Tyler Hill, a vibrant 16-year-old teenager, died full of his future on a People to People Student Ambassador Trip to Japan. His death was 100 percent preventable.

Not long after his death, his mom began experiencing after death communications that rocked her traditional beliefs and made her question her sanity. Reaching out for help and support, she turned to licensed psychiatrists and psychologists who helped her understand that she was blessed with a sacred gift.

A gift we all have. A gift many choose not to use. The gift is the ability to communicate with loved ones who have passed. Award winning author Sheryl Hill receives messages and assurances of eternal love and purpose from her deceased son, Tyler. She shares them with us in her book, Walking on Sunshine, NRG (energy) A Divine Transformation.

Her son told her from the light that he was energy, like the sun, everywhere at once filled with divine love. He said he was going to help so many more people from divine light than he ever could on earth. He told his mom that love never dies. That he is always with her. That life is short and she can do it. He explained that he cannot reach her when she is shrouded in a fog of grief so thick that light cannot penetrate. Tyler asked his mom to unfurl from grief with light and love so that they could communicate.

Sheryl came to realize that prayer is where we speak with the Divine, and meditation is when the Divine answers. To receive divine wisdom, she needed to be calm, breathe a holy breath, be still and listen. She learned to meditate to make a connection with Spirit and her loved ones, especially Tyler.

Tyler came to her one day in a holographic image bigger than life telling her where to look to find evidence of why he died. When she found it, she phoned her attorney who validated that after working decades in wrongful death law, these stories no longer surprise him.

Prior to Japan, Tyler bought a book uncharacteristic of him: Ghosts, Spirits and Haunted Places, by Brad Steiger. He left the book on his bed. The book fell from the bed and onto the floor without anyone near it, flipping open to pages describing how our bodies resonate at 60-120 hertz. That energy cannot be created or destroyed only transformed. The book introduced Merkabah — soul light bodies, or Spirit orbs. A few weeks later, Spirit orbs began appearing in Sheryl’s life, often with messages or faces inside them.

On the advice of her grief counselor, Sheryl underwent Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. At the time, Sheryl and her practitioner were unaware that EMDR instigates after death communications. Licensed psychologists are using EMDR to soothe grief, especially for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress.

Sheryl was already experiencing after death communications. EMDR launched her into an out-of-body experience that she describes in her book. During this experience, she was given purpose, “Write it down and let it herald.” And, “Protect children on programs abroad.”

Sheryl and her husband established ClearCause Foundation to inform America that no federal oversight or laws exist to protect children who go on programs abroad in an industry more than twice the size of the NFL. There are no minimum standards or public reporting. ClearCause is working on safety certifications to help parents and students make informed choices on programs abroad, test youth and student readiness to advocate for themselves when they are in jeopardy and help prepare emergency contacts to get where they need to be in a timely and affordable manner. Read more on ClearCause Foundation at www.clearcausefoundation.org.

In her search for like-minded people, Sheryl became a member of the International Association on Near Death Studies (IANDS). This association does scientific research on near-death experiences. Many near-death experiencers report surreal calm, peace, wisdom and oneness similar to out-of-body experiences. Albert Einstein once said, “The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.”

Sheryl wrote Walking on Sunshine to soothe grief with evidence of afterlife and to remind each of us to honor our sacred gift.

Find photographs of soul orbs and other visuals that depict wake-up moments and communications from Tyler at www.walkingonsunshine.org and www.facebook.com/walkingonsunshineNRG. All purchases are tax deductible. Proceeds benefit ClearCause Foundation. Contact Sheryl Hill on either site for professional speaking engagements, more information or autographed copies of her book.

It’s 2012 now and we have officially been living in the Aquarian Age for several months. So, as the Musical Alchemist and an Aquarian (did you guess?) I think it’s definitely time to apply the knowledge of transforming vibrations to a realm of Being—which is fundamental to all of our lives: SEX!

Yes, it’s fundamental, but due to all the misunderstandings and confusion about this part of our nature — repression on one hand and exploitation on the other — we seem to have lost touch with the fun part. I mean, after all, isn’t sex how we all got here on this planet? And isn’t sex the way Life itself continues in all it’s wild glory? So what could be more spiritual than sex?

A psalm is defined as “a sacred song; a hymn.” In this series “The Psalms of Sex,” we’ll be singing the praises of many frequencies of sexuality, from the primal to the sophisticated. The emotions and sounds connected to our emotions convey enormous amounts of information to our brain without any words. In fact, recent scientific studies reveal the role that sounds, rhythms and tones play in our sexual communication.

Animal societies have courting rituals of song and dance, and so do we. The only difference between our rituals and that of our animal friends is that ours have become more complicated and obscure over the years, whereas the animals remain true to their nature.

In the ancient Tantric teachings, sound syllables and mantras are used to open chakras (energy centers) and heighten arousal and attunement with the goal of experiencing a deep sense of union and bliss. The attraction of polarities is the Universal Law, which starts the whole dance of sex. In the Eastern philosophies, it’s called “yin and yang.” In the yogic tradition, it’s called Shiva (male) and Shakti (female). If we accentuate this polarity in our relationships, there’s more charge and more attraction — just like magnets or electrical current needs plus and minus poles. In this series, we will explore how to do that!

So keep checking in each month and I’ll be introducing you to some tantalizing and wonderful guests who’ll share their wisdom and secrets with you to unlock more joy and pleasure, to get you humming with the Cosmos!

Happy Valentine’s Day – Resonate Deeply!

He gained enormous popularity during his appearances on national TV. Now O’Neal Hampton is reaching out to help others transform their lives for the better, because he believes everyone deserves happiness.

The popular “Biggest Loser” season 9 contestant, who dropped a stunning 159 pounds and gained thousands of fans in 2010, has spent the last two years paying it forward: helping others to realize their dreams of living healthier, more fulfilling lives. Now he’s ready to take the next step in his life’s journey. Hampton will announce the launch of the O’Neal Hampton Wellness Foundation during this year’s Body Mind Life Expo [www.BodyMindLifeExpo.com], March 17-18 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. He will also share his inspiring, motivational messages that are helping countless people reclaim their lives.

A vision becomes reality
The O’Neal Hampton Wellness Foundation, based in Bloomington, is initially focused on helping severely obese individuals and their families to make life changes. From controllable lifestyle behaviors (exercise, smoking, stress, drinking and poor nutrition) to rebuilding self-esteem, Hampton wants to be instrumental in helping to combat obesity and the poor health habits that lead to obesity.

“It’s a very thin line between wanting a change and making a change,” he says. “It’s never too late no matter what your situation. When you start doing good things, your body will respond.

“Twenty two million people applied to be part of season 9 ‘Biggest Loser.’ They were desperate to make a change in their lives. Through this Foundation, I’m trying to give the same happiness that I got during my time on the Biggest Loser ranch.”

Physical, emotional and spiritual
Hampton is extremely excited to be a living example that change is possible. Fans may be surprised to learn that his approach to life and happiness is deeply spiritual. His messages include:

• Re-building your self-esteem starts from within. “Sit alone in a room facing a mirror. Talk with the person in the mirror: What is our self-worth? What are you willing to do to change that? When you hear it said out loud, it resonates the beginning of change. I’m not a professional — there are no initials behind my name — but I ask the hard line questions that need to be asked. If you need professional help, I’ll suggest that. But one way or another, you’ve got to learn to trust that person in the mirror.” Hampton knows that low self-worth can be a barrier to change. “When you’re in the deepest darkest hole, you don’t know who to reach out to because you’re afraid people may not understand what’s going on in your head. Now, you’ll be able to reach out to someone at the Foundation, and you’ll get a response that may spark a change in you. Because someone cares and totally understands what you are going through.”
• Follow the 18-inch rule. “It is exactly 18 inches from your heart to your brain. Once you connect those inches, there is nothing you can’t do. You have to have an equal measure of skill and will. If you bring the heartfelt desire to change, you will change.”
• Recognize that in everyone’s life, there are 10 defining moments, seven critical choices and five pivotal people. “You need to look within yourself and try to define them. You can’t fix anything until you know what’s broken. When you take the time to do this, you’ll be open to being healed.” Hampton counts his mother among his five pivotal people because she instilled in him his foundation of spirituality. He counts the Wellness Foundation as one of his critical choices. “I’m operating this Foundation from the heart.”

Body Mind Life Expo
Over the years, the Body Mind Life Expo has become a trusted clearinghouse for information related to health and wellness, from fitness and nutrition to spirituality and emotional healing. Those watching their pennies appreciate the fact that admission always includes free back-to-back seminars on everything from Zumba, proper exercise techniques, weight management and anti-aging tips, to the latest on the use of therapeutic essential oils and other fact-based ideas for taking control of your physical, emotional and spiritual health.

People also spend quality time exploring local resources including environmentally friendly products, stress-free vacation ideas, workshops and classes, counseling and motivational centers, clinics, acupuncture/bodywork services and more.

Visit www.BodyMindLifeExpo.com to Shop at the Show before you go. Admission is $3 with the half price coupon available at www.101expos.com, and free to kids 17 and under when accompanied by an adult. Further information is available on the expo hotline: 612.798.7256.

This year’s Body Mind Life Expo is made possible in part by Sun Country Airlines, KSTC Channel 45 and The Edge magazine.

I was first introduced to Multidimensional Human Design Systems (MHDS) analysis after taking a course: Human Design and the Body Graph Chart. This Human Design course focused on the body graph chart, used by most practitioners to analyze the design and personality of an individual.

While sitting in class, I kept having a mystical experience of seeing and feeling a multidimensional fluid structure in which the body graph was only one layer. At the end of the course, I approached the instructor to share my experience and she encouraged me to contact Eleanor Haspel-Portner, who is now my mentor. She is the pioneering scientist and founder of MHDS analysis and has been performing extensive research on it for more than 20 years.

In 2004, when I contacted Eleanor, she offered to do a MHDS analysis for me. After giving her my date, time and place of birth, she emailed my MHDS Mandala to me. Upon seeing it, I began to weep, because I recognized it on a very deep and subconscious level.

After spending some time with her over the telephone discussing my MHDS, I asked if I could study with her. She said that I didn’t need to make the trip to California, because I had all I needed to analyze a MHDS within me. She said that I had received the downloaded transmission of MHDS during the Harmonic Convergence in 1987 and that I had what was necessary to perform analysis. Although I remember having a profound mystical experience during the Harmonic Convergence, I had not been able to make sense of it.

Being a social scientist, I believed I needed her instruction. Being a mystic, I knew I needed to be in her presence to activate what I had to authentically perform MHDS analysis. So, she finally agreed to let me visit her and study. I studied in her physical presence in 2005 and 2007. It was the most profound learning experience I have ever had. The teaching was not linear and my understanding was felt in my body, not analyzed by my intellect. I realized that MHDS is not another attempt to offer explanations or rationalizations for the self or the ego. It provides a container for disintegrating the belief of the separate self and for igniting the radical transformation into the infinite.

MHDS analysis provides information for our intellects to move into new possibilities, ideas and beliefs. It is a system that can gently stretch our limited thinking and conditioning of the separate self into broader potential. It offers an opportunity to integrate our physical, emotional, spiritual and mental aspects into an energetic design, which reflects our capacity to navigate being alone, interacting in the world, being in relationships, contributing to humanity and reaching the depth of our core. Most importantly, MHDS allows the alignment of an individual’s unique circuity to be ignited and integrated to reach their highest potential.

I feel called to share MHDS by providing individual analysis, because my purpose is to support humanity in reaching its highest potential. Having spent the past 25 years as an integrative psychotherapist, transformational coach and spiritual teacher, I appreciate the depth and expansion that MHDS provides for personal transformation and relationship development.

This is an exciting year to align with your unique gifts and circuitry so you may authentically access and share the abundant energy available. MHDS, with its ancient systems of knowledge, can support you in aligning and attuning the energies with your unique design.

Maureen Pelton will teach an introductory class in MHDS on Wednesday, Feb. 15, at Normandale Community College. For more information, call Call 952.358.8343.

Psinergy TechWarrior St. Paul has been awarded the prestigious 2011 Angie’s List Super Service Award, an honor bestowed annually on approximately 5 percent of all the businesses rated on the nation’s leading provider of consumer reviews on local service and health providers.

“Dead computer to working computer – one flat rate – very happy customer,” one testimonial reads. “There is nothing more to say. Andre was very patient with my questions and politely answered all of them. He did not make me feel bad because I was asking stupid questions.”

“Only a fraction of the businesses rated on Angie’s List can claim the sterling service record of being a Super Service Award winner because we set a high bar,” said Angie’s List Founder Angie Hicks. “The fact that Psinergy TechWarrior St. Paul can claim Super Service Award status speaks volumes about its dedication to consumers.”

Psinergy TechWarrior St. Paul can be contacted at 612.234.7237 or visit tech.psinergy.info.

Angie’s List Super Service Award winners have met strict eligibility requirements, including earning a minimum number of reports, an exemplary rating from their clients and abiding by Angie’s List operational guidelines.

Ratings are updated daily on Angie’s List, but members can find the 2011 Super Service Award logo next to business names in search results on AngiesList.com.

Angie’s List collects consumer reviews on local contractors and doctors in more than 500 service categories. Currently, more than 2 million consumers across the U.S. rely on Angie’s List to help them make the best hiring decisions. Members get unlimited access to local ratings via Internet or phone, exclusive discounts, the Angie’s List magazine and help from the Angie’s List complaint resolution service.

1. 1. Start with a morning prayer or intention, set up a positive trigger that reminds you to say it over and over again throughout the day, end your day with the same prayer or intention.
2. 2. Get your Feng Shui in order: home, office, car, land, garage, storage, computer, finances.
3. 3. Select a sound, CD, tone, mantra and play it 24/7 in your house. It helps maintain a balanced frequency
4. 4. Pay attention to universal signals and nudges and act on them.
5. 5. Passwords: Make sure the passwords are in alignment with your dreams and desires, when you type the words you are feeling them, thinking them and connecting to them.
6. 6. Understand the role that gratitude, joy and play impact your daily experience.
7. 7. Develop a relationship with universal energy, trust your intuition and act on them.
8. 8. Be clear about what you want, then ask and you shall receive.
9. 9. Wake Up. Do your own work and get out of your own way.
10. 10. What are you waiting for? Take a stand, make it happen!
11. 11. Recognize you are always connected and co-creating.
12. 12. Dare to be You.
13. 13. Illuminate Your Brilliance.
14. 14. Share your talents with others and the world.
15. 15. Know that you can be happy, healthy and fulfilled.
16. 16. Become a Collabornaut (see interview).
17. 17. Play!
18. 18. Dance in the Magic of the Universe!
19. 19. Jonathan Goldman formulas are powerful! Frequency + Intention = Healing • Vocalization + Visualization = Manifestation
20. 20. This life is your playground, so have some fun!

Twin Cities Psychic Symposium returns on March 3, featuring 60 Exhibitors offering intuitive readings, gifts, products & resources, from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Earle Brown Heritage Center, 6155 Earle Brown Dr., Brooklyn Center, MN.

The 2012 Psychic Symposium features as Keynote Speakers: Echo & Michael Bodine, sister/brother psychics speaking on the significance of the year 2012; Mas Sajady on Miracles and Healing; and a Gallery Event: the Psychic Panel with medium Troy Parkinson, psychic Kayla Wright and channel Insiah Beckman. The Event is produced by Edge Life Expos & Events.

Twin Cities Psychic Symposium offers an opportunity for the public to learn about the world of spirit and psychic phenomena! The spotlight of the event will be the Exhibitors. There will be: intuitive readers, wellness products, healing resources, animal communicators, aura photos, jewelry, crystals and other unique gift items. Keynote speakers will offer valuable insight and advice for living well.

“This event is the only ‘true’ psychic symposium in the Twin Cities,” said Edge Life Expos & Events Producer Gary Beckman. “This is probably the largest event with intuitive consultants and psychic readers under one roof than anytime during the year. It’s a good place for those unfamiliar with this area to get a reading in a safe place at introductory rates.”

Admission to Twin Cities Psychic Symposium is $6, or two people for $7 ($3.50 each). Keynote speakers are extra, and all keynote speaker tickets include admission to Expo Hall. All tickets are available in advance online for a discounted rate by calling toll-free 1.877.776.5244, or visit Edgelife.net. All tickets also are available at the door. Parking is free at Earle Brown Heritage Center.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

2012 with Echo & Michael Bodine
2:30-4 p.m. Saturday, March 3, $29 VIP in advance ($37 at door), $20 general admission in advance ($29 at door)
There is so much speculation about the new year, along with many fears and anticipations. Echo and Michael Bodine, sister/brother psychics, will talk about this new year and what we can really expect to see and experience. They will give you guidance on how to maneuver your way through your own life with all the changes that are coming. They also will give readings to some members of the audience. These two bright lights are funny, informative and entertaining.

Echo Bodine

• Echo Bodine is perhaps the most well-known psychic in the Twin Cities. She is the author of numerous books, including Hands That Heal, Still, Small Voice: A Psychic’s Guide to Awakening Intuition, Echoes of the Soul: The Soul’s Journey beyond the Light through Life, Death and Life after Death, and most recently, The Little Book of True Ghost Stories. She first discovered she was born with psychic abilities and the gift of healing at the age of 17. She took psychic classes for two years and practiced on friends and family for twelve years before beginning her full time practice as a psychic, healer and ghostbuster in 1979. In 1981, Echo began teaching classes on psychic development and spiritual healing. She has appeared on numerous national television shows including Sally Jesse Raphael, Sightings, Beyond with James Van Praagh, NBC’s The Other Side, Unexplained Mysteries, NBC’s Today Show, A&E, and Encounters. Paranormal Borderline did a feature story on her family, calling them the “world’s most psychic family.” Echo hosted her own cable TV show called New Age Perspectives for two years, and co-hosted the The Edge TV. She also had her own radio show on FM107 in Minneapolis for 3 years called Intuitive Living, and Paramount Pictures solicited her services for the promotion of the movie Ghost. From 2003 to 2009 Echo was the director of The Center for Spiritual Development in Minneapolis, where she taught numerous classes on spiritual development, living by intuition, ghost busting, psychic development and laying on hands healing classes. In 2010 she began doing on-line psychic development classes with instructor Leigh Hopkins of the Viva Institute in Brazil.


Michael Bodine

• Michael Bodine has been in the psychic business since early childhood. He since then has tried everything in his power to stray away from the paranormal, from cooking to being a dishwasher salesman. Every time he tried, however, the paranormal comes back to him. He has accepted this as his gift, and in a last effort wrote the book “Growing Up Psychic: From Skeptic to Believer” on his struggle with this strange world. It was published in February 2010. He is currently writing another book on a similar topic.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Mas Sajady

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

A Psychic Panel – The Power Of Three: Kayla Wright, Insiah Beckman and Troy Parkinson
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Saturday, March 3, $15 in advance ($20 at door)
It’s 2012 – what are the messages we need Now…Today…to make the most of this year? Join the psychic panel as they address the questions that we, as a humanity, need to answer. They also guide you to unlock your own intuition and answer your questions. Get comforting, loving replies from deceased loved ones, personal matters and the Great Awakening of our human race and our planet. This Gallery Event will be moderated by Gary Beckman, producer of Twin Cities Psychic Symposium.

Kayla Wright

• Kayla Wright, a member of the Psychics in the Cities, brings her company’s vision of the Power of Three into her Psychic readings and spiritual work. Her messages are practical and will help you navigate through your spiritual and daily life. Kayla’s passion is to help you relax and learn lessons easily and gently. And, always delivered with her sense of humor.


Troy Parkinson

• Troy Parkinson is the author of Bridge to the Afterlife: A Medium’s Message of Hope & Healing (Llewellyn). He is a medium, inspirational speaker and filmmaker. Troy first began his study of the afterlife over 12 years ago. During his early years of development Troy studied in Boston, MA. During his time in Boston, Troy participated in numerous public demonstrations of mediumship, he organized the first Boston Mediums Conference, an afternoon gathering of mediums from the greater Boston area and he also produced a short documentary on mediumship called Contacting the Beyond as his senior thesis film. In 2000, Troy returned to North Dakota with his wife and has continued to share his work in the Upper Midwest ever since. Over the years, Troy’s work as a medium has spread simply by word of mouth and now he has clients worldwide. As a medium, Troy passes on the messages from the other side revealing that death does not prevail and our loved ones do live on in spirit. These touching messages have inspired hundreds of lives and have provided closure to many. Troy holds private sittings, small group sessions and public demonstrations of mediumship, along with inspirational workshops and events.


Insiah Beckman

• Insiah Beckman is South African born and moved to the Unites States in 1995. She is a Reiki Master, Minister, Teacher, Intuitive Reader and Channels a group of Light Beings who identify themselves as: “The Counsel of Elders.” They are here to assist mankind in a changing world with messages of hope and love so that humanity can assimilate the higher frequencies of divine love and empower themselves to their rightful place of true mastership and ascension into the golden age. Her conclusion on having studied several religions and spiritual paths is that all teachings are based on Love. Hence her religious belief is Love. She is Vice President and Co-owner of Edge Life Expo & Events which has been bringing together seekers of truth for the past 16 years.

A wellness group to support healing practitioners in the Twin Cities will organize on February 16 in Minneapolis.

The new Twin Cities Wellness Group will involve health and wellness practitioners who are uniting to help support the growth of each other’s businesses, educate on other modalities and business tools and techniques, and create a community of like-minded professionals. The group is open to all alternative medicine providers, including acupuncturists, massage therapists, wellness coaches, Yoga teachers, Reiki healers, homeopaths, chiropractors and others.

Twin Cities Wellness Group meets from 7:30-9 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, at The Healing Loft, 2112 Broadway St. NE, Suite 250, Minneapolis. Meetings are on the third Thursday of each month.

A 12-month membership to Twin Cities Wellness Group is just $125. Membership includes 12 months of monthly meetings, room dues, tea, coffee and water, parking and a listing on the group’s website, including a link to your company. Also included are monthly presentations by other health and wellness providers, small business resources, and a monthly opportunity to share your company with the other members. Each member also has an opportunity to offer a tabletop display of his or her business as a monthly sponsor for just $10.

Twin Cities Wellness Group also welcomes visitors. Visitors pay only $15 each monthly session.

Healers are encouraged to bring plenty of business cards, and prepare a 60-second Shout Out to share with the group. This can be a commercial of what your business provides, a request for a supplier, or referral, or anything that would be a benefit to your business.

Space is limited, so call 763.443.1281 or amy.erickson@TwinCitiesWellness.com as soon as possible to register. Visit www.facebook.com/TCWGroup for more information.

When most people think about chiropractic, they don’t see it as something they should do for their health as regularly as eating right and exercising. But by having a nervous system free from interference, people are able to digest food for nutrition better, respond to exercise better, have more energy, experience less stress, and have the greatest potential to be all they were created to be.

That is why Dr. Vernon Kuznia of Mind & Body Chiropractic Life Center operates a membership practice. Just like a gym, Mind & Body Chiropractic offers unlimited visits, and no appointments are necessary after the first visit.

“I want to help as many people as possible take control of their health instead of just reacting to it,” Dr. Kuznia says. “The best way of doing that is by having a practice that makes it easy for people to come in regularly to get adjusted at an affordable rate. Bodies operate at their maximum potential without nerve interference. It’s that simple.”

It’s a different approach to chiropractic than most people are used to, but one that is rooted within the history and philosophy of how the profession began. Developer of chiropractic, BJ Palmer, coined the term “above-down inside-out,” which refers to how the nerves flow through the body and the body’s innate ability to heal itself once the nerve interference is removed.

Dr. Kuznia believes in the innate wisdom of the body to heal itself. Unfortunately, people are constantly faced with stress (physical, chemical and emotional), and our spines and nervous systems get overloaded. Dr. Kuznia locates and corrects these misalignments of the spine to allow the innate intelligence of the body to process stress more efficiently, maintain health and thrive. From newborns to seniors, everyone benefits from chiropractic care…not just people with back pain.

Mind & Body Chiropractic Life Center is located at 3101 Old Hwy 8, Suite 106, in Roseville, MN. To find out more, visit www.mindbodychiropractic.com or call 651.600.3521.

Local residents who are worried they might be at risk for diabetes can take control by registering for a Diabetes Prevention Program offered at the Mississippi Market Co-op by the YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities.

People who are at greatest risk for diabetes are overweight with a body mass index greater than 25 and have two or more of the following risk factors: high cholesterol, blood pressure is 140/90 or higher, physical activity less than two times per week, parent or sibling with diabetes, and/or 45 years of age or older. The good news is that you can prevent diabetes with a few changes to your lifestyle and this program can help.

The Diabetes Prevention Program will be available at Mississippi Market Co-op, 1500 W. 7th St., St. Paul. The full-year program begins at 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 13, with 16 weekly sessions followed by eight monthly sessions. The program uses a group-based lifestyle intervention designed especially for people at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It has been proven to cut participants’ chances of developing the disease by more than half.

Lifestyle interventions delivered through community-based organizations such as the YMCA and Mississippi Market Co-op can save lives and health care dollars. In the past, cost was a barrier to bringing a program such as this to those who would most benefit. However, this unique partnership, which brings together the public, private and non-profit sectors, is translating research into affordable, real-life prevention strategies. The YMCA Diabetes Prevention Program is based on the landmark Diabetes Prevention Program funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which showed that with lifestyle changes and modest weight reduction, a person with pre-diabetes can prevent or delay the onset of the disease by 58 percent.

For more information, call 612.465.0489 or visit www.ydpp.org.

A Gluten-free, Dairy-free Whole Food Recipe

Do you need a convenient, quick way to fit in five fruits and greens? Look no further. This is delicious and takes about 6 minutes to make. Your body will thank you.

Ingredients
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1 orange (peeled)
1 pear (an apple works well, too)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 collard green leaves
2-3 mint leaves
1 banana
1 cup of coconut water*
Several ice cubes (if not using frozen cranberries)

Simply blend all ingredients and enjoy! A high-powered blender is helpful for creating a smooth texture. Makes 2 servings.
*Coconut water can be purchased at your local coop or you can just use filtered water.

I’m on the 7 a.m. Eastern Shuttle to New York from Washington, a trip I’ve taken countless times. Today I’m scheduled for a 10 a.m. meeting with AT&T managers at 22 Cortlandt St., across from the World Trade Center. It’s mid-1979.

We’re at cruising altitude, and I’m in a window seat. Outside are clouds — pleasant, white, puffy ones. It was a little chilly on the way to the airport, but the sun is out, and it should be fine as the day moves along. I’m gazing at the clouds — not really thinking. Then I begin to notice that I’m part of the clouds, and the clouds are part of me. The plane, too — the plane and the clouds and each of the other people in the plane is a part of me and I am part of them. We’re all connected. I become aware of more and more aspects of my surroundings that are part of me: the seat back in front of me, the tray, the food, the magazines, all the other people’s clothes and belongings. Everything is connected, everything is really one. I am deeply comfortable and relaxed, and very happy (not a usual state for me at this time in my life). This is an inner awareness, a fundamental knowing, that is more real than anything I have ever experienced with my senses in the outer world.

We arrive at LaGuardia, and it all continues. I walk off the plane, get my bag at baggage claim, and go out to the taxi stand: everything I see or touch is connected to me, part of me, and I am connected to it. We are all one. I hail a taxi, tell the driver where I’m going, and sit back for the ride into the city, noticing that the taxi and the driver and my bag and everything in them are all connected to me, and I am connected to them. There’s grass growing in cracks of the expressway, and that’s part of me, too, as well as the concrete roadway and the other cars. There’s nothing that’s not connected to me and me to it. I’m feeling deeply joyful, euphoric. When necessary, I talk with the driver, and I notice with wonder that I can do that without losing this awareness.

We arrive at 22 Cortlandt St, and I pay the driver, take my bag, enter through the revolving doors, and ascend in the elevator to the AT&T conference room floor. The receptionist directs me to my room, one with big picture windows that overlook the plaza of the World Trade Center with its big, metal, cut-out sculpture of the Earth. I watch people down there strolling to and from the WTC buildings and sitting on the circular wall around the metal Earth, drinking coffee and eating pastries in the sun. I’m a part of the building, the elevator, the conference room, the receptionist, all the buildings, that big Earth and all the people I see, and they all are connected to me. I’m so happy that the tears are flowing down my cheeks.

I call my friend Jack back in Maryland and try to explain to him what’s happening, but he cannot make sense of my words. I call Jesse and try to describe it to him. He doesn’t understand either. They hear my words, but they don’t seem to be able to understand.

The clock on the wall says 9:50, and the AT&T managers are due to arrive shortly to meet with me. I begin to worry that I won’t be able to conduct the meeting properly while I’m in this state. Maybe I could, but I’m afraid to take the chance of appearing deranged in front of these people that I’m doing business with.

This state is very deep, it has possessed my awareness for almost three hours now, and all of me wants to stay in it for as long as it will last — maybe forever. But I dry my tears and forcibly pull myself out of it.

***

But I now know in my own experience, at the deepest level, that we truly are all connected, we really are all One.

Love revealed through the power of intention

The author and her husband Tom were married in the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, Tibet.

I was divorced and happily single for 13 years. I had a satisfying career, a Feng Shui practice I loved, a wonderful family and terrific group of friends. I was proud of my accomplishments and content with my life. As it turns out, Feng Shui friends had different plans for me. In their wisdom, they know romance has the potential to enhance even the most wonderful life. With gentle and loving encouragement, they prompted me to consider “calling in” a relationship — as we like to say in Feng Shui.

“Calling in,” a Feng Shui term, refers to a two-step process of setting an intention. The first step is making a thoughtful and clear decision about what you want to change or have happen in a certain area of your life. The second step involves utilizing the energy of your environment to support that intention.

It is easy to entertain a romantic notion of calling in a partner; however, serious consideration had to be given to this potentially life-changing act. Was I willing to make the time to devote to a relationship? How easily could I imagine a partner fitting into my community of friends and family, or my home? These questions are both emotional and practical.

After giving it serious thought over several weeks, I responded, “I’m ready.” The intention was set! With excited anticipation, I scheduled a Feng Shui appointment with my colleagues (yes, we schedule appointments among ourselves just as we do with clients). Familiarity with our own space can cloud our ability to objectively assess the energy(s) that may potentially block our intentions.

Following the three-hour consultation, a tremendous energy shift resulted; I found myself newly energized. My bed had been re-positioned and the 80 images of a single woman (Yin) I didn’t realize I had accumulated over the years were balanced with photos of men (Yang). These were but a few of the adjustments my “Love Divas” made. My space, which had nurtured and supported me as a single woman, was now supporting the possibility of a partnership. My home and I had been “re-adjusted” for balance and re-awakened with a sense of anticipation.

At that time, two of the women were dating men named “Tom.” Our Feng Shui teacher’s husband is Tom. In the course of the consultation, I casually said, “I guess I need to call in a Tom!” None of us gave the comment a second thought.

I was truly on the journey! I admit I like to try to control situations. Could I let go of this one and let it unfold as it was meant to? Could I accept an outcome different from the one I intended? But more importantly, would I be open to the all the possibilities that might be presented to me?

A month later, my acupuncturist asked if I was interested in meeting a great guy with whom her husband worked. “I would,” I said. “What is his name?”

“Tom,” she replied. Oh my, the Universe can be playful!

Two years later, Tom and I traveled to China and Tibet on a Feng Shui-focused tour. Included in the group of travelers were my “Feng Shui Love Divas!” It started almost immediately. “Why don’t you and Tom get married on this trip?” Everyone got caught up in the excitement of this possibility and participated in conspiring to make it happen. How could we resist? We were in love! We said, “Yes!” The intention was set!

Our remarkable wedding, created in a matter of two days, was an inspiring example of the power of setting a pure and focused intention, then completely letting go of questioning how it might happen. Tom and I could not have dreamed that day, let alone planned it! Everything fell into place. Our intentional energy carried us effortlessly, culminating in an extraordinary wedding ceremony in a far away place we could never have imagined!

Hinda Abrahamson and Elaine Anderson will present the class, “Feng Shui Your Way to Romance,” from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9, at Normandale Community College. Call 952.358.8343 and ask about Class 18786.

I almost didn’t go. I dragged my heels cleaning off my desk. I had no printed materials about the training, had put no money down, and probably wouldn’t know a soul there.

My friend Cynthia invited me to attend the four-day Synergy Leadership Seminar at the Christine Center in Wisconsin. We could hang out together and learn some new skills. Our full schedules made it hard to find time to connect. I was hustling work as a freelance storyteller, single parenting, and maintaining a house. She was running a business and traveling abroad.

The morning we were to leave, Cynthia’s secretary called. Her boss was very ill. She’d picked up a bug in Egypt and needed recovery time before traveling to Italy the following week. But Cynthia was certain that I needed to go to the seminar. I got driving directions over the phone.

Being someone who gets lost driving around the block, I ended up on Country Road G, but in the wrong county. After getting directions from a farmer, I arrived an hour after the seminar started, expecting a tongue lashing. Instead, a gray-haired lady bustled up to my car. Beaming, she gave me a warm hug, saying, “We’re so glad you came!” (Later I learned this was the founder and director of the Center.) She led me into the meeting room and introduced me to Rev. Bill Buehler, the seminar leader from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

I’d assumed Synergy was a group facilitation process that would help me in the training and teaching I did as part of my storytelling business. I discovered this training was to lead Synergy Group Meditations. Everyone there was very familiar with this talking meditation process. But I had never sat in on one!

At the break, Bill came up to me and asked, “Don’t you recognize me?”

“No,” I replied. “We just met. You live in Michigan and I live in Minneapolis.”

“Don’t you remember your life in Lemuria?”

“What’s Lemuria?” I responded.

I had no conscious memory of that life. Yet, it was as if Bill and I had made lesson plans together. Whenever he got too technical and peoples’ eyes began to glaze over, I’d say, “That reminds me of a song” or “That reminds me of a story,” which would illustrate what Bill was teaching. As we meditated, I felt a strong sense of déjà vu.

There were 34 seminar participants, with just four being males. I ended up spending a lot of time talking to Jerry, a slim, bearded guy wearing blue jeans. We’d walk together during breaks and work side-by-side doing chores. (Back then, to keep costs low guests at the center did “Karma Yoga.”) Jerry listened as I vented the chip on my shoulder against men — my father, former two husbands, former boyfriends, bosses. I felt free to tell him everything, thinking I’d never see him again.

On the last day as we did dishes together, Jerry mentioned his daughter, a senior in high school. I dropped the dish I was washing, turned around, and asked, “How can you have a daughter that age? You’re not old enough!”

I thought Jerry was a lot younger than I. It turned out we were both age 44.

I asked, “Where do you live?’”

He answered “St. Paul.”

I shot back “Are you single?”

When I got home, I wrote Bill that Jerry and I would be doing “Problem Solving” together, which meant collaborating on a course he was teaching at General Mills where he was a computer consultant. I’d recently attended the five-day Creative Problem Solving Institute. Little did I know that “Problem Solving” would turn out to be blending two families with five teenagers!

Bill’s letter to me crossed mine in the mail. He wrote that Divine Guidance had brought me to the seminar and I was welcome to work with him anytime.

Gradually, loving memories of my former life in Lemuria emerged. Simultaneously, my relationship with Jerry blossomed. Psychics confirmed we were Twin Souls. Nine months and three synergy seminars later, Bill married us at The Christine Center. I thought I’d found heaven on earth with a partner who channeled an angel, made a good salary, and had dental insurance!

You often hear people who have had near-death experiences talk of walking through a tunnel-like path and having a “life review” of some sort before transitioning to the next place. Despite my near-death experience occurring 16 years ago, in many ways my experience through the tunnel of life also took place this past summer on my wedding day.

I knew my wedding day would be spiritually moving and symbolic in many ways, but I never would have thought the gift of perspective would appear on that day in such a powerful way as it did. As I reflected on my special day shortly afterward, I realized the most meaningful moment of the entire day for me was the walk down the aisle. Yes, it was a significant moment between me and my dad, but I realized especially how symbolic it was of the relationships in my life. Every relationship. There I was walking down the aisle holding onto my dad’s hand, a man who fought for my success and victories after the adversities that were acquired from the near-death experience years ago. I was symbolically walking away from the past thirty years I had lived up to that moment and walking into the next years of my life with my husband waiting at the front to greet me and take my hand from my dad’s, entering into our new life together.

Standing next to him was my spiritual mentor, whom we were gifted to have marry us that day. By no accident, she was actually the first woman who ever helped put words to my experience of crossing over during the near-death experience I had years ago. Sitting in the front row were our closest family members, including our mothers and grandparents, each of them representing life teachers for me who had provided guidance and support through all the years. Without them, I would not be where I am or who I am today.

Our wedding day was not just a celebration of love on that day, but also a celebration of complete grace. As I continued to process my feelings after the wedding, I was overcome with gratitude for the presence of each guest there, and how strongly I felt their energy that day, especially with each step I took down the aisle. Each row was filled with individuals who were placed in my life at the very exact moments they needed to be throughout those years, and it was amazing how much clearer their role in my life became on that day as I reflected on their presence.

As my dad and I walked past each row of chairs, I felt the energy of love from each guest flow through my heart. I glanced at their faces and thought of the meaningful moments I shared with each person, the lesson(s) they had provided me and the influence they had had in my life. It was almost as if the puzzle pieces had all come together and the full image was revealed to me. I wish I could have stopped at each guest and individually thanked them for their role in my life and explained to them the gift I had received simply by knowing them. And how their place in my life, big or small, impacted my life and made a difference in who and where I am today.

That brief moment and walk was the best wedding gift I could have asked for. It was my reminder of God’s grace. The past sixteen years of my journey through rehabilitation, trials and victories seemed to move through my Being as I took each step towards the front of the aisle. My day was not just a celebration of the love between Nate and I, but also the celebration of a life that was spared in 1995 and was gifted with the blessing of amazing family and friends who each played a role in my life since that time.

Amazing Grace….

During my journey of searching for myself, who I was beyond this realm of existence, I met a companion soul. Victoria. If there are human angels, and I believe there are, Victoria is one of them. A petite pretty blonde, with passionate blue eyes and a soul vibration that reaches out to you with love and understanding. I met her at an expo and the connection was quick, easy and definite. We looked into each other’s eyes and recognized each other, a soul recognition. We hugged each other and exclaimed, “a soul sister.”

Like me, Victoria has had “alien” visitations her entire life, and she is an extremely gifted massage therapist, healer, photographer and singer. When I have listened to her sing, tears flowed from my eyes. She has an extremely high voice with perfect pitch and sounds like an angel. Receiving messages from other realms also was easy for her, so we could compare notes and just bask in each other’s understanding and knowing. When a person totally “gets you,” there is something so special and rewarding from the relationship. You do not have to try to explain or try to have someone else understand where you are coming from. We both know we came from the stars, that our home was not the earth plane, but a star system far beyond.

The acceptance and love I have received from Victoria is priceless. My love for her is eternal. Being friends with Victoria was easy, because we were so much alike. It has not always been easy for Victoria, just as it has not been easy for me. We felt like two souls in a strange world. We could not quite grasp or understand how things operated here. I would sit on Victoria’s front patio and she would start singing and hundreds of birds would immediately come and land in her front yard. She is in tune and has an uncanny ability to call birds — and also UFOs, which appear at her beck and call. I have been on many explorations with Victoria when UFOs were called, and they would appear.

For some, this may be hard to believe. This is all true, so please stretch yourself, as there is so much more to know and understand.

Soulmate in Sedona
My connection to spirit was very strong at this point and I kept receiving messages that told me I was about to meet someone of importance to me. I received a message that a soulmate was living in Sedona, that I would be meeting him, and that he was a galactic partner not from this realm.

I went to Sedona to look for UFOs with Victoria. She has hundreds of hours of documented footage of UFOs. I always enjoy going with her and it proves to be both exciting and provocative.

We headed to Sedona and met some other friends there. We waited until dark and off to our designated location we went. We waited about 30 minutes, and in accord with my friend’s promptings, three UFOs appeared. I stared at one of the crafts for some time and then noticed one in the center of the formation. It mesmerized me. I started walking and walking, as if I could somehow walk up to the craft. I started crying hysterically, but not because I was afraid. It was a release of overwhelming emotion.

My spirit seemed to beam up to the craft and I saw a beautiful being standing there. He said to me, “I will be joining you soon. You are my queen and I am your King.”

It was such a powerful, emotional experience. Even today I can picture that being standing on the ship and feeling the presence. After this experience, every night for two continual weeks this being would come and visit me every evening and talk to me. It was all in the etheric plane, but it really seemed real.

The star nation
Two weeks after we had been to Sedona, Victoria and I decided to go to a Native American peace and prayer day. The goal was to bring about peace and acceptance in the world. It took place in a very remote town in northern Arizona on the Navajo reservation.

Victoria and I were there to represent the “star nation.” At the event, I had met a man who also was interested in UFOs and liked to talk about metaphysical subjects. I was not really attracted to him, as he was about 15 years my junior, but I really did find him interesting. His name was Harold and he lived in Sedona.

I gave him my phone number and a few days after I returned to Phoenix, he called; I had almost forgotten that I actually met him when he telephoned. He invited me to Sedona the following weekend, and since I had no plans, I accepted. We were going to spend our time talking about metaphysical things, and that sounded like fun.

I made the trek to Sedona again and discovered that Harold was actually living in an old RV at a park next to the river. When I arrived, he started singing to me and playing his guitar. He was an extremely talented musician. I found his music and playing very passionate, and my body started to shake uncontrollably. I could not understand why my body had started to react in this way.

We had a couple of cocktails so I could settle down a little, and we talked about UFOs, the galaxy and our spiritual beliefs. All of sudden, he looked at me and said, “I am your King, and you are my Queen and I have come from the stars to see you again.”

I was absolutely speechless, and then he started to tell me all the things my etheric visitor had said in the last two weeks. My body started shaking again. Here he was, a living human.

All I could say was, “Who are you?”

We had a great weekend talking, laughing, singing, and just getting to know each other. When I left I was again shaking. I just could not figure out what that was all about.

The song he continued to sing was, “I Knew I Loved You.” Here are the lyrics:

Maybe it’s intuition
But some things you just don’t question
Like in your eyes, I see my future in an instant
And there it goes,
I think I found my best friend
I know that it might sound
More than a little crazy
But I believe…

I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life

There’s just no rhyme or reason
Only the sense of completion
And in your eyes, I see
The missing pieces I’m searching for
I think I’ve found my way home
I know that it might sound
More than a little crazy
But I believe…

I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life

A thousand angels dance around you
I am complete now that I’ve found you

I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life

The missing pieces
I did not know at the time why my body shook, and the song scared me. But I would soon learn what the missing pieces meant and the meaning of true love.

The following week, Harold called again and wanted to come and visit me in Phoenix. I agreed to let him come, as our conversations were very stimulating. He showed up on Friday evening, and as a result of some very unusual circumstances, he ended up staying for three months.

I lived in an apartment complex on the outskirts of Phoenix, and I felt very safe and secure. On the second day of his stay, someone had broken into the complex and shot out all the windows in his car. The next day, someone had stolen his car battery. We both felt we were being forced together to learn something.

I looked at him, and said, “Why are you doing this?”

He just replied, “It’s not me, it must be you.”

Harold was completely the opposite of me, in every way. I was a day person, and he was a night person. I was blonde, blue eyed, and he had dark hair, and dark brown eyes. He was very musically gifted and I could not sing or play a note. The only thing the two of actually agreed on was our philosophies on UFOs and the galaxy.

The energy between us was electric. We were so drawn to each other, but for no real reason. He was not someone I would normally date, and I was not someone he would date either. Everything I judged as bad in a man, he was. Everything he did not like in a woman, I was. However, the electricity could not be denied; it felt like a force bigger than the two of us was actually in control.

The energy between us was addictive; neither one of us could keep our hands off the other. The love we felt for each other was tremendous. In the heart, this union felt perfect; in the head, we both thought this was the strangest union we had ever encountered.

Something to accomplish
We really enjoyed being able to play together, to laugh and mentally banter with each other. We would explore unknown mental territory, and no subjects were off limit. We could be ourselves and lay everything on the table, even if the other person did not like what they saw. We explored areas in ourselves that were not yet healed or brought to completion, jealousy, judgment of others, unconditional love versus conditional love, dependencies and freedom, control and acceptance.

It seemed like a long three months – and a short three months – at the same time. It was a time of extremes: very high energy and very low energy. We seemed to be exploring the opposite of what we were, each one curious about the other and each one not quite willing to let go of mental beliefs enough to create a total union. When the heart energies were engaged, though, it was just love flowing and nothing else.

I came to see that he was the other half of me, the half of me I had denied and not allowed to be free. We both felt like we had something to accomplish, and we did.

Harold would leave, only to be drawn back to complete whatever it was we were doing. I would send him away and then want him to come back. It felt like a force beyond both of us.

Through the process we came to learn we could communicate with each other when we were not together. We would call the other’s spirit self and communicate whatever we were thinking or feeling. Being in touch this way set up unreal scenes in the physical world. Twice when we were apart I drove to Sedona and ran into him totally unexpectedly. Once I entered a store and there he was. Another time I was driving down a side road and looked in my rear view mirror to find that he had magically appeared out of nowhere.

Our bond was extremely strong, but what was it about? He certainly was not a man I would consider spending my life with, nor was I a woman he would choose to be a life partner. It is hard for me to communicate the draw of the energy.

Twin flames
We lived together for three months, and the relationship went back and forth for about a year, me living in a couple of different places and him doing the same. Finally an ending came; we met each other one evening and decided to go into the hot tub. Both of us loved to sit in the hot tub and talk.

We started kissing, and for some reason on this starlit, full moon night, we came together completely – physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. It is a night I will never forget as it felt so ecstatic and so completely passionate. It was as if our spirit self had merged completely after being apart for eons of time. After this encounter we parted, and suddenly it seemed to be complete. I had heard of the concept of twin flames, a soul split that had taken opposite pathways. This is really how it felt after years of separation and coming together again.

As difficult as this experience had been for both of us, Harold and I agreed that we would have chosen to do it all over again for what we had learned and the understanding we had gained. Coming to love the things you judge as not you is a lesson to be savored, not denied. It is easy to love someone who is similar, as Victoria is, but it is much harder to love the dark part of ourselves that seem to be hidden from sight.

My soul self felt complete, I had found my missing pieces, I learned to love everything, and I now had gained compassion. My heart and head were in unison. The song was absolutely correct, for I had found my missing pieces and I had found my way home. I had learned what being “in” love means: loving everything. It means not seeing my way as the only “right” way. And it means being aligned totally.

There is a lot of freedom in seeing the beauty in everyone and in loving everyone. Spirit informed me that being in love is actually “being in the love, a feeling, a vibration.

Love is often hidden in the details. The caring for, the looking after, the worrying about, the providing for, details of life. My revelation is that love doesn’t always look like I think Love will look. Sometimes it doesn’t look like love at all.

Ten days ago I lost my best friend Sampson, an Australian Shepard/Chow mix after almost 17 years together. Our love had evolved from running in the woods and playing chase to his favorite pets and special snacks. Caring for my friend became my way to show him my love as I helped him to move around and found ways to make him comfortable in his last year here. He was still happy, sometimes frustrated, completely aware of his surroundings and still loving me.

His love was revealed in his patience, his teachings to me, his gentleness to all beings in his life, despite some of his physical discomforts and his choice to leave our life together on his own terms.

Love is often hidden within other emotions — regret, joy, happiness, sadness, heartache and empathy, to name a few. Peeling back the layers during this time has allowed me to see the love at the core of everything else.

A few years ago, Sampson told me this poem:
Letting go
Does not mean
Loving less
It means
Living more.

I’ve learned that love is revealed in many ways, including letting go. Without love, letting go is more like abandonment — and without letting go, love can resemble obsession. The balance between loving and letting go is like the perfect day to drink a fine wine, or the sweet spot of a tennis racquet or the moment when you “know” the right choice to make. Love reveals my edges, my growing places, my sore spots, and my strength. I’m drawn to seek that balance point between loving and letting go, like riding my horse bareback, relying on gravity, breath, centering, and awareness to keep me in the middle — still loving, still letting go…

Love is an odd word, as it conjures up all kinds of emotions and beliefs around it. Some good, some not so good. How can something that’s supposed to be so beautiful cause so much heartache and challenges for so many? People talk about it and give it a lot of lip service, but their actions don’t always support their words. Everybody wants to love and be loved, but what does that really mean?

What I’ve come to understand is that Love is not an emotion! True love, real love, is a power. A force of Source, so to speak. It is a power that commands the very essence of the universe.

It is not something you “send” someone; it is recognition of their power of love, and it is holding them in your sacred heart where your power of love resides. Experiment and feel the difference. Take someone who you think needs your love sent to them for any reason, and try sending them love/energy/light. Now, take the same person and bring them into your heart, hold them there, and just feel what you feel for them.

The big difference is that “sending” them love/energy/light requires judgment. You believe they need something from you that they don’t already have. Holding them in your heart requires no judgment or perceived outcome – and you can experience the power of love in action. Notice when you take that breath of joy, and smile, that you have truly used your power of love.

The highest emotions of love are joy and compassion, because that is what you feel when you are “experiencing” that power. Even if you think someone else loves you, you are experiencing the power of love within yourself, and it makes you feel joyful.

To really experience love as a power, check to see how joyful and compassionate you are (really). If you aren’t feeling the emotion of joy, then there isn’t a whole lot of love power being commanded, used or expressed. This isn’t a time to chastise yourself if you aren’t feeling joyful. It’s a time to bring yourself in and hold yourself in your own heart so you can experience the real power of love.

It takes some practice, but to quicken the results, every morning play a game as a child would and ask yourself in a joyful manner, “Who or what can I love?” and “Who can I forgive?” Play with what comes up for you. It can work like magic as you become more joyful and happier and then the inherent and natural power of your love will shine through.

My life is a story of Love being revealed. Love has become my best friend and constant companion and the most transformative medicine I have ever taken. Love is the healer of all fear and wants to be utilized. I have and always will take advantage of Love’s offer.

Love is more to me than a good feeling, although that is what Love creates. Love is an actual energy and the essence of Spirit. Love appeared in my life many moons ago, when I felt hopeless. I had experienced one too many break ups and desperately desired a man to love me. I had read every book about manifestation, following instructions to the tee, but nothing seemed to change.

One day, I decided to make a greater effort with my meditation practice, hoping for insight. Instead of praying so hard for what I wanted, I listened. Over time, as my inner experience began to deepen, I heard a beautiful voice. The voice was warm and created a peaceful sensation in my heart. For the first time in my life, I felt pure Love. I heard this voice declare how wonderful I was, but I couldn’t accept it. I heard my own voice say, “I am not good enough,” to which the other voice said, “That’s fear talking. What do you suppose Love would say?”

I put my hand against my heart and waited.

“You are enough; just love yourself,” Love whispered.

I replied, “Great, but I still want someone to want me. To hold me at night. To love me!”

Then, Love set me straight: “You need to love you instead of needing a man to. You need to want yourself instead of needing a man to want you. You do not need a man, Lisa. You need your self!”

From that day forward, I engaged in reclaiming a relationship with my authentic self by listening to my heart. Yet, it also became apparent that voices of fear were deeply embedded and did not easily disappear. And, even though Love gave me a more powerful perception about myself, I didn’t believe. Fear was so strong, so destructive, so blinding, that it felt like an ongoing snow shower in my brain. I realized I could not simply shut out fear; I needed to heal fear. That’s when Love became my medicine.

The most healing quality that Love has ever revealed about itself was comfort. When relationships ended for me, the messages fear always shouted were, “You did something wrong” and “You’re not okay.” Love would just hold this story and say, “I understand you feel this way. I hear you.” A simple acknowledgment of my truth without judgment. And, somehow, because of this comfort, I was able to move away from a diminishing story and live into a joyful one. Love helped me move forward by actually holding what hurt first.

Once I started asking Love for help, I realized that all my experiences were stepping stones and, that even the most difficult times were gifts for my growth. Love helped me to feel grateful. The more I listened to Love, my feelings shifted and my life began to change. I began to attract better relationships, better health and more prosperity. I stopped being a victim to life and created life instead. And, a man became frosting on the cake, not the cake itself. I related in a more powerful way, because I was vibrating from the presence of real Love, the only kind of love that can truly complete me.

Over time, I brought together all the elements I used to heal myself and created a tangible process for my clients with great success. Love gives people more power and healing assistance than I could ever provide or would want to. Traditional therapy and affirmations can only go so far. I have had countless reports from clients who have done years of therapy, yet made little progress until they started accessing the spirit of Love.

Ironically, in the beginning, my entire motivation was to land a man, which eventually didn’t matter because I felt so happy on the inside. (Although, I did finally attract a great partner!) Love showed me that life is not about getting what you want; life is about being who you are: a beautiful being of Love.

Around the globe on Valentine’s Day, people of all ages share cards, gifts and flowers, expressing their caring, their love and their friendship. Heart-shaped boxes of chocolates and thousands of bright, crimson roses are exchanged at romantic dinners between beloveds. Even 5-year-old school children create and gift Valentine’s Day cards to one another. All these gestures physically express our caring for one another.

But, is there more? What is the energetic message conveyed by these gestures? From a multidimensional or energetic perspective, these actions seem to reflect our movement as a species along the evolutionary path towards oneness.

In the physical world, we are separate individual beings, walking, one by one, on our own unique paths. In the energetic world into which we are evolving, we shed our individual personalities and merge into one consciousness. We become part of the whole.

To me, it seems that Valentine’s Day is our attempt in physicality to express our desire for this future state. As we are not yet fully blended or unified, we express our soul’s deep yearning for this state through the gifting of cards and flowers. It is a poor substitute, when seen in this way, but to us, physical beings, in the physical world, it is the best we can do.

May the time not be distant when our hearts are truly open and we recognize “others” as ourselves and when all people, of all shapes, sizes, creeds and cultures, everywhere, are seen as our beloveds.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Carolyn Vinup

This is one of her many taglines: “Creating sacred space where your soul can dance.” Carolyn is passionate about cultivating conscious spaces and her work is powerful and transforming. She integrates Feng Shui, sound healing, qigong, space clearing and blessing techniques in her work with individuals, businesses, events, integrative health and wellness centers. She is a seasoned event producer with over 25 years of success. Host of the audio program “Edge Learning Well” on Edge Talk Radio (first Tuesday of each month), Carolyn coordinates learning opportunities in integrative healing and wellness for Normandale Community College.

How does she define herself?

“I am a creator, a collaborator, a visionary, a developer and a maximizer,” she says, “who makes great things happen. I am a big picture person who can also dive deep into the details to turn ideas into a reality. I am action-oriented, focused, clear and productive. I explore the possibilities for developing and growing businesses, specific business areas, programs, ideas, and events. I attract partners who want to be the best they can be and share their talents, gifts and strengths with the world. I create opportunities for everyone to win.”

People like Carolyn Vinup create an environment for the holistic community in the Twin Cities to thrive. The following is an interview The Edge conducted with her, so that you know more about someone who is making a difference.

Carolyn, your business resume is impressive and you are to be commended for the work you are doing to motivate, inspire and expand awareness for businesses and individuals. I’m curious, as a young girl, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Carolyn Vinup: As a young girl, I always valued having freedom, being independent, creative and curious. I valued having the freedom to choose, think, and have my own ideas. If people tried to force me to do things their way or squash my spirit, I would fight to get “out of their box.”

My parents were entrepreneurial. They demonstrated the versatility and benefit of having multiple income streams. They were farmers when I was young, so they had to be resilient, independent, creative and problem solvers. Then they owned an Our Own Hardware store where I watched them run a business while my younger sister and I rode tricycles down the store aisles as they did inventory, book keeping, merchandising and marketing on the weekends. Then my father went to work for a plastics firm where he rose from warehouse to VP and became a designer for many product prototypes.

My mother worked, as well, in the plastics factory and then as a bookkeeper for a jewelry firm, and then worked for years in the hospitality and catering business for Leeann Chin and D’Amico & Partners. She retired at 78 from the catering business but still works with my nephew Antonio and cares for the plants at Parma. Toward the end of my father’s life, he ran a hearing aide business and then was a courier. My parents loved to remodel homes and made the inside of their homes beautiful, and the outside gardens were their pride and joy. Both parents were active, willing to try new things while providing for our family. It wasn’t always easy, but they were strong, resilient, independent, get-it-done sort of people.

I started working in the hospitality business when I was 18 and quickly rose to manager for LeeAnn Chin while attending college at the University of Minnesota. I graduated with a Political Science Degree, wanting to defend the underdog, but my true love expanded when I started in the catering business, managing parties for Leeann Chin, becoming the operations chair for a benefit for the hungry and the homeless called Taste of the Nation, and then my true love really exploded when I worked for Apres’ Party & Tent Rental, where I became the Sales & Marketing director and was involved in some of the larger events in the Twin Cities — Super Bowl 1992, opening of the Target Center, and the U.S. Open. I managed thousands of parties in my seven years there. Being in sales allowed me to control my own destiny again and I experienced freedom to create, connect, develop and grow.

I started my own business in 1998. I wanted even more freedom. I was tired, exhausted and not very happy. Mike and I were both working so hard, we didn’t have much time together and our little girls were growing up. We wanted more flexibility, time to be a family and have some fun.

My first business was called Vinup, Unlimited, Inc. I named it Unlimited because I wanted a name that would expand and grow with me. In 2001, I started another business called Creating Sacred Space, my holistic practice. In 2005, I created HPSS Global, Inc. and combined my other two businesses, events and wellness into one. I still run HPSS Global but became aware in 2008 that I needed to shift again and started working with my own name as a brand.

In 2010 I was hired to take on a new project for Normandale Community College for WorkForce Partnership & Development. This gave me an idea: I would create a website that communicated the work I was doing for the project I was working on. It became my current resume of work. Now I was creating something brand new again, working with dislocated workers, career changers and job seekers. I utilized my abilities to network, connect people, places and things and produced large events called “Join a Different Herd – Rebrand Your Career” with 600+ attendees and created a new program called the New World of Work. Currently the Carolyn Vinup website is about ready to launch, combining my three areas of focus, business consulting for: Integrative Health, Events, and WorkForce Partnership & Development.

I am grateful that my businesses, websites and marketing have morphed with me as I have changed and developed. They are a clear reflection of my vision and mission and who I am in the world right now. It’s important to stay flexible, fluid and open to the gentle nudges that lead us on our journey in life. I know that the universe is conspiring to co-create with me. As one project finishes, another will open. We are always growing, changing and becoming something.

What or who were the major inspirations for you in your life that led you to become this spark of creativity for others?
CV: First, my family – my husband Mike, who loves me unconditionally and just allows Carolyn to be Carolyn, and my daughters Elise and Haley, who love seeing me happy. Cyndi Dale co-created Vinup Unlimited in a business development session in May 1998. After that session, I felt like a large metal hook with a heavy chain attached to my heart yanked me forward, and that’s when my life really shifted. It’s like I was yanked out of one life path onto the path I am currently on. Since that time, I have trusted and known that my life is guided and supported. It was my job to learn how to communicate, act on and expand into what I was going to become. I honor Carole Hyder, with whom I studied in 1999 and 2002 to become a certified Feng Shui consultant, and I honor Jonathan Goldman, with whom I studied in 2001 and really expanded my understanding of vibrational energy, the power of sound and the impact I could have by consciously working with sound formulas.

You have quoted spiritual author and speaker Alan Cohen, who wrote: “Your entire world could open up with one expansive thought!” Did this happen to you?
CV: Dare to be you…Wake Up…What are you waiting for…Illuminate your brilliance…Dance in the magic of the universe…this life is your playground…have some fun! These are my internal mantras.

These were all examples of expansive thoughts that had a huge impact on my life. I recognized that when I was in the energy of these thoughts, my life flowed better and I was magnetizing opportunities to me. I began to play more thoughtfully with the principles of the law of attraction, the power of intention, listening and paying attention to the nudges and signals from the universe, taking more classes and expanding my knowledge of holistic practices, trusting and honoring my intuition, playing games to manifest my wishes and desires, and recognizing when I needed to reach out and do some more internal work when I would bump up against limiting beliefs and negative inner-self talk.

When I created HPSS Global, this quote was on the website and my intention for all who worked with me was to “Illuminate Brilliance for All.”

What is your intention and what is your goal when coordinating events and classes at Normandale Community College, and through the monthly program “Edge Learning Well” on Edge Talk Radio?
CV: I feel so lucky to be part of the Health, Wellness and Integrative Health Education team at Normandale Community College. Brenda Dickinson, dean of Continuing Education and Customized Training, is a champion for health and wellness. She is entrepreneurial, visionary and strategic. Sunny Ainley, associate dean for Health & Wellness, is strategic, business savvy and a marketing expert. Terry Clegg, the Health & Wellness Coordinator, is a holistic professional and instructor cheerleader. And I am a business developer, brand expander, program specialist, talent spotter and event producer. Combining all of our talents together creates an amazing opportunity to expand the Integrative Health Education Center and become known as the go-to place for classes, programs, workshops, training, certificates and special events.

“Edge Learning Well” on Edge Talk Radio gives us a voice to expand awareness, cultivate consciousness, developing community and partnership, sharing insight and knowledge and making the world a better place.

If people were to ask me what my vision for Integrative Health Education and Businesses in the Twin Cities is, I would say: to expand awareness, cultivate consciousness, developing community and partnerships, sharing insight and wisdom, and ultimately making the world a better place.

The big question for you is this: in this downturn of the economy, which is particularly hard on small, holistic businesses, what advice do you have for small business owners to not only survive, but thrive, in 2012? To what extent is the internal work just as vital or more so compared to the external things that need to be done?
CV: Here’s what I do. First of all, I focus on what I can create and control. I tell myself, people are still doing business with other people and organizations and I ought to be one of those people they are doing business with. So, I am the one in a million who is thriving and growing and expanding.

A local restaurant group says that in a downturned economy, they open up a new restaurant. Their thought is, people still go out to eat and they want to see what’s new. I do the same thing. I open to the new possibilities and set an intention that says, “Allow my talents and strengths to be noticed, seen and utilized and allow my business to expand and grow during these times.”

Small businesses also try to do it all themselves. That takes them away from doing what they love to do and make money doing it. Be willing to hire other professionals to do the things in your business that drain your energy. By sharing abundance with others, it will be shared back to you. It’s impossible to be good at everything.

What are the most important things for businesses to consider when branding themselves?
CV: You are only as good as the last project, client or experience you create. Make everything you do a home run. If there are issues, make it right. Become part of winning teams. Today’s world is about collaborating, teaming, partnering. Teams come and go as needed. It’s active, fun, creative and fluid. Stay current with technology. Know who you are. Position your business for your areas of expertise. Don’t try to be something you’re not.

What are the most common approaches to business that no longer apply now in 2012 — and why do they no longer work?
CV: Lack mentality — holistic businesses have a terrible time with this thought form. It needs to be shattered. This pattern never did work — ever! If you are clear about the type of business you are, the kinds of clients you want to attract, then be open with who you are, share your talents, gifts and strengths with the world. Get rid of what you don’t want so you can make room for more of what you do want!

Carolyn, what I’d really love is for you to give us an overview of the holistic community. How would you describe the holistic climate in the Twin Cities?
CV: In my world, it’s alive and growing. We could all combine our efforts and create a morphic field that spreads the thought form, “All is well in the Twin Cities. The holistic community is alive and well, sharing its talents with the world. People from all over the world flock to the Twin Cities to work with the holistic community here, because of the talent, inspired and healing work that is taking place here.” That’s how I view it.

You collaborate with a lot of businesses and individuals. What is the recipe for success when collaborating with others?
CV: The recipe for success…is that everyone wins. I am a developer. I generate hundreds of ideas and like to be part of teams that are willing to grow, and create something new. I love to hear other people’s ideas and weave the ideas/concepts together. I like to be part of projects where something has to be figured out and we get to be creative in how we provide solutions.

Brenda Dickinson, Dean of Continuing Education & Customized Training gave this quote to me, and she said, “Carolyn this is who you are”:

“The best collabornauts are good at making connections, both human and intellectual. They are constantly on the lookout for new ways to benefit from combining forces with partners. They venture into unfamiliar territory, make deals, and return with knowledge that transforms their home world. They bring organizations closer together, introduce people, and build relationships among groups that can initially seem like aliens to one another…they convince their colleagues to forget the old rules and try something new, something that comes from having partners.” — Rosabeth Moss Kanter, author of Evolve

What do you do, personally, to maintain your sense of hope and optimism, especially when there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel?
CV: I am in touch with my energy and body signals. When I am in a place of flow, information, people, places and things show up very quickly. To me, the secret is determined by how much fun I am having. I know I am in a place of flow when I am laughing, being playful and creative. I have to create something almost daily in order to feel alive. When I am not creating, laughing or having fun, I know I have fallen off my stream of energy where all things are possible. When this happens to me, I sometimes just get into the car and drive. Driving and moving seems to jump start my creative thoughts and information and solutions start to show up again. I also take this time as a signal for me to pay attention to me. I will get a massage, get my hair cut, clear clutter in my house or office, do a blessing ceremony, play music really loud so I can chant and sing to shift the vibration in me, the house, where ever I am. I focus on the inner talk that’s going on inside my head and remind myself that I need a new story, a new message. I surround myself with people who love me. I forgive myself. I go out to eat with my husband Mike, I play with my dogs and I go to movies, theater or get outside.

I am creating another business website right now called ManifestingMamas — a place where I can be playful, creative and share thoughts, ideas and create a community where we can join forces together to make wishes come true.

For more information on Carolyn Vinup, visit CarolynVinup.com and www.HPSSGlobal.com. Email CarolynVinup@yahoo.com. For more information on Integrative Health Education through Continuing Education at Normandale Community College, call 952.358.8133 and visit www.normandale.augusoft.net.

This year, The Edge has invited you, the reader, to share your personal experience with us, and this month, we asked you to write on, “Love, Revealed.” We received submissions that we are proud to share with you.

Featured submissions on “Love, Revealed”:

• Everything and Everyone Really is Connected, by Judy Steele
• Feng Shui Amore, by Hinda Abrahamson
• Love Blossoming: A Past Life and My Twin Soul, by Carol McCormick
• A Walk Down the Aisle…, by Jennifer Galvin-Anderson
• Love — Integrating Duality, by Jeanne Henderson
• Love and Letting Go, by Jen Hillman
• On the Power of Love, by Kim Eisen
• My Love Medicine, by Lisa Venable
• The Message of Valentine’s Day, by Elaine Seiler

In March, we invite you to share on the topic, “If I Could Do Anything…” Submit your article online here or email to editor@edgemagazine.net by February 7.

Experiential writing is a style that simply shares an experience you had. It’s ripe with detail and emotion. It describes how something felt, to you. It inspires people not by suggesting what is, or what might be, but by sharing what was, for you, and the magic or inspiration or illumination that resulted from it.

Experiential writing is a surprisingly powerful way for readers to open and illuminate their own, personal inner wisdom. There’s something magical that happens when we read about the experiences of others like us, and then find tremendous resonance with the story. Not only do we feel authentic inspiration, but more importantly, the fact that we perceive the author to be more like ourselves removes the self-defeating barrier we tend to keep that says, “I’ll never be like her,” or “I’ll never be as wise as he is.” Read more….

The Edge is celebrating its 20th anniversary in a big way, each month exploring the legacy of this holistic publication in the Upper Midwest…and beyond. We’re digging through its archives to present notable articles, insights and a gallery of covers.

Seventeen editions of The Edge will be explored each month with more legacy content added to this page. We welcome you back to this page each month as we take a walk down memory lane.

Click to join us in celebrating the 20th Anniversary of The Edge!

At last, 2012 has arrived! As we enter into a pivotal year for us and our world, it’s clear that the role of community has become key to the way we navigate the huge changes that life seems to be bringing our way. I’m taking the opportunity to personally express my deepest gratitude to you for all that you do to make the big community of our world a better place.

I want you to know that I’ve never been more optimistic about our future and the world that is emerging before our eyes!

From the oral traditions of ancient peoples throughout the world, to the theme of the world’s most cherished spiritual traditions, the significance of our 2012 “window of change” has been no secret. Our ancestors knew this time of change was coming, because it always does. They understood the cyclic nature of Earth’s shifting environment. (Fractal Time, 2009) They also knew that our future would be determined less by the changes themselves and more about us, and whether we choose to fight one another, or work to help one another, as we go through the changes. (Deep Truth, 2011)

For very different reasons, the best minds of today agree. Scientists, engineers, social architects, religious and spiritual leaders throughout the world are warning us that the choices we make in our immediate future will determine nothing less than the fate of our nations, civilization itself, and the future of life here on Earth. (Crossroads for Planet Earth, Scientific American, September 2005)

I’ve been asked by many people, from many places in the world, to comment on the events of 2011 and where I believe they’re leading and what we can expect for 2012 and the years ahead. Rather than responding to hundreds of letters individually I’ve chosen to answer in one letter to our community.

The Stage is Set:
It’s no secret that the world of the past is gone. The conventional ways of thinking and living that we’ve grown accustomed to — the ways we’ve thought of jobs, careers, money, wealth, security, healing and the role of America in the larger world are falling away before our eyes, faster than even those who knew the changes were coming could have expected. It is a fact that you and I are witnessing the greatest shift in power, wealth, resources and thinking in recorded history. And while the experts have their viewpoints regarding what lies at the root of specific crises and what “went wrong” with this or that, when we step back and look at the big picture, the reason for such massive change becomes obvious: the world of the past is no longer sustainable.

From our policies of energy, economics and technology to the way we think of security and how nations work together, the choices made in the past no longer work in the world of today. As we discover the limits and experience the consequences of the vast learning curve that has led to 2012, we’ve arrived at a turning point with only one of two possible outcomes – transformation or collapse.

Choice Point 2012
While ancient traditions and modern science underscore the magnitude of our time in history, they also remind us of a powerful fact: it is through our choices that the outcomes will be determined. The question is this: How do we tip the scales of peace, cooperation and healing in our favor? Specifically, how do we create an environment that supports fair and sustainable economies? That shares Earth respectfully and compassionately with all life? That bridges the issues that tear at the fabric of society?

The diverse body of work that I’ve developed over the past 25 years is my answer to these questions. The choices we make in life are a reflection of the way we think of ourselves, our relationship to the Earth, our past, and to one another. I believe that when the facts of these relationships are clear, our choices become obvious. Those of you that know me personally know that I’m an optimist. I’m also a realist. I’m optimistic about our future, while I realistically acknowledge that we are poised on the brink of what will either become some very bad choices, or very some good decisions. For me, knowing that choices exist, and that we’re living a time that gives our choices a greater potency, gives new meaning and renewed hope to this 2012 year of emergence.

The shift in thinking
So, what do I think 2012 has in store? Honestly, I can’t say because we’re still in the process of choosing. What I do know is that it will take every one of us, and the diversity of our beliefs and ideas, and the love for life that we bring to our global community to birth the world of our greatest destiny rather than succumb to the darkness of our greatest fears. For those who can embrace the learning curve of our past without judgment, the future becomes the palate for new industry, new jobs, new forms of expression, and new communities based upon sustainable ways of thinking, living, and being in our world. For those who cling to old and unsustainable ways of living by clinging to old and unsustainable ways of thinking, 2012 may, in fact, look like the fulfillment of history’s darkest prophecies.

Perhaps one of the most powerful keys to determining our experience of the months ahead comes from a shift in thinking that invites us beyond asking, “What can I get from the world that exists,” to asking, “What can I offer to the world that is awakening?” The way we answer this question as individuals becomes our collective answer to what comes next.

Personally, I’ve never felt better about the future and the possibilities that await us. Now it’s up to us. We’ve already made the choices of peace and cooperation in our hearts. Now it’s time for us to live those choices in our world. I look forward to working with you as we do so, together, throughout this new year of 2012, and beyond.

Read: the announcement for the GATE2 event on February 4

John Raatz

Called a modern-day Renaissance man, John Raatz seemingly does it all. He’s an experienced communicator, strategist, administrator, musician, teacher and entrepreneur. He has been a personal manager in the entertainment industry, representing both high-profile celebrity actors and musicians. He’s been a successful stockbroker, a major executive at a public relations agency, a professional blues/rock guitarist, a pilot, a publisher of a leading-edge newsletter and the administrator of one of Southern California’s most forward-looking holistic health clinics.

Founder and CEO of The Visioneering Group, a marketing and public relations firm, Raatz’s company has represented many of the foremost authors, books, films and musical projects in the alternative/transformational movement, including What the Bleep Do We Know!?, The 11th Hour, Youth Without Youth, Peaceful Warrior, Baraka, Mindwalk, A Brief History of Time, Fritjof Capra, Peter Russell, Chellis Glendinning, Dead Can Dance, Eckhart Tolle, Deepak Chopra, Madonna and Donovan.

He’s also the man behind GATE — the Global Alliance for Transformational Entertainment — an effort that began two years ago to bring together people who are committed to a new level of ethical and spiritual expression.

Raatz spoke with The Edge by phone from his office in Los Angeles about GATE and the challenges of transforming the entertainment and media industry.

What originally inspired this idea?
John Raatz: I don’t know if there was a particular moment, or a particular circumstance, that inspired it. My life’s work has revolved around entertainment, around media. So I think it was a natural outgrowth of my interests. But I think it was the universe that planted the seed idea that came to me. When I started looking at, I realized, “Yeah, the time is ripe, the time is now, for this.” I don’t recall when the idea came to me, but it was many, many years ago.

In 2008 I was talking with Eckhart Tolle, with whom I was working at the time. I mentioned the idea to him, and asked if I should do it. He said, “Yes.” And I asked if he would host an event with me, and he said, “Yes.” Then I went to Jim Carrey, and I asked him if he would co-host the event with me, and he said, “Yes.” So I knew we had a show.”

But I want to mention that probably back in 1979, I was working with actor Ned Beatty. Ned and I had started an organization with some others called the Council for the Enlightenment of the Entertainment Industry. The purpose of it was to teach meditation to people in entertainment and media businesses, which we did. It was 30 years later, to the date, when we had our inaugural meeting on the Global Alliance for Transformational Entertainment (GATE) in 2009.

The letter “T” in GATE stands for Transformational. From what, and to what, are you seeking transformation?
JR: I think probably everybody, lay people and professionals, understand that the entertainment and media businesses have a major impact on, and in, our lives. I think everybody would also agree that the news and entertainment content cater to a rather narrow band of topics and considerations. I think many people would also concur that entertainment and media have a role — and a responsibility — to help facilitate personal, social and global transformation.

We’re not asking the industry to change, to become something that it’s not. Rather, we’re asking them to begin giving people options and alternatives, to give them a type of content, which we call transformational, that speaks to who we are, who we’ve become, and perhaps more importantly, to who we want to become in the world. That type of transformation is already taking place. Many people refer to it as “The Shift.” We know that there is a shift occurring, and we know there are certain universal, archetypal, holistic, humanistic values that are coming more into the foreground to help guide many people’s lives and even businesses and institutions. Look at the spirituality in business movement. There’s a much greater emphasis on environmental and ecological concerns now. More and more people are meditating and are pursuing healthy lifestyles and diets. I believe all of this is indicative of a shift in values.

I was blown away when I saw Tom Shadyac’s film, I Am, but almost every national review I read panned it.
JR: There was national media that loved it, also. Tom was on Oprah’s show and she really loved the film. The thing about this kind of content is, if it’s not a part of who you are now, if it’s not a part of your life experience, you don’t understand it and you don’t properly know how to evaluate it. If that’s the case, you’re actually better off not commenting on it, because you don’t know what you’re talking about if you try to review a film when you’re simply not familiar with the subject matter.

With all of the films I have ever been involved with, certainly there are critics who panned them. The way I’ve learned to understand it is that, unfortunately, when critics review something that they truly do not understand, they’re really displaying their ignorance more than their critical abilities.

Let’s talk about what GATE hopes to do within the film industry. What do you hope to do initially to promote this transformation?
JR: First I’d like to say that GATE is a non-profit, membership trade association. It is an association for professionals in entertainment and media businesses who themselves are transformationally oriented or resonant.

We have three missions with GATE: education, connection and collaboration, and advocacy. For people who already are transformationally oriented, we want to continue to introduce them to ideas and thought leaders who can help them deepen into their experience. We also want to provide education for those people who are transformationally oriented, but may not be as adept creatively and technically. We want to help them improve those skills to become better filmmakers, better storytellers, etc. We want to bring these people together to foster connections and collaboration. We want these folks to come together and develop projects that are of a transformational character. Ultimately, what we want is more content that is transformational in nature.

With the third mission, advocacy, we are advocating a genre called transformation. Just like you have drama, romantic comedy, etc., we would like to see a category called transformation, or transformational. To that end, we’ve created a seal — like the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval — but in our case, the GATE Seal will be awarded to transformational content, the best in various categories. We’ve also created an award — the GATE Imaginal Award — similar to an Oscar Award or Grammy Award. It will be awarded to the best transformational content.

When we talk about entertainment and media, we’re not referring only to film or television programming. It could be a website. It could be a book. It could be fine art. It could be dance. It could be poetry. It could be music. Any arts and entertainment products.

That certainly expands the scope of GATE.
JR: Absolutely. One of the things I want to mention is that one of GATE’s initiatives is to help the “Hollywood” entertainment media community understand that there is an audience for this type of content. One of the names that has been given to this audience is the Cultural Creative. At one point, the number of Cultural Creatives was approximately 50 million in the United States, representing 26 percent of the adult population. In 2008, the person who conducted that research, Paul Ray, revisited the study and determined that the number had risen from 26 percent to 35 percent. I think we sense this, in terms of “The Shift” that I referred to earlier.

One of our jobs at GATE is to help the entertainment and business communities understand that there truly is an audience and that this audience is economically viable. There is business here for them if they would simply pay more attention to it. Part of our job is to mobilize that audience, and in that regard, we’ve undertaken a campaign called, “The Audience is Ready.” We hope to develop a database of one million signatures of people who resonate with, and support the idea of, transformational entertainment and media. When we achieve our one million signatures, we’re going to show those signatures and a bunch of other goodies to people in Hollywood who develop and produce content. We will be saying, “Look, there is an audience that wants this kind of content, and they will pay for it. Please free up some more dollars so that we can create more content like this so we can share it with that audience. You will see that it works.”

How willing do you think the people who have money to create films in Hollywood are to follow your lead?
JR: Well, I think there are some who won’t, for sure, but I think there are some who could. I think what will make it compelling is if we can demonstrate to them that there is money here to be made, first and foremost. But, so as to not brand them exclusively as being only interested in money, no doubt they do have a social conscience. I’m sure a great many of them practice personal philanthropy. What’s important here is to appeal to their sense of philanthropy in terms of where we are in the world today and what the world needs. It’s important to let them know that there’s an opportunity here for them to make money, and at the same time, fulfill a social mission.

We’re not asking them to change. We’re not asking them to support exclusively a social mission. We want them to make money. We want them to prosper. But we also want the category to be seen and experienced as an economically viable one. We’re not blind to the fact that what drives Hollywood is money. But we also believe that the entertainment and media business does have a role — and, indeed, a responsibility — to help foster personal, social and global transformation — especially in this moment in time.

I don’t think the situations around the world are lost on anybody right now. We’re exposed to them on a daily basis. This is why, when we talk about this, we talk in terms of entertainment and media. Right now we believe the definition of news by the print media, electronic media, etc., is very narrow. It tends to center around conflict, controversy, celebrity, novelty and so forth — not values that really define who we are as humans. We’re suggesting that it’s important to expand the definition of news to universal, archetypal, holistic, humanistic values. There is so much of a positive nature happening in the world right now that simply goes unreported, because the media believes nobody is interested in that. That’s not true. There are some good stories reported, sure. But by and large, the media spoonfeeds our culture with stories that cater to the lowest-common denominator. As a result, we miss out on so much that is beautiful, so much that is sacred, in life because of this rather limited definition of what constitutes a news story. Part of GATE’s mission is the renovation of that definition, too.

That could be the most challenging part of your mission.
JR: It could be, but there is a saving grace — you! The Edge and others like it around the country, who publish print media and run websites, are already doing what we are advocating. There are 200 or 300 such publications as yours around the country. You are a pioneer, you have been a pioneer, and we can point to this. You’ve been around for quite a long time, and you’ve been sustaining yourself for a long time economically. But we believe there’s more to be done in that regard.

Tell me about actor Jim Carrey and the role he will plan with his peers in promoting transformation?
JR: Jim naturally lives in this space now. Whomever he talks with, this is a topic of conversation. He’s not an evangelist, but he cannot help but express who he is. This is who he is.

I met Jim when he came to a screening of Peaceful Warrior when we were promoting it in 2006. I met Jim at that time and ever since then, we’ve been friends. Jim’s influence is palpable and powerful when people hear his ideas and learn about his experiences with spirituality. It moves people. When he spoke at our inaugural event for GATE in June 2009, people were floored. They had no idea that Jim was interested in this space. They also were so impressed with how eloquently he spoke of it. How he moved and touched people. His experience is deep. He’s working on a book that I think will surprise people with the depth of his wisdom. Everyone can certainly attest to the depth of his creativity, but soon they’re going to experience the wisdom side of Jim Carrey.

Share with me a few words about those who will receive the debut GATE Imaginal Awards on February 4.
JR: First we have the creators of the film Mindwalk, Bernt and Fritjof Capra. Many people know of Fritjof for his book, The Tao of Physics, which was the first book to really explore the relationship between science and spirituality, and his subsequent books The Turning Point, The Web of Life, and others. Bernt Capra is a prominent production artist for the film business. He directed the film, Mindwalk.

The next recipient is David Lynch. I think almost everybody knows of his extensive body of work, but David will be receiving the GATE Imaginal Award for his humanitarian efforts. Not as many people are aware of the work he has been doing in that arena. The David Lynch Foundation has enabled more than 150,000 children to learn meditation, to get off drugs, to get off the street. He has facilitated this remarkable work.

Michael and Justine Toms will receive the GATE Imaginal Award for their pioneering effort in media and communication. Their radio program, New Dimensions Radio, is heard around the country on hundreds of stations, as well as online. Over the course of 30 or 40 years, they have interviewed everybody. You can use their interviews as a graph to chart the growth of the human potential movement.

Do you find the GATE project to be a part of your personal mission in this lifetime.
JR: It seems to be. I certainly love doing this work. I must confess that I have a dark night of the soul periodically, wondering if it’s having any kind of impact, if it’s actually doing anything. I occasionally doubt that. But I would say 95 percent of the time, I am thrilled to be able to work with the people that I am working with, to be pursuing this vision and mission in the world, and it integrates very well with what we do at the Visioneering Group, our marketing and public relations firm.

I can see how, if you focus on the people who want to be a part of this and don’t worry about the naysayers, you’re going to do great things.
JR: Absolutely. That’s a good insight, Tim. I’m 56 years old this month and, looking back now, I can say that no matter what you do in this life, there are going to be naysayers. You just decide, “Do I want to put my attention there? No. Do I want to interact with that particular energy. No.” I’m just going to keep it where it is, because that’s where it thrives. That’s where there is incredible growth and joy and don’t worry about what other people have to say about it. Just follow your vision. Follow your mission. I think it brings tremendous success in every way possible.

How can the GATE project change the world that we know now?
JR: My personal belief — and I emphasize the word, personal — is that the answers to the vast majority of the world’s problems already exist. They don’t have to be created or thought of. What we are lacking, though, is awareness of those solutions. Visibility for those solutions. Channels through which those solutions can flow. The will on the part of existing gatekeepers – and the openness on the part of existing gatekeepers – to engage with those solutions because of self-interest. What we want to do is call more and more attention to the fact that there are solutions out there – solutions based on universal, holistic wisdom. We need to find the will to pursue those solutions. We need to get out of our own way, because we are in our own way. We need to drop the ego play and come into alignment and start functioning more as a collective whole.

My sister Shawn loves Mickey Mouse, cats and shopping at Wal-Mart.

This year, I want to share with you a love of my life who seeks nothing in return for the love she freely shares with anyone…and anything. For you see, my youngest sister, Shawn, never learned that strings are attached to love. She never learned that love could be used as a tool to get what you want. And she never learned that the heart is anything but open.

When I was 10, Shawn came into this world and immediately faced more challenges than most of us can imagine. Cerebral palsy. Grand mal seizures. Intellectual challenges. We say people like Shawn have “special needs,” but people like Shawn are models for the rest of us who become trapped in our minds and led by our egos.

Any parent or family member of a “special needs” child will tell you this. They are fully aware that their child is love incarnate, and just as aware that they have so far to go just to measure up to this guide who has come into the world with such a pure heart.

Shawn doesn’t expect anything in return for the love she shares. She is present with those who are with her. And in her presence, it feels good just being, whether that means holding her hand while looking at watches in Wal-Mart, sitting next to her as she colors a picture of a cat, or sharing a bowl of popcorn as we watch a video.

I’ve always believed that the people who suffer the most prejudice, the most ridicule, are the souls who are the bravest among us – for choosing what appear to be the most difficult roles to play in this lifetime.

But now, I see it differently. They didn’t choose the toughest path, but the easiest. All they have to do is be themselves, and be love, while the rest of us stumble over our insecurities and struggle on our eternal quest to be happy — just to be like them.

Aries (Mar. 21-Apr. 19)…You’re working hard, you want to get into fighting shape, and you’re determined to master this relationship thing. You know what would help lighten your load? A weekly meet-up with a progressive, like-minded friend (or group of friends) who can inspire you and remind you why you’re working so hard in the first place. You’re as good as the company you keep this month.

Taurus (Apr. 20-May 20)…You’re trying to get a home or family situation in order at the start of the month so you can focus on the big picture. You’ve got lots of career mojo happening now, so you don’t have to be in a hurry. The most important thing is to be yourself. Comparing your life or your timeline to what others have done just puts you in a negative space. Trust your direction, one step at a time.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)…You start a new project or decide to take a fresh approach to your career. This could be the Big One, but you’re really going to have to trust your vision. Half-measures won’t get it. That said, staying grounded is equally vital to your success. Sinking your roots deep into the everyday experience of your life gives you the freedom to shine now.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)…It’s all in your mind. Really. So what can you do to tap into the stream of good intentions that will make your life more like what you see in your dreams? First, respect the power of your thoughts. Don’t let negative habits slide, telling yourself it doesn’t really matter. Second, consciously court your Higher Self. Make it a priority at least once a day to turn down the world and tune in to that wise part of you that sees and knows all.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)…If you’re thinking about ways to make more money, you’re probably in the wrong place. Your self-esteem – which is key to attracting the money you want – grows when you exercise your creative power. Instead of analyzing potential opportunities, deal with your money worries by singing, making art and dancing them away. I’m serious – try it and see what happens.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)…You’re learning how to use your aggression as propulsion this month. Master this vital lesson by making a list of all the ways you use anger against yourself. And then develop a plan to stop doing that. A new relationship – or a new beginning in a current one – is on tap mid-month. Visualize your ideal, but leave the rose-colored glasses behind.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)…Don’t fall prey to the all-or-nothing relationship myth. Your job is to stay true to your core principles, no matter how tempting it might be to fall back into old codependent or thrill-seeking patterns. The partnership opportunities worth pursuing now are the ones you can afford to develop slowly.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)…You get a career opportunity – or recognition for a job well done – near the Full Moon on the 7th. Recognizing your own value in the market place enables you to see how far you’ve come in learning how to feel safe. Use this sense of security to move into joy in the second half of the month. The New Moon on the 21st challenges you to open your heart and let the energy of your ideals flow into the world.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)…Slow and steady continues to win the race. You’ve got until June to figure out your career situation, so bear down and get organized. You need a coherent plan and attention to detail; you might benefit from a dispassionate observer who can give you an objective perspective. You’ve got a ton of creative ideas but you might need help grounding them into reality.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)…You might have to make a tricky financial decision early this month. Visualizing what your life is going to look like mid-summer can help you create a coherent picture and buy yourself the time you need. Someone is willing to invest in you; your challenge is to own what you really want while remaining grounded in the day-to-day.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)…And just like that, your life is humming again. After a long spell on the back burner, you’re front and center this month. You get relationship clarity at the Full Moon on the 7th, and you might just see a wish come true. Speaking of wishes, the New Moon on the 21st invites you to name and claim what you need on a money level. Be willing to let go of an income source you’ve outgrown.

Pisces (Feb. 19-Mar. 20)…The life you’ve been imagining for yourself lo these many years begins taking shape before your very eyes. “You dreamed it all / And this is your story,” to quote the Talking Heads. You are the dream-master so accept the responsibility of creating the life you truly want.

Listen to “Edge Astrology with D.K. Brainard” at 6 p.m. Central on the first Wednesday of each month, February 1, by calling 1.714.364.4750 or go to BlogTalkRadio.com/edgemagazine. Listen to all archives at Edgemagazine.net/edge-talk-radio.

As we proceed into 2012 we must be clear on our vision of who we are, the goals we hold most sacred, and what we deserve. In the Jewish religion, at the outset of the New Year, adherents offer each other the blessing, “May you be inscribed in The Book of Life,” meaning, “May you live healthfully and joyfully during the coming year.”

The Book of Life contains a chapter called “The Book of Deservingness.” Its appropriate blessing might be, “May you know deep within your soul that you deserve to have all the good things your heart desires.” Abraham-Hicks explains that there are two key elements to achieve any manifestation: desire and deservingness. When you seek to attain any goal, Abraham suggests that you focus on two questions: “Why do I want this?” and “Why do I deserve this?” When you are clear on those two answers, all the good that is yours will come to you.

Here are three true stories from “The Book of Deservingness”:

1. I occasionally visit a lovely retreat center, Harbin Hot Springs, near Calistoga, CA, where some of the best massages on the planet are generously doled out. I used to go to Harbin for three or four days to renew myself before or after a lecture tour. During that period I would usually sign up for one massage. Soon after I arrived, one day I went to the massage register to record my name in the blank for my massage appointment. Looking through the schedule of signups, I noticed that one fellow had signed up for a massage every day for three days. The idea of doing this struck me as a revelation — a person could have a massage three days in a row if he wanted! I had never even considered this possibility, since on some subconscious level I considered so much pleasure to be gluttonous or self-indulgent. But when I saw that this fellow had dove into the very heart of the pleasure machine, I realized that such an act was doable — and I really wanted to do it, too. I gleefully registered for massages three days in a row, and went on to love every minute of them. I don’t remember that fellow’s name, but if I did I would thank him profusely for serving as a mind stretcher and helping me inscribe myself in “The Book of Deservingness.”

2. I was presenting a seminar on prosperity when a woman raised her hand and posed this dilemma: “I am a Red Cross fundraiser. After a hurricane or flood I swing into action and raise millions of dollars in a short time to aid the victims. Meanwhile, I’m struggling with my own finances and I have hard time paying my rent and other bills each month. Why is that?”

I thought about her situation and told her, “When you know that you deserve to have your rent and bills paid as confidently as you know that the disaster victims deserve to have their needs met, you will raise the funds for your own important needs.”

3. My coaching client Ted has served as a firefighter for 25 years. Recently he told me that he is retiring and he would like to move with his wife from New Hampshire to Florida. The couple is tired of the cold New Hampshire winters and ready for some sunshine. “We’ve made an arrangement to rent a Florida home for a month this winter,” he told me. “We’d really like to stay for three months,” he admitted.

“Then why don’t you stay for three months?” I had to ask.

“That seems like a lot to ask,” he answered shyly.

I told Ted, “You have been saving people’s lives for 25 years. You’ve courageously burst into burning buildings and rescued adults, children, their pets, and possessions. Many people are more grateful to you than most other people in their lives. Don’t you think someone who has offered such service deserves to have three months in the sun — let alone the rest of your life?”

“When you put it like that, it makes sense,” Ted replied. “I’ll stretch the one month to three,” he added.

We all have a part of our mind that feels limited to a one massage only; other people deserve, but not me; one month but not three mentality. To step into our true deservingness, we must question that limit and find reasons for our greater deservingness, reinforced by models of those who are manifesting what we desire and demonstrating that the bigger vision is possible and doable.

Many predictions for 2012 are linked to the Apocalypse. While the word has many dark connotations, its literal meaning is “the lifting of the veil,” the drawing aside of the curtain of illusion and the revelation of the greater truth. One of the most formidable illusions under which we have suffered is the illusion of unworthiness. That illusion is written nowhere in “The Book of Deservingness.” Perhaps we would all do well to take that volume from the shelf, dust it off, and give it a good read. You might just find your name in it.

As humans, we sometimes make choices based on beliefs that are self-limiting and rob us of the radiant joy we so generously deserve. Dwelling in possibility and opening ourselves to unlimited good can definitely feel a little un-comfort zone-y, but relaxing and embracing our divine infinite potential is a sure-fire key to real happiness.

One of my favorite quotations comes from inner peace guru Wayne Dyer. He talks about “having a mind that is open to everything and attached to nothing.” This means that, even if an outcome looks differently than we expected, we stay in the flow and meet it with gratitude and grace, knowing there is always possibility at every turn. And later, we are usually grateful for the turn of events.

I observe my cats doing this very thing. Cats follow their bliss. Whether it’s napping, going after a catnip banana, or trying to steal a piece of cheese from the counter, they know what they want and they go for it! You remove them from the counter and they head over to a shoebox and chill for a few hours. They don’t look back and mourn the cheese that might have been; they move on to the next great experience and fully embrace it.

How many times do we mourn the cheese that might have been? What would it be like if, after being removed from the counter, we lovingly affirmed the shoebox…and ourselves? I mean, seriously, who loves themselves more than cats? Sure, the cheese would have been nice, but the shoebox is so cozy…with a great view of the birdfeeder!

Let’s look to our feline friends as models of thinking big and staying in the flow. Why not go after what we want? Whether it’s a job, a relationship, a project, or some healing work you know needs to happen. Do it! Go after the cheese, releasing all attachment to outcome! You’ll never know success if you don’t try, right? If you happen to get removed from the counter, find that shoebox and love it. And when the birds show up at the feeder, you’ll think, “Boy, I’m so glad I was removed from that counter and found this box!”

Dear Nadine,
My Spirited big kid (a high school senior) recently attended a party where he apparently played with an Ouija (Yes-Yes) Board. I don’t like the sound of them myself. Should I tell him it’s a “No-No?”
Sincerely, Dubious Dad, Shakopee

Dear Dubious Dad,
It’s February, the month to talk love and passion. Personally, I’m passionate about the magical, the mystical, the weird and the wonderful — but does that extend to the Ouija?

The Ouija board celebrates its 121st birthday this year. Its original 1891 patent followed fast on the heels of other “talking board” creations that sought to help bridge the communication gap between this world and the next. At its height, Ouija boards were sold to every Tom, Dick and Harriet interested in the home-made séance. Toted as a “parlor game,” Ouija boards proved so popular that by 1920 William Fuld, the man in charge, became (by his own conservative estimates) a millionaire. By 1966, Ouija — under the auspices of the Parker Bros., — had outsold Monopoly!

Although skeptics have rubbished Ouija boards for years — Mad Magazine famously noted, “If there really is an afterlife, I’ll bet the best way to contact it is through a plastic, mass-produced game board from Milton Bradley” — there are many reports of successful out-of-this world communications channeled through the board, a standout being Jane Roberts’ original communications with Seth (Seth Speaks), for example. But does that mean teens should go out and try one?

With movies like The Exorcist, Witchboard and The Others firmly planted in our modern minds, the paranormal and the Ouija board today hold a slightly spooky allure. But whether played by a firm believer or by an I’m-trying-this-for-thrills kind of gal, a person’s purpose in opening up the Ouija board remains the same as it’s always been: an attempt to connect to something beyond the brick and mortar of the world around us. I call that Mediumship, and as any dedicated Medium will tell you, practicing mediumship without prayerful preparation, positive intention, knowledge and understanding is just asking for trouble.

In our (supernatural) world, like attracts like. If playing the Ouija board does open up a preternatural portal, then it begs the question as to what kind of “messenger” is going to want to hang out with someone (teen or otherwise) whose main motivation to connect is for thrills and spills? And what kinds of messages is that other-worldly messenger likely to bring? My hair stands on end just thinking about it!

The fact is that whether the Ouija is a fantastical form of psychic Scrabble or merely a game that elevates the blood pressure and causes irregular heartbeat, it is open to pranks and manipulation, whether from ETs or ordinary mortals. And therein lies the real heart of the question: should teens play with Ouija boards?

You see, teenagers worry! They worry about their hair, their skin, their clothes and their body shape — and no, I’m not just talking about the fairer sex here. They worry about being in, being out, making friends or not. Some even worry about grades. Receiving a detrimental, weird or negative message via an Ouija board could upset a sensitive teen or even alarm them. Just check out any online chat room regarding Ouija for proof of that. Even a “positive” message received through the board could be mulled over, scrutinized and studied by a perplexed teen who is led right back to the Ouija board to find out more.

I’m not against teens learning about the paranormal — far from it. But Ouija teaches nothing constructive and is, at best, something to be handled with care and in my own humble opinion, better left well alone.

You may argue that I’ve given the Ouija board a bad rap, rap, rap — and you might be right! But as your son heads off to the next party this Valentine’s, advise him to embrace the warm, friendly fun of that second game of choice — Monopoly — where the worst that could happen is he makes some bad buys, loses his money and gets thrown into jail.

The Second Annual Afterlife Awareness Conference will take place March 9 – 11 in cooperation with Edgar Cayce’s Association for Research and Enlightenment, the Afterlife Education Foundation recently announced. The conference will feature workshops and presentations by a nationally-recognized consortium of researchers, educators and counselors in the field of death, bereavement and afterlife research.

The event will be at the Virginia Beach Resort Hotel in Virginia Beach, VA.

The conference was organized to meet the need for a national discussion on the metaphysical aspects of death, dying and bereavement, including after-death communication, out-of-body experience, near-death experience, psychic research, hospice care, grief processing and related studies. This year’s roster of presenters includes some of leading names in the field, including Dr. Stuart Hameroff, Dr. Raymond Moody, Dr. Melvin Morse, Bill Guggenheim and PMH Atwater. The conference will also include gallery-style readings by noted psychic medium Suzane Northrop.

“This conference is an extraordinary opportunity to look at death and bereavement in a new light,” explains Terri Daniel, president of the Afterlife Education Foundation, the non-profit educational organization that sponsors the yearly event. ”Our audience is made up of hospice workers, clergy, the bereaved and the curious. We’ve all found, throughout our years of practice, that understanding how consciousness continues after the death of the body is a key to providing wisdom and comfort for the bereaved and overcoming the fear of death.”

Detailed information on the conference can be found at www.AfterlifeConference.com. Email info@afterlifeconference.com or call 541.549.4004.

LINK: Read the interview with John Raatz

Nearly three thousand seats will be filled with professionals from the entertainment, media and arts communities, and others on February 4, when GATE – the Global Alliance for Transformational Entertainment – presents GATE 2 and the GATE transformational Story Conference in Los Angeles.

GATE is a new, non-profit membership trade association founded by transformational marketing pioneer John Raatz, and two honorary co-founders, internationally bestselling author and teacher Eckhart Tolle and actor/activist Jim Carrey.

“We are living in extraordinarily transformational times,” Raatz says. “Everywhere you look, you see countries, governments, companies, organizations and individuals in dramatic transition. For many people, this reflects a shift in values and world views, underlined by a deep fundamental questioning about the direction we are headed as human beings.

“GATE was formed to support people in the entertainment and media industries who are, themselves, asking these deeper questions and wanting to contribute to the solutions that will become the new structure, the new paradigm, of a sustainable world. GATE sees the role and responsibility that entertainment, media, and the arts play in creating and illuminating this global transformation, and in supporting how each of us can contribute to a successful outcome for everyone and the planet.”

GATE 2 will be a celebration of the emerging genre of transformational entertainment, media and arts, featuring a lineup of top-level presenters, performers, and content developers. These include Carrey, Tolle and Raatz, plus scholar/philosopher Jean Houston, visionary/educator Barbara Marx Hubbard, actor/activist Edward James Olmos, author/researcher Paul H. Ray, internationally bestselling author/teacher don Miguel Ruiz, filmmaker/iconic photographer Norman Seeff, internationally bestselling author/teacher Marianne Williamson, physicist/author Fred Alan Wolf aka Dr. Quantum, and others.

At the event, GATE will present its first Imaginal Awards to honor the best works in the transformational entertainment, media and arts field. Since the competition does not begin until 2012, these first awards are being presented to pioneers in the field, including Bernt and Fritjof Capra, creators of the seminal film, Mindwalk; filmmaker David Lynch, for his worldwide humanitarian efforts; and Justine and Michael Toms, for their iconic radio series New Dimensions.

The GATE Transformational Story Conference will take place that morning and afternoon at the same location. GATE StoryCon will examine the role of story in promoting personal, social and global transformation. Story will explored from a variety of perspectives, with special emphasis on the human transformational journey — the Transformational Arc of life-death-life. Many of the GATE 2 presenters will also deliver programs at GATE StoryCon, plus writer/story consultant James Bonnet, writer/teacher Catherine Ann Jones, author/script consultant Dara Marks, memoirist Mark Matousek, writer/producer Marta Mobley, award-wining documentary filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg, and others.

Tickets to the two events and more information can be found at www.GATEcommunity.org. Proceeds from both events will help fund GATE’s operating expenses for the coming year.

Beginning in 2012, GATE will be awarding its GATE Seal to exemplary works in the field, bringing greater awareness of the genre to audiences worldwide. Recipients of the Seal will automatically be entered in the Imaginal Awards competition, with presentation of the first competitive awards scheduled for early-2013.

The impact of the GATE vision/mission is already resonating worldwide.

“People from over 70 countries have connected with GATE regarding membership,” Raatz says. “The impulse to engage with and spread transformational content is a global phenomenon. For more than 20 years, people have asked why isn’t there more content of this type. I respond by saying transformational content has always existed. A great example is the classic film, It’s a Wonderful Life. More recent examples are Tom Shadyac’s I Am and the hugely successful, The Blindside. We simply want to expand these kinds of offerings because we know there is a massive, global audience ready for them, and they will make a positive impact on society at large.”

Why ask Love
When a thousand tiny diamonds
Shine in the purple sky

Misted moon shadows moaned
The moment the delicate rain
Whispered its sweet dream
To the one red rose petal
Laying next to the waterfall

Easy as a goddess’s languid chant
Eternity drives a symphony
To soar from a storm over all life’s time
Only asking to sit at your feet
Near a blue lake

Do you think the future is
a linear beast, constrained
within its evolution by
deterministic random walks along
a narrow, one-way avenue,
prescribed in its identity by
time’s unerring quantum arrow?

Think how ripples radiate,
escaping from the impact
of a stone upon water’s
fluid fabric, alike, yet
different from the crystalline
chaos, aroused by a kiss from
that same stone, of propagating
cracks through tempered safety glass.

Think how roots invest the dirt-grained
darkness, how trees conspire to
lift their leaves to drink from braided
streams of wind and sunlight.
Think how Fibonacci inspires a snail’s
shell growth, how pigments birth their paintings.
Think, and then think how, before you plan.

Your longing is
a sweet gypsy
wandering around looking for someone
to sing with.
Your wanting is a nomad
roaming in search of grass and water for his animals.
Dear friend:
You may go to far away regions wherever
your dream wants you to go;
but remember to come back to your center, more often;
Remember to come back to the center
Remember to come back to the center
Where the mirror can reflect your true self.
Remember
to come back to the center.

Holy Molé…sponsored by: Harmony Green, Intuitive Healer, owner of All about the Journey…a healing center, 5352 1/2 Chicago Ave., Minneapolis, 612.354.2149, www.allowharmony.com | click on cartoon to go to Holy Molé’s Facebook page.

RESERVE YOUR LISTING IN THIS COMMUNITY BY FEBRUARY 17. Each month, The Edge features a segment of the holistic community that supports your needs. In March 2012, we feature Psychics, Intuitives & Mediums – those who offer readings, intuitive development classes and information to support your life journey, or your relationship with your pet. Your Community Listing includes your business name, address, phone, email and website + a 50-word description of what you offer. Community Listings are only $50 for placement in print one month and online for 12 months.

STEP ONE: Pay for your listing online:

OR: Call us at 763.433.9291 or email us with questions or for more information.

STEP TWO: SUBMIT YOUR LISTING: Send your business name/your name, address, phone, email, website + 50 words describing what you offer your community. Email your listing to: cathy@edgemagazine.net

Two decades ago, before the human potential movement morphed into Oprah and Buddhist principles paved the way for Presence studies, The Edge was created in the Upper Midwest to share insights on the essence of spirituality and the integration of alternative healing and conventional medicine.

It was a time of great expansion. Holistic business was booming as new centers opened far and wide to offer treatments and classes on complementary therapies. New shops opened to share books and gifts to support body, mind and soul.

Every month, and every year, revealed more. The Edge continued to evolve in concert with the holistic community, ever mindful of the need to offer support in an era filled with uncertainty. Contributors wrote articles that uplifted our spirits, all the while knowing that transformation is not an easy business.

Now it is 2012. We’ve witnessed incredible upheaval on this planet in recent years. It has taken a toll. Climate change has taken many lives; the collapse of the stock market has erased many life savings. And many of the people who opened small businesses to support body, mind and soul have had to shut their doors.

The Edge, which turns 20 in 2012, remains here to offer its support. Each month in 2012, we will celebrate the legacy of this publication [Explore The Edge's legacy here].

Chinese astrology proclaims 2012 as the Year of the Dragon, the mightiest of all signs, regarded in China as a divine beast, not one we should seek and destroy. The dragon symbolizes ambition, dominance, bravery and success. Dragons are free spirits with great passion.

It is fitting that 2012 is a dragon year, not because it will take dragon powers to overcome all of the doomsday hype attached to the end of this year, but because the transformation every one of us is going through requires dragon-like resiliency and determination.

Your experience — with spirituality, with healing, with magic and inspiration — has prepared you for this moment. Be strong and be bold!

Happy New Year Alchemy Explorers!

2012 promises to bring in an exciting and dynamic period, so let’s prepare ourselves to adapt and harmonize with the changing frequencies of our global and personal realities. Toning can help us attune ourselves and maintain balance in these times. This profound and simple practice has been used for millennia and is based on the understanding that we are Vibrational Beings! We can tune our nervous system and physical bodies the same way we tune an instrument. It just takes some practice.

To use your voice try the following:

• Fnd an easy note (or tone) to sing
• Hold the note steadily until your breath runs out
• Take a long, deep inhale and repeat a few times
• Different vowel sounds or combinations of vowel and consonant sounds can be used for different results (we’ll discuss Bijas and Mantras in a later blog.)
• Make the “mmm” sound with the lips closed. This sound vibrates more internally and allows us to feel the resonance in our bones, organs and body cavities quite easily.
• Bring your attention inward, perhaps closing your eyes, and notice the places where you feel the sound vibrating or buzzing. You may get other sensations like tingling, heat or cold, a feeling of fullness or even lightheadedness.
• After holding the tone several times just be silent for a few moments and integrate.
• To explore further begin raising or lowering the pitch you sing and notice where the different frequencies are resonating.

Sound not only affects or physical bodies, it also helps regulate and tune our bio-magnetic and etheric fields so we can feel more clear, alert and safe. In a recent study in Sweden, scientists found that “humming” increases ventilation in the paranasal sinus cavities, which resulted in a dramatic increase of 15 times higher nitric oxide levels than in normal breathing! This is important because nitric oxide dilates capillary beds and increases blood flow in the sinuses and the brain. More blood flow means more oxygen which can account for mental clarity and euphoric sensations experienced by people who use mantras in meditation (or in group chanting, of course!). From this study the researchers felt that humming could also reduce sinus and upper respiratory infections.

As we delve into the coming six part series, “The Psalms of Sex” I will show you how to enhance and deepen intimacy and connection using toning and mantras combined with breath and emotional awareness. By attuning to our partners through sound and breath a deeper empathy and feeling of oneness can be experienced. Yes! We can orchestrate our own love themes, so stay tuned and listen Between the Notes. Some exciting frequencies are pulsating your way!

I would like to hear your experiences and thoughts on this topic. Feel free to write comments!

In its first week, the latest installation of the Twilight saga grossed $500 million — a new record!

The story idea for this mega-hit sensation bit Stephenie Meyer on the neck…in her dream!

Stephenie Meyer was a stay-at-home mom who dabbled with writing from time to time and was certainly not into vampire stories at all. However, one night, she had the following dream:

Two people are having an intense conversation in a meadow in the woods. One of these people is just your average girl. The other person is this fantastically beautiful, sparkly vampire. They are discussing the difficulties inherent in the facts that A) they are falling in love with each other while B) the vampire is particularly attracted to the scent of her blood, and is having a difficult time restraining himself from killing her immediately.

This dream was so vivid that Stephenie began to write what became the mega-hit Twilight. This led to the next book in the Twilight series…then the next…then the next…and the rest is history. To date she has sold over 116 million copies in 50 countries. Can you imagine what would have happened if she had shrugged off her stroke of genius as “just a dream?”

I pray that, at the very least, you are now sold on the fact that your dreams come bearing riches. I also pray that you are inspired to no longer take your dreams lying down, nor leave them on your pillow…but will honor them and carry them across the threshold into your waking life.

May your most wild and wonderful dreams all come true in 2012…and beyond!