I have just returned from a most amazing journey into the Medicine Buddha's Garden. The journey was guided by Floracopeia, an essential oil company based in Nevada City, CA. The company itself is an ever expanding mandala of beauty, integrity, compassion and vision. For me, Floracopeia is an operating model for navigating this paradigm shift we are going through which I call "the Greenaissance" (see previous blogs for more on this).
The focus of this time in the Medicine Buddha's Garden was cultivating interconnectedness through the integration of medicine, ecology and spirituality. This was based on a beautiful book written by David Crow, Floracopeia's founder. It is about healing ourselves, our ecosytems, and our spirits through renewing our relationship with the world of Nature - the Green World. Truly our belief in our detachment and separation from Nature over these last few centuries has created most of the problems and disasters we are now experiencing. While we have learned many amazing things and created wonderful technologies over these centuries we can see that the root of many of our environmental problems, our economic problems, our social problems, our health problems can all be found in an unbalanced and disconnected relationship with Nature. No one is saying to throw the baby out with the bathwater only that it is time to reevaluate and set a new course for a healthier future.
When you really think about it there is no separation between us and anything or anyone else on the planet. We all, and this includes all humans, plants, and animals, breathe the same air, drink the same water, are fed, housed, clothed and sustained by the same soil so when we damage and poison these living systems we damage and poison ourselves, each one of us. When we use up these resources without replacing them, when we don't maintain and care for the magnificent abundance of the Earth we all lose and there is nothing left to sustain any of us no matter how rich or powerful. And there is no future for our children or the animals, plants, oceans, atmosphere.
If we really look at the current situation in ourselves, our families, our communities, our countries and around the world we can clearly see that our ideas about exploitation and domination of Nature have not worked out so well. We can see that the "Green Revolution" based on the model of agribusiness has not fed the world and the modern diet perpetuated by advertising and monolithic multinational corporations is creating populations who are starving to death through overconsumption.
It is time to say enough is enough. This way of life may have been a good dream but as it is playing out it is not a good reality. Even the extremely wealthy, who find some benefit from this way of life, are suffering. They, like all of us, need to breathe clean air, drink clean water and to eat food that has nutritional value. They are also susceptible to the same air and water born illnesses brought about by environmental degradation, overcrowding and poverty. Like King Midas discovered in the end if all you touch is gold it is impossible to eat, drink or touch another in love.
So what can we do? The answers are really very simple and basic. We can begin by reconnecting with Nature. Plant a garden, have plants in your house, walk in the woods, go to farmer's markets. I have heard that if organic agriculture replaced commercial agriculture we could reverse the effects of global warming (see below for references). We could certainly begin to reverse a lot of the health problems that affect so many in our populations. There are many, many studies out there that show that diabetes, heart disease, obesity, ADD, and our over dependence on pharmaceuticals all could be greatly helped by eating fresh, whole, organic foods. And, as many studies show that the benefits of organic farming on the ecosystem are equally profound.
Many critics say that organic gardening and farming cannot provide enough food. How do we know that? Have we ever tried it? What we do know clearly is that agribusiness is not providing enough food, the food it provides does not nourish, and it is killing the water, soil and air. We also know that the heinous and overcrowded conditions of the industrial meat industry is causing new and unprecedented epidemics among the animals and across species to humans. So why would we want to continue with these?
As the economies fluctuate, as the wars escalate, as poverty, starvation and disease spread, let us stop looking to our governments to save us. Let us begin to save ourselves by planting gardens and trees, by educating ourselves, by accumulating less money and things that do not fulfill us, and instead start spending our time cultivating food, herbal medicines, family, friends, and meaningful relationships. Let us join together in our communities to support each other in caretaking and sustaining ourselves and our environment locally. We are one giant community of Earth beings who all depend on each other. None of us is separate or different in this respect. None of us can be without air or water or plants. If we all work to take care of Nature, she will support us abundantly.
As we give so shall we receive. What do we have to lose?
Organic farming and global warming references (http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/ob_31, www.rodaleinstitute.org/files/Rodale_Research_Paper-07_30_08.pdf).
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Local Currency and Re-Valuation of Our Economy
This piece is so good and really gets at the heart of what local currencies work to address so I will let it speak for itself. On Kauai there is a movement afoot to introduce a local currency. If you are interested check out kauaitime.org. The peace below comes from The Department of Heartland Security and the heartland matrix blog.
Building the "Real" Economy and a Healthy, Wealthy Commonwealth
By Steve Bhaerman
"They say economic recovery is just around the corner,
but I think our karma spun out going around that last learning curve."
-- Swami Beyondananda
-- Swami Beyondananda
We've been so collectively hypnotized into believing that the power of money has the right to rule, that paper wealth is real, and that every American has the "moral" right to selfishly pursue wealth as the primary "value" of life, that we didn't see it coming. Or going. (For an excellent and balanced take on how we collectively deluded ourselves and why, please check out this article on Rethinking the American Dream in the April, 2009 issue of Vanity Fair.)
In the endless pursuit of "wealth," two things were missing. First, we failed to accurately define what wealth really is. Second, we neglected to understand where real wealth comes from. In my work over the past three years on Spontaneous Evolution, I've gained a better understanding from nature's point of view of the source and nature of "true wealth."
We can begin to gain new perspective when we go back to the original meaning of "wealth." It comes from the same root as well being. This would indicate that wealth and health are related, making the notion of "can we afford health care" as a patently absurd question. But that is for another conversation. For now, let's see what nature has to say about a "healthy commonwealth."
What Would Nature Do?
Inside the body and in nature, "wealth" is the equivalent of energy, the ability to do the work necessary for the organism to thrive. The body's "wealth" is stored and "spent" via ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which Bruce Lipton describes as "the molecular equivalent of a re-chargeable battery." Cells tap the energy from ATP molecules to empower cellular function.
Biology textbooks even refer to ATP as "the coin of the realm," recognizing it as a means of energy exchange. Cells are "paid" in ATP, and excess energy is stored as ATP in "banks" called fat cells. If we "follow the ATP," we find that cells work for the system and pool their ATP. In the cellular economy, there is universal health care, full employment and truly "no cell left behind." However, this is no purely "communist" system. Cells whose work is more vital to the system are "paid more," and may even have their own entourages of "helper cells" working for them.
Instead of individual accounts, energy reserves are available for the use (and betterment) of the entire "community" (i.e., organism). These resources are allocated as needed to build. upgrade or repair the body's infrastructure. Oh, and there is no borrowing, and no credit. You can't run up an ATP tab on your Ascended Mastercard and pay for it next lifetime.
Without becoming too anthropomorphic (cells hate it when we do that), we can still draw some powerful conclusions from the economy beneath our skins that allows some 50 trillion cells to thrive:
1. True wealth is energy, representing the ability to do work (i.e., to live long and prosper).
2. All cells, regardless of what work they do, are given what they need to thrive. No cell has to "worry" where its next paycheck is coming from.
3. Functions that are most valuable to the organism receive more resources, and stored resources are likewise distributed for the benefit of the entire system.
4. The economy is limited to resources available.
For a more detailed discussion of how the cellular economy can inform our human economy ... well, it's in the book, and (see below) the book will be out in a matter of weeks. For now, let's look at another conclusion we come to about how the human economy can better approximate the natural economy, and how two key human qualities can magnify the resources of the natural world.
The "Real" Economy
When we boil away all the derivatives, all the financial leverage, all of the non-existent paper (or more accurately, digits), what are we left with? What does the "real" economy consist of? Our answer is, five things:
1. The Energy From the Sun.
2. Food From the Earth.
3. Love.
4. Imagination.
5. Community and Awareness.
1. Energy From the Sun. For our purposes, the sun is our 24/7 sustainable generator of "wealth" in the form of energy. Whatever fuels we use -- from wind and tides, to coal, gas and oil (what Thom Hartmann called "ancient sunlight") -- we have been given an energy source that is, for our purposes, infinite. Our simple task is to harness and magnify this source in the present time as solar energy.
2. Food From the Earth. As Charles Walters points out in Unforgiven, his provocative study of the economic theories of Carl Wilken, "all new wealth comes from the soil." Imagine this ... you plant a kernel of corn, and with a minimum of cultivation, a corn plant sprouts, yielding thousands of kernels that can be likewise planted. This is so obvious that it can be overlooked. Nature produces new wealth every season.
3. Love. Yes, love. This most under-developed of Divinely-given human resources is the "glue" that holds our world together. It is a key component of a truly wealthy economy because it facilitates all things good. Consequently, it is a secret factor in economic efficiency. Where love proliferates, we need less "stuff." Nurturance prevents problems (e.g., crime, illness) that are costly later. And like loaves and fishes, love can infinitely reproduce without diminishment.
4. Imagination. Another under-utilized tool, imagination is the precursor for the technology that allows us to multiply our finite resources. Perhaps more importantly, imagination is what makes us "surrogate gods," or as Swami calls us, "the Creator's creation created to create." Oh, and love + imagination = beauty, another form of nourishment we too often ignore.
5. Community and Awareness. As we point out in Spontaneous Evolution, every stage of evolution involves expanding community and expanding awareness. Just as surely as single cell organisms became more "economically efficient" by combining into multi-cell ones, increased awareness (on both the internet and outernet) and interwoven community make us economically more efficient, and spiritually more free.
In practical terms, this means that our entire economic understanding is up for "re-valuation." As we value assets (tangible and spiritual), we now must adhere to a new bottom line:
1. Does it enhance our ability to produce and use sustainable energy?
2. Does it provide clean and nourishing food and water?
3. Does it add to happiness, beauty, nurturance or functionality?
4. Does it provide for necessary protection?
5. Does it magnify our resources through clean technology and creative invention?
6. Does it add to healing and preventive medicine? (Hint: the preventive remedy for dis-ease is ... ease!)
These are the questions we must address collectively ... and we will. However, the first significant step is for each of us to address this personally and with our families. We must "re-valuate" what we are spending and "feeding," consciously and unconsciously. Here are a few opening questions to get the internal (and family) conversation going:
1. What is, for me, truly valuable? (Hint: It has something to do with mission, purpose and heart's desire.)
2. What is most valuable for my wellbeing and the wellbeing of my family?
3. How well does my work represent my values?
4. How closely do my expenditures -- not just in money, but in time, attention and intention -- reflect these values?
5. How can I shift this "spending" to reflect what is most valuable to me, and for a healed planet?
For example: Are there habitual expenses that we make almost unconsciously that can be shifted to something more nourishing? Are we "feeding" something out of habit that might be better starved? Are we supporting economic entities that are extracting wealth from our communities, or ones that are making our communities more vital, sustainable and self-sufficient? Are we unconsciously supporting media that diminishes love and intelligence?
Consider how easy it would be to shift $10 or $50 or $100 each month from something that is either harmful or unnecessary, to something that is more generative? These ideas are not offered so we can "punish" or deprive ourselves, but rather so that we can become more conscious and more responsible "cells" and selves in this emerging organism called Humanity. What if we took what we spent on People magazine, and spent that resource on People's media? What if we withdrew our savings from predatory mega-banks, and banked them with local banks or credit unions? What if we shifted a few dollars a month from processed to organic food, from fast food to slow food?
You get the idea ... we have more choices than we can imagine, and in making these choices we can and will strengthen the truly nourishing, healing and loving forces in our society. And to further develop our understanding ...
Upcoming Economics of Peace Conference Sprays Economic Mystery with "De-Mystifier"
About five years ago, I made a new friend, Georgia Kelly. I remembered Georgia as the world-renowned harpist who had her own record label in the 1980s. While Georgia still keeps a hand -- actually, two hands -- in music, her work and passion in recent years is the Praxis Peace Institute. As founder and director of Praxis, Georgia brings enlightening speakers to the Bay Area, and has hosted several conferences. I have been part of her two most recent (Pacific Grove in 2004, and Dubrovnik, Croatia in 2007).
I am proud and delighted to be participating in what might be Praxis's most important conference of all -- the Economics of Peace: Transforming Money, Rebuilding Community, Redefining Wealth conference to be held in Sonoma, California, October 18th-23rd, 2009.
Speakers include U.S. Representatives Dennis Kucinich and Lynn Woolsey, social scientist and author Riane Eisler, best-selling author Sam Keen, philosopher Jacob Needleman, visionary economists James Galbraith, Tom Greco and David Korten ... and many more. The Swami will be providing comic relief, and here's something else unique and interesting: Instead of taking place in a sterile hotel setting, the Economics of Peace will utilize the vibrant local downtown of Sonoma, California.
Because the town of Sonoma is designed like a European city with a central town square and park, the conference will have a center without being confined to a hotel. Many conference sessions and breaks will take place outdoors, and café discussion groups will actually happen in ... cafés!
Daily plenary sessions will take place in the historic Sebastiani Theater on the square in downtown Sonoma. Local cafes will supply food and beverages during breaks and for discussion groups. The Evening sessions will be in the Sonoma Community Center or the Veterans Memorial Building. All conference venues, restaurants, shops, and several hotels and B&Bs are within easy walking distance of each other. This is a "walkable" conference with daily exercise and fresh air built into the schedule.
If you're looking for practical education in the true future of economics, if you're looking to find a community of like-hearted "co-hearts" and thoughtful thinkers, all in a beautiful and inspiring setting, please put this event on your calendar. You can register now and get a special bonus -- a small luncheon with one of four speakers. To find out more, please call (707) 939-2973.
I certainly hope to see you there!
Spontaneous Evolution: We're in the Om Stretch!
The first boxes of Spontaneous Evolution are being prepared as I write this, and will be here -- and ready to ship -- within a couple of weeks. The "limited time" part of our limited time pre-order offer will be coming to an end in just one week ... So, if you would like your copy autographed by yours truly (Bruce is in New Zealand right now and even though he signs his books in long hand, his hand just isn't that long ...) and including other bonuses, now is the time to go order here. https://bear.he.net/~wakeupl/epistore/
In addition to the Heartland Security downloadable audio, and background article on why the world has gone crazy and where to find the key to the "sane asylum" (Institutionalized Insanity), I am offering another article that sheds light on economic history and expands on the essay above: It's called Original Wealth and People's Capitalism, and will -- along with the other article -- be available for download this week.
If you can't wait a couple of weeks for the book, you can add Bruce and Steve's Spontaneous Evolution 5CD set to your order , and we will ship you the CD set now and pick up the (U.S.) shipping. Just go here to order. https://bear.he.net/~wakeupl/epistore/
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Got Hydrosols?
Today I am in the process of making patchouli hydrosol. I have lovely big, fragrant, bush in my garden which seems to be at it's peak so I harvested some around noon and will be distilling in an hour or so. I thought I would just share some information about hydrosols in general as they seem to be coming into my world in a big way. As I'm discovering more about them I'm realizing how useful they can be.
David Crow of Floracopeia describes them as, "the aromatic waters that condense in the collecting vessel during steam distillation. Because they contain only minute amounts of the essential oil, hydrosols are very safe and gentle. Many hydrosols can be sprayed directly into the eyes, taken as drinks, used for washing the skin, and other uses. Although they are mild in nature, hydrosols contain a wide range of therapeutic compounds which makes them highly effective for treating various health concerns. In Ayurvedic medicine aromatic waters are called arkas; they are consumed as drinks for their therapeutic benefits, especially for digestive disorders." He also cautions that because hydrosols are water-based they have a shorter shelf life than essential oils. Each hydrosol is unique in its longevity. They advise that you keep them refrigerated. Many hydrosols should have a shelf life of at least a year. If any signs of mold appear over time, the hydrosol should not be used.*
Herbalist James Green says that these fascinating waters carry both some bit of the volatile oils that are the essential oils along with many mild and soothing water-soluble components of the plant that are not present in the volatile oils. And he adds that where the essential oils carry components which can cause irritation to the skin if not adequately diluted the hydrosols do not irritate. Instead they present soothing, anti-inflammatory acids and other compounds that heal the skin and are exclusive to the aromatic hydrosol. *
Hydrosols can be thought of as sort of a homeopathic version of the essential oil. They are safe and gentle for topical use, and for use with children and animals. They are highly effective with few contraindications. There are several ways to use these healing waters in skin and body care, and in the home. The most common are: as a refreshing skin care mist or toner, as an air freshener, as a compress, added to water for hair rinse; as an additive to clay masks and creams; as a subtle and natural perfume. They gently counteract the drying effects of the air as well as adverse conditions in offices, schools, on planes and in institutional settings.
Other ways to use hydrosols:
Use as an additive to a humidifier; a tablespoon will add a refreshing, subtle aroma and more, up to a cup, will increase the aroma strength. Some hydrosols can also provide anti-microbial properties to mist.
They make excellent base waters for syrups and can be used in cooking, for flavoring drinks or making flavored ice cubes.
The Patchouli Hydrosol is excellent for use in both skin care and hair care. It has a rich, sweet-earthy fragrance which is a much softer version of the deep, earthy scent of the essential oil. The hydrosol can be used for stress related conditions, sexual dysfunction and nervous exhaustion alone or in formulations.
Patchouli has a long history in Asia, specifically India, China, and Malaysia, where it is still used to treat skin related diseases. Patchouli is known to be antiseptic and anti-fungal, and has been shown to stimulate cell regeneration. It is recommended for use in caring for mature, dry, and chapped skin also for acne, and eczema. It is truly a unisex aroma, so it makes a wonderful skincare toner for men and woman. In perfumery patchouli is known as a fixative which means that it acts to bind other ingredients together to prolong their activity and enhance their therapeutic value.
I know last blog I said that I was going to talk more about the Greenaissance and about Elizabeth Sahtouris in particular, and I will get to that. Essentially everything I talk about is about the Greenaissance but I don't always lay it out that way. Over time this will all become more apparent so be patient and stay tuned. All will be revealed in this marvelous unfolding process.
* Sources:
David Crow from the Floracopeia website
James Green from The Herbal Medicine Makers Handbook p. 118-119
David Crow of Floracopeia describes them as, "the aromatic waters that condense in the collecting vessel during steam distillation. Because they contain only minute amounts of the essential oil, hydrosols are very safe and gentle. Many hydrosols can be sprayed directly into the eyes, taken as drinks, used for washing the skin, and other uses. Although they are mild in nature, hydrosols contain a wide range of therapeutic compounds which makes them highly effective for treating various health concerns. In Ayurvedic medicine aromatic waters are called arkas; they are consumed as drinks for their therapeutic benefits, especially for digestive disorders." He also cautions that because hydrosols are water-based they have a shorter shelf life than essential oils. Each hydrosol is unique in its longevity. They advise that you keep them refrigerated. Many hydrosols should have a shelf life of at least a year. If any signs of mold appear over time, the hydrosol should not be used.*
Herbalist James Green says that these fascinating waters carry both some bit of the volatile oils that are the essential oils along with many mild and soothing water-soluble components of the plant that are not present in the volatile oils. And he adds that where the essential oils carry components which can cause irritation to the skin if not adequately diluted the hydrosols do not irritate. Instead they present soothing, anti-inflammatory acids and other compounds that heal the skin and are exclusive to the aromatic hydrosol. *
Hydrosols can be thought of as sort of a homeopathic version of the essential oil. They are safe and gentle for topical use, and for use with children and animals. They are highly effective with few contraindications. There are several ways to use these healing waters in skin and body care, and in the home. The most common are: as a refreshing skin care mist or toner, as an air freshener, as a compress, added to water for hair rinse; as an additive to clay masks and creams; as a subtle and natural perfume. They gently counteract the drying effects of the air as well as adverse conditions in offices, schools, on planes and in institutional settings.
Other ways to use hydrosols:
Use as an additive to a humidifier; a tablespoon will add a refreshing, subtle aroma and more, up to a cup, will increase the aroma strength. Some hydrosols can also provide anti-microbial properties to mist.
They make excellent base waters for syrups and can be used in cooking, for flavoring drinks or making flavored ice cubes.
The Patchouli Hydrosol is excellent for use in both skin care and hair care. It has a rich, sweet-earthy fragrance which is a much softer version of the deep, earthy scent of the essential oil. The hydrosol can be used for stress related conditions, sexual dysfunction and nervous exhaustion alone or in formulations.
Patchouli has a long history in Asia, specifically India, China, and Malaysia, where it is still used to treat skin related diseases. Patchouli is known to be antiseptic and anti-fungal, and has been shown to stimulate cell regeneration. It is recommended for use in caring for mature, dry, and chapped skin also for acne, and eczema. It is truly a unisex aroma, so it makes a wonderful skincare toner for men and woman. In perfumery patchouli is known as a fixative which means that it acts to bind other ingredients together to prolong their activity and enhance their therapeutic value.
I know last blog I said that I was going to talk more about the Greenaissance and about Elizabeth Sahtouris in particular, and I will get to that. Essentially everything I talk about is about the Greenaissance but I don't always lay it out that way. Over time this will all become more apparent so be patient and stay tuned. All will be revealed in this marvelous unfolding process.
* Sources:
David Crow from the Floracopeia website
James Green from The Herbal Medicine Makers Handbook p. 118-119
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Intentional Chocolate!?
Chocolate infused with intentional focus by meditators trained by the Dalai Lama! Dean Radin and a band of scientific experimenters in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study that was published in the scientific peer-reviewed journal, Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing (October 2007) found that one ounce of Intentional Chocolate per day for three days increased subjects’ well-being, vigor and energy by an average of 67 percent and, in some cases, up to 1,000 percent, when compared to a control group. More information on this is available at intentionalchocolate.com or watch oneminuteshift.com/videos/dean_radin/intentional_chocolate
While this is all very interesting what does it have to do with botanical body products or the election or Grennaissance? I'm glad you asked. Here's how:
Let's begin to explore the idea of the Greenaissance. What is it? What are the defining characteristics of such a paradigm shift? When we look back over humankind's previous major paradigm shift, the Renaissance, we see that there were several major components involved that interacted with each other over a period of some 200-300 years to create the shift out of the dark ages and into the beginnings of the modern industrial age. During this time there were strong changes in the religious, philosophical and technological arenas which strongly affected the social, political, and economic and artistic realms.
One of the key fundamental shifts in the world view of that time was brought about by Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation. His ideas about the word of God being taken out of the hands of the priests and the Pope and put into the hands of people was revolutionary on every level. It shifted the balance of power away from the Church. And it shifted the focus of control in life away from God and into the hands of humans. The technological advance of the printing press spread these ideas far and wide and opened up a whole new world in the creation and dissemination of knowledge. Philosophically this shifted the focus of how the universe worked from a mysterious, unknowable God centered universe to one knowable by humans. This was taken up by the Natural Philosophers of the time such as Newton, Decartes, Galileo, and Copernicus with the ideas that the universe was knowable and could be reduced to mathematics and discernible laws and forces that govern matter which gave rise to rationalism, empiricism and the scientific method.
What does all this have to do with Intentional Chocolate you might ask? Good question. What I am proposing here is that we begin to see ourselves going through such a major epochal shift as the Renaissance and being aware of it while it is happening. So when we look at what is coming up in the different arenas such as religion/spirituality, science, philosophy we can begin to see the effects in the economic, political, and social arenas. Or let's even take it one step further that we can begin to choose how these new ideas affect the shape of our economic, social and political lives. One area of new ideas that keeps popping up is looking at how the mind, thought, consciousness affects the physical world of matter like putting intention into chocolate and finding measurable results.
Since one of the premises of the Greennaissance is that we are moving into an awareness of the universe as based in energy rather than matter and since science is showing us that thought - focused consciousness is a form of energy that can be directed Intentional Chocolate is a delicious example of what I am talking about here. More and more we are hearing about the power of manifestation. Information about this sort of thing has been coming out on both on the pop end of the scale, like The Secret, and on the scientific end of the scale with things like Shroedinger's cat and the double slit experiment. (For more information on these things see www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfPeprQ7oGc and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schrödinger's_cat).
Similar experiments on the power of prayer and meditation have been going on for some time. Research has shown that meditation can contribute to an individual's psychological and physiological well-being. Meditation brings the brainwave pattern into an alpha state, which is a level of consciousness that promotes the healing state. Other studies have shown that group meditation has measurably reduced crime and violence in places like Washington DC and Jerusalem. There are even groups who work through meditation and prayer to effect hurricanes to detour them from hitting land or to diminish their force so their impact is not so severe when they reach landfall. Just google around and you will find many websites and blogs about all of this. There are even sites like Event Temples (eventtemples.com) which have regularly scheduled times daily to send focused intentional energy out to where it is needed if you want to join in.
In my view this is one of the new paradigm ways we are and will be working more and more. Intentional Chocolate has now become a trademarked product! I'm sure it won't be the only one. More and more website are popping up to gather people together to direct their intentional focused energy on impacting events in the Middle East or decreasing violence in certain areas or helping seriously ill patients in hospitals. There are, of course, many other applications being marketed for more personal uses of this power such as for increasing wealth or attracting relationships into our lives. The power of prayer, the power of attraction, the idea that our thoughts create our experience, that our thoughts create things this is a whole new way of looking at the world, our lives, who we are as people, as individuals and as a species. Think about it.
And just in case you were wondering - yes indeed Greensong Botanicals are all made with intention. Every time I start to make anything I very consciously focus my attention and direct the intention of healing, joy, and love to go into the products I am making and that they serve the highest good for all those who come in contact with them. Does it make a difference? I don't know. You tell me. All I know is that it can't possibly hurt and I truly believe that it makes a powerful difference.
Stay tuned for the next installment which will focus on living systems based on the ideas of Elizabeth Sahtouris and Biomimicry.
Aloha and thanks for listening,
Lisa
While this is all very interesting what does it have to do with botanical body products or the election or Grennaissance? I'm glad you asked. Here's how:
Let's begin to explore the idea of the Greenaissance. What is it? What are the defining characteristics of such a paradigm shift? When we look back over humankind's previous major paradigm shift, the Renaissance, we see that there were several major components involved that interacted with each other over a period of some 200-300 years to create the shift out of the dark ages and into the beginnings of the modern industrial age. During this time there were strong changes in the religious, philosophical and technological arenas which strongly affected the social, political, and economic and artistic realms.
One of the key fundamental shifts in the world view of that time was brought about by Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation. His ideas about the word of God being taken out of the hands of the priests and the Pope and put into the hands of people was revolutionary on every level. It shifted the balance of power away from the Church. And it shifted the focus of control in life away from God and into the hands of humans. The technological advance of the printing press spread these ideas far and wide and opened up a whole new world in the creation and dissemination of knowledge. Philosophically this shifted the focus of how the universe worked from a mysterious, unknowable God centered universe to one knowable by humans. This was taken up by the Natural Philosophers of the time such as Newton, Decartes, Galileo, and Copernicus with the ideas that the universe was knowable and could be reduced to mathematics and discernible laws and forces that govern matter which gave rise to rationalism, empiricism and the scientific method.
What does all this have to do with Intentional Chocolate you might ask? Good question. What I am proposing here is that we begin to see ourselves going through such a major epochal shift as the Renaissance and being aware of it while it is happening. So when we look at what is coming up in the different arenas such as religion/spirituality, science, philosophy we can begin to see the effects in the economic, political, and social arenas. Or let's even take it one step further that we can begin to choose how these new ideas affect the shape of our economic, social and political lives. One area of new ideas that keeps popping up is looking at how the mind, thought, consciousness affects the physical world of matter like putting intention into chocolate and finding measurable results.
Since one of the premises of the Greennaissance is that we are moving into an awareness of the universe as based in energy rather than matter and since science is showing us that thought - focused consciousness is a form of energy that can be directed Intentional Chocolate is a delicious example of what I am talking about here. More and more we are hearing about the power of manifestation. Information about this sort of thing has been coming out on both on the pop end of the scale, like The Secret, and on the scientific end of the scale with things like Shroedinger's cat and the double slit experiment. (For more information on these things see www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfPeprQ7oGc and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schrödinger's_cat).
Similar experiments on the power of prayer and meditation have been going on for some time. Research has shown that meditation can contribute to an individual's psychological and physiological well-being. Meditation brings the brainwave pattern into an alpha state, which is a level of consciousness that promotes the healing state. Other studies have shown that group meditation has measurably reduced crime and violence in places like Washington DC and Jerusalem. There are even groups who work through meditation and prayer to effect hurricanes to detour them from hitting land or to diminish their force so their impact is not so severe when they reach landfall. Just google around and you will find many websites and blogs about all of this. There are even sites like Event Temples (eventtemples.com) which have regularly scheduled times daily to send focused intentional energy out to where it is needed if you want to join in.
In my view this is one of the new paradigm ways we are and will be working more and more. Intentional Chocolate has now become a trademarked product! I'm sure it won't be the only one. More and more website are popping up to gather people together to direct their intentional focused energy on impacting events in the Middle East or decreasing violence in certain areas or helping seriously ill patients in hospitals. There are, of course, many other applications being marketed for more personal uses of this power such as for increasing wealth or attracting relationships into our lives. The power of prayer, the power of attraction, the idea that our thoughts create our experience, that our thoughts create things this is a whole new way of looking at the world, our lives, who we are as people, as individuals and as a species. Think about it.
And just in case you were wondering - yes indeed Greensong Botanicals are all made with intention. Every time I start to make anything I very consciously focus my attention and direct the intention of healing, joy, and love to go into the products I am making and that they serve the highest good for all those who come in contact with them. Does it make a difference? I don't know. You tell me. All I know is that it can't possibly hurt and I truly believe that it makes a powerful difference.
Stay tuned for the next installment which will focus on living systems based on the ideas of Elizabeth Sahtouris and Biomimicry.
Aloha and thanks for listening,
Lisa
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Election Day
Well election day has finally arrived. What will happen and how will things be from here on out? I'm sure many around the world are watching and wondering this same thing. I am sitting here in the early morning light of possibility. From this place, in this moment, everything is possible. While I know voting has been going on for some hours in other parts of the country, here the day is just beginning and I can sit in this space of possibility and potential.
What I think as I sit in this space is that this campaign and election cycle has been an amazing process. While it has in many ways been tedious, stressful, full of strife and hope it has also been unprecedented in motivating people to get out and take action. In this respect, regardless of what the the election result turns out to be, I think, our greatest lesson and achievement has already taken place. Americans have been historically less politically active than people in other countries. All over Europe, Latin America, Africa, Asia people regularly take to the streets and demand the attention of their politicians. Now we begin to see what can be done when we put our hearts, minds and bodies into action.
My view is that we have been asleep at the wheel for some time now in this country. There are many reasons for this. Many of us are just too busy making ends meet and taking care of our families and have no energy left over for other things. It takes a lot of time and work to keep ourselves really informed. Most of us don't have time to get out in the world and talk to other people in other countries and see for ourselves the impact of our policies on other nations. Most of us are too worn out and tired, or too entrenched in holding on to what we have to look behind the curtain at who is running our country these days. Writing and calling our congress people or even attending local community meetings seems too much for us to manage.
But during this year many people did manage to do a little something extra to try and make things change. This is inspirational, it is momentous. It is the most important thing to come out of this election process. But it doesn't end here. It doesn't end today. It doesn't really matter who gets elected if we remain asleep at the wheel. No leader can create change by themselves nor should we expect or desire such a thing. If that happens it is called a Dictatorship. Dictatorships don't usually give people what they want or need and they usually require military support to maintain. Democracy is really our responsibility, not our leaders. Our leaders can help or hinder the process but the power and choice is really ours.
It is always possible to abdicate responsibility and hand our power over to others who will without a doubt use it to their own advantage which is basically what has been happening for many years. Now it looks like the overwhelming majority of people in this country would like to see a change in the way we are running this country. Well, a big part of that change is going to have to be, not in our elected leaders but in all of us. We are going to have to find the time and space to pay attention, to take action and to tell our political leaders what it is that we want in this country. We are going to have to keep ourselves really informed and educated and not just with the nightly news and the morning papers. Unfortunately, our media has been completely taken over by those whose interests are not necessarily our own and they have no reason to tell us anything that would upset their apple cart. So we have to look a little deeper and a little more broadly by reading foreign newspapers and finding alternative voices.
I'm not saying that any source should be believed completely. All media sources come from a particular slant. Complete, neutral objectivity is not possible so we have to look across a range of sources to get a fuller picture on things and then make our own personal decisions about what is important to us and what we will support. Then take action by voting with your voice and your dollars. Tell your elected officials what you want. We need watchdog groups to hold our politicians accountable and to counter the power of lobby groups and special interests. Buy those things that support your values not just what is cheapest because inevitably what looks cheap is very costly in outsourced jobs, unfair and subsidized competition, unjust labor practices in other countries and environmental degradation. These costs may not be apparent to you in terms of how they effect you but they ultimately cost us all a lot more in the end. A little research will show you this. Watch the "Story of Stuff at www.storyofstuff.com for a place to start this research.
Our Constitution begins with the words, "We the People." This is what the founding fathers always intended. They created a structure for government - for the people and by the people. Our elected officials are meant to be servants of the will of the people. To make a democracy really work it requires an informed an active population. This is truly what the cost of freedom is. It does not have to be paid in blood but it does have to be paid in active attention and participation.
So regardless of what happens today. We the People of the United States have all already won and we must continue these efforts if we hope to maintain our freedoms and our rights as individuals. We also have to be aware that we are part of a much bigger world. The things we do here affect many others around the globe just as the things others do affect us. Being the world bully or police force never makes us any safer it only makes us a target. Maybe we can use our technology, resources, and military to begin creating drinking water for all those in the world who have none. Maybe we can use our great might to help green the planet rather than to escalate it's devastation. Maybe we can use the power of We the People to solve some of the challenges of food shortages and the need to develop and distribute alternative forms of power and to really address health issues in our own country and around the planet. My belief is that then we would be really living in the country that we think we are - America the Home of the Free and the Land of those who get things done by helping ourselves and others. We can make many good things happen in this country and all around the world. It all starts now. Stay awake, Stand Up, Voice Yourself.
What I think as I sit in this space is that this campaign and election cycle has been an amazing process. While it has in many ways been tedious, stressful, full of strife and hope it has also been unprecedented in motivating people to get out and take action. In this respect, regardless of what the the election result turns out to be, I think, our greatest lesson and achievement has already taken place. Americans have been historically less politically active than people in other countries. All over Europe, Latin America, Africa, Asia people regularly take to the streets and demand the attention of their politicians. Now we begin to see what can be done when we put our hearts, minds and bodies into action.
My view is that we have been asleep at the wheel for some time now in this country. There are many reasons for this. Many of us are just too busy making ends meet and taking care of our families and have no energy left over for other things. It takes a lot of time and work to keep ourselves really informed. Most of us don't have time to get out in the world and talk to other people in other countries and see for ourselves the impact of our policies on other nations. Most of us are too worn out and tired, or too entrenched in holding on to what we have to look behind the curtain at who is running our country these days. Writing and calling our congress people or even attending local community meetings seems too much for us to manage.
But during this year many people did manage to do a little something extra to try and make things change. This is inspirational, it is momentous. It is the most important thing to come out of this election process. But it doesn't end here. It doesn't end today. It doesn't really matter who gets elected if we remain asleep at the wheel. No leader can create change by themselves nor should we expect or desire such a thing. If that happens it is called a Dictatorship. Dictatorships don't usually give people what they want or need and they usually require military support to maintain. Democracy is really our responsibility, not our leaders. Our leaders can help or hinder the process but the power and choice is really ours.
It is always possible to abdicate responsibility and hand our power over to others who will without a doubt use it to their own advantage which is basically what has been happening for many years. Now it looks like the overwhelming majority of people in this country would like to see a change in the way we are running this country. Well, a big part of that change is going to have to be, not in our elected leaders but in all of us. We are going to have to find the time and space to pay attention, to take action and to tell our political leaders what it is that we want in this country. We are going to have to keep ourselves really informed and educated and not just with the nightly news and the morning papers. Unfortunately, our media has been completely taken over by those whose interests are not necessarily our own and they have no reason to tell us anything that would upset their apple cart. So we have to look a little deeper and a little more broadly by reading foreign newspapers and finding alternative voices.
I'm not saying that any source should be believed completely. All media sources come from a particular slant. Complete, neutral objectivity is not possible so we have to look across a range of sources to get a fuller picture on things and then make our own personal decisions about what is important to us and what we will support. Then take action by voting with your voice and your dollars. Tell your elected officials what you want. We need watchdog groups to hold our politicians accountable and to counter the power of lobby groups and special interests. Buy those things that support your values not just what is cheapest because inevitably what looks cheap is very costly in outsourced jobs, unfair and subsidized competition, unjust labor practices in other countries and environmental degradation. These costs may not be apparent to you in terms of how they effect you but they ultimately cost us all a lot more in the end. A little research will show you this. Watch the "Story of Stuff at www.storyofstuff.com for a place to start this research.
Our Constitution begins with the words, "We the People." This is what the founding fathers always intended. They created a structure for government - for the people and by the people. Our elected officials are meant to be servants of the will of the people. To make a democracy really work it requires an informed an active population. This is truly what the cost of freedom is. It does not have to be paid in blood but it does have to be paid in active attention and participation.
So regardless of what happens today. We the People of the United States have all already won and we must continue these efforts if we hope to maintain our freedoms and our rights as individuals. We also have to be aware that we are part of a much bigger world. The things we do here affect many others around the globe just as the things others do affect us. Being the world bully or police force never makes us any safer it only makes us a target. Maybe we can use our technology, resources, and military to begin creating drinking water for all those in the world who have none. Maybe we can use our great might to help green the planet rather than to escalate it's devastation. Maybe we can use the power of We the People to solve some of the challenges of food shortages and the need to develop and distribute alternative forms of power and to really address health issues in our own country and around the planet. My belief is that then we would be really living in the country that we think we are - America the Home of the Free and the Land of those who get things done by helping ourselves and others. We can make many good things happen in this country and all around the world. It all starts now. Stay awake, Stand Up, Voice Yourself.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Welcome to the Greennaissance
The Renaissance was a time when a new paradigm was birthed. Ideas about realities were shifting that would govern and shape the world for the next 500 years. Once again we are in such a time. This time we can be conscious and aware of how we are redefining ourselves as humans and in doing so redefine our relationship to the universe and all things. We can make choices about where we are going and what we want to create. This is a unique and momentous time which will happen with or without our conscious participation. Face it folks, things are changing rapidly and rather than to become Chicken Little running around in fear that the sky is falling let us embrace the opportunity and choose the future we are moving into. We are not helpless pawns at the mercy of the rich and powerful. We are each in our own way important, necessary and capable of adding to the collective vision of what humanity is at this point in time and on into the future. When the Iriquois talk about stewarding the planet so it will still be a beautiful, healthy, sustaining environment for the next 7 generations this is what they mean. The choices we make now, each of us, affects what will be here 7 generations from now. Never before have we really been so aware of this as a collective group of humans. The choices each one of us makes everyday affect the shape of that future.
For me, one major aspect of this paradigm shift, is a change in the way we understand Nature and our relationship to it. I call it behaving as if living systems mattered (borrowing from Machaelle Small Wright who wrote a book entitled Behaving as if the God in all Things Mattered). It is a change in our frame of reference. It’s about seeing that there are living systems that are of critical importance to our survival as a species such as the watersheds, the rain cycles, the systems in the soil, the forest ecosystem, the ocean ecosystem, etc. There are also living systems within us and they are fractal images of each other.
We as humans are living systems of trillions of cells, bacteria, and microbes. We live within a larger living system which is called Nature. Nature exists within a larger living system known as Earth. Earth resides in a larger framework known as the galaxy, and so on. The cells inside our body constitute many levels of living systems. We, as human beings are in a sense a universe to the sub-atomic particles inside us. One of the points of this framework is for us to begin to see that what we do to the environment outside of ourselves we do to the environment inside ourselves as well. Only our skin divides the inside from the outside, or so we think, but actually the skin is not a wall or barrier separating the inside from the outside. Skin is a living system through which things pass in and out all day long like at an airport terminal, and it is part of the bigger system which is our body.
Welcome to the Greenworld. This is the place where there is a dynamic and conscious relationship between multiple levels of beings because in essence they are all part of the Greenworld. Greensong is the energy, the sound, the vibration that runs through all living things. It runs through the geometric structures that make up the components of matter and brings them to life. It is everywhere around us and in us. It runs through all life and connects everything together. It is the voice of the plants transforming sunlight into life force. It is the OM the primordial sound of creation. And it is from this perspective, the interrelated, interdependent, fractal, view of "reality" that my posts in this blog will be framed. I hope you will enjoy the time you spend in the Greenworld, that you will feel your connection to the Greensong and thus to all things and that you will feel inspired to consciously participate in the Greenaissance by commenting and posting here and/or by whatever you think, do and say wherever you are.
Aloha,
Greensong
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