Promise Yourself
To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
Saturday, June 25, 2005
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Healing Has a Healing Effect
When the Center for Holistic Health was founded it adopted as its logo a labyrinth held by two hands. A labyrinth is an ancient symbol that relates to wholeness. It combines the imagery of the circle and the spiral into a meandering but purposeful path. The Labyrinth represents a journey to our own center and back again out into the world.
The Center has been around for about a decade and has seen many changes. It has been blessed by many talented practitioners and wonderful clients. As adaptation and growth are an integral part of healing and wellness, it has been our honor as practitioners of the Center to guide and facilitate our clients in their process of healing and growth.
While everyone's healing process is somewhat of a personal journey it is important to note that the effects are not limited to that individual. One's state of health and wellness includes not only their physical well being but, their ability to adapt to stress and make positive choices, their emotional well being, their level of life enjoyment and overall quality of life. A few more specific qualities include openness to guidance by inner feelings, positive feelings about self, feeling open when relating to others, confidence in dealing with adversity, compassion for others, and the extent to which one adapts to change and handles the problems in life.
These qualities of wellness go beyond the confines of the physical state. Our degree of wellness determines our psychological state, affecting our level of inner peace, our mood and our responses not only to life situations but to fellow human beings. Making healthier choices, whether it be for our selves, in our relationships, in our environment, our communities or the world are a product of wellness. The less optimal our state of health and wellness, the less positive our responses and adaptations are going to be.
So, it could be said that our level of wellness has an impact, positive or negative, on the people around us, our society and world. Based on observation I think it would be safe to say that, on a community and planetary level, we are not displaying optimal wellness.
In the last few months the Center has adopted the ripple effect occurring on water's surface as a new image to accompany the labyrinth logo. It represents how our health affects everyone and everything around us. Collectively, the ripple created by each of us, interacting with countless others, determines the fabric of our world. Our vision at the Center for Holistic Health is to create a positive influence on our planet by helping individuals reach their optimal wellness potential. We welcome you to join us in that vision.
The Center has been around for about a decade and has seen many changes. It has been blessed by many talented practitioners and wonderful clients. As adaptation and growth are an integral part of healing and wellness, it has been our honor as practitioners of the Center to guide and facilitate our clients in their process of healing and growth.
While everyone's healing process is somewhat of a personal journey it is important to note that the effects are not limited to that individual. One's state of health and wellness includes not only their physical well being but, their ability to adapt to stress and make positive choices, their emotional well being, their level of life enjoyment and overall quality of life. A few more specific qualities include openness to guidance by inner feelings, positive feelings about self, feeling open when relating to others, confidence in dealing with adversity, compassion for others, and the extent to which one adapts to change and handles the problems in life.
These qualities of wellness go beyond the confines of the physical state. Our degree of wellness determines our psychological state, affecting our level of inner peace, our mood and our responses not only to life situations but to fellow human beings. Making healthier choices, whether it be for our selves, in our relationships, in our environment, our communities or the world are a product of wellness. The less optimal our state of health and wellness, the less positive our responses and adaptations are going to be.
So, it could be said that our level of wellness has an impact, positive or negative, on the people around us, our society and world. Based on observation I think it would be safe to say that, on a community and planetary level, we are not displaying optimal wellness.
In the last few months the Center has adopted the ripple effect occurring on water's surface as a new image to accompany the labyrinth logo. It represents how our health affects everyone and everything around us. Collectively, the ripple created by each of us, interacting with countless others, determines the fabric of our world. Our vision at the Center for Holistic Health is to create a positive influence on our planet by helping individuals reach their optimal wellness potential. We welcome you to join us in that vision.
Friday, June 3, 2005
Your Perception is Your Reality!
For mind is the builder and that which we think upon may become crimes or miracles. For thoughts are things and as their currents run through the environs of an entity's experience these become barriers or steppingstones, dependent upon the manner in which these are laid as it were. — Edgar Cayce
One of the most inspiring things to me about practicing Network is the effect it has upon people's perception. In fact, perception is, without a doubt, the most important aspect of health in the wellness model. Now, you might say, “that's perception, not reality,” but the reality is that perception is everything.
Whatever the brain perceives, in effect becomes its reality. The brain doesn't know the difference. Based on its perception, it will cause the body to release certain chemicals, which in turn cause our physiological responses. This is important because everything we feel; every mood and emotion is completely dependent upon the release of these chemicals called neuropeptides.
If a man, for example, was to force himself upon a woman and persist in touching her private areas against her will, she would release certain body chemicals. These “stress” chemicals would eventually make her sick, especially if she could not properly deal with this trauma. It has been well documented that this can be related to disease processes in the sexual organs as well as emotional problems and their effect on future relationships.
If someone else came along and was invited to do the same, the woman would release completely different chemicals. Not only would they not make her sick but, she would experience ecstasy and healing. And the difference is, of course, her perception of the event.
Now, this is an extreme example of what occurs constantly throughout every day of our lives. We are continually experiencing different situations which can be perceived in different ways, positive or negative. It's the “glass if half empty or half full” scenario. The question then becomes; what determines our perception?
As we go through life our brain has to repeatedly process our experiences. If these experiences, either in content or amount, are deemed unsafe by the brain, it will shield itself from that experience by creating a physical anchor in the body. In other words, it will store the information until a later time when it can be dealt with. It's the brain's safety mechanism to protect itself.
It might also be noted that when the brain is protecting itself it creates a defensive physiology. One aspect of this stress physiology is its diminishing effect upon the blood supply to the cerebral cortex. Among other things, this “higher” part of the brain interprets information and input, which helps you decide you're most appropriate response. In the stress mode, you cannot fully access that part of the brain which means, your responses become essentially unconscious.
We all know people, usually the ones that are closest to us, that can push our buttons. Our buttons, as it were, are the physical anchors of our past experiences. These physical anchors become the basis for all the patterns we experience in our lives. In fact, we cannot objectively perceive anything new, but through the filter of our past experiences. And remember, our perception creates the chemistry that determines everything about the experience of our lives. Wow, this is pretty deep.
When monitoring someone for “wellness” we must look beyond the normal physical measures. How a person feels about themselves is just as, if not more important than anything that can be measured in a physical exam. Aspects such as a person's ability to deal with stress, their emotional and psychological well being, their life enjoyment and overall quality of life are an integral part of wellness.
It was noted in a study conducted by the University of California at Irvine, that people in Network care have doubled the perceived wellness than if they just adopted healthy lifestyle practices alone. Translation, if you eat your green beans and do your exercise but you're still, stressed, anxious, depressed or just down right miserable, your overall wellness doesn't really increase all that much. That's not to say that those practices aren't positive, but the reality is this: As far as your experience of life goes, it's not what you're eating — it's what's eating you.
One of the most inspiring things to me about practicing Network is the effect it has upon people's perception. In fact, perception is, without a doubt, the most important aspect of health in the wellness model. Now, you might say, “that's perception, not reality,” but the reality is that perception is everything.
Whatever the brain perceives, in effect becomes its reality. The brain doesn't know the difference. Based on its perception, it will cause the body to release certain chemicals, which in turn cause our physiological responses. This is important because everything we feel; every mood and emotion is completely dependent upon the release of these chemicals called neuropeptides.
If a man, for example, was to force himself upon a woman and persist in touching her private areas against her will, she would release certain body chemicals. These “stress” chemicals would eventually make her sick, especially if she could not properly deal with this trauma. It has been well documented that this can be related to disease processes in the sexual organs as well as emotional problems and their effect on future relationships.
If someone else came along and was invited to do the same, the woman would release completely different chemicals. Not only would they not make her sick but, she would experience ecstasy and healing. And the difference is, of course, her perception of the event.
Now, this is an extreme example of what occurs constantly throughout every day of our lives. We are continually experiencing different situations which can be perceived in different ways, positive or negative. It's the “glass if half empty or half full” scenario. The question then becomes; what determines our perception?
As we go through life our brain has to repeatedly process our experiences. If these experiences, either in content or amount, are deemed unsafe by the brain, it will shield itself from that experience by creating a physical anchor in the body. In other words, it will store the information until a later time when it can be dealt with. It's the brain's safety mechanism to protect itself.
It might also be noted that when the brain is protecting itself it creates a defensive physiology. One aspect of this stress physiology is its diminishing effect upon the blood supply to the cerebral cortex. Among other things, this “higher” part of the brain interprets information and input, which helps you decide you're most appropriate response. In the stress mode, you cannot fully access that part of the brain which means, your responses become essentially unconscious.
We all know people, usually the ones that are closest to us, that can push our buttons. Our buttons, as it were, are the physical anchors of our past experiences. These physical anchors become the basis for all the patterns we experience in our lives. In fact, we cannot objectively perceive anything new, but through the filter of our past experiences. And remember, our perception creates the chemistry that determines everything about the experience of our lives. Wow, this is pretty deep.
When monitoring someone for “wellness” we must look beyond the normal physical measures. How a person feels about themselves is just as, if not more important than anything that can be measured in a physical exam. Aspects such as a person's ability to deal with stress, their emotional and psychological well being, their life enjoyment and overall quality of life are an integral part of wellness.
It was noted in a study conducted by the University of California at Irvine, that people in Network care have doubled the perceived wellness than if they just adopted healthy lifestyle practices alone. Translation, if you eat your green beans and do your exercise but you're still, stressed, anxious, depressed or just down right miserable, your overall wellness doesn't really increase all that much. That's not to say that those practices aren't positive, but the reality is this: As far as your experience of life goes, it's not what you're eating — it's what's eating you.
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