Author Archives: Dana Taylor

Nov 9 2012

Throw Your Unforgiveness into Stinky Creek

Welcome to R. Ann Rousseau, owner of the popular Explore Beyond the Usual blogsite and author of the metaphysical novel, PORTSMOUTH, A LOVE STORY. She understands the need to forgive…

R. Ann Rousseau

In  my novel, Portsmouth A Love Story, I wrote a scene where the main character,  Severine Champagne  asks God why she  isn’t with the husband she longed for all her life. It’s a question many women  and men have asked themselves if they’ve reached their 40’s and the right  partner is not a part of their life yet. As she walks on the beach, she hears  the words Forgive the Past.  She thought she had forgiven and released the past. The  reality was she wasn’t with a loving partner, something she truly wanted, which  meant her desire was blocked. But why? Fears or old wounds still lingered in her  soul. I think that’s true of many things in our life that seem blocked. A Course  in Miracles says that any time there is dis-ease there is an unforgiveness. Pain  about not being with a partner or the right partner is evidence that there is  dis-ease and a need to uncover an unforgiveness.

I have mentioned many times in my blog posts that I love  to walk on Wallis Sands Beach in Rye, New Hampshire. I’m blessed to live near  the seacoast. I try to walk every day. At the end of Wallis Sands, there’s a  flowing body of water called Stinky Creek which flows into the Atlantic Ocean. I  don’t know this for a fact but I was told it got its Stinky name, because  there’s an old ship wreck under the creek which doesn’t allow for proper  drainage and circulation of the water flowing down from the mountains of New  Hampshire. Many days, the water pools and there’s a very noticeable odor  emanating from Creek.

As I approach Stinky Creek during my daily walk, I pick  up a rock or two on the beach. I say to myself, I forgive and release…(whomever is  rubbing me the wrong way that day) to God, and throw the rock into the creek.  A Course in Miracles says that all it takes is a Little Willingness to forgive.  By taking something I possess–a rock containing the negative energy of my  unforgiveness, with intention, I toss my stinky unforgiveness into Stinky  Creek…and it’s released. As many spiritual teachers will tell you, releasing  an unforgiveness is more for the person doing the forgiving than it is for the  person forgiven. Some days, you have to forgive yourself, and that’s Ok. If you  don’t have an ocean nearby, you go to a park and throw a penny into a fountain  and release your unforgiveness.Whatever works for you.

Enjoy this Excerpt from PORTSMOUTH, A LOVE STORY

She hadn’t spoken to her mother for many years. As a young woman, she had made several attempts to draw a line in the sand as to the level of negative energy she would take from her before she would finally leave the relationship. After many attempts, she had to admit that the woman was completely unconscious. To stay and continue interacting with her would be submitting herself to an emotionally dangerous environment. Her mother knew her weak points and most of all, how to extract guilt.

What she had learned after studying about spirituality was that manipulation and control is not love. There was no obligation to stay in a family that was harmful to her spirit.

Severine thought she had successfully let go of her toxic past but now it was coming back to haunt her. She was told there was still a lingering unforgiveness blocking her path.

I have no interest in opening that old can of worms again. I can’t see how that would do any good. I can’t change her. I just need to INTEND to forgive her. Not that I believe my mother was right about anything. That’s for sure. I’m doing it for ME…and my future.

At sunset, to mark the occasion, she returned to Wallis Sands and headed over to the point where Stinky Creek emptied into the Atlantic. She took a rock from the beach and said out loud, I forgive and release my mother to God.

In a split second, she decided to pick up another rock. She threw the rock into the water and watched it sink to the bottom and said, I forgive and release Peter Nicholas to God.

With sincere intention to surrender all past anger and any lurking unforgiveness, the rooms of her Spirit were swept clean. She was now ready to embrace a new family, whoever that might be.

R. Ann Rousseau writes about metaphysical, spiritual and astrology  topics on her blog Explore Beyond the Usual. She is author of the new novel Portsmouth, A Love  Story. 

Follow R. Ann Rousseau on Twitter  @RAnnRousseau

Facebook. www.facebook.com/PortsmouthALoveStory

 

 

 

Nov 8 2012

Juicing–Breakfast of Champions

Many people buy a juicer with good intentions and then relegate to a dark cabinet to gather dust. I admit to often being one of those people. A couple of months ago, after a summer of vacationing and eating over-cooked, lifeless food my system was feeling the abuse. A mysterious and persistent stitch grabbed my side. The afternoon bloat seemed to be getting worse.

Time to dust off the juicer.

I went on a two-day juice fast, running a variety of red, green, and yellow foods through the machine. Watermelon was in season and made a great juice base. Almost anything is palatable mixed with sweet watermelon juice. I ventured to the local Saturday morning Farmer’s Market and came back laden with sprouts, beets, Swiss chard, tomatoes, and juicy melon.

Juicing has once again become part of my weekly routine. Best of Juicing sites these benefits from juicing:

  • Increased absorption of nutrients–no chewing required
  • Beneficial Enzyme intake–these little soldiers do so much work of the body, especially digesting food
  • Antioxidants–grab those nasty free radicals that age you
  • Enhance the immune system–stay strong, baby
  • Enhance metabolic rate–burn, calories, burn

After the first week I ran into a friend at church I hadn’t seen in a while. She said, “You’re glowing! Are you in love?”

I laughed, thinking an outbreak of acne probably heralded the last time I’d fallen in love. “I’ve been juicing.”

My skin, hair, and overall health has improved these last few weeks. The stitch in my side disappeared. My digestive tract has cleansed. My energy level has improved.

People object to juicing mainly because it is admittedly messy. The cleanup takes a few minutes. We’re used to drinking juice out of a carton–no muss, no fuss. Develop a different mindset. Think of it as cooking, without the heat.

You chop, you juice, you clean up. Get a stiff brush to speed up the process of getting small particles out of the mesh of the juicer.  From beginning to end the process takes half an hour or less. You’re worth it!

Tangy Treat

1 beet

2 carrots

1 apple

1 inch fresh ginger

2 stalks celery

1/2 cup cabbage

Juicing–it’s what’s for breakfast!

Oct 15 2012

World Menopause Day–Seriously…

October 18th, 2012 has been declared World Menopause Day by the International Menopause Society.  I must have been inspired to write about menopause from the cosmic group consciousness going on.

World CongressLast night I attended a fundraiser dinner for our local symphony. As often happens when women-of-a-certain age gather around a table, the subject of hot flashes and menopause came up. The conversation went something like this:

50-something woman–“These hot flashes are driving me crazy. Guess it’s just part of life now. My mother still has them and she’s in her 80’s.”

70-something woman–“Mine started when I was 45 and I’ve been having them ever since.”

There was a lot of nodding and commiseration as everyone seemed to simply accept the inevitable discomforts of feminine aging.  I wanted to yell, “You don’t have to take it! Menopause is a passage, not a curse. You can take charge of your health.”

Of course it was neither the time nor the place to get on my health-conscious soap box. That place would be here…

THE CHANGE

The Change doesn’t necessarily mean you turn into a Werewolf. Change can be a good thing, too. As the body shifts its chemistry, women need to focus on finding a new way to bring balance and harmony to their systems. Hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, and weight gain do not need to be your Next Chapter.

When I turned about 50, I experienced a few classic menopausal symptoms. I believe my symptoms were less severe than most American women largely because I have been ingesting the Quinary Formula of Chinese Herbs from Sunrider International for about twenty years.  This formulation of over 50 herbs to balance the five basic systems of the body is the biggest bang for your buck for over-all health–in my opinion.

However, after one particularly powerful, nauseating midday hot flash, I hied myself over to my favorite Korean Herbalist/Health Food Store Owner, Lady M. She is a porcelein-skinned healer in La Habra, California. We did some muscle-testing with a row of female formulas and settled on one called Transitions from Pure Essence Labs.

Pure Essence Labs Transitions, 60 VegicapTransitions contains black cohash, dong quai and other herbs known to bring relief to menopausal symptoms. I stayed on the product for a couple of years and found it very beneficial. The hot flashes and increased appetite disappeared. There is no one-pill-fits-all, but there are many formulas to try. Working with a skilled diagnostition can help you find  the right product for you.

PROGESTERONE CONNECTION

What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About(TM): Menopause: The Breakthrough Book on Natural Progesterone (What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About...)Dr. John Lee wrote the now classic What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause. He writes persuasively about how the estrogen-rich plastics and oil-based products in modern society are throwing our bodies out of balance. He touts progesterone as a way to restore balance. There are now many progesterone creams on the market. They are not all equal. Personally, the ones I tried made me too “hot,” until I started using the Young Living Essential Oil version.

progessence plusToday, Young Living has a new generation answer to the progesterone product in a serum called PROGESSENCE PLUS.  Information about this product can be found at:

Young Living PDF

Dr. Dan Purser FAQ on Progessence Plus

If you want to order a bottle, you can use my membership number–57763.

BE PRO-ACTIVE

The point is, if you are not functioning at optimum health–DO something about it. If you’re in hormone hell, educate yourself about what is happening to your body and then take action to alleviate your symptoms. You should be able to enjoy life at every stage. Take the misery out of menopause.

Celebrate World Menopause Day!

Dana Taylor

Reiki Therapist, Author of Ever-Flowing Streams

Oct 1 2012

Explaining Healing Energy

Last week my client, Joan, ask me, “How do I explain what you do? It looks like all you do is stand there and wave your hands over me.” She’s been trying to tell her friends about her healing energy experience, but it’s a challenge to describe.

Consider electricity. We were all taught that Benjamin Franklin “discovered” electricity by flying a kite in a lightning storm. (Kite, rain, wind, a metal key.)  It took another hundred years for electricity to be harnessed for light bulbs, street cars, and cattle prods. Yet, the power was always there, untapped.

Take cell phones signals. Billions of frequencies are zooming through the atmosphere. All you need is a little hand-held device to pick up a unique signal. The amount of information that can be downloaded instantaneously is mind-boggling.

Healing energy is very similar. There are frequencies all around us—you just need to know how to receive them and utilize them. Humans are the receivers, instead of little hand-held devices. The healing facilitator becomes the conductor.

The one thing that has to be added into understanding healing energy beyond raw electricity and cell phone transmission is Intelligence. The healing energies carry information and appear to be connected to an Intelligence Source. That’s where the mystery begins and sometimes people get “freaked out.”

Dr. Eric Pearl, author of The Reconnection, admits that working with healing energy ultimately requires the response, “I don’t know how it works.” Yet, experience is proving time and again that healing energy does work.

For myself, it’s taken about thirty years of practice. Like playing the piano, you go from chopsticks to concertos if you practice. I believe we’re seeing more people being born with  evolved brains that can tap into these frequencies. Adam MacLeod, known as the DreamHealer was a healing child prodigy. Now he’s a modern scientist changing the healing landscape.

The books of Gregg Braden, (The Divine Matrix), tackle some of these questions and offer a whole new way to look at life on Planet Earth.

Healing energy? It’s everywhere—like intelligent electricity waiting to be turned on.

Sep 28 2012

From the Reiki Room

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a new blog. My day-to-day life has gotten so interesting, I haven’t had time to write about it. The first major change is being suddenly cast in the role of President of the La Mirada Symphony Association. That’s a whole new learning curve, but is a good fit for someone who appreciates the fine arts and is a natural schmoozer such as myself.

Secondly,  turning my spare bedroom into a Reiki Room became my personal Field of Dreams — “build it and they will come.” Word-of-mouth has brought new people into my life and onto my Reiki table.

Take Joan, for instance.

SESSION ONE: She called me saying she’d heard I was an “awesome healer,” which made me uncomfortable. Jesus was an “awesome healer,” I’m just a healing facilitator, allowing myself to be a conduit for the cosmic energies. At any rate, Joan came over and we hit it off immediately. She is a bright lawyer, trained with an analytical mind and gifted with intellectual curiosity.

I told her not to tell me why she was coming for a treatment. It’s easier to get into the healing mode without my mind having preconceived ideas of what to expect. In that first session, her neck and shoulder area buzzed the strongest under my hands. I felt led to apply the area with the Young Living Essential Oil blend, Valor (sometimes called a chiropractor in a bottle).

As I worked that area, Joan said, “Okay, I’m a believer.”

It turned out she was there primarily for the pain from a car accident that has returned. She was able to swivel her neck better after the treatment. Her neck seemed out of alignment and she followed up with a chiropractic treatment.

SESSION TWO: Her neck seemed much better. I moved around her body and suddenly felt intense cramping in my digestive tract. Joan had mentioned that for the past fifteen years she has suffered from extreme food reactions. She has become a vegan, eating mainly rice and vegetables, out of necessity, not because she’s a health-nut.

The session took on a life of its own as I worked and pulled on the energy patterns over her pelvic region. “Ow,” I said. “This hurts. Is this the way you live all the time?”

“I’m sorry,” she said, laughing a little. “I ate a piece of bread.”

“Bread makes you feel like this?” I knew my pains were just ghostly reflections of what she must experience. After fifteen years, it had become her “normal.” I worked the area a few more minutes and then sent her on her way thinking, “Well, that was interesting!”

The next day Joan sent me an email:

I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. I was going to call you, but I thought I wouldn’t be a “crazy patient”.  That digestion thing that you fixed…I’ve been living with that for over 15 years.  I am in shock because I went and ate sushi TWICE and nothing happened!  I ate salmon which usually sets me off. You have no idea how strange that is to me right now to feel fine.  My skin has cleared up considerably too, just in the past few days.  Normally if I had sushi, I would not feel good and I would get some really bad cystic acne that hurts for a week and then takes another couple of months to heal. I told some people at work who know of my issues and told them how I got healed.
 
Joan has been indulging in the joys of junk food for two weeks now.
I wonder what will happen next in the Reiki Room? I’ll keep you posted!
Dana Taylor
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For more information on Reiki and healing energy, read EVER-FLOWING STREAMS
Sep 5 2012

Messages from The Ancient Ones by Stacey Stephens

Messages From The Ancient Ones: Year One (Messages From The Ancient Ones - Spirituality, Consciousness, Self Help & Personal Growth (Akin to: Esther Hicks & Eckhart Tolle)If you’re a fan of the Abraham/Esther Hicks channeled books, you might enjoy Messages from the Ancient Ones by Stacey Stephens. Well organized by topics such as Compassion, Empowerment, Relationships, Integrity, etc., the ideas presented are upbeat and almost uptopian. If everyone took the advice to live by the ideals in this book, it would be a better place indeed.

I used the chapters as a daily devotional in the mornings. There are pictures to set the tone for each chapter, which is a creative way to utilize the new freedoms of digital publishing. The messages are reminiscent of A Course in Miracles talking about ego-based thinking and urging readers to breakthrough to an era of Divinity.

This book is part of the New Thought movement of spirituality. For those of us well-versed in this type of philosophy, it doesn’t break new ground. However, it is a good presentation of the ideas and presents a hopeful image of what the human experience can be.

Dana Taylor