Ahhh, Religion. What a spiritual yet contraversial subject - all based on what your personal faith is (or isn’t).   Me, I am a believer in God and a Catholic who adores the blessed Virgin Mary.  *NOT worships Mary ABOVE God - as many non-Catholics untruly ‘claim’ that we do*  (sorry just clarifying here, since this particular comment hits home with me!)   I also love the whole principal of Buddism, a very peaceful and NON judgemental way of spirituality.  Their belief is simple - lead a moral life, be mindful and aware of your thoughts and actions,  develop wisdom and understanding.  Now how lovely is THAT!!  They are also tolerant of all other beliefs & religions, and they don’t try to covert people...like some of those religous zealots who “know it all” and think ‘their way is the ONLY way.’  I believe in faith (as well as past lives) & beleive that not everything can be explained by science....there are mysteries in this world & some things just don’t have an answer.  Anyway, the following is a great article on GOD by mind-body-consciousness expert Deepok Chopra, who debates the book “The God Delusion” 

by Richard Dawkins, an athiest.  

Peace, Love & Namaste.  Lisa

Recently there has been alot of books about God from scientists responding to the debate over intelligent design. These books raise a chorus of skepticism that God exists, most in no uncertain terms. SCIENCE stands for rational thought - FAITH for superstition & unreason. 

Dawkins has written extensively on evolution, holds a chair at Oxford, and speaks out loudly against any possibility that God is real. He makes many points to support his claim that religion is nonsense and that there isn't the slightest shred of rational proof for God, miracles, the soul, etc. Since this is such an important issue, I (DC) want to argue against in some detail. 

"Science is the only valid way to gain knowledge. Nothing about God is needed to explain the world. Eventually science will uncover all mysteries;  those that it can't explain don't exist. "

This is the bedrock of Dawkins' argument, as it is of most skeptics and scientific atheists. In his new book Dawkins expresses his position with deep disdain for those who disagree, and his poisonous tone weakens his argument. Yet there's no doubt that with current advances in genetics and brain research, scientists have more confidence than ever that mysteries are being unraveled as never before. By the same token, something as primitive as faith in God looks more and more pointless and misguided. At best God is a matter of personal belief, at worst a superstition that blocks progress. 

The unfairness of this argument is that it squeezes God into a corner. Dawkins makes it an us VS them issue. Either you are FOR science (reason, progress, modernism, optimism about the future) OR you are FOR religion (unreason, reactionary resistance to progress, clinging to mysteries that only God can solve). He goes so far as to tar ANYONE who believes in God with the same brush as extreme religious fanatics.  Sadly, the media often follow his lead, erasing the truth....which is that many scientists ARE religious and many of the greatest scientists (including Newton and Einstein) probed deep into the existence of God. Not to mention the obvious fact that you don't have to go to church, or even belong to a religion, to find God plausible. 

But let's leave Dawkins' heated and unfair rhetoric aside. Is science the ONLY route to knowledge? Obviously NOT. I know that my mother loved me all her life, as I love my own children. I feel genius in great works of art. I have seen medical cures that science CAN’T explain, some seemingly triggered by faith. The same is true of millions of other people. I know that I am conscious and have a self, even though Dawkins (along with many arch materialists) doesn't believe that consciousness is real or that the self is anything but a chemical ‘illusion’

created in the brain. 

A materialist could analyze the brain functions of a Mozart or Beethoven down 

to the last synaptic firing, but that would tell us nothing about why music exists, why it is beautiful, where great symphonies come from, why inspiration uplifts the listener, or in fact any relevant thing about the meaning of music. The world in general has meaning, deep meaning at times. This cannot be dismissed as a delusion, or an artifact of chemicals. The same analogy comes to mind whenever one hears that brain research will eventually explain ALL human thought and behavior. If a scientist could map every molecule in a radio as it was playing Beethoven Fifth, there would be a complete diagram of the symphony at the level of matter. But the radio isn't Beethoven. It isn't his mind or a diagram of Beethoven's brain.

For thousands of years human beings have been obsessed with beauty, truth, love, honor, altruism, courage, social relationships, art and God. They all go together as subjective experiences, and it's a straw man to set God up as the delusion. IF HE IS, then so is truth itself or beauty itself. God stands for the perfection of BOTH, and even if you think truth and beauty (along with love, justice, forgiveness, compassion, and other divine qualities) can never be perfect, to say that they are ‘fantasies’ makes NO sense. 

Science knows about objective reality, the mask of matter that our five senses detect. But the mind goes beyond the five senses, and it does Dawkins no good to lump the two worlds of inner & outer together. In fact, insofar as brain research can locate centers of activity that light up whenever a person feels love or pleasure or sexual arousal, these subjective states leave objective traces behind. That makes them more real, not less. In the same way, the brain lights up when a person feels inspired or close to God; therefore, we may be getting closer to the connection between inner and outer states, not further away. 

Deepak Chopra, MD is a speaker and best-selling author of more than 35 books, including Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, which has sold more than 2 million copies. Chopra’s books have been translated into more than 30 languages, with more than 20 million copies sold worldwide. In 1999 Time magazine selected Dr. Chopra as one of the Top 100 Icons and Heroes of the Century, describing him as “the poet prophet of alternative medicine.” 

ARICULAR THERAPY

This is a GREAT thing.  It amazes me how we can use our ears (& feet) to heal. 

My son & myself both do it.  He has ADHD & lots of trouble focusing,  and this has really helped!  I go for general wellness, stress & depression....now that school has starteed, I need to get more consistant with this!

Auricular Therapy is a highly effective system for analyzing problems and treating the entire body...from your external ear. 

It originated in China and according to the principles of auricular therapy, each area of your ear corresponds to a different anatomical part of your body.  Many sites have been identified on the ear which become spontaneously tender or otherwise react to the presence of disease or injury elsewhere in the body. 

Ear Reflexology is not only effective in the treatment of a wide range of common 

diseases, it can also be used for your central nervous system, for control of chronic pain, detoxification from addictions, (smoking, heroin, cocaine), ADHD, depression, relief from nausea, migranes and high blood pressure.

The shape of the body is projected into the ear and every point of the body corresponds to a point of the ear.  In a healthy person the link is not apparent BUT when there is an imbalance of the physiological equilibrium it's point of projection in the ear becomes painful. The therapist then stimulates the painful points of the ear by massage or cauterization.

With auricular therapy, clients are able to find out what is wrong with their body, way before signs show up on a typical physical or blood test. Whereas a physical exam or blood test is unable to treat abnormal readings, auricular therapy is able to treat even slight abnormalities. That's the sheer beauty of natural health care - actually treating abnormalities BEFORE they progressively worsen.

Benefits of Auricular (Ear) and Feet therapy

Activates the meridian which regulates energy flow 

Stimulates your internal organs 

Promotes deep relaxation

Stimulates your brain 

Improves your immune system as prevention measure 

REIKI

Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administered by "laying on hands" and is based on the idea that an unseen "life force energy" flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If one's "life force energy" is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy.

The word Reiki is made of two Japanese words - Rei which means "God's Wisdom or the Higher Power" and Ki which is "life force energy". So Reiki is actually "spiritually guided life force energy."

A treatment feels like a wonderful glowing radiance that flows through and around you. Reiki treats the whole person including body, emotions, mind and spirit creating many beneficial effects that include relaxation and feelings of peace, security and wellbeing. Many have reported miraculous results.

While Reiki is spiritual in nature, it is not a religion, is a simple, natural and safe method of spiritual healing and self-improvement that everyone can use. It has no dogma, and there is nothing you must believe in order to learn and use Reiki. In fact, Reiki is not dependent on belief at all and will work whether you believe in it or not. Because Reiki comes from God, many people find that using Reiki puts them more in touch with the experience of their religion rather than having only an intellectual concept of it.

EAR CANDLING

I have done this twice and loved it both times.  You can goggle it & read people who says it's BS, and people who love it.  Doesn't cost alot of money.  I get mine at a health food store for $6.00.

  EAR CANDLING is an amazing elimination technique and has been around for centuries.  It can improve mental clarity, energy and a sense of well-being because it allows the glucose and oxygen to travel through the now clean passage ways and enter into the brain thus restoring neural functions.  It has been with us for thousands of years dating back to the ancient Chinese, Greeks, and Egyptians. Even our own native American Indian tribes used this procedure.  It is a safe, natural, and effective method, that can also help with  ear infections, hearing loss, sinus congestion, ear pain, itching, allergies, ringing, or dizziness

EAR CANDLING involves the use of a custom made, hollow candle that is coated with beeswax. The candle looks like a large crayon. While the client lies comfortably on a cushioned table, the hollow candle is placed gently in the outer opening of the ear. The client's head is fully covered. 

YEARS OF BUILT-UP DEBRIS CAN BE REMOVED IN YOUR FIRST FEW CANDLING SESSIONS! 

~quote~

Live in the present, for it is the only moment you

have. Keep your attention on what is here and now; look, for the

fullness in every moment. Accept what comes to you totally and

completely so that you can appreciate it, learn from it, and then let

it go. The present is as it should be. It reflects infinite laws of

Nature that have brought you this exact thought, this exact

physical response. This moment is as it is because the universe is

as it is. Don't struggle against the infinite scheme of things;

instead, be at one with it.

Thai Foot Massage

For me - forget that pedicure, when I can do this!  Again, more balancing, etc thru your feet.   

Thai Foot Massage is a massage of the lower legs and feet that involves stretching and massage using the hands, elbows, feet and knees to open and clear the Sen (energy) Lines to stimulate the reflex points on the feet which correspond to the internal organs of the body.  Thai Foot Massage stimulates these points to increase vitality, restore balance, and promote well-being. 

The benefits of a Thai Foot Massage:

   * Improved circulation and toxin removal

   * Stimulated lymphatic drainage and immune system boost

   * Reduced stiffness and improved flexibility

   * Accelerated physical healing

   * Stress relief

   * Improved sleep

   * Clarity of mind

CHAKRAS

CHAKRAS- these are your bodies 7 main energy centers. The word chakra means wheel 

or disk and signifies 1 of 7 basic energy centers in the body that correspond to the nerves branching out from your spinal column.  There are 7 chakras in your body.  

Their balanced state is responsible for your healthy physical & mental being.

Each Chakra is like a spiral of energy relating to the others. Together the 7 chakras form the energy system of our body. Through modern physiology we can see that these 7 chakras correspond exactly to the seven main nerves which emanate from the spinal column.

1- Lower Pelvis- Earth, survival, grounding, stillness.

Contains the primary 8 cells that have all of the knowledge of 

creation and remain the only cells in your body that do not 

change in your lifetime. It grounds us in the physical world.

2- Spleen (lower abdominals) Located just beneath the navel,  

related to our sexual and reproductive capacity. 

Blockage manifests as emotional problems or sexual guilt.

3- Solar Plexis (area between your heart & naval, V of the ribs) 

Seat of Emotions, ego & intuition. Gives us a sense of personal 

power in the world.  Blockage manifests as anger or a sense of victimization.

4- Heart Center Seat of the Soul, emotions, love & grief. Blockage can manifest as 

immune system or heart problems, or a lack of compassion. 

5-Throat  Tied to creativity and communication. 

Feels pressure when you are not communicating your emotions properly.

6- Brows (your 3rd eye) mental, often connected to the forehead.

Is a physical eye at the base of the brain with the capabilities of looking upward.

Clairvoyance, psychic abilities, imagination, dreaming

7- Top of Head (spiritual crown) 

Spiritual connection, understanding, knowing, bliss, God