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fabriziofusco80 · 7 years ago

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Sunshine Helps Kill Germs Indoors

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A new study from the University of Oregon suggests rooms exposed to sunlight contain less viable bacteria than those maintained in the dark. While more research is needed to fully understand how ultraviolet (UV) light changes household dust, I'll take this opportunity to expose some of the toxins found in it.

Chemicals from flame retardants, household cleaners and personal care products accumulate in household dust and can potentially affect your well-being. Aside from implementing clean-air strategies in your home, another step you can take to avoid indoor dust and better your health is to spend more time outdoors.

Sunlight Shown to Reduce Dust-Dwelling Bacteria

Research performed at the University of Oregon (UO) suggests letting sunlight in through windows can kill bacteria living in household dust. The study, published in the journal Microbiome,1 quantified the dust-based bacteria that remained alive and viable when exposed to different lighting conditions. The scientists noted:2

Just 6 percent of bacteria exposed to UV light remained viable

6.8 percent of bacteria exposed to daylight was viable

12 percent of the bacteria found in dark rooms stayed viable

With respect to the context for this study, lead author Ashkaan Fahimipour, Ph.D., postdoctoral researcher at the UO's Biology and the Built Environment Center, said:3

"Humans spend most of their time indoors, where exposure to dust particles that carry a variety of bacteria, including pathogens that can make us sick, is unavoidable. Therefore, it is important to understand how features of the buildings we occupy influence dust ecosystems and how this could affect our health."

After analyzing the bacteria in household dust that had been seeded into miniature, climate-controlled rooms, where it was exposed to one of three types of lighting conditions for 90 days, the team discovered:4,5

Dust kept in the dark contained bacterial organisms that are closely related to types associated with respiratory illnesses; these organisms were largely absent in dust samples that had been exposed to sunlight

A smaller proportion of bacteria derived from human skin and a larger proportion of bacteria derived from outdoor air lived in dust exposed to light as compared to dust kept in the dark

Based on those findings, the researchers assert the presence of sunlight causes the indoor dust microbiome to more closely resemble bacterial communities commonly found outdoors. Says Fahimipour, "Our study supports a century-old folk wisdom, that daylight has the potential to kill microbes on dust particles, but we need more research to understand the underlying causes of shifts in the dust microbiome following light exposure.”6

Long Days Spent Indoors = Increased Exposure to Dust-Based Toxins

According to a survey sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which gathered data from 9,386 respondents, Americans spend about 87 percent of their time in enclosed buildings and an additional 6 percent inside enclosed vehicles.7

That means most people spend just 7 percent of their lives breathing outdoor air. Spending this much time indoors each day puts you at risk for health problems associated with indoor air pollution. With respect to indoor air quality and illness, the EPA states:8

“Some health effects may show up shortly after a single exposure or repeated exposures to a pollutant. These include irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, headaches, dizziness and fatigue.

Such immediate effects are usually short-term and treatable. Sometimes the treatment is simply eliminating the person's exposure to the source of the pollution, if it can be identified.”

Some pollutants concentrate indoors, where levels may be two to five times higher than typical outdoor concentrations, the EPA says. 9,10 Though widely regarded as an aesthetic issue more than a potential health hazard, household dust has been identified as a major source of health-damaging pollutants.

The EPA notes those at increased risk of harm from indoor air pollution include the very young, older adults (especially the homebound) and those suffering from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.11,12 In recent years, indoor concentrations of some pollutants have increased dramatically due to factors such as:13

Energy-efficient construction, which effectively seals buildings and homes in a manner that can reduce a structure's breathability and hamper air exchange

Increased use of synthetic and toxin-laced building materials, furnishings, household cleaners, pesticides and personal care products

Household Dust Found to Contain 9,000 Species of Bacteria and Fungi

Your home, like your body, is filled with a vast array of microbes, many of which live in your household dust. In a 2015 analysis of dust from 1,200 U.S. homes, researchers discovered an average of more than 7,000 species of bacteria and 2,000 species of fungi.14,

According to BBC News, among the fungi found in dust were well-known molds such as Aspergillus, Alternaria, Fusarium and Penicillium.16 The researchers noted the exact makeup of the fungal ecosystem hinged on the home's location more than the design of the home and other factors. Study coauthor Noah Fierer, Ph.D., professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado Boulder, said:

"Most of the fungi we are seeing in the home appears to be coming from outside … They enter the home on our clothing, or through open windows or … doors. Therefore, the best predictor of what types of fungi are in your home is where your home is located." 17

The most intriguing aspect of the findings may have been the fact the microbial makeup of dust was strongly influenced by factors such as the sex of the occupants and the presence of pets. Fierer commented, "There are some kinds of bacteria that are more common on women's bodies than on men's, and we can see the impact of that on the bacteria found in house dust."18

He added, "Bringing a dog or cat into your home really has a significant effect on the bacteria you find. …”19 While such high amounts of bacterial and fungal microbes may seem like a potential health danger, if you are in good health your immune system renders many of them harmless. The real danger indoors comes from chemicals and other pollutants that have been identified in household dust.

Dust in College Dorms Flagged as Potential Health Concern

Research published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology20 indicates dust in college dorms has the potential to damage human health. After collecting 95 dust samples from dormitory common areas and student rooms at two U.S. colleges, researchers detected 47 chemical flame retardants, many of which are believed to cause cancer and disrupt hormones.

Two flame retardants classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs,21 were detected in the dorm dust at record levels:

Decabromodiphenyl ether, or DecaBDE: a flame retardant largely phased out in 2013, which the EPA has tagged as a “possible carcinogen” given its proven ability to cause cancer in lab animals

Pentabromodiphenyl ether, or PentaBDE: a chemical the EPA banned from manufacture in 2005, mainly because it is a known endocrine disruptor

The researchers noted the primary chemical within DecaBDE was found to be a shocking nine times higher than anything previously recorded. In addition, concentrations of PentaBDE were four times higher than levels found in any other environment.

Researchers suspect college dorms contain a higher level of flame retardants because they are small, somewhat-confined spaces containing a lot of electronics and, very often, old furniture and beddi ng, including pillows, some of which may contain flame retardants that have long since been banned.

The EPA says certain PBDEs, which are used as flame retardants in applications such as automobiles, plastics, textiles and wire insulation, have been shown to be “persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic to both humans and the environment.”22

Because PBDEs are not chemically bound to fabrics, foam, plastics or the other products in which they are used, they are more susceptible to leaching. Over time, as they leach, these chemical-laden particles from electronics and furniture settle into room dust.

Flame Retardants Are Believed to Damage Human Health

Of the four particular flame retardants found in 100 percent of the dust samples studied, three are suspected carcinogens. A chemical known as TCIPP or tris (1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate was found in dorms at levels twice the median quantities found in other indoor environments.

While the effects of TCIPP require further study, chemicals similar in structure have been shown to have toxic effects on animal brain cells and are thought to decrease sperm counts and thyroid levels in humans.23 About the fourth chemical, named TPHP (triphenyl phosphate), the Environmental Working Group (EWG) states, “[T]here is growing evidence the chemical could affect hormones, metabolism, reproduction and development.”24

In a 2013 study,25 rats were exposed to the flame-retardant mixture Firemaster 550®, which is used in foam-based products and contains up to 20 percent TPHP. After discovering components of the chemical accumulated in tissues of rats - both before and after birth, resulting in obesity and early puberty for female rats - researchers now suspect TPHP may be a human endocrine disruptor.

Tips on Protecting Yourself From Flame Retardants

Lead dorm dust study author Robin Dodson, research scientist at the Massachusetts-based Silent Spring Institute, and Miriam Diamond, Ph.D., a professor in the department of earth sciences at the University of Toronto, offer the following advice on how to protect yourself from flame retardants:26

Avoid using older furniture in college dorm rooms, because the foam padding and other materials likely contain flame retardants

Inform your college student about the risks associated with flame retardants and encourage them to vacuum and wipe down surfaces on a regular basis to remove toxic dust

Ensure dorm rooms are well ventilated to avoid a buildup of leached chemicals

Wash your hands after touching cellphones, keyboards, laptops and tablets, most of which contain flame retardants

When replacing furniture and household items, choose products filled with cotton and wool, or even polyester, because they tend to be safer than chemical-treated foam

Look for items labeled as "flame-retardant free"

Be advised polyurethane foam products manufactured prior to 2005 - including foam used in mattresses, pillows and upholstered furniture - likely contain PBDEs. If you can, replace these items or, at a minimum, ensure the foam is in good repair and remains well-covered.

Because older carpet padding is another major source of PBDEs, take precautions when removing it. Before tearing out older carpeting, you'll want to isolate your work area from the rest of your house to avoid spreading PBDEs around. For best results when cleaning up carpet and pad debris, use a vacuum with a HEPA filter.

Cleaning and Personal Care Products Also Damage Indoor Air Quality

While doing your best to minimize leaching flame retardants, keep in mind the cleaning supplies you use also may be a source of toxins that affect indoor air quality. Unless you choose your cleaning products carefully, you may end up dousing your living space with even more toxic chemicals, many of which are not clearly identified on product labels.

Be advised so-called eco-friendly and green cleaners may still contain unsafe chemicals. Fortunately, concerns about the safety of cleaning and personal care products is growing nationwide. Increasingly more, government leaders and concerned citizens are pressuring manufacturers to disclose all ingredients used, as well as any toxic trace contaminants added during the manufacturing process.

One such chemical known as 1,4-dioxane, a probable carcinogen, has shown up in water supplies in Long Island, New York.27 Although 1,4-dioxane is primarily used as a solvent in manufacturing, it often ends up in cleaning and personal care products as a byproduct and has been detected in groundwater and drinking water.

During the manufacturing process for products like cosmetics, deodorant, shampoo and toothpaste, 1,4-dioxane develops through ethoxylation, a process that increases foaming and makes products less abrasive.28 According to the Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE), about 46 percent of personal care products - including body lotions, cosmetics, deodorants, detergents, dishwashing soaps and shampoos - contain 1,4-dioxane.29

“Once down the drain, the chemical is highly mobile in soil and does not easily break down, leading to contamination of groundwater-fed water sources,” asserts Harry Somma, the Long Island program coordinator for CCE.30

Unfortunately, because it is a manufacturing byproduct, 1,4-dioxane is not listed on ingredient labels, says the CCE, making it difficult for consumers to make informed and safe buying decisions about countless products they use daily.31

Act Now to Reduce Your Toxic Load and Get More Sunshine

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While the amount of potentially toxic chemicals in your living environment may seem overwhelming, focus on the activities and areas over which you have some influence. Start by reading the labels on household cleaning products and stop buying the ones suspected to interfere with human health.

Better yet, as presented in the video above, choose natural alternatives or make your own nontoxic cleaning products. Wipe down surfaces regularly with soap and water and vacuum at least weekly using a HEPA filter to remove toxic dust.

When you are ready to replace bedding and furniture, get educated by reading customer reviews and manufacturer specifications. Choose organic, naturally flame-retardant materials and avoid items doused in toxic chemicals.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, since sunshine has been shown to kill germs, I encourage you to spend more time outdoors. Also draw back your shades and open your windows for 10 to 15 minutes each day to improve indoor air quality and help “sanitize” your dust. Soaking up healthy amounts of sunshine is not only a great way to avoid the bacteria lurking in household dust, but it also gives you an opportunity to increase your vitamin D level naturally.

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fabriziofusco80 · 7 years ago

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The Broken Brain Podcast – Calming Your Anxious Mind with Ariel Garten

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Have you ever wanted to be a more relaxed and less anxious person…someone who bounces back after setbacks that we all face? Someone who can take deep breaths in the midst of a stressful day and not react when something upsets you?

My life is full! I am often running from morning until late at night, and I could not do it without meditation. My twice-daily meditation practice is what actually gives me the reserves and the presence to accomplish everything I need to in one day. Today, we learn all about the inner workings of the brain, why we get anxious, and how meditation can help with neuroscientist, psychotherapist, and Muse co-creator Ariel Garten. Dhru and Ariel start off by getting real about mental health-it's something we ALL need to deal with-no stigma here. It's a part of the human condition. For all the moms out there, Ariel shares her story on postpartum depression and the anxiety she faced after having her son.

This episode is full of rich pearls to teach you about our precious organ, the brain; to encourage you to try meditation (even if you think you can't do it); and even offer tips on how to incorporate meditation in your workplace or family life.

In this episode, we dive into:

There is no stigma in mental health (4:02)

Anxiety as the broken alarm system (5:42)

What does “sitting with it” mean? (9:00)

The role of our prefrontal cortex (11:09)

Ariel's experience with postpartum depression and anxiety (13:14)

Making meaning out of everything (17:13)

Changes in your brain during meditation (18:52)

Daily routines to avoid anxiety (21:36)

Meditating as a group – work or family (25:31)

The story of Ariel's inspiration (31:39)

The origins of Muse (33:15)

It's ok to suck at meditation, please keep trying (38:57)

Meditation's role in creating something new (43:51)

Identifying our story and how to change it (47:30)

The launch of Muse 2 (50:53)

How Ariel uses Muse in her life (52:55)

Where to find Ariel online (53:56)

I know you'll love all the amazing information in this episode of The Broken Brain Podcast as much as I did.

Wishing you health and happiness, Mark Hyman, MD

PS – Find Ariel online here or on Instagram or Twitter. You can also learn more about the Muse 2 meditation headband.

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fabriziofusco80 · 7 years ago

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Atomic Habits

Quiet Revolution is excited to spread the word about James Clear's new book, Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits &...

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fabriziofusco80 · 7 years ago

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13 Proven Health Benefits of Turmeric

Years ago, I had a bad fall and injured my tailbone. It was one of the WORST pains I'd ever experienced. All the nerves surrounding my spine and lower back felt like they were on FIRE…Yoouuch!!! I was traveling for work at the time, and had to be pumped full of morphine just to get … Read More

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fabriziofusco80 · 7 years ago

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5 RULES TO FOLLOW TO GET A HEALTHIER BODY IN LESS THAN 7 DAYS

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fabriziofusco80 · 7 years ago

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Education needs to be inconvenient

It seems as though people now spend more time with their smartphones than they spend with other people, and the smartphone and app makers are working hard to make every interaction we make online ever more convenient.

Convenience sells.

It's the dominant driver of our culture, and has been since the 60s. How can I get something that's just good enough in exchange for it being more convenient? Hence the drive through fast food window, the microwave oven, the remote control, shrinkwrap licenses and 140 characters as a stand in for exchanging ideas.

It turns out that the quest for convenience also drives many of the choices we make about education. It's more convenient to have standardized tests and rigid curricula, so we don't have to treat every student differently. And it's more convenient to imagine that continuing education for adults might involve reading a summary of something instead of actually doing it.

Alas, we're confusing the convenience of physical time-saving with the convenience of not extending ourselves in the quest for something better.

Education needs to be inconvenient because it relies on effort and discomfort to move us from where we were to where we want to be. The internet gives us more access than ever, and if we care enough, we can use that convenient access to explore the inconvenient places that we know we should be exploring.

Here's my annual link to my rant on education entitled, “Stop Stealing Dreams: What's School For.”

And here's the 18 minute video, which is a little more convenient.

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And here's a new viral video on the topic. Related to Ted Dintersmith's new book.

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The Bootstrapper's Workshop is a decidedly inconvenient program we're running now, one that challenges each participant to engage and experience and connect. You can save a few dollars this weekend if you click the purple circle on the sign up page. Then it's gone.

Useful education is inconvenient, but worth it.

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fabriziofusco80 · 7 years ago

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Chocolate Turmeric Caramel Cups

Who doesn't love caramel and chocolate together??? They're the perfect match… but when you add in the superfood Turmeric it takes this killer combo to a 'nother level! Tucked inside these Chocolate Turmeric Caramel Cups is a decadent “caramel” made with cashews, almond butter, coconut, turmeric and dates. You see, even when enjoying candy I … Read More

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fabriziofusco80 · 7 years ago

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Self Concept, The Enemy of Awakening (Accept the Badness Within Yourself) - Teal Swan -

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Teal Swan explains that accepting the badness within yourself is critical in order to become enlightened. The enemy of awakening is about always being identified with being good and maintaining your self-concept. This is difficult because we have the ability to re-frame anything, so that we see ourselves as being good or as doing a good thing when the truth is totally the opposite. Teal Swan is an International Contemporary Spiritual Leader. She offers perspective on a wide range of topics including relationships, anxiety, meditation, shadow work, authenticity, the law of attraction, The Completion Process, healing, PTSD, emotions and spirituality Website: www.tealswan.com For daily updates, monthly online Synchronization Workshops join TealSwan.com/premium Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thespiritualcatalyst/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tealspiritualcatalyst/?hl=en Twitter: TEALCATALYST Newsletter: https://tealswan.com/newsletter Completion Process Book: https://thecompletionprocess.com/#the-book Teal's Meditations: https://gumroad.com/tealswan Teal's e-shop: tealswan.com/teals-products Beginning Song: Kuan Yin's Mantra (c) 2002 Lisa Thiel Help us caption & translate this video! http://amara.org/v/9Hq9/ Help us caption & translate this video! https://amara.org/v/k5dy/

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fabriziofusco80 · 7 years ago

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The Broken Brain Podcast: Episode 7 with Dr. Maya Shetreat

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Do you let your kids play in the dirt or have hand wipes ready for them at every turn? In a society that fears dirt and considers it undesirable, science is showing that we are losing diversity of bacteria on our skin and in our guts which impacts our immune systems and our brains.

In our 7th episode of The Broken Brain Podcast, Broken Brain Executive Producer Dhru Purohit and Dr. Maya Shetreat-dirt expert, neurologist, and Functional Medicine practitioner-talk about the role of dirt and microbes in the body. In this discussion, you'll learn all about hormesis, how small stresses actually stimulate the body to become more resilient. Plus, Dr. Shetreat talks about many ways to get your children outside (let them play in dirt…let them eat some dirt!) and the importance of a whole body approach to health that includes the physical, emotional, and spiritual.

This episode is packed with tips for parents and caregivers to cultivate a healthy microbiome in little people. Even if you're not caring for little ones, you'll be encouraged to put down your phone and take a walk in the woods.

In this episode, we dive into:

Dirt and the instinct to be sanitary (1:27)

Fearing dirt and bacteria (4:38)

Implications of a sterile environment (7:57)

Steps to a healthy microbiome (11:15)

Hormesis: Small stresses that are good for us (15:35)

Encouraging loved ones to get outside (22:25)

Fear of independent play (26:52)

Dr. Shetreat's approach with patients (34:08)

How to create change in your daily life (41:02)

What whole body health looks like (49:39)

Dr. Shetreat's inspiration and resources (51:50)

I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.

Wishing you health and happiness,

Mark Hyman, MD

PS: If you'd like to learn more about Dr. Shetreat's book The Dirt Cure or The Terrain Institute, you can find her at www.dirtcure.com.

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fabriziofusco80 · 7 years ago

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HOW TO CLEAR YOUR MIND NOW

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fabriziofusco80 · 7 years ago

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HOW TO RECOGNIZE YOU'VE FOUND SOMEONE SPECIAL

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fabriziofusco80 · 7 years ago

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How to Be Yourself

Quiet Revolution is thrilled to spread the word about Ellen Hendriksen's new book How to Be Yourself: Quiet Your Inner Critic and Rise Above Social Anxiety....

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fabriziofusco80 · 7 years ago

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A Ceremony To Call In My Beloved

At the beginning of 2018, I was seriously considering entering a monastic phase of life. After three divorces and five years of messy relationships, I've become weary of the energetic exhaustion I associate with romantic relationship. Having ended my last romance in September, just before my mother died, I felt so heartbroken that I had a strong protector part making a very valid, rational case about why I should just accept the invitation of celibacy as the next phase of my spiritual journey. I was aware that it was likely that this impulse was coming not so much from my devotion to monastic life but from the trauma of repetitive heartbreak, a distrust of my own discernment, and a feeling of hopelessness. I also had a part that was making an equally good case for how the greatest growth edge of my spiritual journey lies in exploring my sexuality and radical emotional intimacy with a deep, spiritually mature partner who has experience with sexuality as a spiritual practice. I do not consider myself sexually experienced. Although I've had plenty of sex in my life, I've never really had a partner who was simultaneously safe enough and curious enough and spiritually mature enough and powerful enough to hold the kind of sexual and spiritual energy that can arise in the right partnership. I've tasted that intensity with two different men, but neither of them was available to explore that kind of heart/soul/genital connection in any sustained, reliable, deeply intimate way.

I spent the New Year marinating in this war between my parts.

Then I took the issue to my therapist. I have been working with transpersonal psychologist Ted Esser for four years as my personal guide and spiritual counselor. He hardly ever gives me advice or tells me what to do. If I ask for direct guidance, he unfailingly turns me back to my own intuition. Sometimes it makes me bonkers, because he's super intuitive, and sometimes I just want him to tell me what he sees and help me cheat! But he is steadfast in his devotion to helping me trust my Inner Pilot Light. So it's very rare when he is directive with me, expressing any forceful or strong advice.

But in January, when I was talking to Ted about my last break up, Ted responded with something he rarely does. First, he shared his intuition. Then he gave me an assignment.

His intuition was that I am not meant to live a monastic life, that the right partnership will explode my spiritual growth, and that such a partnership would benefit not just me personally, but my work, my message, and the collective.

No biggie.

His assignment was for me to perform a “white magic” ceremony to call in this Beloved who would be my partner in exploration of pleasure as a spiritual path. Everything in me balked at this assignment. I've spent years practicing spiritual surrender. It is my practice not to use intention or spiritual power to get what my ego might want. I don't follow law of attraction teachings or sit in goddess circles to cast spells so we can attract men or make it rain. I rarely even play around with some of the stuff I once wrote about in The Anatomy of a Calling, like bending spoons or calling in the whales. I won't even discuss such things in my workshops unless they've listened to hours of talk about abuse of spiritual power and how I'll kick everyone's ass if they use their power to show off, bolster their egos or God forbid-harm anyone with black magic.

While I have reckoned with my spiritual power and I know it's real, I don't have any wish to use it for egoic purposes, and calling in a partner felt like part of the “how to get what your ego wants” misuse of power.

Ted listened generously to my resistance, smiling and reassuring me that he's totally on board with my practice of spiritual surrender. He wanted me to see that the two need not be mutually exclusive, that held in paradox, I could simultaneously assert the force of my will and let go with non-attachment, that if we hold a nondual perspective, willfulness and surrender can live together without conflict.

Something plunked in my gut when he said what he said. I sensed he was right, but I was still scared. “You should be scared,” he said, “Because this kind of relationship will rock your world.” Not only do I have a frightened part that has witnessed so much abuse of spiritual power-and so much destruction as a result of such abuse-that I don't want to touch my spiritual power with a ten foot pole. I also sensed the deep truth of what he said. Part of me is actually afraid of meeting someone who could shatter me.

I also have a practice of not letting fear take the wheel of my decision making. I see that a lot of my resistance is fear-based and that I cannot fully express my purpose here on this planet if I am not willing to trust myself to use my spiritual power without abusing it. (For more on my views about The Shadow Of Spirituality and how spiritual leaders abuse power and how spiritual seeker give their power away in dangerous ways, you can participate in this teleclass I taught.)

Although I seek guidance from several teachers, therapists, and wise friends, I aspire to never give over my authority to anyone else-and Ted would never want me to. Susie Bright says, “Take inspiration from everyone and instruction from no one.” (Hat tip to Jeff Magnani in our Soul Tribe for sharing that quote.) So I took his guidance and filtered it through my Inner Pilot Light.

After navigating all my inner resistance, checking in with my intuition, praying for signs, seeding my dreams, wrestling with my fears of abusing power, and asking for protection to ensure that I never misuse my power, I finally got the clear green light from my Inner Pilot Light to perform a “white magic” ceremony to call in my Beloved.

I won't go into the details of what I did, because I don't want my ceremony to be misappropriated for anyone else's egoic or nefarious purposes. So I'll just show you photos of my ceremony and share with you one part of what happened during this four hour ceremony that I performed by myself during the January New Moon. (Astrologers tell us that new moons are a great time to plant seeds of intentions, while full moons are ideal times for releasing that which doesn't serve us.)

To prepare for this extensive ritual, I wrote what I'm about to share, and I read it out loud during my ceremony. I wanted to share it with you all in case it inspires you to tune into the frequency and emotional resonance of what might be calling you.

Calling In My Tantra Consort

We gaze into one another's eyes and the edges of reality blur as the soul reveals itself. We feel tempted to look away-it is so intimate to be so seen that it feels frightening, but we have prepared for this moment and we can hold each others gaze without looking away. Our hearts open. I can feel the tears responding to the opening of my heart, as I give and am given the privilege of having my soul witnessed by this Beloved. Eros flows between us-the life force moving in our bodies and in the space between us. This is more than lust; it is the longing to be One, to touch our lips together, to merge our bodies, to make Love, to dissolve the barriers that separate us, to let go of the ego borders that make us separate from All That Is, to merge into union with the Divine through our union with each other, to glimpse eternity while still in two bodies, to return from this bliss and remember the Oneness even as we feel once again the Twoness, to take this deep Remembering out into the world until we unite once again.

I invite in a monogamous partner who is also a Tantra or Taoist consort for Karmamudra or Sexual Alchemy practice, someone who is prepared to explore with me sexual union as a spiritual practice of deep intimacy and Oneness with the Divine through the God/Goddess in one another. I understand that such a union can be a fierce invitation because such partnering is not always easy, stripping away all that is not Love and calling forth both partner's deepest shadows, to be brought into the light, made conscious, and integrated through healing and self-acceptance. I am prepared to be challenged with bench pressing my receiving muscles, making pleasure a spiritual practice and increasing my tolerance for deep intimacy, intense pleasure, and the vulnerability and bliss of great joy and deep connection.

This relationship will exist between two sovereign beings who resist the temptations of co-dependence or the spiritual bypassing and intimacy avoidant tendencies to avoid conflict or resist having shadows seen and explored together. I am not available to be the narcissist or the co-dependent, but am fully available to hold the paradox of getting our needs met and setting each other free, even if it means that grasping insecurities are evoked or the desire to flee from deep intimacy arises.

Trustworthiness and transparency are tantamount. I will not tolerate lying, cheating, hiding, or withholding information that two intimates need to share in order to keep trust safe. I prefer monogamy, at least in the beginning, until secure attachment is bonded. Later on, although it is not a specific preference, I'm open to a more open relationship sexually, but not if it interferes with intimacy or risks the safety of the deep bond I long for. I am not a jealous person, and I don't wish to partner with someone else who is jealous. I have a monogamous vagina, but a polyamorous heart. There are men I love who are not lovers, but who hold deep space in my heart, and I don't wish to let go of those heart connections or resist new heart connections in the future. I also am not triggered by my partner having heart connections with others, as long as sexual boundaries are clear, respected and communicated.

I have a daughter and she is the light of my life, so any partner who bonds with me will need to bond with her too. I am open to bonding to someone else's children, but I do not anticipate bearing more children myself.

I have a full, rich, exciting life, and I hope my partner does too. I feel smothered if I am the center of the life of someone who lacks other passions, friendships, curiosity about adventures, desire for solitary time, and dreams. I feel neglected if someone is a workaholic or has no bandwidth to prioritize me. I hope to find a partnership where we both prioritize one another but also offer enough space to support our life purposes, our other relationships, our children, our self-care, and our reasons for incarnating in this life.

I care a lot about service, healing the planet, creativity and activism, so it's not a great match if someone else cares only for hedonistic self-indulgences. It's also not a great match if someone is a martyr to a cause and devotes himself obsessively to his cause from a place of self-sacrifice and depletion, which inevitably leads to anxiety, despair, and illness or injury. Someone with circles under his eyes from late nights spent fighting for his activist cause or someone who has to meditate four hours a day in order to pursue his spiritual ambitions probably wouldn't have enough time to play in nature, in bed and explore deep intimacy. But someone who only cares about playtime and isn't in touch with a deeper purpose in life will probably get frustrated with my mission and excitement for global healing and the Love Revolution that is underway and making progress!

I yearn for someone who has already done a lot of psychospiritual deep work in order to heal from past trauma and learn the tools for navigating future traumas as life will inevitably deliver them. I do not wish to be someone's primary teacher. I have a therapist and a spiritual teacher, and I am seeking someone who also has someone they can access to get help working on his side of the psychospiritual street if the inevitable challenges arise. While I believe the relationship itself can be a powerful guru, I also sense that a twosome can be strengthened if a third party is available to help navigate any conflicts the two can't resolve with Non-Violent Communication, prayer, surrender, the willingness to explore challenges, and a commitment to love, growth and consciousness. Someone who believes he has the direct connection to God and never strays off track, who doesn't need a therapist or teacher, or who believes he does not need a therapist because he has no trauma and will never have any in the future will probably not be a good fit for me. I work hard on myself, using deep self-inquiry and many other practices, to continue drilling down and stripping away everything that is not Love. I also commit to practicing pleasure as a spiritual path.

I love to play, be in nature, laugh, make love and have fun, so someone who wants to go from one silent meditation retreat to another will probably be disappointed in my lack of discipline! Play is part of my practice, and pleasure is my best teacher right now, so I'm not into the ascetic's path. I love creating gourmet picnics to eat on mountaintops we hike to, basking in natural hot springs, listening to music with the windows down on Highway 1, enjoying a glass of wine by the fire after a day on the ski slopes, singing along with someone's guitar or piano, and sunbathing naked at the local beach with the breeze tickling me and the sun basking on my bare skin. I love creating and participating in meaningful rituals, honoring full moons and solstices, and traveling to sacred sites like Macchu Picchu, Lourdes, the temples in Bali, and Grace Cathedral. I live for my weekly dance “Sweat Your Prayers” 5 Rhythms church, where 150 crazy dancers ecstatically connect and move energy through our hearts and into each other and the world. Singing, writing, and making art bring me great joy. I hope my partner is as excited about life and passionate about what delights him as I am. If our interests overlap, I will look forward to sharing these delights, and if they don't, I'm OK with having separate passions and space to explore what we love separately, as long as there's still bandwidth for and prioritizing of time for deep, intimate connection.

I'm not afraid of the daimonic realms of inspired creativity and sensuality, as well as those shadowy parts we try to repress. Vulnerability and willingness to explore these realms is important to me, as is the willingness of someone else to challenge me into the most expanded version of my human and Divine potential. I'm here to live a fully human life, not to transcend, bypass or deny my humanity. I'm also here to embody my Divinity and honor the Goddess as she expresses herself through me and in the world. Because I have a big purpose here in this life, I yearn for a consort to hold solid sacred masculine grounding for what one friend calls “the Lissa Poltergeist,” stabilizing and rooting me when the Divine Feminine in me explodes in a frenzy of unbridled Shakti. This feminine energy that runs through me has great power and must be met with great power-not through domination, control or suppression of this Shakti, but by a man ready to rise to meet my power with his in a swirl of Divine Love that can facilitate healing, transformation and alchemy in ourselves, in our partnership and in the world.

I am not attached to this sacred union. I would rather live a meaningful monastic life than distract myself with relationships with immature men who aren't ready for this kind of intensity and depth of intimacy. But I sense you are coming to me and that I will recognize you-and you will recognize me-when it's time. Until then, I enjoy leaning into the unmet longing, even when it hurts. I know it is that longing for the Divine-and the Divine through another human-that draws me forth. I know it is this longing that draws you to me. The Eros of this longing is magnetic, pulling me toward the partner who is ready to match my power, my passion, my depth, my intensity, my psychological health, my spiritual maturity, my calling, and my capacity to love and experience intimacy at great depths.

I welcome you in, my Beloved, wherever you are.

The Outcome

I performed my ceremony on January 16, 2018. On January 23, a man reached out to ask me out through a series of synchronicities I won't get into right now. We had our first date January 29, which turned into a shocking whirlwind of connection, intimate disclosures, negotiations, emotionally vulnerable expressions of resistance and desire. We spent the last intense month going very slow sensually and very fast emotionally. Both of us have prioritized staying grounded and resisting the impulse to dive headlong and recklessly into the vortex that emerges between us. Both of us have wounds around “frying” our partners with blasts of unrestrained spiritual and sexual energy. Neither of us wants to hurt the other, so we are practicing grounding, integration, and radical depths of communication and intimacy.

Some parts of me are stunned. Other parts want to get all grandiose. “Look what we did! It worked!” Mostly though, I am just awash in gratitude and overwhelmed with awe that I have met an extraordinary man who seems to meet the description of what I read out loud during my ceremony shockingly well. Our first month was hard-full of exploration of each other's shadows and difficult negotiations and disclosures. It was only a week ago that we finally decided to relax our guard and have a honeymoon in Mendocino, where we become lovers for the first time and celebrated how excited we are to have met one another.

We do not know what the future holds. We are not promising each other anything, other than “Today I choose you, tomorrow, we'll see.” What I can say is that my intuition feels that this will be a significant relationship, perhaps the most significant of my life. It's early to say much more. Neither of us have any fantasy of “happily-ever-after” or “soul mate” projections or fairytale endings. But we do have hope; hope that it's possible for a man and a woman to be free spirits who express themselves authentically, outside our cultural conditioning, to explore intimacy and freedom in paradox, rather than in conflict, to use this relationship as a spiritual practice, and to dive into pleasure as a spiritual path.

When we are more solid, if he gives his permission, I'll share more.

The past two years have been brutal. I've shared with you most but not all of the painful details of life's most recent Perfect Storm. But I don't want you to think my life is pure pain or that spiritual growth must always be intensely uncomfortable!? It's like ecstasy and trauma are riding shotgun, side by side on this rollercoaster of life.

My latest growth edge is my capacity to receive unlimited blessings. I've got the masochism as a spiritual path thing down pat. Throw anything painful at me, and I can alchemize it into soul growth! But what about pleasure as a spiritual path? Can I expand my tolerance for ecstasy, rapture and bliss? How much joy, ease, and grace will my system let me have? How many miracles can I fully take in with awe? Do I have a glass ceiling? If so, this man is going to help me discover it-and bust right through it (either that, or I'll sabotage this).

I am up for the task. I can see where the growth edge lives. I'm so much more comfortable giving than receiving. I am learning to receive blessings from the Universe-and from this man. Can I handle it without contracting? Time will tell…

Since I pretty much tell you all most of the intimate details of my life, I wanted to let you into this emerging love story. Please hold the two of us in your hearts and send prayers and blessings for whatever serves the highest good for us all.

With love and hope,

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fabriziofusco80 · 7 years ago

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7 Takeaways About Dairy from My Book Food: What the Heck Should I Eat?

If someone handed you a beverage that you knew would cause you weight gain, bloating, acne, gas, allergies, eczema, brittle bones, and possibly even cancer, would you drink it? Would you chug three cups of that liquid daily and give two cups of it to your children?  

Probably not.  

Yet the federal government tells us that milk is a perfect food that Americans should lap up daily, three glasses to be exact-in spite of a large (and growing) body of research showing its lack of benefits and awful side effects. I agree, it is nature's perfect food…but only if you are a calf!

And the government has recently been called to task for their corrupt dietary guidelines in a prestigious report from the National Academy of Sciences, showing that the members of the guidelines committee have strong connections to the dairy industry. And that there is no good science to back up the recommendations to drink three glasses of milk a day. Schools can't get government lunch money unless they offer the kids milk, which usually ends up being sugary low-fat chocolate or strawberry milk-almost as bad as a soda.

Humans are the only species that continues to drink milk after weaning. And the milk we drink today is not what our grandparents drank.

Even though cow's milk today contains dozens of reproductive hormones, allergenic proteins, antibiotics, and growth factors, some of which are known to promote cancer, the dairy industry wants us to believe that their cows are happily producing milk and grazing through green pastures.

For the most part, that couldn't be further from the truth, and in Food: What the Heck Should I Eat? I reveal exactly why.

Dairy is a contentious food, and my new book tackles the pros and cons about whether it belongs in your diet. And which dairy is actually okay to eat. The takeaways you'll get from this chapter of my book include:

With dairy, every side gets it wrong. The government's dietary guidelines tell us to drink three cups of milk daily for adults and two cups for kids. Scientists and nutritionists warned us against dairy products under the premise that saturated fat causes heart disease. They are all wrong. And their bad advice has resulted in a generation of kids growing up on sugary, low-fat or fat-free chocolate milk, which is worse than whole milk in every single way. Remember that famous ad slogan, “Milk: It does a body good”? Well, it doesn't.  Science shows low-fat makes kids fatter.

It isn't just lactose intolerance. If you're lactose intolerant or sensitive to dairy, then you should avoid it at all costs. But even if you are tolerant, milk shouldn't be a major part of your diet. Milk from conventionally raised cows is full of hormones, chemicals, and inflammatory compounds. Stay away from it and reduce your intake of all other industrially produced cheeses or dairy products.  “American” cheese, that weird orange plastic tasting stuff on all the burgers and sandwiches, actually can't legally be called cheese because it is less than 50% cheese. It has to be called “American Slices”.

There's no evidence that we need milk to strengthen our bones. In fact, countries with the lowest milk consumption have the lowest rates of osteoporosis and fractures, while those with the highest dairy consumption and calcium intake have the highest rates of fractures-a phenomenon called the calcium paradox. In Food: What the Heck Should I Eat?, I'll tell you how to build strong bones and so much more without touching a glass of milk.

We can get adequate levels of calcium from other foods. Here's the dirty little secret of the dairy industry: Many food sources contain more calcium than milk, such as sardines, arugula, and tahini. In Food: What the Heck Should I Eat?, I'll tell you about the best sources of calcium without the hormones, allergens, and other baggage that comes with dairy.

A little bit of butter is healthy. For a long time, butter got a bad rep. But butter from pastured, grass-fed cows or goats is on my healthy fats and oils list in Food: What the Heck Should I Eat? That doesn't mean you should eat butter with abandon. But it's fine to eat it like our grandparents did. In fact, a study of 600,000 people eating butter for the equivalent of 6.5 million patient years found no link between butter and heart disease and an association between increased butter intake and a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.

Some varieties of cheese are also okay. Good news: It's okay to eat some cheeses in small amounts, while you'll want to avoid others like the plague. Should you eat raw cheese, or are goat and sheep cheese any different? I'll reveal which ones to eat and which to avoid in Food: What the Heck Should I Eat?

Goat's milk can be a good alternative to cow's milk. The form of casein in goat's milk (A2 casein) is not inflammatory, unlike the casein prevalent in most cow's milk (A1 casein) that creates gut issues, allergies, eczema, and acne. Goat's milk is also easier to digest so it doesn't cause stomach discomfort for most. It also has high levels of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which boost metabolism and brain function, and higher levels of vitamin A, which is good for your skin.

In my book Food: What the Heck Should I Eat?, out February 27, I'll provide you with everything you need to know to make the most informed decisions about dairy, including what products are okay and smart alternatives. Ultimately, with dairy like any other processed food, here's a good rule to live by: If your great grandmother didn't eat it, then you shouldn't either.  

In Food: What the Heck Should I Eat? I uncover the truth about the food we actually eat-what is healthy and not in each group of foods we eat-meat, poultry and eggs, dairy, beans, grains, veggies, fruit, nuts and seeds, beverages, and more, and guide to you to a science-based, sensible way of eating for life that keeps you, our planet, and our society healthy. I also address the environmental and social impact of the food we eat.

If you have ever woken up wondering the heck you should eat, this book is for you. Check out the trailer and order from Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, or get it at your local bookstore. And get a free video of the 4 biggest food lies out there!

Wishing you health & happiness,

Mark Hyman, MD

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fabriziofusco80 · 7 years ago

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10 SECRETS IN WHY MEN LEAVE WOMEN THEY LOVE

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fabriziofusco80 · 7 years ago

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A Love Letter From Your “Inner Pilot Light” on Valentine's Day

Dear gorgeous, holy, radiant YOU,

Let me just start with the obvious. Darling…I adore you. You are the light of my life. Well…let me reframe that. As your Inner Pilot Light, I suppose I am the light of YOURS. But this is no burden for me! It is my raison d'être, my reason for being, my sacred calling-to love you unconditionally, to guide you on your authentic path, to remind you of your true nature, to love and accept and befriend all of the many parts of you, and to help you remember your wholeness, even when you forget.

I know Valentine's Day can be triggering sometimes. If you've lost someone you love, Valentine's Day can remind you of the hole you feel from their absence, and this remembering can blow your heart open with the pain of your loss. If you have a partner, you may feel disappointed in how your partner expresses love, perhaps in a love language different from yours. If you don't have a partner, any number of insecure, self-critical parts can have a field day, attacking you for not being good enough, beautiful enough, smart enough, wise enough, sexy enough, loving enough, [fill in your blank] enough… These parts can exhaust you on what is meant to be a day of remembering to love.

I am here to embrace and accept and love even those self-attacking parts.

Let me speak the truth of how I truly see you in your deepest, most soulful wholeness.

You are the shooting star, the tulip in bloom, the rainbow after the downpour, and the toothless grin of a happy baby at the breast of a mother who is doing the best she can and still kicking herself for not being the perfect mother. You are a pile of puppies, rolling around, licking and nipping and playing, without a care in the world. You are the first bud of the cherry blossoms, emerging in spring to announce that winter's war is ending and summer's play days are on the horizon.

You are a Rumi poem, a Mozart sonata, a Michelangelo painting, and a children's squeaky orchestra concert. You are an old grove redwood forest, the green flash at sunset, a lunar eclipse, and a meteor shower. You are whales spouting, a leopard on the hunt, and a leafy sea dragon floating the depths of the ocean like God's work of art.

Your radiance stuns me, and your shadows enliven me, giving me a chance to see all of you. Your curiosity about the world touches my heart, as I see how sweet your mind is, wanting to know the unknowable mystery, as minds just love to think. Your heart is a masterpiece, full, as it is, with wonder and awe and a waterfall of affection, as well as the scars of a million disappointing, grief-stricken, illusion-shattering heartbreaks. The courage you've shown to keep your heart open takes my breath away. It's so tempting to shut down when your heart has been hurt. It's a natural defense, a completely understandable reaction to a world full of trauma. But even that slight crack you keep open, the crack of hope that yearns to believe that love is still real, touches me to my the core of my sparkle and lets everyone see what burns through that crack (me!).

On this Valentine's Day, I want to say everything you need to hear in order to heal and feel fully loved. You know better than I do exactly what those words are, the words he or she didn't say, the loving actions you didn't receive, the tender caresses that didn't come, the gentle rocking with your body cradled on the lap of the one whose touch you long for.

Let me give you everything you didn't get. Let me love you so fully inside your own heart, saying to you everything your hurt parts need to hear, giving you whatever you didn't get when you deserved to be treated like the precious gift that you are. Let me shower you with kisses, praise your beauty, your talent, your intelligence, your giving heart. Let me hold you and rock you and whisper sweet nothings in your sweet little ears. Let me reassure you that I will never leave you. I never can. I am with you always, here forever in the sanctuary of your own heart.

I am the one you've been waiting for…

With me by your side, others can come-or go. I can love you so fully from inside your own heart that you are full to the brim with all the love the Universe can shower upon you. Any love you get outside yourself is simply icing-lovely to have, a sweet confection to savor, but not necessary in order for you to feel whole. When you are so full to overflowing with Divine love, human love is still a blessing to be cherished, but you'll feel less needy, less dependent on getting your needs met outside your own heart.

I am here for you, Beloved. It is my joy, my whole purpose, just to remind you what a treasure you are, in all your messy, radiant, not enough, too much, imperfect, over-the-top, insecure, effervescent, expanded, contracted, magnificent glory. I am the One who can love all of your parts, demonizing no part, accepting every part. You are adorable, my love. I absolutely cherish every single part of you-your protector parts, your scared parts, your vulnerable exiled parts, your checked out parts, your rebellious teenager acting out parts, your sabotaging parts-I love them all and I hold you in my Great Arms of Love. I am the part of you that is not a part, and you can always count on me.

If you close your eyes right now, I have a Valentine's Day message for you. If you nuzzle right up to me and listen close, you'll hear it.

Mwah…

Your Inner Pilot Light

PS. If you loved hearing this love letter from your Inner Pilot Light, sign up here for The Daily Flame, daily love letters from your Inner Pilot Light.

PPS. Great news! Sounds True will be publishing Lissa's next book The Daily Flame: 365 Love Letters From Your Inner Pilot Light, to be released Valentine's Day 2019!