Guide to Forgiveness
How to Forgive
Let go of the past
How to Love Again

Nothing changes more consistently than how you remember your past.
The way you remember the past changes every time you remember it!

We tend to remember the past based on how we are today. We measure it with how we are reacting to things.

We leave out information or add information based on what we require in the moment from our past.

To have a new future, better you in the future, you must understand forgiveness!
You must let yourself build ever bigger muscles around this very important gift.

78% of what we believe is untrue.

98% of our thoughts are automatic and for most of us, they are mostly negative.
Our negative thoughts and experiences are designed to protect us from perceived threats.

Most of our past and what needs to be forgiven is a story.

We are only conscious of about 2% of our thoughts. Unless you are doing what you are doing now! Building new thoughts, beliefs, and ideas.

Basically, for most humans, there is a great deal of information being processed incorrectly and unconsciously. You work on yourself and understanding forgiveness can help you experience the moment more accurately and with more possibilities for a brilliant solution!

Being more understanding and compassionate about the way we process allows for more space to release a lot of negative habits and shift toward more positive ones. I had a bad habit of self-sabotage,  extreme self-deprecation, and low-self-esteem. Today I no longer have an eating disorder, sleeping disorders, and I receive compliments well!

You are more available for Self-Affirming Experiences When You Forgive

You have 4 billion bits of information that come into your “space” at any given moment, but you only have the mental ability to process 2000 bits.

So you “cancel” so much information that is available to you based on what you allow yourself to perceive.

Critical Thinking is a powerful tool that helps people let go of false beliefs and come to conclusions in truth. A healthy skepticism will help you work toward truth. Develop your skills of discernment.

It takes 10,000 hours of doing something to become an expert at it. All of us, as adults have spent 10,000 hours thinking about something. Our past we have spent so many hours processing.

How much of it is along the lines of – What hurts me? How do I protect myself? vs. How do I expand the joy in my life? When you learn to forgive, you expand joy in your life!

We are creating our realities with what we spend our time focusing on. Our heart projects information 16 feet out in all directions from us informing the universe what we’ve ‘decided’ to see/have/experience.

Recognize that whatever you value has value!

“This is a love story!” is how Kimberly Yates begins this talk.
She continues, ” it’s a little non-traditional and very messy quite circuitous but ultimately beautiful and full of mystery.  And I got to tell you I don’t do too well with mystery. ”

She also shares,

Kimberly Yates is an actress and director. Some of her favorite projects include the LA Premiere of Elizabeth Meriwether’s The Mistakes Madeline Made (Beth), Richmond Shakespeare Festival: As You Like It (Celia), King Lear (Goneril), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Helena), and on film—Relatively Speaking (opposite Jim Parsons). She is the Artistic Director of Moxie Street Picture Shows and a proud member of the Theatre of Note.

The world is hungry for what you have to share. There is an audience for your forms of thinking.

The universe is unconditionally evolving and everything that arises is here for a reason.

It is a miracle that we have enough food and that we live with such access to so much…

When you hold on to what somebody else said or did, it is a way of holding yourself back from your potential or greatness.

Part of that holding back was taught to you and part is you holding back because the whole world has it and
when you heal it for yourself you open a greater space for healing it for the world.
This space grows larger and stronger exponentially as more people heal it.

When you’re in a space of not feeling that you’re in flow or grace, stop and ask yourself ‘What is bothering me?’
‘Why am I so upset?’ ‘Whom or what do I need to forgive or accept?’
Part of what we need to forgive is that humanity is vulnerable, can hurt or be hurt.

Forgive yourself for losing sight of yourself.  You are co-creating every moment!

This body can regenerate itself with every thought and every breath.

The 4 steps of forgiveness:

1. Feel/express the hurt. (You do this with you or with someone trained to help you!)

2. Name the offense. (Own what you wanted to happen, own your own expectations, and own your feelings!)

3. Establish new trust -reconfigure expectations/agreements (You are amazing, because you can create whatever you want to happen! Miracle Maker)
Reestablish trust with yourself and what you consider the Universe, God, and Goodness!

4. Let it go -breathing exercise (Your body has a memory of the event! Doing exercises to let go and release the trauma and drama!)

Ho‘oponopono can help anyone Heal

Ho‘oponopono, the Hawaiian forgiveness process, allows us to cut the aka connection (essentially clearing out preconceptions in how we view others) to create new connections and rejuvenated relationships. In Huna, the ancient Hawaiian discipline of energy and healing, the ho‘oponopono process is essential if we want to be pono (right and congruent with ourselves). This makes sense. After all, how can anyone feel good about themselves and their own life when they walk around stewing over how they been wronged?

This Doctor Healed An Entire Ward Of Mentally ill Criminals With One Simple Mantra

He recognized that in this environment of pain, and terrorizing fear that it was his responsibility to heal the part in him that was reflected into those around him, the inmates. He actually took more than responsibility for his healing, he took responsibility for the pain, trauma and fear of the patients in the ward.

A very important distinction needs to be made here. Ho’oponopono teaches that it is, in fact, your responsibility but that it is not your fault. This is a key difference in the healing process. Your responsibility means that you need to address it. Your fault means that you caused it. Taking up responsibility is the first step in healing any trauma you hold. Holding onto fault and blaming yourself is what most people tend to do.

With this knowledge, Dr. Stanley Hew Len practiced what is known as remote healing utilizing ho’oponopono. He would come to work in a cheerful mood and ask for patient files and sit in his office most of the day.

The Ho’oponopono Mantra is Simple…

I Love You, I’m Sorry, Please Forgive Me, Thank You.

The mantra is a prayer as Dr. Hew Len explains that it is your conscious and subconscious mind communicating with each other, to create healing and synergy between your past and your now, your inner child and your parent. The mother represents the conscious mind and the child represents the subconscious mind. Through Ho’oponopono you’re acknowledging your inner child (subsconscious) with your “mother mind” also known as your conscious mind and applying the simple Mantra above to help heal your inner child.

Ask self what belief within me formed the experience and surrender to the answers. Picture your perfect peace.

Close your eyes, connect to your inner-self and invite the part of yourself that is ready for forgiveness and to change perspective to come forward and share whatever it has to express.

Let yourself forgive.

Why I choose to Forgive

Forgiveness allows you to become the highest version of a human being you can achieve.

Most of our blocks and issues stem from not forgiving in some way or another.

Forgiving is letting go.

When we walk around with any form of blame, shame, resentment, anger or other withholding judgment it is like pushing down on a part of our energy system. Energy, however, needs to express itself and pushes out wherever it finds a way. This can lead to many different illnesses or ailments.

Forgiving allows energy to flow again which restores health and our natural balance.

To forgive is an act of love for yourself.

It is to surrender all feelings of revenge, repayment, retaliation, or the desire to pardon.

Forgiveness is not about allowing dishonesty, or violence.

It is about equanimity with life.

Meaning: mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation.

It is possible to understand a truly painful event as something happening “for” you rather than to you.

Being able to forgive begins with understanding “BLAME”.

Blame is giving emotional power over to something outside yourself so you don’t have to fully face/acknowledge it.

It is giving up responsibility for your emotions.

The second you blame someone/thing, you are giving up power to the target of your blame.

Blaming means you see the other as stronger and more capable than you!

You never truly blame a child or someone you think is weaker than you!

When you think someone could have been something other than what they were, you create resentment inside yourself!

Resentment is about re-creating a negative feeling. It is like re-sending what is not meant to you back out into the universe.

Keeping resentment interferes with moving forward or toward anything new.

There is a benefit for any resentment or blame.

It is displaced pain.

You are completely responsible for all of your experiences of emotion.

Forgiveness releases locked up energy in your body and the cords that connect to the source of their formation.

As you let go, space opens up inside and is filled with the next energetic level for you to work on.

I have a remarkable process I do in sessions that get you through this process quickly!

Dr. Sarah

P.S.

Here are a few more processes to help you

GET IN TOUCH WITH THE POWER OF FORGIVENESS

1. Set Aside an Hour to do this work

2. Make a list of everyone who has ever harmed, betrayed, or hurt you in any way.

3. Bring those instances to mind with the intention of forgiving each one.

Your willingness to do this work is amazing.
You are amazing!
Thank you for doing this work!

With each ‘injury’ we forgive, we open that space of forgiveness for all others.

Sit with the image of whatever felt wrong to you and breathe through the image sending the wound to/through the heart. As you breathe through you will naturally begin to release/forgive.

If you react to situations in the present through the eyes of your past, you will repeat your experiences of suffering.

Real forgiveness is unconditional.

Sometimes we hold on to something out of fear of moving on.

It is actually a great gift to work through an uncomfortable situation.

If something is making you uncomfortable, it is a part of being on the growing edge of your learning/growing.

When you commit fully to working through your discomfort, you become energized by the truth of your efforts.

The Heart-Math process for healing:

When you notice that you are thinking of a situation that is holding you, breathe that into your heart – set it ablaze with the fire of love naturally residing in your heart chakra. Tune in as fully as you can to the feeling space of that pain as well as the thoughts associated to it and as you breathe in you give it to the fire. As you breathe out, tune into what you would like to feel- whether its peace, stillness, love, joy, connectedness to people, forgiveness, release…

Repeat this process over and over, until it dissolves. This letting go of the charge also allows you to let go of the bond/cord connecting you to the energy that upset you.

Tip: You can say welcome (or yes) to the discomfort over and over to help you move through it without it looping or over-engaging your mind.

All healing and suffering are about perspective. Breathing through your pain allows you to let go of the views you attached to the experience that brought forward the pain and either shifts them to positive ones or dissolves them to neutral.

There are many personalities in your head with different roles. Sometimes when you make a promise to do something, it can’t be carried out until another part of you has shifted into alignment with the act. These different parts of you don’t necessarily communicate with each other, hence you have to create an exploratory space using critical thinking, self-awareness, and your heart to find a solution. There are several different thinking parts of the brain. Some feel more emotion and some are more logical and unattached.

A part of you is tuned in to melting in with everything and being connected to all, and there’s a part of your brain that is tuned into being very individual. When you let go of ‘stories’ you’re holding on to, more of your brain becomes accessible to you.

When you’re holding down a feeling, you are not allowing that note to be played and it finds a way to come out skewed and interferes with other parts of our brain.

Ask these questions to yourself about what you believe (in the moment). Write them down.

What do I believe about myself? Right now at this time? -This is what you’re aware of about yourself right now.

What do I believe about the world? -This is part of the unconscious blocks or bridges you have about connecting to Source/forgiveness.

What do I believe about …a person/others, situation? -This is part of what you created to let go of.

What we believe about things is the truth about us because what we believe is our truth.

We are all a healing presence on earth, and by letting go of the beliefs we’re holding on to, we allow ourselves to connect to our purpose(s).

What you have, no one else has. You have a unique frequency that can make miracles!

Cancer Cells are Extra Cell

Dr. Zach Bush on Microbiome, Leaky Gut & Cancer at Bulletproof Biohacking Conference 2017 from thecoffeepanda on Vimeo.

 

Cancer cells are extra cells.
May this sentence above brings you comfort!

What are Cancer Cells:

Cancer cells can divide without stopping and may form growths called tumors.
Many cancers form solid tumors, which are masses of tissue.

Soft tissue tumors are cell growths that emerge nearly anywhere in the body: in tendons, muscles, ligaments, cartilage, nerves, blood vessels, fat, and other tissues.

The word tumor simply refers to a mass.  Mass, tumor, or  is a general term that can refer to benign that is generally harmless or malignant cancerous growths.

Benign tumors are non-malignant/non-cancerous tumor.  A benign tumor is usually localized and does not spread to other parts of the body.

Malignant cancerous growths are tumors which means they can spread into, or invade nearby tissues.

Cancer cells are extra cells that grew because you have been exposed to extras stress or chemicals! More than your immune system can handle. You grew extra cells. Maybe you can undo what has been done to your body!

 

Your Body can heal anything! Miracles can be made by Doctors, treatments and by the right energy balance. You and your body are Miracle Makers!

You are a Miracle and as long as you are alive, there is hope and you are the cure!

God, Source, Flow is in everything! That one unit that builds everything, Energy!

Do not be afraid. Fear, stress, and poor focus leads to dis-ease or dis-ease.

Get smart and focused on balancing your energy with the energy around you and everything with your body!

Do not let cancer rule you. Let your body, faith, and trust heal your body!

For you, your body will heal a cut on your skin. Your body will digest the food you put into it! Your heart will beat and your nails grow!

Your body is amazing and has natural laws in it! Nature is self correcting.  Your body is self correcting by creating more cells sometimes.

God, Flow, the universe works with everything: Chemo, Radiation, Pills, Starvation, Herbs, and Energy Balancing.

Cancers of the blood, such as leukemias, generally do not form solid tumors.

Skin cancer is the number one cancer diagnosis in the United States – more common than all breast, prostate, and lung cancers combined.

Lung cancer is a type of cancer that begins in the lungs. Your lungs are two spongy organs in your chest that take in oxygen when you inhale and release carbon dioxide when you exhale.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, among both men and women.

Prostate cancer is cancer that occurs in the prostate — a small walnut-shaped gland in men that produces the seminal fluid that nourishes and transports sperm. Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in men. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men (after skin cancer), but it can often be treated successfully.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. It is second to lung cancer as the leading cause of death for women.

Experts say the fear of cancer can sometimes be exaggerated, stopping men and women from going to their doctors for screening.  Fear pushes both doctors and patients to make rash decisions when it may it may not be necessary. Fear blocks our access to higher levels of our brain and possible healing solutions especially when we are rushed!

Could you feel inspired by the diagnosis? Could you feel hopeful that now you can pay full attention to your body? What is showing up is trying to help you! It is informing you and yes, it might be using resources in your body that could be used better by you intentionally!

For example, Dr. Mercola’s research: the primary causes of breast cancer: nutritional deficiencies, exposure to environmental toxicity, inflammation, estrogen dominance.

The resultant breakdown in genetic integrity and immune surveillance, are entirely overlooked by this fixation on drug therapy and
its would-be “magic bullets” and the completely dumbed down and pseudo-scientific concept that “genes cause disease.”
(See: DNA: Not The Final Word On Health).

Billions of dollars are raised and funneled towards drug research, when the  turmeric plant, the humble cabbage and the unassuming bowl of miso soup may offer far more promise in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer than all the toximolecular drugs on the market put together. However, please remember according to A Course in Miracles, there is no order of difficulty for a miracle to show up! Millions of spontaneous remission have happened since we have been researching medical miracles. Institute of Noetic Sciences is one of the research organizations recording, Spontaneous Remissions, Prayer, and Miracles.

Prevention means: the action of stopping something from happening or arising.

Prevention in Breast Cancer Industry has illogical thinking associated with it!

When it comes to the breast cancer industry’s emphasis on equating “prevention” with “early detection” through x-ray mammography, nowhere is the inherently pathological ideology of allopathic medicine more clearly evident.

Not only is the ionizing radiation used to discern pathological lesions in breast tissue one of the very risk factors for the development of breast cancer, but the identification of the word “prevention” with “early detection,” is a disingenuous way of saying that all we can do to prevent breast cancer is to detect its inevitable presence sooner than would be possible without this technology.

If women succumb to the idea of prevention as doing nothing but waiting for the detection of the disease, many will find a similarly deranged logic re-emerge later when the self-fulfilling prophecy of prevention-through-doing-nothing is fulfilled and “treatment” is now required.

Dandelions for Immune Boost, Detoxification and Cancer Prevention:

 

The Dandelion flower can be eaten fresh, just pick one and nibble on the yellow flowers. It has been used for years, an early 1900s old Northwest foraging recipe is to simply add the Dandelion flowers into a bread mix. The leaves, especially the new ones emerging in spring, shine in a salad with a warm dressing.

Its leaves are rich in vitamins and you can use them in a salad, or with sweet potatoes and cooked greens.

The real prize of this medicinal plant, however, is the root which can be dug up year round, roasted and brewed into a tea and as a coffee substitute! Tonics and Tinctures! It is an amazing plant!

Strong dandelions are pervasive and seem to follow human habitation.

Dandelions: health benefits and properties that can prevent cancer:

Myth or Truth?

Curing Cancer? Myth and Truth!

Cancer is simply extra cells in an inflamed or irritated area. Cancer can occur in you at any time.
Your immune system can prevent it from dividing without stopping.

Boost your immune system, eat well, and maybe eat and drink dandelion’s root or flowers as tea! Truth!

Try it! It is a plant, herb, flower, and strong!

Research and studies show: is that dandelion root tea did not harm any normal cells – food doesn’t usually cause harm to normal cells.

Your cells are not “normal cells”  when you are on medication. Pharmaceuticals alter you or else they would not have side effects!

Please check with your doctor before adding Dandelion if you are on a pharmaceutical, special diet or other medication!

Taking Dandelion root with some antibiotics, like Cipro and Quinolone antibiotics, may decrease their effectiveness by decreasing their absorption. Dandelion also interacts negatively with Lithium medication, by decreasing its excretion rate, leading to a potentially harmful buildup of it in the system. Many medications that are metabolized or broken down by the liver, like Glucuronidated drugs, can interact negatively with Dandelion. Please consult with your physician before starting adding dandelion to your diet. These drugs include Elavil, Haldol, Zofran and Theophylline.

Dandelion root tea is a food, a food that’s available free where you live

Some preliminary animal studies also suggest that dandelion may help normalize blood sugar levels and lower total cholesterol and triglycerides while raising HDL, “good,” cholesterol in diabetic mice. Fresh or dried dandelion herb is also used as a mild appetite stimulant and to improve upset stomach.

The root of the dandelion plant may act as a mild laxative and has been used to improve digestion. There is some very preliminary research that suggests dandelion may help improve liver and gallbladder function.

Truth: Not all the animal studies have found a positive effect on blood sugar.

It is food, and it is okay to use Dandelions to see if they work for you!

A few animal studies also suggest that dandelion might help fight inflammation.

Dandelion root has been used as a therapy for thousands of years in medicine. Egyptian temple walls show uses for Dandelion!

You are different from anyone else and educate yourself on what works for your body!

Truth: Research confirms:

It is able to treat allergies, lower cholesterol levels, to improve bile production, and to detoxify the liver.

Also, it has diuretic properties and if good for pregnant women and for those in menopause.

Spring is the best time to harvest dandelion roots, if you are in the northern hemisphere.

It is best to pick it from places that are less polluted, such as areas away from town and the road.

Dandelion Stem:

The dandelion stem has the power to relieve stomach problems, boosts the function of the gallbladder, regulates metabolism, and purifies the blood.

Also, the stem can be used to treat diabetes, while the “milk” from the stem can be used to remove warts.

In addition, people can use dandelion flowers to prepare the homemade dandelion syrup. It will help your body to purify the blood, it relieves a cough and improves digestion.

Using Dandelion the whole plant: Flower, Stem, leaves, and root

Yes, all parts of dandelion have medicinal properties.

Directions for dandelion root tea/decoction

Add 2 cups of water, to 2 tsp of herb. Simmer for 15 minutes. Shut off the heat. Allow the mixture to settle in the pan. Stain and pour into a cup. If you make extra, store the remainder in the fridge and consume it within 24 hours.

Studies at the University of Windsor show dandelion root tea effective against several drug-resistant cancers, including melanoma and leukemia. Clinical trials are in phase 1 at the University of Winsor with patients showing remission with just 3 cups of dandelion tea per day.

Herbal Tea is a bedtime ritual that can help with insomnia and promote relaxation before bed. What herbs to include, though, can be problematic. Not all herbs work the same way for everyone.

Dandelion Flower Tea Recipe:

Iced Lime Dandelion Tea Recipe

prep 10 mins

inactive 3 hours

total 3 hours, 10 mins

author wellness mama

yield 8 +

 

Make iced tea with dandelion flowers and lime juice for a refreshing summer drink.

Ingredients

1 quart fresh picked dandelion flowers

1 cup hot water

2-3 TBSP dried stevia leaf  or sweetener or choice to taste

3 quarts cold water

3-4 limes, juiced

Instructions

Pick the dandelions fresh and place in a colander. Get only the yellow parts of the flower and pull off any leaves (use in salads) and stems.

Rinse well with cool water.

In a jar or cup, pour the hot water over the stevia leaf using and stir well. If using another sweetener, put it in the warm water instead.

Let steep 5-8 minutes and then strain off the herbs.

Pour the sweetened liquid from the stevia into a gallon size glass jar.

Add the juice of the limes and then the cool water and stir well.

Add the dandelion flowers and mix gently.

Refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours or until completely chilled and serve. You can strain out the flowers or pour them into the cups. Bonus points if you freeze them into ice cubes for decoration! ?

Use within 36 hours for best taste.

Notes

Don’t pick dandelions from areas where pesticides have been sprayed or animals may have pooped! If you are battling cancer, the healthiest option is to limit your intake of conventional sugar or sugar substitutes. Many recipes call for sugar, please use organic stevia instead!

This is not to say that you must eat bland food, either, because some natural sweeteners are actually healthy for you.

Refined sugars or an excess of certain unrefined sugars may oxidize your body, which is not good if you are healing from cancer, so, if you must eat it, use it sparingly.

 

 

If you want to prepare and store dandelion roots, you need to peel, cut, and dry them on a fresh air. Leave them dry for 2 weeks or until they get brittle.
You can also use a dehydrator!

When they become dry, place them in a jar and keep it in a dark and cool place.

Dandelion roots are able to clean kidneys, liver, lymph, and gallbladder. It is helpful in treating gallstones, constipation, hepatitis, acne, edema, and rheumatism. Additionally, it is effective for women in prevention and treatment of problems with breastfeeding, cysts, tumors, and cancer.

Dandelion Leaves are even used by Martha Stewart in her salad recipe:

Dandelions’ sawtooth leaves bring a pleasant bitterness to the table.

They’re best picked when tender, before the plant blooms, and they can be served raw or cooked. Pictured above cooked with stems and 1 giant garlic thinly sliced!

Source: Martha Stewart Living, April 2008

This recipe modified from Martha Stewarts recipe

1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic scapes or wild (spring) garlic or 1 giant elephant garlic thinly sliced

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar (Please substitute: Stevia or Lucuma Powder)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

8 cups (4 ounces) dandelion greens, large leaves torn in half
(Can be raw) or (Can be steamed for 15 minutes with dandelion stems and giant garlic)

 

1. Combine garlic scapes, lemon juice, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Whisk until well combined. Drizzle in oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking until emulsified.
2. Place dandelion greens in a salad bowl. Drizzle dressing over greens, and toss to coat. Serve cold or warm immediately.

 

Warm Dandelion and Sweet Potato Salad

modified from the original in The Greens Book by Susan Belsinger and Carolyn Dille

Cooked on the stovetop in no time at all.  Though it’s great served warm, this is also wonderful at room temperature.

1/2 pound (225 g.) dandelion greens, picked over, washed, and dried

1-1/2 pounds (675 g.) sweet potatoes

1/3 cup (80 ml.) extra virgin olive oil

zest from one lemon

3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced

salt and freshly ground pepper

juice from one large lemon (about 1/4 cup–60 ml.)

generous 1/4 cup (60 ml.)–we use more like 1/3 cup or 80 ml.–pitted and sliced kalamata olives (or use whole if you can’t find pitted)

Remove dandelion leaves from stems and tear or chop into large

 

bite-sized pieces. Cut the stems into pieces about 3/4 inch (2 cm.) long.

Scrub the sweet potatoes. Slice into 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick slices, or, if they’re small, just cut in half. Place in pot, cover with water, and bring to boil.  Cook 10-12 minutes, until just fork-tender. Drain and keep warm.

Mix the olive oil, lemon zest, and garlic in a small bowl.  Place about 2 Tbsp. (30 ml.) of the mixture, including some bits of garlic, in a sauté pan. Heat over medium heat and add the dandelion stems.  Cook and stir for 4 minutes.  Add the greens and stir for one minute longer. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. The stems should be cooked but still crispy, and the greens should be barely wilted.

Transfer the dandelion mixture to a bowl and cover with the hot sweet potatoes.  Add the lemon juice and rest of the oil mixture, and toss well.  Add the olives and toss again. Taste for seasoning and serve.   Makes 6 servings as a side dish or 4 as a main course.

Sugar and Cancer: Avoid Sugar, Bread, Pasta, and Yeast rich food!

We know that almost all the cells in the human body require energy, and they derive this energy from the sugars in the food we eat.

Cancer cells also require sugars to grow. But cancer cells’ glucose intake is a lot higher than that of healthy cells.

It is the rate at which cancer cells ferment that glucose into lactic acid.

This is known as the Warburg effect, and it may, scientists have hypothesized, have something to do with cancer’s rapid growth rate.

It’s hard to determine whether the Warburg effect is a symptom or a cause of cancer.

It’s been proposed that the growth of cancer cells may be stymied by starving them of sugar, but the problem with that is there’s currently no method of cutting off the supply to cancer cells while keeping it open to normal cells.

This is why the biological mechanism behind the increased glucose metabolism is important. It may hold the key to starving cancer cells while keeping healthy cells functioning.

“Our research reveals how the hyperactive sugar consumption of cancerous cells leads to a vicious cycle of continued stimulation of cancer development and growth,” said researcher Johan Thevelein from KU Leuven in Belgium.

“Thus, it is able to explain the correlation between the strength of the Warburg effect and tumor aggressiveness. This link between sugar and cancer has sweeping consequences. Our results provide a foundation for future research in this domain, which can now be performed with a much more precise and relevant focus.”

The team used yeast cells for its research – specifically looking at the ‘Ras’ gene family, a family of genes that is present in all animal cells, including human cancer cells. This makes the study of Ras mutations in yeast an increasingly useful tool in cancer research.

Yeast also has highly active sugar metabolism, yet doesn’t have the additional regulatory processes of mammalian cells that can conceal underlying processes.

“We observed in yeast that sugar degradation is linked via the intermediate fructose 1,6-biophosphate to the activation of Ras proteins, which stimulate the multiplication of both yeast and cancer cells. It is striking that this mechanism has been conserved throughout the long evolution of yeast cell to human,” Thevelein said.

Yes, the researchers found that the yeast that had an overactive influx of glucose caused the Ras proteins to activate too much, which would then allow the cells to grow at an accelerated rate.

He was, however, careful to note that this research, while important, is one step in a much larger process – and that a breakthrough in research is not the same thing as a medical breakthrough.

“The findings are not sufficient to identify the primary cause of the Warburg effect,” he added. “Further research is needed to find out whether this primary cause is also conserved in yeast cells.”

Especially avoid fructose many other researchers claim!

Researchers thousands of them may be able to explain how sugar might fuel the growth of cancer. One type of sugar in particular: fructose.

Tests in mice show a possible mechanism for how it happens. The findings, published in the journal Cancer Research, support studies that suggest people who consume more sugar have a higher risk of cancer — especially breast cancer.

Researchers assessed consumption of dairy products and obtained blood for biochemical and molecular genetic assessment of galactose metabolism in 563 women with newly diagnosed epithelial ovarian cancer and 523 control women certain genetic or biochemical features of galactose metabolism.

Galactose may greatly influence disease risk for particular types of ovarian cancer in the above study.

In summary, don’t fear cancer. Do not fear anything! You are connected to something magnificent that beats your heart! You don’t have to understand it, you just have to know, this is what heals you!

You and your body can heal anything with the right energy and connection to Source.
Miracles can come from Doctors, treatments, and maybe dandelions.  They do follows us, humans, just about everywhere!

You can change the stressors in your body by adding dandelion into your food plan!
Plan ways to get rid of sugar. Especially sugar with yeast.  There isn’t anything good it does for you.
You will be so much better off giving it up.

Just do it now because you can. You will and at some point, you must do your body good!

Sources:

https://articles.mercola.com

http://www.vib.be/en/research/scientists/Pages/Johan-Thevelein-Lab.aspx

https://www.marthastewart.com/314616/dandelion-salad

https://wellnessmama.com/4505/iced-lime-dandelion-tea/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10667469

https://www.mdanderson.org/newsroom/2015/12/sugar-in-western-diets.html

Important notes about Dandelions as  “Medicine”

Medicinal Properties: Alterative, antipurulent, aperient, bitter tonic, choleretic, cholagogue, diuretic, hepatic, hepatoprotector, stomachic, tonic.

Cautions and Contraindications: Being an edible herb and superfood, both the root and the leaves / herb of Dandelion are extremely mild, innocuous and nontoxic, and can be consumed even in large doses. Taking Dandelion root with some antibiotics, like Cipro and Quinolone antibiotics, may decrease their effectiveness by decreasing their absorption. Dandelion also interacts negatively with Lithium medication, by decreasing its excretion rate, leading to a potentially harmful buildup of it in the system. Many medications that are metabolized or broken down by the liver, like Glucuronidated drugs, can interact negatively with Dandelion; consult with your physician before starting Dandelion therapy. These drugs include Elavil, Haldol, Zofran and Theophylline.

Medicinal Uses: Dandelion root is taken internally, in powder or decoction form, to improve liver function, bile secretion and metabolism and to remove congestion and obstructions from the liver and gall bladder. It is also used as an alterative or blood cleanser to cleanse purulent toxins from the blood in anemia and chronic skin conditions, as well as to purify the lymphatic system and exert a mild diuretic effect by improving fluid metabolism. Dandelion leaf and herb has similar properties, although its diuretic and detoxifying actions are stronger. Dandelion leaves are often used in salads as a bitter tonic and digestive stimulant. Dandelion root exerts a mild aperient laxative effect on the bowels that goes hand in hand with its stimulation of bile secretion and metabolism. In addition to loosening the bowels and stimulating intestinal function, Dandelion root also stimulates stomach, appetite and digestive function as well. In Chinese medicine, Dandelion herb is often used to detoxify the female breasts in mastitis and tumors of the breast. Dandelion root and leaves are rich in antioxidants, and offer antioxidant protection to the liver. As a diuretic, Dandelion root and herb are not only rich in potassium, but can also relieve harmful buildups of uric acid in the bloodstream. As a hepatoprotector, Dandelion root is often used in liver formulas. Being rich in the polysaccharide Inulin, Dandelion root has a valuable blood sugar regulating action in type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. In short, Dandelion root is one of the most beneficial tonic or restorative herbs known.

Preparation and Dosage: Dandelion root and herb is one of the safest and least toxic herbs known. The leaf is eaten in salads, and the root can be drunken freely in herbal decoctions. To make a Dandelion leaf infusion, steep a heaping tablespoon of the dried leaf in a cup of boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes; strain and drink. To make a Dandelion root decoction, simmer a heaping tablespoonful of Dandelion root in a cup of water for 20 to 30 minutes; strain and drink. Dandelion root or herb can be decocted or infused either singly, or with other herbs in formulas. The dried root or herb can also be taken as a powder; the standard dose is ½ teaspoon, 2 to 3 times daily, or 2 to 3 standard gelatin capsules. A tincture of Dandelion root can be made by soaking 2 to 3 tablespoons of the powdered root in one cup of 80 proof alcohol for 2 weeks. The dose is 10 to 20 drops.

Herbal Formulation: Dandelion root is most commonly used in herbal formulas to treat and detoxify the liver.

You as Energized as a Healthy Kid! You are Energy and can feel extraordinary Energy Your energy field and the concepts connected to your energy body have been studied in cultures such as Indian Vedic scripts, Tibetan Buddhist, and Chinese medical systems, in varying forms, stemming back thousands of years. Hermetic Philosophy  “As within, so without, as above, so below, as the universe, so the soul.” Everything connects via magnetic energy and is electrical energy. All matter is held together via energetic bonds and consist of these atoms, of which most, is space. The movement of energy is vital to life. When we think, breathe, function or even when we are resting, electrical energy is flowing through our bodies via our neurons and nerve pathways. Yes, the idea that who you are on the inside will be created in the world around us. Though the hermetic philosophy was created way before the scientific understanding of various parts of your brain. Philosophy had been studied, it laid the groundwork for understanding the reticular activating system (RAS). RAS is a network of neurons (your individual brain cells) in the brainstem that controls consciousness, attention, and the sleep-wake cycle. It’s responsible for filtering sensory information and deciding what to bring to your conscious awareness. Everything in your brain and body operates because of ELECTRICITY. From you reading this page, to a bird on a branch, to a rock in a creek, everything is made up of energetic interactions between your cells at the atomic level. At the core of all matter is subtle energy you can call frequency and vibration. When your father was being protective, he will notice when a person seems a bit off or scary.  When your intuitive mother will pay closer attention to you, both of your hearts relax in the moment to experience more of the environment around you in the moment. Moment by moment you have been tuned by your heart and electrical impulses withing you. All brains are tuned. Just like selecting a specific scene from a movie, your RAS adjusts your brain to a particular frequency. This “tuning effect” then projects that chosen scene onto your life’s screen. Do all brains tune to the same frequency? The RAS receives sensory input from the body  It filters out unnecessary information and passes through important information  It sends sensory messages to the thalamus, which then relays them to the cerebral cortex  It helps you focus on what’s important and tune out distractions    Your brain is important to your focus and it is unique to you. It is the building block of life. Your focus has a positive and a negative charge.  Just like the center of each atom.  Your unique was given with your first breath and subsequently, each atom within you operates as a tiny little battery. Each of your thoughts, beliefs, and memories are subtle energy. The Science of Your Energy Body: When these charges are out of balance, an atom becomes either positively or negatively charged. The transfer between one type of charge to the other allows electrons to jump from one atom to another. This flow of electrons between one atom to another is what we call electricity. Your father noticed it in the person that was scary or a it off. Your mother activated it with her attention. Electricity and the flow of energy in your body is especially expressed in your nervous system.  Your nervous system is connected to all organs, tissue, and processes within you. You have a system within your nervous system that is activated by using your RAS and that activates your RAS. This system is called the chakra system.  The position of the major chakras corresponds to the major nerve plexus’ or nerve ‘bundles’. Thousands of years later we are finding and 100s of scientific studies suggest how deeply your energy body is connected to everything inside and outside of your body! Ancient wisdom and the latest research it is all connected too! Overall there is an energy system exists within and surrounding the human body. This system broadly speaks to us of a system of energy flow from head to toe, with entry/exit points at both ends, and intermediate points of intake(charge) or discharge, principally along the spine as chakras(wheels of energy), but also flowing lines/channels/meridians which navigate the body and impact organs and processes of the physical, mental and emotional self. This energetic self is accessed and explained in both Chinese medicines using techniques such as acupuncture, and by the Ayurvedic medical system of analysis and cure of the bodymind. More Research suggests that all traditional cultures had a belief in the role of energy as part of their universe or cosmology. There is evidence from archaeologists, sociologists, psychologists such as Carl Jung, and researchers of mythology such as Joseph Campbell, and Eirec Mirce. Religious tradition has the imagery and stories of halos around the heads and bodies of highly spiritually evolved figures in this tradition. For example, accounts of levitation witnessed of the Saint, Padre Pio, are harder to discount given their more recent occurrence, and multiple witness accounts. The acceptance of such supernatural phenomena would overturn our understanding of both the power of the human condition and our understanding of the laws of physics. Well known for the study the human energy field are Wilhelm Reich (Reichan Psychology), Alexander Lowen(Bioenergetics), John Pierrakos  (Core Energetics), and Barbara Brennan, on the humanistic front. Many schools have developed and are being developed just for you and your energy body! Dr. Deepak Chopra has developed a school and has countless books on the subject! He emphasizes in his work: The human body is merely pure energy, and our physical form should be viewed as the junction between the visible and invisible worlds of states of energy that are personally connected to us. In his book, “Reinventing The Body, Resurrecting the Soul”, he shares that our emotional energy has an immediate and visible effect on our body, our brain, and our genes, even to the point of affecting our DNA structures. He adds to our understanding, hundreds of thousands of chemical reactions and changes that occur at the cellular level in each of us are releasing energy, and foster a more energetic and flexible moving “body” of impermanence which is always in flux and reacts to our perception of the world. The science of your energy body is now starting to become the focus of more research. Video link is Dr. Sarah Larsen talking about your more subtle aspects of your human condition. She discusses the nature of reality, resulting from advances in quantum physics, medicine, cellular biology, and the use of energy medicine to work with the physical body of your body-mind. Work with Dr. Larsen for a day: https://drsarahlarsen.com/miracles-vip-day/ Balance Your Energy Body Offers 1. Free Replay of Webinar (Above) Transform Your Energy Body for Success! https://youtu.be/yrNLQkrMslE Just for those ready to become a Miracle Maker: 2. Miracle Makers Mastermind Transform Your Energy Body for Success and The Success Principles Mastermind Series In-person and via Zoom 3. Miracles VIP Day – Visioning, Intuition, and Psychic Deep Dive Program We have a limited number of spots available for you to spend the day with Dr. Sarah Larsen in person at her office or yours or via skype/zoom. Guarantee your life will transform beyond what you could imagine •  Alternative and Complementary Medicine Center•  American College for Advancement in Medicine •  American Holistic Medical Association •  American Institute for Cancer Research •  Ask Dr. Andrew Weil •  Centers for Disease Control •  Cybernurse •  Ferguson Report •  Gary Null •  Harborview’s EthnoMed Home Page •  Hardin Meta Directory of Internet Health Resources •  Health A to Z •  Integrative Medical Arts •  National Vaccine Information Center •  Rosenthal Center Directory of Databases •  Sumeria: Alternative Health & Medicine Aromatherapy•  AromaWeb•  Amateur Aromatherapy•  National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy Ayurveda•  Ayurveda – An Important Source of Medicines•  Ayurveda: Medicine of the Gods•  Ayurvedic Institute •  National Institute of Ayurvedic Medicine Cancer•  CancerWEB: The Online Medical Dictionary•  The Moss Reports•  Richard and Linda Rosenthal Center for Complementary/Alternative Medicine Environment, Conservation & Activism•  Audubon Institute•  Bioneers•  Blacksmith Institute•  ClimateSearch.com•  The Conservation Fund•  Conservation International•  Conservation and Preservation Charities of America•  Earth Communications Office•  Earthwalker•  Environmental Working Group•  International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)•  ENN, The Environmental News Network•  International BioPark Foundation (IBF)•  Leave No Trace•  National Library for the Environment Online•  Spirit of the Sage Council•  Student Conservation Association Flower Essences•  Dr. Edward Bach Centre•  Flower Essence Society•  New Bach Flower Therapies Government Sponsored Health Sites•  CancerNet Search Service•  Centers for Disease Control (CDC)•  Combined Health Information Database•  FDA/Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition•  Food & Nutrition Information Center (USDA)•  National Institutes of Health (NIH) – includes links to MEDLINE, PubMed, etc.•  National Library of Medicine•  NIH Office of Alternative Medicine•  Office of Human Research Protections•  U.S. Food & Drug Administration•  White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine•  World Health Organization (WHO) Herbology and Related Sites•  Algy’s Herb Page•  Alternative Nature Home Page•  American Botanical Council•  American Herbalists Guild•  Botanical.com•  Classical Works in Herbal Medicine•  Culpepper’s Herbal – Yale•  Dr. Duke’s Phytochemical & Ethonobotanical d-Bases•  EthnoMedicinals•  Frontier Cooperative Herbs•  Garden Gate Glossary of Botanical Names•  Heartsong Farm Healing Herbs•  Henriette’s Herbal Homepage•  Herbal Educational Services•  Herb Research Foundation•  Herbs and Aromas•  Herb Society (UK) Home Page•  Linpharma•  The Longwood Herbal Taskforce•  Magic Garden•  Medherb.com•  Michael Moore’s Home Page•  Michael Tierra’s Planetary Herbology•  The Natural Pharmacist•  North Carolina School of Pharmacy Student Project (1997)•  United Plant Savers•  University of Washington Medicinal Herb Garden Homeopathy•  Healthy Living And Homeopathy•  Homeopathic Educational Services•  Homeopathy For Health •  Homeopathic Online Education •  Homeopathic Self-Sufficiency •  National Center for Homeopathy •  North American Society of Homeopaths Iridology•  International Iridology Practitioners Association Massage, Reflexology & Touch Therapies•  Acupressure.org•  Acupressure: A Science of Life•  American Massage Therapy Association•  Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals•  The Massage & Bodywork Resource Center•  Association of Reflexologists•  Modern Institute of Reflexology•  Reflexology Research•  Home of Reflexology Mind – Body – Spirit•  American Music Therapy Association (AMTA)•  Deepak Chopra•  Desktop Yoga by Ellen Serber•  Enchanted Mind•  Guardian Project•  Institute for the Scientific Study of Meditation•  Internetyoga•  Labyrinth Overview•  The Labyrinth: Walking Your Spiritual Journey•  Meditation – The Feldenkrais Method•  The Meta Arts Magazine•  Music Therapy Info Link•  PsychoNeuroImmunology Research Society•  World of Yoga•  Yoga Finder•  Yoga for Beginners•  Zen Workshop Modalities•  Alexander technique•  Bee Venom Therapy•  Feldenkrais Guild of North America •  Good News Network (Midwifery links) •  Hellerwork Web Site •  Orthomolecular Medicine Online •  Oxygen & Ozone Therapies Nutrition & Diet•  About.com: Vegetarian Cuisine•  American Dietetic Association•  Austin Nutritional Research•  All Raw Times•  Beyond Vegetarianism•  Body Mass Index Calculator•  Body Positive•  Eating Disorder Resources•  EatVeg.com•  Fruitarian Site•  Healthy Gourmet Vegetarian Food Page•  Macrobiotics Internet Resources•  NIH Office of Dietary Supplements – ODS Databases•  Nutrition and Supplements Internet Resources•  Nutrient Information•  Oldways•  Raw Gourmet, The•  Truth in Labeling Campaign•  Vegan.com•  VegDining.com•  Vegemania!•  Vegetarian Central•  Vegie World•  Vegging Out•  Virtual Vegetarian•  You Are What You Eat: A Guide to Good Nutrition

How to Use Meditation to Become Smarter and More Efficient

Following these six simple steps to keep you mind sharp will allow you to be more effective and enhance your natural abilities to concentrate!

This is great a meditation to practice before you begin a project, start your work day, or retire before bed.

Step 1. Allow your body to completely relax

Scan your body slowly. Start with your toes and feet – allow your feet to relax. Feel them becoming heavy on the floor. Allow your awareness to rise up to the ankles, calves, and shins.Feel them melting into the earth; no effort is needed. Feel the space in the knee joints. Move slowly higher. Relax the thighs.Feel them become heavy, warm, soft. Notice your buttocks, hips, and groin relaxing; they too become soft and warm. If you have done a lot of hip work in your practice, linger here for a while feeling the openness, the flow of energy through the hips.Now allow your awareness to come to the tailbone, Feel your sacrum and lower back release into the floor.

Feel your lower back and stomach muscles relax. Allow this sensation to rise up the spine.

Feel each vertebra and  the space between them and their alignment.

Allow the upper back muscles and the shoulder blades to sink into the floor. Relax your chest and all the muscles between the ribs. Come now to the shoulders, where we carry so much tension in our bodies. Let the shoulders release completely. Spend an extra moment here, and really soften. Feel the weight of the shoulders sink into the earth. Allow this sensation of softness to flow down the arms. Relax the upper arms, the elbow, and the forearms. Feel the space in the wrist joints. Feel the space around each finger and the energy in the palm of each hand.

Bring your awareness to your neck and throat, and release all tension there. Relax your jaw, lips, and tongue; relax your cheeks and eyes and all the muscles around the eyes and deep in the eye sockets; relax your forehead and your scalp. Allow your head to rest heavily on the floor.Now relax your inner organs. Bring your awareness to the reproductive organs, and either feel or imagine them relaxing. Relax your prostate (if you have one), intestines, and kidneys. Imagine your liver, stomach, and spleen being filled with healing energies. Soften your diaphragm and lungs. Relax your heart. Let your heart become open … vast … undefended, and … smiling.

Step 2. Close your eyes

Try and keep you eyes gently relaxed and closed. Some feel that keeping their eyes open allows you to be more present. Just lower your eyes and let your gaze be soft.  It’s important to do what is comfortable for you. Some people find closing their eyes much more effective. It’s good to experiment and see what feels best for you.

Step 3. Simply focus on the flow of your breath occurring at the tip of their nose 

Release the breath totally: let it be whatever it wants to be. Notice the breath – become aware of the short pauses between each breath. Relax your mind … notice that the moment between each breath is the moment between thoughts. Enjoy those moments of complete silence and peace; feel this sense of peace growing deeper. Let this feeling of peace fill you; let it fill the space around you; let peace fill the room and beyond, touching everyone and everything.

Step 4.  Acknowledge your thoughts that pop in

If a random thought arise,  notice and acknowledge the thought and simply let ‘it’ go by bringing the attention back to the sensations of the breath.
When you notice thoughts, gently let them go by returning yous focus to the breath. Don’t try to stop thoughts; this will just make you feel agitated.
Imagine that they are unwelcome visitors at your door: acknowledge their presence and politely ask them to leave. Then shine the soft light of your attention on your breath.

Step 5. Emotions

It’s difficult to settle into meditation if you are struggling with strong emotions. Emotions are energy in Motion. E + Motion.  Notice where your body is tight or tense.  If you focus on your body you can let go of some emotions that tend to breed stories in the mind.
When letting your mind rest, if  a memory that causes the emotions such as anger, shame and fear  come up, you can connect with and  let it go.
Here you are accessing the part of you that create stories and  repeats it over and over in the mind.

Anger and shame make us keep looking at past events of the past. Fear looks at the future with stories that start with, “What if…”

The way to deal with strong emotions in meditation is to focus on the body feelings that accompany the emotion.

For example, this could be the tight band of fear around the chest or the hot roiling of anger in the belly.
Let go of the stories by refocusing on your body.

In this way you are honoring your emotions but not becoming entangled in stories. Notice the cooler air coming in each breath and warmed air leaving!  Breathe into that region of the body!

Step 6.  Welcome the Silence and Enjoy

A. Silence is healing. Gaps in your thoughts occur so beautifully when you are improving your natural ability to concentrate.
I know that there are is a lot of ‘meditation music’ around, but nothing beats simple silence.
Otherwise the music or sounds on the tape just drown out the chatter in your mind. When we sit in silence we actually get to experience what our mind is doing. There is steadiness and calmness that comes from sitting in silence. In time outer and inner silence meet and you come to rest in the moment.

B. Most of all, it’s important to enjoy meditation. You might like to try sitting with a hint of a smile. Be kind to yourself.   Open your eyes and allow the light around you in to refresh you!

Start sitting just a little each day.

For example, set a timer for 3 minutes then extend it to 5 minutes in a couple days.  Every other day add a few minutes to the time you meditate until you reach 20 minutes a day!

I heard His Holiness the Dali Lama say, “I meditates twice as long on my busy days!”

He said this at a press conference when explaining how he gets so much done!

Research using neuro-imaging technology has shown that meditation techniques can promote significant changes in brain areas associated with concentration.

In the past,  it was always assumed that extensive training was required to achieve this effect. It is not true!  It is a myth that to boost your cognitive abilities, you need monk-like discipline, time commitment, and high personal cost.  For those that are ready to transform their lives this information is so timely!!

Psychologists studying the effects of a meditation technique known as “mindfulness ” found that meditation-trained participants showed a significant improvement in their critical cognitive skills (and performed significantly higher in cognitive tests than a control group) after only four days of training for only 20 minutes each day. They got smarter and more efficient!!

“In the behavioral test results, what we are seeing is something that is somewhat comparable to results that have been documented after far more extensive training,” said Fadel Zeidan, a post-doctoral researcher at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, and a former doctoral student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where the research was conducted.

“Simply stated, the profound improvements that we found after just 4 days of meditation training– are really surprising,” Zeidan noted. “It goes to show that the mind is, in fact, easily changeable and highly influenced, especially by meditation.”

The meditation training involved in the study was an abbreviated “mindfulness” training regime modeled on basic “Shamatha skills” from a Buddhist meditation tradition, conducted by a trained facilitator.

“The simple process of focusing on the breath in a relaxed manner, in a way that teaches you to regulate your emotions by raising one’s awareness of mental processes as they’re happening is like working out a bicep, but you are doing it to your brain. Mindfulness meditation teaches you to release sensory events that would easily distract, whether it is your own thoughts or an external noise, in an emotion-regulating fashion. This can lead to better, more efficient performance on the intended task.”

“This kind of training seems to prepare the mind for activity, but it’s not necessarily permanent,” Zeidan cautions. “This doesn’t mean that you meditate for four days and you’re done – you need to keep practicing.”

One of the best known and most respected Zen masters,  Thich Nhat Hanh, has been my teacher of Mindfulness!

I teach a process that allows you to get more done based on Mindfulness Teachings.

You can increase your productivity, happiness and unlock your fullest potential with meditation.

Contact me for a session to access tools within you to change your life!  Drsarah@drsarahlarsen.com

*You can learn more and to read the study quoted in the article: It appears in the April 2 issue of Consciousness and Cognition.  Authors are: Fadel Zeidan’s, Susan K. Johnson, Zhanna David and Paula Goolkasian from the Department of Psychology at UNC Charlotte, and Bruce J. Diamond from William Patterson University. The research was also part of Zeidan’s doctoral dissertation. The research was presented at the Cognitive Neuroscience Society’s annual meeting in Montreal.

“Findings like these suggest that meditation’s benefits may not require extensive training to be realized, and that meditation’s first benefits may be associated with increasing the ability to sustain attention,” Zeidan said.

“Further study is warranted,” he stressed, noting that brain imaging studies would be helpful in confirming the brain changes that the behavioral tests seem to indicate, “but this seems to be strong evidence for the idea that we may be able to modify our own minds to improve our cognitive processing – most importantly in the ability to sustain attention and vigilance – within a week’s time.”