Sunday, June 26, 2011

THE ENERGY OF MONEY ???


Some find this hard to believe, so let me try to make “cents” of it for you:
Money is Energy.
Specifically, cash is energy.

I have this theory: We are all very concerned about our nation’s economy, let alone our own personal finances. We listen to our media news coverage . We read our newspapers (no offense, News Herald), and we hear all the theorists, all the economists, all the “experts” discussing what happened... how it happened... what it will take to fix it... can it be fixed?……You know the pattern.

Sometimes, we humans tend to miss the obvious. The obvious being, that plastic carries no energy. Checking accounts carry no energy. CASH is energy.

To me, the greatest crime against our economy and our citizens takes the form of the “automatic deposit”.
We work hard for our money. For the sake of convenience, our employers deposit our earnings into our checking accounts, from which we pay for everything either by writing a check, or using a plastic debit card.

Now, you just have to visualize this……
Use your imagination a little bit, and get a good clear picture in your head of where that check goes, or what happens to the plastic payment (We won’t even address credit cards here; there’s not enough time or space in this blog to go there.)

We see our check pay for whatever (probably said credit cards). We use our debit card at the grocery store, and it is processed by a number that nobody else has, or nobody else can use (ok, ok, I know about credit and debit card fraud, but that’s not the topic of this blog; we’re talking about honest people here.)

Now, look at the cash you use to pay for your needs:
Step back .
Just a little.
Focus.
Get a bird’s eye view of where that cash is going.
Look at all the hands it is passing through--all over the city, all over the country, even all over the world (well, the "world" that accepts American money, that is).....
.....Picking up momentum as it goes.
THAT’S energy!

And what happens to the cash we put out there, if it is energy? Well, like all energy, it comes back to us!!
So heals the economy. So heals the personal finances.
My suggestion is to write yourself a check once a week for cash, and pay for everything with cash, and see what happens……

It all makes ‘cents’ to me, and you will discover that it will make ‘cents’ for you!

http://feathertouchpathandpurpose.com/

Sunday, June 12, 2011

TO TAN OR NOT TO TAN.........(A little off-track? Not really.....Read on......)



By Dr. Mercola
That bronzy sun-kissed look has long been associated with health and beauty. Human beings are sun-loving creatures, which makes sense, since countless generations before us have depended on the sun for its warmth, light and nourishment.

But, since the 1980s, all of the misguided propaganda about the evils of sun exposure have given rise to an incredibly profitable industry built around methods of "safely" achieving that chestnut look. First came self-tanners, followed by any number of lotions and powders, and now a liquid that can be sprayed onto you in a booth.

Spray tanning has become one of the most popular sunless tanning methods.

Consumers tend to believe that, if a product is on the market, then it must be safe. Unfortunately, that assumption often turns out to be wrong—especially in the unregulated cosmetic industry—sometimes having disastrous health consequences. And this may be the case with spray tanning. Spray tans are generally considered to be benign cosmetic treatments—but are they REALLY?

Have you ever wondered what's in the brown broth being misted all over you to give you that tropical glow?

Well, once you learn what those spray-tanning agents may be doing to your body, your healthy glow may DIM a bit. Before I discuss specific ingredients, I want to address an even more fundamental concern—and the number one reason I am not a fan of sunless tanning.

The Number ONE Reason I'm Not a Fan of the Spray Tan
You need sunshine—the real kind—and this is why. Sun exposure in controlled amounts is critical to your health. And the misinformation that all sun exposure causes cancer, which has been promulgated for the past 30 years, has RAISED cancer rates rather than lowering them by making an entire country sun-phobic.

Sun exposure benefits you by stimulating your skin to produce vitamin D. Vitamin D is a hormone-like substance critical for the vast majority of your biological functions, including:

•Cardiovascular health
•Cognition
•Sleep
•Immunity
•Metabolism
•Bone strength
•Digestion
And this is just for starters. Vitamin D is the superhero of nutrients, and the best way to get it is from the sun, which causes your skin to manufacture it. Vitamin D levels have been tied to cancer risk—the lower your levels, the higher your risk. Every cell and tissue in your body needs vitamin D to function properly.

Research suggests that 85 percent of people may be vitamin D deficient, without even knowing it. And sunless tanning is contributing to this problem. The number one thing I have against sunless tanning is that it offers absolutely NONE of the health benefits you would be getting if you were actually receiving ultraviolet exposure.

It gives you the illusion of good health, instead of the real thing.

Not only does spray tanning not give you vitamin D, but it may even be damaging your skin's ability to make vitamin D. More about that later...Vitamin D is so important that I have an entire website devoted to it. Now that we've talked about what you're NOT getting from a spray tan, let's look at what you ARE getting when you step into that booth.

A Potentially Dangerous Brew
Like most cosmetic products, sunless tanners contain a lengthy list of chemical agents—up to 45 in the case of spray tanners. Many of these agents have never been studied for their long-term effects on human health, because the FDA does not systematically review the safety of personal care products. Since testing is voluntary and controlled by the manufacturers, many ingredients in cosmetic products are not safety tested at all.

We simply don't know what the effects might be—so if you are using cosmetic products, then congratulations, you are an unwitting guinea pig. It is important to understand that, of the 10,500 ingredients used in your sunscreen, shampoo, makeup foundation, and so on, only 13 percent have been reviewed for safety in the last 30 years, according to an Environmental Working Group (EWG) analysis.

The reviews that have been done were conducted by a fox in the henhouse—the Cosmetics Ingredients Review, which is run by the cosmetics industry!

Not all ingredients need even be mentioned on the label—if they don't want to include one for some reason, they can just leave it off. Therefore, most personal care product formulations are based on nothing more than marketing success, designed to smell good, look good and feel good when you rub them on your skin, regardless of their impact on your health.

So, What's In that Tanning Spray?
Although there are many chemicals we don't know much about, let's focus on some of the agents commonly found in tanning sprays that we DO know something about. I will be specifically discussing the following five:

1.DHA
2.Erythrulose
3.Ethoxydiglycol
4.Parabens
5.Perfumes and coloring agents
Adverse reactions reported by consumers to the FDA after spray tanning include rashes, coughing, dizziness and fainting. It's possible that any one of these chemicals could be responsible, or any combination of them in the 45-ingredient potpourri.

The Evil DHA is Not an Omega-3 Fat but a Darkening Agent
This is not the DHA that is an important animal based omega-3 fat but one of the main ingredients in today's spray tanning solutions is dihydroxyacetone, a color additive that darkens your skin by reacting with amino acids in your skin's surface layer. Dihydroxyacetone is often abbreviated DHA, Sunless tanning products often contain between 1 and 15 percent DHA; the higher the DHA level, the darker the tan produced.

Manufacturers of sunless tanning products claim DHA is a simple carbohydrate sugar solution, but some toxicologists disagree. Several years ago, Dr. Thomas Pierce, a toxicologist who investigated the harmful effects of some tanning beds, issued a warning that DHA is not as simple or harmless as it may seem.

In an interview, Dr. Pierce once said:

"It is not an ingestible sugar, and no one should be eating it."

Part of the problem is that the U.S. government's regulations for DHA allow contaminants such as lead, arsenic and mercury. Lead in particular is known to affect brain development, and no one knows how large the effect may be on your baby, should you be pregnant while spray tanning.

If you are pregnant or nursing, I would urge you to stay away from spray tanning for this reason alone. A report by the National Toxicology Program suggests the risks of DHA remain unclear, pointing to some evidence that DHA may be a mutagen that could induce breaks in DNA strands. Another issue is absorption through your skin. You shouldn't put anything on your skin you wouldn't feel safe eating.

Absorbing chemicals transdermally is actually MORE dangerous than ingesting them orally, because they can be absorbed directly into your bloodstream without any digestive degradation. Digestive acid works, at least in part, to neutralize some chemicals—but this does not occur when you absorb them transdermally, or inhale them, for that matter. For example, by taking a seven-minute shower you are exposed to more chlorine, DPBs, and VOCs than by drinking a gallon of the same tap water.

A study performed by the Skin Absorption and Metabolism Section of the FDA, published in the 2004 issue of Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, found as much as 22 percent of the DHA could be absorbed through your skin, as opposed to merely laying on its surface.

This is additional evidence that what you put ON you, goes IN you.

But when you have DHA-containing products sprayed on you in a booth, little droplets become suspended in the air all around you, increasing your risk for exposure through your eyes, nose and mouth. Wearing protective gear over your eyes, nose and mouth is extremely important—but it does not remove all the risk.

Preliminary Study: DHA Blocks Vitamin D Production in Your Skin
On its research page, the Vitamin D Council lists a pilot study (published in 2009 in the Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology) that examined the effects of sunless tanning sprays on your skin's ability to produce vitamin D. The results are alarming.

Researchers discovered DHA-containing tanning agents inhibit your skin's ability to produce vitamin D and called for larger studies to be conducted. When your skin darkens from exposure to sunshine you will have elevated vitamin D levels and the darkening process actually serves to protect you from overdosing on vitamin D.

However, when the dark layer on your skin produced by the DHA results in the prevention of UVB absorption, thereby blocking the creation of vitamin D. Your skin must then repair itself in order to be able to produce vitamin D again, which takes approximately 2 weeks.

Why is this so significant?

Many people get a spray tan every week or two, so they are effectively inhibiting their own vitamin D production for weeks or months at a time, exposing themselves to increased cancer risk and a whole host of other problems. Vitamin D levels are already dangerously low in the general public, without adding factors that diminish them even further! More than 50,000 people die every year from inadequate sun exposure and insufficient vitamin D.

Erythrulose
In a comprehensive recent article about spray tanning, Health Wyze Report discussed several other ingredients commonly found in spray tanning agents. One of those is erythrulose. Erythrulose is used in many sunless tanning blends to increase tan duration and counter the ghastly orange tinge that earlier formulas produced. Health Wyze mentions an Australian public health report from 2008 that found erythrulose genotoxic, meaning it alters your genetic cellular structure. (I was unable to find the specific publication, however.)

Ethoxydiglycol, an Ether-Based Solvent
Another common ingredient in spray tanners is an ether-containing solvent called ethoxydiglycol (or transcutol CG), which is similar to butylene glycol. The MSDS for this chemical warns it is hazardous if ingested or inhaled, may irritate your skin, is dangerous to your kidneys, and it caused infertility and birth defects in animal studies. Ether is known to be carcinogenic and causes developmental and reproductive problems, hormonal disruptions and allergic reactions.

Parabens, Preservatives With Estrogenic Effects
Parabens, a group of chemicals widely used as preservatives in cosmetics, have been shown to mimic the action of the hormone estrogen, which can drive the growth of human breast tumors. Studies have shown that parabens can affect your body much like estrogens, possibly leading to diminished muscle mass, extra fat storage, and male gynecomastia (breast growth). Studies have also suggested parabens could be linked to breast cancer, as researchers found traces of parabens in every tissue sampled from 20 different breast tumors.

The EPA has linked methyl parabens in particular to metabolic, developmental, hormonal, and neurological disorders, as well as various cancers.

Perfumes and Coloring Agents
Perfumes and fragrances are the single largest category of cosmetic and personal care products and are a clever way for manufacturers to hide chemical ingredients from you. Each fragrance can contain thousands of different chemical components—it's virtually impossible to determine what's actually in them. Two problematic compounds in fragrances are phthalates—which have been linked with endocrine disruption, immunosuppression and cancer—and synthetic musk, which contains a slurry of harmful chemicals.

Allergies and chemical sensitivities are extremely common, and fragrances are notorious for triggering them.

The FDA allows the fragrance industry to regulate itself, through a trade association known as the International Fragrance Association (IFRA). This association is responsible for conducting safety tests to establish which ingredients are safe to use in their own industry—which should make your warning bells go off.

The fragrance industry uses more than 5,000 different ingredients, and only about 1,300 have actually been tested. There are serious questions about whether the industry's research institute is really as "independent" as IFRA claims.

Cosmetic coloring agents in spray tan formulas are dyes unnecessarily added to make you think the tanning is instantaneous. They impart a brown color to the concoction, which immediately turns your skin brown. Some of these absorb into your skin, and others wash off in the shower or rub off on your towel. The coloring agents most often used in spray tanners are Ci 42090, Ci 16255, and Ci 19140. Coloring agents are among the few ingredients cosmetic manufacturers must have approved by the FDA. If the potential health dangers outlined above aren't enough to scare you, this slideshow of Celebrity Spray Tans Gone Wrong may do the trick.

What Does the FDA Say About Spray Tanning?
The FDA has never specifically approved the use of DHA for spray tanning. The FDA originally approved DHA in the 1970s for topical application ONLY, but this was long before anyone thought it might be sprayed onto people, thereby coming in contact with their lips, lungs and other sensitive mucous membranes.

According to the FDA:

DHA is listed in the regulations as a color additive for use in imparting color to the human body. However, its use in cosmetics--including sunless "tanning" products--is restricted to external application (21 CFR 73.2150). According to the CFR, "externally applied" cosmetics are those "applied only to external parts of the body and not to the lips or any body surface covered by mucous membrane" (21 CFR 70.3v). The industry has not provided safety data to the FDA in order for the agency to consider approving it for use on these exposure routes, including "misting" from tanning booths.

According to the FDA's Office of Cosmetics and Colors, the agency that regulates cosmetics:

"With the exception of color additives and a few prohibited ingredients, a cosmetic manufacturer may use almost any raw material as a cosmetic ingredient and market the product without an approval from FDA."

Is Your Spray Tanning Salon Adhering to Safe Practices?
The FDA has recommended you use protective eyewear, plug your nose and cover your lips whenever receiving spray tans, but since there is no law regulating tanning salons, those establishments are not obliged to mention these recommendations or potential risks. Should you decide to use a spray tanning facility, the FDA recommends you ask the following questions:

•Am I protected from exposure in my entire eye area?
•Am I protected from exposure on my lips and all parts of my body covered by mucous membranes?
•Am I protected from internal exposure caused by inhaling or ingesting the product?
If the answer to any of these questions is "no," then you are not protected and you should request safety measures to protect your eyes, lungs and mucous membranes. Dr. David Wade, a toxicologist, recommends that you simply walk out of a spray tan establishment if they don't insist you wear protection.

My Advice on the Matter
My advice is pretty simple--avoid spray tanning booths and sunless tanning lotions entirely as they provide you with no health benefits, and can actually contribute to worsening your vitamin D levels and are loaded with problematic toxins. A tan obtained by safely exposing yourself to the sun, or a safe indoor tanning system, is health promoting. Saturating your body with potentially toxic chemicals to give it some color is not.

If you have a bad reaction to a sunless tanner (or any cosmetic product), please take a moment to report it to the FDA by one of two methods:

1.Report your reaction online at MedWatch (the FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program), or call them at 800-332-1088 to request a reporting form.
2.Call the FDA district office consumer complaint coordinator for your geographic area.
By reporting adverse reactions, you can help get unsafe products off the market.

MAYBE NOT SO OFF THE BEATEN TRACK.....MAYBE RIGHT ON TRACK.....
WHEN IT COMES TO THE SKIN'S EXPOSURE TO CHEMICALS, AND THE IDEA THAT IT IS SAFER THAN NATURAL SUNLIGHT, ANYONE CAN SEE THE LACK OF COMMON SENSE.

HOWEVER, WHEN IT COMES TO MODERATE EXPOSURE TO NATURAL SUNLIGHT, A CREATOR-GIVEN LIFE ENHANCER, IT ALL MAKES SENSE TO ME!

THINK PEOPLE, THINK........DON'T BE LEAD ASTRAY BY A MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR COSMETIC INDUSTRY....AND WE WON'T EVEN MENTION (AT LEAST NOT TODAY) ALL THAT THE MEDICAL AND PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY HAS TO LOSE IF PEOPLE ACTUALLY START GETTING SOME SUN!

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Color Me WELL


http://feathertouchpathandpurpose.com/

I've got these way cool colored glasses—the kind you wear, not the kind you drink from……one for every color of the rainbow, and depending on what is going on with me any given day—or what I’d LIKE to be going on with me, that is the color I wear. 
Perfect example:  I’m wearing these blue glasses for a few minutes to expose my body to the color frequency needed to help me with communicating my thoughts to you. 
Blue is associated with personal expression, decisiveness, clear communication, confidence in speaking (or writing), and mental relaxation. 
If I had a sore throat, this is the color to wear.  Better yet, a turquoise necklace! 
Ok, I’ll  take them off now….  I’m comfortable talking to you, and feel confident that I am getting my point across. 
But let’s go through the entire spectrum, and at the same time we’ll have a crash course in chakras: For anyone not aware, chakra is a Sanskrit word meaning whirling vortices of light. 
Our chakras bring together the energy body and the physical body.  The human body contains seven major chakras, which correspond to the various aspects of our consciousness, each relating to a specific endocrine gland as well as to one of the seven colors of the rainbow spectrum. 
These energy vortices control our physical, emotional, and psychological life.  When each of them is in balance, our lives flow smoothly.  When any one of them is out of balance, the imbalance can show up as a physical symptom affecting a particular area of the body, or as an emotional or psychological symptom. 
At the first chakra, beginning with red-- keep in mind people in power choosing to wear red—
It is associated with vitality, self-confidence, feeling of security, safety, and power.  It’s  a sexy color, right?  It even raises blood pressure as well as body heat.  It is a strong and powerful color, creating a strong and powerful sense of self.  There is a reason that politicians often wear red ties. (Because they’d look silly in red suits ? :)
Orange at the second chakra—is associated with social confidence, joyfulness   enjoyable relationships, success, expanded interests and activities. 
It’s the birthing center—the place of new ideas.  Our sense of family.  Works great for menstrual cramps! 
Is anybody pregnant?  I’d love to know how it works on labor pains, but have been too afraid that if I suggested it to a woman in hard labor, she’d grab them from me and send them flying across the room without even trying them!
Yellow—I love yellow.  Right at the center….the solar plexus.  Solar--Sunshine, warmth.
Cheerfulness, mental clarity, stimulation of curiosity.  Easing depression, assisting with a greater sense of self-esteem, empowerment, confidence.
Living in Northeastern Ohio, we have our share of dark winters. (I thought I was going to go crazy this past winter, not to mention this morning’s stormy darkness.  I did mention it, didn’t I?  I do that all the time; I say “not to mention” and then mention…ah well….I digress)….. Anyway,  I remembered my yellow glasses.  Either one: orange or yellow.  If you think about it, the light coming through during the winter months  is the cool spectrum—mostly blue light.  We don’t see much of the warmer, golden tones during the winters here.
I am a Leo; I’m ruled by the sun.  I’m Italian; my ancestors are from the sunny Adriatic coast.  No matter how dark the days, I put the yellow glasses on, I’ve got my own personal sunshine.  It lets what yellow light there is, come through. 
I put the orange glasses on, I am immediately transported out of the snow and into the red sands of Sedona, Arizona.  I don’t even feel the cold.
Green—ahhhh…the heart chakra. The color of Life.  Of healing. Peace, love, harmony.  Rest, relaxation, calmness, stress reduction. 
We don’t realize just how green our world is until we look at it through the green spectrum.  Everything is neutralized, and after a short while, almost appears gray. 
The Creator really knew what he/she was doing by giving us this green world.  We are surrounded by love and life and all that we need for healing.  All we have to do is open our eyes and look at it.
Indigo—the third eye—serenity, stillness, understanding, imagination.  Greater intuition and awareness.  A great color to concentrate on when meditating…..
Prone to headaches?  Maybe a lovely pair of sapphire earrings is all you need. It certainly beats carrying around a tuning fork! J
The colors that we wear, that we surround ourselves with, in any form—clothing… gemstones….  Even the colors that we eat, affect us. 
The brighter the color, the more life-enhancing it is:  Think of the color of fresh fruits and vegetables.   Now, keeping that in mind, what is the color of cooked meat?  L
And finally purple-- associated with creativity, beauty, inspiration, selflessness, generosity, enhanced artistic ability. 
This color—at our crown chakra-- is our spiritual connection.  It is no mistake that the church chooses purple to represent the resurrection. 
My mother is an artist.  When she becomes stuck, she places an amethyst next to her on her art table. 
“Some” say it’s ludicrous to think color can affect us in these ways, but “some” aren’t very bright, are “some”?
All I’ve got to say is, the more I learn about energy and vibration, it all makes sense to me……





Saturday, June 4, 2011

From The Sound of Music, to The Rainbow Connection.....

Music is by far not the only art form to contribute to our vibration, and therefore to our health.  Color and light have been used for centuries to stimulate healing and well-being.
The ancient Egyptians used specially built solarium rooms with different colored glass panels. The sun would shine through the colored glass onto the patient to achieve specific therapeutic benefits.
Others used different colored silk clothes to filter varying shades of light onto their bodies.
The Earth, our continents, oceans, in fact every living thing depends on light to be able to exist.
Just as I discussed about sounds and tones, light is also emitted by every cell in our bodies.
We live in a sea of energy where color and sound work within us. Light shines within our divine self, and radiates outwardly upon us from the sun.
Specific colors bring balance to our physical and emotional systems.
Physical symptoms, health conditions-- as well as emotions and mood-- are all affected by the use of color, simply because the color of the light entering your body is concentrated in one spectrum. 
The physical symptom, or emotion associated with that color is enhanced, causing a shift in that direction.
Not only is working with sound, music, color, and light fun, but it just all makes sense to me……

 
http://feathertouchpathandpurpose.com

Thursday, June 2, 2011

SO ANYWAY.......

This whole sound and vibration thing……it’s more than just woo-woo; it’s science!  Scientific research backs up everything you will read about in this blog.  Just thought I’d mention that before moving right along, for those of you who might be doing that eye-rolling thing…….

It’s long been established that our energy body vibrates, as does every organ in our body.  Every cell, every organ, even every thought vibrates to a certain frequency, so it stands to reason that when we are healthy, we vibrate in a specific way; just as when we become ill, our vibration changes; it becomes slower.   
Our vibrational frequencies can be thrown out of tune by trauma, negative thought patterns, toxins and stress.

The overwhelming amount of contrasting frequencies in our modern world from cell phones, laptops, televisions and other electrical devices further throw our natural healthy frequency into chaos. There are so many fun (and legitimately scientifically-based) ways to help the body to remember its healthy frequency and begin to resonate harmoniously again. 

Music and sound therapy work just as when a stringed instrument  placed in one corner of a room will begin to resonate with the same tone, as another stringed instrument across the room which a particular note or chord has been played.

Sound therapy is comprehensive…and can be used for diverse conditions including stress reduction, pain management,  and even in cases of addiction.

It can take the form of many different tools, including cd, chimes, drums, singing bowls, and even tuning forks.
Tuning forks have been increasingly used by chiropractors, massage therapists, reflexologists and even by acupuncturists for patients who may be afraid of needles!

Because of its non-invasive nature, Sound Therapy is well suited for use with children and pets.

....AND.....it STILL makes sense to me !

http://feathertouchpathandpurpose.com/