The Zenquility Blog

Electric Purple Protein Smoothie

2010-10-21T11:55:00.001-04:00

I made up this recipe when I was looking for a post-workout source of protein, and it was so delicious that this may be my new incentive to exercise. It can also be a great high-protein mid-afternoon snack. Shaklee Instant Protein(R) Soy Mix is an all-natural, vegetarian, non-GMO source of protein.

Ingredients:

8 oz. almond or soy milk
1 small banana or 1/2 large banana
2 tbsp. Shaklee Instant Protein(R) Soy Mix
1 c. frozen blueberries

Put ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Makes about 16 oz.

Protein content: 16g from Shaklee Instant Protein, plus whatever comes from the milk that you choose. (I was surprised that Silk Pure Almond had only 1g, being made from nuts.)

Where can you get Shaklee Instant Protein? Through Zenquility, either by purchasing it online through our online store or having us order for you. (We place an order once a week.) Call me at 1-877-ZENQUILITY (local: 703-625-4730) or contact us here.

We partner with Shaklee to provide premium health products that are 100% money-back guaranteed to be Always Safe, Always Effective, Always Green.

How to Do a Fire Reading

2010-10-11T11:45:00.002-04:00

Fire Readings are a fun technique for building and opening intuition. Don't think of this as just a parlor trick; the more that you open your intuition, the stronger sense of direction and guidance you'll have in your life.

Creating your fire reading.
Remember to focus on your question!

Really, these should be called Smoke Readings because while fire is involved, it's the smoke patterns that you're reading.

What you need to do a Fire Reading:

Index cards
A candle or tea light, and something to light it
A bowl of water to put out accidental fires
A partner, ideally
Your question(s)

Steps:

Light the candle.
Call in your personal guides to assist you. Also call in Archangel Michael to clear your field and keep away any spirits that aren't your guides.
Pick up an index card and hold it against your heart. Decide what your question is and meditate on it for 30 seconds while you imagine that you're infusing the question and its answer into the index card.
Hold it blank side down (i.e., lined side facing the ceiling) over the candle flame.While you continue to focus silently on your question, wave the card over the flame in random patterns, holding the card at the right height so that the smoke makes smudge marks on the paper but the paper doesn't burn. (If a card accidentally catches fire, quickly dunk it in the bowl of water.) Don't look at the underside of the card while you're doing this.
Continue waving until you have a gut sense that the process is done.
Hand the card to your partner for the reading, or if you're doing this alone, turn the card over so that you can see the pattern. If working with a partner, I recommend a blind reading: Don't tell your partner what your question was as you hand him the card.
The reading is done by using the pattern created by the smoke as a jumping-off point for receiving intuitive guidance. Sometimes the smoke actually draws a picture that answers your question; other times the message is given abstractly through the overall feeling of the artwork or individual elements within it. And sometimes it's simply a focal point--literally something to stare at while you let your mind go and let guidance in. Honor whatever thoughts, feelings, and images come to you as you study the card. Use deep breaths to help you relax and get into the flow. The more that you approach this with a sense of Playfulness, Discovery, and Allowing, the easier that intuition will flow.
If you are the partner doing the reading, you might ask at several points during the reading whether what you're saying resonates with the questioner, or you might prefer to say everything that comes through and verify at the end. You can also ask if the questioner has any follow-up questions about what you've said.
If you want to ask another question, repeat the process with a new index card.
When you're done, thank your partner, Archangel Michael, and your guides, and blow out the candle.

The first time I tried Fire Readings, my card waving produced the image to the right.

My first, randomly-created, fire
reading image. What do you see?

When I handed it to my friend Larry, he looked at it and said, "I don't know what your question is, but obviously the answer is Joy." Do you see what he saw?

If you try a fire reading, let me know how it goes. I'd love to read your comments here.

En-joy!
~Chris

Looking to bring more intuition into your life? Sonia Choquette has been one of my best teachers for that. Her book Trust Your Vibes is fantastic:

We're Going National!

2010-08-16T18:28:00.001-04:00

Introducing Zenquility's New Business Model

We made this announcement in our recent newsletter and wanted to share it with our blog and Facebook followers, too.

If you've known Zenquility only as a massage therapy practice, then the idea of us going national is somewhat puzzling.

The other services that Zenquility offers in holistic healing—including energy healing, emotional release, and supplement consultations—can all be done across the distance. Phone consultations are actually quite common in alternative and holistic health practices, and we're adding Zenquility to that population of practitioners who work with people all across the country by phone and Skype video chat. We've even acquired a toll-free number for this purpose: 1-877-ZENQUILITY (936-7845).

Kelley's move to Fallbrook, CA, inspired us to think bigger. Not only will she continue her previous work in a virtual mode, now she will also step into a healer role using the gifts and skills that she's held for years. (In fact, Kelley has been doing energy healing longer than Chris, just not professionally until now.) Kelley's location in the Pacific Time Zone also means more hours in the day that we can serve you.

Our expanded model includes:

Free consultations by phone or Skype
Sessions of energy healing and emotional release techniques also held by phone or chat
Online healing sessions on Facebook and eventually other sites such as Ustream
Webinars and workshops held online to expand the teaching aspect of our practice
Videos, individual and series, to teach you about your body, mind, and soul and how to care for them

Local clients will have the same option to work with by phone, because we know how traffic can turn 10 miles into an hour drive. Note that massage therapy services are only available in Gainesville with Chris, and obviously have to be done in person; on the other hand, energy healing can be a comparable or superior substitute.

We're really excited about the new people we're going to meet and help now that geography isn't a restriction. We look forward to being a more powerful resource for you and the people that you know. Remember our referral program which offers you 20% off a session when your friend schedules an appointment. Now we can help you, wherever you are, and the people you know with illness, pain, or depression, wherever they live. Invite them to give us a call.

Free Massages: Why We Do It

2010-05-11T20:55:00.000-04:00

The winner of a recent drawing for a free Zenquility massage asked why we do it. She was grateful but obviously looking for the "catch," wondering what I would try to sell her when she came in for her free session. There was no catch; although I appear to be giving away something for nothing, here's how I see it:

Whenever I give someone a massage, whether it's 5 minutes or 90 minutes, whether they pay for it or not, it has a positive impact on them. For that period of time--and usually several hours after--they're much more relaxed and calm. And if that person is an overworked mom whose 3 year-old comes to her in the evening after the masage and says, "Mommy, some day I want to make the whole world happy," and the mom is so relaxed that instead of her usual reflexive cynical response she says "Yes, sweetie, that sounds like a nice thing to do," then maybe 40 years from now that little girl will be President of the United States and usher in the greatest era of peace that Earth has ever experienced...

...Or maybe that person who got 5 minutes of free massage at a fair will experience being cared about by someone he doesn't know, and that new viewpoint will guide him to write a bestselling book that inspires thousands of people to open their hearts...

...Or maybe that person who started receiving our newsletter because she provided her email address when she entered the drawing will be inspired to take her own leap of faith and start a business that does something more phenomenal than I could ever imagine.

It's never for nothing.

~Chris
http://www.zenquility.com

What Can Holistic Healing Do for You?

2010-04-06T15:30:00.002-04:00

The many benefits of holistic healing stem from its gentle approach that respects the natural healing abilities of your body. We've found 20 things that holistic healing can do for you; how many can you add?

Work with your body instead of against it
Offer a new solution for an unresolved chronic condition
Provide a gentle mode of healing with little to no side effects
Empower you to make your own health decisions
Teach you how to hear and respect the messages from your body
Help you understand that pain isn't a punishment
See the connection between what's going on in your body and what's going on in your life
Help release the resentments regrets that hold you back from everyday happiness
Help you get back to being important to yourself so that it's OK to spend time, energy, and money on helping yourself feel better and get back on the right path
Help you value your own opinion as equal to the thoughts, opinions, and feelings of others—even doctors
Lead to accelerated personal and spiritual development
Bring you closer to other people, from your family to total strangers
Bring you closer to God
Help you feel more connected to your own body instead of feeling alienated from and betrayed by it
Help you allow yourself to see the miracles that happen in everyday life
Help you be happy with yourself as you are now instead of waiting to be "better"
Help you see yourself as God sees you
Show you how taking care of yourself can be an enjoyable experience
Restore the balance among your body, mind, and soul
(This one is yours to decide. What would you like holistic healing to do for you?)

Learn more about what holistic healing is at Zenquility.

You are Complete, You are Creator

2010-04-02T10:23:00.000-04:00

You are complete, You are whole, and You are Divine. God/Source/Creator did not create You by saying "Go there and I will dwell within You and around You." God/Source/Creator said "Go there and be Me—as Me—so that I can experience what it's like to be Me there, in that place under those life conditions."

It is true that You cannot exist without God/Source/Creator, because it is impossible for You to exist without God/Source/Creator. That would be like saying that You could exist without Yourself.

All-That-Is includes all dualities together at once: light and dark, yes and no, wellness and sickness, knowing and not knowing. In Your third-dimensional experience, You have mostly expressed only one half of each pair at a time. When You are in a place of not knowing God/Source/Creator and not knowing Yourself as God/Source/Creator, You are expressing one half of the duality of knowing-Yourself-as-God/Source/Creator and not-knowing-Yourself-as-God/Source/Creator, but they are both a part of you even now. So coming to know Yourself as God/Source/Creator is not an act of seeking outside Yourself but looking within to find the other half of the pair.

--Christina Ammerman

Action in Alignment: A Law of Attraction Quote from Abraham

2010-03-22T13:03:00.000-04:00

If there is something that you have to do, resist the temptation to do it under duress. Ask yourself, "What's the worst thing that would happen if I didn't do this?" And if you can get away with not doing it at all, don't do it. And then imagine what would it feel like to have this done. Spend a day or two, if you can, just 15 minutes here, 5 minutes here, 2 minutes here, here and here, imagining it completed in a way that pleases you! And then, the next time you decide that you're going to take action about it, the action is going to be a whole lot easier.

--- Abraham

Excerpted from the workshop in Phoenix, AZ on Sunday, April 5th, 1998 #386

Our Love,

Jerry and Esther

Learn how to get into the vortex with The Teachings of Abraham: The Master Course CD Program, 11-CD set.

The Magical and the Mundane

2010-03-10T14:19:00.002-05:00

Small children are fascinated with the stuff that comes out of their own bodies—things like "poopie" that we find mundane and a little disgusting. To the child, though, that poopie is his own creation—one of the countless many things that he will create in his lifetime—and he values it as much as any success he may create when he's older.

There is much we can learn from this. Each thing that we create is marvelous—not just the painting or the book or the job or the healing, but also the food on the table, the working indoor plumbing, and the clean, orderly house. Every thing, every element, every relationship and situation in your life is equally marvelous as it represents all the people and energies who came together to create it. Regard all your creations with equal awe and gratitude. Let every creation be magical and also mundane.

Rough Winter Skin? There's a Quick Fix in Your Kitchen!

2010-02-16T11:36:00.000-05:00

To slough away dry, chapped skin on your hands:

Go to your kitchen, grab white sugar and a bottle of oil (olive, grapeseed, coconut, etc.) and bring them over to your sink.
Working over the sink, scoop about 1/4 cup of sugar into one hand, then pour a little oil over it. (There's no exact ratio needed here; start with less oil and add more if you prefer.)
Mix the oil and sugar together between your palms to form a gritty paste.
Rub the paste all over both hands, front and back, paying special attention to knuckles and any other areas that are extra dry. A circular motion is especially effective.
When you're done, rinse and dry.

The sugar removes dead skin; the oil moisturizes. You can use salt instead of sugar, although that may sting on cracked skin.

To make a body scrub, increase the recipe and use in the shower. For a scented scrub, add a few drops of extract or essential oil. And for safety, be sure to wash the oil off the floor of the shower when you're done.

A Free World - a Law of Attraction Quote

2010-02-02T20:36:00.001-05:00

See this world as a free world, and see everyone in it as trying—through their individual experiences—to find their way back to that calling, back to that Source Energy. And even though there are billions of them going about it in a way that is different than you would choose, there's no right or wrong way. In other words, bless them all, and get on with the only thing you have any power about, which is opening or closing your vortex to your natural state of Well-Being.

--- Abraham

Excerpted from the workshop in San Francisco, CA on Saturday, February 28th, 2004 #338

Our Love,
Jerry and Esther Hicks
http://www.abraham-hicks.com

Complaining - a Law of Attraction Quote

2010-01-24T18:34:00.002-05:00

Complaining about anything, holds you in the place of refusing to receive the things you've been asking for. Justifying about anything holds you in the place of refusing to let in the very things that you've been asking for. Blaming someone, holds you in the place of refusing to let in the things that you've been asking for. Feeling guilty, feeling angry, it doesn't matter what you call it, it is a refusal, not a conscious one. You're asking; you can't help but ask. The Universe is yielding; it must yield. It's a big question, folks: why aren't you letting it in?

--- Abraham

Excerpted from the Abraham-Hicks Law of Attraction workshop in Los Angeles, CA on Saturday, March 10th, 2001 #306

Welcome to Planet Earth - a Law of Attraction quote

2009-12-30T14:40:00.000-05:00

If we were talking to you on your first day here we would say, "Welcome to planet Earth. There is nothing that you cannot be or do or have. And your work here—your lifetime career—is to seek joy.

"As you think thoughts that feel good to you, you will be in harmony with who-you-really-are. And in doing so you will utilize your profound freedom. Seek joy first, and all of the growth that you could ever imagine will come joyously and abundantly unto you."

--- Abraham

Excerpted from the book "Money and the Law of Attraction: Learning to Attract Health, Wealth and Happiness"

5 Easy Ways to Boost Your Immune System

2009-12-01T13:53:00.008-05:00

It's cold & flu season again. Don't have time to be sick? Then make time to stay well. Here are five easy ways to promote a strong immune system for you and your family:

Manage stress. When your body is in the "fight or flight" mode caused by distress, it sends a signal to turn off your immune system. Sci-fi fans may appreciate the analogy of "diverting all power to the shields." Taking time to unwind and let go of stressful thoughts allows your immune system to come back on.

To do: Make regular time for relaxing activities such as massage and Reiki and joyful moments such as time with your family. Joy and Love are the two most healing emotions a human can experience. And to serve you in between appointments, I offer you this guided meditation for relaxation and grounding. Listen to it on your PC or iPod when you need some quick help managing your stress.

Get enough sleep. You hear me say it often: "Sleep is the body’s time for healing." While you rest your body repairs itself, so getting enough sleep allows time for your immune system to rebuild and fight off invaders, protecting you from symptoms of cold, flu, and other illnesses.

To do: Make it a priority to catch up on any sleep deficit. Eight hours per night is a healthy goal for most people; if you already have a deficit you may need more sleep for a week or two. (DVR those favorite TV shows for another time.) More important than anything, listen to your body and respect the signals telling you that you need sleep. (If you're having trouble getting to sleep, go back to Tip #1.)

Get the right nutrients from your diet. A healthy, balanced diet provides the building blocks that your body needs, but few people consistently eat a fully balanced diet. When your body is undernourished even slightly, it starts robbing Peter to pay Paul, serving the heart, lungs and brain before other systems of the body such as your immune system.

Vitamin D is getting a lot of attention as a nutrient that's important to the immune system—and one that many people lack. Experts say that people who live north of the Atlanta-Los Angeles latitude (that is, most of the U.S.) are much more likely to be Vitamin D-deficient because we don't get enough sun. Earlier this year, the recommended daily dose of Vitamin D was increased to 1000 IU.

To do: Maintain a balanced diet to ensure that all systems of your body are adequately fueled. If your diet isn’t balanced, you can fill the nutritional gaps with supplements. And since not all supplements are the same, be sure that yours are high-quality and highly-bioavailable. Shaklee's Vita-Lea and Vitalizer both contain 1000 IU of Vitamin D, in addition to a full complement of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Vitalizer is part of Shaklee’s Rx For a Healthier Life, a complete approach to bring you supercharged vitality, immune support, and cell-level health.*

Balance your pH. Like it or not, your body is the host for millions of unseen microbial guests; when they overrun your system, you get sick. These microbes thrive in highly acidic environments, and the typical American diet—favoring sugar, fat, and animal protein over vegetables and vegetable protein—creates the perfect acidic environment for these freeloaders to thrive.

How can you tell if you’re too acidic? One sign is craving acidifying foods like sugar and protein. If acidity has encouraged an overgrowth of invaders such as yeast (Candida albicans), they take what they need to survive, triggering cravings from your body to replenish those nutrients.

To do: Maintain your pH with an ongoing process of balancing the amounts of acidifying and alkalinizing foods in your diet. Leafy greens, cucumbers, and vegetable proteins such as soy are common alkalizing foods; explore sprouts and grasses for a bigger impact. For more guidance on pH-balancing your diet:
- Quick reference: Alkaline Acid Chart, online at The Wolfe Clinic.com
- Highly detailed information: The pH Miracle: Balance Your Diet, Reclaim Your Health by Robert O. Young
- Easy-to-follow dietary plans: The pH Balance Diet: Restore Your Acid-Alkaline Levels to Eliminate Toxins and Lose Weight by Bharti Vyas and Suzanne Le Quesne

Think healthy thoughts. In his book The Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter, & Miracles, Dr. Bruce Lipton, Ph.D. presents new understanding of what really controls your body's behaviors, on the gross and microscopic levels. He describes your body as a machine made of proteins constantly responding to signals. These signals can be eletrical, chemical, and magnetic, coming from anywhere including the electrical signals of your thoughts and emotions.

To do: Monitor the signals that you send, gently replacing any self-deprecating thoughts about you or your body with healthy ones. Meditate for 60 seconds on images of health. Repeat affirmations such as "I deserve to be healthy," "My body is healthy and whole," "I am safe in my environment."

Support a strong immune system by making these habits a priority for you and your family, and you will all have a healthy, happy cold & flu season.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.

What the Right Supplements Can Do For You

2009-11-07T12:09:00.009-05:00

This photo testimony is quite stunning. This young woman is not my client but uses the same supplement line that I offer through my holistic healing practice.

Stephanie, 21 years old, has been struggling with Alopecia for quite awhile. The doctors wanted to put her on steroids; Stephanie and her mother decided they would try Shaklee’s nutritional products as their first option.

Here are Stephanie’s before and after photos that she has given permission to share. Look at both views from the bottom up: (1) Stephanie before Vivix and Vitalizer, then (2) first month on Vivix and Vitalizer, then (3) second month on Vivix and Vitalizer.

A 21-year-old who is losing her hair must feel pretty hopeless and small. What health problems have had you feeling hopeless and small? Supplements are only one of the many tools I have in my proverbial tool belt. I am ready to help you feel hopeful and limitless.

~Chris

Christina Ammerman, CMT
Holistic Healer
Zenquility: Website | Facebook | Twitter
703.625.4730
chris@zenquility.com

Being Right

2009-10-04T10:58:00.004-04:00

You do not need to prove others wrong in order for you to be right.

If you feel threatened when others disagree with you, it has nothing to do with them and their viewpoint; it has to do with you and your viewpoint.

Focus your energies on completely aligning every ounce of your being with your chosen viewpoint. Let every ounce of your being—your outer AND inner being—be at peace with it. And if some part of your being will not come into alignment with your viewpoint—if you still experience negative emotion about it—then look within to see if that viewpoint truly serves you.

When you are truly in alignment with what you believe, you will not care whether others agree with you.

Law of Attraction Quote from Abraham: Being Selfish

2009-10-02T10:55:00.002-04:00

So many people need you to behave in a certain way for them to feel good. They condemn you for your selfishness. "How dare you be so selfish as to follow what makes you feel good? You should follow what makes us feel good." At an early age, you were convinced that you weren't smart enough to know, and that somebody else should make the decisions... You could not live in this culture during the times of your life without getting a huge amount of information relative to that, just in the way people respond to the things you do and say.

--- Abraham

Excerpted from the workshop in San Rafael, CA on Saturday, February 21st, 2004 #214

Our Love,
Jerry and Esther Hicks

Esther & Jerry are co-authors of The Vortex, the new Teachings of Abraham book about relationships:

Law of Attraction Quote from Abraham: The Value of Negative Emotion

2009-09-29T07:53:00.002-04:00

You will always, almost always, most of you, choose negative emotion over no emotion. Because emotion indicates desire. It's exciting!

--- Abraham

Excerpted from the workshop in Silver Springs, MD on Sunday, April 11th, 1999 #211

Our Love,
Jerry and Esther Hicks

Listen to Esther & Jerry online, on demand:

Daily Thought from Neale Donald Walsch: The Supernatural

2009-09-28T10:03:00.004-04:00

On this day of your life, I believe God wants you to know...

..that the supernatural is the natural not yet understood.

Elbert Hubbard said that, and he was right. William
Shakespeare put it another way: There are more things
in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in
your philosophy.

All of which is to say, do not be too surprised by the
inexplicable. And if you've been wondering whether
you can trust this thing called God--the answer is yes.

Hey, you asked for a sign and here it is--literally out
of the blue. So smile. Okay?

Love, Your Friend....
Neale Donald Walsch

Neale is the author of the Conversations with God series and co-founder of the Spiritual Cinema Circle.

Law of Attraction Quote from Abraham: Missing the Boat

2009-09-22T15:29:00.000-04:00

There's an expression in the physical environment that you use to entertain each other. (it doesn't serve you very well) that says, "I worry that I'll go down to the dock, and that my ship will have already come and gone. I'll miss my boat." And we say, another boat, another boat, another boat. You have no idea how many boats are coming to your dock. It's a steady stream, and it doesn't matter how many of them you've missed. The only thing that matters is what are you doing right now in your vibration? And you can tell what you're doing right now in your vibration by the way you feel.

--- Abraham

Excerpted from the workshop in Los Angeles, CA on Saturday, August 4th, 2001 #202

Our Love,
Jerry and Esther Hicks

Law of Attraction Quote from Abraham: Variety

2009-09-22T14:35:00.002-04:00

There is a big mix out there, and there's lots of different things going on, and there is not one way that was intended to be the right way. Just like there's not one color or one flower or one vegetable or one fingerprint. There is not one that is to be the right one over all others. The variety is what fosters the creativity. And so you say, "Okay, I accept that there's lots of variety, but I don't like to eat cucumbers." Don't eat cucumbers. But don't ask them to be eliminated and don't condemn those who eat them. Don't stand on corners waving signs trying to outlaw the things that you don't like. Don't ruin your life by pushing against. Instead, say, "I choose this instead. This does please me."

--- Abraham

Excerpted from the workshop in Rye, NY on Sunday, October 12th, 1997 #204

Our Love,
Jerry and Esther Hicks, authors of the new book The Vortex:

Law of Attraction Quote from Abraham: Talking About It

2009-09-17T16:38:00.004-04:00

It should only be talked about if the talking will make you feel better. It is of no value, ever, to activate and talk about something that doesn't feel good, because it reactivates it in your vibration; it makes it another point of your point of attraction so you're less clear.

In other words, when you focus upon the problems of others, you diminish your ability to help them. People believe that you've got to focus upon the problem in order to find a solution. And we say, no solution ever comes forth - it's never inspired; you never recognize it, and you are never able to facilitate or achieve it - from your place of focusing on the problem. They are two entirely different vibrations. If you have someone who has many things going wrong and one thing going right, beat the drum of what's going right, and let that be your point of attraction. If you focus upon their problems, you achieve vibrational harmony with something other than the Source that gives you solution.

--- Abraham

Excerpted from the workshop in San Diego, CA on Saturday, August 23rd, 2003 #199

Our Love,

Jerry and Esther Hicks

Find new clarity of the relationships in your life through their amazing new book, The Vortex:

Do You Have an Obligation to Procrastinate?

2009-05-05T11:33:00.002-04:00

I did, up until three minutes ago. I was staring at a collection of unwashed drinking glasses, knowing they needed to be clean for tonight's gathering tonight. The smart thing to do would be to wash them right then; after all, I had nothing to rush off to in that moment. But I was more inclined put off the task until much later today, even knowing that they'd probably sit there until right before people arrived.

Somehow I convinced myself to wash those glasses right away. I also decided that it was time to get to the bottom of this procrastination thing that effects so much more in my life than drinkware—it permeates my personal and professional existence. Or it had until a few minutes ago.

My favorite tool for working on things like this is ThetaHealing. (Being a ThetaHealer is incredibly convenient for small things; sometimes I need to work with a colleague on the bigger stuff.) I sat down and muscle tested myself to see what was tying me (including my subconscious) to procrastination. (You can learn about the beliefs of your subconscious using muscle testing. I plan to create a video to teaching muscle testing to those who don't know how.)

Here's what I found out about my procrastination:

I have an obligation to procrastinate - Yes
I have an obligation to myself to procrastinate - Yes
I have an obligation to my father to procrastine - No (He's a big procrastinator, so I had to check that it wasn't my way of honoring him)
I'm afraid to live without procrastinating - Yes
It is safe to live without procrastinating - Yes
It is comfortable to live without procrastinating - No
I know how to live without procrastinating - No
I know how it feels to live without procrastinating - No

At that point I got that this was mostly the residue of bigger issues that I've cleared through ThetaHealing. So I used ThetaHealing to instantly clear the obligation and fear and teach myself how to live without procrastination, how it feels to, and that it's comfortable to do so, and that I do so now. Three minutes from the point when I finished washing the last glass, I was done with the Theta session and showing the first signs of not procrastinating by writing this blog post. (Blogging is one the things I very strongly procrastinated on.) Incredible, huh?

If you are prone to procrastination, there's something in your subconscious that you need to heal. If you haven't already worked on the "bigger stuff," then it may be tied to a fear of success or, as it was for me, a fear that I'd die if I "got it all done." These subconscious fears are the sort of things that we may react to with disbelief but they have a very real effect on a person. Thankfully, we can use ThetaHealing to not only find limiting beliefs, obligations, and fears in the subconscious but also release them to God's light within minutes.

Peace and blessings to you.

How Eco-Friendly is Your Health Care?

2009-04-20T15:40:00.005-04:00

Holistic health care is a preferred option for many people because it addresses health problems at the source and promotes natural solutions. But did you know that holistic health care is also more eco-friendly?

When you choose a holistic approach, you put preventive care and alternative solutions ahead of prescriptions and surgeries whenever possible. This approach can help to reduce the eco-impact consumed by drug companies and hospitals.

Holistic health care reduces energy consumption. According to analysis performed at the University of California at Berkeley, the U.S. pharmaceutical industry consumes almost $1 billion in energy annually. Add to that over $6.5 billion that health care organizations spend on energy each year, according to a report at EnergyStar.gov.

If you stay healthy and avoid surgery, you minimize your role in this consumption. So, for example, a person with a back injury who chooses deep tissue massage over painkillers and surgery reduces the carbon footprint of the health care industry.

Holistic health care reduces pollution. Pharmaceuticals contribute significant pollution to our environment: According to an investigation just released today by the Associated Press, U.S. companies have released "at least 271 million pounds of pharmaceuticals into waterways." Everyone from scientists to commercial fishermen knows how these pollutants effect wildlife, by mutating some species and killing off others. Water treatment facilities are not equipped to remove pharmaceuticals as that water enters our drinking supply; we have yet to understand the full effect this has on the human population.

Further impact is created when consumers flush unused prescriptions into the water supply—enough so that local health departments including Prince William County offer guidelines for disposing of pharmaceutical products. Embracing non-pharmaceutical solutions decreases this disastrous effect on us and our environment.

"If I take vitamins and supplements instead of prescriptions, is that better for the environment?"
It depends on what brand you take. Some supplements are produced by drug companies—that may include the brands you by at the supermarket or warehouse. Taking those does nothing to change your footprint.

Choose a brand that’s committed to being eco-friendly, such as Shaklee. Founded on a philosophy of being In Harmony with Nature, and having been the first Climate Neutral Certified company, Shaklee is an environmental leader and a company you can trust to provide eco-friendly products—not just supplements but also skin care, cosmetics, non-toxic green cleaners, and air & water purification. Plus, Shaklee has never tested on animals.

You can further improve the eco-impact of your health care by exploring bodywork and energy work options, such as those available at Zenquility. These therapies address health problems at the source and produce lasting effects without pills. Whatever you choose, inspire yourself to explore a new, eco-friendly approach to healing you and the environment.

Working On the Physical Side of Holistic Weight Loss

2009-04-14T12:30:00.005-04:00

Over the past few months while I've focused on the Attract a Thinner You Meetup Group, I've also been working the ATY principles on myself so that I can be a better guide for you.

One of the guiding principles of Attract a Thinner You is that as you clear out the resistance—the emotional garbage that gets in the way—you start attracting the things that can help you achieve the weight and the look that you want to have.

This happened to me today, when an email arrived in my inbox announcing a new book, The Core Balance Diet by Marcelle Pick.

I get dozens of emails each day, as I'm sure you do too, offering the next get-thin-quick promise; over time my intuition (or "crap detector") has learned to quickly recognize which programs are scams.

But when this message arrived, my crap detector stayed quiet. Before I even started to read, there was something about this email that "felt right." I learned that the approach of The Core Balance Diet, developed by Marcelle Pick based on "decades of patient and personal experience to solve the mystery of stubborn, frustrating weight gain in women," is very thoroughly focused on the root causes of our eating habits and weight gain patterns. She identifies these root causes as digestive sensitivities, hormonal imbalance, adrenal imbalance, neurotransmitter imbalance, and detoxification issues. The book includes a quiz that helps you identify your root causes along with custom eating plans to address them. (Finding out that I was affected by four of the five areas made me feel a little better about my struggle.)

While I still firmly believe that all physical symptoms are manifestations of emotional issues, I acknowledge how the two interplay in a circular fashion, and that we often need to address the physical along with the emotional. My intuition tells me that The Core Balance Diet could be an approach to the physical side that suits me well.

I look forward to receiving my copy to see what dietary changes Marcelle Pick recommends and to sharing with you the effects and benefits I receive from her approach.

Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D?

2009-04-09T11:38:00.005-04:00

Vitamin D has been getting increased attention from medical science. For a while it's been known as an important factor in maintaining bone density—it improves your body's ability to absorb calcium, which is why it's added to milk—but now doctors are starting to understand other important roles that Vitamin D plays in the human body.

I've heard and read a lot about Vitamin D lately. One of the easiest articles to understand is this blog by Drs. Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz, authors of the YOU series of health books. Dr. Oz has become "America's Doctor" because of his frequent appearances on "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

In their blog post, Drs. Roizen and Oz list these benefits of Vitamin D to your body:

It cuts your risk of breast and colon cancer by controlling the rate of cell reproduction in your body. Cancer is by definition a collection of cells that are growing faster than the normal rate, so controlling overall cell growth rate should prevent cancer.

It deters diabetes and other serious diseases by improving your body's ability to produce and use insulin and supporting your immune system. It may help prevent autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

It keeps your heart healthy. Vitamin D reduces inflammation, moderates blood pressure and strengthens artery walls. Vitamin D-deficient men are twice shown to be as likely not only to have a heart attack but to die from it.

How much Vitamin D should you get? Drs. Roisen and Oz recommend 1,000 International Units (IU) of Vitamin D3 daily. (Increase to 1,200 IU if you're over 60.) Are you getting enough? According to these doctors, 45 to 85 percent of Americans are not.

How can you make sure to get enough Vitamin D? The few food sources of Vitamin D are oily fish and D-fortified foods (dairy and some orange juices), but Drs. Roizen and Oz say that you're not likely to eat enough of these foods to get all the D you need. Sun exposure allows your body to produce Vitamin D, but the office-based lifestyle keeps this from being a viable option for most people, and from October to April the sun isn't strong enough to provide enough D to even the most outdoorsy person.

What's an easy way to get enough Vitamin D? Include it in your daily health routine. The 80 bio-optimized nutrients in Vitalizer, from trusted health company Shaklee, include 600 IU of Vitamin D3 (the recommended variation of D); add OsteoMatrix to round out the recommended 1,000 IU and you'll also be getting more than a minimum daily dose of Calcium and Magnesium.

(In a future posting we'll look at the benefits of Magnesium, the growing awareness of Magnesium deficiency among Americans, and how to know if you are Magnesium-deficient. In the meantime, talk to a doctor before starting this combination of Vitalizer and OsteoMatrix or otherwise increasing your magnesium intake if you (1) have high blood pressure or heart problems, (2) are pregant or nursing, or (3) are taking other medications.)

Vitalizer and OsteoMatrix are only two of the many trusted natural supplements that are offered at Zenquility. Supplements are one of the approaches that I use to holistic health care, focusing as much if not more on wellness through the mind-body connection. Working within your preferences and current lifestyle is very important to me. I welcome the opportunity to help you find your natural path to health—not just improved health but optimal health.

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Zenquility is the holistic health practice of Christina Ammerman, CMT. Chris combines bodywork, energy work, and natural supplements to gently enhance your physical, emotional, and spiritual health. She serves clients local to Gainesville, VA, and across the country. For more information and scheduling, contact Chris Ammerman, chris@zenquility.com or 703.625.4730.

The Scoop on Meditation

2009-03-03T10:14:00.006-05:00

I'm a big proponent of meditation. In the swirling madness of daily life (especially these days!) meditation is a simple, effective way to let go of everything that's bringing you down. Meditation helps you create a peaceful oasis that you can take with you anywhere.

What is meditation? For most people, "meditation" summons the image of sitting cross-legged on the floor for 30 minutes chanting "Om." But this is an outdated image of meditation. More simply, meditation is any activity that empties your mind or focuses it on one emotion-free thought. Petting your cat is meditation. My husband regards his morning runs as meditation. Listening to soothing music can be meditation, as can sitting still and taking deep breaths. And of course, the classic sitting cross-legged on the floor chanting "Om" is still meditation.

Whatever meditative activity you choose, it takes as little as one minute to receive the benefits. There are many benefits to meditation. Mentally, it clears your head so that you can focus. Physically, it calms all your responses to stress: blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate, adrenal response, muscle contraction and tension.

There are meditations that require accessories and those that don't. My favorite "accessory-free" meditation is to sit in a comfy chair with my feet on the floor, close my eyes, breathe deeply, and slowly scan my own body. Tuning in to each body part to observe how it feels takes my attention out of my head and puts it onto my physical being. You can try this almost anywhere—even in the middle of a tense office meeting while everyone else is arguing. Just don't do it while you're driving.

Another form of meditation is guided meditation. I love this method because it gives my mind something to do so that I don't start thinking about my to-do list. Guided meditations are available as CDs or downloads. They are narrated journeys into peacefulness, where you are gently guided with music and images. Some guided meditations have a purpose such as energy clearing, personal development, or manifestation; all meditations help you relax.

If you wish to incorporate meditation as a way to calm your daily stresses, consider a program that will help you stick to your routine. "A Year of Guided Meditations," an online program by Dudley & Dean Evenson, is a series of 52 guided meditations featuring profoundly positive principles and ways of becoming your highest self, the Joyful Being that you are meant to be. Every week for a year, you will receive a new guided meditation spoken in a soothing voice along with a beautiful musical background and stunning video images of a nature. Each meditation is only about a minute long—short enough to squeeze into the busiest day—and contains an affirmation spoken in the present tense—the "I AM" tense. By speaking as if you are already embodying the principle, you are not waiting for it to manifest at a future time and it can truly manifest within you in the Now. You can receive the soothing, healing benefits of regular meditation by signing up for "A Year of Guided Meditations" online at DailyOM.

7 Signs It's Time to Hire Someone

2009-02-11T10:28:00.002-05:00

Today I want to share with you some valuable insights from my friend Christine Kane. Through her music, her blog, and her retreats, Christine has taught me a great deal about opening to The Flow and finding joy in life. One of her songs inspired me to quit my job and go to massage school.

Read about the 7 signs that it's time to hire someone to help you, as Christine recently shared:

I remember the first time I hired someone to mow my lawn for the summer. I was a tried-and-true D.I.Y. gal. I prided myself on it.

The only problem was that I freakin' couldn't stand mowing the lawn. I'd dread it all week. And even though I was happy once it was done, I started dreading it again the very next day!

At that time, I was studying several financial and business books. I began seeing my songs as my assets. I realized that the simple act of writing a song like "No Such Thing as Girls Like That" could pay me - in the long run - WAY more than the money I saved by mowing my lawn.

In other words, I learned how to value my work in the world. I learned how to act on that value. It was scary for sure. (The voices in my head shrieked at me to just bite the bullet and do my own lawn!) But that one act taught me so much about success and the value of my time.

These days I've taken it to a much bigger level, and I have a small team working for me.

Now that I'm coaching people, I gently teach them these new ways of valuing their time as they expand into more success in their own lives.

Here are 7 signs that it might be time for you to hire some help...

1 - You don't have enough time to do the thing you're best at.

What are you good at? What do you want to be good at? How much time do you actually spend doing that thing? If you're running around getting menial tasks done - and you have no time to pursue your passion, or engage in your high-pay-off, high-delight activities, then ask yourself why.

Even if you let go of one item (like shoveling the snow) you're telling the Universe the value of your time. (And you know what? The Universe always says Yes.)

2 - You resent people who don't struggle.

This is a big one.

If you hold resentment for people who live life with joy and ease, this could be telling you that you are waiting for rescue. That just leads to more struggle.

Only YOU are in charge of whether or not you struggle. Rescue yourself and learn what true empowerment feels like.

3 - You're worried about the economy

Waiting for the economy to get better before you'll hire someone? Why not become a part of the solution and use your money to improve the economy?

While everyone else is pulling back and firing people - you can experience what it's like to be the change you wish to see in the world!

4 - You think that no one can do it as good as you.

If you just shouted "Amen Sister!" - then please step away from your computer. Go to the bathroom mirror. Look into that mirror and say the following aloud:

"I have a bit of a control issue."

The belief that no one can do it better than you serves only to keep you in the role of the Martyr. Unless you are, say, a brain surgeon, then there are many people who can (and will) do it as good as you.

5 - You're not playing to win. You're playing not to lose.

Ask any coach or athlete about this.

When you play to not lose, all you're doing is surviving, relying on yourself and hoping no one notices you.

When you play to win - you take risks, you keep your mental attitude strong, you rely on the team, you look for the goal. Decide that you want to play to win.

6 - You've used this phrase at least once in the past week: "By the time I show someone how to do it, I could just do it myself."

This is a classic phrase of someone who refuses to succeed. It's the mantra of the struggle-addict.

Learning how to delegate is empowering. Not just for you, but for others as well. Besides, when you show them how to do it once, they can keep on doing it so you don't have to!

7 - You dread certain things so much that they don't get done.

It's okay to not enjoy aspects of your work or your life. (Most musicians don't like doing their own newsletter, for instance.) This is the exact thing you can hire someone to do.

What items do you dread? No matter what they are, when you get them off your plate, you'll experience more energy just knowing they're getting done - and you don't have to worry about them anymore!

Performer, songwriter, and creativity consultant Christine Kane publishes her 'LiveCreative' weekly ezine with more than 4,000 subscribers. If you want to be the artist of your life and create authentic and lasting success, you can sign up for a FREE subscription to LiveCreative at www.christinekane.com.

The Eat Right for Your Type Diet

2009-01-19T12:29:00.003-05:00

For a couple weeks I've been following the Eat Right for Your Type diet, and I thought I'd share my experiences.

What is it?

The Eat Right for Your Type diet was created by Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo. It takes into account the presence or absences of proteins that define you as blood type A, B, AB, or O, and suggests an individualized diet based on how those proteins interact with food and otherwise affect your body. This is not a weight loss diet, although you may naturally lose a few pounds when you stop eating foods that cause inflammation and bloating.

What it entails:

There are some books about this diet, written by Dr. D'Adamo. I haven't read the original book; I just follow the "pocket guide" that lists food, beverage, and supplement lists for my blood type (A).
For each food category, you have a list of foods that are highly beneficial, neutral, or to be avoided. The closer you follow this advice, the better you'll feel.
Through the website you can buy individualized supplements for your blood type. After reading the advice for my blood type, I still prefer my Shaklee vitamins for guaranteed effectiveness and quality.

Here are some things I've noticed since I switched to this diet:

#1 - My body handles food better. I don't get tired after each meal like I used to. I always thought that happened because all my energy was diverted to the crucial task of digestion—just as a spaceship's crew diverts all power to its shields when under attack. It turns out that the sleepiness was more like an allergic reaction.

#2 - I was surprised by some of the advice. For instance, sweet potatoes are supposed to be so healthy, but they're a food I was told to avoid.

#3 - I quickly lost a couple inches around my waist. And my abdomen no longer has the solid, distended feeling when I touch it.

#4 - I actually enjoy this new way of eating. Finding harmony with food has been an emotional struggle as much as a physical one, and 180 that this diet required really reset a lot of my issues. I wasn't aware how my body's physical struggle with the foods I chose was contributing to my emotional struggles.

What I like: Individualization.
This is so much better than a one-size-fits-all approach to eating. It takes into account what's going on in an individual's body instead of generalizing one diet that should be good for everyone.

What to watch out for: Stereotyping.
While this approach is more individualized, it still contains many generalizations. Dr. D'Adamo describes conditions that he believes are common to everyone with a specific blood type. For instance, he says type As naturally produce more mucus and lack intrinsic factor in our stomachs, affecting digestion. I'm not bought into the idea that every type A is the same, and that blood type is the only factor contributing to this conditions. I'm sure what he wrote is what he found in the people he studied, but my approach to health doesn't get caught up in statistics of how it is for everyone else, because I control my own destiny, especially inside my body. So I suggest that you read what he wrote, but instead of automatically believing what he says, check in with yourself to see if it feels true for you.

If you decide to give this diet a try, come back and tell me how you do with it.

Would you like to save $10?

2009-01-16T14:47:00.007-05:00

Submit a review of your Zenquility experience, and I'll thank you with $10 off your next session. All honest testimonials will be accepted. You have three ways to submit your review:

Via the Review section of the Zenquility Facebook page
By commenting on this blog entry
By emailing your testimonial directly to me

By submitting your review, you agree to let me use your testimonial anywhere I promote Zenquility, including but not limited to online and print publications. Whenever possible, I'll limit your identity to first name, last initial, and town. (Facebook links your review to your profile and automatically displays your information there.)

Haven't had a Zenquility experience yet? Schedule one today!

Thank you for helping me bring health and happiness to others.

Chakra Crystal Table

2009-01-05T08:34:00.003-05:00

During December I had the chance to experience my first session on the Chakra Crystal Table at The Natural Marketplace in Warrenton, VA. I'd heard about this table earlier in 2008 from someone who called it the "John of God" table. It gets this name because each of the crystals used with the table was "blessed" by João Teixeira de Faria, The Miracle Man of Brazil, also known as John of God. The owner of The Natural Marketplace brought the table back from a trip she took to Brazil. (I've heard of many people in healing fields making pilgrimages to Brazil.)

So what is the Chakra Crystal Table? The table itself is a regular massage table with a heated BioMat on top. You lie on the table—BTW, you have to wear all white because colored fabric may disrupt the light energy—and seven crystals are positioned above your chakras. The crystals are suspended over you on what I can best describe as adjustable metal "arms." A member of the Marketplace staff helps you get situated, and when you're ready she turns on the crystals so that they light up in a specific sequence that works on your chakras. Then she turns off the room light and leaves the room so that you can quietly lie on the table, listening to soft music and allowing the crystals to balance your chakras.

What are the effects of the chakra crystal table? I was told they vary from person to person. That makes sense, since each person's chakras are in a difference state. Many people report feeling very relaxed. My experience was a little more active; I've worked on my chakras a lot already with Reiki, meditation, and ThetaHealing. I felt many shivers and shimmers of sensation through my body which I recognized as releases of negative energy that often occur during a SomatoEmotional
Release of CranioSacral Therapy. I also felt warm sensations flow up my spine from tailbone to crown, which I recognized as the flow of Kundalini energy. By the end of the session, I felt a little fuzzy-headed but very peaceful.

The Chakra Crystal table session is $40 for 40 minutes at The Natural Marketplace. After seven sessions, your eighth session is free. If you decide try a session, please tell them I referred you.

There's No Better Time to Say YES!

2008-12-16T08:38:00.013-05:00

You know that I offer Shaklee products through my practice because I strongly believe in the many ways that they make our lives healthier. I have countless testimonials about how Shaklee products have brought people increased energy, relief from pain, beautiful healthy skin, and a cleaner safer home.

I believe just as strongly in the income opportunity that Shaklee provides regular people, and I'm continually impressed by how they keep adding new ways that we can make money. I usually keep myself from giving the hard sell, but the newest incentives from Shaklee are truly outstanding, and I just can't keep myself from telling everyone.

First I have to say that making money through Shaklee isn't about selling, it's about sharing. Many of the opportunities will come to you just because you use the products; when people see how much better you look and feel—within days or weeks of switching to Shaklee's products—they'll beg to know how you did it so that they can do the same. Where else can you increase your income potential simply by taking better care of yourself?

Now is the best time in history to get involved with Shaklee. During the first quarter of 2009, Shaklee will be offering cash awards that range from $100 to $100,000 for introducing people to Shaklee. All of this is in addition to the 5 ways you can currently earn money through Shaklee. But in order to qualify for those awards, you have to say "YES!" before December 31, 2008.

Say YES! to having more energy every day
Say YES! to feeling younger and living longer
Say YES! to caring for our planet
Say YES! to saving yourself from the "economic crisis"
Say YES! to making a difference in the world
Say YES! to helping others by bringing them the same opportunity

If you're not convinced yet, here are two additional incentives to sweeten the pot:

The first person to say YES! and become a Shaklee GOLD Ambassador will receive a $100 rebate on their Mission PAK! That means you can start your own home-based business AND create a healthier life for only $199.

Everyone qualifies for FREE SHIPPING for the rest of December.

Your activity between now and June will earn you points toward the Dream 2009 Incentive: an all expense-paid trip to the Mayan Riviera!

Are you ready to say YES? (Or for my discerning friends, are you ready to say "my gut says YES! but my brain wants to know all the facts"?) Contact me NOW to get the ball rolling. Call me 703.625.4730, email me, or contact me through Facebook. Simply say "Chris, it's me. I'm ready to say YES." I'll take care of the rest.

Now offering Bamboo Silk massage lotion (with massage savings!)

2008-12-04T11:56:00.006-05:00

I had to share a note of excitement because I just received my purchase of Lotus Touch Organic Naturals™ Bamboo Silk Massage Lotion from Massage Warehouse. I selected this lotion with my massage clients in mind: it's organic, paraben-free,and wonderful for your skin. This lotion is a blend of bamboo silk powder, green tea extract, and aloe vera juice. It's perfect for dry winter months and will nourish and protect your skin from the effects of time.

I'd love to get clients' feedback on the new bamboo silk lotion. So for the next 8 days (through Friday 12/14), I'll offer you $10 off your massage session if you agree to use the bamboo silk massage lotion. Call me at 703.625.4730 or contact me online to schedule your appointment.

A New Creative Endeavor: T-shirts!

2008-06-10T18:02:00.006-04:00

I am SO excited about the new creative work that I'm doing: "Designs By Zenquility: Inspiration & Affirmations That You Can Wear." For months now I've been throwing around ideas, saying to my friends "Wouldn't that make a great T-shirt?" Finally, with the help of Spreadshirt.com, I've started to produce some of those ideas.

My intention is to create inspirational designs--affirmations that you can wear. This is my first design:

This idea came to me while my friends and I were watching one of Joel Osteen's sermons. He spoke to the idea that God accepts each of us just as we are, that God approves of each of us. I said aloud that that would be a great T-shirt; months later, I've finally put that idea into action.

I have created two other designs; you'll have to visit my Spreadshirt shop to see what they are. I intend to add more very soon. I love having a creative outlet that will hopefully be an inspiration to others.

Enjoy!

How I Support the Troops

2008-03-17T16:22:00.004-04:00

As a pacifist, I cannot support war. I cannot pretend that I find anything patriotic about using violence to persuade someone to agree with me. Furthermore, I find nothing admirable about our elected "leaders" ordering someone else to pick up a gun for that purpose.

In spite of all that, when someone asks me if I support our troops, I say Yes. Here are the ways that I offer support:

I pray regularly for an end to violence in the Middle East. I picture that area of the globe and surround it with healing pink light.
I pray that all people in the Middle East--men, women, & children, American, Iraqi, European, Irani--are kept safe by Archangel Michael, who protects all of us.
I see and feel the humanity of those we label as our enemies.
I honor the free will of everyone in our armed forces, just as I try to honor everyone's free will. I recognize that those soldiers made the right choice for them, even if it would not be the right choice for me.
I embrace the tenets of freedom for which our soldiers fight.
I choose to believe in the possibility that someday soon, everyone on the front line with once again exercise free will, laying down their weapons and saying "Enough," long before the order comes from Washington.
I acknowledge that the actions taken by the U.S. are often acts of aggression, and I pray that our leaders will find a more honorable and honoring means of handling our affairs.
I do not protest against the war, for what we resist, persists. Instead I focus on the inevitability of peace on our planet, when enough people shall raise their individual vibrations enough to tip the cosmic balance away from violence and toward peace & harmony.
I offer the same hopes for peace to everyone in the Middle East that I offer to people everywhere: That the day will soon come when each person honors the free will of every other person; that each person stops participating in the global race to be "right" and recognize that there are many paths to one Truth.
I strive in each moment of my life to be an example of what I believe: to love, to trust, and to accept without judgment all my fellow humans. To recognize the Divinity in each person. To remember that We Are All One, made not in the image of God but as a individuation of God here in the physical plane.

Leap of Faith, or How I Became a Healer

2008-02-22T09:29:00.000-05:00

People often ask me how I became a massage therapist, especially after finding out I have a B.S. in engineering and spent eight years as an IT consultant. I've told the story a number of times, but often without the details, and I've never written it down. Not only is it a good story, it's also a great example of following intuition and making a leap of faith.

I graduated from college in 1996 and took a job with a local IT consulting firm. After eight years at that firm, including 2+ years on the same project, I was exhausted. I gave everything to my work. During much of that two-year project, I worked 6-day weeks, often until 11pm on weeknights. I loved my job, or else I wouldn't have worked so hard. It was intellectually challenging, but while I was overindulging my mind, I was neglecting my body and soul. I was eating horribly, subsisting mostly on sugar and caffeine; I got no exercise; I'd gained 20 pounds; and I saw my husband so little that my marriage was in big trouble.

Eventually I started to realize (thankfully) that I needed a change. I thought finding a similar position at a different company would suffice, so when the Washington Post had its next "Mega Jobs" section, I spent that Sunday poring over the want ads. I focused mostly on the Tech Jobs section, for obvious reasons, but at some point my eyes must have wandered, because a different type of ad caught my attention: One of the local vocational schools was advertising its massage therapy program. Their ad featured a typical picture of a pair of hands on someone's back. I saw that ad, with that picture, and I immediately knew that was what I had to do: become a massage therapist.

Looking back on that decision, it makes no rational sense. I knew nothing about being a massage therapist. I didn't know anyone else with that job. I'd only had one massage in my whole life. And to top it all off, I hated touching people. I was one of those people with major personal space issues; if you tried to give me a hug, I'd barely return it, and often I'd jump away from an unexpected tap on the shoulder or back. If you stood too close, I'd back up. And the idea of touching a naked stranger? Whole new levels of discomfort! There was absolutely no rational explanation for why I would want to become a massage therapist.

But this wasn't a moment of rational decisions; this was a moment of listening to that still, small voice inside me, the voice that knew my true purpose and my dreams. I have always, in my whole life, since I was a child, wanted to help people. I went through the typical childhood dreams of wanting to be a doctor, then a teacher. When I chose a Chemical Engineering program upon entering college, I imagined the products I would invent and how they would improve people's lives. And even when I changed to Computer Science, I was sure that my work would make people's jobs easier. And it did. On my résumé are a timekeeping system, so that doctors at NIH could spend their time curing cancer instead of approving timecards and leave requests, and the aforementioned two-year project that would allow more Americans to buy homes. So the idea of moving to a health-related field wasn't the radical shift most people see at first; it was a new implementation of the same goal I'd always had, to help others.

Once I recognized my heart's desire, the pieces fell into place. I didn't go to the vocational school whose ad I saw; I chose instead a small school that solely taught massage, conveniently located not far from the client site of that two-year project, so that I could easily commute from work to evening classes. Being moved to a new project a couple months later ended my intellectual gluttony and allowed me to see fully that I had gotten everything I could from my current career.

I don't remember the moment that I decided to quit my job. I do remember the discoveries that led up to it. I started the massage certification program thinking I'd work full-time and go to classes at night. By about three months in, I was spending my workday counting the hours until I could go to class and "do what I really loved." The contrast made it clear that I was done with IT work. I had never quit a career before, but then again, I was doing a lot of things I'd never done before, so hey, just add one more to the list. I sat down with my wonderfully supportive husband and figured out that with his income and my savings, we would do just fine on one income for a year. So I submitted my resignation and switched to daytime classes.

It wasn't long before I was wondering how I ever could have survived a year divided between work and school. I was at school almost every day, if not for lecture or practical, then for exposure lectures and supervised sessions. I was able to get so much more out of school, and the feelings of freedom that I had reminded me of my best days in college. I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

The pieces continue to fall into place for me. After graduation, I easily found a spa job, where I worked for a year and received great praise and satisfaction. I took another leap of faith when I decided to open my own business in my home, without any clientèle that would follow me from the spa. (I lived too far away.) I listen to that small voice more every day, letting it guide me in ways that allow me to reach out to more people through my business. I've learned to trust the voice, and in return, she speaks louder and more often.

So that is my story. It's our lesson on decisions that "make no rational sense" and how well they can turn out. I hope my story becomes your inspiration.

Affirmations of Healing

2008-02-21T19:23:00.006-05:00

I've been working a bit with affirmations lately. Affirmation work, if you're not familiar with it, is the process of consciously repeating positive statements so that they eventually replace the negative thought patterns of your unconscious. Having recently watched "You Can Heal Your Life: The Movie" inspired me to pick up my copy of The Book and go back to basics. I copied 36 affirmations from the book that applied to my conditions, yet few of them have really stuck with me.

While I was on the treadmill today, I started searching for an affirmation that would serve me better. Things like that always work best when they come from within. What came to me was so simple:

I AM HEALING

I meditated on those words, and within 10 seconds, I found three different meanings with accompanying additional affirmations:

1) I am healing: That is, I am in the process of getting healthier. This is the obvious interpretation.

I am healing.
I am becoming healthier.
I am whole.

2) I am healing: As in, I have a healing effect on others. Every so often, someone comments that I have a calm and peaceful demeanor, that being with me relaxes them (especially during massage sessions), or that knowing me has helped them change their lives. This is also a critical part of my work, to help others to heal by working with them and simply being who I am.

I am healing.
I affect others positively.
My presence is healing to others.
I help others become whole.

3) I am Healing: When this third meaning hit me, it really hit. This is my life purpose in a nutshell, everything I aspire to be:

I am Healing.
I am a paragon, an icon of Healing.
When others think of me, they first think "Healer."
When others think of Healing, they first think of me.
The essence of everything related to Healing flows through me.

What I unexpectedly experienced in those 10 seconds was an evolution of thinking. I finally "got" what I've been reading lately: To attract a condition into our lives, we must become that condition, the very embodiment of it. To have love, become love. To have abundance, become abundance. And in my case, to have healing, become healing.

And how does one "become" abundance, love, or healing? Be the example of it by bringing it to others. If you want abundance, give to others. If you want love, love someone else. And if you want healing, help others to heal.

Stretch Before You Wii

2008-02-20T09:58:00.005-05:00

I gave my husband a Nintendo Wii game system for Christmas. I was lucky to find it at Costco back in October. Everyone had a great time on Christmas night, thanks to the Wii. My father-in-law, who's in a wheelchair, was able to relive the joys of his bowling days, and my mother-in-law, who had never bowled in her life, had the high score most of the evening. We must have played for three hours straight.

The next morning I was greeted by quite a surprise: I felt like I'd been hit by a truck, or at least a bicycle. Truly, I felt like I had bowled for three hours. My husband said that he felt the same. None of us were prepared for a video game to affect our whole bodies like that.

As a massage therapist, I've observed this as a trend in my clients who have Wiis. They're complaining more about sore hips, backs, and arms, even though they claim their physical activity is the same. It turns out that people are bowling, playing tennis, swinging from buildings, and strumming guitars, but because they don't leave their living rooms, they don't realize that these motions have the same physical impact as being at the lanes, on the courts, or onstage.

The full-body nature of the Wii has created a new phenomenon, "The Living Room Athlete," with potential aches and pains to go with it. Living Room Athletes have to take care of themselves if they want to keep playing, just like any other athlete. So if you Wii, let your body adjust to the level of activity. I strongly suggest stretching before and after you play, just as an athlete would stretch before he takes the field and when the game is over. An extra five minutes of attention to your body can mean that you can play longer and that you won't be reaching for Aleve the next day.

Muscle groups to focus on include neck, shoulders, arms, back, hips (front & back), and quads. Here are some sites that demonstrate stretching:

The Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stretching/SM00043
University of Michigan: http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/sma/sma_stretch_sma.htm

Taking care of yourself now will ensure that today's fun doesn't become tomorrow's pain. So stretch--and have fun!

Special Event: The Moses Code

2008-02-04T16:54:00.000-05:00

I am ecstatic to the depths of my soul(!) to announce a special worldwide event that Zenquility will be a part of. This is what my work is all about: Learning how our world works, and then using that knowledge to improve our lives.

During the weekend of April 4-6, 2008, the movie "The Moses Code" will be released and screened at locations worldwide. I have arranged to host three screenings, so you will have three chances to see the movie with the group. (If you live beyond Prince William County, VA, visit the Moses Code Website, http://www.themosescode.com, to find a screening close to you.)

In addition to the movie screenings, a worldwide peace vigil is being held on Sunday, April 6, at 12 noon EST.

The Moses Code is the creation of James Tyman and others who want us to know how to use the Law of Attraction to truly serve us. We thrive when we manifest true happiness, more than just money and other desires of the ego. The goal of this weekend event is to shift the Collective Consciousness to manifest world peace. If you have seen "The Secret," then this takes it to the next level. You can learn more about the evolution of The Moses Code at http://www.themosescode.com.

All four events (three screenings and the vigil) are listed on the calendar of the Manassas/Gainesville Metaphysics Meetup Group:

http://metaphysics.meetup.com/350/calendar/2008-04/

as well as on The Moses Code website:

http://www.themosescode.com/index.php?p=Locations

You are invited, as are your family & friends. I've set the limit to 15 people per screening, due to space constraints, but if there's more interest, we'll find a way to pack everyone in!

If you have any questions at all, please feel free to contact me.

Peace & light,
Chris

Pineapple for Acne

2008-01-17T10:26:00.000-05:00

I'm excited to share the clear-skin discovery that I've made: Pineapple clears acne. I'm sure other people already knew this, but I just experienced it myself. And whereas most of what I've seen involves putting pineapple onto the body, I'm talking about putting pineapple into the body. If you have acne, do like I do and eat or drink pineapple every day to see breakouts and red marks disappear. Here's my story:

I've had acne since I was 11, which means that for 2/3 of my life there have been pimples on my face. At the suggestion of my acupuncturist (Chul Lee at Gainesville Acupuncture, http://www.4needle.com), I've recently been incorporating more fruit into my diet by drinking a fresh-fruit smoothie while preparing meals. Thanks to my Magic Bullet blender, I can make a smoothie in about a minute including chopping time.

[Did you know that eating fruit after a meal will leave the fruit sitting on top of your other food where it will ferment and lose nutrients and cause gas? I learned that theories of food combining. So eat your fruit first!]

When I starting shopping for fresh fruit for my smoothies, I was drawn to pineapple, not only because I like it but because I was able to buy a couple pounds of precut pineapple spears at Costco. For the last week, I've been drinking 1-2 pineapple or pineapple-banana smoothies every day.

My long-standing morning habit has been to look in the mirror when I first wake up, unconsciously searching for a clear-skin miracle. Today, I actually found one! My face is almost completely clear, not just of acne but also of red marks from pimples past. And this is a week when my hormones would typically be causing more breakouts. My intuition tells me it's from the pineapple.

Why does pineapple work? According to the book The pH Balance Diet by Bharti Vyas and Suzanne Le Quesne, pineapple has several healthy qualities (which they don't attribute to clear skin, but I'll make the connection for us):

Pineapples are very alkaline, and I know that acidity (the opposite of alkalinity) encourages bacteria growth. Eating alkaline foods brings one's pH back into balance, thus making the body a less hospitable environment for acne-causing bacteria.
In addition, pineapple contains bromelain, "a protein-digesting enzyme that not only aids digestion but can also effectively reduce inflammation and swelling." Pimples are a combination of infection and inflammation. And the red marks are inflamed skin cells.
Pineapples are "an excellent source of vitamin C." Skin experts agree that putting vitamin C on the skin makes it healthier. They haven't stated that ingesting vitamin C provides the same benefit; I think they're just waiting on conclusive evidence.

I also give credit to traditional Chinese medicine, which has known the healing power of foods for centuries. According to Henry C. Lu's book Chinese System of Food Cures, "Bromelain in pineapple has been used to heal various types of inflammation..." He also suggests adding a little salt to avoid the itchy feeling pineapple creates on one's tongue.

So if you've been suffering from the esthetic and emotional effects of acne, treat yourself to yummy pineapple smoothies and clear skin!

A Moment of Gratitude

2007-10-26T08:41:00.000-04:00

I gratefully recognize the happiness that I have now. My work is fulfilling and relatively easy. My life is free from great stressors. I am free from major health concerns, and although I am overweight I am able to maintain a job that demands physical activity and strength. My body is able to walk, run, and do yoga. I am strong-bodied and strong-willed. My husband is a loving man who chooses to be with me and shares equally in our lives and responsibilities. I am honored to be with him. My cat is a joy to know, a little comedian who graces me with his presence. I have an abundance of time to read and explore new ideas. I am able to find peace and joy through meditation and reflection. I know the Greatness that I am and recognize my own Divinity as well as the Divinity of others. My life is joyful and abundant.

The Placebo Effect

2007-10-11T18:22:00.002-04:00

As Martha Stewart would say, "It's a good thing." The placebo effect, that is.

Placebos have gotten a bad rap. They're the losing side of the clinical trial game, consolation prize of the people who didn't get the "real thing." And yet as far as I can recall, drug trials never report that 100% of the people who got the drug were cured, and 0% experienced no improvement. What's going on there?

You also see placebos on TV shows like "House" and "ER"; they're always given to some poor sap by a clever doctor who knows a drug-seeker when he sees one. My favorite example is in the movie "The Birdcage," where the housekeeper supplies Nathan Lane's character with a mysterious street drug called Pirin, so that the latter can muster up the courage to go onstage. Except it turns out that Pirin is just aspirin with the A-S scratched off. And of course in all these cases, the "patient" is adequately duped and receives the healing promised by the drugs he thinks he's taking. That's the "placebo effect."

I looked up "placebo effect" and found this Wikipedia definition:

Placebo effect is the term applied by medical science to the therapeutical and healing effects of inert medicines and/or ritualistic or faith healing manipulations

Here's what I read from this definition:

Only medical science heals. All other forms of "healing" are phony and it's just lucky coincidence if the patient actually gets better.

My problem with this idea is that two patients with identical illnesses and identical health histories could get identical medical treatments, but one could get better while the other does not. With all else being the same, why would the outcome be different? I think the difference lies in whether the patients believe their treatments will succeed.

Christian Scientists, from what I've learned, believe that all medicine is a placebo. The real power to heal comes from one's own will. Those whose will and belief are strong can heal themselves by simply changes their thoughts. Those whose will is weak seek assistance from doctors.

I wonder if drug trials routinely ask participants if they think they're getting the drug or the placebo. It should be standard protocol not only to ask those questions but to publish the answers and the correlation between how people answered and whether they saw results from the drug. I don't sit around reading drug trials, but I imagine that data is kept quiet for obvious reasons.

I suggest that something seemingly ridiculous--let's say, tugging one's right ear 30 times each day--could cure cancer if that person believes it to be true. The movie "The Secret" included the true story of a woman who cured her cancer without chemo or medicine, only by laughing at funny movies, drinking tea, and expressing gratitude for her healing. If any of this is true, then it just makes the pain and trauma that cancer patients undergo all that much sadder for being unnecessary.

I maintain, like Christian Scientists, that all medicine is a placebo. But I'm OK with that, because what ultimately matters is the effect of that placebo: the healing. I have used this knowledge to remove conventional medicine from my own life. When I experience sickness or pain, I will my body to feel better. But if a loved one ever gets sick, I won't for a minute try to tell him he doesn't need medicine, because that belief has to come from within him in order to work. What I will do is help him hold tight to the belief the treatment has chosen will work, because that belief is what matters most to restore his health.

Suspended Disbelief

2007-06-18T19:38:00.000-04:00

I have recently chosen to live my life in a selective state of suspended disbelief.

Movie critics talk about “suspended disbelief”: When the plot of a movie is so ridiculous that every synapse in your brain is firing “No way!” and you're about to walk out of the theater, you have to choose to suspend disbelief–that is, to quiet the part of your brain that doesn't believe–in order to enjoy the rest of the movie and avoid wasting your $10 ticket cost.

During my spiritual development, I've encountered moments when I was required to suspend disbelief in order to continue my work. I've been faced with ideas that flew in the face of what I’d been taught so far–religious traditions, social standards, the “reality” I see around me. When I trust the source of new information, I know that I have to keep listening or reading, yet I can't always reconcile the new information with what I already knew–I can’t make it work. My brain goes crazy. So I set an goal to intentionlly not reconcile the information, but to simply allow contradictions to exist. I choose to act as if I believed the new information in order to see where the story led me. It's not always necessary to "figure it all out" before moving on to the next idea.

On a path of personal development, suspending disbelief becomes an important tool. As we learn and grow, conflict between old ideas and new ideas often indicates an area where we need to grow. Growth is change, and thus is the progression from old ideas to new ones. But change can be scary, and we naturally resist it, favoring instead the comfort of old ideas. There may even be a part of us, in our souls, that hears the new idea and immediately says “Yes!”, but our minds take longer to catch on, to let go of old ideas and make room for new ones.

Clinging to old ideas keeps us stuck in old patterns and closes us off to change and growth. But we resist the need to discard old ways of thinking, especially if they came to us from our parents and other respected sources. Suspending disbelief for an interim period can bridge the transition. Saying “This doesn’t make sense, but I want to see where it’s taking me” allows us to be open to new ideas without deserting our traditional ways of thinking.

I often invite my clients to suspend disbelief as we work together. When I talk of Reiki, I’ll sometimes get a raised eyebrow as I use words like “energy,” “Chi,” and “aura.” While many people believe they have a soul, not as many believe that it is tangible and can be influenced by others. I help them create a mental space where they don’t have to immediately buy into these ideas but can still be open to learning more: “Pretend that you believe. Let’s see what happens.”

I invite you to try a little suspended disbelief in your life. Practice it when someone starts talking to you about fields of energy. Or when someone tells you that You are God, and the idea conflicts with a lifetime of religious tradition that thrived on separation. Take a deep breath and say “I’ll pretend I agree and see where it takes me.” It’s how some of the best journeys begin.