VIDEO: Lynne McTaggart, Gary Zukav to Speak at Reconnection’s 9th Annual Conference

Posted on by Tammy

The Reconnection’s 9th Annual U.S. Mastery Conference will be held October 22, 2011 at the Universal Hilton in Los Angeles, featuring some of the top-selling author/speakers on healing, science and consciousness.

Headliners include Lynne McTaggart (The Field and The Intention Experiment); Gary Zukav (Seat of the Soul, Heart of the Soul, Soul Stories); Joe Dispenza (Evolve Your Brain: The Science of Changing Your Mind); Lee Carroll (The Great Shift: Co-Creating a New World for 2012 and Beyond); Eric Pearl (The Reconnection: Heal Others, Heal Yourself); and Doug De Vito.

“Attending the U.S. Mastery Conference is a transformative experience,” Dr. Eric Pearl, global leader in Reconnective Healing, whose organization is hosting the conference, said in a released statement. “Every year we bring to Los Angeles leaders who are on the cutting edge of consciousness and healing … each with their own unique perspective and expertise that offer people the knowledge that allows them to make quantum leaps in their personal evolution. This year we will pack the day with insight and new horizons of learning.”

There will be book signings and a no-host cocktail hour at the end of the day, and a VIP Experience ticket for the U.S. Mastery Conference will also include preferred seating and a private meet-and-greet with the speakers, plus a buffet lunch. The VIP Experience is $249 through the day of the event. General Admission, which includes a box lunch, is available for $150 through the day of the event.

For more information or to register, visit http://www.thereconnection.com/masteryconference or call (323) 960 0012.

Parasites: Your Pets Are Treated, Why Aren’t You?

Posted on by Tammy

By Cathi Stack, ND

This article is based on my everyday reality – what I have come to know based on hands on experience and results. It is not for the squeamish but is very valuable information that pertains to at least 85 percent of you. I hope you share it with your health care provider if
you feel it may be an issue.

A few years back I wrote a letter to every gastrointestinal specialist I could find in the phone book. The funny thing about chronically constipated people is that when you treat them for parasites (specifically roundworm) many of their complaints are alleviated. I felt so sure I was on to something and felt it was my responsibility to share the information.

Three years later, I am absolutely convinced that undiagnosed abdominal pain, many types of Irritable Bowel Syndrome and colitis could be eliminated if practitioners would consider parasite treatment. Why don’t they? I’m really not sure. Most of us with dogs treat our furry loved ones at least yearly if not monthly. They eat the same thing daily, and we aggressively treat them for worms. But what about us? We eat a large variety of foods as compared to our animals. When was the last time your doctor offered you prophylactic treatment for parasites?

First let me state that most of us have been exposed at some point in our life. Research has shown that an estimated 85 percent of all American adults are infected with some sort of parasites. More than 100 types of parasites worms can be living happily in human bodies, and only about 5 percent of these varieties can be tested positively, with only 20 percent accuracy.

Some parasites are big in size and can be seen by eyes, while the others are microscopic in size. Parasites can range from tiny amoebas, which are visible only under a microscope, to tapeworms 3 to 30 feet in length. Fortunately, the easy to eliminate roundworm species are the most common and tapeworms are not so common.

Many of us can live without parasite drama if we remain constipation free (moving bowels at least twice daily). But once constipated, we give those pesky critters a beautiful environment to flourish. The more toxic, the more they love us. Common complaints include lower right abdominal pain, grinding teeth at night (Bruxism) and dark circles under your eyes. Also, grinding of teeth is often misdiagnosed as TMJ because parasites are more active at night causing us a restless attempt at sleep.

Many years ago I worked a busy medical/surgical floor as a staff nurse. We frequently did stool samples for ova (eggs) and parasites. The results were often negative, but I now conclude they were false negative. As a colon therapist who sees parasites with her own eyes, what I do know is that they are usually not within the fecal sample. They are seen and excreted with a mucous-like coating. Anyone who has bowel movements with mucous strands should be very suspicious.

We are exposed to parasites from eating produce, having pets, walking barefoot in the grass, petting a pig, eating fish, and in many other ways. It is not that we are dirty or contaminated — it is life. Actually, it would be very hard to avoid exposure, especially if you eat healthy. But for those who eat a poor diet and find themselves constipated, you will grow and multiply your parasites faster. Also, something you may want to consider is that cooking does not always kill parasites, but freezing does.

As a naturopath, I avoid medications as much as possible. As a midwife, I have the ability to prescribe. If one were to eliminate parasites using herbs such as wormwood, black walnut and pumpkin seed, the minimum treatment would be six weeks. Most people were not compliant with the dosing, making the therapy ineffective.

Prescribing mebendazole along with colon cleansing has helped hundreds of people who found no help from laxatives, many doctor visits, unexplained congestion and skin ailments just to name a few complaints. “Miraculous” is a word that is commonly used when patients report an 85 percent to 90 percent improvement in their symptoms.

I am all for preventative and proactive treatment against parasites. It just makes sense.

To date, I have not gotten one reply or comment from any of those gastrointestinal specialists to whom I sent letters. Nevertheless, I will continue to practice what has helped hundreds as my satisfaction comes from their happiness and well-being.

For more from Cathi Stack, visit her Web site, http://www.journeyiihealth.com/.

New Yoga Nidra Meditation App – iRelax

Posted on by Tammy

We love apps for relaxation and meditation, and many of us at Elevated Existence have used them to slow down the mind and body at night just before we go to sleep. A new one available for the iPad and iPhone is called iRelax Meditation, which helps the listener enter into the state of yoga nidra or “yogi sleep.”

The app contains five sessions, ranging from a short 20-minute Woodland Journey to a 45-minute deeply relaxing journey called Body Awareness. There is also an Introduction track to help prepare the mind and body for the meditation, and a Return track will gently bring the listener back to their surroundings.

The Breath and Relaxation track will help listeners enter a relaxed state where they are aware of the breath, and can slow the pulse and clear the mind. And while the Body Awareness track is the “heart of Yoga Nidra,” according to the developers, taking the listener on a journey of awareness through the body and its energy points, the Woodland Journey offers a guided meditation to help listeners become aware of all their senses through a relaxing landscape in nature.

The app is available now via iTunes for only $0.99.

Study Shows Meditation Reduces Healthcare Costs

Posted on by Tammy

For many, chronic stress is the top factor contributing to high medical expenses. Researchers believed by reducing stress reduction, healthcare costs may also decrease, and according to a recent study published in the September/October 2011 issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion, this may be correct.

The study showed people with consistently high health care costs experienced a 28 percent cumulative decrease in physician fees after an average of five years practicing the stress-reducing Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique, compared with their baseline, reported Psychcentral.com.

This new study, done over five years in Quebec, Canada, compared the changes in physician costs for 284 consistent high-cost participants. A total of 142 practiced Transcendental Meditation and 142 were non-practitioners, Psychcentral.com reported.

The non-TM subjects were randomly selected from Quebec health insurance enrollees with the same age, sex, and region to match the TM participant profiles, and the TM participants had began the technique one year prior to choosing to enter the study, the report stated.

After the first year, the TM group health care costs decreased 11 percent, and after 5 years, their cumulative reduction was 28 percent.

Additionally, in a previous Canadian study, the TM group exhibited reduced medical expenses between 5 percent and 13 percent relative to comparison subjects each year for 6 consecutive years, and in a Canadian study of senior citizens, the TM group’s five-year cumulative reduction for people aged 65 years and older relative to comparison subjects was 70 percent, the report stated.

The same has been found in the United States, with an 11-year, cross-sectional study in Iowa showing that subjects age 45 and over who practiced the TM technique had 88 percent fewer hospital days compared with controls, and their medical expenditures were 60 percent below the norm, according to Psychcentral.com.

Natural Stress Relievers From an Integrative Doctor

Posted on by Tammy

On his Web site, DrEliaz.org, integrative physician Dr. Isaac Eliaz offered six different remedies to relieve stress naturally without zapping your energy or making you sleepy. We wanted to share them with you! For more health and wellness advice, visit Dr. Eliaz’s blog and Web site.

1. Ashwagandha – a plant used as an herbal remedy for inflammation, to fight infection, enhance immunity and more, according to Eliaz. “It helps the body to resist stress and maintain vital mental and physical energy throughout the day, while promoting restful sleep at night,” he said. “Its ability to reduce anxiety, ease restlessness and stabilize moods is highly valued by many herbalists.”

2. Holy Basi (Tulsi) – an herb native to India, has been shown to decrease the stress hormone cortisol. It also “operates as an adaptogen, naturally improving the body’s response to physical and emotional stress during periods of high anxiety and physical exhaustion,” Eliaz said. By taking it as an herbal supplement or drinking Tulsi tea, a person can help stabilize the brain’s serotonin and dopamine levels to calm and relax them without feeling drowsy.

3. B Vitamins — B vitamins, in particular B6, B9 and B12, may contribute to the reduction of anxiety and depression and help boost energy, Eliaz explained. They can be taken as supplements or found in foods such as dairy products, lean meats, fish, poultry, nuts and eggs. Additionally, they can have a direct impact on your brain’s serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine levels, he said.

4. Green Tea (EGCG) – L-theanine found in green tea could be the component responsible for green tea’s potential antidepressant effects, according to research as L-theanine is a calming amino acid known to reduce mental and physical stress and enhance critical neurotransmitter activity, Eliaz said. “Green tea is also abundant in a class of phytochemicals called polyphenols, including the potent antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which contributes to an increase in brain alpha wave activity,” he said. “Alpha waves are associated with a state of being awake but relaxed, so the EGCG together with the L-theanine also found in green tea, promote a state of ‘alert relaxation.’” However, since caffeine can have the opposite effect, he recommends choosing decaffeinated green tea.

5. Yoga and Tai Chi – Some of the most well-researched stress relieving exercises include yoga and Tai chi, said Eliaz. These exercises have also been shown to “dramatically reduce stress levels.”

6. Meditation – “A simple 10-minute daily meditation session can offer significant improvements in your mood and energy levels,” said Eliaz. “In fact, published studies show that simple meditation when practiced daily is more effective than anti-depressants in improving mental, physical and emotional well being.”

Jane Fonda on the Power of Positivity and Meditation

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Elevated Existence Magazine interviewed Jane Fonda about her new book “Prime Time” for the September 2011 issue cover story. In the book, she reveals new research, along with personal stories, to help others live a healthy, long and fulfilling life.

Below is an excerpt from our interview where Fonda spoke about how a positive outlook is an essential component to aging, and how she finally learned to meditate at age 70!

Elevated Existence: You dedicated a chapter of “Prime Time” to positivity as an essential component to aging – why do you believe it is easier to remain positive as we age, and what are the best ways to do so?

Jane Fonda: Positivity is a word I learned from gerontologists, or scientists who study aging. They have discovered that older people, starting around 50 years, tend to be happier, less anxious and less hostile. This is based on extensive research of hundreds of thousands of people. No one can explain absolutely why this is so, but scientists postulate that it is an important developmental shift.

There are so many what-ifs in the lives of younger people, whereas we elders are armed with a long backward look – in other words, this has happened before. We have the accumulation of perspective. We’ve ‘been there, done that.’ We have experienced mishaps, crisis and hardships, and survived. We know what we need and what is no longer necessary in our lives and so can let go of a lot of ‘stuff.’ We know where the tiger is lurking in the brush. We don’t have to keep going back and checking. The ‘this too shall pass’ wisdom is difficult for younger people to grasp, but we’ve been through it and we know. We are more apt to turn lemons into lemonade instead of making mountains out of molehills. We may lose our eyesight, but we can gain insight.

Of course, none of this is a given. There are those for whom aging is very challenging, and they are defined by the problems that can attend these later years. What I have attempted in “Prime Time” is to paint a picture – with stories and facts and ideas – of how, if we are intentional about it, we can use these years to become who we were meant to be all along. This becomes especially important now because we live so much longer than our grandparents did . . . 34 years on average. An entire adult lifetime has been added. We need to learn how to live it fully and with grace and wisdom.

Elevated Existence: In the book, you explain how you started mindfulness meditation at age 70 after attending a silent retreat at the Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe. What made you take the course, and how has it changed you and your life?

Jane Fonda: I’ve known for a long time that meditation would help be become centered and less nervous, but I never could do it. As I was 2 weeks away from turning 70, I found the Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico near my ranch. Roshi Joan Halifax is the abbott of the center. It is unusual for a woman to be a Zen priest, and she is a profound woman who also happens to be an anthropologist by training and an activist. She told me that for the first 8 days of December – right before my birthday – they have a Rohatsu Sesshin, a silent meditation retreat that celebrates the enlightenment of the Buddha. I signed up and, although it was challenging to still my mind (as it is for everyone, including, I’m told, Buddha himself), I experienced what it feels like and its benefits and I have continued with it.

In Prime Time I have written in depth about my experience during those 8 days and give a complete guide to mindfulness meditation. Meditation helps me focus, become clear and calm. Frankly, I never thought I’d be able to achieve this.

Be sure to check out what else is in our September 2011 issue! For the complete article featuring Jane Fonda, you can subscribe, purchase the single digital issue or purchase the single print issue to be mailed to your home. Find out more here!