A while back, a gentleman I know described a day when he was really "in the flow." He told me how every single step that needed to be taken, was taken for him by an "Earth Angel." He said he didn't have to do much of anything to accomplish his goals for the day. Every desire was fulfilled divinely and effortlessly.

As I delved deeper into his story, however, I discovered that, in truth, his "angels" were simply friends and family members who were taking on responsibilities that were actually — as far as I could tell — his to take. He wasn't pulling his own weight, so they pulled it for him.
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We've heard a lot about specific vegetables, fruits, nuts, and berries that assist us in preventing cancer. But what about the foods we should avoid eating that tend to create situations in our bodies that allow for cancer — the no. 2 killer in America — to occur?

It's important for you to know what kinds of foods to avoid since 35 – 60 percent of all cancers are caused by diet — the biggest factor in causing cancer,  according to The Cancer Project, a non-profit organization consisting of a team of physicians and researchers who seek to increase awareness about cancer prevention and to improve survival after diagnosis. And because we usually make our own choices regarding the foods we eat, carefully considering these major dietary factors and making better choices helps make cancer more preventable and avoidable.
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As part of her WOW! Women On Writing blog tour, author Stephanie Riseley chats about one of the topics in her book — maintaining a relationship with a loved one after death.

What an eclectic, fabulous place Holistic Future is! There's so much great information!

I'm here today because my book, Love From Both Sides – A True Story of Soul Survival and Sacred Sexuality, tells the story of my husband dying in my arms then coming back and not only communicating, but connecting energetically; i.e., sexually from the In Between.  And as bizarre as that might seem as you read this, trust me, it was far more bizarre to have it happen!  But happen it did, and that's why I had to write the book.  Actually, if you read the book, you'll see I didn't have much choice but to write it, and you can read the first four chapters online at my website: www.StephanieRiseley.com — you'll understand exactly what I mean.
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It's not easy to get rid of a bobbing plastic wasteland twice the size of Texas in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. But that's the exact challenge that a group of conservationists and scientists will try to figure out.

Called the "Eastern Garbage Patch," also known as the "Plastic Vortex," this toxic floating dump site northeast of Hawaii has been slowly building up over the past 60 years and continues to grow in size and complexity.

This summer the group will set out on a 70-day expedition, called Project Kaisei, sailing from San Francisco to Hawaii and back, and will attempt to analyze and determine the best way to remove it (to later convert it into diesel fuel) with the least amount of damaging effects on the surrounding sea life. A National Geographic film crew will be present to create a documentary about the expedition's findings and Google Earth will track its progress with imagery and high-tech overlays.
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In my message a couple of weeks ago, I told a story that perfectly illustrated the point I wanted to make that day—the point that the divine flow is not always about you.

As I wrote, "Sometimes you are being divinely guided to say something or do something that will help someone else fulfill his or her dream . . . not necessarily yours. You may be guided to simply help another person live life more abundantly. Or, you may be guided to help another person live, period." (To review the entire message, click here.)

After reading that story, Chris of Payson, Arizona, wrote to me and told me about his own experience with this particular aspect of the divine flow.  And today I would like to share his example with you.
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In Alaska the week of April 20-24, 2009, a cloud of butterflies flapped their wings. The world didn't notice. But in time, we will all feel their effect.

The fluttering took place at a gathering of 300 Indigenous People in Anchorage. Representing millions, they came from the scorching plains of Africa, the abundant forests of the Amazon, from small islands glittering in the South Pacific, lush hilltops in India and the icy wilds of the Arctic. They came to discuss climate change.

It was the first such gathering – and I was privileged to be there for the whole week. It was clear from the outset that global warming is now the single greatest threat to the survival of Indigenous Peoples, whose already precarious existence is intimately entwined with the fate of the planet they call Mother Earth. Although their communities are scattered widely, they had much more in common with each other than with the newcomers now running the show in their respective countries. Living in a symbiotic relationship with nature, they are being hit first and hardest by the rapid changes to global weather systems that the rest of the world has only recently woken up to.
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Occasionally I receive inquiries as to exactly how my kundalini got activated, and other questions pertaining to its related experiences.

For those of you who are unaware of kundalini, it is a powerful intelligent mechanism that forces prana, or life force energy, up the spine, stimulating a person's nervous system and increasing one's level of consciousness. When the kundalini mechanism somehow becomes activated in the base of spine, usually through meditation, it progressively makes it way toward the top of the head and merges with the higher levels of mind. When this happens, usually after several kundalini episodes (sometimes after only one event) and sometimes over a period of many years, it can produce mystical states, open up latent psychic abilities, enhance perceptions and senses, improve physical abilities, or awaken creativity, genius, and artistic skills. It is when there is a blockage in the body's energy patterns, or instead travels up one of the two subtle channels that spiral around the spinal column, that unpleasant experiences and illnesses can occur, sometimes devastating to the point where a person is no longer able to function properly in their everyday lives.
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Coca-Cola Co. is working on a new type of beverage bottle that is more Earth-friendly and could potentially replace some of the environmentally harmful plastic it now uses.

The new package, called "PlantBottle," replaces the conventional petroleum-based resin bottles with a blend of petroleum-based materials and up to 30 percent plant-based materials. The blend could make the bottles easier and cheaper to recycle, while reducing the time they remain in landfills.

"We're interested in developing the packaging of the future, which we think is going to be in some ways derived from either plants or something else that is a naturally occurring resource that's not under stress like petroleum," said Lisa Manley, a Coca-Cola spokeswoman.
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It is not uncommon for aspiring authors to send me their manuscripts. They usually do so for one of two reasons: They are either seeking an endorsement from me for their work, or they want permission to reference something from my book in theirs.

I recently received a manuscript from Dan Crenshaw in Mesa, Arizona, who will soon be publishing a book on the insights he has gained from an in-depth study of The Serenity Prayer, by Reinhold Niebuhr. You know the prayer, don't you?  The popularized version reads:
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Experienced meditators appear to have remarkably enhanced areas of their brains compared to people who don't meditate.

These areas of the brain that were noted to be thickened are responsible for emotional control.

A study done by UCLA's Laboratory of Neuro Imaging (LONI) using MRI scans showed the regions, including the hippocampus and right frontal cortex, were larger in 44 individuals who meditated an average of 24 years.

"We know that people who consistently meditate have a singular ability to cultivate positive emotions, retain emotional stability and engage in mindful behavior," said Eileen Luders, lead author and a postdoctoral research fellow at LONI. "The observed differences in brain anatomy might give us a clue why meditators have these exceptional abilities."
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