The Power of Positive Posting

Cyber bullying is a hot topic this week with the suicide of Tyler Clementi.  Gabrielle Bernstein encouraged everyone in her VLOG this week to join her in 30 Days of Positive Posting. I've decided to take up the challenge and invite you to do the same.



Remember the old playground adage, "sticks and stones my break my bones, but words will never hurt me."? Well that's a load of crap. Words have power and what you say and how you say something to a person can impact them for the rest of their life. It's easy to get lost in judgement, judging others Spiritual practices, what someone eats, wears, etc. I'm almost 30 years old and I still catch myself sometimes judging a stranger's outfit or gossiping. It's extremely dis empowering to everyone involved.

I encourage you, next time you catch yourself judging someone, to silently bless them instead. Feel how powerful that positive energy is. Take time to smile at strangers, post inspirational messages on Facebook and Twitter.  Acknowledge friends and family for how amazing they are. Did someone say or suggest something that impacted you positively lately? Let them know! Be grateful and others will follow your lead. Resist the temptation to be dragged down into a negative spiral. I guarantee the more you practice love and gratitude, bless people, eliminate gossip and focus on the positive, the easier it will get and the lighter you will feel. Go out and inspire the world I love and bless you and am grateful for each and everyone of you!

Protect Yourself This Flu Season

As the weather gets cooler, the sniffles get bitter.  I have a lot of experience with the flu, however, these past few years, with the aid of my kick ass immune system, the flu is barely a blip on my radar.  Here are some tips that will help you prevent the flu, or stop it cold in it's tracks.

1. Stock up on Oscillococcinum.  This homeopathic flu remedy is my best friend. At the first sign of the flu, take this and within 24 hours you'll be saying "flu who?"  Be sure to keep it in stock, if you wait until the flu has already grabbed hold, this remedy will still help, but won't kick it completely.

2. Neti Pot.  I talked about this wonderful tool in my Detox Your World post. A few weeks ago I started getting the sniffles and got out my Neti Pot.  Within three days my nose cleared up completely. The worst part of the flu in my opinion is all the nose blowing, the stack of nasty Kleenex and how sore and red my poor nose is afterwards. With the Neti Pot, not only will you rinse out all the mucus, but if you purchase the herb dropper that goes with it you will also kill the bacteria, killing any budding infection.

3. Herbal Supplements. Boosting your immune system is a great idea during any signs of sickness.  Echinecea, Goldenseal, Astragulus, Garlic, Oregano, Cat's Claw, Vitamins A&E are all great supplements to have on board when you aren't feeling well.  I would take 3x daily during the illness, and like an antibiotic, you want to continue taking them for about a week after you start to feel better, to keep the illness away and rebuild your immune system.

4. Green/Red/Herbal Tea.  Most people have heard of the benefits of drinking Green Tea, but when ill I enjoy the Be Well Red Teas from Republic of Tea.  These teas cover many issues including sore throat, constipation, nausea, etc. I highly recommend them.

5. Reiki. I you are a practitioner or have access to one, this is a great tool for healing. Generally I Reiki myself for an hour or so at a time, while relaxing to the television. The healing energy helps the body fight off illness, increases your energy, and reduces stress that may be causing you to feel poorly.

6. EFT/Affirmations.  In Louise Hay's book "You Can Heal Your Life" she has an index that lists a multitude of diseases, along with a positive affirmation to counter it. for the flu, she states the emotional imbalance as "Response to mass negativity and beliefs. Fear. Belief in statistics." The positive affirmation she uses to counter this belief is "I am beyond group beliefs or the calendar. I am free from all congestion and influence." I like to incorporate EFT when doing my affirmations to empower them and release any emotional blockages in my cells.  Check out this link to aid you in combining EFT and Affirmations: http://www.squidoo.com/eft-affirmations

Additional tips include getting plenty of rest.  My Dad always told me that sleep is the best medicine and I believe he is correct. If you are tired, sleep, nuff said. Remember the adage, "starve a fever, feed a cold?" When you do feel like you are ready to eat, keep it light, in fact, stick with liquids in the beginning. Your body exerts a lot of energy digesting food, you don't want to draw energy away from healing to focus on digestion. Focus on orange juice, green smoothies, veggie juice, brothy soups to provide your body with nutrients that are already broken down and easy to digest.

Follow these tips and you will have a healthy winter!

P.S. Check out this link before getting a flu shot: The Risks and Dangers of Flu Vaccines and Flu Vaccinations

Love and Gratitude Friday's: Attracting Abundance

This week I am Grateful for all of the Abundance I've drawn into my life recently.  Using some amazing tools, I've received so many blessings recently.  I am Grateful to my Mom for introducing me to the Law of Attraction, the kind gentleman at the local photography studio who offered to do Triton's session for free, my recent Amazon.com sales, Sourcebook for hosting a contest and sending me a brand spanking new Book (Darcy's Voyage), a wonderfully profitable month at the office, the abundance of gorgeous fall days, new friendships, and all of the wonderful tools for allowing abundance into my life.  I choose to continue to allow the Universe to deliver Abundance to me and am Grateful for everything I receive.  This weeks Love List will highlight the wonderful tools I use to attract Abundance.

1. I LOVE the concept of New Moon Abundance Checks.  Essentially, you write a check to yourself from the Universe during the New Moon each month, put it aside, and allowing Abundance to come to you.  It may sound like a gimmick, but it worked for Jim Carey, and in September it worked for me! Hey, what do you have to loose, check this out!

2. The 30-Day Prosperity Affirmation.  Ok, so I found out about this around the same time as the New Moon Abundance Checks.  This affirmation strengthens the check, and helps bring prosperity in all forms into your life.  I didn't do it for the full 30 days the past lunar cycle, but I intend to do so this time.  Again, why not?

3. The Secret DVD.  This fab film really introduced me to the Law of Attraction.  People of all walks of life share stories, tools and experiences in this inspirational film.  I loved the gratitude tips and concept of creating a Vision Board.  This is not to be missed, and a great way to get started on attracting abundance into your life.  Oprah featured this movie several times on her show.




 
4. Create a Vision Board.  This is an excellent way to set goals and attract what you desire into your life.  Here's a great post with some tips: How to Manifest With a Vision Board
 
5. Declutter your space.  There is a theory that if your life is filled with physical clutter, you cannot attract anything new into your life.  Sarah Wilson posted a great article on her blog with some fantastic tips to combat clutter.  I highly recommend you check it out. Sunday Life: in which oprah's declutter dude peter walsh visits my apartment
 
6. Follow the works of Esther Hicks aka Abraham.  They have several books and videos that show you how to use the Laws of the Universe in all areas, financial, relationships, etc. My personal favorite is the Sara Series, which is geared towards younger folks, but really lays things out simplistically.  When you have the time, I recommend checking out this series of videos that details the Law of Attraction.
 

 

 

 

 

 
 
What are you Grateful for?  What's on your Love List?  Where have you seen Abundance in your life recently?

Mirroring: Reflect on the Inner You

Remember that scene in The Neverending Story, when Atreyu seeks out the Southern Oracle to find out why Fantasia is being destroyed by The Nothing and the Childlike Empress is dying?  He has to go through three gates, the Spinx, The Magic Mirror Gate and then the final gate. The Mirror Gate is perceived to be the most challenging because it "mirrors" a person's true self. 

"I've known travelers who...run away at the sight of the monster grinning out of the mirror at them.  Other's appear to have seen something even more horrible, but had the courage to go through.  What some saw was not so frightening, but it still cost everyone of them an inner struggle.  Nothing I can say would apply to all.  It's a different experience each time." -The Neverending Story by Michael Ende

Is there someone in your life that bugs the crap out of you, whose behavior gets under your skin?  Often times people who bother us the most, are a mirror for something we don't love about ourselves.  For example, I have this friend who I see a few times a year for a lunch date.  For the most part, I enjoy spending time with him.  He's intelligent, unique, curious, vegetarian, music lover, into philosophy, etc.  However, I always end our bi-annual luncheons with the desire to strangle him.  Why?  There are a few aspects of his personality that really bug me.  The main one being, this attitude he seems to have that he is so different, that no one could possibly understand him.  He tries so hard to be different from everyone else that he struggles to really connect with anyone and often prefers to be alone. 

How does this relate to me?  As a child I prided myself on my differences; feminist, atheist, vegetarian, I read tarot cards on the playground, I've never chewed a stick of gum, been drunk, experimented with drugs, and as far as I know I am the only Shanna Sandmoen the world has ever seen.  I thrived on my differences, and in reality maybe a part of myself still does.  In looking at myself through him, I see that I might have used those differences as an excuse for why I didn't always connect with people and why I tended to have a new BFF every year of my life.  I also realized that this is a cover for my own insecurities, and seeing this trait in someone else bugged me so much because it's an aspect of myself I do not love. 

We all have experiences such as this, next time you encounter of think of that person that irritates you, look in the mirror.  Meditate and let your inner guidance system lead you to the truth.  By unveiling this trait in yourself, you can take the steps to heal this part of yourself, and accept and love yourself completely.  Mirror exercises are very powerful, but like Atreyu on his quest, we don't always see what we think we are going to see. 

Gabrielle Bernstein, in her book Add More ~Ing To Your Life: A Hip Guide to Happiness, states, "Mirrors don't just reflect the things we need to change.  They also reflect the beauty within us.  The beauty you see in the world is the beauty you see in yourself."

Take time this month to reflect on your relationships in the "mirror" and rethink some aspects of your self.  You may release a blockage, that will allow to attract more abundance into your life, a new relationship, or a better relationship with yourself.



(Watch minutes 4-7 to see Atreyu face himself in the Mirror Gate)

Oracle Cards

Oracle Cards are an ancient method of receiving guidance, clarity, and messages from your Spirit Guides.  I've been utilizing Oracle Card for many years now, on and off, but recently have gotten back into it.  I have five decks created by Doreen Virtue: Magical Mermaids and Dolphins, Magical Unicorns, Healing With the Fairies, Goddess Guidance Oracle Cards and Archangel Oracle Cards.  Recently I also purchased Toni Carmine Salerno's Magdalene Oracle.  Oracle cards are fun to use, and surprisingly accurate.  Sometimes I just pick one card to see what my "message of the day" is, other times I might be drawn to pick 3-4 cards and if I have a major issue, I might do a full reading with several cards.  This week I decided to tackle the same question with all six decks to see what would happen.  I asked what guidance might help me improve my health, career, and relationships.  Many of the decks shared the same messages with me, proving that maybe there is something to this intuition stuff.  Here's what I learned:

1. Detoxification.  Every single deck encouraged me to participate in a detox.  I realized that I've been thinking about scheduling a colonics and getting back into enema's lately, so this just confirmed to me that this is an important issue that needs to be taken care of directly. 

2. Exercise.  Almost all the decks drew a card that suggested I do more exercise.  Triton and I go on walks daily, but I've also wanted to incorporate rebounding and yoga into my daily exercise routine.  Once again, the cards affirmed that this is important to my journey.

3. Let Go, Let God. I had several cards in all the decks that basically indicated that yes, I'm on the correct path, my prayers/affirmations are kicking in, and I need to let go and allow the Universe to provide for me.  I was also reminded to continue to meditate, and believe that I know the answers to my questions. 

4. Transformation.  Many of the cards had this theme running through them.  All the work I've done, physically/emotionally/spiritually has caused me to turn a corner and land on a brighter path.  I'm changing and evolving and getting back in touch with some aspects of myself that I may have waylaid.  The cards encouraged me to enjoy the process, be grateful, and meditate.

5. New Relationships.  The cards told me I was surrounding by love, new relationships were coming, and family relationships were in a healing process.  I was also warned to beware of a new relationship with a person who is a user. 

Other messages received included: Serve Others, Laughter, Let Go of Stress, and Speak Your Truth.

The Dolphins and Mermaids gave me an interesting exercise.  Write down a list of your fears about moving forward, then "drown" those fears by putting the paper into a bucket or large bowl of water.  Then, take a cleansing shower, bath or swim.  The water seals your new way of seeing yourself and reminds you that you are equal to all other children of God.

Do you use Oracle Cards?

Vegan Freak: Being Vegan in a Non-Vegan World

Changing any aspect of our current lifestyle is exciting, scary, stressful and challenging.  Having a strong support system is very important when going through any new process.  Often times though, society does not respond positively to our new change.  Co-workers, friends, family usually have their own opinion of your decision, and sometimes it can be disheartening.  However, it's important to remember that in most case, this resistance comes from a place of love.  Generally, the people in our lives want us to be happy and healthy.  New vegetarians often receive a lot of resistance, and negative feedback when first making the dietary change.  Remember, it's not you with the issue, it's them.  Getting defensive or putting others on the defense will only make the situation worse.  Here are some tips for dealing and creating a positive relationship with your non-vegetarian peers. 

1. It's Not You, It's Them.  Meaning, you are are not responsible for how others respond to your lifestyle choice.  Be confident in your decision, but don't get defensive or snide when criticized.  In most cases people either simply do not understand your choice, are concerned about you getting all the proper nutrients, are concerned about how difficult it will make life for you, and more important how difficult your decision will make life for THEM.  Also, sometimes people feel like they are being judged, like they are the bad guy for continuing to consume meat products.  Be understanding, don't take it personally, and communicate with them.  Share that you made this choice for weight loss, health reasons, ethics, etc. 

2. Let Them Come To You.  It's easy in the beginning to be so excited about your new venture, and how it makes you feel, to become a pusher.  A lot of new vegetarians want to share all the new amazing benefits, talk about the ill treatment of animals ad naseum, lecture people on what's "really" in the food, etc.  While it's tempting to do this, and while all this information may be true, people do not like to be pushed.  The more you push, the more they will resist and the more difficult things will be in your relationship.  Let them come to you.  Once they see that your skin is clearing up, you are loosing weight, your veggie risotto looks fab compared to what they ordered, people will come to you and ask "What is it that you've been doing, you look fantastic!"  This gives you the opening to share your new vegan ideals in an open and friendly manner, where the person will be more receptive to what you have to say.

3. Volunteer to Bring a Dish to Family Gatherings.  One of the reasons people resist your change to vegetarianism is that they have no clue what to feed you when you come over.  Help them out, bring a dish, and for goodness sake, not a simple salad.  Bring a nut loaf, risotto, vegetarian casserole, etc.  Show them there is more to being a vegetarian as lettuce, and at the same time you will relieve their stress over what to feed you.

4. Throw a Smoothie Party.  Instead of a wine and cheese affair, have a smoothie party!! I had a friend who did this a few years ago and it was a great deal of fun.  We had martini glasses, and she made 5-6 different green and superfood smoothies throughout the night.  It was a great way to sample different smoothie flavors and gossip and have some girly time.  She also invited someone who sold Superfood products who talked for a little bit and promoted their products.  It was kind of like going to a product party in that respect as well.  Have fun with it, be creative! Check out this site for some incredible recipe ideas: Green Smoothies

5. Join a Local Meetup Group.  The best way to feel comfortable in your new lifestyle is to find other vegetarians to share with.  Meetup is a great place to find local vegetarian, vegan, healthy living and raw food groups.  Just put in your zip code and it will show you a list of active groups in your area.  Making vegetarian friends is very helpful in feeling good about your path and sticking to it. 

6. Have a Vegan Potluck.  Invite your friends over for a potluck and game night.  Ask everyone to bring a vegan dish and encourage them to get creative and have fun with it!  Veg Web is a great site where users post their own recipes, people can comment and rate them, and usually there are pictures.  Send out an evite, include this link, and make it a fun experience.  Potlucks are a great way to try new things and people usually feel pretty good about the success of their dish. 

7. Bring Vegan Treats to the Workplace.  Make some fun cookies, brownies, cinnamon rolls, etc.  Pass them out at work (don't tell people they are vegan), let them oooh and awww over your creation, then let them in on the secret.  Desserts are a great way to win people over and get them to appreciate your lifestyle.

8. Communicate With Your Waiter.  Chances are, you will still be expected to go to restaurants that may not be too veg friendly in social situations.  Don't be afraid to ask for what you want.  In this day and age, restaurants have to be accommodating.  Think about all the people with food allergies, celiac's disease, lactose intolerant, etc.  Restaurants are used to receiving special requests.  I've read a few vegetarian and raw food books where the author suggested creating food cards, listing every ingredient you will eat.  It sounds silly, but sometimes it is easier than attempting to explain your diet to someone not trained to understand veganism.  Simply hand the card to the waiter, and ask the chef to create something for you based on your list.  You could also ask for a salad, and have them put every single vegetable at their disposal in it.  Most of the time restaurants have very basic salads, and often times chicken is the main ingredient.  However, if you peruse the menu, you will find that many of the meals will contain vegetables not found in the salad.  You can get a pretty amazing salad this way.  One time, on vacation, my Dad and I went to a chain restaurant, and we explained to the waiter that I had cancer and was on a very special diet with vegetables (raw or steamed) and some grains.  The chef made me an amazing veggie risotto dish, and ladies and gentlemen, that restaurant did not have anything like that on the menu. 

9. Take a Cooking Class with a Family Member.  Who's the cook in your family?  Ask them if they would be willing to attend a vegetarian cooking class with you.  Again, a lot of the resistance you may find from family is their fear that they won't be able to accommodate you.  This is a fun way to help ease their fear and will give you two something to do together.

10. Make Dinner for Your Family.  Holiday's are tricky times for vegetarians.  How about inviting your family over for a pre-holiday meal?  Make them a fabulous dinner that will show them that you are being responsible and properly balancing your meal, that what you are eating is tasty and healthy.  This will bring them into your new world and ease some of the fears they may have about your new lifestyle. 

11. Take Your Family/Friends to a Vegetarian Restaurant.  There are a lot of fantastic vegetarian restaurants out there, and usually they create creative meals that also appeal to meat eaters.  My favorite restaurant in Kansas City is Eden Alley, a wonderful cozy little place that offers a variety of vegetarian meals.  I've been taking my friends and family there for years and everyone always loves it. 

12.  Start a Blog.  Blog about your journey.  Share with people why you made the decision, the challenges you have faced, the benefits you've seen, the facts and figures, recipes, etc.  Bring people into your world. 

As you start to blossom, look and feel better and gain confidence in your decision, people will be more open and supportive.  Follow some or all of these tips and I guarantee you will win your friends and family over in no time.  Don't expect them to follow in your footsteps, that is not the goal.  The goal is to be supported and surrounded by positive influences.  Good luck on your vegetarian journey!

Love and Gratitude Friday's

Friday night I had an incredible dinner with the loveliest group of ladies I've had the pleasure of spending time with in a long time.  Delicious vegetarian food, gorgeous weather. creative artwork, a truly delightful evening.  The next morning I awoke with a sniffle, got out the Neti Pot, and then went to the Waldo Fall Festival to represent Benjamin Franklin Plumbing.  A fun afternoon, even with the pouring rain and crazy dance moms.  However, by the evening, I felt quite off, and ended up going to bed at 9pm.  Later I realized, I had the flu.  I rarely get sick, but when I do, it's almost always the flu.  Fortunately, I'm a health guru, I took some homeopathic flu remedy, slept all through Sunday, and by Monday I was 85%, just slightly week, and Tuesday I went to work, ran errands, and checked out some killer shoes.  Past years the flu would have been an ordeal, week of misery, runny nose, hacking, grossness all around.  Thanks to my Neti Pot and Oscillococcinum and of course my kickin' immune system, it's now a little 48 hour bug.  So this week, I'm grateful for all the tools that aided me in healing the flu.  What are you grateful for?

"When you gonna make up your mind?  When you gonna love you as much as I do?" -Tori Amos

"Love and appreciation are identical vibrations. Appreciation is the vibration of alignment with who-you-are. Appreciation is the absence of everything that feels bad and the presence of everything that feels good. When you focus upon what you want - ;when you tell the story of how you want your life to be - you will come closer and closer to the vicinity of appreciation, and when you reach it, it will pull you toward all things that you consider to be good in a very powerful way."- Esther Hicks

"For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: 'If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?' And whenever the answer has been 'No' for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something." - Steve Jobs,

"If we understood the power of our thoughts, we would guard them more closely. If we understood the awesome power of our words, we would prefer silence to almost anything negative. In our thoughts and words we create our own weaknesses and our own strengths. Our limitations and joys begin in our hearts. We can always replace negative with positive." - Betty Eadie

"Perception is a mirror, not a fact.  And what I look on is my state of mind, reflected outward.  The world is only in the mind of it's maker.  Do not believe it is outside of yourself." -A Course in Miracles



Things I Love....

The breeze blowing scents of fall my way on our doggie walks ♥ Allegro Fine Teas, with delightful flavors such as "Feel Flawless", "Engage Your Brain" and "Queen Bee Balance" the "Chamomile" is quite delightful as well ♥ Ladies Date Night ♥ Blogs on Books ♥ Mom's vegetarian chili, so delicious ♥ trying on clothes and knowing that EVERYTHING is going to look spectacular ♥ finding that pair of skinny stretch jeans you just know will make you look foxy ♥ new music from Nellie McKay ♥ having the windows open and breathing in fresh air ♥ Young Living Essential Oils Peppermint, place it behind your ears if you have trouble sleeping ♥ all the lovely blog comments I receive ♥ reading Jane Austen ♥ knowing sweater season is on the way ♥ yoga pants, so comfy! ♥ meeting newbie vegetarians and remembering the initial excitement and passion the decision brings ♥ my sweet puppy dog Triton

Things Aurora Wisher Fur

Eclipse: A Spiritual Interpretation
Tonglen: A Loving Kindness Meditation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeQN8zejgU4


What's on Your Love List?