Spiral Visions Blog

Welcome to today's edition of the Carnival of Healing. The carnival is a weekly round-up of blogs across the Internet featuring information about healing, self empowerment, and spirituality. The carnival home is on my About.com Holistic Healing GuideSite.

Facebookers are invited to become a fan of the Carnival of Healing Group Page! I would also like to extend an invitation to carnival followers to Friend me on Facebook.

It has been awhile since I served as carnival host, but a last minute cancellation tossed it in my lap. I'm not complaining. My turn has been long overdue. Hosting has its benefits... the host gets to sample the punch first before the guests arrive to make sure it is not too sweet or too tart. Hopefully, you'll think that party punch for this edition of the carnival tastes just right me. Set yourself up with a cooling beverage to beat the summer heat and settle in for a good time.

I'd like to open up the carnival by inviting you to take my hand and walk alongside me to Organic Family Circle where Julian Pollock has opened up her garden gate so we can breathe in some lovely fragrant organic herbs. Who doesn't love the smell of Chamomile and Lavender! Julian says "Both chamomile and lavender have natural healing qualities that help strengthen us against other, shall we say - less healthy, foods we sometimes (mistaken?) take!"

More Carnival Attractions

Transform Yourself

BrainBlogger Sajid Surve, DO ( physiatrist, acupuncturist, and osteopath who specializes in musculoskeletal medicine and integrative medicine) writes about the ability of the brain to remap itself when a loss or injury occurs. Dr. Surve says "new research and tools such as functional MRI have suggested that our brains are constantly being molded and shaped by our experiences, and maintain some degree of plasticity throughout life." In his article Reflections on Plasticity he compare the brains ability to compensate when needed to the ability to adapt to new experiences in general. Transformational reading!

EmbraceLiving.Net - Celestine Chua blogs Cultivate Good Habits in 21 Days, detailing a take-action program meant to help you make positive changes in your life that will stick. It is a long post and one that I've bookmarked to return to later when I have more time to digest fully. Lots of good advice, also includes many links to explore further. Celse says "Have you ever thought of introducing a good habit into your life, but never got around to doing it? Perhaps you tried it for 1-2 days, but then lacked the discipline to continue afterward. This is a 21-day program which will help you cultivate good habits into your life."

Peaceful Living

Life Optimizer What are you grateful for? Donald Latumahina writes about violence in the history books and feeling grateful that "People in most parts of the world can live peacefully without worrying about warfare or torture."
The Joy of Living Today

change therapy Isabella Mori blogs about the politically rightness and politeness in our communications with one another not only in our speech but also in our silences. She writes "What is it like when we communicate with peace in our hearts? How does that relate to the art of dialogue and the buddhist concept of right speech?
peaceful communication - problems and solutions.

Fears and Faith

To the Heart of the Matter - Catherine VanWetter embraces four intentional steps (belief, confidence, trust, and inner knowing) to better understand what having faith means. Catherine says "At times I think about what faith is too much and discover that is a way to get hung up in the details of faith rather than trusting the divine unfolding. How to enter your day with intention."
To the Heart of the Matter - Inner Peace Tip: Choosing Faith over Fear

axel g writes about fears of "not having enough" saved up for retirement robbing youth of living their lives more fully. His post Consumed By Collective Fear is an interesting enough read. It gave me something to think about. But axel g and I are not on the same wave length on this topic. Certainly, people do worry about their savings and future lives. I agree with that. But, I'm also aware of the "impatience" in people wanting to have things that took their parents striving for years to achieve. And, as a result, they are up to their ya-ya in debt. That's poor planning. axel g has touched on an old argument in the spiritual community. The argument goes like this. The fancy-free-minded spiritual being argues If we trust the universe to provide for us then why save our money, isn't that showing mistrust? How about living in the now? The frugal-minded spiritual being argues that the universe has supplied you with the means to make money and the brains to spend and save it wisely.

Thoughtful Manuevers

Movement As A Way In - Jenn Givler is one of our veteran carnies here at the Carnival of Healing. Jenn participates both as a frequent submitter and also has served as a host for several carnival editions. I love Jenn! She has a new blog in the works and has honored our carnival with a wonderful post Monday Muse: Be Unstoppable introducing us to this newest twist in her personal life path. Jen says "Obstacles are a part of life - but you don't have to let them stop you."

Optimism Despite Struggle

Joy's Journey To Wellness Joy blogs I'm alive as she struggles with living within the confines of chronic illness. Reading through it you will feel her day-to-day frustrations, her willingness to laugh at her circumstance, her underlying determination to live despite the pain, and her ability to look forward with optimism. Joy, I wish you all the best and a brighter less-painful life.

Living in the Now

The Conscious Life- Post about "living in the moment " - Free Yourself from the Prison of Your Mind WP says "Stories from the past and worries about the imaginary future often leave us exhausted and disenchanted with life. Learn how to transcend the constant chattering in your mind and live a life of freedom and tranquility with breathing meditation."

Beyond Karma - Leave your thoughts behind and click How to Be Awareness Now (Awareness).
Kaushik Chokshi says "Awakening is simple with the two-step dance of awareness and release. This is an easy to integrate awareness technique."

Surrendering to Your Inner Wisdom

The Healed Spirit Blog - Michael L. Pierich posts about following his Intuitive guidance and being led to the place where he wanted to be. He says "It's not up to you to tell your inner wisdom how you want to get somewhere; you tell it where you want to go, and it tells you step-by-step how to get there. It may not make sense to you in the moment, but that's OK."
OK, So How Do I Do That?

Healing Tips

• Martial Arts Chris gives readers a brief (emphasis on brief) introduction to chi and chi kung. How to Feel Your Chi Energy in Just Ten Minutes
• Megan Wong shares home remedies for treating sinus infection.
• Pankaj Gupta suggests 10 Little Known Ways to Improve Your Health . Actually, except for brushing your skin the other nine healthful ways he listed are already well known to me. But, maybe not to you. Pankau says "Brushing your skin aids in detoxification of the lymph system and promotes overall health."
• Scientific Living educates us on How to Choose a Supplement.
• Health Tips 101 Joel Gray writes a "common sense" article about the importance of prevention and body awareness. Illness Prevention It Could Save Your Life

Thank you for attending the carnival. I hope you enjoyed your visit.

Looking Back: Last week the Carnival of Healing was hosted by Dave at Tri-Freedom.
Looking Forward:Next edition of the carnival (June 27) will be hosted by Ranjana Jha at Just About Everything

I'll be hosting the Carnival of Healing here at Spiral Visions on Saturday, June 20th. I am the founder/organizer of the carnival but have not actually hosted it for some time. The volunteer who had planned to host this coming week had to cancel so I'm stepping in to save the day. Well, not really. I think I may very well be the one being saved. The cancellation is probably the Universe's way of kicking me back to my roots. So, here I am back home where I belong. Please use the Blog Carnival Submission Form if you would like to have your blog featured in the carnival.

It is a good idea to return home to where you started from time to time. Soak up some nurturing vibes from the womb where you were birthed so to speak. This blog, specifically the domain Spiral Visions, is my Internet home. Lately I've been absent. My energies have been primarily focused at About.com, but also on Twitter and most recently Facebook Fan Page: About Holistic Heaing. Even the Carnival of Healing has its own group page on Facebook.

Maybe the theme of the carnival will be Homecoming.... I'll think about it! Hope to see you here on Saturday.

The other day after shopping at a local department store for a few mundane items (hairspray, toilet paper, envelopes, etc.) I found myself waiting patiently in the checkout lane. Yes, I said patiently waiting. I'm not normally the most patient person in the world, but when it comes to waiting in lines I really am patient. I think of waiting as a break from rushing around. I have no control over how fast or slow the line moves so I choose not to stress over it. In fact, I think waiting in line could actually be a gift from the universe. I am grateful for any free time and not having to be focused on doing something. Waiting can be a fabulous "living in the now" experience.

Anyway, while I was waiting in line I had a chance to look around at the people near me and study them. People watchers will understand my delight in an opportunity to simply be still and watchful. When it was my turn at the cash register I spoke up and said to the checker. "I really like your hairstyle, you look so pretty." The woman was so shocked by the compliment that she blurted out "Oh my, I can't believe a complete stranger said something so nice to me." She was obviously flustered but happy and continued rambling about how she had been thinking about growing her hair out, but now maybe not. She was smiling from ear to ear. As I was walking toward the exit I over heard her say to the next person, "That lady is so nice..." then I heard her holler out, "Hey, is your last name Desy?" She had my credit card receipt in her hand and had noticed my name on it. I turned around and answered yes. And then she said "I don't know you, but I know another woman with that same last name, and she is a very nice lady, just like you." She was referring to my husband's ex wife. So, I told her I knew her too and nodded with a smile. I was chuckling to myself as I walked through the parking lot back to my car. I couldn't wait to go home and tell my husband that he had married two very nice ladies.

The moral of the story is.... Say something nice, it makes people smile. I guess you could say it is message therapy.

Dream Explorations

I was attending a weekend retreat several years ago when I first heard the expression "I'm in a FOG." It was then explained to me that being in a FOG represented "F***ing Opportunity for Growth." Basically it's a crude way of saying that you are facing a crisis or are actually in the midst of chaos playing out in your life. A FOG can be an unsettled legal dispute, a personal health crisis, impending divorce, finding yourself unemployed, or some other unhappy scenario.

The tricky part is not what the actual crisis (FOG) is, but knowing how best to respond to it. It is very easy to become "reactive" when life throws us a curve ball. My tendency is usually to dodge the ball defensively, while others may react more offensively. But, not so fast. FOGs seldom clear away when we react to them in our normal fashion. Taking any action right off the bat is probably not a good idea. Usually just sitting in the midst of the FOG and waiting for any emotional energies attached to it to lift before reacting will be your best recourse. Allow yourself 24-48 hours to have a "pity party," although I don't suggest you invite any guests. But it is okay to have a solitary tantrum in your own private space. Suck in all your "woe is me" energies and embrace any emotional backlash you are feeling. Go ahead and feel sorry for yourself. Curse! Complain! Cry out "Why Me!?!" etc.

Be careful not to get stuck in the "poor me" state of mind for more than a couple of days. A crisis is raging, and you will need to take some kind of action. After the initial shock has worn off it may be a good time to slip into a more reflective state of mind and quietly ask "Why me? Why now?" rather than screaming out "WHY ME?" in despair. But truthfully, even during a calmer, reflective state you may not get a clear answer as to why you are caught in a chaotic situation no matter how connected you normally are to your inner dialogs. That's why it's called a FOG. It's difficult to understand the "why?" of such matters.

You have been gifted with an opportunity to grow as a person... but it won't look like a gift. It may very well feel like a slap in the face. I have often learned from past FOG experiences that, once the FOG has cleared and my life is again flowing less erratic, I will get a better perspective as to why I had to experience the struggles and the emotional stings. It can require a distanced view from the initial impact to see the bigger picture.

A FOG can actually be useful when it knocks us out of our comfort zones in order to nudge us into branching out in different directions. Remember, life is a journey. We're not going to get anywhere if we insist on standing still.

After I was able to re-map my course of action due to the detour that a FOG had forced me to take, I realize I was a better person for it. Surprisingly, I always land on my feet afterwards. The ground I end up standing on might be foreign to me, but I always know that, eventually, I will find my best direction to travel. This is not to say that I welcome FOGs to enter my life. I prefer a calmer existence on most days and, for this reason, I try my very best to pay attention to the quieter messages the Universe whispers gently in my ears. If I listen carefully and pay heed to the messages, there is no reason for the volume to get turned up to a deafening roar.

One of my About.com associates Patti Wigington (Guide to Paganism and Wicca), blogged yesterday about Panthea's Create-A-Goddess. Naturally, I had to jump into the fun, take a break from my web workings and create my very own avatar just like Patti did. Check out my goddess' spiral necklace. Spirally Cool!

Visit my Holistic Healing Wordless Wednesday Photo Archives

More Wordless Wednesday photos at About.com and the Wordless Wednesday Home Blog

Happy Birthday Carnival of Healing!

Welcome to this very special Birthday Celebration Edition of the Carnival of Healing. This week the Carnival of Healing celebrates its third birthday. It has been quite awhile since I hosted the carnival here at my personal blog. Although, Spiral Visions played a very important role in the beginning weeks of the Carnival of Healing.

I was kind of bummed out that no one had volunteered to blog this week's carnival edition because I didn't want to have one more thing to do. I was thinking about family coming for an overnight stay for this weekend, an upcoming vacation to plan for, routine deadlines to meet, and several other pesky tasks to do. But, since no one volunteered for this Saturday and I was the carnival organizer, then the chore of hosting landed on my shoulders by default. Yes, I confess that I was thinking about hosting the carnival as A CHORE. Guilty!

Feeling burdened about hosting made me start questioning why I ever started up the carnival in the first place. Blog carnivals are meant to be fun and inspirational and function as a community project. And here I sat feeling pitiful and not wanting to participate. I was in no mood for organizing the carnival. That's not how a carnival is suppose to make you feel. Organizing a carnival is suppose to be exciting, like preparing for a party at your house and inviting your best friends. Right? When I started wondering about why I started up the carnival it eventually dawned on me that the carnival itself was nearing a birthday. And then it HIT ME, not nearing its birthday. It was already its birthday.

The Carnival of Healing's debut was on July 30, 2005

And to think that I almost missed this three year mile-marker altogether and probably would have if not for that fact that I was forced to step in and host. Wow! You think the Universe had that planned? They say there is a reason for everything. It is very appropriate that I get the honor (not the chore) of hosting the Birthday Celebration Edition. I feel so much better now. I knew that reviewing all the carnival submissions was going to take some work, but I needed reminding that a labor of love is so much easier to stay on task with than what is viewed as a chore. This was the lesson I took away from this experience, WORK is a four letter word and LOVE is a four letter word. Find the LOVE in your WORK and it will feel like another four letter word - PLAY!

I also feel very appreciate of the many bloggers that have raised their hands over the past three years volunteering their time to serve as hosts. To show my gratitude I am linking to each of them in an HONOR ROLL before getting down to the business of sharing this week's carnival attractions.

History of the Carnival

The first three editions ( 1 2 3 ) of the Carnival of Healing were hosted by me on my About.com blog - Phylameana's Holistic Healing Blog. On the fourth week the carnival became a traveling roadshow, it was still hosted by me but the carnival's first traveling roadshow stopped here on my personal blog. I soon had a couple of pals, Christopher Stewart and Jaelin K. Reece, who volunteered to host the carnival at least once a month on their blogs that helped enormously to give the carnival a good start. Jaelin and Christopher are now partnering with me at About as Ask An Intuitive Columnists. I was soon getting other bloggers asking to host. The carnival was growing and it was fun fun fun!!!

Carnival of Healing Honor Roll

My Forever Gratitude and Blessings are extended to:

The Carnival of Healing is a weekly round-up of blogs across the Internet featuring information about healing, self empowerment, and spirituality.

Looking Back: Last week the carnival was hosted by Tonie Konig at Libido and Health

Looking Forward: Next week the carnival will be hosted by Jenn Givler at Create A Thriving Business

This Week's Carnival Attractions

Loving Your Emotions

"Welcome the tears just like a farmer welcomes rain" is my favorite quote from Axel G. with a post discussing emotional healing. He suggests Tears, Reiki, Relaxation, and Talk Therapy for dealing with emotional baggage.

Arin Vahanian writes a thoughtful, although somewhat morbid, post about Why It Is Necessary To Live NOW. Arin's blog post was actually one of my favorite carnival submissions this week. It is refreshing to see someone so young (age 30) cherish life so enthusiastically.

Astrid Lee suggests surrendering your worries over to a higher power by writing them down and inserting them in to a Surrender Box or Personal Healing Box

Caring for Yourself and Others

Are you the caregiver for a dependent? Does it feel unrewarding? Is it burdensome? Pamir Kiciman recognizes that being a caregiver can be tough. He outlines four qualities (compassion, detachment, recognition, the long view) needed to cultivate your role as a caregiver tending a dependent person in his post Heart Advice to a Caregiver

Sacred and Spiritual

Kristen McCarthy teaches the power of Opening the Sacrum. Kristen says "The small triangular bone at the base of our spines has much to teach us about our bodies and the way we move through life. We can release concentrated pain in our sacrum and open up to the knowledge of this sacred bone."

Madeleine Begun Kane shares a confession limerick. This is a sweet and cute reminder to cherish the person we love.

My contribution to the carnival this week is the announcement of my new Chakra Symbol Gallery. An affirmation is given for each chakra. Read the chakra affirmation statement out loud or silently to yourself while your eyes focus on the chakra image. The combination of focusing on these images and reading the affirmation statements is intended to help you connect to the life pulse of your wheels of life.

Physical Health and Aging Issues

Dianne M. Buxton reminds those of us who are of a certain age who want to be forever youthful about natural food remedies that can make all the difference. Be assured that the right diet and exercise can help with chronic shoulder and neck pain. Jerome Ryan gives some good advice on how to start up an exercise program. Lane Wright reports that Vegetarians Live Longer. Would you think a potato might be healthier than a grapefruit? Joshua Seth offers a few snack alternatives to keep you on a healthier track. Stanimir Sortirov offers suggestions for prevention of and reversing hair loss . Lastly, don't forget to pamper your skin. Julena gives us some skin care recipes made with parsley .

Mind Matters

David B. Bohl invites you to take advantage of the power of your mind to be successful. His blog article is broken down into three sections (The Spoon Benders, Now Focus on Your Life, and Create an Atmosphere for Successful Visualization).

Ranjit Monga is new to blogging so I'd like to extend him a warm welcome to the carnival. Please visit his blog, Karmic Healing and give him some encouragement. Ranjit gives us the math ratio, 80:20, to aim for in reaching our goals. I think what he writes makes sense. It adds up.

Purpose Power Coach, Chris Edgar, suggests Going on a Mental Diet. Chris gives instructions on how to get out of our heads. Quieting mental chatter does take effort. This blog post is fairly long, but very worthwhile. You might want to bookmark it and go back later for a second review. I know I did.

Medical Mainstream Concerns

Shaheen Lakhan reports on a frightening medical statistic in her blog post The Eighth Leading Cause of Death in the U.S. is? saying, "The eighth leading cause of death in the US is medication error. And though it is well known in the medical community that these errors happen more than they should, are they doing enough to prevent them?"

Massage therapist, Lovelyn cautions readers that Most of the Time Carpal Tunnel Surgery Doesn't Work, "surgery as a last resort" is my mantra.

The birthday party is over. I've blown out the candles and made my wish for the carnival in its fourth year. Thank you for attending. See you next week!