“Touch Me” Taurus

Taurus April 21 – May 21

When I think of this month’s Sun sign, the first word that comes to mind is “touch.” When we know one’s Sun sign, it gives us insight to what they are becoming, the fingerprint of their soul. In the preverbal stage all children will respond to loving touch, and this is especially true of the Taurus child.

In the same way that Carl Jung, the Swiss psychiatrist used the ancient art and wisdom of astrology to provide him with the basic nature of his patients, parents too, through a natal chart reading can gain insightful knowledge as a means to guide their children on their path of emotional and spiritual growth.  Similarly, a natal chart can help parents to understand that each child is unique and different, and will also encourage them to become more objective about their expectations.    

Astrology is so rich and deep, and one’s Sun sign is only a piece of an individual’s personality, however, if you have a little bull in your midst, be sure to provide lots of soft cushy things! Taurus is the sensual sign, they take in the world through all of their senses. A Taurus child can be soothed by soft music, fluffy blankets, relaxing colors, and sensitive touch (babies like massages too)!

Your little bull will enjoy the scents of spring and the great outdoors being earthy as they are. The Taurus child teaches us to be in the moment; a great lesson, because this ”moment” is our point of power. Take time to stop and smell the roses with your children this month. We can all do well by grounding ourselves in mother earth and her fascinating beauty. This month is Mother’s Day, and what better way to help honor Mother Earth than by sharing her with your kids!  

 

 

 

 

TV & Kids: A Recipe for Obesity?

Advertisers spend $1.5 billion annually to market to youth. Sixty percent of this budget is used to advertise high calorie, low nutrition foods and beverages, also known as “obesogenic” or obesity causing foods. Television does contribute to overweight children, however, not in the way one would expect.

It would appear that the increase in childhood obesity relates to sedentary activities, like watching television. To the contrary, research of more than 2000 children in a study at the University of California Los Angeles, found it wasn’t the amount of TV children watched, but the amount of advertising viewed that is the real culprit.

Everyday we are bombarded with ads. Unfortunately for children, they are a primary, influencial, and future market for advertisers, and the target for misguided information that takes advantage of their undeveloped cognitive abilities. For example, Lapierre, Vaala and Linebarger (2011), found that five year old children chose cereal with recognizable characters on the packaging over any other factor. In addition, these cereals promoted with characters are usually of high sugar content.

Advertisers are good at getting around the self-regulations that have been imposed on them, mixing images and content that do not match, implying food is healthy when in reality it’s loaded with sugar and fat. As a matter of fact California consumers just won a case against Nutella  for this very practice. Maybe its time for us to switch channels and look at the underlying problem of childhood obesity,  unhealthy habits that are contributing to a generation of children who are now acquiring adult diseases.

As parents we need to be media literate for the sake of our children and encourage healthy foods. We can’t keep our kids away from advertisers’ influence, it’s everywhere. However, we can be vigilant in helping them to learn about the importance of giving their growing bodies nutritious food. Because their lives depend on it!

Understanding the Aries Influence

Aries - The Ram
To Live with fear, but act decisively

Ahhhh….spring is in the air – a fresh new energy and the opportunity for growth! Spring always reminds me of one of my favorite children’s books, Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney. I discovered the book when my children were young and still have a copy in my personal library.       

Barbara Cooney wrote and illustrated over 200 books in her lifetime and has said, “Of all the books I have done, Miss Rumphius, Island Boy, and Hattie and the Wild Waves, are the closest to my heart. These three are as near as I ever will come to an autobiography”. I too relate to Miss Rumphius and aspire to its message that we must all do something to leave the world a more beautiful place.

Springtime brings with it the astrological energy of Aries. Aries has many attributes, but as the first sign of the zodiac it most importantly represents our sense of self, the childlike quality and experience of living in the present moment. As a parent it is often challenging to allow our children the right to their own identity, yet as Kahlil Gibran said, “Knowledge of the self is the mother of all knowledge”.

Planting seeds and tending a garden are a great opportunity to learn patience and the natural order of the universe. Often we want our children to grow before their time, or in a manner of form that goes against their nature. Would we ever be successful at speeding the growth of our garden tomato plant or turning it into a turnip?

This month I encourage you to find ways of supporting the children in your life (including your inner child) to be who he or she truly is by providing them time to explore their authentic “self”. What is it that you’ve noticed your child likes to do? Astrology is a valuable tool for understanding what to expose a child to if you need some guidance.  For Barbara Cooney it was her artistic talent. Of her mother she said, “She gave me all the materials I could wish for and then left me alone, didn’t smother me with instruction. Not that I ever took instruction very easily…The only art lesson my mother gave me was how to wash my brushes. Otherwise, she left me alone.” It takes a lot of clarity on a parent’s part to allow their child the freedom to be!

As an astrologer and writer, I can appreciate the importance of the stories and myths that are woven through our lives. On receiving the Caldecott Medal in 1959 Barbara Cooney replied, “I believe that children in this country need a more robust literary diet than they are getting…. It does not hurt them to read about good and evil, love and hate, life and death. Nor do I think they should read only about things that they understand…. a man’s reach should exceed his grasp. So should a child’s. For myself, I will never talk down to—or draw down to—children.”

So this month remember the lesson it brings, nurture individuality and see what joy and beauty it brings!

The Science of the Mind: Creative Visualization

I love what I see!

Our society does not generally support the creative thinker, yet today, we’re all being required to tap into our creativity in an effort to navigate the many changes taking place. Creativity is such an important tool for our health and well-being. It really is our natural state.

 Along the way I have had the opportunity to learn from and interview some of the best in this field, and it is my hope that you will support your children in remembering the truth of who they are through the simple process of creative visualization.

 Creative visualization is the technique of using your imagination to create what you want in your life. You are already using visualization through the power of your imagination, you just may not be aware of it. Through the imagination we have the ability to create a mental picture of what we would like to bring into being.  Everything starts with a thought. The very emotion you are feeling right now and the last decision you made all began with a single thought.

 The things that we tell ourselves have been proven so powerful in creating our perception and reality that Steve Sisgold, author of What’s Your Body Telling You?, has coined the term “viral belief” in relationship to our negative thoughts which can become parasitic viruses that sicken our body.  

Louise Hay was a pioneer of healing the body with the help of creative visualization which she used to assist her in her own healing of cervical cancer. Her book, You Can Heal Your Life with the message “You have the power to change your life,” has helped millions of people and brought her notoriety as the sixth best selling female author of all time. Louise’s message was based on the idea that by changing our thoughts we can change our reality. For years creative visualization has been used to enhance sports performance, help to cure cancer and aids, assist in relieving stress, and cope with anxiety.

Regardless of spiritual or religious beliefs, creative visualization provides a proven method that can permanently change the neural complexity of the brain. In their book, How God Changes Your Brain: Breakthrough Findings from a Neuroscientist, authors Andrew Newberg M.D. and Mark Robert Waldman studied participants and realized that, “Neuroscience and spirituality can enhance each other.”  Their research supports that by actively believing that what you are doing is going to help you, it will help you. On the other hand, they caution to be careful of your negative thoughts, because you can actually damage areas of the brain. By using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), it was found that while just reading negative words anxiety and depression were increased while reading positive words lowered them.      

Because our brains make no distinction between our inner and outer reality we can make changes both physiologically and psychologically. For example if you tell yourself “I’m getting sick,” the body will take aversive action. Therefore repeating positive thoughts and visualizing, truly does affect your health.  Author Shakti Gawain, in her book Creative Visualization originally written twenty-five years ago, shares successful stories of people using her methods; one of healing a brain tumor, others of healing cancer, and even her own mother who dissolved gall stones by using creative visualization techniques.  She suggests the use of visualization and affirmations as a helpful supplement that can be used in conjunction with the treatment of your choice to maintain and heal your body. Shakti encourages four basic steps that she has found effective; (1) set your goal, (2) establish a clear mental picture and feeling, (3) focus and meditate on it often, (4) affirm the intention using affirmations.

Some examples of healing affirmations are:

I am loving and healing myself on all levels – spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical.

I am good to my body and my body is good to me.

I deserve to be healthy and feel good.

Visualization techniques are not just for adults. Guided imagery is an effective way to help pediatric patients and families cope with the stress of surgery and hospitalization. It’s important to note that creative visualization is not meant to be a replacement for rational medial treatment, but a tool to assist on in the healing process.    

Science is now providing evidence of the benefits of what spiritualists and positive thinkers have been practicing for years, confirming that by changing your thoughts you can change the neural pathways of your brain and overall health.  Dr. Bruce Lipton’s research with the human cell has found that it is not only our genes, as was formally believed that affects our health, but the perceptions of our beliefs.

Creative visualization can heighten immune functions, lower blood pressure, speed healing, alleviate depression, reduce perception of pain, lower fatigue, and increase relaxation. However, keep in mind it takes three to four weeks for the brain to establish a pattern of new behavior, but with some practice and patience you have the ability to change you life. Your mind can be great medicine for a healthy life!

To your health!

Sources

Science of Mind Magazine, January 2010 Vol. 83 No. 1 The Ambassador of New Thought, by Claudia Abbott

Creative Visualization, Shakti Gawain, Nataraj Publishing 2002

The Biology of Belief, Dr. Bruce Lipton, Hay House 2005

What’s Your Body Telling You?, Steve Sisgold, McGraw Hill 2009

The Power of Your Child’s Imagination, Charlotte Reznick, PhD 2009

How God Changes Your Brain: Breakthrough Findings from a Neuroscientist, Andrew Newberg M.D. and Mark Robert Waldman 2009

Stress Free Kids – ABC Shark Tank Entrepreneur

In August of 2009 , Lori Lite had the opportunity to pitch her publishing business on ABC’s Shark Tank and as a result became one of Season 1′s entrepreneurs . It was great fun interviewing her on Holistic Children Radio. Lori’s story is an inspiring one and I admire her commitment to helping kids, adolescents, and adults with issues of stress, anxiety, and anger. Incidentally, kids are more vulnerable to stress because they haven’t yet learned how to cope with it, and therefore, Stress Free Kids’ products are filling a great need by providing calming guidance.  In addition, her books and CDs are a great bedtime ritual. Sleep is an important factor for handling stress, not just with kids but also for teens.  Lori Lite is on a stress free mission. Why don’t you and your family join her? You can read a recent article of Lori’s with some de-stressing tips in Family Circle Magazine.

The Economics of Sex?

It appears that along with navigating through the financial crisis, individuals seeking companionship now need to be aware of their country’s “sexual economics.” Roy Baumeister’s theory of supply and demand certainly takes romance out of the picture. However, relationships are a large part of the social culture and I have to wonder if there is any substance to this theory, what does it means for the family? Women are changing things in the market place and over time one has to wonder how this will this affect the social structure. I’d love to hear your comments on this one. Let me know what you think. You can read the full article here: Equality Leads to More Sex.

Do Men Really Say “I Love You” First?

According to an article in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, recent surveys showed that in heterosexual relationships, men are more apt to say “I love you” first, two-thirds of the time. Consequently, the words seem to have different meanings for the two sexes. Women like to hear “I love you” after sex, whereas men are happier to be told “I love you” before they have had sex for the first time with their partner. The researcher, Dr. Joshua Ackerman’s perspective is that men take the words as a signal of the expectancy of sex, whereas women perceive it as devotion. Maybe there is something to what John Gray has to say. Could men be from Mars and women from Venus? Really? Possibly (I’m kidding!). However, there are differences in the structure of men and women’s brains that attribute to these differences.

I know what you’re thinking. This is nothing new, men and women know this and have been trying to figure each other out for centuries. Which or course is true, but let’s get down to specifics and maybe we’ll have more time for love, not war.

For example, at times of stress (which many couples are presently dealing with) Dr. Shelly E. Taylor, head of the UCLA Social Neuroscience Lab says that women “tend-and-befriend,” wanting to take care of loved ones and reach out for social support. While men on the other hand respond with fight-or-flight. These differences are due to a variance in hormone production. Add to that, larger brain areas for speech in woman versus men’s problem solving, right brain dominance.  It’s understandable that communication can seem a little alien at times between the sexes.

There are a variety of reasons male and females behave differently, and the point here is that the more we can accept the things we cannot change, the more realistic and rewarding our relationships can become. If you want to learn more about brain differences you can read Amber Hensley’s article on the 10 Big Differences Between Men’s and Women’s Brains.  And if you want to have a good laugh, which is always a good for your mental health, I highly recommend Mark Gungor’s Men’s Brain Women’s Brain video clip.