A special message from Susan

Dearest divine light family,

This message is to reach out to your hearts and spirits at this pivotal time on our planet. More than ever before, it is important to remain true to your highest wisdom, to keep focused intention – guided by integrity – upon walking your own peace walk, whatever it may look like for you. To set an example for others. Words are important, yes; example is more important still. If we want peace in our world, we must first BE PEACE within ourselves.

It’s critical that we focus upon WHAT WE WANT, not upon what we DON’T want. I have to remind myself of this as much as anyone. It’s easy to complain about the status quo; however, it is self-defeating behavior, as we create our own reality, which means we create what we put our energies into – what we “see.” Rather than getting dragged into the conflict, the chaos, the tragedies, and the pain, it is important we rise above and keep our eyes upon what a balanced, respectful, compassionate, equitable system of government and societal life DOES look like, and the kinds of values we want our leaders to hold and to live (dream it; visualize it; meditate on it; pray about it; take actions to create it). In fact, we ARE the leaders. And if we all hold to walking our talk, and setting an example of calm, compassion, understanding, honesty, forgiveness, open communication, and respect for life, we have a far-reaching impact, much more than we can imagine.

Just touching another with compassion and respect may lead to a turning point in his or her own life for making a choice to behave in the same manner. Whether or not we always agree, we can still maintain that level of loving kindness and respect. There are many ways to resolve conflicts, well above and beyond the stale games of power and control now practiced in our world. I am especially fond of the work of Arun Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson, who runs the Institute for Non-Violence, which helps resolve personal and public conflict. Another incredible teacher is Linda Lantieri. Linda has over 35 years of experience in education as a teacher, administrator, university professor and an internationally known expert in social and emotional learning, crisis intervention, intergroup relations and conflict resolution. Currently, she serves as the Director of Project Renewal, a project of the Tides Center. She is also co-founder of the internationally recognized Resolving Conflict Creatively Program (RCCP). Linda is co-author of Waging Peace in Our Schools (Beacon Press, 1996) and editor of Schools With Spirit: Nurturing the Inner Lives of Children and Teachers (Beacon Press, 2001).

If you haven’t already done so, I encourage you to see “The Secret,” DVD film available from thesecret.tv. It is a very powerful and fascinating commentary on the LAW OF ATTRACTION. Even though we may already understand and live by these guidelines, this film offers a wonderful tune-up, and is extremely energizing and motivational. It reminds us of our cosmic responsibility to use our minds for the highest good of all life. And of course, that is what benefits each of us individually, as well.

I want to encourage all of us to stop dwelling on the negativity that abounds. Turn off the TV, radio, Internet, whatever is blasting negativity at you all day long – and keep your focus upon that which is uplifting, positive, nurturing, life-affirming. Is it socially responsible or “politically correct” to ignore what’s happening in the world? Of course not – we are a part of this world, this life. But dwelling on the negativity is the same as creating it. We can help to heal it without being dragged into the quagmire. We can rise above it and keep our center and our balance, despite what drama appears to be unfolding all around us. This is the true way to peace. Be informed of what’s happening in the world? Yes, to the extent you feel you need to. Help others in constructive ways, with whatever gifts and talents you’ve been given? Yes, absolutely! At the expense of your mental, emotional, physical, spiritual well-being? No.

Please do take good care of yourself. If you don’t do it, who will? There are so many ways to work with our own energies, to heal ourselves and our world. I know we’ve all heard that we must heal ourselves first, and then we will have what it takes to help others. This is very true.

We can all practice the Holy Sight. This is a term used by my friend and colleague, Mary Saint-Marie at marysaintmarie.com. The Holy Sight is what we’re using when we look at someone and truly “see” them – we see their Divinity, their Eternal Self. We overlook the human faults and concentrate on the Divine Light shining within; the totality of the Being. Seeing another in this way, with complete unconditional love, can heal them. Another way to say it is “Namaste’: The spirit in me honors the spirit in you. I SEE You… I LOVE You… I FORGIVE You for being human… I FORGIVE Myself for seeing you as anything less than Divine.” Mary comes closer to practicing this on a daily basis than anyone I’ve ever known. She is a beautiful teacher.

This is also what is at the heart of Ho’Oponopono healing. If you’d like to read some fascinating examples of what practicing true Holy Sight can accomplish, visit hooponopono.org. Especially read about Dr. Hew Len’s work. Consider taking the Ho’oponopono healing training (I’m planning to do it).

Another dear friend and holistic healing professional, Belinda Farrell, who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, teaches Huna, which incorporates the concepts of the Ho’oponopono training. Belinda’s website is hunahealing.com.

Again, our own health is paramount – physical, mental, emotional, spiritual. There are many ways to not only maintain health, but to have a deeper understanding and consciousness of life, healing, growth and energy. To use these for our own highest good and the highest good of all concerned. As a Reiki Master Teacher, I offer Reiki healings and Reiki training to help you in these areas, if that is what speaks to you.

There are many other disciplines, as well, that are equally beneficial, such as yoga, acupuncture, massage, tai chi, chi gung, art, dance, and anything that allows your spirit to sing and expand. For those of you locally here in South County, we have amazing teachers/practitioners, such as Ahnna Goossen, acupuncturist; Julie Franco, Paula Goldsmith and Eileen Sendrey, yoga teachers; Kathleen Gonzales, massage; Ann Barham, past-life regression, and many others.

There may be times when you or someone you know are in need of deeper healing to facilitate a shift. Reiki can help with that, and upon request, we can schedule several Reiki sessions in a row to promote a serious cleansing and re-balancing process. At such a time, we may want to consider looking at a program that consists of several healing modalities to support you, such as journaling, spending time in nature, massage, yoga, acupuncture, meditation, etc. I am always willing to consult with people about things they can incorporate to promote healing, consciousness, and a spiritual shift.

Another practitioner I respect and appreciate, and one whom I saw regularly for awhile to clear a serious shoulder injury and some other structural imbalances, is Dr. Catherine Zimmerman. She combines craniopathy/cranial-sacral work, medical chi-gung, network chiropractice, and a number of other practices to help bring a person into balance. She has had wonderful success with what I call “structural challenges”, such as musculoskeletal issues, plus migraines, fibromyalgia, and pretty much any type of disorder you can think of. She can be reached at her office in Mountain View (650) 938-8893 or her other office in San Jose (408) 280-7020.

LIFE-THREATENING CONDITIONS

For those times when a person is in critical need of help with healing something as complex as cancer or other life-threatening disease, it may be time to consider working with someone who has a reputation for clearing these kinds of blocks and limitations. There are some people who have been blessed with an incredibly strong gift of healing. I am sometimes asked if I can recommend such a powerful healer, and there are some who come to mind who have been known to have truly amazing success in helping to heal others of such serious imbalances. I am happy to share their names and contact information here with you. Please bear in mind that these are your own choices, and that my recommendation of them is not a guarantee that they will be able to heal you, or better stated, help you heal yourself. But they have been known to have great success in these areas, and so here is their information, in the hope that they may be able to assist you in your healing goals:

Behrooz Dandadoost (in-person and distance healing), healingclinic.org. I have met Behrooz, and he emanates love like no one I’ve ever experienced. His wife, Mary, facilitates the work alongside him, and is a powerful healer in her own right.

Dr. Stephen Ta of Ta’s Healing Clinic, 100 O’Connor Drive, Suite 3, San Jose, CA. (408) 288-5589. I haven’t met him, but his clients and colleagues recommend him very highly. Be prepared to make some serious lifestyle changes!

Dr. Richard Schulze, Master Herbalist
A wonderful resource for herbal remedies in general, and also Dr. Schulze offers something called “the incurables program” for people with life-threatening conditions. The website is 800herbdoc.com, and the phone number is the same: 1-800-herbdoc. If you don’t see the info about the incurables program on the website, please call them and ask. It is a very strong herbal therapy program, and if you are very disciplined, it is possible you could heal yourself in this way. If you aren't disciplined and could use a coach, then try Behrooz or Dr. Ta.

A WORD ABOUT SUGAR

Strange as it may seem, I am devoting a few paragraphs to sugar. I personally am allergic to it – my skin begins to itch, and I go straight into candida overgrowth if I eat much of it. And of course, I LOVE it, which means I really have to pace myself. The reason I’m mentioning it here is because I have learned that there are things about sugar that many people do not realize, and they can have a major impact upon your health. If you don’t believe me, check out the website listed below.

Sugar suppresses the immune system. Think about how much sugar we consume between Halloween and New Year’s. Think about how many of us come down with colds and flu-bugs during that time. One of the reasons is because sugar temporarily shuts down the immune system for hours after being eaten. We are exposed to bacterias and viruses all the time and we fight them off. But if we’re eating sugar, especially lots of it, we may more easily “catch” something than if we weren’t eating it. Good to know, isn’t it??

Also, many people don’t realize that sugar may be very responsible for a number of our aches and pains. Eating sugar causes muscles to tighten up. I notice a direct effect upon my neck and shoulder muscles when I consume almost any degree of sugar. Sometimes I make a conscious decision that I am going to consume sugar, and I decide to accept the consequences. The older I get, the more I am able to make healthier choices with what I eat, and choose sugary foods much less often.

I won’t go into all the rest of it here, but for more information, there are numerous websites that discuss the effects of sugar. Try visiting mercola.com.

I also chose a vegetarian lifestyle a few years ago. Or at least a near-veggie lifestyle, as I still occasionally (rarely) eat fish and shellfish. Eventually, I hope to phase them out of my diet as well. For me, it’s not necessarily because I feel so strongly about not eating animals (animals in nature eat other animals all the time – the world wouldn’t go around without creatures eating other creatures). For one, I feel much better when I don’t eat meat or too many dairy products (I do eat eggs from free-ranging, grain-fed chickens, and I eat cheese occasionally). But also, and most importantly, I am vegetarian to protest the animals-for-food industry, that I feel stoops as low as it is possible for any group of individuals to get. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to eating meat again, but I will certainly be celebrating when all animals on this planet are given respect, kindness and humane treatment. Some people think they know how food animals (and animals used for experiments) are really treated, and there are many people do not want to know. If you’re not fully aware and would like to educate yourself, a good book to start with is Mad Cowboy, written by Howard Lyman, whose website is madcowboy.com. He is the guy who was featured on Oprah a few years ago, who started such a ruckus that the cattle industry sued him and Oprah for publicly stating they no longer eat meat (the industry lost the suit, by the way). Again, this is not something you want to dwell on and feel hopeless about. But knowledge is power, and it’s good to have some true idea of what’s really happening out there, so you can make an informed decision about what is healthy for you and your family.

KEEP BREATHING

Amidst the stressors of daily life, we sometimes forget what is one of our simplest, yet most effective tools for stress reduction. We need to breathe. We need to BRRREEEAAAATTHHHHHEEEEEEEEE… That is, stop a few times a day and take some deep, cleansing breaths. A cleansing breath is a very slow inhale through the nose, holding a few seconds, and then exhaling very slowly out the mouth, and then repeating 5 to 8 times. This can actually alter your mood, lower your blood pressure, flood your brain with oxygen so you can think, and just be very relaxing overall. Try to check in with yourself a few times every day to see how you’re breathing, and remind yourself to slow down and just BREATHE. You can also breathe into the tight spots, by just imagining as you inhale that you are sending breath to where it hurts, and that as you exhale, you are sending the breath out through that spot, relaxing the muscle as it flows through you.

I am often asked about my own teachers and mentors. There have been many, MANY – too many to name and thank here. The two nearest and dearest my heart, and to whom I am the most profoundly grateful, are dear friends Elayna “Laynee” Reyna and Sonne Reyna. Laynee is the founder of the incredible One Earth One People Peace Vision, oneearthonepeople.org. Chief Sonne travels the world as a voice for peace, and for balancing the male/female in all of us. You’ll find more information about Sonne at lightstreamers.com.

It’s all about balance, and it’s different for everyone. Listening to our intuition, our inner guidance, will let us know what we need to do to live a life in balance and harmony. If there is anything I can do to support you on your journey, please don’t hesitate to give me a call. I also have students who are available to help, as well as my most amazing soul partner and love, Erick Westphal, who is a strong healing presence, and sets a wonderful example of balanced male/female energy. So please give us a call at (408) 838-4847 if we can be of service.

— Namaste

Susan Averett
Executive Director & Reiki Master
San Martin, California