Ronda Snow's Blog, page 17
July 3, 2014
My Phone is Full of Sunshine
Holistic thinking applies to more than just physical health. It’s a total package. That’s why it is holistic. It has to do with more than just physical benefits. Thinking holistically applies to everything we do. By definition, everything we do relates to everything else we do and experience. Unrelated things filter back to physical well being in the long run, but with mind and spirit benefits too.
I just bought a solar charger for my cell phone. The amount of electricity my little phone uses is functionally zero when compared to the sum total of energy used in the world…or even in the rest of the house during AC season. But even that bit of nothing joins, eventually with all the little bits of nothing to add up to something. It joins with all the other solar cell chargers in the world. It joins with the degrees warmer we keep the AC and the lights we turn off when a room is empty.
It is disheartening to think that every little thing I do, every whisp of electricity I conserve is erased by other people’s greed, self-entitlement or simple carelessness. But at least that is one whisp saved, rather than two buckets full wasted. I can go to sleep knowing I did everything in my power to contribute to a healthier planet, and healthier future for my beloved child. Even little whispy things like filling my phone with sunshine instead of coal or oil.
June 27, 2014
This…so this
Lovely homage to two great scientists and teachers…
“If you want to make waffles from scratch you must first invent the universe” from http://hellascience.tumblr.com/post/89904837977
“If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe” – Carl Sagan in Cosmos
Science is beautiful, and funny, and fun.
June 26, 2014
Q&A: Pressure in the Forehead after meditating
Q: I just started meditating. I keep getting a pressure sensation in the middle of my forehead when I’m done. What does that mean?
A: There are several small things that could be contributing to it. This is one of those questions where it needs to be helped in person, or with at least some sort of one on one conversation. Are you working with an instructor or meditation coach at all? Meditation isn’t rocket surgery as they say, but it really does help to have someone experienced to go to with questions like this, especially as a beginner. I’d be happy to help if you are in the South Hills area of Pittsburgh, or willing to work via Skype. If that’s not an option, and there are no meditation coaches in your area, you might want to look for a Zen or Ch’an monk or teacher, a classically trained yoga instructor, or if you are following a particular style of meditation like TM, then finding a teacher in that style would be the best option.
Here are some GENERAL ideas. These may or may not apply to you, so use your discretion about using them (see the use at your own risk part of the small print policies page).
Check your posture. No slouching! A straight but relaxed back is important two ways. First it is important for proper energy flow. If energy is blocked or accumulating at the third eye chakra (more about that later) that may account for the pressure sensation. Second is just plain ordinary muscle tension. There are muscles in the neck and shoulder that connect under the scalp towards the front of the skull…that’s what let’s you look up, like at fireworks or an airplane. Schlumpy posture held for a time as in a meditation session could cause some tension in those muscles that is most felt at the insertion (connection) point giving a forehead sort of ache
You are trying to hard. Meditation is about a quiet mind. Sometimes that means giving our busy mind something to do, like repeat a mantra or repeat a sequence of numbers.. Sometimes visualizations can help channel busy thoughts into something quieter. For others, the important thing is to release…let the thoughts go, and emotions with them. Don’t stress about meditation…like my favorite phrase. “it is what it is”. If thoughts flood in, that’s ok. If you catch yourself holding on to them instead of letting them go, that’s ok too…at least now you know that you do that. If you are a visualizer now, try a mantra or a more release-type meditation style. No big. Not every style suites every person. That pressure you are feeling just might be pressure you are putting on yourself about meditating, just in a different form.
Be aware of your body focus. People who need meditation the most are people who tend to “live in their head”…are very thought and mind oriented in the first place. An intense focus on the third eye (the point in middle of your forehead between and just above the eyebrows). Energy goes where your attention goes. Keeping laser focus on one spot, like the forehead could cause tension there. If you ever catch yourself thinking from that spot, or focusing on the spot where the ache tends to start…then stop, take a deep breath, let go of what you were doing, and shift your focus. Look at a spot on the floor a few feet in front of you…but then let it go out of focus. Keep your eyes still, but not focus on anything too clearly.
Chakras are energy centers in the body, that are believe to help regulate life energy, the subtle esoteric, not-so-hardwired kind of energy the same way that transformers on electric poles adjust electricity from transmission power to household power. If you think there may be a blockage or imbalance within the third eye chakra, then that is definitely something to be handled on a personal, one-to-one basis, customized to your individual needs.
I hope that helps a little. If you have other questions the contact form for free answers is here
June 22, 2014
Announcement: Menage A Tarot
I’ll be co-hosting a new podcast about all things Tarot with Kate (www.daily-tarot-girl.com) and David (www.myownminister.com). Please visit / follow our podcast’s new blog or follow us on Twitter (@menageatarot) for all the latest and for the launch announcement!!
June 21, 2014
Merry Monday (a little early): Triage
Remember M*A*S*H?
That’s where I first learned about triage…most urgent first. It’s a way of life for medical folks, especially ER and first responders like you see on TV.
Turns out that was one of the handiest words I’d ever learn…not to use, but to DO.
Remember when personality “types” were the rage back in the 80s? Type A , Type B, Myers-Briggs types….
Somewhere in all that I remember a reliable source at a conference or workshop or some such thing back in my PA-C days speaking about stress tolerance and personality, and that one theory is that the stress prone “type A” had problems with triage and prioritizing. Life seems stressful to them because everything is both equally important and equally urgent. Therefor, it stands to reason that if we learn to triage, to put things in their proper order of urgency and importance…then ta-DAH! …we have significantly less stress.
It may not be hard science, or even psychological science, but my own empirical experience and observation, this has proven true time and time and time again. First things first. Minutiae can be triaged right out the window, at least for a time. I forget where I heard this bit of wisdom too…”I’ve organized my life into three categories…do now, do soon and do if I live long enough” (see “Bucket List“).
I’ve told my daughter her entire life…One thing at a time, in the right order, first things first. If things are getting pear-shaped, we might need to re-triage. Things seldom stay triaged for long. As I see it, lower stress living is a matter of constant flow of adaptation and triage.
In the case of blogging, it is getting triaged right out the window next week. If you are interested in scheduling a mini spa, just email or use the contact form on the spa page…email is higher on the triage list than blogging, but hang in there, your patience is greatly appreciated!
“Be water, my friend” – Bruce Lee.
June 16, 2014
Merry Monday: Customization
Hear’s to the tweek.
Not the twerk, for heaven’s sake – the TWEEK.
I like customizing things. Just like that guy on that mattress commercial. If I can tweek it to my own needs and aesthetics, I will. A recipe isn’t a real part of my kitchen until I’ve adjusted it to our tastes, and the highest compliment I can give a recipe or a knitting patter is to follow it as-is, without changing SOMEthing. In the case of blog themes and desktop wallpaper…I’ll tweek it a LOT and OFTEN.
That’s why I learned how to string and knot meditation beads…so I could make them with the colors and beads that I like. It’s a useful skill – I can make customized meditation beads for clients in meditation tutorials / home spa visits.
But even more, that’s why I hope you’ll write your own “Merry Monday”, or at least think about it. Not everyone likes the same thing. Stuff that makes me SQUEE in geeky delight might straight up annoy you. And vice versa. There are no magic bullets, no one thing is the best for everyone.
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again…the point of Merry Monday isn’t so much what actual thing you put on the list of neat stuff…it isn’t the STUFF that matters. What matters is the act of looking at your life and finding some small neat thing about it. It builds a positive, uplifting, comforting, happy, merry thought-habit.
And here’s to tweeking that thought-habit to match your own personal delights.
June 14, 2014
Menu Ideas: week of June 16, 2014
Originally posted on The Vampire Diet:
The youngling did a great job with last Wed. More culinary adventures to come, no doubt!
Monday – brats and corn on the cob
Tuesday – Tofu Tacos (meatless)
Wednesday – Chicken Quesidillas with homemade “pink salsa”
Thursday – Vegan chili
Friday – Baked Whitefish with “confetti rice”
Announcements: June 2014
Blog Cabin: Not much going on the past couple of weeks blog-wise. Spent May and first half of June with family at the top of the priority list, as always. The end-of-school extras are out of the way, so things are pretty back to normal.
Originally posted on Modern Oracle Tarot:
Summer Schedule: Back to Normal
E-mail readings are available 24- 7, no appointment needed. Details and ordering instructions HERE
Individual in-person readings by appointment only, in the ‘neighborhood’ service area. Details HERE
Card Parties and Party Entertainment by appointment. Details HERE. June is filled, but times are available for July & August
“Mini Spa Home Visit” : Includes 7 card tarot, aromatherapy, and your choice of Reiki session or Meditation Tutorial. Please visit www.RondaSnow.com for full details
#PeaceTarot is still only $0.99 and will stay on special price reduction until the end of summer
Special Offer “Pay What You Want Gift Exchange” for e-mail readings has been extended for summer. Get yours before the offer expires on August 31, 2014.
June 11, 2014
Tao Tuesdays moving to Thursdays – at least here
I’ve totally lost touch with Tao Tuesdays, Amy Putkonin’s genius project over on Tao Te Ching Daily.
What I’d like to do is take some actionless action, and let the summer be what it is. My hunch is to restart “Tao Tuesday”…except you known me, it’s always late anyway, so here it will be a Tao Thursday (I do love a little alliteration every now and then). After working through Amy’s wonderful version, I’d like to keep up the same thing…only maybe start taking a look at other versions too. I have a couple of favorites that would be fun to share with you, although Amy’s is still my favorite so far.
In the spirit of “it is what it is”, Tao Thursdays will resume / begin in the fall.
Stay tuned in the meantime for other Natural Health and stress reduction posts!
Thanks – R.
June 10, 2014
When The Impossible Came True
From my other blog, Modern Oracle Tarot. The same logic extends to Holistic Health, which is again under attack without evidence or reason because of the biases and beliefs…not facts…by the Center For Inquiry and their Twitter zombies – of all places. While I agree with their initiative to keep healthcare secular, they wrap natural health in with the most outlandish scams and the extreme fringes of the religious right-wing. I find this objectionable. The logic applied here to Tarot extends to Holisitc Health…it works, there is proof it works, but only when used as intended – not when we follow pop-culture fantasy claims – like the fantastical claim of “accurate predictions” within the world of psychics and Tarot
Originally posted on Modern Oracle Tarot:
Oracles are older than science.
Granted, the Oracle at Delphi is right in there with early genius like Aristarchus or Archimedes, but spiritual practices (burial rites and what have you) not only predate science, they predate written history itself.
Whenever I say “predictions are impossible” the first push-back is “what about the time…” There are times when a psychic has, with great accuracy foretold something the sitter thought was impossible. From that person’s point of view, the prediction is less impossible than the thing that happened. What of those times? How can I say ‘predictions are impossible’ when those things have happened?
Probability, that’s how.
Intuition lets us master probability – not possibility.Intuition can help us find the more probable choice. It can help us find the wiser and more compassionate choice too. Leaving spirituality and philosophy aside, let’s focus on science and psychics. There is a difference between possible…
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