Wednesday, feb 1, 2012 McDonald's has been "treating otherwise inedible scrap meat with this chemical"- and have finally stopped. "Besides being used as a household cleaner and in fertilizers, the compound releases flammable vapors, and with the addition of certain acids, it can be turned into ammonium nitrate, a common component in homemade bombs. It's also widely used in the food industry as an anti-microbial agent in meats and as a leavener in bread and cake products. It's regulated by the U.S. Agriculture Department, which classifies it as "generally recognized as safe." Generally safe, yeah right! http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/31/10282876-mcdonalds-drops-use-of-gooey-ammonia-based-pink-slime-in-hamburger-meat

Wednesday, feb 1, 2012 WOW These 50 pictures are SO STUNNING, check out this link! http://www.pxleyes.com/blog/2011/12/these-50-photos-will-blow-you-away/

Thursday, jan 26, 2012 How many more chemicals will continue to be introduced into our foods and environment before everyone says, ENOUGH? "Martek, part of a $12 billion Dutch-based conglomerate, recently petitioned for approval of its genetically modified soil fungus and algae as nutritional supplements in organic food. Martek's formulated oils are processed with synthetic petrochemical solvents in a blend containing a myriad of other synthetic chemicals. Supplements derived from these oils, commonly marketed as DHA and ARA, are being added to milk, infant formula and other organic foods by such companies as Dean Foods (Horizon), Abbott Laboratories (Similac) and Nurture, Inc. (Happy Baby). "This is a long-standing controversy that the USDA seems to think is just going to go away," said Mark A. Kastel, Codirector of the Wisconsin-based Cornucopia Institute. After a formal legal complaint by Cornucopia, and an investigative story by the Washington Post, the USDA announced in April 2010 that it had "inappropriately" allowed Martek oils to be included in organic foods." http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_24751.cfm

Tuesday, jan 24, 2012 Does food really matter? One of my friends is over this morning helping me out. She never saw the movie FOOD INC before, so she is watching my copy right now. I am seeing it for the 2nd time, and it is just as powerful as the first time I saw it. If you have not seen it yet, PLEASE WATCH IT! I think it is on netflix right now. Protecting real food should be one of the top issues of our time. Front and center. We can talk about the economy and all sorts of issues, but if we get to a point when there is no real, organic seed left, then we are truly in trouble. The lobbyists for these huge food corporations are very powerful and so much is kept hidden from the public. I feel disappointed that President Obama has not been able to stand up to them. Maybe their political influence is too deep, but that is still no excuse. None at all. Does the public care? Or is it the Paula Dean way? Eat unhealthy foods, factory farmed meats, stay totally unconscious and then when the disease strikes, sign up with a big pharmaceutical company to control symptoms? Is that now the American way? Why is there a disconnect? Ignorance? Apathy? Lack of self love? What is it? I know so many people who have no interest in what they eat, and feed their kids factory farmed meats, GMO processed foods, fast food, artificial flavors, sodas, tons of sugar, the whole thing. It is quite common. Many people don't even want to see a movie like FOOD INC. They don't want to know the truth, because once you know the truth, it requires something of you. Look, eating well is no guarantee of great health. But it is important for its own sake, and in many cases does cure diseases. Health issues aside, I also avoid factory farmed meats, because I care about animal cruelty, and when you see the conditions these animals live in and how they are treated, you can't possibly think it is OK to eat this stuff. I believe organic farming is the only way to farm, and the only way to eat. As Monsanto tries to take over, if they succeed there will be no real food left. One of my frustrations has been how to reach the people who don't care.

Monday, jan 23, 2012 So touching Many of you know Laura Hillenbrand from her work- she wrote Seabiscuit and also the recent incredible book "Unbroken. " UNBROKEN is a true story about Louis Zamperini - a World War ll story of survival, resilience and redemption. If you have not read it yet, make sure to get a copy. It's AMAZING. Laura also has chronic fatigue immune dysfunction which is in many cases, extremely debilitating. Louis gave her one of his two purple hearts. This really makes me feel like crying for all of us but also makes me want to celebrate our courage!

Wednesday, jan 18, 2012 love

Tuesday, jan 17, 2012

Wednesday, jan 11, 2012 We are all affected by the chemicals in our environments. Whether we see the results immediately or years later depends on each person. They can cause hormone disruptions, headaches, allergies, panic disorders, immune imbalances. There is nothing safe about products that harm like this. If you use air fresheners, conventional cleaning products, scented candles, perfumes, please read this! "A mother came to see a doctor because her young son was suffering up to four panic attacks a day. He had angry behaviour problems and was threatened with exclusion from school. Their GP said that the only way forward was to put the child on drugs, but the mother did not want to do this as he was only six years-old. My colleague advised her to immediately remove the bedclothes from her son’s bed and wash them in environmentally friendly, natural laundry liquid, dry them and get them back on his bed for that evening. She washed all his clothes as instructed and, the next day, to her amazement, her son did not have one panic attack that day. Two weeks later his behaviour was so much improved that the teachers at the school asked “what medication did the doctor put him on.” From that day he no longer suffered panic attacks. However, we know from experience, that if people return to using these fragranced products, they start to experience a return of their previous symptoms, and it may even be the result of breathing in the air in the detergent aisle of the supermarket or the perfume counter at the department store. Avoid this area if you are asthmatic too. How many children and adults are on medication for the sake of these chemical fragrances? "Hyper-anxiety symptoms, panic attacks, nausea, headaches, dry cough, dizziness, nervousness and irrational fears, crying outbursts, obsessive or depressed mood, are often symptoms caused or aggravated by plug-in air-fresheners in the home, including potpourri, fragrant candles or joss sticks/incense burning. Similarly, bleach or cream bathroom cleaners can also affect certain people. I have consistently noted that anxiety, depression, headaches and respiratory problems are often found in those using air fresheners around the house (plug-in, pump spray, aerosol or shop bought potpourri). When clients changed to the eco friendly laundry detergent, disposed of the air fresheners and opened windows they felt much better, and often recovered." http://www.positivehealth.com/article/thought-field-therapy/chemical-fragrances-effects-on-the-autonomic-nervous-system

Tuesday, jan 10, 2012

Monday, jan 9, 2012 Inspiration This really inspired me, so cool! A typical nyc subway ride turned into an awesome performance by two people who have never met before. Isn't she GREAT? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2P-i_5skhsU&feature=colike

Monday, jan 9, 2012 Perfect harmony Together This is stunning! What started as a simple social media experiment, has become a poetic metaphor of our shared humanity and the power of connection. Acclaimed composer and conductor Eric Whitacre offered the sheet music of his original composition, "Lux Aurumque", as a free download and invited singers to submit a video of themselves performing one part (soprano, alto, tenor, or bass). These solo performances were then pieced together to form a choir of singers who have never met each other...but have unwittingly created music in perfect harmony together. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7o7BrlbaDs&feature=player_embedded#%21

Sunday, jan 8, 2012 The wrong train to jump on 16-year-old Jessica Scharf asked Santorum how her handicapped brother could be cared for without help from the federal government. He said family, friends, neighbors and the church could help, and that caring for someone would knit them closer. Scharf told Seelye later that such a group was not equipped to handle her brother, who has multiple handicaps. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/opinion/sunday/dowd-the-grating-santorum.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=general Speaking at a boarding school in New Hampshire on Friday, Santorum cited an unnamed “anti-poverty expert” to claim that children are better off having a parent in prison who abandoned them than having two same-sex parents. The Tax Policy Center yesterday released an analysis showing that 2012 GOP presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney’s tax plan is heavily weighted towards the richest Americans, giving 50 percent of its benefit to those making $1 million or more. http://thinkprogress.org/?mobile=nc

Sunday, jan 8, 2012

Saturday, jan 7, 2012 270,000 Organic Farmers Sue Monsanto. "it’s actually in Monsanto’s financial interest to eliminate organic seed so that they can have a total monopoly over our food supply.” http://www.growswitch.com/blog/2011/07/270000-organic-farmers-sue-monsanto/#.TwgxWmBI24I I am glad so many people are waking up and taking action! We must protect our food! We have the power to create change and save organic seeds (God given food) by carefully reading labels, and buying only real food ingredients.

Tuesday, jan 3, 2012 GORGEOUS Want to hear some stunning music? Jeff Buckley- Hallelujah http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiLbZcsohCI&sns=fb

Tuesday, jan 3, 2012 From the book of Matthew, THE MESSAGE translation "You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you. You're blessed when you're content with just who you are- no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourself proud owners of everything that can't be bought. You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat. You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being care-full, you find yourselves cared for. You're blessed when you get your inside world- your mind and heart put right. Then you can see God in the outside world."

Friday, dec 23, 2011 Santa's List

Friday, dec 23, 2011 Raw food For anyone who wants some raw food recipe ideas- Today I made something that was so good. In a bowl, mix THINLY sliced carrots, celery, mushrooms, swiss chard, and marinate it in minced raw garlic and ginger, oil and vinegar overnight. The next day, top it with raw cheese and wrap it up inside whole rainbow chard leaves. It is SO good!

Wednesday, dec 21, 2011 Inspiration How do they do this? Check out this amazing duo performing Sugar Plum Fairy by P.Tchaikovsky (on glasses!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdoTdG_VNV4

Friday, dec 16, 2011 Interesting advice I stumbled on this blog, and thought I'd share a portion of this entry. I like this. ‎"If someone wants you in their life, they’ll make room for you. You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot. Never, ever insist yourself to someone who continuously overlooks your worth. And remember, it’s not the people that stand by your side when you’re at your best, but the ones who stand beside you when you’re at your worst that are your true friends." http://www.marcandangel.com/2011/12/11/30-things-to-stop-doing-to-yourself/

Thursday, dec 15, 2011

Thursday, dec 15, 2011

Wednesday, dec 14, 2011 fantasy football My three sisters are just crazy about sports. Somehow that sports gene passed over me. But one of them sent us all this funny note today. "Just wanted to properly announce to everyone that Naomi's Knuckle Busters took 1st place in the Division for Fantasy Football. How'd I do it, you ask? How can a simple girl like me punish and rule over all these men in what is supposedly called a "man's game?" Well since you asked, its pure skill & knowledge of the game. If anyone needs pointers, I'd be happy to share. (Translation for Jo- I won a bunch of games in my fantasy football league and got some $)

Tuesday, dec 13, 2011 I LOVE THIS! This is SO AMAZING and really funny too. "Everything is amazing right now and nobody is happy." Watch this! Love it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itn8TwFCO4M&sns=fb

Tuesday, dec 13, 2011 Love stories like this This is a silly picture of my and my cat Sabrina. She keeps jumping on the table and she KNOWS she is not allowed on the table! I scolded her and you can see how mad she is in this pic. Pretty funny. When I scooted her off the table, she swatted me! On another subject, I love looking for stories about people who have cured something they were told was incurable. Why do doctors so often use that word? Now I am NOT saying anyone is a failure if they haven't cured something. But what about the stories where people do? Why don't we hear them in the mainstream media? Why isn't there more focus on what works for many or even some people? Today I stumbled onto this page and just had to share it. I LOVE hearing stories from people who have reversed incurable diseases. This woman had MS and reversed it using natural holistic medicine. She has the MRIs to prove it. Check it out- http://www.msreversed.com/Aboutme.html

Monday, dec 12, 2011 Lyme and etc There are so many stories out there from people who have had lyme disease. Many were diagnosed with chronic fatigue immune dysfunction before being diagnosed with lyme. Others also have mold toxicity, candida, environmental illness, adrenal and other hormonal imbalances as well as mercury toxicity. In my case, I had VERY late and inadequate treatment. I went years without the proper diet or oxygen therapies that I now believe can heal people. It wasn't for lack of trying. I worked with many docs, but did not do the treatments that I needed the most. Oxygen, oxygen oxygen. I can't stress that enough. I believe it holds the keys. Diet has been huge for me as well. I am really loading up on raw green veggie juices as well as making other big changes. These are a few links, and my own experience is scattered throughout the stories in them. My chapter is ongoing. I would like this book to be over. I love life and want so much to be out in the world. I feel I've made some progress in the past two months in some areas as I am working with two different naturopathic docs together, and that is great. I also feel pretty darn far from what I would consider to be normal life. Sometimes I see tiny glimpses of it on the horizon and most of the time it only exists in my imagination. Don't be fooled by appearances. People with these things can look normal yet often feel like they are on the floor begging for relief. There is this surreal difference between how one looks and how one feels. It's a gap the size of the state of Texas. I have rarely seen any group of people work so hard for health as people with these illnesses, and yet still remain SO sick and feel so desperate for help. The out of pocket expenses are astronomical. The emotional physical and spiritual stress is pretty huge. I think I've come to a point where I no longer feel embarrassed about dealing with this stuff on a daily basis. Until this morning, I didn't even realize that I did feel so embarrassed about it. I was carrying some sense of shame. As if this was my fault. Something lifted this morning, and I no longer feel like a failure for still having these gigantic challenges. Wow. How freeing. I think I am on the train towards healing, on the right track. Maybe it's not even a train. More like a horse and buggy. I hope for the best and would prefer a Concorde jet thank you very much. I am coming into a new space, where it feels like if I can be even more open about this, then others can learn about it and also maybe even get help earlier and not suffer as I have and as so many others have. One of the things blocking me, making life even harder, was that sense of failure I carried around that somehow I caused this or did this to myself, or that somehow I have done, thought, something wrong. Some of that also comes from the WORST of the new age community with their I create my reality 100% type of thinking. I didn't realize I had internalized some of these false teachings, but I guess I did. Not only that, we live in the country of if there is a will there is a way. We live in the place where all it takes is determination and courage and belief and you can have everything or anything you desire. When you still have an illness like this one even when you have determined, had courage and believed in healing, and taken all the supportive steps you can, wow. What do you do with that? I say keep believing in healing. But take the pressure off. It doesn't do me any good to try and hide the realities of these conditions. Nor does it do me any good to try and say things are not so bad. Actually they are so bad. Ok so what can we do today? Where do we go from here? Letting go and just being me even with this stuff, letting go of blame, shame or some deep sense of failure for still not having been cured, makes me feel better. I also write out affirmations a lot. I started doing that again. I want to fill my mind as much as possible with beliefs in healing. I am still me underneath all of this. I am wonderful. I love myself. You are wonderful.Love yourself. http://www.ilads.org/lyme_research/lyme_publications22.html http://lettherebeelight.blogspot.com/2010/04/lyme-disease-coinfections-anxiety-panic.html http://www.ilads.org/lyme_disease/Psychiatric_Brochure_08_08.pdf http://www.944.com/articles/tough-as-nails/ http://www.nytimes.com/1995/02/15/us/personal-health-when-lyme-invades-the-brain-and-spinal-system.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm http://www.wildcondor.com/lyme.html

Sunday, dec 11, 2011 Wow Rick Perry is such a joke. (yes, the one who tried to make all young girls get the dangerous HPV vaccine). I can't even believe this ad! Absurd! I just saw it. He certainly does not represent the views of most Christians I know. I find this really disgusting on so many levels. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PAJNntoRgA By the way, the music for his anti gay ad was composed by Aaron Copland who was Jewish and gay! Just sayin....

Tuesday, nov 29, 2011 How do politicians get away with this stuff? How does Mitt Romney get away with such lies? The media should be blasting him on this and calling him out on it. This guy is not fit to be President. I don't think any of the Republican candidates are. "Romney's first television ad, ran last week in New Hampshire. The ad shows President Obama saying, "If we keep talking about the economy, we're going to lose." What the ad doesn't tell you is that this was from 2008 -- and that Obama was quoting an aide to John McCain at the time!!! A Republican running for office (Romney) is basically quoting another Republican who had it wrong. Obama disagreed with McCain and was talking about that. Here is the full Obama quote: "Senator McCain's campaign actually said, and I quote, 'if we keep talking about the economy, we're going to lose.'" http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/mitt-romney-ad_b_1117288.html

Monday, nov 28, 2011 Merry Christmas & Happy New York Are you looking for a magical holiday gift you can give to friends, teachers, family & friends? Something that can be enjoyed year after year? Check out this cd full of holiday classics performed on my 1929 Steinway Grand. Meditative, soothing, perfect for intimate dinners and late nights by the fire. You can hear song samples here! http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/davidson3

Tuesday, nov 22, 2011 There are no 5 simple steps, this is not a magazine article We all have heard about the benefits of meditation and yoga. Another article about that? Yawn. But isn't it amazing how different it is to read about something versus experience it? Sometimes we are much more comfortable reading about what we need to do. Exercise? Sure we say from the comfort of the bed or couch. Meditate? Yoga? Eat right? Sure I'll get to that tomorrow or maybe next month. Do you have a regular meditation practice? Mine has been off and on, here and there and wherever. A few days ago I decided to commit to meditation first thing each morning. It could be 10 minutes or 20 minutes. But at least 10. As I've been going through my detox program with my doc, and dealing with the ongoing daily symptoms of M.E/ cfids, lyme, mold and whatever else this is, I've been feeling like Rapunzel in a castle with no staircase. Sometimes I wonder, where is the light at the end of this tunnel and when it comes will it just be another oncoming train? So from this space, I went into meditation this morning. I sat and squirmed, my mind raced and obsessed, I grasped and ached and felt lousy. Finally I just pictured myself as somehow separate from all of these things, and I watched these situations, each one of them like clouds. The clouds were floating by and I was calm and still just observing. The real me was outside of all of it. It was a relief. Is my life really this messy? Does my mind have its own racetrack? It jumps from horse to horse taking off. Some horses kick and stomp, some rebel, some run as fast as fire. Whoa there slow down. The thing is, you really can't out run yourself. So there I was, and here I am. After my morning meditation, I went online to a great site and did some samples from various yoga DVDs. http://www.myyogaonline.com/ I'm not ready for a full class yet, but I'm dipping my toes in the water so to speak. Maybe one day I will be swimming in the ocean.

Monday, nov 21, 2011 Pinterest I've been having fun with a new website. It has been a great creative distraction The website is so dreamy! You pin photos and things you love, anything that inspires you from anywhere on the web. You create all these pinboards. Last night I was a little obsessed with it and a friend called and I stopped for awhile. It was my "pinboard intervention." ha. I've been a bit tired of words lately, and sometimes one picture says more than a thousand words. I am also a very visual person so I love these boards. They are like mini vision maps all organized in one place. Things you love, things that inspire you, photos, design, fashion, homes, nature, men, women, kids, anything. Check out my page! You can share my pictures with anyone- http://pinterest.com/zentertainme/ x jo

Monday, nov 21, 2011 poem

Friday, nov 18, 2011 Art Journaling My Way Through the Hard Stuff

Thursday, nov 17, 2011 Glad to know our Our Congress focuses on what Matters Did you all know that on Tuesday, congress declared that pizza is a vegetable? How much more incompetent can these people get? I guess they think the tomato paste qualifies as a vegetable. (Never mind that tomatoes are actually fruit). This shows the power of lobbying. Our government is really owned by corporations. ENOUGH of this nonsense! http://notionscapital.wordpress.com/2011/11/16/congress-reaps-pizza-harvest/ In this article form the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/16/pizza-vegetable-school-lunches-lobbyists_n_1098029.html "I have to imagine that this news instilled confusion in many Americans, as many Americans are (a) familiar with pizza, (b) familiar with vegetables and (c) sane. But, to provide specifics that will in no way dispel your lingering thoughts that we are governed by morons...."

Wednesday, nov 16, 2011 Beautiful photos! http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-of-the-day/autumn-vista-adirondacks/ http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-of-the-day/owyhee-river-idaho/ http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-of-the-day/wild-horse-mongolia/

Tuesday, nov 15, 2011 Raw Hummus Since I have been doing so much organic raw veggie juicing, my taste buds have changed. I tried the hummus you get at the store, and it tasted awful. Nothing fresh about it. This is a recipe for amazing hummus from Rod Rotondi's book: RAW FOOD FOR REAL PEOPLE. Here is a video of Rod making it, showing you how to do it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAGYoNJTUCQ&feature=player_embedded It calls for sprouted chickpeas. A bit time consuming, but totally worth it. Soak 1 cup of chickpeas for 18-24 hours, rinsing a few times. Then you sprout the chickpeas 4-6 days. Just put them in a mason jar with a sprouting lid (NOT in water) and rinse every 12 hours. After that the recipe looks super easy and I bet it tastes great! Rod was on Zentertainment Talk Radio awhile back. His book has some great tips. http://www.amazon.com/Raw-Food-Real-People-Organics/dp/1577316738

Tuesday, nov 15, 2011 Flu shots, yes or no? It's that time of year. The neighborhood pharmacies are rolling out their flu shot signs. You see ads everywhere. Western medicine docs all want to know if you've had it. Where is the independent research showing that they actually protect someone from the flu? Oh right, it doesn't exist. I would rather use essential oils from Young Living like thieves. I would rather use herbs, and avoid eating junk food and sugar. And if I got the flu, I would just do my best and slog through it rather than putting anything toxic into my body. This is an article you might want to check out. "Flu Shots Have More Than 250x EPA Mercury Safety Limit" "Over a 10 year period, it is possible to exceed the (mercury) limit by 2500 times simply by receiving a yearly flu shot." http://healthfreedoms.org/2011/10/10/flu-shots-have-more-than-250x-epa-mercury-safety-limit/

Monday, nov 14, 2011 Autumn Beach

Friday, nov 11, 2011 I've been going through the detox. Keepin' on so they say. Like riding a car on two wheels down a dirt road. Since I'm taking a break from music and the radio show and pretty much everything, I just started a journal/scrapbook. This is my notebook, with a picture of me from several years ago on the cover. I can't begin to tell you how hard it was for me to do what I did that day.

Friday, nov 11, 2011

Thursday, nov 10, 2011 Autumn in the City It's hard to believe that the autumn leaves are just now at their peak mid November!

Thursday, nov 10, 2011

Thursday, nov 10, 2011

Sunday, oct 30, 2011 It looks like a crystal clear day out there. Hardly any snow. Streets all clear. Blue skies. Putting on my "marathon shoes" in spirit as I continue detox. Saying good morning to the Norwegian Gem.

Saturday, oct 29, 2011 Happy Birthday Yesterday was the 125th Birthday of the Statue of Liberty. There were some special celebrations during the day ending with fireworks in the evening. Today we actually have snow. I sat up on the window sill this morning and watched the huge snowflakes coming down. The fireworks last night were the best 12 minutes I have had in awhile. Otherwise, time seems to be going as slow as a turtle taking a nap. What's that saying, time flies when you're having fun? And so the opposite is also true. I seem to have reached a bit of a bump, a wall, whatever you want to call it. I have felt myself getting really discouraged. If I can just break this huge puzzle down into pieces then maybe everything is possible. I tell myself, stay focused on today. Don't worry about the outcome or what will happen tomorrow. Deal with today. I know that is the truth. Yet I still find myself curling up on this grey day today wanting to devour food like pizza and organic meatballs. But I didn't start writing this to complain. So I will stop. I wanted to show you this picture. I took it last night from the roof deck. !

Wednesday, oct 26, 2011 Detox Doodles A friend of mine brought over some oil crayons and a pad. She suggested I just draw out my feelings. Ok I can compose, write songs in about any style, play the piano and some guitar, I can hoola hoop and win at basketbal free throw competitions, I can cook and take pictures of people and landscapes and interview people and research and write--- but draw? I've never been one of those people who can draw. This is just a way to release some feelings. Try it! You don't have to be an "artist" professionally and you don't have to even paint anything realistic. It's not about results. It's about feelings. You can just throw paint on a page if you want. These are some of my drawings. I call them detox doodles. jo

Wednesday, oct 26, 2011 Detox Doodles

Monday, oct 24, 2011 Keepin' On As Best As I Can Catastrophe reorders our lives. Doesn't it? It also shows us who are true friends are. Some of the people I thought would be here, have disappeared. No calls, texts, emails, visits. Nothing. Silence. Other people show up. Oh thank God for those wonderful people! I hope and trust there is some purpose to what I am going through. This detox is extraordinarily hard. I don't know how long it will take or even for sure what the result will be. I have hopes. I have faith. Sometimes fears too. With Tommy's help, I walked across the street a few days ago. That's about it. Mostly I am inside riding the rollercoaster 24/7. I will spare you the details. Right now I am distracting myself by listening to one of my favorite interviews- Cynthia O'Neal- she was married to Patrick O'Neal... and what a wonderful conversation we had awhile ago. It's really nice to have some podcasts to sit back and listen to while going through this. And I was thinking- I need some more podcast episodes in the future that are funny! (By the way her story about her cat and the candles is hilarious). Cynthia is a fascinating woman, and she was so fun to talk to. Her NYC stories are wonderful and give you a glimpse into another time in history. And the work today that she does is truly inspiring. This is a picture of Cynthia with Elvis Costello. Proceeds from the concert benefited Friends In Deed. http://www.friendsindeed.org/ Listen in to my conversation with Cy - hope you enjoy it - http://www.zentertainment.org/podcasts/zentertainment81.mp3

Thursday, oct 20, 2011 Healing THIS IS A MUST SEE FILM- it's FREE! In "Dying To Have Known", filmmaker Steve Kroschel went on a 52-day journey to find evidence to the effectiveness of the Gerson Therapy -- a long-suppressed natural cancer cure. His travels take him across both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans, from upstate New York to San Diego to Alaska, from Japan and Holland to Spain and Mexico. In the end, he presents the testimonies of patients, scientists, surgeons and nutritionists who testify to the therapy's efficacy in curing cancer and other degenerative diseases, and presents the hard scientific proof to back up their claims. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoUl7F7dWdE&feature=player_embedded

Wednesday, oct 5, 2011 Diving into Healing Technology is speeding up faster and faster. People are getting busier and in certain ways less productive. People are playing numbers games, adding in countless fake friends on social media sites with this illusion that the numbers mean something. People are posting information in sound bytes rather than taking the time and attention to truly learn. And people are very very distracted. Do you feel it? I know I have written about this recently, but I keep feeling it more and more. And it's the wrong path. I don't want to be on that train. I want to simplify. I want real life, not the illusion of life. Where does your time, attention and energy go? What do you focus on? Which relationships do you invest in? Try going 100% off line for a few days or a week and see what happens. You might be shocked at how hard it is, and what other realizations hit you with a big whop over the head.

Thursday, sep 29, 2011 A big NO to Rick Perry "It seems that Gov. Rick Perry of Texas has claimed credit for improvements in air quality brought in part by the very federal laws he has criticized." "Texas is the largest emitter of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the country — and the only state that has refused to abide by nascent federal greenhouse gas regulations." http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/30/us/politics/epa-is-perrys-favorite-target.html?_r=1&nl=afternoonupdate&emc=aua2 Thanks Rick Perry for showing your true colors over and over again. I hope people are listening and paying attention!

Thursday, sep 29, 2011 And They Call This Progress? The chief Raoni cries when he learns that Brazilian president Dilma released the beginning of construction of the hydroelectric plant of Belo Monte. "Tens of thousands of letters and emails addressed to her were ignored. Belo Monte will inundate at least 400,000 hectares of forest, an area bigger than the Panama Canal, thus expelling 40,000 indigenous and local populations and destroying habitat valuable for many species - all to produce electricity at a high social, economic and environmental cost, which could easily be generated with greater investments in energy efficiency." This site gives more information about what is happening. There is also a petition you can sign! http://amazonwatch.org/take-action/stop-the-belo-monte-monster-dam

Monday, sep 26, 2011 GRACE

Sunday, sep 25, 2011 well said...

Thursday, sep 22, 2011 What the Real Class War Looks Like

Friday, sep 16, 2011 Don't Sweat the Small Stuff- REALLY I often hear people complain about the small stuff. But if you have your health, if you can walk and talk and travel and work and exercise, what a gift!!! And if on top of that, you have food to eat and a home and people who love you, everything else is really just small stuff- nothing much. Crumbs

Thursday, sep 15, 2011 thought for the day In my opinion, the forced vaccination program endured by American families is the single greatest health threat our country has faced. The drug companies have all but admitted to Congress that the vaccines we give our children are toxic because they asked that the liability for vaccine injuries to be removed from their shoulders. If our government had not eliminated all liability of Big Pharma for vaccine caused injury, there would be no forced vaccination program at all. -Dr. Julian Whitaker

Thursday, sep 15, 2011 This is a picture my friend EJ CARR took of me in 2000. So much has changed since then. Where does the time go? Does it have wings and just fly away?

Wednesday, sep 14, 2011 Yesterday just right outside the door, this butterfly was hanging out. The first day I saw it, it wouldn't let me close. I had to zoom in with my camera. Now it lets me get right up to it.

Wednesday, sep 14, 2011 Early Autumn Pears in a Basket

Tuesday, sep 13, 2011 More information you need to know The HPV vaccine was approved by the FDA and recommended by the CDC in 2006. In January of 2011, the head of the CDC, Dr Julie Gerberding resigned and became the president of the Merck vaccine division. Gov Rick Perry tried to make it mandatory that all girls in Texas get it. What parents don't know is that the government CANNOT make vaccines mandatory. There is always an opt out somewhere. Some way. As of June 22, 2011 there have been a total 68 VAERS reports of DEATH among those who have received Gardasil® By contrast, 52 deaths were attributed to unintended acceleration in Toyotas, which triggered a $2 billion recall. So they will recall car parts over 52 deaths, and yet even after 68 human deaths from this drug, they still continue to promote it! As of June 22, 2011, VAERS received a total of 18,727 reports of adverse events following Gardasil® vaccination. Can you believe that number? 18,727 adverse events. What kind of medicine is this? I am so disgusted with drug based medicine and doctors and lobbyists right now. Are you all noticing what is happening- they are coming out in large numbers making fun of Michele's stand against the HPV vaccine and they are saying this vaccine is safe. Even the developer of it said some things that would raise concerns. NO surprise here, now tonite the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Family Physicians all recommend that girls receive HPV vaccines atround age 11 or 12. This is truly disgusting. I am not a fan of Michele Bachmann AT ALL. I would never vote for her. But on this one issue I agree with her. And this is really exposing the power of drug companies to control the information people get and what they believe and to attack anyone who tries to uncover the truth.

Tuesday, sep 13, 2011 Things you need to know about the HPV vaccine I am so glad Rick Perry is getting slammed for ordering girls in Texas to get the dangerous HVP vaccine. That is horrendous. Michele Bachmann is jumping on this issue now, and sounds rather intelligent when she calls him out on this. But who can forget her other scary comments from the past? Things like, "I want people in Minnesota armed and dangerous on this issue of the energy tax because we need to fight back." -Rep. Rep. Michele Bachmann, March 2009 (What responsible leader would call people to become armed and dangerous)? "I find it interesting that it was back in the 1970s that the swine flu broke out under another, then under another Democrat president, Jimmy Carter. I'm not blaming this on President Obama, I just think it's an interesting coincidence." -Rep. Michele Bachmann "Carbon dioxide is portrayed as harmful. But there isn't even one study that can be produced that shows that carbon dioxide is a harmful gas." -Rep. Michelle Bachmann, April, 2009 Enough said on her. Regarding the vaccine, I think the best thing we can all do is share a few websites: This first website features real true life stories from girls who got the vaccine and tells you what happened. http://truthaboutgardasil.org/ http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2007/feb/2/20070202-100152-9747r/ Read more at the Washington Examiner:http://washingtonexaminer.com/node/104241#ixzz1XpvrmlnM Tell magazines we don't want them advertising this vaccine. I have also seen it advertised in Oprah's Magazine. You can be sure if I had a magazine I would not be getting money from dangerous drug companies. This is not the way to health or healing on any level. I have no idea what she is thinking in approving such an awful thing to be advertised in her magazine. Lastly, Rick Perry's former chief of staff was Mike Toomey, a MERCK lobbyist. Another important thing for people to know is that even if someone orders it- my understanding is that you can't actually go to prison for refusing a vaccine under the U.S constitution. So people thought they had no choice, but you actually do have a choice!!! SAY NO. That is your right. Don't assume that what the FDA approves is actually safe.

Monday, sep 12, 2011 NYC is a challenging place to BE when you are holding on for dear life working hard at healing. The energy here is DO PRODUCE ACCOMPLISH GO it's like one big giant green light and I find it very challenging to truly relax when I am surrounded by this energy this movement these sounds..... there is a time and a place for everything including this city that I love and I have learned that sometimes out of necessity one has to put up with what is not perfect

Sunday, sep 11, 2011 A loud bang followed by a scream pierces through my dream. I wake up to my heart racing as I stumble outside already knowing something I don’t consciously know. Look up, look up. The world trade center is on fire. Back inside, looking through my window with its beautiful view of the towers, I think, “What a horrible accident.” Minutes tick by as I talk to a neighbor. We ask questions that have no easy answers. I am back on the street again when another plane comes flying overhead and with a deafening crash explodes into the second tower. I run back inside. Everything changes. We watch the towers from my window, folding into themselves like toy blocks. We try to take in all that is happening without crumbling ourselves, as we stare into the giant bowls of dust that fill the lungs of the city’s collective gasp. Airports close down, the neighborhood is barricaded off. Nobody can come in without an ID. Trucks line up to get people. There is nobody to save. Blood banks are full. There is nobody to donate blood to. An eerie pin-drop silence settles over a city that is usually alarmingly loud. My husband calls from L.A where he is on a business trip. Get out, Get out, you have to leave! Block after block, marinating in grief in adrenaline-charged hyperawareness grey soot and people walking home covered in debris missing shoes lamp posts, fences and doorways covered in pictures burning chemical smells fill the air Have you seen her? Have you seen him? Remember. Remember. How much can the human spirit survive? More than it knows. What have we learned? Where do the seeds of terrorism begin? In fears, in ignorance, prejudice, in anything that does not follow “love thy neighbor as thyself.” What is the cure? It’s in a child’s smile. In the way a flower grows even through the cracks in the pavement. It’s in every new sunrise. In each moment that we transform our misunderstandings and our hate into love. Each year on September 11, it’s hard for me to be in downtown NYC and it’s hard not to be. I pick up the pieces and carry on, but I will never forget. ©Jo Davidson www.Zentertainment.org

Saturday, sep 10, 2011 Does Grief Really Go in Stages, All Neat and Tidy with a Bow on Top? You hear about stages of grief. As if one stage comes after the other and then it's over. But grief is not linear. Not in my life. Sometimes I feel extremely sad over huge losses I've had. The illness being the #1 loss. Anyone would feel grief facing this thing day after day. 9-11 was another loss. A trauma. Grief is not something I pressure myself to get over, it has become more like pebbles in my "shell" so to speak. I try to make pearls from the pain. That doesn't meant it ever feels comfortable. It's just that I try to do something with it.

Thursday, sep 8, 2011 Healing in the Garden This little guy (or girl) was literally about the size of half of my pinky finger! So tiny!

Monday, sep 5, 2011 9-11 Tonight I was looking online for some old pictures of Battery Park- from long ago. And somehow this picture popped up that someone took in the 70s. It shows the twin towers from West Broadway and Prince St in Soho, in a snow storm. I couldn't believe it. This is literally the exact spot where I was standing when the second plane hit the south tower. I have never seen a picture of this exact view before. I can't believe it. I didn't see the first plane, but heard it. I watched the towers fall from my window, because I had a beautiful view of them. It is really amazing to stumble on this old photo. It is meaningful to me to be able to see them again from this exact spot where I stood in 2001.

Sunday, sep 4, 2011 Keep Running the Race Has facing a life challenge left you weary? Be encouraged, and don't give up! Your win could be right around the corner. Michael Waltrip had 16 winless seasons and 462 tries before he won his first Nascar victory!

Saturday, sep 3, 2011

Thursday, sep 1, 2011 Open my minds eye so I may see and feel Your shining light presence close to me. Give me inner strength for my stumbling feet as I battle the crowd on life's busy street. And widen the vision of my unseeing minds eye so in passing faces I'll recognize not just a stranger, unloved, and unknown, but a friend with a heart and soul that is much like my own. -Ruth Ann Mahaffey

Tuesday, aug 30, 2011 Plugging into the Power

Tuesday, aug 30, 2011 Ohio Here I Come I've been laying low in Ohio. Very grateful that NYC and the Northern NJ shore not only survived the hurricane, but seemed to get relatively little damage in comparison to what could have happened. While watching CNN, I saw a scene in Asbury Park where I was Friday before the storm. Sunday, huge waves came pouring up onto the boardwalk and lifted up the concrete benches, throwing them around like little toys. Check out this link for some pretty amazing pictures. http://framework.latimes.com/2011/08/28/hurricane-irene-photos/#/21 From what I've been told, there were not many homes damaged there or in Ocean Grove. That is great news. I heard that the Spring Lake boardwalk got really trashed. There was some flooding in Battery Park, but not really a big deal at all. It started to come up over the esplanade, but didn't last thankfully. What a relief. We really got lucky. Really really lucky. I don't think anyone in NYC should get all cocky or joke about this hurricane being no big deal. Because for so many people, it has been a very big deal. We were on the more fortunate side of the storm. I think it was great that so many precautions were taken. We had no way of knowing for sure how hard it would hit. Better safe than sorry! But wow, who would've ever thought that Battery Park and the Northern NJ Shore would actually be safer places to ride out the storm than so many other parts of the Northeast? A few years ago I spent a year living in CT literally smack on the Long Island Sound in a house surrounded by water on all sides. Had this storm happened then, I would have likely lost my piano and other belongings. Or at the least had very heavy damage to everything. I remember during one bad storm there, we had an entire foot of water in the garage, and that wasn't even from a hurricane. I heard from a neighbor on that street yesterday. She said that everyone had some damage and they were all exhausted. But no loss of life thankfully. Pools filled with seabed debris. One tree hit the roof over a bedroom. Back here in Ohio, I feel grateful to have been spared from the worst of Hurricane Irene. Grateful that I was able to get here with Tommy's help- and for my family here. It's nice to walk barefoot in the grass and pick tomatoes off the vines from the garden. Actually it's just nice to be able to go outside without having to take an elevator down 35 flights first! What I am really struggling with now, is another type of hurricane. The same one I've been in for over a decade, the same one that has been tossing me about here and there, testing me to my limits physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. The stress and anxiety of "irene" and preparing to leave while wondering where to go definately amped up the lyme and cfs symptoms, which were honestly already pretty extreme. I mean, it was only this past weekend that for the first time in awhile, I could walk to the beach and back alone. And I still was having trouble sitting up and being ok in the car for even an hour. The car ride to Ohio was very challenging. 8 whole hours. I can't even explain what it was like. Should I give this fierce storm a name? Maybe I should. Hurricane fritzlenozlebutific! Or maybe hurricane Frankinhead!! Or hurricane ackalacka! Hurricane Tonkatotfrot! Names like Frank, Mary, Catherine, or Bob... No those just won't do.

Friday, aug 26, 2011 Hurricane Irene Preparing for Hurricane Irene. As they say, preparing for the worst but hoping for the best. I've been pretty concerned because we live in "Zone A" in NYC smack on the water. Also dealing with the NJ shore place. And Tommy's travel schedule and my health challenges. It's a bundle of a lot, I tell you. Today the weather is beautiful. What do they call this? The calm before the storm? As that cliche goes, "I don't know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future."

Friday, aug 26, 2011

Thursday, aug 25, 2011 Truths heard in my Toughest Moments In my weakness, I feel God's Strength. When I feel like I am in control. I forget that I need God. I think I am enough. When illness or tragedy strikes, perspective is changed. Light comes in through cracks, that is where it comes in. We strive for such independence, thinking that being self sufficient, strong and in control, full of affirmations and I create my reality I am God types of beliefs can save us. We think if we are powerful in business or sexy, rich and hot we will have the love we desire, we will posses some sort of ticket to freedom. But there is no true freedom here. Oddly enough, freedom is in being radically dependent upon God, in pouring ourselves out honestly. Freedom is not found in perfection, but in grace. If we neither feel superior nor inferior to others, we are able to do the work of helping each other. A life of service is far more meaningful than a life of fame. Some have both, but if only one, choose the former. You cannot pursue power and love at the same time. However, when you are in love's embrace, there is no more powerful place to be. One is built on sand, the other lasts for eternity. - Jo Davidson

Tuesday, aug 23, 2011

Tuesday, aug 23, 2011 earthquake today At 1:51Pm I was sitting on a chair on the 25th floor of a roof deck in NYC when my chair started to shake. It was very subtle, not strong. Really minor, and yet...there it was. It wouldn't stop shaking. I thought maybe it was from traffic or something, but then it didn't feel right. Could it be an earthquake in NYC? Is that possible? As soon as I had that thought, I wanted to get inside. I had visions of a big one hitting and the building collapsing. When I have daydreams like that, I say delete delete delete! I know why it hit a nerve though. I lived in LA for many years, and I also lived through the 1994 LA/Northridge Earthquake. It hit extremely hard in my area at that time, overturning my piano, breaking all the dishes, moving the refrigerator out from the wall and more. It was the most violent shaking I've ever felt in my life. It was like being inside a "cracker jack box" while someone shakes it. It was during that 1994 quake, that I actually thought I was going to die. This little jolt today was no comparison. But unexpected. A little while ago, my mom called from Ohio, and she told me she was sitting on a chair and she felt this really subtle shaking. She wondered what it was. We couldn't believe we could both feel the same thing and yet be so far away. Of course once I came inside I realized that a 5.9 earthquake hit, centered in Virginia. Isn't it crazy that it could be felt in so many states! Today was nothing like what I experienced in LA. Not even close. It was almost nothing really. But unexpected. I think it just rattled me a little bit because of my past experience. Isn't it interesting how we experience our current moments based on what has come before? We are all like that in a million ways. We meet someone who reminds us of someone from our past and we like or don't like this new person depending on how that past relationship went. Sometimes we anticipate a good or hard time with someone or some situation based on what has happened in the past. Can we ever really be in the present without being affected by the past? jo

Tuesday, aug 23, 2011

Monday, aug 22, 2011 THIEVES info If you are looking for products that are anti bacterial, anti viral, anti fungal, and safe for the environment, check out THIEVES. It is also AMAZING to diffuse in room where mold issues are concerns. Find out more about YOUNG LIVING THIEVES PRODUCTS here: http://www.youngliving.us/pdfs/thieves_booklet.pdf The small spray bottles are great for when you are traveling. You can spray them on doorknobs, around hotels rooms, etc The household cleaner smells wonderful, and you can add a few caps to a bucket of water for mopping floors, or spray it onto tubs, windows, sinks. The essential oil is great for diffusing. I also take a few drops internally sometimes. You can purchase THIEVES at the links below! Enter my member number 1096238 http://www.youngliving.com/thieves http://www.youngliving.com/thieves/natural-household-cleaners

Monday, aug 22, 2011 Picture Postcard Summer Homes

Sunday, aug 21, 2011 Ongoing renovations, will they ever end? I saw a new doc today. It was probably the most thorough naturopathic visit I've ever had with anyone. The visit also included mega loads of blood tests. (And other forms of testing). He was patient, kind, a great listener, seemed very skilled and competent, and very experienced. It will be weeks before I see test results and probably October before I start treatments. He took one look at some previous lab tests, and already figured out a few things that other doctors ignored. So many docs read lab results wrong. They look at numbers only. Guess what? I am not a number. You are not a number. For one person, a low normal range can be a real problem. For one person being even slightly out of normal range can be a disaster. I think you have to look at the whole person, not just the numbers. What I love about TRUE naturopathic medicine, is that it takes the whole person into account. You look at everything, not just one piece. You are not divided up, you are looked at as a whole. And treatments and test results (and interpretations) are looked at considering this whole. I wonder what I will be journaling a month from now. But I really feel like he is the right person for me at this time. I think he can help me. Hope is such an important thing. Being with someone you trust in your healing journey matters. *********************************************************************************** On another note, I've found a way to start recording again! I have a zillion songs, classical, pop, rock country that have been piling up here. I had to find a way to start getting music out there again. I am hoping to record my new classical album in autumn- all songs I have written. But it will depend on how treatments are going and etc. And as for the pop, rock and country songs, my goal is to have other artists record them, and also to get them in film, tv and commercials. I've had many songs placed before, as you know if you've read my ABOUT ME page, but because of all this health stuff, I had to stop recording for awhile. Several years actually. Music isn't just something I do. It's who I am. And finding a way to get it out there again is good for me. Vital, actually. Last night I finished a new demo! So I am excited about that. The behind the scenes story was not so simple. It went like this.... My guitar player learned it from tracks I sent him. Then he recorded in the studio one day with my engineer, and they emailed me MP3s along the way for feedback, corrections and etc. Then my bass player recorded the bass in his home studio. I recorded my vocal myself. I went into the bedroom, plopped the computer on the bed, took a deep breath, said a prayer, and sang it in one take. I sent the MP3 of it to my engineer. He put it in the track. Last night, he sent me multiple mixes until I had what I needed, and now it's done! WHEW! Of course the best way and my favorite way to record is to BE IN THE STUDIO! And be with other musicians. THAT is the way to go! Not to mention, as a producer, musician, composer and singer, when I am there in person, I can put everything together so much faster. And we all build up an energy together that I love. But this worked too, and it is a great example to myself and hopefully you too, of how to make possibilities out of what feel like impossibilities. Wherever you are, whatever you face, don't give up. Your breakthrough could be closer than you know. Jo

Saturday, aug 20, 2011 Hope Last night after a rollercoaster of a day, there was quite the storm with thunder, lightning, rain, the whole works. The cat jumped on my lap and hid in my arms. I wanted to hide too. Then I saw this beautiful thing- through the grey dark clouds the sun was setting. I've never seen this before in a storm.

Friday, aug 19, 2011 ‎"Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed." — Mahatma Gandhi "My friends and I have been coddled long enough by a billionaire-friendly Congress. It’s time for our government to get serious about shared sacrifice." -Warren E. Buffett http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/15/opinion/stop-coddling-the-super-rich.html?_r=1&src=tp&smid=fb-share

Thursday, aug 18, 2011 INCREDIBLE Check out this amazing performance! I am going to start learning this piece- isn't it beautiful? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9-2jM5RNSs&feature=player_embedded

Wednesday, aug 17, 2011 A great quote if you ask me! “I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!” Theodor Seuss Geisel

Tuesday, aug 16, 2011 looking through old photos and found this one...how funny-

Tuesday, aug 16, 2011 I never get tired of this view

Tuesday, aug 16, 2011

Monday, aug 15, 2011 Follow the Light

Friday, aug 12, 2011 Rough waters I'm going through really hard time with this lyme, and chronic fatigue and M.E stuff. Pretty much can't walk even a few blocks right now. Nearly fainted when I tried. Fatigue has been just crushing. Please pray for me!

Sunday, aug 7, 2011 A dreamy backyard

Sunday, aug 7, 2011 Painting on the side of a Jeep

Sunday, aug 7, 2011 Homes on the Lake

Sunday, aug 7, 2011 A really cool porch

Sunday, aug 7, 2011 Beach houses

Sunday, aug 7, 2011 Beach Scene

Sunday, aug 7, 2011 Summer Tents

Saturday, aug 6, 2011 Detoxing This doc uses peach tree extract, which he claims is the best substance he has found for removing mold toxins, which are often just as much a cause of symptoms in a Lyme disease sufferer as other toxins! I am very interested in this, as I am sure it has been a part of my health crisis puzzle, and I did not tolerate some other products that were for detoxing biotoxins. Article Source: http://www.wellsphere.com/lyme​-disease-article/powerful-ways​-to-reduce-inflammation-and-re​move-neurotoxins-naturally/113​648

Friday, aug 5, 2011 Healing

Tuesday, aug 2, 2011 The Artist

Tuesday, aug 2, 2011 Child on the Beach

Monday, aug 1, 2011 Cornfield Maze Cornfield Maze ©Jo Davidson August 1 2011 I've got a closet full of dresses Complicated messes lipstick stains and runaway trains (and nothing left for confession) Puzzles missing pieces long expired leases dormant dreams, repeating themes all tangling me in teases I'm in the middle of a cornfield maze This could go down a number of ways but If the sun above could spare some love I'd love to get outta this haze The middle of a cornfield maze Yeah I've been here too many days But if the sun above could spare some love yeah I'd love to get outta this haze. I'm looking for a missing number in waking days that slumber Take me out for a spin let the sunlight in I'd like a few good summers Where the heat is more like a pleasure Than a hope that is too low to measure I miss the skip in my feet the dance in the sheet It's like ripped pillows and flying feathers In the middle of a cornfield maze This could go down a number of ways but If the sun above could spare some love I'd love to get outta this haze In the middle of a cornfield maze This could go down a number of ways but If the sun above could spare some love yeah I'd love to get outta this haze Sometimes it's hard to see just ten feet ahead You could try to go alone or say a prayer instead In the middle of a cornfield maze This could go down a number of ways but If the sun above could spare some love yeah I'd love to get outta this haze We're in the middle of a cornfield maze Been here too many days Yeah the sun above will spare some love and help us get out of this haze Out of this cornfield maze.

Saturday, jul 30, 2011

Monday, jul 25, 2011 Beach Collage

Monday, jul 25, 2011

Monday, jul 25, 2011

Sunday, jul 24, 2011 Sunrise!

Sunday, jul 24, 2011

Sunday, jul 24, 2011

Saturday, jul 23, 2011 "I think we have to honestly face the fact that many who currently call themselves “conservatives" are teaching us – or showing us – the dark side of human nature. Even though they like to profess that they are intensely “Christian,” what they are showing us – through their philosophies and actions – is what happens when we abandon truth and honesty, when we abandon compassion, when we abandon intelligence, when we abandon reason, and mindlessly dig our heels in and take an unbending stance in favor of callousness and indifference to human suffering – all under the guise of “fiscal prudence” or “fiscal sanity.” They are advancing a social agenda that has nothing . . . let me say it again . . . NOTHING . . . to do with compassion and wisdom. They are showing us the result of living in an adrenaline fog of fear. They are showing us what happens when we forget our Christian teaching to be “our brother’s keeper.” -John Welshons

Saturday, jul 23, 2011 A look Beyond Lyme This is an excellent summary of medical advice from the best experts. http://betterhealthguy.com/joomla/blog/242-a-deep-look-beyond-lyme

Saturday, jul 23, 2011 The Butterfly and the Bee My camera recently broke, and I've felt really lost without it! Just got a new one, and am really excited about the camera and to be able to take pictures again. Seeing the world this way, is so much a part of who I am. I think I'm about as passionate as photography as I am with music. I didn't realize that until I didn't have a camera. This is one of my first few pics that I took of my neighbor's garden on this hot steamy summer day.

Friday, jul 22, 2011 Heatwave I'm sitting here with my feet in a bowl of ice water and a bag of frozen peas on my head! I'm quite glamorous. Today with the heat index at the shore it was 117. That is just so rough! The humidity= thick and oppressive. I feel like I'm in a pressure cooker. My landlord stopped by. The a/c unit wasn't working downstairs for a few hours. He replaced it with the unit from one of the upstairs bedrooms. I definately won't be using that bedroom anytime soon. If I could walk to the beach, I would. It's not that far, but I can't even get there. I'm outside 20 seconds and get weak. I feel like I've been in "forced isolation." I've been doing what I can to stay cool, keep from freaking out, (although who am I kidding, I've had some freak outs), and also have been playing my piano. I've got two new classical pieces from the past few weeks. I love them both, so I've been playing them a lot. I'm grateful for the music..really grateful... I just had a video skype session with my Grandma who is 91 and I played her part of one of my new songs on my Steinway grand. She said it was wonderful. Then she said, "You look good Jody, so "young and fresh." hahahahaha We lost it laughing. Seeing her face cheered me up.

Wednesday, jul 20, 2011 Music and Mosquitoes I finished composing another new piece for my next solo piano project. My whole life is in these songs- everything- and now I sit here in the silence, staring at my neighbor's red christmas lights in july getting eaten alive by mosquitos in the wet sticky air they all come out and want a piece of me. What will tomorrow bring? Let me stay in the moment and not worry about tomorrow. The notes still play in my head. This music, it's like the candle in the darkness. And now, I have to turn over every detail that I can't control. Stop blaming myself or doubting myself, going around in endless circles wondering why. Some say that searching for the why won't heal you. I think it would heal me. Because the why would explain the what, and then at least I would know what I am dealing with, exactly. I put the mystery to bed for now. I need a break from being the detective. Let the music say everything for me, let its longing and love pierce through the melancholy air pressure and the heatwave days, let my breakthrough come to me in my dreams and find me, grateful and in love with life. ************************************************************************************

Monday, jul 11, 2011 Working people frequently ask retired people what they do to make their days interesting. Well, for example, the other day my wife and I went into town and went into a shop. We were only in there for about 5 minutes. When we came out, there was a cop writing out a parking ticket. We went up to him and said, 'Come on man, how about giving a senior citizen a break?' He ignored us and continued writing the ticket. I called him a turd. He glared at me and started writing another ticket for having worn tires. So my wife called him a ####-head. He finished the second ticket and put it on the windshield with the first. Then he started writing a third ticket. This went on for about 20 minutes. The more we abused him, the more tickets he wrote. Personally, we didn't care. We came into town by bus. We try to have a little fun each day now that we're retired. It's important at our age. **************************************************************

Friday, jul 8, 2011 Cute Car

Tuesday, jul 5, 2011 How to Be Your Own Shaman A few weeks ago, I had the chance to talk with Deborah King, a healer who has written a book called "How To Be Your Own Shaman." She has studied extensively in many traditions. Like me, her initiation into this whole new world came about through an illness. In her case, she was a successful attorney in her 20s when a diagnosis of cancer sent her on a search for truth that radically changed her life. Unwilling to undergo invasive surgery, she turned to alternative medicine and experienced an amazing remission at the hands of a healer. Her path led her to become a healer herself. She spent about 10 years studying with a group of Christian healers, and has also studied with shamans as well as in the chakra based healing methods. Deborah travels worldwide, helping thousands of people transform their lives through her experiential workshops. She offers a year long online training course, the “21st-Century Energy Medicine Program,” for those who are interested in healing themselves and others. She also hosts a popular weekly Hay House radio show. I am considering the energy medicine program myself. http://www.deborahkingcenter.com/ I'd love to share our conversation with you. I am posting this interview in transcript form. We talked about all sorts of personal things, from the severe lyme disease and CFS stuff I have faced, to her journey with cancer and healing an abusive childhood. I did not agree with her on some points and beliefs, and decided to share all of it with you. I think we can learn things from people even when they hold different beliefs. I respect Deborah greatly as a healer and as someone who has done so much inner work herself. She will be at the Omega Institute in October, and also has some Florida dates coming up if anyone is interested. I'd love to hear from you and get feedback on your thoughts. Email me! Jodavidson@mac.com *************************************************************** Jo: What does it mean to you to be a shaman? When I've heard that word, it is specific to ancient cultures and techniques. Deborah: I think the meaning of the word has changed. It really means, someone who has achieved so much clarity that they can be a clear vessel for other people. So they are able to connect with universal energy, transmit it and direct it. That's what the shaman really is. It can be anyone who has worked hard to be clear themselves. It's typically an elder, someone who is a little older, because it does take time to get clarity. Jo: Yes. A lot of years and practice. It's lifelong training isn't it? Deborah: It is. I was in my mid 20s when I had cancer. It was such a wake up call, such a shock. I thought I was totally healthy. The next thing I knew, I looked at my life and was truly horrified. I had been bandaid-ing my life with drugs and alcohol. I also used extreme dieting and exercise. Anything to deaden emotions so I didn't have to feel. I got help. I went to a 12 step program. I highly recommend those to people. What you need is the camaraderie of people in similar situations. You can share you experiences and they can share theirs, and healing takes place. That's the first thing I suggest to people. Then I started meditating. Jo, It turned my whole life around. What an amazing tool that is. It changed me. It was really life altering. I haven't missed a day since, and it has been 30 years. The next thing I did, I started journaling. I really recommend that to people. Spend 5-10 minutes rapidly writing. No spell checking. No reading back. It's not for anybody else. Don't use pretty words. By writing it down, you actually clear it. Jo: I've journaled my whole life. Sometimes I feel like I clear it. Sometimes I feel like I'm complaining about the same things over and over again. Deb: Let me assure you. By merely doing it, you're doing it right. That's the nice thing about journals. You can whine, you can be childish. Petty. Never criticize yourself. Pat yourself on the back that you're journaling. Acknowledge your feelings. One feeling people aren't often willing to acknowledge is jealousy. The key to it is acknowledge it, and then avoid. I counsel people, if you're jealous of your sister, avoid her. Family is not a requirement. You can skip family. You can probably fix it later. Maybe a few years from now. For now, if it's painful, just avoid it. Jo: I felt sad reading about some of your childhood. It's hard for me to relate to. It's amazing- how you got through it- Deb: You would be so surprised at how many people's childhoods are on par with mine. Each person has their challenge. One person might have an illness. Mine was my childhood. For someone else it could be a bitter divorce. Each person has their own life challenges, and it's those challenges that were given by Spirit to help us become who we really want to be. We come into this life, really wanting to achieve higher consciousness. We are given experiences and challenges to help us get there. How do we react? Bitterly or with resentment or blaming the other guy? We have to do the best we can with the lemons that are given to us- and make lemonade. Jo: Yeah some challenges are pretty big. I know you had the childhood challenges, I've had the health ones. Deb: How long have you had lyme disease? Jo: I don't know. I'm starting to call it the mysterious light syndrome. I don't know. Deb: I was going to say- are you sure it's lyme? Because I'm not picking up lyme just talking to you. Jo: I did have a tick bite and a rash. I saw the tick. That last one was- I think 2008. Horrible. Before that I was diagnosed with Chronic fatigue immune dysfunction. It seems like a combination of mold, heavy metals, environmental stuff, candida, lyme, cfs, I honestly don't know anymore. I've researched for years. I'm actually a musician and a composer. This whole thing has cut through my career. I spend most of my energy- trying to get well- the money- and I'm tired of the circus of treatments. I've tried stopping them too. One doc thinks I have bartonella. Feels like my blood is on fire sometimes. Deb: I am agreeing with that one. It feels like it has morphed into something else. Jo: I am doing some herbs but don't tolerate them half of them. I take very small doses. I also did a clinical trial of something called NT FACTOR. It's a great product, but the alpha lipoic acid and taurine in it sent me through the roof. Deb: Do you have heavy metals? How do you get them? Jo: They're everywhere- and as the world is getting more toxic, I think some people just have more of a predisposition to hold onto them more. So many people that I see-thousands of people who are not conscious of what they eat or think and yet..... Deb: You've been thrown into the consciousness realm. Each person hits that spot. I totally understand. I went through that stage. It seemed so unfair. Jo: It's baffling to me. It's like sometimes the harder you work... Deb: The more that goes wrong! Jo: Yeah, I might as well go have some chocolate cake! Deb: I would suggest that you get on my online program called 21st century energy medicine. You do it from home. I come in every week with a new video, audio and download. Jo: I have a question - because some of my beliefs are different from yours- I don't believe in reincarnation at all... Deb: You don't need to! Jo: No? Deb: Of course not. Heavens no. I spent years studying with esoteric Christians who didn't believe in it either. Actually, I wasn't exposed to it until I moved onto Mystery school. I concluded that it was legitimate, but others don't that I work with. It's not a problem. It's a personal belief. In addition to the online program, I would encourage you to come to a workshop. I am trained to connect people to the universal energy field so they can heal. I'll be at Omega in October. All kinds of sick people come. Stage 4 terminal cancer patients, and people who can't even get on a plane. Jo: What if someone wants individual help? Deb: Through the smaller workshops like at Kripalu or Omega. Jo: I am very sensitive to group energies when I don't feel well. Deb: That's what people need. They need to be revitalized and get re charged. I remember being there myself. Locked in a room and being afraid to leave. I know that from the inside. Jo: I've met many healers who I think are quite immature. Not you. But I have a strong response to them. I can't run fast enough. Deb: Your life challenge has made you very tuned in. There is not much you're missing. Jo: People have to be careful who they work with. Well I didn't mean to talk so much about myself!!! Deb: That's alright, your listeners probably find it interesting- you're very candid! Jo: Could you share some of the things you've studied in healing techniques? Deb: I spent 10 years studying with Christian healers. I was coming out of a hospital in the Bay area for the last test I had to do to prove I didn't have cancer. As I came out the door, I thought I'd go work with an energy healing in the chakra based tradition. Instead, I tripped on something on the curb, and as I headed towards the ground, I saw a flyer that had the word healing on it. I grabbed it. Took it back to my hotel room and read it. It was what sounded like a religious organization that practiced some sort of healing. I was intrigued, but I had to wipe my belief system out, because I was anti religious at that time. I had thrown the baby out with the bath water. I called these people, and I ended up studying with them for 10 years. It was truly a remarkable experience. I traveled around and would follow one minister, preacher or practitioner after another. They allowed me to practice in one of their residences. My job was to heal through prayer or what would be called distance healing in my chakra based training. Jo: I like the word prayer. Deb: I would go in and be instructed to go to a room. My job was to visualize the person well. Jo: You wrote that it took you many years of practice, and varying degrees of success. You didn't give up. Deb: I am very relentless. I never give up. It's not hard to get the tools. The tricky part is getting the ego reigned in. That's what takes years and years. For me, it also took menopause. That was what allowed me to start to be an effective healer. Jo: Interesting. Deb: It was the ultimate ego deflation for me. For each person, it's something different. For another person, it might be an illness. Jo: Yeah, illness is an ego deflation. Deb: When we hit that breaking point, there's nothing left but to truly become yourself. What's left? Nothing. Jo: It's humbling. It's easy when things are going great, you've got the power, the control. Deb: You're on top of the world and you're a size 3. That's right. Everything's just humming along. The next thing you know everything caves in! Jo: I grew up in a more Christian belief system/ environment. Deb: Jesus was the master healer. No one has risen to his ability- before his time or after. So he is the model I emulate. That's what he told his followers to do. That's what I am working at. Jo: Woman be healed of your infirmity. If Jesus was standing here right now, I believe I would be healed. I ask myself why it doesn't happen. Deb: There is a difference between healing and curing. Jo: But Jesus cured. Deb: I don't have all the answers. I don't know why sometimes curing happens and sometimes it doesn't. Jo: He never just healed somebody emotionally. Deb: That's why I don't use the excuse I was taught in chakra based healing that "oh you know, it's up to the individual." I think it's an excuse for the healer to cover themselves when they fail. I don't buy into that. Jo: That has happened to me- someone's ego is so huge and they can't handle that what they do doesn't work- Deb: I honor everyone's efforts and path. I'm a midwife. My job is to support my students' development. It's important to get a copy of "Be Your Own Shaman" in hardcover. One of the things I've learned to do, is to impress energy into objects. So I've impressed an energy into the book itself to make it easier for the reader to absorb the exercises. There are a lot of shamanic exercises in the book that you can do at home. They are very simple to do. So I want to encourage listeners to get a copy of the book. http://www.amazon.com/Be-Your-Own-Shaman-21st-Century/dp/1401930786 Jo: You had an exercise about breaking cords with somebody. Deb: It's an easy exercise to clear residue you pick up with others in relationships. Along the way we pick up stuff when we have bad times. As well as- we've left some of our energy at the scene of those engagements that we want back. I learned this amazing technique from some shamans from Mexico. It's very powerful and very simple. It only takes 10 minutes to do. You want to do it every day for a little bit. I teach it in the book and on my facebook page on the apps page. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Deborah-King/124699724249721 There is another technique I teach- if you've ever been stalked or threatened or assaulted or in a violent relationship- or scared in any way- anything- I have a technique I teach in person for that. Jo: Regrets can make people sick, can't they? Deb: They can. I just talked about that in my radio show. I have a radio show every Wednesday at 2PM PST on Hay House Radio. You really want to let go of all that. There is a Hawaiian exercise that helps. Jo: Why do you ask the other person to forgive you when it's not your fault? Deb: Yeah, because that sets up the dynamic for forgiveness. Being willing to own it even though it's not yours. It doesn't matter whose fault it is. You step up first. If you do it, you'll find the exercise is very powerful. Jo: Thanks for your book- there are so many more things we could talk about- Deb: Well you're so welcome. I've really enjoyed talking to you. Thanks for the opportunity, I'd love to do it again sometime. http://www.deborahkingcenter.com/ ****************************************************************************************** My thoughts- I loved that she brought up meditation. Of course we have all heard about meditation as well as prayer. I pray off and on throughout the day, and meditate sometimes. I haven't really made it a habit every day for a certain length of time. She inspired me to really get serious about doing this. I seem to need reminders. It's a discipline. It use to be easier for me to do meditation. Lately, I feel jumpy and jittery, my stomach feels nervous a lot of the time. Some stuff isn't right I think, physically. And it makes sitting still and meditating for any length of time far more challenging. I thought it was very impressive that she has done it for 30 years without missing a day. That shows true dedication. She inspired me to DO IT and feel whatever I feel. Just let it be what is. I also loved that she suggested journaling. I do it many days, not all days. But I find that the more honest I am, not judging myself or even basing conclusions on whatever feelings I have at the moment, then the better the practice is for me. Sometimes I really do feel like I am being repetitive. Or I worry about someone finding my journals and misunderstanding whatever I wrote. I don't usually include all the great things in my life although I include some. I tend to use my journals more to work out conflicts. But whatever comes out, comes out. It has taken some practice for me to be able to let go and write without editing myself. That is hard for me. I am getting better at letting myself rant about things. I've found journaling to be a useful tool to help me get clarity. She mentioned jealousy. I totally disagree with her that if you are jealous of your sister, you can avoid her. I disagree with her that it's ok to skip family. That is not at all how I grew up, or what we practice in my family. I don't think that is ok, nor do I think it is good advice. I think that advice is really coming from her own abusive childhood background, and in her case, maybe it really WAS healthier to skip family. Reading her book, I really felt compassion for her, all that she survived in her childhood. It is amazing that she got through it and is where she is now. She mentions that I might be surprised at how many people have childhoods like she did. I also think she would be surprised at how many people had pretty good childhoods. I know SO MANY people who grew up being loved, and in healthy home environments. Not perfect homes. There is no perfect. But loving, yes. I was surprised she didn't pick up on lyme at first with me, but then I don't put too much stock into someone being able to diagnose me based on my voice. And she seemed to agree once I said a doc thought I had bartonella. Honestly, I have no idea if I have that. It's very possible. But who really knows. I think that whole area is murky. I might never know for sure. That's why I've started calling it the mysterious lights syndrome. I don''t know what the Mystery School was that she went to. I do know that as much as I have studied and seen, being open to learning things, I have concluded that reincarnation is not real. I believe strongly in cellular ancestral memory. I believe so many of the feelings of our ancestors are passed on to us! And I think we can also tap into a greater consciousness/memory of humanity and various experiences of others. If we are all one piece of a greater "pie" so to speak, then it makes sense that we could feel energies and traumas of things that have actually happened to others. Like parts feeling the whole. Many people use reincarnation to explain everything from suffering to status. That is because people want to believe we can understand things. We find it hard to accept mystery. I believe that sometimes what people think was a reincarnated life is actually personal mythology, their own personal projection and storyboard where they can work out this life's dramas and conflicts. It can feel SO REAL if you experience a "regression" but it is likely just a place where the subconscious works out many issues. Some cultures use the belief in reincarnation to keep people in a lower or higher class. I've met people who were SURE they had been King Arthur or an angel or whatever else. I could go on. I think it's all nonsense. But what it represents is not nonsense at all. It represents parts of us that we are trying to work out, conflicts we are trying to resolve. I also believe there are spirits that trick and deceive. And I think the belief in reincarnation, while it can seem so real, comes from one of those deceptive spirits. The greater issue, maybe the most important one is: Who came before us and what do we carry from them that no longer serves us? And what conflicts are our own that we need to work through? How can our dreams, whether in regressions, daydreams, or dreams at night, help us understand and heal ourselves? Deborah and I talked briefly about group energies. She felt that it would be good for me to be in a group- that it would re charge me. Actually, I've often felt the opposite. There are many times with this CFS stuff, when I find group energies exhausting. I feel too permeable, the fatigue makes me too sensitive, too aware. And if by some miracle I can handle a workshop one day, I am usually toast the next day. Even a few hours can be too much. I'm not so sure that I buy into the belief that God actually gives us illness, tragedy and hardships. It seems like they are part of life, and the problem is we somehow think that life is suppose to be fair. It's not. And we can either get bitter or use the hardships to make us stronger. But as for them being things we are given in order to grow? Of course we do grow through them, but I don't really see them as God given gifts. I know that is a semi- popular theory in some circles. Sure there are things I have learned and seen and felt because of this long term health crisis I've been in. Of course. But I also think it could just stop now, and I wouldn't need it. I really wouldn't. I can feel that she has done so much work. I respect her. I've met many healers I do not respect. People who made my stomach get in knots, or made the hairs stand up on my head. It's like I could feel they were in kindergarten, but they thought they had graduated with a Ph. D. I can feel that stuff a mile away. I am interested in trying some of the exercises to break "cords" with people and reclaim energy left behind in those situations. Even if I disagree with Deborah on some things, I respect her and think she is a real healer. Lastly, I'd love to see her offer individual sessions. Right now she has a package where you can pay $265 and get 12 copies of her book to share with others, and a 15 minute private session. The people I know wouldn't be interested in all those books. They would rather spend the $265 if they could afford it, skip the extra books, and get an hour with her. So I hope she might offer some better alternatives for private sessions. Check out HOW TO BE YOUR OWN SHAMAN and thank you Deborah for the talk! http://www.deborahkingcenter.com/

Monday, jul 4, 2011 Happy July 4th!

Friday, jul 1, 2011 Me & the Birds Something kind of cool happened today. You know how you have stuff in your house for so long that you see it, but you don't SEE IT? I started playing some of my solo piano pieces, windows all opened, and all these birds started singing and chirping. It was really cool. A few hours later I also realized what was on the notebook right in front of my face.

Wednesday, jun 29, 2011 Untangling Knots I have 3 chiropractors I love and they're all really different. Two are in NYC. One is at the NJ Shore, and when I'm down here, I go. Today before he worked on me, I took off this long necklace I was wearing and tossed into onto my bag. Which is a cool bag by the way because it's made out of recycled sails! Perfect for the beach. Pick one up at: http://myearth360.com/product/reiter8-middie So anyway, when he was done, I picked up my necklace and it was all in knots. As I walked home I kept trying to fix it. I couldn't figure it out. You know how sometimes if you try to untangle something quickly, it makes it worse? Yep. Then I tried to fix it slowly. Patience. I've been working on it for 10 minutes, and I swear I can't seem to get this thing untangled. In some ways it feels like parts of my life. Sometimes you feel like giving up. You think, this is not working. Maybe you have to put the necklace down and just try again another day or another hour. And sometimes untangling something can be slow tedious work. But if you love it enough, it's worth it.

Wednesday, jun 29, 2011 My Librarian Look I've never worn reading glasses in my life. But it seems like they help a little bit. A new look maybe?!

Monday, jun 27, 2011 Hope for the hard times Andy Goldsworthy created a Memorial Garden dedicated to the memory of those who perished in the Holocaust and to honor those who survived. You can see this garden at the Museum of Jewish Heritage- A Living Memorial to the Holocaust in Battery Park in NYC. http://www.mjhnyc.org/ A tree growing from the stone. It represents the tenacity and fragility of life. It demonstrates how elements of nature can survive in seemingly impossible places. The ability to grow even in the most difficult circumstances. Isn't it beautiful?

Saturday, jun 18, 2011 Baby Strollers on the Beach

Saturday, jun 18, 2011 Pink Bicycle

Friday, jun 17, 2011 The Morning After the Rain

Wednesday, jun 15, 2011 Flowers at my Door Yesterday, I played about 5 of my solo piano classical pieces- you know- the ones I keep saying I am going to record but haven't shared yet? My neighbors heard me. I didn't know they were home and listening. I finished one piece and I heard this clapping. I laughed and yelled thank you! An hour later there was a bouquet of flowers in a vase at my door.

Tuesday, jun 14, 2011 I had such a wonderful time with my family. They were visiting me at the shore. Now the house is quiet again, and it feels a bit sad. Life is full of constant change. Hellos and goodbyes. Rather than saying goodbye, I'd rather say, "Til soon." My sister got me a bracelet that is perfect for me. It says, "Fall Down Seven Times, Stand up Eight." My motto. I love that.

Tuesday, jun 14, 2011 A collage of beach photos, my gorgeous niece

Tuesday, jun 7, 2011

Monday, jun 6, 2011

Wednesday, jun 1, 2011 TOP SUNSCREENS! It is June 1, and things are heating up in the northeast. Are you confused about all the sunscreen choices out there? Are you looking for something that is SAFE and also works? Check out this great list. The environmental working group analyzed more than 600 beach and sport sunscreens.They are sharing the results here! Copy and paste this link into your browser for the best sunscreen info you'll find anywhere! http://breakingnews.ewg.org/2011sunscreen/best-sunscreens/best-beach-sport-sunscreens/?inlist=Y

Tuesday, may 31, 2011

Friday, may 27, 2011 notes flying everywhere music music and more music composing singing really excited to start recording ... !

Thursday, may 26, 2011 Blessing in Disguise (Seeds and Weeds) ©Jo Davidson I take some new homeopathy that I supposedly need, and after taking just one drop, I want to send out a memo to my head that my body is HERE, and would they please connect? After awhile, I decide that if I am going to be feeling bad, at least I will have my feet in the earth. I walk to the garden outside and help pound stakes into the soil around the cherry tomato plants, and cut twine. Don't I sound like quite the gardener? I'm not. I have no idea what I am doing. I only know I love the way the earth feels on my feet, and I love to plant things. I find a small piece of broken glass somewhere near the eggplant plants. Who knows where it came from or how long it has been here. Life is like that, you know, You have to watch out for the broken glass, especially when you are walking barefoot. I start to pull out weeds around the pea plants and realize that I might have pulled up the wrong thing How many times have I not known the difference between a weed and a seed It's EASY to mistake the two especially especially especially when they are in the early growing stages Heavy clouds start to gather after awhile. The wind begins to whip around, and quarter size drops of rain open up for thirty seconds harder and faster, but then change their mind. I change my mind too sometimes. I understand. I walk past the cabin in the back and tear down the robin's nest in progress yet again. I hate doing that. I hate tearing something down. But it's a bad place for a nest. People sit here, and the location is unsteady. You'd think they'd get the message, but they keep trying, bringing their twigs to this shaky small lamp post over the rocking chair. The porch is a mess. As I walk back inside, I want so much to let them have this space, but I know it is the wrong place, and it just won't work out. Then I wonder how many times I have planted something in the wrong place, not realizing that having it torn down, was some sort of blessing in disguise. - ©Jo Davidson May 26 2011

Wednesday, may 25, 2011 Statins, Coenzyme Q10 and Pregnenolone for Treating CFS I recently posted an episode regarding NEW CFS research with Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum which you can hear on the show page. I also want to include his newsletter just out today, which will give you even more details. Paste this link into your web browser, to find out more! http://www.endfatigue.com/health_articles_c/Cfs_fm-statins_as_possible_new_treatment_for_chronic_fatigue_syndrome.html

Tuesday, may 24, 2011 Happy Birthday to Me I've been unwrapping gift after gift. There have been so many blessings, including the blessing of health. Saturday, I celebrated my grandmother's 91st birthday with her and many family members. The day was so special. Sunday, I went to my other grandmother's house. She will be 90 in August. I helped plant tomatoes, green beans and peppers in her garden. I felt the soil and earth on my bare feet, and the blades of grass brush up against me. I felt a sense of peace working in the hot Ohio sun, smelling fresh cut grass, my skin tingling in the mild humidity, scents of flowers blooming in the air. This whole gardening thing is very new to me. I am a total novice. But it doesn't take much, to make me realize it's perhaps one of the best forms of therapy there is. The trees stood tall all around me, their arms outstretched towards the sky. My arms are outstretched too, and I look up past those branches into the great mystery of all that is, saying "thank you." I feel that something in me is shifting, and new life, new possibilities are being born. New songs have been tumbling out for so long, They are bubbling up, and some sense of urgency is beginning to whisper in my ear, "it is time." There is a collection of solo piano classical pieces I have written, and also many new pop rock songs. Some are for me to sing, others are meant to be recorded by other artists. I swirl around ideas of a combination of spoken poetry, classical piano and rock songs. I twirl around songs in my head with visions of them being on the CDs of best selling artists in many genres. I am meant to be a songwriter, a composer, a musician, and I have known this and been this through and through as long as I can remember. I don't feel like who I am, if music is not flowing through me, being recorded, performed and shared. For now, I am in Ohio for a short while, and the music I am taking in is the sound of the wind blowing through the treetops on this late spring night. That is music too. The earth still wet from the rain, the old ways shaken out of the branches with each clap of thunder, it is spring, and something new has sprung up. Sunday evening we celebrated one of my sister's birthdays, my birthday and my two aunts. I played basketball with my 10 year old niece and had a hula hoop contest. I also ate cake. Lots of cake. Today was my birthday, but it was a more low key day. It has been raining off and on, and yet most of the day was surprisingly rain free, cool and breezy. I spent the day with my one year old niece. Her smile could light up an entire state. I want to stay awake now. I don't want my birthday to end. But I want to get to sleep early. It is time to put the pen away. I could reflect on what has come before and what might be ahead, but I really just feel like being here, now with everything that is. All that is resolved, all that is not. All that is figured out, all that remains a mystery. I feel at peace with all of it. For now. I feel myself standing face to face with life in all of its complex colors and emotions. I feel its enormous blessings, shifts, grace and love. During the party on Sunday, a butterfly showed up for me and landed on a bush a few feet away. A butterfly. But of course.

Thursday, may 19, 2011 SOY, a junk food tricked out as health food? I've been wanting to do a show on soy for awhile now. There is so much contradictory information out there. right? This eye opening book is called "The Whole Soy Story" by Kaayla Daniel. http://www.wholesoystory.com/index.php?pageID=Home Her research shows that many soy products are just junk food marketed as health food. But the powerful soy industry doesn't want you to know this. I am shocked at the number of vegan actresses promoting soy products in place of organic dairy or meat. They don't realize what they are promoting. They think a certain dish is somehow healthier because it is soy. We even find soy in infant formulas. I don't think a little bit of organic soy here and there is a problem for most people. But vegans and vegetarians are making it the main course, and many other people are consuming daily soy shakes and energy bars. Why is this a problem? Hundreds of epidemiological, clinical and laboratory studies link soy to: Malnutrition Digestive distress Thyroid dysfunction Cognitive decline Reproductive disorders Infertility Birth defects Immune system breakdown Heart disease Cancer The Whole Soy Story presents and interprets the often contradictory evidence on soy and disease to determine what studies are valid, which justify hope, which are mere hype - and why. LISTEN IN to my conversation with expert nutritionist Kaayla T. Daniel as we talk about THE WHOLE SOY STORY Please click on this link, and get some eye opening information! http://www.zentertainment.org/podcasts/zentertainment83.mp3 ******************************************************************************************** Excerpts from our conversation: "Soy milk, veggie burgers, even bags of edamame- people snack on it like it's popcorn. Health conscious people who don't think they are buying processed and packaged junk food from the supermarket may very well be buying junk foods tricked out as health foods." To get veggie burgers made with soy protein isolate to taste right, they include additives like MSG. They are not healthy products, but people think they are healthy. MSG can be under the labels of Natural flavorings, Hydrolyzed soy protein, Hydrolyzed whey protein, Hydrolyzed corn protein. If it is hydrolyzed, you get MSG as part of the processing. (When added this way, American law does not require the labels to list MSG as an ingredient). ALL soybeans, organic and GMO, contain plant estrogens. Here in lies the problem. They can create significant hormonal havoc. They are not identical to human estrogen but close enough to fool the body. They can interfere with hormone production. The women's issue with soy is tricky. We really need the kind of laboratory testing where we can determine which women would benefit from soy, which would be harmed by it, and with the women who would benefit, we need to know the exact dose and how often, because it would need to be used pharmaceutically. That is very different from telling women they need to drink lots of soy milk, eat energy bars and veggie burgers and bags of edamame. We see a lot of thyroid disorders increase after consumption of soy products. There are more than 70 years of studies that show soy puts women at risk for thyroid problems. We most often see hypothyroidism and sometimes hashimotos. With some women, soy actually stimulates the thyroid for awhile, and they might feel good temporarily until the stressed out thyroid starts to collapse. Sometimes thyroid storms go back and forth from hypo to hyper. It's not a food that's worth messing around with. People who enjoy some miso soup, who have tempeh once in awhile, this is perfectly good. The risk is with busy women eating soy milk, soy shakes, energy bars as meal replacements. Those women are putting themselves at risk, because soy consumption can get quite high. It adds up quickly. Just a soy shake powder in soy milk, right there, someone will have a WHOPPING dose of plant estrogens, and that will start affecting them. Throwing in some blueberries will not undo the damage. Soy in Asia was traditionally used as a condiment in the diet, not a staple food. Regular small quantities. Miso soup, etc. Very different from the soy consumption we see in the USA right now. The promotion of soy milk and veggies burgers and things made with soy protein isolate, hydrolyzed plant protein, soy protein concentrate, textured vegetable protein...these are HIGHLY PROCESSED Industrial products that came in after World War ll. The processing involves high temperature, high pressure, high hexane solvents...there is nothing healthy about these processes. The British Committee on toxicity identified vegans as a high risk group for thyroid problems from excess soy consumption. So many vegans consider soy to be both a dairy and meat replacement. It's NOT. In the 1930s Dr Weston Price went all over the world looking at cultures in the island of Scotland, the wilds of Northern Canada, in parts of Africa, Australia, etc Wherever he went, he found certain consistent things. In these people whose diets were untouched by modern processing, packaged foods, and moderns ideas about what diets could work, he found extraordinary health- good bone structure, perfect teeth, easy childbirth, no chronic diseases. Consistently he found the people were valuing animal foods high in saturated fats and cholesterol, and vegetables. Understand they were not eating diets high in sugar and etc. The important thing is that the food was high in these fats, and fat soluble vitamins. If we go along with nature's way in that respect, we will do very well. I eat quite a lot of grass fed meat, and raw diary from pastured cows. I am very consistent about getting high quality, supporting local farmers. I do believe that is important for personal and planetary health. When we take our families to farmers markets it gives us a sense of community and that is part of our well being as well. Soy infant formula- Now we have a widespread situation. We are getting more babies on soy sometimes from birth. This can be very tragic. The Israeli Health Ministry, the French food agency, the German Institute of Risk Assessment, The British Dietetic Assoc. and many other experts have all indicated that babies should not be put on soy formula unless it is as a last resort. Yet we are not hearing about this from the United States. The funding for the Pediatric associations- they are getting a lot of money from infant formula companies. And the soy industry is HUGE. There is a lot of widespread ignorance. We're in a situation right now where day after day we are inundated by messages from vegan actresses for starters. And so many people have got the idea that the thinner you are, the more vegan you are, the healthier and happier and more ethical you are. There are a lot of people, if they aren't going to breastfeed, they think, well soy MUST be better than dairy formula. They've heard that saturated fat and cholesterol is bad. And of course soy formula doesn't have this in it. That is part of why it is a tragic choice. Mother nature didn't make a mistake when she put TONS of cholesterol in breast milk! It's there for a reason. If a baby is put on soy formula, there is hormone disruption from the plant estrogens.We often don't see the effects until puberty. The FDA testing for approval for infant formula involves the immediate things. Does the baby fatten up enough or get tall enough. With soy formula, the long terms effects don't show up right away. Although things like attention deficit disorder can show up earlier. Soy formula contains 50-80 times the manganese we find in dairy formula or breast milk. Manganese- if you or I get too much of it, we can probably get rid of it. But a baby under 6 months- it's double whammy. The liver can't handle the manganese toxicity. The brain and nervous system are developing, and here's this toxic manganese. The same kids that are exposed to soy formula, are also getting chlorine and fluoride in their water and toothpaste. The vaccination damages...it's really scary. The results are devastating. Bottled baby Nursery Water with added fluoride- Fluoride is a poison. I wouldn't add it to anything. Good filtered water is better. Tap is not good. In 1976 soy isoflavones were listed as carcinogens, now they are credited with cancer prevention. Isn't that amazing? It's all about marketing. What happens over and over. When a researcher comes up with data that is not appreciated by the soy industry, or any of the processed packaged food people, the researchers often get threatened that they will lose their funding, never work again, and so it goes. This makes it very hard to get good science anymore. The story of soy sheds light on the dirty secrets of the modern food processing industry, the power of public relations, the corruption of scientific enquiry, and the collusion of FDA and other governmental agencies that are mandated to protect us." http://www.wholesoystory.com/index.php

Tuesday, may 17, 2011 Gifts in the Rain Even though the day started off with fog, sheets of rain and a chill in the air, I had a great day. I grabbed an umbrella, and took a walk in the rain. Who knows what tomorrow will bring. Today I felt the kind of gratitude that you can only feel when something that has been taken from you has been returned. Everything is borrowed.

Sunday, may 15, 2011 Turning Challenges into Possibilities Did you know that Laura Ingalls Wilder published her first book, Little House in the Big Woods when she was 65? It was the first of her 8-volume Little House series. On http://www.Zentertainment.org, we talk about turning challenges into opportunities. Laura Wilder had some really hard things happen to her in life, and yet she didn't give up. The first few years of her marriage were full of trials. Complications from a life-threatening illness left her husband partially paralyzed. He eventually regained nearly full use of his legs, but needed a cane to walk for the rest of his life. Then there was the death of their unnamed newborn son, the destruction of their home and barn by fire, and several years of severe drought that left them in debt, physically ill, and unable to earn a living from their 320 acres of prairie land. When arthritis had crippled Grandma Moses's hands, she no longer embroider. But she could hold a brush. Grandma Moses didn't start painting until she was 76. Her first one woman show was held in NYC in 1940. She was 80 years old, and became one of the most prolific and well known painters in America!

Saturday, may 14, 2011 A Short Tour of Pier A in New York City

Friday, may 13, 2011 Getting something off my chest This morning I got an email. It was from a company recommended by a well known author, and I guess I signed up to find out more, because there the email was in my inbox this morning. Two women are charging $2000 for their online class on how to be successful online. (How to get rich? Charge people $2000 for your class). They say if you haven't signed up yet, you don't want it bad enough. Mmm. They wrote that "I can't afford it" is just an excuse. Really? If I don't want to spend $2000 on your online business training that means I somehow don't want to be successful? They say "I can't afford it" just means you don't want to work hard to get it. I am a very nice person, but this kind of marketing brings out the claws in me. I think the people I was referring to in this post are in some ways, the real deal. I browsed around and checked out some videos. I saw some very cool ideas and thoughts being offered. Nothing I need to spend $2000 on. I would rather spend $500 and hire someone to work with me personally a few times. I don't want to include links, because I don't want to influence anybody's ideas of them specifically. And they have probably helped many people. But suggesting that someone who doesn't take you up on your $2000 training is someone who doesn't want success, is pretty creepy no matter how you try and frame it. Telling people that "I can't afford it" is just an excuse, doesn't really fly with me. There ARE people who cannot afford it. There are people who can't even afford to eat much less pay for a training course this expensive. If something is true, it must be true everywhere. Try going to some poverty stricken nations and tell people that "I can't afford it" is just an excuse. When I was in Haiti, a box of cereal cost more than what some people made in a week! Now if we want to talk about how our thoughts can influence our reality, sure, let's do it. I think we have enormous influence over our lives by what we think. We can choose to dwell permanently in negativity, or we can pick ourselves up and after dealing with what we are feeling, however long it takes, move into a more positive space. We do this our whole lives, really. Back and forth. Don't close up and clam up and think you have to block certain emotions and feelings because they are supposedly negative. Feel them and heal them. It's OK and actually quite human to feel them! When you find yourself spiraling downward, complaining too much, try and re focus. Or if you need some time to be in that darker space, go for it. Then refocus. At times, I have learned first hand that how we feel physically influences how we think, and this is especially true for everyone I know who is dealing with extreme fatigue issues from illnesses, as well as extreme levels of pain. This is not something many people understand who promote from the feel good and happy all the time campaigns. I see far too much of that in the self help field. By the way, that is not the mission of the above people I am referring to. They are doing more of a business training. There is a reason for that saying, "Health is everything." And there is a reason people say "It is hard to feel happy when you feel really sick." That is a challenge I dare anyone to climb. Then try starting or running a business on top of it. All the bumper stickers fly out the window. Unless they happen to read something like, "I've got the perfect body....but it's in the trunk and beginning to stink!" It is my own personal experience that has given me a more balanced perspective around this. That is why you don't see me dishing out the BS that is so prevalent in much of the happy sappy new age self growth field. I am very much for positive thinking, for affirmations, for focusing on what IS working. If I were to say over and over and over again, "I can't afford that." then it would contribute to an atmosphere that makes me never able to afford something more. You don't really ever hear me saying that. I tend to think more in the realm of possibilities, while also dealing with reality. There is a balance. Here's the thing. There are many paths to success and many ways to get there. One class, one seminar or workshop, is not the be all end all. So go with your gut. If something is right for you, you will know. And maybe something wrong for you at one time will be right at another. But be careful. There are a lot of promises out there, and they don't always lead to results. No one class can make you a success. YOU make you a success. Not only that, there are many definitions of success. Success doesn't always mean selling something. Sometimes it is simply serving. Sometimes it is both. Do what you love, and turn your passion into purpose to help serve the world. Whatever form that takes. Make yourself happier, and you will make the world happier.

Thursday, may 12, 2011 Self Compassion is more stable than Self Esteem! A few weeks ago, I had the chance to sit down and chat with Rupert Isaacson about his books, and his trip to Mongolia with his wife and their son. http://www.horseboymovie.com/ I also recently had the chance to spend some time with Rupert's wife, Kristin Neff. She has a fabulous new book out called: "Self Compassion, Stop Beating Yourself Up and Leave Insecurity Behind." Kristin's website is full of of wonderful articles and videos! Check this out- http://www.self-compassion.org We are constantly bombarded with articles about self esteem. The problem is that the pursuit of self esteem has almost become a religion in our culture. And of course there is always somebody richer, somebody more attractive, somebody more successful. Even when we do have those moments of glory, they last all of 5 minutes. You might have the best selling record, the coolest apartment, the fantastic career, you might be in the best shape of your life, and on and on. But when these temporary things shift, then what? Who are you? Most of the things we build our self esteem and self confidence upon are fleeting. Someone compliments us, we feel good about ourselves. Someone criticizes us, we feel bad. Somebody lavishes us with praise and attention, we feel worthy. Somebody ignores us, we feel rejected. We have huge success in some area, and we are on top of the world. We fall flat on our face, and we beat ourselves up. Self esteem can be like a ping pong game with its endless back and forth and ups and downs, wins and losses. Is there something more stable than this? YES. It is self compassion. How is it more stable? How does this work? Sometimes we think that self criticism is motivating. In fact, it's the opposite. It just makes us feel bad. What are the costs of self judgment? Kristin says that "even if we do manage to get our act together, the goalposts for what counts as good enough seem always to remain frustratingly out of reach. Insecurity, anxiety and depression are incredibly common in our society, and much of this is due to self judgment, to beating ourselves up when we feel we aren't winning in the game of life." "So what's the answer? To stop judging and evaluating ourselves altogether. To stop trying to label ourselves as good or bad and simply accept ourselves with an open heart. To treat ourselves with the same kindness, caring and compassion we would show to a good friend, or even a stranger for that matter. " She continues to write, "When I first came across the idea of self compassion, it changed my life almost immediately...I was going through a really difficult time following the breakup of my first marriage, and I was full of shame and self-loathing.... I wasn't making myself a better person by beating myself up all the time. Instead, I was causing myself to feel inadequate and insecure, then taking out my frustrations on the people closest to me. More than that, I wasn't owning up to many things because I was so afraid of the self hate that would follow if I admitted the truth..." If you would like to know more about how self compassion can be applied to situations where you feel physical or emotional pain, consider this... Kristin wrote, "Suffering stems from comparing our reality to our ideals. When reality matches our wants and desires, we're happy and satisfied. When reality doesn't match our wants and desires, we suffer. The more we resist the fact of what is happening right now, the more we suffer. Pain is like a gaseous substance. If you allow it to just be there freely, it will eventually dissipate on its own. If you fight and resist the pain, walling it into a confined space, the pressure will grow and grow until there is an explosion. Mindfulness allows us to stop resisting reality because it holds all experiencing in non judgmental awareness...." I love this book, and I love how it has made me stop and think twice about some of the things I catch myself saying to myself. I don't always practice what I preach, but I preach what I need to learn! Self compassion. This book gives you practical advice to apply to your life. To read more, get a copy of Kristin's book: It is REALLY good! http://www.harpercollins.com/book/pre-order.aspx?isbn13=9780061733512 This is the direct link to my conversation with her: http://www.zentertainment.org/podcasts/zentertainment82.mp3

Thursday, may 12, 2011 Millions Against Monsanto I saw this incredible video this morning. PLEASE friends everyone check this out. This is so eye opening! http://www.youtube.com/user/organicconsumer?feature=mhum

Thursday, may 12, 2011 Some thoughts on treatments for lyme disease Read the full article at: http://www.townsendletter.com/April2011/naturolyme0411.html My patients have responded well when I treat them with an herb called larrea tridentata, in a product called LarreaPlus by Biogenesis. I think that this herb is at least as effective as Valtrex, but is less toxic to the body, and is also anti-inflammatory. LarreaPlus also contains bee propolis, Melissa officinalis, olive leaf, L-lysine, zinc and Vitamin C. --- Smilax is somewhat like a neurological cleanser, and helps them to deal with the neurotoxin aspect of Lyme. So for my patients who have strong neurological symptoms, I recommend that they start off by taking smilax and teasel, and then work up to the more potent herbal formulas. ---- So the first few weeks of a typical Lyme disease protocol might involve patients taking Diflucan and/or Nystatin, along with smilax and transfer factor the first week, adding teasel to the protocol the second week, and then adding samento or guaiacum, or my herbal Lyme formula, the third week. At week four, patients start antibiotics while continuing to take the other supplements, because I believe that combining herbs with antibiotics is much more effective than just doing antibiotics alone. Also, it's important to note that while antibiotics kill bugs, they also weaken the body. They aren't selective about what they kill; they will knock out bad stuff, but also the good, because they don't discriminate against microorganisms. Herbs work synergistically with antibiotics by making them more effective, but they also protect the body, by providing support to the liver, other organs and tissues. Antibiotics take a greater toll on the body if people don't take supportive herbs, nutrients and probiotics. --- To support the immune system, I recommend transfer factor, beta glucan, astragalus and colostrum, as well as intravenous vitamin cocktails. I'm a fan of Myer's cocktails, which are intravenous cocktails containing calcium, B-12 and other B vitamins, Vitamin C, magnesium, and trace minerals. When my patients do these once per week, it helps to alleviate their symptoms, because they receive the vitamins and minerals that they need in higher concentrations than if they were to take them orally. Also, the nutrients get pushed into their cells more easily with an IV. For example, people with Lyme have magnesium deficiencies, and I suspect that many take this mineral orally but that much of it doesn't get into their cells. -- I advocate a lot of adrenal and thyroid support for my patients. To help determine what their hormonal needs are, I run a saliva cortisol test, which measures adrenal function. Along with that, I run blood tests for the thyroid. I find that many of my patients have thyroid hormone test results that fall within the "low-normal" range, which actually means that they have sub-clinical thyroid hormone deficiencies. To make up for such deficiencies, people often think that they must supplement their thyroid with either synthetic thyroid hormone or Armour (which is sourced from pigs), but they can also take bioidentical thyroid hormone, which mimics human thyroid hormone exactly and is my preferred method of supplementation. Adding iodine, zinc and selenium to the diet – nutrients needed by the thyroid gland to produce thyroid hormone – is sufficient for giving some patients the boost that they need. I also believe that if I give my patients supplements for their thyroid without supporting their adrenals, it's akin to putting one foot on the gas pedal of a car while the hand brake is still on. This is because thyroid supplementation speeds up the body's metabolism but when the adrenal glands are weak, the body doesn't have the constitutional strength to support this accelerated metabolism. --- For that reason, and because most of my patients suffer from adrenal depletion, I also give them a lot of nutrition and natural support for their adrenals, such as the herbs ashwagandha, rhodiola and Cordy ceps, and nutrients such as vitamins B-5 and B-6. I also recommend licorice if their cortisol levels are low and their adrenal glands need re-building, and as long as they are not hypertensive or estrogen dominant, as licorice use is contraindicated in these conditions. I don't recommend a lot of glandular formulas because I don't believe that they are all that natural for the body, ----- cortisol is a very important hormone that regulates blood sugar, metabolism, immune function and detoxification, as well as other functions, and when the body's levels of this hormone are out of whack, then the reproductive and other hormones are generally out of whack, too. ---- For detoxifying heavy metals, lately, I have been giving EDTA and glutathione suppositories to my patients. When these two suppositories are used together, it has been demonstrated that the body dumps triple the amount of metals than if the EDTA had been used alone, so it's a nice combination. Some people don't like the idea of suppositories however, and instead prefer oral chelators. I used to prescribe oral DMSA on a rotating schedule of three days on, eleven days off, but some people with Lyme don't cope well with this chelator because it causes too much of a detoxification reaction and the dosing schedule is too difficult for them to maintain. Lately, one Lyme-literate doctor has been advocating 100 mg of DMSA every three days, along with NAC and alpha lipoic acid, which may be a more manageable and gradual heavy metal chelation program. I have been using this protocol also, but so far, it's too early for me to know whether I can report the same success as this doctor. In general, EDTA is known to be a better lead chelator, while DMSA and DMPS are more specific for mercury. Finally, I tend to treat the body for infections before heavy metals. Once patients are either stable and doing well on their anti-microbial treatments, or if they reach a plateau in their progress and I suspect that heavy metals might be getting in the way of further progress, then I will start them on a heavy metal detoxification protocol. Other doctors believe that it's important to clear the body of heavy metals before attempting treatment for infections. In the end, these decisions are made on a case-by-case basis. It is often difficult to prioritize patients' health issues and know which ones to treat first! --- Unfortunately, some people have impaired sulfur metabolism and glutathione and methyl B-12 can actually make them worse. Such people don't do well on a lot of remedies, so they are a challenging population to treat. ----- Sometimes, detoxification problems can be corrected by simply opening up the body's phase one and phase two liver enzyme pathways. I recommend medical foods like Ultra Clear by Metagenics to help open up the phase two pathways. Most of the time, people have more trouble with phase two than phase one pathways. I also use artichoke and dandelion root (which I import from Australia) for improving phase two pathways. Dandelion root can be made into a coffee-like beverage. I can't find anything in the United States that compares to it, so I bring it home by the jarful whenever I go to Australia. ---- People with Lyme disease should not consume gluten. This is vital for healing. I know that it's not easy, especially because, to be truly gluten-free, people must be well educated on the issue of which foods contain gluten. Yet it's important, because those who eat a lot of products containing dairy, sugar and gluten are the ones who seem to fare the worst with their treatments, most likely because these are pro-inflammatory substances. I don't mind my patients eating brown rice and potatoes, but if yeast is a problem for them, then any carbohydrate can make this problem worse. If they don't have too many problems with yeast, then they might be able to eat some grains. In addition to not consuming gluten, people with Lyme should avoid refined sugar. One study has demonstrated that one teaspoon of refined sugar suppresses the immune system for sixteen hours. Knowing this might help people to stop and think, "Gosh, maybe I shouldn't have that dessert!" Dairy products are likewise inflammatory. Lyme disease can have devastating effects upon a person's life, and the road to recovery can be long and strenuous. However, recovery is possible and those with Lyme should never give up hope for a full recovery. Nicola McFadzean, ND RestorMedicine 1111 Fort Stockton Drive, Suite H San Diego, California 92103 619-546-4065 Fax: 619-270-2582 info@drnicola.com

Wednesday, may 11, 2011 The Beautiful City Hall Park in NYC

Tuesday, may 10, 2011 World Trade Center, a work in progress

Saturday, may 7, 2011 A Mother's Day Poem

Friday, may 6, 2011

Thursday, may 5, 2011 A day surrounded by History Today was a very interesting day. It started with President Obama being here in the neighborhood to meet with families and mark the final capture and death of Osama bin Laden. It was a day full of emotions. Relief, amazed it took this long, sadness, reflection about what happened almost 10 years ago, some sort of deep ache that lives on even in the middle of much joy and life that goes on around us. It is amazing to stand in a place and know that the President is right there nearby, so close. You can feel the excitement. What a job he has. It is really something. The demands the job requires seem almost beyond human at times. It was very moving and touching to be standing across from the World Trade Center site, witnessing this point in time. After taking it in, literally, on so many levels, I walked back home. Later I went out to go to a store, but walked a block further and found myself walking into Trinity Church. A very distant cousin is buried in the cemetery there. His name was Benjamin Moore. He was a rector at Trinity for a short time, delivered last rites to Alexander Hamilton, and was the second bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New York. Sometimes I like to visit him, and ask him questions. I wanted to talk to him today. But the cemetery was closed. I went into the church itself. It was dark and yet comforting. I heard the sounds of singing, and followed the voices until I was in a tiny chapel. I felt as if I had stepped back in time, and felt strangely connected to some ancient spiritual history. I was mesmerized. I watched and listened, and even breathed in the swirls of incense which normally would have bothered me, and yet they did not. I found my mind wandering off to thoughts about the life of Hildegard of Bingen. I thought of the movie I recently watched about her life. The book I read. The things in her life that I could relate to. Her spiritual nature, her love of herbs, plants and natural medicines, her compositions and music. Her visions. Her illnesses. I walked back out into the sanctuary and felt the many ancestors who have gone before me, such strong strands of spiritual DNA flowing through my veins. I walked home and stopped at the corner, wondering what tourists were taking a picture of. It was a plaque that I have passed so many times and yet never noticed before. It said, "Adjoining this site was the first Dutch Fort on Manhattan island known as Fort New Amsterdam. The first house was erected here before 1664. In 1771 Captain Archibald Kennedy built here his residence which was used in 1776 by General Washington as his headquarters and later by General Howe during the British occupation. It was later used as a hotel..." How cool, I thought to myself. I came inside, made dinner, had a great conversation with one of my doctors, and then started reading some memoirs I found from a first cousin back many generations. His name was Charles Osborn, and he was a Friends minister, Quaker, and the founder of "The Philanthropist" paper which was the first anti slavery newspaper in the United States. Benjamin Lundy was the editor and later published another newspaper that was anti slavery. Because of his anti slavery views and the way he promoted them publicly and passionately, Charles was cast out of the church. He started a new branch. I read his passionate words, "Slavery is a heinous sin, it outrages all the rights of man, and violates the plain commandments of God. How then, let me ask you, in the name of Christianity, justice and humanity, can you continue in the use of slave labor, knowing at the same time, that by doing so, you are supporting a system that has no parallel in wickedness? Religion without humanity is but mockery, and the worst of hypocrisy....Slaveholders and consumers of slave labor form the grand confederation of man stealers, doubtless the worst and yet most honored company of thieves that ever walked among men...." Today has been a day where I have felt so surrounded by history. I still feel it surrounding me even now, and reflect upon it.

Tuesday, may 3, 2011 Deception in the health "food" industry One of the docs I am working with prescribed me to take protein powder by a company that likes to think of itself as "America's leader in herbal medicine." I read the label on the daily energy supplement shake. Lots of vitamins, minerals, green foods, amino acids, veggies, etc. It says on the label, This product does not contain artificial coloring artificial flavoring artificial ingredients dairy products lactose milk preservatives wheat yeast On closer inspection, I read: Other Ingredients: 100% pure crystalline fructose, Natural flavors, Chicory root extract, Maltodextrin fiber, Xanthan gum Contains trace amounts of soy. We pretty much know that fructose is not so great. Neither is soy. Some more digging around, and I discovered that the small amounts of soy in this product are actually GMO soy. The company representative wrote me back and said: "Currently, there are no demonstrated health issues with genetically modified/ genetically engineered (GM/GE) ingredients." Can you believe that one??? As for my inquiry about what is in the "natural flavors," I was told that the natural flavors are proprietary. (That means a trade secret).

Tuesday, may 3, 2011 Girlfriends- check this out-

Monday, may 2, 2011 NJ SHORE pic

Saturday, apr 30, 2011

Friday, apr 29, 2011

Thursday, apr 28, 2011

Thursday, apr 28, 2011 Strawberry Heaven

Wednesday, apr 27, 2011 Cynthia O'Neal & Friends in Deed I spent this past Sunday with Kristin Neff, wife of Rupert Isaacson. Rupert was featured in last week's podcast. Rupert, Kristin and their little boy Rowan journeyed across Mongolia on horseback. Their adventure is documented in the film and book: http://www.horseboymovie.com Kristin has a new book out, and I'll be sharing that soon! I also dragged her all over Battery Park City and of course, took her to the best gelato place around. We had fun. It was also the first warm day here in NYC which was nice. Monday I had the wonderful opportunity to sit down and talk to Cynthia O'Neal. http://www.zentertainment.org/podcasts.html Cynthia use to be an actress and model. At one point she was living what you might call a dream life. She was married to the famous stage and screen actor Patrick O'Neal, the mother of two young sons, a resident of the Dakota downstairs from John Lennon, the owner of the successful Ginger Man restaurant, and frequent guest at dinner parties with Leonard Bernstein and Rudolf Nureyev. (The restaurant was later re named O'Neals, and after 46 years, is set to close this June, how sad)! http://www.onealsny.com/1-menus.htm The AIDS epidemic hit the arts community hard. Affected by what she saw happening around her, she changed course suddenly, surprisingly, and completely. With the support of longtime friend Mike Nichols, she founded Friends in Deed and soon found herself anywhere a patient needed a hug, a hand held, or confidence boosted. And when Patrick became ill and passed away in 1994, Cynthia had to work through her own grief instead of someone else's. She found her life transformed again. I can't begin to tell you how inspired and touched I was by our conversation. It lifted me up in so many ways. I told many friends that talking to her was like getting a glimpse into the golden age of show business. She shared some incredible stories, including what it was like to live in the same building as John Lennon. She actually heard the shots fired the day he was killed, and in this interview she talks about what it was like that day and in days that followed. The organization she founded with Mike Nichols, FRIENDS IN DEED is a place that helps people with ANY life threatening illness as well as caregivers and people dealing with grief. The center offers support groups, therapies and workshops. http://www.friendsindeed.org/ My conversation with Cynthia was one of the most lively, interesting conversations I've had. It will make you laugh, make you cry, uplift you and inspire you! It turned my day around, that's for sure. I know many of you love my transcripts, so I have included some excerpts below, but please listen to this one and hear it from her. It is really wonderful to hear her voice. And you know, there is something about hearing people of her generation- their voices and inflections often have a very lyrical, musical tone to them. Have you ever noticed that? I love that! Her journey is an inspiring one...Please join me and listen in... http://www.zentertainment.org/podcasts/zentertainment81.mp3 ******************************************************************** Excerpts from my conversation with Cynthia O'Neal Which can be heard at : http://www.zentertainment.org/ ******************************************************************************************** "I grew up in California, a lot of years in the San Fernando Valley, which at that time was a valley. I went to school on a dirt road. There were orange groves everywhere, the whole place smelled of orange blossoms....." "I graduated from high school in San Francisco...I started modeling..and then the next step was to go to Hollywood and become an actress...I quickly got a big part on a tv show called Matinee Theater. Every day five days a week, it was an hour length live show every day on NBC! Live! I plunged in, absolute moxie... I was too dumb to know to be frightened about it..." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matinee_Theater "Patrick was in The Way We Were, Castle Keep, King Rat, Where Were You When the Lights Went Out, and he did a lot of things on Broadway.....The Night of the Iguana...Tennessee Williams really wrote that play for him, that part for him..." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_O'Neal) "They cast Betty Davis, and that was a disastrous decision. She was demanding and difficult, and Patrick....he didn't know how to cope with Betty Davis, she was just a steamroller....I think after the show, he started drinking in a way I had never seen him drink before..." "One of the great animal tricks of all time, we had a big beautiful striped tabby cat and for some reason "Chopper" felt strongly about candles. He didn't want them lit. One night about 8 or 10 of us were sitting around a long table, and I had put candles all down the table, and in the middle of dinner, Chopper jumped up on the table, started at one end, and everyone couldn't even breathe. He would smash his paw down on the candle, put it and, and of course shake it because it was hot wax...and then he would move to the next one. He went all down the table and put each one out, and when he was finished, the guests went mad. We were creaming, yelling, applauding and jumping up and down!" "Patrick went out for a walk and came back and said, "Lincoln Center is almost finished....and I can't help but notice that there aren't any new restaurants...There was a garage for rent for $465 per month. We said, wouldn't it be fun, we could just do this little perfect restaurant...." "We called it the Ginger Man. It was a glory in the early days, Only 60 seats, and all the artists came. We would sit there, have something to eat, drink champagne, and there was Leonard Bernstein and George Balanchine, and the stars from the Opera- it was about as swell as anything could be, absolutely great...It was just the inside of the art world...." "The day John Lennon was shot was a deciding event in my life...I was nuts about John Lennon...One of the great things about living in the Dakota, was that I was living in the same building John Lennon was living in, which felt like some glorious thing had been achieved, I'm not sure what (laughs)....but anyway there we were. I would see him in the elevator, and I just loved him. So then came that night...I was home. I heard the shots. My son came running in the room...." ... I remember seeing Chapman, he had been outside a few days, before he killed him...." ..." I decided to go to a weekend workshop Louise Hay was leading for people with AIDS..I was moved and touched, they were all so young......something made me want to be in the room with these people....that changed it all..." "Many came from small towns where they did not feel welcome, they were judged, criticized, told something was wrong with them...." "So in one call, some of the families would find out two things- that their son was gay, and that he had this fatal illness.....alot of the families could not cope with it, they never came, they never even came...." "One place I had a problem with from the Course In Miracles was that the only things that exist are things of love and from God, and if it is not from love and God it doesn't even exist, following up with AIDS is not from God and love, so it doesn't exist...well, there's nowhere to work with that as far as I'm concerned...That didn't work for me at all- I thought we'll do better if we work from, AIDS is very real, it does exist, and now that it's here, how do we do the very best we can with it...." "This is not a place where we talk about prescriptions...which is a valid thing to talk about...but we're talking about the emotional, the spiritual part of being sick....if you're frightened it doesn't matter what you have, you're frightened...." "Pam looked like those girls in high school that I always had a hard time with....I had a hard time in high school, and she looked exactly like those San Mateo high school girls in sweater sets and a single strand of pearls....,my initial reaction to her was transformed 180 degrees....I saw how incredibly caring and loving she was...and what a warrior she was, and she was a great teacher for me...." "The truth is that we don't see anything, we don't see the world as it is, we see it as we are....it's always personal, out of our history, our story, is how we see everything....we don't see things clearly, cleanly, how could we? Our own filter is an accumulation of every experience we've ever had, and this is how we view things." "Friends in Deed always needs financial help, and we would also like to expand- it should not be only in New York City...a lot of support out there is around the idea that this is a very terrible thing, but somehow we'll get through it together, and we don't feel that- we see it all as possibility. We are there supporting each other, taking whatever shows up in our lives, and using it to become richer, more compassionate human beings. That's what we're there to do...so we don't look at anything as a disaster. I think this is work that needs to be in many more places...." http://www.friendsindeed.org/ Cynthia's gorgeous book is called TALK SOFTLY. Pick up a copy here! http://www.amazon.com/Talk-Softly-Memoir-Cynthia-ONeal/dp/158322906X

Saturday, apr 23, 2011 it's so rainy cold and grey... surely this means flowers are coming my way!

Thursday, apr 21, 2011 The Horse Boy, an amazing true story Hey my friends- Watch this film trailer! This is one of the most inspiring films I have ever seen! http://www.horseboymovie.com/Film.php It was lyrical and beautiful, with stunning scenery and music. The Horse Boy is a true story about a boy named Rowan and his parents Rupert and Kristin Isaacson, as they travel through Mongolia in search of a mysterious shaman who they believe can heal their autistic son. This film delves into the world of autism, the relationship between humans and animals and between different cultures and different ways of being. This is no ordinary adventure. Then again, are any adventures ordinary? This is the story of a family that will go to the end of the earth to find a way into their son's life. Watch the trailer here! http://www.horseboymovie.com/Film.php I had the amazing opportunity to sit down with Rupert Isaacson the other day, and talk about his experiences. You'll be lifted up, moved, and I think as I was, feel inspired by the incredible strength of the human spirit in the face of adversity. Hear my conversation with Rupert on the show page here at Zentertainment Talk Radio. You can purchase the dvd at http://www.horseboymovie.com/Film.php You can also rent it on Netflix at: http://www.netflix.com/Movie/The-Horse-Boy/70112746 And I just found out that at the moment, you can view it on Hulu.com For the book and an audio set of CDs: http://www.amazon.com/Horse-Boy-Fathers-Quest-Heal/dp/B003P2VDB0/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1303344362&sr=1-1 "In April 2004, my son Rowan was diagnosed with autism. The feeling was like being hit across the face with a baseball bat. Grief, shame-this weird irrational shame, as if I had somehow cursed this child by giving him my faulty genes, condemned him to living a life as an alien because of me. Of watching, horrified, as he began to drift away to another place, separated from me as by a thick glass, or the see through barrier of a dream..." "Rowan was born in 2001, seven years after his parents met while touring India. His father, Rupert, a British journalist and human-rights activist, and his mother, Kristin, a psychology professor from suburban California, felt the world was their oyster. After their son was diagnosed with autism in 2004, their perfect life began to fall apart. They tried conventional therapies, diets, and medication, all to no avail. Rupert had witnessed the potency of traditional healing and discovered that his son had a special bond with horses. He researched and found a place that combined horseback riding and shamanic healing-Mongolia. The next step was convincing his wife they should take their son to Ulaanbaatar and travel on horseback, searching for the elusive reindeer herders and the most powerful shaman in the country." http://www.horseboymovie.com/ This is one of those MUST SEE films. I had a great time meeting Rupert, talking in person, and hearing about his experiences. I hope you will watch this beautiful film, and enjoy our interview conversation! Jo

Wednesday, apr 20, 2011 Every Day is a Poem

Wednesday, apr 20, 2011 Walking the Path Today I walked along a labyrinth. I walked slowly in long wide circles and yet my thoughts were going about 100mph. The next thing I knew, I found myself in this circle in the center. Suddenly I heard the words, "I am in the sweet nectar of life." A chill went through me, and I realized I was. I stood there a moment and felt it all through my body. Then I walked out, back into the maze again.

Monday, apr 18, 2011 I like this- ‎"When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down "happy". They told me I didn’t understand the assignment. I told them they didn’t understand life." - John Lennon

Monday, apr 18, 2011 A Grand Adventure I realized this morning that with all the ups and downs, the joys, the things I think I cannot bear, the longings, and the dreams that tug at my heart, with all the things that happen, my life is a grand adventure.

Monday, apr 18, 2011 I love the poetry I see around me-

Tuesday, apr 12, 2011 Hope & HEALING I am excited to bring you some great cutting edge information. This is a transcript of the show with Dr. Neil Nathan. Feel free to share this transcript with everyone you know who might need help! Dr. Nathan is also offering autographed copies of his book. His email address is: neil@gordonmedical.com The audio will be posted later today and available to hear on the show page. Zentertainment Talk Radio with Jo Davidson Episode #79 http://www.Zentertainment.org Featuring: Dr Neil Nathan, "On Hope and Healing for Those Who Have Fallen Through The Medical Cracks." Dr Neil Nathan specializes in cutting edge treatments to help people with c omplicated cases of lyme disease, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, chronic pain, autism, mercury toxicity, thyroid and adrenal disorders, digestive problems and more. http://www.gordonmedical.com/neil_nathan.html http://www.amazon.com/Hope-Healing-Fallen-Through-Medical/dp/0982818408 Music for this episode is by Maria Kostelas from http://www.flutes of the world.com I'm going to be giving away some free books in the upcoming week, so if you are not already signed up for the Zentertainment newsletter, make sure to join and get the chance to win. It's FREE to sign up! http://www.Zentertainment.org ********************************** DR. NEIL NATHAN ON HOPE AND HEALING Jo: Can you tell us about your book and your medical background? NEIL: I've been practicing medicine for almost 40 years. I started out as a family doctor who delivered babies, did surgery, and worked in the emergency room. My passion back then, was to help as many people as I could. I realized many years ago that I had to learn a lot more, to accomplish that. I am a board certified physician, but I also started studying every form of healing that I could get my hands on. Things like osteopathic manipulation, homeopathy, biochemistry, prolotherapy, emotional release work, hypnosis.... Everything I learned, allowed me to help a few more people. Over the years, my practice evolved into only treating complicated people who had been to other physicians and not been helped. I began to specialize in things like chronic fatigue, lyme disease, fibromyalgia, autism, chronic pain problems, etc. Jo: Many people who listen to this show have not only seen conventional doctors, but tons of alternative doctors and still are not better. What do you offer that is different? Neil: Over the years, I have helped the vast majority of the people I have seen. Helping them be cured or helping them be considerably better. That's not everyone though, and that's what pushes me to keep studying and learning for those people where I haven't found the answers. Why do I think I can do better than others who have worked in this area? If there is an answer to this question, it's about the breadth that I bring to the table. Most people try to solve problems from the knowledge base they have. If you are an acupuncturist, you think of this in acupuncturist terms. Energy flow, chinese medicine, herbs. If you are a naturopath, your primary focus is on all of the natural modes of healing that exist. If there is something I am different in, it is that I try to bring everything I have ever learned to that table. I can look at it from a wide variety of perspectives. When I sit down with a patient, I try not to have any preconceived idea of what is wrong them them. I let them instruct me and teach me from their story, what is really going on. Then I can begin to sort out the components. Jo: That is a great way to look at it. Many times when people with extensive files go to a new doctor, they get "pegged." Sometimes it is better to look at each person in a new way. Neil: I have to. Because most of the people who see me, have seen lots of other people before me. My starting premise is, if those ideas were valuable, they wouldn't be seeing me. All of those very nice, wonderful people have missed something or some things. That is what I am on the lookout for. What HAVEN'T we done. There is no point in re creating the wheel. I don't need to re test someone in a way that they've been tested 4 times before and it hasn't been fruitful. That's a waste of the time, energy and money. The overriding question is, what have we missed? What has somehow not come into consciousness that we need to be looking at? Jo: What are the very best tests for the adrenal hormones, sex hormones, thyroid function? There are many contradictory opinions out there about how to test and treat these things. Neil: Probably everything we're going to talk about is going to be controversial. I have sought medical testing that is USEFUL and what I mean by that is that the number I get generated on a lab report has to translate into fixing that number by treating it, resulting in improvement. I have very strong biases about which tests are the best. I know those will contradict some other people's opinions. For example, when we first started working with DHEA, which is the main hormone made by the adrenal gland, I was working at the time with Dr. Norm Shealy. And what Norm did at the time, is he sent split specimens of the patient's blood to every major lab. That means, it was the same patient's blood going to different labs. In fact, he would even send the same patient's blood to the SAME lab with different names on it! Jo: GREAT experiment. How did it turn out? Neil: It turned out that only ONE lab in the entire country was worth a hoot in giving us a reproducible number! That means that if I send the same lab the same specimen and they do several measurements on it, those measurements need to be pretty close. Within 5% accuracy, so I can count on-that number actually means something. With DHEA we found that we could send it to our local hospitals, and the difference could be as high as a 50% difference. So it meant we really needed to be careful about who did our testing. JO: Do you use saliva or blood testing? NEIL: I like blood testing much more than saliva, pretty much across the board. I find the number more useful for me. To be specific, and by the way I have no connection to any lab or testing facility in any financial way whatsoever, this is purely who gives me the information that I can use. I've found that Quest Diagnostics gives me the best DHEA, and Genova, which used to be called Smoky Mountain Lab, does the best testing for hormones. Genova does a very nice panel which includes a DHEA, all three estrogens, progesterone, and testosterone. I have found those numbers much more accurate in guiding me. JO: Do they test dopamine or cortisol? NEIL: Testing dopamine is notoriously difficult. Recent papers show that a single urine test of dopamine has no relevance to what is going on in the brain whatsoever.It only tells us what the kidney is doing with dopamine. A lot of people have started to rely on urinary testing of dopamine and seratonin and ephinephrine and norapinephrine. But a single measurements is literally worthless in helping us know what we've really got! I will also add, those tests DO have validity if you are using amino acids to build up neurotransmitters. If you keep repeating the tests after changing your dosage, that information does have some value in helping you get where you need to go therapeutically. JO: For adrenal tests, most of the naturopaths do 24 hour saliva tests. NEIL: I suggest blood. In my experience it is far more accurate. The adrenal test I like to do to start with, is the DHEA. If I do cortisol, I like to get a baseline cortisol level and then do a standard endocrinology test called a cortrosyn stimulation test. The patient comes in fasting at 8AM, we get a baselines cortisol. We give them a shot of cortrosyn, which is a type of ACTH that is the stimulatory hormone that the pituitary makes to stimulate the adrenal gland to make more cortisol. Basically, that duplicates what the body does with stress. Exactly 30 minutes later, we remeasure the cortisol level. This test was standardized by William Jefferies in his classical book, "Safe uses for Cortisol." Jeffrey was the dean of cortisol research for two schools, his whole life. His research has often been under appreciated. But that is the best way to make the diagnosis of an adrenal gland that is not making an adequate amount of cortisol. What is suppose to happen, is in response to having that shot, you should be able to triple what the adrenal gland makes. If it doesn't, it means that under stress, the adrenal gland cannot function properly. Those people are candidates for taking LOW doses of Cortef. JO: I was actually allergic to that! NEIL: Rare patients are allergic to cortef, or progesterone, or estrogen or even to serotonin. There are ways of desensitizing patients to that. There are some allergy based neutralization treatments that can change the body's reactivity so that someone needs it will be able to take it. JO: I like to share a broad range of ideas. We all know there are many contradictory ideas out there, and what works for one person might not work for another. But I love this book- Neil can you share where people can get it and how they can contact you? NEIL: Absolutely. The book is called "On Hope and Healing for Those Who Have Fallen Through The Medical Cracks" It is available on AMAZON and we hope to have it available on Kindle very soon. http://www.amazon.com/Hope-Healing-Fallen-Through-Medical/dp/0982818408 JO: Let's talk about some basics. How do you test for Vitamin D, B vitamins and magnesium? NEIL: Vitamin D has reached mainstream now, so your primary physician can test for that. It is readily available, and easy to treat. For many years, we were under the mistaken concept that a small amount of Vitamin D in the the 400 IU range, would replace our needs. Now we know we were off by a factor of 10. Magnesium is a more interesting and even more important subject. Magnesium is in the body primarily inside of cells. It doesn't float around in the serum, it is inside cells (the vast majority). An accurate test, requires an intracellular measurement. The standard thing primary physicians measure is the serum level. Now what the body will do... If the serum level is low, it will suck magnesium out of the cells to keep the serum level up. So you won't see a serum magnesium deficiency show up until you are PROFOUNDLY deficient. The red blood cell magnesium measures the amount of magnesium inside of red blood cells. That is about half as accurate as your basic intracellular magnesium test. It is not a blood test. You scrape cells from the inside of the mouth under the tongue. We smear the cells onto a slide which is mailed to a company called Intracellular Diagnostics. They can literally analyze the intracellular measurement of what the magnesium content of the cells are. This is the most accurate test we know of to determine whether someone is deficient in magnesium. JO: I am sure many people have never had that test done! That's a big one! NEIL: When I worked at the Shealy Institute, we found that 90% of our patients with ANY chronic condition- fibromyalgia, chronic pain, CFIDS, you name it, they will be low on magnesium. JO: Do you think that magnesium deficiency is an even bigger deal than Vitamin D? NEIL: Yes! There's no question in my mind that it is. It is way more common, and I think it affects the body more profoundly than a Vitamin D deficiency. You can get by with a bit of a vitamin D deficiency, you can't get by with a magnesium deficiency. Magnesium is a central mineral to all nerve muscle functioning. JO: In your book, you mentioned Dr Edwin McClelland at the San Diego Immunotherapy Clinic who does some very interesting work. Would you recommend this as a place for people to consider with cancer or sclerodema ... NEIL: Yes I would. Dr McClelland uses the Livingston vaccines. There is a chapter on that in my book. I had the privilege of running the Livinigston clinic before it closed its doors. He is the only person still licensed to make those vaccines. We found them excellent for cancer as well as autoimmune disease. JO: I wanted to throw that out there without going too much into it right now, but if anyone listening has those conditions, you can explore that for some help. Methylation. Can you talk more about this, and how to help people with detox problems? I am not sure WHY these detox path ways are blocked. NEIL: They are blocked for several reasons. Genetically, many of us are predisposed to having minor blockages which we call snips, at certain stages of the methylation process. The second reason is that many of our patients are toxic, particularly to mercury. Mercury even in miniscule quantities, will poison the central enzyme system that allows the methylation cycle to proceed. Toxicity and genetic components add a great deal to what is being talked about as a methylation block. JO: It's interesting that you talk about mercury. There are many different approaches to getting it out. Hair tests don't seem accurate. And how do you treat it? NEIL: This is controversial, but I'll give you what I have seen work for us. First of all, mercury and the other heavy metals like lead, nickel, etc, all of them DON'T float around in the body loosely. If they are in the body, they tend to be bound tightly to body tissues. That is particularly true for mercury which prefers binding to nerve tissue and brain. This is why our symptoms come from that. If you do the standard 24 hour blood, urine or hair test, you won't find it there. That's not where it is. Back in the 1980s, I did endless amounts of hair analysis and almost never found it in the hair. Later we began using DMPS as a chelator to bind mercury. It's a short IV. It takes 15 minutes, then you can collect your urine over 6-24 hours. What the DMPS does, it binds mercury and other heavy metals tighter than the body does. It pulls it out in the urine. JO: If someone has a bad reaction to the DMPS, they are high in mercury, right? NEIL: Yes, but that is fairly rare. I have done several thousand DMPS treatments. Reactions to it are rare and temporary. JO: Does it take the mercury out entirely? Is there any chance of it being reabsorbed along the way out? NEIL: This is where experts start to fight. Some say it drives it into the brain, or some people say it only pulls it out of a certain compartment. That has not been my experience. And I say that on clinical grounds. Often when someone comes to us with mercury toxicity, problems with focus, memory, concentration, brain fog, headaches, fatigue, etc, it is usually brain function and after we treat, the vast majority of patients tell me they feel like themselves again. So I don't think I am driving it into the brain or pushing it into compartments where it is not suppose to be, because the majority of people feel so much better. Some people confuse DMPS with EDTA. EDTA does have the ability if given in too high a dose, to hurt kidney function. If we use EDTA, we do careful assessment of renal function first. But I have not found that necessary to do before a 15 minute DMPS. Keep in mind that DMPS has a very short half life. It is out of the body within 24 hours. It's gone. It's not sticking around to hurt anything. JO: So whatever you go through in those hours, you know it is going to come to an end. NEIL: If anyone has an unusual reaction, if more mercury is mobilized than the body can release, we can take care of that by doing an IV of Vitamin C and glutathione to pull the toxicity out of the body. Generally, I think that it is not logical to take glutathione orally when you can stimulate the body to make more by improving methylation. So how do you improve methylation chemistry? One of the things we did, is that I had the privilege of working with a biochemist, Rich van Konynenburg who back in 2003 or 2004 was reading Amy Yasko's materials and thought, you know, I think that glutathione is central to the difficulties we see with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. He wrote a paper available through his website where he can show that every symptom, every biochemical abnormality that we see in chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia could be explained by a glutathione deficiency. So when I heard him speak, I think in 2007,I got very excited about that. Now Rich is a bio chemist, not a physician. His difficulty was that he wasn't able to convince too many docs to try this. It looked safe, and he put together a simple protocol. We used 3 types of B12 and three types of folic acid. Using that, we got around the genetic blocks to encourage the body to make more glutathione. Now I had a huge practice of chronic fatigue and also fibromyalgia patients. I went back to my office after I heard Rich speak, got hold of the materials and put the first 50 patients that I saw on his protocol. These are patients that had been treated by the SHINE protocol of Dr Jacob Teitelbaum's. Which focuses on dealing with adrenal, thyroid, magnesium, sex hormones, candida, food allergy and so on. Now the 50 people I put on this new protocol had all been treated with what was similar to a Teitelbaum protocol. And they were anywhere from 30-70& better. But for the people who were better but not well, those were the people I put on this protocol. And to my surprise, 70% of them got better. 25% of them got well. JO: What exactly was the protocol. NEIL: It is in my book, and it consists of 5 supplements- three types of folic acid, three types of B12, Phosphatidylserin, and a vitamin developed by Amy Yasko. And so I got really excited. I thought, we really have to study this. So I was fortunate enough to obtain private funding for a major research project which I did with the cooperation of Rich van Konynenburg, Amy Yasko, Jacob Teitelbaum and Ritchie Shoemaker. All people who are very well thought of in this field. And these wonderful people helped me put together a protocol, and helped advise me all along the way. We took 30 new patients. We treated them with this protocol. This time we measured their methylation chemistry at baseline, then we repeated those measurements at 3 months, 6 months and 9 months. This was a very long study for a nutritional supplement. Most go 6 weeks and you're done. 29 out of the 30 finished the 6 months period, And 25 finished the 9th month. That is almost unheard of for a study of this kind. I have a chapter on methylation in my book where we go into detail about the findings. The bottom line is that 80% got better, 27% got well, which is basically, they felt cured. JO: THAT'S amazing. NEIL: The beauty is, we were are able to correlate it with the changes in chemistry. We could show progressive improvements. Rich van Konynenburg's hypothesis was, at baseline, these patients would have very low methylation numbers, and they did. And his hypothesis was, if we treated it, those numbers would get better, and they did. And this was statistically very significant. There was no random chance that would allow that to happen. JO: How did you actually test the methylation baseline numbers? NEIL: There is a wonderful test offered by a lab in New Jersey called Vitamin Diagnostics. Which will do what is called a methylation panel. They will measure 11 of the biochemical materials that make up the methylation cycle. By looking at that test, we actually could learn exactly where individual patients were blocked. At the end of our study, we added a component where we treated them SPECIFICALLY for that blockage. The other test we did was the test developed by Amy Yasko, who does a great deal of work with autism. And Amy has developed panels of these snips that I talk about, a genetic tendency for blockage at 13 places in the methylation cycle. Amy can measure these genetic things, and again it gives us a tremendous amount of specific information. Many physicians, when they completed their biochemistry courses, hoped that was the last biochemisty course they'd ever have to use in their whole life. There is a whole field called functional medicine. One place- I'll give your listeners a few places to look where you can maybe find someone to help you. The Institute for functional medicine. IFM They train people to do some of this. ACAM The American College for Advancement in Medicine trains people to do some of this. The American Academy for Environmental Medicine does some of this work. The American HOlistic Medical Association does some of this work. Listeners can google some of these websites to see if there is someone in their area who maybe has some of the training to do this. For IVs specifically, ACAM would be the group to seek out. They train physicians more than anyone else in the country, to do IVs, chelations and other intravenous types of work. JO: I Have a few questions from listeners. One woman asked, "Is there a connection between hormonal imbalances and cancer growth in women?" NEIL: Absolutely. We have clearly associated certain metabolites of estrogen with breast cancer. When women got synthetic horse estrogen, called Premarin, when we took it off the market, in the next 5 years there was 20% drop in the breast cancer rate. We know that synthetic estrogen and synthetic progesterone are associated. We know that if estrogen is not being metabolized properly- again the Genova test I mentioned measures some of the metabolites that we believe put some women at risk for developing breast cancer- And by knowing what they are, we can often use things to change that predilection. Jo: Another woman wrote in, she said, "Im in menopause at age 48, and I can't seem to sleep more than 5 hours at a time. I wake up with my heart racing. Tired but awake. I also have lyme. Would black cohash or wild yam or homeopathy help?" NEIL: It might, bit only to a minimal extent. Because she has lyme AND menopause, she has a little bit of a double whammy there. Lyme disease inflames the pituitary gland and the toxins produced by killing the lyme bacteria, affect pituitary function. That coupled with menopause, we have 3 different ways that her body is not being able to make the estrogen that she needs. What she really needs to do is measure her levels, see what she really needs and not just take a stab at it. Again, get the Genova hormonal assessment. I have found it to be the most accurate. She should also note that the heart has estrogen receptors on it. So you can get palpitations from estrogen deficiency just as that might be affecting her sleep. I obviously cannot diagnose her over the phone, but job one is getting it looked at, and then if needed, treating it with bioidentical hormones. JO: Do you often use bioidentical hormones? NEIL: By the truckload full. Yes. I am a great believer that they are extremely useful. A lot of patients are worried because of having read what we eluded to before- the association between taking hormones and breast cancer. However, the bioidentical hormones have a much better track record than the synthetic estrogen, which is the one that was the culprit in increased incidents of breast cancer. From my perspective, if a woman has a measured low estrogen low level and has difficult with memory and concentration, hot flashes, night sweats, sleep problems, lack of energy, mood swings, etc, she has a serious hormonal deficiency which should be viewed not any differently as if you were low on thyroid. It wouldn't occur to someone to say well I clearly don't have enough thyroid but I don't want to take it. You don't have to, but ultimately it would be a bad idea because your body is working with a handicap. To me estrogen, is the same. If you have a low level, depriving your body of it when it needs it doesn't sound like a good strategy. JO: What's your take on this. Some doctors say that if somebody has an adrenal condition, that must be treated before considering thyroid medicine. NEIL: I agree That has been my experience. The vast majority of patients who have thyroid issues, need to get their adrenal balanced for the thyroid hormones to work properly. If you've made a serious effort, and it's not responding the way you want, I wouldn't deprive that person of thyroid if they needed it. But start with treating the adrenals. Jo: Another listener asked, "do you know of any treatments for ADHD?" Neil: There are a lot of things you can do. When I first started working with it, I used a lot of osteopathic cranial manipulation, coupled with homeopathy. And I was able to get many children off Ritalin and other products. Since then, there is a very nice program that Neuroresearch has to use a variety of amino acid replacements, particularly to build up seratonin and dopamine using 5HTP and tyrosine. If listeners go to the neuroresearch site, http://www.neuroassist.com/Neurotoxins.htm they are just now putting out booklets on the use of amino acids in treating ADHD. They've had a lot of success recently. (They also have info on anxiety, panic attacks,alzheimers, depression, insomnia, migraines, parkinson's and more) Jo: Someone wrote in and said, "The raw food movement is so popular. My naturopath says I need cooked foods because of my digestive problems, and also some organic meat every day. Help!" Neil: I think we are biochemically diverse, and everybody needs something different. A lot of people need high protein diets, some need a vegetarian diets. In my experience it is a rare person who can eat a totally raw food diet, physically. Different people have different sensitivities to raw people. Some people cannot tolerate more than 15% of that in their diet or they will get overwhelming gas and bloating, diarrhea, their bowels will say "I don't like this at all!" Your body is your laboratory. You alone can figure out what you need. And it's not going to be based on what I or any other practitioner thinks you need. So you can try any diet you want, but really listen to your body in what it is telling you. If it's unhappy with what you're doing, you might not be on the right diet, no matter how good it sounds in theory. JO: Are there any accurate tests for food allergies? NEIL: First of all, allergies are not accurately diagnosed by the pin prick tests. But there are blood tests which have gotten more accurate. The ELISA-ACT is the most accurate. One lab does it that has some unique technology and has been the most accurate. Jo; One listeners wants to know "do you have any experience in treating dysautonomia as a results of long term lyme?" NEIL: Yes we do. There is a new treatment which is the use of what are called Tocotrienols, which is one of the Vitamin E family. What most people take when they take Vitamin E are called Tocopherols. The Tocotrienols are a different Vitamin E family. Some of those materials have been shown to reverse that dysautonomia. Also- there are newly developed electromagnetic therapies. FSM- frequency specific microcurrent, and LENS which is a brain mapping technique that helps to reboot the nervous system. Jo: It's exciting to find out new possibilities and give people hope. NEIL: It's all about hope. One of the phrases I hate the most in all of medicine is, "There is nothing more we can do for you." That's when a physical globalizes what the whole medical profession knows. What he is really saying is. "There is nothing more I can do for you." Now I am perfectly ok with that. But when you say there is nothing more WE can do for you, you imply that there is nothing known to science that could possibly help that individual, and that sends an awful message. Jo: And it's not true. Neil: There are SO many healing possibilities that we are just beginning to explore. I've spent 40 years exploring it in as much depth as I can, but there is so much to learn. JO: THANK YOU for being here For more information, email Neil at Neil@gordonmedical.com You can get an autographed copy of his book and find out more! Dr Neil Nathan, "On Hope and Healing for Those Who Have Fallen Through The Medical Cracks!" Dr Neil Nathan specializes in cutting edge treatments to help people with complicated cases of lyme disease, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, chronic pain, autism, mercury toxicity, thyroid and adrenal disorders, digestive problems and more. http://www.gordonmedical.com/neil_nathan.html http://www.amazon.com/Hope-Healing-Fallen-Through-Medical/dp/0982818408 ADDITIONAL NOTES: These are a few responses from Neil not included in the audio. This information is so important that I wanted to share it here: These are a few additional responses from Neil that are not heard in the audio, but I would like to share them here! He said: 1. I like magnesium taurate, available from CardioResearch, 125mg per capsule. The usual dose is 2 capsules at bedtime. Magnesium glycinate is also a good magnesium product. 2. I don't have a preferred brand of vitamin D-3. Some of my colleagues like it in mycelized form, but I find the taste and mixing objectionable. 3. Cholestyramine is available by prescription, as a powder. Typically it is mixed with water and consumed 1/2 hour prior to a meal. Side effects are few, and include constipation, mild nausea or dyspepsia. However, if it releases more toxin than the body can process, it can produce an exacerbation of the patients symptoms which at times can be severe, so it has to be monitored by a knowledgeable practitioner. A weaker version of cholestyramine is the prescription Welchol. While a variety of herbal supplements have been proposed to help bind toxins, including chlorella, and bentonite, they don't work nearly as well as cholestyramine. 4.. You can treat both mold toxicity and mercury toxcity at the same time. (They are treated differently) 5. Signs of adrenal fatigue may not be accurately reflected by cortisol levels, and/or they may reflect other adrenal issues, specifically DHEA or mineralocorticoid deficiency. A lot of practitioners will give an empirical trial of cortef in those patients, starting with very low doses, to see if they respond. 6. I haven't seen B1 used alone as particularly helpful for anxiety. 7. If someone travels to see me, I can usually get them started at the first visit, which may be only one day, or two at the most. We can do more, but usually I am ordering lab work which takes 2-4 weeks to come back, so once evaluated, I can often treat by phone to get them going.

Monday, apr 11, 2011

Sunday, apr 10, 2011

Sunday, apr 3, 2011 The Great Mystery (Or the Spring Poem) or Something Else This apartment is full and yet feels empty as it holds me like a nervous lover or maybe it is me who is nervous and not these walls I am surrounded by the silence except for the sound of a button clanging in the dryer in the room next door it's song seeping through the wall along the couch stammering I hear the drone of my thoughts racing along in the music of the distant traffic symphony many stories below me I've learned that if you sit with an ache long enough without pushing it away it eventually will break open the way spring does after a long winter it doesn't mean the end of rain after all it is springtime not to mention life But at least you can feel yourself again as you shake loose the huge heavy coats I spin my songs on the loom of my longings, My lust, laughter, ecstasy, and sharp edged pains all mingle like a strange perfume on my skin that somehow makes sense as much as it doesn't How can so many things hold me at once? I feel like I am unraveling in the center of a mystery and yet even in the unraveling there is a beauty that announces itself This is what happens when you stop fighting the ache It eventually leads you into space where it proclaims yes I am alive yes I am here yes I can taste life All this time while I have been writing from the inside out, a movie has been playing in the background capturing my attention in some moments and losing me in others and suddenly across the screen a new scene pops up like a jack in the box when I least expect it and a pang hits I am caught off guard I feel angered by its theme by what was by history and suddenly I grieve for all the Hypatia's of the world the brilliance and talents of women lost buried ignored condemned withheld feared undeveloped and silenced I feel the harsh weight of those twisted words men used when they were so sure they understood the will of God and it makes me want to put a sword in the hands of every woman who lived then so she could say no I will not obey submit bow for I am your equal in God and I will not collapse into your mangled scriptures, you will not choke me or chain me with your fears "we hold up half of heaven made in His image He is as much us as you and yet in silencing us you've silenced the very God you've proclaimed to know" If I could, I would go back in time and reclaim what belonged to all of us but I cannot rewrite history can I nor can any race religion gender or color It is just like humans to take something so beautiful as forgiveness and love and turn it into something so full of legalistic rules black and white ultimatums and judgements Surely we are beyond such things or are we I ponder awhile until the movie behind me ends and the credits fade. I return to lighter happier daydreams while multitasking I pin each thought like an article of clothing on a clothes line and wait for it to dry out under the warm gaze of the moon so that I can go to sleep Then it is time, and I am free again having painted this page with whatever I needed to spill I close the day like the pedal of a tulip in the night and I turn quietly, into the great mystery that is. - © Jo Davidson April 3 2011

Sunday, apr 3, 2011 Young Living Oils I wanted to share some information about Young Living oils. Truthfully, they have not cured me of lyme disease. But they have helped me with some other things, and I want to share this info with anyone out there in case you are interested! ------------------------ If you'd like to try any of the products go to http://www.youngliving.com/ enter my member # 1096238 This is the diffuser I use, and I like it better than the ones Young living Offers. It is GREAT to have this. http://www.diffuserworld.com/aromapro--essential-oil-diffuser-nebulizer-in-6-colors-p-9.html A friend of mine had a cold this past week, and nothing was really helping him much. We tried this formula and it WORKED FAST- Mountain Savory (10 drops ) http://www.youngliving.com/essential-oils/Mountain-Savory and Lemon (10 drops ) http://www.youngliving.com/essential-oils/Lemon (I used two different capsules, one for each oil, and he took them both with a full tall glass of water). He took this combo twice per day. I used empty capsules that I got from the pharmacy (there is a more alternative pharmacy here in the city where I get them). If you can't find empty capsules near you, you could try them. http://www.bigelowchemists.com/index.php Right away, his cold started leaving, and within a day it was gone. We did the protocol for 2 days for him. That's it. I was so happy it helped him. The other obvious things are to eat a healthy diet, organic, avoid GMO foods, reduce sugar, no processed foods, factory farmed meats, all that no brainer stuff. --------------------- Here are other oils I really recommend! Thieves http://www.youngliving.com/thieves-essential-oil/Thieves-Oil Studies conducted at Weber State University in 1997 showed thieves oil to have a 99.96% success rate against airborne bacteria. What is in thieves oil: Clove Lemon Cinnamon Bark Eucalyptus Rosemary You can also get a thieves hand soap which is great to use. http://www.youngliving.com/natural-hand-care/Thieves-Hand-Soap FAVORITE USES FOR THIEVES ANTIMICROBIAL BLEND OF ESSENTIAL OILS Dilute with V-6 Enhanced Vegetable Oil Complex and apply to cuts or open wounds to prevent infection and promote healing. Put 10-12 drops in a size OO capsule undiluted and swallow daily for longevity. (I use less drops because I am super sensitive) and also drink a full TALL glass of water with this Dilute and put a few drops on soles of feet to protect you from colds/flu Diffuse to kill mold spores in the air and make the environment clean Add to the dishwasher for cleaner dishes Add a few drops to the was cycle in laundry Add to water to mop floors Mix with water to make a spray to repel insects on your flowers and plants. Apply to broken bones or joints for pain relief and to hasten healing. (Dilute in a little olive oil) Rub a few drops diluted on the bottoms of children’s feet for protection before school every day. Diffuse in the house as your children come home from school every day to kill airborne bacteria. Drop in the heat/AC vents of a hotel to rid it of airborne germs. Mix with baking soda to clean bathtubs. Apply undiluted to the toes and feet to combat fungus. Apply to poison ivy rashes (may need to be diluted with vegetable oil) to relieve the itch. Apply 1 drop of Thieves Oil Blend onto toothbrush to sanitize. ------------------------------------ Frankincense http://www.youngliving.com/essential-oils/Frankincense It was well known during the time of Christ for its anointing and healing powers and was one of the gifts given to Christ at His birth and is mentioned in the Bible 22 times. “Used to treat every conceivable ill known to man,” frankincense was valued more than gold during ancient times, and only those with great wealth and abundance possessed it. It is mentioned in one of the oldest known medical records, Ebers Papyrus (dating from sixteenth century BC) an ancient Egyptian list of 877 prescriptions and recipes. Medical Properties: Antitumoral, immunostimulant, antidepressant, muscle relaxing. USES: Depression, cancer, respiratory infections, inflammation, immune-stimulating. Fragrant Influence: Increases spiritual awareness, promotes meditation, improves attitude and uplifts spirits. I also read that this herb has the potential for an alternative therapy for bladder cancer. I have had some amazing spiritual awareness sensations when diffusing it and praying. Diffusing it: Frankincense Oil is highly useful for bronchitis, cold, cough and voice loss due to tonsils in vapor therapy. It can help calm the mind and body and reduce toxicity of environment. It also can help to get rid of anxiety Can be used in Massage blends and bath oils (I usually diffuse it for no more than 30 minutes at a time). --------------------------- Panaway http://www.youngliving.com/essential-oil-blends/Panaway-5-Ml PanAway can help reduce pain and inflammation, may increase circulation and accelerate healing. PanAway can also help with relieving swelling and discomfort from arthritis, sprains, muscle spasms and cramps, bumps, and bruises. -------- Purification http://www.youngliving.com/essential-oil-blends/Purification I love to diffuse this oil, it helps me prevent colds and it helps me not have allergies. I diffuse 15 to 30 minutes every 3 to 4 hours. Or even once per day. Sometimes maybe once per week. IT depends on what I need. I apply topically to disinfect and cleanse. Sometimes I put it on cotton balls to place in air vents in the home, car, hotel room, office, enclosed areas, etc. I've also read that it repels insects. If I am traveling, I like to just smell it directly. I feel like it helps to protect me. Great especially on a plane where the air is recirculated. I've read that a drop of Purification oil on insect bites will stop the itching. Some say that a drop of Purification oil on blemishes helps clear the skin. Also- I've read that a drop on the outside of a sore throat when it is first beginning will help. Purification is an antiseptic blend formulated for diffusing to help purify the home and work environment using therapeutic-grade essential oils. It cleanses the air and neutralizes mildew, cigarette smoke, and disagreeable odors. When applied directly to the skin, Purification may be used to cleanse cuts and scrapes and may help neutralize the poison of bites from spiders, bees, hornets, wasps. --------------- Lemon http://www.youngliving.com/essential-oils/Lemon I love the lemon, it smells so fresh and clean. I put a few drops in a big glass of water, sometimes even just one drop is enough. I also add it to thieves and water and use it as a spirtz spray throughout the day. Feels really good. If a room needs some freshening up, I spray it around the room. (The thieves lemon combo) According to Jean Valnet, M.D., the vaporized (diffused) essence (essential oil) of lemon can kill meningococcus bacteria in 15 minutes, typhoid bacilli in one hour, Staphylococcus aureus in two hours, andPneumococcus bacteria within three hours. Even a 0.2% solution of lemon oil can kill diphtheria bacteria in 20 minutes and inactivate tuberculosis bacteria. In my diffuser, I diffuse thieves for 15-20 minutes at a time at least twice per day. It kills germs and mold in the air. I also sometimes add lemon to this and or purification. I LOVE my spray bottle which is basically just water mixed with 10 drops of lemon and 10 drops of thieves. I Spritz myself with it off and on throughout the day. (eyes closed)

Saturday, apr 2, 2011 Food Revolution Can I vent about something that makes me feel really angry? I love Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution! Have you ever seen him go into school kitchens and reveal what is on the labels of all the processed foods kids are fed? Let's face it. Most American kids are eating total crap 7 days a week. And this doesn't even get into what kids are eating at home. Why is it that SO MANY people don't care? Organic is somehow seen as weird. Processed foods, factory farmed meats and artificial ingredients are somehow seen as normal. What gives? What does it tell us about our culture, and how can we help people wake up when they really don't want to?

Tuesday, mar 29, 2011 Kitty Got Busted! We were cleaning and found her secret stash under the couch! She had some kitty treats (opened), that she was hiding under there. A bottle cap, a pen, a toy mouse, and a blackberry battery! mmmm.. haha

Monday, mar 28, 2011 Some great ideas from Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum "Calming Balance—an outstanding treatment for anxiety Let's explore what's in this wonderful combination. Starting with the basics, let's look at the B vitamins. B-complex—(mega-dose) We will begin with what happens when you take very high doses of thiamine (vitamin B-1) of 500 mg 3 times a day. This was a wonderful tool that few physicians are aware of was given to me by Dr. Janet Travell at her 93rd birthday party. Dr. Travell was the White House physician for Presidents Kennedy and Johnson and a professor of medicine At George Washington University Medical School. She was also the world's leading expert on pain management. Vitamin B1 is critical for proper brain function, mental clarity, and energy production as well as for preventing the production of excess lactic acid (lactate). A large body of research has shown that excess sensitivity to high levels of lactic acid is intimately involved in causing anxiety attacks in those that are prone to them. She noted that 500 mg of vitamin B-1 three times a day was highly effective in treating anxiety. I was astounded at the effectiveness of this very simple and safe treatment when we started using it in our practice. It actually decreases anxiety and improves mental clarity by overcoming metabolic blocks and helping your body to work more effectively—instead of by numbing you! Other B vitamins are also important although these very high doses are not needed. For example, B vitamin deficiencies have been found in anxiety and certain panic disorders, such as agoraphobia. Clinically, we have seen that dropping magnesium levels can trigger hyperventilation/panic attacks (and even seizures if very severe) and that these are often relieved with magnesium therapy. Be sure to use absorbable forms such as magnesium citrate or glycinate Read more at: http://www.endfatigue.com/health_articles_a-b/Anxiety-cure_anxiety_while_energized.html

Saturday, mar 26, 2011 The trip After several months in Ohio, I came back to NYC. What a trip. Changing scenery, environments, routines. It was hard to say goodbye to my family, but I will be back. Maybe even late May. I would love to help my dad plant in the garden. It was great for me to have some time to spend with my family, and recharge my battery so to speak. These are a few pictures I took in Pennsylvania from the car. (no I wasn't driving)!

Friday, mar 25, 2011 Scenery All day today I've had a bad reaction to a supplement I took last night. It is affecting me physically and emotionally. What I am feeling now is like the shadows of these tree trunks. The shadows look every bit as real as the actual trees. I can tell you the shadows certainly feel real, that's for sure. They keep sending shock waves of fear through me. Asking me a hundred questions I have no answer for. But while the fatigue feels so stuck in cement, while the lightheaded faint feeling, the throbbing headache, tries to tell me everything I want is impossible, I look it in the face and say, "You seem to real, so forever, But just one ripple, a different time of day, the changing light, and you are gone." No day is the same. I float through the scenery.

Tuesday, mar 22, 2011 The Faith of a Seed My adult life so far has been spent living in either Los Angeles or New York City. I've been planting things, but not in the earth and dirt. Two days ago, I planted strawberries. (pictured). They take two whole seasons to grow! We might think nothing is happening, but they are there, doing their work underground. Yesterday for the first time, I planted peas. It was hard work as I walked along bending down, putting seeds into the ground, and then gathering the dirt gently over them. My back hurt. My legs hurt! My heart was beating a little faster at the end. Yet it felt rewarding in a way that many things don't. I loved doing it, and maybe even more so because I was doing it with my dad, He grew up on a farm, and is as much of an outdoorsman as anyone you'll ever meet. When we walk in the woods, he can tell me all the names of plants and trees. He knows which vegetables to plant when and how to do it. He is one of those rare few people who actually might have thrived in the 1600s in America, hunting, fishing, building a home from wood, gardening, chopping wood, and all of those things. He told me about the time that he along with his mom, dad and sister, planted 1000 strawberry plants. That's the kind of hard work that brings you, literally, to your knees. There are life lessons at every turn, and I have only just begun. It is hard work growing underground. Sometimes you want to yell at the plant, WHEN are you going to bloom? By looking at the tiny seeds, you realize what a miracle it is that anything ever grows at all. Miracles are everywhere. Strawberries take two seasons. Peas will come much sooner. But whatever the timing, we plant them fully believing that they will grow and turn into a vegetable in the right time, and we will later eat them. We don't yell at them. So then why do we yell at ourselves? Maybe it's easier to have faith when we have a timetable. We know generally when to expect the vegetables to be ready to eat. But in our own lives, we don't always have those time tables. More often than not, we don't. We have no idea when the illness will resolve, when the relationship will be healed, when the finances will bounce back, when the job will open up, when so many things. It is the uncertainty that we rail against. In nature, winter does not last 10 years, yet sometimes in life it does. Once you plant the seeds, how do you protect them from chipmunks, rabbits, deer? You might need to build a small fence.What is the fence around my life, the thing that holds me as I do my work growing myself? I had an epiphany recently, and realized that it is prayer that I need to surround myself with. Prayer. So I went about typing out various powerful prayers, and decided to pray morning and night, in a more disciplined way. I can pray all day too, talking to God about this and that. But I want to start and end each day in certain prayers. They are my fences. When you have a spiritual epiphany, an opening, it's in the field beyond the intellect, beyond the realms of rational thinking and reason. It's in the place of the soul. And it reaches down into you the way roots reach down into the earth. I realized that while I can take my homeopathy, herbs, supplements, I need prayer just as much and maybe even more so. Yes, more so. I might get soaked and rained on, chilled when the cold winds blow, and just when I think spring is here an unexpected snow might hit. The weather can change in an instant. But I will plant pray, create. laugh. cry. dream and do the work. I will rage against the things that would steal me from myself, and I will pray for God to give me the faith of a seed. I will remember who I am.

Monday, mar 21, 2011 Let the Games Begin Tonight I played basketball with my niece. She is 10 now. Wow. One of the many things I love about my niece, is that she has a blast whether she wins or not. She is so much fun to be with! When we shoot hoops, we usually play horse or pig or something like that. Today she picked new words. She wanted to play "stinkpot" and when I won that, she wanted to play "Juicy Gym Socks."

Thursday, mar 17, 2011

Sunday, mar 13, 2011 Winter Scene "But do you really mean, Sir," said Peter, "that there could be other worlds – all over the place, just round the corner – like that?" "This must be a simply enormous wardrobe!" thought Lucy, going still further in and pushing the soft folds of the coats aside to make room for her. Then she noticed that there was something crunching under her feet..."

Thursday, mar 10, 2011 Some of the things that work for me don't work for me all the time! Maybe you can relate. But these are my top 3 things to go to when I need more energy. Often times one of them will help. Not always, but often. 1. Maca- the capsules by Navitas Naturals 2. Young Living peppermint oil diluted in jojoba oil, on my feet 3. Chia seeds

Tuesday, mar 8, 2011 Did you know that Ineffective methylation is a major cause of fatigue? People who have methylation problems have trouble properly detoxing. So even on the very best herbs, homeopathy or supplements, they can still be very sick. Does this sound familiar? Methylation blocks are often at the root of severe chronic fatigue immune disorders, unresolved lyme and immune issues, among other things. No amount of "exercise" or "cognitive talk therapy" can solve this issue. Anyone who suggest so, is ignorant and uneducated about these disabling diseases. Too bad more articles are not focusing on this important aspect, this crucial piece of the puzzle. "If the methylation cycle doesn't work, the immune system mal-functions, the detoxification system mal-functions, our ability to heal and repair is reduced and the anti-oxidant system mal-functions. http://www.drmyhill.co.uk/wiki/CFS_-_The_Methylation_Cycle

Monday, mar 7, 2011 A Natural Alternative to Toxic Cleaners I was eating some beets and of course ended up getting the beet juice on my white shirt :( I sprayed some thieves spray on it, and stuck it in the washer and added a few drops of Thieves to the water. The stains came right out. If you want to get a small bottle- http://www.youngliving.com/natural-cleaner/Thieves-Spray The bigger bottles are great for cleaning windows and floors and tubs. It smells really good and is a great safe alternative to the toxic products out there. It's one of my favorite products! http://www.youngliving.com/natural-cleaner/Thieves-Cleaner To order, enter my number 1096238

Saturday, mar 5, 2011 Chia Seeds Chia Seeds- a miracle food? Are you looking for help with thyroid health, weight loss, energy, diabetes, IBS, hypoglycemia, heart disease, endurance? We have heard of flaxseeds, but many people don't know about chia seeds. Chia seeds are high in Omega 3s, they are a complete protein, they have about 5 times the calcium as milk, more potassium than bananas, more iron than spinach, and they are a great source of fiber. They also help the body get rid of toxins. Could this be a perfect food? Last night, for the first time, I tried 2T of chia seeds in a tall glass of water with some organic lemon juice. (Santa CRuz brand). It didn't look all that appetizing, but was actually SO good! (You can also sprinkle them in smoothies, on salads, or bake them like you would poppy seeds). I am going to be making my chia seeds drink every day, and I'll let you know what happens!

Friday, mar 4, 2011 Is Violence Towards Women Swept Under the Rug? In this day and age, in this country, I feel deeply sad that anyone would promote men who are violent towards women. TURN OFF THE TV. Don't give them a spotlight. Don't sweep it under the rug. Don't make light of their actions or defend them. We've had enough. http://jezebel.com/#!5774374/charlie-sheens-history-of-violence-toward-women This above link is a great article that highlights Charlie Sheen's long record of violence towards women. He has hurt women using everything from guns to a knife to his hands. Not to mention verbally. He treats women like trash. And obviously and unfortunately, the women with him don't love themselves enough to turn around and walk out. I can't begin to express how angry I feel that our society still sweeps violence against women under the rug. Women and men, all of us, need to say we won't watch tv, we won't watch your movies or buy your products if you are abusing a woman. This is a brilliant article in The New Yorker called "The Disposable Woman." Check it out: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/04/opinion/04holmes.html?_r=2 "As Jennifer Pozner points out in her recent book “Reality Bites Back: The Troubling Truth About Guilty-Pleasure TV,” misogyny is embedded within the DNA of the reality genre. One of the very first millennial shows, in fact, “Who Wants to Marry a Multimillionaire,” was notable in that it auctioned off what producers called the “biggest prize of all”: a supposedly wealthy B-movie writer named Rick Rockwell — who was later revealed to have had a restraining order filed against him by a woman he’d threatened to kill. According to Ms. Pozner, the reaction of one of the producers of “Multimillionaire” was, “Great! More publicity!” On reality television, gratuitous violence and explicit sexuality are not only entertainment but a means to an end. These enthusiastically documented humiliations are positioned as necessities in the service of some final prize or larger benefit — a marriage proposal, a modeling contract, $1 million. But they also make assault and abasement seem commonplace, acceptable behavior, tolerated by women and encouraged in men." There are many reasons I can't stand reality tv shows, but one of them is that I hate how they glorify the lowest of the low. The Housewives of (name your city) where women act worse than 2 year olds. Shows where people go to find a husband or wife while competing to win. You don't find a partner like that, it's abnormal and all about media hype and attention seeking people wanting their 2 minutes of fame. It's gross. Isn't it amazing that tv execs, knowing Sheen's history of violence, still chose to feature him in a family drama? As a society, do people care about violence towards women? ( I would hardly call Two and a Half Men a family drama, it is a very sexist show and you'd never see the same jokes and lessons in a household where a little girl was being raised but don't get me started). Charlie Sheen isn't just a "bad boy" or "rebel." He has seriously hurt women. As if Howard Stern wasn't already sick enough, now he wants to give Charlie Sheen a radio show. Apparently, being violent towards women makes you a star. It's time for all of us to change the tide. We can turn off the tv, tell the news stations to stop giving so much air time to people who are sexist and violent. We can stop buying the movies or watching the tv shows that make light of violence towards women. We can refuse to buy music that speaks badly of women. If you think this violence is no big deal, ask my friend was who gang raped in a car. Ask my friend who was raped in her own bedroom. Ask my friend who was attacked in an elevator. Ask my friends who have been through sexual harassment in the workplace. Ask my friends in the entertainment industry what it feels like to bear the weight of so many double standards. Do you remember "Kramer's" racist tirade one night at a night club, and how everyone turned against him? Isn't it interesting that Charlie Sheen is violent toward women, and what does he get? Tons of press, fans, and an offer for a radio show. Mel Gibson and fashion designer John Galliano have also said some horrible racist remarks. It's NOT ok. They have also said some terrible things to women, and those things were not focused on nearly as much as their racist remarks. Racism is ugly. I just wonder why violence towards women seems to be any less of a big deal.

Tuesday, mar 1, 2011 I just found parts of an old diary where I wrote about my day to day life as a songwriter, and some of my music business experiences. Although this sounds so cliche, I wish I knew then what I know now! (I would have kicked someone's ass to put it nicely). I think it's good from time to time look back and get some clarity. Sometimes you read about an experience from so long ago, and you get details you had long forgotten or stuffed away somewhere in your efforts to stay strong. It's amazing to read about my younger self and how she dealt with life, and realize how different I am now in some ways. I guess that is what growing up is about- learning, living, the journey and all that. A part of me wants to rewind the tape on this particular time I read about, and do over. But since I can't, I can look at the experiences, cry a little, laugh a little, and learn from them. I can forgive myself and forgive the others involved. Reclaim the parts of me I left behind, move forward and fly high!

Thursday, feb 24, 2011 Scribbles from my Diary Today a fog settled in over the winter sky and hit ground I had trouble waking up and finally got dressed around 3:30 not that I was going anywhere unless we are speaking of the travels of the mind In that case, I have been across the world and back With each passing hour I felt myself to be in the shadows in the place where dreams cling to waking hours like the fog outside drapes itself around the air making me wonder where am I and why do I feel so disoriented I took a walk but couldn't see straight I sat on a bench and heard the drip drip of melting snow from the roof top of a cabin in this suburban wilderness They say another storm might hit tonight the radios and televisions blare the news "winter storm warning" again I stare up into the sky and think to myself, Winter Oh winter how long will you envelope us in your cold in your bare branches and blankets of snow What is it you have to teach us as we sit here shivering aching for spring? c Jo Davidson Feb 24 2011

Wednesday, feb 23, 2011 sugar free desserts and homemade beauty products I've been experimenting with different raw food dessert ideas. Last night I put almonds into my Vitamix, ground them up until they were like a flour. I added some pitted dates and coconut water. This was my crust. I pressed it into the bottoms of ramekin dishes. I sprinkled some shredded coconut on top. Then sliced bananas. In the Vitamix, I blended some organic berries, more pitted dates, coconut water and pineapple. I put this mixture on top of the bananas. Then put some fresh sliced strawberries on top of that! I froze it a few hours, then thawed about 15 minutes before eating. SOOOO good! Another fun idea- if you don't want to keep spending money on expensive body scrubs, try this! I put coarse sea salt in the Vitamix and blended it until it was a a fine salt. Then I added some melted coconut oil and several drops of Young Living lemon oil and a few drops of Young Living peppermint oil. That's it! I made one for one of my sisters, using lavender oil. Lastly- we know how expensive moisturizers are! I blended some fresh avocado with coconut oil and a few drops of Young Living Rosewood oil, and put just a tiny bit on my face. It felt great.

Monday, feb 14, 2011 Happy Valentine's Day I am in Love with Love and Love is in love with me. My body is in Love with the soul and the soul is in Love with my body. I opened my arms to Love and Love embraced me like a lover. ~Rumi

Monday, feb 14, 2011 A winter Collage

Sunday, feb 13, 2011 I've been Playing in the Kitchen

Tuesday, feb 8, 2011 Four things you can do to defend organic against the GMO alfalfa threat http://www.grist.org/article/2011-02-07-four-things-you-can-do-to-defend-organic-against-the-gmo-alfalfa

Friday, feb 4, 2011 Vaccines "To vaccinate or not has been presented as an all-out either-or decision (and considering what's in the vaccines nowadays, that's not unreasonable). But vaccination as it was originally conceived and practiced was exposing a person to a mild form of a disease to minimize the likelihood of their catching the more severe form (the classic example being cowpox vs. smallpox). That isn't what is happening any more--the concoctions coming out of pharmaceutical laboratories bear no relation to the simple vaccines originally in use. We need to get away from the "vaccination causes autism" argument, which too many people reject because they're afraid not to be vaccinated, and focus on what is currently in vaccines that's bad for everybody. Take out the adjuvants and the mercury and the laboratory-fabricated viral segments, and the autism reaction might go away too, without having to completely sacrifice vaccination. http://www.ageofautism.com/2011/01/lancet-12-parents-respond-to-brian-deer-bmj-gmc-allegations.html

Thursday, feb 3, 2011 Carrot Ginger Dressing Continuing on my gluten free sugar free trip, I am adding in more raw food recipes to my diet. I love playing with food and experimenting. This came out great and was so yummy. (if you like ginger) I feel some mild detox from this salad dressing. I think it is because ginger is detoxifying! "Qualities of Ginger: Ginger is warming to the system. In her book '10 Essential Herbs' author Lalitha Thomas describes the properties: “The major active ingredients in ginger are terpenes [quite similar to the chemical action of turpentine] and an oleo-resin called ginger oil. These two, and other active ingredients in ginger, provide antiseptic, lymph-cleansing, circulation-stimulating, and mild constipation relief qualities along with a potent perspiration-inducing action that is quite effective in cleansing the system of toxins.”

Wednesday, feb 2, 2011 Museums What a great site- check this out! This is called ART PROJECT. You can visit museums all around the world and view hundreds of artworks! http://www.googleartproject.com/

Wednesday, feb 2, 2011 GASLAND Oil and Gas Group Urges Oscar Judges to Steer Clear of 'Gasland.' Why? Maybe because GASLAND is telling the truth! http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2011/02/01/01greenwire-ioil-and-gas-group-urges-oscar-judges-to-steer-99256.html

Tuesday, feb 1, 2011 Monsanto and Biotech "Now more than ever we all need to stand together in opposition to GE alfalfa. We need to unite in action to restore sanity to our food system, protect farmers, and preserve consumer choice....." "In case you haven't been following this story, last Thursday the USDA announced a policy that supports the interests of Monsanto and big biotech and deals a major blow to organic farming. They decided to "deregulate" Genetically Engineered ("GE") alfalfa, meaning to allow its unrestricted use with no controls...." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gary-hirshberg/speaking-with-one-voice-t_b_816447.html?ref=fb&src=sp

Tuesday, feb 1, 2011 McDonald's has been "treating otherwise inedible scrap meat with the chemical"- and have finally stopped. "Besides being used as a household cleaner and in fertilizers, the compound releases flammable vapors, and with the addition of certain acids, it can be turned into ammonium nitrate, a common component in homemade bombs. It's also widely used in the food industry as an anti-microbial agent in meats and as a leavener in bread and cake products. It's regulated by the U.S. Agriculture Department, which classifies it as "generally recognized as safe." Generally safe, yeah right! http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/31/10282876-mcdonalds-drops-use-of-gooey-ammonia-based-pink-slime-in-hamburger-meat

Saturday, jan 29, 2011 Good to Know The Koch brothers are the primary funders of the Tea Party. This weekend in Palm Springs, they're holding a secret, closed-door meeting with donors and supporters of the oil industry, the Tea Party and an ultra-conservative, anti-environment agenda. They'll be planning how to block clean energy and regulations that protect our health in 2011. http://action.sierraclub.org/site/PageNavigator/Dislike_the_Koch_Bros012611

Thursday, jan 27, 2011 Quotes from the Hilarious George Burns I came from a very big family- 7 sisters and 5 brothers. Very poor. I think we ate one of the sisters. Not true. If we did, we'd have to use ketchup." "It's nice to be my age, 93, and get out of bed and do something that I'm going to love to do that day. Because at my age, I can't make any money in bed." "I would rather be a failure in something I love than be successful in something I hate." I think marriage is not what you do in bed. I was never a great lover. I made Gracie laugh. After you're married 25 years and you get in bed with your wife, it's easy to make her laugh." "If you ask what is the single most important key to longevity, I would have to say it is avoiding worry, stress and tension. And if you didn't ask me, I'd still have to say it. " "If it's a good script I'll do it. And if it's a bad script, and they pay me enough, I'll do it. "

Tuesday, jan 25, 2011 Find farms near you Use this website to find farmers' markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area. What a great website! http://www.localharvest.org/

Monday, jan 24, 2011 From Spent to Revived Episode #77 with Dr Frank Lipman I'm really happy to have Dr Frank Lipman on the show today. http://www.drfranklipman.com/ Welcome Frank: Thank you thank you for having me. Jo: Your book REVIVE is great. What are some of the KEY things making people feel so spent these days? Frank: I think we're living out of sync with our body rhythms. We evolved with nature, we evolved with the seasons, day and night, and these rhythms and cycles are imprinted in our genes. But we're living at a pace and at a rhythm that is far to fast for the rhythm of our genes. We don't tend to go to sleep when we should go to sleep. At night when it should be dark, we have too many lights on. During the day, we don't get enough natural light. We're sitting under artificial lights. We don't spend enough time just chilling out. Even when we exercise, we often exercise too hard. Then there's the whole aspect of the food we eat which is a stress on the system. There are many factors, and we are bombarded, and eventually people get burnt out and spent. Jo: Being on the computer late at night-especially for those of us who are creative- musicians and writers-sometimes we WAKE UP at night and so we're on these computers. But it can really interfere with sleep. Frank: Big time. And I think sleep is one of the major issues in society today. People I see have sleep problems, so the book is full of sleep tips. One common reason for sleep problems, is too much stimulation at night. then when our bodies should be getting use to darkness at night, because at night your body starts secreting melatonin, your sleep hormone, if you're in front of the computer being stimulated, you're not going to get that secretion. Also, even when you're sleeping, if there's not pitch darkness, it's going to inhibit your melatonin secretion. Phone cell lights, DVD monitors, alarm clocks, any light that is on in your room is actually inhibiting your melatonin, your main sleep hormone. I think sleep is a major issue. Jo: We now know there are some dangers to electromagnetic energy. Do you think any of these devices that are out there to protect you, really work? Frank: I don't know if they make a difference. We hope they do. I have one on my Blackberry. But I don't know. What I will say is that I am sure that all these electronic devices are affecting us. Jo: I love reading real books and magazines, instead of staring at a computer screen while I do it. Frank: You know how convenient an Ipad is when you're on vacation and you want to take 6 books, but it's a problem.... Jo: We are use to convenience, and we're so use to everything being so fast these days. Our attention span is short- Frank: That's part of why we get burnt out. Jo: Why did you get into the field of medicine, and how has your practice changed through the years? Frank: When I was young in those days in South Africa, that's what the "smart" kids did. It never came to me that I wanted to be a doctor. I went into medicine because that was what was expected of me. It was what my brother did, and etc. I only really started enjoying medicine when I finished my training. Even when I finished my training, I went through a period of disillusionment with western medicine. So I only really started feeling passionate about what I was doing when I started studying chinese medicine and functional medicine and bringing it to my practice. My passion started later when I started moving away from western medicine. Jo: What are some of the treatments and modalities available to people who come to see you? Frank: I am trained as an internist, but I also offer acupuncture, chinese medicine, yoga, meditation, nutrition, functional medicine which is a true combination of western and eastern medicine. Jo: Toxicity. Three of the most common things that all of us have in our lives: 1. Excess Sugar. It's a big one, because it is so accepted. 2. Conventional household cleaning products 3. Chemicals in personal care products Most people hear this, but we are not always making a connection and saying, "maybe I need to stop using this stuff." Why aren't the dots connecting? Frank: Part of it is that we've been brain washed into using these products. The way they're marketed, you're not getting told that they are dangerous. They aren't going to tell you that. These are huge markets. Start with cosmetics. It's billions and billions of dollars. These cosmetics are full of chemicals. Most of these chemicals have not been tested. They stay on your skin for a long time, so they get absorbed into your blood. People are worried about organic food, and not eating chemicals and pesticides in their foods, but they will put worse chemicals on their skin. You should theoretically be able to eat your cosmetics. They are going straight into your bloodstream. Cosmetics are a major issue. When American women wake up to what they are doing to themselves, they are going to go crazy. In Europe, they are much more aware. The European Union has banned a lot of the same chemicals that are allowed in America. The same companies that make the products in Europe and have had to change the products in Europe, are still putting those chemicals into American products. It is about corporations wanting to make a buck. It's convenient. Maybe the cosmetics work, your skin looks or feels better. But it's not good for you. Sugar- more and and more people are starting to become aware that sugar is in everything. It's a tough one. When you're brought up, you do something good and get rewarded- you get a cookie or something. Most of us eat too much sugar, and it's a constant struggle. One of the best ways to overcome sugar addiction is to do a proper detox that lasts at least 2 weeks. Once you are off sugar for that amount of time, it becomes easier. Jo: And you have that one amazing cookie and you're right back! Frank: Yes! It does become easier the more you detox- I still love sugar, but I have one piece of chocolate, or when I have gelato, I just have a little bit. If you look at the way they eat in Europe, when they get a dessert, they get a little bit of dessert. Jo: And it's not in everything you're eating all day long. Frank: Exactly. Jo: Someone lent me a t shirt recently that had been in a dryer with strong fabric softeners. The smell really bothered me, and I had to take it off. Frank: We are exposed to thousands and thousands of chemicals every day from our household cleaning products, food- it's when all of these add up per day that there are problems. It's not that we are exposed to 10 or 20 or 50 a day, we are exposed to thousands. There'a little bit here in your detergent, a little bit here in your cosmetics, a little bit here in your food, in the air, so this is the problem. It all adds up. Jo: yes, it's cumulative. Jo: Do you help people detox heavy metals? Frank:That is a tricky thing. There is a blood mercury test, but that's not that accurate. The best test is a urine test. That starts getting tricky. I actually think it is important to take nutrients on a daily basis that help your body get rid of these things. Nutrients that help liver functions. Jo: You offer some detox shakes, could you tell us about that. Frank: So I mixed my own blend into packets. It's two week packets. You can carry them around with you. For two weeks, you do three shakes per day. You just blend and add water. You can add what you want really as long as you avoid the foods I want you to avoid. You do three shakes per day, two packs of supplements per day, and eat two small meals per day. For food, you have to avoid sugar, gluten and dairy, alcohol and caffeine. Jo: What about organic meat? Should you avoid that too while you are on this? Frank: No. You can have some grass fed meat, etc. The small meals are usually a salad and maybe a piece of organic chicken if you are not vegetarian, or you can even have some grass fed meat if you want to. The idea is to really get people off the big problems- the sugar, dairy and gluten. Jo: If someone has a detox reaction, how do you know if it's a good clearing out side effect, or a reaction that this is not so good for them. Frank: My detox is very gentle first of all. It's not a heavy detox. You are eating food, and getting nutrients to support your body's detox system. So I am actually supporting the body's detox functions, it is not like doing a juice cleanse or a water fast. The reactions people have are usually only the first few days- they are withdraw system- withdrawing from sugar, alcohol, caffeine. People don't have some of the symptoms they get in other detoxes.The only symptoms people often have are the first day or two, maybe three days, and after that people feel great. Jo: Sounds interesting to try. Frank: The products are on http:www.Elevenelevenwellness.com Jo: Why is it that the big cancer and diabetes organizations are not telling people first off to get rid of these toxic cleaning products and cosmetics.Why aren't they are all focused on that? Frank: That's a good question. Some people believe in this conspiracy of the whole cancer- I mean, I'm not necessarily coming from that place, but they believe that it's not in the interested of the cancer industry to prevent cancer, because it's a billion dollar industry. I'm not sure I'd go that far, but the pharmaceutical industry has taken over the medical world. They are focused on drugs to treat it, but they aren't looking for ways to help prevent it. Unfortunately, that's not lucrative. Our medical system has been hijacked by the pharmaceutical industry. Most research is all about drugs to kill the cancer, cut it out, get rid of it, as opposed to preventing it. It is not a lucrative industry to look for chemicals that could be causing the cancer. We will look at medicine 20 years from now, and we won't believe what they did. Jo: Look at the pink ribbon. The thing that bothers me, is that many of the organizations supporting it are actually creating products that CONTRIBUTE to cancer! Frank: I know, it's disgusting. The corporations have taken over everything. Look at the food industry. It's the same thing. The corporations fund our sickness, and then they treat us. They give us the foods that make us sick, and then often the same corporations develop the drugs to treat the sickness caused by the bad foods. Jo: It is so curious that people aren't more aware of the soy and corn industry in this country. It's genetically modified usually unless it says organic. Look at everything from baby foods, to ketchup to yogurts- you'll see corn syrup - soy- or some derivative from something soy related- so people are getting loads of genetically modified foods. Frank: It's terrible. It's criminal what's going on. It's sad, and that's why radio shows like yours, and my responsibility as well is to educate consumers and the public about what is going on. Because it's not coming through the traditional media. Jo: And why? There is so much that should be front page news. You don't see it on CNN, MSNBC, Fox news. The majority of advertisements on tv are coming from pharmaceutical drug companies. Frank: Yep. It's rotten to the core. Jo: Well thanks to the internet, we can get more information. Frank: I agree, it bypasses all of it, it's fantastic. Jo: What do you think- I have personally done raw food vegan, and right now I eat some organic meat. There are so many beliefs and ideas. Is there a perfect diet? Frank: All I know is that there is no one right diet for everyone. We are different on the outside and on the inside.Some people do well on a vegan diet, some people do well eating meat, some people do well on a vegetarian diet. My attitude towards food, is that you've gotta find what's right for you, BUT within that context, you've got to eat food as close to nature as possible. I think it's what we DO to the food that's the problem. For a lot of people, it's not necessarily meat, but FACTORY FARMED meat. Beef should be grass fed. Organic chicken. Organic eggs. It's what we do to the foods, the meats, fruits and vegetables, it's the pesticides- I mean, I'm not a dairy fan, but probably raw milk is not as bad if you are going to drink milk. But I am not encouraging anyone to drink milk. I think vegan, or what the Hippocrates Institute does, initially if you have some chronic illness, it can be a good starting point. But I've found many vegans and vegetarians who come in to see me, who actually need some animal protein. Not everyone. Some people do really well on a vegetarian or vegan diet. It's hard to say there's one right diet. You need to see what works for you. But stick as close to nature as possible. Basic diets should be plant based, but for many people myself included, a little bit of meat, but unaltered meat is important. Grass fed or organic. Jo: The factory farm issue is huge. Frank: Major issue. the factory farms are disgusting. Jo: Yeah, and the movie FOOD INC will open your eyes. It is so important not to support this cruel industrty. Frank: Yes, it's disgusting. Just another corporation abusing the system. Jo: It comes down to money. Frank: Yes, it's all about money and greed. It's about taking a responsibility to society, not worrying about the effects of what is happening to other people, to the animals, to the earth. Jo: One of my frustrations is that so many people get this information but don't act on it, and don't care. Frank: It's for us to spread the word. Get people active. It's our job to be community activists. Jo: MUSIC- you have some cool links to music in your newsletters. Frank: I'm a huge fan of music. To me, yoga, music, how you move your body, how you think, where your mind goes, meditation, these are all important tools to stay well. Detox for me is an entry point into wellness. So I have the revive program as an entry point. Jo: Thanks so much for being on the show. Frank: It has been a pleasure speaking to you!

Sunday, jan 23, 2011 One of my favorite inspiring quotes "I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed. " Michael Jordan

Friday, jan 21, 2011 Say no to GMO Bowing to corporate pressure from Monsanto, the USDA is on the cusp of approving genetically modified alfalfa. Allowing this crop to be planted brings with it a high risk of contaminating non-GMO crops and would threaten the integrity of many organic foods -- including milk from cows that are fed tainted alfalfa. Call President Obama and urge him to reject GMO alfalfa today. I am calling because I am extremely concerned about the possibility that the USDA is going to grant permission for Monsanto's genetically modified alfalfa to be grown in the U.S. Alfalfa poses to organic and other non-genetically-modified crops. I urge the USDA to reject the approval of genetically modified alfalfa. President Obama - 202-456-1111

Wednesday, jan 19, 2011 Hey all- my husband Tommy manages the band CAKE. MUSIC NEWS- just found out CAKE has the #1 album in the USA right now! CONGRATS "(Showroom of Compassion)"

Tuesday, jan 18, 2011 Unwrapping Today

Tuesday, jan 11, 2011 HOPE

Thursday, jan 6, 2011 Heartbroken Open, a Memoir from Loss to Self Discovery Zentertainment Talk Radio with Jo Davidson http://www.Zentertainment.org To listen to this wonderful interview, check out the show page Episode #75 The music in the background is a song I wrote called Moonlight Over New York. My guest today is Kristine Carlson. I was so inspired by her, and I LOVED her book. Talking to her was like talking to a friend. She's really wonderful! She wrote a beautiful memoir that I just finished reading. It's called "Heartbroken Open, a Memoir Through Loss to Self Discovery." http://www.amazon.com/Heartbroken-Open-Memoir-Through-Self-Discovery/dp/006173229X Many of you have read her other books as well as the books her husband Richard Carlson wrote including, "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff." In Kristine's new memoir, she writes about the death of her husband Richard. Grief is such a painful thing to talk about and read about at points. The way she talks about it, experiences it, expresses it, the courage she had in writing about it, amazed me. For any of you going through grief, through the death of a loved one or grief related to something else, I think you will get a lot out of this book. She shows you how to come through it, not deny it, not repress it, but go through the process and survive it. I am so excited to have her on the show! Kris: Aw, thank you Jo! Thank you so much for having me on. I would just like to say that you absolutely don't have a proper way to talk about grief. There's nothing proper about grief. And that's a beautiful segway into a very difficult subject. It's a subject that as a culture, we kind of live in denial of as a whole. We don't really tackle it until it hits our front door. I think it's time for the public and our culture as a whole to open up the conversation, because it really allows people to live more fully alive and awake if they DO think about it and carry the idea that we do have mortality. It's a fact of life. Jo: For anyone listening who doesn't know what happened, can you tell us about December 13, 2006? Kris: It started out like any other day for me and my family. My husband Richard had left the day before. He often times would go to the airport the night before if he was on a really early flight. He'd have time to prepare for his interviews. He'd park his car at the Weston so it was there, he'd take a shuttle.. That morning I got my kids ready for school. It was almost Christmas time. I pulled into a mall parking space. I got a call on my cell phone, and the area code number was a New York area code. I thought, Oh great, Richard is calling to let me know that he got in safe. And when I answered the phone, there were two strangers on the phone, and they were firing questions at me right away. It was a doctor and a nurse from a hospital in Queens, New York. They told me something in a very profound way, and most people, and at the time, I didn't think it was a very compassionate way to tell me, but they told me that my husband wasn't alright, that they had him there, and he had expired. Jo: Expired is the word they used?! Kris: I remember feeling so like....WHAT? What did you just tell me? Here the man I love, my husband, the father of my children, leaves on a routine business trip, everything's fine, your life is in order, and one moment like that changes everything forever. That moment I have to say, is a moment I barely lived through. I could feel myself completely wanting to die in that moment. When the reality of what had really happened hit me, which was that Richard has passed away very suddenly on the descent of a flight into New York from a pulmonary embolism... A pulmonary embolism is a blood clot that releases from your leg that travels to your lung. If it happens on the descent of a flight like that, because of that pressure in the air cabin, it's lethal. It's almost, you don't survive it. And that's what happened to Richard on that day. When you get that kind of phone call, it literally shatters who you are on every level. It shatters your family, it shatters your life. It's not something anybody ever wants to think about. I have spent the last 3 or 4 years contemplating, being in grief, and helping my family get through grief in picking up the pieces. When you do finally arrive, you go through that process, and your life is actually quite rich and quite beautiful, and I've actually returned to a lot of joy in my life. And it doesn't have anything to do with a relationship. It's just that I've returned to this very complete place within myself. Jo: You write so honestly about the experience of grief, and it's normal to feel like you want to die, like you've died. It can go on so long. In our culture people think there are time limits to grief, that there is an order, certain stages and once you pass through that stage you're done with that. Kris: You in fact are dying a death with your partner or the person you lose. The closer that relationship- like a partner or a child-it leaves this huge void and this huge hole, and it is an ending. It's a powerful experience. The truth is, as people we grieve all kinds of losses in all kinds of ways all the time. And many people don't read the signs of grief when they are going through maybe not such catastrophic losses. I've discovered that grief is a friend and a way to heal you during changes and transitions that you haven't accepted yet. It's something innate in us that brings forward all of our emotions and our feelings, because those are really what have the power to bring us back into life. Expressing that frustration and anger, and that deep deep sorrow is paramount to healing and returning to love and to joy in your life. Jo: Did you often feel like there was no end to the grief, and did you fear where your feelings would lead you? Kris: OH YES, Oh my gosh, especially in the beginning. After about 3, 4 5 months, when I had experienced such primal grief- I mean PRIMAL- where I would just scream until my roof was going to come off of my house and my throat was sore and dry-when I would get to that place, I knew it couldn't get any worse. There were a few times, where I had an interruption, I was home alone, and the phone would ring, and it would be weird because it would often be one of Richard's very best friends. Like once Joe Bailey called me, when I was just in such- I really felt like my heart was going to stop beating, like I was going to die. I truly remember having that thought like, I could just die right now and I would welcome that. I remember the phone rang, and it took me back into my body. I picked up the phone, I was still screaming, and I didn't have to tell him why. He just kept saying, "I am here for you, I'm here. Just hang on, I'm here..." Jo: You allowed yourself to grieve. So many people shut it out or try to just stay busy. Kris: You know, I had an eating disorder when I was younger, and I had recovered, and when I look back on that time period and that recovery, that kind of disorder is a difficult one to recover from. It's also a dark disorder in many ways, like all addictions. It takes you into places in yourself that maybe some people have never visited. And it might be scary for people to think about going there, but for me, I realized when I was in deep grief, I was in some sort of rebirthing process just as I was when I had recovered from my eating disorder. I was in keen observation about what was happening to me on an emotional, physical and spiritual level. I think that was part of the tools I had, too. You know, living with Richard, in his field, writing with him, spending our life in spiritual awareness. And yet even that, I had found that I could become complacent and asleep on a different level. So I found this total awakening happening as I would surrender to grief more. I knew I was on the right track, I knew I needed to go into this like you have to walk into a fire. And like you have to walk into a fire when you recover from an addiction. I knew that I would come out. I didn't know when. And I WAS terrified. There were times I thought, I don't know how long I can do this, or how long my body can stand this. Very intense grief is difficult on your body. It messes with your adrenal system and all sorts of stuff. Jo: Healing the eating disorder gave you tools- you had to come to know yourself in a new way- and it gave you tools that helped you with something even harder. Kris: Yeah. I think if you ever have the chance to speak with people who have recovered from anything, you'll find that they are the wisest most in tune people. In order to go through that and come out the other side, there is a lot of development, and a lot of self awareness that happens. Just to be able to live as authentically as you can, you have to be really aware of who you are. Aware of your insecurities, aware of the things that make you tick as a person. While we are all the same in a lot of ways, we all have different lives and different life patterns that we have to look at that trigger us in our relationships and in all ways. I think that's the strongest spiritual path someone could take- to become more self aware. That's in all of us to make that choice. Jo: In the book you wrote about a few times when you really felt Richard's presence. Could you share some of those times? Kris: One of the early miracles that Richard presented me and his best friend Benjamin with, was right after the memorial service. Ben and I were sitting in Richard's office. The sun sets on my house on the other side of my house, so the sun wasn't even on that side of the house. But it was around 3-4 in the afternoon. Ben and I were sitting there, and on the wall, we look up, and there was a light like someone was shining a flashlight on the wall. It had all this intricate movement going on within it but there was also this pulsing in it like a heart beat. Ben looked at me and said, that is like a human heart on the wall! And you could actually see the aorta coming down, it was the oddest thing. We just looked at each other. We watched the light, 10 or 15 seconds, and then all of the sudden as if someone had grabbed the light from the wall like a magic trick, the light just went WHOOSH from the inside, It shrunk and lifted off the wall. We laughed, and Ben said, "Richard is having so much fun with us!" We took that as a sign that Richard was very present and that his love was really with us, and his heart would always be with us. Jo: How powerful! Kris: Then there was a time right after my birthday on the first year, and I was at Starbucks with some friends. Richard and I always drank coffee together as part of our morning ritual. It's sort of how the "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff" books were born, from those early morning conversations. I was thinking of giving up coffee, because I felt like I needed to get my sleep under control, and my adrenals were a little tapped out. I was beginning to cut back on my coffee. I was standing in line with some friends. I had this banana nut muffin, and I was thinking in my head, wow, I really wish I had ordered coffee because it would taste so good with this muffin. Then the guy behind the counter yells out, RICHARD! And this guy walks up to the counter, turns around to me, holds two cups of coffee and says, "hey they gave me two cups of coffee by mistake, would you like one?" Then he hands me this cup of coffee with RICHARD scrolled on the cup! Just moments before I had been thinking to myself, Oh my gosh Richard, can you believe I'm going to give up coffee? It was like this instantaneous response, like oh you don't have to, Here! Here's one! It was so funny. Jo: That is so strange, and so cool! Kris: It's like magic. When you are in a spiritual aligned place- people who are really in their grief and really experiencing it, I mean you are truly calling on all grace and all Spirit to get you through those times. To the degree of which you love is I think the degree to which you grieve. And I think those times that can be magical- those experiences that bring everything through. Just a lot of magic going on in life. Jo: What is the difference between grief and depression? Kris: From my own experience and what I think, I heard this thing once that when you express your emotions, you express them out, and when you depress your emotions, you depress them down and in. To me that says it all. Depression can happen to people who don't grieve. When they've lost somebody and they don't go through their grief process, then they are repressing their emotional response to something they can't change, to something they haven't accepted yet. And that's the difference. Grief is not depression. I had very little depression when I was in grief. There was a short period in the second year when I felt a real low. I was moving through to acceptance. I wouldn't say I was depressed, but I felt low. I also felt low these past holidays. But I would say that depression and grief are very different. Also, you're not going to be happy all the time. And certainly before I grieved, I wasn't happy all the time. It's really about being graceful when you're low. Lows are a part of life too just as grief is a part of life. The more we can surrender and trust to the process of life and love and teach ourselves how to love ourselves through those times-that's the way to rise above going through mood swings and lows. It's not that you're NOT going to have them. It's how you get through them. Jo: A lot of times, especially in this holistic world, we hear, be happy, be happy! You don't hear that lows are a natural part of life... so if you think something is wrong with you just because you are feeling low, then you might be creating a problem that doesn't even exist... Kris: Yeah, I think it's not about being positive and happy all the time. For me, it's a gage about my perspective. It's not that I'm NOT going to be low or have a bad attitude sometimes, because I do. It's how quickly I can get back on track- that's my gage of health- and you know, certainly you aren't going to be on track when you're in grief. You will some day, but your life is pretty tipsy turvy and upside down when you're in a grief process. You really have to make allowances for yourself, and for other people when they are going through grief. That's a big one. Often times our culture and people around us think, oh you should be over that by now. You know, I'm not sure that people ever truly get over their losses. They move through them and move forward, but I'm not sure that people ever get over them. And it can be triggered at any time. My grief still gets triggered at the oddest of times. I think that to look at it like that is to find the deepest compassion in yourself for yourself, and for other people. Jo: That's so much healthier- the way you're talking about it is healthier. I talked to someone whose son died in a drowning accident. He said you never get over it. He carries it with him always, but he lives WITH it. Kris: That's what my kids say about their dad. I feel like I carry Richard with me every single moment of every single day. Gladly. I love my love for him. It's powerful. Our relationship lives today because of that love. It's not that I'm not moving forward or that I'm living in the past, it's not that. But he is present within me, and that's the beauty of one of the things you discover in loss. What you are really losing is the ability to live in human form with that person. You never lose that connection to that person. That connection is within you. And you can access that at any time. Jo: I loved your idea to send some of Richard's favorite shirts to a quilt artist and design lap sized quilts with the shirts! Kris: It's not a complete project yet but I am very excited about it! I couldn't figure out what to do with all his shirts, but I wanted to do something that would be long and lasting. And they're going to be beautiful when they're finished. Grief is whatever part of you needs to go through the transition to get to a place of acceptance of what you are losing. And that's a process. It's not a destination. It's a process. Jo: What have been things people have said or done that gave you strength, and what things did people say to you that felt inappropriate? Kris: Yeah, to have compassion for all people- it's an awkward moment for people. People don't want to NOT say something, but they tend to say too much. I felt that the people I responded the best to, the people that made me feel comforted- which ultimately when someone says something about your loss, they are trying to comfort you and themselves to some degree too- but they are offering it from love. Yet there are times in grief when somebody says the wrong things, and it triggers a part of your grief. For me, I would find some things trite, sort of common expressions. I would encourage people to stay away from "I'm sorry for your loss," or "He's in a better place", all those kinds of things. The truth is, you don't know where a person is in their grief. Certainly, one of the things people would say to me was, "oh you are so lucky that you had what you had." I would look at them and I'd be like, are you kidding me? I do not feel lucky right now about anything! But what I found so admirably helpful was when someone would just offer to do something for me. Or tell me they were thinking about me and praying for me every day. Or to look into my eyes and say, "I'm here for you, and I have no idea what you're going through, but I feel so deeply for you and your family." That touches your soul. I say to someone when they've lost a child, which to me is the most terrifying worst loss ever, and I say to them, "I don't know how you feel, but I feel for you. I think about you..." And you hold space for that person. That's the best that you can do for your friends and your family and anybody in loss. Look at yourself like you're going to hold space for them to go through their process. The grounding of the people around you is such an important healing part. That is why I created this online support group on my website. To offer that sort of holding space for people as they go through their grief process. http://www.KristineCarlson.com On my site, there is a free online support group. Your friend and my friend John Welshons came to my home, and we video taped a meeting. He is an amazing speaker and wrote a very powerful book, "Awakening from Grief." If you go into the circle, you can access the video tapes of those meetings that he is featured on. Also there is blogging, all sorts of stuff in that circle. It's a great way to connect and find a sense of community when you're going through loss. Jo: We all need people to help us through our life challenges. It's too hard to do it alone. Maybe there are some parts you do alone, but we all need each other. It's great you've created a place like this for people. Kris: It has been very powerful. I am honored, and it has given me a lot of purpose to give back on that level. Jo: I loved that you threw out media coaching! haha Kris! YEAH That was a catastrophic experience! ha Back when I was promoting "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Women," (and I wrote that right on the tails of "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff in Love)," I wrote that on my own. People think Richard co-authored that book. Of course I had him as a consultant on that book because he was alive and well, but I was really proud that I rose to the occasion and wrote that book. But I was terrified to promote it. I was entering into that arena at the national level. I had been a mom for 6-7 years and had not done anything professional in a long time, and when I was out on tour with Richard we were on tour together. So questions I couldn't answer- he would pipe in on. He was there, and it was just really FUN. Where this seemed ominous and daunting to me. The publisher wanted me to do media coaching. They spent the whole day coaching me on how to be somebody else. And I lost my voice! I completely lost my voice. I couldn't speak when I had to go on a radio satellite tour. I ended up having to cancel the whole thing, cancel my book tour. During that week, I had some amazing conversations with Richard, even though I couldn't talk, I was listening. And I learned that really, the most powerful place we can come from at any time in our lives, is to come from your heart. When you hold a feeling about any question you are being asked, it is not what you say, it's the place you say it from that people are going to remember. They are going to remember the energy and the vibe they get from you. I realized that the best place I could be in where I was most comfortable, was in my authenticity. And I have to say that grief has brought me into a level of authenticity that I didn't anticipate. It has brought me into a place in myself, it has taught me so much about who I am and who I'm not. That's a powerful journey. It's why I called my book Heartbroken open. There is this awakening that can happen when we're broken. If you don't know it ahead of time, you can miss it. I would just hate for someone to miss the silver lining in the dark cloud. I could tell you 100 stories that are just magical, spiritual, It really happens for you when you are in alignment with the moment, when you are pure hearted, when you are doing your work, when you're a willing participant, serving, in the zest of your life- I think so many times in our lives so many things take us there. It doesn't always come in the package we like, in the highest occasions. Sometimes the lowest lows are going to take us to the deepest places in our lives where we will eventually experience the most magic. Certainly in my process of loss, I went there. I am grateful I have had miracles happen to me. It has shown me that there is so much going on in different levels. My beloved is alive and well on a different plane. I know that, and I feel that with all my heart. To carry on with my human life the way I need to, I am healthy and strong and vital and young on many levels still, you know I have to carry on knowing that I carry on and move forward with tremendous love and gratitude in my heart. Jo: You went to celebrate your parents' 50th anniversary. You boarded a plane, a man took a seat next to you... Kris: The man took a seat next to mine... And in a conversation on the descent of that flight, he told me he had been sitting DIRECTLY BEHIND MY HUSBAND on the flight where my husband died. And he was the first person to help lift my husband's body out of his seat so they could try to perform CPR. It was the clincher moment. OH MY! What are the chances of that? He said there is almost no chance we could be on some random flight coming home from Eugene, Oregon on a 50 seater plane, and be seated next to each other. It was crazy! It really showed me again, I felt such divine love, such grace. I felt like, we've lived an incredible life together, and it continues. Jo: THANK YOU for writing such a beautiful book and sharing all of this! Kris: Oh thank you Jo! http://www.KristineCarlson.com

Monday, jan 3, 2011 Life Lessons from my MacBook Pro Computer Life Lessons from my MacBook Pro computer: I have a lap top computer that I take with me from room to room, house to house. There are times when the power cord is in the other room, and I just don't feel like stopping what I'm doing to get it. Inevitably, at some point the sign will pop up telling me that I am running on reserve battery power. I look to see how much I have left. 11%? 8%? 2%? If it's anything below 5%, I get up and get the cord. But if I have a little more power left, sometimes I ignore the warning. I have just one more sentence to write, one more website link to check out, one more song section to record, one more photo to edit, one more "something." It reminds me of when I was in high school and I drove one of my family's cars to school. I rarely filled up the gas tank when it was still half way full. And really, during cold Ohio winters who wants to stand outside and pump gas? Often I waited until the gas gage dropped lower and lower. I'd think to myself, "oh I can still get a few miles." Of course I ran out of gas a few times, and was stranded on the side of the road. So here I am with my computer. Tonight yet again, I was in one room and the power cord was in the other. I saw the warning sign. I was in the middle of something, and I figured I still had another good 10 minutes. Time passed, I forgot about the warning, and then suddenly my computer shut down. At that point, I HAD to get up and get the power cord and PLUG IN. But once I plugged in, nothing happened. I've learned that once my computer shuts down, it takes awhile for it to get up and get running again. It doesn't just pop back into "normal." No, I plug in and it's silence. It responds like it's dead. Nothing. After awhile, it comes on again, and I go back to what I was doing. I apply this analogy to my body, mind and spirit. And the lesson is- stay plugged in! Don't get lazy or think that what you are doing is so important that you can run on yesterday's prayers, yesterday's reserves. Lastly, don't ignore the warning signs! ©Jo Davidson

Monday, dec 20, 2010 AMAZING HOLIDAY TIPS for anyone facing illness, grief, or loss Happy Holidays! I just posted a video of a fun Christmas song I wrote with my 9 year old niece. "It's called "Dingely Dangely!" I was laughing so hard the entire time I put the video together. The song is about two friends. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATjSuQowJes It's a beautiful time of year. I love the holiday season. But for many people this time of year also brings some additional stresses. It can be a real roller coaster when you are dealing with health challenges, grief, or loss. This year, I wanted to do something different and offer you some real down to earth holiday tips! I have been really touched and moved by the many responses I got back, and I included the ones here that I thought would be the most helpful! I love this list so much that I am sure I will refer to it at other times as well. The list is pretty long, but it's full of such great stuff, that I didn't want to edit it too much! I hope you love these tips as much as I so! Peace, Jo http://www.Zentertainment.org ***** "No matter what your circumstances are, do something to make someone else's life better -- an actual gift, simple words of friendship, a small act of kindness, a prayer, it hardly matters what. The act of giving is a powerful realization and statement that you are not totally depleted; there is yet a reservoir on which you can draw. The Zuni tribe in New Mexico, where I live, have a saying: "The power is in the gift." The power flows both ways -- to the receiver, and also back to you, the giver, making you stronger than before. Giving also breaks the sense of isolation and aloneness that comes with being sick. It reminds us of our inseparable oneness with others. That is how giving helps restore our connection with life. " ~ Larry Dossey, MD Author: Healing Words and The Power of Premonitions and other books http://www.dosseydossey.com ***** "For me, because I also deal with the swallowing issues, holidays are difficult because they revolve around food. My own lesson has been in self compassion. Be kind to self and also practice self compassion- Christ was about compassion, and Christmas is the holiday that honors his birth. By practicing compassion for others and self during this time, we are honoring what Christmas is about. Even when a person is not ill, they can have a hard time during the holidays as it can bring up loss, grief and family issues. We also have so many obligations as well as things to do. Practice compassion and relaxation techniques- also appreciation for beauty around us. Passing by the pine smelling trees being sold on the corner of the streets and being grateful for the first snowflakes- the joy of children- these things bring me back to center and gratitude for what I can do and enjoy. Also being born a Jew is a plus as I don't have to deal with any family christmas obligations.:) Enjoying the small gifts opens us up to the bigger gifts within and the true meaning of this holiday." -Julia Tuchman http://www.juliatuchman.com/ ***** "Do what makes you happy by living as if this were the last holiday you were going to experience. And keep doing that for the rest of your life. Spend more time with the things and people you love and who love you and remember you control one thing; your thoughts and feelings, so keep your power and enjoy the holy day each day is." Bernie Siegel, Author of 365 Prescriptions for the Soul http://www.berniesiegelmd.com/ ***** "What I would I tell people is that they are the ones who know their own bodies best; like Faith, they'll need to be the one to initiate the healing process. I can also say that asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but perhaps the greatest strength shown. We have to be willing to put aside any pride and get help when we need it and be willing to help when we can." -Jude Stringfellow, the grandmother of "Faith the Dog" who walks on two legs http://faiththedog.info/ ***** "I think taking time out to pamper oneself in simple ways...such as... meditation...a few quiet moments with a cup of herbal tea... an aromatherapy bath... a massage... or a gentle yoga class, for even if you do not have a high energy level, some easy activity can ease tension. This being said, as a cancer survivor who was confined to my bed for seven months, before and after treatment/major thoracic surgery, I understand complete lack of energy or mobility, and how overwhelming this can feel. During that time calming music and "listening" to books on tape was extremely helpful. I also would engage with visualization exercises where I would out-picture my favorite warm and sunny place or activity... putting my mind in a space where I could be there, and used my sense memory to re-experience how these things made me feel when I was healthier. Also hopeful discussions with family and friends, having nothing to do with my illness, helped me to detach from my pain, even for a little while. All these choices can refurbish depleted energy, in whatever state one's health is. Lastly, as we don't always make great food or drink choices during this time, ease off any guilty or negative self image self-talk. And as you enter the new year, you can focus on the changes and healthy choices you want or need to make... one step at a time... Try and remember the holidays are about sharing time with loved ones, and for being thankful for what we do have that is good in our lives. So if you keep your internal focus there it will help dissipate stress and tension surrounding the holiday season... Happy Holidays! Cybele Kaufmann ***** 1. "If you feel like grieving, grieve. Even if is the holidays. To get past a feeling, you need to first feel it. Once you are done feeling it (which by definition is when it no longer FEELS GOOD to feel it), then it is time to let go of it by choosing to continually shift your attention to things that feel good. It is surprising to notice that it can feel good to grieve, or be angry , (having an immense self righteous hissy fit can feel very good), but it can--and is both OK and necessary. 2. There is a story of a king (who I guess must have been very bored) who gave his wise old advisor this task: "Find me 4 words that will make the happiest man sad and the saddest man happy." The wise man returned 3 days later with a ring on which was engraved "This too shall pass." What you are grieving, and the grief itself will pass. It simply needs the time and to be felt. 3- Many people unnecessarily suffer with chronic disease , debility or pain -- because their doctor said there was nothing they could do. In the majority of these cases, whether it is pain, heart failure, or a host of other conditions, I have found that effective treatment was available using a mix of natural and prescription therapies. The problem? These treatments are not patentable, and therefore cheap, so no one pays to get the information on the research to physicians. How to get started? How to treat over 100 common medical problems can be found (free--my holiday gift to you) on the iPhone and Droid apps Cures A-Z or online at: http://www.endfatigue.com/natural_cures/Conditions_and_treatments.html . Check these yourself, and you may find a Christmas miracle;-)" Jacob Teitelbaum MD, author of Beat Sugar Addiction Now, and Fatigued to Fantastic http://www.Vitality101.com ***** "Remember, this too shall pass. Do something nurturing for yourself at least once a day, something special that is JUST for you. Get lots of hugs. Ask at least one person a day to tell you that you matter and that they believe in you. Try some motherwort herbal tincture daily during the holidays, a dropperful on the tongue at least three times day. It helps." Stephen Buhner, author of Healing Lyme http://www.gaianstudies.org/Stephen.html ***** "There is a practice known in Buddhism as "mudita" which means to cultivate joy in the joy of others. It's the perfect antidote for envy that can arise over the things we can't do. It takes practice though, and at first I didn't always succeed. I'd think of the fun that others were having and try to feel joy for them, but it felt like fake joy. But I kept working at it and gradually, the feeling of joy became genuine. And now, the practice has turned inward and so, not only do I feel joy in their joy, but I feel as if they're having fun for me too. I still have difficult days when I wish I could participate in all the holiday activities. It is hard being sick, day after day. The relentlessness of it can be the most difficult to deal with. But at least I now have some tools and coping skills that I can turn to for help in alleviating the pain of being so isolated. Toni Bernhard, author of "How to be Sick: A Buddhist-Inspired guide for the Chronically Ill and Their Caregivers" http://www.howtobesick.com/ ***** "I am a cancer survivor in current treatment and my family has also lost my brother to his battle with cancer. Each Holiday brings with it new challenges. I'd say for me what is helpful is to elect (officially or not) a spokesperson to speak about your health on your behalf. Because that way you don't need to repeat your own sad story over and over again as you see all of your family and friends. In addition I have a blog that my family and friends read so that they are updated and it keeps the questions to a minimum. As far as the lost of a loved one around the holidays I'd say- don't ignore their life. We hang my brother's stocking, his ornaments, tell stories about Christmas' he spent with us. It's sad, but it would be so much worse if he had never spent a Christmas with us at all. We are all so much better for having had him in our lives. The holidays are about focusing on your blessings. It's tough when you have cancer but try to count your blessings." Happy Holidays! Kali ***** Give gifts from the heart- handknit mittens, a handmade card, a poem detailing what is special to you about the recipient. Make time for self care before and after get togethers. A walk in the park, a hot bath, lots of pure water, and a long nap can do wonders to help you prepare or recuperate. Avoid sugar, allergenic foods and other triggers. Go prepared to family gatherings with your own pre-made delicious sugar free snacks and desserts, or eat your own meal ahead of time so you are not tempted to fill up on foods that you will regret later. If you cannot attend family gatherings, give yourself the space to feel sad/angry/or relieved. Create your own ritual at home-treat yourself to a massage, your favorite Netflix movie, organic popcorn in bed, a foot soak, a long phone call from a friend, whatever makes you feel nurtured and comforted." -Julie Genser Founder and Director of http://www.PlanetThrive.com ***** "First, it's OK to do less than in previous years. It's also OK to tell others "I can't" if asked to perform tasks that are more physical than you're comfortable with. They need to know you're doing all you can by just being there. Avoid late nights and early mornings. You need as much rest as possible. Along with that is accepting this is the way life is right now, and not getting pulled into comparisons with the past. It's very easy to get depressed about how much better you felt in previous years, and the unfairness of your illness or loss. The goal is to enjoy the season as much as possible. Focus on the love and caring of friends and family, and e njoy the time together. If your finances have taken a beating, as mine have, give everyone nice cards and call it good. Increasing your debt to buy gifts is an unfair expectation and will only increase your feelings of stress. The gift you give this year can be your smile, your laughter and, when possible, your participation. I also have a favorite visualization that I keep tucked away for the really tough times. When the emotional roller-coaster is at the very bottom and my optimism is down there as well, I have a favorite place (alongside a mountain stream) that I can close my eyes and go to. The peaceful feeling helps soothe my spirit and rejuvenate my belief that I can and will get well again. Because I'm going to get well again. It's just going to take some time." -Randy ***** Shari writes in with some thoughts she would like others to know: -"Please understand that I am not rejecting your wonderful cooking, I am on a strict diet to help my illness. -Please help me have a perfume and scent free environment. It really does matter! -Too much stimulation can affect me right away or sometimes not until the next day, so gatherings needs to be low key. I have fatigue to the degree that a short visit is all I can do for the day. Please do say something encouraging and yet brief. We often feel like life is leaving us behind and a few kind words of acknowledging our situation helps us not feel so invisible. -Understand that when you ask, "How are you doing?"- I will make light of my symptoms- otherwise I will sound like a complainer- so I will just say something relative to the situation. Such as, "hangin in there"! -Please share with other extended family members about my health before Aunt Agnes sees me for the first time in 10 years say for instance. Especially in big families. We can spend the entire few hour visit- just updating people about what Lyme Disease is! -Please remember we may be very sick and yet don't look sick. -Your compassion makes a difference- so please stay in my life. I/we need our family and friends still- even more so. ***** "Since this is a time of increased exposure to others who may be carrying germs your body is unaccustomed to, protect yourself by taking 1 Mucococcinum tablet (a Canadian homeopathic for cold/flu prevention), every 2 weeks, dissolved under the tongue, and away from food or drink by 20 minutes. If symptoms arise, take 1 tablet once or twice in that day. Many call this a true miracle remedy. It is not found in US health food stores so contact me to purchase." Andrea Candee Specializing in reversing chronic Lyme Disease and its viral co-infections Author of "Gentle Healing for Baby & Child" http://www.Andreacandee.com ***** "Distract, distract, distract! And Laugh as much as you can! Do whatever you can that is creative, whenever you can, to whatever degree you can. If laughter is one of our best medicines, we've gotta go after it. Don't let other people or hard circumstances steal your joy permanently. Let yourself cry and let out the grief and loss. Find a close friend or a counselor to talk to. Also, when you are dealing with these kinds of challenges, it is normal for the days to be like roller coasters. Don't beat yourself up about it. Just try to ride the waves and float. Remembering the impermanence of things, especially when you are in the tough spots, helps. Surround yourself with supportive people and positive input. Read the Bible or something spiritual that resonates with you. Read uplifting stories and watch happy films. It helps me to keep a journal. I don't believe that there are good or bad feelings, I think there are just feelings. I know that for me, having a place to express ALL of them is very helpful. And I would say to myself and others, be as kind and compassionate to yourself as you would to any of your friends if they were in your shoes. Sometimes we are so much harder on ourselves. Even in the midst of the challenge of illness, there can be places where we come into our talents and gifts in new ways, and find ways to be of service in the world. When we give, we also get back just in the giving. My advice to myself all year long and especially during this holiday season, is to be aware of what new things, what new ways of being, relating, loving and dreaming are trying to be born in me and through me. Examine what next steps you want to take, and make an action plan for the new year. This will make you feel proactive and hopeful. Look to people who have gone through what you have, and see what helped them, too. One of the things I do when I am in the low lows and I need a slow moving relaxing activity, is to cut out inspiring quotes and pictures from magazines and post them in a scrapbook. I call it my "dream book." Find ways to give to others and it will boost your spirits. It feels so good to give. Also use the spirit of this season to let go of any grudges or resentments you have held onto. They weigh you down. I've been thinking of the happiness of others as my happiness too. Send blessings to everyone. It feels good to wish everyone well. When visiting with friends, don't be afraid to say what you need. When you look normal, people have no idea of what you are going through. Speak up if you need to. And if you feel like you have to stop talking for awhile, or lie down in another room or in the same room, do what you need to do to take care of yourself. The people who love you will love you no matter what. If you can't go anywhere, try some gentle sitting qigong. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p12vknxpz_o&NR=1 Listen to healing music. (For a very relaxing, meditative, holiday CD- I play my own!) http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/davidson3 You might want to keep an activity log for each day and write down what you have accomplished. It helps me when I feel like I am "doing nothing." When you keep an activity log- it's like a way of recording your accomplishments. Then you see you actually did do something. I might write down the simple things - I got dressed- I played with my niece- or maybe I had a friend over- I made myself lunch and cleaned up, I wrote a song or an article, took some pictures outside, or etc . Congratulate yourself on anything you CAN do no matter how small it seems. (Even if you only could do one thing that day). Writing it down will help to give you a sense of some accomplishment. Don't worry about tomorrow. I remember someone once telling me that although we love the mountain tops, it is usually in the valleys where we do our deepest growth. Use this current challenge as a way to learn the lesson of how to be in the moment rather than worry about what is next. During huge challenges, it is the time when it is the hardest to do this, and yet what better time is there to learn this practice? I have to remind myself that meditation and worry are just two sides of the same coin. Instead of meditating on worry, flip the coin and meditate on love. And take each day at a time, sometimes in small little tiny sections. Micromovements are key. -Stick to an organic whole foods diet, avoiding genetically processed foods, artificial ingredients, and toxic cleaning and body care products. The more you can support yourself in this way, the better you will feel in the long run. Have some fun in whatever ways you can. For me, creativity is a great healer, and so is laughter. These are some of the things that help me. -Jo Davidson http://www.Zentertainment.org http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/davidson3 ***** My mother, with whom I was very close, passed away on Dec. 27, 1995, after a long battle with cancer. Up until then, our family Christmases had been these incredible Swedish feasts and celebrations as my mother and her twin sister (who sadly passed away when I was in high school) were from Sweden, and we had maintained their childhood customs with my mother leading the way. After my mother's passing, the holidays have never truly been the same for me. Every year, I notice that in December, I find myself getting melancholy and "blue". I am sure that not only does Christmas now remind me of my mother's actual passing and her long illness (as it was just 2 days after), but it also reminds me of the many dear family members who are no longer with me. Christmas has never truly been as joyful for me since 1995, and I have accepted that. I am sure many people can relate to my experience. So, I find that I am less interested in all the holiday partying and shopping excursions. I notice I want to hibernate and go more inward, when it seems most of the city is on high adrenaline. It is not easy when it seems the whole world is on high Christmas cheer, and for me there is this underlying melancholy and sadness. When one feels this way, there is then also a feeling of separateness. So leading up to the holidays I find that going for long walks in nature (for me, Central Park) really helps to raise my spirits. I've also noticed that when I meet strangers and chat with them about how the holiday season is treating them (such as cab drivers, waiters, and salespeople, who are working around NYC, etc) it is really interesting and uplifting. Having those positive moments of personal connection with someone who you don't know and most likely will never meet again is inspiring to me. Maybe it helps to make me feel more connected and less separate. For me, the holidays are now most about the next generation in my family. My husband and I don't have children, but we can see how exciting the holidays are to our nieces, nephews, and cousins. Seeing the holidays through their young eyes can be uplifting. And I hope that the young ones also realize that the holidays are more than just receiving gifts, as gifts can always be exchanged, but the family members in our lives are all "one of a kind" and we should appreciate them while they are with us. Wishing you all the best for 2011, Melissa Elstein Good Energy Yoga & Reiki ***** "After interviewing a multitude of my cancer clients, those dealing with pain, depression and grief, the most mentioned effective and helpful tools to getting through tough times are: 1 Surround yourself with positive and loving helpful people. 2 No matter what find even the smallest of things to be grateful for every day. Gratitude is a huge healer 3 Say both what you want and need as well as what you don't want and need. Don't make people guess. 4 Humor.. movies, jokes anything to get you laughing." Diane Mandel http://www.Soundenergyhealing.com ***** *Prioritize and choose what you are going to do rather than get into obligation and do too much. Be realistic about how much work you can take on and don't be afraid to ask for help with tasks that are too draining. * Plan to take regular rest. If you don't plan for rest, the busy holiday season can be consuming. * Relax but don't abandon the lifestyle and dietary regimen that has been helping to keep you healthy. It's easy to feel rebellious around the holidays but if you eat the wrong things, don't get enough sleep or abandon your exercise regime you could end up feeling a lot worse and less able to enjoy the festivities." -Jill Blakeway, acupuncturist NYC http://yinovacenter.com ***** I suffer from S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder). I use a dawn simulator lamp/alarm clock and a 10,000 lux light box (SunTouch Plus). The light boxes contain the blue wavelength (the same as the blue sky), which shuts off melatonin and turns on serotonin. Getting regular light doses helps to set circadian rhythms and improves sleep. See:http://columbiapsychiatry.org/clinicalservices/light-treatment-center I also suffer from anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder & Social Anxiety Disorder). I tried various drugs, but found the most powerful tool to be CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). CBT helps me hear my thoughts and see whether they are in line with logic & reality. It is a type of mindfulness. Likewise, Psychodynamic therapy has helped me become mindful of emotions, while Yoga has helped me become mindful of body tension (specifically muscle tension and breathing, two key components of anxiety). Together, the total mindfulness has helped me achieve the emotional calm needed to ease my spirit and handle the stress of everyday life (esp. amped up during the holidays). (see:http://www.itmonline.org/shen/chap3.htm ) Exercise and diet are incredibly important too. The trick I think is that exercise must be fun. One must *want* to do it, rather than feel like *having* to do it. For me it's watersports and yoga. Spark natural healing: use massage and heat/cold to spur circulation and waste removal. Muscles account for 50% of our body weight, and up to 75-85% of our pain. I use massage (Trigger Point Therapy http://www.triggerpointbook.com/ & Acupressure http://amzn.com/0553349708 ), ice wraps and hot epsom salt baths to do this. Also, mindful muscle tension release and easy breathing do wonders for healing, something I discovered through yoga practice. I can literally use my mind to relieve pain. Lastly, studies show the importance of a social support network for good health. Having a good time with friends, deep laughs, or a shoulder to cry on are vital. Jeff Schultz ***** "It's vital to tune into your intuition to listen to your body's deepest needs and also about what direction to go in treatment. Measure intuition in with the advice you're given to find the answer that feels best in your gut and soul." Judith Orloff MD Author, Emotional Freedom http://www.drjudithorloff.com/ ***** "Honor your feelings. All of them: positive ones and more challenging ones: anger, fear, grieving, sadness, helplessness. Each one needs to be acknowledged as all right. There are no inappropriate feelings. Don't judge yourself for any feelings you have either. Stop that little voice that tells you that you shouldn't grieve or be angry about any situation, right in its tracks. There is also no "correct" amount of time to feel each feeling. Keep in mind that each person's process, each person's journey through the emotional landscape of dealing with an illness is his or her own. Connect to others in your community and family, too. Reach out for help if you need it. You give people a gift when you ask for their assistance. Talk to people about challenges you are facing around the chronic illness and let family members you are visiting or who may be visiting you how they can best support you during the visit- and what your limits are in terms of being able to participate in holiday activities. Simply expressing it is tremendously healing. Reach out to help someone else without expecting anything in return. Talk to a senior at a senior center who might not have anyone else to talk to during the holidays. Pray for or simply hold in your heart anyone else who is suffering. Or these acts can be as simple as letting a person ahead of you at the grocery store, yielding to traffic, complimenting a person or smiling at someone. Dedicate in your own heart every kind act you do in a day to others who are dealing with a chronic illness or who are alone or suffering. Take deep breaths often, particularly when you are with family and friends or alone during the holidays. Breathing consciously brings you into the present moment and what you are experiencing here and now. It helps you get in touch with your true feelings, rather than cutting off from them. Express Gratitude Regularly. To help maintain perspective, regularly recognize what's right in your life and with whatever is going on during the holiday season. Keep a gratitude list and refer back to it when you need a reminder. Alissa Lukara is the author of Riding Grace: A Triumph of the Soul http://www.ridinggrace.com/transform.html ***** "Don't Over-Commit. Many people over-commit, try to please everyone, rush around and do too much. So decrease your load and enjoy the fewer commitments you make. Stay Present or Be in the Moment. The more you are in the moment with awareness, the less you are caught up in the mind and all the things you still have to do or haven't done yet. Be aware of your breathing. If it becomes short and shallow, you know you are getting anxious. Take Breathing Breaks. Whenever you get a chance, take breathing breaks.... not only when you feel yourself getting anxious. Make the time for them, even if it is only 5 minutes at a time, it will re-invigorate you. You can do it anywhere, just find a quiet spot. It will get you back into the present and out of your head and will help you let go of worries and tension. Do some Restorative Yoga. When you get home in the evening, do a restorative yoga pose for 15 minutes to rejuvenate you. Or do a restorative yoga pose if you feel the need during the day to help recharge your energy It really does restore you. Move. Try walking as much as you can. Take your dog for a walk. Take a walk with a family member or friend and combine walking with connecting. Have your Smoothie in the Morning. The more you fill yourself with good nutrients in the morning, with good protein, fat and phytonutrients, the less space and craving you will have for the junk food. Have Fun, Laugh, Commit to Enjoying the Holidays. Give in a Way that Gives you Joy instead of out of Obligation." Dr. Frank Lipman, author of Revive and Total Renewal http://www.drfranklipman.com/ ***** "The holidays can be challenging when you are also struggling with the effects of an illness. Dr. Robert Schuller wrote a book with a title that really says it all: "Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do!" Andrea Chervenak (see the link below for more tips) http://www.healwithhope.com ***** "Perhaps, this holiday season you don't have a mate, or it feels stressful to visit family, you may be grieving a loss in your life, or struggling financially. We all have dilemmas that we contemplate on a daily basis. Instead of feeding the problem with a fast fix of food indulgences why not think of something else. Feed your soul with a walk in the park, call a long missed friend, take a hot bath with essential oils, schedule a massage or put on your favorite music and sing and dance. I do! Gratitude is the best medicine on earth. Even if you can only be grateful for each breath you take. Your life is a treasured gift to cherish during the holiday season." Donna Perrone http://www.donnaperrone.com ***** "I would say my motto is to live in gratitude. Every night before going to bed, I say thank you for three things...at least! Also I am always thankful for the grace of music, (especially from beautiful musicians like you!!!!) http://www.songcirclemusic.com/#/about/ (Thank you Tina for making me smile) ***** "I try to picture myself two, three, and even ten Christmas's from now- well and healthy, surrounded by loved ones with all the energy I could dream of! This is what I hope for, and I think it's possible. For now, I do low energy things that help to being some sort of Christmas spirit to the holidays. I would suggest that people do anything they CAN do, baking or decorating cookies, picking a charity, one person or a volunteer opportunity that is within your abilities. Visit an elderly person, or if you can't get out, send a card. Helping others is so good for the soul. It's so necessary for the soul. Doing things for others really is a seratonin boost." -Jessica ***** "Glad During the Holidays No Matter What! The holidays are full of pressures to be glad even if you don't feel that way. People talk about "holiday cheer," "finding the silver lining," "looking on the bright side,"all of which are fine when we feel those things, but can actually add to feelings of loneliness and depression when we don't. There is also a certain kind of "holiday tyranny" where we are encouraged to hide how we're actually feeling, for the "sake of the holidays." We are meant to feel what we feel when we feel it, then let it go. Most people don't know how they're feeling, or that it's okay to feel it. We are not taught how to have, or hold multiple feelings simultaneously, so many people choose one and cling to it. That one feeling might be described as happy or sad, but it's not a true reflection of our complexities as humans, and results in our feelings not flowing. Instead they get stuck, or other feelings are left untended. For example, you might feel happy to see your mom at Christmas, sad that she's physically declining, angry that your sister isn't doing more, and worried about the future. If you fixate on just one of those feelings, it will not be as productive or helpful. Instead, it would be much more effective to feel all that you feel, respond lovingly to yourself, your mother and your sister, and create good systems for your family and self-care practices too. Practical Gladness means living in the "messy middle" of all of your feelings and finding your "glad ground" underneath. From this glad ground place, you can be aware of and hold all of your feelings, notice ways to respond instead of react, and transform what's possible to transform. When we find our glad ground in the middle, it is possible to enjoy the holidays truly, authentically, and with grace and wisdom. Here are some practical ways you can experience more gladness this holiday season: 1. Create a new self-care plan - Think of what you need to feel good during the holidays, and provide it for yourself. Some of these things might be: *Special foods that you know you will enjoy *Call a friend to share how you're really feeling- not how you think you should be *Practice ways to experience less stress, like going for a walk or attending a yoga class *Write in a journal or book with lists of things that nourish you, and do the things. 2. Adjust and lower your expectations, or better yet - have none - Notice how your expectations bring suffering when they aren't met. Change your expectations about what you or others "should be" doing or acting like, and practice allowing how it actually IS. Focus on what's good and working 3. Educate others in the best ways to support you- Become clear about what actually feels supportive to you, and ask for others to contribute. 4. Experiment with new traditions and rituals for the holidays -- Do things differently. We all tend to repeat and become habituated. For example, "we always have our meal at _______." Some of my greatest holiday experiences have taken place at the movies, miniature golfing or serving food at a shelter instead of trying to participate in rituals or traditions that no longer represent who I am now. 5. Allow yourself to experience your holidays imperfectly - Revise your ideas of perfection and increase your capacity for spontaneous joy. For example, if you get tense and pressured about preparing a meal, buying gifts, sending cards, or trying to do it ALL, try: *Doing less and feeling good about it-refuse to be a prisoner of others expectations *Doing parts of things - fix the dessert, ask others to bring the other things *Doing tiny amounts - consider attending a holiday party for 5- 15 minutes with no explanation about why *Asking others to help and then don't control or manage "how they do it" 6. Practice transforming what hurts into what helps - Find the places that aren't working and speak up about them. For example, you might ask a group of people in your home to talk about different subjects like what they're loving in this moment, instead of sitting there judging how bored or dissatisfied you are feeling. Being glad no matter what is NOT about feeling glad when you don't- how annoying. It's about practicing with all of your feelings and feeling glad as often as you possibly can- especially during the holidays! -SARK is a best-selling author and artist. Her newest book is Glad No Matter What. http://www.planetsark.com or call her Inspiration phone line at 415 546 3742.

Sunday, dec 19, 2010 Holiday Berries

Saturday, dec 18, 2010 Comedy Cures We've all heard that saying, "Laughter is the best medicine!" It doesn't say that laughter is a medicine you might want to dabble with and try. It doesn't say laughter can help sometimes. It says, it's the BEST medicine. If it's really so great for us, then I think we have to run after it, chase it down, embrace it, seek it, create it, do whatever we must to fill our lives with it. Even MORE so when we don't feel like laughing! One of the things I re-learn when I am around children, is how great it is to laugh - all the time- at the dumb things, the silly things, at nothing at all. Children can laugh so easily. When do adults become so serious, and why? I wrote a hilarious dance Christmas song with my niece who is 9. It's about a little girl named Tinkly and her friend Donner (a reindeer). One day Donner pees on Tinkly, and she gets SO mad. They get into a big fight and it seems like their friendship is over. But Tinker the Elf comes along with a Christmas secret that helps everyone be friends again. The song flies by so fast, I don't know if anyone would even get the message at all. It's pretty off the wall. But in my strange sense of humor, I get it, and I love it. I arranged the song in my Garageband program. Then I had one of my sisters do most of the illustrations and my niece also did a few. Tonite I made a video of the whole thing. I can't even tell you how hard I was laughing the entire time. If not always out loud, then inside! I was totally cracking up seeing my sister's hilarious Christmas illustrations- Donner pouting with a broom in his hand, or Tinker holding a secret list. I also kept laughing every time I heard my niece's voice with me on the recording. It's great! Everyone else might think the song is nuts, but it brightens me up and that's enough for me! When I was done putting the whole video together, which took maybe 40 minutes or so, I noticed that so many things had shifted. My energy was much higher. My mood was really different, I felt truly happy and stress free. I actually wanted to dance around the room. I could feel joy again, and I felt lighter. Laughter really does help us overcome challenges in our lives. It makes life enjoyable and fun, and that right there makes life feel worth living. It makes big problems shrink, it makes our immune systems stronger, our energy higher. It also relaxes us more, which lowers stress, and that promotes healing and happiness. Wow, all from laughter! If any other medicine could do this, we'd be calling it a miracle drug. We'd all be lining up to get it and pay big money for it. Maybe sometimes the best medicine is actually FREE!

Tuesday, dec 14, 2010 Flu Shots & Fracking A few things caught my eye in today's local paper. (I'm in Ohio right now) In the health section, there was an article promoting the flu vaccine for seniors. It said that all seniors should get flu vaccines. Flu vaccines contain MERCURY and FORMALDEHYDE. By 2050 it is projected that around 15 million people in the U.S will have alzheimers. An estimated 454,000 NEW cases of Alzheimers could be diagnosed in the next year. People at the very least, deserve to know that more and more research is coming out showing MAJOR links between Alzheimers disease and mercury. It is irresponsible to hide this fact from people. Mercury is one of the most toxic heavy metals, which can poison the nervous system and cause neurological diseases. The long time build up of this toxic metal can cause countless problems, (one of which is chronic fatigue immune dysfunction). Another article caught my eye. It was about possibly considering hydraulic fracking in Plain Township. This process is contaminating water supplies all across the country, so much so that in some places, you can actually set the water on fire. In New York State, we were just able to put enough pressure on our leaders, to convince them that fracking is harmful. The decision to ban fracking is imperfect, as this decision only lasts until July 2011. But it is the first time frackers have been stopped by a major government. If you want to see a true story documentary about what this process involves, check out GASLAND http://www.amazon.com/Gasland-Josh-Fox/dp/B0042EJD8A

Monday, dec 13, 2010 Can this simple thing reduce Alzheimers Symptoms or prevent it? I've been researching, and keep coming up with links between chronic fatigue, diabetes, alzheimers, MS, parkinson's, heart disease, etc One of the most common links is mercury toxicity. But I wanted to tell you about something else- ORGANIC COCONUT OIL! Ketones feed the brain, and they are found in coconut oil. Here are two links to keep on hand http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/12/13/can-this-natural-food-cure-or-prevent-alzheimers.aspx http://www.coconutketones.com/whatifcure.pdf There is increasing evidence from people trying organic coconut oil on relatives with alzheimers, that it helps. Studies done, showed that 47% had cognitive improvement on coconut oil, so it doesn't help everyone, but it helps a large number of people. The other half of people declined only slightly instead of rapidly declining. Dr. Mary Newport, wrote that her husband had progressive dementia for 5 years. It got worse... MRI'S confirmed a diagnosis of Alzheimers- After taking coconut oil daily, he had dramatic improvements. At one point they had him on 7 teaspoons twice per day, sometimes even more. If you would like more info- contact Dr. Mary Newport 10030 Orchard Way Spring hill, FL 34608 Preemiedoctor@aol.com According to Dr Joseph Mercola, "Coconut oil feeds your brain and prevents brain atrophy. It may even restore and renew neuron and nerve function in your brain after damage has set in. The substance in question is called ketone bodies, or ketoacids. Ketones are what your body produces when it converts fat(as opposed to glucose) into energy. And a primary source of ketone bodies are the medium chain triglycerides (MCT) found in coconut oil!" Coconut oil contains about 66 percent MCTs." If you are looking for a fun, delicious way to add coconut oil to your diet, check out my morning smoothie recipe: Mix in a blender: Organic pure almond milk organic berries, banana, 1 scoop of Raw Organic Protein Powder http://www.gardenoflife.com/ProductsforLife/SUPPLEMENTS/FoundationalNutrition/RAWProtein/tabid/1894/Default.aspx (By the way this doctor has an amazing story about Healing Crohn's through diet and supplements) 2 spoonfuls of organic coconut oil to the smoothie and 1/4 of an avocado It tastes GREAT!

Friday, dec 3, 2010 Prayer & Healing, Saints & Sinners Zentertainment Talk Radio with Jo Davidson http://www.Zentertainment.org The music you are hearing in the background is from my very first CD- about 10 years ago- called Tell the Story. This song is called Released. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/davidson2 If you haven't signed up for the zentertainment newsletter yet, please do that and you'll also get a free MP3 of my song "Reflection." Just go to the main page at http://www.Zentertainment.org I want to welcome Larry Dossey to the show today-(We start off talking about his book), " Healing Words: The Power of Prayer and the Practice of Medicine" http://www.amazon.com/Healing-Words-Prayer-Practice-Medicine/dp/0062502522 His latest book is called The Power of Premonitions http://www.amazon.com/dp/0525951164/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=3645357475&ref=pd_sl_8rc6edoeu_b ********************* Jo: Thanks again for being here, it's great to have you back. Larry: It's a pleasure. Thanks for inviting me again. Jo: You know, personally, I don't need scientific studies to tell me that prayer makes a difference, but from a scientific viewpoint, have you found studies that support prayer and healing? Larry: Yeah, actually that book (Healing Words) was written back in 1993, and it was on the NYTIMES best seller list, because it did talk about something that was very new. Studies began to be published in the late 80s. I was shocked when I found these things, because I didn't know anyone in their right mind would do a controlled double blind study looking at the effects of prayer, but they did. I spent years chasing down all the studies that had been done looking at prayer, and I was surprised at what I found. I found over 130 of those studies. I spent years analyzing them and trying to make sense of them. This was a key thing for me, because I was practicing internal medicine at the time. I always had patients in the hospital who were very sick in the intensive care units and coronary care units. And one of these studies looked at the role of prayer in the coronary care unit. The people who got prayed for, even though they didn't know it, did better than the people who did not. This got to be personal pretty quick. I thought to myself, if there's anything to these studies, I better figure it out. If prayer does help, and I'm not doing that, am I withholding a necessary and helpful therapy from them? Jo: Do you think it is psychological? Is it a placebo? Larry: I'm pretty sure that anytime anybody has a bit of faith in whatever is being done for them, that boosts the effects of whatever the therapy happens to be. Including prayer. BUT the effects of prayer are not all placebo effects. The reason we know that, is that many of these studies are what we call double blind studies. Which means that the person receiving the prayer doesn't even know that it is being offered. And what's even more interesting to me is that a lot of these studies were done not on people but on animals and plants. I don't think we want to say that plants and bacteria and germinating seeds in test tubes are susceptible to the placebo response. I don't think they are. But the prayer works anyway to increase the growth rate of plants and seedlings. If the growth rate of bacteria and fungi growing in test tubes in laboratories responds- you can't say it's all placebo. There is something else going on. Jo: What about the tests that have come out showing there is no connection between prayer and healing? Larry: Those studies are certainly out there. I don't know of any medical research where all the studies come out positive. You're always going to have some that are negative. My task has been to look at the studies and the quality of them. I'll give you one example of a negative study that created a lot of interest in the media. It was a famous study that came out of Harvard medical school. In this study, the people who got prayed for and knew they were going to get prayed for did the worst of all! It's actually comical. Newsweek Magazine ran a story on it with the banner headline, "Don't pray for me!" That study is one I think was flawed from the get go. Jo: What made it flawed? What went wrong with that study? Larry: It was flawed, because in this study almost 1200 people undergoing coronary bypass surgery- 2/3 of them were told "we may or may not pray for you." only 1/3 of them were sure they were going to get prayed for. Jo: That's weird right there, because part of the whole thing is knowing you are being prayed for. Larry: That's exactly right. The thing is, there is something in prayer research called ecological validity. It's just a fancy term for, if you're going to study prayer in experiments, you better use it like it's used in real life. This is kind of a no brainer. What they did in this Harvard study is use prayer like it's used nowhere in the world! Let's say your mother is going to have bypass surgery tomorrow. You don't go to her and say, "Well Mom, I don't know if I'm going to pray for you or not." But this is what they did in 2/3 of those patients. So I don't think it's any mystery that this should have had a crazy outcome. A lot of us who follow this stuff predicted ahead of time that that study just wasn't going to work at all because they didn't use prayer like it's used in real life. When anyone is looking at these prayer studies, the first question to ask is, do they use prayer authentically? Like it's used in real life when we say we pray for our loved ones unconditionally. If it's not used that way in the particular experiment, I think you just should sort of bracket it and set it aside no matter what the outcome is. Jo: A lot of time in the public, you read a survey-and don't get all the facts of what went on behind it. Larry: A lot of people just hate these studies. The atheists and the agnostics think it's all nuts. They will pick one study- or two or three that are flawed-which is not difficult to do. There are a lot of terrible studies out there. Then they will generalize to condemn the entire prayer field. I don't think that's fair. That's not doing good science. You need to look at all of the studies and be critical about the quality of them and how they're actually done. That's what I tried to do in my books. Jo: How has your research shifted your beliefs? Larry: I can't say it has created beliefs that did not exist in the first place. I grew up in a religious community, although I threw all that away when I went to college. But I reformulated my spiritual life and my belief in prayer later in medical school. What the prayer studies have done is validate what I pretty much believed in the first place. I think that's a great contribution of this area of research. Validation. A lot of us grow up in this culture and go to college and universities and become involved in science. We come away from that educational experience thinking that prayer and healing intentions and so on, are just nonsense. That's a pretty heavy duty thing to get over. These studies have helped me affirm my beliefs and validate what I pretty much initially believed in the first place. Jo: It's like you're given two choices. Science/ Rational, and Superstitious/Irrational. Larry: And that's false. I use to believe in that. I believed that we had to segment our lives either into the intellect, analysis and reason on the one hand, with superstition and spirituality on the other hand. I don't think it works like that. And I think one of the contributions the prayer studies make is that they demonstrate that we can have it both ways. We can marry our spirituality with our reason and analysis and science. I think that's the way to go. Jo: I think we've all done this with prayer- where it's like we are placing an order. Demanding that something be a certain way. The when it doesn't happen, we think that the prayer has failed. Lately I've been thinking that maybe prayer isn't always so much about an outcome but a relationship. A way to get us in a space of being more in peace and in love no matter what is happening in life. Those are things you can't document in studies. Larry: That's for sure. You can't document it. So the question becomes, why do we do these prayer experimental studies in the first place? I think it's kind of a game. I certainly don't need it in my own life to affirm my spirituality, but I think that is a contribution it makes, as we were talking about. I agree that the major payoff of prayer is not whether a disease goes away after you pray. If it does, that is great. But I think the main contribution prayer makes to anybody's life is to affirm their connection with what I call the Absolute. Whether people call that God or Goddess or the Universe or Allah or something else. For me, prayer is a way of communicating with something else that we consider transcendent, that goes beyond the sense of ego and the individual self. I think that's the greatest contribution that prayer can make. If we get a healing, terrific. Jo: Peace of mind is healing to the body as well. It's a funny thing about peace of mind, because when I say that, you think that means you are not crying or you are free of pain-not necessarily. It's almost like it can encompass that too. Larry: I know, I make a distinction between pain and suffering. The most beloved saint in modern India, Sri Ramana Maharshi, is connected with the teaching story. He died of cancer. He had terrible death, a very painful death. His followers were gathered around him, and they were not prepared to admit that this highly enlightened and elevated man could feel pain. He should be high enough that he would master it and not be afflicted by it. He called them together on day and said, "You are absolutely wrong. I feel pain. I feel great pain. But I feel no suffering. Jo: That's pretty amazing. Larry: Yes it is, but his followers were in that trap of thinking that if you're spiritual enough, you don't get sick, you don't experience pain, and he said, no that's not the way this works. So there's a distinction between pain and suffering. Jo: That's a tricky one for me. I have felt a lot of suffering. Maybe someone out there is listening- you're going through something and you feel a lot of suffering. I've never quite gotten that distinction. To me, when you're in a lot of pain, that IS suffering. I don't know how you separate it. Larry: I think it's tricky as well. I think the teachings of some of the great spiritual masters are helpful, but for myself, and it sounds like I speak for you as well, this is an understanding that takes a lifetime. This is not an understanding that you develop overnight. I'm not saying that I have attained it either. I agree with you, it does feel like suffering. I've been there myself. I can't say that I have attained that distinction either. But I place great faith in the wisdom of some of the spiritual masters. Jo: Well I figure even Jesus suffered, so I can't be all wrong to feel suffering. (laughs) Larry: (laughter) Actually I'm glad we are on this topic. I think it's really important. I've had patients who came to me before and they were on their spiritual journey, and they were very confident that they had mastered excellent health and maybe even perfect health. Then something would happen. You know, the biopsy would come back positive when they were expecting it to be negative. They would get flipped out. Because they would be flipped into this cognitive dissonance where the wheels came off of their world view and spiritual view. It wasn't what they were expecting. So they had no place to stand. I actually knew a Catholic nun who spent 50 years in the convent, and she turned up with a breast lump. She told me that she was not worried. She said she knew that Jesus was going to be with her and that the biopsy would be negative and everything would be ok. When it came back positive, she absolutely went haywire. She lost her faith. At that point I lost contact with her. This is an example of how we expect spiritual growth to protect us and serve as a guarantee of excellent health, and it just isn't always that way. Jo: Yes. Going back to the results of prayer, this is sort of a silly example perhaps, but you wrote about how two opposing football teams pray to win, two people pray for the same parking space, two countries pray for victory in the same war (meanwhile they are killing each other and the Bible says do not kill), It's funny how we use and distort prayer, then base our faith on what we think we are or are not getting. Larry: I think those examples are something everybody sees in real life. This competing prayer- let me be triumphant in whatever it is- war or an athletic contest and so on, that level of trivialization just drives me crazy. It seems like a debasement of what prayer can be about. I'm afraid we're not going to see those uses of prayer go away anytime soon. Jo: Yeah- like people in holiday lines that day after Thanksgiving "Oh God let me be the last one to get that toy for my kid...." Larry: You know, even "The Secret" which evoked so much interest, you have people trying to attract good stuff to their lives through prayer, and I say Good luck, but I don't think that's what spirituality at its deepest level is about. In the new testament, Jesus told a rich ruler to sell all of his goods and give them to the poor. You don't see many people out there these days wanting to go through poverty as an expression of their spirituality. A lot of people use prayer to get STUFF. I'm not too keen on that point of view as you can tell. Jo: I'm covering many of the questions that were sent into me without asking them directly. I'm glad we're talking about all these things. You mentioned "The Secret," and somebody actually wrote in about that. She s really struggling with that. She does have an illness, she's a great person, and when she wrote me, she asked if I could find out your view on that. And I immediately thought of your chapter (from Healing Words) called "Saints & Sinners." Larry: Well I started out my book "Healing Words" dealing with this particular issue. What's the connection between spiritual achievement and health? It's very tricky. I actually made a list of a lot of the saints who died of horrible diseases. These were people who were God realized, who knew how to pray, who prayed well enough and often enough, yet the wheels came off of their health. One example I used was Bernadette, who saw the vision of the virgin at Lourdes, where miracles subsequently began to happen. She died of either disseminated tuberculosis or bone cancer at the ripe age of 30 something. I already mentioned Ramana Maharshi. I put Jesus Christ on the list, dying of acute trauma. This is not the way you would expect it to work. Jo: Buddha died from food poisoning. You'd think you'd be able to have your mind say to whatever food is in the body, my body is ok with this... Larry: Yeah. You know I've used that example of the Buddha dying from food poisoning in talking to groups about this issue, and a lot of people just don't believe that. They just aren't prepared to honor the facts. Jo: Honor the mystery..... Larry: It is a mystery. The other flip side of these sickly saints is the reprobates who don't have a spiritual bone in their body, and don't care about anything spiritual as far as you can tell- and they never get sick many of them-and live to be 100 without any illness. They might smoke 4 packs a day, go to bed drunk, and still never get sick! Take that apart- I just challenge anyone-I think if you do, you're gonna be compelled to say, this is not a one to one kind of deal. You don't get a piece of health by an equal piece of spirituality. It does not work that way. You used the word mystery. That's where we're at. This is not rational stuff. Jo: In prayer, especially when you want something to change in your life, you offer up the prayer in a very passionate plea, affirmation. Nothing wrong with that. But you wrote about one man- his attitude was not one of bargaining with God or making deals, but he renewed his commitment to God combined with the belief that God's will was being done no matter what. That is an interesting and different approach. Larry: I've had a lot of opportunities to talk and interact with healers in this work on prayer. Many of them take the same position that this man took during his illness. Some of the most effective healers I have ever bumped into don't ask for anything. They don't ask for the disease to go away. They appeal to a wisdom that they conceive to be higher than their own. And their prayers will take the form of asking for the best thing to happen in this situation. Thy will be done, or something like that, that is non specific and not spelled out. I've talk to some of these people about why they take that point of view. Many of them say they are not comfortable micromanaging the universe. They don't enjoy telling the world what to do. So they just appeal for the highest good in situations. I like that personally, as an incorrigible introvert. Jo: Are you an introvert? Larry: Oh I'm incurable, yeah! (laughs) Jo: Then how did you end up stuck doing all these interviews for your books? That's hard isn't it? Larry: It has been one of the greatest challenges of my life! Jo: Yeah that's hard for for somebody who is an extrovert who loves being social. Larry: I know! I could live on a desert island or a cave somewhere. That's my inner inclination. But it has been part of my path to be drawn out into the world, to write books and to talk about them. Jo: We're all stretched I guess, even when we don't want to be! You talked about dreams in your book- do you have any tips on how to use dreams to facilitate healing, and sort through all the gibberish? Larry: I think this is an area where people can get really thrown off track. There has to be some kind of criteria to separate the fantasy and the craziness that sometimes of course crops up in everybody's dreams, from the valid dreams to the ones that are premonitory, or revelatory with some deeper wisdom. I wrote a book called "The Power of Premonition" that looks into this. People's dream lives are usually an avenue for profound premonitions. I think there are at least 4 criteria that people can use to distinguish the noise from the real stuff in dreams. The vividness in dreams. People that have dreams that foretell the future usually will say, that was an extraordinarily vivid dream, it was different in some way. One woman told me that her dreams that turn out, are lit up from the inside. One woman said that those dreams that turn out to be valid come to her in italics.They are trying to say, there is some quality that sets these dreams apart from the common fantasy stuff. Jo: Some you remember for days and days, and others you don't remember at all. Larry: Another quality is repetition. If these same dreams come to you night after night as if clamoring for attention, I think that's a valid criteria to listen to those dreams. Another quality is that they're shared. In my book I talked about a couple who independently began to have dreams that the towers were crashing. This dream was actually written up in the NY TIMES after 9-11. They had independent dreams that chaos was going on. He actually had a job in security in the bottom floor of one of the towers. These were very analytical, intellectual people. They chose to dismiss this as a crazy dream. Unfortunately he died on 9-11. Anther criterion that ought to get people's attention to listen up to these dreams is if they involved death. Carl Jung said that if you have a dream of death, you ought to pay attention because you might not get a second chance. I think that is smart thinking. I'm not saying that all dreams of death turn out to be true, obviously they don't. But it's best to be on the safe side. Jo: Sometimes it represents the death of some part of you, maybe you are making a change. I guess only you can really know what you need to do with it. Larry: I think so. So many dreams that people have of future events have to do with health issues. I've taken the view that these dreams should be viewed as a kind of preventative medicine. I've got a file drawer full of people's clinical conditions that turned out to be true when they had no symptoms at all beforehand. When I was on book tour for the book "The Power of Premonitions," a woman told me about a case where she had a dream of a breast cancer. She went to her doctor and pointed right to a specific place in her breast where the cancer was in her dream. Her exam and mammogram was normal. She prevailed on him to get a breast biopsy. It came back showing a microscopic breast cancer that was one of the tiniest breast cancers the pathologist had ever seen. No symptoms. So this shows what can occur in these dreams. I think we should listen up. Jo: The flip side is that you could go crazy with all these things popping up in your dreams. They could be coming from fears rather than something that's actually happening. Where is the line, and how far do you push it. Larry: People do have fearful dreams, there's no question about that. Some are fantasy, but some of the valid dreams that are true are accompanied by fear also, so I think fear is not going to get you very far in separating the wheat from the chaff here, but if we apply the other criteria I mentioned-some of that can help us put fear in perspective. Jo: If prayer an be used to heal, can it also be used to harm, and is it even called prayer at that point? Larry: It might not be prayer-this brings to mind curses and spells- I wrote a book about this- the negative side of so called prayer- It's called "Be Careful what you Pray for." Almost every culture has a places for hexes, curses and spells, except ours. We don't want to go there. I had a lot of push back from traditionally religious people after this book was published, because they didn't want to recognize or admit that there is a shadow side to prayer and healing intentions. But the thing that got me started on this subject was a 1993 gallop poll that asked Americans how they prayed. In this survey, 5% admitted that they prayed for harm for other people. This is just the 1 in 20 that would admit it. Jo: I wonder if when someone does that- if it's like a boomerang effect that comes right back to the person who prayed it as well. Larry: There is a lot of evidence for that. One example that I came across was in native Hawaii. Among the kahuna healers, there was a death prayer, where the Kahuna shamans would pray someone to death at a distance even though the person didn't know it was being done. One of the precautions that was acknowledged by the shamans was that unless you take precautions, this death prayer like a boomerang will come back and harm you and even kill you. There are cases on the record of that actually happening. I think this is something not to fool around with. I think there are lethal consequences sometimes of praying for harm for another person. Whether you want to call that a prayer or not. This gets us into the area of voodoo and that sort of thing which is a tricky subject. I just say if anybody is tempted to think negative thoughts about other people, you better really be careful. Jo: We don't think of it as a prayer in our culture, and yet we might have negative thoughts of people- especially if someone betrays us, hurts us, you know, you go through a period of just negative thoughts in general. Negative thoughts harm others, but harm us when we think them. Larry: I had an interesting letter from a woman who read this book and she said, "I've even stopped saying to hell with you when someone cuts me off in traffic." Jo: Yeah really, because what are you putting out energetically when you say that? Larry: She became sensitized to this, and I thought that was quite interesting. Jo: What do you think you can do to protect yourself from negative energy directed at you? Larry: I think the number one rule is to be nice to other people so you don't evoke this sort of stuff. Surveys show that negative prayer comes from people who are emotionally close to you. Relatives and even spouses. It's not that someone on the other side of the earth is going to cast a spell on you. These are people you know. There are prayers of protection. There is a famous book on prayer called "The Oxford Book of Prayer." It is a classic. There is a whole section in that book called Prayers of Protection. They are from many religious traditions. Among them are the Lord's Prayer- there is a clause in that prayer that says deliver us from evil- that is a prayer of protection. Also the prayer of St Francis and the 23rd Psalm are obvious prayers of protection. Jo: I think that's all the power you need right there. Larry: I think so, too. Jo: It has been great to talk to you- thank you Larry for being on the show today! Larry: Jo, let's do it again sometime. (End song, "Reflection") http://dosseydossey.com

Tuesday, nov 2, 2010 Some wise words from John Welshons "The campaign to undermine the Presidency of Barack Obama, has been an organized, brilliant, focused effort. It has little to do with the best interests of our country and it has little to do with the ongoing debate about the wisdom of “conservative” or “liberal” principles. Rather, it has been a relentless campaign of character assassination presented as a grassroots movement of concerned citizens. In truth, it is an incredibly well-funded campaign of relentless fear-mongering and misinformation, sponsored by mega-wealthy individuals and corporations. It has been funded with hundreds of millions – if not billions - of dollars poured into it by ultra-right wing conservative groups and shadowy pseudo grass-roots organizations that are – in truth - sponsored by large multi-national corporations. Their primary intent is not to make our country stronger, safer, wiser, or more compassionate. It is not to protect the rights and freedoms of the average American. It is not even to support the conservative “Christian” values these groups often espouse. The real intent is to protect the ability of corporations to continue to exploit our environment, our culture, and our nation’s workers with absolute impunity. “Hot-button” issues have been utilized to inflame the fears and insecurities of people facing an uncertain future. Their fear and insecurity have been skillfully warped into rage and hostility. The great irony is that the people who are the “face” of the tea party are – by and large - well-meaning, concerned citizens, many of whom have been completely duped by a constant barrage of anxiety-provoking misinformation. They believe themselves to be acting to protect “freedom” and “liberty.” The sad fact is that the corporations who are funding this movement have little or no interest in individual freedom and liberty. They have successfully recruited these “freedom fighters” to participate in a campaign ultimately aimed at undermining the essential freedoms and liberties they believe themselves to be fighting for. Very few of these voters and disturbingly few of the candidates they support, can articulate – in intelligible terms – what it is they are so angry about, and what positive steps they propose to take to change things. What troubles me most about this election is that I have never witnessed fear and anger being used so effectively – and so perversely – in an American election to motivate people to do something that is not in their best interests, in the best interests of the country, or in the best interests of the world."

Sunday, oct 31, 2010 I'm ignoring all the negativity on the news channels right now. I don't know what's worse. The political ads or the pharmaceutical ads. I took a walk instead. It was great. I walked fast at times while saying affirmations to myself. Also took some fun pictures.

Saturday, oct 30, 2010 Basketball I've been wanting to play basketball lately. Ok, maybe not actually play the game. What I mean is that I've been wanting to shoot hoops. I was so great at free throws when I was growing up- and even won competitions. I want to see if I still have the touch. And what if it's gone! Well maybe I need to buy a basketball and find out. haha

Friday, oct 29, 2010 Autumn "Fireworks" ©Jo Davidson

Wednesday, oct 27, 2010 Autumn Walk The leaves are really turning colors now in NYC. This is a picture I took today when I was out walking.

Tuesday, oct 26, 2010 When anxiety is not all in your head! The diagnosis of "mental illness" may or may not have a mental origin. This is a great ebook by Jen Crippen. She writes about the crippling panic attacks she had 24/7 day after day, depression, heavy fatigue, tremors, blurry vision, and a long list of symptoms which some might chalk up to an emotional problems, but which are often related to low blood sugar, severe adrenal fatigue and other hormonal imbalances. She talks about how important it is to test for hormones such as norepinephrine, serotonin, cortisol and other hormones, as well as thyroid, candida, heavy metals and more. She writes about the dangers of some of the pharmaceutical drugs that mask symptoms yet never heal the root problem. She also shares personal details such as the time her blood sugar dropped from 160 to 39, and she was sweating, light headed and barely conscious. Does any of this sound familiar? If you are looking for some help with these issues, this e book might be a good place to start. http://letsgetphysicalebook.com/ http://naturalanxietytherapy.com/about/

Monday, oct 25, 2010 Autumn in New York

Saturday, oct 23, 2010 Sarah Palin's Alaska I watched a promo for "Sarah Palin's Alaska" which premieres in November. It would be so great if she only did tv shows and stayed far away from politics. Then I might actually like her. The promo shows her outdoors, and she says "I'd rather be doing this than in some stuffy political office. I'd rather be out here and be free." Well that is great. What an odd thing for her to say. I would rather she be out there too. But am I missing something? If she would rather be outdoors, why is she trying to be in politics? That's like someone who loves to spend every free moment sailing, yet they move to Kansas. Maybe it's not the real job of WORKING in politics that she wants. It's not the real nuts and bolts every day stuff that she can handle. I think what she likes most of all, is show business. She even has no problem putting her kids in the show. There is a reason political leaders have usually protected their kids. But oh no, not Palin. It's all about exposure for her. As a reality tv star, she is great. As a political leader, she is frightening.

Friday, oct 22, 2010 Self Portrait I took this picture of myself last night on the roof deck. I was experimenting with different settings on my camera to see what would work in the dark. There was one light on up there, and I noticed that if I stood with the light shining towards me and then snapped the shot using one of my night settings, it came out pretty cool.

Wednesday, oct 13, 2010 pic of me This picture of me was taken at my piano by my friend EJ Carr in 2006

Tuesday, oct 12, 2010 Some health info you might find useful Can this diet help heal autism, digestive disorders, crohns', colitis, autoimmune conditions and more? Maybe it is not the answer for everyone, but it seems to have helped some people- http://www.gaps.me/preview/?page_id=35 http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/beginners_guide/beginners.htm A great book on thyroid health including Hashimotos http://thyroidbook.com/book-table-of-contents.html

Thursday, oct 7, 2010 Poems I've been scribbling down lately Spent the day in poems Looking for an Opening to part this red sea Incurable's not In my vocabulary for better or worse.

Monday, oct 4, 2010 Some Sinus and Flu prevention Tips from Andrea Candee Dear Friends, Don’t let the media hype regarding flu vaccines get you nervous. Be pro-active rather than reactive. No one knows for sure whether the coming season will be a bad flu season or not. What I do know is that I am not taking any flu vaccines and will, instead, protect myself with the following immune system supports. Some are preventatives, some prevent and treat, and others are used just when symptoms arise. I will be happy to help you put together a flu prevention package for you and your family. More information can be found in my booklet, How Do I Get My Family through the Winter ~ Should I Take the Flu Vaccine ~ Herbs, Recipes and Guidance for Winter Wellness...$8 Mucoccinum: This is not the “Oscillo” product you see in health food stores. This comes from Canada and is a homeopathic flu preventative. It’s a terrific product. You take 1 tablet every 2 weeks during flu season. If you feel you are coming down with cold/flu you take a tablet 2-3 times during that day...not more than that. If that doesn’t resolve things, go to the next support. Must be taken 20 minutes away from food/drink. ˝ dose for children under 12. Nutriferon: A great immune enhancer. Stimulates production of interferon in the body. Good for people whose stress tends to make them prone to getting sick more often. Important support for flu season. Echinacea: This is the first medicinal herbal I go for when feeling like something’s coming. It must be in the liquid, alcohol extract form (even for children...Echinacea is water AND alcohol soluble so taking it in tablets, capsules, teas or in glycerin extracts is not potent enough). Take 1/2 teaspoon diluted in a little water (actually I just take a swig right from the bottle!) every 2 hours. I even keep a dose next to my bedside for when I wake up during the night. In some circles, I’m known as the Echinacea Lady... I make a potent extract (an economical 4oz bottle that has a long shelf life). If you catch “it” in time, you can totally avoid symptoms. If symptoms develop, continue taking the Echinacea every 2 hours for a day or two, then 1 tsp – 3 times a day for a few days to diminish duration and severity of symptoms. (for children’s dosing, see my book, Gentle Healing for Baby and Child (Simon & Schuster). Vitamin C: I take this concurrently with Echinacea as it enhances the action of Echinacea. I take 1000mg every 2 hours to bowel tolerance. That means you know you've taken too much when it causes diarrhea. That never happens to me because when I'm feeling like I'm about to get sick my body needs lots more Vitamin C than it normally does. Probiotics: these are the bacterial cultures that help keep beneficial bacteria (the good guys) active in your intestines. It is often said that the health of the body relies upon the health of the intestinal tract. Dose according to bottle instructions - take 2-3 times a day. I like Food Science's Megaprobiotic-ND. It has many different strains of the good bacteria, is non-dairy, contains FOS-an immune stimulant, and it’s shelf stable meaning it does not require refrigeration, making it easy to travel with. As soon as I’m feeling a bit “off” I always increase my Megaprobiotic intake to 3 capsules – 3 times a day...the brain of your immune system resides in your intestines. Goldenseal: A dropperful, diluted in a little water or juice makes a great antibacterial and antiviral therapy...can be taken 3-4 times a day up to 10 days when symptoms present. Garlic: This is a great anti-everything. You can chop up a fresh clove or two, spread a piece of toast with olive oil and have health-promoting garlic bread. Most kids will be happy with antimicrobial garlic bread as their “medicine”. Or, you can take it in deodorized tablets. Dr. Christopher's Super Immune Formula: a great anti-everything and high in garlic so it could be used instead of the garlic mentioned above. Tastes like salad dressing (due to its apple cider vinegar content) and can be put in food or diluted in water or juice. For an adult, a teaspoon 2-3 times a day, ˝ that dose for children. Can be taken every few hours, if needed. Great for relieving diarrhea. In addition, please consider adding Vitamin D3 to your protocol for immune protection. Long recognized for its role in calcium metabolism and bone health, musculoskeletal issues and chronic low back pain, some doctors believe that Vitamin D3 is a better preventative than a flu shot and safer, since the supplement doesn’t contain toxic elements found in vaccines (like aluminum, mercury, formaldehyde, etc). Vitamin D3 acts as an immune system modulator, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-viral. How much to take? Most people generate 10,000-20,000 IU of Vitamin D after about 30 minutes of summer sun. Needless to say we’re not getting that exposure in the fall/winter/spring. It’s hard to know how much is exactly enough. I take 2000 IU, twice a day, as I have seen that recommended as an effective dose. I am happy to say I have received an enthusiastic response to my flu prevention email, requesting more information about creating a prevention package. If you request it, I will provide pricing for you. I do stock everything I have recommended. Blessings of health, and feel free to share all the info with others so they can stay healthy, too! Andrea p.s I also asked Andrea about sinus infections, and here are some tips for any of you who have sinus problems. Sinus Plus is a great formula for symptoms. In health food store: Xlear nasal wash and Xlear spray drops are great preventatives. Stay well! Andrea Candee, MH, MSC Specializing in reversing chronic Lyme Disease and its viral co-infections Author: Gentle Healing for Baby and Child (Simon & Schuster) Awarded The National Parenting Center's Seal of Approval 97 Bouton Road - South Salem, NY 10590 914.763.8889 / ACandee@usa.net/ AndreaCandee.com

Sunday, sep 26, 2010 Collage of Pictures © Jo Davidson

Saturday, sep 25, 2010 Butterfly Kiss It has been a very difficult week for me. This is a picture I took a few weeks ago. I am sending it to myself!

Friday, sep 24, 2010 Tea Party and the Koch Brothers Does everyone know about the billionaire Koch brothers and their role in funding the tea party? Do you realize what they support, and what their true mission is? This is a very important article for us all to read and be aware of. http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/30/100830fa_fact_mayer?currentPage=all "The anti-government fervor infusing the 2010 elections represents a political triumph for the Kochs. By giving money to “educate,” fund, and organize Tea Party protesters, they have helped turn their private agenda into a mass movement." Charles Lewis, the founder of the Center for Public Integrity, a nonpartisan watchdog group, said, “The Kochs are on a whole different level. There’s no one else who has spent this much money. The sheer dimension of it is what sets them apart. They have a pattern of lawbreaking, political manipulation, and obfuscation. I’ve been in Washington since Watergate, and I’ve never seen anything like it. They are the Standard Oil of our times.” "Five hundred people attended the summit, which served, in part, as a training session for Tea Party activists in Texas. An advertisement cast the event as a populist uprising against vested corporate power. “Today, the voices of average Americans are being drowned out by lobbyists and special interests,” it said. “But you can do something about it.” The pitch made no mention of its corporate funders. The White House has expressed frustration that such sponsors have largely eluded public notice. David Axelrod, Obama’s senior adviser, said, “What they don’t say is that, in part, this is a grassroots citizens’ movement brought to you by a bunch of oil billionaires.”

Thursday, sep 23, 2010 Health Insurance Greed at its finest Starting today, insurance companies cannot deny coverage to sick children with pre existing conditions. This is GREAT. Imagine if this was your child! Sometimes people lose or change jobs along with health insurances policies. If they have a sick child, they should be able to get insurance. That's a no brainer. Blue Cross, Cigna and Aetna are saying that they won't offer individual policies to any children who don't already have coverage! Their greed is disgusting and immoral. So are the Republicans in congress who are their cheerleaders. Somebody should tell these awful corporations and politicians, that he who dies with the most toys, still dies. Oh and here is the icing on the horrible cake- Mike Huckabee? I have no respect for this guy. He is comparing insurance for sick KIDS to how dumb it would be to be able to get insurance for your house after it burned down, or your car after it crashed. These are KIDS not things!

Wednesday, sep 22, 2010 Creating a Positive Wave Tell me something positive and beautiful you notice around you, or something nice someone has said to you, something you have done for someone or something they have done for you jodavidson@mac.com

Monday, sep 20, 2010 Harlem Fire Wow- I just heard that Metro-North has suspended all train service in and out of Grand Central Terminal because of a fire under the 138th St lift bridge, which carries all Metro-North trains in and out of Manhattan. The Harlem, Hudson and New Haven Lines are all affected.

Sunday, sep 19, 2010 Adrenal Fatigue This is a great article on adrenal fatigue and also explains why some of the more popular supplements can be wrong for people with advanced adrenal fatigue. http://www.drlam.com/articles/adrenal_fatigue.asp

Saturday, sep 18, 2010 What is Bill Gates Thinking? I find it so sad and deeply disappointing that Bill Gates has invested in Monsanto. http://www.macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/bill_and_melinda_gates_foundation_invests_in_monsanto/

Thursday, sep 16, 2010 Beat Sugar Addiction Now Hi Everybody. This is a transcript of episode # 73 on http://www.Zentertainment Talk Radio with Jo Davidson Dr Jacob Titeilbaum, M.D is my guest, and his new book is called BEAT SUGAR ADDICTION NOW. He is one of the leading integrative physicians in the country. He is medical director of the national Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers and author of several best selling books. An expert on the relationship between sugar and chronic illness, he is frequently featured on various media including CNN, Good Morning America, Oprah & Friends with Dr Oz, and more. This is a great book with some wonderful suggestions and medical information. I hope you will pick up a copy! http://www.amazon.com/Beat-Sugar-Addiction-Now-Cutting-Edge/dp/1592334156 In this transcript, I have also included some of my personal thoughts, which were not in the interview. ***************************** Show intro: Hi everybody you're listening to Zentertainment Talk Radio at http:www.zentertainment.org My name is Jo Davidson. That was an excerpt from a song I wrote several years ago called "All the World's Religions." It seems even more appropriate now than ever. There's been so much debate about the Cordoba House, renamed Park51. Last weekend was Sept 11 2010. That's a time full of of a lot of grief and sadness for me. I live in downtown New York City, and was here Sept 11 2001. I had the most amazing view of the world trade center from one of my windows, and woke up to the sound of someone screaming and the first plane hitting one of the towers. I wanted, this year, to take the feelings and the memories and do something positive and healing with all of it. So I created a 9-11 tribute video featuring my photos from NYC and music. I'd love to share it with you! You can link to my YOU TUBE page to see it, from the home page at http://www.Zentertainment.org or if you are reading this as a transcript, the link is below: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1YERKPCSeY ****************** Well, I am excited to bring you my guest today! On this show we talk about holistic health and healing, organic food, and one thing we haven't talked about yet is sugar addiction! I love sugar (just a "little bit)" ha I don't go for the junk food stuff. I love organic dark chocolate, any sweets with organic high quality ingredients. But even if it's organic, here's the thing, it's still sugar! My guest today is Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D He is one of the leading integrative physicians in the country. His new book is called "BEAT SUGAR ADDICTION NOW" It's a cutting edge program to help you cut out the sugar, white flour....and he explains WHY it is so dangerous for our health. And in case you are wondering, he is not one of these people who says you have to cut it out 100% or go cold turkey. He shares ideas on WHY you might be craving the sugar. Not just emotional reasons, but physical reasons. What's going on that is making you reach for that? Dr T: The average person is eating 150 pounds of sugar added to their diet each year! But I want people to understand that just because we like something doesn't necessarily make it an addiction. What makes it an addiction is that is is unhealthy and makes you feel sick, and you end up craving it because there is some chemical or biochemical problem that's triggered. I want people to enjoy their sweets, but I just want to put sugar back in desserts where it belongs. As opposed to one of those 16 ounce drinks with 45 spoonfuls of sugar. Jo: Many diets say cut this out 100% and people try but aren't able to do that. Like you say, keep sugar in desserts, instead of having it for breakfast lunch and dinner in whatever you are eating. Dr T: Absolutely. If people are so healthy, they lived to 120 tears and had no pleasures left in life- why bother! Our purpose is to have people really enjoy life. I tell people avoid sugar- except for chocolate. But sugar can make you anxious, depressed, tired, it can cause diabetes heart disease and a host of other problems. I want people to understand what is CAUSING the sugar cravings and get rid of those. Then they can have sugar where it belongs- for dessert and savor it. Jo; Why is sugar so addicting? Dr T: There are 4 different kinds of sugar addiction. There is a quiz in my book that will tell people what kind of sugar addict they are. Basically the four types are- 1.People are exhausted, running around, busy lives, They are hooked on energy loan shark drinks. 2. People with adrenal gland stress, they have this feed me now or I'll kill you kind of motto 3. Candida overgrowth 4. People who are anxious or depressed on their period You're watching tv. Or you drive by a Dunkin Donuts. You're doing this and that- it's just everywhere. It's in your face all the time, plus you get the sugar cravings and the other problems going on. Fatigue. Anxiety. Depression. We are self medicating ourselves. It's like an alcoholic. Jo: Do you think sleep is important in sugar addictions? Dr T: Sleep keeps us younger, skinner, it keeps our immune systems working, reduces pain, but when you don't have sleep you're tired, and when people are tired they reach for sugar. they want a quick energy burst. But sugar is a loan sugar. If you need something quick, 1-2 tic tacs under the tongue will get your sugar up quickly without putting you on the sugar roller coaster. If you need something RIGHT NOW go for a few tick tacs, or 1/2 teaspoon of sugar under the tongue. Then go for the high protein food. That will give you sustained energy instead of acting like a loan shark that makes you crash later. Jo: Many of our listeners are vegan or vegetarian, and many eat organic meats as well. I noticed in your book that you promoted a more meat based diet, and I wondered what your experience is with that. Dr T: What I find is that there is no one diet that fits everybody. I go through periods in my life where I am vegetarian, other periods where I eat more meat. A lot of it has to do with what spiritual work I am doing, what parts of myself do I need to grow. I've found that in certain periods of time, being vegetarian works quite well, it helps me be light and clear. Other times, the work I am doing is so heavy that I need more grounding. I'm not a believer in one size fits all. I'm a believer in people seeing what feels best for them, not just in that minute but over the next day, the next week. See what their body is asking for and how it's working. The vegan diet is a healthy diet, but zinc, B12, calcium, iron, those would be the main risk issues. Sometimes omega 3s depending upon how they're doing it. The American meat based diet- the risks are nearly everything. Jo: Yes because so much of it is factory farmed meat. And you're getting hormones and antibiotics. Whereas you're not getting that when you eat organic meats. Dr T: Absolutely. There are 85,000 chemicals poured into the environment. If I want to take one chemical and call it a medicine, I have to pay 400-800 MILLION dollars, the FDA tab basically, to put it through the process for safety and the whole thing. But if I want to put it in your food or water, there is nothing. All you have to do is not have anybody prove it can kill you. So 85,000 chemicals. Then we think, gee, I wonder why people are having these problems. Jo: There are many natural products that won't be approved because nobody is going to pay that money to get them approved since there is no profit. Dr T: And you can't patent it. That is the operable word. you can't PATENT IT. The only natural things that have made it through the FDA process are calcium- because there is SO much of it being used- but people who take calcium- it is basically toxic if you take it without the other nutrients balancing it. And folic acid- these are the only natural things approved by the FDA because most things are not patentable. Jo: What do you need to take with calcium? Dr T: Magnesium, Vitamin D, Vitamin K, for starters. People with osteoporosis should NOT be taking calcium by itself. Strontium is almost twice as effective as medications. It is now a first line treatment for osteoporosis. But I will bet you that 99.9% of doctors will never hear about it, because there is no big money in it. It's cheap Jo: I don't generally go to western medicine doctors. I would if I needed to, and I definately do occasionally. There are a lot of things western medicine offers, but it hasn't helped me much in my life. I tend to see naturopathic doctors, herbalists, acupuncturists, homeopaths, etc Dr T: There's a word for that Jo. It's called being sane! Jo: When you get into the healing world, it's not something you can contain in a box, there is not a set of fixed in cement rules, and I feel like doctors are really limited by the rules they are under when they get degrees in western medicine. They are not allowed to go too far outside of those. Dr T: It's part of it, but it goes beyond it. It's important for people to realize that virtually everything that physicians learn, comes from the drug companies. If you look at the conferences, they are almost all paid for by the drug companies. You have these professors giving these very themed, scientific sounding talks. And they are on the payroll of the companies sponsoring the conference. The journals are on the payroll. Look at the drug ads. It's all drug ads. No golf clubs or Lexus cars. It's all drug companies. Basically, medical education is a big advertisement masquerading as science and education. Whatever is most expensive is going to be pushed to doctors. That's all they're going to hear about. Jo: What did you think of the whole swine flu...what should I call it...a hoax? Dr T: I wouldn't call it a hoax, but I would call it a scam. They did the exact same thing 10, 15 years ago. There is a lot of money to be made on fear. And there is this damned if you do, damned if you don't. I didn't take the vaccine, I didn't recommend it. It's not unreasonable for people to have taken it, but my impression is that for most people who are not immune suppressed, it was a scam. I think if you want to prevent catching all these infections, because there are hundreds of infections coming down the pike, get your sleep, get good nutritional support, there's a nice vitamin powder that makes it easy, get some sunshine, cut back the sugar, and your immune system knows just fine how to fight these infections. You don't need to be a pin cushion. Jo: Fructose Corn Syrup. It's a ton of things. Is it worse than sugar, or the same as sugar? Dr T: It's worse. It's even harder on the metabolism. Worse on the heart. More likely to cause high blood pressure. (Jo's personal note- have you all heard about how the food industry is now trying to get fructose corn syrup re labeled to corn sugar, to give it a new image?) What I want people to do is if they are looking at the nutritional labeling, everything on the front is the advertising. Turn it around and look at that little nutritional box. Look at the grams of sugar. Divide by 4, and that's how many spoons of sugar are in a serving. Now once you know that, you can make an informed decision. Is that worth getting the 26 spoons of sugar that's in that thing? Or no? Then you put it back. 4 grams makes 1 teaspoon. So if it says 32 grams, divide by 4, that's 8. And you have 8 spoons of sugar in a serving. (Jo's personal note- I realized that in one organic fruit yogurt, I was getting almost as much sugar as I would in an entire organic chocolate bar! So now whenever I eat yogurt, I go for the plain grass fed organic yogurt, and might add my own fruit and sprinkle a tiny bit of raw honey on it. I get much less sugar this way. This is just an example of a small change that makes a difference!) But Jo let me give you something for folks out there with chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. These things represent an energy crisis. There are many things that can blow a fuse. You can go through lyme disease, injuries, chemicals, all kinds of things. But once you've blown the fuse, the SHINE protocol will restore energy production. On my website at http://www.vitality101.com you'll see a FREE symptom analysis program. I'm going to invite you to do it. I made this so people with chronic lyme, chronic fatigue and fibro can get better. It will look at your symptoms and analyze them. It will tell you what is causing your body to not be able to get rid of lyme disease. It will go through each of the things and tailor treatment to your case. And it's free. Jo's note- (Make sure to do this FREE analysis if you have never tried it!) http://www.endfatigue.com/treatment_options/Online_program.html Dr T: The book Beat Sugar Addiction Now and the other book From Fatigued to Fantastic- I had CFS and fibromyalgia back in 1975. It left me homeless. The professors were clueless on how to help me. But I almost became a naturopath instead of an M.D, because the naturopaths helped me so much to get well. Jo: You talk about ribose a lot. I didn't do well with D Ribose (Corvalen). Dr T: A study showed, 61% increase in energy, but you will find that a small % of people- what happens is that it stresses their adrenal glands. When you start getting the energy again, it causes the adrenal to crash because the adrenals can't keep up with the need to make energy. So what I would do is lower the dose and take it with food. But treat the adrenals. You want to get some licorice, licorice tea, licorice herbal, not the candy. You want to get some adrenal glandulars, the Vit C, B vitamins, there is an adrenal stress product, a bio identical adrenal support, I would treat the adrenals. If people get kind of hyper on it, that's a sign of adrenal exhaustion. Treat the adrenals, then go back again and take the ribose in lower doses with food. Jo's personal note: (I was allergic to the bio identical support, and very well respected doc said I needed to be careful to avoid glandulars. Work with a very experienced doctor on your individual path. Every one is different!) Jo: I've found that kinesiology is very important for me. It's muscle testing, and helps you tell what is right for you to take. I have found few people who can do it accurately. That's the problem. Many people think they are accurate, but they are not. Then you think it doesn't work. In 10 years, I have met 3 people who I think were accurate with me. It's important. Some product might work just great for someone else, and it's not right for you. Dr T: Absolutely. And let me give you an interesting thing on that, I don't take money from any of the natural product companies-or pharmaceutical companies, and the profits I make from our supplements go to charity. That's why I can unabashedly give a thumbs up or thumbs down to stuff. One of the studies the foundation funded, was using an applied kinesiology technique called NAET for treatment of autism. Of the 30 autistic kids in the treatment group with NAET, 23 were back in regular school at the end of one year, as opposed to 0 out of 30 in the untreated control group. If you have somebody who is a gifted practitioner, the muscle testing can be very helpful. It's an art. Jo: You can't just go to medical school and study this. Your own thoughts, if you already have a conclusion in your head, you can affect the muscle testing. You have to have somebody who is really clear. That's a challenge. Dr T: Absolutely. My wife is the editor of the journal of NAET. For anybody in Hawaii looking for somebody, she is awesome! Jo: Great, so if any of you happen to live in Hawaii, look her up! http://www.naethawaii.com/ I wanted to asked you a quick question about white potatoes-are they the same as sugar in your body? Dr T: Potatoes and white flour are broken down very quickly into sugar and absorbed. So for some people they can handle it in moderation. Better to have it along with a fiber, like the skins. Fiber slows down the absorption. It comes down to listening to your body. Not seeing just how you feel right after you eat it, but how you feel hours later. Jo: Many times it is hard for people to make a connection to how they feel around dinner time to what they ate mid morning. But it's connected. Dr T: And food allergies-I want to give a caution. I do not recommend the blood testing that is out there for food allergies. It is inaccurate, and will make most people neurotic. A better thing to do is the elimination diet. We have some information on our website. And I also want to note that when you treat the adrenal issues and the yeast, most food allergies go away also. Jo: Thank you so much for the book and the work you do. http://www.Vitality101.com The book is called Beat Sugar Addiction Now. Dr T: It has been a pleasure. I want people to know that these things are very treatable. Once you figure out what is going on, the trick is not to cut out everything you like and have a miserable life, the trick is to have a life you love. And that's what this is all about. Jo: Thanks! Dr T: It has been a pleasure! Jo: I want to thank Dr. Jacob Titeilbaum for being on the show today. His book is called "BEAT SUGAR ADDICTION NOW." His website is http://www.Vitality101.com Thanks for joining me at Zentertainment Talk Radio. Have a great week. Jo Personal note- the great thing I got from this book for my own personal situation- was to remember things I already knew- for example, look for the hidden sources of sugar and make better choices. This is something we can all do. Then if I AM going to have some sugar, organic chocolate or whatever, I know I haven't had it all day long hidden in other products on top of that! Ann Boroch who was on this show, talked about her experience in healing MS. She has to cut sugar out completely for quite awhile. You can read her amazing story in the book "Healing MS." http://www.Annboroch.com/' * Check out Dr Teitelbaum's A-Z guide for many other conditions! http://www.endfatigue.com/general_health_issues/Health_topics_a-z.html *This week, take note of how much sugar you eat. Write down every time you eat something with sugar in it and note the grams or teaspoons. At the end of each day and then the week, add it all up!*

Wednesday, sep 15, 2010 Tribute in Lights This is a picture I took last Saturday of the Tribute in Lights.

Sunday, sep 12, 2010 9-11 in NYC Yesterday this was the view in my "backyard." It was an emotional day. This year, I decided to take the grief and sadness of that day and all that happened in my life around that time, and turn it into something healing- art. It was like something came over me, and I felt so purpose driven, so passionate and focused on this short film I created. I went diving deep into the emotions I felt. It was a very deep,, extremely creative short period of time, where I could focus on nothing else but putting this together. I did the whole thing in about a day and a half, so it was a very intense process. I am excited to share the You Tube link with you so you can see the video! All the music is written and performed by me, except for the very first instrumental piece featuring sound bowls, by Diane Mandle. The second piece was something I wrote while putting the video together. I didn't have time to get into a studio and record it properly, so I sang a bunch of tracks into my garage band on my computer. I am definately going to record this in a studio soon. The other two songs are ones I wrote called "Bird in the Sky," and "All the World's Religions." Many of the photos I took are from St Paul's Chapel in lower Manhattan on Broadway. Others are from downtown NYC around Battery Park and other locations. I hope the video brings healing and peace and helps to build bridges. That is why I named it "Building Bridges." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1YERKPCSeY

Thursday, sep 9, 2010 September there is something so healing about the ocean on the east coast in september the sand and wind in my hair the empty stretches of sand and cool breezes dancing through the air I lie down on the sand without a towel and feel the earth bare beneath me and I never want to leave

Wednesday, sep 8, 2010 The Courage To Be Free For those of you who follow Zentertainment Talk Radio and my emails, you know that I love to promote books and authors I believe in, but that I also steer clear of many of the cliches so common in the self help field. So if something claims to transform your life, it better be more than good! Guy Finley's new book "The Courage to be Free" is one of the best, most life changing books I have read. I have never taken part in an email campaign before to announce the release of an author's book. But this one is really special, and because it has personally influenced and helped me so much, I want to share it with you. Guy explains how worry, doubt, resentment and fear, whatever their shape or form, are false powers disguised as helpful. They are like tricks! So many of the anxious fearful states we take on, are lies. They are not our original packaging. I ask myself, why do we cling to them, thinking they will protect us, guide us, or help us in some way to find a better solution? All they do is create stress! I LOVE THIS BOOK. I read half of it out loud to someone last week, and was totally blown away by the story at the beginning. It's a story about a wise old owl, some eagles and crows.... I don't want to spoil it so I won't tell it here..... but please get the book so you can read this story. I was really affected by it, and it made a dramatic impact on me. It helped me see a few things differently. Guy's new book "The Courage To Be Free" is being released TODAY and 70 authors and experts have come together to each give you bonus gifts when you purchase "The Courage To Be Free." You will get a FREE MP3 of my solo piano song "Reflection, and a special collection of life changing secrets- including one of my favorites: "Stop Fear Now with 6 Simple Steps," by Guy Finley. Guy and his friends are GIVING THESE GIFTS ALL AWAY FOR ONE DAY. You can go here now to get filled in on all the details: http://www.TheCourageToBeFree.org/special/1464/ It's a very cool promotion, and I am happy to be part of it, because I love this book so much. http://www.TheCourageToBeFree.org/special/1464/ (my free gift is Bonus #101) Enjoy!

Saturday, sep 4, 2010 Gorgeous Day It's an absolutely gorgeous day today. I have been taking pictures of butterflies and am hanging out at the beach. I played through all my classical piano solo pieces that I have written in the past few years. I think the butterflies liked it.:)

Monday, aug 30, 2010 The Divine Name with Jonathan Goldman Jo Davidson interviews Jonathan Goldman for Zentertainment Talk Radio http://www.Zentertainment.org Jonathan Goldman is a writer, musician and teacher. He is an authority on sound healing and a pioneer in the field of harmonics. He has studied with masters of sound from both the scientific and spiritual traditions, including the Dalai Lama's Chanting Gyuto and Gyume Monks and has been empowered by the Chant Master of the Drepung Loseling Monastery to teach Tibetan Overtone Chanting. Jonathan holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Film Making from Boston University and a Master's Degree in the Independent Study on Sound Healing from Lesley College. He is a lecturing member of the International Society for Music and Medicine. Jonathan is the director of the Sound Healers Association; the original organization dedicated to the education and awareness of sound and music for healing. He is also president of Spirit Music, which produces music for meditation, relaxation and self-transformation. ______________________________ Interview Jo: Hey All- I want to tell you all about this book. It’s called THE DIVINE NAME, The Sound that can Change the World. http://www.healingsounds.com/catalog/prodView.asp?idproduct=1034 Now Jonathan, there are a lot of sounds we hear that change the world but DON’T make us feel so good! Jonathan: Briefly Jo, I was playing in a rock band and I had an experience where I realized that the music that I was playing at the time, was helping to induce an ambience of negativity and violence. And of course the alcohol that people were taking was doing that as well. I thought, what if music could be used to help people feel better? This was over 30 years ago. From there, I began to focus on studying how music could be used to help people feel good and to heal. Jo: Why is the human voice so effective for creating change, and do you think it’s better than other instruments or just different? Jonathan: I think the human voice is the most powerful of the instruments available for sound healing because it’s natural, no batteries or electricity are required, and we are actually able to make sound from a vibration going from the inside out. Any of the other things are external sounds coming in. These are internal sounds resonating and vibrating with us on an internal level. It becomes so much more powerful. Mind you, I am not talking about using the voice for entertainment. Getting up and doing performance art is wonderful, but a lot of people have issues with that. I am simply talking about using your voice to vibrate and resonate different parts of your body. That is a term called entrainment. It means shifting and changing the frequencies of your body to put them in balance and harmony. Jo: So are there actual vowels that resonate with our physical body and more subtle energy fields? Jon: Yes indeed. I actually studied- I have a masters degree from Lesley University, researching the uses of sound used for healing. I’ve studied all sorts of different modalities for healing. The one that I’ve been most drawn to are the vowel sounds. They are non denominational/ You find them in every different tradition. They are not like a mantra that is allocated to that tradition. They are non denominational, yet they are considered sacred. Also, there is a specific resonance factor that occurs when different vowels vibrate in different parts of your body. Jo: Could you explain to our listeners what chakras are and what specific vowel sounds resonate with each chakra. Jon: Chakras as energy centers. There are 7 of them found along the front and back of the body. These energy centers are associated with our endocrine systems and with the different organ systems. I know the concept of chakras has made it to mainstream when I hear Oprah talking about the heart chakra. Pictures of saints or other spiritual beings with halos, that’s an indication of an active crown chakra at the top of the head which is said to be the chakra for spiritual transcendence. So even though the word chakra comes from the Hindu tradition, the concept of the spinning wheels of light are found in numerous traditions including the Judeo Christian tradition. So they are universal as the vowel sounds are universal. The vowel sound for the center of the heart, the center of compassion, the center of love, is AH. If you think about it, this is a universal sound that people understand whether they are in Japan or Nigeria or Peru or wherever, if someone is in love they say, “AH.” You don’t have to be a master of linguistics to communicate with people from different countries if you work with vowel sounds. The first chakra is UH (as in “Huh”)- root chakra The second chakra located a few inches below the navel is OOO (as in “You”) The third chakra, the power center solar plexus, is OH (as in “Go”) The fourth chakra-heart- is AH The fifth chakra –throat- is EYE (as in “My”) The sixth chakra is AYE (third eye) The seventh Chakra is EEE (crown) The concept of using vowels to resonate chakras probably goes back to ancient Eygpt if not longer. On March 21 1986, I had this experience where I was given a little refined system of working with the vowels. I began to teach this for about 15 years. Most people have had success using it, to such degree Jo that I often go online and see this system. Even though it is the specific relationship between the chakras and the vowels that I discovered, people accept it as being real and true, and there it is. I like that a whole lot. About 15 years ago, I was waking from a dream. Mind you, I had been teaching people this use of the vowel sounds to resonate the chakras 1-7. 1, 2,3,4,5,6,7. I had been doing that many years. All of the sudden, as I am waking from this dream, this inner voice says, we want you to sound the vowels of the chakras going from the crown back down and then up, so going 7,6,5,4,3,2,1 and then 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 Jo: Which was opposite of what you had been doing! Jonathan: Jo, I had been so indoctrinated with going 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 that I literally couldn’t do it. I had to take a piece of paper and write down what the vowel sounds were! Then I sounded them. Two things happened. 1. The energy went from the crown to the base of my spine and then back up, as I expected. 2. But the second thing that blew my mind was that I heard this sacred ancient name in the vowel sounds. The name given to Moses on Mt Sinai. This was a name that had been banned, prohibited, lost and then forgotten. I heard this name being elongated. People often pronounced it Yehovah or Yahweh, and that’s what I heard when I made these vowel sounds. In fact, I have a little one minute recording of what this sounded like- (Listen to the interview at 10:45 minutes to hear the sample) on the show page! For me it was the most powerful, awesome experience I’d ever had. I had been working with mantras from all different traditions, and I shared this with my top students. I very slowly introduced this. Then a few years ago, a friend of mine Gregg Braden, wrote a book called the God Code, which dealt with the Hebrew version of this called a tetragrammaton. I said, “Gregg, you know, I made this discovery many years ago. I think your work is full of such integrity, that if you’d like to play this for the people in your workshops so they could experience it….and he did and the response was overwhelming, and it was another little nudge forward. Finally I was basically given guidance that it was now time to release this to the public which is why I wrote the book “The Divine Name.” It includes an instructional CD, because my purpose is not only for people to hear it, but to learn how to sound it themselves. I really like working with the vowel sounds, and they are also so very powerful. There is a physical resonance and vibration in our body as we make them. If I say, OH and then say EEE, I can feel the resonance differently in different parts of my body. The EEE you can feel much more in your head. Well, among other things, it’s because of these things called harmonics which are the color of sounds. Without getting too complicated, when you put a prism in the sunlight, it takes on the clear light and breaks it into the colors of the electromagnetic spectrum. Red, orange, yellow, blue, green, indigo, violet….It’s the same way when we hear a single tone that sounds like a single note. It’s actually NOT a single note. It’s a positive frequency composed of all these separate frequencies that seem like they are together. But you can actually learn to separate these harmonics if you like. There are specific harmonics that are most stressed and most prominent in the various vowel sounds, and that’s what creates the resonance in different parts of our body. Jo: When you sit and go through these different vowel sounds, do you keep the same note? Does it matter which note you use, or is the vowel more important? Jonathan: There are many different ways of doing it, and in the different books I have written on the subject, I present a number of different systems. For the Divine Name, we do it in a monotone. You find the note that is comfortable for you, and sound all the vowels on that same note. It is really important to first feel the resonance in your body. As you feel that through the vowel sounds and you make this name, the energy occurs. We really get this extraordinary sacred spirit coming into matter going back into Spirit. Jo: Say you had 10 minutes in the morning. You could sit and just go through these vowels? Jonathan: if I had 10 minutes in the morning, I would go through the vowels to put myself and my chakras in balance and alignment, and I do that frequently. When I am working with the Divine Name as prayer, for me that’s a sacred powerful experience. I allocate at least ˝ hour for that experience, simply because it’s so profound and powerful. There’s a difference between resonating your chakras quickly, and actually bringing down and attuning with the sacred energy to commune with the Divine. You need to honor that energy and the purpose and intention of that energy. Jo: God, eternal, within the body. Is that encoded in our DNA somewhere? Jonathan: Gregg Braden basically took the Hebrew letters that make up this Divine Name. Using a complex system of mathematical transduction, he was able to go into the Hebrew gematria, which means there is a numerical system associated with each of the Hebrew letters, so he went from there into the periodic table elements and the atomic weights of stuff and back, doing another conversion…. And another one… When he went back to the Hebrew, the result was the phrase, “God Eternal Within the Body.” The odds of that occurring were a million to one. So that seems to be one secret message that this divine name is encoded with. I’ve had so many people suggest, and it’s my experience as well, that when we sound the divine name, it literally affects us down to a very deep DNA level, retuning and realigning ourselves to higher levels of consciousness, energy and healing. I have to say that the book “The Divine Name” is fairly short, it’s under 200 pages and only 40,000 words which is half of what a normal book would be. And working with my wife, we edited it together, because the book probably could have been 200,000 words. I tried to simplify it and make it as easy as possible, because I’ve found it so important. The major thing is for me, it’s not just a theoretical concept. It’s not just a good idea, or a theory. When you hear the sound, and make the sound, you embody this and it becomes real to you. It literally changes your life. Jo: Why do you think that appreciation is such an important aspect of empowering prayer? Jonathan: THANK YOU. Great question! It has been found that there is an electromagnetic field generated by the brain and also by the heart. What’s amazing is that when the heart is in coherence or resonance, it creates an electromagnetic field that is anywhere from 500 to 5000 times greater than that of the brain. And this happens when we are in a state of compassion, feeling appreciation. Our electromagnetic field can actually interface with the electromagnetic field of the planet. We are working together with this higher consciousness to actually manifest positive energy. The concept of prayer rather than being a petition or asking for something, pray as if one has already received it. There is a reason why the majority of the prayers on this planet are spoken aloud, chanted, intoned. Sound enhances our prayers. It actually helps to focus our consciousness and our ability to create this coherent field. It amplifies it. Right now this book is the culmination of all my other work. It’s not the most complicated. I think the first book I wrote was the most complicated. I wrote this one because I was guided to bring forth this information. When people say why, why you? I say, I don’t have a clue. But I can tell you why now. I recently was on my way with my wife to a place called Yogaville, a wonderful spiritual Ashram in Virginia, to teach this stuff. An inner voice said to me, “If people ask why now, tell them, because things have changed, and the divine name is necessary to help restore balance to the planet. Jo: Can you share your website? Jonathan: The overall website is http://www.Healingsounds.com or if you just want information on the Divine Name just go to http://www.TheDivinename.com At the healing sounds website, you can connect to the Temple of Sacred Sounds, which is the first sacred sound temple in cyberspace dedicated to projecting positive sound to the planet for healing. Jo; Thanks for being here! Jonathan: Jo it has been a real blessing for me. Thank you for allowing me to share. I am grateful. Blessing, love and light to you and all your listeners. Remember, we can change the world with our sound! http://www.Zentertainment.org

Sunday, aug 29, 2010 Glenn Beck My friend Ellen said so perfectly what I am so many others feel! ""Most of the time Beck, Palin, Limbaugh, et infuriate me but today, I am grieved. My heart is heavy and I feel like I want to weep. It is so appalling that the most divisive, hate and fear mongering media figures of our time purport to "reclaim" the civil rights movement and the legacy of King's "I have a dream" speech! King was the definition of a social justice Christian --- the very Christians Beck has been deriding and accusing of heresy (I do not know if he's used that word but that is the essence of what he has claimed). It is simply heartbreaking!!!!! The man is either sorely self-deceived or the worst false prophet of our age. "

Sunday, aug 29, 2010

Tuesday, aug 24, 2010 Why Intolerance Makes us Less Safe I am shocked at how some of the political leaders in our country are using this proposed Cordoba House/ Park51 community center to create more terror, more fear and more intolerance. Not only that, they are using this issue to win votes and distract people from the big issues that really matter! I have changed my mind at various times for different reasons, on whether I think it should be here in this location. But none of my reasons had to do with religious freedom. I fully believe and support religious freedom. Anyone who doesn't, seriously needs to read a history book. I strongly disagree with many of the things in the Muslim faith. I also really disagree with many things from the Buddhist philosophy. There are things I think are total nonsense! But what makes this country great is that we have religious freedom. This proposed community center will be open to people of all faiths. I might be a good chance to learn from each other. Let's be honest, most of the images we are exposed to in this country around the Muslim faith, are connected to images of violence, terrorism and the oppression of women. I think that these images deeply affect our beliefs, and the only way we can overcome prejudice or bias, is to be open to learning, and see what we discover. I know that I certainly wouldn't want to be judged as a Christian by someone who observed the actions of many of the right wing people I see today who claim to be Christians. We really differ in our beliefs! I just don't fit into the tiny boxes of religion, even though I love God and believe in God and have a pretty strong prayer life. I don't think there has ever been any leader like Jesus, and I find other belief systems that exclude Jesus to feel empty and dark. I also find certain Christian churches to be legalistic and have their own narrow mindedness and ridiculous views at times. And then of course, some are wonderful. Whatever I believe, I am glad I live in a country where I am allowed to believe as I do. It wasn't always like this! For example, I will refer to the Quaker faith because so many of my ancestors practiced it. The Religious Society of Friends (The Quaker movement) began in England in the 17th century. In 1682 William Penn founded the state of Pennsylvania as a safe place for Quakers to practice their faith. (Although "founded" is debatable since the Indians in fact already lived there). Quakers were very persecuted in England and in many parts of America as well. Why were they so persecuted when they were so peaceful? It's not like they were persecuted because they had bombed somebody or committed some terrorist acts. The Quaker religion and belief does not condone or support war or violence. They were persecuted because they believed in an inner light which is God, and that we can each access that light without the need to go through a priest or pastor or ritual. This sounds so obvious to most of us now, but then it was considered a radical idea that was not acceptable to the religious leaders and those in power at that time. You'd think that certain religious groups and the Puritans who came to America, seeking to be free of persecution from the Church of England would also be tolerant of other religions, having themselves known the tyranny of oppression. But what happened? Puritans in the Massachusetts Bay Colony imprisoned Quakers for spreading their beliefs. Not only were they thrown into prison, they were deprived of food. Four Quakers were hung for their beliefs on Boston Common--William Robinson, Marmaduke Stephenson, William Leddra and Mary Dyer. And Governor Peter Stuyvesant (Governor of New York City which was then called New Amsterdam) issued an order that anyone guilty of "harboring Quakers" would be imprisoned. He ordered the public torture of Robert Hodgson, a young 23 year old Quaker preacher. Citizens from Flushing, Queens protested. When the founding fathers met in the 1700s, they referred to William Penn's frame of government for Pennsylvania. William was all for religious freedom, and also had good relations with the local Indians. Had our founding fathers listened to the Puritans, who knows what sort of country we would be living in. William Penn was a pacifist Quaker, and the Quaker belief system truly inspired many of the freedoms we all enjoy today living in the United States. So I will take 2010 Mayor Bloomberg and President Barack Obama's tolerance and belief in religious freedom, any day over outdated religious persecution and the right wing Republican agenda (from some) that seems more intent on spreading fear and terror in order to win votes. Generally, we fear what we do not understand. So here we are. You know, I was flipping through tv channels today for about 15 minutes. I stopped on The Housewives of New Jersey. I have never watched a full episode, or even 15 minutes. I made it this time to about 10 minutes. All I could think was, this is really sad and awful. These families are so totally dysfunctional, but maybe they don't even know it. There is nothings entertaining for me about watching this sort of garbage. Then I had this quick thought. Imagine if someone who knew nothing at all