07 - MARCI Summer 08

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The HOLISTIC MENTORSHIP NETWORK Call 973-300-1184 for more information

CALLING ALL VISIONARIES AND EMPIRE BUILDERS!

We are all entrepreneurs and visionaries whether we drive businesses for organizations or work for

ourselves. The path to extraordinary productivity and making work play starts with self-care, personal

transformation, professional creativity and clarity.

CONFERENCE 2008 June 27-29 Holistic Mentorship Network (HMN) invites you to a

conference on Transforming Yourself and Transforming Your Business

Self Care Mindfulness Meditation, Tai Chi, Qigong, Yoga, Healing Fire Circles, Drumming Circles, Healing Meals, Moonlight Hikes and exploring the lush green 1200 acre campus at Koinonia and understanding our environment…

Personal Transformation Understand elements of emotion and how we connect with people; Feng Shui of life and relationships (internal and external environment); healing traditions; reflections on how we show up in our lives…

Professional Transformation Learn to communicate and collaborate with others and work through challenges; visualizing what you want using vision quest, vision board, a labyrinth; and exploring strategies for marketing your business…

We created this workshop based on the founding principles of the HMN - MARCI® These principles are inherent to any personal and professional transformation – Mindfulness, Awareness, Responsibility, Compassion, Intuition...MARCI®

Koinonia 165 Lakeview Drive

Highland Lake, New York 12743 (845) 557-0517

www.konioniany.org

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Our Vision To strengthen and support the community of holistic professionals.

Our Mission Statement To create a unified community of compassionate holistic practitioners that will contribute to enhancing our profession and ourselves by providing a supportive space to share, learn,

teach, grow, and lead.

Our Purpose

The Holistic Mentorship Network supports the Holistic Professional, as well as the Community by providing the space to network, build a referral base, mentor and support

each other in business development and growth, promote community awareness and education of alternative services and products, and meet potential clients.

A Community of Holistic Professionals

Newsletter Contributors

Justin Buffer Thomas Centolella

Stan Cohen Sarah M. Collins

Hope Dixon George Dominguez

Suhail Jarroush Ana Marie Presti

Susan Read

Gregg Taylor (Editor)

Inside This Issue:

Nurture My Soul.......................................................

Discovering My Soul...............................................

Nurturing the Inner & Outer YOU...........................

A Page From a Life..................................................

Self-Love..................................................................

Nurturing Your Purpose.........................................

The Secret Beyond the Secret...............................

To Those Who Tend the Heart of Man..................

Community Corner (Poetry and Verse)........................

MARCI Classifieds..................................................

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The HOLISTIC MENTORSHIP NETWORK

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Nurture My Soul

by LINDA MITCHELL-DOMINGUEZ

Founder, HMN

There is always tomorrow to start taking

better care of ourselves. But does tomorrow ever really come though ----if you are always looking for to-morrow to be the time to change? Sometimes it takes a lifetime, before that door to transformation is opened; it will take time for change to occur when you have spent a lifetime in the same old patterns.

perhaps the most important area to nurture is our “spirit,” or soul. Sarah Collins, writer, poet, and healer, has brought this to light in discussions we have had, stating that “the greatest healing and nurturing needed is in the spirit of the I AM.”

Namaste literally means, “I honor the place in you in which the entire universe re-sides. I honor the place in you which is of love, of truth, of light, and of peace. When you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me, we are one.” The many amazing articles throughout the pages of our Summer Edition continue to bring to heart the essence of the Spirit when we become still, and connect to one’s self, and in turn, to each other. Hope Dixon, for example, demonstrates that transition in her own personal journey of denial, until she comes face to face with her own “purpose” in her life.

How powerful our lives become when we reach that union of truth and spirit.

At all stages of life, we can shed the cocoon we once wore, and allow our light to shine into the beautiful butterfly that experiences the metamorpho-sis of life. I wonder what the world might look like, if we each took a moment to remember where our true essence lays. Perhaps the holistic community will be the way to help many find their way home.

Namaste,

Linda

My greatest accomplishments

have come when I have gone to that place where I am connected---

to my source. This source is sometimes referred to as God, the Divine, the Spirit, Buddha---that place where I connect to myself. For me, when I am in that place, I am at one with the universe and there is only one voice: Uni (one) Verse (voice).

Namaste is a greeting or

salutation that is commonly used in India and Nepal by Hindus and Buddhists. It is often used globally in yoga, meditation and reiki prac-tices.


For me, it has taken half a life-time before I felt the need to balance the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual essence of me. Each one of these ele-ments needs nurturing, but

Linda with husband George

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The HOLISTIC MENTORSHIP NETWORK .

She went through the process all on her own. I, personally had six lumps removed, but they were thankfully benign. I had to admit; perhaps breast cancer had impacted my life after all.

Maybe I should walk.

I went to a meeting to learn more about this cancer walk. I learned that those who walked were dedicated to this cause and discussed how life-chang-ing the event was. They talked about how, at the end of a long day, and after having walked twenty miles, you get to stand in lines under a tent to get food ...you take showers in stalls in tractor trailers...you get to use outhouses...and, Oh yes----you get to sleep in a tent...under the stars, so bring your sleeping bag, a mattress pad, pillow and any other gear to make the experience as comfortable as possible.

There were countless dedi-cated men and women who loved the experience and were repeatedly coming back.

Learning all the aspects of the walk, and not even considering the event to be what I would expect myself to become in-volved with, I still signed up.

Then I began to gather dona-tions that totaled $2,500. Believe it or not, that was the easy part. The most difficult part was finding the time to walk when my schedule was already full.

by HOPE DIXON

Over time, I had often wondered what my purpose in life was. I looked for some great calling... some special gift that would set me apart from others. I prayed for a sign; I imagined driving down the highway of life and seeing a big green sign reading: PURPOSE—Exit One Mile. I would turn off, arrive, and ex-pect to know my purpose. With time, I learned that all I needed to do is live with pur-pose, love, compassion, and caring. Just open my heart. Life is to be enjoyed, lived, felt, and experienced. Opportunities present themselves all the time for us to share. I know that I only have to be open to recog-nize them.

This is a story of just one incident in my life where my purpose exposed itself. Two years ago, I was in my of-fice when I received the normal mail soliciting support for the Susan G. Komen breast cancer walk, which is often referred to as The 3-Day Event. I decided that I would send a donation. Why should I do more? After all, I’ve never had breast cancer.

I could send a small amount to support those walkers...Sixty miles-worth. And they walked sixty miles. Just collect the darn money, I thought -----why even walk? Look at the time, the org-anization, the logistics. And what was the cost to put this whole thing together, anyway? Why should I do anything more than simply give money for cancer?

The Walk stayed on my mind. Again, I reminded myself that I never had cancer. Then, reality came into focus. My mother had a breast removed...due to cancer. Her mother and her sister both died of breast cancer...two women ---my aunt and my grandmother----

both of whom I never knew, since they had died before I was even born. My daughter’s best friend had a dual mastectomy while in her thirties, and her mother (my friend), had gone through the same thing! She never told any-one because of the stigma asso-ciated with the “disease.” She never even told her daughters.

DISCOVERING MY SOUL ...My Essence...and My Purpose in Life

...continued on next page

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“Discovering My Soul”

continued

Each week, a schedule

was e-mailed to all of those who had signed up, advising the miles to be covered...to prepare oneself for the “walking event.” I was already two months behind. I needed proper walking shoes, so I went to the store and was told to buy shoes that were at least one size larger than what I normally wear. Who did they think I wanted to look like, Bozo the Clown? But, I learned that feet swell with heat and activity, and blisters occur when shoes are too tight---not to mention that these shoes would only be good for about three-hundred miles.

So, I began walking each day; small walks at first---three miles, then five miles. The goal was to get to a weekend where I could hopefully walk fifteen miles on a Saturday and then twenty miles on Sunday---and this would be the weekend before the Walk! Supporting me in my goal, my friends would join me, even going camping with me, where I would walk the camp grounds several times a day to do the required miles.

I spent weekends getting up at 5:30 to walk five hours and,

during the week, I would even walk one-to-two hours before going to work, and would walk again when I got home! By the time of the 3-Day Event, I swore I would never do this again. I had bought more accessories for walking----shoes, shirts, spe-cial socks, special shorts and tops. I learned about Glide, a roll-on for feet that slicks up the skin and helps prevent blisters. Instead, I got calluses. It was summer, and no pretty feet in little fashionable sandals.

My hair bleached. I didn’t lose a single pound. I had lost an entire summer to walking...but I had a great tan!

Finally...The Walk.

I was dropped off with my duffel bag at 5 a.m. My bag was tag-ged and taken away. My ride left. While standing in the cold, awaiting the opening ceremon-ies, I met Carol----another first-timer and close to my age. Then, bouncy young Jennifer appeared and introduced her-self. And there we were----three people, who had never known each other, but would inevitably forge a special bond that weekend. We began the walk. Stops oc-curred every four miles, alter-

nating between ones for food and water, and those for first-aid. What good was I really doing? I grumbled, swearing never to put myself through this again. As we walked, the human sweepers continuously drove past, looking for the wounded, the lame, or the tired. All you had to do was raise your arms in a cross above your head, and they would pick you up in their van.

By the end of the day, I could hardly walk. I just ached. Carol was sick. Jennifer was still bouncing. I took Advil, applied pads for the blisters that had formed under the calluses, and just prayed for a warm shower.

The second day of The Walk began with the volunteer work-ers playing music loud enough to wake the dead...or at least, just the very tired walkers. We wear-ily got in line for food, and then off onto the walk again. On this day, I was to learn Carol was a survivor, as she talked about her treatment. She had to work, because there was limited sick pay, and she couldn’t afford to


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At camp, I learned that Carol had suddenly left upon receiving the news that her daughter had suf-fered a miscarriage. Jennifer and I decided to tent together that night, spending time tending to our sore feet. Imagine our surprise the next morning, when Carol knocked on our tent. She was back! She wanted to finish The Walk and wanted to be with us when she did. We left the tent to finish The Walk arm-in-arm.

That day was emotional.

The campsite began to empty quickly, as all of us were leaving at the same time for the last “leg” of the journey. Some people were on crutches, or in wheel- chairs. They had wanted to fin-ish, but sun poisoning, torn liga-ments, sprains, and other injur- ies had taken their toll on them. These walkers had crossed their arms above their heads and the sweepers picked them up. They cried. We cried. We walked on to the finish. Carol wanted to quit. We wouldn’t let her. We locked arms and we walked.


“Discovering My Soul” continued

take any time off. Her boyfriend had even left her, not being able to “handle” her suffering. This shouldn’t happen to anyone, I thought. At midday, I had to leave my new friends. My girlfriend’s mother had died of breast cancer and I left The Walk to attend the funer-al services. I was picked up and quickly got a shower, and then dressed in a car. I suddenly won-dered where my head was, when I promised that I would wear her mother’s shoes----high heels with straps. My blisters opposed this treatment. My legs revolted at this new abuse.

After the services, I was driven back to The Walk, where I was dropped off as close to my pick up point as possible. I began walking. I reached for my “dog tags,” in which I had placed a picture of my girlfriend’s mother. I told her she needed to help me, since I was too far behind. The sweepers came by and told me I had forty-five minutes to hit four miles, or they would pick me up at the next rest stop. I cried. I didn’t want to be picked up; I wanted to walk. I pulled at the picture and told her I needed her strength. She had been given two years to live once, and only

months to live another time...and both times, she fooled the doc-tors. But, after fifteen years of strength and determination, she had finally lost the battle; and now, I wanted that strength. As I called out to her, all the aches seemed to leave my body. I was invigorated enough to accomp-lish the four miles...and all of the remaining miles that day! I did not hurt. I had energy. I was inspired.

When we finished, we cheered and waved our shoes in the air. We all locked arms and swayed back and forth, cheering and yelling.

My heart has been moved. I am now involved. I live to know that this is a purpose in my life. I have a daughter, who has a daughter and I want them never to have to worry. I will walk again in 2009. Will you join me? I am walking for me, and for you, and for all my sisters.

I have learned that by serving and helping others, and working for the greater good, I have found my true purpose.

And life is wonderful. -----HR

(from left to right): Hope, her moth-

er, and her daughter.

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“Taking care of

yourself is a natural outgrowth of self-love. Have a quiet

love affair with yourself.”

----Dr. Wayne Dyer Recently, I was seeing a client in her mid-twenties who had a goal to lose fifteen pounds be-fore the end of the year. She had expressed to me that one of her main obstacles to meet-ing this goal was her work day; she always snacked and ate poorly because of the lack of nutritious food available at her workplace. When I asked her the obvious question as to why she did not take the time to pack up a healthy lunch and healthy snacks for herself, she gave me a list of reasons-----she did not have the time, she got tired, etc. I then asked her, “If you had to make the lunch for your child or a friend that you really loved, would you do it?” She looked up at me and smiled, understanding the point that I was trying to convey. Why do so many of us not take the time to nurture and love ourselves the way that we should-----the way we would nur-ture another person or an ani-mal that we love dearly? Why do we forget about ourselves and our needs? I have found many reasons for this, which vary from person to person, including the fact that many of us fall under the influ-ence of our insidious ego that

Nurturing the Inner

and Outer YOU

by JUSTIN BUFFER

If we are not living most opti-mally, and taking care of our-selves and our lives, we will never fully be there for those that are sent to us by God, to help and heal.

It is very important that we remember as healers, helpers, and as those on a conscious path of growth and self-devel-opment, that we regularly nur-ture ourselves at both the most inner and deepest parts of our beings, as well as our outer bodily selves. This will, in turn make us better healers, coach-es, friends, lovers, parents, and examples for others.

What are some specific ways that we can take care of and nurture our most important client... ourselves? Nurturing ourselves does not just mean going for a massage when you are overstressed. Nurturing yourself means employing different ways to remind yourself, both mentally and behaviorally, how wonder-ful you are----into your daily and weekly routine. I believe that true “self-love” starts from the inside, and I

tries to convince us that we would be selfish for (or undeserving of) an overflow of self-love and mak-ing our own needs paramount. Regardless of why we neglect ourselves, it is very imperative that we remember a very important principle:

...we cannot effectively and truly give to others what we do not have for

ourselves.


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light, a water fall, a beautiful beach, bubbles rising, etc. If you are a spiritually conscious person, you can incorporate prayer into your meditation sessions and commune with your Source. Meditation nur-tures us at the deepest levels. Spiritual author and lecturer Marianne Williamson put it best when she said that “medi-tation is like going to the Divine Physician’s office.”

Take an “emotionally aware” bath or shower Each week, find a day that you have some extra time and take an extended, luxurious bath or shower. Tune into all of your senses. Close your eyes and listen carefully to the water dripping and cascading.

Concentrate on what the water, tub, soap, and your skin smell like. Appreciate the wonder of your body, the water, and the entire experience. Most of the time, when we are engaging in daily routines like brushing our teeth or taking a shower, we do so unconsciously and without emotional awareness. Living in our hectic society can put our minds into a frenetic state, in which we worry about future occurrences, or past mistakes or regrets. The benefit of this exercise is that you will be

come up that you forgot about, and you may notice a change in your mood or physiology as you are writing.

Meditate for at least twenty minutes a day.

There are many forms of, and purposes for meditation----relax-ation, self-awareness, and concentration. If you are not already meditating, make an effort to learn how, and add it to your daily routine. Sitting quiet-ly for twenty minutes each day can do wonders for our bodies, minds, and spirits. It has been said that thirty minutes of deep meditation is equal to about two hours of sleep! Meditation can also help us get in touch with and release negative and self-defeating thought patterns. It also improves our neurological functions and causes our brains to release endorphins which improve our moods. Make your meditation spot a private sanctuary and make sure that your family knows that this is your private time. Close your eyes and envision gentle images such as warm white

“...the Inner and Outer YOU” continued

always remind clients that they are a soul with a body (rather than a body with a soul), and the following tips are outlined in this sequence. Here are just four of many specific tips that I give to clients to nurture themselves inside and out:

Remind yourself regularly of how wonderful you are. Here is an exercise that you can try: Make a list of things that you are proud of in your life that you have accomplished; I do not just mean things that you received formal accolades for, but every-day things that show how much you have grown, how good of a person you are, how you have persevered through a hardship, etc. Here are some samples:

I am proud that I have improved my credit score.

I am proud that I arrange it every day to sit with my child to help with their homework.

I am proud that I finally spoke up for myself to my supervisor.

I am proud that I got through my divorce and am now doing better than ever.

I am proud that I have taken the steps to learn how to meditate. You should look your list over regularly and add to it daily, or weekly. This exercise will nurture your soul because you will be reminding yourself of the positive about yourself and in time, as you add to your list, you will begin to learn how to focus more on the best in you. You may find as you write, that things will


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If doing it for yourself is not enough motivation, then this idea (a beautiful quote by Buddha) may provide the extra inspiration you need: “You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” -----JB

Truth Life Coaching. He works with clients on meeting personal goals and learning to improve themselves from the inside out. He has an office in Mana-lapan, New Jersey and at the Life Coaching Center in Somerville, New Jersey, where he teaches a weekly class on A Course In Miracles and other classes. He does phone and in-person consultations. He is the author of the upcoming book Everyday Inspiration, coming out in early September. He can be reached at [email protected] or via phone at 732-547-8548. His website is http://www.ptlcoaching.com

“...the Inner and Outer YOU” continued

training your mind to live more in the present moment and nur-turing your body and soul in the process. Take a thirty-minute walk each day. A daily walk can do great things for our bodies. Experts list walking as one of the most beneficial exercises we can do, and that which offers the most long-term benefits. Renown doctor and author Deepak Chopra says that the phrase move it or lose it applies dir-ectly to your physical body. If possible, take your walk in a forest, or on a beach and reap the healing benefits of nature. Also, take your walk alone sometimes so that you can concentrate on your emotions and not be distracted by conver-sation. A brisk walk in which you swing your arms can also help release stress and nega-tive thoughts. A daily walk can be a great companion for you on your journey, and your body will thank you for your daily atten-tiveness that it needs.

There are many more ways to nurture our inner and outer be-ings that we know about: journaling, vacations, support groups, making time for our-selves to be alone, getting out of our regular environment, reading a great book, letting ourselves cry, keeping our environments clean, etc. What is most important is that we never forget the importance of taking care of ourselves, so that we can do the same for others----the best we can, and be the best expression of help possible in this world that very much needs it. If you ever feel that you are being selfish by making such a fuss about your-self, remember this: There are people out there who need you, whatever stage of personal growth you are in. There is a line in the Course in Miracles that says, there are those who need each of us just the way we are, even with and some-times because of whatever personal limitations we have. There are people out there that need to know what you know in the way that only you can pre-sent it; there are people out there that are waiting for you to develop and grow in self-love so that you can be a better teacher, healer, coach, friend, etc. Your children and loved ones also need you to nurture yourself. Your students need you to nurture yourself. Your patients need you to nurture yourself.

Justin Buffer, HMN Member, is a Certi-fied Life Coach and the owner of Pure

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.ptlcoaching.com/

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I'm sure my story is not as isolated as I may think.

I grew up in a strict old belief system, that impressed upon me values and visuals that, as a child, I questioned the validity of. But, with what I understood, and without knowing I had a choice, I incorporated these values into my own belief system.

It took me well into my thirties to finally accept myself as I am. I was not the normal child who played with no care in the world; on the contrary-----all I did was care. Can you imagine being five years-old and praying for WISDOM, TRUTH, and KNOW-LEDGE? This is all I prayed for. All the time. My subconscious dreams formed a world of com-fort for me. When I slept, I felt most awake.

Of course, no one understood the realms presented to me, nor could I explain the meanings be-hind the images shown to me. My parents listened to me, but didn't encourage or guide me to know who I was---an Indigo child*. My father, though very

loving, didn't want to acknow-ledge my extra sensory percep-tion. My mother however, was fascinated and would feed my imagination with stories of her childhood that I found almost mystical. I eventually was made to believe that a chemical imbal-ance may be possible if I wasn't careful, considering women in my family had mental instabilities.

How could I find my way? ...especially when I was feeling completely alone in my journey. Growing up, I eventually learned to differentiate between message dreams, warning dreams, pre-cognitive dreams, and prophetic dreams. But still, I didn't see dreams as my spirit speaking to me, and I still felt separated from my night life.

A PAGE From a Life


by ANA MARIE PRESTI

*An indigo child refers to a New Age belief that some children, especially those born after the late 1970s, represent a higher state of human evolution. The term itself is a reference to the belief that such children have an indigo colored aura. Beliefs concerning the exact nature of Indigo children vary, with some believing that they have paranormal abilities such as the ability to read minds, and others that they are distinguished from non-Indigo children merely by more conventional traits such as increased empathy and creativity. According to New Age beliefs, Indigo children are highly sensitive with a clear sense of self-definition. (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

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questions like, "Is this real?" or, "am I imagining this?”

I wasn't ready.

Then, fear set in, and I brought myself back to my illusion of life. Since that morning, ten years ago, I denied my exper-ience. I stopped meditating and eventually separated from my spiritual teacher. My ego distracted me from knowing my spirit. Meanwhile, life was hap-pening. Periodically, I only en-tertained the thought of medi-tation. Then, in my early thirties, my desire to once again follow a spiritual path started to brew. I was ready to practice; ready to move forward. I began attending weekly medi-tations, and again, I was open-ing up to the universe. For a while, I responded to the teach-ings of my guru, but I soon realized that, even though her teachings resonated deep with-in my soul, I could not deny my spirit, telling me I stayed as long as I could. Lessons that needed to be learned are learn-ed, and now I must keep mov-ing toward the truth. I stopped going to the weekly meetings, but kept practicing her teach-ings. Then of course, meditat-ion started to occur less fre-quently. Still, I continued to be present in the moment. I see beauty in all living things, in the clear blue sky...in the smell the rain brings...I notice every bird that flies in the distance, listen-ing to them speak their song... I look for formations in the clouds, and hold onto my child-like wonder. I can be still when the moment calls for it. Little did I know that this preparation

“A Page From a Life”

continued

In my mid twenties, I met a spir-itual teacher. She validated my experiences and I took advant-age of any given moment avail-able to me so I could learn and witness. It was an exciting time. I began meditating. Praying took on another form. It wasn't dis-cipline, but intrigue that kept me on my path. I just couldn't get enough of silent meditation. Day after day, meditating became easier. Within my first breath, I was in a state of bliss. Then, one special morning, during medita-tion, I began to sob uncontrollably. I was so separated from my ego that I wasn't concerned about dissecting my emotions. All I remember were feelings of joy and gratitude. Then, within a single moment, it happened. I was part of a whole----a small part of a vast universe of energy. I was not a physical body or an egoist mind. Just energy.

was bringing me closer to my purpose. Before I bring you to my present, I'll tell you a dream I had... I was standing in a field of rolling hills. I noticed how beautiful the sky looked. It was a perfect shade of blue, scattered with puffy white clouds. As I looked up, I noticed something falling. I focused upon this vision, and realized, as it got closer, that it was an angel-----a magnificent, beautiful, winged creature---but it didn't fly like an angel should; instead, it was doing summer-saults!

As its feet touched the ground, the “scene” changed into a classroom and I found myself hiding from this angel. She suddenly saw me, and pointed a finger at me, asking in an annoy-ed manner, "ARE YOU PART TIME OR ARE YOU FULL TIME?" Then she showed me a book with pictures of the human ana-tomy. As she closed the book, I saw the cover...and the word REIKI.

Now I must tell you the most important event that took place. In this realm of space, my energy encountered, and became one with, what I can only describe as LOVE energy. It was supremacy far beyond my understanding, yet know-ing I had reached nirvana, a union with God. Then, my ego began to wake. It asked


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“A Page From a Life”

continued

About a year later, I attended a healing expo. There, I met my teacher. She attuned me in all levels of Reiki. Today, I am a Reiki Master/Teacher, an intuitive crystal healer, and I am living an awakened life. Every day I am thankful and grateful that I am guided by Divine energy.

This journey has taken me full circle to awaken to my spiri-tual being of who I am and my life's purpose.

-----AMP

Ana Marie Presti, HMN member, is a Reiki Master/Teacher who lives in Sussex County. She is the owner of Lucid Spirit "your soul center," which is located in Vernon, New Jersey. Ana Marie also sees clients through the Garden of Life Massage & Yoga Center in Wantage, New Jersey. She has explored different healing modalities, including crystal therapy, and incorporates these modalities into her Reiki sessions. She offers classes and workshops at her Vernon location, and is available for In-home sessions throughout and outside Sussex County. Her vision is to create an environment for people to accept healing and be the change needed to create peace and harmony in their homes and their communities. Member’s Club Offer: 25% discount on Reiki services

Nurturing the self is

the single most important thing you can do for your family, your outside relationships, and of course, yourself. Taking care of yourself and seeing to your own needs is not selfish, it is self-love. If you want to exper-ience real growth in your life, you have to learn to love your-self. If you don’t take time out for yourself, eventually you will be so rundown from the daily de-mands of living that you won’t be able to be there for those who depend on you. Relation-ships will ultimately suffer; friendships become strained, and family life deteriorates. Going through life on autopilot, unconnected to the people (and pets) in your life, does nothing to enhance your quality of life; it only serves to block you from the happiness that is a quintes-sential component of life itself.

Yes, life should be joyous!

Taking care of yourself will not take you away from the people and things that need you. On the contrary, nurturing your

body, mind, and spirit will have a very positive impact. You will de-stress, become more calm and relaxed, release physical tensions, improve your mental outlook, be more patient, show more kindness, feel happy---the list is endless. Your interac-tions with others will be more positive, and more meaningful. You may even become a ray of sunshine for someone who des-perately needs it. Self-love is about respect, com-passion, kindness, self-esteem and self-worth. It is an attribute that should be nourished in each of us. If there is no self-love, how can you love ano-ther? Everything begins with the self, then radiates outward.

How do you nourish yourself?

Do you only focus on the phys-ical?-------Or do you incorporate the mental and spiritual dimensions?

On the following page is a list of activities to help you on your journey of nurturing self-love.

SELF LOVE

by SARAH

COLLINS


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“SELF-LOVE” continued

This list is not meant to be all-inclusive.

massage reflexology

craniosacral energetic therapies

positive thinking saying nice things to yourself

meditation a few days at a spa

reading a novel enjoying a gourmet meal spending time in nature

There is no limit to the positive outcomes that can result just from the simple act of nurturing yourself on a consistent basis. Everything you do affects everyone around you.

We are all connected on a non-physical level. What you do has a ripple effect, touching the lives of everyone who comes in contact with you.

Begin today to nourish yourself and watch what unfolds! -----SMC


Sarah M. Collins, HMN Member, is a prolific writer, poet and healer. Her healing work focuses on Natural Force Healing® but includes other modalities as well. She is working on her PhD in Natural Health. Visit her website for more information www.WellnessCareToday.com . Sarah also has several books slated for publication in 2008 by New Pathways Press.

Nurturing YOUR PURPOSE by STAN COHEN The concept of nurturing should be very familiar to all of us involved in any aspect of Holistic work. After all, we work to nurture our-selves, our patients, clients, stu-dents, or whoever it may be, that is getting the benefit of our practice.

Often, we become so wrapped up in the work that we strive so hard to accomplish (the building of the business, the networking and the constant pressure of making things work) that we for-get to nurture ourselves. Many times, we just do not realize we are doing the wrong things...or the wrong work.

A very important question is, How great is the difference between the building of your business and the building of your “self”?

disconnection with who you are as a per-son, you will most like-ly find the work of nur-turing difficult, always fighting a battle, and never quite eliminating the stress, or enjoying both prosperous busi-ness and emotional growth. When you synchron-ize your business, your practice and your true self, in many cases, you will find there is no nurturing needed. Things will

know how?----Or is your occupa-tion something that you are in-volved in at a deeper level? ----one that you know makes a positive change in the people you meet, and those you help with the energy you bring to everything you do in your work. In looking at what you do in your practice---and why you do it, consider the purpose and the true reasons for choosing that path. If the reasons have a

Look at your chosen profession. Is it a re-flection of who you are, as opposed to being something you “picked up” along the way and just “do” because you

fall into place. You will meet the right people, at the right time, and quite often, in the most illogical places. Stress, although not

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daily activities. Each person is very different and Stan finds that his teach-ing method, which has been called Practical Movement techniques, seems to strike a chord with his students. Stan says, it is not just what you teach, but how you teach and listen that makes the teaching process work. There are so many interwoven layers to movement that, each time I teach, observing both myself and the students, I learn how to refine my program to be more effective. [email protected] www.chiforliving.com

Stan Cohen, an HMN member, is the founder of ChiForLiving, and is a student/teacher of movement theory. An artistic, visual learner and intui-tive, Stan uses his skills to interpret and teach movement, balance and mobility sense. During nine years of Tai Chi study, Stan found that many older people did not have the balance and capabil-ities for traditional teaching or leaning methods. He broke away from the standards to develop his own system. Stan designed his program, ChiFor-Living, to help students develop the capabilities needed to participate in fitness classes and improve their

“Nurturing Your Purpose” continued

eliminated, will be much easier to deal with, and the practice will grow.

Some say the stars need to align in order to make a good life hap-pen. In my opinion, a good life can happen when you look clear-ly at your goals, your natural paths, and allow yourself enough room to find your purpose. Once this hard work is accomplished, the fine tuning, the caring, the developing, and nurturing comes easy. -----SC

by Dr. SUHAIL S. JARROUSH, PhD

Many of my students have asked me to explain the phenomenon of manifestation. It seems the world suddenly re-discovered a secret, amazing, magic tool from the buried trea-sure of life’s secret tools of living. For thousands of years, this trea-sure was guarded by the great blue genie, shrouded with secre-cy, veiled with allegory, and illus-trated in symbols; known to few of the enlightened masters, and lost to humanity when humans lost their connection to their own spirituality as they followed the daily affairs of their life. Then suddenly, out of this ancient bag

slipped out of the bag of secret tools. The world grabbed it; they mounted it into a great frame, and displayed it in books, movies, and television shows, labeling it as the greatest secret find for achieving anything you want in

life. They called this tool Manifestation.

Since this tool was exhibited to the world, men, women, and children have been trying dili-gently to manifest their wants and needs. The more they try to manifest what is needed for their livelihood (following the prescrib-ed manual of manifestation), the less they get, and thus the more frustrated they become, and the more they doubt the power of this magic tool. Their dream houses are still dreams, their million dollar wishes are still only wishes, their bills are still unpaid, their misery is still ever-present, their fears still haunt them, and their doubts still trouble them.

of secrets, and after thousands of years of obscurity (when the genie took a nap), one of the implements



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The greatest tool is to material-ize the feelings of happiness and love, which is the power-house of self awareness by bal-ancing the body, mind, soul, and spirit. The only way to manifest is to simply under-stand that nothing needs to be manifested and that every need, want, and desire is already fulfilled. Just seek the powerful feeling of self awareness. Com-bine your physical and spiritual awareness, produce the feeling of gratefulness, and acknow-ledge the total union with divin-ity; then----and only then, the universe will supply the magic tools to manifest your desired feeling into reality. -----SDJ

Dr. Jarroush, PhD, HMN Member, President and founder of the Aquarian Sun Healing and Learning Center in Lincoln Park, NJ. Dr. Jarroush has his Doctorate of Clinical Hypnotherapy and his PhD in Advanced Clinical Hyp-notherapy and Behavior Modification. He is dedicated to helping children, adults and geriatrics to change, and manage and control stressful behav-ioral problems. He specializes in alter-native and complementary medicine, and has dedicated the past thirty years of his life to helping individuals naturally overcome their stress and pains without relying solely on pre-scribed medicine and over-the-counter drugs. He can be reached at: 63 Beaver Brook Road, Suite 305 Lincoln Park, NJ 07035

Phone: 973-686-9100

Website: http://www.aquariansun.net

Member’s Club Offer: 25% discount on modalities, hypnotherapy and classes.

The problem that humans are facing in achieving their desires is not manifestation itself. It is neither the manual of manifes-tation, nor the faded power of this secret tool. The problem is that this great tool, which came out of the secret treasures of secrets, was presented as the greatest pathway to self aware-ness...to the balance of the body, mind, soul and spirit, and to the total union between dirt and deity----between humans and their divinity. Manifestation, as presented today, fails to convey that what people must manifest is the ultimate genuine feeling behind the desires, wants, and needs---and not the manifesta-tion of the tools that help the feelings of happiness, joy, and love to materialize.

The misrepresentation of this great tool gave false hope to individuals seeking freedom from their earthly experiences, and made them sink deeper into doubt and despair. People thought that manifestation is their way to salvation---from the gloom of their daily physical lives---where they can achieve

what they desire in their life struggles, just by focusing on the tool. People thought that manifestation was to simply manifest tools such as money, houses, health, dream vaca-tions, and so many others, to be free from the preordained earthly destiny of the their socio-economic status, and their geo-political orientation. They are still focusing, and they are still waiting for the genie to drop the lottery numbers in their laps! People are frustrated and an-noyed with all the great se-crets. They thought that the secret to their salvation (from financial burdens) has been finally unveiled, but their prob-lems are still problems and the secret is still a secret.

People must be told that the power of manifestation is

real.


“The Secret Beyond the Secret”

continued

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Thank you for feeding our hunger, even as you feed your Self. Thank you for your prayers and meditations for protection, heal-ing, and Light. Thank you for sharing what you have learned with those who search. Thank you for the energy of holding a full-time ‘second’ job to support yourself and your family while your primary job is to trans-form the Earth and all its inhabitants. Thank you for not giving up. Thank you for following the path dictated by your heart (even if it's a path some scoff at). Thank you for traveling great distances, physically and mental-ly, just to help heal. Thank you for encouraging us to go deeper. Thank you for reaching depths most fear to dive. Thank you for re-energizing a tired world. Thank you for lifting our chin and saying, “I’m here for you.” Thank you for your touch. Thank you for recognizing that we are One.

“When in the spring the withered gray of pastures gives place to green, this is due to the millions of young shoots which sprout up freshly from the old roots. In like manner, the revival of thought which is essential for our time can only come through the transformation of the opinions and ideals of the many brought about by individual and universal reflection about the meaning of life and of the world.” -----Albert Schweitzer

Whether it is your calling to be a Massage Therapist, Yoga Instructor, Reiki Master, Energy or Light Worker, Angel Worker, Psychic Healer, Hypnothera-pist...or perhaps a Meditation Instructor, Faith Healer, Herbalist, Life Coach, Shamanic teacher, or Touch Therapist---if you are a Whole-istic Practitioner, this article is for you. This is for all who walk this earth Lightly and nurture the hearts of Mankind... all who promote, through their work, the idea that a human being is greater than the sum of his or her parts, and that our physical, emotional, and spiritual ‘parts’ are not separate, but must be treated as One…

we thank you.

Thank you for seeing into the Soul of man with clearer vision. Thank you for cultivating a Garden and easily allowing others to reap what you sow, thereby ensuring the growth of a better world.


Susan Read, HMN member, and life-long seeker, is co-owner of Peaceful Paths, an interesting little store dedica-ted to Oneness and finding the peace within all paths. Peaceful Paths is located at 7 High St., Butler, NJ 07405 and can be reached at 973-283-9444 or by email: [email protected]. You can also visit them on their website: www.peacefulpaths.com Peaceful Paths - Products for Spirit Member’s Club Offer: 10% store discount

Susan, Vic, and Pari

To Those Who Tend the Heart of Man

by SUSAN READ

To all Holistic Practitioners, I ask that you allow the warm gratitude with which these words are writ-ten, to wash over you, bring you energy, and bathe you in the highest Light of Love. I ask the Universe to allow this expression of thankfulness, simple as it may be, to nurture you as you nurture others; and to refresh your Body, Mind, and Spirit with additional faith in the concept of going within---to help those without, and gently trans-forming the world, one person at a time. -----SR

“And what is it to work with love? It is to charge all things you fashion with a breath of your own spirit.” -----Kahlil Gibran


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MARCI’s Community Corner


“BAKING BREAD”

There are those days, Black cloud days. If I can’t find one To sit under, I’d create one. Instead, I’ll bake bread, Deal in white flour, The tangy sweet smell of Yeast, bubbling, growing. Let me get to the kneading, Flour the table, Get my hands around it, In it until I cramp, Kneading, kneading, kneading Fuming, Grunting, Turning, mulling, kneading. Then let it rest a while. I’ll sit on the floor In the corner, Back to the wall, Coffee mug between my knees, My mind Turning, mulling, kneading Fleeting thoughts. Then I remember the smell Of the fresh baked Powdered loaf, Just out of the oven, The taste of the soft sweet butter. And a ray of sunlight Parts the black clouds. That’s why I bake bread. George Dominguez

“Joy of the Spirit” Be one with me, little one caressing the satiny slopes of happiness, nestled together under the glow of starlight Open your heart to the joy of the spirit and watch the pain dissolve, fragments of Self left behind to Experience, and the darkness cast upon the valley of suffering Joined together, your bliss will expand penetrating even time itself Lend me your heart, little one we will grow together in joy amid golden-white hues of royal rapture, drinking in layers of rainbow colored light, until we are drunk from the sweet nectar of ecstasy Remember your divine birthright as you dance closer to the light of Love, to live in a realm of wonder and enchantment Be one with me, little one Sarah M. Collins Copyright © 2006

“SOLAR”

On a gray day, when the sun has been abducted, and it’s chill

end-of-the-world weather, I must be the sun. I must be the one

to encourage the young sidetracked physicist

working his father’s cash register to come up with a law of nature

that says brain waves can change

the dismal sky. I must be the one

to remind the ginger plant not to rest on the reputation

of its pungent roots, but to unveil those buttery tendrils from the

other world. When the sky is an iron lid

I must be the one to simmer in the piquant juices of

possibility, though the ingredients are

unknown and the day begins with a yawn.

I must issue forth a warmth without discrimination, and any

guarantee it will come back to me.

On a dark day I must be willing to keep my disposition light,

I have to be at the very least on stray intact ray

of local energy, one small but critical fraction

of illumination. Even on a day that doesn’t look gray

but still lacks comfort or sense, I have to be the sun, I have to shine as if

sorry life itself depended on it. I have to make all the difference.

Thomas Centolella

send your literary submissions to:

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emotional, energetic, and spiritual aspects of existence as co-equal in addressing health and illness…Any practitioner who

seeks to address health conditions in terms of the "whole person" rather than that of disorders affecting or confined to

only specific functional parts, systems, components, or organs-----could be considered a candidate to become a

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