Healing Communication and Mama Love News

Call of the Heyoka, © 2014 Sheryl Karas

Happy May!

This has been a very busy time period for Sheryl in regards to art. She’s participating in four shows in Chico at once right now, three of them juried, one an internationally juried show. And she’s even sold two pieces. Pretty fun and exciting! That means our minds haven’t been on promoting our businesses as much. . . but you didn’t want so much email in your inbox, did you?

Interestingly, the two pieces that sold were visual expressions of spiritual ideas so the newsletter this month is about one of those: the Heyoka or sacred clown, (see photo above).

Call of the Heyoka

The Heyoka play a special role for the Lakota tribe, one of the native tribes of the Great Plains in the United States. In Sheryl’s painting a couple (I guess you could say that personally represents the two of us), rides a horse backwards over mountains in the sky. The Heyoka ride horses backwards or behave in other backwards ways to satirize social conventions and make people think about what they are doing. They joke around but also have a serious role to play. They ask difficult questions or say things other people are afraid to say. Their work is healing—they make people laugh during hard times—but they also make people think. “Is this the way I mean to be going? (Is my horse going in the right direction?) Should I really be believing my fear or shame based beliefs? Are the rules I’ve been living by healthy ones? Is it time to re-examine the way I’ve been doing or thinking about things?”

Big questions!

The Heyoka is also sometimes thought to have something in common with The Fool or Jester in the Tarot. The Fool is so busy looking skyward to Heaven that he is dangerously close to walking off the edge of a cliff. Luckily, he is protected by a faithful little dog who nips at his heels and warns him to get out of harm’s way. In Sheryl’s painting the dog is represented in some respects by a safety net. Some might argue that such a net could get in the way of flying—and to some extent it does. But, as many of our clients know, we don’t advocate ungrounded spiritual practice. We’re too intellectual and practical for that! The Fool, however, is a positive card most of the time. It doesn’t mean you are being foolish. It means the time is right to go on an adventure, to try something different, do something new. But make sure you pay attention to where you are going while you attempt to get there!

By the way, Sheryl's original painting above has already sold but prints are available in our Etsy shop.

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Spiritual Counseling and Healing with Paul and Sheryl

It currently costs the same to work with one or both of us ($100/hour). Time to set up a session?

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Where to Find Our Artwork

In our joint Etsy shop... http://www.etsy.com/shop/PaulnSherylArt
Beautiful Photographic Prints by Paul Hood... http://PaulHood.imagekind.com/
Beautiful Photographic Prints and Artwork by Sheryl Karas... http://sherylkaras.imagekind.com
Art notecards, T-shirts, mugs and other gifts featuring our images... http://www.zazzle.com/paulnsheryl*

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Where to Find Our Videos

http://www.youtube.com/user/healerteam

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 Join Us On Facebook

We post little tidbits of inspiration and fun, information and news about what we're up to, things that don't fit in the newsletter and things that do. And it's an easy way to interact with what we post through comments and possibly discussions from time to time. Look up "Paul Hood" or "Sheryl Karas" or both. Mama Love has its own page. That's at http://www.facebook.com/MamaLoveProducts. Become a Fan and be sure to let other people know about us, too!

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Thanks for All Your Referrals!

Simplest way to tell people about us? Forward this newsletter and include a note saying you like us. It's easy!

July 2013 Healing Communication News

© Copyright 2013 Paul Hood

Hello Everybody!

Happy Independence Day! Is there anything in your life you really want to be independent from even if you need to be interdependent? Yeah, there are times… The newsletter article this month was written by Paul. Sheryl has new unscented flower essence formulas for pets she wants to tell you about (you can use them for people, too!) And if you happen to be anywhere a reasonable distance from Chico, CA you might want to check out Sheryl's art in a special show there. The reception is Friday, July 12 and details are below.

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IN THE MOMENT

I’m not a big fan of hot weather. For almost a week I saw the reports of weather coming: 115 degrees by the weekend. I hate that. But as I kept seeing the estimates change, day by day, I got to noticing that I’d have been better off not knowing anything, especially since what I “knew” were just estimates and predictions. By Friday it was indeed 109. But what I didn’t know was that the humidity would be a startlingly low 9%. As little as I had to be out in it, it was no big deal, even though our car has no functioning air conditioner. Yet our apartment surely does. First world problems, right? Boo-hoo, it’s kind of hot. The worst part, of course: worrying that it will be hot. Sheryl reminded me that Californians don’t know weather like East Coast people do, that the high humidity in the East means your natural evaporative body cooling system (sweating) no longer works so count your lucky stars. “I’m sure it will be much worse tomorrow,” I told myself, shortly before telling myself to stop thinking that. And I had a hunch that the weather might be nearly identical anyway. It was. The dreaded 115 degrees never came. We had a leisurely Saturday morning and enjoyed indoor activities in our air conditioned cocoon of an apartment.

Heading out to breakfast our Jeep wouldn’t start. Dead battery. Whoops. I knew it was weak. I knew it for a long time. I had not considered that it would fail on the hottest day of the year (so far). But that’s when batteries do fail, when it’s hot and when it’s cold. Some people learn from the errors of procrastination early in life, some are pushing fifty and still haven’t figured it out. Lucky we could borrow my dad’s car (he lives next door) and proceed. Pretty interesting day because we then proceeded to have several different experiences at the same place of business within just a few hours: really good service, almost too good, then really bad service, then almost as bad, then good again but sort of reluctant. I thanked the first one and the last one profusely and, by the way, the “too good” guy was on crutches and working anyway. The last guy seemed so shocked that I had thanked him, and a look passed over his face indicating that I had just changed his day with a simple “thank you.” If anybody asked me if I’d recommend that auto parts store I’d have to say, “It’s great, and it’s terrible, and it’s mediocre, and it’s pretty good.” It’s like probability in statistics, the truth only becomes evident as the repetitions of an experiment approach infinity. Ain’t nobody got time for that.

By the afternoon we’d had a nice breakfast out and the Jeep was functional again. It actually seemed “happy” to have a new battery. A couple hours later and we had a power outage in the apartment. A transformer had failed and half the complex would be doing without. More first world problems-- considering that a whole crew would be dispatched to replace the transformer, working through the night to do so. Off to the movies we went, but decided against going as we stood in the lobby. The air conditioning blasted through the open doors, refrigerating the parking lot. Young women kept striking up friendly conversations with Sheryl and I, smiling, happy, and I reflected on the fact that so many people in this town are. The heat doesn’t seem to affect them. Or possibly, they love it. Our cat was happy, too. She was actually very sick with a tumor, but as far as she was concerned a dark, quiet and warm house was pretty fun and interesting, plus she got to enjoy the undivided attention from her loved ones without intrusions from the usual electronic devices like TV and the internet.

In between all that we went to Denny’s and bumped into other folks from our apartment complex waiting it out. At the next table was a beautiful child with her parents. She kept sneaking stares at us from beneath her mop of blonde hair. Mom wasn’t happy, not at all. Dad was running interference with the kid-- who was actually doing nothing at all wrong except being a slightly bored 2 year old at a restaurant at 10 at night. I’m talking about an angel of a two year old. I wanted to tell the parents how beautiful their child was, both in spirit and the obvious sense, the kind of kid you want to photograph for the sheer joyous life in her. I even caught the kid mugging it up to cheer up her mommy. The parents didn’t take the news well that the power might be out until some time in the morning. You’d think it had been the news of a death in the family. Before they left I commiserated with the mom about the raising of a 2 year old (I’ve done it twice) and she seemed to like that a little, as long as the topic stayed on how difficult it was.

I had a hard time complaining about anything after that. That family blessed me.

Back at home, Sheryl and I watched an unusual movie on my laptop in the dark. We put the cat between us on the bed and she loved it— she purred and cuddled and did not mind the heat. The movie was a series of short stories themed on being somewhere you are not, being something you are not, or pausing for a moment between here and there, contemplating exactly where you are and who you are now, right now, right in this moment in time.

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SPIRITUAL COUNSELING IS KIND OF OUR THING
Would you like a session? We work with people in person (in Chico, CA) and all over the world via telephone or Skype video.

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NEW FROM MAMA LOVE!!!
Unscented flower essence sprays for people and pets. Or pets and their people! Sometimes people write to ask about flower essences to use with their pets and forget that whatever is upsetting Fido might be upsetting them, too. Or vice versa. Our pets pick up our insecurities, worries and anxieties. They act out or even get sick where a person would act differently but if I ask for guidance about it I'll usually pick up on a dynamic affecting the family unit as a whole. If you pick a flower essence for their issues, consider using it for the entire family. I've seen it make a difference time and again. Unscented, please, for use with your beloved pets! Yes, you will find testimonials on the internet about using aromatherapy with animals but some essential oils that are great for you and me should not be used with them—I discovered that with a flea remedy I tried one day. Go lightly with using scented sprays in rooms they cannot choose to leave. Use unscented sprays for their food or for use in their beds or personal space. http://www.healingcommunication.com/mamaloveproducts/Products.html

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SHERYL HAS AN ART SHOW
Five large pieces based on our time in the Arizona desert are being shown for the month of July as part of a group show at the 1078 Gallery, 820 Broadway St  Chico, CA. This gallery has a reputation for being hard to get into so we're pretty pleased about that. The reception is 5:00-7:00 pm on Friday, July 12. Come by and say hello!

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WHERE TO FIND OUR ARTWORK
In our joint Etsy shop.
Beautiful Photographic Prints by Paul Hood.
Beautiful Photographic Prints and Artwork by Sheryl Karas.
Art notecards, T-shirts, mugs and other gifts featuring our images.

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WHERE TO FIND OUR VIDEOS

http://www.youtube.com/user/healerteam

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JOIN US ON FACEBOOK

We post little tidbits of inspiration and fun, information and news about what we're up to, things that don't fit in the newsletter and things that do. And it's an easy way to interact with what we post through comments and possibly discussions from time to time. Look up "Paul Hood" or "Sheryl Karas" or both. Mama Love has its own page. Our artwork also has a brand new page at www.facebook.com/paulnsherylart. Become a Fan and be sure to let other people know about us, too!

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THANKS FOR ALL YOUR REFERRALS!
Simplest way to tell people about us? Forward this newsletter and include a note saying you like us. It's easy!

July 4th, 2012 Newsletter

© 2012 Paul Hood

Hello Everybody!

This Independence Day Paul and I find ourselves deeply contemplating the issue of freeing oneself (declaring our independence and liberation) from self-made chains. The soul has a need for spaciousness but frequently we create (unconsciously but sometimes consciously) work and/or lifestyle changes that serve the purpose of creating that space in a time-oriented way while plunging us into a way too limiting situation that is not in our highest benefit long-term. For example, a person might need time to recover from a sad accident, past mistakes, or unfortunate unforeseen changes in the political and socioeconomic landscape (the Great Recession, for example) that sends them into such a challenging state of mind they just need a break! They get an inadequate but unchallenging day job, a safe refuge, or pull all their money out of their retirement account and just take a time out. But this choice is never meant as a substitute for one's highest potential! And inevitably the day arrives when, to paraphrase Anais Nin, the risk to remain tight in a bud becomes more painful than the risk it takes to blossom.

We get calls and emails on that day. "What should I do? Where should I go?" and the decisions are so wrought with anxiety. "I've been out of the job market so long!" or "I don't know how to succeed at what I most want and I can't think of anything else I want to do." or "I just can't see the road ahead. Can you tell me what to do?"

Since we set the parameter of always working for the highest benefit of all concerned and only doing what can be healthfully integrated, we can't always do that right away. That's because the answer will become clear and more easily attainable when the person has 1) cleared a few cobwebs away through letting go / saying good-bye to the past failures, disappointments and broken dreams and 2) created a space for personal exploration.

This is actually a really difficult thing because frequently they're running out of money or think they have to speed things up in some way. But it isn't true. Scholarships and grants are available for going back to school. Work exchanges for housing are often beneficial for all concerned. There are often bank accounts they have been afraid to tap, arrangements with other people just a minor adjustment in thinking away. Kickstarter projects have funded many a person's dream on our Facebook list. Investment funds are available for all kinds of hopes and dreams.

More important than that, sometimes the mere act of changing the thought " I can't!" into "Other people do, I can, too" can flip the entire set of programming on its head. "I can! And this means... I can take time to make some changes, to take a class, to add one thing I've always wanted to do, to meet with that guy who is doing what I always wanted to be doing, to talk to that friend on my Facebook list." It doesn't have to be a HUGE life-changing decision. But each step opens a gate in one's consciousness and that can lead to some pretty significant changes that a person will be much more ready and willing to do, rather than hearing prematurely from somebody like us the same information but rejecting it instead.

Here's an example from earlier in my life when I was pining away for a better paying job while being exploited as a "freelance" graphic artist, working more than 40 hours a week on site for what was then considered low wages (now the norm in that field) and no benefits. I met a true freelancer who explained what being self employed really meant but I didn't think I could achieve what he did (double the pay, double the respect). Instead I stuck it out until the day came when I couldn't stand the disrespect I was putting up with anymore. I quit, borrowed my brother's backpack, and traveled by bus and youth hostel across the country to take time out for three and half months. On my trip I had my eyes opened to the beauty of this country while meeting wonderful interesting people I never would have met from all walks of life from all over the world. Most importantly, I met several freelancers running a variety of tiny businesses and loving it. And none of them were any more intelligent than me. They all said "Go for it!" They all believed I could do it, too, and I came back and went to work fixing up my portfolio, updating my resume, and cold-calling every graphic design, advertising and publishing company in the Boston Yellow Pages. In three months I had 15 clients, made double the money, double the fun, and felt happy and proud. That is, until the Mac was invented and made the job of paste-up artist obsolete. But once I recovered from the shock and trauma of that (and got a Mac and learned the software) I got a WAY BETTER job as a book designer at a New Age publishing company that I loved. And that led to learning the healing and spiritual counseling work we do today. Who knows what the journey we've been on will lead to from here?

Times change, people change, conditions change. Allow yourself the time to explore and acquire the knowledge or skills to do what you care about most in these new circumstances today. Paul and I have been providing regularly spaced spiritual counseling sessions to several people on our list lately. It's been a true gift to assist them step by step as they clear those cobwebs away and begin to recreate their lives once again.

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VIDEO SESSIONS -- FACE TO FACE EVEN IF YOU'RE FAR AWAY

Did you know you can do video sessions with one or both of us? It's fun, it's easy. All you need is a webcam and mic on your computer and a free Skype account! (https://login.skype.com/account/signup-form)

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WHERE TO FIND INFO ABOUT OUR SPIRITUAL COUNSELING AND HEALING PRACTICE
http://www.healingcommunication.com

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WHERE TO FIND MAMA LOVE

http://www.mamaloveproducts.com
http://www.mamalovehealing.etsy.com

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WHERE TO FIND OUR VIDEOS

http://www.youtube.com/user/healerteam

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YOU CAN FIND OUR ARTWORK...

In our joint Etsy shop... http://www.etsy.com/shop/PaulnSherylArt
In our new prints and poster Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/FutureSoBright
Beautiful Photographic Prints by Paul Hood... http://PaulHood.imagekind.com/
Beautiful Photographic Prints and Artwork by Sheryl Karas... http://sherylkaras.imagekind.com
Art notecards, T-shirts, mugs and other gifts featuring our images... http://www.zazzle.com/paulnsheryl*
On our brand new Facebook Page... www.facebook.com/paulnsherylart

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JOIN US ON FACEBOOK

We post little tidbits of inspiration and fun, information and news about what we're up to, things that don't fit in the newsletter and things that do. And it's an easy way to interact with what we post through comments and possibly discussions from time to time. Look up "Paul Hood" or "Sheryl Karas" or both. Mama Love has its own page. That's at http://www.facebook.com/MamaLoveProducts. Our artwork also has a brand new page at www.facebook.com/paulnsherylart. Become a Fan and be sure to let other people know about us, too!

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THANKS FOR ALL YOUR REFERRALS!
Simplest way to tell people about us? Forward this newsletter and include a note saying you like us. It's easy!

Related articles

• June Newsletter 2012

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• May 2012 News

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June Newsletter 2012

© Copyright 2012 Sheryl Karas

Hello Everybody!

LIFE LESSONS ON THE PATH OF AN ARTIST / SPIRITUAL COUNSELOR AND HEALER

I’ve been diving into the world of paint after many years of doing photography and digital art alone. It’s been a long courageous journey actually, a long winding road starting in childhood. I’ve always wanted to make my living doing art and actually did have a career as a graphic designer and book cover art creator for 25 years before making the choice to switch to spiritual counseling to provide a much needed balance to the artistic life. But the choice to paint has only been briefly touched before. And, as I said on a recent Facebook thread, I never expected it to be such a personal growth experience.

“It SO is!” several fellow artists chimed in. Every choice is, really. Every time we begin something new little chimes go off in our psyches. It can be nice chimes: “Finally, I’m doing what I always wanted to!” Followed in close succession with all the inner criticisms and hopes and fears familiar to our family patterns. Or, perhaps, if we’re open to it -- lessons learned and discoveries made. I’d like to share one or two of that variety right now.

My favorite life lesson -- it must be a favorite because I seem to need to revisit it over and over -- is letting go of the need for perfection and complete control. Good graphic designers get in the habit of controlling every detail of what they do. Computer programs are so good at this kind of thing. Don’t like a color? Change it in an instant! Move something a few inches to the right? No problem. No, no, that’s not right--move it back! No problem again.

Unfortunately, there is no Command Z on a paintbrush, just the tedious prospect of painting over what you did and trying again. That’s not so much fun so it would seem easiest just to keep things simple, keep the choices safe and barely be challenged at all. But something in my soul had other plans.

First I bought the largest canvas I’ve ever painted on -- 30” x 40”. Then I decided to collage a texture on part of it with torn rice paper and use heavy impasto texture gel with a palette knife to get even more dramatic effects--none of which I had ever used before and wasn’t sure I liked once I got started. Then, to top it all off I decided to create a rather garish underpainting in bright pink, yellow and baby blue. Keep in mind this is a forest scene and you’ll understand why the choices made me freak out. The inner perfectionist could not win! At least not easily, especially when it was thwarted at every turn by some inner imp who kept wanting to try something new.

At one point I was attempting to very slowly, carefully and precisely add bright pink textured gel with a palette knife to a thin tree trunk and discovered that, at my level of experience, it simply could not be done. So I let go of precision and started to more freely slap it on and the result was kind of cool. More random, less precisely controlled, allowing for possibility and I ended up with something that more closely approximated the effect I wanted all along. Only better because more than a little serendipity made its way in. Huh, let go, let God? (What a concept.)

But does letting go of control mean letting go of being in charge altogether? That’s the next lesson I’m in the process of learning. Once I got over the shock of it I found myself enjoying the bright yellow, pink and blue from a modern art point of view. Kind of David Hockney-like, if you’re familiar with his work, especially his paintings of trees. But while I like these color choices from an inner child point of view (the imp who took over, I presume) ... I know I won’t be able to put this piece out with pride if I settle for this beginning as an endpoint and let the painting be in charge instead of me. The adult me keeps feeling hamstrung by the colors even though I know they were originally only meant to be an underpainting. I just wanted to paint over the whole thing and start over. But then Paul reminded me that, since I was on the verge of painting over everything anyway, I could use the opportunity to really loosen up and try anything first. Just get wild and creative while taming the colors down. See if I can salvage the thing by not giving up too soon, knowing that if I can’t get to the point of succeeding I haven’t lost anything but a few afternoons and some tubes of paint.

So that’s the next step. To let go, allow for possibility while continuing to choose the general direction in which I intend to head (or be led).

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WHERE TO FIND INFO ABOUT OUR SPIRITUAL COUNSELING AND HEALING PRACTICE
http://www.healingcommunication.com

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WHERE TO FIND MAMA LOVE

http://www.mamaloveproducts.com
http://www.mamalovehealing.etsy.com

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WHERE TO FIND OUR VIDEOS

http://www.youtube.com/user/healerteam

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YOU CAN FIND OUR ARTWORK...
On our brand new Facebook Page... www.facebook.com/paulnsherylart
In our joint Etsy shop... http://www.etsy.com/shop/PaulnSherylArt
In our new prints and poster Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/FutureSoBright
Beautiful Photographic Prints by Paul Hood... http://PaulHood.imagekind.com/
Beautiful Photographic Prints and Artwork by Sheryl Karas... http://sherylkaras.imagekind.com
Art notecards, T-shirts, mugs and other gifts featuring our images... http://www.zazzle.com/paulnsheryl*

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JOIN US ON FACEBOOK

We post little tidbits of inspiration and fun, information and news about what we're up to, things that don't fit in the newsletter and things that do. And it's an easy way to interact with what we post through comments and possibly discussions from time to time. Look up "Paul Hood" or "Sheryl Karas" or both. Mama Love has its own page. That's at http://www.facebook.com/MamaLoveProducts. Our artwork also has a brand new page at www.facebook.com/paulnsherylart. Become a Fan and be sure to let other people know about us, too!

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THANKS FOR ALL YOUR REFERRALS!
Simplest way to tell people about us? Forward this newsletter and include a note saying you like us. It's easy!

March News

Blossoms by Paul Hood

Hello Everybody!

MARCH COMES IN LIKE A LION

There's a phenomena that happens this time of year for some of us. The sun shines longer, the sap starts rising, and longing to be something, to get things started—to use that increasing energy surge—is all some of us can think about. If you can't go full speed ahead for some reason frustration can set in. If the feeling of being trapped or somehow held back has been there too long... well, March is known to be "windy" month. The inner tensions need release of some sort or havoc will prevail.

But timing is extremely important in the natural order of things. The sap may be rising but it's not quite Spring in most parts of the northern hemisphere. The cherry trees may be starting to bloom here in Chico, CA but it's still freezing in many places around the world. And even in Chico, most of the trees are still bare. Something is stirring—we can see it, we can feel it—but it's not quite time to blossom and nowhere near time to bring forth fruit. Force the issue and a big winter storm will likely take out your hard work and effort. Better to start experimenting, perhaps dust off that business plan and add an addition or two, try a few ideas on for size, than to go whole hog into some half-baked plan that isn't ready to come out into the world quite yet. (How many metaphors can I use in one newsletter?! I think I'm done.)

If this description of wanting-to-go but haven't gotten your ducks in a row yet (oh God, another metaphor) applies to you, you may be dealing with a lot of inner turmoil and, perhaps, contributing to a little outer turmoil in your personal microcosm of the natural world. That's where a little flower essence aromatherapy mixed with spiritual counseling... and perhaps a plan of action to start paying attention to... could do you a lot of good.

For my part, I'm starting to develop some new Mama Love flower essence aromatherapy formulas. I'm working with a formula I'm calling "Soothing the Angry Heart" which addresses the underlying grief, discouragement, and anxiety that usually fuels anger and frustration. So far, It's doing ME a lot of good! I'm also hoping to do one for bringing forth the Inner Warrior (for those who actually need to stand up for themselves in order to take challenging steps) and one called Beginning Again (for renewed faith in yourself, optimism despite setbacks, and willingness to try again).

None of these are quite ready for prime-time yet... and I'd like to do one or two more. A couple of friends on my Facebook list suggested "Aging Gracefully, Powerfully and Well". Any other suggestions or special requests?

--Sheryl Karas

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HAVE A SESSION!
This stirring and planning time of the year is always an excellent time to get some clarity on your life and support to create positive directions. Our spiritual counseling practice is up and running in-person in Chico, CA and, as always, by telephone (or Skype) all over the world. Our prices continue to be affordable with bottom of the sliding scale rates available to everyone regardless of income while we're in the process of getting re-established in a new place. http://www.healingcommunication.com/How_to_Make_an_Appointment_with_Spiritual_Counselors_and_Healers_Sheryl_Karas_and_Paul_Hood.html

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GET A COPY OF OUR LATEST BOOK FOR FREE
In solidarity with the 99% movement we are still offering the PDF download version of "Waking Up in the Great Recession Mormon Desert" FOR FREE to anyone who wants it. The print version and Kindle and Nook versions are still for sale but we want to see the message in this book carried far and wide so get yours by clicking here and send this link to anyone you think might be interested: http://www.healingcommunication.com/WAKING_UP_FILE.html

This book (in print form) and Sheryl's other books are available for sale at http://www.sherylkaras.com.

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WHERE TO FIND MAMA LOVE

http://www.mamaloveproducts.com
http://www.mamalovehealing.etsy.com

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WHERE TO FIND OUT VIDEOS

http://www.youtube.com/user/healerteam

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YOU CAN FIND OUR ARTWORK...
ON our brand new Facebook Page... www.facebook.com/paulnsherylart
In our joint Etsy shop... http://www.etsy.com/shop/PaulnSherylArt
Beautiful Photographic Prints by Paul Hood... http://PaulHood.imagekind.com/
Beautiful Photographic Prints and Artwork by Sheryl Karas... http://sherylkaras.imagekind.com
Art notecards, T-shirts, mugs and other gifts featuring our images... http://www.zazzle.com/paulnsheryl*

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JOIN US ON FACEBOOK

We post little tidbits of inspiration and fun, information and news about what we're up to, things that don't fit in the newsletter and things that do. And it's an easy way to interact with what we post through comments and possibly discussions from time to time. Look up "Paul Hood" or "Sheryl Karas" or both. Mama Love has its own page. That's at http://www.facebook.com/MamaLoveProducts. Our artwork also has a brand new page at www.facebook.com/paulnsherylart. Become a Fan and be sure to let other people know about us, too!

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THANKS FOR ALL YOUR REFERRALS!
Simplest way to tell people about us? Forward this newsletter and include a note saying you like us. It's easy!

February 2012 News

"The Song" © 2012 Paul Hood

Hi Everyone!

Happy Groundhog Day, Imbolc, Candlemas -- the perfect time for this month's newsletter about going beyond "backwards manifestation." Seeds are germinating under the ground but have you been sowing the right ones?

BREAKING THE PATTERN OF BACKWARDS MANIFESTATION

Frequently in our spiritual counseling and healing practice healing themes emerge. One client, and then two, and sometimes three in a row will complain of the same thing. One of the themes for this month has been backwards manifestation as a result of relatively recent and unhealed trauma.

Backwards manifestation is a label Paul and I have coined for manifesting the opposite of what you so fervently want. “Please, please, please!” goes the inner cry (consciously or not). “I’m SO scared. I’m so afraid of what’s going to happen! Please, God, help me!” Then you intend what you think you need (a new job, a new home, a new relationship) and all hell breaks loose as part of the arrangement. You get the job but the boss is a hellish bastard. Someone takes advantage of you. Maybe two or three jobs of the worst kind appear (something you’d hate but are willing to settle for anyway) and then those jobs fall through. People lose your resume, you send another and they lose it again! More and more hellish things occur, and on it goes. One backwards or insufficient manifestation after another.

You think: this manifestation stuff is a bunch of crap! Who came up with this belief system anyway? I’m intending as hard as I can and nothing goes right for me! This is bulls**t!

And then, little positive manifestations fall in through the cracks. You think “I’d really like a new cabinet to put my art supplies in but I can’t really afford to spend money on that” and like magic someone leaves a perfectly great one out by the dumpster by your apartment building the very next day that just needs some inexpensive hardware to fix. And it’s not the only thing that happens that week. Sometimes Paul and I manifest tiny miracles like that every day with no effort or even specific intent. It’s like a sign from the universe that this stuff really does work if you’d only have your head and heart in the right place!

So then you think: why is it so easy to manifest little things with no effort and we backwards manifest on the stuff that feels big to us? Ummmm... maybe because it feels too BIG?!!! As Paul likes to say: you can’t believe in the power of God, the power of the Universe (however you wish to think of it), and not believe in it at the same time and have manifestation work. If it feels too BIG to do and you believe in that then you’re not believing it could be EASY. So you manifest something less than easy -- if you manifest anything at all -- because that is what you unconsciously accept.

At the beginning of last month I realized I was sick of backwards manifesting on the “big” important stuff while getting ample evidence of the power of easy manifestation on everything else. I wanted to crack the code on this issue and turn it around. And, on cue, the universe supplied three examples of people with unresolved trauma needing help with the same thing. Unresolved trauma. People who had suffered serious accidents, death, financial disasters and loss and had been backwards manifesting on certain things they cared about ever since. And the very biggest pattern I saw was not even being able to believe or even dream about what they wanted instead.

Oh! Of course.

The three asked for and received very different forms of help. Spiritual counseling alone for one, flower essences alone for two others. Paul and I decided to use energy healing, spiritual counseling and flower essences for our own well-being (why not use everything we’ve got?) Within a couple of days dreams of what we had forgotten about flew back in, conditions one or both of us were accepting seemed completely unacceptable, and new choices and ideas spontaneously came to mind. It was FAST! Energizing. And then without us doing ANYTHING extra we received new client calls, made unexpected Mama Love sales, and sold some book downloads and artwork, too.

Coincidence? Or the outward manifestation of unresolved trauma being released?Based on past and current experience, I’d say it was the latter.

I once wanted to be a coach who helped people achieve their deepest hopes and dreams. I do have coaching training as well as a degree in Transpersonal Psychology under my belt. But what Paul and I have seen as spiritual counselors and healers using a broad spectrum of techniques is so remarkable -- especially when people are committed to their development over the long haul -- it feels like a gift whenever we get to do it.

We're taking new clients jointly now mostly on weekends, early evenings and one weekday a week. People wishing to work with Paul alone can arrange sessions on additional weekday afternoons as well.

Sheryl Karas, February 2012


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HAVE A SESSION!
The beginning of the year is always an excellent time to get some clarity on your life and support to create positive directions. Our spiritual counseling practice is up and running in-person in Chico, CA and, as always, by telephone (or Skype) all over the world. Our prices continue to be affordable with bottom of the sliding scale rates available to everyone regardless of income while we're in the process of getting re-established in a new place. http://www.healingcommunication.com/How_to_Make_an_Appointment_with_Spiritual_Counselors_and_Healers_Sheryl_Karas_and_Paul_Hood.html

–––––––––––

GET A COPY OF OUR LATEST BOOK FOR FREE
In solidarity with the 99% movement we are still offering the PDF download version of "Waking Up in the Great Recession Mormon Desert" FOR FREE to anyone who wants it. The print version and Kindle and Nook versions are still for sale but we want to see the message in this book carried far and wide so get yours by clicking here and send this link to anyone you think might be interested: http://www.healingcommunication.com/WAKING_UP_FILE.html

This book (in print form) and Sheryl's other books are available for sale at http://www.sherylkaras.com.

–––––––––––

WHERE TO FIND MAMA LOVE

http://www.mamaloveproducts.com

–––––––––––

WHERE TO FIND OUT VIDEOS

http://www.youtube.com/user/healerteam

–––––––––––

YOU CAN FIND OUR ARTWORK...

In our joint Etsy shop... http://www.etsy.com/shop/PaulnSherylArt
Beautiful Photographic Prints by Paul Hood... http://PaulHood.imagekind.com/
Beautiful Photographic Prints and Artwork by Sheryl Karas... http://sherylkaras.imagekind.com
Art notecards, T-shirts, mugs and other gifts featuring our images... http://www.zazzle.com/paulnsheryl*

–––––––––––

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK

We post little tidbits of inspiration and fun, information and news about what we're up to, things that don't fit in the newsletter and things that do. And it's an easy way to interact with what we post through comments and possibly discussions from time to time. Look up "Paul Hood" or "Sheryl Karas" or both. Mama Love has its own page. That's at http://www.facebook.com/MamaLoveProducts. Become a Fan and be sure to let other people know about us, too!

–––––––––––

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR REFERRALS!
Simplest way to tell people about us? Forward this newsletter and include a note saying you like us. It's easy!

Related articles

• January 2012 Newsletter (healingcommunicationnews.blogspot.com)
• October News (healingcommunicationnews.blogspot.com)

January 2012 Newsletter

"Soar!" by Paul Hood, Copyright 2011

Happy New Year! Happy 2012 to all of you!

As we head into the new year a lot of people's thoughts turn naturally to what 2012 will bring. The end of the Mayan calendar has a lot of people worried -- we're not among them -- but Sheryl, for one, does anticipate a great year of possibility. As ALL years / days are, of course! Every moment is a potential beginning. But human beings do tend to organize ourselves by the calendar, and collective beliefs and intentioning have great power. . . so what do we wish to create at this time in history and in our personal lives?

Before jumping in it might be worth noting that collectively we'll be celebrating the Year of the Water Dragon this year. Celebrating. Dragon years are often about success and opportunity. Coming together is what a Water Dragon can bring -- Harmony, one of the greatest Chinese virtues, is associated with a Water Dragon year. Other possibilities include conflicts of sorts as some things fail and fall apart so other, more beneficial, changes can take place! If you're part of a situation that has to be improved that's a great thing, provided, of course, that you can go with the change about to come. One word of advice from our own experience of rapidly changing life situations: LET GO! Believe in the possibility of an even better outcome than you can see right now and allow it to come.

We just moved again, by the way. Yes, AGAIN! We're still in Chico, CA but this time we moved to a much larger, nicer place right next door to Paul's dad who needed a great deal of caregiving attention in the past couple of months. Imagine: we all needed a place as close as possible and one opened up by the time we needed it RIGHT NEXT DOOR. We also really needed more space and always like to have an outdoor seating area and close access to nature and we manifested exactly that, too. A nature preserve is just a short walk away and a nice view of the Sierra foothills is practically outside our door.

Back to the coming year: a few shake-ups are likely to occur (as is often the case in a volatile election year) but not without a little fun. Focus most of all on how fun it will be to manifest what we'd like next. And "wouldn't it be great if. . . " Seriously, we don't ALWAYS seem to get what we want. Many of us have suffered great losses. It can be very easy to lose faith and think things like intentioning doesn't even remotely work! But sometimes what we need most takes a certain amount of footwork -- reshuffling the deck (which can seem almost catastrophic when you're in the midst of the shuffling). But then. . .an opportunity comes along you would not expect that you needed to be in a different place or mindset to accept. A new set of priorities soon emerges, one you would not have taken on in your previous circumstances. Or perhaps you just get to start anew and try again.

The new year reminds us to take time to look back on our lives, assess, reevaluate, pay attention to what has worked and what we'd like to do differently, to imagine what we'd like next, and intend it to come forth. A little advance planning, goal-setting and following through is often beneficial but don't be at all surprised if a lot of things just make sense to do-- like getting up every day anticipating positive shifts and intending the best all along the way.

-- Sheryl Karas, January 2012

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JUST FOR FUN: a recent example of instant manifestation Paul shared on Facebook this week. In his words:

"Things we've said this week: 'We should get another of these white plastic lawn chairs to go on the front porch. . . was nice to get that stereo as a gift, but I wish the interface was more user friendly. . . well, that plunger with the weird clear plastic handle barely worked, what's wrong with a plain wooden handle (me) and we should probably have a toilet plunger (Sheryl).' So on a short drive today we were given a white plastic lawn chair, drove a little further and saw two plungers on the sidewalk-- a regular and a toilet plunger (both with wooden handles) -- and when I pulled over there was a stereo receiver right next to me with nice simple buttons (Fisher RS 605, circa 1988). Crankin' the tunes right now in my headphones."

–––––––––––

HAVE A SESSION!
The beginning of the year is always an excellent time to get some clarity on your life and support to create positive directions. Our spiritual counseling practice is up and running in-person in Chico, CA and, as always, by telephone (or Skype) all over the world. Our prices continue to be affordable with bottom of the sliding scale rates available to everyone regardless of income while we're in the process of getting re-established in a new place. http://www.healingcommunication.com/How_to_Make_an_Appointment_with_Spiritual_Counselors_and_Healers_Sheryl_Karas_and_Paul_Hood.html

–––––––––––

GET A COPY OF OUR LATEST BOOK FOR FREE
In solidarity with the 99% movement we are still offering the PDF download version of "Waking Up in the Great Recession Mormon Desert" FOR FREE to anyone who wants it. The print version and Kindle and Nook versions are still for sale but we want to see the message in this book carried far and wide so get yours by clicking here and send this link to anyone you think might be interested: http://www.healingcommunication.com/WAKING_UP_FILE.html

This book (in print form) and Sheryl's other books are available for sale at http://www.sherylkaras.com.

–––––––––––

WHERE TO FIND MAMA LOVE

http://www.mamaloveproducts.com

–––––––––––

WHERE TO FIND OUT VIDEOS

http://www.youtube.com/user/healerteam

–––––––––––

YOU CAN FIND OUR ARTWORK...

in our joint Etsy shop, on Imagekind and Zazzle.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/PaulnSherylArt
Beautiful Photographic Prints by Paul Hood... http://PaulHood.imagekind.com/
Beautiful Photographic Prints and Artwork by Sheryl Karas... http://sherylkaras.imagekind.com
Art notecards, T-shirts, mugs and other gifts featuring our images... http://www.zazzle.com/paulnsheryl*

–––––––––––

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK

We post little tidbits of inspiration and fun, information and news about what we're up to, things that don't fit in the newsletter and things that do. And it's an easy way to interact with what we post through comments and possibly discussions from time to time. Look up "Paul Hood" or "Sheryl Karas" or both. Mama Love has its own page. That's at http://www.facebook.com/MamaLoveProducts. Become a Fan and be sure to let other people know about us, too!

–––––––––––

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR REFERRALS!
Simplest way to tell people about us? Forward this newsletter and include a note saying you like us. It's easy!

Related articles

• October News (healingcommunicationnews.blogspot.com)
• September Newsletter (healingcommunicationnews.blogspot.com)

March Healing Communication News

Hi Everyone,

Well, it seems like we've been out of touch for awhile but that's because we've had way too much going on.

We've moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico and it looks like very soon we'll probably be moving again. Down the street or back to California? We're right on that fence right now, it depends on how a few things play out. So bear with us! Once we know for sure we'll send out an announcement as soon as possible but in the meantime we're having an online moving sale to raise some cash and, perhaps, lighten our load.

First off, several of my Mama Love flower essence aromatherapy formulas were damaged traveling back and forth across the country. The product is still great but the packaging is scuffed, torn or bent. I'm making these available at $8.00 each including shipping instead of $14 in my Etsy shop. They're available THIS WEEK ONLY and then I have to shut the shop down temporarily so we can manage whatever our next move is going to be. Friends on Facebook have already been buying them so act fast because the ones you want at this price might soon be gone. http://www.etsy.com/shop/MamaLovePerfume

Also, we've marked down the fine art glass pendants and handmade silk and faux fur evening bags we've been selling in our other Etsy shop. The pendants were $24.99. Now they're $16.50 including shipping. The evening bags were $35 and now there are just 4 left at $19.50. Again they're available THIS WEEK ONLY and then we have to temporarily close that shop, too! http://www.etsy.com/shop/PaulnSherylArt

I've also been adjusting prices in our print-on-demand bookshop. This is a more permanent change. We've joined the modern age when it comes to e-books...or at least we're trying to be up-to-date. When we first opened that shop the advice was to keep the price of e-books more in line with the cost of print so as not to hurt regular book sales. But, of course, the cost of print-on-demand items of any sort are higher than mass market so it puts our work out of reach for a lot of folks. So we're rectifying that situation. Our e-book downloads are now $2.99 for "Changing the World One Relationship at a Time" and $4.99 for "The Spiritual Journey of Family Caregiving." You'll find them at http://stores.lulu.com/healingcommunicationpress

And our article this month?

An excerpt from "The Spiritual Journey of Family Caregiving" about why our way of helping people as spiritual counselors mattered in the work I did as consultant for families dealing with Alzheimer's Disease and other forms of dementia.

Respecting the Sanctity of a Human Being

by Sheryl Karas

I'm going to start by being honest: becoming a Family Caregiving Consultant was never part of my game plan. I went to school to get a Masters Degree in Transpersonal Psychology, sometimes thought of as Spiritual Psychology, and intended to do private practice personal coaching, lead support groups and teach workshops for a living. I thought of myself as an entrepreneur. Instead I ran out of money before I got started and had to find a regular job. Doing office work and leading support groups at the Alzheimer's Association was the only one I found and I was none too pleased about it. I knew nothing about Alzheimer's Disease and hated the idea of doing office work but figured the support group training would help while I figured out what to do next.

The first day the executive director handed me a copy of "The 36-Hour Day", a horrifyingly depressing book considered at the time to be the Alzheimer's "Caregiving Bible." She had me watch some videos on Alzheimer's Disease and two weeks later left me alone in charge of the office while she went to get something to eat.

I had a big stack of paperwork and filing to do on my desk and was sitting there dejectedly trying to imagine how a Masters degree was going to be of any use in this when the phone rang. The man on the other end was involved in a family argument about how to take care of his dad. He said his father lived alone on a ranch far out in the country and had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease.

The father had lived in that house his entire life and always said that he would rather wander out into the woods and die like all natural born creatures than to be shut up in a nursing home away from the place he loved at the end of his life. But now his relatives were refusing to honor his wishes. None of them could leave their families and jobs to live with him and they were all fighting about how (or if) they should take him away and have him placed. I suggested a few services they might take advantage of but spent most of the call listening and helping the caller sort out his feelings about the ethics of following through on his own request.

A day or two later I was left alone again and received a call from a woman taking care of her mother who was having what people in the field call a "catastrophic incident". She was extremely agitated, screaming obscenities, and was accusing the caregiver of trying to steal from her. The woman on the phone was at wit's end and said "I've had enough of this—YOU talk to her!!" and, to my horror, handed the phone to her ranting mother. Keep in mind I had NO training at this point beyond a basic introduction, had never talked to a person with dementia in my life, and had no idea of what to do.

I listened to the mother's rage and vitriolic screaming for a few minutes, freaked out silently for awhile, and finally thought "this isn't what I get paid to do." I interrupted the raving and said the first thing that came into my head. "Mrs. So and So, could you help me with something?" Immediately, Mrs. So and So snapped out of her rage. "Of course, dear! What can I do for you?"

Then I didn't know what to say so I stammered out the truth. "I'm brand new on this job and I don't know how to help you and I have SO much I have to do! Could we do something else?"

"Absolutely!" she said. "Don't you worry about a thing. I'll take care of it." And then she hung up the phone.

About twenty minutes later the caregiver called back. "You're a miracle worker! What did you do? She's been happy and sitting quietly reading a book upside down ever since."

I was stunned. I didn't know why what I did worked but I never forgot it. By asking the patient to take care of me, by treating her with respect and letting her feel like she still had value, I somehow got through.

From that point on I realized how my Transpersonal Psychology background was going to matter in the work I had taken on to do. One client after another asked for "practical" help but the help that made the biggest difference was listening and honoring each person's sanctity as a human being.

---

You can read this book as an e-book download on your own computer or on any e-book reader that can read pdf files for just $4.99. Or buy a conventional print version if you like. Here's a link: http://stores.lulu.com/healingcommunicationpress

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Spiritual Counseling and Healing Sessions

Available now!
http://www.healingcommunication.com/How_to_Make_an_Appointment_with_Spiritual_Counselors_and_Healers_Sheryl_Karas_and_Paul_Hood.html

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We Have Books and Art Available Online

Healing Communication Press: http://stores.lulu.com/healingcommunicationpress
Art notecards, T-shirts, mugs and other gifts featuring our images... http://www.zazzle.com/paulnsheryl?rf=238549309058651585
Beautiful Photographic Prints by Paul Hood... http://PaulHood.imagekind.com/
Beautiful Photographic Prints and Artwork by Sheryl Karas... http://sherylkaras.imagekind.com

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Where to Find Our Videos

http://www.youtube.com/user/healerteam

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Be a Fan!

We've recently joined the world of Facebook. We post little tidbits of inspiration and fun, information and news about what we're up to, things that don't fit in the newsletter and things that do. And it's an easy way to interact with what we post through comments and possibly discussions from time to time. Check us out at http://tinyurl.com/HealingCommunication . Check Mama Love out at http://www.facebook.com/MamaLoveProducts. Become a Fan and be sure to let other people know about us, too!

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THANKS FOR ALL YOUR REFERRALS!

Simplest way to tell people about us? Forward this newsletter and include a note saying you like us. It's easy!

July Recession Special!

© 2010 Paul Hood

Hi Everybody!

We're keeping the newsletter short and sweet this time. Usually we don't do a July newsletter at all (don't know why, it just works out that way.) But this time we want to announce a special:

For the month of July only, we're offering everybody sessions at the bottom of our sliding scale, regardless of your income. That's $30 for a 1/2 hour, $50 for an hour, and $75 for an hour and a half. Our normal sliding scale is $50 - 250 for an hour. Our regular flat fee is $150 so if you've never had a session with us before or haven't had a session in a while this is the time!

After July we're making our income-sensitive sliding scale a need-sensitive one. We realize that even people who appear to make a decent living on paper frequently have extenuating circumstances, unusual expenses and -- these days -- serious concerns about their financial well-being. So we're going back to our roots: choose whatever you can afford, no questions asked. If you want to pay more later you can. If you can't, you don't have to!

And for those of you who hate having to decide for yourselves what to pay... close your eyes, if you've had a session with us before you know what it's worth but where are you at financially yourself? Pick a number: does it hurt to pay that much? Then the number is too high. Shift it down. Do you feel guilty, like the number really isn't high enough? Shift up! Can't afford that? Pay less now and send us a tip later! Can't be bothered with this exercise? Then pay the flat fee of $150 and be done with it. It's your choice!

Click here to make an appointment with us now!

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BOOKS HAND-AUTOGRAPHED BY THE AUTHOR (Sheryl Karas)

THE SPIRITUAL JOURNEY OF FAMILY CAREGIVING --
For five years, ending in 2005, I worked as a Family Caregiving Consultant at the Alzheimer's Association and Del Mar Caregiver Resource Center helping families taking care of loved ones with incurable progressive memory loss and dementia. Trying to find services needed to provide basic care is what brought people in to see me first, but as the caregivers became more ensconced in their caregiving roles inevitably emotional and spiritual issues would become their primary concerns. My role shifted to providing a combination of practical and spiritual care. During this period I wrote a caregiver newsletter every month and this book is the result.

Unsigned copies of "The Spiritual Journey" and a nice variety of journals featuring our photography are also available online at http://stores.lulu.com/healingcommunicationpress .

THE SOLSTICE EVERGREEN: THE HISTORY, FOLKLORE AND ORIGINS OF THE CHRISTMAS TREE --
The evergreen has been a potent pagan symbol in almost every culture, from prehistoric Japan to Northern Africa, from Native America to Medieval Germany. The Solstice Evergreen explores the rich spiritual heritage of this ancient symbol in depth and includes a great many myths, legends,and folk tales from across the globe as well as dozens of black and white illustrations. Gathered together in this book for the first time, this rich collection of mythology presents a unique perspective spanning many cultures and centuries.

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WHERE TO FIND OUR ART

Beautiful Photographic Prints by Paul Hood... http://PaulHood.imagekind.com/
Art and Photography by Sheryl Karas... http://SherylKaras.imagekind.com/
Art notecards, T-shirts, mugs and other gifts featuring our images... http://www.zazzle.com/paulnsheryl?rf=238549309058651585
Brand New Shop (Pendants featuring our art and photography, more items to come)... http://www.etsy.com/shop/paulnsherylart

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WHERE TO FIND OUR VIDEOS

http://www.youtube.com/user/healerteam

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BE A FAN!

We've recently joined the world of Facebook. We post little tidbits of inspiration and fun, information and news about what we're up to, things that don't fit in the newsletter and things that do. And it's an easy way to interact with what we post through comments and possibly discussions from time to time. Check us out at http://tinyurl.com/HealingCommunication . Check Mama Love out at http://www.facebook.com/MamaLoveProducts. Become a Fan and be sure to let other people know about us, too!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR REFERRALS!
Simplest way to tell people about us? Forward this newsletter and include a note saying you like us. It's easy!

May 2010 Healing Communication News

"Moment of Recognition" © 2010 Paul Hood

Hi Everybody!

Happy May! What's on our minds these days? The news, making decisions, being ourselves, and learning to trust despite living in times beset with frauds and deception. Who can you trust? Can you trust anything? What would Krishnamurti say? Here is Paul's latest take:

GUARDING AGAINST YOUR OWN PERCEPTIONS AND TRUSTING YOURSELF ANYWAY

by Paul Hood

A friend of mine recently quoted Krishnamurti: “The fact is there is nothing that you can trust; and that is a terrible fact, whether you like it or not. Psychologically there is nothing in the world, that you can put your faith, your trust, or your belief in. Neither your gods, nor your science can save you, can bring you psychological certainty; and you have to accept that you can trust in absolutely nothing.”

Then my friend asked whether friends of hers agreed with the statement or not. Well, right off the bat I could bet that the sun is going to rise tomorrow and every day for the rest of my life and win that bet. Sure, one day it won’t rise, but likely that will happen long after I’m dead anyway. Ok, so 400 million years in the future some guy is going to get up at 7am, look out the window at the sky in complete horror, wave his six tentacles frantically and shout telepathically to all who can hear “I should have listened to Krishnamurti, noooooo!”

There are a lot of things which we can trust on a day to day basis. There’s risk involved in trusting, but it’s usually worth it. Like a lot of quotes taken out of context, I think that the one above loses something in the translation. The thing which strikes me most about this brief quote, however, is how wrong it is, and what really jumps out is how much one cannot trust Krishnamurti, a pretty well renowned philosophical/spiritual teacher and speaker. Had he worded it differently, I can see it making some degree of sense -- if he had limited this more to intangible things which we believe and place our trust in but can’t really prove -- but he didn’t. Speaking in absolutes usually draws a lot of arguments. Big boo-boo on the part of Krishnamurti then; but the guy gave thousands of talks across his 90 year lifetime so don’t you think he’d make an error now and then? A one-star quote doesn’t negate all of his five-star quotes. I went through something similar recently with a two minute video titled “Why People Get Sick”. Well, there’s a lot of reasons why people get sick and two minutes isn’t enough time to explain them all. Unfortunately it’s our third most popular video -- way ahead of much better ones.

Lately I’m seeing just how much past experiences, powers of discretion, intellect and other factors can skew not only our perceptions but the conclusions that we make based upon those perceptions. All of which lead to opinions which we then automatically trust. It’s a matter of habit. This takes me right back to the Krishnamurti quote: if we can’t trust ourselves, then who, or what can we trust? Can we actually trust, then, anything? After all everything comes through the lens of the self, and so we are in no way objective. All experience is subjective, but that’s what really gives life meaning anyway: the passionate, the subjective, the personal. Being involved with a capital “I” is what we really want to hear about. We all know how much importance we give to the first hand experience, the eye witness. . . how many times have we seen the phrase “I have 20 years experience in this area” used to give tangible credence to an opinion? Wouldn’t it be far more “objective” to see a thing with brand new and totally inexperienced eyes? What do we do when we seek an outside perspective? We invite a friend to render an opinion on something that they, in theory, aren’t involved in. But guess what, they’re involved with us. They’d rather agree than disagree with us. They’d rather take our side. And who describes the very thing that we want an “objective” opinion on? We do. Our objective friend only gets the information that we feed to them. So maybe it’s true that we can’t trust anything, but I wouldn’t trust that.

In my humble opinion Krishnamurti is dead wrong, but he’s right too. The sun does not rise and set on Krishnamurti, but then again, the sun doesn’t rise and set at all --- the earth turns around on its axis and gives us that illusion. A useful illusion though, and we can’t go around doubting ourselves at every turn. We’d be paralyzed. And when it comes to advice regarding “fire” I would rather trust the advice of a highly trained and opinionated blacksmith, than that of the completely objective toddler discovering it for the first time. Even though both might offer me a summation including the word “ouch”. . . what would a fire-walker tell me? Purify yourself. Bless the bed of coals. Trust and surrender completely to the power of God and you will not be harmed. Something like that.

Lately the message that I’ve been getting through my own experience seems to be one of temperance. Trust yourself, but not too much. There may be larger forces at work. Hold things a little more lightly. Be aware that your past experiences may amount to baggage, and baggage can weigh you down, slow you down -- and in extreme cases -- bury you entirely. Without baggage however, where am I going to keep my undies? And I do want undies. Nice, clean white undies. We all like that. Except when we don’t. I trust that God will in general keep me in undies if I do my part -- my weird, flawed, subjective, human part.

I have another friend who wrote a whole song called “Go Commando” about not wearing any underwear. I saw him perform it live for the first time in front of a pretty decent sized audience. The song went on and on and on. It was hilarious. The longer it ran the funnier it got, because who in their right mind would do twelve verses about not wearing underwear? Plus, he’s a terrible singer. Off key almost all the time. Seriously, when he hits the right note, it’s an accident. The guitar playing isn’t much better. Yet he sings and plays with great exuberance and enthusiasm. He’s highly prolific too. Audiences love him, but what would a music teacher say? Here is what makes him great: he’s so bad that he does not even know he’s bad (Or does he?). From his point of view, he might even be great for a lot of different reasons which I don’t agree with. I’ve never actually asked him what he thinks of his own singing and playing, but I’ve always wondered if he were to hear another person singing way off key, would he know. . . and would it matter?

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OUR LATEST VIDEOS
http://www.healingcommunication.com/videos.html

Recent topics include The Spiritual Benefits of Loss, Transcending Polarity, and follow-ups to Paul's popular earlier video on Kundalini awakening.

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INTERESTED IN A SESSION?

We do telephone sessions with people all over the world. Visit our "Make an Appointment" page to make your appointment now.

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MAMA LOVE PERFUME
Sheryl has a line of Reiki-infused Flower Essence Aromatherapy products for a wide variety of healing purposes. You can find them at http://www.mamaloveproducts.com.

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BOOKS HAND-AUTOGRAPHED BY THE AUTHOR (Sheryl Karas)

THE SOLSTICE EVERGREEN: THE HISTORY, FOLKLORE AND ORIGINS OF THE CHRISTMAS TREE --
The evergreen has been a potent pagan symbol in almost every culture, from prehistoric Japan to Northern Africa, from Native America to Medieval Germany. The Solstice Evergreen explores the rich spiritual heritage of this ancient symbol in depth and includes a great many myths, legends,and folk tales from across the globe as well as dozens of black and white illustrations. Gathered together in this book for the first time, this rich collection of mythology presents a unique perspective spanning many cultures and centuries.

THE SPIRITUAL JOURNEY OF FAMILY CAREGIVING --
For five years, ending in 2005, I worked as a Family Caregiving Consultant at the Alzheimer's Association and Del Mar Caregiver Resource Center helping families taking care of loved ones with incurable progressive memory loss and dementia. Trying to find services needed to provide basic care is what brought people in to see me first, but as the caregivers became more ensconced in their caregiving roles inevitably emotional and spiritual issues would become their primary concerns. My role shifted to providing a combination of practical and spiritual care. During this period I wrote a caregiver newsletter every month and this book is the result.

Unsigned copies of "The Spiritual Journey" and a nice variety of journals featuring our photography are also available online at http://stores.lulu.com/healingcommunicationpress .
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WHERE TO FIND OUR ART

Beautiful Photographic Prints by Paul Hood
Art and Photography by Sheryl Karas
Art notecards, T-shirts, mugs and other gifts featuring our images
Brand New Shop (Pendants featuring our art and photography and more)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BE A FAN!

We've recently joined the world of Facebook. We post little tidbits of inspiration and fun, information and news about what we're up to, things that don't fit in the newsletter and things that do. And it's an easy way to interact with what we post through comments and possibly discussions from time to time. Check us out at http://tinyurl.com/HealingCommunication . Check Mama Love out at http://www.facebook.com/MamaLoveProducts. Become a Fan and be sure to let other people know about us, too!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR REFERRALS!
Simplest way to tell people about us? Forward this newsletter and include a note saying you like us. It's easy!

March 2010 News

Hello Everybody!

What's new this month is VIDEO! Thanks for joining us online.

Since we're about to let go of the season of death and head into the celebration of resurrection —Easter and the less well known pagan holidays that came before that—our theme for this month is the Spiritual Benefits of Loss and how to heal enough to allow for the rebirth so many of us want so much right now.

We start with a video featuring Paul speaking on this topic.



Here's some more insight on the same topic inspired by the world of flower essences:

Sagebrush Flower Essence for When Life Strips You to the Essentials

by Sheryl Karas M.A.

When a person is over-identified with aspects of its “ego self”—that small self that is part of the past and never the future—sometimes we need to cleanse the spirit of all those past attachments so life can be truly transformed and made new. There are times that try people’s souls. We become so attached to possessions, lifestyle, social recognition, external things that we think express who we are but in reality can help hold us back from what we can become. Last year's recession brought job loss, business losses, bankruptcy and home foreclosure to a lot of people. Others have lost family and friends. It's hard to feel spiritual when you’re stripped of so much but a lot of people turn to spirit in times like these.

So is there any spiritual purpose in experiences like this? Sure! But when people you love are in the midst of the crisis it's probably not the right time to discuss it -- at least not if you want things to remain civil. This week, however, Paul and I have been taking the time to look at this key issue. Spirituality isn't always about living "The Secret" and getting what you want, at least not right away. Sometimes it is about loss and that's painful! But from the highest spiritual perspective it’s hard for a purpose. To give up the past is often a blessing, not a curse. It frees you to new experience, to create what you’re longing for without a death wish related to past beliefs and old ideas of “right living” attached. When you are stripped to the essentials, you see so clearly what matters most. You never let go of your essential soul purpose. That’s what you see and that’s what you have left to build upon and grow.

In Flower Essence Therapy, Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) is used to help people who have been essentially stripped of a lot of what they hold dear. Sagebrush lives in the desert in the harshest of conditions. We see it growing along the road where Paul and I live now and it's quite beautiful. In the summer and fall it has tiny yellow flowers that grow in bunches near the ends of the branches and it has hairy but stiff silvery grey-green leaves that are lobed like an oak leaf. It can grow to almost 4 feet tall but, unless living near a source of running water, most tend to stay a lot smaller, usually 1-2 feet.

Artemisia tridentata is part of the asteraceae or Sunflower family which, for flower essence purposes, indicates that it carries some of the same characteristics of other flowers in that family. For example, the small flower heads are actually a composite of many individual flowers clumped together so they look like one. The Asteraceae flower family is also known as "compositae" for this very reason. Most of the species in this family are also sun-loving plants, with strong, sturdy, long-lasting stems and branches. Richard Katz of the Flower Essence Society has written about this plant family. He says flower essences from this family deal with themes of spiritual integration, wholeness, integrity and the development of the spiritual Self.

Sagebrush has been used for spiritual purposes by Native peoples throughout the Southwest for millennia. It's the most common herb used in smudging, an ancient practice intended to clear negative toxic energy from around an individual or in an environment. It was also used medicinally to rid the body of parasites, stop internal bleeding and aid in the healing of infection.

The Sagebrush plant group Artemisia is named for Artemisia II, the sister and wife of king Mausolus, the ancient ruler of Caria in southwestern Anatolia. Artemis is also the name of the ancient sun god Apollo's sister, the goddess of the moon, the hunt and wild nature. Queen Artemis showed a lot of her namesake's spirit in the years after her husband's death. She took over the throne and brilliantly defended her country from marauding invaders who hoped to take advantage of the situation. Unfortunately she is far more well-known for her extraordinary grief at his passing. She is said to have mixed her husband’s ashes in her drink, and to have gradually pined away during the two years that she survived him. She had a giant monument built in his honor that was once listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The word "mausoleum" comes from this. But she was also a botanist and medical researcher and that's why the plant group is named after her. Think of someone who couldn't let go of her life long attachment to her brother/husband and you'll get the gist of what Sagebrush flower essence is meant to help one overcome. It helps one find a new self-identity when the old one is now gone.

Ready to be reborn? Smile, lighten up, Spring is almost here. And what better way to celebrate than with newborn baby goats! Sheryl took the photographs in this next video at Harley Farms in Pescadero, CA. If you've never been there when these wonderful fun-loving creatures are born, March is the month to go do it!



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MORE NEW STUFF!

Are you interested in learning about Kundalini awakening? Paul did a video about that long ago that you might have seen already. If not you can see it here . We've received lots of questions about that ever since so we finally have done a video to address them. It's broken up into 3 short parts.

"Kundalini Part 2"
"Kundalini 3"
"Kundalini 4, The Last Word"

Paul also did a nice talk on Transcending Polarity which includes some insight into Yin and Yang and American politics! Lots of helpful Buddhist principles as well. We think you'll find it interesting.

Transcending Polarity Part 1
Transcending Polarity Part 2
Transcending Polarity Part 3

And finally we found some clips from more than a year and a half ago featuring Paul as well.

Taking Your Spiritual Life Seriously
The Ideal and the Real
It's Not About Fixing Everything

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INTERESTED IN A SESSION?

We do telephone sessions with people all over the world. Visit our "Make an Appointment" page to make your appointment now.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MAMA LOVE PERFUME

Sheryl has a line of Reiki-infused Flower Essence Aromatherapy products for a wide variety of healing purposes. You can find them at http://www.mamaloveproducts.com.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BOOKS HAND-AUTOGRAPHED BY THE AUTHOR (Sheryl Karas)

THE SOLSTICE EVERGREEN: THE HISTORY, FOLKLORE AND ORIGINS OF THE CHRISTMAS TREE
The evergreen has been a potent pagan symbol in almost every culture, from prehistoric Japan to Northern Africa, from Native America to Medieval Germany. The Solstice Evergreen explores the rich spiritual heritage of this ancient symbol in depth and includes a great many myths, legends,and folk tales from across the globe as well as dozens of black and white illustrations. Gathered together in this book for the first time, this rich collection of mythology presents a unique perspective spanning many cultures and centuries.

THE SPIRITUAL JOURNEY OF FAMILY CAREGIVING --
For five years, ending in 2005, I worked as a Family Caregiving Consultant at the Alzheimer's Association and Del Mar Caregiver Resource Center helping families taking care of loved ones with incurable progressive memory loss and dementia. Trying to find services needed to provide basic care is what brought people in to see me first, but as the caregivers became more ensconced in their caregiving roles inevitably emotional and spiritual issues would become their primary concerns. My role shifted to providing a combination of practical and spiritual care. During this period I wrote a caregiver newsletter every month and this book is the result.

Unsigned copies of "The Spiritual Journey" and a nice variety of journals featuring our photography are also available online at http://stores.lulu.com/healingcommunicationpress .

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WHERE TO FIND OUR ART

Beautiful Photographic Prints by Paul Hood
Art and Photography by Sheryl Karas
Art notecards, T-shirts, mugs and other gifts featuring our images
Brand New Shop (Pendants featuring our art and photography, more items to come)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WHERE TO FIND ALL OUR VIDEOS

http://www.youtube.com/user/healerteam

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BE A FAN!

We've recently joined the world of Facebook. We post little tidbits of inspiration and fun, information and news about what we're up to, things that don't fit in the newsletter and things that do. And it's an easy way to interact with what we post through comments and possibly discussions from time to time. Check us out at http://tinyurl.com/HealingCommunication .

Check Mama Love out at http://www.facebook.com/MamaLoveProducts. Become a Fan and be sure to let other people know about us, too!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR REFERRALS!
Simplest way to tell people about us? Forward this newsletter and include a note saying you like us. It's easy!