Do you have someone in your life who is driving you crazy with frustration because you expect him/her to act differently?  I know it is a common theme in many peoples’ lives, and it has certainly taken a front seat in my life for the past year or so.

One of our family members has been living with us for the past 18 months, and we have been very open to welcoming him into our home with the hopes of providing him some stability and loving support. However, on the path of wanting to help and teach him, some major life lessons have surfaced. I have now learned what the term “codependent” means. I finally read the book Codependent No More—which, of course, was written for me. We frantically kept trying to keep his head above water, stabilizing him, reminding him when his bills were due, getting him up for work on time, etc, etc, etc.

The life lessons for me

• I am finally willing to stop rescuing him and let him hit the ground. I told him that it was not fair to him for us to keep reminding him of appointments and deadlines, that he would never learn how to do it as long as we kept doing it for him…so we would love him enough to withdraw from his life.  I must say I am quite proud of myself…it’s been several weeks now, and I have not said a word to him to remind him of anything. It has been really hard, but one time when I was close to giving in, Spirit had me take an extra long nap so that when I woke up, it was too late.
• I need to get out of the way so HIS guides can lead him through his own life lessons. I write in my journal often when I’m looking for guidance, and I have a “committee” of guides who give me answers to my questions. One reason I have decided to back off is that they have almost been screaming at me, saying it is NONE of my business whether he pays his bills on time—he is not ME—he has different values.
• He is my teacher. He is playing his part in MY life so that I can learn to detach and allow others to follow their own path. Then my friend Shari said, “Isn’t it amazing that he is willing to live the life he is experiencing so that you can learn what you need to learn!”  That brought such a shift for me! And I realized that as soon as I really get this lesson, he will be released from the role he is playing in MY drama—

Recently I attended a workshop on abundance where there was a panel of 8 millionaires on the stage answering questions about how they got to where they are and what their childhoods were like. I was fascinated to hear some of them say what a mess they were when they were young—flunking out of several colleges, doing drugs, dropping out, basically being very irresponsible and immature—and now they are multi-millionaires. Then I realized that our “family member” is just writing his story! He is going to have an awesome future, and we have to let him go through the life lessons he agreed to before he was born into this lifetime. Pretty soon he’ll figure out what to do in life, and he’ll have the most amazing story to tell of how he got there.

So now, every day I turn him over to God, Yeshua, Archangel Michael and Quan Yin. I figure They are completely capable of taking care of him. I invite you to join me in letting go of whomever it is that you are hanging on to. Stop delaying their growth and let them get on with their own lives!   You’ll feel so FREE!     Heather

My life has been changing at a rapid rate for the last several months.  I’ve been on a private journey that has been inspiring, motivating, uplifting, frustrating, hard, and incredibly rewarding. 

For those who know me, most don’t know that I’ve had some physical issues for the past ten years or so.  I won’t call them health issues, although they could very well fall into that category too.   It started many years ago when I was in my early thirties.  I began to gain weight, a lot of weight.  I’d say that in my thirties I went from a size 8 to a size 18.  I don’t have any excuses as to how it happened.  I gained it like most people do….I ate too much.  As time went on I started to have physical pain.  It started as a few aches and pains. 

I remember all too well the first “incident” I had that started me on a journey of aches, pain and major discomfort.  It was around 2002.  I went to bed one evening after having a very stressful day at work.  I sat down on my bed and felt the most painful feeling I’d ever had in my life (aside from childbirth).  I felt this incredible aching, burning sensation going down my right leg that started in my hip and ended in my heel.  I didn’t sleep that night.   The next morning I went to urgent care.  I was told that I pulled my sciatic nerve in my right leg.  The doctor said it would take time to heal and gave me three prescriptions, one for pain, one to relax me and the other for inflammation.  I won’t go into the details, but suffice to say that I was in dire pain for almost year before any relief came about.  I just had to wait it out, so I thought.

Unfortunately, that was just the beginning.  From that point forward I continued to have pain throughout my body.  Most of the time I felt as though I had a sore muscle in every nook and cranny of my body.  If I tried to exercise, I was out of commission for at least a week.  It seemed the more I focused on losing weight the more weight I gained.   I just couldn’t lose it.  And to top it off I developed severe acne on my face.  Not just a pimple here and there, but really big painful ones.   My cholesterol went through the roof to 212.  The doctor said that i had borderline high blood pressure. 

Fast forward many long painful years.  In early 2008 I made a decision to remove all meat from my diet.  This included fish.  The reason why I chose to be vegetarian actually had nothing to do with my health at the time, but that is another story for another time.   But it did start me thinking that this could be a great way to lose the weight once and for all. 

The good news is that the acne went away and I no longer had severe PMS two weeks before my period.   The bad news?  I didn’t lose any weight.  What?  How is that possible?   Oh, and to make things worse, in January of 2009 I woke up one morning and my lower back hurt so bad I could barely walk.  It wasn’t the sciatica but it felt just as bad if not worse.   A sneeze or cough would literally bring me to my knees in tears.   It continued to get worse and worse.  I was so miserable.   I paid a visit to my family doctor who prescribed more pain pills and muscle relaxers.  So I took them for a week or so, but I didn’t like the way they made me feel so I switched to motrin.  For most of 2009, I popped at least eight motrin a day.  I know, not good at all.   Unfortunately, the pain was always present, it just lessened for a few hours after I took the motrin. 

Finally, in April I went to my chiropractor, Dr. Hatch.  I’d avoided going because he didn’t take my medical insurance and his office visits were expensive.  I finally decided that if I didn’t find some relief, I’d go insane.   The moment he walked in to see me, I broke down in tears and told him that I just couldn’t take the pain any longer.  So, on that day, we started a very long process that led to recovery, finally.   

I knew for many years that I had an issue with inflammation, but on that day, I realized that is controlled my life and if I didn’t do something about it now,  I may end up with a life threatening situation some day.

So why am I telling you this story?  Because I believe that it will make a difference for at least one person reading this.  In fact, I’m sure this is going to help lots of people reading this.   I’m not going to go in to the details of what happened the next six months.  I want to start with what happened just a few months ago. 

In early October I made an appointment for myself and my daughter, Spencer.  She had hurt her back while practicing for cheer.  This was the first time that Dr. Hatch had seen Spencer.  He asked her a bunch of questions and did his usual thing testing her muscles while he touched certain areas and asked questions.  He gave a diagnosis that she had candida (too much yeast).  It all made sense.  She had been having stomach problems since she was a little girl.  Another symptom was her neck pain and allergies.  She would get all stopped up for no reason for months.  So, Dr. Hatch recommended that we put her on a detox diet and while taking several supplements to help. 

When it was my turn to see him I told him that I felt worse than usual (hard to imagine, but yes, I felt worse than ever).  I told him that my body felt sludgy.  I told him it felt as though black tar was running through my veins.  I wasn’t sleeping well, couldn’t remember what I did five minutes ago, had zero energy and  was craving sugar like an alcoholic craves alcohol.  He suggested that I also give the detox diet a try. 

Spencer started a week earlier than me because I had to be at a conference for a week and I knew there was no way I could stick to a diet away from home.  And this was not any ole diet.  This one was very strict and to top it off, we made it even more difficult since we were vegetarian.  No meat, no dairy, no caffeine, no yeast, no fungus (mushrooms), no sugar, no fruit, nothing processed, no peanuts, and no tea.  I also had a feeling that Spencer had a gluten issue, so we took everything out of the diet that had gluten (which is in just about everything).   You’re probably wondering what in the world was left to eat.  Basically, if it didn’t come out of the ground we didn’t eat it.  You’d be amazed what you find when you read food labels.  Very enlightening indeed!

So, what were the results?  Spencer lost 12 pounds.  She dropped a bra size, which was a very big deal for her.  She stopped eating Tums like candy.  Her stomach didn’t bulge out every time she ate a meal.  She didn’t crave sweets any longer and she stopped being so darned cranky (hard to believe for a 16 year old). 

For me, an amazing thing happened.  Yes, I lost close to 18 pounds in four short weeks.  But most importantly, the pain disappeared. Yes, it was gone.  Of course, all of these months of going to Dr. Hatch and receiving treatments had definitely made an improvement in my situation but it wasn’t until I completed this program that I was finally pain free.  How am I so sure about this?

At the end of the four weeks I began to reintroduce certain foods back into my diet.  The first week was fine.  I found out that I have an allergy to apples. :-(   I also discovered that anytime I had a food that contained gluten my throat would get really achy and sore for a few hours.   Sometimes, depending on what it was I ate, I would get that achy fluey feeling in my body I had before going on the program.  This was great!  I was excited to find out what made me feel bad.   And, I just had my blood work done and found out that my cholesterol went from 212 to 153. Woohoo!  And here’s how I know that the food I eat is directly related to the pain I feel – the pain returned about a week after I started to reintroduce certain foods.  

I’m still experimenting with different food and what is working and what’s not.  Unfortunately, many of the foods I used to eat are causing me great discomfort.  I have to make a choice now.  Continue to eat fresh, whole foods and feel incredible or eat mediocre foods and feel like doo doo.  I know this seems like it should be an easy choice every time I eat.  But in reality it has been a difficult road.  I’ve come to realize that each time I put food in my mouth I have to ask “is my body going to react to this as if it’s medicine or as if it’s poison?”   

I’m just about ready to return to the discipline of the original diet.  I haven’t lost any more weight.  I realize that I’ll need to continue with the original diet in order to continue losing the weight.   Once I hit my goal weight (approximately 50 more pounds) I can start to reintroduce other things again.  

Here are some important things I’ve learned that may help you or someone you know:

• It’s a mindset thing.  If you don’t want it badly enough, you can’t stick with it.  It has to be something that is very important to you.  For me, it’s about the relief from pain first and the weight loss second.
• It’s hard only if you choose for it to be hard.  Yes, in the beginning I didn’t know if I could do it.  Every time I crossed off a day on my calendar, it became easier and easier.
• Setting small goals increases your chances for success .
• Food is either poison or medicine, I get to choose which one I put in my mouth.
• Some people really aren’t interested in eating better to feel better.   They look at me like I’m growing horns or something when I tell them how they can feel better.  I guess it’s just easier to pop a pill.
• Exercise is awesome!
• It takes work to get back on the bus once you fall off, but it is possible – if you want it badly enough.
• Vega is a life saver.

There’s a lot more that I’d like to share with you.  Eventually I’ll get the detox program posted for you to see.  It’s a list of the items to avoid and a list of items to enjoy.  I’ll provide you with the supplements used but they can only be obtained by seeing a doctor who carries these products.   And I’ll keep you posted on my progress.  I have a goal to lose nine pounds by the end of 2009 which is only four weeks away.  I’d like to begin weight lifting here in the next few weeks too.   

Let me leave you with this:  If you made a choice to eat whole foods and to remove the toxic processed foods from your diet, you’d see a huge difference in how you feel and look.   And, you’d make an investment in your future that no amount of money could ever buy.

This is a special guest post by Nance’ Perry

The modality of cleansing the upper respiratory system is known as either Ear Candling or Coning and has been around for centuries.   Ancient Egyptians used reeds for candling and the process is known to India, Tibet and Aztec cultures.  Native Americans have done it for thousands of years, using cornhusks dipped in beeswax to make a hollow candle.  The process is still being handed down today in many centers of traditional medicine, and has been gaining in general popularity.

Ear Candling/Coning is an energetic modality comparable to reflexology and acupuncture.  It is believed by practitioners the Coning will encourage the proper function of the ear, sinus and lymphatic system.

What can Ear Candling/Coning do for you?

• Assist in the natural removal of excess earwax
• Improve hearing
• Help relieve sinus infection systemselp relieve upper respiratory allergies
• Relief or improvement tinnitus
• Alleviate itchy earsmprove your dreamingoothes irritated ears and/or earaches
• Improves function of hearing aids
• Helps improve ability to breathe through the nose
• Facilitates the flow of catarrh, which is then eliminated from sinuses

What happens physically?

Ear Candling/Coning starts a cleansing process.  Usual signs of the cleansing process may be an increased pressure in the ears, fluid in the ears, and movement or inflammation of the lymphatic system. These are all positive signs as it means that your body is clearing and your cranial fluids are being realigned.  Due to the subtle changes in energy flow you may experience improvements in sight, color perception and balance.

What happens metaphysically?

Ear Candling/Coning works directly with your Chakra system to clear and strengthen the auric body.  It is said to dislodge discarnate entities and negativity.  The ear contains nerve endings and acupuncture points to every other area of the body, mind and emotions.   It’s a bit like a smudging of the insides!   Streams of subtle energy flow containing life force energy connect to the nerve endings.  If hearing is impaired or blocked we become disconnected from that energy.  Ear Candling/Coning works as a catalyst to clear out the debris that has accumulated on the nerve endings and this allows for a clear vibrational flow to the mind, body and spirit.   Many claim to have vivid dreams or an emotional release after the process is completed. 

 Who would be a good candidate for Ear Candling/Coning?

 All ages can benefit from Candling/Coning.  It’s important to note that this is not a replacement for proper health care, but can be effective as a natural remedy.  Candling/Coning should not be done on a person who has a perforated eardrum, recent ear surgery, cysts or tumors in the ears, ear tubes or artificial eardrums. 

How long does a session take?

A typical session runs approximately 40-45 minutes. 

If you would like more information or if you’d like to schedule an appointment contact Nance’ Perry at 480-785-6694 or send an email to mycrystalrainbow@yahoo.net. 

Another intriguing aspect of any trip to Mt. Shasta is the possibility of seeing UFOs. Apparently it is quite common, so it is no big deal to the people who live there.  There is also supposed to be a huge underground community living inside and under the mountain.  Who knows for sure?

Five of us from our group decided to go up the mountain on Saturday night just to see what we could see. We headed out after dark, and as we drove up the mountain, Tina set the intention that we would ONLY be contacted by beings of the Light and that we were fully protected against any kind of dark energy. Just as she finished that, she saw a square-

Red Streak in Sky by Tina Sacchi

shaped object fly by in front of us and head into the mountain. None of the rest of us in the car saw it, but Tina just opened the window, stuck her camera out and took a picture. Later that night, she saw that she captured a very interesting streak of red flashing through the darkness.

When we reached the highest parking lot, we hurried out to start checking out the sky, and we were totally delighted to hear someone sitting out there playing a drum!   Since my husband and I are very much in to our African drum lessons, it was extra special to me to hear that.  Pretty soon, someone else joined him with a didgeridoo. Totally awesome!  Tina and Annie eventually went over to the drummer’s area and joined in with a little dancing and an attempt at the didgeridoo. Check out the orbs in the picture Tina took of our musician friends!

Meanwhile, the rest of us were mesmerized with watching a UFO dance around the sky. I have learned that a lot of them look like stars, but they blink red, blue, yellow, white and green–like Christmas lights–and if you keep your eyes on them, you can actually see them moving up, down, diagonally, and side to side.  Since all of us were able to see the movement at the same time, it helped me feel like I’m really not making it up!

Shari talked with a group of people at one of the crystal shops in town who told her that they had been at a SETI (Search For Extraterrestrial Intelligence) conference all week, and several times they had been able to make contact with quite a few of the ships up close and personal.  They said that you have to be totally open, with no fear or skepticism, in order for the beings to make contact with you.  They also said that their group was being watched by military planes, so they had to keep moving and they would not tell us exactly where they went to connect with them. 

Just another awesome adventure on our awesome Mt. Shasta journey!   That’s it from here…   Heather

One of the highlights of our Mt. Shasta trip was the Sweat Lodge experience. Tina Sacchi, our facilitator, has a lot of experience leading sweat lodges and she prefers to run them in the Hawaiian Style. Apparently that means it is not as hot as the traditional Native American sweats, and she is very open about allowing participants to leave the circle if they feel they have to. 

The purpose of a Sweat Lodge is to release all our blocks and limitations and things we have been holding on to that are holding us back. With intention, we release on all levels: mind, body, spirit and emotional…an old tradition with different variations across different cultures.  Many times, the actual sweat lodge is a temporary structure that is constructed and covered by the participants as part of the ceremony. However, at the Gatehouse Retreat, the building is a permanent structure, much like a hogan on an Indian Reservation. And the fire is contained in a wood-burning stove with a flat container of lava rocks on the top where the leader pours water to build up the heat.

In all the experiences I have had over the past 25 years, I had never had the opportunity to be in a Sweat Lodge. Deep down, I was a little nervous about it from all the stories I had heard. But I was certainly willing to give it a try. 

The session consists of 3 “rounds,” where we spend some time inside in the heat and then come out to cool off and spend some time writing in our journals about our experience and the thoughts that have come up.  Then we would go back in and Tina would add some heat to the fire.  During the sessions, we were able to talk about things that were coming up or sing a song or say whatever we felt moved to say.  Tina would play her drum and keep adding herbs and oils to the lava rocks as she added water to create more steam heat. Each session was hotter than the last, and the 3rd round was REALLY hot–but, to my surprise, not TOO hot. The last round is meant to help us really move the energy and release whatever it is that we have been hanging on to that just is no longer serving us. 

I was amazed to see that I was literally dripping with sweat. I hardly ever sweat, and it was fun to see me sweating like a basketball player. All in all, I was very proud of myself and of everyone else because we were able to stick it out to the end, with no one breaking down and having to leave.  I truly did enjoy it and made some huge shifts in some issues I have been dealing with. Just before we started our first round, a raven flew right over our circle from west to east, and Tina said that that indicated New Beginnings and would bring clarity.  During one of the sessions, Annie St. John-Wilkins shared a song that she has recently written, and I was amazed that the words totally explained a previous message I had received from a very intuitive friend of mine–there was the clarity!

 I can’t wait to do another one!

 In my next article, I’ll talk about our experience of looking for UFOs!

 That’s it for now!   Heather

Well, we just got back from an awesome “Enlightenment Journey” to Mt. Shasta with 10 totally awesome ladies.  We flew up to Medford, Oregon, rented cars, and then drove town to Mt. Shasta City which is located in Northern California, about an hour and a half drive south of Ashland, Oregon. 

Tina Sacchi was our Spiritual Facilitator and did an outstanding job of following her guidance and leading the group to exactly where we were supposed to be in every moment.  We stayed at the Gatehouse Retreat Center that was just perfect because we had full run of the property which gave us access to the firepit, the Sweat Lodge, the hammock, the gardens, the trees, the house, the kitchen, the huge living room and plenty of beds for everyone so nobody had to share beds with anyone else.

 We spent the first day on a 5 hour tour with Ashalyn, owner of Shasta Vortex Tours. She took us way back on the mountain roads to waterfalls, parks, fabulous tree circles, and meditation portals, as she gave us an introduction to the Mt. Shasta area. We packed sack lunches every day so we never had to hurry to get home from all the powerful spots we were visiting.

Saturday morning we reserved the Stewart Mineral Springs bathhouse so we were able to spend a full 2 hours relaxing in the healing spring waters, laying in the sauna, and then, for those who were brave enough, dipping into the 58 degree spring pools outside.  The bathhouse was just lovely with beautiful, calming energy and a perfect place to start the day with the sounds of Enya wafting through the building. We had another picnic lunch and visited the Headwaters Park, where the Sacramento River begins. You can take jugs there to fill up with the pure, delicious water. The park has trails all through an enchanting woods where we had a guided meditation and then had some free time to just wander through the paths.

Then we had LOTS of shopping time at the delightful little shops in Mt. Shasta City…crystals, books, clothing, gifts, etc.–not to mention the refreshing Hawaiian shaved ice and root beer floats!  We had such a great time connecting with the people in the shops and restaurants. Everyone seemed to be “on the path” and open to sharing their spiritual experiences with us.

Sunday afternoon we drove up to Castle Lake, just 15 minutes from the retreat center, and basked in the gorgeous sunlight and cool breezes. We were able to get a quite a few fascinating “orb” pictures in the surrounding woods.

Later that afternoon we had a Sweat Lodge experience that I will describe in my next post. I had never done one before and was quite pleased that I was able to stick it out!

All in all, we had an outstanding trip. Everyone got along with each other, strong new bonds were created between the group members who had not even met each other just 4 days before. I love how these journeys bring people together like that.  We could NOT have asked for better weather and the experiences we had are priceless. ”Enchanting” and “Magical” were the words we heard over and over again.   Take a peek at our pictures here.

We invite you to join us in one of our future Enlightenment Journeys as they are announced in the coming months. We had such a good time in Mt. Shasta that we decided to go again every August.

copyright Robin Carlton

On September 12^th worldwide, hundreds of Angel Therapists will hold events simultaneously, with the focus on bringing peace within and to the world with the help of the angels.  Doreen Virtue created this special day for everyone to come together and play. 

 I sat down with all three of these talented and lovely ladies to get an insiders look at what they have in store for you.  This is going to be an action packed three hours and I’m positive you will leave the workshop feeling peaceful, relaxed and rejuvenated!  

You’ll start the workshop off with breathing and toning exercises that will help you ground before the activities begin.   From there you’ll experience a guided meditation that will help you connect to the angels as well as any other guides that may be there for you that day.  This workshop is very interactive where you’ll be working with other participants and sharing your experiences. 

An introduction to a group of Crystals that help connect to the angels will be presented and you’ll have an opportunity to experience a mediation using the stones.  And, they’re going to bring out the Angel Cards where you’ll be able to play and have fun with each other using the cards. A very special group reading will take place and it’s sure to be enlightening.  The workshop will end with a Universal Dance.  Oh, I almost forgot, there’s a special gift for everyone who attends.   

 Two workshops have been scheduled: 

 ♥ Morning session is 10am to 1:00 pm

 ♥Afternoon session is 2pm to 5:00pm

The cost of the workshop is $35 pre-registered.   Space is limited so register now by visiting www.StormWisdom.com and click on the events page or call Storm Wisdom at 602-334-1204.  The location is at Storm Wisdom, 3375 E Shea Blvd, Suite A-1, Phoenix, AZ.  It’s right off the 51 on Shea Blvd. 

The Angels look forward to celebrating with you on this special day!

I thought I’d send a request to all of you to find out what is it you’d like to see here on The Enlightened Blog.  I’ll be posting some more stores/centers to our list and I’m just about ready to update the meetings page.   There’s still alot of work to be done and I’d like to know what you think.

What happens when you combine a big heart, a powerful intuitive and a straight talking coach?  You get Julie Farha!

You’ll immediately get a sense of her loving, caring and generous spirit when you meet her for the first time.  She exudes warmth, love and humor.

Julie published a workbook last year “Exploring Your Potential, Who Am I and Why Am I Here” so she could provide a tool to others to help them discover themselves like they had never before.  This work is based on her own experience of discovering what her gifts where by deeply exploring the five areas that are crucial to living a happy, fulfilled life.

Recently, Julie has recognized two very important area her clients where needing insight.  Interestingly enough, she was also seeing the same questions coming in from her family and friends.  Although Julie’s work as a whole assists people in these areas, she decided that she needed to create a quick, easy way people could get a few tools to help them along.  She decided to develop a workshop call “The New Relationship” dealing with past and present relationships and how they have impacted one’s life and the choices that are currently being made.

In “The New Relationship” Julie will help you recognize patterns and behaviors that aren’t serving you and show you how your past and present relationships are a reflection of you.  You’ll leave with tools that assist you in creating the relationship you desire.

Her second and very timely workshop, “Managing Change“, will provide tools to navigate the changes that are taking place in people’s lives right now.

In “Managing Change” Julie will show you how to create peaceful moments in stressful times, explain why it’s important to look for opportunity in what may seem like a crisis, and she’ll help you discover solutions that you may not have seen previously.

The main purpose for these workshops is to create an awareness that will change how you view life situations forever.  By attending one or both of these workshops you will find clear insight and will walk away with at least one tool you can use to make changes, if you so choose. 

So come meet Julie in-person before the workshops and get to know her a little better to see if she is someone who you’d like to be your guide while exploring your potential.  At each event you can register to win a free copy of Julie’s workbook!

Meet and Greet with Julie Farha

Wednesday      August 12th    6:30 to 8pm    FREE

Storm Wisdom  3375 E. Shea Blvd Suite A1 Phoenix – call to register 602-334-1204

 The New Relationship with Julie 

   Heal the Past ~ Embrace the Present ~ Choose Your Future

Saturday, August 15th  10am – 1pm     $39 pre-registered       $49 at the door

Storm Wisdom 3375 E Shea Blvd Suite A1 Phoenix 602-334-1204

Managing Change

Wednesday, August 20th 2009  6pm – 8pm   $15

Storm Wisdom 3375 E Shea Blvd Suite A1 Phoenix 602-334-1204 Call to Register or visit website

Sorry this is so last minute but I thought you’d love to hear about a sale!   

Gypsy Trader is having a Christmas in July sale on Satruday, July 25th from 12 noon until midnight.   All regular price inventory is 50%  off.  That’s a great savings.   Maybe I’ll see you there!