Nordic Walking, April 11-25, 2103 ~ Integrative Health Education Center, Normandale Community College

Featured Article: Silent Partner

Silent Partner

By Harmony Green 

Ever so slowly it began. She felt a deep stirring within the very depths of her loins, her soul, and her center. The heat of it rose gently at first, arousing her, awakening her, amusing her. "I must have him" she thought. With this thought, she sent a message to his loins, his soul, and his center. The message was received and perceived.... He was a willing participant in the proposition he was faced with. "How long has it been" he wondered. "How long since I've honored her and shared my … [Read more...]

How good is change…really?

By Darlene Levenson 

Every time I hear someone blatantly espousing the catch phrase “change is good,” I want to scream out, “It depends on what’s being changed, and then you have to consider all the ramifications!”

When spring finally arrives, we feel a surge of personal renewal from the rebirthing of our long-yearned-for plant life. During the summer we’re glorified by the hues and scents of our blooming flowers; the birds, bees, butterflies and other insects they attract; and our lush trees. For many of us, just working with the soil is inherently pleasing. And in the autumn we marvel at the kaleidoscope of colors, while the crunching of leaves under our feet lends us an inner peace. In essence, our souls, spirits and inner-energies depend on these gifts from nature.

Yet, everywhere we turn throughout the world, we’re rampantly developing our earth, yanking out countless trees and flowers — the source of that seasonal rejuvenation, and even more important, 

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Read the full article, and others like it at: http://edgemagazine.net/2011/12/how-good-is-change-really/

10 Ways Rituals Help Us Celebrate Our Lives

By Abigail Brenner M.D. 

Ritual has its roots in religion, and life’s fundamental passages are often traditionally accompanied by religious ritual. But life’s great passages are by nature spiritual. They affirm human mystery and mutability, our connection with the universal. Rituals serve as a bridge between our outer and inner worlds, between the profane and the sacred, and between the ordinary and the extraordinary.

Rituals:

Afford us a sense of belonging. When we engage in the ritual process we are, in essence, connected to “original time.” Rituals awaken that which is eternal within us and show us how our individual lives are part of a much grander design.

Connect us with nature and the seasons. The ongoing transitions that occur in nature provide the prototype for change. By watching the constant shifts and turns in nature we recognize our own cycles of life, our own rhythms as humans. Rituals remind us of the interconnectedness of all of life.

Provide us with a sense of renewal. They offer us a time-out from our everyday routine, habitual existence. Metaphorically, rituals are oases, a time to rest, replenish, and restore our selves on our long and winding path through life. Rituals help us to reevaluate our journey thus far and to reaffirm that the path we are traveling is the right one for us.
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Read the full article, and others like it at: http://edgemagazine.net/2011/12/rituals/