Every month during our World Healing group session, we send healing energy to all of humanity, and we include a wish for food, clean air and water for all, sustenance.

Personally, like many who read this, I am and feel so lucky to be living in a land where the tomatoes grow, almost automatic without too much ado from me. But, I know that not everyone is so lucky, like this boy here who’s running of what was once a field of crop.

Indian Village Boy Runs Through a Par… Poster for Purchase

Today and every day, may we be kind to our fellow inhabitants of planet Earth. May we help one another, and live in a mutually healing way. What does that mean on World Food Day?

Food Facts

“Food price volatility featuring high prices is likely to continue and possibly increase, making poor farmers, consumers and countries more vulnerable to poverty and food insecurity” is the conclusion of the global hunger report, which was published last week by the United Nations’ three Rome-based agencies: UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP).

Rationing Safeguards Your Share, Worl… Buy From Art.com

Such crises, including in the Horn of Africa, “are challenging our efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of reducing the proportion of people who suffer from hunger by half in 2015,” the heads of the three agencies — Jacques Diouf of FAO, Kanayo F. Nwanze of IFAD and Josette Sheeran of WFP — warned in a preface to the report.

Never acceptable

“But even if the MDG were achieved by 2015 some 600 million people in developing countries would still be undernourished. Having 600 million people suffering from hunger on a daily basis is never acceptable,” they said. “The entire international community must act today and act forcefully to banish food insecurity from the planet.”

YOUR World Food Day, Today, Everyday

That’s what they say, based on their studies and morality. It is equally important what you think, and do. So, what DO YOU THINK ? How would YOU like to be known in the world? What would you like to do for others? How does this relate to you?

Droughts and famine in Africa may seem far away when it’s raining in your backyard in America, but don’t forget, also in the US there are significant food problems to be resolved. Food production is increasingly consolidated and in the hands of those interested in genetically modifying crops, pesticides etc etc. ~ things that we already know are a cause of cancer. If you want to think of a ‘lighter’ subject, air, the ’0.000s of giant gas guzzlers that many people in the US ‘need’ to drive, cause air pollution which we, our cows and our crops inhale, again making us unhealthy in the long run. So, what are you going to do about it, if anything?

Putting your money where your mind & heart is at, sure is a wise thing to do. If you want to make a financial donation, here are some ideas for you, on where & how to take action:

• JOIN THE ‘ENDING HUNGER’ MOVEMENT (in the world)
• Food democracy now – END SERIOUS BUT HIDDEN FOOD SUPPLY PROBLEMS (in the USA)
• Furthermore, LIKE us on Facebook, and JOIN us here in our monthly WE ARE ONE WORLD HEALING session, whereby we jointly send energy/healing wishes/prayers to all people on the planet and the nature/planet Earth itself. See top menu bar for details.

Ongoing Reminders & Inspiration

However, active involvement such as doing so charity volunteer work combined with ongoing reminders of what’s important to us all on planet earth, is what causes the shift to pull through and become the tidal wave of positive transitions that the planet and humanity needs.

So, follow up the above links to see what you can do, and/or check in your local community. I’m sure a nearby food shelter would be happy with your contributions in kind.

Also consider getting inspiring posters like the above to, which is a beautiful reminder of our good fortune and our shared responsibility to take care of the planet and each other, today, and every day. If you click on either image/links below the posters, you will find 10,000 or more posters, and quite a few are perfect for this purpose. Pick the one you wish to own, and run with the message it conveys.

Last, be creative in your approach to helping humanity, as your own unconventional ways of support could lead to great and meaningful change in the lives of others. Sometimes giving hope is as least as important as giving a dollar. Act with an open heart.

End Famine Today. Act to Ensure Real Food for All Tomorrow.

Copyright , We Are One World Healing – All Rights Reserved. Therapeutic Reiki can promote wellness and improve health. Book your distance healing reiki session today.

‘I care’:

Oneness with Mother Nature

Oneness with ‘00s of folks in the mall.

She’s a way-shower.

Let’s clean up our act for mother Earth, together.

Live inspired.

Stripped of love, the universe
Would drive us mad with pain;
But we are born into a world
That greets our cries with joy.

How much I owe you for the kiss
That told me who I was!
The greatest gift–a love of life–
Lay laughing in your eyes.

Because of you my world still has
The soft grace of your smile;
And every wind of fortune bears
The scent of your caress.”

One of the many lovely poems
By Nicholas Gordon

Great Last Minute Mothers’ Day Gift

Give the Gift of Love
through a Distant Reiki treatment

Copyright , We Are One World Healing – All Rights Reserved. Therapeutic Reiki can promote wellness and improve health. Book your distance healing reiki session today.

Despite the fact that he passed away 6 years ago, in the minds of many, Pope John Paul II still remains the face of the Catholic faith. Many people I know here in Italy are still particularly close to him; Even those who do not frequent the church every Sunday.

A Spiritual Leader

It was his personal qualities that made him a spiritual guide for 1.1 billion Catholics in the world, and perhaps for non-Catholics also. This pope’s popularity has been based on his particular loving nature and the fact that he offered people hope and a connection to God. Many people consider their lives being changed by Pope John Paul II:

• was a charismatic leader who confronted communism;
• pointed towards basic moral values;
• emphasized the universal call to holiness;
• was a loving role model who forgave his would-be assassin;  
• was a strong & faithful soul who perseveres through Parkinson’s disease;
• has performed at least two known miracles since his death.

As part of his calling, he canonized a great number of people, again, many more than his predecessors.  Recognizing saints is a moral direction that shows people that virtues will indeed be recognized, sooner or later.

John Paul II was one of the most international world leaders, and I believe that his international openness significantly contributed to his overall popularity.  He was the only Polish pope, and the first non-Italian since the Dutch pope, Adrian VI, in the 1520s. During his reign, John Paul II  traveled extensively and visiting over 100 countries. This is more than any of his predecessors.   He also strengthened the  Catholic faith in the Third World. His ability with languages was amazing, and beyond his native Polish language, he was fluent in Italian, French, German, English, Spanish, Croatian, Portuguese, Russian and Latin.

John Paul II reigned as the 264th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church for nearly 27 years later.  His  pontificate was the 2nd longest, after the 32-year reign of Pius IX.   

The Process of Becoming a Saint

The process of becoming recognized as a saint is a lengthy one, albeit that in recent times, it has shortened from taking centuries to just a few years.  It was in fact John Paul II himself who shortened that process, so that now a mere 6 years after his death, he is already beatified.

The act of beatification is the one but final step in the process of becoming recognized as a saint.   The beatification ceremony tomorrow will be a Mass and day-long prayers beside John Paul’s coffin in Rome.

More Reading:

Learn how to bring Saints into your daily life

Copyright , We Are One World Healing – All Rights Reserved. Therapeutic Reiki can promote wellness and improve health. Book your distance healing reiki session today.

Watch Earth Day Movie

DO SOME GOOD FOR MOTHER EARTH

I am inviting you all to join our monthly world healing initiative, and so give EARTH A HAND!.

By doing monthly world healing, you will make a major significant impact, directly & indirectly.

So what happens when you meditate once a month for 1 hour on world healing? What do you think will happen?*

Will YOU change? You bet ya! You will refuse that plastic bag in the supermarket (‘NO THANK YOU’), and FINALLY get around to put 12 empty grocery bags in the bag of your car, and even a tiny bag in your regular handbag, for when you might need one. You will read the labels in the supermarket and keep empty jar containers for when you happen to pass by that perhaps far-away ‘refill store’ to get biodegradable soap of all kinds.

You’ll speak up with kind and wise words to those around you just carelessly trash the planet, or who are violent to others. You will change the air around transforming the room & everyone’s mood after an argument took place.

You will participate in Earthday kind of local clean-ups, even when it rains. And as a subsequent you will feel like that park or beach you cleaned up has somehow become yours, so that next time you see it full of garbage again, you can’t resist the urge to pick it all up again so that it’s all cleaned up again, just a few minutes later.

You will think twice (and probably not buy it) when buying fruit and vegetables when they are packaged in non-recyclable materials. And tell the manager why you are not buying the bananas you need to make your banana bread, so that he gets it clear in his head that packaging fruit is not a good idea, after all.

You will travel less by plane and take a more soulful and more local vacation that will have a much smaller footprint on the planet.

You will donate money to the poor and simply help the sick and needy. You will perform random acts of kindness to strangers. You will reach out to those in need, in whatever way unimaginable. Funny how people around you need healing and help in ways that are ‘inconvenient’ to you. But you will just give them what they need.

And next time you are aware that politicians are about to make a decision that would harm nature, you will write them that letter to make them feel comfortable in making green choices for the world at large.

And you may not even be consciously aware of this, but because you are doing all this, you have become a role model to others, to become just like you. And as such, you’ve become a link in the chain that can tilt the world, for good.

Even if you’d do just one of these things as a result of monthly meditation on healed planet, you are on the way to the divine land of hope and transformation towards love.

Please join us in our monthly WE ARE ONE WORLD HEALING meditation / distant reiki group. If you are a reiki practitioners, send reiki to Mother Earth. If you are just like any of us, simply MEDITATE WITH US on a healed planet & a healed humanity.

NAMASTE.
Astrid

* I am not talking about the healing energy and physical manifestation that results from group meditation and/or reiki healing. Just stating the most basic, obvious & likely shift that will occur everyone of us, once we start looking at the bright side of life.

Copyright , We Are One World Healing – All Rights Reserved. Therapeutic Reiki can promote wellness and improve health. Book your distance healing reiki session today.

A human helping others …simply beautiful!

A True Inspiration of Unconditional Love!

Each Day is a chance of doing it better.

Decide today to do something for humanity.

You choose what:

1. Volunteer at your local charity for the weak /poor
2. Make a donation to a charity in the third world
3. Join ‘We Are One World Healing’ to build your focus on spirituality and oneness with all of life, and to manifest at the seed level the reality we would like to see: a healed community.

I hope we all …

DO A STEP FORWARD TO REALIZING THE WORLD YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE.

Namaste!

Copyright , We Are One World Healing – All Rights Reserved. Therapeutic Reiki can promote wellness and improve health. Book your distance healing reiki session today.

There are many saints to work with.  Actually, the tally of just how many saints there are, varies.

The book by Rev. Butler called ‘Lives of the Saints’ counts over 2500 saints, however, the exact number of saints in unknown, and must far exceed this. This is, as the Catholic Church once explained, because the church doesn’t make anyone a saint, but rather recognizes a saint. And so it is in other religions as well. There must be many more saints than we know of. 

What Makes a Saint a Saint

In many religions, Saints are considered a step closer to the Divine Power than we are. Religions being man-made organizations rather than Divine-made organizations, the details of what it means to be a Saint varies from one to the other as well.

The Process of Recognition of a Saint

For example, the Catholic path to sainthood is as follows: 

In the Catholic church, canonization follows beatification. Canonization is a formal many-year process of investigation whether an individual is a saint. The first step is an in-depth investigation of the virtues displayed during the person’s life by the local bishop.  When sufficient information is gathered, the saint-candidate becomes titled a  "Servant of God". 

Upon further investigation and approval, the person’s then elevated to  ‘Venerable or Heroic in Virtue’.   At this stage, believers are encouraged to ask for miracles by the saint-candidate.  A minimum of two important post-humus miracles are needed for the saint-candidate to receives the title ‘Blessed’.  This step is called  ‘beatification’.  

The final step is the recognition as ‘Saint’ by the pope himself.  Once a person has been declared a saint by the Catholic Church, his/her soul is believed to be surely in Heaven while the body & personal belongings of the saint have become holy relics.

Some of the saints have one or more symbols that represent their life.   For example, Saint Teresa of Avila if often shown with a white dove flying towards her and a notebook and feather pen in hand.   She’s been an avid journal, book and letter writer on theology in daily practice. (Her most famous books: ‘The Interior Castle‘, The Way of Perfection and The Autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila.) 

Saints are meant to be honored & respected.  One can pray to saints to ask for help, just as one can ask another person to pray for them.

However, the power of saints is granted by God. Therefore,  worship however, should be reserved for the pure Divine, or God.

In some ways, the question still remains:

What Makes a Saint a Saint?

"A saint is .. someone through whom

we catch a glimpse of what God is like"

~ Kenneth Woodward,

"Making Saints:
How The Catholic Church
Determines Who Becomes A Saint,
Who Doesn’t, And Why"

 

Perfect quote on sainthood.

The Universal Saint

Embracing all kinds of religions and paths of spirituality (beyond the Catholic church), the attributes of what they consider a Saint seem to always:

1. Be an exemplary model

2. Be an extra-ordinary teacher

3. Be a source of benevolent power, or perform miracles

4. Be selfless, ascetic in our behavior

5. Have an especially close relationship with the Divine Power.

How Can We Work with Saints?

In several ways:

• 1. We can pray to them and ask for a miracle or otherwise support.  When we pray to saints, we can not help but be inspired by them also….. Which brings me to the second and third ways:
• 2. We can choose them as our role models: the typical characteristics of saints  offer lofty guiding principles to support our every day action.  
• 3. We can choose them as our teachers. Beyond these general characteristics, every saint has his/her own personality and character traits, which may inspire awe.

I think that over time as we work with a saint on our spiritual path, we gradually move from 1. ‘a source of support’ to 2. ‘an inspiration’ to 3. ‘teacher.

Which Saint Inspires You?

For me, there are several who really inspire me, each in their own way.  For example,  the words of St. Teresa of Avila seem to so befit the ‘We Are One World Healing’ initiative, and that’s why they are posted here.   Mother Teresa symbolizes compassion in action to me, and that’s why I wrote about her here.  Other sources of inspiration have been Jesus, Buddha, Gandhi. Mother Mary to me is one to turn to for family/mother-kind of affairs. I have been in several holy places dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi, and found his energy touchable there.  And my journey goes on.

I think it does not really matter who you choose as your friend, role model & teacher in heaven.  The point is that you do work with saints. 

May you find solace in 
their encounter with you.

* Footnote 1

‘Oh When the Saints Go Marching In’ is a spiritual expression, an American Gospel hymn, and a slow funeral song sourced from New Orleans.  The traditional verses of the song are apocalyptic, with imagery from the Book of Revelations, e.g. solar and lunar eclipses; and the trumpet of Archangel Gabriel, announcing the Last Judgment.  The hymn expresses the wish to go to Heaven, which is appropriate for funerals. …. I thought to remind you of this, just before altered jazz versions of this song pop into your head.

* * * * * * * * * *

Footnote 2

Why I write about Saints on a blog about Reiki?  Most importantly, the ultimately Reiki goal is for us all to develop enlightenment, to become more Divine, to live in and give in unconditional love.  Reiki heals at four levels: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.  The last one is at least as important as the first one.

Why not instead talk about Reiki hand positions or the Reiki clients I had yesterday directly? Because there is a time and place for everything, and I find that the spiritual aspects on many Reiki blogs is not that strongly represented.  It is also the most difficult.

Basic public information about Reiki is already written about on this healing blog and on my own (distance) Reiki website.   Reiki 1 or 2 training materials are provided in my Reiki manual.  You are welcome to obtain a copy of it for your personal practical Reiki training.

Copyright , We Are One World Healing – All Rights Reserved. Therapeutic Reiki can promote wellness and improve health. Book your distance healing reiki session today.

Today, I want to share with you the submissions for this carnival of healing. There were a lot of new blogs represented. But rather than rejecting these and asking some of my veteran bloggers to submit high quality works, I thought to actually look at what’s there. And actually I could love what I found.

Granted, not everyone gave me their crown jewels to look at, and some are better writers than others, however, what’s special, what’s uplifting in all of these, is genuineness. Authenticity.

For those who know me a bit, one of my most commonly used phrased to clients, students, my family, my neighbors,… yes.. everyone, is: to be the best you can be is … TO BE TRUE TO WHO YOU REALLY ARE ON THE INSIDE. Authentic.

Being authentic is one of the Reiki principles. Often loosely translated from Japanese as ‘Do your work honestly’, this principle fundamentally makes you work from the honest, or authentic, you.

So, below you’ll find a collection of rather genuine writers, of real people who write their story.  Yes, I read all articles and provided commentary for your use. I welcome to discuss any article with you, through the comments below.

Featured Blogs

Note to article-submitters: if you are featured in my Best "Healing Holiday Articles" line-up, go ahead and show it off… Here is your badge, just for you, to post on your website. It will link back to this blog here.

The Healing Holiday Stories

LIFE CHALLENGES

• Melissa Greene presents Resignation Tendered posted at Get to the Inside.

A Lee: This is a ‘WOW’-article on spirituality.  I have to confess I nearly cried as I could so relate to it!  You see, living in Italy is not easy, even though it may sound like a wonderful romantic dream to you. It is that too. But there are indeed so many sacrifices and frustrations to go through for the sheer honor of living in this slice of paradise, following my dream of realizing a healing center of sorts.  Sigh… 

Thank you, Melissa, for your great biblical, spiritual and human perspectives offered in your article. The street I live in is called ‘The Martyrs of …’, which is about BEING the sacrificial lamb… I never liked this idea, so I have been studying what throughout time, it has meant to be a martyr… (not referring to nagging moms who give the best bits to the kids and then complain about it ).

EMPOWERMENT

• Laura Grace Weldon presents an article on empowerment, entitled Fostering the Flip Side of Gratitude .

A Lee: I want Laura on my team.   Great gal!  You can tell from the way she writes, and what she writes.  She speaks with conviction and kind heart. She takes random acts of kindness a step further and then goes on expressing gratitude-letters whenever she spots some goodness. And then, as a women on a mission, she take the next step … Read up what she does when services provided are ‘not ok’.

• Erin Pavlina presents How to Handle Public Criticism.

A Lee: An article from someone in our trenches. It makes me reflect that it really is not always easy for us clairvoyants, or any other person in the healing profession, for that matter. Erin gives us an honest account of how she has come to terms with prejudice & criticism for her work, even though she has just been giving from the bottom of her heart.

MEDITATION

• WP Ho presents a  Body, Mind, Spirit – article  How Do You Know You’re Meditating? over at The Conscious Life.

A Lee:   I like this article, or this thought rather. It ponders the difference between meditating and daydreaming… Long time ago, one of the ‘We Are One World Healing’-participants who has already passed to the other side of the veil, wrote an article on Meditation. Him being an elder from India, the article was quite advanced, I felt, and talked about ‘choiceless awareness’ and other such concepts.

Given that at that time, I had little on the topic of meditation, I felt the need to offer a complementary article ‘How to Meditate: Meditation is Simple’ oriented to a more beginning meditation audience. I think you will enjoy reading it, particularly after reading WP’s.  

 

• Axel presents Meditating In Japan posted at axel g.

A Lee:  Feels like a genuine journal entry by Axel about him going on a working/meditating retreat in Japan, complete with the aces and pains and joys. (This is an experienced blogger, btw, and you can tell by the quality of the work there.) I think he learned and contemplated a lot more than he is mentioning in this article, and I’m sure that’s elsewhere on his blog, which is all about meditation.

I lived in Japan for several years, so I know what it’s like, although I never worked in rice fields. What an experience! Japan is gorgeous and it’s a challenge. Seems like Axel witnessed both. Like him, I cherish the special Japanese moments one can spent in tatami-mat covered temples of peace and beauty. Now go check out what he has to say. You might like his blog.

• Charles Chua C K presents Be Mindful Every Moment posted at All About Living with Life.

A Lee: An short and sweet article on how to be mindful every  morning.  List of great tips. Will use.

• Charlotte presents Teaching Life Skills To Yourself posted at Inspired Being.

A Lee: Charlotte submitted several stories, and I am showcasing her best. It’s on self development, and presents six new helpful friends: 3 ‘what’ and 3 ‘how’ life skills.  She says: “The mental awareness state you get in using those skills is an integration of emotional and rational mind and goes beyond them. By adding intuitive knowing to emotional experiencing and logical analysis. The feeling can be described as “going with the flow”. Or we can call it a wise mind. “

I dig the title of this article, because it is about self-responsibility, i.e. we are response-able.

• Carole Gold presents SPF: Making Suffering, Pain and Fear Work for You posted at Carole Gold.

A Lee: A body mind spirit-article on how to be in the present moment to avoid suffering, pain and fear.“

AROMATHERAPY

• Liani presents Essential Oils for Christmas posted at Aromatherapy Blog.

A Lee: It’s an article on aromatherapy, or rather holiday smells.  Beyond the article, Liani actually has goodies on her blog, such as this wonderful recipe to make your own scented bath  salts . “Peace of Mind” it’s called: Love it.

 

 Actually, I LOOVEEE aromatherapy and work with it all the time.

If this is your interest also, here are some other Essential oil blend, recipes & tips: 

_ Aromatherapy for chakra healing

_ Romantic Rose Oil Recipe

_ Myrtle for bronchitis, coughs & other respiratory ailments

_ Mood-enhancing Blend Recipe  (no more winter blues)

_ Idaho balsam fir – what to do with that?

_ Lemon essential oil: GOOD for your health (and weight loss)

_ Fun article on how to use aromatherapy oils safely.

 

For the holidays, I recommend the mood enhancing & stress reducing aromatherapy suggestions above.

• Jennifer Mannion presents a very long Interview with Robin Easton, Author of “Naked in Eden; My Adventure and Awakening in the Australian Rainforest” posted at Heal Pain Naturally.

A Lee: I had never heard of Robin Easton, and I visited her blog as well.  I like it!

FOOD & HEALTH

• Sean Burrows presents Vegetarian Complete Protein Guide posted at Personal Growth, Development, and Health.

A Lee: OK. After reading this article, you may wish to rethink your Turkey dinner for Christmas… In this article Sean shares his favorite plant-based complete proteins. There are many other great sources of protein for vegetarians/vegans, but this article will only outline the specific ones that contain all the essential amino-acids.
Furthermore, I want to let you know that this is a new blog by one young gutsy writer to watch! He writes passionately from the heart. And he seems to have a good brain too. Besides this ‘veggies are good’ article, he submitted another article for an adult-only audience. I think this article is very useful and I think also that it’s great that it’s written by a male. I can not post here as this is a family-friendly blog. However, consider reading his thoughts on root-chakra related issues.

• Susan Liddy presents an article on healthy living, This is what Grocery Shopping should look like  at her Secrets to Ultimate Living! Blog.

A Lee: Susan says that healthy eating is critical to feeling confident and empowered. As eating mostly veggies is what she basically suggests, I think I’ll stick going to my organic farmer. “Bruno” is his name. 15 km (say 10 mile) drive round trip, but my car is full, and so is my wallet, still, after shopping.  Yes, lucky me. 

On another note, this article is a reminder  to plan ahead and make a list for holiday lunches & dinners.  Include all you need.

This avoids you, at the last minute, rushing out and buying food for all the possible dinner ideas you had in your mind at one point or another, plus some extras… I know… happened to me before. 

Actually, I have a funny story about Christmas dinner that supports Susan’s case:

When we were still living in Canada, a month or so before Christmas, we were out of power for a long time while it was freezing cold.  We curled together around the fire place and all slept in the living room, one night, two nights,….   I cooked what would fit in 1 pot in the fire place…. Yes, quite a challenge when unprepared.  Fortunately not the entire town was out of power, just our neighborhood, so we went to warmer pastures after those first few nights.  However the drama of the event gave me the BEST CHRISTMAS DINNER TIP ever, and that is: MAKE IT AHEAD OF TIME, and just freeze it. It’s a complete avoidance of Christmas stress. I love it, and yes, I’m going to do it again this year, even though the weather is not as harsh as in Canada…. still, it’s nice to have ‘no stress’ for the holidays.  Prepping ahead also makes for slightly healthier choices and I’m sure you approve, Susan!

Al right.