Connect the Dots - Old Habits and New Patterns

September has been all about change.  The change of seasons, back to school time changes, making changes in our lives and recognizing changes that need to be made.  We've had so much great content this month, its hard to choose which blog posts to highlight here.

At the beginning of the month we focused on National Yoga Month with a great series of introduction snapshots to Mind Key Affiliate Thames Street Yoga, staring with a profile of the owner, Kyla Rose Maher.  Check out what Kyla had to say about her wonderful instructors.  Each "snapshot" provides bios for two of the great and varied yoga instructors at Thames Street Yoga. Gentle Instructors for a Creative Workout, Holding Space for Growth, Devotion and Energy as a Spiritual Path and Running with Instructors. We also heard from Lisa with some great info about the connection between postures and paradigm.

During Building a Better You week, we featured many stories of making yourself important and positive thinking.  In Self Kindness, Tamara talked about how positive self talk has really made a difference in her life.  Sarah realized that being her most authentic self is important through a Facebook quiz in Your most authentic self.  Danielle gives us great tips and tricks for feeding the fam in Back to School snacks that break the mold.

New Patterns for Old Issues week brought us to talk about child-driven learning, the many benefits of yoga  and being important to yourself, because if you're not important to you, how can you be important to others?

Thinking Outside the Box week brought us to the beginning of Autumn with Bring in new energy for spring now, the creativity of an event to paint your own yoga mat and some helpful information about the Emotional Freedom Technique (Tapping).


In October, we'll be transitioning to the Harvest.  How can you harvest what you've sown over the summer or in your life in general? How the harvest season effects you and the environment, traditions surrounding the harvest and October in general and harvesting your talent in ways that can be beneficial to your life.  Stick with us, its going to be a great ride!

Emotional Freedom Technique (Tapping) can be a roadmap for change

As a spiritual counselor or healer, you are continually faced with clients who will not or cannot change the patterns that are making themselves sick physically, emotionally or spiritually. 

I am reminded of a client who always verbally says how sick she is.  I have told her, as others have, that changing the pattern of negative speak to positive affirmations of good health would better serve her.  Saying “my” illness puts that notion of ownership into the ether that, once out there, is hard to dispel... like putting a genie back in a bottle.  Often, I stop myself from acknowledging my own pain.  It’s hard not to dwell on what’s wrong.  It has always been difficult to concoct that image of good health I so desperately want.  But then I came across Emotional Freedom Technique, or EFT, also known as Tapping.  

Tapping can provide relief from chronic pain, emotional problems, disorders, addictions, phobias, post traumatic stress disorder, and physical diseases. The healing concepts that it’s based upon have been in practice in Eastern medicine for over 5,000 years. 

Like acupuncture and acupressure, Tapping is a set of techniques which utilize the body’s energy meridian points. You can stimulate these meridian points by tapping on them with your fingertips – literally tapping into your body’s own energy and healing power.  This tapping method first asks that, while tapping various meridians on the face, scalp, and upper body with your fingertips, you acknowledge out loud whatever issue is troubling you, acknowledge yourself as worthy of change, and then visualize yourself in a better situation.   

I wasn’t convinced about this method that seemed to go against all my “keep it positive” training until I listened to my idol, Louise L. Hay, the author of “You Can Heal Your Life” and so many other books about positive thinking and affirmations, give her endorsement. 

In an interview with Nick Orton, the founder of the EFT movement, she says, “If you’re going to clean a house you have to see the dirt."  That stuck with me.  

Acknowledging pain is not a bad thing. Acknowledging any problem is the first step to overcoming it.  It engages with the energy of the issue so you can work with it.   

EFT can work with any issue that may hold you back, like the writer’s block I had when asked to write this blog.  In his book, "The Tapping Solution," Nick Ortner cites studies done at Harvard Medical School that found that the brain’s stress and fear response – which is controlled by an almond-shaped part of your brain called the amygdala – could be lessened by stimulating the meridian points used in acupuncture, acupressure, and of course, tapping.   

On his website he lays out the method step by step.

If you watch the videos I reference here, you’ll be able to try it for yourself.  I’ve seen it used with participants in a workshop about horse training and mental health. I’ve seen it used with the sick and dying to help with pain and the fear of death.  It’s something to behold.   

If you have an old habit just aching to be dumped at the curb and you don’t know where to begin, maybe tapping is the place.  You can even tap for someone else’s problem.  Start small and see how it can help you. 

************

Vera Remes

Vera's Vave'n - The many aspects of Shamanism

Bring in new energy for the spring now

The practice of planting spring-flowering bulbs is a lesson in patience.  Selecting little brown lumps to place in your garden and then patiently waiting, sometimes forgetting about them throughout the winter, until they can bloom come spring.

Jodie Bross of Glenwild Garden Center in Bloomingdale, NJ says:

"The idea of the bulb is so nice: patience and being kind to yourself, giving yourself that downtime. It's OK to draw in and not be out there all the time, beautiful. Bulbs are also a good lesson to slow down and let things happen at their own pace." 

As Jodie so eloquently states, we there is opportunity to learn from nature, and sometimes those lessons are best learned by getting your hands in the soil experiencing nature's wisdom first-hand.

The good news is, it's not too late to start the new pattern of sowing the seeds (or in this case the bulbs) of your intentions for spring.  As long as the ground is not too cold to dig, Jodie said spring-flowering bulbs can still be planted into December.  The important thing is that they have a resting period during the coldest months of winter before the warmth of spring urges them to sprout.

Colorblends.com, the wholesale flower bulb resource for professional landscapers and avid home gardeners, offers 84 professional grade tulip blends, as well as daffodil, crocus blends and hyacinth blends. Based in Bridgeport, Conn, they sell direct to landscape professionals and consumers at wholesale prices, with a minimum order of $60.

 “Creating dramatic tulip and daffodil blends is not as easy as it might seem,” said Colorblends president Tim Schipper, a third-generation bulbsman of Dutch ancestry. To get things right, his team must consider the compatibility of candidate varieties’ flower colors, shapes and textures, plus their heights and garden performance. Synching bloom times is particularly tricky. 

Elizabeth Reiner, from NJ said she, "Tends to choose my plants by height, then figure out how colors will complement each other when I'm planning my budget."

She also warns to follow directions carefully as far as planting depth. Otherwise, your bulbs could sprout during a warm snap and end up with frost-blighted leaves and not as many blooms.

Kim Schillaci from FL, can't always wait for Spring for color and brightness. "I force bulbs for the winter so I have pots of flowers around the holidays," she said.

Forcing bulbs to bloom works with their energy, encouraging them to bloom sooner than they would if outdoors.

 Jodie's favorite thing about bulbs is that, although the warmer weather launches her business into the busy season, and even though as a gardener, she's busy with spring clean-up, bulbs are easy to enjoy because they're already done.  It's like finding a ten dollar bill stashed in a coat pocket for a rainy day, she said...

Planting spring-flowering bulbs now is a great gift to yourself, and a simple pattern of self-indulgence that is easy to begin.

NJ Event - October 18th at 7PM at Hillcrest (Hillcrest Community Center 1810 Hillcrest Road, West Milford, NJ 07480) we'll be presenting a workshop on Fall Bulbs and Winter Gardening, provided by the Dig In grant program. Here's the description: "A burst of spring blooms requires planning in the fall. Participants will learn how to plant fall bulbs, the best varieties of their garden and how to prepare a bed for a winter crop of garlic. Season extending techniques of row covers and cold frames as well as cover cropping" will be included.

Instructor Shaun Ananko gave us an excellent presentation on this last autumn, and we hope this year lots more people will come out to learn more about these great and fruitful skills.

Urgent message about watering from Glenwild Garden Center

With the Autumnal Equinox last week, we need to switch our gardening mindset to winter preparation.  With these tips from Glenwild Garden Center about watering your new trees and shrubs, your lawn and garden should be in good shape for the coming seasons.

Issue No. 163 September 16, 2016
URGENT MESSAGE ABOUT WATERING!   This is most critical for anyone who has planted any shrub, tree or perennial any time recently (This year especially)!   The soil dryness is at critical levels for established plants as well, but if you have planted anything this year, (or for a tree, the last 3 years) you need to deeply water your plants.  That means: Use a soaker hose, or put the nozzle or end of the hose on the ground next to the trunk and let it slowly run until it thoroughly soaks the root zone.  If using a sprinkler, keep it low.  Depending on the size of the plant, and therefore the root area, this may take a half hour to an hour for each plant. (Also depending on the amount of water coming out of the hose).  Watering for too short a time leaves the water in the surface soil and doesn't reach down deep. Water early in the day if possible to minimize evaporation. The larger the plant, the less often you need to water.  Trees should need a deep soaking just once a week in conditions like this. If you haven't done so already, mulch the beds to help hold in moisture. (Bonus--it makes a tired garden look better). Lawns need only be watered once a week as well, unless you've just put down new seed.   Also, the Saffron Crocuses have arrived!   Limited quantities, and needs to be planted soon!   Fall Hours: Monday through Saturday 8-6, Sunday 9-5
Glenwild Garden Center 104 Glenwild Avenue Bloomingdale, New Jersey 07403 973-838-0174

NY Event - Howling Wold Movement Therapy 10/4

This is perfect timing for our Old Patterns New Habits theme in September!  Sometimes patterns can get stuck as muscle memory in your body.  This workshop at Howling Wolf Movement Therapy can help you release your body's expectations and create a new reality.

RI Event - Paint tour own yoga mat 10/4

Creativity is a wonderful way to open new pathways in your brain and soul.  While this event doesn't happen during National Yoga Month, yoga is good all year round and a new, personally painted yoga mat would be awesome!!

NJ Event - FREE Lawn care class 9/24

As we move into the Autumn season, Glenwild Garden Center provides some great tips and tricks for transitioning your lawn and garden for the impending weather change.  Take advantage of their free class tomorrow.

 

You are important

You’re important.  

You’re important to your family, to your co-workers and to your circle of friends.  The most important person who should know your importance, however,  is you. If you don’t know that you’re important, and treat yourself that way, it can create mental and emotional stress and age you prematurely. Do you treat yourself like you’re important?  I didn’t for a long time.

For what seems like forever, I put myself second.  Second to my children, to my husband, to the rest of my family’s needs.  I didn’t speak up, I deferred to them.  Not that I didn’t have an opinion and talk about it, but I never gave my opinions, my emotions, my health the same weight as I gave everyone else’s.  Here’s an example.  

Years ago, my husband’s career landed him an awesome job that happened to be about 75% travel. That meant for every three out of four weeks each month, he was gone... New York, California, Illinois, South Carolina…  He could have been anywhere, and he was.  His travel left me at home with a full time job on the other side of town and three boys, one who, at that time, was a particularly wily teenager who didn’t like rules too much.

As things would happen around the house that necessitated decisions, especially regarding the kids, I’d defer them until I could talk to my husband.  It wasn’t a “wait till your father gets home” kind of thing, I just wasn’t confident in my decisions.  I wasn’t sure that what I’d do without counsel would be what “should” be done or would be “what Jon (my husband) wanted.”  I do have to say that this behavior of mine had nothing to do with anything Jon had said, like “we’ve got to talk about decisions like this” or “don’t do anything without talking to me.”  In fact, he had said the opposite.  “Make the decisions, Charla” he’d said.  I just didn’t feel confident.  I didn’t feel right doing it without him.  

Old habits die hard and it took almost eight months of doing everything this way while I felt like our lives were crumbling around us.  We would try to carefully create plans and then they would need to change because of something that happened and I wasn’t able to handle the changes well.  Eventually, I was so overwhelmed by holding every decision on my shoulders that I snapped.  I freaked out on Jon on the phone one day while he was driving home from the airport. I yelled and screamed at him how stressful it was here at home without him.  How it was nice that he came home on weekends but it took a day to get used to him being back, he’d do his laundry and then he was packing to leave again. I was waiting for him to help me make the decisions around the house, and if he wasn’t able to be available to talk through these things, how could I do it?  After he got home from the airport that night, we sat down and talked.

As I listened to myself talk with him, I realized what I had been doing.  I don’t know what it was about that particular conversation, but something clicked.  I had been devaluing my own opinion.  I had been showing my boys that a mom needed a dad to help her make decisions.  I had been deferring punishment that I knew should have be meted out at the time of the infraction.  I had been stressing about little things that, had they been dealt with at the time, would have already blown over, but instead, they had become more drama than they should have.  I was stunned that I had allowed myself to do these things.  I had no idea that I felt so unimportant to myself.  It was a shocker.

After sleeping on these realizations, I woke up the next day a changed woman.  I made decisions and I did things.  I no longer felt paralyzed with doubt.  I still shared everything with Jon on our calls in the evenings, but I shared things that had happened already, not issues that needed solving.  That change in me was good for my relationship with Jon, with the boys and within myself.

I am important.

I am important to my family, my co-workers and my circle of friends.  And I’m important to myself.  I created a new pattern of healthy behavior and I’m very proud.

Are you important to yourself?  Have you ever had to deal with self doubt like this and how did you crush it? What was your catalyst?

***************************

Charla Dury

The Grounding Rod - Focusing your energy in the present moment

The Many Benefits of Yoga

Yoga is a worldwide practice that helps people connect with their body and mind.  Statistic Brain reports that over 15 million Americans practice yoga regularly.    

Malia Bradshaw is one of them.  A certified yoga instructor, writer, and mental health advocate, she is one of the many people relying on the benefits of yoga.  When she started experiencing anxiety attacks she found that yoga not only helped her body, but also her mind.

She says, “I needed a way in which I could move my body, but also calm my anxiety.  Yoga was the perfect combination of a very physically challenging practice, but also a spiritual practice.”

Yoga improves stress and anxiety by slowing down the breathing and heart rates, while also being a significant GABA booster.  Emily Deans, MD, a board certified adult psychiatrist practicing in Massachusetts,  explains GABA neurotransmitters in her article for Psychology Today.  Gamma-aminobutryic acid is a neurotransmitter responsible to cool things off and chill things out.  People who suffer from anxiety and depression have lower levels of GABA present in their cerebrospinal fluid.

Researchers at Boston University Medical School show that higher levels of GABA (measured via MRI)  were found in those who practiced yoga.

Malia agrees that yoga shows significant benefits in her own students.  “I love sharing the healing power of yoga with others. I love feeling how my students' energy changes from when they first walk into class, carrying stresses and worry, to when they leave, peaceful and renewed. I love intuitively coming up with sequences that serve a student's body on that particular day.”

The beautiful thing about yoga is that it evolves as we do, always providing a particular benefit.  

“Yoga is an ever-changing teacher,” Malia explains.  “At every level of your yoga journey, you may find this practice gives you just what you need.”

Natalie Nevins, DO, a board-certified osteopathic family physician and certified Kundalini Yoga instructor in Hollywood, California believes in preventative medicine and practices. She says, “Yoga is a great tool for staying healthy because it is based on similar principles.”  In addition to relieving stress, yoga improves back pain, arthritis, muscle strength, and insomnia.

Maila instructs yoga practice for anxiety on her youtube channel.  Although she began with DVDs Maila recommends getting into a studio as often as possible.  She says, “It's important to seek the help of a certified instructor, especially if you have previous injuries or pain. I think there's often this false notion that yoga is always safe. It's not. Yoga can be detrimental to the body if not done right, just like with any other type of exercise. But when done with care, it can be incredibly healing. As yoga instructors, we spend hours and hours learning proper alignment and safety and modifications, specifically so we can keep our students safe.”

Beginning a yoga practice is very achievable.  To find a certified teacher or school near you, visit the Yoga Alliance , the largest nonprofit association representing the yoga community.

NJ Event - Mountain Creek Oktoberfest 9/24 and 25

Surprisingly, Oktoberfests are held, in many regions, in September, closest to the Autumnal Equinox like this Oktoberfest in Vernon, NJ.  Enjoy the end of summer temps at this wonderfully large (yet local) festival of food, beers and music!
 

 

Mountain Creek Oktoberfest September 24^th and 25^th

 

VERNON, N.J.- The Northeast’s largest Oktoberfest returns to Mountain Creek on September 24^th and 25^th. Get ready to enjoy authentic German cuisine and costumes, over 45 unique beers, music from 18-time Grammy Award-Winner Jimmy Sturr & his orchestra, and a full schedule of traditional and wacky games and activities for kids and adults.

 

On the Great Lawn, kids can enjoy pony rides, sack races, and bouncy houses while everyone can get in on the fun of crowd favorites like, sumo wrestling, hot air balloon rides, the hay bale toss, stein holding contest and wife carrying contest!

 

Mountain Creek will be serving up traditional favorites like Bratwurst, Potato Pancakes, Red Cabbage, Black Forest Cake and over 3000 pounds of pulled pork, plus plenty of great festival friendly food. The smokers will heat up about a week before the event and stay on until Sunday afternoon. Make sure you come hungry because it’s going to be hard to just choose one thing. For anyone looking to sample a bit of everything make sure you purchase your ticket to the Hoffbrau Feast online while supplies last!

 

New to the weekend long festival this year, is the Lederhosen 5k taking place on Sunday morning, September 25^th. The race will start at Sand Hill Road and wrap around the Great Gorge Golf Course. The entry fee is $29 but you can save $10 when you come dressed in a lederhosen themed outfit!

 

To get the best deal, pre-order your festival bucks online and get free admission, or get the ultimate Oktoberfest experience with all-inclusive VIP packages starting at just $100! To learn more about Mountain Creek’s Oktoberfest or register for the 5k, head over to MountainCreek.com.

Tickets
1-Day General Admission	$7		BUY NOW
2-Day General Admission	$10		BUY NOW
General Ad. + Hoffbrau Feast	$25		BUY NOW
General Ad. + $50 Event Bucks	$50		BUY NOW
VIP Packages Available	$150		BUY NOW

*Kid's 5 & Under - FREE Admission

What is Aquarian Sadhana?

In our exploration of new patterns and habits this month, we want to present a many-faceted approach to our readers.  While Aquariun Sadhana might be new to you, what's stopping you from giving it a try?  It might open up new possibilities within your mind and body you never thought possible!

What is Aquarian Sadhana?

September 2, 2016

What is Aquarian Sadhana?

By Shantprem Kaur

“Wait, five A M?”  I clarify as the beautiful woman all in white nods. 

“Uh, are you sure it’s not five PM?” I question hopefully. 

She smiles her angelic smile “Yes, I’m sure.”

Yeah right, I think to myself. You’ll never find me doing that. 

But, at 5 am the next morning I find myself awake and motivated by curiosity. I wander down the hall of the retreat center beckoned by a quiet murmuring.  I crack the door, slide through the dimly lit room, and settle into the quiet chanting. A peace envelopes me and I know I am onboard for the next two and a half hours.

Read More HERE

Cabin fever as an entrepreneur?

Working from home--or even in an office can be a strain on the body, the psyche, and your creative self.  Break the habit of a workaholic... Get up and get moving, even if you can't take time from work to do it, and watch yourself create new patterns of productivity as your perspective changes.

Today's re-post by entrepreneur and business coach, Mel Pharr, talks about her successes from a good change of scenery.

by Mel Pharr
Do you ever get cabin fever as an online entrepreneur?

It’s like you’ve been home all day behind your computer and you start to get a little squirrely?

Some days when Rob comes home, I go to town telling him all about my day. He usually knows I haven’t been out because he notices that I have “an extremely high word count.”

It’s always in a really loving way, but you get it.

I’ve found that traveling to new places, or even just getting out of the house and working from a local coffee shop is a game-changer for me.

I like traveling to other countries mostly, to see how the world works in other places and to learn new things, meet new people, and expand. Just in 2016 so far I’ve traveled and worked from Hawaii, Belize, Mexico, Montana, Minneapolis, Italy, and England!

I’ve found there are 2 ways that a change of scenery, (whether I travel or just get out of the house for the day) can help me in my business:

• New environments boost creativity and productivity. Even when you’re just out at your local coffee shop, new people, sounds, and scenery can really boost your creativity. It’s easy to feel like your work is slow moving when you’re at the same desk over and over again, but different scenery stimulates you and often, makes you much more efficient. Plus, you aren’t distracted by other things in the house that can knock you off course.
• Fresh Ideas! It’s true that I often get fresh ideas when I travel. New scenes can relax you as you disconnect from your normal work space and baby, the ideas flow! Often when we create some space between ourselves and our usual office environment, we welcome in inspiration more easily and new parts of our brain are turned on.

What can you do to liven up your brain and working environment this week?

I’m planning a friend workation in December and so looking forward to a great environment for us to mastermind and create in.

Let me know what your plans are!

xx,

PS. Follow me on Instagram @PharrMelissa to see my changes of scenery!

Why Child-Driven Learning Works

Imagine a school where children choose their own lessons, and are motivated and enthusiastic to learn. Sounds like a parent’s fantastical utopia, doesn’t it? Sugata Mitra, founder of the Hole-in-the-Wall experiment and Minimally Invasive Education, doesn’t think so.  He discovered that through the use of learning centers, children were able to learn and thrive on their own, without the input of teachers. Many untraditional schools such as some Montessori and Waldorf schools utilize this concept of child-driven learning, as do many homeschooling families.  Child-driven education is also the defining characteristic of unschooling.

Photo Credit: Shelby Sheene

Shelby Sheene, mother of three unschooled children in Tampa Bay, Florida, says, “Unschooling is a method that embraces the idea that children want to learn. It is basically learning through life and endless discussions, allowing the child to develop a thirst for knowledge instead of forcing them to conform to a single curriculum.”

John Holt, teacher and school reformer, introduced unschooling in the 1960’s.  Believing that children learn best by non-structured and no-pressure methods, he published Teach Your Own: The John Holt Book of Homeschooling in 1981.  Holt believed that customs and laws prevented children from learning in a friendlier, easier manner.  Identifying the traditional school structure as a restrictor of true learning and one that controls and defines, he encouraged many parents and teachers to choose a different educational approach.

Shelby shares an example of this natural approach to learning.  “If we want to study plants, we don’t open a text book.  We go on a nature walk and study the plants hands on. We feel them, describe them and even sketch or paint pictures of them.  Before you know it, your science class can turn into exercise, observational skills, and art class too. Unschooling is the belief that an experience will leave a far more lasting impression than any textbook could.”

Photo Credit: Shelby Sheene

Child driven learning can be a very powerful tool for traditionally schooled children as well, providing the child an opportunity to experience what he learned in school in an unconventional way. Traditional school parents, and those wanting to bridge from school to nontraditional schooling, can become more involved in their child’s learning by following some child-driven patterns, such as creative, hands-on activities.  Depending on the child’s needs, adjustments may need to be made.  If using a grammar exercise book is working for your child, then there are no rules stating it shouldn’t be.

Homeschool parent Jennifer Hegedus uses curriculums and textbooks to meet her children’s educational needs.   To enrich a section covered in a textbook, Jennifer believes in being creative.

She says, “If we chose to study a topic on the Pilgrims, then we might incorporate trying to cook foods they ate at that time, or try writing using a quill pen, or do a project on making a horn book.”   

Connecting with other nontraditional educators is also important.  Jennifer and her children are part of a cooperative homeschool group that meets once a week.  Together, they plan field trips and organize learning activities together as a class type setting.

Photo Credit: Shelby Sheene

Essentially, why is child-driven learning so successful?  The focus lies in the child learning the way he or she sees fit.  Unlike schools’ cookie cutter approach, which is often essential when teaching in a classroom setting, alternatively schooled children don’t have to adhere to a strict curriculum.  School structure doesn’t always cater to the visual child or the strictly hands-on learner.

This is a concept well understood by Amy in Butler, NJ, whose daughter is homeschooled.

“We homeschool to teach according to the way [our daughter] learns,” she explains.  “That way we can assure she is keeping pace, and beginning to excel. Multiple, different methods are used.  For example, writing in shaving cream, bouncing on a yoga ball while spelling a new word, sensory breaks to focus, etc.”

Photo Credit: Shelby Sheene

Non traditional education can be very successful when parents are communicative and supportive.  Although many parents believe unschooling is a hands off approach, it is actually the opposite.

“In my opinion unschooling is extremely hands on and although it comes naturally as a mother, it is a constant process,” says Shelby.

Like everything else, non-traditional education takes practice, but it can alleviate the stress and rigidity promoted by traditional schools.  For more resources and to learn more about unschooling, homeschooling, and self-directed learning, visit http://www.johnholtgws.com.