy made the cumulative effect of the emotional work done that much more powerful.  What a brilliant concept!  What brilliant execution!

Carol Look is an amazing talent – sharp, intuitive, sensitive but firm (with an almost jazz-like sense of improvisation) as she hones in on an emotional issue that a person is struggling with.  So many times, she would guide an individual past a physical or surface complaint to a deeper level of engagement with their emotional state.  From there she was usually able to hit the target of what the core of an issue was.  Given the format and time constraints further work would usually need to be done by that person, but at least the ‘real’ issue had been revealed.  Her obvious compassion leavened with a quick New York wit, necessary professional distancing and a conductor’s timing allowed her to treat many simultaneously and well.

Symeon Rodger brought a personable, witty style to imparting the wisdom of the (s)ages from the Eastern traditions.  His obvious grace of movement and supple body strength were testament to the power that the disciplined practice of these techniques (really, way of being) can provide.  As he led us through several different styles of Qigong (from the fluid movements of the Muscle-Tendon Qigong to the meditative Energy Circulation – or Microcosmic Orbit – Qigong) his tremendous skill at performing the physical movements was matched by an enviable mental focus and clarity that is an obvious result of decades of such practice.

These master teachers provided the framework for healing, but the participants provided the rich content that allowed them, especially Carol, to mold this particular conference in a unique fashion.  So many bravely went onstage to expose intimate details of their personal stories to a roomful of several dozen strangers. Of course an atmosphere of trust was established by Carol and Symeon, but the courage of the individuals who did participate was inspiring to the others in the room  and contributed to a cycle of escalating trust and intimacy that allowed some who may have been hesitant to come forward.  That cycle of healing was of course echoed and enhanced by the framework of the conference itself which alternated the clearing EFT work with the grounding Qigong work.  Many of those who did participate had enormous shifts of energy, breakthroughs in insight to their issues that gave them plenty to work with after the conference was over.  And of course those in the room who were not on stage benefited as well by tapping along and lending emotional support to the courageous individuals on stage.

I believe Carol said she runs a workshop on allowing ourselves to shine. I believe that is part of what we were all doing there, doing healing work to lead us to a place where we can shine our brightest light on the world.  There is much work that needs to be done to heal this world and it needs us all at our best.  To cite part of the famous Marianne Williamson quote, “We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?  Actually, who are you not to be?  Your playing small does not serve the world.”

What a weekend of healing light!

by Gerry Krieg (visit Gerry's blog, Green Energy Healing, at http://greenenergyhealing.wordpress.com/) 

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Please note that my next live event, Ageless Beauty, Timeless Health, will take place in Toronto, Canada on the weekend of June 4-5, where I'll be combining forces with nutrition/wellness guru Michael Morningstar from Texas.  Michael is a long-time friend, a superb presenter and he is, in fact, the first person I consult when I have questions about nutrition and detoxification.  

So keep an eye out for emails on that event - the early bird special offers a big discount but expires quite soon.

~ Dr. Symeon Rodger

Saying NO to GMO...

As you know, one of the biggest factors in attaining personal resilience, in optimizing your health and immunity, is the chemical and energetic quality of what you put into your system.  Unfortunately that's infinitely a more complex question for us than it was for our grandparents and in some ways the situation is deteriorating.

For example, for those of us living in North America, it's becoming increasingly difficult to figure out if the food your eating is truly natural or whether it has been genetically altered.  


To help you sort this out, we're reprinting with permission an article by my colleague Michael Morningstar.  For those of you who don't know Michael, he's an internationally known health coach and speaker living in Texas.  Here's his article on GMO:

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Just Say No to GMO (by Michael Morningstar)


What can you do to protect your health from the consequences and dangers of Genetically Engineered (GE) foods? This newsletter provides a simple message for you to share with your family, friends and the federal government, which is to “Just say no to GMO”. 


Unlike in the European Union (EU) and other areas of the world many people in the US and abroad are somewhat shocked when they learn that there is no required disclosure on ingredient labels for Genetically Engineered (GE) or Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) components in foods packaged in the US. This is a frightening situation because without full disclosure on the label it is very difiicult for consumers to make an educated choice about foods and whether any ingredients come from a GE or GMO source. Right now there are thousands of food items in restaurants and stores that contain GE canola, corn and soy. Biotechnology compaines have also been heavily promoting GE alfalfa, papaya, potatoes, sugar beets, squash and trees.



Recently a request was made to the USDA and FDA to approve Genetically Engineered (GE) salmon in the US. While the FDA still needs to do an Environmental Assessment before approving the GE salmon there are serious concerns regarding this attempt to deliver another “Frankenfood” which has not been thoroughly analyzed, researched and tested in order to protect human health as well as our delicate ecosystem and environment. Unfortunately the FDA Environmental Assessment will only allow a 30 day public comment period which is not nearly sufficient time to educate the population on the hidden consequences and potential dangers.



Fortunately the Organic Consumers Association is one of many opponents that have spoken out against this push to contaminate our food supply with more GE foods. Please do your homework and research the risks and then invest a few minutes in your long term health and wellbeing to voice your concerns and reservations regarding this serious health issue.



Most people are not aware this is going on since it does not usually appear in the main media or news networks. Without strong opposition this GE product like others before it could end up in the food system in the near future. It is essential for you to do your own research and read the recent articles or watch video news to understand the harmful long term consequesnces from allowing these companies and scientists to manipulate Mother Nature and unleashing “Pandora’s Box” of unknown consequesnces. Once the GE fish or any GE food is in production there is no way to control what will happen or recall those genes Only time will reveal the harmful consequences and health issues caused by the affects and chain reactions they will cause to other organisms.




The best recent article and resource for learning the inside story about GMO risks is by Dr Mercola which sites Jeffrey M Smith one of the top experts concerning GE and GMO in our food system. He feels by educating people quickly we will reach enough consumers to reach the tipping point and reverse the trends away from fake foods and back towards natural nutrition and whole foods. When consumers vote for healthy foods with their money and shfit their buying patterns the market will respond to reduce and eventually elimnate those unhealthy choices seen as a financial liability. You can learn more about the 65 serious health risks assocaited with GE and GMO in the books by Jeffrey Smith. It will be a great education and investment in your happiness and health to read Genetic Roulette and Seeds of Deception and also to check out his website www.responsibletechnology.org .



Mastery Action Plan: Watch the video with Jeffrey Smith talking to concerned citizens regarding the risks of GMO and how to create a better global future:


Everything You HAVE TO KNOW about Dangerous Genetically Modified Foods from Jeffrey Smith on Vimeo.






Next week the Great NEWS Letter will share: More Magic Moments with Meditation 





Please share the www.greatnewsperfecthealth.com site with your friends and families to spread the message of great nutrition, emotions, wellness and success 

My Wish for You is Health, Love, Abundance and Time to Enjoy Them. 

To Your Perfect Health
Michael Morningstar
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 ~ Dr. Symeon Rodger  

You NEED a Vacation More Than You Think...

You need a vacation.  In fact, there's a high probability you need a vacation now and you need it more than you think.  

Your body knows you need it.  Your subconscious mind knows you need it.  So then why is your rational mind so good at finding excuses not to take any holidays, even if those are paid holidays you have coming to you?


"I'll wait until flights are cheaper in the off-season."  "I just have this one project to get out of the way."  "The kids have too many activities for us to take time off."  "The office will fall apart without me."  And the list goes on...

So why do you desperately need a vacation?  Consider the following:

• You are under a lot more chronic stress than you're consciously aware of (and you probably know from experience the only way to verify this is to take a holiday from your regular responsibilities)
• You're under continual non-psychological stress from your environment and the way you treat your body-mind organism
• These stress factors are harming your nervous system, your energy system, probably your cardiovascular system and more on a daily basis
• Therefore, you need to rest and rebuild your health and immunity on a deep level
• And you need a time where you can relax and make no decisions at all

 
Vacation Myths:

It's often said, "A change is as good as a rest."  Nonsense!  It's not uncommon to find people whose vacation was a whirlwind tour of ten European capitals and who come home all excited... only to realize they're more exhausted than when they left. 


Don't get me wrong - it's great to go see the world... as long as you take a true vacation that's separate from that.  So I'm not saying you should cancel your flight to Frankfurt; just that the vacation you mind-body organism most needs, the one that will build your personal resilience instead of depleting it , is a little different.

The holiday you really need requires lots of fresh air and sunshine, light exercise, a healthy diet, some light detoxification, better quality sleep and probably a bit more of it, and deep relaxation.

An Ideal Vacation?

In the video below you'll see an example of a near perfect, resilience-building vacation.  Please note that the point here is not so much the place itself, nor the Qi Gong master who devised it (Mantak Chia), but the key resilience-building components of the experience.  Can you pick them out?

Design Your Vacation Today:

[NOTE: The following advice is for people in a state of overall good health.  If you have particular health challenges or preexisting conditions, you should consult your health care practitioner before undertaking some elements of the following]

So now that I've persuaded you to take that long overdue vacation (!), here are some of the things you might want to consider:


First, you need time off work.  So tell the office to take a hike for at least a week and preferably no less than two weeks.

Second, make sure that at least part of your vacation involves a change of surroundings for at least a few days if possible.  You're looking for a calm and orderly environment, a place conducive to good sleep, fresh air, light exercise and a healthy diet.


Third, book yourself a few hours at a good spa, including at least one massage treatment of sixty minutes or more, plus use of the sauna and, if possible, swimming pool facilities.  This is the "light detoxification" I referred to above.  A good relaxation massage will help detoxify your body naturally, as will a sauna, especially if the sauna is followed by a dip in a cold-ish pool. 

Fourth, surround yourself with warm, optimistic and loving people.

Next time, I'll let you in on the secrets of how to construct a mini-vacation anytime, even when you can't really get away for long or at all.  That's what I did just last week ;-)


~ Dr. Symeon Rodger

Summer: the Key to Building Your Personal Resilience (Part 2)

(There's a special breathing exercise for you at the end, but read the whole thing first!)

Last time I talked a bit about how and why to use the summer months to work on certain aspects of your fitness, aspects that are far easier to work on with the higher ambient temperatures. 

(Speaking of higher ambient temperature, the reason I'm inside writing this and not out enjoying the bright sunny day is that the humidex in Ottawa today is 44C / 111F.  "Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noonday sun.")

Anyway, I digress.  There are also lots of other ways you can build your personal RESILIENCE most easily at this time of year, so let's take a look at them:


Nutrition:

Switching your diet around to include more freshly grown fruits and vegetables can significantly boost your intake of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, trace elements and more.  In addition, the energetic or "qi" content of these foods is far superior, giving your immune system a much needed boost.

And including more "cooling" foods in your diet - including most fruits and veggies, as well as cooling herbs like fresh mint (my garden's overrun with the stuff) - will help your metabolism to function most effectively in the hot weather.  Also, these foods require far less energy for your body to digest than do heavier foods like red meat, so you benefit from that as well.

One easy way to include more cooling foods is to make smoothies.  Here's an excellent site for smoothie recipes:

http://www.smoothieweb.com


Cleansing:

Since your body doesn't need to devote a lot of resources to keeping your core temperature warm in the summer, this season is ideal for doing a cleanse.  If you've ever done a cleanse in the winter, on the other hand, and especially one that cut down your food intake, you know firsthand how cold you get without the food you're used to.

Your body also detoxifies naturally during the summer.  Since your skin is a major organ of elimination and you're exposing more of it to the air, and since you're sweating more, toxin removal is much more efficient.  Some of the best cleanses we know of (and that I've used myself) can be found here:


http://www.blessedherbs.com/

http://www.galaxynutrients.com/



Sunshine, Energy and Immunity:

In Chinese medicine, summer corresponds to the high point of Yang energy in the Yin-Yang cycle.  Yang stands for a strong, positive, hot and expanding type of energy, and as the world around you becomes more Yang, so does your body. 

In other words, your body's energy tends to become expansive and radiate outward, whereas in winter the opposite was true, since your body was automatically conserving its energy.  This is actually good news, since it means that in the summer your body automatically recharges your "wei qi", which is the type of qi that forms a barrier around you against harmful pathogens and other intruders.  What can you do to help this process along? 

One way is to make sure you get enough sun exposure.  Yes, there's a ton on information out there about how bad the sun is for you, how it will give you skin cancer, wrinkle your skin and probably fog your i-pod.  Personally, I really don't buy it.  Yes, you should be cautious about sun exposure, but cautious is not paranoid.  Baring your skin to the sun helps replenish your body's vitamin D reserves and you may need those reserves in winter, when sunlight is harder to come by and when you're so bundled up the sun can't get to you anyway.  Here's one expert's take on the whole "sun causes skin cancer" spiel that might interest you:

http://bit.ly/cSwDh9




Emotional Cleansing:

Lots more sunlight has a very positive effect on the human psyche, as we all know from experience.  You can magnify the effect by making a decision to work on positive emotions over the summer: simply decide now to stay in a "headspace" of positive expectation, of gratitude, of generosity and kindness, and you'll see results pretty quickly. 

You can also decide to learn an emotional healing technique over the summer, such as the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) or Be Set Free Fast (BSFF).  You may even get bold enough with these tools to take on some of your inner demons and turf them out ;-)


A Breathing Exercise for You:

(Always get your physician's approval for undertaking physical exercises such as this.  Contraindications include some chronic conditions, cardio-vascular disease, high blood pressure, as well as pregnancy.)

If you'd like to use the summer to detoxify naturally, accumulate more qi, calm your emotions and improve your life in nealy every way, try this:

1. Go for a walk
2. As you walk, pay attention to your breath... watch it come in and go out naturally as you breathe through your nose
3. As you inhale, feel the breath descend to your lower abdomen, a few centimeters / inches below your navel. 
4. As you exhale, just watch the breath exit through your nose
5. After you've done this for a while and gotten used to it, pay attention to the sensations on various areas of your body as you inhale.  Feel energy entering your body at various points and gathering at your lower abdomen
6. As you exhale, feel the energy you've taken in expand from your lower abdomen outward only as far as the surface of your skin

This is a walking meditation from ancient Taoist sources.  It's very relaxing, reintegrates your mind and body and improves your immune system too.  Just don't get so absorbed in it that you forget to watch for traffic!

~ Dr. Symeon Rodger

Delicious Nutritional Fix

So I staggered into the kitchen at around 6am this morning to make breakfast, trying not to trip over the cat's bowl or, for that matter, the cat herself, who seems to have this habit of following me when she's hungry.

Do I toss some bacon into the frying pan, throw bread into the toaster or open the cereal box, like 99% of North Americans?  Nope.  None of the above. 

Instead, two bananas, some fresh and/or frozen fruit and a scoop or two of whey protein powder find their way into the blender.  Add water, hit the magic button and presto!  A highly nutritious breakfast in seconds.  Welcome to the world of...

SMOOTHIES!

So just what is a "smoothie"?  Simple.  It's a nutritious drink made from raw foods that are enzymatically alive and retain, as far as possible, their nutritional and energetic content.  You can use fruits, vegetables, nuts, dairy, nutritional supplements, and more, depending on the effect you want to achieve.

For example, I often make a second smoothie for my day, one that's designed to give me chlorophyll, the nutritional benefits of a fresh salad, and a healthy dose of high quality protein.  So I'll use parsley, lettuce or other green leafy vegetables and add some raw nuts or nut butter, and perhaps some extra whey powder or yogurt.  


"Is This Like 'Juicing'?"

Not at all.  Juicing processes fresh fruit or veggies through a device that extracts the juice and leaves out all the fiber, depriving you of a percentage of the nutritional value as well as of the digestive benefits of the fiber.  Smoothies, by contrast, give you the whole enchilada. 

Why should you add smoothies to your diet? 

1. It's a delicious way to get the benefits of raw, living foods
2. It will increase your intake of vitamins, minerals, trace elements, enzymes, fiber and more
3. It's VERY easy on your digestive system and helps to regulate bowel health
4. The contents are totally customizable

Obviously, improving your nutition is one key to your overall RESILIENCE and I can't think offhand of a better way to start.  And you can start just minutes or hours from now!  No specialized knowledge required.  Just a blender and perhaps a few smoothie recipe ideas.

As some of you know, Michael Morningstar has some amazing smoothie recipies.  Problem is I can't find them anymore.  Michael, since you read my posts, please send the web link so I can destribute it ;-)

Meanwhile, here are more than enough recipes to keep you busy:

http://www.smoothieweb.com/ 

Enjoy! 

And if you have some thoughts on smoothies, feel free to leave your comments.

~ Dr. Symeon Rodger