NeuroTheology: How Worship Affects The Mind, Body, & Spirit

NeuroTheology: How God & Worship Affect The Mind, Body, & Spirit

Have you ever wished that there was some scientific evidence you could point to that would prove how profound an effect our faith has on our physical bodies? Or maybe you’re hoping to prove that a divine presence doesn’t exist, so you’re looking for studies that assess the mind’s ability to create illusions. If the new field of neurotheology has taught us anything so far, it’s that you won’t find the dismissal of a divine presence here. In fact, scientists seriously following these studies are calling for open-mindedness about how impactful religion and faith practices can be for our minds, bodies, and spirits.

Evidence is being compiled using brain scans and vital monitors to show the differences in anatomy and brain activity between religious and non-religious people and how increased religious practice can improve our brain function over time! That’s not to dismiss other effects, either, regarding how faithful devotion to a God and rituals can change our hearts and spirits.

What is Neurotheology?

In simple terms, neurotheology is a subsection of neurology that focuses on religious practice’s effects on people. Scientists in this field wish to understand the relation between religion and the brain.

Neurotheology is a new field, and there is friction for many reasons. To begin, scientific and religious leaders have never been at greater odds with each other–the political divide, sweeping generalizations, and the creeping hatred taking over many hearts have set those with religious views against those who glorify science. While there’s no reason at all that science and religion should clash, it can be challenging to move past differences and assumptions born out of these challenges.

At the same time, there is a divide even within science itself. A common misunderstanding of neurotheology has caused miscommunications and incorrect attributions to the term. At first glance, many might think the field is a religious take on neurology. Leading neurotheologists are working to define and refine the word so it is only applied to truly neurotheological studies.

While the field is still young, the studies have shown amazing and promising results so far. Evidence for religious practice changing our brain function, for instance, spans across religions and demographics, even in some cases to help those who suffer from brain disorders!

Leading Neurotheology Studies

Dr. Andrew Newberg is one of the leading scientists who has paved the way for neurotheology. He has even authored a book called Principles of Neurotheology in which he has sought to set the story straight about the field and its potential. His work has mainly focused on brain scans to show brain function differences across religious and non-religious practices and its effects over time.

In one of his most fascinating studies, Dr. Newberg started with a group of older adults experiencing memory difficulties and taught them a meditation mantra. Over 8 weeks using meditation for only a few minutes per day, that group of elders was able to reshape their brains and improve their memory! The most compelling finding from this study is that we no longer have to rely on subjective reports from the study participants but can confirm with scientific evidence that the memory areas of their brain improved function.

Dr. Newberg explained that this improved function at about 10-15% was achieved only after two months. You can only imagine the effects this same study would have over years to mimic those who are religious for their entire lives.

Beyond basic brain function, many studies have linked religious practices and spirituality to improved mental health. Lower rates of suicide, depression, and anxiety have been found in people who use their faith practices as a form of coping with stress and understanding the world around them. Scientists delving into these studies have linked these mental health improvements with the physical practices that most religions promote, such as participating in the community, avoiding bad habits, and even better dietary choices like meat avoidance.

But that’s not the end of it! While many would seek to explain away the effects of spirituality on the brain by using the excuses above, neurotheologists like Dr. Newberg emphasize that spirituality itself changes the way the brain functions beyond just improved memory. In fact, meditation and prayer can increase the effectiveness of the brain’s ability to modulate emotional responses and the release of hormones like serotonin and dopamine.

Finally, religious therapies have even been proven to improve symptoms for those who suffer from ADHD, Alzheimer’s, and epilepsy.

Philosophical Angles of Neurotheology

Aside from trials and experiments, several sects of neurotheology are approaching the field from a philosophical angle. Some scientists are claiming that there must be a spiritual predisposition of the brain or human genetic makeup if religious practices change the function of the brain so drastically. Taking it further, some of working to apply quantifiable measures to a person’s spirituality.

Opposers question whether the two fields–neurology and spirituality–could ever be empirically linked beyond how some rituals train our brains to work differently. Some have posed a striking question of whether atheists and agnostics are defective if they do not possess a predisposition to be spiritual.

Again, the field is still young. When push comes to shove, it is questionable if science and religion will ever entirely disprove the other. Thankfully, some scientists are willing to stay open-minded and operate assuming that both science and religion can exist in harmony!

What Does the Evidence Mean for Worship?

As faith-filled spiritual people, the existence of these neurotheological studies give us even more reason to delve deeper into our practices! If it’s proven that religious practices such as deep prayer and meditation can not only form our brains but improve their function, then there’s even less reason to ditch our rituals. Further, our devotion to our daily practices throughout our lives may help our minds stay sharp to focus and remember things much better than others.

These results are also a huge breakthrough in the face of our growing mental health crisis in all age groups. Spirituality gives us a sense of oneness and purpose, a connection to a higher power, and the faith that our existence truly means something and has fantastic potential. With this sense of community and purpose, those who despair with mental health difficulties can find solace in others and the divine. They can find the strength to turn away from bad habits and toxic cycles that worsen their situation. They can use the tools of spirituality such as prayer and meditation to find balance, peace, and harmony with the Universe.

Dive into Spirituality to Heal You Mind, Body, and Spirit!

Are you looking to improve your brain function and mental health? Feel like something is missing from your life and would love to get in touch with your true self? Check out my Free Resources pages. You’ll find ancient ceremonies, lovely prayers, and encouragement that you might find helpful during times of change and transition. You might also consider using my Personality Cards – they’re wonderful for all sorts of rituals.

REMEMBER!

While scientists are working to find more evidence for the effect religious practices have on the brain, please realize that these are only suggestions to help. You are far more powerful than you realize. It might also be that you have other influences in your life that might greatly enhance your ability to receive what you desire.

To improve your vibration, luck, and happiness, spend time chanting Sanskrit mantras and love-filled sutras. Pray for others and the Universe prays for you.

YOU ARE LOVE!

You are a beautiful Living Being filled with light and love, born from stardust. You are unlimited potential in every direction. With a focus on discipline, virtue, and your own goodness, you can become as expanded and liberated as you desire.

November 29, 2022March 27, 2024

Psychedelics & Substances That Improve Mental & Spiritual Health

Psychedelic Mushrooms & Other Awesome Substances That Inspire Psychological Health & Spiritual Transformation

The war between those who want it to be legal to get “high” and those who want to ban all substances that get you “high” has been raging on for years, but the history of using mushrooms and other hallucinogenics has gone on for much longer across the globe. Almost every culture has had widespread use of substances to achieve an altered state of mind, including mushrooms, plants, oils, beans, and more. During this historical use of substances, many cultures revered these altered states of mind as ways to reach a higher power, speak to other worlds, and further the journey of their higher selves. Now, we know there are substances that improve mental health and spiritual health.

As modern governments have begun restricting the use of these substances more and more, groups who still wish to use them are fighting back. Marijuana, for example, has been illegal for so long and is finally being slowly legalized because studies reveal that claims of its dangers were unfounded. The benefits far outweigh the risks–and marijuana is not the only substance now being investigated. A new movement to legalize psychedelics claims that these substances have huge benefits for those with mental health struggles.

Interested in how these substances might help you tackle your own struggles, whether they’re psychological or spiritual? Here’s a list of some awesome substances that improve mental and spiritual health that you can discover.

Psilocybin or Magic Mushrooms

One of the most significant innovations in recent mental health advancements regarding the use of substances is psilocybin or the main active ingredient of “magic mushrooms.” The movement is so massive that major outlets are now calling it the “psychedelic gold rush.” This gold rush is a pushback from the government’s use (and some would claim misuse) of their categorizations of substances. Psychedelics like ketamine, MDMA, and psilocybin are classed as Schedule I substances, which means they have a high risk for abuse without the counteractive benefit of medical value. Many scientists and innovators are exclaiming that the categorization is just plain false. Further, that banning these substances that improve mental health will negatively affect us for generations to come.

Many innovators are experimenting with combining psychedelic-based drugs with conventional therapy, and they’re coming up with promising results. Those who suffer from PTSD and depression, for example, are currently undergoing clinical trials with psilocybin and reporting relief from their symptoms. As a result, many U.S. cities have begun decriminalizing the drug so that its benefits can be explored and enjoyed as of the recent Presidential election.

Psilocybin, or magic mushrooms, have a long history of spiritual benefits as well. The indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica used these substances for healing and divine inspiration. Art created in reverence of these substances date back well before Columbus’s time, even dating back to 6,000 years ago. In 1955, European Americans took part in an indigenous psychedelic mushroom ceremony and published an article in Life magazine, inspiring Harvard academics to attempt the ceremony as well and to eventually start the Harvard Psilocybin Project, which covered religious and psychological effects of the substance.

An altered state of mind is exactly what many believe is the key to accessing the higher self or divine powers. As humans trapped in our flat reality, our minds have a hard time escaping the view of what’s around us. Turning inward and breaking down the mind’s boundaries can help us explore new mindsets, think thoughts that were otherwise impossible, and tap into previously unreachable dimensions.

Peyote Cactus

Speaking of the American indigenous peoples, Peyote was a widely popular substance used for accessing a new level of spirituality as well as for medicinal purposes. Peyote is a cactus found in the Southwest and in Mexico which you can pull buttons off and chew on them to experience a “trip.” Like magic mushrooms, Peyote was also outlawed by the U.S. government, but its use is still prevalent. As an exception, Native Americans who are a part of the Native American Church are allowed to continue using Peyote for their religious ceremonies.

Research on psychedelics has been mostly shut down by the U.S. government, as the general claim is that the use of these substances can lead to brain damage and altered personalities. Scientists agree that long-term heavy use of psychedelics can be damaging but argue that use in small, controlled doses can actually offer many benefits. John H. Halpbern, a psychiatrist from the Harvard School of Medicine, has been studying the use of Peyote by Native Americans for years. Specifically, Halpbern believes Peyote and other Native American substances can help to fight addiction and alcoholism. He claims that tribes that use Peyote for religious ceremonies have much lower rates of alcoholism, which is a rampant issue among the Native American population.

During these religious ceremonies, only three teaspoons on average of Peyote is ingested by participants, which Halpbern explains is only enough to experience a buzz of stimulant, not hallucinate. He explains that it most likely only serves to deepen the emotions felt during the ceremony and helps the participants to open up their minds and hearts to the spirituality of the ritual.

Peyote, therefore, is another powerful substance that, when used properly, can help open up our minds to access our higher selves and even to dimensions beyond our own. Combined with rituals and meditation, Peyote helps the Native Americans to come together in spiritual enlightenment and speak to the divine. It’s truly a powerful substance that improves mental and spiritual health.

Ibogaine or Iboga Bark

In Africa, the Tabernanth iboga plant has been at the center of religious experiences. The Babongo people worship this plant and the drug that derives from it because of its strong hallucinogenic effects. It is used as a part of their religious ceremonies, as the Babongo people feel it is a way to tap into spiritual knowledge. When the bark is pulverized and ingested, those who take it can experience a wide range of emotions and visions, including anxiety, euphoria, and a blending of their senses to create other-worldly experiences.

Ibogaine is so powerful that it’s influence has stretched far outside of Africa. In fact, it’s been used in Western medicine since the 1800s to lower blood pressure, treat fevers, and even help with toothaches. However, the United States has since banned the use of Ibogaine, claiming it has no medical value yet has a high potential for abuse. Researchers are still investigating the drug and suspect that it may play a valuable role in mitigating the opioid crisis as well as provide medical value in other ways if controlled.

Kava

Kava is a popular plant extract used mostly in beverages in the South Pacific. It’s been used in spiritual ceremonies to relax participants and relieve symptoms of anxiety, insomnia, and even drug withdrawal. Kava was made illegal to sell in the Canadian and European markets due to its history of causing liver damage and death, but after reviews of the lack of evidence, it was reinstated on the market in most countries. In any case, Kava affects the brain and central nervous system and can be taken for up to 6 months straight safely for anxiety. Now, it’s even a popular substance sold as drinks and used socially similarly to beer.

Pacific Islanders highly revere kava for its ability to bring people together and channel communications with the spirits. Kava is regularly consumed during religious ceremonies in efforts to strengthen kinship and speak with divine powers from other dimensions. Kava drinking was also used as a way to reaffirm the status and hierarchy within societies.

When diluted properly, Kava can cause a state of aloofness, where one is happy and unconcerned. They might feel more free of their mind and body, and they’ll never experience unpleasant feelings like alcohol can cause. While feeling free, the Kava user never loses control of their reason. On the other hand, excessive use of Kava can cause a lack of control over muscles, making it more difficult to move quickly. Eventually, heavy Kava users can lose sense of objects around them and drift off to sleep.

When it comes to accessing deeper spirituality with Kava, therefore, you can quiet your mind, pull your senses out of the physical world, and get in better touch with the higher self and the divine. Further, it’s definitely one of the powerful substances that improves mental health.

REMEMBER!

I am here to help you awaken and bravely create an inspired life. Learn more about my loving services today and start changing your life in the most positive way.

Pray for others and the Universe prays for us.

October 18, 2022March 27, 2024

The Wide Gap Between A Karmic and Dharmic Life

Philosophies on life are innumerable. So many different cultures, belief systems, religions, and other institutional or social factors cause each person to have a unique view and journey in life. While everyone is different, there are efforts to apply labels or categories that make general mindsets or stages of life identifiable and easier to discuss. Two popular labels like this are “karmic” and “dharmic,” Sanskrit terms for concepts held in Indian regions.

I would never force anyone to choose a label for themselves to identify their beliefs. Still, if you’re looking for an opportunity to discuss your mindset and life journey, labels can be the easier way to bridge that gap. These categories can also help you assess what you want out of life and whether your current relationships are healthy. Let’s discover what karmic and dharmic mean and how these mindsets can help guide your life.

What Does Karmic Mean?

Many more people in the West have heard of “karma” rather than “dharma.” You might have heard people warn others not to do something because it’s “bad karma” or that karma will come back later. Because it is much more popularized, understanding the karmic system has a lower barrier to entry for beginners.

“Karma” literally means “action” in Hindu. Karmic refers to your day-to-day actions throughout your life. It relies on a moral system of good and bad actions, and each person builds up their karma with each thing they do. Actions as small as holding the door open for someone else or picking up something dropped by another can contribute to your karma.

Because karma focuses on the individual units of each action you take every minute of your life, it’s easy to focus on the small things without seeing them in the context of your entire life. However, building up as much positive karma as possible is the goal of your next life to be much improved from your current one. If you have too much bad karma, Hindus believe that they will end up a rung lower on the ladder of life in their next life.

As with all religious concepts, there are other interpretations of karma. A popular way of seeing karma is to see it as a guarantee that anything you do in life will be returned in kind. It is a way of seeing that the Universe is always in perfect balance. Every sacrifice will be repaid in a favor, and every overstep or wrongdoing will be balanced by a loss in this life or the next.

What Does Dharmic Mean?

Not many people have heard of the word “dharma,” as there aren’t many popular sayings in the West that use the term. It might seem foreign at first, but dharma is actually a concept that is familiar once you grasp a true understanding of it.

“Dharma” is a much more expansive term than “karma.” Dharmic refers to your life’s duty or goal, which is different for everyone and is generally determined by your social class and life situation.

While dharma is certainly a motivation for the structure of Indian culture and society, it is not much different from concepts originated in other religions and belief systems. Many faiths, including Christianity, believe that physical life on Earth is not the beginning or the end of a soul’s journey, but just a point at which humans are tested and given the opportunity to do good or bad things. What Christians do here on Earth directly affects where they believe they’ll end up after death, and they feel their life’s mission is to fulfill their highest purpose, which is very similar to the concepts of karma and dharma in India.

Strictly focusing on dharma alone, though, has its downfalls. For many in India who seek to live a dharmic life, it’s difficult to determine whether strictly staying within the tradition and your social class is enough to fulfill dharma. Some believe actions taken to stretch beyond the confines of one’s community are necessary to discovering one’s true life purpose. As you can see, the dharmic system is much more focused on one’s life overall rather than day-to-day actions like karma.

How Do Karma and Dharma Relate to Each Other?

While karma and dharma seem to be on opposite ends of the spectrum, both are integral to Hinduism. In simple terms, karma relates to your daily actions to achieve your dharma, which is your overall life’s mission. Not all actions you take relating to karma have to relate to your dharma directly. Still, the intention is to make sure you build up as much positive karma as possible so that you can break free of the reincarnation cycle and/or achieve enlightenment.

The tricky part? Dharma and karma are so intertwined that your karma directly relates to your dharma. What is good karma for one person might be bad for another, and there’s no set way to discover what your dharma is. For example, if your dharma is to fight for your nation in a war, and you choose to become a soldier, then you’ll have good karma. If you decide to become a soldier, but your dharma was actually to become a teacher, that otherwise noble act would actually be considered bad karma.

As you can imagine, this immense uncertainty is stressful to many believers of the karmic and dharmic systems. Karma and dharma, however, don’t just stop at being concepts that dictate the way you live your life. “Karmic” and “dharmic” are also terms that relate to the lifestyle choices you make and the way you conduct relationships with others.

What Does It Mean to Live a Karmic Life?

As we explained previously, the karmic system focuses on the minute details of our everyday life–every action we take scores a point in the karmic system, whether it’s a negative or positive point. Living a karmic life follows this idea: everything is very focused on doing something with the expectation that you get something in return. Actions are contractual and you have expectations for what you will receive.

In other words, a karmic life is very utilitarian. You do well at your job to get better pay. You’re polite to your neighbors so that they’ll watch out for you in the case of an emergency or difficult situation. You drive your car responsibly so that you won’t have to pay for tickets or get points on your license.

Simply, the karmic system doesn’t concern itself with your desires. It’s not about you being a great person no matter what you choose to do because what you want from your life doesn’t matter as much as fulfilling your life’s purpose. Achieving positive karma points is the end goal, so you don’t necessarily do things because they are good to do.

Some people might argue that intention doesn’t matter. Utilitarians see all things as tools, a means to an end. So the intention behind their use doesn’t matter as much as achieving a positive result. For many people, living a karmic life is natural and organic and switching to a dharmic mindset is outlandish and difficult.

What Do Dharmic Lives Look Like?

While karmic lives base themselves on contracts and expectations, dharmic lives treat life with the view of the bigger picture. Everything is done with an overall view of life and the Universe in mind, making one less attached to the minute details and everyday actions than those who focus on a karmic life.

In other words, actions are not done for the immediate result they will achieve. Those with dharmic lives do not do a nice thing for a neighbor in order to turn around and immediately ask for a favor. They do not smile at others in order to be treated better, and they don’t help others fix their problems because they want to get something out of it.

Dharmic lives are based on love, truth, and virtue. Actions are done because they are the right actions to be done, because they are based in truth and love. Dharmic lives build themselves around virtue no matter what that means, and they do not expect anything in return. Overall, those who live a dharmic life are idealists–they have their eyes set on the bigger picture and fulfilling their life’s purpose, not necessarily their everyday utilitarian needs and desires.

A more down-to-Earth example is to consider how Indian society is structured. Indians are people too, of course, which means they all have unique personalities, desires, and dreams. For many, though, the day-to-day whims and dreams don’t matter when it comes to living their lives as they are told. Indians who set out to live dharmic lives see their life’s purpose as the most important achievement, regardless of what they would want otherwise, and work very hard to fulfill that mission. For traditionalists, that means staying within their social class, fulfilling all the duties and expectations of a person within that class, and not deviating from what their parents have set up for them in regards to social circles and romantic relationships. In other words, to live a dharmic life is to live the most noble life within the station that the gods have given you.

What Is the Difference Between a Karmic and Dharmic Relationship?

By now, it is obvious these concepts of karmic and darmic can be applied to relationships. Thinking of karmic as utilitarian and dharmic as idealist helps to understand how these different lifestyles function within their families, social circles, and romantic relationships.

For example, karmic relationships consist of people who use each other contractually. One would say, “I’ll love you if you love me back.” One gives of themselves only if the other is also giving, and one will remove themselves if they are not receiving what they want in return. Because of this contractural relationship of expectations, people can be reduced to tools, used only for what they can offer. Relationships might be reduced to sexual relations, money, or other useful and pleasurable things.

While entering these relationships might feel consensual, it is often our strong unconscious pull towards the other person–not necessarily a decisive, intentional decision to enter a healthy and good relationship for our life’s purpose.

On the other hand, dharmic relationships are made of two people who don’t need each other. There is no reason to be together except for mutual love, respect, and desire to experience life by each other’s side. The relationship isn’t based on contracts, ultimatums, or expectations. These relationships enjoy the benefits of consensual experiences such as sexual relations, the sharing of money, and other exciting things, but these exchanges aren’t needed or expected. Overall, the goal is for both partners to reach their life’s highest purpose together.

Dharmic relationships are rare because both people need to have a higher level of emotional and spiritual maturity and a better understanding of their true selves. The relationship is not for the emotional healing of each person anymore. They’ve moved beyond that and are now looking for enlightenment.

Are Karmic Relationships Doomed to End Badly?

As wide as the gap is between a karmic and dharmic life or relationship, not all is lost. It is very possible to turn a karmic relationship into a dharmic one. For many people, early relationships are karmic because their souls and emotional maturity are still young. Too early on life’s journey, these people often have not yet discovered what they truly need to live a fulfilling life and are still living within a contractual mindset.

As life goes on, it is more likely for people to begin seeking dharmic relationships, where the partnership is based on life’s goal rather than expectations for each other. That being said, a karmic relationship from earlier in life’s journey can certainly turn into a dharmic relationship. People can grow and change together, and if the bond is strong enough, they can evolve into two people living dharmic lives side by side.

At the same time, it’s important to be self-aware and completely mindful of the situation. If you feel that you are progressing on life’s journey while your partner isn’t yet interested in emotionally and spiritually maturing, it might not be in either of your best interests to stay together.

Mixing a karmic life and a dharmic life can certainly cause problems and turmoil in a relationship. Suppose one person feels that they rightly deserve something in return for their actions, while the other does not believe they owe the other person anything. In that case, the relationship will likely turn toxic, and both partners will feel misunderstood and unloved.

At the same time, if one person is working on themselves, growing, and evolving, but the other person seems stuck in place, it can be frustrating for both. One partner might feel like the person they once love is no longer the person they are with. The other person might feel like their partner can no longer understand them or fulfill their spiritual and emotional needs.

Overall, the most important things in relationships are communication and honesty, no matter what stage of life. If both people stay open about their spiritual and emotional needs, then they will always be on the same page. They can continually check in with each other to see where the other is at in their life’s journey and quickly address any concerns instead of letting them fester.

Best case scenario, two people living karmic lives can help each other transcend into dharmic lives!

How Can I Learn to Live a Dharmic Life?

If you’re currently living with a karmic mindset, it will be a difficult journey towards a dharmic life, but not impossible. The first step is for you to turn inward and assess where you are at in your journey. Then, you can implement routines and practices that will help you grow towards your purpose.

I always highly recommend a daily practice of meditation. But stopping your day to take care of yourself, build your skills in mindfulness and focus, and spend some time in prayer, you can do wonders for your emotional and spiritual health. At first, you’ll notice it’s difficult to stay still and quiet, but over time, you’ll become an expert.

Then, you can begin adding mantras, rituals, and other spiritual practices to your day that will deepen your spiritual life and help you evolve. I have many free resources on my website that can get you started, and you can check out my services such as personalized coaching to help you improve your dharmic mindset in all areas of your life!

REMEMBER!

Pray for others and the Universe prays for us.

March 28, 2022March 27, 2024

Beyond Covid: A Chance for Spiritual Renewal, New Identities & Rebirth

Shutterstock licensed image

Beyond Covid: A Chance for Spiritual Renewal, New Identities & Rebirth

When the earth is sick, sickness spreads in ways that affect people. In this case, we have been treating Mother Earth poorly for so long, She is acting out our own projections, abuse, and anger. Covid-19 is exactly that.

The coronavirus has been around for a long while now. It’s had an indelible impact on our lives and world. This pandemic sent friends and family members to the hospital at record numbers. However, as with every other terrible event or situation, humanity will pick up the pieces and emerge ready for change.

What will most likely not change very much is how we abuse the planet. Sadly, most Republican and right-wing conservatives, and their counterpart governments, might have a wonderful handle on fiscal responsibility and infrastructure management, but they do not understand emotions, love, and how connected we are to all of the elements, planets, bugs, bunnies, each other – and the myriad of etherial realms. C’est la vie!

In the meantime, you can love yourself by loving the planet.

You can love others by first loving yourself.

And you can effect changes that improve your life, attitude, perspective, and conditions.

Are you ready for that life-changing transformation?

If the planet has left you isolated or emotionally and spiritually strung out, you can choose to pursue peace and balance.

Declare this out loud: It’s time for me to have a lovely spiritual renewal. It’s time for me to accept, own, and celebrate my life. I will make changes and invite new light and love into my life!

It’s now time to reflect on yourself, form new habits, and adopt your most core nature as your primary identity. LET’S DO THIS!

COVID: The Affect on Our Spirit

The coronavirus is certainly a physical ailment, but the effects reverberate beyond just the physical body.

For many of us, this was our first experience with a widespread infectious disease – one that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. Amid all this, we’ve all had no firm reassurances from the medical community on the illness or treatments.

Some of us took the vaccine and it harmed our health. Others ignored protocol and were selfish – and chose to avoid the vaccine – becoming harmful petri dishes that put everyone else’s lives in jeopardy.

While governments and health organizations were rightfully keeping an eye on the numbers of infections, hospitalizations, and casualties, much fewer eyes were on the numbers of mental ailments resulting from the stress, uncertainty, and isolation.

Statistics have revealed increased drug use, suicide rate, and other concerning issues surrounding wellness.

Thoughts of suicide and symptoms of anxiety and depression were on the rise, especially among health care workers.

The Kaiser Family Foundation reported global adverse mental health effects such as disturbed sleep, abnormal eating behavior, worsening chronic illnesses, and increased alcohol consumption. With an already worrying mental health crisis sweeping the world, COVID-19 was the last straw for many still struggling to function in their daily lives.

Luckily all of these things are improving!

Spiritual and emotional ailments are a reality, pandemic or not. COVID-19 created an opportunity for us to open our eyes to the severity of the crisis and the lack of connection within ourselves.

As we all stood still amid lockdowns that kept us frozen in our homes, we were suddenly forced to reassess the states of our minds and spirits without the distractions of our regular routines.

The pandemic will always be an event we remember as one of the lowest points for our planet, but we can look forward in a positive light.

Beyond Covid, we have a chance to be reborn. We can reinvent ourselves, explore new identities, and heal our spirits.

An Opportunity for Spiritual Renewal

In every dark and low moment of our lives, we have a choice. We can wallow in the pain and find comfort in unhealthy habits, or we can seek transformational experiences big and small that will help us cope and climb out of the darkness.

These transformational experiences will be different for everyone.

For many, prayers, routines, and rituals are helpful ways to re-establish our balance and peace. If you love rituals, check out my Free Resources pages. You’ll find ancient ceremonies, lovely prayers, and encouragement that you might find helpful during times of change and transition. You might also consider using my Personality Cards – they’re wonderful for all sorts of rituals.

Spiritual renewal will come from identifying the negative forces, attitudes, and experiences in our lives and ourselves, then setting goals and courses for change that will help us become reinvigorated, renewed, and reborn.

Do you allow energy vampires to affect your emotions and your life choices? Have you fallen into an unhealthy habit with drugs or alcohol? Maybe you lack balanced emotions or healthy priorities and need to reassess your journey.

Or, you might be too attached to someone who violates your boundaries, and it’s time to say goodbye and find yourself again.

No matter your concerns and situation, everyone can work on their spiritual renewal to come out on the other side of covid feeling refreshed, transformed, and ready to live life again.

Check out my course: FREE YOURSELF. It can help you completely rebirth your life.

Taking on a New Identity

Amid a spiritual renewal, we don’t need to change our appearance or behavior inauthentically. Instead, we need to dig deeper within ourselves to find what lives within us. Times like these can inspire us to make a firm commitment to becoming more in line with our authentic Selves.

You may have recently realized that you’ve never been your true self. Maybe you’ve put on a mask or followed certain socially-acceptable behaviors under the guise of a false identity for a fair portion of your life. Realizing this and committing to a new life with an authentic identity can feel challenging but – on the other side of it – it can be wonderfully freeing.

Following this path requires that we be truly bold and courageous. To find our true Selves and commit to a life of honesty and freedom is the ultimate journey.

A choice like this might require that you try on a few different hats–so to speak–before you find one in which you’re entirely comfortable. Thankfully, there are so many tools and resources out there to help you on your journey.

Looking for a great start to your journey? Find a spiritual Guru to guide you. Throughout humanity’s existence, there have been divine masters who walked among us and changed the way we saw life and the Cosmos. Some have been physical embodiments of the divine forces of the universe, such as the Divine Feminine. Others have been reincarnations of Gods and established new philosophies and faiths.

Finding one or a few that speak to your soul can help you to re-establish spiritual balance and set on a new path to your true self!

You can also choose to establish a routine of prayer, meditation, and other rituals that help you center yourself and reflect on your authentic identity. Setting aside a few minutes a day for reflection and prayer will help you grow your spiritual strength over time and achieve a rebirth!

If your health is failing in some way, explore Ayurvedic Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Remember that eastern medical ideologies treat the core of diseases and challenges, while western medicine treats the symptoms. Why? Because drug companies are not restricted and their only motivation is profit.

Achieve Rebirth after COVID!

With the guidance of divine masters, spiritual tools such as prayer, and resources like my personality cards, you can set off on the path to a spiritual rebirth! And check out my Free Yourself course – it’s life-changing!

The most important thing you can do is to stay committed to your journey and be true to yourself.

Spiritual renewal and finding your core identity are not easy, and it can take inordinate amounts of time, all depending on your unique situation and spiritual state. Still, for authentic freedom and happiness, the pursuit is a vital one!

In all things astrological and spiritual, please realize that these aspects are only suggestions to help ease some stress. You are far more powerful than you realize.

The blueprints that astrology, white magic, and other spiritual forces and practices suggest are not hard and fast rules. It might also be that you have other influences in your life that might greatly enhance your ability to receive what you desire.

It is also probably that your spirit is more powerful and vibrant than any numerological or astrological reading.

To improve your vibration, luck, and happiness, spend time chanting Sanskrit mantras and love-filled sutras. Access and strengthen your chakras through pranic breathing and yoga. To achieve balance and fully allow energy to flow within you, pray for others. When we do this, the Universe prays for us.

REMEMBER! YOU ARE LOVE!

Pray for others and the Universe prays for us.

March 14, 2022March 27, 2024

How Empaths Can Build A Beautiful Intentional Life

Amma is a living enlightened Being, the ultimate Empath. Learn more at Amma.org.

How To Build Intentional Lives As Empaths

As a coach, clients and friends will often seek my counsel. While each of their challenges appears to be unique, I believe many of the problems, especially the recurring ones, stem from one simple idea: We have yet to release the past, forgive everything, and construct new, durable personas (temporary self-identities) – ones that can establish and sustain an enjoyable, stable life.

Instead of plunging into forward movement, we tend to repeatedly reaffirm the past and go in circles.

We can change this. We can recreate our lives with the purest, clearest, and most focused intentions. Living an intentional life is not for everyone, but it’s the only path to liberation and peace.

Even amid being pummeled by karmic repercussions that stem from prior lives, if we establish a strong and deeply rooted self-concept, we can withstand any storm.

Let’s Dive In, Empaths!

From the moments of our births, we begin to build temporary self-identities or personas to maneuver through our lives. These personas are most often born from outdated beliefs, confused family dogma, codependent social paradigms, and limiting religious doctrine. Along the way, we weave guilt, shame, and regret into the fabric of our personas to the point of imprisoning ourselves in loops of repeated behaviors, decisions, and addictions.

Because of this, most of us live as if we’re strapped to rollercoasters, whereby we continuously react to external stimuli as if we have no control. In the short term, we enjoy the results of our impulses. In the long term, we find ourselves in complex situations that erode our senses of Self and peace.

Over time, consequences and complications emerge. We cope, medicate, and try to assemble a quick-fix response to it all.

We try everything but eventually find that quick fixes do little to address the deeper issues. We look at every aspect of our lives and realize that our marriages, jobs, and environments are not aligned with who we know ourselves to be.

In a moment, we understand that we are not self-aware, and therefore, we are not free.

This is the moment of decision.

Do we continue to shrink and hide or do we choose the road less traveled, finally embracing our true Self as beautiful empaths?

If we choose the latter, we begin to wake up!

We soon feel or sense deep-seated emotions and regrets. We might feel anxious or panicked, feeling unable to source remedies. We finally see the weight that we’ve amassed atop our souls. We remember the stories and justifications we used to keep our outdated personas in charge and in motion for so long.

In a pure moment of delight, we decide enough is enough!

Intentional Spiritual Living is a decision and commitment of the mind and heart to live a fully conscious, pre-meditated life according to our deepest values, ethics, and beliefs, without story or excuse.

We build an intentional life through self-inquiry, ritual, ceremony, and forgiveness. We own and acknowledge every aspect of our choices amid our tumultuous lives. We own it all – from every teensie bit of minutia to every decision we’ve made.

Empaths! We take responsibility for EVERYTHING.

We blame NO ONE.

Beginning an intentional life often comes with a year or more of crying a few hours every day. It requires complete transparency with our core Self, God, and the eternal consciousness. We can no longer hide. We refuse to hide. We are now on a mission to unearth every truth about ourselves and the nature of the Universe.

We begin to imagine a new persona, one that is built upon virtue, transparency, vulnerability, and truth. We no longer carry regret or shame. We no longer blame. We own it all – every molecule of every instant.

We process it all, pounding the earth in anger and crying for every lost moment. We cry to God and the Universe to nurture and save us. We do this until we are drained of all projection, attitude, and ego. We realize we know nothing and we are nothing.

From there, we build our new, more durable, more holy persona – not from the rubble, rather, from the truths we’ve uncovered and become.

We grow our personas into emotionally, psychologically, and financially stable warriors – through whatever means. With meditation, mantra, and Divine grace, we begin to strengthen and stabilize.

We continually release emotions, attachments, and the past.

“The past is a canceled check. It no longer exists.” – Amma

After some time, we realize that we’ve become warriors of self-care, self-responsibility, and self-awareness.

Having built an intentional spiritual persona, we can now build an intentional spiritual life.

How Do We Do This as Empaths?

- - We are careful welcoming people into our lives
  - With a new friend, we are careful when choosing to engage in sex. While sex is certainly wonderful, it can be distracting and harmful. Get to know your friends before jumping into bed with them.
  - We are careful before solidifying a marriage. According to the rishis, it is best to know and live with someone for 3 years prior to committing to a marriage.
  - We carefully research and plan job and home changes
  - We don’t “jump” into anything, instead, we pause, reflect, and consider
  - We refrain from feeding our addictions
  - Less screen time and more prayer time, like letter-writing
  - We pray as often as we can
  - We continuously have faith hope
  - We forgive everything
  - We own everything
  - We do not dwell on our negative feelings
  - We remember that we are never a victim
  - We work to completely dissolve our egos
  - We choose our food carefully (organic, grass-fed, no chemicals, lots of greens and vegetables)
  - When we are able, we strive to find the balance between western medicine and naturopathic medicine, knowing that pure food is our best medicine
  - We realize our thoughts sustain us, so we choose them carefully
  - We learn to place our attention on aspects that truly serve and uplift us because we know what we contemplate is what we become. Mediate on the rose and you become the rose.
  - We realize that our self-esteem can only come from ourselves
  - We decide to be happy because happiness is a choice
  - We say goodbye to people and events that do not serve our liberation and peacefulness
  - We say goodbye to deep attachments, except GOD & THE DIVINE
  - We have boundaries
  - We only speak lovingly about ourselves
  - We stop all projection
  - We maintain a healing attitude
  - We find ways to selflessly love and serve others while also not hurting ourselves
  - We root ourselves in self-inquiry, honesty, and love
  - You might enjoy releasing processes and modalities like The Sedona Method (search it, it’s awesome)
  - When we’re ready, we can seek out living enlightened masters like Amma, Karunamayi Ma, and Mother Meera
    - We can ask to receive a mantra from one of them
    - We can ask Her to be our guru or spiritual master which can expedite our pathway to liberation.
  - If we feel so inclined, we honor the purest and most non-judgmental tenets of our birth religions
  - We enjoy our fellow empath birth masters, including Jesus, Buddha, Mohammad, and others

IN ALL THINGS, PLEASE KNOW …

You are more than you realize. You have resources far beyond your wildest imagination. It’s time to commit to a more eternal game. It’s time to release it all and become your most vibrant, eternal, and empowered Self. SURrender!

As you reach toward liberation, you might want to explore having a coach, guide, or therapist to help you along your path. In the meantime, meditate, pray, and chant with loving attention toward the divine.

Check out Paul’s EMPATH OATH.

March 12, 2022March 27, 2024

How to Make the World A Lovelier Place

YAY! It’s a Beautiful Shutterstock licensed image!

How to Make the World Lovelier

You are the embodiment of love and light.

Your heart is far bigger and far more expressive than you might realize.

You have stardust in your bones. You’re on a rock that’s spinning thousands of miles an hour, and somehow you have a refrigerator, phone, and loved ones.

If you’re looking to make the world lovelier, that’s just amazing. Let’s explore how!

1. REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE A MIRACLE!

It might be challenging to stay positive when bombarded by news, gossip, and social media. It’s time to take a deep breath! Exhale the negativity. Infuse your mindset with warm and positive light. Want to make the world lovelier? YOU GOT THIS!

To fully embrace your depth of light and love, decide to help the world become a lovelier place to live, both for yourself and those around you!

Are you having difficulty digging yourself out of a rut and don’t know where to begin?

Looking to shed layers of ego and self-abuse so you can feel and affirm your value and divine gifts?

This list will help you nurture and server the world. Every time you roll out of bed, commit to at least one of these things – and you’ll become an even brighter beacon of light.

2. Share Your Positivity to Others

Positivity is contagious! If you encounter other people today, whether they are friends, family, or strangers, you can be sure that they need a positivity boost.

Intentionally share your positive energy and outlook with them by helping them see things in a better light.

Happily share your warm, loving presence.

Whether it’s a hug, a phrase, or just a sweet smile, we always have the ability to add goodness and make the world lovelier with incredible power.

3. Learn To Listen With Empathy

Are some of the people around you in the middle of a chaotic or challenging situation? Is someone you know hurt, confused, or frustrated? If you love them, do you feel you can help them by lending an ear?

If you can, lend these loved-ones a few minutes out of your day. Listen to them with your heart and help them approach their feelings from a new perspective.

Your loving attention can be life-changing for them. When you help and pray for others, the Universe does the same for us.

For an extra spiritual boon, try to inspire them to pray, meditate, or forgive someone near and dear to them.

4. Nurture Yourself So You Can Be A Vibrant Light

When we heal ourselves, we send healing vibrations out to the entire Cosmos. Even a subtle shift in our mind and heart can inspire other Living Beings throughout All The Worlds to do the same.

When you deepen or self-acknowledge, you open doors for every soul to transform and transcend their challenges and ego into bright bursts of light.

If you’re finding it challenging to share your goodness with others, you might need a positivity boost, spiritual ceremony, or healing ritual. You might just need to journal and cry.

Evaluating and attending your own needs first means that you want to practice what you preach. Start your day with prayer and meditation so that you can align your spirit with love and expand yourself.

For many, routines and rituals are wonderful ways to re-establish our balance and peacefulness. If you love rituals, check out my Free Resources pages. You’ll find ancient ceremonies, lovely prayers, and encouragement that you might find helpful during times of change and transition. You might also consider using my Personality Cards – they’re wonderful for all sorts of spiritual work and rituals – they’re far more powerful and precise and self-advancing than tarot.

Spiritual renewal will come from identifying the negative forces and experiences in our lives and ourselves, then setting goals and courses for change that will help us rebirth.

After you heal yourself, and own and embody your love and light, you will become effulgent in the light. Doing so, you’ll regularly offer your love and gifts to others without even thinking about it.

5. Practice Forgiveness

For many people, forgiveness is a mystery. In many religions, it’s become a cliche catch-phrase that most people don’t truly understand.

You can forget someone, but truly forgiving someone requires some effort. To start, open your heart and owning every lesson that you needed to learn from that person or event. Once you own all of your part in these experiences and relationships, you can begin to grow. With a little growth, you can more easily release what you feel is an infringement on you and your life.

Forgiveness is acknowledging that you are a Divine Being and that no one is responsible for your happiness. You are the only one in every intersection. There is no OTHER.

When we fuel our negativity and hold grudges, we are delaying our personal growth and spiritual expansion. When we identify as a victim, we are telling God, “hey, you fucked up.” God did not fuck up. You had an experience and you are denying the deeper lessons and holding onto the past.

The past does not exist. It’s a canceled check. It’s gone.

You cannot resurrect the past.

Since everything has changed, why have you not changed?

The most advanced path to world peace and love is learning forgiveness and practicing it in our daily lives. Forgiveness is the key to making the world a lovelier place for ourselves and humanity.

The Steps To Forgiveness

One: Acknowledge the real-world cost of the experience and your pain.

Two: Own your challenges and shortcomings.

Three: Acknowledge what you need to learn.

Four: Accept those who harmed us as perfect.

Five: Accept that our experiences as perfect.

Six: Ask God/Universe/Divine-Mother to awaken us to our own power to become whole.

Seven: Allow yourself to feel into the pain until it’s unbearable. Notice the pain the body and related pains in your heart, nerves, and mind.

Eight: Accept this pain, own it, love it, and honor it. Speak it’s name. Shout to heavens and celebrate its existence. This is your doorway to transcendence.

Nine: Now – release it all – again and again and again – release ALL OF IT.

Ten: If you have not struck a chord aligned with forgiveness, begin this process again – and repeat it until you arrive at forgiveness.

Take the time to sit with yourself and go through this process being fully vulnerable and open.

If you’re struggling to find yourself, release your pain, and establish a deep personal peacefulness, I have many tools to share! Check out my wonderful Personality Cards, which can help you assess your life, relationships, career, and more – and help you better respond to your desires, emotions, and core Self!

6. Offer Healing And Selfless Gifts

Is there someone specific in your life right now who is experiencing spiritual and emotional turmoil? As a loving friend, I bet they would love your support. A great way to help others is to surprise them with healing gifts!

Are they in need of spiritual renewal and self-discovery? There are tons of gift choices, big and small, which can help them on this journey. You might consider gifting them crystals, chakra energy jewelry, self-care gift baskets, or even self-development courses. And there’s always my beautiful Personality Cards!

If they’re more receptive to self-help books, gift them a set of self-renewal and spirituality books like The Power Of Now or A Course In Miracles. You can find some lovely spiritually healing books by Amma at Amma.org.

If they’re looking to get more in touch with their mystical self, you can offer them courses in intuition, rituals, and tarot readings.

You can also gift someone a massage or you can be their masseuse!

7. Do Favors & Perform Small Acts of Kindness

While the former recommendations require forethought, more extended periods of effort, and sometimes money, there are many quick, easy, and free ways to improve the world. There are millions of opportunities every day to do the little things that make a huge difference, even if you never leave the house!

Acts of kindness, and every other altruistic and self-developing practice, require a layer of sacrifice. All kinds of belief systems, religions, and lifestyles rely on selfless service as a way to clear the heart, align one’s spirit with love & light, and truly help others.

What can you do today to share your time and energy in service to others?

Is it someone’s birthday that you haven’t spoken to in a while? Send them an email or text message, and consider striking up a conversation to learn about how they’re doing.

Is there someone that seems lonely, bored, or in need of friendship? Set up a meet over coffee, food, or some other mutual activity that they can look forward to and enjoy.

Do you notice someone that usually gets left out or ignored? Go out of your way to throw them a party on a special day, invite them to events, and engage them in conversation regularly.

Buy a drink or pay for the groceries for the person behind you.

Endeavor to pick up something when dropped by another.

Tell a stranger that God loves them.

When you like someone’s outfit or hair, share the compliment aloud.

At the very least, show a smile! Smiling is proven to be contagious and uplifting for our moods, even if it’s intentional or forced! Smiling is the most significant small act of kindness you can offer. It can truly make the world a lovelier place to be.

8. Share Some Love When Traveling

When we travel, even if only to a restaurant, store, or to grab a quick bite, there are multitudes of things we can do to improve the conditions and feelings of others. Try a few of these on for size:

Give a humungous tip to someone who appears a little sad or broken – or who is working hard.

Carry small gifts in your car to share with others, a box of Kleenex packets, crayons, and chocolates. When you see someone like a fast-food check-out person who looks a little grumpy, give them a gift!

Carry used clothes, bottles of water, and single dollar bills in your car just in case you see a homeless person who needs some love.

When staying in a hotel, remember to leave at least a $5 tip for each night you stayed in the hotel – and add a loving note to brighten someone’s day! You might even clean the room a little bit by prepping your sheets and towels in easily portable piles. You might also pour all of the trash buckets into one bucket and place it near the door.

Buy a stranger a meal by giving the server some cash. This way they cannot find you to return the favor – which makes it part of the fun.

Help others at airports, especially in security lines! Take your time, make sure those around you know what they’re doing. Ask if you can help them. When you move through the machines, tell the security personnel that you appreciate them.

Clean up public bathrooms to make it more palatable for others. I always wipe off toilet seats and pick up the trash on the floor so that others might feel less uncomfortable when entering.

If you’re feeling naughty, write a little graffiti on the bathroom wall, like, I LOVE YOU. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! AND SO DOES GOD! You can also remove the paintings in hotel rooms and write loving messages on the back. Yes, these things are naughty, but they’re loving and fun!

Make eye contact with everyone you meet, especially those who are clearly working their butts off.

You can check out my article on loving travel tips, too!

Truly, you are the embodiment of God’s love. The more you acknowledge this and fully own it, the more love and light you can spread to the world.

GO FOR IT!

Want to make the world lovelier? REMEMBER!

I love to serve others and make the world lovelier. Learn about my services and let me know if I can help you. It’s always an honor to serve kind, honorable, and loving people like you.

March 4, 2022March 27, 2024

The Life Of Bees

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The Life Of Bees

I love bees. How about you? Most of them are so cute and remarkable diligent, it would be difficult not to love them.

Bees are the hardest workers on the planet. To eek out a teaspoon of honey, they kill themselves – literally.

Humans have been fascinated by the magic and movements of bees for centuries. These little insects have an incredibly complex social structure in which each individual has a job and works for the good of the whole. Imagine if humanity did this?

From making the delicious honey we so enjoy to caring for the young up-n-coming bees’ lives, these lovely creatures are busy from their first day of life until their last.

What does the life of bees look like on a day-to-day basis?

Read on to learn more about the life cycle of bees, as well as what each member of a colony spends their days doing throughout the year.

All Hail The Queen

The Queen Bee’s life is fairly straightforward – her job is to mate and lay all the eggs that will keep the hive growing and thriving. When she is a larva, she is fed royal jelly by her loyal buzzing servants, which transforms her into a Queen. She is not the only queen growing, however, and whichever Queen hatches first kills all the rest, which solidifies her position on the “Throne.”

Once the Queen is fully mature, she flies away from the hive to mate with drones from other colonies. After a few days of mating mid-air, she returns to her hive and begins laying eggs. She’ll lay as many as 2,000 eggs per day for the rest of her life, never leaving the hive again.

Drones

Drones are the only male bees in the colony, and their entire purpose in life is to mate. High-flying sex is the only thing on their minds. Drones are the male escorts of the bee world.

In most cases, drones do not mate with the Queen of their own hive. Instead, they fly up to an altitude of 200 or 300 feet, a mile or so away from the hive, and they mate with Queens from other colonies. This perform all of their sexy duties mid-air! The reason they do this is to maintain the diversity of the global genetic pools of bees.

Once drones have mated, they return to the hive to be fed by the worker bees. Kinda like gladiators when they return home from a day of battles at the local forum.

Drones do not do any work for the colony beyond mating. The lifespan of a drone bee tends to be somewhere around fifty-five days. As the weather gets colder, drone bees get pushed out of the colony and left to freeze, their life’s purpose accomplished.

Some bees in warmer climates will find ways to survive beyond their usual fifty-five days.

Workers

Worker bees have the most active lives of any in the hive. They perform all of the hive’s non-mating functions, including gathering food, caring for young, defending the hive, and building and repairing the nest. Worker bees’ daily activities vary as they continue through their month-long life cycle.

Worker bees tend to be the smallest of all the bees in the colony, coming in at just under half an inch in size. Drones are a little more than half an inch long, and Queen bees can be just under a full inch in length.

Young Workers

On her first day, a worker bee hatches from her cell, and begins to clean up everything around her. Unused pods need to be cleaned out in order to keep the hive healthy and in good order. She begins cleaning out her cell and then moves onto other cells that may have gathered dirt or other debris throughout the hive.

After that first day or two, a worker becomes a nurse bee, caring for all the developing eggs that the Queen has laid. She produces jelly and feeds the larvae as many as 1,300 meals each day.

As they develop, young worker bees feeds all of the growing eggs her bee bread, made from a mixture of pollen and nectar. On the fifth day of their development, she seals up their cells so they can finish their development.

Middle Aged Workers

After the first week of their lives, worker bees are already considered middle-aged, and they move into a new set of duties. During this next week or two, worker bees may take on a variety of roles within the hive. Oftentimes, they start out as processing workers, taking nectar from foragers and passing it to other worker bees who store it away to become honey.

Middle-aged bees also usually take on the role of hive architects, expanding the hive and repairing any cracks.

These tough old bee-folk make wax and build new cells for honey storage or for larvae to grow in.

These boomer bees may also create the bee bread that feeds young larvae.

Older Workers

Only when workers reach the end stage of their bee life cycle do they begin to leave the hive more regularly. As bees enter their third and fourth weeks of life, they become foragers, flying out from the hive to gather nectar and pollen. As foragers find good spots with plenty of pollen, they alert the other bees in their colony to this spot so they can focus their efforts there.

This is similar to New Yorkers who retire to Miami. Instead of gathering pollen, Florida retirees visit the area malls on little scooters and buy local newspapers and Entenmann’s crumb cake.

As they age, worker bees also help process nectar into honey. They run the warehouse and store the nectar, and they beat their wings to evaporate water from the developing honey. Some older worker bees also help to guard the hive and make sure no bees from other hives sneak in and steal their liquid goals.

The Life of Bees in Spring and Summer

Much like us, bees’ daily activities change with the weather and the turning of the seasons. Spring and summer are the bees’ busiest seasons. This is when they collect bundles of pollen and nectar from blooming flowers. The warmer months are also the safest to move around inside and outside the hive.

During the Spring and Summer, worker bees busily harvest pollen as much as twelve hours a day, as well as store nectar, make honey, repair the hive, and tend larvae. Drones fly out to mate with Queens from other hives, and the impregnated Queen of the hive spends all her time laying eggs.

The Life of Bees in Fall

Once the weather begins to cool down and the autumnal equinox comes around, bees prepare the hive for the long, harsh trek through the freezing months of Winter. Oftentimes, this means ejecting the drones from the hive and leaving them to die. The drones have performed their purpose by this time, and they’ll just consume hive resources during the leaner months, which would prevent the safety of the Queen.

As the weather cools off, the Queen’s egg-laying pace slows down a bit. The hive will need every bit of its honey to keep the current population of bees alive until the flowers bloom again. They don’t have resources to devote to caring for new bees, and moving around the hive can be dangerous in freezing weather.

The Life of Bees in Winter

Once Winter sets in, all the worker bees return to the hive and settle in to make it through the Winter months. They form one large huddle in the center of the hive, with the Queen in the middle of the huddle.

Bees take turns buzzing their wings to warm up the hive, their Queen, and the other worker bees around them.

Bees rely on their honey stores to make it through the lean Winter months. A hive that hasn’t stored enough honey (or that has had too much honey harvested from them) may starve to death during this time. For the most part, the bees do not leave the hive until the weather warms up and flowers bloom again.

Learn More About the Life of Bees

From the moment their lives begin, bees have a dedicated role within their hive. Queens and drones spend their lives focused on mating, but worker bees handle every other aspect of hive life. From cleaning out cells and caring for larvae to harvesting nectar and pollen and turning it into honey, their daily lives are dedicated to keeping their hive healthy and running smoothly.

There are many lessons to draw from the lovely, beautiful lives of Bees. They are naturally and deeply committed to each other and their roles in the functioning of their hives. They roll with the punches so they can fulfill their life missions – and they protect their leaders at all costs.

Most importantly, Bees feed the planet. They are the singular species that is always required for life on Earth. Without Bees, the world would eventually perish.

If you see a Bee, pray for her. Love him.

Don’t be afraid of them. While they might seek to protect their hives, if you keep a distance, they’ll have no reason to attack.

The Life Of Bees is a noble one. THANK YOU, BEES!

I am here to help you awaken and bravely create an inspired life. Make the world a lovelier place! Learn more about our services today and start changing your life in the most positive way.

REMEMBER!

Pray for others and the Universe prays for us.

February 15, 2022March 27, 2024

WHAT IS BREATHARIANISM? OH MY!

WHAT IS BREATHARIANISM? OH MY!

When we list the things humans need to survive, most of us come down to three basic requirements: food, water, and shelter. But there’s a movement that claims two of those three things are holding us back.

Some of the most extreme Breatharians claim to survive off of the life energy of the universe alone, no food or water involved. Others who believe themselves to be One With The Breath appear to drink water and snack once in a while – and somehow remain healthy.

One might wonder which of these Breath devotees are telling the truth – and which ones are projecting an image that no human could ever embody.

Is it possible to go months or years without eating or drinking?

Do Breatharians really exist?

If so, how have they managed to defy the basic scientific principles we thought we understood?

Read on to learn more about this practice and whether it actually allows people to subsist on something loftier than mere food.

What Is Breatharianism?

Breatharianism is the practice of going without food, water, or both and, instead, living from the life energy of the Universe. As the name suggests, Breatharianism uses the breath to harness this energy and nourish the body. Breatharians claim to exist only on air and sunlight, foregoing food (and sometimes water) altogether, sometimes for years at a time.

While Breatharianism is a reboot of the ancient Yogic practice, today’s New-Age Breatharianism birthed in the mid-90s, thanks in part to the work of a woman born Ellen Greve, who has since changed her name to Jasmuheen.

Our friend Jasmuheen wrote a book called Living on Light: The Source of Nourishment for the New Millennium. This book describes a twenty-one-day process that will supposedly help your body adjust to surviving only on air.

While the new-age scene has bastardized this practice, which was established by serious-ass Yogis thousands of years ago, it takes a truly Divine Master or Enlightened Being to be a totes-for-reals Breatharian.

Even Masters like Amma, who eat very little, tend to stay away from using phrases like Breatharian because it’s a dangerous practice – and it’s only meant for people who arrive at some version of Breatharianism naturally – ya know, like because of deep spiritual practices which can result in liberation – a state that is very rare.

How Does Breatharianism Work?

If breatharians aren’t getting their nourishment from food and/or water, where does it come from? Breatharians claim to fuel their body with prana, a kind of life-energy emitted by the Universe itself.

Prana is the Sanskrit word for breath. It points to the substratum and eternal substance that permeates reality throughout every level and realm, including inanimate objects. In other words, Prana is the source of all life built into all aspects of living and non-living realities.

Breatharians claim to be able to harness this energy through intense breathing exercises that connect them with this life-energy. Pranic breathing is an empowering and cleansing practice found in most yoga classes and other spiritual disciplines.

Pranic breathing is usually performed by sitting in the lotus position, breathing into your stomach and exhaling, all through the mouth or all through the nose – and sometimes only one nostril. The pace of this style of breathing is often very fast with truncated exhales. Pranic breathing can certainly feed you for a time. It can also clear emotions and help you feel more alive and rejuvenated at a core level.

There are centuries of evidence showing the benefits of breathing exercises and meditation. Meditation and breathing can allow us to connect better with our own inner life force, the Universe, other people, and our own bodies.

The challenge with Breatharianism is that proponents claim that these practices can replace food and water. While this might be true for advanced souls, chances are pretty high that Bunny McStretchypants, who teaches beer yoga at the local gym, and Trendy Taj McKrishna, who drinks his own urine at parties, are probably not real Breatharians.

Folks like these are most often hopped-up on new-age narcissism while pretending to be the real deal, when in reality, they can barely manifest enough money to pay their electric bills.

What is the Breatharianism Diet

On its face, the Breatharian diet seems simple: don’t eat food or drink water, ever. But when you dive into the practice, you’ll discover it’s much more complicated.

There are two basic steps to the breatharian diet: the initiation and the long-term plan. And there are two styles of Breatharians: crazy people who think they can do it forever and reasonable people who know they probably can’t do it for very long. Both types tend to eat once in a while – and most Breatharians drink water regularly.

Many of today’s Breatharian programs recommend starting with an initiation period of fasting. Fasting gets your body jump-started into surviving off of nourishment other than food. In some protocols, this initial fasting period, during which you drink either only some or no water and eat no or very little food, lasts seven to ten days. Other programs only require you to go three days without any nourishment.

After the initial fasting period, Breatharians recommend that you move to a liquid diet. This consists mostly of fruit and vegetable juices and broths. Some wanna-bees will drink lemon water with cayenne pepper to slowly shut down their digestive systems.

Many Breatharians say they eat every now and then, either in social situations or because they want to enjoy the sensation of eating food. However, a handful of Breatharian leaders claim to go for months or years without eating anything at all.

While this may or may not be true, it’s certainly fascinating! I have to mention here – um, please do not try this at home!

Breatharianism Doesn’t Work

Now that we know about Breatharianism and its principles, let’s get right down to the facts – it doesn’t work for 99.9999% of those who claim it as a lifestyle.

The simple truth is that the overwhelming majority of humans, aliens, and wandering spirits need food to live. More importantly, you can’t go more than a few days at a time without drinking water before your body begins to shut down.

There’s no denying that our culture often tends to overindulge in food, and many people have unhealthy relationships with food. As we’ll discuss more later, there are some potential benefits to using breathing exercises and meditation as a way to improve your relationship with food. But the basic tenet of Breatharianism – that humans can live without food and water – has no basis in fact or science, except the occasional Enlightened Master who probably doesn’t need to promote their adherence to this practice.

And any Enlightened Master worth their salt will probably want a cookie now and again, because cookies were made by God to make our inner-children smile. So there.

Breatharian Deaths

One of the problems with Breatharianism as a practice is that it can be very dangerous. So far, there have been five known deaths connected with Breatharian practices. The most recent death was in 2012, but the best-known was an incident in 1999 in which a woman died of dehydration and hypothermia after practicing the program described in Living on Light.

In most cases, people don’t die of starvation as a result of Breatharianism, but rather as a result of dehydration. Doctors estimate that you can only go for less than a week without water before you die of dehydration. After that point, your organs begin shutting down, your blood gets thicker, toxins build up in your body, and eventually you die. Good times!

Breatharian Leaders Eat

When you start looking closely at Breatharian leaders and the programs they claim to follow, one fact emerges: Breatharian leaders eat. They may make sweeping statements about going months or years without consuming any food. But when you start asking for details, a number of inconsistencies tend to show up.

Some Breatharian leaders admit to regularly drinking vegetable broth or fruit juice, as well as eating in social situations. Although these amounts of food may be much less than what most people consume, it’s definitely a source of nutrition other than sunlight and prana. A few Breatharian leaders have even been caught ordering in-flight meals or with whole refrigerators full of food.

The Cost of Breatharian Retreats

In addition to being physically dangerous, some might say that Breatharianism classes and retreats are outright scams. Breatharian leaders tell their followers to go long periods of time without eating or drinking, all the while they are regularly eating food. Meanwhile, they’re raking in thousands of dollars in profits from retreats and coaching fees.

Why are they making so much money? Because New-Agers are knuckleheads. They believe trends will save them from themselves. Yeah, it doesn’t work that way.

They way it works is this: chant, pray, eat healthy, forgive, accept, release – and repeat. It’s not complicated.

Many Breatharian retreats, which are designed to get you started on the fasting program, cost more than $1,000. One-on-one coaching sessions can cost $75 an hour or more, depending on who you see. The simple fact is that too many New-Age trendsetter phonies make an insanely lucrative living off of selling dangerous lies.

Using Breath for Food Control

Although the Breatharian fasting program is dangerous, there are some helpful ideas we can take from it. Many people in our society have unhealthy relationships with food, including overeating and, in many ways, being addicted to food. We have to eat food to live, but there are definite benefits to being more conscious of what we eat and how we consume it.

Mindful eating is a helpful practice that uses meditative practices to help control food intake. You may find that using breathing exercises can be a great way to curb food cravings in times when you’re trying to cut back.

Breathing can be a great way to build a healthier relationship with food, but you have to be sure you’re managing your diet in a safe, healthy way.

Do Breatharians Exist?

It would be easy to say that Breatharians do not exist. I’ve personally met a few Enlightened Masters who I never saw eat. And if you’re a real Breatharian or spiritual master, you’re probably not running around with a trendy book telling everybody to try it. Why? Because elevating ourselves through the most intense spiritual practices is f*cking painful – and not for everybody.

While most of us cannot survive on life-energy alone, breathing and meditation can build healthier relationships with food and our inner Beings.

Breathing, sunlight, food, water, movement, and forgiveness can all work together to help you to build a life that’s healthy for your body, mind, and spirit.

I am here to help you awaken and bravely create an inspired life. Learn more about my services today and start changing your life in the most positive way.

REMEMBER!

Pray for others and the Universe prays for us.

February 10, 2022March 27, 2024

Energy Vampires! How to Spot, Repel, & Avoid Them

Shutterstock licensed image.

Energy Vampires! How to Spot, Repel, & Avoid Them

We’ve all met these types of people. They are either sad, broken, emotionally dramatic, or simply narcissistic. Somehow they refuse to own their stuff and seek to improve themselves. While these people deserve our love and compassion, they do not necessarily deserve our attention or time.

Are you feeling continuously drained at work, home, or social events? Do you often feel stressed so you cannot enjoy the things you once loved? Are you feeling unmotivated and unable to engage in life?

These symptoms may be surfacing for several reasons:

An introverted personality strained by constant social interaction

Depression born from repressed emotions

Confusion due to various life stressors and changes

Being the victim of an Energy Vampire!

Are you ready to take back your life and cast out all that bad energy?

It’s time to learn which people in your life are sucking the happiness right out of you and preventing you from enjoying the activities you once enjoyed!

What is an Energy Vampire?

At first, the term “Energy Vampire” seems fantastical, but it’s becoming a common term used to label several types of personalities. Simply put, Energy Vampires are people who feed on your energy and who selfishly use that energy solely for themselves, kind of like new-age narcissists.

That definition makes it seem like these people are dark, twisted villains who are looking for vulnerable people to prey upon, but that’s not often the case. Most of the time, Energy Vampires don’t realize how challenging they are or how their toxic personality traits affect the people around them.

Certain personalities lend themselves to evolving into Energy Vampires due to learned behavior. It’s possible that Mom or Dad was an Energy Vampire and nurtured their child into an equally dramatic and needy personality. Or maybe the Vamp in your life had a difficult childhood and now craves attention from anyone that will lend an ear. Unable to give to others reciprocally, they become accustomed to unstable and imbalanced relationships.

Like many other behaviors, Energy-Vampirism is often representative of an unconscious lifestyle that can go undetected by the person exhibiting it for a lifetime.

The Energy Vampire Spectrum

Spotting an Energy Vampire might be difficult, especially if these folks are close to you. It can be hard to see relatives, friends, and coworkers with an objective point of view. Further, Energy Vampires can emerge within a broad spectrum of a variety of personalities and behaviors.

At the very least, Energy Vampires are often narcissistic. They assume that the world revolves around them and that everyone exists to serve them in some way. Emotionally or psychologically entrenched in their desires and problems, they cannot consider other peoples’ needs and feelings. Every time you encounter them, you might be unable to get a word in to express your thoughts and feelings.

In the middle of the spectrum, these narcissistic Vamps become manipulative. They actively use you to get what they want, whether it’s constant attention, validation, an exalted ego, or worse. These people demonstrate little concern for how their ongoing needs affect you. Whether they’re conscious of it or not, they take advantage of everyone around them.

On the extreme end, these types of vampires are psychopathic. Their social behavior is often exaggerated or intense due to innate aggression or ongoing mood instability. This type of person is draining because you’re either constantly giving to them, tensely on guard, or nervously uncertain about what they’ll do next. In many ways, you might be bracing yourself for the eventual and likely consequences of their behavior.

Sound familiar? You might have at least one person in your life that exhibits this type of behavior. If you’re not sure, then ask yourself if there’s a particular person that leaves you feeling exhausted and stressed after every encounter.

Who Are The Typical Victims of Energy Vampires?

Because these human black holes drain energy from those around them, they thrive in social situations when more vulnerable, passive people are available to them. The ideal victim of an Energy Vampire is someone who always sees the good in others, listens to those who need to vent, and doesn’t stand up for themselves when they feel offended or manipulated.

While we’re never truly a victim, only an experiencer of aspects of reality, one cannot help but feel lessened and burdened by ongoing exchanges with Energy Vampires.

If you are a compassionate and open-hearted person, good for you! You should never choose to feel bad about your glowing and positive personality. For healthy people, you are a life-saving support system. For Energy Vamps, you’re dessert.

Energy vampires don’t only prey on compassionate and passive people. They negatively affect everyone around them, including other Energy Vampires!

How to Know If You’re An Energy Vampire’s Prey

Not sure if the source of your problems is an Energy Vampire? There are some telltale signs that your energy is being drained without you being conscious of it. Even though you have a busy and fulfilling life, you might feel lonely, lost, confused, exhausted or unloved. You might feel as though nobody truly knows you, hears you, or “gets” you. When we are loving a narcissist, it’s easy to lose site of our needs that have long-gone unmet.

Energy vampires manifest in many different forms. Maybe a parent or close relative constantly commands your attention while also provoking your guilt for taking any time for yourself.

Perhaps a coworker is a considerable presence at your workplace and doesn’t care who they hurt amid their climb to the top. Maybe you have a friend who constantly involves you in their personal drama without considering your personal space and wellbeing.

At the end of the day, energy vampires can be anyone. To figure out the source of this stress, focus on these points while you meditate:

Do you feel drained after conversations?

Do you feel like your life is engulfed in someone else’s problems?

When you try to express your thoughts or feelings to someone else, are you made to feel guilty or crazy?

Most of all: do you fail to see yourself as the center of your own life?

Protect Yourself from Energy Vampires

Once you’ve identified the source, you can begin to take measures to protect yourself. It’s not always as easy as cutting the Energy Vampire out of your life, but if that’s possible, it’s time to do it. If it isn’t possible, it’s time to start guarding yourself against their energy-draining effects.

First, become an expert at spotting these Vamps. While it’s not healthy to always look for the negative aspects in people or situations, it is essential to be wary of people’s motivations and repeated actions.

Employ tactics that repel these people from your inner sphere. If it’s possible to block or avoid them, such as declining social events they’ll be attending, then it’s best to protect yourself by staying away.

If you can’t stay away, learn to respect yourself and set proper boundaries. Be clear about what behavior is acceptable in your relationships and stick by those rules.

Second, lower your expectations for your relationship with that person. Often, we can be our own worst enemy when we get our hopes up for a healthy relationship with someone incapable of empathy.

Third, do not expend any energy on them. Do not overreact, do not accept their advances, and don’t give them the responses they want. Eventually, they’ll realize you’re no longer an easy target.

Fourth, surround yourself with people who can be your reality check. Talk to friends and family who can look at the situation from an outside perspective. They can be your support system for when you need to guard yourself.

Finally, begin to heal. Being the victim of an energy vampire for any period can be damaging to our senses of Self, our hearts, and our minds. Accepting that a person has been manipulating you and stopping the energy drain is the first step. Then, incorporate self-love practices like daily meditation, deep breathing, and reflection through a diary or my personality cards!

REMEMBER!

Pray for others and the Universe prays for us.