Anthroposophical Medicine

By: jgraf

Anthroposophical medicine, one of the many initiatives launched by Rudolf Steiner, is a holistic approach to healing that entails an in-depth assessment of the fourfold human constitution – wherein the inter-weave of physical, etheric, astral and egoic bodies of the individual are delved into. It’s practitioners are commonly full M.D.s, although there are also naturopaths and other holistic healers who use anthroposophical principles in their practice.

Treatment can entail attention to any or all of the four bodies, often using homeopathic and herbal remedies manufactured by quality-focused companies, such as Weleda Products, who apply both in-depth research and rigorous practices in the manufacturing process.
High-level considerations in medicine translate as remedies that facilitate the body’s natural healing processes. Rather than simply masking symptoms, as is often the case in allopathic medicine, the holistic approach looks to symptoms as signs of imbalance within the body. By seeking an understanding of how the body is naturally working to heal itself, holistic medicines are then formulated to stimulate a patient’s innate self-healing powers.
Also, the following standards are applied, under ideal conditions of remedy production:
- ideal plant sources use biodynamic methods of cultivation
- recognizing the affinity of human to nature – the bridge that leads naturally to the optimal remedy for a given ailment.
- fair trade and ecologically sound growing principles

Materialistic science tends to view disease as nothing more than an enemy to eradicate. In contrast, the spiritual-scientific perspective of Steiner indicates that illnesses are often the cure for a soul condition.

Childhood illnesses can be of significant value to an individual’s destiny. Young children have more mutable DNA than adults. Children often incarnate into a body which they feel does not suit them. In effect, they experience discomfort, a feeling of being not-at-home in the body. The spirit of the child which, in its over-lighting wisdom, knows what is best for the overall development of the child, can use a high fever as a catalyst to transform the DNA so that the body is made more suitable for the individual soul inhabiting it. Immunizations can interfere with this process, resulting in a child having to live with allergies and/or asthma for the rest of its life.

Another related issue entailing modern medical practice emerges when some illnesses are eradicated for the general population. Because we require a particular “medical challenge” to remedy a given imbalance on the soul level of our being, the pool of human consciousness seeks out new illnesses to fill the gap. Accessing the challenges and/or conditions needed to complete a soul-quest becomes the issue. Curtailing diphtheria and tetanus, for example, necessitated humanity’s subconscious search for replacement illnesses.

This dynamic does not mean that we stop striving to alleviate suffering. We continue with this, of course. But with greater understanding decisions pertaining to illness can lead to more optimal overall and long term benefits.

Steiner once recounted the tale of a man who had developed restricted breathing on one side of his chest. After an operation the man could breath normally. However, his spirit had actually created the breathing restriction because of a weakness in one of his lungs. The unrestricted breathing that resulted from the operation shortened the man’s life, due to complications in the lung. He would have lived longer had he left his condition as it was.

Extensions of anthroposophical medicine include artistic therapies such as eurhythmy (the science and art of movement to speech and music), music, and painting.

From Wikipedia: “A study of anthroposophic treatment of chronic illness found that Anthroposophic therapies were associated with long-term reduction of chronic disease symptoms, improvement of health-related quality of life, and health cost reduction.”

A few examples of effective alternative remedies include:

Iscador – a homeopathic dose of mistletoe for treating cancer, immune deficiency, or burnout. From Wikipedia: “This treatment is widely used in Central Europe, where up to two-thirds of all oncology patients’ treatment regimen includes mistletoe.”

Bidor – a homeopathic treatment taken over a span of time to help ameliorate chronic migraine headaches.

Infludo – for influenza

This article, and others, can be found on the Insight21 website.

J Graf is the coordinator of Earth Vision and Insight21 – doorways for the 21st Century – at Earth Vision and Insight21 www.insight21.net

Article Source: www.NewAgeArticles.com

Tarot and Wellness

By: Almabella

Tarot images have been used to create positive affirmations, or explore the emotional background of an illness. This will certainly do no harm, it might even do considerable good.

Tarot can be used as a tool to explore the realms of wellness, the harmony of mind, body and spirit. The most potent applications of any symbolic therapy will be to reach the body through the gateway of the unconscious, that part of us we do not see, we can not touch, yet we can bring into harmony with our total being and trust that it will open our world to the Universal abundance that is available to all of us.

Our well being does not just cover the physical and mental self. We draw strength from our Higher or Innerself to stimulate and develop our creativity, our intuition, that “gut” feeling we all experience. It is that voice within that sets off alarm signals when things start to draw negativities around us.

When we discover this mind-body connection, this helps us to maintain a positive outlook. In this respect, Tarot has a lot to offer.

On a very basic level, working with Tarot stimulates and strengthens right brain competence, the most synthetic, intuitive and creative side of the brain.

Tarot has been used in meditation for sometime. To take this further, think about what aspect of the psyche or of the body is in need of
strengthening or nurturing. Then choose a card that feels right to you. Use this card in meditation as you ponder on results you hope to achieve.

Examples: (as quoted from the book)

Low energy or lack of motivation might call out for the directed energy of the Chariot or the Sun.

Distractibility or nervousness could require the focused inferiority of the Hermit.

An upset stomach might be calmed by Temperance

Insomnia could be abated by the Moon. As well, the Moon offers the encouragement to deal with the”shadows”, those nagging hurts, pain, frustrations, guilt and even vindictiveness that keeps you awake at night. It encourages you to be prepared to face the “unknown”, that is Tomorrow.

Empress conditions: feminine body-related, fertility-related, reproductive disorders, PMS, eating disorders.What Empress character does one have too much of? Try to balance with the High Priestess, if there is a need to be more in touch with one’s psychic energies; or the Sun, if there is a need to be more rational and less emotional.

James Wanless, creator of the Voyager deck found himself with chronic fatigue syndrome. This low-energy syndrome might need the boosting energy of the Charioteer the Sun, driven by a highly demanding career, he lost his balance, slipping in over identification with the Chariot. His remedy was to focus on
the feminine,passive energy of the Empress.

There are many ways the Tarot images can be employed therapeutically. In her book, Cynthia Giles goes on to say to turn to proactive attitude and consider how Tarot can be incorporated into a fitness program. Tarot and other symbolic therapies should be considered as tools for wellness,not as treatments for disease.

Use your imagination. The more you know about Tarot symbolism, the more connections you’ll be able to recognize.

Reference: {1}Cynthia Giles: The Tarot, Methods, Mastery and More

Bonnie Moss write to inspire her readers to reach deep within, to find that important connection between mind, body and spirit. She draws from her life experiences and her deep interest in everything metaphysical. Read more articles on her website: goldencupcafe.tripod.com

Article Source: www.NewAgeArticles.com

A Beginner’s Guide To Using Aromatherapy With Children

By: Misty Rae Cech

Trust your instinct – a beginner’s guide to using aromatherapy with children:

Essential oils are pure aromatic plant essences – they are distilled from flowers, fruit, leaves, resins, roots, seeds, and wood. The are used for their healing properties the world over – in , for example, they are only available through licensed, qualified parishioners. In the United States, we have free access to essential oils – but with this comes with some important cautions: Only some of the essential oils available are suitable for children; others are not suitable for children and some are even dangerous to children (children with epilepsy should not come in contact with stimulating essential oils).

When used correctly however, essential oils can be of great benefit, and will not conflict with your child’s medically prescribed drugs. Always research the oil of choice thoroughly before using with your infant or child – ask advice from a qualified practitioner, or see the references at the end of this article.

That said, essential oils can be a wonderful way of supporting your child’s health, happiness and well-being. Essential oils can be very therapeutic and nurturing to both your child and you, the caregiver. Essential oils are used externally (on the outside of the body) in your child’s bath, body lotions, oils, creams, gels, compresses, foot baths, or in a oil warmer. The effects of aromatherapy will generally fall into one of three main categories: 1) Assisting in healing from minor illnesses and accidents, 2) Supporting your child’s overall sense of well-being, and 3) Assisting your child in getting quality rest.

When using essential oils with your child, it is imperative that you find a reputable supplier of therapeutic-grade essential oils, using organic or wildcrafted varieties when possible. Synthetic copies of oils commonly used in perfumery are not appropriate, and may even be harmful to your child’s health. To maintain efficacy, essential oils should be kept in dark amber or cobalt glass containers, in a dark and cool location, away from the child’s access. Wooden storage boxes from craft or ‘Pier One’ type stores can make a nice container for the bottles.

Methods of Using Essential Oils

There are two methods of using essential oils with your child – INHALATION: through a diffuser, nebulizer, or adding to a humidifier reservoir, and TOPICAL APPLICATION: diluting the essential oil in a carrier oil and applying topically. Adding essential oils to a bath combines the two methods, though we will cover it under topical application.

For topical application, essential oils are diluted in varying strengths depending on the use and age of your child. The concentration can vary from one drop of essential oil per tablespoon of carrier oil, to a couple of drops per teaspoon of carrier added to a drawn bath, to an equal ratio of carrier and essential oil applied directly to your child’s feet (as in the case of gentle Lavender). In other words, there is a huge variation in dilution levels depending on the circumstances. Mamas, do your research and then trust your instinct. Only you and your child baby know exactly what is right for your situation.

General dilution rate guidelines of essential oils in one ounce of carrier oil:

Age of Child and amount of Essential Oil per One Ounce Carrier Oil for Topical/Massage Application:

Newborn (Consult primary care physician before use)

1-3 drops essential oil / ounce
2-6 months
1-3 drops essential oil / ounce
6-12 months
1-4 drops essential oil / ounce
1-4 years (unless very small)
5-8 drops essential oil / ounce
6-7 years
5-10 drops essential oil / ounce
9-12 years
5-12 drops essential oil / ounce
12 years to young adult
10-15 drops essential oil / ounce

DO NOT USE AN ESSENTIAL OIL NEAT (undiluted ) on children’s skin, unless indicated to do so for a specific condition. If your child has very sensitive skin, it is important to test a small area before using a new single oil or blend. Keep essential oils away form the eyes. When using citrus oils – orange, bergamot, lemon, tangerine, mandarin, and lime – do not use where the skin will be exposed to sunlight for the next 12 hours. These oils are considered ‘phototoxic’, and can react from the sun’s rays. They may be used in a bath, however, where they will be washed off the skin when the bath is done.

Essential oils are not to be taken orally (by mouth). When your child is taking medications, reduce the amount of essential oil by half the amount recommended for their age group.

Carrier oils for children

Sweet Almond oil is generally regarded as the safest and best overall carrier oil for use with babies and children. Apricot kernel oil is also considered extremely safe with children over 6. Jojoba oil can be added at about 10% concentration for any blend – it has a soothing effect on the skin and is good for hair.

Topical Application – Nurturing Touch Massage Recipes

There is nothing better for any child than the loving, nurturing touch of a parent. A gentle hug, a smile, a kiss on the cheek all reassure the child and help the parent and child to bond. These everyday forms of connection are instinctual and children thrive from it.

Research shows that massage can help children’s growth both physically and emotionally. In hospitals, studies done with premature baby’s show that touch is an essential aspect of the children’s ability to thrive.

Using aromatherapeutic nurturing touch massage can be therapeutic to both the child and the parent. Using a light, conscientious tough you can massage your child’s feet, arms, hands, back, abdomen, and even legs. The massage should always be done with loving intention and the work is done in the direction that the blood flows-from ankles to leg; from wrist to shoulder, etc.

Here are a few suggested blends for this wonderful method – each is in one (1) ounce of Sweet Almond oil:

Restful Sleep – 4 drops lavender, 2 drops Roman Chamomile

Happy Child – 3 drops Rose, 1 drop Neroli

Calm and Relaxed – 3 drops Petitgrain, 3 drops Neroli

Emotional Nurturing – 1 drop Rose, 1 drop Vanilla, 2 drops Lavender

For a Baby oil blend, to be used as a moisturizer OR massage oil (note: the frequent washing of a baby’s skin actually makes it difficult for them to retain vitamin C; application of a quality skin oil will help them keep adequate supplies of this important nutrient).

1 ounce of organic sweet almond oil or hazelnut oil
1 drop of pure Lavender essential oil
1 drop of Vanilla essential oil

OR

1 ounce of organic sweet almond oil
2 drops of pure Lavender essential oil
1 drop of pure Chamomile (German) essential oil

The above blends can also be added to the bath. One teaspoon with the following amount of essential oils added can be added AFTER the bath is filled, per the age of the child: 3-5 years, 2 drops; 6-8 years, 3 drops; 8-11 years, 5 drops. Perhaps the easiest way to do this would be to make a full strength blend (without carrier oil) of your choice, then dilute as needed for the application.

Inhalation of essential oils

For inhalation, one can apply one or two drops to a handkerchief and inhale, or add oils to a water misting bottle or humidifier. Calming essential oils that may be used are Lavender (recommended for sleep – one to four drops can be placed under the pillow), Mandarin, Roman Chamomile, Ho Wood (an ecologically friendly replacement for Rosewood), Tangerine, Petitgrain, Vanilla, and Neroli. Use these oils singly, create your own blend, or use one of the body oil blends above without the carrier oil. A few drops per quart of water in a mister sprayed throughout a room or added humidifier resevoir will do.

For an anti-anxiety blend: Try 5 drops bergamot, 1 drop lavender and 3 drops geranium – dilute to 10 drops per ½ pint of water for a room spray or use in a humidifier, or dilute to the appropriate level for your child’s age if using topically. For alertness, try lemon, bergamot, grapefruit or pine, either singly or in a blend that pleases your senses (usually the best way to blend is to trust your nose!)

Essential oils can also be used in a candle lamp or warmer – with the oil gently evaporated from the surface of a small bowl of water by the heat of a candle. An electric nebulizing diffuser is generally not recommended for use with children, as the concentration of oils in the air can be too high.

Last but not least, essential oils are wonderful antiseptics.

Cuts and scrapes are simply a way of life for the little ones! A great blend for minor wounds is a 1:1 mix of Lavender and Tea Tree oil. The lavender is soothing, anti-inflammatory, and has regenerative ‘ketones’, while the tea tree is a strong antiseptic used for many generations by native Australians. Use this blend in the water used for cleaning wounds, and apply a few drops to the gauze of a bandage – do not apply directly to the skin as it will be unnecessarily irritating. On the bandage, however, it will be soothing and accelerate the healing process.

So this is a very brief overview of using essential oils with children. There are many, many diverse applications for essential oils for almost every conceivable minor ailment seen in childhood. The key is knowledge – finding a good practitioner, or reputable resource for your needs. For further reading, books by Valerie Ann Woorwood are excellent: “Aromatherapy for the Healthy Child” and “The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy”; for safety data, see “Essential Oil Safety” by Robert Tisserand and Tony Balacs. The essential oils mentioned within this article are recognized as safe for most individuals – if you or your child are recognized as having a specific illness, and/or are under a doctor’s regular care, please consult an appropriate practitioner before proceeding.

That said, aromatherpy can be a very fun and rewarding endevor for both you and your child. Essential oils have benefited the lives of many the world over, and have a little bit of plant magic available to everyone.

About the Author: Misty Rae Cech, ND employs aromatherapy oils with her clients, enjoying the variety of wildcrafted and organic essential oils available. She is the owner of www.ananda-aromatherapy.com.

Article Source: www.NewAgeArticles.com

Feng Shui In Your Home For The Placement Of Furniture

By: Katerina Mitrou

Feng Shui for the placement of furniture is becoming more popular in the Western world as people seek to bring balance into their hectic, modern lives. Feng Shui involves placing objects such as furniture in a space so that good energy is allowed to flow through unencumbered. When decorating your home and placing furniture, you can follow some of Feng Shui’s basic principles to capture positive energy and keep negative energy away.

In each room of your home, there are rules you can follow to ensure furniture, and other objects, are placed in prime locations. First of all, you should position furniture according to comfort and convenience, making sure that no object blocks external and internal doorways (a symbol for blocked opportunities). As you arrange a room, keep high traffic areas open and unobstructed as well.

The most common rule of Feng Shui, as it applies to furniture placement, is to place main pieces, such as bedroom furniture or desks, in the “command position.” This is simply the space facing the door, and off to the side. Without knowing anything about Feng Shui, most people have an innate sense of the good energy of this position. In a meeting, for example, most people try to grab the seats in this area of the room.

Placing important furniture in the command position has many benefits. If you place your office desk and chair in this position, you might see an improvement in your career prospects and increase your productivity. For those in business for themselves, the flow of good energy can lead to an increase in customer phone calls (and therefore business), more respect in your chosen industry, and opportunity for continued success. As long as your chair does not back into a window, the command position is one of the first things to consider when applying the basic principles of Feng Shui to your own home.

Because sleep is such an important aspect of our lives and contributes to good health, placing your bed in the command position is crucial. Keep in mind, the worst place for the bed is right in front of the door with your feet facing toward it. Labeled the “coffin position,” because the dead tend to be moved feet first, placing your bed in such a manner promotes the wrong type of energy. Keep the head of the bed away from a window as well, as this allows personal energy (chi) to escape outside.

Feng Shui is applicable in every room of the house, including the kitchen. It may be difficult to move existing appliances to cater to Feng Shui positions, but if you plan to redesign your kitchen, you may want to keep some of these tips in mind:

The stove needs to be placed so that anyone using the stove does not have his/her back facing the kitchen door. If you really can’t rearrange the placement of your stove, there is a trick – put a mirror behind the stove. A handy way to deal with this issue, a mirror above the stove also lets the cook see who enters the kitchen, without having to turn away from the food. The mirror also doubles, symbolically, the number of burners on the stove, which represents prosperity.

If you can, make sure the refrigerator and sink are not beside the stove. As Water element appliances, they should not be placed directly next to a Fire appliance. As you might guess, Water douses Fire, so keeping the two away from each other will only serve to contribute to our family’s health, happiness, and prosperity.

In addition to using furniture placement to promote good chi in your home, it can also be used as a means of redirecting the flow of chi. In family and living rooms, especially larger ones, make use of the space by creating conversation areas with the furniture. This will help direct the flow of energy in a harmonious manner throughout the space, rather than letting it enter the front of the house and rush straight through, and out the back. Think of this energy as air circulating through your home, cultivating good vibes. Another way to encourage this type of energy flow is to set up screens and dividers to ensure there are no straight paths from doors to windows.

In houses where the living room and dining room meld into a single L-shaped space, the large area can be difficult to tame. Guests and family members feel less comfortable and have trouble enjoying intimate conversations in such an environment. As mentioned above, grouping furniture so that smaller conversation areas are created is the best way to deal with such a situation, but you can also divide the area into two separate rooms to provide more privacy and comfort in each space.

In a dining room, which usually features a double door entryway facing a window, it’s quite difficult to keep the energy flowing well. It’s no wonder these rooms are seldom used. What you can do to make guests feel more comfortable, when you do use this room, is to try and place each seat so that it faces a wall and protects the people sitting down.

Keeping spaces free of clutter is also key to good chi. Although cozy spaces are required to maintain a good flow of energy, an overstuffed abode will only foster a sense of chaos and confusion. Don’t use too much furniture – just enough as necessary without ridding the entire room of open spaces. Breathing room allows positive energy to circulate in every space of the room, without facing obstacles. To hamper chi from settling in corners, you can put furniture in corners of the room.

Feng Shui is a great way to spruce up your home and invite good feelings into your personal space. Although furniture placement may differ depending on the framework of your own home, once you start to sense how chi flows well in your dwelling, you’ll be able to see what works best. If something doesn’t seem to be working, change things around until you find the best furniture placement for you.

About the Author: By Katerina Mitrou sponsored by www.peoplesfurniture.net/ People’s Furniture sells high end, low cost dining, living room and bedroom furniture: www.peoplesfurniture.net/ Please link to this site when using this article.

Article Source: www.NewAgeArticles.com

The Law Of Karma

By: Nikhil Gangoli

The topic of this article is the concept of Karma, which is common to most Eastern Philosophies be it Hinduism or Buddhism.

It is said that in the second watch of the night when the Buddha attained enlightenment he gained a different kind of knowledge, which complemented his knowledge of rebirth – The Law of Karma.

Karma is mistaken in the West as a doctrine of Fate or Predestination. It is not so. The word Karma literally means action – and the Law of Karma is the infallible law of cause and effect, which governs the Universe.

The doctrine of Karma has many implications as to how we may lead our lives. In the first place it means that all our actions will lead to its natural consequence. We may not know what the consequence will be and in fact it may be delayed for many lengths of time but the consequence will follow inevitably. In Tibetan Buddhism the inevitable retribution, which however is not obvious, is compared to the shadow of a kite or an eagle as it searches for its prey. When the eagle is high in the sky its shadow is not to be seen. However when the eagle swoops to the ground to catch hold of its prey the menacing shadow appears. Similarly we are not aware of the consequences of our actions for most part but they will appear just as the shadow of the eagle suddenly appears.

The law of Karma is not confined to individuals – there is family karma, national karma, International Karma, the Karma of a city. All these are mixed with the Karma of the Individual, and thus it happens that people lives are influenced by events completely beyond their control. All these Karma’s are inter-related and can be understood in its full complexity only by an enlightened being.

The law of Karma gives us guidance as to how we may lead our lives. When misfortune strikes we know that it will not last forever but will pass in time. And we now know through the law of Karma that these are consequences, which have inevitably followed from our past actions. The attitude to have when difficulties befall us is this – That this, which is happening, is the coming to fruition of our past Karma. We do not see the suffering as a punishment- or do we blame ourselves and indulge in self-hatred. Tibetans say that suffering is the broom, which sweeps away our negative karma. We can even be grateful that one karma is coming to an end.

Eastern philosophy is full of stories of how bandits and murderers have overcome their bad karma and gone on to become – monks and even saints. Angulimala is an example. He had killed 999 people in his previous life as a bandit. But he was won over by the Buddha and went on to become a monk and a sage. Similarly in Tibetan Buddhism the story is told of Milarepa. He was a sorcerer who killed many people with his black magic for revenge or profit. Yet through his remorse and hardships and penances that he underwent he went on to become to become enlightened – a figure of inspiration to millions.

These are some brief remarks about Karma.

About the Author: For more such meaningful articles straight to your email box sign up for the free newsletter at www.eastern-philosophy-and-meditation.com The techniques and concepts here will transform your life.

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Try This Chakra Meditation

By: Trevor Dumbleton

Chakra meditation helps to strengthen weak chakras and will benefit your health, wisdom and happiness.

If you need to recharge your body, mind and soul then using chakra meditation is an excellent way to revitalize you from the inside out.

How to perform a chakra meditation

The first few times you practice a chakra meditation, make sure that you have an expert to guide you. Ideally face to face, but at least with a guided CD. You need to make sure that your chakras are left more in balance at the end of the meditation than they were when you started!

Start your meditation by sitting down, cross legged in a quiet, dimly lit room
Make sure that your spine is straight but not stiff
Close your eyes then take a deep breath and start to relax

Now go through each chakra in turn, starting with the root chakra:
Imagine that you are drawing energy up from the earth, through the root chakra and that this is building up in the base of your spine.

Then the navel chakra: feel the concentration of energy building up around your navel and visualize a flow of warm lava out of this chakra center.

Moving on to the solar plexus chakra, let your stomach muscles relax deeply and sense the movement of the energy through your diaphragm.

Next is the heart chakra. Imagine your heart getting stronger with every breath. See and feel a bright light radiating out from this area.

Progressing on to the throat chakra, breath in with force. Then gradually relax your tongue, shoulders and neck.

For the brow chakra, keeping your eyes closed, focus on your “third eye” (the point between your eyebrows). Endeavor to see this area even though your eyes are close and observe what you are seeing.

Finally, it’s the crown chakra. Visualize a beautiful lotus with a thousand petals blossoming from the tip of your head. As you visualize, see the color change from a deep violet through to a brilliant white light.

Done correctly, the chakra meditation can bring you into union with your God. It is a very powerful form of meditation and helps you to stabilize your body, bringing an inner peace and harmony to you.

About the Author: Learn more about chakra meditation and other ways that meditation can help in your life at learn about meditation.

Article Source: www.NewAgeArticles.com

Tolerance And The Human Spirit

By: John Culbertson

What does the term ‘tolerance’ mean to you? To many people it seems that it is synonymous with phrases such as ‘to put up with’, often harking back to classroom scenarios of the teacher informing noisome students that he will not tolerate such behavior. Certainly it would often seem to be the case that the word ‘tolerate’ is associated with negativity, and that to tolerate something is to put up with a situation which may engender negative or unwelcome feelings.

Yet often we are advised that toleration is a skill which is increasingly necessary in an increasingly diverse society. The word is that a society which is tolerant is more peaceful, and harmonious.

Putting these two concepts together, on the one hand the common association of tolerance with something that might otherwise be discouraged, with the expectation that such behavior would give rise to a more integrated and understanding society, does raise some questions, and would not appear to be sitting at ease together.

If the tolerant individual is one who puts up with the fact that other people are different, whether through skin color, race, creed, religious belief, moral belief or political persuasion, then is that individual one who can be said to be a catalyst for cultural diversity and acceptance? Certainly if we accept the commonly held stigmatism of tolerance as harboring negative thoughts and feelings, then it would suggest not.

But let us consider the nature of society, and in particular, the society that the intolerant individual may prefer. Since toleration implies differences which can encourage resentment, suspicion and doubt as far as individual differences are concerned, perhaps the intolerant society would be one where everybody is the same?

Prejudice has found more ways to manifest itself than one might imagine. Whether prejudice rises as a result of gender differences – and not merely the simple classification of male and female, or through skin color, hair color, religious beliefs, dietary beliefs, size, dress preferences or political beliefs, the one thing that is clear is that within any social group of almost any size, there will be opportunities for prejudice. This is simply due to the basic and most fundamental fact of being human – that we are all different.

So if being human is to be different, unique, individual in our collective choices and heritage, then being human is also by definition, to be subject , at least potentially, to prejudice.

Toleration is either the ‘putting up with’ differences, or perhaps it should be considered more as the acceptance of those differences. Taking this idea further, we could consider the radical idea that to be human must necessarily to be tolerant – since we have to accept that we are all different in one way or another, and that to deny this, or be repelled at the thought if the concept, is to refuse to accept the most fundamental aspect of our humanity. Difference.

One of the biggest challenges we have is perhaps to try to change the general perception of the world toleration. The fact that it is so closely paired to the word prejudice, and necessarily has negative connotations presents us with a dilemma. Separating tolerance from prejudice, and seeing the skill of being tolerant as something which is not merely positive, but embraces the human dimension, the human need for individualism and diversity.

No society, regardless of size, could ever flourish or survive if there was no diversity. Even a torrent of seemingly identical ants furtively darting through the cracks in our patio are diverse – they have to be to survive. Some ants have enormous front pincers for fighting and defending the nest, and in fact their mandibles are so big they can’t even feed themselves, and so other ants smaller than they are help the colony by feeding those who cannot feed themselves. The queen cannot move, whilst others are adept at building the nest around her. The very survival of a colony of ants depends upon their diversity, and the balance that they manage to create through that variation in size, structure and skill.

How much more diverse and rich is our own culture than that of the ants? Yet it sometimes seems that we look at our diversity as a problem to be tackled, and tolerance is the lesson that we should preach to help to accept such diversity. Yet, just as with the ants, if we lacked that diversity, our society, indeed our human heritage, would dry up, and eventually lead to stagnation and even cultural extinction.

The skill of being a tolerant individual therefore is not merely the ability to put to one side any prejudices we may be tempted to harbor, but the far greater and more meaningful ability to accept and realize that to be human is to be unique, and tolerance is therefore nothing less than our ability to embrace both our own humanity, and humanity as a whole. It is perhaps the most fundamental skill of all, and one that is crucial to our very survival as a species, as countless wars across the eons have taught us.

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Individualized Positive Affirmations For Improving Self-Esteem

By: Harry Henshaw

Positive self-esteem is very important if not crucial to our happiness and well being as a human being. Having positive self-esteem can make the difference in that which we take on in life, in that which we go about achieving and creating. Having positive self- esteem also allows us to have healthy and joyous relationships with others, to experience true intimacy. One could also assert that having positive self-esteem gives us access to genuine spirituality. Poor self-esteem, on the other hand, creates the space for us to experience a great deal of negativity in life including depression, anxiety, fear, stress and loneliness. Negative or poor self-esteem is also highly correlated with alcohol and drug dependency. Some even believe that a negative or poor self-image is the source of such addictions.

While it appears that the importance of positive self-esteem is somewhat understood, the unanswered question has always been about how to improve or enhance a person’s self-esteem. Some belief that a person’s self-esteem rests upon them being successful, in accomplishing that which they take on in life, of achieving goals that they have set for themselves. As a result much effort is put into assisting others in effectively and efficiently planning their doing in life. Others believe that our sense of self-esteem is determined by the type of relationships that we have, that by surrounding ourselves with positive people who will appreciate and acknowledge us that our esteem will be positively impacted. To this end training is given to help a person improve his interpersonal skills, how he communicates and relates with others. While both of these endeavors are important, it is not the having or doing that creates positive self-esteem. Ones self-esteem is not given or to be obtained from without, external to the person.

One very effective way to improve self-esteem is through the use of positive affirmations. Positive affirmations are very powerful for transforming how a person feels and thinks about himself, ultimately influencing how he views and acts within the world and towards others. The fundamental reason why positive affirmations are so effective is that their nature or structure reflects what already exists in our mind. Our identity or who we think we are, our current thinking patterns, are also a series of affirmations, composed fundamentally of mere words or language. Everything we think, all of the thoughts that we have, are merely affirmations. Positive affirmations, when used consistently, begin to alter our prevalent internal language pattern, as negative as it may be, our inner self talk or dialogue that exists within us. The end result of the consistent use of positive affirmations is the transformation of an inner negative language pattern into one that is positive in nature

The most effective way to use positive affirmations is with the individual’s own voice. While a person can have a beneficial result from listening to a commercially developed product that employs positive affirmations recorded by another, the transformative power of this technology is enhanced or strengthened by the positive messages being delivered in the person’s own voice. By using a person’s own voice to transform the inner dialogue, there is less resistance to the transformational process due to the fact that the voice itself is the same or identical. It is as though the negative voice or language pattern that one hears repeatedly in life is altered or transformed by the consistent exposure and listening to that same voice but with the structure of positive enhancing affirmations. Eventually the structure will transform from one that is negative to one that is positive in nature.

The process of using ones own voice in doing work with positive affirmations can be strengthened with the use of therapeutic relaxation music. While the use of ones own voice is very powerful for creating change in a person’s life, the use of specially designed therapeutic relaxation music assists in creating the audio space for this process to be very powerful. We tend to be more open or suggestible to positive affirmations or language when we are in a state of relaxation. When combined with binaural audio tones the relaxing affect of the therapeutic relaxation music is greatly enhanced. When used with the combined effect of the therapeutic relaxation music and binaural audio tones and consistently, the positive enhancing affirmations that are delivered will have such a profound affect upon improving and transforming a person’s internal, self-talk and eventually his self-esteem.

The technology of utilizing positive affirmations that are recorded in a person’s own voice and therapeutic relaxation music is currently being employed in the treatment of those suffering from substance dependency problems. At the Holistic Addiction Treatment Program in North Miami Beach, Florida, clients are given access to this powerful technology. Clients have the ability to create personal affirmations that empower them and support their recovery and also are able to record these affirmations. The recorded positive affirmations are then mixed with specially designed therapeutic relaxation music to create a powerful audio product to assist the individual in his recovery. Once created the client is trained in the most effective manner in which to utilize their personal CD as part of their overall recovery plan. Those clients who utilize this powerful technology tend to improve their self- esteem, stay in recovery and improve the quality of their life in general. When a person feels and thinks more positively about himself he tends to be more positive towards everything that he is taking on in his life, including and most importantly his recovery.

Harry Henshaw, Ed.D., LMHC

About the Author: Dr Harry Henshaw is in private practice in North Miami Beach, Florida. www.enhancedhealing.com

Article Source: www.NewAgeArticles.com

The History of the Runes – Unlocking the Mystery of the Runic Sigils

By: Faith Lamb

The history of the Runes is steeped in mystery and secrecy, with many scholars today arguing the case for different origins and purposes. For over two thousand years Runes have held a fascination with people, holding a sense of magic and wonder. For an alphabet to have gained this aura of mystery seems perhaps odd, yet Runic history shows that these symbols were not created purely as an alphabet with which to communicate, but as symbols of the world around them, including the unseen forces.

Legend tells that the history of the Runes begins with Odin, the mighty God of the Norse mythology. It is said that Odin hung from the World Tree, upside down, for nine days and nine nights, after which he died. As he passed on to the realm beyond death he gained knowledge and understanding beyond that of mortals, after which he was reborn. His knowledge was then passed on in the form of Runes.

The very word, ‘Rune’ means ‘shrouded in mystery’ or ‘hidden wisdom’, and so it is unsurprising that much speculation and disagreement exists today as far as some of the origins and deeper meaning of the Runes is concerned. We do know that some of the Runic symbols are very old, found in carvings from the Bronze Age, and it is interesting to note that several of these have survived to current alphabets in very similar forms.

The use of Runes today as a means of divination is not new, since this was one aspect of the Runes which was used widely between one and two thousand years ago. In addition to being used as a means of divination or fortune telling Runes were also used as part of magical rituals and spells. About a thousand years ago the Roman Empire was spreading the use of its own alphabet very widely and successfully, which led to the relative demise of Runes as an alphabet, with their meaning and knowledge handed down the generations in ways which heightened their secrecy and mystery.

But this knowledge and history of the Runes has survived down the ages, and has seen recent revivals which have helped to shed more light on this fascinating alphabet, and on its people. The Runic alphabet is not merely a collection of symbols which may be used in the creation of words or as a means of divination. Many Runic symbols reflect the deep beliefs of the people who created and used them, shedding light on the aspects of the world around them which were of prime importance. If Runic history has taught us anything today, then it is that the people who developed and used this alphabet were deeply connected to the realm of the spirit and to the natural world than we are today.

It is perhaps this undercurrent of mythology entwined with the relationship between Runes and both the natural world and the spiritual realm that has helped encourage their widespread use today. In a world of unseen digital information, wireless transmissions flying above our heads and gigabytes of data at our fingertips should we ask the right questions, we have found ourselves in a world where the unseen powers which bind us together are rooted more and more firmly in our own technology. Yet this can be deeply unsettling, and more and more of us are finding the need to explore a more spiritual dimension, even if that is little more than learning to see aspects of the world through the symbols and language of a people who achieved what today we can only dream of.

The history of Runes, as with our own language, draws together aspects from several paths and cultures, with some symbols being remarkably similar to Italic and Latin scripts, whilst others are entirely unique when compared to letters from any modern language. It is often the case that these unique symbols reflect aspects of the natural or spiritual worlds in ways which we are only recently beginning to piece together.

The Runic alphabet is more often referred to as the Futhark, and this is the more accurate term for the collection of Runic symbols. The word ‘alphabet’ simply derives from the first two letters of our own alphabet – alpha, beta. In the same way, the Futhark is also derived from the first few letters of the Runic sequence of symbols. However, there do appear to be a number of different Futhark variations, and if you are investigating Runic history you will notice that the two main versions are the Elder Futhark and the Younger Futhark.

The Elder Futhark is, and the name suggests, the older version which consists of 24 letters of symbols, although in Medieval Europe, and England in particular, this was extended to 33 symbols. The Younger Futhark, predominantly developed around the 17th century, is a much reduced form, comprising only 16 symbols.

The history of the Runes reveals that, unlike Tarot cards, Runic symbols provide far more than merely a means of divination, but that they hold secrets impenetrable even to today’s scholars, and a mystery which has existed for thousands of years. Whether as a fascinating relic of a culture and language long gone, a symbol of the mystery and magic which has threatened the establishment across half the civilised world in its time, or as a means of divination which harnesses visions of a natural and spiritual realm realised by its creators, Runes today are more popular than at any time in their history.

Faith Lamb has long been fascinated by various New Age and Paranormal subjects. For more information on Faith and her interests you can visit her New Age Shop, Moonrust. Faith also runs the Moonrust Forum, where like minded people can discuss New Age lifestyles and ideas.

Article Source: www.NewAgeArticles.com

What Happens While We Sleep: A Spiritual Perspective

By: Julie Redstone

The body is a miracle of organization and intelligence in which life is continually renewed and energy continually replenished so that the total organism can continue to live. Sleeping involves part of this renewal, and is a process through which the higher vibrations of light are permitted greater access to the physical body because the emotional and mental components of personality that are often limiting factors in the awake state are no longer present while one sleeps. Although dreaming produces mental and emotional content and therefore creates emotional states, the content of these is part of the sleep state itself and not a barrier to the energies that would restore, heal, and rejuvenate.

The quality of sleeping has a great deal to do with the amount of restoration that can take place. Deep sleep produces not only different brainwave patterns, but also permits a greater influx of light energy into the cells and tissues so that toxins can be removed and greater energy can be infused on a cellular level. This does not happen in any kind of conscious way. It happens because of the nature of the human body which has never truly been separated from the higher realms of light, despite one’s waking experience. At night, this body rejoins its higher counterparts that are the non-physical energy bodies, and a more seamless union of different aspects of one’s being takes place than can normally occur during daytime functioning.

The infusion of light is not the only thing that can occur during sleep, however. It is also possible for a soul to decide to continue their experiences with other realms while they sleep or to receive teachings from Beings with whom they have had an ongoing soul relationship. Such nighttime experiences are not unusual even if not recalled, and many people benefit during the daytime from learning acquired at night which is unknown to them, but which occurs to their conscious mind as insight or inspiration later on. Much of this insight has taken place during the sleep state, when access to one’s own higher intelligence as well as to the help and teachings of others, can infuse the mind and the understanding and be held there till such time as the conscious mind can retrieve the information or inspiration.

For those who have sleeping difficulties, there is very often a preceding difficulty that has occurred in relation to connecting with the spiritual realms. Often, something has occurred during previous lifetimes which has created a greater separation between one’s embodied self and the higher self and higher energy bodies that exist on other planes. Because of this preceding separation, during the night when one wants to be asleep, it is often difficult to do so because the seamless transmission of energy from one level of being to another cannot smoothly take place. Where this is the case, there may be longstanding problems with sleep and much wonderment about what the cause might be. Often, the cause is not physical but spiritual and energetic, that is, it is related to the perceived separation of physical life from spiritual life and the manifestation of that sense of separation through sleeplessness.

Much healing is possible at night, including healing of sleep disturbances as well. If there is a possibility for one in need of healing to relax, and instead of trying to sleep, rather to try to enter an intermediate ‘twilight’ zone of being partly asleep and partly awake, it is possible to rest in this state and to gain much of the nourishment from the upper realms that one would normally gain during deeper sleep. Healing of other kinds is also possible, for the relationship with the spiritual realms continues whether one perceives it to be so or not, indeed, whether one seeks it or not, and helpers of all kinds are available when called upon to help address problems, both emotional and physical, that may be troubling during the day.

The capacity to enter a deeper state of sleep is one that needs to be appreciated as part of the extraordinary complexity and beauty of the way the human body has been fashioned, for there is a self-maintaining function built into the body itself which renews itself, heals itself, and restores a sufficient amount of energy after it has been depleted so that the body can remain in a viable state for experiencing life within the physical realm for many years. As more light becomes present on earth and infuses the cellular structure of people’s bodies, this capacity for renewal and sustenance will become much more available, and many of the ailments that are currently produced by insufficient energy or insufficient life-force will disappear in the presence of greater light.

About the Author: For other writings by Julie Redstone see Pathways of Light. For more about bringing light into the body for purposes of nourishment and healing, see the www.lightomega.org/CH/Cal-Healing.html“>Calendar of Healing.

Article Source: www.NewAgeArticles.com