Humans tend to be impressed by struggle and scholarly endurance because we have been conditioned to believe that our purpose in life is to be a productive member of society.  Instead of learning from curiosity and wonder, we force ourselves to struggle through courses and subjects that are dry, boring, or not even remotely interesting in order to obtain a certificate that validates our intelligence and worth.

Understanding is not accomplished through struggle itself, but though our ability to overcome struggle.

Most of us believe that overcoming struggle is accomplished by enduring struggle to acquire knowledge.  But in reality, the more struggle we endure, the more struggle we create.  Our ability to learn is not meant to cause struggle, but to inspire a joyful journey of discovery, exploration and fulfillment of curiosity – all of which lead to understanding.

A degree is merely a symbol that we have attained the knowledge acceptable to society in a particular area of study. As long as we do not express understanding that contradicts the taught doctrines, that degree will remain valid, acceptable and society may even consider us an expert on the subject of our study.

Moreover, the one who earns a degree is easily tempted to believe their self to be more important or superior to other people.  This is because other peoples’ perception of us gives credence to the self image that we have been creating ever since we developed the mental concept of self as separate from everything else.  A degree provides a sense that we are revered by other people, and arrogance can easily become our dominant expression.

But when we learn from those who have gone before with the intent to understand – not for a degree or self importance – we can attain both worldly knowledge and our true Self.  No degree can validate that which a person understands, and when we have understanding, no validation is necessary.

Everything in existence is I AM – the infinite consciousness – the all-knowing awareness that witnesses everything, including every human life experience through our individual senses. Separation from one another and from I AM is the great illusion that makes the human experience possible.    

I AM creates and sustains separate human forms and egos to experience the contrast of life through infinitely diverse fields of awareness.  And for all the diversity of awareness, the silent witness of every human experience is the infinitely evolving and expansive, I AM.

While the world we know as our reality is constantly being created by I AM, every creation also merges with I AM.  As the created and the creator are seamlessly unified, everything already created continues to create as I AM – as each one draws from its source of pure Love that transcends mind.

Humans command the creative aspect of I AM with every thought

All human creativity also originates in the all-knowing aspect of I AM that is pure Love, and humans command the creative aspect of I AM through the filters of memory, mind and separate ego.  As such, the Divine creative energy of I AM is converted according to each individual perspective.

In this way, humans have the unique ability to specifically create through individual points of view.  The extent to which each human creation represents its source of pure Love depends on the resonance of our thoughts to the part of us that is the all-knowing aspect of I AM.

In other words, the less our thoughts are filtered through the memory of separation, the more we will manifest the reality that we really want.  This is where most of us are misled by organized religion, politics, parents and/or society in general.

Humans create struggle and suffering when we perpetuate thoughts that we are detached from or unworthy of I AM. For the most part, we are conditioned to believe we are somehow bad, sinful or shameful – and for those of us who buy into these beliefs, our perspective is very dissonant to the all-knowing aspect of I AM, and we create conflict in our minds just as we project conflict into the world. 

The more we shift our thoughts toward the reality that each of us, like everything else, is the embodiment of I AM, the more our life experiences will reflect this truth.  When we mind our minds and choose our thoughts in alignment with the infinite aspect of I AM, we command the creation of Love, Joy and Peace through us and for us into the life of the world.

Let’s remember I AM and begin creating that now.

To begin, we put them on a feeding schedule and subject them to painful medical procedures.  By the time babies cut their first tooth, they have already learned that their needs don’t matter all that much. As they mature, we continue to mold our children’s behavior through coaxing, discipline, rewards – whatever gets them to fall in line with “normal” society.

Beginning at the tender age of four or five, we force our kids to attend school whether they want to or not. Young children are made to sit at desks for hours on end, and if they upset their teacher, we punish them. If they are resistant to the punishment, we put them on drugs.  We manage their behavior and exert control over our children until they graduate High School, and some of us even retain our control during college years.

Most adults live in a reality with possibilities that are familiar yet stale. But a child’s reality is unlimited in creative possibilities, and thus they are unlimited in their ability to create anything they want.

The younger the child, the purer their creative energy. But as our children grow older, their memories become clouded with expectations, judgment, shame, etc. Instead of seeing them as equals, the most well meaning of us view our kids as being in need of some fixing.

They rebel at many different ages, and we punish them into submission. If we succeed, the child becomes an adult who knows that life is difficult, and that we win by conforming and competing against one another.

Through our own conditioning, we have led ourselves to believe that without discipline our kids would turn out all “wrong”. Discipline is essential for a fulfilling life, but can be developed organically as Self Discipline. Instilling discipline from the outside inward creates a form of self discipline that is based on feelings of fear, guilt, shame and self doubt.

When anyone behaves a certain way for fear of punishment, they develop a habit of being led toward what they believe to be “right” actions through uncomfortable and painful emotion. The emotions of fear, shame, and guilt are prevalent in our society today, and they are the driving force behind a majority of our thoughts and actions.

As adults, it is our overwhelment with these emotions that causes conflict in our minds which translates to conflict in our lives and conflict in our world. Emotional instability is also the source of all addictive behavior. Conversely, adults with an emotional slate as pure as a child’s are naturally peaceful, loving and productive as they joyfully pursue their life’s purpose.

Children are strongly connected to their truth, and they act in their own best interest. If we allow them to cultivate this, and couple it with worldly knowledge being gained through their own curiosity, they will make the determination that their best interest is always created when they honor their higher Self.  When the higher Self is honored, all things benefit from our presence in the world.

It is the children who have the most potential to improve our reality in ways we do not understand, yet we do our best to stop them from creating anything that has not already been created. If we could simply see past the limitations we have created through our self image, and accept these young creators as our saviors, we will be supporting and encouraging the creation of an amazing new world.

Yoga opens blocked pathways so that blood, nutrients and oxygen to the organs, tissues, glands, cells, bones and nerves can be circulated to more effectively.   It also encourages the clearing of energetic passageways for emotional, mental and spiritual well being.

In addition to muscular toning and elimination of excess body fat, yoga beautifies the skin (the largest organ of our body), brightens the eyes, and takes years off of our physical appearance.

In order to attain all of the benefits of yoga, it is important to be mindfully aware of the body and breath throughout the practice.

A mindful practice not only deepens the physical benefits of yoga, but it develops our ability to control the thought patterns of the mind.  This is very valuable because when we give ourselves the ability to control our thought patterns, we put ourselves in control of our emotions and consequently the direction of our lives.

For most people this can prove to be challenging at first, but like everything else, with practice we can master anything.  The important thing to remember is that it is perfectly normal for the mind to wander numerous times during a yoga session. An integral part of the practice is to keep reminding ourselves (without self-judgment) to bring our minds back to the feelings in the body and the rhythm of the breath.

In order to develop a deep yoga practice including control over a wandering mind, I strongly recommend Kundalini Yoga.  This form of yoga makes the body/mind integration easy to learn and understand.

My favorite yoga DVD’s are by Ana Brett and Ravi Singh.  They have produced many different programs which can be modified according to ability and energy level.  The best part is that they offer instruction for physical and mental direction throughout every DVD.

Please check out the links below, and make a commitment to improving your life with yoga today!  Sat Nam.

Although we are conditioned, through our focus on what we know of the material world, that instinct is predominantly necessary for protection from harm and the will to survive, our higher self has infinite other aspects expressed through instinct. The world is only hostile to the extent that we make it so, and when we focus on our need for protection and accomplishment predominantly, we hold ourselves in vibrational patterns that attract more of the same.

Most of us only know God as protective and reactive because these aspects are the most relevant to what is “known” in the material world.  We can move beyond these two God-aspects when we open ourselves to guidance toward a state of peace and pure being – which is the birthright of everyone.

Here are the steps I take to explore the more spiritual aspects of instinct:

• Meditation – with eyes closed, a quiet mind and attention to breath, our source energy can communicate directly with every cell in our bodies.  This allows our whole body to receive information that will direct us toward the realization of our true desires.
• Acceptance – by allowing everything to be as it is now, we are open to new and ever-expansive possibilities.
• Gratitude – appreciating all that we are projects a vibratory pattern that attracts more to appreciate.
• Faith – knowledge that all the beautiful and wonderful possibilities that we can imagine have already been given.  This minimizes doubtful thoughts, thereby allowing us to be more aware of our guidance.
• Joyful action – doing what feels inspired at the time from a perspective of expecting to always create deeper joy throughout our journey in this life experience.
• Love – allowing ourselves to see everything and everyone through the eyes of love is the truest expression of God into the life of the world.  When we are in love with everything, we are one with everything, and then we can experience God as pure being.

Not only are you part of everything and everyone, you are also everywhere.  In fact, the person that you see in the mirror is not the real you, but a conduit for the expression of you into our shared time-space experience.

For this reason, your cells are of great importance.  Not only do they make up every part of your material body and sustain its health, but their outer layer (membrane) has many tiny receptors specifically tuned to your energetic vibration so that your essence can be transmitted into the life of the world.  In a manner similar to the way radio stations are tuned to specific signals, your cells are tuned to your nonphysical energy which is always being broadcast throughout the entire universe.

While the cells of your material body are always receiving and transmitting your essential energy, thoughts which arise from your focus in the material world are also transmitted to and through every cell in your body.  If those thoughts are in harmony with your core knowledge, there is harmony between you and your physical form, and you feel joyful or loving.  If not, those thoughts create resistance which you feel as many different degrees of disharmony – from excited and hopeful all the way down to desperation and depression.

In addition to the vibratory information which your cells receive from you and your thoughts, cells also receive information from the many tiny particles which create their physical environment.  Just like with harmonic thoughts, the more optimal your physical environment, the more accurately your physical form expresses your real self.

Because you project through a single organism into this reality, it appears to your senses that you are separate from everything else.  However, you are actually part of everything, everything is part of you, and you are co-creating this reality.  For that reason, it never benefits you to harm any person (including yourself), to hold a grudge, speak or even think disparagingly about anyone or anything.

You have chosen to project through a material body into this time-space reality in order to experience the physical sensation of joy, and you will experience much more joy when you choose thoughts, nutrients and environment with awareness and gratitude.

Being conscious gives you the ability to recognize what steps to take in order to regain and strengthen the connection with your true self as you journey through this lifetime.  Using feeling as your guide, you will be able to choose thought patterns and material nutrients which serve not only you, but all of humanity for this and future generations.

Our predominant thoughts – around any subject we focus upon – emit a vibratory pattern which either attracts or repels every possibility experienced in our reality.  While emotional resistance around a controlling or oppressive force is necessary to create our perspective and the possibility for improvement, we perpetuate that which receives most of our attention – especially when that attention is accompanied by powerful feeling.

Peaceful awareness of the source of our “dis-ease”, focus on our perspective for well being, and willingness to take action if so inspired easily brings about the improvements we seek.

By becoming aware and spreading awareness about how we are creating and sustaining powerfully oppressive forces in our reality, we begin to give ourselves the power to easily defeat those forces.   While it’s true that we cannot “save” anyone from their individual lack of awareness without exercising control, we can present information which will be available if and when they choose to seek it.

Once we have individual awareness, we can begin to focus on the improvements we seek in order to develop our belief in an improved reality.  With belief comes joyful expectation, and our perspective for peace and freedom becomes powerful enough to endure even the most convincing physical evidence to the contrary.

True belief coupled with joy in the possibilities we have created, inspires action which produces a special form of resistance which weakens the forces of the egoic state of mind that currently prevails in our government.  Just as eating optimal nutrients resists decay in the body by promoting physical health, so too does peaceful assertion of individual rights resist controlling or oppressive governmental forces by promoting freedom.

Conversely, repetitive focus on the current state of government – which originally caused our perspective for improvement – prolongs and intensifies our emotional resistance.  Instead of diminishing the forces that perpetuate our current reality, emotional resistance works to strengthen those forces.

This is true because the vibratory pattern we offer through emotional resistance harmonizes with whatever is the subject of our negative focus, thereby attracting more of it into our experience.  Just as we cannot expect to create physical health by focusing on illness in our bodies, we cannot expect to create peace by focusing on control and oppression in our government.

For this reason, feeling good about what we predominantly focus upon benefits us more than anything else.  Until we can feel joyful about a particular subject matter, our most effective efforts are those which seek to improve our own vibratory offering.

As conscious parts of the same divine spirit, our awareness is focused here to experience joy, put forth our perspective for even greater joy, and to realize peace aka heaven right here on Earth.  The most common religious belief systems hold that we are separate from God, a  chosen messiah, each other, and The Devil.

In fact, most religious groups promote the opposite of peace through the belief that their members are closer to God than the “other” groups, belief systems and religions.  This righteousness causes us to look down on those who do not believe like us, or try to convert them to our way of thinking in order to “save” them.

The common belief system taught by religious groups serves those groups and ensures more power for them, but does very little to promote peace because it is fear based.  God is available to all of us and can be felt whenever we let go of self limiting beliefs. Those self limiting beliefs are truly “The Devil” because they create a feeling of separation from God, which is synonymous with love, each other and everything.

In this way, The Devil is not so much an evil entity or an entity at all.  It is the feeling created when we believe thoughts that do not agree with the true essence of our being.  From that feeling we create a life experience that falls short of the joy we were meant to realize through our physically focused senses.

Unwanted life circumstances are a culmination of our own limiting beliefs, and basically the manifestation of “evil”.  However, “The Devil” and “evil” should not have a negative connotation – they are simply instructive as to the proximity of our thoughts to the true essence of our being.

No matter how much or how many times we believe thoughts that evoke “The Devil” within us or unwanted events in our lives, the core of our being is always pure love, and because of this – each of us is always equally worthy of the kingdom of heaven.

Now that we have largely omitted butter from our diets in favor of low fat and fake fat foods, we are lacking the vitamins, minerals and fatty acids in butter which have been protecting us against heart disease, cancer, arthritis, osteoporosis, thyroid health, digestion and weight gain.  It’s no wonder that we are so profoundly plagued with these illnesses.

In addition to the omission of this naturally healthy food, many of us are substituting it with margarine or other manufactured spreads.  These products contain toxic cancer-inducing solvents, dangerous trans fat, free radicals, bleach, artificial colors and flavors and/or synthetic vitamins.

When we are healthy, maintaining healthy weight is easy and joyful.  By substituting wholesome butter for unhealthy food in an attempt to lose weight, we hinder our own progress.  Specifically, the toxic substances in margarine or other low calorie or reduced fat spreads actually cause us to gain weight because our bodies are being inundated with substances that are difficult to eliminate.

Moreover, when we eat real butter, we feel satisfied and we are not left with a feeling of deprivation.  The feeling of wanting more causes our bodies to hold on to unwanted weight or makes it hard work to lose weight and keep it off.

While butter in any form is much healthier than any margarine or other manufactured spread, butter is best when it is unpasteurized and from animals that graze on green grass.

Pasteurized (cooked) butter contains irritants in the form of dead bacteria and digestive enzymes which are no longer active – both of which benefit the body when not killed. Raw butter also contains fatty acids which support a healthy immune system, boost metabolism and are anti-microbial, while heated fats often become trapped in the body and store as cellulite.

Butter from grass-fed cows also contains both Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) and the perfect balance of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fatty acid ratio, which are protective against disease and assist the body to build muscle and burn unnecessary body fat.

Supermarket butter is pasteurized and from factory farms where the cows are fed grain and/or corn.  If it does not say 100% grass-fed on the label, it’s most likely grain or corn fed.  Also, toxic chemicals to which animals are exposed are more concentrated in the fat.  For that reason it is important to avoid products from animals treated with antibiotics or hormones.

Here is how the purchase the best butter available to you from most healthful to least healthful:

• Raw (unpasteurized) butter from grass-fed animals – raised without antibiotics or hormones
• Raw (unpasteurized) butter from grain/corn fed animals – raised without antibiotics or hormones
• Raw (unpasteurized) butter from grass-fed animals – raised with antibiotics and/or hormones
• Raw (unpasteurized) butter from grain/corn fed animals raised with antibiotics and/or hormones
• Pasteurized butter from grass-fed animals raised without antibiotics and/or hormones
• Pasteurized butted from grain/corn fed animals raised without antibiotics and/or hormones
• Pasteurized butter from grass-fed animals raised with antibiotics and/or hormones
• Pasteurized butter from grain/corn fed animals raised with antibiotics and/or hormones

It’s never recommended under any circumstance to use margarine or artificial spread for the reasons stated above.

Nobody who truly needs medical care is denied it in the United States.  It is already unlawful for hospitals to turn anyone away for inability to pay, State medical aid is presently available  in nearly every state for people who are below a certain level of income, and private charities pick up the rest of the slack.

Despite this, many of us have been conditioned to believe that we are allowing low income Americans to die off for lack of medical care.  News programs broadcast about how terrible it is that so many people are not getting the “treatments” they need -  then they cut to a commercial about the newest miracle drug that will supposedly make you feel much happier than you feel right now.  It’s brainwashing between the brainwashing!

Broken bones and necessary surgeries are minimal compared with all the damaging drugs and harmful surgeries that are running up healthcare costs and weakening our vitality. “Conditions” are made up by the medical community to identify what is really an imbalance.  They address imbalances by creating more imbalances with drugs and unnecessary surgery.

It starts as children – parents entrust their children’s health to corporate greed by allowing government recommended immunization drugs to be injected directly into their small bodies from the time they are born.  When children suffer side effects from those immunizations, they are brought back to the doctor for some more drugs which cause more side effects.  This continues throughout the course of their lives unless they become conscious of what is being done and decide to break the cycle.

We’ve been well trained to take over the counter or prescription drugs whenever we don’t feel well.  If we consult a medical doctor for our illness, tests are performed which usually indicate that some level does not fall within the range considered “normal”.

From there they consult their black book which dictates which drug or drugs to prescribe.  After we have been on several drugs, and they stop masking the symptoms, doctors resort to surgery to attempt to cut the problem out.  Then we have a bigger problem which requires more drugs, and the cycle repeats itself.

When we are suffering from depression, dread, lethargy or other symptoms of unresolved emotion, instead of dealing with the shadows in our minds, we turn to medicine for a cure.  The prescribed drugs return us to being “productive” zombies who serve the powers that be – basically working to grow our government and enrich giant corporations and the politicians who cater to them.

The definition of drug addict is “a person with a chemical or psychological dependency on a drug”.   Since many of us have been conditioned by media and medical doctors – who are largely influenced by pharmaceutical companies – most of society will only apply this definition to people who use street drugs.

It’s presently commonplace for more than 50% of Americans to take powerful prescription drugs on a daily basis because we are convinced that we need them in order to feel good and/or be healthy.  We are very much addicted to drugs that are not only expensive, but cause side effects that create the “necessity” for more drugs.

Now that we have become a largely processed food addicted, drug dependent society, many of us are practically begging the government to be our codependent, and take more of the money we earn to pay for our addiction while further enriching politicians and corporate giants.  We boldly claim entitlement to our medicine because we really believe that only it can provide the quality of life that we deserve.

The truth is that “medicine” does not cure anything.  It actually promotes the proliferation of illness while providing temporary comfort.  What has been labeled a health care crisis is really a drug dependency crisis.

Our hands our not tied in this.  Each of us can start doing our part now to stop this crisis, decrease the size of government, and increase the health of Americans.  If you or someone you love is currently taking any kind of medical drug whether over the counter or prescription – stop taking them now!

If you believe that your health will deteriorate without the drug or that stopping could be dangerous, seek help from a practitioner who can help your body heal itself by bringing your energy back into balance.  These specialists focus on getting you feeling great while eliminating drug dependency. Check the following links to find one near you: NET Mind Body / Neuromodulation /  Neurolink.

If you are considering getting any immunizations for yourself or for your children, educate yourself.  You will most likely find that the risks far outweigh the benefits of immunization.  Please visit Think Twice.

Also of great importance is to buy as little food manufactured by large corporations as possible.  Shop at local farmers markets or small stores that cater to artisan farmers instead.   Check out this link to find a local farmers market near you:  Local Harvest.  For meat and dairy, the highest quality products can be found here: US Wellness Meats – they offer 100% grass-fed products – their dairy is unpasteurized and their meat has not been irradiated.

Our health is now and has always been in our own hands.  When we realize this, we will have the reform we need without resorting to our own enslavement through governmental control and higher taxes.