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There is a leader inside of you. Yes, you!  In spite of any shyness, or feelings of inadequacy at a task as large as leading others, or doubts and questions like, “How can I possibly make a difference in the world?” you can learn to inspire others. And that’s what true leadership is all about.

Too often we think of leaders as people in positions of power: presidents, CEOs, managers, directors, kings. While it’s true that one definition of a leader is someone who is in charge of others, another, purer definition is someone whom people follow. If you can inspire people to follow your lead, you are a leader, whether you are a CEO or senator, or not.

Inspiration comes in many shapes and sizes, and anyone can be a leader. A leader is simply someone who has done the requisite work to get to know themselves, has thoughtfully and consciously formed their core values and beliefs, and is fully committed to those values and willing to stand up for them. Who can you think of who fits that description?

You’re probably thinking of people like Martin Luther King Jr., Ghandi, Jesus, or Mother Teresa, who were all, of course, great leaders who prompted changes that have rippled out through generations. But there are lesser sung leaders, too. Think of a man who organizes his entire neighborhood together to build a community garden, or a little girl who campaigns to convince the school board to donate all leftover cafeteria food to the local homeless shelter. Everyday people can become leaders and effect change in large and small ways, and you can, too.

The first step to finding your inner leader is to find your true self. This requires some self-discovery. You must delve into your soul to fully understand who you are and what you stand for. What is your higher purpose? What are your core values? Why are they important to you? The better you understand your belief system, the easier it will be to ensure that your actions match your words. No one likes a dishonest or hypocritical leader.

Because you are the only person who can define your personal convictions, take some time to get to know yourself! Journal each night before you go to bed and write out all your deepest fears, your greatest joys, your hopes and aspirations. Meditate daily and open your consciousness to your highest self. Meditation not only calms the mind and spirit, but allows us access to our higher selves and the unified field beyond. If you have trouble connecting to your higher self or purpose, there may be blockages in your chakras that need to be dissolved. Healing courses or working with a spiritual teacher can help open the doors to your true self, and clear any obstacles between you and your inner leader.

Once you are attuned to your higher self and purpose, you can begin to inspire others by exhibiting your passion. Suze Orman, financial guru, has said that you can’t inspire others if you’re not inspired yourself. You have to care about your mission deeply. Perhaps you want to effect change on a personal level with a goal like losing weight; or maybe you’ve set your sights on starting a business or running for local office. I gave up practicing law when I realized my passion lay in energy healing, and even after assisting in the transformation of tens of thousands of people over the years, my desire to continue this work has never waned.

Whatever your ultimate purpose, passion is a key ingredient for leadership. How are you going to motivate yourself to exercise each day if you’re not passionate about feeling healthier? How can you expect your townspeople to vote for you if you’re not showing your enthusiasm for the betterment of the city? In order to be a leader who inspires others to action, your actions must inspire them, or yourself as the case may be. Without passion there is no inspiration, and without inspiration there’s no leadership. But if you’ve connected with your authentic self and are truly committed to your goal, your fervor will no doubt get people moving.

Your inner leader must also demonstrate unwavering intention. Did everyone listen to civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr. or Mahatma Ghandi the first time they spoke out against injustice? No. Leadership takes more than a fleeting impulse—it takes a solid commitment. Ghandi and King both spent time in prison, and were verbally and physically attacked for their convictions, but they did not respond in kind. Instead, they continued to practice their protests with grace and demonstrated forgiveness for their assailants. Hardship is a test of a leader’s dedication, and great leaders like King and Ghandi don’t compromise their values even when things get tough. That’s why thousands of people trusted and followed them. Each man’s commitment to his authentic self and higher purpose could not be derailed, and they inspired thousands of people.

Inspiration brings transformation, and true leaders know that. With a firm foundation in your authentic self and higher purpose, a passionate attitude, and commitment to your beliefs, you can awaken the leader inside you and make significant changes in your life, your household, your community, and beyond.

I send you my blessings for what the New Year will bring:

May you be surrounded by friends and loved ones, and bask in the beauty of the natural world.

May you allow the time to celebrate what is truly important in life, and make it a habit to give thanks for all of the good things that surround you.

May you continue on your journey and ascend to levels of higher consciousness.

And above all, may you honor yourself for all that you already are.

Wishing you peace and joy for the New Year.

Warmly,

Deborah

“I am sick and tired of being sick and tired.”
~Fannie Lou Hamer

Are you SUPER tired? If you’re like most people, your schedule is jam-packed every day! Career, family, and/or household obligations can really pile up and there just don’t seem to be enough hours in the day. When you finally crawl into bed, your mind is racing, thinking about tomorrow’s to-do list. In today’s hectic, fast-paced world it’s normal to be tired, but do you ever worry that your exhaustion is too severe and constant and might have a more serious cause?

How can you tell if you simply need more rest and “me-time” or if you’re suffering from something more serious, like chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)?

According to the Centers for Disease Control, about half a million people in the United States suffer from a “CFS-like condition.”  The number is probably much higher because so many people do not seek medical help.  They think the fatigue is something they will just get over; but unlike just being tired, CFS symptoms persist for months.  In fact, to be diagnosed with CFS, extreme fatigue must be accompanied by at least four of the following symptoms for six months or longer:

• Sleep disturbances
• Loss of concentration and/or memory
• Flu-like symptoms such as sore throat, enlarged and painful lymph nodes in neck or armpit, muscle soreness
• Joint pain without swelling or redness
• Headaches that differ in type, severity, or location
• Extreme exhaustion accompanying physical or mental strain which lasts longer than twenty-four hours

Many people with CFS also report other symptoms, such as panic attacks, night sweats, depression, weight loss or weight gain, shortness of breath and/or nausea.

If you think you might be suffering from CFS and are ready to be diagnosed, cured, and move on with your life, it might not be that simple. It’s tough to get clear answers about this condition from mainstream medicine. The medical community doesn’t know much about CFS or what causes it. There are several theories as to what may cause CFS. These include:

• Depression
• Anemia
• Hypotension, or mild chronic low blood pressure
• Changes in hormone levels in pituitary or adrenal glands or hypothalamus
• Immune system dysfunction
• Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar
• History of allergies
• Viral infections, such as Epstein-Barr Virus

If you suffer from CFS you may wonder, “Am I ever going to feel like myself again?  Is my life ever going to be normal?”

Medical treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome aims not to cure the illness but to alleviate and manage the symptoms.  This is extremely helpful in helping people to cope with their illness.  But you want to do more than cope – you want to enjoy life!  Is this possible when you have a chronic illness?  Yes, and western medicine isn’t the only answer. Supplementing your treatment with changes to your lifestyle and alternative healing techniques can help you achieve a much greater level of vitality and physical and emotional health.  The following techniques have been shown to provide relief to people suffering from CFS:

Energy Healing: As an energy healer and spiritual teacher, I’ve come across countless people suffering from unexplained symptoms of tiredness, depression and pain. It’s been my experience that most if not all of these symptoms are rooted in unaddressed feelings of fear and that having that fear removed by a qualified energy healer is a great first step to take. Additionally, in addition to getting yourself checked out by a physician, I always recommend that you take steps to work on your emotions – by meditating, journaling and working with your practitioner to address any past traumas or unexplored emotions.

Acupuncture: Studies have shown positive results when treating chronic fatigue syndrome with acupuncture. A high percentage of patients suffering from severe CFS, who participated in the studies were able to sleep more deeply, and felt more energetic during the day – allowing them to return to work and normal activities.

Therapeutic Massage: Therapeutic massage helps you to sleep longer and move less in your sleep (resulting in a more restful, deep sleep), as well as providing a sense of well-being. Lessening fatigue, as well as anxiety and depression, can mean the difference between getting out and enjoying the day or staying in bed.  Studies have shown that people suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome respond best to gentle massage.

Avoid foods that intensify symptoms: With chronic fatigue syndrome, eating whole foods and staying away from fats, sugar, and starch is important, but there are also some foods you should avoid.  These include MSG, Aspartame and other artificial sweeteners, caffeine, yeast and gluten.

Get enough vitamins: Make sure you are getting adequate vitamins and minerals, such as folic acid, omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, magnesium, potassium, and fiber.  Talk to your health practitioner about multivitamins and really pay attention to balancing your diet.

Exercise: It is very important to set limits when exercising.  Doing too much, even if you feel all right at the time, can set you back.  Listen to your body.  Moderate exercise could include:

• Warm water activities
• Yoga
• Tai Chi
• Pilates
• Biking
• Walking

Gentle exercise on a daily basis will help you reduce stress and anxiety, create energy and and improve your overall emotional wellness.

Want to go from tired to terrific? Be sure to tune in, Wednesday, September 4, 2013 at 2:00pm pacific on Hay House radio where I’ll be interviewing Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, an alternative physician, whose specialty is chronic fatigue. If you call into the show, you can ask “top doc” your personal fatigue question!

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

― Martin Luther King Jr.

What if you are on the road to living your most authentic life and feel you’ve found your purpose, when suddenly you find yourself the target of dark forces whose intent is to pull you off course?  Can there be cracks in your spiritual armor that make you vulnerable to darkness? It can happen to anyone. I’d like to share a story of my own brush with darkness.

Years ago, when I was laid up in bed with a back injury that seemed to have come out of nowhere, I found myself with nothing to do except meditate, journal and sleep. I took advantage of that opportunity to get clarity on some emotional issues that I had been struggling with, and found myself becoming more and more connected with my guides.  Little did I know that this connection coupled with a challenge that I was facing in my healing practice, would attract some very unwelcome guests.

I woke up one night with my hair standing practically on end! There was a palpable evil presence hovering over me, floating on the ceiling of my room. I had never felt anything so terrifying, especially when this accumulation of darkness actually spoke to me.  The darkness communicated this message “If you’ll give up your guides and join us, you’ll get everything that you want.” I knew exactly what I wanted, and apparently this dark force knew too!

I had been making tremendous progress with my own spiritual journey and was deeply involved in my healing practice. But, despite my must herculean efforts, I had not been as successful as I wanted to be in the area of helping people.  I yearned to break through this barrier, so you can understand how the dark offer was tempting to me. That frustration and yearning to be able to effect immediate improvement in others was what was making me vulnerable!

I fought back the temptation to give in to the forces, and focused on an icon of my main guide. Holding the icon up, I bid the spirits to leave in His name. They retreated a little, but came back night after night until I realized that the back injury that was immobilizing and weakening me wasn’t even real. Armed with this knowledge, I stood up and faced the forces – I used every weapon in my arsenal – an icon of my guide, a bottle of blessed water, and my own fierce, unbending intent.  I ordered the forces out of my life, and they left.  They come back to test me periodically but never with the same force, and I was always able to see them coming, and withstand them.

What are some things that make us vulnerable to darkness?

Holes in our energy field due to unprocessed emotions and unresolved trauma can allow darkness to slip in and fill those spaces.  What I’ve learned in my time as a spiritual teacher and energy healer is that regular meditation and journaling are the best protection against falling into the trap of beginning to believe your own stories; remember, it’s the lies we tell ourselves that do the most damage. Healing courses are another way to resolve issues that might leave you vulnerable to negative energy.

Ego and pride, which can be associated with our appearance, financial or social status or our special abilities can keep us from being our best selves, and make us susceptible to darkness. Power can corrupt, and in the course of my own energy healing training, I saw many powerful shamans and healers fall victim to their own pride and ego, with dark results.

Giving away your power to others who fill a void in your life can be setting yourself up for psychic attack.  It’s important to have the strength and self-awareness to know when someone is filling an unhealthy need, so that you can maintain your own personal power. Working with a wellness coach, or taking life coaching courses so that you can work on yourself can help resolve those old injuries, and protect you from psychic attack.

An unhealthy body, brought about by abusing alcohol and drugs, not getting enough sleep or exercise, or poor nutrition can make us open to negative energy, and keep us from living a balanced, light filled life. My students know that I am all about eating well, exercising and spending time in the outdoors. I even like to sleep outside!  Make physical health a priority, and make sure that you are aware of the right diet, exercise and sleep requirements for your unique body type!

Keeping a healthy mind is equally critical. You are what you eat, but you’re also what you watch or read. Be careful of exposing yourself to evil and violence, either through movies, books or online. Watch movies and TV and read books about people who inspire you as an alternative to overdosing on violence and negativity. Finally, your mother was right about one thing: we become like the people we hang out with – don’t waste your time with people who pull you down. Instead, seek out people who inspire you to be your very best self possible, people who help you raise your consciousness. You’ll want to join me at my live online event sponsored by Hay House, Seeking the Light, starting soon, that addresses this very topic in detail.  It’s a great place to get lots of light!

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost

Years ago, while attending a fund raiser for a local homeless shelter, I found myself seated next to the delightful and very down-to-earth couple who ran the day-to-day operations of the facility.  I was amazed with the progress that this particular charity had made over the past several years, and suspected that my new friends were responsible for a big chunk of that success.

As they shared their story, it turned out that I was 100% correct. Larry and Roberta had both attended prestigious colleges, married, and spent many years climbing the corporate ladder when, as part of a corporate outreach program, they started helping out at the shelter.  As they became more and more involved and applied their business expertise to the center, they found a passion for the work that they hadn’t experienced in their corporate jobs. Larry quit his six-figure job to take a full time position at the shelter (at a much lower salary), and Roberta joined him a few months later.  With their help, the shelter grew to a multi-faceted facility that didn’t just house and feed the homeless, but provided drug and alcohol rehabilitation, counseling and job placement.

I was inspired by Larry and Roberta’s commitment to the homeless and to each other.  It was obvious to me and to everyone around us that they had found their true calling!

There was a period early in my own life, when I was seeking my true path – not the road that others expected me to travel, but one that was healthy and meaningful for me. I learned to meditate, to listen to the inner voice, the intuitive guide within. And here I learned my true purpose in life: to overcome any darkness within me, to live as consciously in the light as possible, and to help others do the same. That’s the subject of my newest book, Entangled in Darkness: Seeking the Light, just now available.

So the question is: what is your purpose in life. Do you know why you are here on Earth, in a body, at this time? I’m not talking about your job, your daily responsibilities, or even your hopes and dreams for the future. I’m talking about the age-old question: What is the meaning of your life?

For those of you who have discovered the path of Spirit, and who have had some sort of direct experience of Source, your perspective shifts. You may no longer be interested in “hot” partners, shiny jewelry, the best car, or the biggest house. Your attention now focuses more on what’s inside than on what’s outside. Are you kinder than you used to be? More loving, more accepting of other cultures and lifestyles, more open to new experiences, new people? Are you doing something, big or small that makes the world a better place? Do you have a spiritual practice that sustains and supports you?

When you think of your purpose in these terms, you can see that your goals change. Your purpose in life basically doesn’t have much to do with what you do as much as who you are. Mother Theresa put it this way: “We do not DO great things. We do small things with GREAT LOVE.” Your current purpose may be to love yourself more, to accept your human frailties, to stop trying so hard to be perfect. Maybe your purpose is to heal your old wounds and be kinder to yourself and to your body. And your purpose will evolve over time, as you face and surmount challenges.

Eventually, you come to understand that spiritual development, the evolution of your own consciousness, is the best way in which you can serve others. In that way, you are also serving the world. You can still be passionate about your job, your family, and work to make your day-to-day life more comfortable and secure—all the while knowing that everything outside of yourself is impermanent.

Larry and Roberta found happiness and fulfillment by using their business skills to help others break their cycle of poverty. I found my true path in teaching, whether it’s simple health & wellness concepts on national TV or sophisticated energy medicine and life coaching courses or teaching people how to move up to the next level of consciousness. You’ll want to use your discernment to determine what your true purpose is and don’t assume it’s what you do every day at work; while it may be, it could also be something you do at home or in your free time.

To find your true purpose and embody it requires that you’ve cleared away much of your past darkness and moved into your own higher qualities. To help you become that leader you’re meant to be, join me for a 4-part Hay House Live Online course called “Seeking the Light,” starting September 19^th.  You can come live or listen later – I hope to see you there!

Good things often develop out of the worst in our lives. In my twenties, I was a successful attorney living in the fast lane when a cancer diagnosis forced me to re-examine my life. Suddenly, things took a dramatic u-turn! Drawn to the world of energy medicine, I created a fertile breeding ground for an amazing remission of the cancer, and in the process discovered an entire new path in life. I studied energy healing far and wide, which I now share with the world through my books, courses and shows.

How can my story inspire you to find your true path in life? Tune into my interview on Veria TV and find out! Here’s how:

1) Go to http://verialivinggo.com/  and  sign up now for your FREE 7 day trial,  you can watch Veria shows from your TV, computer, smart phone or tablet! Sign in through Facebook or email.

2) Next WEDNESDAY August 21st at NOON EASTERN/9:00am PACIFIC catch my interview on “Over the Hump”: go back to http://verialivinggo.com/  log in and click on the Live Streaming Link in the tool bar.

I’m so jazzed to be on Veria Living TV; if you’re not a fan of Veria already, I know you’re going to thank me for introducing you to this super entertaining health & wellness channel!

What happens when someone close to you dies suddenly, and you have unresolved issues or questions involving that person?  Or what if you simply can’t get a handle on your grief, and wish you could speak to them one last time? Are you limited to finding answers, comfort, and closure alone?  Many people struggle with regrets or sadness after losing someone, which can result in on-going symptoms like, depression, compulsive behavior, weight problems, anxiety, isolation, and worse. What if there was a way to ask that one burning question, or have that last conversation that would provide a release from guilt and regret, and maybe provide a glimmer of hope and guidance from beyond?

There is and it isn’t new! All through history, people have embraced the concept of an ongoing relationship with the deceased. Myths such as the Greek story of Demeter and Persephone and the Egyptian story of Isis and Osiris remind people that it is possible to reconnect with those who have died. Most ancient cultures and some modern ones have rituals that maintain a connection with the ancestors. In many cultures, it’s considered not only normal but desirable to connect to the deceased. I teach classes on how to do connect with the dead and how to honor our ancestors.

For many people suffering from the loss of a loved one, any hope of opening the lines of communication with the deceased is met enthusiastically. John Edwards, a leader in the field of “crossing over”, or speaking to the dead, shared his gift with a receptive public shortly after publishing his book, One Last Time, in 1998.  When he appeared on the Larry King Show to discuss his book, the switchboard practically exploded due to the flood of callers who were anxious to speak with him. Edwards landed a TV show soon after and spent the next several years transmitting messages from beyond to a studio audience.  John Edwards didn’t invent the idea of communicating with the dead, but he certainly brought it to the mainstream!

In the course of my energy healing work, I “cross over” whenever I sense it will help my client. For example, I sometimes find an individual incorrectly corded to someone who has died. If you are familiar with my workshops and writings, you know all about chording: cords are streamers of auric light that emanate from your chakras and connect you to other people; they can be either positive or negative. Death doesn’t undo these energetic connections, so when people find themselves chorded incorrectly to someone who has died, the cord may need to be cleaned or even removed in order for the living person to move on.  I do this by crossing over and connecting with the deceased, addressing the cord, and clearing or releasing it. This relieves my client of the constraints that are holding them back and often the change is immediately apparent.

Interested in learning more about this fascinating topic? Tune in this Wednesday at 2:00 PDT to my Hay House Radio show!  I’ll be speaking with a very special guest, Mark Anthony, a talented medium and crossing over specialist.  Get your questions ready, we will be available to provide you with answers from the other side. This is a not to be missed opportunity, see you there!

“A film is – or should be – more like music than like fiction.
It should be a progression of moods and feelings.
The theme, what’s behind the emotion, the meaning, all that comes later.”
~Stanley Kubrick

Check out these “must sees” at the movies, starting with Blackfish, a documentary prompted by the death of a SeaWorld trainer 2 years ago. Zoom in on what’s happening behind the scenes with killer whales in captivity. Looking into the eyes of these amazing orcas, you know you are in the presence of beings more sentient than we are. But separated from their families, imprisoned in small pools, and left for long periods of time without exercise or stimulation, psychosis can develop. The film focuses on Tilikum, a male orca captured and taken from his mother when very young, who’s been involved in 3 deaths. One expert in the film said, “he’s killing because he’s frustrated and has no outlet.” I would also suggest that separated from his family when very young, he’s had no opportunity to be properly socialized. Attacked by more dominant whales imprisoned in the same tiny pool who don’t speak his language, left hungry and then forced to perform for food, has pushed him over the edge.

Tilikum isn’t the only captive whale who has fought back by killing or injuring a trainer; we see disturbing footage and listen to a litany of former SeaWorld trainers talk about their shame over their inability to protect these noble creatures. As for SeaWorld, the company refuses to comment, relying on canned press releases that blame it all on “trainer error.” It’s obvious that nothing matters to them but their bottom line.

At the end, the film is as much about us humans as it is about these majestic creatures with superior language abilities and brains with emotional centers more developed than our own. Why some think it’s appropriate to keep them captive in a little swimming pool for the entertainment of the masses says we are still in the days of the Romans in the Coliseum.

Blackfish is a must see this summer. Search out the theatre nearest you and get charged up about protecting the whales!

Another great watch is The Hunt. I was interested to see this film because in my work as a spiritual teacher, healing repressed trauma, I find that many traumas are a result of sexual abuse. Lucas is a former high school teacher struggling to emerge from a divorce and loss of his job.  Just as he begins to heal, his life is shattered by a false accusation of molestation that launches his community into a state of hysteria. The real theme of this movie is mob mentality and the destructive power of gossip. Beautifully filmed but disturbing to watch, this movie, reminiscent of an earlier film, Deliverance, reminds us that civilization is a really jut a thin veneer.

You’ll also want to see Fruitvale Station in light of the recent Trayvon Martin scandal. It deals with a true story—the shooting of Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old unarmed black man who, in 2009, was shot in the back by a transit policeman at the Fruitvale station in Oakland. The films does a great job of presenting Oscar as a real person, who starts his day taking stock of his life and resolving to make things better, only to end up senselessly killed—a casualty of racial profiling.  This event shook the Bay Area and the nation when it occurred, but we continue to see incidents of racial profiling today. Talk up Fruitvale Station and encourage others to see it; film is a great way to increase group consciousness.

My last review, The Unfinished Song, will make your heart sing! It features Arthur, a grumpy old soul perfectly content with sticking to his dreary daily routine until his dying wife Marion, played by Vanessa Redgrave, drags him to a local singing group. The music group helps Marion transition from cancer to the next level, and allows the grieving Arthur to get himself through some extremely difficult times. This film illustrates the healing power of sound, a technique which we frequently use in energy healing.

Don’t miss these great films since they won’t be in the theatres much longer. They will all give you something to think about. Grab the popcorn and go for it!

“The dance between darkness and light will always remain – the stars and the moon will always need the darkness to be seen, the darkness will just not be worth having without the moon and the stars.” ― C. JoyBell C.

I’ve always been intrigued by the Chinese Symbol for Yin and Yang, the black and white circle divided into two teardrop shaped halves, each containing a smaller circle of the opposite color. This simple symbol is so profound and expresses so much – balance, flow, transformation, and the opposing forces of nature that make up almost everything!

Yin and yang elements are expressed in pairs: the moon and the sun, female and male, darkness and light, hot and cold, good and evil. The elements stay in balance and are not static or separate, instead they are complimentary and relative to one another because they come from a common source. Just like the yin and yang symbol itself, the nature of yin and yang lies in the interchange and interplay of the two components – like night flows into day, the opposite forces in yin and yang flow into each other.

It is said that the nature of yin and yang was first recognized by Fu Shi some eight thousand years ago. He developed the principles of yin and yang, which provide an explanation of the laws of nature that govern the universe. According to his principles, the actions of yin and yang apply to every facet of life and are expressions of everything that exists in our universe.

Lao Tzu, the Taoist sage, tells us that one polarity cannot exist without the other. If there is no “light”, there is no “dark”, no “up” without a “down”. He writes, “Under heaven all can see beauty as beauty only because there is ugliness. All can know good as good only because there is evil.”  He asks: “Is there a difference between yes and no?” “Is there a difference between good and evil?”

Meditate on Lao Tzu’s words for a few minutes and you will see how understanding and embracing the concept of yin and yang allows you to suspend judgment on any one component as you realize that the forces in your life are in a constant state of change, and that they balance and flow exactly as they are meant to.

We can deal much more effectively with past traumas and current problems by visualizing them as naturally flowing (like night flows into day) and becoming their opposites. What if we accept the negative events in our life as a pathway to growth and enlightenment? How much more gracefully can we accept challenges if we know that experiencing them will help us to recognize and appreciate the better times that will come if we just allow them to?

Try these techniques to shift the negative elements that you see over to the positive:

Acceptance – accept your past mistakes, traumas and misfortunes and realize that they have made you the person who you are today, and have given you the strength and experience that you need to create a better life for yourself.

Wisdom – take advantage of the opportunity to learn from negative experiences so that you don’t repeat them. Be aware of your decisions and take responsibility for your actions – it will take you a long way toward higher consciousness!

Gratitude – look for the light and appreciate it, and in bad times, know that experiencing the darkness will make you value the light even more.

Attraction – be positive and open to the laws of the universe, picture the dynamic, flowing symbol of yin and yang, and have faith that the dark times will cycle into the light!

There are so many things that we deal with every day in our own lives and in the world around us that are dark and difficult. There are times when it’s hard to imagine that the world will change and life will get easier. Using the techniques above will help manifest the change that you want to see in your life and the world.

As a spiritual teacher, energy healer and life coach, I frequently recommend limiting exposure to the news, violent television shows and movies, and making sure to spend time meditating, talking to good friends, and exercising. These are just a few of many ways to keep the dark and the light in balance in you life!

The sixth chakra, also known as the “Third Eye” chakra, is where we process and interpret visual information. It controls what we visually see, imagine, and what we psychically and intuitively perceive.

A discussion on the third chakra provides me with the perfect opportunity for me to share an old Taoist tale about intuition, transcendence, and horses.  Some of my favorite things!

Duke Mu of Chin said to Po Lo: You are now advanced in years – is there any member of your family who I could employ to look for horses in your stead?  Po Lo replied “ a good horse can be picked by it’s general build and appearance. But the superlative horse—one that raises no dust and leaves no tracks—is something rare and fleeting , elusive as thin air. My sons can tell a good horse when they see one, but they cannot pick a superlative horse. I have a friend, Chiu-fang Kao, who when it comes to horses, has vision equal to mine. Please go and see him.

Duke Mu located the man, and sent him off to look for a superlative steed. Three months later he returned with the news that he had found one. “What kind of horse is it?” asked the Duke? “Oh, it’s a dun colored mare”, was the reply. However, when the horse arrived, the animal was not at all  as described, it was a coal black stallion!

Duke went to Po Lo, complaining “Your friend knows nothing about horses, why he couldn’t even distinguish the beast’s color or sex!” Po Lo smiled, “Ah, then he is worth a thousand of me put together! What Kao keeps in view is the spiritual mechanism. In concentrating on the ethereal essentials, he loses track of the details. Intent on the inward qualities, he loses sight of the external. He sees what he wants to see, and not what he does not want to see. He looks at the things he ought to look at, and neglects those that need not be looked at. So clever a judge of horses is Kao, that he has it in him to judge something better than horses.”

When the horse arrived, it turned out indeed to be a superlative animal.

I love this story! I heard it years ago, but it still pops into my head often, always reminding me to look beyond the surface and to open my mind and trust my intuition, or my gut impressions.

I encourage you to take some time to think about the story and how it relates to the 6^th Chakra and to your own spiritual practice. Sit quietly and consider these questions:

• Have you had the experience where someone became significantly more attractive (or less attractive) the more you’ve gotten to know them?  What caused your perceptions to change?
• Are you open to what lies beyond the physical when meeting someone new? If not, what kinds of things distract you?
• Looking back on the people who you have known in your life, which of them have the kind of wisdom and insight that would allow you to trust them to pick out a superlative horse, friend, or partner for you?

As we evolve and move into a higher consciousness, we naturally begin to  focus less on the physical and more the light or the spirit within. By connecting to that light, we can communicate at a much deeper level, and have deeper, more meaningful relationships.

When our sixth chakra is in balance, we approach life with an open mind and seek to know the truth. We listen for guidance within ourselves and rely on our perceptions, experiences and the sixth chakra’s power of discernment. Opening this chakra opens the line of communication to your higher self and so it makes your wise inner guidance much more readily available. Set the intention and make a commitment to listen within for direction and then honor the guidance you receive with your actions.

Women are afraid of cancer and rightly so. By the time women are in their fifties, they usually know of more than several friends or relatives who have had some form of cancer. So let’s talk about what’s new in the field of energy medicine for women who are dealing with cancer.

New studies have shown that double mastectomy as a solution for those with a high genetic possibility for getting breast cancer does not improve survival rates. A protocol based on hope rather than fear will go much farther in supporting a women’s goal to be cancer free. As a spiritual teacher, I would recommend a supportive measure like a strong, daily meditation program as the best insurance for avoiding and defeating cancer.

Scientific studies these days are focusing on combining natural substances with pharmaceuticals. Researchers at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center have found that combining tamoxifen (the most prescribed breast cancer drug) with a compound from feverfew, a flowering plant, may prevent resistance to the drug. Other studies have shown that grape seed extract works synergistically with certain chemotherapy drugs to make chemo more effective.

As a practitioner of energy healing, I have always believed that when you have been diagnosed with cancer, you need everyone on your team—your oncologist, surgeon, radiation oncologist, etc.—along with practitioners of whatever complementary and alternative (CAM) treatments are most appealing to you.

On the CAM front, more and more is happening. One of the most encouraging developments when dealing with any form of cancer is the emergence of more “integrative oncologists.” These are doctors who specialize in cancer but go beyond the standard Western medical care. While still utilizing surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy (although administered in very different ways than usual), these docs include lifestyle evaluations, recommendations for specific herbs and supplements to bring the whole body to a better state of health, and the inclusion of CAM treatments like acupuncture, guided imagery, massage, biofeedback, yoga and tai chi, the expressive arts, and meditation. They understand the importance of bringing mind-body-spirit into harmony. Check out https://www.integrativeonc.org/index.php/clinicians.

In April of 2013, the first integrative oncology conference was held at the UC San Diego Center for Integrative Medicine; it was called “a groundbreaking event with transformative potential” and focused on the complex relationships between tumor, host, and dietary, lifestyle, and environmental factors as well as what can be done to take care of imbalances and reduce cancer. There are also annual conferences that focus on integrative therapies. The Annie Appleseed Project hosts an annual evidence-based complementary/alternative cancer therapies conference that challenges the existing medical treatment paradigm and provides outstanding information to practitioners and patients about new possibilities for surviving and beating cancer (and they serve only organic food!).

Another way in which energy medicine is going mainstream is by having the top cancer centers in the country embrace CAM. The MD Anderson Cancer Center is holding its 9^th annual Integrative Oncology Training Conference for licensed acupuncturists, massage therapists, and yoga and mind-body practitioners to provide an overview of evidence-based practice in cancer care, such as understanding the benefits, precautions, or contraindications of using these modalities for someone with cancer.

Within the last decade, most major cancer institutions in the U.S. now feature an integrative oncology center or clinic that offers some evidence-based interventions, such as acupuncture, mindfulness meditation and stress reduction techniques, and counseling in nutrition and exercise. To find a cancer center that provides these kinds of treatments by practitioners trained in cancer care, go to https://fontherapeutics.com/resources/integrative-oncology-centers/. When one of my friends was dealing with breast cancer, she went to the Sari Asher Center for Integrative Cancer Care in Palm Beach and was amazed to find a (female) massage therapist who was trained to work directly on her breast to lessen scar tissue after surgery and radiation.

If whole-person integrative medicine is to become the new standard of care, and all of us involved in energy medicine certainly hope this happens, there is a lot to be done before most doctors and patients understand its potential. Of course, the biggest problem with CAM treatments is that most integrative services are not YET covered by insurance. There are groups that have been formed to bring about change in this area. With cancer rates predicted to soar 75% worldwide by 2030, it’s more important than ever that energy medicine is included in the treatment (and prevention!) of cancer.

You know that voice in your head—the one that says, “You’ll never get that job, why bother applying?” or “You are way too old for a man to ever love you.” Or how about, “It’s hopeless, so I might as well have another drink, another cookie, another day spent in front of the TV.” It’s your internal tape loop of negativity, your personal pathway to self-sabotage.

Where did it come from?

There’s a really good chance that voice of doom came from your mother as she worried, fretted, and generally stressed out over you. And you internalized her fears and negative belief system. Even now that you’re all “grown up,” you might be living your life based on the foundation of her limiting beliefs.

Even though I’m now a spiritual teacher and teach healing courses and life coaching courses, I know what it’s like to have grown up with a fearful and non-supportive mother. As we approach Mother’s Day, I’m grateful that my mom has turned into a sweet little old lady and we finally have the chance for a different relationship, even this late in the day. But it took a long time and a lot of internal work for me to understand where that embittered and rejecting mother came from (I wrote about her in Truth Heals) before I could silence her voice in my head and live according to the “still small voice” in my heart.

Do you find yourself listening to your mother’s voice in your head? Is it a voice that tears you down or does it build you up? Do you believe it when it tells you that you’re not enough? Read my piece on the Huffington Post at https://www.huffingtonpost.com/deborah-king/mother-dearest-mother-dam_b_3223060.html for some suggestions on how you can silence Mother Dearest’s voice in your head.

It happened again—a 13-year-old boy shot his 6-year-old sister in the chest. Children are routinely shooting other children. As a spiritual teacher and health & wellness expert, I have deep compassion for both the parents and kids in these traumatic situations, but I’m horrified at the number of guns that manage to find their way into the hands of children.

It is estimated that the 80 million gun owners in the U.S. have over 300 million privately owned firearms, making America the number one ranking country in gun ownership. In contrast, law enforcement and the military own 4 million guns. How’s that for a startling statistic? Private gun owners outgun the authorities by about 79 to 1. With that many guns around, and the fact that many of these guns are not kept locked away, it’s no wonder that children have access to these deadly weapons.

Think of what happens to a child who is playing with his parent’s gun and winds up shooting a sibling, a playmate, or an adult. Think of the shock and upheaval, the pain and anguish, and the pure heartbreak all around. Think of what it will take from a life coach or an energy healing practitioner to release that nightmare.

Over 6,000 years ago in India, during Vedic times, the rishis (enlightened seers) connected to the unified energy field and brought back information on how the body worked and what promoted health, making Ayurveda the oldest form of health care in the world. The Sanskrit term is made up of “ayus,” which means life, and “veda,” which means knowledge or science; thus ayurveda is the knowledge (or science) of life. “Ayu” comprises the mind, body, the senses, and the soul—the whole package of what we call “life.”

The fundamentals of Ayurveda can be found in the ancient Hindu scripture called the Rig Veda, which contains a series of prescriptions for helping people overcome various ailments. Ayurvedic doctors today don’t look at the illness or disease condition you have and try to treat that; instead, they look at telltale signs within your mind and body’s unique make-up to figure out where you personally are out of balance. Each person’s state of balance, and therefore the state of their health, is truly individual. In this way, ayurveda is very empowering: each of us is able to take charge of our life and healing—the very basis of energy medicine at its finest. It not only aims to help you regain balance if you’re already sick, but is very proactive in preventing illness.

Ayurveda is based on the premise that the universe is made of five elements—air, fire, water, earth, and ether. The rishis said that man is a microcosm of nature, so the five basic elements that are present in all matter also exist within each individual person and are represented by three doshas, or energies: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Vata (air and ether) is the force that directs nerve impulses, circulation, respiration, and elimination; kapha (water and earth) is responsible for growth and structure (protection); and pitta (fire and water) governs metabolism in digestion as well as in organ and tissue systems.

The doshas are the place where body connects with mind—the place where our thoughts turn into matter. When any of the doshas go out of balance, Ayurveda has specific lifestyle and nutritional guidelines to help individuals reduce the excess dosha and get back into balance. By restoring our doshas to a state of balance, we can have a mind-body that is always healthy. In Ayurvedic literature, a healthy person is defined as “he whose doshas are in balance, appetite is good, all tissues of the body and all natural urges are functioning properly, and mind, body, and spirit are cheerful…”

Cheerful! Are you filled with joy? Can you maintain or quickly return to a loving space in the face of adversity? Are you grateful for the blessings (and challenges) in your life?

When you see what Ayurveda means by being in balance, you can understand how this ancient system of energy medicine is light-years ahead of present-day Western medicine. The whole emphasis is on where you stand as an individual. Your unique mind-body constitution is called prakruti, which means “nature”—your individual nature or body type. It is very helpful in your own quest for health and energy healing that you learn what your prakruti is—which of the doshas are most prominent in your make-up and what you can do to keep all the doshas in balance. Through observation over time—looking at your own tongue, face, eyes, nails, and lips—you can learn to diagnose which doshas need adjustment. Ayurvedic physicans also take your pulses—the same ones an acupuncturist feels to see if your qualities of life are strong, weak, flat, fast, or shallow—and can thus tell which doshas are in excess.

There are four areas of life that can be altered to keep the doshas in balance: diet, exercise, daily routine, and seasonal routine. For Vata, the key is regularity, for Pitta it is moderation, and for Kapha it is stimulation. When Kaphas are out of balance, they tend towards sinus congestion, poor circulation, and sluggish digestion that can lead to obesity; they need to get up and move! Pittas out of balance tend toward excessive anger inflammatory conditions, and be over-stressed workaholics.  Those with a Vata constitution can have poor digestion, easily catch colds, develop insomnia and fatigue. This is, of course, a very brief peek into a highly complex system of health care.

If you’d like a better idea of what your doshas are, click here for a quiz that will help you determine your prakruti. And if you’re interested in learning more, I teach Ayurveda in the LifeForce Healing Program as well as in workshops.