Weam Namou's Blog, page 15

An Extraordinary Doctor

This time last year, I flew to Los Angeles to participate in an incredible documentary called The Staff of Mercury, which is produced by Dr. Homayoun Sadeghi, MD.  It is a visionary film intended to transform people’s lives around the world, especially with regards to health and wellness. It launches in 99 days and recently, I had the opportunity to interview Dr. Sadeghi on my show. It’s always wonderful to reconnect with him as he has a wealth of useful information and enormous positive energy. Furthermore, his story is truly fascinating.

For the longest time, Dr. Sadeghi dreamt about being a healer, but it was years of hard work and persistence before he found his true purpose in life. In his 20s, he felt a calling to be a healer, to do something greater than himself. He went back to school to become a doctor. After he attained his license, he realized that being a doctor didn’t necessarily make him a healer. He was helpless in trying to cure chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Little did he know that this is the beginning of his “Medicine Man” journey.  

“People do get healed here and there but when they do it’s often not because of what we doctors do but because of the inner resilience and tenacity they themselves must erupt to overcome their challenges,” he said.

He spent the last decade of his life interviewing, experimenting, and researching and studying things like alternative medicine, mind-body approach and the like. He found none of these in and of themselves are 100% effective. The ultimate cure for all these disease probably already exists. We just haven’t found it yet.

“We keep searching for answers in darkness,” he said. “As we touch new sign posts, we keep shifting our beliefs and mindsets.”

Dr. Sadeghi reminds us that there was a time not long ago when we thought the earth was flat; when we gave our soldiers free packs of cigarettes; when doctors endorsed their favorite cigarette brands; when we gave estrogen to even pregnant women. He adds that most doctors who practiced long enough know that many of the treatments they once learned in medical school are now considered acts of gross negligence.

“That’s because we keep learning and shifting our mind sets,” said Dr. Sadeghi. “We constantly keep changing the landscape and growing, evolving.”

He asks, “What if there was a way for you to be healthy and disease free well into your retirement years? What if you can live a much more vibrant and energetic life with just a slight shift in your mindset?”

Over the years, through a lot of ups and downs and trials and errors, he has gained amazing insights and knowledge that he hopes will change and inspire people’s lives. He shares it through these incredible insights through a brilliant mind expanding documentary called The Staff of Mercury.

“Why do I want to share?” he asks. “Because my own life and growth depends on it. Long ago, I realized that my own redemption depends on my ability to give, help, love, and serve others. We are all on the same planet. We breathe the same air and share the same earth grown food. We all depend on each other. I can’t elevate myself unless I help elevate you.”

Dr. Sadeghi is the author of The Art of Healthy Living: A Mind-Body Approach to Inner Balance and Natural Vitality. In it, he explains how health takes effort, and that this effort starts from the inside out. 

To learn more about the Staff of Mercury,  visit

Raising Healthy Communities

My first book, The Feminine Art, was published in the summer of 2004, and that autumn I attended the Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany. I stayed with my cousin, his wife and their baby girl. Every morning, I took a train to Frankfurt, stayed until late evening, and then took the train back. By that time, I had visited many countries such as Greece, Italy, France, Portugal, Morocco, and Tunisia. But Germany was my last trip to Europe. Shortly afterward, I got married, had children and committed myself to my home, family, writing, and in the last four years, in taking care of my mother.

My trips abroad, which extended for over 10 years, were an incredibly educational experience, especially because I didn’t live like a tourist. I stayed with relatives, sometimes months at a time, and learned quite a bit. One main difference between us and them was the healthcare system. Theirs was universal. In Iraq, I grew up under that system so it felt more natural to me since, whatever our other worries were, healthcare was not one of them. That was also the case in most of the countries I visited, including Germany, where my cousin’s baby received a monthly stipend simply for being born in Germany. Even though her parents were not German citizens, the baby was entitled to these stipends until age 18 and the family didn’t need to be poor to receive them. You simply had to be born in Germany.  

After I returned to the United States, I maintained contact with my cousin. When his wife had a second child, she told me how a woman came to help her with household chores two to three times a week. I asked if she had to pay for that service. She said, no, that it was covered under the maternity costs. This truly surprised me. I had had my first baby by then and found little help available. The idea of having a woman assist me twice, even once, a week seemed dreamy.

I don’t know how the healthcare in Germany has changed in the last decade, but I recently found a paper I’d written in college that compared our healthcare system to that of Europe. I’d written it in the 1990s. It seems this subject has always intrigued. I wondered, why couldn’t we adopt an idea that already works elsewhere? Every day, we adopt new ways of manufacturing cars, designing clothes, consuming food, exercising, treating and interacting with nature, accumulating wealth and prosperity, and having healthier relationships. Why can’t we do the same with healthcare?

Over the years, Americans have paid more attention to healthcare and enormous efforts have been made to create plans that benefit the majority of the population. On my show recently, I had two guests who shared their own efforts to make life a little easier for mothers and caregivers. Two campaigns that they are organizing under their new gender equity program are increasing the investment in subsidized child care in Michigan state budget and advocating for a study bill on aging and long term care.

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Cherie Happy is a community organizer on Michigan United’s campaign for Universal Family Care. A life-long Michigan resident, Cherie is affected both by family members suffering with disabilities and she is also caring for an elderly parent suffering with Alzheimers disease. Cherie has just begun her efforts toward making cultural and legislative changes to provide care for those in need.

Rebecca Gray is a community organizer on Michigan United’s campaign for Universal Family Care.  A life-long Michigan resident, Rebecca connects with people affected by childcare and long-term care to work towards cultural and legislative changes. She is personally struggling with childcare for her 6 month old daughter. 

Myself a mother and caregiver, I’m part of a growing number of women who have come to be known as the “Sandwich Generation.” But this isn’t something new. Historically women have been handed the nurturing roles of mothers and caregivers. These are tough but very important jobs. Taking care of our children and elderly are the basis of a civilized society.  There’s a famous Arabic proverb that says, “Home is a school.” This is where the possibilities begin to raise healthy, stable children who will grow up to create rather than destroy, who will take care of each other, rather than destroy each other. I’m so grateful for women like Cheri and Rebecca who are helping us raise healthy communities.  

To learn more about Michigan United’s campaign for Universal Family Care, visit http://www.miunited.org/our-campaigns/gender-equity-womens-leadership-and-the-caring-economy/

Leadership Inside Out

Michelle Pallas has led a remarkable journey, overcoming a dysfunctional family, a dead-end marriage, and the rampant sexism of a bygone era. She ended up laying her story in a book for all of us to learn from.

Pack an Extra Pair of Underpants is part self-help book, part memoir, a motivational story about overcoming adversity – both in life and in business. It’s about taking ownership of your choices and developing a leadership style of your own. Here, Pallas chronicles her career of finding paths and blazing trails. Of taking charge and taking names. Of her relentless and remarkable reinvention. Then, in the face of a life-threating illness, she finds the courage she so desperately needs to embrace her role in business – and in life – as a trailblazer.

I met Michelle at the 2016 election recount. We’d showed up at Macomb Community College and shortly afterward, discovered that the recount was cancelled. During our so-called “break”, we chitchatted and learned we had two things in common; we were both authors and we both strongly believed in supporting other women, especially in leadership. 

What I enjoyed most about that day was meeting Michelle and having the opportunity to talk to people of different political views. Listening to others’ perspectives is healthy, educational, even inspiring. And it’s essential for a writer’s life. Good listeners make exceptional writers, and more importantly, compassionate human beings.   

As for Michelle’s book, I really enjoyed the parts where she searches for meaning and inner power by looking into her heritage. On page 29, she writes, “As my vision for a new life came into focus, I started to wonder about my grandparents. Why was Pa so angry about life? What made Ma so complacent when her mother was so independent?” She and her sister Mary decided to make a project of documenting the family tree, seeking to uncover some hidden truths. They started by interviewing Ma.

“We delighted in stories about [Ma’s] childhood and learned more about what happened when her father died during the Great Depressing, leaving my grandmother to manage his rental properties and raise two girls on her own.”  

Ma’s paternal uncles were inventors and entrepreneurs who came from Boston, previous generations having left Ireland during the potato famine. Her mom’s ancestors came from Germany in the 1800s and settled in Michigan as landscapers and florists. She claimed her great-grandfather even invented the long-stemmed rose. Her great uncle, Philip Breitmeyer, was a florist and one of the founders of the Florists’ Telegraph Delivery (FTD). And from 1909-10, he was mayor of Detroit.

When they asked Pa about his family history, his response was, “It’s none of your business.”

His response piqued their curiosity, both wanting to know how they “fit” into this world. It wasn’t until years later that they discovered their father’s rich ancestry that can be traced to France. As I continued to read Michelle’s story, I was intrigued by her and her family’s journey.

Anyone who digs deep enough into their heritage will find countless treasures of strength and beauty. They’ll also likely find stubborn not-so-pleasant patterns which are generations old. These discoveries can be incredibly healing. Once we learn about our roots, we can decide which parts to embrace and continue passing on to the next generation and which to release so that our children and grandchildren don’t have to repeat them. 

These countless treasures and patterns are not only exciting to find, but they usually make for great books. 

Check out Michelle’s book on Amazon!

Women in Ministry

Reverend Barbara Yarnell was in law enforcement for 29 years and retired from the Detroit Police Department with the rank of Executive Lieutenant. After she retired, she decided to be a minister. She was ordained on October 27, 2007 and her earlier studies certified her as a spiritual healer, medium, associate minister and Level One Meta-physician. She works as a minister, teacher, and healer. 

I met Rev Barbara through a mutual friend at the Edgar Casey’s Association for Research and Enlightenment.  Shortly thereafter, she invited me to speak at her church, the Center of Enlightenment in Ferndale. She also wanted us to meet and asked me to recommend a restaurant that served good Iraqi food. I offered that she instead come to my home for a homemade Iraqi meal. We’ve been friends ever since.

Over the years, I’ve given a number of talks at the Center of Enlightenment and I’ve learned so much from Rev Barbara and the other ministers there. I particularly enjoyed my talk last month because my eight-year-old son accompanied me. After service, he and I joined the ministers at a restaurant for breakfast.  He was so intrigued by the service and the conversations we had that he asked to visit again.

Rev Barbara has been a blessing and instrumental in helping me put together The Path of Consciousness, a spiritual and writing conference and retreat, where in the early mornings she will lead service at the beautiful chapel inside the establishment. Aside from providing continuous services, she has led a full and meaningful life, doing the work she enjoys best and traveling the world with her husband. She went to Brazil twice to visit the famous medium and psychic surgeon John of God who has been featured in major news outlets and interviewed by Oprah. She went simply for curiosity’s sake, to watch John of God perform, not for any healing. From that trip, she had an idea to write two books which relate to John of God. He gave her permission to do so and blessed the process. 

When I invited her on my show, I didn’t know whether to have her talk about John of God or about women in ministry.  I then figured I’d have her on the show twice because once wasn’t going to be enough. She has a lot of rich information and many delightful stories to share.

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Regarding women in ministry, women have always played an important role in the growth of the church, even being among the few who witnessed the crucifixion of Christ when most of the disciples had run away (Matthew 27:55; John 19:25). The apostle Paul held women in high regard and in many of his letters to the church he greeted precise women by name. Paul addresses these women as “co-workers” and they evidently served the Lord to the benefit of the church.

Yet women in ministry is an issue which Christians have disagreed upon. The split stems from the passages of Scripture that forbid women to speak in church or “assume authority over a man.” (1 Timothy 2:12; 1 Corinthians 14:34).  Some say that, since there is neither “Jew nor Greek… male or female… but you are all one in Christ” (Galatians 3:28), women are free to pursue any field of ministry open to men. Others still say that those passages were relevant only to the era in which they were kept.

During the interview, Rev Barbara quotes Corinthians 12:27-3, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.”

What I hadn’t realized is that the Catholic Church ordained women for nearly 11 centuries. Gary Macy, professor of Theology at Santa Clara University, said in a lecture at Vanderbilt University that until about the mid-12 century, women were ordained as deaconesses, served as bishops, distributed Communion and even heard confessions. He said, “Women were considered to be as ordained as any man… they were considered clergy.”

But, he added, politics led to theological rules that wiped out the practice.  The church by the 12th century sought to protect its property from feudal lords by inventing “a separate clerical class.” Theologians came to view women as “metaphysically different from other people,” so that, by the mere fact of being female, women were considered incapable of being ordained.

From mere observation, it’s obvious that less women leaders in government and religious institutions has not helped make our world a better place. One need only look at the Middle East vs. Norwegian countries as an example of how her absence or presence can either make or break that country.

Watch the 30 minute interview and visit The Path of Consciousness to learn more about the spiritual and writing conference and retreat.

 

 

 

A Journalist Serves Through Tarot Reading

I had no idea that my friend’s daughter, Christina Salem, did Tarot readings, but once I found out, I invited her on my show. Aside from all the other aspects that make Christina interesting, I wanted a Tarot reading!

Last year, Christina called me asking for advice about traveling abroad. She was then a senior at Oakland University, majoring in Journalism and Public Relations, and she was getting ready to travel as a PR spokesperson for a study abroad program to teach international journalism while observing the economic and refugee crisis in Greece.

Recently, when I invited author John Monteith, her stepfather, to my show, I learned that the main character of his latest book Prophecy of Ashes was inspired by Christina. Christina had studied astrology, Tarot reading, and other supernatural phenomena. After venturing the other side of the world and walking in and out of refugee camps as a student journalist, she realized her true calling by helping others along their journey through life’s obstacles. 

As she did more research and history on her Chaldean culture, she came across fascinating information about its history regarding astrology. The Chaldean astrologers were famous for their love and pursuit of knowledge in every branch of science and the basic characteristic of ancient Mesopotamian religion was its view of the numina (spiritual force) behind natural phenomena. 

Christina was gifted The Wild Unknown tarot deck in 2017 after studying tarot for two years and has given readings, clarifications and counsel all around the world. The information and experience she gathered led her to start a Tarot readings business online called Salem’s Vision. 

“After enduring a lifelong battle with confusion, discovering my vision gave me the opportunity to help people understand theirs,” she said.

Most people envision Tarot card reading to be performed by a woman in flowing robes, leaning over a small table with a crystal ball and candlelight, maybe with a little incense smoke too. They think that it’s a form of fortunetelling, but really, it more so helps you look within. Similarly to coffee grain or tea leaf readings, Tarot reading highlights the aspects of your life which you may not be entirely aware of at the moment.

Tarot Cards are a tool used for divination and the reading is usually performed by someone with strong intuition and clairvoyance who uses his or her gifts to provide answers and guidance for people. They help you take a look at what are the influences in your life, what conscious and subconscious control you are exercising on your life, and how these numerous aspects may manifest in the future. It puts specific weight on what blocks are in your way and how to overcome them.

“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.” 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 

Watch the half-hour segment to learn about Christina’s story and to watch the Tarot reading she did for me which was pretty insightful.  

For more information about Salem’s Vision, visit https://www.salemsvision.com/

This is the book who’s main character is based on Christina: 

Constitution Cafe: Rational, Respectful, and Thought-Provoking Conversations

Last fall, I was at Panera Bread interviewing Fayrouz Saad, the woman running for congress, when a few people sitting at the table beside us stroked a conversation. One of them was John Kulesz, a local attorney and activist who for the past two and a half years has facilitated the Constitution Café at the Troy Historic Village in the Old Church.

“What’s the Constitution Café?” I asked.

He explained that it was a forum where people explore the meanings and ideas behind the Constitution of the United States. This project was started by author Christopher Phillips, author of Constitution Cafe, a book which addresses the much needed conversation about our founding document and forging common ground at a time when our country needs it most. 

I admitted that I didn’t know as much about the Constitution as I should, despite my college education and the amount of reading that I do. But I’m always up for learning.

“I went to law school and they discussed the Constitution once, on the first day of class,” he said and encouraged me to attend.

I ended up going about a month later and found the political discussions interesting and lively because the audience was diverse and interactive. In an era of extreme-partisanship, it was uplifting to meet Americans of all political opinions involved in rational, respectful, and thought-provoking conversations with one another.

Each month, there’s a different discussion. For instance, last week, the topic was the Separation of Powers. This provision bans any senator or representative from any civil office under the authority of the United States while they are holding elected office.

“Why do we have separate branches of government to begin with?” asked John. “Whose idea was that?”

Here’s a hint: It wasn’t a Founder. They cribbed the idea from a French philosopher!

Even during the half-hour interview, I learned so much from listening to John. No matter what profession a person is in, no matter what age, it’s important to be aware and always up to date of the laws governing their country. I came to the United States as a child and, like many other immigrants, was surprised how little many Americans knew about their own government. In my birth country of Iraq, people risked their lives just to read a book or article to find the truth. Those who attempted to write about the government, even if indirectly, were sentenced to prison, and if they repeated such behavior, they risked death.

Yet in the United States, discussions about “religion and politics” are often found inappropriate and therefore discouraged. So when during and after the recent electionspeople expressed their opinions, some of their friends with differing views “unfriended” them on social media.

“The people who started to “unfriend” people have forgotten how to talk to each other and they’ve forgotten how to listen,” said John.

Things are changing, however, and people are learning these forgotten skills. Maybe they’re even having fun in the process.

It’s fun to learn, explore, and discover ways to make a positive change in the world. Did you know Thomas Jefferson believed that Americans should examine and rewrite the U.S. Constitution to fit their needs every two decades! Ask yourself this question that’s posted on the website of the Constitution Café: “If you could scrap these parchment pages and redraft the text, what elements would you include, amend or leave out entirely?” It adds that “Utilizing the Socratic Method of inquiry and discussion, you have the chance to be like our Founding Fathers each month as we look at the Constitution, from the preamble to the articles to the amendments, engaging in civil discourse to ‘create’ a new Constitution.”

How exciting is that?

Constitution Cafés are free to attend. Programs take place on the second Sunday of each month at 2:00 pm (except for holidays). For more information about upcoming topics, visit http://troyhistoricvillage.org/events/constitution-cafes/

US Navy Officer Turned Prolific Writer

I met author John R Monteith through his wife Aida, a dear childhood friend of mine. Knowing our love for books and writing, she introduced us years ago and since then, John and I’ve had several conversations with him about the art of prolific writing. We’ve both authored 12 books, and he’s now ready to publish his 13th book.

Last week I invited John to come on my TV show for several reasons. Aside from being supportive of my work, and this being an opportunity to reconnect with his lovely wife, he is a highly accomplished author and has good literary advice to share. He also has a fascinating story. John graduated from the Naval Academy in 1991 and his career in the U.S. Navy included service abroad a nuclear ballistic missile submarine and a tour as a top-rated instructor of combat tactics at the U.S. Naval Submarine School.

A few years ago, I interviewed John about his work, when he was only on his seventh book of the award-winning and bestselling Rogue Submarine series. His newest book, Prophecy of Ashes: A Supernatural Occult Thriller, is a thriller that blends supernatural, metaphysical, and paranormal elements. The main character, Diana, was inspired by his stepdaughter Christina Salem, a beautiful and educated young woman who does Tarot Cards (I’m having her on my TV show in a couple of weeks and I can’t wait for her to do a reading for me!)

 

Prophecy of Ashes is different than Monteith’s other books, but given the reviews he received so far, it looks like his readers are impressed with his storytelling abilities, regardless of genre. I’m reposting John’s older interview in this blog post, focusing on his Rogue Submarine series, because it’s really inspirational and motivational for emerging writers. And I encourage you to watch the recent half-hour interview as it shows how commitment and discipline can help you grow within a matter of a few years.

WN: How did you start your writing career?

MONTEITH: It was all a matter of self-expression. It was never a business decision. I was going through a very dark time, had a lot of issues to deal with and feeling lost and angry. I didn’t want to yell at people, so I yelled at the paper. My main character, Jake Slate, a naval officer, was very angry. He wants to understand his anger and get over it. He has a drinking problem and his wife tries to introduce him to religion while he tries to figure out where he fits in as someone who kills people.

WN: Was writing therapeutic for you?

MONTEITH: Psychologists say to figure out what’s bothering you and write it down. I picture Jake Slate as me, the invincible invisible me. He is ten years younger than me. Then there’s the international arms dealer, Pierre Renard, and he’s ten years older than me. He’s part of the therapy too. He has a heart, but he just can’t stop manipulating people.

WN: What was the writing and publishing process like for you?

MONTEITH: I started writing the first novel in 1996. It took nine years until it was published. I lost count of the number of revisions it went through. I realized later that I needed that time to learn to write. I had two mentors and I took a class and a few workshops in creative writing. I also read a lot of books.

I was very disappointed when it came to publishing the book. I approached over 120 agents. Two offered to read the manuscript and nothing came of that. I figured this is a dead end. It’s self-destruction. Still, I started writing the next book because I couldn’t help it. I wrote the first draft to that book in two months, and I felt that at least those years of writing were an investment in learning the craft. Now I know how to do it.

I went on to write the third book. But I hated losing money and not getting published. In 2005, I had decided to publish with Author House. In 2007, my second book was published by iUniverse. I went that route just so I could see my books in hard copy, but they were money losers.

WN: What did this do for your writing career?

MONTEITH:   Well, one day I called a friend of mine, an author, for a blurb for my book, and he asked, “How are you publishing this book?” When I told him, he said, “No, no, you’re doing it all wrong. Nowadays it’s all about Kindle and eBooks.

He told me how much he was making and I was surprised. At that point, I changed the title of my first book, to make them all alphabetical, and published them as eBooks in 2010. I did this for the rest of my books as I continued writing the series.

WN: You’re a full-time engineer, working ten to eleven hours a day. How do you find time to write so many books?

MONTEITH: I write nights and weekends. I’m married, but I don’t have any kids, and that allows me for the extra time. I’ve done this enough times to know how to fill out an entire manuscript. I can just start writing and know what direction it will take. I don’t start writing until I have a story arch. The skeleton is already there. I already have an idea for book eight. I’m going to take the Rogue Submarine book series as far as I can.

WN: What advice would you give writers?

MONTEITH: Make sure you do it because you have a burning desire to express yourself. Don’t do it for money and to be famous, because there’s much better ways to do that.

John will be presenting a workshop on “Writing Adventurous Fiction” for Detroit Working Writers’ upcoming conference. For more information, visit http://www.detworkingwriters.org/conf...

Visit John Monteith’s Amazon page

To watch more interviews with highly accomplished, talented, inspirational and influential people, subscribe to my youtube channel by clicking here:

The Path of Consciousness

It was a full moon, a Wolf Moon in January of 2016. We were on a family trip in Cancun, Mexico, on a tour of the Riviera Maya. Before 3:00 pm, I left my husband and children and walked beneath a wooden archway with the words “Path of Consciousness” printed in Spanish and English.

The trail led to the Mayan ceremony I’d signed up for which included a Temazcal steam bath. This relaxing mystical old-age rite is good for the soul and mixes a spiritual journey with an encounter with the basic elements of our planet: water, fire, earth, and wind. I came upon a narrow pathway to the right, with a bowl of incense beside a large shell. Over it, a sign read:

“Enjoy a relaxing experience and feel yourself being reborn with this mystical old-age rite. The Temazcal steam bath is good for the soul. It mixes a spiritual journey with a truly delightful encounter with the basic elements of our planet: water, fire, earth, and wind…”

I went into the narrow road that seemed hidden within beautiful trees. The road led to a round area where three men dressed in white trousers prepared the burning of large black stones. They greeted me and asked that I take a seat on the bench, besides an Indian couple who also happened to live in Michigan. I then watched as the men continued to make the black stones hotter and redder.

During the ceremony, we had the opportunity to reflect on our negativities and then to throw them away, using maple syrup chips, into the incense bowl that the shaman came to us with. We drank a bowl of tree sap, were asked to close our eyes and dream in our new vision, and we were blessed by the shaman in the Mayan language. Then we were led into a sweat lodge.

The sweat lodge was dark, with only four lit candles. Soon the hot stones were brought in by a wagon and piled in the middle of the room. The room became warm, and when the men poured aromatic water over the stones, producing steam, it became hotter and hotter.

“I will eventually blow out the candles and the room will be completely dark,” he said, both in English and Spanish so all seven people would understand him. “If you feel you want to leave, that’s okay, just clap your hands and we will help you out. But I ask that you stay and take advantage of this opportunity. Allow the prayers to transport you to another place in time. Allow the steam created by the herbs and hot stones to envelope your body as it purifies your spirit, then experience a rebirth as you abandon to the warm shelter of mother earth’s womb.”

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He talked about the feminine power, the importance of women in this world, how they are the backbone of society and therefore, need to be treated well by men. He then talked about the four elements of our planet. Not long after he blew out the candles, with the steam rising higher and the room getting hotter, I did have this urge to escape, to clap my hands. I tried to stay still, but I felt very uncomfortable, and then I asked myself, “What am I afraid of?”

Suddenly, I relaxed. I relaxed enough to listen to the answer which I was afraid to look at. I received much wisdom in this submission and remembered my teachers from Lynn Andrews’ school who had also held sacred space for me as I faced my dark side, and how facing my dark side has also helped me find the light.

We walked out of the sweat lodge into a waterfall of pure water. We returned to the circle for another drink, and to give gratitude. The shaman thanked us for keeping this thousands-year-old Mayan tradition alive by our participation. We thanked him for this amazing opportunity.

The last time I had gone to Mexico was twenty years ago, to chaperone my niece and her friends for their Spring Break. Back then, shamans were not a part of any excursion. Back then, few people had ever heard the word shaman. Luckily, today is a different story. Today that tradition is not only alive and well, but it’s available to everyone who understands and appreciates the healing and rejuvenation it provides for us and our Earth.

Here I am two years later, that one experience not having left my mind and spirit. Knowing I can’t easily go to Mexico for spiritual ceremonies, I decided to create a similar community in my neighborhood. So I started The Path of Consciousness, an idea born from the little hideaway in the Riviera Maya, Mexico. Similarly to the Temazcal steam bath, this community is about reconnecting through ancient teachings and tools; releasing what no longer serves us; healing and transforming ourselves through writing and storytelling; and creating a better world for our families and communities.

This year, we’re having our first yearly spiritual and writing conference and retreat, where you’ll have the opportunity to enhance your personal and business life with various ancient teachings, including writing and storytelling. It’s close enough to drive to and far enough to find peace,  spiritual growth, and writing time at an affordable price.

Date: October 5-7, 2018

Place:  Colombiere Retreat and Conference Center in Clarkston, Michigan 

For more information, visit   https://thepathofconsciousness.com 

Hypnotic Regressions and Past Lives

 

Marie Gates has led a most interesting life, along the way helping countless writers and those seeking the spiritual path. I met Marie over 20 years ago when she led the Rochester Writers Group at Barnes & Noble. This group introduced me to many wonderful people, some who have since passed away, and others who I became good friends with including Marie.

Over the years, the more I learned about Marie, the more I respected and admired her as a person and as a writer. She has had a most interesting life. As I’ve often said, “What’s the use of having a great book if you have a lousy life? These days, especially, having a great life can easily translate into a great book.”

That’s the case with Marie Gates. She has translated her great experiences into several books and is currently working on her third book.  Marie holds an M.A. in psychology, and for several years she taught in colleges and universities. Her first book, Shadows on My Mind: A Psychologist Explores Reincarnation and PSI, describes how she first became interested in reincarnation.  As a university instructor, she encountered a student acquainted with a hypnotist who regressed people to their past lives, and curiosity about a vivid dream led her to him.  He uncovered five of her incarnations, including that of the woman in the dream.  Under hypnosis, Marie gave her name and that of her husband and their city.  She was able to verify this life by finding the woman’s daughter.

Marie spent the past thirty years exploring reincarnation and other spiritual topics.  Hypnotic regressions and spiritual healing sessions revealed a number of her past lives.  Research confirmed the existence of Rev. Jacob Gruber, the 19th century circuit-riding minister described in her second book, Are We Our Past Lives?          

 “Everything we are can be traced to past lives,” Marie said, explaining what the book is about. “Before birth we select our physical appearance, health, values, habits, talents, disabilities, and many other qualities.  We also choose our family members and close associates as well as factors such as our occupation and where we will live.  All of these choices are made to work upon our past-life karma.   Knowing this helps explain who we are, why, and the dynamics of our relationships.”

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The main objective of this book is to illustrate how former lives affect people and their relationships.  Each of the first nine chapters of Are We Our Past Lives? begins with one of Marie’s past lives.  Then comes a historical perspective showing the factors that may have influenced that life.  Next she relates aspects of her current life, such as tendencies, abilities, challenges, and relationships, to that incarnation.  Marie’s claustrophobia originated in a life as Tim, a young gold miner who suffocated in a cave.  Relationships with people who were relatives both in a past life and a present life are discussed with karma, unresolved emotions, in mind.  A current family member was responsible for Tim’s death in the cave, and he has paid back some of his karmic debt by teaching Marie to be less trusting of others.    

Are We Our Past Lives? illustrates how former lives affect personalities and relationships in a current life in great depth and it emphasizes the cumulative origin of conditions such as depression and chronic anger.  The incarnations presented in Are We Our Past Lives? span 1,700 years.

“By reading it, you might recall events in your life which will trigger many different emotions including joy, anger, sadness, and regret,” she noted.  “You might realize the necessity of forgiving another person for an offense.  You might speculate about what happened in a past life.”

By reflecting upon their personalities and relationships, and perhaps thinking about how they relate to past lives, readers may make positive changes in their lives.  Some may seek a hypnotist or other therapist to explore the origin of a disorder such as chronic anxiety and receive treatment. 

“And you’ll feel hopeful,” she said.

Spiritual work has led to the complete resolution of Marie’s past-life karma, and depression is no longer a concern. Marie hopes that this book will also “remove the stigma of mental illness.”

Watch the half-hour interview with Marie Gates and to learn more about her work, visit http://www.areweourpastlives.com/

Your Purpose Will Give You Prosperity

I met Sylvia Hubbard, Detroit’s literary diva, some ten years ago when I attended one of her workshops. The most memorable part of the workshop is seeing her children there, one crawling under the table and she going about her business with the most pleasant attitude. As a new mom going crazy and wondering how I’m going to continue my writing career, I thought, “Oh, this is doable.”

We kept in contact and continued to watch each other grow as authors, especially as we’re both members of Detroit Working Writers. She went on to publish over forty books, five which became bestsellers, she won awards, and she continued to nurture Motown Writers Network which she founded decades ago. She did all this while raising three children on her own. 

“How did you do it?” I asked her when she came on my show last week. 

“I start off with the grace of God,” she said. “And the spirit of starting with myself, and making myself happy. Writing makes me happy.”

She found that, as a single mom, pursuing her dreams led her children to jump on board. It also helped her find creative ways to nurture their passion so that they got to do their own thing while she did her thing. This led her to see what lying looks like.

But initially it was her mother who geared her toward the power of writing and storytelling. When Sylvia was six years old,  whenever she’d lie about something, her mother would have her write the lie on paper.

“My pain became my pleasure,” she said. “I began to understand the power of storytelling.”

After Sylvia’s divorce, her mother also put her into focus. She said to her, “Your purpose will give you prosperity.” 

Evidently that advice was wise and true. 

Another factor that influenced her is hearing older people talk about what they wish they had done in their lives. Not wanting to live with the sense of regret made her invest the time to make her dreams come true. 

Watch this fun 30 minute interview that will inspire you to do what you love with passion and discipline.

To learn more about Sylvia Hubbard, or to order her new book, visit:  http://sylviahubbard.com 

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