Take control of your health!

Today the calendar says May 31st, 2008.  How this day will remain in my spirit, soul and psyche.  The call came in at 1:15 am.  It was my brother, Marti, he said, DAD DIED!  I remember fighting the fog of my sleep laden state, to get the message I was so dreading.  I  felt every ounce of my physical being fill with adrenalin as my central nervous system was going into the flight or fight mode.  The conversation continued, ” he had a massive heart attack and his heart was too weak, they tried to revive him, after 30 min. they gave up and pronounced it.  DEATH!!!    Through out this whole ordeal, I wanted to believe that perhaps he may pull through, but a little voice inside my soul told me that he had already been living on borrowed time.   I got dressed and went to the hospital to sign the papers.  It was 1:30 AM.  The place was a ghost town.  As I was walking up to the room, I was mentally thinking , I hope that my brother is okay.  GOD you have always made me strong through all the things that I have been through, but I do not know that my brother is as enlightened to the circle of life.   I know that my dad is in a better place.  That his physical body no longer served his purpose here on earth, and that his spirit body was ready to serve the higher purpose.   As we got closer to the room everyone was walking on eggshells, the young nurses knew that there had been a death in the ICU unit, and that we were the victims in this most current transition from life to death.   As we walked by each one of these nurses, I could see it in their eyes that even they were not sure how to handle these types of situations.  They stole their gaze away from my eyes as they took their gaze to the ground.  I wanted to reach out to them and tell them, that all was well and that this was just another path in the circle of life.  We walked into the room and there on the hospital bed lay the body that had once housed my fathers spirit.  I mentally thanked it for the service that it had given  my father during his stay on earth.  Even with all of this knowledge, I am still human and I began to allow my emotions to run.  My brother and I were in a moment of stillness, no-one around, the nurse felt our pain, blessed us both then took a chance as he placed his hands around us.  We all hugged comforting each other through a sorrowful departure of this soul from this physical plane.  Dad,  Thank you for the life you gave me, the love you shared, the good times, the great times and all your life that you so unconditionally gave to all of us.  I am blessed and honored to have been your daughter.  I am who you wanted me to be, I am a product of your love.  You did  the best you knew how and I could not have asked for more.  Thank you, Dad,  Gracias!  Te amo, I love you.  We are content. We are with the angels.

Namaste,

We all know that “Yoga” is the connection of mind, body and spirit. Therefore, it serves to know that ” you are what you eat!” In this world where we have an impoverished food supply, I always suggest that everyone take quality vitamin supplements based on the integrity of the supplement company not based on price. There is clearly a difference. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLBqGN6DAts

New research from the Lewin Group (www.lewin.com) has shown that spending pennies a day on a few key nutritional supplements can
dramatically reduce sickness and chronic disease– and greatly decrease healthcare expenditures as a result. How did they come to this conclusion? And why haven’t we heard about it? The Lewin Group looked only at rigorous scientific studies that documented the benefits of nutritional supplements. They used the Congressional Budget Office’s accounting methods to determine the economic impact of supplements. And they kept their analysis specifically to Medicare patients and women of childbearing age. Although nutritional therapies can help a broad range of illnesses, the group only looked at four supplements and disease combinations because of the rigor and validity of the scientific evidence available for these nutrients and diseases. While there are many other beneficial nutritional therapies that have been proven helpful in studies, the ones in this particular study are only those that are unquestionable, beyond scientific doubt, well-accepted, and proven to help. Yet they are also under-used and not generally recommended by healthcare providers. The study looked at: 1. Calcium and vitamin D and their effect on osteoporosis 2. Folic acid and its ability to prevent birth defects 3. Omega-3 fatty acids and their benefits for heart disease 4. Lutein and zeaxanthin and their benefit in preventing major age-related blindness, or macular degeneration Most of us hear the refrain from our physicians that nutritional supplements just produce expensive urine, that you do not know what you are getting, or that there is no scientific proof to support their claims. My advice to these doctors is to do their scientific homework. Let’s start by looking at calcium and vitamin D. First, I want to point out the vitamin D research referred to in The Lewin Group study is older research. Newer research, as I have discussed in my vitamin D blogs, suggests that higher doses of vitamin D3, such as 1,000 to 2,000 IU a day, have even greater benefit. Based on that older research, the study’s authors determined that providing Medicare-age citizens with 1,200 mg of calcium and 400 IU of vitamin D would result in reduced bone loss and fewer hip fractures. The researchers estimated these supplements could prevent more than 776,000 hospitalizations for hip fractures over five years and save $16.1 billion.Next let’s look at omega-3 fats. Omega-3 fatty acids help prevent cardiac arrhythmias, improve cell membrane function, reduce inflammation, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and have many other benefits. The Lewin Group found that giving the Medicare population about 1,800 mg of omega-3 fats a day would prevent 374,000 hospitalizations from heart disease over five years. The Medicare savings from reduced hospital and physician expenses would be $3.2 billion. This is pretty convincing data, but it doesn’t stop there. The Lewin Group also analyzed the economic effects of lutein and zeaxanthin. Lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoids that are found in yellow and orange vegetables. I recommend taking them in combination with the hundreds of other carotenoids found in yellow and orange foods. Taken as supplements, these have been shown to treat macular degeneration, which is the loss of central vision, a major reason people over age 65 require nursing home care. The study found that taking 6 to 10 mg of lutein and zeaxanthin daily would help 190,000 individuals avoid dependent care and would result in $3.6 billion in savings over five years. Lastly the Lewin Group looked at the effects of taking folic acid. 44 million women of childbearing age are not taking folic acid. If only 11.3 million of them began taking just 400 mcg of folic acid on a daily basis before conception, we could prevent birth defects called neural tube defects in 600 babies and save $344,700,000 in lifetime healthcare costs for these children. Over 5 years, this would account for $1.4 billion in savings. Taken together, these four simple interventions, which cost pennies a day, could produce a combined savings of $24 billion over five years. This does not even include benefits to people younger than 65 or any of the other benefits of nutritional supplementation, such as improved immunity, cognitive function, and mood What’s Your Plan for a Healthier Life? Experience how to stay healthy, feel great and live an active life. Uncover which foods and supplements you need to thrive and how to rid yourself of the harmful toxins that make you sick and fat. Start applying these 5 groundbreaking principles today.
In this study, the researchers were extremely strict and only looked at nutrient interventions that met three criteria. 1. The supplement had to produce a measurable physiological effect.
2. This physiological effect had to create a change in health status. 3. The researchers only looked at health problems where a change in health status is associated with a decrease in healthcare
expenditures. The Lewin Group’s study is intriguing. The economic impact of investing a few pennies a day in nutritional supplements is compelling. But what’s downright frightening is that studies
by the US Department of Health and Human Services prove that the typical American diet does not always provide a sufficient level of vitamins and minerals — meaning we are at greater risk for conditions like those outlined above. Because of our consumption of low-nutrient, high-calorie foods that are highly processed, hybridized, genetically modified, shipped long distances, and grown in nutrient-depleted soils, many of us are nutritionally depleted. In fact, a whopping 92 percent of us are deficient in one or more nutrients at the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) level, which is the minimum amount necessary to prevent deficiency diseases like rickets or scurvy –diseases that are the result of not getting enough vitamins and minerals. The RDA standards do not necessarily outline the amount needed for optimal health. What’s more, our government’s nutrient guidelines ignore the fact that many Americans, because of genetic variations and unique needs, may need higher doses of vitamins and minerals than the RDA. Vitamin deficiency does not cause acute diseases such as scurvy or rickets, but they do cause what have been called “long-latency deficiency diseases.” These include conditions like blindness, osteoporosis, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, dementia, and more. What all this adds up to is clear. Nutritional supplements do not just make expensive urine.
Based on mounting evidence and confirmed by the Journal of the American Medical Association (1) and The New England Journal of Medicine (2), I strongly believe that we should all be taking
certain basic supplements. Here are the supplements I recommend for everyone: 1. A high-quality multivitamin and mineral. The multivitamin should contain mixed carotenoids, which include lutein and zeaxanthin as part of their mix, as well as at least 400 mcg of folate and a mixed B-complex vitamin. 2. Calcium-magnesium with at least 600 mg ofcalcium and 400 mg of magnesium. The calcium should be calcium citrate or chelated versions of minerals. Do not use calcium carbonate or magnesium oxide, which are cheap minerals that are poorly absorbed. 3. Vitamin D3, 1,000 to 2,000 IU a day (people who are deficient in vitamin D will need more). 4. Omega-3 fatty acids that contain the fats EPA and DHA, 1,000 to 2,000 mg a day. The cost is low, the benefit is high, and the
risk is non-existent for these nutritional supplements. Not only will you feel better, have better immune function, and improve your energy and brain function, but you will also prevent many problems down the road. So, eat a healthy diet — and take your nutritional supplements every day.

Take a complimentary health assessment
http://www.martiangel.usana.com
to see what you should be taking for your personal health!
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Everywhere you look these days it is all about the 3 candidates for President. You can see and hear them playing dirty politics with each other, they claim to care about you the voter but in reality, they, do not even know that you exist! So why do we struggle with which one is best? Do we not know that we create our own reality? Do we not know that the only one that can save us from ourselves is us?  So why struggle?  You will vote for the right one when you have taken time to hear each of their ideas, listen to what they have to say and making absolutely no judgments about any of them fill in your ballot.   Simply listen and take in the essence of their words.  Give them each a chance to speak, hear the comments of each about the state of affairs.  Then go within and make your own choice based on your inner guidance.

The process may take practice but you truly know all the answers to all your questions, you simply may not like the answers, or more correctly your ego may not like the answers.  This being the truth, know that you can choose the right person for the job.   Here is a good way to do this.  Open your mind.  After you have listened to each of their voices and their words begin to close your eyes.  Find a quiet place to sit, somewhere that you feel safe and comfortable.  Take about 5 deep breaths with your eyes closed, begin to relax, then place your hands gently on your solar plexis and feel your energy.  Notice how your breath makes your mid section dance.  Clear your mind of any debris, put all your focus and attention to your hands as they move along with the belly rhythmically breathing.  When you feel relaxed, begin to say the name of each one of the candidates one at a time.  For example, start with Barack Obama, repeat his name, keep your eyes closed your hands on your solar plexis and as you repeat the names tune into the kind of feeling you get with each.  When the name you say feels good, your inner spirit will know it.  You will feel something inside smile.  We always feel this way when something is good.  Some of us don’t notice the shift in energy, but once you begin to tune into your center, you will know how to make the right choice for you.

Believe you can do this and you will.   You do not need to look outside yourself for any answers.   You and only you can feel what is truly best for you.  All you need to do is stop and listen, cultivate the sense of knowing your true source.  If we all do this, the best candidate for the job will be chosen.  It will be guided by the higher source for the highest good of all.  You must practice this process with an open mind. You must have the true intention of cultivating your inner guidance.  Do this and you will have all the answers to all your questions?  Remember having an open mind means putting aside your thoughts of prejudice, anger, hostility, vengeance, greed and fear.

What is the big mystery of the male and female sides of the body? Why do we need to be aware of this?   The body is energetically divided into two parts. The right and the left, male and female dominated sides.  This is not a new concept, it has an origin in eastern philosophies like Buddhism, Yoga, and you can even find ancient writings that the Mayan civilization was aware of the power of maintaining balance between these two opposite energies.

The Buddha taught it quite clearly. Each human being has a right and left hemisphere in the brain, which we classify as male and female, the right being female, left being male. The left or male side is in charge of the right side of the body and the right brain or female side is in charge of the left side of the body.

The Maya placed themselves and their environment into categories that allowed them to order and manipulate their world. They frequently categorized using the basic complementary pairing of male/female, and right/left.

In yoga, male energy (the sun), is referred to as Shiva, and is the form of the universe. Male energy is the domain of the right side of the body.  Whereas female energy (the moon), is referred to as Shakti, and is the force of the universe. The female energy is the domain of the left side of the body.

The significant importance is that as one person we need to be in constant balance to be able to achieve the best of our world, mental physical and emotional. Both sides, male and female have to attain a harmonious whole.

The male side is usually connected to our rationality, logic, linear thinking, and understanding. The female side is connected to feelings, nurturing, caring, compassion, love, and all the emotional qualities.  Each of us has sides, the emotional and the mental capacity. Very few people develop both equally, therefore their cart often topples. Emotionalism is just as much a danger as thinking without being in touch with one’s feelings. That too can go very much astray.

A person who goes too far on the side of rational thinking has to learn to balance with feelings, the female side. Anyone who thinks to the extent where the experience of feelings is hardly known has to practice much mindfulness of feelings. On the other hand, the female side is often emotionalism. This means we are carried away by our emotions and consequently our thinking is impaired. The quality of logical thinking, of delving into a thought process and being able to analyze, is not possible when the emotions are at the forefront.

During yoga practice, the goal is to observe and understand the dance between Shiva and Shakti. In this dance Shiva and Shakti flow in balance with each other are bringing balance to the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of the yogi.

When we experience blockages, or imbalances within our male/female essence or energy the results can be disastrous and harmful to our physical body as well as our mental body.

For example there is a belief that manic depression is common and occurs when the right and left energies are uncontrolled or out of balance.   When a person is stuck on the right, the male manic side, then the body becomes wiry and thin and heart attacks become prevalent. When stuck on the left, the female depressive side the person becomes lethargic and fat and easily depressed. The physical base of these energies is the perineum in the male and the vulva in the female. Their other control point is the left and right nostrils. Blocked nostrils and mucus can show a blockage of these energies.

There can also be outward signs of imbalances, notice to see if you are having issues with
males or females in your life and your body will begin to manifest these imbalances in the form of maladies.  Issues with males may result in simple things like stubbing your toe on the right foot, hurting your right elbow.  The same goes with the opposite side of the body.  Issues with females manifest in the left side of your body.

The balancing of male and female energy needs to be seen as connecting heart with mind.  Energy and concentration have to balance.  In yoga the practice is to begin to allow the energy to realign itself with the body.  Meditation is one of the most effective tools that can be used to connect and balance the male/female energies.   Yoga is used to prepare the body for meditation thus increasing the ability to have these energies find their space and begin to realign, to balance, to find harmony.  Chakra balancing is an effective way in which to align those energies.  Other very effective tools for connecting and balancing are Reiki, Watsu and pranayama work.

It is interesting that this knowledge that has been with us through many centuries and was common place then to detect bodily, mental and spacial ills should be so foreign and mysterious to us in this so called “advanced” civilization.   I believe that more and more as we enter the age of “inspirato”1  we will begin to learn how to listen and connect with our own energy.  Only then will we begin to feel the balance and healing that comes from this.

1. Inspirato- latin for inspiration. We will be moving from the age of information to the age of  a new world where compassion and respect for ourselves, the universe and others will prevail.

As you all know I have been meditating for a while, I have purchased lots and lots of meditation Cd’s from many sources.  So far I have not met up with any that truly call me from within my source.  I have tried many techniques, and I teach many techniques.  But the other day I was in my meditation mode and  this time I did not use any realia ( you know,  props).  I was just inspired to sit and ask the question ” What is it I need to know?”  So I asked this question over and over again then I just sat and waited for the answer, after about three deep inhalations followed by great sighs, I began to feel as though I wanted to sit there for a very long time.  There were no words just a great feeling of deep content.   I relished in this feeling for as long as I could then I slowly opened my eyes and began to move about.  The phone then rang and it was a family member who always seems to work her life from a negative perspective.  I know that I must be prepared before I can actually carry on a conversation with this member of my family.  The conversations that involve myself and this person are usually very full of  negative things that seem to happen to her.  I know that if I allow her to drag me into those conversations by agreeing or adding to them, that I actually can cause this being to spiral more and more deeply into the negative worm hole.  I am not helping anyone rise to the level of great consciousness when I agree or add to the conversation.  So here is how I handle those conversations, and this is how I handled this particular phone call.  I answered and then I excused myself by saying ” Hold on a second, I will be right back.”  Then I covered the  speaker and said to myself ” It is my intention that this conversation go in a positive direction and that I am used for the highest good of all involved and that I be a channel for positivity.”  I then got back on the line and continued this conversation.  Well, lo and behold we had a beautiful conversation and it went in a very positive direction.  The conversation ended with my family member having a smile on her face as we ended.  This was a miracle a small one but still a miracle!  I connected with my source by setting my intention before I allowed myself to be swept up into the negative abyss.  This is why I firmly believe that when we take time to connect with our source, set our intention we can achieve miracles.  My wish to you all is that you connect with your source so you too can experience these small and meaningful miracles.

Namaste,

As read by Marti Angel

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I am leaving Kailua-Kona, Hawaii after a very rejuvenating and revitalizing trip. While getting ready to board the plane back to the mainland,  I begin to reflect… This trip has been such a beautiful experience of prana and renewal.  Practicing Yoga and meditation daily in front of the ocean, listening to the waves as they murmur the breath of life. As I listened closely, I realized that as the waves move in and out, so too does our breath.  The ocean movement is an expression of the breath of life. We breathe in, With the same timing sequence as the waves roll in and out.  The ocean inhales, the waves move toward the center of the ocean, as it exhales the waves roll toward land.   The ocean intakes on its inhalation what it needs and on its exhalation it sends out debris and other things that it does not need within its body or source to survive.   So as I reflect on the process of Prana, I realize that we are all connected with the source, the energy of life. All things circulate with the timing of our breath.   As we inhale we take in the positive and as we exhale we expel all the negative energy that does not serve our being.
We live in syncopation with all of nature and the natural movement of life.  We are an extension of each other, my breath begins where yours leaves off… When we all begin to realize that we are all connected then we can all begin to truly connect to the source of life.
Namaste,

The Om Diva

Sometimes we feel like giving up. We feel as if we have done all that we can and then something throws us for a loop. This is what happens to us when we allow life to live us. If we are deliberate in our daily intentions then we can avoid these feelings. We can begin to be in the drivers seat of our own life. You can decide when to put it in drive and when to put it in park. You need to know that life goes on, no matter what. We can choose to be carried through life on this earth like a tumbleweed in a sandstorm, or we can deliberately choose to live life with full intention and awareness of our every move, like an ocean wave crashing on the rock, spitting out of its belly that which it does not want and taking into the ocean that which it does. So when you are at your “giving up stage” watch this clip that expresses the true power of our inner being. The power of “keep going” and you will have with deliberate intention and creation that which you truly want.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vB59PkB0eQ

Namaste,

Well, even as a meditation instructor, I too need guidance every now and then. I felt the need to go deeper into my ethereal self. I meditate daily, but I felt as though I was getting stuck so I made an appointment to go through a hypnosis session with a woman I trust and who seems to have much wisdom. She is a young lady of 79 years full of life and wisdom. This woman came into my life as though I was guided to find her. I will admit I was a bit nervous at first but then as I was in her presence, I began to feel the peacefulness and serenity within my bones. We chatted first and then she asked me to sit in this most comfortable chair. My body seemed to conform to the contours of this chair most wantingly. She began leading me into my sub-conscious. Pretty soon I felt as if someone was pressing my body into the chair and my mind was disconnected from the body. I felt very heavy psychically but very light spiritually. I went into a flying stage I looked down and I could see the earth it was very vast. I was up so high that I was able to touch the stars. I went into the clouds carried in the arms of an angel with beautiful golden hair. She held my body in its listless form and carried me to a higher dimension. Then all of a sudden I was no longer a body but I was light connecting with other beings of light. I was so happy to be there I began to cry. It was a homecoming. I had this overwhelming sensation that I was one of them. When we spoke to each other it was not with our mouths but simply telepathically. I asked them what my purpose was and they told me that specifics do not matter but that I was simply in the arms of the angels and I was on the right track. I felt like a child who had been longing to go home and then finally had made it. We spoke for a very long time, so it seemed, but still it was too short for me. They spoke to me as a group of one voice and I was reminded of the books of Esther and Jerry Hicks, when they channel their guides who speak as one voice “Abraham”. Soon too soon for me, they told me it was time to return to my body, I did not want to come back, and I began to cry and felt very sad. I could for the first time feel the tears rolling down my face and into my chest burning my skin as they rolled toward my stomach. I was told that they were at peace and that I was not ready to rejoin them, that my purpose was still to be fulfilled. So reluctantly I returned to my body, and as I did it actually hurt and felt so uncomfortable that I got very dizzy and nauseous. Now I find myself here allowing myself to write this entry to share with you an experience that to me seemed like a science fiction movie, but I can tell you all that it was not. I lived and felt every moment of this experience. It will be one of those that I will always remember. Thank you Sheila for the opportunity to find my peace. I am truly blessed.

Namaste,

Most recently  I have been struggling with issues that have cluttered my life with negativity and debris.  I must say that this energy, has weighed heavy on my mind and body.  I have used meditation to ask for answers, it brought me closer to where I need to be to let go.  Truly though one must be alert and look everywhere for the clues to the answers.  I was looking for bells and whistles, I was looking for a sacred voice to speak to me.  This did not happen.  Then  as I was searching through my desk and organizing myself.  I found a poem written by my son  and left for me to read and absorb.  I now share with you the words that  were written for me “The Om Diva” as I asked for guidance and support.

Dawn……..

The life you once lived is gone……..  stolen, vanished…

and yet you remain, struggling to face the silence…….

No birds to sing your song…… Yet, Look always to the horizon, always to the Dawn…..

For the life you once lived is far behind you and the life you have is strong……..

Fear not your wilting fields,  Your meadows grey and brown…..

For soon your songbird sings………. Bringing a NEW DAWN.

Out of the mouths of babes, Thank you my son!

Namaste,