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December 2016

Mind KEY / 2016

Connecting in December with Mind Key – Wrap Up

As 2016 winds down and December ends, we’d like to reflect on the month’s theme of connection. We've spotlighted several people and many services that can help you feel more connected to the world. No matter if it's loved ones, friends or strangers.  We focused on topics that bring deeper meaning to feeling united during a divisive season. We encourage our readers and members to use their unique gifts to inspire and give back to others. [caption id="attachment_5079" align="alignleft" width="200"] Once Upon a Time[/caption] Featured subthemes related to connection have included: trusting one’s intuition and sharing resources to facilitate growth and healing. Mind Key always plays a role, connecting you to services and products. We began the month by announcing the launch of our new Etsy store.  You...

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5 ways to rock your year for real this time

Mind Key affiliate, Taraleigh Weathers, from the amazing TaraLeighLovesYou and leader of the Rock Your Life movement is doling out tips on making 2017 your best year yet.  Mind Key is all about your success. Following TaraLeigh's insightful tips and even signing up for her Rock Your Year Program can be the catalyst for your accomplishing your goals.  Her three-week intention-setting and action-taking guided course can help you take 2017 by the unicorn horn! ************************************************************************************** Do you want to have the most magical and amazing year ever? Are you ready rock some goals and take a gander into something amazing and fulfilling? [caption id="attachment_5161" align="alignright" width="526"] TaraLeigh is a dreamer[/caption]   It takes focus, action, perseverance, support and a little magic. It might not always be rainbows and unicorns, but I know you have what it takes....

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Reflections of 2016 – The Mind Key Community

[caption id="attachment_5168" align="alignright" width="225"] Photo of the Rhode Island sunset courtesy of Carlie Currier[/caption] The Mind Key Project has been blessed to receive so much light and energy from our community of members, readers and practitioners this year as we built a platform for health, wellness and happiness that may just change the world. What a ride 2016 has been!  If your journey has been anything like ours (and I know most of yours have been), it’s been a year of struggle, strife, and incredible growth.  Rest assured, even if you don’t see the personal growth you’ve undergone, it’s there! Members of our community have shared their reflections of the past year, and their vision of growth.  We hope that, based on our posts on the importance of...

Why you should reflect on 2016

[caption id="attachment_5127" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Photo courtesy of Carlie Currier[/caption] By Rebecca Pall After a momentous occasion, one may stop and think about the events that have transpired and how their life has been altered.  With December bringing the year to a close, one of the most important things that one can do is look back at the year behind them and think about the good and bad that has happened, as well as how they have changed as a result, and what they might have done differently.  Time dedicated to reflection is important, and can add a lot to future life events. Jo Ayoubi, an expert in productivity, gives her insight on why reflection is so important. “Reflection can take many forms and encompass many activities,” Jo said....

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Reflection as a tool for perspective

[caption id="attachment_5123" align="alignright" width="300"] Photo courtesy of Carlie Currier[/caption] I love words that can have more than one meaning.  Those words give my card readings multi-layered nuances.  For instance, when I read Shaman Oracle Cards for a client, there’s one card called “Shaman of Reflection.” I decide how to interpret it when I look at it and my client together. I'll get a certain feeling.  Sometimes I know that it means thinking hard about something, pondering, considering an action and the consequences.  Other times I just know it means seeing a reflection of yourself in something else, someone else, or taking a good look within ourselves and at our actions.  Similarly, when I was asked to write about “reflection” this month I debated which tract to...

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give a child a flower

The true meaning of Santa Claus – Giving

[caption id="attachment_5147" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Photo courtesy of www.theconversation.com[/caption] In this age of commercialization, how do we teach our kids the true meaning of Christmas? Perhaps you’re a parent who is considering telling your children the truth about Santa this year. This can be a tricky subject, especially when determining the appropriate age. In an article by Good Housekeeping, Caroline Picard describes a story about a parent who tells her child that Santa Claus exists in all of us, and it’s their time to become “a Santa” by giving an anonymous gift to someone they love, teaching the lesson of unselfish giving. “In our family, we have a special way of transitioning the kids from receiving from Santa to becoming a Santa. This way, the Santa construct is not a lie...

Giving back all year long – Stories of Altruism

[caption id="attachment_5156" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Giving back with the Mind Key Community[/caption] We see need everywhere.  On the news every day we see stories of adults and children struggling to make a living, to feed their families and especially around this time of year, to provide a good holiday season.  The holidays are about children, and kids aren’t blind to the need around them--it’s important for them to see it. Studies, such as those published in PLOS and Psychological Science, and Development Psychology have shown that giving to others is our natural human state. What’s more, a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that helping others has been proven to improve health and longevity. Social Science and Medicine published a study showing that...

Book by Barbara Steingas

Radiance Coaching with Barbara Steingas

From inspirational author and speaker to radiant life coach and reiki healer, Barbara Steingas incorporates her own life experiences in all she does. Barbara’s battle with, and eventual triumph over, Crohn’s disease, an immune disorder of the intestinal tract, revealed the optimal path for her own health by utilizing physical, emotional, mental and spiritual strategies. Barbara believes life path involves  sharing those strategies with her clients.     Barbara’s inspirational self-help books include; Solving the Crohn’s and Colitis Puzzle, The Healing Puzzle and Germans are Funny, Too!  Her one-on-one coaching sessions mirror the tips and tricks from her books, leading her clients down their own paths toward enlightenment.  Depending on the session, Barbara can also perform reiki healing and crystal chakra balancing, an intuitive transfer of healing energy....

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Rhode Island shore

A local’s guide to gift giving–Rhode Island

Mind Key Rhode Island (Rhody) is growing as fast as The Mind Key Project itself!  In one of my many articles for the Newport Daily News, I was asked to write a story describing all I want from Aquidneck Island, the heart of Mind Key Rhody. We hope those of you in our local community support these local businesses this season as well.  For those of our readers who don’t live here, consider this an opportunity to visit someplace new (let Danielle be your tour guide--email me to learn how), or to pick up some of the global services these business offer online. [caption id="attachment_5115" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Photo courtesy of Dave Hansen, Newport Daily News[/caption] The ocean has always called to me, so last December I finally...

Get organized with Charla Dury

[caption id="attachment_4945" align="alignright" width="142"] Charla Dury[/caption] By Barbara Steingas Charla Dury’s life experiences led her toward clean organization early in her adult life.  Needing to stay afloat financially during challenging times as a teen parent, Charla turned to her mom, who had great organizational skills. Learning through experience provided the ability to see the big picture and create an organizational plan and detailed budget. Charla discovered she was able to get a lot done by implementing the organizational tools she put in place. Her friends and family noticed, too.  They admired what Charla was able to accomplish and she became their go-to person for advice in the area of personal organization and time management. They were so pleased with the results they experienced that that began to refer...

The symbols in our dreams, with Jefferson Harman

[caption id="attachment_5068" align="alignright" width="153"] Jefferson Harman[/caption] Jefferson Harman started interpreting his own dreams as a young child. Over time, he came to learn a universal symbolic language which applies to any aspect of life, waking or dreaming. This is when he began to read the symbols present in others’ lives. Through this interpretation, he is able to help others identify specific challenges and how to overcome them. For the past six years, Harman has been interpreting dreams live on the air on “Life Unedited” on WCHE Radio 1520 AM. He also has internet TV show called “Dreaming With…” on StarDreamsCafe.com, in which he interprets for a variety of artists, writers, and entertainers at the Algonquin Hotel in New York City. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="960"] image by Kennedy Shenberg[/caption] Looking...

Elisabeth Ladwig on Science, Nature and Magic

Elisabeth Ladwig works in the medium of conceptual photography, or a photographic artist. Her artwork, often mistaken for paintings, are created from original photographs. Elisabeth began [caption id="attachment_4959" align="alignright" width="200"] When Life Hands you Lemons[/caption] as a graphic designer then later merged her career with her interest in collage art. The subject matter is a manifestation of her interpretations of the world through both observation and study. “Since childhood, I have pretty much synonymized science, nature, and magic,” Elisabeth said. “But what I noticed early on is that, out in society, all the mystery seems to get stripped away once we've found a hard algorithm for something. This always made me sad. I want to view the world with fascination and wonder, so my hope is that my art...

Great American Novel Package–Meet the editors

Yesterday's Great American Novel Package post talked about the services the package can provide.  Today, we want to tell you about all of the resources we have to support your journey. [caption id="attachment_4946" align="alignnone" width="154"] Danielle Rose, story editor and novel coach[/caption] Danielle is a long-time author and journalist.  She has edited several large-scale, and many small-scale publications, and has completely compiled the Mind Key Anthologies of art and writing (www.mindkey.me/anthology).  She has the experience and dedication needed to provide feedback for nonfiction work, as well as a passion for characters, and for weaving stories that reflect current social and philosophical issues. She will focus on not only your story, but your sentence structure, your organization and chronology, as well as the emotional aspect of your characters,...

Great American Novel Package

Are you a writer who has written a book? A series of published or publishable essays?  Maybe you have just finished yet another year of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) this November.   In today’s day and age, a book is not a project to be completed alone.  Long gone are the days when a finished, or partly finished, book could be sent to an editor or an agent. Today, the publishing industry has become more discerning. Whether in the realm of fiction or nonfiction, the industry expects a clean, well-thought out, deeply woven manuscript with marketing potential, and an author driven to make sales. Those who choose to self-publish are not exempt from these rules. Before any manuscript can be given consideration for publication it must...

Mind Key Etsy store NOW OPEN!!

It’s with much excitement that I’m proud to announce the newest addition to Mind Key. We now have our own Etsy store! Mind Key Etsy was created to offer our artists the ability to showcase and sell their work. Also, it provides our community and readers (you!) handmade, quality crafted products made with the intention to inspire, sustain, and encourage you to be your happiest, healthiest self. Our store offers a variety of different items guaranteed to raise your vibration. First, it offers several collage-inspired pendants with some inspirational words and phrases. For example, here is the “Let Go collage pendant”.This one of a kind, handmade item is priced at complete with an intricate flower, butterfly, and old postcard design ($20.00)If you’re interested in this style, be...

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December Issue: Connection

[caption id="attachment_4933" align="alignleft" width="241"] Photo courtesy of JoAnna Schillaci[/caption] This month's theme is connection.  We're going to talk about about how we work together as a community to remain connected--how we connect with others, with those we love, with the world around us. The holidays are a time when we work so hard toward a sense of connection while at the same time often feeling completely disconnected. As your resource for everything health and happiness, Mind Key believes that the idea of connection, whether to each other, to spirit, or to ourselves, is essential. That’s why we’ve devoted this month to spotlighting members of our community that offer resources via products and services that promote all forms of connection. As you peruse this month’s spotlights, utilize your...

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November in a Nutshell

By Carlie Currie In honor of Mind Key’s third anthology, Tempest: Life Upturned, the theme of November has focused on riding out the storms of our lives that can brew during this season. Although this time of year is often seen as a preparation for the happiness of holidays, it can often bring about stress and turbulence. However, sometimes a sense of misdirection can lead us to learning more about ourselves and can be an opportunity for growth. The first theme of this month was mental health awareness. In Tamara’s article, “Art Therapy to Treat Mental Illness” art therapy is used as a creative outlet to cope with mental illness and stress. In addition, her article “How Mental Illness Affects Family Dynamics,” discusses the impact of...

Advice on coping with loss

Yesterday, Paola Scaduto shared an intensely personal story of loss.  We wanted to follow that up with some advice we've found on grief counseling websites.  The loss of a loved one, no matter the circumstance, is painful and shouldn't be dealt with alone.   Take care of yourself This Help Guide offers the following advice for taking care of yourself: Look after your physical health. Face your feelings. Keep yourself busy. Do things you love. Stay focused and continue your daily life. Don’t let anyone tell you how to feel, and don’t tell yourself how to feel either. Plan ahead for grief “triggers” such as anniversaries, milestones and holidays. “If you’re sharing a holiday or lifecycle event with other relatives, talk to them ahead of time...

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The stressed out teen – tips for destressing your high school student

By Rebecca Pall Chances are, if one were to ask a high schooler how they were feeling, the number one answer would be that dreaded, eight letter word: stressed.  With stress comes anxiety and nervousness as well.  In today’s day and age, school and social issues aren't the only things that can add to the stress load of students.   One of the things that can lead to stress for high school teenagers is, on the non-academic side, social standing.  At the age of 14-19, children feel that they have to be superior by fitting into a crowd.  If they don’t do what a certain group of people are doing, then they could be seen as unfit, or unqualified to be with a certain group of people....

Harvesting Weeds For Fall Health

I never used to like autumn.  I’ve always been more of a spring girl. Watching the world come alive, and singing with the energy of the earth… I’m in my glory! Lately though, I’m learning how beneficial reaping the harvest can be, both physically and spiritually.  Whether I’m watching the October rains turn our August-faded lawns green again, walking a mountain path, or sitting on the beach in my hoodie, debating a swim, there’s so much life waiting for us to share in the bounty and I’m learning to sit quietly and reflect in the cooling days and appreciate all I’ve done in the warmer seasons so that I can reap their benefit all winter long. What grows is often what we need, so I’d like...

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Sukkot: A Spiritual Harvest

Harvest festivals represent renewal of body and mind--a harvesting of past mistakes, experiences, and relationships that is essential to personal development and growth. We are created to gather the balance of life and learn from its intricate patterns—the good and the bad. Connecting with Spirit helps identify with the seemingly mystical and distant aspects of life.   This balance and harvesting of life experience is reflected in ancient traditions.  That many of them are still practiced today proves their importance in daily life and the human need for inspiration to start anew. The ancient Jewish Festival of Sukkot, like many harvest celebrations, reflects the spiritual side of reaping the fruit of our labors.  Beginning the seventh month of the Jewish calendar and ending on Yom Kippur (which...

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Aquidneck Food Challenge

Aquidneck Food Challenge Posted by Charla Dury on 10:00 AM in Aquidneck food challenge challenge eat local energy connection energy of food event old patterns new habits snapshot | Comments : 0 Rhode Island's Aquidneck Community Table launches their first ever eat local challenge this week, and whether you live on the island or across the country, shfting your food perspective to "eat like a local" opens up new patterns and new ways to connect to the energy of our bodies and our environment. There's no better time than now--when local food is at its most abundant--to try your hand at a more-local diet.  If you're looking for help eating locally in your area, please contact us at info@192.145.233.101 and we'll help you find your local resources. Sign up to take the Aquidneck Food Challenge! September 1-10, 2016 Friends, We've been hearing a lot of questions...

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NanoWrimo – Letting Your Vision Grow

October is a month of traditions, whether it’s celebrating a harvest festival or Halloween activities.  But Harvesting is also another way to reap the seeds we sow in our own journey, honing the talents and skills that make us who we are.  Writers all over the world look at November, also known in the noveling world as National Novel Writing Month (or the otherwise cryptic, NaNoWriMo) with anticipation, using October as a chance to gear up for one of the greatest writing challenges of all. NaNoWriMo.org writes: National November Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a fun and creative writing challenge starting on November 1st and ending November 30th.  The goal is to write 50,000 words in just one month.  Sounds fun, crazy, intensive, and highly rewarding?  Well, it is....

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Controlled Environment Agriculture At Spring Box Farms

As we talk about the annual harvest within environment week, we don't want to forget or discount farms that use Controlled Environment Agriculture who harvest all year long.  Many farms use this technique to monitor both the quality and organic content of the food that they produce.  Check out the local offerings at Clements' Marketplace. ...

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Harvest: A Human Connection

By Tamara Rockiki Harvest festivals are representative of our own personal growth, and the need to share our successes. They center around abundance and community, and in this day and age of limited face-to-face connection, they remind us of the importance of celebrating that which we’ve done to get us where we are. This week, as an inspiration to share and grow from our personal harvests, we will be sharing stories of harvest traditions around the world, such as the olive harvest festival which has been celebrated in the township of Magione, Italy, since 2001.   Stephanie Spavento of the The Perpetual Explorer writes that this festival takes place on November 23rd, in conjunction with the feast of St. Clement, the patron saint of metalworkers and blacksmiths.  It celebrates the...

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Harvesting Wisdom From People We’ve Lost

Recently, my husband’s great aunt passed away after a long bout with a painful cancer. Kim was a wonderful woman and her wry wit and comforting presence will be missed at every family gathering.  Her love and pride in our family was something that I cherished.  Kim had been part of my life for almost thirty years and her presence in our lives taught me many things. Kim devoted her life to supporting the mental and emotional health of troubled teens across the nation.  A spiritual person from a young age, Kim gravitated toward spiritual people from all faiths. She eventually settled in southern Colorado, cultivating a close connection to the Native American community. While working with teenagers on the reservation there, Kim’s faith was deepened to...

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Oktoberfest – Not Just For Germans

Although not technically a harvest festival, Oktoberfest is one of the most well-known fall festivals worldwide, and represents the basic human need for community and celebration. Today, Oktoberfest smacks of fall, with seasonal beverages and attractions to connect and recharge. The City of Munich’s website claims the origin of Oktoberfest, goes back to October 12, 1810.  It was on that day that the future King Ludwig I married Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen, giving all of Munich a reason to celebrate.  The festivity brought inspiration to celebrate yet again the following year, beginning the massive tradition of Oktoberfest. Each year since that famous wedding, new attractions, agricultural shows, contests, and beer tasting stations have been added to the festivity.   Like many harvest celebrations, Paige Villiard of The Black Label, writes...

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Halloween As A Harvest Tradition

Halloween is the ultimate harvest tradition--one that touches upon many cultures and traditions.  But where do our Halloween traditions come from?  Did the holiday ever have spiritual connotations?  Does it still? Whether trick or treating, carving jack o' lanterns or bobbing for apples, Halloween, like many holidays, comes with its own set of traditions. Learning the roots of these traditions can allow for a better understanding of self, and a stronger connection to a holiday that ranks as one of the best loved. Photo courtesy of North Jersey Media Group   Samhain, which occurs on the same date as Halloween, was an ancient celebration centered around the last harvest of the year. The day marked the beginning of winter, a time associated with death. On this night, the...

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Working With Intuition, Not Fear

By Carlie Currier   October is a time for harvesting. Nourished by the warmth of the sun, summer was a time for growth within. While sowing the seeds of our goals, we thought deeply about what we wanted to manifest within our lives. Now the season of fall calls for a new phase in our growth--the fruition of our dreams into reality. However, we need to be aware of exactly what we’re harvesting. Ghosts and demons also come out in October. Are  we allowing our higher selves to shine through so we can reach our full potential, or, are we letting the superstitions and phobias of our past dictate us? Maybe some of us are still allowing skeletons to hide inside the closets of our comfort zones. Is...

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Find Your Untapped Potential

Do you ever wonder about your true calling?  Do you yearn for something more but just don’t know what? Each of us is equipped with unique talents and skills.  Finding our true calling is a journey. It’s not always easy to realize what we’re meant to do in life.  In her blog post, “Untapped Potential: Finding Your Talent”, Mind Key member, Tamara Rokicki, shares her journey in pursuing her passion.  It doesn't have to be as complicated as we make it.  Life presents our talents in many ways, whether it’s a simple hobby that rescues us from the mundane or in the way we inspire others. As the warmer weather winds down, and the days grow shorter, we naturally begin to harvest our skills and lessons from the experiences of the past...

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Kicking Off NanoWrimo Season

Connecting with other like minded people is imperative in finding inspiration.  November marks the annual writing challenge, NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), which provides inspiration and resources for to writers to complete fifty thousand words in thirty days. Although NaNoWriMo is revered by aspiring authors across the globe, the raw and freeing act of writing--unedited--is not reserved for novelists alone. October helps us gear up for this event. The harvest season is when we pull together our resources and reflect, and there is no better time to ready ourselves for a writing challenge. Whether it’s by preparing a story outline or gathering ideas on how to gain more writing time, October comes at the perfect time. Mind Key member Tamara Rokicki shares her tips on how to prepare for...

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Why Child-Driven Learning Works

Imagine a school where children choose their own lessons, and are motivated and enthusiastic to learn. Sounds like a parent’s fantastical utopia, doesn’t it? Sugata Mitra, founder of the Hole-in-the-Wall experiment and Minimally Invasive Education, doesn’t think so.  He discovered that through the use of learning centers, children were able to learn and thrive on their own, without the input of teachers. Many untraditional schools such as some Montessori and Waldorf schools utilize this concept of child-driven learning, as do many homeschooling families.  Child-driven education is also the defining characteristic of unschooling. Photo Credit: Shelby Sheene Shelby Sheene, mother of three unschooled children in Tampa Bay, Florida, says, “Unschooling is a method that embraces the idea that children want to learn. It is basically learning through life and...

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What Is Aquarian Sadhana

What is Aquarian Sadhana? By Shantprem Kaur “Wait, five A M?”  I clarify as the beautiful woman all in white nods. “Uh, are you sure it’s not five PM?” I question hopefully. She smiles her angelic smile “Yes, I’m sure.” Yeah right, I think to myself. You’ll never find me doing that. But, at 5 am the next morning I find myself awake and motivated by curiosity. I wander down the hall of the retreat center beckoned by a quiet murmuring.  I crack the door, slide through the dimly lit room, and settle into the quiet chanting. A peace envelopes me and I know I am onboard for the next two and a half hours....

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The Many Benefits Of Yoga

Yoga is a worldwide practice that helps people connect with their body and mind.  Statistic Brain reports that over 15 million Americans practice yoga regularly. Malia Bradshaw is one of them.  A certified yoga instructor, writer, and mental health advocate, she is one of the many people relying on the benefits of yoga.  When she started experiencing anxiety attacks she found that yoga not only helped her body, but also her mind. She says, “I needed a way in which I could move my body, but also calm my anxiety.  Yoga was the perfect combination of a very physically challenging practice, but also a spiritual practice.”   Yoga improves stress and anxiety by slowing down the breathing and heart rates, while also being a significant GABA booster.  Emily Deans, MD,...

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You’re Important

You’re important.   You’re important to your family, to your co-workers and to your circle of friends.  The most important person who should know your importance, however,  is you. If you don’t know that you’re important, and treat yourself that way, it can create mental and emotional stress and age you prematurely. Do you treat yourself like you’re important?  I didn’t for a long time.   For what seems like forever, I put myself second.  Second to my children, to my husband, to the rest of my family’s needs.  I didn’t speak up, I deferred to them.  Not that I didn’t have an opinion and talk about it, but I never gave my opinions, my emotions, my health the same weight as I gave everyone else’s.  Here’s an example. Years...

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Urgent Message About Watering From Glenwild Water Center

With the Autumnal Equinox last week, we need to switch our gardening mindset to winter preparation.  With these tips from Glenwild Garden Center about watering your new trees and shrubs, your lawn and garden should be in good shape for the coming seasons. Issue No. 163 September 16, 2016 URGENT MESSAGE ABOUT WATERING!   This is most critical for anyone who has planted any shrub, tree or perennial any time recently (This year especially)!   The soil dryness is at critical levels for established plants as well, but if you have planted anything this year, (or for a tree, the last 3 years) you need to deeply water your plants.  That means: Use a soaker hose, or put the nozzle or end of the hose on the ground next to the trunk...

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Bring In New Energy For The Spring Now

The practice of planting spring-flowering bulbs is a lesson in patience.  Selecting little brown lumps to place in your garden and then patiently waiting, sometimes forgetting about them throughout the winter, until they can bloom come spring. Jodie Bross of Glenwild Garden Center in Bloomingdale, NJ says: "The idea of the bulb is so nice: patience and being kind to yourself, giving yourself that downtime. It's OK to draw in and not be out there all the time, beautiful. Bulbs are also a good lesson to slow down and let things happen at their own pace." As Jodie so eloquently states, we there is opportunity to learn from nature, and sometimes those lessons are best learned by getting your hands in the soil experiencing nature's wisdom first-hand. The good news is,...

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Emotion Freedom Technique (Tapping) Can Be A RoadMap For Success

As a spiritual counselor or healer, you are continually faced with clients who will not or cannot change the patterns that are making themselves sick physically, emotionally or spiritually. I am reminded of a client who always verbally says how sick she is.  I have told her, as others have, that changing the pattern of negative speak to positive affirmations of good health would better serve her.  Saying “my” illness puts that notion of ownership into the ether that, once out there, is hard to dispel...

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Connect The Dots – Old Habits & New Patterns

September has been all about change.  The change of seasons, back to school time changes, making changes in our lives and recognizing changes that need to be made.  We've had so much great content this month, its hard to choose which blog posts to highlight here. At the beginning of the month we focused on National Yoga Month with a great series of introduction snapshots to Mind Key Affiliate Thames Street Yoga, staring with a profile of the owner, Kyla Rose Maher.  Check out what Kyla had to say about her wonderful instructors.  Each "snapshot" provides bios for two of the great and varied yoga instructors at Thames Street Yoga. Gentle Instructors for a Creative Workout, Holding Space for Growth, Devotion and Energy as a Spiritual Path and Running with Instructors. We also heard from Lisa...

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Communication: More Than Just You And Me

Since before the time we learn to talk, we are taught that in order for life to flow easy you must talk to people, communicate. All relationships depend on communication. Every relationship is different and requires different means of communication, but communication nonetheless. Good communication is essential for the healthy relationships we crave. Herbalist and author of “The Gift of Healing Herbs,” Robin Rose Bennett agrees. "Communication is the essential key to healthy relationships,” she said. “And healthy relationships are the key to a truly good, joyful life.” Spiritual Healer, Vera Ann Remes says she “depend[s] on spiritual and energetic interactions with [her] clients to tell [her] their needs and how to help them. When [she] scan a client’s body [she] feel the cold spots and vibrations that denote pain or...

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Taproot – Preserve Pop Up Shop Sale

Handmade goods radiate a certain unique energy.  Get your hands on one of these great deals associated with the kitchen as Taproot magazine closes their "Preserve" shop, and gears up for their next issue, "Wander." Support home-grown goodness by bringing the energy of the artisan into your home! Please note ** Adorable kitten not included in an order of the heart-shaped nesting boxes!** The Preserve Pop-Up Shop is On Sale! Shop Now! *Spend $100 in pop-up goods, then add a one year subscription (or give a gift subscription!) to your basket & the discount will apply. Sorry, this applies to US subscriptions only! While we are never ones to rush summer along, here at Taproot we are busy finalizing the pages of our next issue, WANDER (coming your way soon)...

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You Are A Star In An Otherwise Bleak World

Taraleigh embodies exactly what we believe in here at Mind Key.  She has made music her life, and has made the leap to allowing that life to fully support her in every way. She's done this by allowing her personal energy to work for her, rather than against her.  When we do what we love, and live authentically, we are asking the energy of the universe to bring more of that into our life. As humans, we hide behind masks and allow those masks define us...

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The Energy of Peace & Manifestation

Manifestation is the process of manipulating energy in such a way that we first create and surround ourselves in the vibration what we want and then allow the universe to bring the physical manifestation of that vibration to us. That’s why visualization is such a powerful tool.  Visualization allows us to see what we want--the clearer we see it, feel it, sense it, the stronger the vibration we create.  That created vibration then has the ability to draw that which we desire to us in a very real way.   Visualization works best when it’s directed solely at oneself. In other words, a visualization board made to achieve a promotion or new home is inevitably more likely to come to pass than one made for world peace,...

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Connecting The Energetic Dots

This month we discussed the energy of the things we do to our body and how it can change us as well as so-called coincidences that led to life-changing events. Energy is everywhere and there seemed to be so much energy of change in August, we wanted to share it all with you.  There were so many events in each of our areas, Rhode Island, NY/NJ Highlands area, Denver Metro area in Colorado and our newest location, Mind Key Florida.  Events, whether they specifically mention energy or not, can connect with energy because, like I said, its everywhere and everything. Creative energy, be it  photo manipulation by Elisabeth Ladwig in The Making of Time Capsule or Marisa Goudy's The Energy between writer and reader talking about the bond between writer and reader....

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Forest bathing as a way to heal

Using the energy of the forest to heal

 by Vera Remes We are well aware that the rain forests, often referred to as Nature’s Medicine Cabinet, contain plants from which medicines are derived.  Some 120 prescription drugs sold worldwide today are known to contain ingredients derived directly from rain forest plants. According to the U.S. National Cancer Institute, more than two-thirds of all medicines found to have cancer-fighting properties come from rain forest plants. Examples abound. Ingredients obtained and synthesized from a now-extinct periwinkle plant found only in Madagascar (until deforestation wiped it out) have increased the chances of survival for children with leukemia from 20 percent to 80 percent. Even the air and smells of the forest have been known to have healing properties, as proven by the popularity and efficacy of a Japanese...

Vertical Gardening with the Rodale Institute – Snapshot

  Grow up, not out Vertical Garden! Build your growspace   Vertical Gardening in Urban Environments     Many urban centers across the U.S. have been labeled as "food deserts" where city residents do not have access to local, fresh produce. Food is transported to city centers by the truckloads from miles away, oftentimes arriving close to or past their expiration and in questionable condition. As a result, city residents, who account for 81% of the U.S. population, are provided with low quality produce. Urban gardening and farming has risen in the last decade. However, increasing green spaces and food production in urban environments is not without challenges and risks.  Rodale Institute has designed a number of prototypes for vertical gardening called "Growing Towers." Advantages of using growing towers include creating space vertically...

Polyface Farming – Video

Fully sustainable farming is possible with animals maintaining the land and creating food.  But it takes many hands and many animals to make this work.  Check out the video below created by USA Today and posted on YouTube.   ...

You don’t have to be rich to pay it forward

When I retired in 2012 and moved to Pennsylvania, I kept telling my friends this would be my time of giving back.  I started volunteering at a therapeutic riding center near my home.  Started learning Reiki, something I had wanted to do since my twenties. Volunteered at the local Food Pantry and a local Humane Society.  I even offered my Reiki services to the senior citizen facility in town but they weren’t keen on the “new age” stuff. Over time I cut down on my activities.  Cleaning a litter box the size of a kiddie pool at the Humane Society “cat” house did a number on my asthma.   The local Food Pantry had so many volunteers we kept stepping all over ourselves.  I still volunteer...

Parenting – the ultimate adventure in paying it forward

  When you become a parent, either by nature or nurture, you wipe its butt just like your parent wiped yours.  We feed the child, clothe them and teach them by our actions, watching as the milestones pass.  We kiss boo boos, worry about them, lose sleep and hope for their future. We follow in the footsteps of every parent, not just our own.  The actions we remember as perceived parenting missteps from our own childhood, we're sure to do differently if we can resist the pull of history and genetics which, at times, might be too strong. No handbooks come with a new baby.  They should.  Every piece of advice ever given should come with each new child as downloadable content, straight to your brain.  Kind of like Neo learned Kung...

Meditation for accepting another’s path

  If I have never walked the path of my brother If I have never felt his pain If my lessons have not walked a darkened path If I hold every thought every feeling every lesson within my soul I will hold every judgment on this path that I embark on now In my own evaluation Will I reach my hand out to my brother Only seeing his light Remembering only the love As we reach out light to another soul We will allow that connection of light The connection of our own soul to another Both of us becoming part of the universe Connecting Being Both taking our rightful place Leaving all darkness ***************************      Kathleen Santora teaches meditations and self-healing through the understanding of one’s own personal energy. A spiritual healer for the past 30 years, Kathleen began trance healing later when she became aware...

RI Event – The party that’s giving back

Looking for good music, good food, and good times this weekend? Look no further than A Party for the People, happening Sunday, June 26th in Middletown, RI. The day is about creating a sense of community and goodwill for all of us who have given back in some way to help others, event organizer and owner of Good Time Productions, Michael Hayes, said. "Everything that happens impacts the next person because [on the island] they're so close," Michael said. "I wanted to give something back to everybody.  We are always struck by tragedy, but I wanted to do this for a positive reason." Over the past decade, Michael's watched friends battle cancer, lose their loved ones and homes unexpectedly to tragedy, and time and time again, he's seen...

NJ Event – Drum Circle tomorrow night!

Reflecting on recent losses, near and far, I know it's ever important to celebrate life. So, let's make some noise! If you haven't already, please let us know if you're coming. Looking forward to spending this time with you, Ruth         Drumming with others is an ancient practice that people have used for millennia all over the globe to connect, heal, learn, witness and celebrate with each other. It’s only been in the last few hundred years that many people in our modern cultures have stopped connecting in this way.    Drum Circle Facilitator Vera Remes will lead us as we use various forms of vibration, such as simple clapping, drum, and rattle rhythms to create deep relaxation which allows the mind and body to become quiet.  Circle may include group...

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Dadpreneurs!

Thanks to Ann Noder at Pitch Public Relations, we found out about these awesome Dadpreneurs and in the spirit of a stupendous Father's Day, we wanted to share them with you. Jon Sumroy, dad of four, is the brains behind the new mifold - the most advanced, compact and portable child car safety seat in the world - ten times smaller than a regular booster seat. Rather than "boosting" kids up - the seat brings down the seat belt to a child's size. It’s so compact it can even fit into a back pocket! The company is now in manufacturing to meet massive customer orders after exceeding its Kickstarter goal. Edward McCloskey has launched the first chemical-free baby wipe (new to the U.S market) after struggling to...

Giving Back through Taboo Words – Guest Blog by Jessica McWhirt

Today, guest Blogger Jessica McWhirt, shares how it feels to give back to the community through the empowering performance of this collection of risqué monologues. *************************************As the word “vagina” broke from my lips, the audience’s eyes widened a little, mouths opened slightly, and wine-filled glasses hung midair awaiting my next words. Even though my words make my audience recoil in their chairs, I know we’re creating awareness. It’s not easy to hear taboo subjects, let alone repeat forbidden words in front of 600 eyes. My Vagina Monologues cast and the hundreds of casts throughout the world swallow uncomfortable topics and silences to raise awareness of violence against women. The money we raise from these performances goes directly to an organization that works to end violence against women within...

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Moments with Dad

Dads give so much for their families.  This Father's Day, we're giving back by sharing our favorite Dad moments and the best Dad advice. What are your favorite fathering moments? Here are some fond memories from our Mind Key Community via Facebook. "One of my favorite things - sitting in the backyard on a summer afternoon, listening to the Yankees on the radio with my dad...

Paying it Forward – volunteering time and experience

My young family (Step Dad, Mom, little brother, me and our son) right before my high school graduation. I was a teen parent.  While my husband is the father of all of my boys, I had our first child when I was 15 and we didn't get married until I was 22.  I attended a school for teen moms during my pregnancy and the semester after I had our son.  After returning to mu home school for a year and a half,  I graduated and went on to college with the help and support of my mom and step dad.  While being a teen parent was difficult, I thank God for that experience.  That broadening of my horizons.  The flip flop in my world view. The paradigm shift. The...

The tragedy in Orlando

  Photo credit to Yahoo.com (here) We at Mind Key grieve for all of the lives touched by the mass shooting at Pulse, an LGBT nightclub in Orlando, FL over the weekend.  Fifty lives, including the shooter's, were lost and fifty-three people remain wounded and hospitalized, some fighting for their lives.  Living in the Denver metro area in Colorado, I have borne witness to several local mass tragedies, starting with the shooting at Columbine High School (about 6 miles from my home), and most recently with the Aurora Theater shooting, which is near where our oldest son lives.  I know the sheer panic of wondering if someone you know has been affected, hurt, or even killed by acts of terror like this.  Photo thanks to Kara Bedard (via Facebook here) As...

NJ Event and Gardening Tips

Pollinator Week is coming soon!  June 20th through the 26th, 2016.   National Pollinator Week is a time to celebrate pollinators and spread the word about what you can do to protect them."  We are celebrating by putting all of our native plants on sale all week, as well as any 'pollinator' plants.  To kick off the week, we will be hosting a Butterfly Gardening Class on Saturday June 18th at 2 pm with educator Carol Gurney. Explore the butterfly's life cycle, receive information on host and nectar plants, make your own butterfly cage, receive a Painted Lady AND a Monarch chrysalis to take home and then watch as they emerge into butterflies. Monarchs are having a rough time these days-come give one a good start! Pre-Registration...

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