Make Consciousness, Not War
By Dr. Gene Clerkin
It has been said that one cannot fix a problem with the same level of consciousness that created it in the first place.
When I read a book or see a movie or observe life around me, I notice how that observation or event relates to the wellness paradigm. While reading Ekhart Tolle's book, “A New Earth”, I read a passage that depicts a perfect example of wellness and holistic care versus illness and traditional medical care. It can be found on Page 75 and reads as follows:
“These days you frequently hear the expression ‘the war against' this or that, and whenever I hear it, I know that it is condemned to failure. There is the war against drugs, the war against crime, the war against terrorism, the war against cancer, the war against poverty and so on. For example, despite the war against crime and drugs, there has been a dramatic increase in crime and drug-related offenses in the past twenty-five years. The prison population has gone up from just under 300,000 in 1980 to a staggering 2.1 million in 2004. The war against disease has given us, amongst other things, antibiotics. At first, they were spectacularly successful, seemingly enabling us to win the war against infectious diseases. Now, many experts agree, the widespread and indiscriminate use of antibiotics has created a time bomb and that antibiotic-strains of bacteria, so-called super bugs, will in all likelihood bring about a reemergence of those diseases and possibly epidemics. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association , medical treatment is the third leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer in the United States .”
Tolle points out that the more we put energy into fighting things we don't like, the more they become empowered. Fighting does nothing to change the environment which spawned the condition in the first place.
The focus of Western medicine is fighting disease. Yet, in spite of the vast resources being directed toward this fight, there is no reduction in the amount of disease people are experiencing. In fact, we find new diseases and new strains of existing ones.
So what are better alternatives to fighting conditions like disease, poverty and crime?
In his book, Tolle proposes raising consciousness rather than waging war against these undesirable conditions. Treating illness as an enemy and perceiving it as evil often makes the conditions worse. Tolle doesn't advocate ignoring conditions at hand, but ultimately, without changing the consciousness or the environment that led to the situation, our efforts will be futile.
If the body is overstressed, toxic or unhealthy it may become a fertile breeding ground for any number and variety of diseases. One option is to fight and try and get rid of these diseases. Another option is to help restore the body to a healthy state.
The focus of the wellness paradigm is on raising consciousness about how we approach our environment, our bodies and our lives. From this place of awareness and acceptance, we navigate a more constructive and holistic solution. Instead of fighting the symptoms or conditions we experience, we establish positive strategies for optimal living and being. Network Spinal Analysis and Somato-Respiratory Integration offer positive strategies for adapting to stress and creating a deeper connection to our innate wisdom.
Ekhart Tolle's books, “The Power of Now” and “A New Earth,” are available for purchase at the Center for Holistic Health.
The Attraction Factor: How to Manifest What You Want
By
Julia Griffin
Focusing
We are all creators who came to this planet to learn the art of creating a harmonious reality; however, we sometimes forget that the focus of our attention determines the placement of our energy. The focus of energy or attention also creates "more" of the object of our focus. If we focus on lack of love, prosperity or joy in our lives, then we naturally create more of an undesirable state. When we speak about our negative feelings of an unhappy state of mind, we create a vibration with our voice, which is sound or frequency that reinforces the appearance of the undesirable state.
The attraction factor of energetic outcome could be called concentration or intent. The creation of positive or negative outcome is achieved through repetition of the focus of the mind, particularly through the experience of strong emotions or sensations. An intense thought pattern will eventually evoke an emotional state. This will create either physical tension or relaxation in the body. The emotional and physical responses will determine the creation of a positive or negative outcome.
As human beings, we are conditioned by our society to focus our minds negatively. We believe that money is limited; love diminishes over time; we will age a certain amount at a certain age; the destruction of the earth is imminent; and happiness may only be experienced briefly. Why focus on these thoughts when it is possible to entertain a joyous, beautiful reality?
Emotions are feelings, and thoughts, pictures; together they create holograms or powerful mental/emotional images. It is impossible to perform any action without a hologram, and we "program" ourselves with our holograms, so that they become almost automatic, like tying our shoes. In other words, our reality is perpetuated by holograms, which are often subconscious.
When we choose to focus on positive holograms, reality is naturally altered in a lovely way. An act of will is necessary to create the possibility of this beautiful, joyous reality by retraining the focus of the mind and emotions. It can take time to reprogram holograms, but we can know that our new images are working through the occurrence of positive synchronicity and uplifted emotions. Each moment we have the opportunity to choose what we think is "real": a wonderful reality or a depressing one. The choice of focus in each moment eventually determines the reality of our experience.
Keep in mind that much of our world, according to esoteric texts, is an illusion or reflection of our thoughts, actions and words. The "real" part of our world is a reflection of the higher parts of our nature. Our perception of the positive aspects of the world relies on our own attunement to our higher nature or true self...
Meditation, which is the reception of higher spiritual energy, can also lend insight into the truth of our inner selves, the path of inner knowing or wisdom. This place of inner knowing deepens our faith and belief in a positive outcome. Through sensing this beautiful place "within", the possibility of a beautiful "real world" can become a viable reality that we not only experience, but can also share to enliven and enrich others' experience of the world.
Julia can be reached at 770.983.1958
My Wake Up Call
by
James H. Oppenheim, Mph, DC
This is the tale of a wake up call, taking responsibility, and gratitude.
In early December I began to notice my long distance eye sight becoming dramatically blurry. By the time the holidays arrived I was visiting the bathroom every twenty minutes. (This did not make our trip to Myrtle Beach enjoyable)
When we came back from our trip, I started connecting the dots and wondered if I was pre diabetic? I began to wonder about all those years of being fatigued in the afternoon. All those little snacks I was having. Ice cream was a must at times, organic of course. I wasn't exercising like I used to. Now I found myself thirsty a lot of the time.
When I finally decided to get blood work done my fasting blood sugar was 327, over 3 times normal.
Here is where things get interesting. Luckily I have two people in my life, my wife and my father, who have successfully dealt with the same problem. Both have controlled their blood sugar by only natural means, including nutrition, physical exercise, the periodic NSA entrainments and stress management.
So now it was my turn. How many people have I counseled about this in my practice the last 25 years? It's been more than a few. Now I had several doctors suggesting I needed to get on medicine and that nutrition and exercise alone would not be enough. In addition I would more than likely need meds for controlling high blood pressure and cholesterol. It was pretty scary to think about having to take all those medications. My plan was to use nutrition, physical exercise, periodic NSA entrainments and stress management. Could I beat the odds?
Six weeks alter and I'm checking my blood sugar, blood pressure and weight every day. My blood sugar and blood pressure have been within the normal range and stable for four weeks. I have dropped 15 to 20 pounds. I've done all this with just a change in food and a change in eating habits. I am waiting for another few weeks to check my cholesterol. I haven't even started a focused exercise regime yet. I like to hike and I have a Nordic Track X-C machine that I have repaired and started to use. These two will be my primary ways of getting exercise. I am excited about these results and look forward to what consistent exercise will further do.
Overall I can tell you I feel much better, physically, mentally, emotionally. It was not easy but on the other hand, it isn't as hard as I my gloom and doom fantasies thought it would be. However, it is really difficult without support. I am grateful to my wife, my poppa (he is 89 very fit and alert, wicked sense of humor too) and friends who have been a continual source of support. Without them this story would not have such a happy ending, or should I say a new beginning.
Yours in Life and Love,
Jim