Libra New Moon

New Moon in Libra tonight 9/27/11 

by my friend Nancy Ogren

Well, there’s good news, and there’s bad news, the good news is we’re in Libra!!  Using the lighter energies of an Air sign, we can first and foremost; Breathe.  Slowly and deeply, Breathe.  We have the Sun, Moon and Mercury within 2 degrees of each other in Libra.  So, take advantage of that dynamic and communicate your little hearts out, the Moon moves on quickly, but the Sun and Mercury will stay pretty close for the next couple of weeks, and then meet up with Venus and Saturn, also in Libra, along with the asteroid Juno.  That’s the good, easy-flowing comfortable news.  And normally, this much Libra energy would run the show.  The “other” news is Uranus, situated stubbornly in Aries, squaring Pluto, opposing the Sun, Moon and Mercury, and Pluto, also squaring all of those planets!!  So, you may find yourself being confronted by others who want clarity, but may resist reality!

My advice is: Speak softly, and don’t push any agenda, it’s not worth the struggle right now.  The Sun, Moon and Mercury move quickly and these aspects, except for the ongoing square between Pluto and Uranus will ease, and you can find your own center of comfort and grace.

With this Libra New Moon, use the qualities of: Perspective, Awakening, Equality, Divine Balance, and the Future to guide you as you create your Intentions for this next month.  Be aware, and think about: “What’s going on behind what’s going on!”  I think that question needs to be asked on a continual basis as we interact in all areas of our lives.

Hope this helps, seriously, remember to breathe, and be patient, as you may feel not heard, and feel that what other’s are investing in isn’t aligned with your picture either!

www.NancyMillerOgren.com 

Storytelling

I happen to be flipping through channels the other day and land on OWN (Oprah's network). I love Oprah! I see a commercial for one of her shows she has interviewing interesting people like Sydney Porter, Mya Angelou, and her other favorites where she is saying that "everyone has a story" and how it teaches us about ourselves. Its intriguing because it makes me think how her interviews really do uncover and honor people telling their story. The interest is hearing from others how their life struggles have made them who they are. And how their struggles really remind us how we can make it through our own.  But just like that, I go on not thinking any more about it.

Then today I was reading my book, "The Science of Spiritual Marketing".  The chapter I am on is The Power of Our Story. Which starts with a quote from a storyteller that says,

"What makes this act so powerful--for both the teller and the listener--is that we meet in the moment of the story and emerge acknowledging our kinship with all of Life.  Story reminds us that we are One."

The chapter relates storytelling to creating my business story. Sharing who I am and how I want people to experience what I have to give through my work and how that carries impact and attracts people to me.  Whoa! Totally overwhelmed to think that now my task would be to write out a story that offered some deep and meaningful journey to the mountain top of Yoga teaching (Which I am sure I've not actually made it to the top of yet).  So I put the book down and went to something else. Stories are great,when they are someone else's. "Mine are boring." I think to myself.

Ok so then tonight, scrolling through Facebook, a quote jumps out of no where, "Recognize your own story."  There it is again, "my story." Recognize my own story? My own story? My own story of what exactly?  Growing up, family traumas, spiritual growth, the good, the bad and the really, really ugly?  Is my story what I have done, accomplished, how my views have changed, what hurts me? Is it who I am today and how I thankfully am not who I was yesterday?  I have to think about this.  Who am I in relationship to my story? And what story is it that I would want to tell?

 I know I can go back and start rattling off my childhood, my high school awkwardness to flunking out of college so I could be free to roam the world.  My adventures of the naive 20 year old moving to Colorado by myself with $1,000 to my name and no where to live and the 13 years that passed since then.  Going back to college, car accidents, hurt relationships, hurt egos, and childbirth. Packing up my newborn infant to Texas, teaching Yoga, Reiki and now Pilates? Learning to let go sooner than later (biggie!), creating my own business, friendships and family adventures, learning to be comfortable in my own skin. All the twists and turns, the leaps of faith and the universal kicks off the cliff.  The spiritual adventures of learning (and still learning) how to manifest, how to have relationships, how to be a daughter, a sister, a mother, a wife, a dog owner.  The moments when I walked away from the messy kitchen to go to the park instead and play with my daughter.  The first moments where I was terrified to teach a class, my voice shook when I spoke and I didn't move from my Yoga mat.  The moments when I trusted myself and it paid off.  The moments when I didn't and I learned better. The moments of fear that I faced and the moments of fear when I ran away.  The moments of not being able to get out of bed to the moments of pure laughter.  And the amazing thing is I still am living this story, it still evolves from here.  Those moments grow into new moments that are fertilized from the past.  I create my story with each day that I wake up to this life. And who would give up on their story? It is what made me who I am today and who I will become tomorrow.  So this story thing, I guess I will continue to recognize my story, how it changes and what I am creating it to be.

Non-Toxic Living

There are hundreds of toxins we are exposed to everyday in our environment. Toxins are in what we eat, wear, the mattresses we sleep on, the soap we use, household chemicals for cleaning and gardening, not to mention the air we breathe.  These toxins have to be broken down by our liver, which can get overwhelmed and the toxins can end up being stored in the fatty tissues in the body. Some toxins mimic hormones or can cause inflammatory disorders and cancer. There are safer alternatives to our everyday household products and making small changes in your environment can make big differences in your body.

Most common household cleaners that you can get at your supermarket, contain toxic, caustic and non-biodegradable chemicals.  It has been shown that it takes 26 seconds after exposure for these chemicals to show up in your body.  Some people have reactions to this exposure, such as burning, itchy, watery eyes, trouble breathing or burning in the throat and lungs, gagging, nausea, migraines, headaches, and achy joints. Reactions are the body’s signal of overload and really telling you to “get away!”  To prevent disease the body must manage the burden by eliminating the toxin.    If the load is excessive, symptoms occur as a response to the disturbance of the body’s immune and detoxification functions. Everyone varies on the amount their body can handle based on overall health and genetics.  

We humans have created a toxic world, but awareness can make a big difference.  It is the accumulation of toxins over time that leads to an overwhelmed and toxic body.  Studies have shown asthma rates in children have increased 118% from 1980 to 1993, as well as lung cancer in adults.  Since World War II over 75,000 new synthetic chemicals have been developed and released into the environment; fewer than half have been tested for their potential toxicity on humans and even less have been tested for their toxicity on children.  However times are changing, the American Environmental Health Foundation has published research and is educating physicians, politicians and others about these issues and we are learning just how crucial it is to take care of our environment and make the changes to protect our health.

There are some steps you can take to decrease your body’s exposure to unnecessary toxins. 

1. Do not use herbicides, pesticides, fungicides or fertilizers.  Pesticides are neurotoxins, which mean the effect the central nervous system. Pesticides do not know the difference between the pest and you.  Neurotoxins can cause short-term memory loss, loss of circulation, imbalance, and flu like symptoms, depression, and changes in mood, fatigue.  A healthy alternative to those pests would be diatomatious earth, boric acid, and nematodes.  You can get these at health food stores.
2. Eat organic foods.  These foods are grown without any use of pesticides etc.  Avoid processed foods (foods with colors and dyes, preservatives, high fructose corn syrup).  Avoid aspartame.  Aspartame breaks down in the body as formic acid and methanol.
3. Avoid storing food in plastic or drinking water from plastic bottles.  Use glass jars/bottles.  In 2002 the FDA named plastics “indirect food additives”, chemicals in the plastic do infiltrate food.  It is hard to completely avoid all plastics, since most food comes packaged in plastic.  The key here is to cut down.
4. Use natural, biodegradable cleaning products. Get rid of those toxic chemicals sitting under your kitchen sink.  The best thing to do is to find out the safe and proper disposal of these products and get them out of your home.  There are many eco-friendly products at health food stores and even now at most grocery stores.  White vinegar and water or dissolved baking soda makes a great alternative to ammonia-based cleansers. Baking soda or Bon Ami on a damp cloth is an effective abrasive cleaner that is good for you and the environment.  60ml of baking soda and 125 ml of vinegar mixed together makes an effective drain cleaner. For finished wood polish use 3 parts olive oil to one part white vinegar.  Mineral oil works great for unfinished wood.
5. Same goes for natural, nontoxic personal care products.  Cosmetics are full of chemicals.  Avoid parabens, urea, sodium laurel sulfate, propylene glycol and fragrance.  “Avalon Organics” is a brand that makes shampoo, lotion, soaps etc. It is inexpensive and safe to use.
6. Open your windows as much as possible.  Even in the most polluted cities, the air outside has been found less toxic than indoor air.
7. Certain houseplants have been found to detoxify the air.  Philodendrons, spider plants, aloe Vera, English ivy, golden pothos. Plant mint around your house to keep mosquitoes away.
8. Use safe cookware.  Avoid Teflon; it is made out of chemicals.  The best alternatives are glass, stainless steel or cast iron.
9. Limit installation of new carpets, plywood, wallboard and adhesives.  All contain chemicals that will gas out in your home for a long period of time.
10. Participate in guided detoxification for your body at least once a year.  The simplest way to detoxify is to do an elimination diet.  It only requires eliminating common food allergens (such as wheat, dairy, corn, sugar and processed food) that allows the body to get out of its inflammatory state and release stored toxins. Exercise, sweating, drinking plenty of pure water, and getting good nutritional support assists your body in detoxifying.

Workshops this October!

New Spirit Workshops added to the schedule for October 2011!

Usui-Tibetan Reiki Level 1

Introductory Practitioner Level
Prerequisite: None.
10/1 from 11am - 4pm
In this Reiki Level 1 class students will learn the history of Reiki, what Reiki is and how it heal, and several techniques to prepare for a healing session.  The students learn the Reiki Power Symbol and the Reiki hand positions along with ways to integrate these together during a healing session.  This course is a combination of lecture, discussion and experience.  Practice time includes how to prepare for a healing session, self treatment, giving and receiving a complete Reiki treatment using the hand positions, and using the Power Symbol and Reiki techniques.  Students will receive the Power Symbol given to them through the attunement, and are initiated as Usui-Tibetan Reiki Level 1 Practitioners.

Creative Spirit Workshop

Wednesdays starting 10/5 from 11am -12pm
Group meets to discuss and practice such topics as energetics of the body in regards to chakras, meridians and your aura.  Learn ways to feel more centered through mediation, breath, journaling and more.  Work with intuition and you guides and angels.  Learn to energetically cleanse and create your sacred space.