Those two words can only mean one thing. Spring cleaning!! Yes, it’s that time of year again. Time to do a whirlwind cleaning of the house, and to discard the many things that one no longer uses.

The past few weeks have certainly been one of chaos. It was only yesterday that I finally reclaimed my dining room from the mountain of various computer paraphernalia used by my own computer, to repair a computer, or to build a new computer for my niece’s birthday gift. It was no small feat indeed, but I can once again, see, and use, my dining room table. I can’t say how long it will remain that way, but I’ll enjoy the moment for as long as I can. *chuckle*

Do you have something that you no longer want, but think that someone else might be able to use? Don’t just toss it away. By just tossing it away, you contribute to the pollution of our Earth either through incineration, or landfill. Click your way on over to www.freecycle.org There are groups in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and other spots around the globe.

During last years spring cleaning, I created a lot of space by using FreeCycle. Last year alone, others were able to enjoy a basketball hoop, a large picture window, formal dinnerware that had only been used once, cookware, a PlayStation for a woman’s grandson, and other things. Through collaboration with another FreeCycler, we were able to put together a computer system for a woman whose daughter needed one to be able to run educational software for her son. Recycling doesn’t just involve glass, plastic, and paper, but many of the products that we use in everyday life.

So as you go about your spring cleaning this year, don’t just toss it to the curb. Take a moment to wonder if it can be used by someone else. Not only does it help you create more room in your own life, but it helps to put a smile on the face of someone else who will be happy to use what you longer do. And sometimes, a simple smile of appreciation is far more satisfying than a few extra dollars in your pocket.

Breathing. An act essential to our survival. From the moment we are born into this world, and smacked on the butt by the doctor, to our last moments in this lifetime, breathing is one of the few constants in our lives. Yet because it is such a constant, the very act of breathing is paid very little attention.

Breathing is however, more than just a necessity for survival. Its function weaves an intricate web through our lives. Among its numerous functions, it becomes a form of communication. The sudden gasp of shock while watching a horror flick, the heavy breathing of an angry person, the sigh of contentment while curled up next to a significant other. Sometimes, the way that a breath is formed can say far more than words could at a given moment in time.

The act of breathing is a necessity, in order to use our senses of smell. In a simple breath, by what we smell, one can among many things, inhale the aromas of sweetness, cleanliness, danger. By these aromas, we may in turn feel calm, peaceful, afraid.

Our sense of feeling also comes into play by the act of breathing. On a cold winters day, one can take a deep breath, and feel the cold crisp air as it travels through the nasal passage, down the throat, and into the lungs. Or the warmth one inhales on a hot summers day, as the suns warmth radiates across our face.

A breath is not simply a breath, but is so much more in our lives.

Several weeks ago, I came across a forum thread where the poster mentioned that they had a friend who did energy work, and after working on a client, felt drained by the experience. The tiredness post-session can be caused by one of several things. In doing energy work, proper breathing is a vital function, not only for the client, but for the person who is transferring that energy. Richard Gordon’s book, “Quantum-Touch- The Power To Heal”, provides excellent information on the importance of proper breathing, and valuable techniques. By not breathing properly, the giver can take on the negative energies of the client.

During an energy session, the giver should not be using their own energy, but the energy of the Universe. Energy that goes by many different names, such as ch’i, and prana. I find that it works well that on the inhalation breath, one draws energy from the inner core of the earth, up through the givers body, and into the heavens. On the exhale, draw all of that energy back down to the giver, through the hands, and to the client. This ensures that one is using the Universes’ energy, which is far greater than our own individual energy, and not their own.

In the above case, it may not be a breathing issue at all for the giver. It may very well be a case of the giver having an energy blockage within their own system. Once they work through their own personal blockage, they will no longer feel drained after a session, but energized by the experience.

If you’ve read this far, I’m guessing that by now, you don’t look at the act of breathing in quite the same way. And that’s a good thing. The more aware we are of the subtle happenings in our lives, the greater life becomes, and the more grateful we become for all of the blessings both great and small that happen in our lives.

So make a few moments for yourself. Find a moment to inhale the warmth of the sun, or the cold, crisp air of a winters day. As homo sapiens, we have the ability to do what other species can’t. To fully appreciate the full range of our senses and experiences, and not just live by instincts alone.

May all that is yours by Divine Right find its way into your life under Grace, in miraculous ways.

Until next time.

..even when one isn’t having fun. Ack! Where have the last two weeks gone? In fact, where have the first two and a half months of 2006 gone? For me, it seems more of a blur, than anything else. But, perhaps that’s a good thing.

If you were looking for a thought-provoking, inner awareness entry this week, you won’t find it here. I have one in mind for next time, but after the activities of the past two weeks, my mind is cooked.

The last couple of weeks have been spent dealing with various computer issues. Not only my own, but others. Right now, I feel fortunate if I know exactly what day it is! *chuckle*

The first issue had to deal with the computer of one of the operators at the hospital where I work. She couldn’t even open a web browser to go on the Internet with. In time, it became very clear just why she couldn’t. After working on the computer for a number of hours over several days, I finally cleaned it up enough that I could actually work on it. Her computer was infected, big time. Not counting the spyware, malware, and trojans, there were 37 distinct viruses that had infected her system. It also didn’t help that she had very little system memory to work with. I had to temporarily cannibalize one of my older computers for memory, just so I could make some progress. I was finally able to deliver it back to her last Wednesday. One issue down.

The next issue was with my own computer. Several years ago, I had done some stock and commodities trading, but having eaten the wrong foods for many years, my physical energy had turned to molasses, and my mind to mush. Not a good combination to try and make money with. So I stopped for awhile.

Now that the mind mush is gone, it felt like a good time to get back into the game. So I opened up my trading software, went to download current data for both, and.....nothing. I could only download information prior to October 2004 in stocks, and March 2005 in commodities. I wrote to both the trading software company, and my data provider. My trading software at one point did have problems importing the data from my data provider, so they suggested that I upgrade my trading software. Received the upgrade last week, installed it, and ended up with the same issue.

Talk about a little frustration. So I started to do some internet searching. Because I had upgraded to the 2006 software, I now had access to the 2006 forums for my trading software. And it was there that I found my answer, buried several pages deep within the forum. For whatever reason, SpyBot sees certain program files as spyware. Once I uninstalled SpyBot, Ad-Aware, and my trading software, I then did a clean install of my trading software. Lo and behold, I now have current data! Phew! Second issue down.

But like they say, save the best for last. Well, my niece has been having problems with her ‘antiquated’ computer, and I have the good fortune (or misfortune) of being her tech support. I had a computer here that a friend had given me, because it had died on her. So I figured what the heck? I’ll replace a few parts, and my niece will have a more up to date computer to use. Right off the bat, I found that the hard drive had died. No problem, order a new one. So I did, along with more memory, and a cd/dvd drive. Parts came last week, and I installed them on Thursday. Fired the computer up, nothing. The new hard drive was working, but nothing was coming up on the screen. Then I realized that I hadn’t heard the usual start up beep one hears when you turn the computer on. Not a good sign. For those not overly familiar with computers, hearing that beep is a good thing. And when there are certain issues, a series of beeps may be heard, helping to diagnose what is wrong. I’ve swapped out memory, removed the motherboard from the case to make sure that there isn’t a short of some sort, checked the power supply, replaced the battery, nothing. It’s now starting to look like my friend had a power surge hit her computer, and it took out the hard drive and the motherboard. Sooo.....it looks like I’ll be ordering even more parts. By the time I get done, the only thing that won’t be new is the case! *sigh*

But! As frustrating as all of these issues were at times, they have all been a good learning experience. In analyzing, troubleshooting, patience. And satisfaction, once things have been figured out.

Speaking of satisfaction, I need to go solve another issue. My computer’s cd/dvd player won’t format new discs, so I have to track that trouble down. I’m thinking that it just didn’t like the brand media that I used before, but time will tell. If you happen to hear a scream, it’s o.k., it’s probably just me. LOL

Until next time.

When was the last time that you actually took a few moments to listen to your body’s promptings? If you’re like most people, probably never. Unfortunately, we live in such a media and activity saturated society, that we fail to listen to our most important partner.

While the mind and body are totally interconnected, they are at the same time distinctly separate.

Just as we chose who our parents are/were, and the life that we would lead here on Earth before we travelled here from the soul plane, we also chose the body that we would inhabit in this lifetime as well. Now, I know that you’re probably looking down at your body, and thinking, “THIS is the body that I chose in this lifetime? Yuck!”. While it may be the body that you currently inhabit, it may not have been what you had originally planned to live in.

Many different factors affect our bodies. The foods that we eat, how, and how much we sleep, stress, physical and emotional traumas, even our day to day living environment. Over time, our body’s energies become imbalanced, creating any number of internal or external issues. Depending on the issue, we may feel lethargic, foggy-minded, impatient, crabby, anti-social, ill, gain or lose weight, or possess any other number of symptoms. It’s our body’s way of saying, “Houston, we have a problem!”.

Unfortunately, in todays society, there are far too many offers of a quick-fix. Take this pill, drink that liquid. While they may mask the symptoms, most of the time, these so called quick-fixes do nothing to correct the underlying cause of the issue that has externalized itself. All to often, people are moving so fast through life, that they don’t feel that they have the time to slow down, and wonder just WHY they feel so out of kilter. So while they may temporarily feel better on the outside after taking their quick-fix, internally, havoc is still being wreaked upon their body. Sooner or later, the underlying issue will manifest itself again externally in the same or a different fashion, and probably not as mildly as the first time.

It is only by slowing down, and actually becoming aware of our body’s messages, that we can take the first steps towards becoming a complete and healthy person again.

When was the last time that you actually talked to your body? Nice quizzical look you have there, on your face. *chuckle* Really though, think about it. Who better to talk to, than someone that you’re with 24/7? Find a quiet space without any distractions, and say ‘hello’ to your body. Ask it questions. And don’t be surprised when your body gives you feedback. It may be a chill through your body, a warm feeling at some part of your body, a tingling sensation. This is your body communicating with you. Accept, and embrace this new relationship. When you are in tune with your body, it can answer many questions. I can ask my own body questions, and depending on whether the answer is yes or no, my left or right hand will tingle. Whenever I do energy healing on a client, I always talk directly to the client’s body. I introduce myself to the body, and ask that the body help me to help it heal itself, quickly, and completely. Just as the body fights off illness, it also fights off unfamiliar energies. Hence, the introduction, and request for the body’s own assistance.

Had it not been for some simple food choices over my recent vacation, I probably wouldn’t have thought about all of the above. For those of us who have been on ER4YT for awhile, we know what happens when we eat avoids for our blood type. Joint pains, lethargy, inability to sleep, sinus issues, etc.

At the start of my vacation, I figured I’d splurge and have a cheat meal. After all I WAS on vacation! It was a double cheat really, since I’m weightlifting as well. So I called up Domino’s Pizza, and ordered a pizza, and breadsticks. Just what an O doesn’t need, wheat and dairy products. And for the next three days, I paid for it. My energy levels were just short of the speed of molasses, and the mind was a little slow in the processing department. But on the morning of day four, I woke up, and it was like someone had flipped a switch in me. I was back to the bouncy, energetic me. Around that time, I had the urge for lasagna. Another avoid-laden delight for O’s. But the urge wouldn’t go away, so I asked my girlfriend if she would be nice enough to make one. She did, and it was GOOD. As in, I was looking forward to the second helping, even before I had finished the first serving GOOD.

However, unlike the pizza and breadsticks, there was no energy crash, no mind mush the next day. And I came to realize that all avoids aren’t necessarily bad. It is only when we choose to consume avoids, that our body rebels. But when our body prompts us for certain avoids, there are no unpleasant aftereffects. Our bodies will rebel against beneficial foods just as much as avoids. But in order to understand what our bodies need, and desire most, we have to learn to open the lines of communication, so that the mind and body can work together. Even within the same blood type, one’s beneficials may be another’s avoids.

We are each unique, and must learn which is best for each of us. But we can only do that by slowing down, and actually listening to our inner workings, and not just the neverending racket of the outside world.

It does seem fitting to talk about such a subject, especially with Valentine’s Day having just passed. Most folks probably have never even considered that what they may eat has an impact on themselves, and the relationships around them. But as my own personal experience and reflection has shown in the past few years, they are very much connected.

The man that I am today, and the man that I was five years ago are very much opposite one another. But it took me four of those years to understand how and why I became the way that I did.

For those of us that are O’s, wheat, dairy, pork products, and potatoes are the items that we should stay away from the most. And wouldn’t you know it, those were the things that I thoroughly enjoyed five years ago. How often have we all heard that whole grains and dairy are good for us? Well, for us O’s, who make up almost 45% of the United States population, they’re not.

Five years ago, it was french fries, soda, BLT’s, ham, grilled cheese sandwiches, chocolate milk, and so many other avoids. Ugh. I wish I could go back in time, and slap the crap out of myself, and say, “Bad! Don’t eat!”. But as time has passed, I’ve come to realize that this whole Eat Right 4 Your Type journey is one of my major life lessons in this lifetime.

Back in 2000, I was at the tail-end of a rather unhappy relationship. There were issues on both sides, but I’m only going to deal with mine here. After two years of being in the relationship, I had gained 35 pounds, and I didn’t have the energy or the ambition to get many things done. And it certainly didn’t help that I was pushed away, rather than receiving any type of support from my significant other of the time. I was in a constant mental fog, and always tired. It didn’t matter how many hours I slept, I was always tired. When one is always tired, and in a fog, it’s hard to even attempt some kind of mental focus, in order to work on, or even maintain a relationship.

After we had parted ways, I started to pick up the pieces. Ever the analytical Sagittarian, I was in search of answers, because I didn’t want to have a repeat performance in my next relationship. I knew that my work schedule had been a major factor. I would work 12 hour night shifts for three nights, and sleep during the day. The other four days of the week, I would be up all day, and sleep during the night, so I could be there for the ex-girlfriend’s children, whom I loved, and still do love dearly. Over time, the combination of bad foods, and an erratic sleep schedule completely wreaked havoc with my body, and its metabolism. Bad metabolism, and bad foods, equal a very nasty physical and mental meltdown.

As more time passed, I became familiar with the principles of feng-shui, and another piece of the puzzle fell into place. Feng-shui wise, the house was a disaster. As I started to put the house into order, life started to become better. I was sleeping better. I was more cognizant of what was going on around me in the world. It was like someone slowly removing a blindfold.

But even working something far closer to regular hours, and feng-shui’ing the house, I would often still be tired, and in a mental fog at times. Though not nearly as bad as I had been during my previous relationship. Ambition and energy were at times still fleeting. One day, I might get a lot accomplished, the next day, absolutely nothing.

It wasn’t until I came across Eat Right 4 Your Type last year, that more of the puzzle came together. The more time that I spent avoiding the foods on the ‘avoid’ list, the less tired I became, and the less time that I spent in a mental fog. The less time I spent in a fog, the more opportunities I had to regain control of my life, and to start planning on charting my own destiny in this lifetime.

When it comes right down to it, how can we adequately give of ourselves in a relationship, if we have neither the physical energy, or the mental clarity to do so? By not having one or both, we deny both ourselves, and our partners the opportunity for a happy, and satisfying relationship. While food is but one of the factors that plays a part in our relationships, I believe that it is one of the primary factors.

One of the hardest parts of human nature is to face our own shortcomings as human beings. But it is only by learning from those shortcomings that we in turn become better people. All too often, we judge ourselves far more harshly than those around us, preventing us from learning and growing.

For those of you that have been on ER4YT for awhile, take a few moments to look back in time. What were you like in your relationships pre-ER4YT, and how are things different now that you’re eating according to the principles of ER4YT? For those that might read this that haven’t tried ER4YT, try it for a month or two. See how you feel, both physically and mentally after that time. You have nothing to lose besides possibly a few pounds, but have the opportunity to start on a pathway to both better health, and a better life.

We all have certain life lessons to learn during our time here on this earth? Could this be one of yours?