posted December 04, 2002 10:54 PM         

Thank goodness for ginger, I boil water with ginger in it and squeeze in some lime for taste (I do that with everything, Mexican thing ) and that helps digest food. So you could try that if you ever need to.
OK, I am smiling! you SMILE! too!

posted December 24, 2002 09:09 AM         

What does it mean to live a spiritual life? Who can teach me the core principles of spirituality? Strangely enough my own body can teach me everything I need to know. The cells of my body are already doing what I want to learn. My body does everything better, with more passion and commitment than me. The cells in my body have no problem fully participating in life. A hundred thousand billion of them signed on to the same silent agreement, which can be described through qualities that the most spiritual person would envy-but the most practical person would envy them at the same time. These shared qualities speak eloquently for what a cell agrees not to do as much as for what it does.
Higher Purpose: A cell agrees to work for the welfare of the whole body first and its individual welfare second. If necessary it will die to protect the body-the lifetime of any given cell is a fraction of our own lifetime. Skin cells perish by the thousands every hour, as do immune cells fighting off invading microbes. Selfishness is not an option, even when it comes down to a cell's survival.
Communion: A cell keeps in touch with every other cell. Messenger molecules race everywhere to notify the farthest outposts of any desire or intention, however slight. Withdrawing or refusing to communicate is not an option.
Awareness: Cells adapt from moment to moment. They remain flexible in order to respond to immediate situations. Getting caught up in rigid habits is not an option. Acceptance: Cells recognize each other as equally important. Every function in the body is interdependent with every other. Going it alone is not an option.
Creativity: Although every cell has a set of unique functions (liver cells, for example, can perform fifty separate functions), these combine in creative ways. A person can digest food never eaten before, think thoughts never thought before, dance in a way never seen before. Clinging to old behavior is not an option.
Being: Cells obey the universal cycle of rest and activity. Although this cycle expresses itself in many ways such as fluctuating hormone levels, blood pressures, and digestive rhythms, the most obvious expression is sleep. Why we need to sleep remains a medical mystery, yet complete dysfunction develops if we don't. In the silence of inactivity the future of the body is incubating. Being obsessively active is not an option.
Efficiency: Cells function with the least expenditure of energy. Typically a cell only stores three seconds of food and oxygen inside the cell wall. It trusts totally on being provided for. Excessive consumption of food, air, or water is not an option, and neither is hoarding.
Bonding: Due to their common genetic inheritance, cells know that they are fundamentally the same. The fact that liver cells are different from heart cells, and muscle cells different from brain cells does not negate their common identity, which is unchanging. In the laboratory a muscle cell can be genetically transformed into a heart cell by going back to their common source. Cells remain tied to their source no matter how many times they divide. Being an outcast is not an option.
Giving: The primary activity of cells is giving, which, maintains the integrity of all other cells. Total commitment to giving makes receiving automatic-it is the other half of a natural cycle. Hoarding is not an option.
Immortality: Cells reproduce in order to pass on their knowledge, experience, and talents, withholding nothing from their offspring. This is a kind of practical immortality, submitting to death on the physical plane but defeating it on the non-physical. The generation gap is not an option. When I look at what my cells have agreed to, isn't it a spiritual pact in every sense of the word? Other labels work just as well for any of these qualities. The first, higher purpose, could be changed to surrender or selflessness. Awareness includes both alertness and adaptability. But my body is unconcerned with labels. To it, these qualities are woven into everyday existence. They are the result of life's inner intelligence evolving over billions of years as biology. If you examine the structure of a single cell, nothing like surrender, awareness, or communion would be evident. These qualities aren't present in single-celled organisms like bacteria, yeast's, and amoebas. The mystery of life was patient and careful in allowing its full potential to emerge. Single-celled creatures continue to thrive-thousands live in your intestines, which could not digest food without them. Evolution moves forward, but it remembers where it has been, and nothing is lost. Even now the silent agreement that holds my body together feels like a secret, because to all appearances it doesn't exist. More than two hundred and fifty types of cells go about their daily business-the fifty functions that a liver cell performs are totally unique, not overlapping with the tasks of muscle, kidney, heart, or brain cells-yet it would be catastrophic if even one function were compromised. As it divides into billions of progeny, the first fertilized cell in my mother's womb kept its link to the source. At the level of memory, I still am that first cell. If I possess a soul, anything I could possibly know about it was told to my body first. The mystery of life has found a way to express itself through me. In fact that's my purpose for being here. Am I fulfilling that purpose? If you read over the list again and take note of everything marked "not an option," you confront a stark fact: The very behavior that would kill our bodies in a day hasn't been renounced by us as people. We are selfish and greedy. We refuse to cooperate; we behave as though there is no higher purpose more important than the demands of I, me, and mine. In our fragmentation and confusion, we've been ignoring the very model of a perfect spiritual life inside ourselves. As they evolved, cells learned what really works for survival. Your body can't afford to pay lip service to leading a spiritual life unless it wants to throw away eons of wisdom. Yet the vast majority of suffering in our personal lives comes about because we consciously choose to behave contrary to the soul bargain that keeps our bodies alive.
Deepak Chopra
»

posted December 29, 2002 03:47 AM         

So well behaved they are! LOL

I LOVED your link that was wonderful and beautiful and peaceful and really cool

thanks as always
Happy NEw Year coming up!

posted December 29, 2002 07:37 AM         

http://expage.com/page/controlthematrixre: How to Break Free

posted February 16, 2003 11:38 PM         

THE GENTLE ART OF BLESSING

by Pierre Pradervand

On awakening, bless this day, for it is already full of unseen good which your blessings will call forth; for to bless is to acknowledge the unlimited good that is embedded in the very texture of the universe and awaiting each and all.

On passing people in the street, on the bus, in places of work and play, bless them. The peace of your blessing will accompany them on their way and the aura of its gentle fragrance will be a light to their path.

On meeting and talking to people, bless them in their health, their work, their joy, their relationships to God, themselves, and others. Bless them in their abundance, their finances...bless them in every conceivable way, for such blessings not only sow seeds of healing but one day will spring forth as flowers of joy in the waste places of your own life.

As you walk, bless the city in which you live, its government and teachers, its nurses and streetsweepers, its children and bankers, its priests and prostitutes. The minute anyone expresses the least aggression or unkindness to you, respond with a blessing: bless them totally, sincerely, joyfully, for such blessings are a shield which protects them from the ignorance of their misdeed, and deflects the arrow that was aimed at you.

To bless means to wish, unconditionally, total, unrestricted good for others and events from the deepest wellspring in the innermost chamber of your heart: it means to hallow, to hold in reverence, to behold with utter awe that which is always a gift from the Creator. He who is hallowed by your blessing is set aside, consecrated, holy, whole. To bless is yet to invoke divine care upon, to think or speak gratefully for, to confer happiness upon - although we ourselves are never the bestower, but simply the joyful witnesses of Life's abundance.

To bless all without discrimination of any sort is the ultimate form of giving, because those you bless will never know from whence came the sudden ray of sun that burst through the clouds of their skies, and you will rarely be a witness to the sunlight in their lives.

When something goes completely askew in your day, some unexpected event knocks down your plans and you too also, burst into blessing: for life is teaching you a lesson, and the very event you believe to be unwanted, you yourself called forth, so as to learn the lesson you might balk against were you not to bless it. Trials are blessings in disguise, and hosts of angels follow in their path.

To bless is to acknowledge the omnipresent, universal beauty hidden to material eyes; it is to activate that law of attraction which, from the furthest reaches of the universe, will bring into your life exactly what you need to experience and enjoy.

When you pass a prison, mentally bless its inmates in their innocence and freedom, their gentleness, pure essence and unconditional forgiveness; for one can only be prisoner of one's self-image, and a free man can walk unshackled in the courtyard of a jail, just as citizens of countries where freedom reigns can be prisoners when fear lurks in their thoughts.

When you pass a hospital, bless its patients in their present wholeness, for even in their suffering, this wholeness awaits in them to be discovered. When your eyes behold a man in tears, or seemingly broken by life, bless him in his vitality and joy: for the material senses present but the inverted image of the ultimate splendor and perfection which only the inner eye beholds.

It is impossible to bless and to judge at the same time. So hold constantly as a deep, hallowed, intoned thought that desire to bless, for truly then shall you become a peacemaker, and one day you shall, everywhere, behold the very face of God.

Pierre Pradervand, prader@iprolink.ch
Ateliers Vivre Autrement,
3, bd James-Fazy,
CH-1201 Geneva, Switzerland http://www.life.int.ch

P.S. And of course, above all, don't forget to bless the utterly beautiful person YOU are!
-------------
Source - "The Gentle Art of Blessing", to be published.
------------
Another P.S., this time from Barbara.

I met Pierre Pradervand, May 1999, at The Hague Appeal for Peace conference in The Netherlands. He read to me "The Gentle Art of Blessing" in the Peace Sanctuary, a room set aside for prayer and meditation. When he finished, he asked me to join him in blessing those whose acts are affecting this earth, and we have done this. First he has given a name to bless, and we have quietly blessed this person. Then I have given a name to bless. We have run through a long list of names of our leaders on both sides of world issues.

Perhaps what we have done at The Hague you will wish to do in your home, or in your place of worship or meditation.

P.P.S. A picture of the dove of peace can be downloaded from http://www.woman.ch

posted February 22, 2003 04:25 PM         

Building Ecology and Biology is the study of Ecological and Biological methods for detecting and eliminating sources of Environmental Pollution that cause Biological Stress and contribute to ill health and disease. This study is sometimes referred to as "Bau-Biology" in German or "Building Biology."

The powerful combination of Feng Shui and Ecology and "Building Biology" provides us tools to discern and detect and therefore diagnose and problem solve to create harmonizing, healing, and healthy environments.

A holistic overview and "tool-kit" of Feng Shui and Ecological principles are available to incorporate into new homes and offices and to heal our existing home and work environments. We have the technology to build in harmony with nature, that is the good news. Now it is our challenge to use it!

What is Feng Shui?
Feng Shui is about the Flow (Wind) and the Containment (Water) of Energy or Chi in our environments. Good Feng Shui creates a balance of both flow and containment, or rather of Yang and Yin. Good Feng Shui also deflects harmful energies and maximizes positive energy flow. It is an understanding of the cyclical nature of energy patterns that creates a harmony between earth, human life, and the heavens.

In its literal translation Feng means Wind and Shui means Water, but Feng Shui was originally known as KAN YU. Kan refers to the Big View or the Cosmological order of The Universe, or Heaven, while Yu refers to the Earth, to geology, landscape, ecology, the study of mountains, sun, air, water, agriculture, sacred ness of the land energy lines called dragon lines. Feng Shui practitioners in the "classical sense" are practitioners of the these polarities of the Invisible and Visible Form, and thus work with their clients to harmonic balance between heaven and earth.

Why is the significance of Feng Shui?
Because Feng Shui links us as Humans to our Environment; It links Ancient observations of Nature with our Modern Lives. Most of us are so busy in our contemporary lives, we have very little time to observe, and have therefore lost the "Way" or the "TAO" or the patterns of our universe.

Feng Shui is an Art and Science that interprets a "pattern language" of natural forms and phenomena, man-made buildings and symbols with the workings or patterns of the universe. It should come as no suprise that these patterns are closely linked with the phases of the Sun, Moon, Seasons, Time, and the alignments of the Stars.

Classical Feng Shui is "key" to understanding the relationship of Man to Nature and to the Built Environment, and provides tools for healing our own home and work environments.

History of Feng Shui
While we have heard a lot of popularized New Age bits and pieces about Feng Shui symbols, rituals, and chi patterns in recent years in The United States, the fact is that Feng Shui is not a religion, nor is Feng Shui a passing fad.... It is a classical tradition that dates back over 5,000 years and is derived from its early form as SIMPLE OBSERVATION. The Ancient Chinese observed that some surroundings are better than others, luckier than others, easier to survive in, more comfortable and more harmonious. Most of us still observe this in our lives today- we know we are affected for good or ill by our surroundings and by the layout and orientation of work places and homes.

These Early Observers of Nature, or "TAO' ists, are the Chinese Sages who studied the Natural Cycles and Patterns of the Universe and layered these principles and cycles of time on the calendar and perfected these concepts into a great Classic Book entitled the I Ching... Often referred to as the book of Changes.

And so these Natural Observers of the Ebb and Flow of Nature and The Sun's Cycles, and Universal Star Patterns of the Universe developed the Study of Classical Feng Shui. From it's original roots as the earliest form of Ecology; through 5,000 years of Chinese history of site planning, the building of cities, design of buildings, and even the lay out of grave-sites, these ancients have shaped the Art and Science of Classical Feng Shui as it is still practiced in the Orient and worldwide today.

Classical Feng Shui is considered one of the 8 Rays of Traditional Chinese Medicine which includes 1. Acupuncture, 2. Food Energetics, 3. Herbs, 4. Chi' Exercises, 5. Meditation, 6. Moxa, 7. Astrology, 8. Feng Shui. These very concepts are the Basis of Chinese Medicine and Diagnosis...interpreted in the environment as the influence of Earth, Humanity, and Heaven on the Human Experience. We are all effected by the energies in our Environment. And it is our challenge to identify with and harmonize with this flow of energy or Chi.

The Principles of Feng Shui

Oneness, Unity, and Eternity are the first principle of Universal Order in Feng Shui. The Circle represents it. The Daoists did not believe in any dogma or religion. They simply observed the phases of energy and their natural progression in cycles and waves.
Yin and Yang express the polarities of life and are represented by the Tai Chi symbol. Yin Energies of Stillness and the Yang energies of Activity, Earth and Heaven, Feminine Energy and Masculine Energy, the Visible World and the Invisible World , Dark and Light, Form School Feng Shui and Compass School Feng Shui are all expressions of the Unified Whole.
Balancing the Wind or the movement and flow of Chi' with the Water or the containment and gathering of Chi' is an important defining principle of Feng Shui.
Maximizing "Sheng Chi' or the vital life force or auspicious energies and Minimizing or deflecting the turbulent "Sha Chi" Energies are the principles used in Feng Shui cures.
The "3 Treasures" or San Chi' is the principle of harmonizing all three levels of Earth , Man, and Heaven in Classical Feng Shui. To harmonize the human element with heaven and earth, we must practice Feng Shui on many levels.
The Three Treasures ("San Chi") Earth, Mankind, and Heaven
The first level of "San Chi" is Earth. On the Earth level ,we practice Form School Feng Shui. This is your ordinary "garden variety" common sense intuitive observations and balancing of the flow of the Physical Chi, the limitations of the landform, geography, shape and contour of the landscape as well as man made objects such as streets, building shapes, rooms and furnishings. Good Form School is Good Design. It is uncluttered , flowing and balanced.

Form School Feng Shui- The "IDEAL"
Let's look at the "Ideal Energy Map" In Form School Feng Shui, it is represented by 4 symbolic animals attributed to each of the 4 compass point directions.

The "Black Tortoise" symbolizes the Mountain or Taller buildings in the back. It is the dark warrior with the protective hard shell and the most "Yin" and is ideally in the North protecting our backs from harsh winds, enemies ,or inauspicious energy.
The "Red Bird" represents opening up to the to the Sun and to the Fire energy that warms us and is the most Yang".
The " Green Dragon" is from the East and represents the auspicious fresh morning energy and symbolizes wealth.. Businesses like to have a gate or entry in the East to usher in the fresh spring energy and morning Chi.
The "White Tiger" sits in the west and symbolizes lower land and the sun as it lowers in the western afternoon sky.
Thus Our "Ideal Feng Shui "setting changes from climate to climate but is essentially locating the building in a classic armchair embrace with the mountain behind and the river in front. Other factors such as Geo-Biology also are important to identify in Feng Shui and harmonizing Site Design. The underlying energy and water currents also effect our sense of place. This is best noted by watching the movement of the animals and patterns of vegetation to identify areas with the best energy or "Chi" . Dowsers also use a variety of simple tools to locate such currents within the Earth's crust.

The second of the "San Chi -3 Treasures" is the Human Level, we practice The Feng Shui Methods of "Ming Kwa", 9 Star Ki, and the "4 Pillars" to determine the Vibrational Energy of the Occupants and their Personal Destiny patterns so these can be harmonized with their surroundings.

Such information as their Lucky Directions for Sleeping and Health, for Business and Wealth, For Relationships and Family Harmony, and for Clear Thinking and Study are then used to set up the occupants in their home and office in the most harmonious directions.
Other important information such as the Occupant's lucky and unlucky cycles, their character, strengthening and weakening elements, color schemes, and Personal Feng Shui is revealed . The Feng Shui Professional uses these methods to access an accurate system of Character Analysis that forms the Basis of fine tuning specific advice for the client's needs.
The Feng Shui Astrology of the occupants can then be compared with the Energy Blueprint of their specific home or office to create the maximum conditions for harmony and decrease the Sha Chi Energies.
On the " Heaven Level" of "San Chi" The Compass School Feng Shui techniques are used to determine the Sun's Movement, the Cosmological Patterns, and their influence on a building. The most advanced forms of Feng Shui, compass technique utilizes a "Lo-pan" or Chinese Compass (or any western compass) to determine the exact Magnetic Direction of the Building in question.

The "Ba Zhai" Feng Shui method or 8 house Method is often used to see if the layout of the residence or workplace in is harmony with the destiny of the Occupants. This method allows us to plan and design functions for the space in the most beneficial parts of the building and identify' the areas of least harmony to be avoided or minimized.
The "Flying Star Feng Shui" is the most highly developed Feng Shui technique incorporating the unified field of time and space, and is able to trace the patterns of energy and change over the cycles of time. This advanced technique makes it possible for the Feng Shui Practitioner to assess the fortune of the building in specific time frames and predict the happenings and occurrences within it. The Flying Star Astrology Feng Shui identifies the most specific energy blueprint of buildings based on the date of construction.
All of these Traditional Feng Shui Methods have been integrated and used for many Centuries to attain Harmony between Mankind with the Forces of Heaven and Earth , and are still practiced in the Orient today and by Classical Feng Shui Practitioners worldwide.

Other more recent Feng Shui methodologies such as the use of the Bagua, Transcendental Symbols, and Westernized techniques have also been practiced in recent U.S. history and have become popularized and commercialized by books and teachers in the "The New Age Movement", but are not widely practiced in Europe or the Orient.

Feng Shui Diagnosis and Cures
Traditional Feng Shui Methods focus on Diagnosis and the Treatment Principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine applied to the environment. In traditional Chinese Medicine, the theory of the 5 organs or the identification of each organ system with one of the five elements, is the basis of all diagnosis and treatment.

Problem solving and solutions or cures are made with the 5 Element Theory utilizing the cycles of "Mutual Creation"or the "productive cycle" and the "reductive cycle" which is the Principle of Minimizing a negative condition or chi pattern.

Rarely is the 5 Element Cycle of "Mutual Destruction" or the "dominating, controlling cycle" used in Feng Shui cures as it is too harsh to foster balance . Prescribing an element or cure to dominate another is often compared to the Western Medicine Tradition of the use of antiobiotics to kill viruses and thought to be "overkill" in Feng Shui and Chinese medicine. Instead, the treatment Principles are to Strengthen the positive elements or to weaken the negative elements.

The 5 Element Theory really is a representation of the 5 Phases of energy from our early Taoist Sun Dial Mandala . In effect , the energy expands and contract like a "cosmological jellyfish" as the sun continues on its daily path and the yearly path of the seasons . The energy rises in the East in the early morning and the Springtime, denoting fresh green uplifting Wood energy. Then the Sun and the energy flow rises to its full zenith at Noon or in Summer Solctice and denotes the scattered energy of Fire in the South like the rays of the sun. The path of the Sun then starts descending in the early afternoon , a downward motion denoting Earth. In the West and in early evening or Autumn, the sun's energy is the most contracted and gathers in on itself much like Metal. After Autumn, the Sun reaches its lowest point at Winter Solstice, or at night and this most Yin condition of Energy denotes Water.

We still see the energy flow as it relates to the path of the Sun as the Five Energy Transformations or The Five Elements as did our early Feng Shui counterparts, the Taoists. The cycles continue in the Cosmic Breath of life. Each of the Elemental cycles either supports the following element ( Mutual Creation) or Controls or Destroys the energy of the element. Thus our means of relating the elements dictate how we use Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, and Wood to harmonize and balance an environment. Each of the 5 Elements correspond to Shapes and Colors and Body organs and Body parts and determine a "vocabulary of cures."

Application of Feng Shui Design Services
Feng Shui Design is important in Site Selection and Site Planning for projects of any size. Concentration on the LandForm School can enhance the future of any design or community and ensure it's harmony with natural site features. Both the cities of Ancient Beijing and Modern Hong Kong are designed with great attention to Feng Shui principles.

Buildings can be best sited based on a Flying Star Feng Shui Analysis to encapsule the most auspicious energy pattern for the time cycle in which it is built. This can prevent siting buildings that will have stagnant and "locked chi" during your lifetime . This Feng Shui Concept is particularly important as we approach the end of the 7 cycle and enter the 20 year cycle of 8 beginning in Feb of 2004. Many buildings built since 1984 will start an energetic decline in this new time cycle and all new buildings can be sited to prevent that 20 years of stagnation which can occur either in the family and health area or the prosperity and financial sectors..
When purchasing or taking occupation of a new premise for home or office, where a selection does exist, Feng shui can play a critical role in selecting and customizing the best option for the occupant's profile and goals. Enhancing a property for sale with Feng Shui Principles is a sure way to activate and get property sold fast., and particulary helpful in a slower real estate market.
And of course existing homes and offices, can be harmonized and enhanced with Feng Shui Principles and interior design and space planning to best support the business owner or homeowner, to increase business flow, and to ensure the most harmonizing and healthful possibilities for family home living.

(Segway from FengShui to Ecology and Healthy Buildings) OR New Article Sha Chi'

Physical Pollutants Increasingly in Today's industrialized and densely populated world, the effects of "Sick Buildings" are being felt at home and in the workplace. The Modern Feng Shui practitioner must have a kit of tools to test for, shield, and eliminate sources of these harmful pollutants or "Sha Chi" created from the many thousands of chemicals and energy waves that have been unleashed in our ecosystem and building materials since WW II.

It is a well known fact in the Health Community these days, that chemicals, organic compounds, electro-magnetic fields, molds and allergens, etc. cause Biological stress to the body and promote disease and ill health.

It has now become an integral part of the Feng Shui Practitioners job to address the biological and ecological aspects of Sha Chi' in our environments and provide testing and strategies for eliminating the sources of environmental and building pollution.

ECOLOGY-Healthy Building Design Principles
Indoor Air Pollution The Problem:
Until 25 years ago- indoor air pollution was a limited phenomenon. Two things have basically changed to contribute to this increasing health problem.

First of all, thousands of chemicals and plastics have been incorporated into building materials since WWII.
And secondly, Since the Energy crisis of the 70's , super- insulated and sealed buildings were built with the intention of energy efficiency, and could not "breathe" out the chemicals and in with the fresh air.
The Solution: Two basic Schools of Thought have arisen to solve Indoor air pollution.

The first concept known as isolation and filtering is best applied to isolate from a toxic outdoor world. There are some people with such severe health problems living in areas where the outdoor pollution is magnified where this technique makes a good deal of sense. The concept is to eliminate the pollutants from the building envelope and seal the building tightly from within. Then clean , filtered air is mechanically pumped in -keeping the structure under slightly positive pressure to control air infiltration.
The second concept has been the natural and historic approach in indigenous buildings through-out the world. This has also been re-introduced and popularized by the German Bau-Biologie (Meaning literally Building Biology) movement. In this approach, the building is thought of as a third skin and viewed as a permeable organism and constructed of natural, non-toxic materials that breathe. Thus the building skin interacts with the natural world and facilitates a balanced exchange of air and humidity. This methodology is preferred by Environmental Architects and Building Biologists.
Common Sources of Pollution in Standard Construction
The Problem:
Standard building and construction materials have been developed that contain toxic, volatile organic compounds , and petrochemicals that will out gas when newly constructed or installed . Such common building materials do have non-toxic , but these need to be specified by the architect and it takes a TEAM commitment from the Developer/ Owner, Architect Designer, and Construction Contractor to achieve the goals of creating a non-toxic project that is healthy and free of sources of indoor air pollution. Specifications can be made by certified Environmental Architects or Bau-Biologists and Costs for such substitutions can run anywhere from 0 to 25% over standard construction costs depending on the strategies and specifications.

Common Building materials in standard construction that that can cause health problems are broken down in the following categories:
The main sources of such pollutants are:
VOC's = Volatile Organic Compounds are chemicals with carbon hydrogen bonds at the molecular level. These chemicals found in carpets and all kinds of products out-gas and release a slow dose of chemicals into the indoor environment and continue to do so for months. Most VOC's are synthetic petrochemicals used in formaldehyde, phenol, acetone, etc. and are used as adhesives in plywood, particle board and other wood composite products. Composite wood products are chemically treated woods such as particleboard, chipboard, plywood, sill plates, and chemically treated manufactured sheathing products. Presently about 80,000 synthetic Voc's are commercially available and found in standard products:

Solvent based Paints, sealants, finishes, adhesives, solvents
carpets and carpet pads
plywood , particle board, wood paneling
insulation
Asphalt and products containing asphalt such as impregnated sheathing, roofing tars, asphalt driveways, etc.
Building materials containing mildew, mold, or particles which will create an environment that prevents mold growth.
Toxic Cleaning products and Solvents
Pollutants from Combustion By-products such as gas, oil, coal; woods and fuels burned indoors consume valuable indoor oxygen unless outdoor air is added. All combustion appliances contribute to indoor air pollution especially in airtight energy efficient buildings. Fireplaces, woodstoves can give off hazardous fumes and need to be well ventilated. Garages should be isolated from the living spaces to prevent noxious fumes
synthetic fabrics, dry cleaned garments
air fresheners, aerosol products o cleaning products and body care products
insecticides , moth balls , pesticides are classified as Voc"s but are even more of a health threat
Health Risks: Can create toxic overloads in any organ of the body and threaten the immune system. Some of the more common symptoms include :
Common symptoms include rashes, headaches, eye irritation, chronic cough, chronic sinus infections, joint and muscle pain, memory loss, inability to concentrate, irritability, fatigue , anxiety, depression, and increasing number of allergies
- Also immune system disorders for the more sensitive and neurological problems, especially with babies on new carpets, are recorded.

Prevention:
- Alternate building materials, techniques, and finishes should be designed and specified and constructed to minimize Voc's o Use of natural and non-toxic materials - Replace finishes with non-toxic ones o Discontinue use toxic household and personal care products.

Insecticides, Mildew-cides, Herbicides, Biocides
Insecticides, mildew-cides, herbicides, biocides,both found in building materials and applied on site can present very dangerous health risks. These are poisons that were first developed as offshoots of nerve gas in WWII. Most are synthetic and made from petroleum and are designed to kill a variety of plants and animals. They are odorless and often invisible and difficult to detect. They are composed of active ingredients to kill the target organism and inert chemicals to deliver , preserve, or make application easier. Many people assume that they are " safe " and that government and the EPA are protecting them. In fact the EPA bases approval on "EFFIACY" or the ability to kill the targeted pest , and not on SAFETY. Pesticides and herbicides can be absorbed through the skin, inhaled, or swallowed.

Health Risks:
The health risks have been well documented.

The National Cancer Institite study indicated the likelihood of of a child contracting leukemia was more than 6 times greater in a household that uses herbicides for lawn care.
The American Journal of Epidemiology reports more chidren with brain tumors and cancers were found to have more exposure to insecticides than healthy children.
According to the new York State Attorney general's office, 95% of pesticides used on residential lawns are considered probable Carcinogens. by the EPA.
Pesticides have been linked to the alarming rise in the rate of breast cancer.
Besides causing cancer, pesticides have the the potential to cause: infertility, birth defects, learning disorders, neurological disorders, allergies, and multiple chemical sensitivities, and immune system dysfunction.
Prevention:

In new construction you can lower pesticide exposure by not treating soil under the building and by eliminating standard building products containing biocides and instead create construction techniques that create physical barriers.
In all projects, eliminate the use of pesticides.
EMF's -
Electro Magnetic Fields Electromagnetic Energy is ubiquitous. Sunlight produces natural electromagnetic waves. But there are a variety of man-made sources that are not benign.

60 hertz Electromagnetic fields are reffered to as EMF's are generated by all electrical devices that operate off our electric power system. These include power lines, lights, appliances, and computers. Electric fields can b measured in Volts/ Meter and in many cases can be reduced. Magnetic filelds are measured in Gauss or miligaus.
We also have waves generated from radio and Transmittors, cellular phones and other wireless devices called RF waves.
Microwaves and microwave appliances are known to change the cellular structure of food. Microwaved food is not recognized by the body cells in the normal way. Health risks: There can be serious health risks from exposure to any of these EMF's while the issues have been hotly debated for many years US studies disagree. Studies in Europe have indicated the following nervous disorders, insomnia, depression , anxiety. But other research suspects EMF's of contributing to Cancer, especially leukemia, Lymphoma, thyroid and brain cancers.
Prevention:
The methodology is too exhaustive for this discussion however, a few tips are suggested:

Transformers in low voltage lighting put off large magnetic fields- Locate tranformers in a remote location away from human sleeping and working areas.
Keep a 4-6 foot distance from appliances with transformers on the wall plug and keep safe distances from computer screens, tv's etc.
The ballasts in flourescent lighting emit EMF fields. Avoid flourescent lighting in work areas or on a ceiling below a bedroom.
Shield refrigerators and put them on dedicated circuits and away from sleeping . living work spaces.
We are surrounded by grids of Electric currents that are carried on all improper wiring, conduits and the pulses of current always vary. Avoid sleeping or working over main water , sewer lines , near metal conduit , and avoid metal beds and box springs which conduct electric current into the human body.
Bau-Biologists take a body voltage measurement of humans in their beds to determine how much voltage is transmitted into the body and provide methods of Grounding and shielding beds.
Electric currents in existing homes can often be controoled by simply shutting off the circuit breakers at night . There are even devices that can be installed near the bed to do that.
Naturally Occurring Pollutants
Some naturally occuring substances such as radon, radioactive contaminants, trace metals, house dust, molds and pollens can have harmful effects on humans.

All buildings should be tested for High radon levels are mitigated by radon specialists
Heavy metal can build up in the body tissues and cause damage to brain , liver, and kidneys. Test drinking water for contaminants and use water purification devices.
Biological pollutants include pollen, house dust, and mold spores, and pollens need to be detected and eliminated.
Air filtration systems , cleaning ductwork and preventing moisture / mold build-up are all common solutions.
The Solution:
Strategies for Source Reduction of Indoor Air Pollutants

Eliminate sources of pollution
Substitute healthier materials
Exercise prudence when using unavoidable toxic substances
Cure materials before they are installed within the building envelope
Seal materials so they will off-gas less
Eco- Design Principles
In this current time of diminishing natural resources and escalating building costs, it has also become the responsibility of those who design and build homes and public or workspaces, to pioneer ecologically harmonizing, responsible, and sustainable buildings and environments.

Strategies and Eco-Design Principles:

Orientation and Site Design Strategies to maximize solar exposure and utilize wind currents.
Use of Daylighting strategies and passive Solar design and cooling
Design building with Climate Design Strategies customized to prevailing climate
Implement Energy Efficient design and renewable energy strategies
Specify "Green" and Sustainable Materials.
In Summary:
Feng Shui and Ecology can be defined as being in the right place, facing the right directions, doing the right things, and at the right time or essentially being in tune with and harmonizing your home and workplaces with Nature.

This article is brought to you by
Janus Welton
Janus Welton, AIA is a Feng Shui Design Architect and Certified Bau-Biologie Building Inspector. She is Owner and Principal of Eco-Arch DesignWorks, a local Architectural Design and Consulting Firm specializing in Residential and Commercial Holistic, Harmonizing Environments. She also co-directs, teaches, and consults with The New York School of Feng Shui In Manhattan.

For Further Information, please contact: (845) 247-4620 for Eco Arch Design Works.
Email: ecoarch_des@earthlink.net

posted February 23, 2003 06:30 AM         

To Start Off the Day Each Morning

There is but one Life, one vitality, one energy and it is God. This is pure Mind, pure Love, pure Being. I awaken to the fullness of life. I awaken to a fresh day. I awaken with a fresh, clear, clean mind, for I know that this is the day that the Lord hath made. I know that this is the day of right action, that this is the day of fulfillment.

Therefore I fear nothing regarding this day. From now until I go to rest tonight, my day shall be filled with the activity of God, with ease, order, joy, accomplishment. There is no strain, no stress, as I look forward to each hour.

I rest in the certain knowledge that all the life and all the love and all the good there is, is mine, and works through me in this day. My subconscious mind accepts this word.

And so it is.

Dr. Raymond Charles Barker

This is an affirmation I say every day I hope it gives to you what it brings to me Love Jade

posted February 24, 2003 10:00 AM         

it is interesting how it says the universe manifests what's in the mind. my recent example is how i had been thinking of going dairy free for a while in my diet. consciously, i thought that it will not manifest because i enjoy cheese so much. however, i am recently discovering that i am allergic to dairy products and develop hives when i consume them. hmm, who knows. i figure why dig for the deeper meaning when we create that meaning and just accept it for what it is and move on in a way, i got what i was thinking i wanted. hehe.

posted March 22, 2003 07:46 PM         

When we change energy things happen. Happiness is easier, relationships change, understanding is clearer, we feel better, money flows, disease and injury disappear, and our spiritual acuity is elevated.

In the western medicine world, we have lost touch with the basic concept of true healing. We substitute a Band-Aid or aspirin for a cure and wonder why we don't feel better. People get ill for many reasons. Each diseased state is telling us that we are ignoring some part of ourselves and change is necessary. While many factors contribute to healing, and it happens on many levels, all require attention throughout the entire healing practice. Ignoring the emotional and mental bodies would not provide adequate and long-term good health.

We can no longer look at one body part and try to heal it without incorporating other systems and parts. If our toenails are infected with fungus it is ineffective to just treat the tips of our toes, rather we must look at the blood and spleen, and with eating habits for the final cure.

Traumas, both emotionally and physically stop the normal flow of energy. This begins the journey of illness, injury and dysfunction, which manifests in many ways, ranging from crippling diseases to limiting belief patterns like fear, confusion and anger that end up controlling us.

Physical symptoms like headaches, swollen glands, sneezing, and colds including more serious diseases like cancer communicate to us what the body needs‹asking us to pay more attention. At this point it is important to look at diet, including water intake, and exercise.

Look At Your Diet

Do you eat at restaurants a lot? Do you eat red meat, processed foods, and snack foods? If so, a change to lightly cooked (steamed) vegetables, rice and chicken, turkey and farm raised fish instead of red meat, and processed foods like hot-dogs and cheese-whiz this begins to change any diseased state. And if at all possible eat organic food.

Pesticides and other chemicals in foods cause a breakdown in the body. They contribute to sinus problems and allergies. If eating out is common in your household most restaurant food is loaded with salt, and other chemical preservatives. Food coloring additives can cause hyper-type symptoms to occur as well as parasites, which are found on foods that are not washed properly. More and more people have irritable bowl disorders from food allergies. The most common foods that cause allergies are corn, wheat and dairy. Making simple changes means a lot to the body.

Many people get frustrated with slow or small changes once they alter their diets and inject supplements. Natural remedies including diet changes take longer to work however, because they are reserving the negative affects from chemicals and they are creating a healthy picture and these changes are more permanent not just another Band-Aid for something else to pop-up later. To turn disease around takes time and should include alternative healing, organic diets and natural supplements. An overdose of natural supplements like vitamins and others products on the market can also cause a list of symptoms to occur. If you are taking more than five different supplements you are taking too many.

Water: Only about 5% of the American population gets sufficient water each day. We are a dehydrated populace. Diet drinks, high sugar drinks, high corn-syrup drinks, and coffee do not count towards proper hydration, in fact, many of those drinks cause gastrointestinal inflammation, kidney and liver problems over the course of time.

Exercise: Walking to the TV to change the channel is not proper exercise. Lack of exercise causes the lymph system to back up; this congestion causes an array of problems to occur including constipation, slow digestion, and headaches. Walks around the block, yoga, chi-kung or gym workouts help move energy through the organs and body systems.

As we unlock stagnate energy in the body we begin to identify the root cause of disease and dissolve difficulties and begin to experience freedom from aches and pains, stiffness, inflammations, and we gain clarity, better self-esteem and more energy. One of my specialties and where I do most of my research is how emotions contribute to the breakdown of the physical body. Recent scientific studies have also surfaced on how emotions sabotage everything from simple success to kidney failure.

The physical body falls apart because we emotionally fall apart. When we don't care for the whole self the physical body simply mirrors those effects. Over the course of a lifetime emotions like fear, hopelessness, anger and confusion take their toll on the body. Repressed anger diminishes the activities of the liver, causing it to harden. Hopelessness and despair plays havoc with the gall bladder. Long-standing negative emotional beliefs deteriorate the entire physical body. For true, and long lasting healing to take effect we must look at all the systems: emotional, mental and physical and from a holistic approach the spiritual. It is the spiritual body that actually does the healing, once we have strengthened the physical body and changed and released any old limiting emotional issues.

Strengthening the physical body is the key to healing the other bodies. Just imagine how difficult it is when you have a sore throat‹do you feel like seeking out the emotional issue? Imagine how difficult is would be if constant fatigue were present‹there would be little energy to search for the negative patterns that are crippling the physical body. Strengthen the physical body with nutrients that are easily digestible, and assimilate well. I prefer liquids like liquid vitamin c, minerals and other vitamins also green drinks. Mental patterns also weaken the body like worry, and a constant string of looping words that exhaust the physical body.

Wellness of the entire being through holistic health is a whole body approach. This method is also apparent in Chinese Medicine, and many alternative therapies. I encourage you to bring questions to my column, Ask a Medical Intuitive, in hopes to educate you in healing your entire being.

Visit Paula Muran's websites: www.paulamuran.com and www.sovereignlight.com © 2003 sovereign light

http://healing.about.com/library/uc_energypaula_0301.htm

posted March 22, 2003 10:28 PM         

Amethyst - "Stone of spirituality and contentment. Amethyst bestows stability, strength, invigoration, and peace, the peace being the perfect peace which was present prior to birth. It is "warm and cuddly" as well as regal and ruling. It has been used to encourage and support sobriety. It is an excellent stone for one who is attempting to find freedom from addictive personalities (oneself or another). Calming, strong, protective qualities, healing, divine love and inspiration. Enhances one's psychic and creative abilities.

Amazonite - Diane likes to call this the "writers stone "because over the years it has worked well with the many writers and speakers that are drawn to our site and our shop. According to Melody, it soothes all chakras and is particularly rejuvenating to the heart center and throat chakra. It enhances communications concerning love. It can be used in the treatment in disorders of the nervous system and to dissipate energy blockages which could propagate the improper flow of neural impulses: like I said , it's a great stone for writers and other creative types that use voice or hands for a living.

Apatite - It can help to integrate , co-ordinate , and balance the emotional intellectual , physical , and etheric bodies. It can further the connection with UFOs and can provide access to past - life insight and telepathy. Apatite enhances creativity. It is a stone of the future and will bring knowledge to those attuned to it by clearing mental confusion. It truly awakens the finer , inner - self. Wearing or carrying apatite has successfully produced hunger suppression: an elixir made of the material has also produced the same results.

Amber - A fossilized tree resin - allows the body to heal itself by absorbing and transmuting negative energy into positive energy. It stimulates the intellect and opens the crown chakra. It also transmutes the energy of physical vitality toward the activation of unconditional love. It aligns the ethereal energies to the physical, mental, and emotional bodies, providing for an even flow of perfect order to the requirements of the Earth plane while balancing the electro-magnetics of the physical body.

Aqua Aura - Aqua Aura is quartz crystal that has been treated with pure gold in solution and when electrical current is applied in a special machine, fuses the gold molecules to the surface of the quartz. Metaphysically it has the qualities of both quartz and gold. Quartz has a harmonizing effect and aligns the chakra system. Gold imparts a more assertive energy to the wearer and the blue color helps stimulate the throat chakra, improving communications abilities through speaking.

Aventurine (green) - It reinforces ones decisiveness, amplifies ones leadership qualities, and is a willing participant in instinctive action. Emotional tranquility, positive attitudes towards life, brings one into alignment with their center. Independence, health and well being , heals the heart chakra.

Aventurine (red/orange) - This material provides reflective qualities so that one can recognize the flaws of humanity and can remain in the heart space to continue to love this same humanity. It can help one look at a situation incomplete detail, magnifying those aspects of importance. It provides for self reflection, and allows one to recognize that "In each person you see but the reflection of that which you choose to have that person be." It can be used when fasting, to reduce hunger.

Bloodstone - Strengthens and oxygenates blood stream. Enhances physical/mental vitality. Strengthens heart, spleen, bone marrow. Aids in balancing vitamin deficiencies. Reduces emotional and mental stress. "The Stone of Courage" - also for renewal of the physical mental and emotional bodies. Another powerful healer. It helps one toward the direct union with the divine through contemplation, prayer or mediation and love. It has been used to stabilize, as necessary, the flow of blood. Also a very good gem for those in business - self employed.

Blue Lace Agate - The energy of this mineral is most useful at the throat chakra, the heart chakra, the third eye, and crown chakra. Activating these chakras, it helps one to enter in to high frequency states of awareness. It can be used in the treatment of arthritic conditions and in cases of "hereditary bone deformity: it can also be used to strengthen the skeletal structure." It is useful to enhance the mending of breaks and fractures. It can help to remove blockages from the nervous system and from the capillaries of the body.

Carnelian - It protects against fear, envy, and rage, and helps to banish sorrow from the emotional structure. The message of carnelian is that since one "is" love, there is nothing to do but to offer the love - each offering of love bringing an exponential increase in the quantity of love returned. Carnelian stimulates inquisitiveness and subsequent initiative. It can assist one in drama and pursuits related to theatrical presentations.

Citrine - It is one of the few minerals on the planet which does not hold and accumulate negative energy, but dissipates and transmutes it, working out problems on both physical and subtle levels. Citrine is one of the stones to be called "merchants stone" - placing citrine in ones cash box has produced more income for the merchant. Diminishes self destructive tendencies. Raises self esteem lightheartedness cheerfulness hope. Warming, energizing and attracts abundance, affects naval and crown chakras.

Fluorite - Excellent for advancement of mind, greater concentration, meditation. Helps one to grasp higher, more abstract concepts. Facilitates inter dimensional communication.

Garnet - modern birthstone of January - known as the "stone of health" - ridding the body of negative energies and transmuting them to a beneficial state. Also know in the past as a " stone of commitment" - to purpose, to others, to oneself. The loving power of garnet tend to reflect the attributes of devotion, bringing the love of others to expressions of warmth and understanding. It both monitors and adjusts the flow of energy, providing for a balanced energy field around the physical body and aligning the emotional and intellectual bodies with the perfection of "All that is". (from Melody's book Love is in the Earth)

Green Jade - Jade facilitates peace within the physical, emotional, and intellectual structures, as well as within the materialistic world. It was said to bring accord the environment, to transmute negativity and to instill resourcefulness. "Very Lucky Stone".

Hematite - Slightly grounding, reduces stress, enhances personal magnetism, optimism, will, courage. "Stone for the mind" it helps one to realize that the only limitations which exist are self-limiting concepts within the mind. Stimulates attainment of peace, self-control, and inner happiness. Balances yin-yang energies. Assists in the focusing of energy and emotions for balance between the body, mind, and spirit. Helps transform negativity to the purity of the universal light of love.

Honey Jade - Powerful emotional balance, radiates divine unconditional love. Dispels negativity from the third chakra (solar plexus). It has been used by the ancients {and some current} primitive tribes as a sacred stone, assisting one in access to the spiritual worlds.

Howlite - This mineral can be used to calm communication, to facilitate awareness, and to encourage emotional expression. It builds an innate decency within ones character, encouraging those attributes which are the building blocks to spirituality.

IOLITE - Also known as Cordierite and "water sapphire" is usually a blue to violet colored gemstone - is a pleochroic gem meaning that when viewed from different orientations, it displays different colors. Metaphysical properties include: stimulation of the third eye, enhancement of your inner knowing; helps one to eliminate debt by accepting responsibility which leads to successful management of money; has been a stone worn by Shamans in the past to insure accuracy of visions; also can aid the elimination of disharmony in relationships.

Jasper (Leopard skin variety) - "Known as the 'supreme nurturer'. It is often worn by shaman to provide protection. It balances the yin yang energy and balances the physical, emotional, and intellectual bodies with the etheric energies. It stabilizes the aura, providing for a cleansing effect to smooth dysfunctional energies and eliminate negativity".

Jasper (Picture jasper variety) - It can be used to further both the development and continuance of business pursuits - to provide for coordination of activities leading to increase. It has been known as "the stone of Global Awareness" - It promotes "brotherhood" to work together to save the planet. It emits an energy which promotes the spiritual affinity to achieve perfect accord between humanity and nature; It is one of the "earth Stones" for the age of redemption & cleansing of the earth. It can be used to stimulate the proper functioning of the immune system, and can be helpful in the treatment of disorder associated with skin and kidneys.

Labradorite - (aka spectrolite) It is said to represent the "temple of the stars" , assisting one in sustaining and maintaining, while providing for the understanding of the destiny one has chosen. It assists during traverse changes, attracting strength and perseverance. It symbolizes the moon and the sun. Promotes refinement of action and discernment in direction. It allows for recognition that humanity represents "being of light", transcending the limitations of the past and thoughts of the future, and embracing the infinite possibilities of the moment. It can assist in digestion, regulation and metabolism. Also used to clarify eyes.

Lapis Lazuli - Energizes the throat chakra. Augments strength, vitality, virility, mental clarity, illumination. Enhances psychic abilities and communication with higher self and spirit guides. Creative expression. It has also been used as a protective stone, sheltering the wearer/carrier from physical danger and psychic attacks. Lapis Lazuli is a "stone of total awareness", helping to expand awareness and intellectual capacity, and allowing for conscious attunement to the intuitive and psychic aspects of ones nature. "The stone of Royalty".

Malachite - Sometimes called "the stone of transformation" assisting one in changing situations, and providing for the transfer of sacred information to spiritual evolution; clears and activates all chakras balancing and equalizing it can create an unobstructed path leading to a desired goal. Facilitates the rise of spirituality and the enhancement of psychic abilities. Protects against radiation and can be used in the treatment of asthma, swollen joints, tumors, growths, broken bones and torn muscles.

Moonstone - The energy of moonstone is balancing, introspective, reflective, and lunar. It is capable of helping one with the changing structures of ones life on the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual levels. Once called the "travelers stone" it is used for protection against the perils of travel. Moonstone is also a talisman of GOOD FORTUNE. It is also said to both arouse tenderness within the self and to bring happiness to the environment in which it resides.

Mother of Pearl & Pearl - It signifies faith, charity, and innocence, enhances personal integrity, and helps to provide focus to ones attention. The pearl has been known as a "stone of sincerity", bring truth to situations and loyalty to a "cause". It has been used to inhibit boisterous behavior, and to provide a reflection of the self such that one may see the manner in which one appears to others.

Obsidian - Called the "Mirror Stone" it reflects ones personal shortcomings such that they can come to the conscious to be dealt with, then let go of. The most well know of the different colors is Apache Tears a black obsidian. Obsidian can help protect against the negativity of others and has a grounding influence helping one to stay focused in the moment. It can also help to stimulate analytical capabilities and precision, and can help promote a forgiving attitude and release of grievances.

Onyx - "for initiating the modes of centering and alignment of the total person with the higher powers." "Can be used to banish grief, to enhance self-control, to stimulate the power of wise decision making, and to encourage happiness and good fortune". It is grounding and can be used to deflect or absorb the negativity of others.

Peridot also known as gem Olivine and Chrysolite - is the traditional birthstone of August - color is usually a green yellow - hardness is 6.5 to 7 This gemstone emits a warm friendly energy; works on both the heart and solar plexus chakras; acts to provide a shield of protection around the body ; to help prevent outside influences from affecting alignment and balance. Helps one to find happiness within ones self, over coming anger and jealousy.

Quartz (clear) - "Can bring the energy of the stars into the soul". Traditionally, the natural quartz crystal was said to both harmonize and align human energies, thoughts, consciousness, emotions - with the energies of the universe and to make these greater energies available to humanity. The natural tendency of quartz is for harmony, and is recognized as a "Stone of Power". Stimulates brain function & power, aids clarity of mind. Dispels negativity in ones energy field and environment, aligns all chakras, a very powerful healer.

Rhodonite - Has been called "the stone of love" and helps one to achieve to his/her greatest potential. It activates and energizes the heart chakra, and conveys the resonance of unconditional love to the physical plane. It dispels anxiety and promotes coherence, bringing the user and observant nature and facilitating attention to details and interrelationships.

Rhodochrosite - This mineral has been called a "Stone of Love and Balance", providing balancing and love on all levels for all bodies. It contains pulsating electrical energy which emits the strongest power in the universe, the power of love. Rhodochrosite is also an Earth stone for healing of the Earth and for showing love to the Mother of us all. It helps one to serve the planet in Her time of need, allowing for one to recognize that the responsibility is actually a joy. It removes tendencies toward avoidance or denial and helps one to be willing to both accept and to integrate "new" information while maintaining a clarity of intellect and a moderate ideal of practicality.

Rose Quartz - It emits a calming, cooling energy which can work on all chakras to gently remove negativity and to reinstate the loving, gentle forces of self love. Good to wear in a chaotic or crisis situation. It is "the stone of gentle love" bringing peace and calm to relationships. It can be used for spiritual attunement to the energy of love. It is a rejuvenating agent for both physical body and the emotions. It is an excellent energy for healing emotional "wounds". An excellent stone to give to express friendship.

Rutilated Quartz- Enhances life - force, strengthens immune systems, and brain function. Eases depression. Facilitates communication, increases clairvoyance. Highly electrical, more intensity than clear quartz, transmutes negativity, enhances communication with spirit guides. A great physical healer.

Smoky Quartz - It can be used to gently dissolve negative energies and emotional blockages. It can be used to initiate a powerful force field which will absorb many forms of negativity, both from within ones self and from other forces. It promotes personal pride and joy in living. Smoky quartz has been used to regulate creativity in business, and to encourage astute-ness in purchasing. It works to diffuse communication deficiencies and to dissolve mental and emotional blockages which limit perception and learning. (Thank you Melody, I will wear one myself).

Sodalite - This blue mineral helps one to stimulate communications and psychic abilities. Also balances male - female polarities - alleviates fear, calms and clears the mind, brings clarity and truth. Aids pancreas, balances endocrine system, strengthens metabolism and lymphatic system.

Snowflake Obsidian - It allows one to recognize the unnecessary pattern which remain in ones life and to re-design ones thought patters to provide relief from undesired conditions. It is "the stone of purity" and balance to the body, mind , and spirit.

Tigereye - It is helpful for individuals seeking clarity and for those who must deal intelligently with the scattered details which must be brought together in some pattern. It can be used to enhance the psychic abilities and can assist in the gentle attunement of third eye activity. This stone is best suited to earthy people. It has been used to stimulate wealth and to enhance the stability required to maintain wealth. Produces soothing vibrations, generating a calmness to unsettled turmoil, and allowing one to enjoy the actions of being unfenced and uninhibited. Can be used to enhance self empowerment.

Tourmalated Quartz - You get the energy of black tourmaline which deflects the negative energy of others plus the alignment and harmonizing energy of quartz. Black tourmaline also has a grounding effect helping one to stay protected and focused in the present. Quartz tends to raise the vibration of any other crystal or mineral in the area. Balances male - female energies within one's self.

Turquoise - Tones, strengthens entire body , aids tissue regeneration, circulation, lungs, respiratory system. Creative expression, peace of mind, emotional balance, communication, friendship, and loyalty.

Unakite - It acts to balance the emotional body, bringing it into alignment with the higher forces of spirituality. It can be used to help one go beneath the physical symptoms of dis-ease and to allow for the determination of the root cause underlying the condition; the cause becoming apparent in the cases of the physical, mental, emotional & spiritual planes of existence. It can be used in the treatment of the reproductive system, and to stimulate healthy pregnancies while facilitating the health of the unborn.

Stones to heal the Body, and Spirit Love Jade