Nurture Your Soul?Create Peace of Mind

The majority of people believe humans have a soul. There is significant controversy, however, on the soul?s impact or whether as humans we impact the soul?s growth or lack there of. Those who practice spirituality believe we are human beings having a spiritual experience and we are spiritual beings having a human experience. Such movies as: Ghost, Sixth Sense, What The Bleep Do We Know?, City of Angels and others illuminate this belief.

Nurturing the soul is as important as healthy nutrition, exercising and sleep. The soul?s sole purpose is to create spiritual/emotional growth. The sense of well-being and happiness emanates from the soul to the psyche. If the soul is ignored or malnourished the psyche and ultimately the body suffers.

The most effective way to nurture the soul is through spirituality. Spirituality is the God-related science of developing and freeing the God-made innermost being?the core of us??Made in the image of God. Love creates, all else destroys. Love cannot co-exist with other premises simultaneously; therefore, God is only love. The fly in the ointment of human existence verses in spiritual form?as God?is the ego.? The ego is essential to navigate the vicissitudes in physical life. However, the ego is what gets us into trouble. The truth is: All life on earth serves the sole purpose of developing our spirituality to the point of being free of spiritual ignorance, free of selfish or destructive behavioral (ego) patterns, free to return to our eternal home in God. True spirituality leads to freedom in God.

True God-related spirituality is achieved by means of scientifically applying spiritual teachings and spiritual techniques that fosters the ego to vanish in the fire of divine love and ego-oriented spirit?a.k.a. intellect?to be replaced by the Holy Spirit. Such true spiritual teachings can only be affected by a true connection to our innermost self. Because all humankind is God-made, Spirituality is our true nature and spiritual development is the most direct way to solutions of love and peace in all creation. Prayer, Meditation, Gratitude, Spending time in nature?including near fire and water are practices to create spiritual/emotional health.

?Prayer: Researcher and mind/body medicine expert Herbert Benson, M.D. found that regular prayer or the repetition of spiritual phrases such as Shalom, or Hail Mary, triggers relaxation and reduces stress. Make prayer a time of personal conversation with God, state your need or concern and ask for divine intervention. Acknowledge all you have to be grateful for and give thanks for that which you desire. Giving thanks is more effective than asking for what you desire. God knows what you need before you need it and has already sent it to you?therefore giving thanks acknowledges what you haven?t seen yet. Establishing a regular prayerful routine is important.

?Meditation: Researched for centuries, meditation is proven to have physiological benefits, including stress-relief, improved immune and cardiovascular function, relaxation, and decreased pain. Regular meditation practice leads to new insights about life issues (often resulting in the healing of past emotional trauma), heightened creativity, inspiration, greater compassion for others, and a greater connection to one's own inner guidance. There are a plethora of books and classes on meditation practices.

? Gratitude: The state of being grateful; thankfulness. (The American Heritage Dictionary) In the push and pulls of life we seldom realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich. Looking at the glass as half empty albeit is half full assures us, we will live with a sense of lack.

Gratitude is our most direct line to God and the angels. If we take the time, no matter how crazy and troubled we feel, we can find something to be thankful for. The more we seek gratitude, the more reason the angels will give us for gratitude and joy to exist in our lives. --Terry Lynn Taylor

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. --Melody Beattie

?Time in nature: The most visible manifestation of spirit is nature, where we most fully encounter and interact with life's primal energies in the forms of earth, water, fire, and air. Walking/hiking are easy and practical ways of reconnecting with nature and the earth, as are gardening, biking, camping and boating. Spending regular amounts of time outdoors within a natural setting, you enable yourself to better appreciate the rhythms of life, including your own.

Modern living prevents us from a balanced life. Time in nature restores that balance, while also deepening our connection with Spirit. Being near the water is a spiritually healthy experience, due to water's higher concentration of negative ions. Swimming in natural water or soaking in a mineral hot spring provides therapeutic benefits for a variety of ailments.

?Exposure to a campfire or fireplace has health benefits. Leonard Orr discovered that fire cleanses the bio-energy field of negative energies, and is a powerful aid in curing physical disease. Orr recommends spending a few hours each day near fire. Fire is also an important component of the vision quests Native Americans undertake to connect with the Great Spirit and discover their life purpose.

?Air is the closest expression of Spirit. Clean air is essential to health on all levels, and practicing conscious breathing is a potent self-care method for restoring energy and making you more aware of the power of Spirit as it flows through you.

Regular exposure to the four elements creates consciousness of Spirit's loving intelligence to sustain the world, while more deeply recognizing our place within it.

Given busy lives in today?s world there are several techniques to use until one can engage with the four elements. The following techniques relax, revitalize and remove blocked energy.

?Craniosacral Treatment?Relieves blockages caused by stress in the craniosacral system. Discovered by Dr. John Upledger in 1980, this system includes the cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord.

?Reiki Chakra Treatment?Japanese spiritual healing technique, energy is channeled from master to student, cleansing the body?s chakras?specific energy modes inside the body. Creates reduced stress and a stronger bridge to your inner being.

?The Sound of Peaceful Healing?a 120-minute sensory journey that uses sound, touch and smell to revive the senses and restore a feeling of calm.

?Massage: Acupressure?based on acupuncture without needles, Deep Tissue, Reflexology, Swedish, Shiatsu, Aquatic Shiatsu,Trigger Point/Myotherapy, Rolfing.

Engaging in one or more of the soul nourishing activities?Prayer, Meditation, Gratitude, Spending time in nature, including near fire and water?daily will create soul/spiritual/ emotional health and you will enjoy a highly enriched and enriching life.

Dorothy M. Neddermeyer specializes in: Mind, Body, and Spirit healing for Individuals, Special Issues and Professional Coaching. As an inspirational leader, Dr. Neddermeyer empowers people to view life's challenges as an opportunity for Personal/Professional Growth and Spiritual Awakening. http://www.drdorothy.net

Depression and Suicide Don't Ignore the Warning Signs

We hear a lot about depression today. I seems everyone is on some medication for depression, ADD, or ADHD, but do we really understand it or know what to do if we sense someone is severely depressed or suicidal?

I have suffered from depression for most of my life. I?m 50 now and just learning how to recognize the symptoms before they take hold and how to deal with them. When I was growing up, depression was not talked about. People feared they would be thought of as being crazy, so they never admitted to feeling this way. They thought people would look at you differently or be afraid to associate with you. They were too embarrassed to discuss their feelings, so they did not seek help. How sad was that? Do you know how different my life could have been had I or someone else realized I suffered from depression and I got help?

Depression was hereditary in my family so it would not have been unusual for me to suffer from it. My uncle tried to commit suicide several times and was institutionalized at one point. My aunt tried to commit suicide. My Dad was told he desperately needed help and my mother tried to commit suicide twice. Once was when she was pregnant with me and the other time was when my brother and I left home within months of each other and she felt she had nothing left to live for. Of course, I did not know all this until years later. Had I known, I may have recognized the symptoms. I would have been able to get help instead of struggling and not knowing why I had no energy, or slept all the time or had such low self-esteem. Medication may have helped. It is not the answer to everything, and in some cases can make things worse, but I would like to have had the option to know if it would have made a difference in my life. It would have made those years so much more bearable and possibly changed the course of my future.

If someone you know is, or might be suffering from depression, please urge them to seek help. You may think that suicide only happens in other families, but my daughter and I came dangerously close to losing her best friend this past week. Why? Because we did not take her talk of suicide seriously or realize just how depressed she was. Especially with children and teens, we tend to write if off as just ?those difficult? teenage years. We may think they are just being moody. Do not take that chance. You do not want to wonder if there was some sign you missed or something you could have done and live with the guilt the rest of your life.

Here are some signs to look for:

 Change in sleeping patterns. Sleeping more than usual or unable to sleep at all.  Lack of interest in anything or taking pleasure in things they once enjoyed.  Irritability. They are very sensitive and get upset at things or comments that normally would not bother them.  Withdrawal. Because they feel different and may not understand what is happening, they withdraw from their friends. They will not leave the house and feel it is easier to avoid their friends that to have them think they are crazy. They do not understand why they may sleep so much or feel so bad. My daughters' friend thought people would think she was just lazy and judge her, so she avoided contact.  Change in eating patterns or physical condition. They may stop having an interest in food, lose weight or vomit due to stress.  Talk of suicide. Do not make the mistake of thinking this is just talk. It may be or it could be a cry for help, but do not take that chance. Get them to a doctor or psychiatrist whether they want to go or not. You may risk making them mad at you or saying they will not forgive you, but the alternative is much worse.

I have experienced all of the above symptoms but like a lot of people, did not recognize them for what they were. I thought of suicide of but never voiced it. I almost followed through on it on a particularly bad day. It was only by the grace of God that a friend stopped by unexpectedly, which she never did, or I might not be here right now.

Many people at one time or another may have had thoughts of suicide. They may have made statements that they would be better off dead, but they were just fleeting thoughts for most, made out of anger or stress. For those that are deeply depressed, they are more than that. I wanted to think I would never really follow through. I could not hurt my family that way. I remember being furious with my Mom when I found out she had tried, yet found myself in the same situation years later. That is why it is so important to never take it lightly. We often do things we could not imagine in a million years doing. Yet, we never know when we will hit rock bottom and feel like we cannot get up. When you are in that place, your thoughts are not rational. You are not thinking of the people you would hurt, you just want out of your pain. After being ?saved by the bell? when my friend stopped by, it hit me what it would have done to my daughter had I succeeded. She would have experienced the same anger I felt at my mother. She may have experienced guild and wonder what she could have done to stop me.

That was a wake up call for me. I had been in counseling before, but it had always left me more depressed than when I started. Focusing on where I went wrong and how my life was nothing like I expected, just left me feeling worse and guiltier than before. Of course, guilt was my middle name. I felt everything was always my fault and I deserved how my life had turned out. I must have been jinxed or being punished for something. It?s amazing the thoughts we have when we are in that frame of mind.

Last February was a particularly difficult time for me. Fortunately, I was now able to recognize the signs of depression and know when I was slipping into one. I knew I needed to seek help. I was hesitant because of my past experiences with psychologists, but I knew I had to try.

I was lucky enough to be referred by my family physician to a wonderful woman. I feel she truly changed and possibly saved my life. I am stronger now than I have ever been. I have learned not to define myself by my physical limitations and that I have a lot to offer. I no longer feel guilty for things I had no control over. She made me realize that the more I focused on what was wrong, the longer my life would stay in that condition. She taught me to let go of the past if I wanted to have a future. I could not change what had happened in my past, but I could change my attitude, accept where I was today and move forward with joy and anticipation.

If you or someone you know has been to counseling and feels it did not help, do not let that stop them from trying again. I found the key; just like in a friendship, is finding someone you connect with and feel comfortable with. Each relationship is different. Help is there if you really want it.

When suicide occurs, the worst part is that the family members are left to suffer with the guilt. They ask themselves if there was something that they could have done that would have made a difference. I have witnessed attempts in my own family and wondered the same thing. Had I done something to make my mother want to take her life? What had I missed? Why did I not look closer to see she was hurting? Once you have experienced this, you are never the same. Never treat a statement of suicide lightly. Do not think it cannot happen to you. You do not want to be left asking ?what was it I did not see? Why did I not try harder to understand??

Life is a gift to be treasured. Each individual has something of value to offer this world. Do not take anything for granted. Live in the moment. Really see the beauty around you and never pass up a chance to tell the people you love how you feel about them. See each day as if for the first time, and live it as if it were your last. Tim McGraw sings in one of his songs, ?I hope you get the chance to live as if you were dying.? If you knew you were, you would want to do all the things you never dared, see all the things you wanted to see, and tell everyone you loved how you felt. Today can be that day. Do it now. Cherish it and never forget how precious life is.

http://www.TheJoyofSoy.com Angela Thompson is the owner of a cleaning company, has a Realtor?s License and has been involved in several home-based businesses. She and her daughter are currently independent distributors for Mia Bella Gourmet Candles. Her desire is to help people realize their potential and fulfill their goals.

Support For Your Depression

Sometimes you are falling down and need to find people to talk to. What is important though, is not to find people who will enable, but instead to find people who will actually be able to help pick you up. So you need to figure out who you have around you who can do that. There are a few good options here. The first, obviously, is a good friend. Someone who you know will be able to listen and give you an opinion that you trust. The best person for this would not be a significant other, because friendships are longer lasting on the whole.

This friend need not be someone local, and depending on your preference local might not be better. Because it is someone that you don't see as often, the temptation to run might not be as high. My first choice for someone to talk with is someone who lives 3000 miles away. It allows me to tell her what is going on without feeling like I need to run to her. When things are really bad, I go to my girlfriend who is a more constant presence in my life right now, and I can get immediate support ? like a hug. She is very understanding that I need to go call a friend a little later on.

The most important thing is to make sure that you have people who you can tell anything to. Without this, you will never find comfort when you are having problems.

You can read more about depression at http://www.curemydepression.com