12 steps to calming your Mind

Carl G. Jung, the brilliant Swiss psychiatrist adopted the Sanskrit word Mandala and used Mandalas to help himself and his patients heal.

A circle organizes all that is within and as such, the Mandala is a microcosm of the macrocosm of the universe.

A form of Mandala – the Great Round – was developed by the great art therapist, Joan Kellogg,  in order to help us understand our own stages of growth. It turns out that our subconscious and collective minds do reflect nature in its perfection as nature and life is cyclical.

There are periods of growth, periods of stagnation and of death. I study the Tao Te Ching and Divine using the I Ching. The Tao and the I Ching interpret the cyclical flow of events. Mandalas and the Great Round are other tools that we can use. Kellogg studied thousands of mandalas and found that there was a recurring pattern in the drawings. Labyrniths are also circular and useful for shutting down our left brain thinking side, thus allowing our right brain creative side to flow.

The Archetypical Stages of the Great Round,  is a series of developmental stages that we all go through, reflecting the cycles of growth of nature, numbering 12 stages. Each stage has a task.  Here a the stages with a brief description:
1 – The Void – This is akin to fertile black soil of creation
2 – Bliss –  Like a baby in its mother’s womb with images of water
3 – Labyrinth/Spiral –  A quickening of life, like the Breath of God Upon the Waters
4 – Beginning –  A trusting state where we are in the mothers world
5 – The Target –  Separation from Paradise, an awareness of self as separateness
6 – Dragon Fight –  A time of inner conflict during which we give birth to a new sense of self
7 – Squaring the Circle –  A time to learn, plan and love, on top of the world at high noon
8 – The Functioning Ego   Symbolized by a star, a clear sense of self is developed.
9 – Crystallization –  feelings of satisfaction, harmony and fulfillment
10 – Gates of Death –  the connection between ego and self grows distant.
11 – Fragmentation –  The dark night of the soul, confusion, fear
12 – Transcendental Ecstasy –  Returning home, able to accept the gift of grace

Life being cyclical in nature, we go back to the void and start again.

Stages 1 through 6 are related to the Mother.  Stages 7 to 12 are related to the Patriarchy.

Humans reflect nature in these stages and we repeat these stages over and over again in our lives.

How to stop chronic pain

Some of the most compelling evidence of the effects of meat and dairy foods on causing inflammation and pain, arises when we stop eating them. According to the noted heart doctor, Dr Caldwell Esselstyn who helped President Clinton change his diet because of his heart disease, increasing numbers of individuals resolve their pain (arthritic, migraine, cardiac) when they avoid dairy food. Studies have shown that dairy causes inflammation, and inflammation causes pain. That’s why taking aspirin or other pain relievers reduces inflammation, and then it’s pain.

And switching to a whole-food, plant-based diet with little or no added salt, sugar and fat, produces astounding health benefits. This dietary lifestyle can prevent and even reverse 70% to 80% of existing, symptomatic disease, with an equivalent savings in health-care costs for those who comply.

Christians – why do we Fear and not Love God?

I am a Christian and I love God. I am somewhat baffled however by so many of my brothers and sisters of this world who are Christians but who Fear our God.

Why fear someone who loves us and wants us to only feel love and joy in this world, and the world after?

God is our Father, why would he want you to fear him?

How can you love someone you fear?
How can you respect someone you fear?

By fearing, are you not disrespecting, and not loving our Father?

I am a parent and I want my four children to love me, and not fear me.

If you are a parent and your child did something wrong would you forgive them and still love them? Or would you strike them dead as so many of my fellow Christians think our loving father will do to them.

We know now, that our thoughts and what we think impacts our life.

If you think God does not love you even with your faults, you will go through life punishing yourself, and your life will be Hell.

If you understand that God is your Father, and therefore as any father loves you unconditionally then you will go through life in Love and in Peace..

What do you choose?

A loving Father or a punishing Father?

Morning Story and Dilbert

Women have strengths that amaze men…..IT IS THAT
They bear hardships and they carry burdens,
but they hold happiness, love and joy.

They smile when they want to scream.
They sing when they want to cry.
They cry when they are happy
and laugh when they are nervous.

They fight for what they believe in..
They stand up to injustice.
They don’t take “no” for an answer
when they believe there is a better solution.

They go without so their family can have.
They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.
They love unconditionally.
They cry when their children excel
and cheer when their friends get awards.

They are happy when they hear about
a birth or a wedding.
Their hearts break when a friend dies.
They grieve at the loss of a family member,
yet they are strong when they
think there is no strength left.

They know…

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Quotes on Mind – Body – Spirit

Our limitations and success will be based, most often, on our own expectations for ourselves. What the mind dwells upon, the body acts upon. ~Denis Waitley

You don’t have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body. ~C.S. Lewis

To keep the body in good health is a duty, otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear. ~Buddha

There is more wisdom in your body than in your deepest philosophies. ~Friedrich Nietzche

A trembling in the bones may carry a more convincing testimony than the dry documented deductions of the brain. ~ Llewelyn Powers

Man is an intelligence in servitude to his organs. ~Aldous Huxley

The body never lies. ~Martha Graham

The soul is born old but grows young. That is the comedy of life. And the body is born young and grows old. That is life’s tragedy. ~Oscar Wilde

Our bodies are apt to be our autobiographies. ~Frank Gillette Burgess

What we feel and think and are is to a great extent determined by the state of our ductless glands and viscera. ~Aldous Huxley

Our bodies are our gardens – our wills are our gardeners. ~William Shakespeare

Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live. ~Jim Rohn

Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do. Play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do. ~Mark Twain

The body is an instrument, the mind its function, the witness and reward of its operation. ~George Santayana

Our own physical body possesses a wisdom which we who inhabit the body lack. We give it orders which make no sense. ~Henry Miller

When one is pretending, the entire body revolts. ~Anais Nin

The mind’s first step to self-awareness must be through the body. ~George Sheehan

Every man is the builder of a temple, called his body, to the god he worships, after a style purely his own, nor can he get off by hammering marble instead. We are all sculptors and painters, and our material is our own flesh and blood and bones. ~Henry David Thoreau

There are thoughts which are prayers. There are moments when, whatever the posture of the body, the soul is on its knees. ~Victor Hugo

Why should a man’s mind have been thrown into such close, sad, sensational, inexplicable relations with such a precarious object as his body? ~Thomas Hardy

“Humanity is now faced with a stark choice: Evolve or die. … If the structures of the human mind remain unchanged, we will always end up re-creating the same world, the same evils, the same dysfunction.” ~ Eckhart Tolle 

A sound mind in a sound body is a short but full description of a happy state in this world. ~John Locke

There is but one temple in the universe, and that is the body of man. ~Novalis

Our bodies communicate to us clearly and specifically, if we are willing to listen. ~Shakti Gawain

The soul is placed in the body like a rough diamond, and must be polished, or the luster of it will never appear. ~Daniel Defoe

Archetypal Stages of the Great Round of Mandala

I have been drawn to rainbows and colors all of my life.  I have found the perfect expression in Mandalas – sacred and magical circles which represent the universe. Mandalas are healing and beautiful and are universal throughout the world. Carl G. Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist adopted the Sanskrit word Mandala and used Mandalas to help himself and his patients heal. A circle organizes all that is within and as such, the Mandala is a microcosm of the macrocosm of the universe. Painting Mandalas is healing and fun for all ages. What amazes me is what the Mandalas reveal and what they teach us.

The brilliant art therapist, Joan Kellogg, developed the Great Round in order to help us understand our own stages of growth. It turns out that our subconscious and collective mindsdo reflect nature in its perfection. Nature is cyclical in nature. There are periods of growth, periods of stagnation and of death. The Tao and the I Ching interpret the cyclical flow of events. Mandalas and the Great Round are other tools that we can use. Kellogg studied thousands of mandalas and found that there was a recurring pattern in the drawings. Her revelation came in the form of a dream – where she saw a small man staring at her very intently while he walked backwards in a circle, drawing a pattern in the sand with a stick.

The Archetypical Stages of the Great Round,  also called (MARI)  is a series of developmental stages that we all go through, reflecting the cycles of growth of nature, numbering 12 stages. Each stage has a task.  Here a the stages with a brief description:
1 – The Void – This is akin to fertile black soil of creation
2 – Bliss –  Like a baby in its mother’s womb with images of water
3 – Labyrinth/Spiral –  A quickening of life, like the Breath of God Upon the Waters
4 – Beginning –  A trusting state where we are in the mothers world
5 – The Target –  Separation from Paradise, an awareness of self as separateness
6 – Dragon Fight –  A time of inner conflict during which we give birth to a new sense of self
7 – Squaring the Circle –  A time to learn, plan and love, on top of the world at high noon
8 – The Functioning Ego   Symbolized by a star, a clear sense of self is developed.
9 – Crystallization –  feelings of satisfaction, harmony and fulfillment
10 – Gates of Death –  the connection between ego and self grows distant.
11 – Fragmentation –  The dark night of the soul, confusion, fear
12 – Transcendental Ecstasy –  Returning home, able to accept the gift of grace

1.  This being cyclical in nature, we go back to the void.

Stages 1 through 6 are related to the Mother.  Stages 7 to 12 are related to the Patriarchy.  Humans reflect nature in these stages and we repeat these stages over and over again in our lives.

How The Great Round has changed my life. 

I can understand and be more accepting of myself and others as we all go through these stages.  They are part of the human condition.   There is a time to create and succeed and learn and grow.  There are also times that we need to rest and go into the VOID, the source of all creativity and ideas.  As a healer and massage therapist, I often find people are struggling with feelings of fatigue, confusion, sometimes no energy.  I understand now that this is a part of our cycles that is not well-known but is essential and important.  Take the time you need to rest and heal and be re-born.  In Indigenous cultures, there were frequently times of purification for people where they would go into isolation deep into the earth, for example and rest in mother Earth’s womb.   It is difficult to find such traditions in modern life.  I suspect that the body gets sick sometimes to force people to rest and purify themselves.  Frequently we resist the changes, that death that is necessary.  New life has to come and parts of us have to die for this to occur.  It is easier to flow through these stages when you are aware of them and know that they need not be permanent.  It is easier to be compassionate to yourself and others knowing these cycles.  It has been a great blessing for me to have this sacred knowledge.  I come back to these principles again and again.  Painting mandalas is way to see yourself in a new perspective and to create a healing and self-understanding.

I thank Susanne F. Fincher, local Atlanta author and Art Therapist for her incredible book –  Creating Mandalas for Insight, Healing and Self Expression, Shambhala, Boston & London 1991

author, Tamara Barhar is a licensed Massage Therapist and Energy Therapist, Artist and Violin Musician who also teaches Mandala Workshops.  She lives in Roswell,  GA with her husband and little girl on a miniature  farm. 

Worlds 125 Best Foods

Scientific studies and research in the last 5 years has demonstrated that only 30% of heart disease and cancer in America is due to our genes. We now know that 70% of heart disease and cancer in America is caused by what we eat. This means that we as Americans can take control of our health, and reverse the terrible epidemic of heart disease, cancer and diabetes in America.

Cherries

Cutting edge scientific research shows that a “Plant Based Diet” is the best way to accomplish prevention, and even reversal of heart disease.

Our Eco Healthy Diet is both a lifestyle, and a diet. A Plant Based Diet is basically based on whole or minimally processed plants, primarily fruits, vegetables, whole grains, tubers, and legumes. It excludes or minimizes animal-based foods such as meat (including poultry and fish), dairy, and eggs, as well as refined foods like bleached flour, refined sugar, and oil.

Despite never having heart disease in my family,  always being thin and active, my  arteries have become progressively blocked over the past seven years. And despite open heart surgery seven years ago, three additional surgeries since then for stents, and regularly taking statin’s and other heart medications, my coronary artery heart disease has worsened.

I have one option left if I want to see my grand-daughter Kaitlin grow up and blossom into a beautiful lady, just as her mother and grand mother. After diligent research I believe by going to a plant-based diet, – basically changing my lifestyle and becoming a Vegan – I can reverse, and then end this insidious disease. I have followed the journey of President Clinton and others who overcame this disease by radically changing their eating lifestyle.

It will not be easy to change years of unhealthy eating habits but when you have but one option left you eagerly accept it.

Change is frightening and difficult, and we all need all the support and encouragement we can get when facing it. It’s common for us to deny or try to escape from a major change. I have seen it with many of the clients I coach.But it is time we all change our eating habits, and put an end to the epidemic of heart disease, cancer and diabetes in America. 

I was on the Mediterranean Diet, recommended by heart doctors for patients to go on after heart surgery. It however proved to not work for me. I have learned it does not work for many others also. My only chance to stay alive, and reverse my blockages is to change my eating lifestyle, take control of my future, and go on a Plant Based Diet as recommended by Doctor’s Caldwell Esselstyn, Doctor Dean Ornish, and my friend, and personal wellness coach Dr. Katherine Gettys M.D.

I have researched and compiled this list of the 125 Best Plant Based Foods in order to assist others who want to take control of their health, and live a vibrant and active lifestyle.

I hope it proves useful to you on your own journey to health. Every journey begins with faith, hope and a single step. I am reminded of Lao Tzu’s quote in the Tao Te Ching,

….“The journey of a thousand miles begins with but the first step”

i woman wellness.com

Here is our list of the Worlds 125 Best Foods for starting i woman wellness ‘s Plant Based Diet to prevent heart disease and cancer.

Each individual health situation is different, so please use your own body’s signals, and your health physicians advice.

FRUITS

• Apricots -Acai -Apples- Bananas-Blueberries-Cantaloupe
• Cherries-Cranberries-Figs-Grapefruit-Grapes-Gogi Berries
• Incan Berries-Kiwi fruit-Lemon-Limes-Oranges-Papaya
• Pears-Pineapple-Plums-Pomegranates-Prunes-Raisins
• Raspberries-Strawberries-Watermelon

 Vegetables

• Asparagus-Avocados-Beets-Bell peppers-Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts-Cabbage-Carrots-Cauliflower
• Celery-Collard greens-Cucumbers-Eggplant
• Fennel-Garlic-Green beans-Green peas-Kale
• Leeks-lettuce-Mushrooms-Mustard greens
• Olives-Onions-Potatoes-Romaine lettuce
• Sea vegetables-Spinach-Squash- Summer Squash
• Sweet potatoes-Swiss chard-Tomatoes-Turnip greens
• Quinoa-Yams

Dairy

• Almond Milk- Egg Whites- Greek High Protein Yogurt

Beans & Legumes

• Black beans-Dried peas-Garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
• Kidney beans-Lentils-Lima beans-Miso-Navy beans
• Pinto beans-Soybeans-Tofu and Tempeh

Nuts & Seeds 

• Pistachios-Almonds-Cashews-Flaxseeds-Olive oil, extra virgin
• Peanuts-Pumpkin seeds-Sesame seeds-Sunflower seeds
• Walnuts

Grains

• Barley-Brown rice-Buckwheat-Corn-Lentils-Millet
• Oats-Quinoa-Rye-Spelt-Whole wheat

Spices & Herbs

• Basil-Black pepper-Cayenne pepper-Chili pepper, dried
• Cilantro/Coriander seeds-Cinnamon, ground
• Cloves-Cumin seeds-Dill-Ginger-Mustard seeds
• Oregano-Parsley-Peppermint-Rosemary-Sage
• Thyme-Turmeric

 Natural Sweeteners

• Stevia – Truvia Sweetner – Molasses-Honey
• 100% Pure Maple syrup

Mind Healing

Reiki – Yoga – AIS Stretching – I Ching, Massage, Walking a Labyrinth

 Other

• Green tea-White Tea-Chamomile Tea
• Unsweetened natural cocoa -Soy sauce – Water
• Juice Plus – whole food fruit, vegetable, and Vineyard blend capsules
• CoQ10 -Omega 3 oil – Vitamine D
•  Juice Plus Protein Shake
• Ensure Protein Supplement -Cacao Beans
• Cacao Powder
• Dark Chocolate, such as Lindt, or Godiva

Do Not Eat

As far as Do Not Eat foods there are a lot, but basic is:

NO SUGARS, NO FAST FOOD, NO SODA, NO PROCESSED FOODS

To stay out of trouble we shop the ends of the Supermarket, Vegetable & Fruits Section, and Organic Foods Section and avoid the middle of the store with all the processed, boxed and canned foods….Here’s to your good health

 

Your Creative Muse

The Muse – the source of knowledge and creativity is the voice within. Each of us has a creative Muse within us.

While the modern world drowns out her call to creativity for most,  if one can quiet their mind and allow her creative beauty and intelligence to reach their ear,  then the divine knowledge, and creative inspiration of the eternal Muse will flow  freely.

The greatest advances for humanity occur when the Muse flows.

“This is the other secret that real artists know and wannabe writers don’t. When we sit down each day and do our work, power concentrates around us. The Muse takes note of our dedication. She approves. We have earned favor in her sight. When we sit down and work, we become like a magnetized rod that attracts iron filings. Ideas come. Insights accrete.” ― Steven Pressfield

Join with us on this site – Stephens Musings.com –  for creating a more compassionate and healthier world for women, children and our animals. The compassionate spirit resides in the hearts of these our most precious and loving.