Best of Existing's Tricky 2010

I can't believe it's been eight months since I started this blog.  Here is a list of personal favorite posts of 2010!

Refocusing: Letting Go and Letting Love

The Ego's job is to create fear and control, but sometimes a book or experience, quote, or friend can help us kick that Ego to the curb and get in touch with our inner guidance system. The message I received will enable me to kick this healing into high gear. 

Protect Yourself This Flu Season

Drug companies push dangerous shots that contain mercury and other nastiness. A few simple holistic remedies will help you maintain health, even through the winter flu season. 

Healthy Monday's: The Protein Myth

One of the biggest questions I am asked is "How do you get your protein if you are not eating meat? There are many sources of protein for vegetarians, including nuts, seeds and dark leafy vegetables. This article also covers which items are a complete source of protein, meaning they contain all essential amino acids. 

Forgiveness

This is one of the most important lessons I've learned this year. I've experience so much healing by using this simple tool. I know it will help you as well. 

The Power of Affirmations

Louise Hay is a brilliant woman who healed her own cancer through the use of affirmations.   

12 Steps to a Healthier You

Most people have the desire to improve their health, increase happiness and live better lives. However, most efforts fail because they don't know the steps to successfully implement change in their lives. Read, print, and follow these steps to create a healthier you. 

Mirroring: Reflect on the Inner You

This tool has been tremendous in opening myself to others. Often times those who affect us the most, are the ones we need to pay the most attention to. They are a reflection of something inside ourselves. 

Superfoods Part I, Superfoods Part II and Superfoods Part III

This three-part article details 17 different Superfoods that personally healed my issues with anemia, hypoglycemia, hormone imbalance, and have reduced the inflammation in my system, which in turn has reduced the cancer. This is one of the most important sources of information I've ever received.

I'm a Reiki Gal Now!

I resisted, dug my heels in, crossed my arms, and shouted "I don't wanna" in my little kid voice, year after year.  This year I finally relented, and realized what a beautiful gift Reiki is. This is my story.

Vegan Freak: Being Vegan in a Non-Vegan World

It is so difficult to explain diet and lifestyle changes to our loved ones. Often times people become defensive, and in turn, we can have a superior attitude. This list of tips will help you co-exist with those still on a SAD (Standard American Diet). 

Love and Gratitude Friday's: Attracting Abundance

I have been using the Law of Attraction for a few years now and I'm telling you, it works.  This is a list of my favorite tools to aid you in implementing the Law in your life.

Healing With Energy Psychology

I have used many different energy psychology techniques.  In this article I discuss some of my earliest successes, which have lead to incredible healing.

No TV For 30 Days Challenge

Kris Carr originally posted this challenge on her blog CrazySexyLife.  In this article I provide tips on reducing TV in your life, how to fill in all the extra time, and challenge you to take a 30 day break from the boob tube.

Releasing Romantic Illusions

In Gabrielle Bernstein's wonderful book Add More ~Ing to Your Life: The Hip Guide to Happiness, she discusses how we sometimes make our intimate relationships "special", which can lessen our own loving relationship with ourselves.  

Loving Tuesday's: Love Yourself

Self love is so important.  Enjoy this beautiful post filled with tips, quotes and pictures to help you create a loving relationship with your self. 

Comment, re-post, sign up to be a follower and spread the word! Thank you for a wonderful 2010, let's start 2011 off with a BANG!! 

Namaste

Shanna

 

Love and Gratitude Friday's: Merry Christmas!!

Christmastime is a wonderful time to reflect on what we are grateful for and the things we love.  This year I am grateful for:

• All the miraculous healing I've experienced
• My wonderful parents
• Learning how to balance my finaces
• The opportunity to continue working part time for Benjamin Franklin Plumbing
• My brand new water heater
• The new friendships I've developed this year
• Starting this blog, my followers, comments received and everyone who's re-posted something
• Discovering HerFuture and the wonderful Gabrielle Bernstein
• Learning to cry
• Stretching and balancing myself through yoga
• My wonderful loving doggie Triton
• My Mom's doggies Magic and Aurora
• Meeting my cousin Sloane
• All the blessings I've received
• Learning to open myself and heal

I love this video by the talented, yet bizarre Kate Bush



Have a wonderful holiday! What's on your Love List? What are you Grateful for?

Reflections on 2010

As the year draws to a close, I can't help but reflect on the lessons I've learned this year:

1. Forgiveness is a daily practice.  It is the key to loving oneself and letting go of fear.  Without forgiveness, we would not heal.  
2. Gratitude changes everything.  The more I focus on what I have, rather than lack, the less I find I need to be happy.  
3. I can be flexible.  Whether it's a flexibility in my schedule, or my new-found ability to touch my toes, thanks to yoga, I have learned that being flexible is an important aspect of interacting with others. 
4. Crying and having feelings does not make me "ridiculous", it simply makes me human. 
5. Meditation is good for the soul.  It balances out my day, clears my mind, and gives me the tools I need to manifest my desires. 
6. Friendships are precious, and each one must be honored.  It is also important to know when it's time to let someone go. 
7. Loving yourself is the first step.  Without self love, my love cannot be shared with others. 
8. Communication is key.  Remember what they say about ass-u-me? Whether it's a family member, friend, your mortgage company, postal worker, etc. it is important to thoroughly communicate and ensure that both parties understand and are on the same page at the end of the conversation. 
9. Balancing the two sides of my personality, the organized control freak and creative free spirit has greatly improved my attitude and productivity.  By creating balance in my life I have time to do all the "to do's" on my list, in addition to working on creative products and being flexible in my schedule. 
10. Deep breathing allows me to really let go and align myself with my desires.  

What have you learned in 2010?  What will lessons will you take into 2011?  

Soak Up the Sun

For years we've been told to avoid sunlight.  We slather suntan lotion on our bodies, and hide from those glorious rays of sunlight in fear of developing skin cancer.  Because of this, Vitamin D deficiency is a leading epidemic worldwide.  Vitamin D is found in nearly every cell of the body and is responsible for interacting with over 2000 genes.  It strengthens muscles, is an anti-inflammatory, improves immune functioning, balances insulin, builds bone and fights cancer.  The best way to get our daily Vitamin D intake is to spend at least 20 minutes in direct sunlight, without any sunscreen.  We have been brainwashed to believe that time in the sun is bad, that it creates cancer and causes other issues, but there is really no proof of that. While standing out there until you turn into a lobster is probably not the best idea, we need Vitamin D to function, so soaking up a little sun is really to our benefit.  A Vitamin D deficiency can lead to many diseases such as several forms of cancer, osteoporosis, heart conditions, MS, obesity, Alzheimer's, depression and infertility.  In the winter time, many people do not spend nearly enough time in the sun.  In this case, it's a good idea to take a daily Vitamin D supplement to get your recommended levels.  You can find these easily in any Whole Foods or local health food store.  Vitamin D is important to your health, so get some sun, take a supplement, and you will notice a difference.

Love and Gratitude Friday's: Triton's 3rd Birthday!!

"You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection."
 - Buddha, was a spiritual teacher from ancient India who founded Buddhism.
 
"Love is the capacity to take care, to protect, to nourish. If you are not capable of generating that kind of energy toward yourself- if you are not capable of taking care of yourself, of nourishing yourself, of protecting yourself- it is very difficult to take care of another person. In the Buddhist teaching, it's clear that to love oneself is the foundation of the love of other people. Love is a practice. Love is truly a practice."
 - Thich Nhat Hanh, Zen Buddhist monk, author and peace activist.

I am so grateful to have spent nearly three wonderful years with the most wonderful creature alive, my precious dog Triton.  Even though he never cleans the house, creates vast lakes of water and slime in the kitchen, farts up a storm, steals the food off my plate and always hides the garage door opener when I leave him in the car, he's the best friend a  girl could ask for. I am so grateful to Wayside for their amazing program, to the Universe for leading me to him, and every moment we've shared.  I am grateful to my Mom for all the dog sitting, my Dad for all the dog walking, and everyone else who has participated in his care.  I love cuddling with him on the couch, taking him for walks (except during squirrel season!), and going on car rides.  He is the best thing that's ever happened to me, my constant, my angel and friend.  I love you Triton and am grateful to share this life experience with you! Happy Birthday!!

Getting Into the Vortex: Guided Meditations

According to Abraham, the collective channelled by Esther Hicks, everything in life comes down to one thing: coming into alignment with the Energy of our Source. They have written many books on this topic, but have not released a guided meditation CD geared towards releasing our resistance and aligning with our Source.  There are four meditations, each 15 minutes long, focusing on four areas of life: General Well-Being, Financial Well-Being, Physical Well-Being and Relationships. 

I started listening to this meditation about two weeks ago, daily, and have enjoyed the experience so far.  The focus in on breathing, a topic that comes up a lot in the world of physical, emotional and spiritual health.  Breathing is key to releasing toxins from our body, letting oxygen in, reducing stress, and letting go of our resistance to new ideas.  Combining breathing with strong affirmative statements, this meditation is designed to bring us into alignment with our desires, and show us what it means to be a Spiritual being. 

Fifteen minutes a day is a reasonable amount of time to spare in order to shift into a space of physical, financial and generally well-being, while improving my relationships.  I find that if I listen to it right before I get out of bed, I never forget and it kick starts my day.  I highly recommend checking out this meditation CD, and further exploring the works of Esther Hicks.

Refocusing: Letting Go and Letting Love

Last night I read Mathew and Terces from Cafe Gratitude's new book Kindred Spirit and was completely moved by the experience.  While reading a passage regarding how the Ego can create stories that are not necessarily true, especially in relationships, I began crying, real tears. Now, those that know me will realize what a rarity this is. I do not cry, especially sitting home alone.  But last night, I shed a few tears and immediately my Ego jumped in and said "You are ridiculous!".  Yikes! I realized in that moment that instead of being in a state of letting go and being love, I was trapped in a place of being control and showing any emotion outside of that control was "being ridiculous."  Over the past few years, as I've continued to heal, I sometimes have moments where I get frustrated. What else is there for me to learn, to do, in order to release this cancer and live a fully healthy life? I realized last night that while I've done quite a bit of work, my focus has been more on reading about exercises or writing about healing tools, rather than the implementation.  And while I have done many exercises, as soon as that Ego pops in with the control, I stop letting go, and stop making progress.  Therefore, I'm starting fresh, breaking out all my workbooks, healing tools, etc. and telling my Ego that it's time to let go and be love.

Starting tomorrow, I'm going to get up a bit earlier, begin my day with meditation, a green smoothie, journal free write and yoga.  Once I'm balanced, I'll be able to work on my writing throughout the day, and take small breaks to do some EFT, Reiki, Healing Codes, etc. and make sure that I focus on at least one emotional exercise each day, and by golly if crying is required, I'm just going to have to let go and get over it. This will be difficult for me, but I feel positive and I know that in reality, being love, asking for forgiveness, apologizing, blessing others and expressing gratitude is a daily practice, and one that will make me into a even happier and spiritually balance, physically healthy person than I am today. 

I am amazed when I look back and see how far I've come, but it's time to heal this attachment to cancer, and be a daily example of Kindred Spirit.

Namaste

Love and Gratitude Friday's

"When you are grateful fear disappears and abundance appears" Anthony Robbins

"Wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving." Kahil Gibran

"Gratitude is the sign of noble souls" Aesop

The Little Things I Love

listening to holiday music ♥ Burt's Bee's chapstick ♥ homemade guacamole ♥ cuddling on the sofa with my giant furry puppy dog ♥ receiving abundance from the Universe just in the perfect time ♥ reading Darcy's Voyage and seeing Elizabeth and Darcy fall in love in a whole new way ♥ the release of Twilight Eclipse on DVD ♥ finally being inspired to start writing my book ♥ chocolate/mint/banana smoothie ♥ connecting to new friends via Twitter ♥ getting back into yoga and being able to touch my toes! ♥ looking at cute Christmas doggies on my calendar ♥ reading Crazy Sexy Diet and being re-inspired to eat healthy ♥ Holiday specials of Eureka and Warehouse 13 ♥ cozy socks ♥ clean sheets ♥ wearing my winter scarf ♥ 

What's on Your Love List? What are You Grateful For? 

 

30 Things Before I Turn 30: #21 Try Kimichi

I've been working on my list of 30 Things to accomplish before my birthday, and have completed one of the items from my list.  This week I decided to buy kimichi from Whole Foods.  They have four different flavors, and I read and re-read each item several times before choosing the spicy kimichi.  Two of the items had fennel in it, and I've discovered the fennel makes me nauseous, so it limited my choice.  I really didn't know how to eat it, so I purchased some delicious crackers and decided to make a lovely snack.  Delicious! It is similar to sauerkraut, but with more vegetables than just cabbage and seasoned differently.  This one is quite spicy, with red pepper flakes, but I did enjoy it. 

So why kimichi? Kimichi is a fermented food, filled with all the good bacteria your body needs for digestion.  It has tons of enzymes, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, vitamin C, helps you absorb B12 vitamins, and probiotics. 

Have you ever eaten Kimichi?  How do you like to eat it?  Do you have any favorite recipes you would like to share?

Crazy Sexy Diet

I've been following the work of Kris Carr for a few years now.  Eight years ago she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, incurable. Instead of giving up, she decided focus on healing herself. She filmed a documentary, Crazy Sexy Cancer, that showed us doctor's visits, emotional breakdowns, and discovering green smoothies.  She has written three books now, Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips, Crazy Sexy Cancer Journal and the new Crazy Sexy Diet. 

Crazy Sexy Diet is a great tool for anyone hoping to heal themselves from any ailment, or someone simply wishing to convert to a healthier diet. In her book, Kris encourages readers to "eat your veggies and shake your God pod."  Eating a high alkaline diet, and moving your body, are two important keys in her lifestyle guide. Ten chapters cover topics such as testing your PH, the truth behind sugar and milk, detoxing your body, juicing tips, meditation, healthy snacks, supplements, and most importantly, her 21 Day Adventure Cleanse. The cleanse is worth the price of the book.  Kris' cleanse does not restrict how much you can eat, only what you eat.  She provides daily encouragement, through affirmations, fun tips, and exercise suggestions. The cleanse also includes a weekly juice fast, giving your body a day of rest to release as many toxins as possible.

With guest articles from greats such as Dr. Brian Clement, Emily Deschanel, Rory Freedman and many more, this book is packed with excellent tips for converting to a healthy lifestyle that will make you feel great and heal your body.

Banana Cake With a Delectable Chocolate Frosting

Banana Cake With Delectable Chocolate Frosting
(from Sinfully Vegan by Lois Dieterly)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups oat flour (or ground oats)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3 medium bananas, mashed with a fork
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/ cup applesauce
3 tsp flax powder
3/4 cup water
2 T whipped tofu
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips, plus another 1/2 cup for garnish

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat 8-inch round cake or 8-inch spring form pan with non-stick cooking spray. 
2. Mash bananas in medium bowl with fork. Add maple syrup, applesauce, whipped tofu, and vanilla. Make a slurry (a thin mixture of liquid, usually water, combined with a finely ground substance) with flax powder and 3/4 cup water. Add flax/water to banana mixture.
3. In another bowl, mix oat flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix just to combine. Add chocolate chips and stir again, just to mix. Do not over mix. Pour batter into prepared pan.
4. Bake 30-35 minutes or until sides pull away from the edge of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Delectable Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients:
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 cup cocoa
1/3 cup whipped tofu

Directions:
1. Place tofu in food processor and blend until smooth
2. Add maple syrup and cocoa and continue blending until mixture is smooth and creamy

The Acid/Alkaline Balance

Our bodies are meant to be slightly alkaline, around 7.35.  However, because of our diets, most people are highly acidic.  The more acidic your body, the more prone you are to health issues, such as the common cold, autoimmune disease, cancer, etc.  Harmful bacteria thrive in an acidic state, making it more difficult for your body to perform basic functions.  Eating a diet high in Alkaline foods can prevent disease, and even eliminate disease if you already have it.  That doesn't mean you can't eat from the acidic side, but it's best to eat at least 60% alkaline foods.  If you are combating a disease, closer to 80% is better.  This chart will show you where foods fall in the acidic/alkaline balance.

Acidic/Alkaline Chart

As a rule of thumb, if you just make sure that 2/3 of your plate is filled with green vegetables, you are probably good.  It's also a good idea to buy PH strips (you can get them from any pharmacy) and test your PH levels. It's best to do it in the morning, after your first elimination but before you eat, to see what your standing level is.  If you are below 7.0, you might want to focus on improving your diet.

Green Smoothies are a great and easy way to get those essential alkalizing veggies into your body.  Snacking on almonds, or almond butter, adding Cinnamon to your food and switching your sweetener to Stevia will also help.  Start making the shifts, and you will feel better and your body will thank you for it.

Hair Loss for Women, Why It Happens and Tips for Stopping It

Last night a friend of mine sent me a message asking me if I had noticed an excessive amount of hair loss since becoming a vegetarian. Oddly enough, I had a similar conversation with another friend a few weeks back, who is not a vegetarian, but also noticed increased hair loss. I have noticed this for a few years now, and so far it's not obvious to an outsider, but my hair is much thinner than it used to be. I did a little research, and shockingly, this is a growing issue for women of all ages.  It's also believed that reasons for women's hair loss are very different than in men.  Some of the reasons I found include: hormone imbalance, autoimmune disorders, anemia, thyroid disorders, various medications, and a stressful event. 

After looking into this further, this is one common factor that may help stop this.  Most people are not getting an ample amount of B12/Folic Acid.  It is not available at all in any vegetarian diet; people who eat meat do get this, because of the bacteria stored in a cows tissue.  However, with the change in diet for cows and the excessive use of hormones and steroids, I believe even meat eaters are not getting an ample amount of this vitamin. It is very easy to add a supplement to your diet, 1-2 pills daily with food.  B12/Folic Acid is not just important for your hair, but for those who may have found themselves experiencing some of the health issues listed above, specifically anemia, thyroid issues and stress, will find that adding this supplement will balance out some of those issues.

Aside from taking this supplement, another factor in hair loss is likely our diet.  Most people have a very acidic diet, filled with processed foods, overly cooked foods, very few fruits and vegetables and high in animal product.  The more acidic your body, the more prone to disease. Also, most of the foods on the Standard American Diet are very low on vitamins and minerals, so when your body is deficient, it starts to pull from your bones and anywhere else it can in order to function, which would account for hair loss.  This would also be a factor if you have an autoimmune disease. 

Hair loss is not fun, so take your vitamins, eat your veggies, and enjoy a long life of luscious locks!



Coconut-Banana Bread Muffins

Coconut-Banana Bread Muffins
(recipe from vegweb.com)


Ingredients (use vegan versions):

1/2 cup of oats
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 mashed ripe bananas
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup of cooking oil
1/4 cup coconut milk (or other non-dairy milk)
3/4 cup shredded coconut (sweetened)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Egg replacer equivalent to 2 eggs

Directions:

Preheat oven 350 degrees.

1. Put all the dry ingredients (except the sugar) in a medium size bowl.
2. Mix all the wet ingredients and the sugar together.
3. Mix everything together. If the batter seems really thick-- its ok, they should still turn out fine.
4. Lightly grease a muffin tray and fill each dip about 3/4 of the way with the mixture.
5. Throw them in the oven for 25-30 minutes.

Done!

Optional: I also added walnuts to some of the muffins, and made about half with vegan chocolate chips, so good!!

Let me know if you make any changes, I love to hear what people do to improve recipes!

Love and Gratitude Friday's

The past few weeks have been some of the most challenging and rewarding weeks of my experience.  I have been highly stressed for a great deal of it, and I know my health and productivity levels have both taken a hit. Soon, some of my stressors will be resolved, and I will be able to better shift my focus. I have a lot in my life to be grateful for, and know that the Universe and my own sheer will power will always ensure than everything will be alright.

I am Grateful for...
My beautiful home, fenced back yard, full basement, new water heater, my soon to be installed new kitchen lighting, doggie door, garage, my waterbed, my own home office space and all of my utilities ♥ I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, the wonderful Kathy, and technicians, and our new corporate advisor Tim ♥ Triton's free photoshoot and the opportunity to meet such a wonderful family, the VanDuesen's, who took marvelous photo's and are also part of the raw food movement! ♥ the library for providing my entertainment ♥ Sarah Wilson for her daily blogs that are informative and inspirational ♥ I am grateful for our delicious Thanksgiving feast, and my family who is supportive of my vegetarian choice ♥ I am grateful for both of my parents, who have supported me financially, supported my holistic cancer choice, and continue to support me in all ways each and everyday ♥ I am grateful for each moment I spend with Triton, cuddling, wrestling, running around the backyard or going on walks

My Thanksgiving Dinner

My Love List...
I love crunching through the leaves in the driveway ♥ warm fall afternoons, sitting on the porch, reading a book, watching Triton eat my recyclables ♥ I love cooking, creating new recipes, making muffins, chili, soups, salads, smoothies, anything, it's so much fun! ♥ I love receiving letters from my soldiers, and sending out batches of letters to all the lovely ladies standing up for our country ♥ I love that I had an entire weekend filled with girl time, chatting about the ins and out and ups and down of our lives ♥ I love getting to go out for dinner and a movie for FREE, rebates are fantabulous! ♥ I love reading all the inspirational posts on HerFuture ♥ I love the latest Jane Austen spinoff "Murder at Mansfield Park" ♥ I love that I can tweet my thoughts to my favorite authors and get a response ♥ the smell of cinnamon and bananas ♥ reading all the new young adult fantasy series, with selkies, banshee, mermaids, witches, and all sorts of fun creatures ♥ watching season 4 of the Tudors ♥ the "Good Witch" trilogy on Hallmark channel ♥ breaking out the holiday music, especially Tori Amos, Kristen Chenowith and the "Maybe This Christmas" compilations ♥ my new haircut ♥ planning for 2011

My Favorite Links this week:

Tuning Fork Sound Therapy
I Want to Be...A Travel Writer
Have a Holly Jolly Holiday With EFT
New Traditions
Hairdos for Dogs
Dogs Don't Understand Basic Concepts Like Moving
Sunday Life: Walking Meditation....Have You Tried It?



How I Met Your Mother, I Love You So :)



Super fun EFT Tapping Session for "Wicked" fans!

What are you Grateful for?  What's On Your Love List this week? I love hearing from you!!

Surviving Thanksgiving

Oh the joy of the holidays, the delicious smells, the changing leaves, Lifetime movies, and the family. While theoretically, spending time with family, preparing a special meal together, and sharing a common experience should be a joyous experience, we all know that's not always the case. How to cope? Here are a few tips to get you through and hopefully create a positive and loving experience.

1. Mentally Bless Each Individual. It doesn't matter whether you are atheist or deeply religious or somewhere in between. Blessing a person simply means sending them positive loving vibes. Science has shown us that everything is energy, and our thoughts affect that energy. They have done studies where they put one person in a room alone, and had another person send them nasty, horrid thoughts. The person in the room would visible change demeanour, and blood tests showed clumpy, angry looking cells. Then, they sent the person loving, kind, healing thoughts. This time the person appeared more peaceful and their cells were healthy and beautiful. The person in the room had no idea what thoughts were being sent, or what the experiment was, but it affected him because thoughts are energy. If you send those loving thoughts to your family members, especially the more difficult ones, before getting together, it can literally change the frequency and energy in each individual and therefore the entire family situation.

2. Set an Example of Gratitude. Ask each family member to share at least one thing they are grateful for. This is a beautiful exercise that will add positivity and warmth to the occasion. You can also mentally walk through reasons you are grateful for each person, which can help keep you positive around anyone that may have a more negative personality or vibe. Another way to use gratitude is to thank each and every person who provided your dinner. From the farmer's who planted the green beans, the shipping clerks who packaged the rolls, the drivers who delivered the food to the grocery stores, the clerks who stocked the food and checked it out to you, the family member who took the time to cook it, and if eating Turkey, take time to send a prayer and thank the animal for giving it's life for your dinner table.

3. EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique). Let's face it, family time can bring up old wounds and emotions and insecurities. EFT is a wonderful technique that uses acupressure points to release emotional blockages. Check out Have a Holly Jolly Holiday With EFT to learn how to remove some of those blockages prior to Thanksgiving.

4. Communicate Dietary Changes Prior to the Day.  Many people nowadays have special diets, whether it's being vegan, gluten free, lactose intolerant or other changes for health reasons, it may be difficult to eat the traditional Thanksgiving meal.  Be sure to be gracious, but firm regarding your needs. Offer to bring a dish, or help with the meal planning. For more tips check out my blog entry Vegan Freak: Being Vegan in a Non-Vegan World.

Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving!!!

Releasing Romantic Illusions

I've discussed Gabrielle Bernstein's book Add More ~Ing to Your Life: A Hip Guide to Happiness in previous posts. She has a social networking site for women called Her Future, where each month we have been focusing on a different chapter in her book. I've posted previously on Feel~ings, Forgiveness, Balancing and Mirroring, and this month's chapter focuses on relationships.

First, you need to honor your relationship with self. If you are not truly in love with yourself, you cannot possibly share love with another. A Course in Miracles (preface) states "...We seek in others what is wanting in ourselves. We 'love' another in order to get something ourselves. That, in fact, is what passes for love in the dream world. There can be no greater mistake than that, for love is incapable of asking for anything. Only minds can really join, and whom God has joined no man can put asunder." Essentially you must be love, otherwise, you will constantly be seeking people to fill your gaps, and that is not healthy or truly spiritual love. This is true of all relationships, not just romantic relationships. Spend time loving yourself, you are worth it.

Gabrielle also discusses "special relationships" in this chapter. Often times we place more importance on romantic relationships, than we do on friendships or even family. This imbalance can cause challenges in our romantic relationship because we are not in balance. By making that relationship more "special" than the others, we are essentially putting pressure on that person to fill our needs in a way that no one person can. Our relationship with self, friends, and family are equally important, and we need to release the need to make one person or relationship more special or important than another. Take time to find the love in all your relationships, and see how each and every person is special to you in their own way. You will strengthen all your relationships by experiencing them equally.

Releasing Exercises:
1. Make a list of your meaningful relationships, past and present. Write the story of each one, how it started/ended/the experience/etc. Release any nastiness that your ego is holding onto.
2. Make a list of how your partner makes you feel joy; or if single, how you would want a partner to make you feel joy.
3. Make a Love List and focus on the areas in your life where love shines. Focus on at least one thing that allows love to shine in your life each day.

The more you release the fears of the ego, the more love you will feel and the more you will attract loving healthy relationships into your life. When you feel ready to add a romantic relationship to your life, make a list of qualities you are looking for in a partner. Be specific, what is his personality like? His hobbies, skills, interests? His Spiritual beliefs? Does he love to travel and in what fashion? Write the story of your perfect partner, but keep in mind that creating a clone of you does not leave room for personal growth and will likely be boring very quickly.  Write your perfect partner story, and read it to yourself each day. Then share it with everyone you can. People have manifested beautiful relationships using this method. Write the story as if he is already there, for example, "My partner is full of gratitude, loves to garden, and is an expect on roses." Write in present tense, the Universe only understands NOW! I believe you could use this technique to attract friendships as well. Love yourself and the rest will follow.

Love and Gratitude


Shanna

Cinnamon as a Healing Agent

Cinnamon smells divine, tastes like heaven, and is a major healer. You can easily add this wonderful herb to smoothies, tea, oatmeal, chili and many other recipes.

Health Benefits of Cinnamon

• Regulates blood sugar, treats type 2 diabetes
• Heals yeast infections
• Prevents unwanted clotting of the blood
• Reduces arthritis pain
• Proliferation of leukemia and lymphoma cells
• The smell boost cognitive functioning and memory
• Fights the E Coli virus
• Heals the common cold
• Great source of manganese, fiber, iron and calcium
• Lowers cholesterol
• Improves digestion
• Treats diarrhea
• Treats toothaches
• Eliminates bad breath
• Treats migraines and headaches
• Improves flatulence
• Improves nausea
• Helps with painful menstrual cycles
• Improves energy, vitality and circulation
• Helps our body digest fruit and dairy products
• Helps stop growth of unwanted bacteria

How do you use cinnamon in your diet?

Take Ownership of Your Happiness

Recently I've been reading a lovely book by Marci Shimoff called Happy for No Reason. This wonderful book provides tools for happiness and highlights stories of people who are simply happy. She shows us that circumstance has relatively little to do with our state of being, it's our perception that determines our level of happiness. In Chapter 3, The Foundation--Take Ownership of Your Happiness, Shimoff provides three habits that allow us to experience happiness.

1. Focus on the Solution.  How often is it that a problem arises and we spend hours, days, weeks even, agonizing over how horrible it is, why me, I can't believe this is happening, etc.  What would happen if instead, we used all that energy to create a solution? Wouldn't that make us feel better and reduce the number of hours wallowing in negativity. It's easy to get lost in our perception of "what is" but being stuck in the problem only causes misery and in the end we dig a deeper hole for ourselves. When facing a problem, face it. Allow yourself a few minutes of misery, than take a deep breath, and focus on the solution. You will feel better, plus, chances are, problem solved with will make you feel even better!

2. Look for the Lesson and the Gift.  How often do we assign blame to a situation? My dog ate my homework, traffic was terrible, he doesn't like me, I tried my best but she wouldn't listen, it's all her fault, blah de blah blah blah. Recognize your own responsibility in the matter. Think about what you could learn from the situation and in some cases, it may even be a gift. One of the stories in Shimoff's book involves a woman who's fiancee ended their engagement just three weeks before the wedding. She spent a year wallowing in grief, blaming him for being a jerk, and playing the victim. One day her therapist said to her "If your relationship was so perfect, why is it over?" Sometimes we see only what we want to see, and in reality, her relationship had flaws that she simply did not want to face or take responsibility for, so she focused on the blame. After coming to terms with this, she focused on taking responsibility for her own actions, and ended up in a much healthier relationship. There are lessons everywhere, we just have to look.

3. Make Peace With Yourself.  Taking responsibility does not beating yourself up. There is no happiness to be find there. Simply, recognize areas that may need work, forgive yourself for your errors, and be grateful for the positives. Let it go and be at peace with your decisions. We all make mistakes, but you can choose to forgive and see each trial as a lesson.

I highly recommend investing in this wonderful book.  You can also download some of the exercises and happiness stories here.

Limited Time Only! Schedule a Reiki Session With Me!

Just this week I finished my Reiki III degree, giving me the tools to heal myself and others. I have learned how to do a full body Reiki session, both in house AND long distance, psychic surgery, which is a method that pulls out energy blockages that prevent physical healing, and shorter "spot" treatments. For the rest of the year, I am offering love donation based Reiki sessions for all who are interested, in order to send a little love to the world and hone my skills. You can learn more about my early Reiki experience here.  Click the contact me tab to schedule a session, and don't forget to put "Reiki" in the email subject line.  I am excited to offer this to all of you wonderful, beautiful people and look forward to getting my healing on!

Love and Gratitude,

Shanna ♥

Love and Gratitude Friday's

I am grateful for:

All the healing that has been done on my tumors recently, thank you Mom and Linda

Having a roof over my head, a working furnace, and cozy water bed

Triton, even if he is a trash eater, he sure know how to cuddle

My new skill set, being a Reiki III practitioner

All of my lovely new friends :)

I love cuddling on the sofa with Triton ♥ turning leftovers into a brand new dish ♥ 70 degree weather in November ♥ listening to the new Marina and the Diamonds cd ♥ shrinking tumors ♥ realizing I have more talent and knowledge to offer than I thought possible ♥ sleeping until noon ♥ my chocolate chip treasure hunt cookies, with chocolate chips, coconut, and walnuts, yummy ♥ reading on my back patio ♥ having dinner with a new friend ♥ freshly shaved legs ♥ receiving unexpected letters in the mail ♥ reading revamped fairy tales ala Mercedes Lackey ♥ walking around barefoot ♥ reading a Course in Miracles ♥ two brand new radio stations in town 103.7 and 99.7, providing more variety in flipping channels ♥ Belgian waffles ♥ relaxing in a lovely detox bath, filled with Epsom salts, baking soda and lavender ♥Love and Gratitude,

































Shanna ♥

Healing With Tuning Fork Sound Therapy

Last night I attended a mini-workshop on Tuning Forks put on by no other but my lovely and wonderful Mother, Rhonda. Tuning forks are a tool that allow one to "tune up" our bodies using sound frequencies.  Everything is energy, and sound energy literally affects the frequency of our cells. By using tuning forks, a healer can raise the vibration of our cells to the proper place, healing imbalances in the body. For more information on Tuning Forks, click here.

A miraculous healing occurred at the end of the evening.  Using two of the forks, the Genesis fork and the Shekinah fork, four people watched my tumor(s) in my neck visibly shrink, within about 15 minutes!! How amazing is that! I didn't actually see it happen (no mirror) but looked in the mirror afterwards and couldn't believe it! Half the size, at least, plus the consistency changed. The solid wall around my primary tumor is softening, breaking down. I had a lot of drainage in my throat last night, I'm guessing as the tumor drained out of the body. I did some serious detoxing today, both an enema and detox bath, and went easy with the eating, a delicious smoothie.  I've had a lot of shrinkage and shifts lately, with the psychic surgery in my Reiki class, forgiveness work, Ho'oponono, etc. This however, just incredible.

I highly recommend looking into Tuning Fork Sound Therapy.  You can balance your chakras, heal cancer, melt away fat cells (not even kidding), improve circulation, etc. Check out this site to purchase forks and click here to schedule a healing with my Mom. Tuning Forks can be done long distance as well, very cool.

Love and Gratitude,




Shanna ♥

Ego-Trippin' Down Judgement Lane

Oh how fearful and ugly the Ego can be sometimes. As my Reiki cleanse ends (thank the Universe!), I've had some feelings come up that I haven't experience for quite awhile. A few day ago I started researching my 30 Things before my birthday, one of those being "go to a shooting range."  I googled shooting ranges and started doing some research and my Ego started screaming, judging, freaking out. All I could think about is "What was I thinking? Shooting range? Those places are filled with crazy NRA-er's, psychopaths the lot of them! Blech!!!"  After about an hour of this I stood back and just took it in. I was angry, scared, and just horrible. What the heck got into me? My ego, that's what, amplified and going nuts.

A few days later my Dad told me I needed to get started on our 2011 company budget, and we would be meeting with corporate office this week to do some planning. I immediately flashed back to last year, and how angry and disappointed I was with the fella from corporate that "helped" us with last years budget. The guy clearly just wanted to get his job done and make our budget look "pretty" for his superiors, rather than helping us make it accurate and useful, so I ended up redoing a lot of it. The same guy is supposed to be meeting with us again and all I can think of is; I WANT TO MAKE HIM WEEP!! Yes, I want to put on my stilettos, break out my leather whip, and bring this man to his knees. Just thinking of it gives me happy tingles all throughout my body. Where's the love and humanity and gratitude in this emotion? I admit, I used to relish the opportunity to put someone in their place; I enjoyed firing people and have literally made grown men cry. However, that's past Shanna, right?

This is the deal, we do all of this work, this development, but the fact is, that we are still human. We are spiritual beings having a human experience, and that doesn't mean ignoring the darker feelings, or necessarily not having them at all. It just means that as we do this work, focus on gratitude, create love lists, recognize that all living creatures are connected, we may have fewer moments where the Ego takes over, but we do not erase it completely. Also, learning to recognize those feelings when they arise, and rather than ignoring or pushing them down, experience them. Just let the feeling happen, then take a deep breath, do some gratitude statements, and realize that the fear is your Ego talking, not your inner guide.

So how am I dealing with my judgements and power trips? By recognizing them, blessing those NRA ladies and gents, blessing the budget man, and realizing that there is nothing wrong with having different perspectives.  By opening myself to the Universe, I know I will find a peaceful way to experience both situations.  By the way, being peaceful, doesn't mean being a doormat. It simply means going into a situation with openness, but you still have every right to stand up for yourself if the situation calls for it.  But entering a situation with fear and anger will ensure that it turns ugly.

Fighting Fatigue

I feel like I've been living in a bit of a fog these last few weeks. Two weeks ago tonight I started my Reiki III training, an experience that is clearly kicking my ass.  Each level there is a cleanse, as your body attunes to the new energies. Level I is a physical cleanse, II an emotional cleanse and III a spiritual cleanse.  During my first week, in addition to the cleanse (which lasts 3 weeks), I also contracted the oh so popular flu bug. Luckily, my dandy flu tips helped me ward that sucker off, but I've still been majorly fatigued for the past few weeks, which I'm attributing to the Reiki cleanse. I've been sleeping quite a lot, in fact last week I slept right through Tuesday, missed it completely, quite a bizarre experience. I've watched over 40 hours of Buffy and really done little else. It's bizarre, I have absolutely no motivation, strength, energy, etc. and I have to ask, "how is this spiritual?"

I realized last night that I've allowed myself to "rest", to just do nothing, to lose myself in Buffy, and maybe that's the problem. This morning I made myself do my energy routine and bounce on my rebounder, and what do you know, I have a teeny bit of energy, enough to put this blog entry together. It also occured to me last night that maybe my body is encouraging me to take a physical break, and maybe a mental break, but not necessarily an emotional or spiritual break. Meaning, how much physical energy does it take to meditate, pray, read poetry, contemplate, do some spiritual reading?

In the past, when the going got tough, I always turned to Buffy. The lessons, the friendships, and comfort I experience while watching that show is like no other. But maybe that's the problem. Maybe I should be turning to myself, my inner guidance or ~ing, developing my own lessons, building my own friendships and finding comfort in my spirit guides and the Universe.

I know it's not a physical ailment that I'm experiencing, even though I have physical symptoms. I know what's it feels like for your body to start shutting down, what tumors feels like when they are growing, spreading, when your organs stop working and the process of dying begins. This is not the same. There is no pain, just intense fatigue, which probably will improve as I continue to push myself just a bit, do some spiritual work, and detox, detox, detox!

Watching TV, sleeping, numbing life away seems like the easy path, but really, what fun is that? Sure, we all need our chill days, but there is more to this life than being an observer, I want to be a participant. So yes, I still have a week of cleansing, and likely will continue to experience unbearable fatigue, but this is the time to break out that enema kit, do some yoga, and get started reading "A Course In Miracles."

And of course, learn psychic surgery in my Reiki class tonight....

Love and Gratitude Friday's: Happy Halloween!

I've been a bit quiet this week, in fact today is the first day I've been online since Sunday. I've had the flu on and off, been sleeping alot (I literally slept through Tuesday, not kidding) and possibly feeling a little funky from my Reiki III attunement. However, I am seeing a turn for the better, and wanted to acknowledge the fun-tastic holiday of Halloween.

"I was just thinking of the life of a pumpkin, grow up in the sun, happily entwined with others, then someone comes along, cuts your open and rips your guts out." Buffy from 'Fear Itself'

"Ok, on sleezing extra candy, tears are key. Tears will normally get you the double bagger. You can also try the 'you missed me' routine, but it's risky. Only go there for chocolate." Xander from 'Halloween'

My favorite part of Halloween? The Scare-Tastic Halloween movies on all week. Who doesn't love "Teen Witch", "Casper" or "The Craft?  Be sure to enjoy some tasty Vegan Halloween Treats to enhance your movie watching pleasure.

Carving pumpkins this year, be sure to check out Dog O'Lanterns. This lense is heating up the web and has some great doggie pumpkin carvings. There is also a pic of the Triton pumpkin my ex-Ryan carved a few years ago, definately worth checking out!

Need a last minute party idea? Why not throw a Buffy the Vampire Slayer Halloween party?

Ashley, Megan and I, Halloween, 4th grade maybe?

Ashley and I, Halloween, 2nd grade?





HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Love and Gratitude,

Shanna ♥