Power, Freedom and Grace. (A book Review)

Do you sometimes feel that you're running out of time, that you have so much you'd like to accomplish yet you feel stuck, unable to gather your thoughts and take action? I recently heard a lady complaining of the same symptoms. Finally retired after years of teaching, she talked about the few travels she did with her husband, and now back home, she was feeling a bit lost and lonely. She continued to share about all her wonderful ideas to turn such and such hobby into a business and get creative, but she also expressed running out of time and the feeling of urgency.

I've often felt that way, with my age advancing and my desire to have a second baby, urgency takes over. I have to stop myself and remember to simply surrender to this day, this moment and be happy in it. When you do this, you open up the channels of creativity and you begin to align yourself with the Universe. When you are synchronized with the Universe, you simply know it. Everything flows with ease and happens as it should. I understand the difficulty to stay in that moment however; you might feel as though you're holding that soap bubble in your hand for as long as you can before it just pops and disappears. That's how it feels like holding to that moment when you feel everything is right, then it pops away and you're back feeling overwhelmed, lost, and feeling out of time and frustrated with life in general. But I am getting better at living in the present and finding happiness, how you ask?

Well my husband, a few weeks ago, surprised me with a little book he had seen me browsing through online. A book from one of my favorite authors, Deepak Chopra. This gem helped me understand many aspects of life and spirit. I read it every evening before bedtime, and the energy it brings is amazing. He expresses ideas and truths in such perfectly woven words, sentences roll in my mind and are absorbed by my inner being. And you know a truth from the way it makes you feel don't you? Power, Freedom, and Grace is a book that will help you see your Self and the world in a kinder, softer way. You will feel empowered and free as suggested in the title, while Grace surprises you between the lines.

Deepak Chopra's Power, Freedom, and Grace helped me through a difficult situation recently which had tied me up in knots, but the pertinent information and beautiful thoughts he expressed, untied my out of control emotions, got rid of my false thinking and allowed me to feel and be free from negativity and depression. It brought me back to the present, the only moment that there is, the "now". Time no longer is running out it is now enjoyed for what it is. I have become a fan, and in fact, I suggested the book to that retired teacher in hopes it will bring her as much as it has brought me.

Power, Freedom, and Grace: Living from the Source of Lasting Happiness

Organic Cotton For Your Baby

Having a baby? You might be already thinking of your little one's room decoration, bedding and furniture. Consider carefully however the type of mattress you will use. In today's crib mattresses and pillows there are harmful and allergenic chemicals such as, polyvinyl chloride (a very unhealthy plastic), polyurethane foam (a petroleum product), fire retardants and many other toxic materials and chemicals.

If you are one of those parents who is turning their home slowly but surely to a more green living environment to ensure the health of your family, you must be well informed about these toxic materials. Not to worry you or create a paranoia but to get informed at what is available out there and that you have a choice.

The alternative to these many toxic materials and chemicals is the use of organic cotton. It is grown without pesticides and fertilizers, unlike foams which are chemically treated and latex which is an allergenic. Organic cotton is less flammable than other materials, which need fire retardants. A baby's bed materials should be made out of non-toxic sources, as it is found that a lot of the chemicals are associated to children's health issues.

By making the change or the choice of simply using organic cotton you're definitely promoting a healthier environment for your baby, and that little bundle of joy is worth it!  We encourage you to do your own research about baby mattresses, and we also have put a resource below if you have already decided to opt for the better choice for your baby.

Resources:
Organic Cotton Pillowcases
Organic Cotton Pillow
Organic Pillowcases
Organic Quilted Mattress Topper
Organic Mattress Topper
Non-toxic Baby Bassinet Mattresses
Organic Bassinet

Protect the Womb

As a mother you want to protect your children from harm, whether it's from bacteria, certain types of food and even what they watch on television. But how about as an expectant mother, protecting your child before it is born, while it's still in the womb?
Every day we are exposed to radiation, whether it be low energy or high, very dangerous energy emitted by cell phones, computers, televisions, power lines, etc.
It's speculated that birth defects, genetic disruptions, miscarriages and even cancer are caused by long exposure to these radiations as it can affect cell growth and DNA replication.

Ways to protect yourself from exposure is to limit the time of use of these electronic devices and also keep a significant distance from them.

During pregnancy there is another method to shield oneself from these harmful waves, and that is to cover your belly with protective clothing. There are companies that make clothes, tees, blankets and even aprons that shield and protect the body by stopping these waves from reaching the mother's womb.

They're made with a special fabric, a conductive textile made of silver fibers, safe and non-allergenic, it neutralizes incoming electromagnetic waves, and shields the womb from exposure.

With the increase of technological advancement, we are being exposed to more and more of these electromagnetic fields, and with these countermeasures we can help reduce negative health effects.

Journey of Little Spirit

A short story inspired by the experience of grief. ~by Natalie H.

Once upon a time there was a little spirit that was sent by its Source to a train terminal. The landscape around was grey, impersonal, without character but there little Spirit was sent to wait. She looked to the left and noticed a tunnel which stretched out for a time period of nine months. To the right was fog leaving the road ahead unseen and mysterious. Right in the front was a sign which indicated the name of the terminal  " M. & Mrs A. "

Little Spirit smiled and sat on the bench patiently waiting for M. & Mrs A's train to arrive at the terminal. And then it would finally embark, own it, be its conductor and take it over toward new journeys on what she was told would be "Earth".

While she waited, she could feel many different sensations, vibrations coming through the tunnel. Sensing joy and excitement from M. & Mrs A. who gratefully and eagerly built the train. Bolt by bolt, track by track, each piece came together and each month the train begun to look more and more complete. Little Spirit couldn't wait to see the finished train it would finally hop on when it came through the tunnel.

But one day, those vibrations of joy and excitement changed to despair and sadness, little Spirit even felt a terrible emotion of anger and confusion, she heard Mrs. A's voice crying, lamenting but never cursing. She called out "Rachel" and asked for forgiveness. Little Spirit understood that "Rachel" is how Mrs. A identified her, and Rachel begun to understand that M. and Mrs. A had discovered that the train they were building had mechanical problems and not fully efficient to take little Spirit onto its long and happy, healthy journey on Earth. She stood at the terminal waiting for their decision, and one day Rachel knew that M. and Mrs A had pulled the lever and changed the course of their train, it went off track and would not continue its full course up to the terminal where little Spirit was waiting. The fog would not lift to reveal the world she would have known. Little Spirit heard their voices and their tears and returned to its Source from which it came. 

Perhaps little Spirit would return in a later time at a different terminal, or perhaps it would return to M. and Mrs A's terminal once more, this time to embark a perfectly functional train that would finally unite them. Meanwhile, little Spirit's experience extended only to the waiting station, and it was an interesting experience.

Today's Affirmation

Your mind is like a computer and just as commands and scripts program a computer so do affirmations program your mind. Daily affirmations help your mind focus on your immediate goals, this makes your conscious mind begin planting the seed deep into your subconscious which then takes charge. It is at your subconscious level that old habits are broken and new ones come in and transform your behaviors. Your new behaviors match your goals and reshape your life, and that's when you see your goals being reached. Affirmation made things happen.

Here's a very important tip to help you succeed with affirmations. Always affirm in the present tense. It is far more effective to say for example: "I AM rich" rather than "I will be rich" which only signifies intent but not action. Affirming in the present tense, and feeling it prompts the subconscious mind to make things happen "now".

Today's affirmations focus on "NOW"
"I am calm."
"I have and am working in my dream job"
"I am successful in everything that I do"
"I am appreciated"...


Experience Your Good Now!: Learning to Use Affirmations

The Secret to Happiness.

When you're waiting for answers, weeks seem like months, the hands of the clock never seem to be moving, time stands still and we marinade in our anxieties of tomorrow or our disappointments of yesterday. When you're anxious about something, your mind races, wishing to be there already, there where the answer lies. But it never gets there because there is in the future and all you have at this point in time is now. The present moment is your ultimate sanctuary of peace, when you realize and learn to be in the moment, rather than let your thinking go in the directions of ifs, "if I had the answer", "If I was there", "If I owned this or that", "if I made more money" etc... when you prevent your mind from wandering this way, and instead bring your thoughts back to the present, you find that inner peace, you become conscious.

Now is reality, the rest are illusions and when you live in illusions, you shut the door to the present where peace resides. The secret to happiness is knowing how to enjoy the moment you're in, and then even that moment is gone. But in that moment, you were alive and fully conscious of your "Self". Your real "Self". You were were nor in the future with wishful thinking, nor in the past reminiscing. Neither can bring any comfort today.

Only Now exists.

Declaring Independence from Fear!

Fear has long served many to control people and the masses. But fear is more common in our daily activities than those few power driven individuals who often times successfully utilize it to stir the people their way. Fear paralyzes us and keeps us from living a full life. Fear usually settles in when we suffer from anxieties, panic and irrational thinking; when thoughts of terrible things happening exceed the thoughts of living a happy trouble free life.

Often individuals live alone with their fears, not readily expressing them to their friends and families, but this isolation can further increase our fears and cause us to spiral downwards perpetuating deeper fears. The best thing to do, from my own personal experience, is to not avoid them. Acknowledge your fears and identify the irrational thoughts that cause feelings of fear. In other words, face them!

I noticed fear emerging in the pit of my stomach when I am faced with actions I must take of which I am uncertain, or situations I am not sure of the outcome, sometimes because I feel I'm not good enough to do a certain task, what if they laugh at me! All these feelings commonly share one thing, the unknown. Not knowing is not having control, and not having control leaves some of us paralyzed with fear. I am reminded of the old saying "there's nothing to fear but fear itself" - so true. Fear imprisons us, keeps us captive and holds us back from our full potential in life. When we finally face our fears, acknowledge them and identify their source, we can finally start rationalizing and making changes toward living without them. We can leap or take small steps, it doesn't matter, as long as we declare our independence from them and separate ourselves from the grip of all irrational thinking.

Nothing is certain in life, but what I do know for sure is that when ever I jump in the water, even if I don't know whether it's cold, hot, deep or shallow, or even if I'm a good enough swimmer; I end up swimming across the pool and come out refreshed and proud to have done the lap. I might feel the same anxiety next time I am about to dive in (whatever I'm diving in), but it will be a little less, and less, until all my anxieties and fears miraculously disappear.

So as we approach July 4th, let's declare our independence from this great enemy which is fear and begin to live a more empowered, authentic and free life!