By Sam Sample
Considering the stress and stimulation that we are increasingly being exposed to, it’s no wonder that many of us find it difficult to fall asleep at night, suffer from poor sleep or wake up feeling tired and flat.

Checking emails in bed on the iPhone or Blackberry, eating a large meal at nighttime, going to the gym late at night, worrying about how much work there is to get through, watching television in bed, depending on alcohol or pharmaceuticals to help fall asleep, are all recipes for an inability to fall asleep or disrupted night’s sleep.

Incorporating daily self caring rituals when you’re unwinding from the day and preparing yourself for bedtime is a much better option that will help promote a healthy and tranquil night’s sleep. The key is to find something that makes you feel relaxed, then repeat it each night to help release the day’s stress.

Diffuse a blend of essential oils in your bedroom. Relax, run a bath, make a cup of herbal tea, focus on your breathing and let yourself go. With every breath you take, breathe in relaxation, and breathe out your worries. Ease into a tranquil sleep.

Diet
Avoid coffee, tea and other stimulants after lunchtime so that they have completely worn off by the time you prepare to go to bed.
Avoid eating a large meal before going to bed, particularly carbohydrates so that your body isn’t busy trying to digest food whilst you’re trying to fall asleep.
Avoid alcohol as it disrupts your ability to reach deep REM stages of sleep.
For nights when you really are finding it difficult to fall asleep, valerian is a much healthier alternative to sleeping tablets. The herb is believed to be a remedy for sleeping problems and does not have the same “hangover” effect of sleeping pills.

Exercise
Incorporate exercise into your daily routine. There is so much research out there stating that regular exercise is one of the best physical stress-reduction techniques, that it relaxes tense muscles, helps you to sleep, improves blood flow to the brain and releases chemicals called endorphins in to your blood stream giving you a feeling of happiness.
However, make an effort to avoid high intensity exercise (unless it involves sex) in the evening as it may keep you stimulated. Exercise in the morning or afternoon instead.

The Bedroom
Your bedroom is a sanctuary for sleeping. Create a tranquil environment by minimizing noise, light and temperature extremes in your bedroom.
To help prevent a sleep disorder from disrupting your life, use the bed and bedroom for sleep only. Please don’t watch TV or work in bed (including checking emails on your Blackberry of iphone).
Keep a notebook beside your bed and if ever you lay in bed with thoughts racing around your head, write those thoughts down in the notebook so that you can revisit them the next day.

Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is a true holistic approach to healing in that it uses oils extracted from plants and flowers to treat the physical, mental and spiritual body. Essential oils stimulate receptors in the nose which relay messages to the limbic system, the part of the brain that regulates emotions. The use of essential oils is nothing new, dating back thousands of years. The most beneficial part of aromatherapy, in my opinion, is that it can be incorporated into daily life via creams, massage oils, bath oils, compresses and for burning in an oil burner; and that blends can be tailor made to suit your requirements, for example, to help calm and induce sleep.

Lavender is regarded as the first choice in the treatment of insomnia. It is reputed to act as a sedative in conditions of mental and emotional agitation and unrest, calming the mind.
Roman Chamomile is renowned for soothing restlessness and nervous irritability, as well as alleviating anxiety and stress.
Sweet Orange is renowned for having a mild sedative and antidepressant effect as well as being refreshing.
Sandalwood is renowned for having a relaxing effect on nerves and has long been considered the first choice for meditation as it is reputed to quieten mental chatter.

Rituals
Finish working at least one hour before going to bed so that your mind has a chance to stop thinking about work and day-to-day stress.
Create a bedtime ritual that appeals to you, whether its meditation, deep breathing, reading, bathing or utilizing the benefits of aromatherapy to help make the transition from “working day” to “tranquil night”.

An hour before bedtime add a few drops of sleep inducing essential oils to your oil burner and fill your bedroom with a calming scent.

Sip on a cup of relaxing herbal tea such as Chamomile and Vervain, that are both renowned for their calming, sleep inducing qualities.

Run a warm bath, add a few drops of sleep inducing essential oils and relax for 20 minutes by closing your eyes and focusing on your breathing. With every inhale breathe in tranquility and the scent of the oils, and with every exhale breathe out your worries.

Slip in to bed and ease into a tranquil sleep.

Feeling tired? Exhausted? Lacking concentration? Lacking motivation? Whilst energy drinks, coffee, and pharmaceuticals may offer a quick short-term solution and “hit” of energy, they are not doing you, your loved ones or the planet any favors.

If you’d like to get off the roller coaster ride of energy highs and lows, it might be a good idea to consider other options. Following is a number of lifestyle choices and rituals specifically targeted to help improve energy levels. I encourage you to challenge yourself this next month by making a conscious effort to implement these alternatives in to your everyday life, and take note of how you feel in four weeks’ time.

Invigorate your body and mind. Take a few minutes to give yourself an energizing massage. Focus on your breathing. Stretch and exercise your body. Movement is the key to a healthy body, mind and soul. Moisturize your skin with invigorating oils. Nourish yourself with a well balanced meal and drink an adequate amount of purified water each day. Radiate with life.

Diet

Give up stimulants such as coffee, sugar and mainstream chocolate for one month and make a conscious effort to become aware of the difference in how you feel. Yes, you may suffer withdrawal symptoms such as headaches and fatigue for a couple of days but once you push through these 2 – 4 days, you’ll come out the other end feeling so much better.

Choose herbal teas instead of coffee.

Choose protein rich foods such as nuts, seeds or hummus on carrots, cucumber and celery as snacks instead of chocolate and sweets.

I used to be a coffee-a-day girl… nothing serious… just the usual morning “pick me up” that I became dependent on. But one day I started to think that coffee had control of me and I detested the fact that I “needed” my coffee fix. So I decided to give it up. The first day was horrid. I lay in foetal position for 4 hours with a splitting headache that no painkiller could suppress. But then something magical happened after day-two, I no longer had that “need” for my morning kick starter and it was like a cloud had been lifted off my mind. More clarity. More energy. Myore morning motivation.

General dietary advice for sustained energy, health and wellbeing
Graze rather than overeat. Large meals are harder to digest, place a strain on your organs and can result in indigestion and sleepiness.
Eat a balanced, nutritious diet based on organic and biodynamic wholefoods: fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, nuts and seeds.
Choose a wide variety of brightly colored fruits and vegetables that are in season.
Take either a heaped tablespoon of ground flax, pumpkin, sesame and sunflower seeds, or a tablespoon of blended seed oil. My favorite is Udos Omega 3:6:9 Oil Blend.
Eat probiotic-rich foods to improve your digestive and immune health. eg, kefir
Drink clean filtered tap water and herbal teas.
AVOID alcohol, caffeine, smoking, processed foods and take-out food with added chemicals and processed ingredients; AVOID fat free, diet, low or no cholesterol packaged foods. AVOID cage eggs, dairy and meat that is not pasture fed. AVOID refined table salt, sugar and margarine. AVOID soft drinks, cordial, bottled juices and vitamin waters that are full of sugar and artificial additives.

Exercise
Being unfit and overweight places a massive strain on the body, depleting your energy. There is so much research out there stating that regular exercise is one of the best physical stress-reduction techniques, that it relaxes tense muscles, helps you to sleep, improves blood flow to the brain and releases chemicals called endorphins in to your blood stream giving you a feeling of happiness. Oh, and the fact that a little exercise each day is wonderful for improving stamina and oxygenation of the body.

For the next month make the effort to move your body every day. Whether its a brisk 15 minute walk around the block, a half hour jog in the park, a yoga class, workout at the gym, swim at the beach, laps in the pool, or bicycle ride, do something to get your body moving and body sweating.

Personally I really start to feel it if I dont exercise for a few weeks: I become more lazy and sleep in that little bit longer, I become brilliant at conjuring up reasons why I deserve my sleep ins, my mood drops, I lack inspiration and no longer have that spring in my step or vibrant energy that I love so much. The simple truth is that movement is the key to a healthy body, mind and soul. Your body loves to move. It was designed to move.

Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is a true holistic approach to healing in that it uses oils extracted from plants and flowers to treat the physical, mental and spiritual body. Essential oils stimulate receptors in the nose which relay messages to the limbic system, the part of the brain that regulates emotions. The use of essential oils is nothing new, dating back thousands of years. The most beneficial part of aromatherapy, in my opinion, is that it can be incorporated into daily life via creams, massage oils, bath oils, compresses and for burning in an oil burner; and that blends can be tailor made to suit your requirements, for example, to uplift and invigorate.

Uplifting and Invigorating essential oils
Lemon is reputed to have properties which can lift the spirits and overcome mental fatigue.
Peppermint is renowned for enhancing concentration and stimulating circulation.
Eucalyptus is renowned for restoring vitality and reviving spirits.
Rosemary is associated with clearing thoughts and is renowned for promoting circulation of energy.

Morning Ritual
Start each morning by body brushing your dry skin to stimulate the lymphatic system. Shower, and then gently massage your body with a light layer of body oil scented with invigorating essential oils to help wake up your body and mind. If you’d prefer not to use a scented body moisturizer then add a few drops of invigorating essential oils to the shower and transform your morning cleanse into an uplifting experience to help wake you up.

Daytime Ritual
If you work in an office, how about going for a walk in your lunch break in a nearby park, around the harbor, by the beach or simply around the block to help clear your mind and improve energy levels for a more productive afternoon. Use the opportunity to fill your lungs with fresh air. Find a quiet place and take a moment to focus on your breathing. With every inhale, breathe in energizing oxygen. With every exhale breathe out stress, fatigue and stale thoughts.

When Im at work, I make the effort to take regular breaks from my computer by getting up and going for a walk around the garden in the sunshine, to help recharge and refresh my mind. It works!

Afternoon Ritual
If you’re one that feels drowsy and lacking concentration around 3pm, please don’t reach for the nearest chocolate bar or coffee cup. It may be due to the natural cycle (and dip) of your circadian rhythm and the associated anticipation of sleep. Try burning uplifting and invigorating essential oils in an oil burner around this time, or sip on a stimulating herbal tea such as gingko, peppermint and schisandra that are all renowned for their uplifting properties.

Most importantly, please remember to be kind, gentle and patient with yourself as you’re learning these new ways of thinking, doing and considering. Keep in mind that every moment in the day is a new opportunity to make a different choice – a choice to help improve your holistic health and happiness that not only benefits you, but your loved ones and the planet we all share.

Improve Your Energy Levels by Sam Sample

Ten years ago, Marguerite Alston was faced with a major health challenge that would change her life forever. A malignant melanoma diagnosis sent her stress levels off the scale. Her future was suddenly uncertain.

“I vowed at that point in time that I would do all that I can to look after my body, mind and spirit,” she says, now fully recovered. “I wanted to learn all that I could about nutrition and gain a deeper understanding of what I can do to make sure I live a long, vibrant and healthy life and I never wanted to deal with cancer ever again.”

Before we bring you the second installment of our interview with the BodyMind Institute founder, Lars Gustafsson (see below), The Green Dove brings you this inspirational Q&A with Marguerite (pictured below), BodyMind student and now practitioner.

Students of the Institute not only learn the fundamentals of nutrition through body, mind and spirit, but also discover how to apply the information to their own lives to make gentle yet major shifts that last a lifetime.

If you missed part one of our interview with Lars, please click here.

TGD: What courses did you study at the BodyMind Institute?

MA: I started with the 90 Day Renewal course and have since taken the Level I, Level II and am currently enrolled in the Raw Certification.

TGD: Can you give an insight into what brought you to the Institute?

MA: In 2000, I went through some significant life changes that resulted in lots of stress throughout the year.

You just have to browse the web or your nearest book store to see the world is obsessed with dieting. Yet if statistics are accurate, were not just tipping the scales, were on our way to breaking them. It has taken many of us years of restrictions and meal replacements to figure it out: diets dont work.

From calorie counting to cutting out carbs, a Pandoras Box awaits those who still dare to follow the latest diet craze. Yet achieving and maintaining your ideal figure is actually more simple than what weve been lead to believe-and it comes with a bonus: vibrant health.

There is one major requirement thats needed on this path to ultimate wellness and the body weve all dreamed of: taking full responsibility. Taking charge and becoming our own nutritionist and not relying on big business to deliver a magic bullet that is nothing more than body-disruptive chemicals dressed in drag.

Perhaps its an assumption to say most of us were taught the same stuff in school, none of which covered off real nutrition and how to actually apply it. Yet, the lesson of nutrition is one of the most important life lessons we can ever learn. We also werent taught that nourishing ourselves is actually fun and can lead us to a full, love-fueled life. A nourished, healthy body results in clear thinking, more energy and, for many, a channel to the divine. No pill could ever compete with that.

Enter Lars Gustafsson: author, speaker, life and nutrition guide. Born in India to Canadian parents, he grew up living an authentic mix of tribal and western life. “This upbringing,” he says “created a balance between the scientific passion of the west and the ancient wisdom of the Far East.”

For 23 years, Lars has explored nutrition, fitness and healthy lifestyles. As founder of the BodyMind Institute-a global enlightened school of learning-he teaches that nutrition is so much more than just the food we eat. Its the total way we nourish our mind and body.

“Over these years I found that I needed to personally experience something in order to accept it as fact. In the end I have found that it is only through personal experience in the application of any information can you make your own informed decisions. Your own level of personal truth will grow according to your willingness to experience more.”

In 2003, Lars introduced The BodyMind Nutrition Certification online programs to meet an emerging demand for true to life systems, formulas and programs, creating the opportunity for people everywhere to discover and pass on a nutrition and lifestyle process that creates a personal discovery of balance in body, mind and spirit.

“I believe in the scientific method, that there are natural laws that govern our physical universe … yet in these 23 years I have often found the ‘unexplainable’ happening all around me,” Lars says. “These have created questions which led me to find hard scientific data that hasn’t found it’s way into the mass media or awareness of the masses.”

“Over these years I found that I needed to personally experience something in order to accept it as fact. In the end I have found that it is only through personal experience in the application of any information can you make your own informed decisions. Your own level of personal truth will grow according to your willingness to experience more.”

Most recently, Lars has teamed up with raw food nutritionist and expert David €˜Avocado Wolfe to deliver a program in raw food nutrition-a course that shares more than 15 years of Davids sought-after knowledge. With this course and other programs including 90 Day BodyMind Renewal and Sports Nutrition, the BodyMind Institute is changing the way we look at real nutrition, forever.

As a student of the BodyMind Raw Nutrition, the 90 Day BodyMind Renewal and the Nutrition I certifications, I wanted to reach out to Lars, to hear first hand how these online courses are bringing real nutrition to people at their own pace, in their own time. What I discovered is a man with a passion that goes beyond simply developing courses. Lars Gustafsson is making a difference, one person at a time through life-enhancing education that literally changes lives.

So passionate is he about reaching those who share his dream to make a difference, that with David Wolfe, Lars is offering free entry to the BodyMind Institute Level I BodyMind Nutrition Certification for those who sign up for Davids Raw Nutrition Certification. Its a $1,500 gift, he explains, to reach those who also want to make a difference-to their own health, the health of others and the health of the planet.

“Lets bring about a stunning shift to our planet together,” Lars (pictured left) says.

We hope you enjoy part I of our interview with Lars (below), as he takes you behind the scenes of his passion that is giving back in a big way. Next Monday (May 17) we will share part II of this special interview.

To find out more about Lars and the BodyMind Institute, please click here.

The Body Mind Connection: The Key to Ultimate Health by Shanon Dunn. Main photo courtesy alicepopkorn

Hypnotherapist and regular The Green Dove contributor, Cynthia Morgan, will be sharing powerful healing techniques at an upcoming workshop: Healing Through Hypnosis, to be held at the Mondrian Hotel, Sunset Boulevard on Saturday, May 22.

The Green Dove caught up with Cynthia to get the inside goss on what life-affirming tips people can expect to gain from the workshop experience and how the technique can change lives.

TGD: What can participants expect to learn at the workshop?

CM: The premise of the workshop is based on the idea that we really are our own worst enemy. No one holds us back, trips us up, or stops us from achieving a happier, healthier and more successful life than ourselves. And more specifically, its our thinking that limits us.

Most people attempt to use the power of will or positive thinking to overcome their limitations and improve their lives, and although those are worthy tools, they are limited because they are generated from the conscious mind. Whatever your problem is, its not in your conscious mind. If it were, you would have resolved it by now. The problem-relationship issues, finances, addiction, insomnia, illness-is tied to a deeper part of your mind, your subconscious.

The subconscious mind is like a hard drive. You cant have a different picture on the computer screen of your life without changing the hard drive. And this particular hard drive is programmed by thoughts. Our subconscious thoughts are running us.

So, based on that premise, using hypnosis techniques, which bypass the conscious mind and get to the core of the matter, you can discover the deleterious self-thoughts programmed in your mind and undo them. Freud basically said that the only way to heal was to make the unconscious conscious. Once you expose the negative beliefs that are holding you back, you can them heal them. In fact, just looking at them often heals them.

Through the techniques that I will teach them, participants will begin to uncover their “bad programming,” learn how those thoughts have been holding them back until now, and they will learn how to heal them. I expect miracles to happen in this workshop. Thats my goal with each participant-real internal transformation. Of course, well have lots of fun too.

It doesnt matter whether you know what those thoughts are, or if youve been working on healing them for years, or if you dont have a clue as to what those thoughts are. Wherever you are on your journey of self-discovery, my hope is to take you to that next level of healing.

TGD: What are some of the most common beliefs that hold people back from realizing their true potential?

CM: Having looked into the subsconscious mind of over a thousand people, I can assure you that we are all more alike than different (although that might not be reassuring to some!). A few of the more common beliefs are that we are not good enough, we are bad, we are unworthy, we are alone, we will never get what we want, and we are unlovable.

TGD: Are most of our beliefs cemented in childhood?

CM: This is a fascinating topic that I will discuss in more detail at the workshop, but generally, most of our beliefs are very, very old. I do not believe that we come into this world a tabula rasa. We come in already programmed with fears, ideas, and thoughts from the womb and beyond. And we continue to get programmed with specific ideas once we are here, particularly up until the ages of 9-11 years old. Before that age, we are an open subconscious mind. Thats why you can tell a child about the tooth fairy and he or she will believe you. You can also tell him that hes a loser and he will believe you. Or that she will always be fat, and she will believe you. Whoever we looked to as an authority figure had the potential to program our mind.

Its worthy of a more lengthy discussion, but there is no concept of time in the subconscious mind, everything occurs at once. So, though you accepted these ideas at six years old, theyre still affecting you at 35. The body ages, but the mind doesnt. It constantly projects out what is in it. Thats why changing the hard drive is necessary for a different result

We will be doing some childhood regression work in the workshop-looking at those events in which you accepted false ideas about yourself.

TGD: What advice would you offer to parents who are conscious of helping to shape positive beliefs in their kids?

CM: Well, the first thing I would say is that bad programming by authority figures is part of the deal here. We have all been programmed badly and we will program others badly. We are not healed human beings, and until then, theres going to be an awful lot of bad ideas passed around and down. As a parent, be gentle with yourself when you fall into that, but also know that one positive thought outweighs a hundred negative thoughts. Speak to children of their potential not their limitation.

Whatever your childs issue, you can come up with a couple of positive reprogramming statements for him or her to repeat to themselves (conscious mind repetition programs the subconscious). Also, get your child to visualize himself in the situation accomplishing their goal. If hes afraid of swimming, you could have him say, “I love to swim. Swimming is fun.” And tell him to shut his eyes and see himself swimming in a pool with other children, jumping off the diving board, and having a good time. Make a game out of it.

TGD: Who is your typical client?

CM: I have a very specific client base. I feel like I could be a great friend with any of my clients. They are all referrals so theyre all closely connected though theyd never know it. Generally, its pretty evenly divided between men and women. Theyre usually in their 30s and 40s-open, learned, interesting, cool people. But I also have a 6-year old client right now and 77-year old too.

TGD: Your upcoming book is titled “You’re Already Hypnotized: A Guide to Waking Up”. Are most of us asleep?

CM: The book title comes from something I say to each new client on a first session. Often they come in excited to do hypnotherapy but perhaps with a bit of trepidation lurking from all the myths surrounding hypnosis. So I tell them that I am a really a de-hypnotherapist. Because its true. Theyre already hypnotized. Meaning, by the time they walk into my office their minds are already filled with false beliefs. Its my job to help them identify what those thoughts are and relinquish them. The way I see it, we are all asleep to our true nature, to our potential, to love, to meaning, and to the truth that all minds are joined and theres really only one of us here. My mission is help people wake-up to reality. Once you glimpse your true nature, you become happier, healthier, more peaceful and more successful in the world.

TGD: What are the typical characteristics of a) someone who is awake and b) someone who is asleep?

CM: Very simply, someone who is awake is not run by fear. He or she no longer buys what the world is selling. Awakened ones have undone their old programming and taken back control of their minds. Ultimately, with every hypnosis session I perform, whether its a regression session of a past trauma or a reprogramming session for smoking, my goal is help people wake-up. Sometimes the best place to begin to awaken is by stopping smoking, or losing ten pounds, or forgiving your father. Awakening can begin anywhere, anytime, with any issue. In fact, every issue is just trying to get you to wake-up. I dont believe in hierarchies of healing.

TGD: The greatest misconceptions about hypnotherapy?

CM: Oh, how much time do we have? There are so many! Keeping it short, I think the greatest misconception is that I have control over a client. I dont. The client is always in control. I can only guide him or her. Along with that is the idea that I have the power to adversely program someones subconscious. The truth is, the subsconscious mind will not accept any thought that the conscious mind would be in disagreement with. So, I cant program you to rob a bank unless you think thats a really good idea.

TGD: How do you see the future of hypnotherapy?

CM: I get excited when I think of the future of hypnotherapy. As more people begin to recognize that the problem, whatever it is, individually in our own lives and collectively on this planet, is ultimately a problem in our mind and that subsequently the solution is there too, hypnotherapy will flourish. Ive been doing this work almost every day for the last eight years, and Ive watched hypnotherapy become more mainstream. Its now frequently in newspapers, magazines and on television. I can hardly keep up with the demand, which is one reason I wanted to do this workshop.

The potential use of hypnosis is limitless. As Ive mentioned, its beneficial for resolving personal issues and healing illnesses and addictions and phobias, but beyond that it can be used as a means to achieve enlightenment and even for exploring the nature of reality. The more you do this work, the more you awaken to the truth that everything begins in the mind.

Traditional talk therapy is antiquated. Interestingly, the use of hypnosis predates not only chemical anesthesia but psychotherapy as well. Hypnosis was hugely popular at the turn of the 20^th century, and even though it has taken a quiet back seat to traditional therapy since then, there have been tremendous advancements and discoveries in the art of hypnotherapy, making it, in my opinion, not only the future of therapy, but the future of healing. Whats old is new again.

To find out more and sign up for Cynthia’s Healing Through Hypnosis workshop click here.

ABOUT CYNTHIA MORGAN

Cynthia Morgan is a board certified hypnotherapist, but her extensive clientele consider her to be much more than that. Her unique approach to the art of hypnotherapy has redefined its practice as a powerful form of spiritual teaching, emotional healing, and behavior modification. Incorporating her highly creative hypnosis techniques Cynthia provides an experience for her clientele that continues to transcend expectations.

Cynthia is an on-going contributing writer to The Green Dove and her articles have been published in a variety of online magazines. She has been interviewed for magazines as well as numerous newspapers.

Cynthia’s spiritual journey began very early when she was initiated into Transcendental Meditation at the age of seven. Her formative years were spent learning from some of the most celebrated spiritual teachers of our time. In 2002, Cynthia graduated from the prestigious Hypnotherapy Academy of America, and earned her professional certification into the American Council of Hypnotist Examiners.

Since that time, Cynthia has practiced hypnotherapy full-time, incorporating her considerable background in hypnosis, meditation, spirituality, healing, mind/body exploration, and 25 years of experience working with A Course in Miracles.

Her philosophy that we don’t need to do anything to heal ourselves, but rather we must undo the thoughts that stand in the way of healing applies to addictions, illness, phobias, pain, depression, and any other issues faced by her clients. Cynthia’s techniques have proven to be highly successful in transforming the lives of thousands, establishing her as one of the most innovative and respected practitioners in her field.

She lives in Los Angeles.

In a sleepy lagoon off the coast of Japan was once a shocking secret. A secret that a few desperate men made sure would be no longer kept hidden from the world: thousands of dolphins were, and still are, being captured and sold to many of the worlds theme parks. Those who dont make the cut are horrifically tortured and slaughtered-their mercury-laden meat sold under the guise of being “acceptable” flesh for consumption to an unsuspecting Japanese public. Its a real life horror story-one that is now well and truly public.

The men who risked their lives to tell the world about this atrocity include Louise Psihoyos, a director with a cause who has not only caught the worlds attention, but also the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences, with his film, The Cove, which is up for best documentary at the Awards this weekend (March 7).

The Cove begins in Taiji, Japan, where former dolphin trainer Ric OBarry has come to set things right after a long search for redemption. In the 1960s, it was OBarry who captured and trained the five dolphins who played the title character in the international television sensation “Flipper.” But his close relationship with those dolphins – the very dolphins who sparked a global fascination with trained sea mammals that continues to this day – led OBarry to a radical change of heart. One fateful day, a heartbroken Barry came to realise that these deeply sensitive, highly intelligent and self-aware creatures so beautifully adapted to life in the open ocean must never be subjected to human captivity again.

It wasnt until years after this realisation that Ric met Louie and the idea for The Cove was born, and more importantly, put into action.

With Jim Clark, Louie also created The Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS), in 2005. The non-profit organization provides an exclusive lens for the public and media to observe the beauty as well as the destruction of the oceans, while motivating change.

We recently caught up with Louie to talk about what it took to plan, shoot and promote the eco-thriller film. Stay tuned for an interview with Ric OBarry in the coming days.

Firstly Louie, congratulations in such an incredible documentary. How long did it take to make from idea to final print?

The film took about three and a half years to make, but Laurie David, who produced An Inconvenient Truth told me a year ago that when youre done making a documentary youre only halfway there. The film came out a year ago this week and Im still out promoting the movie. But fortunately most of the traveling is going to film festivals around the world that are in amazing beautiful places meeting great people who are passionate about films so Im learning a lot at the same time, and not just talking about our film. And at the film festivals the film has been received very well, mostly standing ovations. Even at the Tokyo Film Festival the response was amazing – we had as much media coverage as Avatar.

How did the idea evolve?

I had just started a non-profit organization called The Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS) with the help of my dive friend, Jim Clark who is an extraordinary visionary. When president John F. Kennedy called for Americans to put a man on the moon back in 1961, it was Jim, at age 26 created and sped the computers to make that possible. Jim is now an inventor and a venture capitalists, kind of a serial entrepreneur. He founded Silicon Graphics, which was the Apple Computer of its day, the chip Jim built allowed objects to be constructed in 3-D which allowed movies like Jurassic Park to be made. The day he quit that business he started Netscape, the first commercial Internet browser which was the first avenue that many of us got on the so-called information super highway. The third billion-dollar company he created he joked that he started to prove that the first two were not just luck, but I used information from that medical website to save my mothers life last year. When Jim funded OPS to make films and create still images to try to create awareness about ocean issues, I reminded him that saving the oceans wasnt going to be a billion dollar industry and he told me, “Im not worried about making money, just make a difference.”

There is much responsibility in being entrusted with funds from a friend and a man I regard so highly with so many personal accomplishments but making a difference is the driving motivation for OPS to do everything we do. I always told the film crew that were not making a movie, were starting a movement to save the oceans. This higher goal informs all of our decisions.

How did you come to meet Ric OBarry?

Two months after starting OPS I was at a marine mammal conference in San Diego and Ric OBarry was supposed to be the keynote speaker at the event of mostly PhD speakers. I was looking forward to hearing someone from popular culture speak after a week of quite a few fairly boring talks. But at the last moment, the sponsor of the event, SeaWorld, cut him from the program. I was curious why so I called Ric and he said that they wouldnt let him talk because he was going to speak about the captive dolphin industry and the worlds largest slaughter of dolphins on the planet.

I had never heard about the captive dolphin industry nor killing of dolphins so I asked him who was doing anything about it and he said right now it was just him and he was going next week, would I like to come to Taiji with him. Driving into Taiji was like driving into a ready made horror film set. On the surface they appear to love dolphins and whales, theres even a sign coming into town with Anime-style drawings of dolphins that says in English, “We love dolphins.” However right in the center of town lies the Cove. This is in a Japanese National Park, where even Japanese people cant get into because of the steel gates, keep-out signs, barbed wire, dogs and guards. This is the cove where these crimes against nature and humanity occur – right in the middle of a nature preserve!

What did you learn, personally and professionally, from the whole process?

Ric is the one that taught me to appreciate dolphins from the moment we visited him in Taiji. He opened my eyes. And whales I learned from the grandfather of modern cetacean research, Roger Payne just a few months later. Roger led an OPS expedition to record humpback whale song at the Silver Banks Marine Sanctuary in the Dominican Republic. Im a lot more sensitive about animal rights now. Once you learn that these animals sing, in fact just about all animals sing, it turns out that we just have not been listening, its difficult for me to imagine killing them.

After photographing a slaughter house 25 years ago, I have not eaten animals that walk. Im transition now to non-leather shoes and suitcases and eating far less fish and certainly no large long-lived fish like tuna, swordfish, marlin shark or large sea bass. Im not militant about others not eating animals, my wife and kids eat meat, but I have vegan friends that Im trying to emulate because I think if the planet is going to survive with humans on it were all going to have to stop eating animals not just because its inhumane but because the planet cant survive with all the destruction.

Has the public response to The Cove been as you expected or greater?

We have seen footage this year of the dolphin hunters releasing bottlenose dolphins after taking some for dolphin parks. So, some show dolphins have been saved from the cove but they are still killing many others like pilot whales and Rissos dolphins which are true dolphins and some of the most toxic. Unfortunately we may not be able to shut down the killing cove this year but we hope to have a Japanese distributor soon that can help us get the word out.

Because of the film a health agency was assigned to assess how poisoned the people of Taiji are and they discovered a massive epidemic of mercury poisoning, some with extremely high Minamata levels of mercury in their blood.

Also, for the first time the Japanese media is covering the issue. Ric is followed around by the media like a celebrity now. When I went to Tokyo for the Tokyo Film Festival last October, there were about 90 news media outlets covering the film.

If you win the Oscar youll be given a platform to speak directly to millions in Japan and the rest of the world. What do you think youd say?

Mark Twain said it best, “I would have written a shorter letter but I didnt have enough time.” Two weeks seems like a reasonable time to distill a few noble thoughts down to 45 seconds of profound essence. Heres the deal though, Im not in the movie business as much as Im in the save the world business – you are too. Im thanking you all now here, thank you all! But if you had 45 seconds to talk to the world – What would YOU say?

The Cove director Louie Psihoyos

If there was a pump failure or major blockage in the citys sewer system, it’s not be hard to imagine what could happen. All of the pipes would back up when an immovable material came through, creating a gigantic crisis that would threaten the health of all who lived in the city.

Many of the devastating plagues and diseases that literally wiped out entire cities and communities arose from open sewers and improper waste disposal. If the sewer ever backs up, dangerous health problems occur!

Similarly in the human body, big health problems can stem from major blockages and toxic build up that occur over time in the digestive system. Think again of the analogy of your digestive tract being the “River of Life” or “River of Death” depending on what you choose to float down the river (for the most part of your life).

The digestive system can shut down if it becomes clogged with toxic residue because of nutritionally deficient “food-less foods” and “life-less drinks” ingested regularly over time. The build up of toxic materials within the bowel can cause a condition known as autointoxication as the poisons in the bowel are absorbed into the blood stream, which ends up toxicating the entire body.

Why does this happen? It’s no secret that the foremost reasons are improper eating and exercise habits. Modern civilization, especially the industrialized nations, have the greatest bowel disturbances. It’s why there is a major “war” being waged on bowel cancer. We’re told that it’s a mystery where bowel cancer comes from and yet native peoples living close to the land and nature do not experience bowel problems, and such diseases as diverticulitis and colitis are virtually unknown.

Colonic hygiene is central to the overall ongoing maintentance of health and vitality in the human body. That’s why fasting every once in a while (giving the “house a rest” from the digestion of foods) is so critical for maintaining optimal health and remaining disease-free. It’s why colonic irrigation therapy is a brilliant ancient wisdom that more and more people today are using to assist with “house cleaning”. And it’s precisely why clean water and a diet predominating in whole plant foods is so critical for maintaing a happy, healthy, clean digestive system.

The further we stray from natural foods and the more we depend upon unnatural and artificial foodstuffs, the more certain it becomes that sickness and disease increase in frequency and intensity. The way we grow, harvest, process and market our food is at the root of much disease in our population.

I don’t need to elaborate on the economic factors that today play havoc with the supply of food to the masses. But again, it’s why being self-care aware is so important. It’s why we need to THINK about what we put into our bodies and to take personal responsibility for that.

The beautiful thing is that despite the overwhelming influences of today’s commercially driven society, we also have access to so many great life-enhancing things. It simply gets down to the choices that you make for yourself.

The Importance of Cleaning House by Don Tolman

Don Tolman International publishes the popular P.O.W.E.R. (Pearls of Wisdom, Enlightenment and Results) weekly eZine with over 10,000 subscribers from all over the globe.

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One mans decision to eliminate his familys impact on the environment in downtown Manhattan, has influenced many more than just his neighbors. Colin Beaven’s inner yearning to make a big difference to the health of the planet, has catapulted him into the eco spotlight with his film, No Impact Man. Here, The Green Dove shares an exclusive interview with the urban green warrior. We’re also giving readers the chance to win one of five No Impact Man DVDs.

A New York City writer and self-proclaimed liberal, in the documentary (which has just been released on DVD), Colin has big plans for his new book. He decides on a grand experiment to live one year with as little impact on the environment as possible. The problem is, the project requires his wife Michelle, an espresso guzzling, Prada-worshipping business writer and their young daughter to be fully on board.

As the family embarks on a year of no electricity, television, cars, toilet paper, elevators, or newspapers, Michelle must contend with caffeine withdrawal, compost worms, limited retail, and defending her own dreams, all in the name of supporting her husbands book project. What ensues is a not only a funny and entertaining look at well-intentioned environmentalism, but a touching, poignant take on the nature of contemporary marriage and what it means to pursue your dreams, even if it means driving those around you a little insane.

No Impact Man had its world premiere at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, while also screening at SILVERDOCS and at the Los Angeles Film Festival.

The Green Dove caught up with Colin to talk about No Impact Man, his hopes for the world’s future and more…

Can you describe the moment you had the idea for No Impact Man?
I was sad and angry about climate change and went around wagging my finger at everyone else. One day I came home and I realized I had left both air conditioners all day so the house would be cool when I got home. I realized that if I was the type of person who left the air conditioners on all day with no one home, I was part of the problem. I thought, I may not be able to change big business and government but I could, at least, change me. I discovered that when people witness someone trying to do something about the world’s problems, they are inspired to help too.

How has your life now changed because of firstly living as you did for that year, and secondly due to the success of the film and book?
I learned in the No Impact year that happiness does not depend on how much stuff I buy and use. It depends on whether my life has meaning, whether I get to spend time with people I love, and whether I get to follow the calling of my highest talents. That doesn’t cost anything! So it’s possible to live a life that is both better for the planet and better for me. The success of the film of the book has meant that I have the privilege of being part of a conversation about the things I care most about–how we can live good lives that don’t cost the earth. No writer could wish for more.

How did it affect you and your family spiritually (if at all)?
If we spend our lives making money to buy things that we then end up wasting by throwing out, doesn’t that, in a way, mean that we are wasting our life itself? Not wasting is a way of manifesting gratitude and honoring the wonderful gifts this life bestows on us. When we stop wasting, we see the value in things. But of course, you know that living environmentally is a spiritual exercise, or else you would not have asked the question.

What dietary changes did your family undergo?
We ate only local and seasonal which meant no processed food. In other words, we only ate food that was good for us. What is good for the planet turns out to be good for the people.

Your advice to those wanting to have as little impact on the earth as possible?
Wake up to your own life. Ask yourself if all the money you spend on things you spend on things you don’t even really enjoy is worth the time you spend working for that money. What do you really want from life? Can’t we do better? If you ask these questions, chances are you’ll end up living with less impact and more happiness. But if you want an easier answer: cut out beef which is unhealthy anyway, stop bottled water which is hugely expensive, and volunteer for an environmental nonprofit.

Do you think people pressure themselves to do everything and end up doing nothing?

We are in possibly the biggest crisis in the history of civilization. If we don’t reverse the global warming trend in the next few years, we may have irreversibly damaged the planet’s ability to support us. The good news is that we have huge opportunities in this crisis. We have the opportunity of asking how we really want to live. We have the opportunity to find a way of life that is not just better for the planet but better for us. Think, for example, of the jobs that would be generated if we started a robust renewable energy industry.

What were the most profound lessons you learned from the experience?
That we all make a difference. That the consequences of our lives affect everyone. The good news, if we choose to face this fact, is that we are designers of the future instead of victims of it.

What’s next for Colin Beavan?
More speaking, more writing, more spending time with my lovely little girl.

Keep up with Colin via his blog.

NO IMPACT MAN DVD GIVEAWAY!

*** To win one of five copies of the newly released No Impact Man DVD, sign up for The Green Dove eNews & Updates on the home page for a chance to win (US residents only). Winners announced March 1.

Weve all skidded by on our good looks and charm long enough. In this New Year, its time we use more of ourselves, not just to help ourselves and the world, but to know ourselves. That is, after all, why we’re all here.

I contend that the subconscious mind is our most highly underutilized tool. We know our conscious mind all too well; its always chattering. The conscious mind is the analytical, logical, willful, judgmental, discerning part of ourselves. Necessary, but not who we are.

There is a “hidden” part, the subconscious mind, that holds deeper truths and vast untapped potential. And I dont mean potential in acquiring things like in The Secret-type stuff. (Arent we beyond all that ego-driven “get, get, get” “me, me, me” mentally? Thats all just childs play which keeps us stuck in the illusions of this world.) I mean, using this part of ourselves that we know very little about to come to realize our potential.

In short, the subconscious mind is the picture mind and feeling mind because its the storehouse of all of our memories-from this life, past-lives, even natal (womb memory)-and its the feeling mind because it is the seat of our emotions. It’s also a wellspring of creativity, and a link to other states of consciousness and awareness. Through the subconscious we can even access the divine, amongst other things.

If we use the perennial iceberg metaphor, the conscious mind is the small visible tip of the iceberg above the water’s surface while the mass and strength and power and driving force of the iceberg floats below the water’s surface. This is our subconscious. We cant glimpse it with our conscious mind. We need a different type of vision.

Accessing this deeper part of ourselves requires going under the waters surface. Two ways of diving into those bottomless waters and exploring the subconscious are hypnosis and dreaming. Both are natural states of mind that we experience within any given 24-hour period-one during the day, the other at night.

The hypnotic state is an altered state (as opposed to our usual conscious state) of awareness whereby we have bypassed the conscious mind. Watching television, daydreaming, driving on the freeway, being in the “zone” while playing a sport or painting or writing can put us into this state by collapsing, so to speak, the analytical mind, giving way to the subconscious. Were no longer thinking critically, rather we are allowing or responding or receiving or creating from a stream of consciousness

We also bypass the conscious mind through nighttime dreaming. Although both hypnosis and dreaming are natural states of mind that we dont consciously conjure up, they can be honed and utilized as tools for self-realization, or to just help us find a misplaced sentimental necklace. The possibilities are endless.

Neither state needs to be taught, each needs to be cultivated. Today we will focus on accessing our subconscious through dreams. In a later post, I will teach you to do this through self-hypnosis.

We all dream, we just dont remember our dreams, at least not all the time. But thats only because we dont care to remember them. If we wanted to remember our dreams, we would. (On a side note, I have noticed in my practice that clients who smoke cigarettes or pot have a much more difficult time accessing their dreams.)

I encourage you to want to remember your dreams. Within your dreaming mind are messages, ideas, potentiality, dimensions of reality, creativity, connection with others, teachers, those that have lived before, time and space travel, your Higher Self, and the location of your lost necklace.

Dont take my word for it, here is what Seth says about dreams:

When I speak of the dream world, I am not referring to some imaginary realm, but to the kind of world of ideas, of thoughts, of mental actions, out of which all form as you think it emerges. In actuality, this is an inner universe rather than an inner world. Your physical reality is but one materialization of that inner organization. All possible civilizations exist first in that realm of the inner mind.

And I like what Edgar Cayce says:

Man approaches the more intimate conditions of that field of the inner self when the conscious self is at rest in sleep or slumber, at which time more of the inner forces are taken into consideration and studied by the individual…. It is each individual’s job…to understand his individual condition, his individual position in relation to others, his individual manifestation, through his individual receiving of messages from the higher forces themselves, thus, through dreams.

I have been studying and using my dream-state for years. For some reason, in the last couple of years, one thing that state has made me become psychically aware of is earthquakes. In May of 2008, I woke up and said, “Theres been an earthquake.” I turned on my computer and saw that 10,000 people had died in an earthquake in China while I slept. I said the same thing the morning of the Indonesian earthquake.

It might have to do with the fact that when I fall asleep at night I ask my consciousness to be of service to the world in any way it can to whoever needs me during my sleeping hours. Of course, this starts with the idea that 1. I am not my physical body and 2. that my mind is joined to the mind of every mind. In other words, theres really only one of us here. My understanding of the nature of reality rests on these premises. My point being, we spend a third of our lives asleep, why not use it for healing ourselves and helping others?

I’ve also used the dream-state to communicate with people who can’t communicate with me on the physical level, like deceased relatives, philosophers from times of antiquity, even a little boy I used to work with who had severe autism. He didn’t speak, but in my dreams I would ask to communicate with him and we would have conversations about what he was feeling.

My friends, the resources are limitless.

Here are some of my tips to remembering your dreams.

Before falling asleep:

1. Put a special notepad just for dreaming by your bed. Title it “Dream Journal.” And write the date. Start tomorrow. Jan. 1. 2010. Or if youre serious, get a voice-activated tape recorder. They probably have an app for that. (No, I dont know if they do or dont.) But with voice activation you dont have to fumble for a pen and paper or turn on the light. I cant tell you how many times Ive written down a long, very important dream in the middle of the night only to wake up and find that I wrote over the same line twenty times. I thought I wrote a whole page of notes, but I scribbled one jumbled, illegible sentence.
2. Tell yourself before falling asleep, “I want to remember my dreams and I will remember my dreams.” And feel that desire. Its a desire to know yourself. We should all have a deep desire for that. In fact, that should be our deepest desire. Get in touch with it and say it with all the meaning you can muster.
3. Then, if you have an issue that needs resolving, talk to your subconscious, “I ask my subconscious to help me resolve ________ through my dreams tonight.” Or “I ask my subconscious to help me know the right thing to do about _______ when I awaken.” Or “Give me the message in my dreams as to what is causing this illness, or how I can begin to heal it.” Or something like that. You get the idea.

When you awaken:

Take a moment to check in with yourself. Be still and reflect on the issue that needed resolution. Notice what your instinct tells you to do to resolve it. Usually, its not what your conscious mind would say if you asked it after lunch. Upon awakening, your conscious mind isnt quite back in full-atencion!-force; use that leftover dreamy link to your subconscious to know the right action.

Now write down what you remember from your dreams and analyze it. You dont need a book. You are the best interpreter of your dreams.

If you dont remember anything write “nothing.” At least youre putting energy in the direction of remembrance. Willingness is the key that opens the door to your subconscious.

If you just have a feeling, write that down. Start somewhere. Then ask yourself, “What is it about myself (or this problem) that makes me feel _______?”

If you only remember a color, write it down. “Blue.” Then ask yourself, “How does blue make me feel?” “Calm” or “It reminds me of when I lived near the ocean.” Write it down.

If all you recall is a single symbol (symbolism, by the way, is the language of the unconscious.) write that down, “Tree.” What does a tree mean to you? Write down descriptive words for a tree. How do trees make you feel? Do you have a favorite tree? What could a tree be a metaphor for in your life? Protection? Needing to be rooted? Nature?

Then title the dream, “Tree.” And turn the page for the next nights dream.

Keep doing this and soon enough your sleepy subconscious will shake off the dust and get to work for you. Its like a beautiful, luxurious car thats been sitting in the garage for years while youve been trekking twenty miles in the snow every day to work because you forgot you had it. It may take a few tries to start the car, but once you do, it will open up a whole new, interesting and fun world.

Sometimes you wont know the meaning of the dream until months or years later. You will be amazed to look back in your journal only to realize that a particular dream was actually a premonition, that the event unfolded exactly as you had dreamed it.

The subconscious is so much wiser than the conscious mind that the conscious mind doesnt even know how much it doesnt know. This year, seek to know what you didn’t know you knew. “Know thyself,” through dreaming.

Check out these books to learn more:

Edgar Cayce on Dreams by Mary E. Carter

Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming by Stephen Laberge, PHD

Seth, Dreams and Projection of Consciousness by Jane Roberts

Lucid Dreaming: Gateway to the Inner Self by Robert Waggoner

Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud

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An accredited and sought-after Los Angeles-based board certified hypnotherapist, Cynthia Morgan is known as a spiritual teacher by her extensive clientele. Not only has Morgan improved the lives of her clients, but her unique philosophy that “we dont need to do anything to heal-rather we need to undo the thoughts that stand in the way of healing” applies to issues with weight, addictions, illness, pain, phobias, depression, and whatever else one deems as a “problem”. Her philosophy and techniques have proven to be highly successful, establishing her as true leader in her field.
Find out more about Cynthia here: www.cynthiamorgan.us
Read Cynthias blog here: www.theoverwoman.com

Eating out of a can has never appealed to me. Besides the fact that the food inside is dead, it has always seemed just not quite right on some level. Perhaps great if youre stranded in the desert (hopefully with a can opener in your pocket), but for every day living I just dont do it.

I know there has been some talk over the years of aluminium leaching into the foods inside the cans. Whether thats true, I cant say. However, new research is suggesting its the plastic that lines cans these days thats doing the harm.

Dr Fredrick vom Saal, PhD, who is an endocrinologist at the University of Missouri, specialises in studying the effects of bisphenol-A (BPA), the toxic chemical that comes from plastics that wrap just about everything we buy in supermarkets. He says the number one canned food to steer clear of is tomatoes. The following info may well make you re-think your mothers famous spaghetti sauce.

Dr vom Saal says bisphenol-A is a synthetic estrogen that is linked to all sorts of dis-eases from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes and obesity. Its the acidity in the tomatoes that reacts with the BPA that causes the chemical to leach into the food. Appetising huh?

Whats the solution? Learning to live like your great grandmother perhaps, and only eating organic food that looks how its supposed to. Freshly picked. Oh and speak to your local grocer about supplying more organic, non-packaged foods. The greater demand, the more supply.

While Im on the subject of stuff to avoid, here are some other foods, as published in a story on Shine.com, that you may want to re-think.

Microwave popcorn ~ Chemicals, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), in the lining of the bag, are part of a class of compounds that may be linked to infertility in humans. In animal testing, the chemicals cause liver, testicular, and pancreatic cancer. Studies show that microwaving causes the chemicals to vaporize – and migrate into your popcorn.

Non-organic potatoes ~ Root vegetables absorb herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides that wind up in soil. In the case of potatoes theyre treated with fungicides during the growing season, then sprayed with herbicides to kill off the fibrous vines before harvesting. After theyre dug up, the potatoes are treated yet again to prevent them from sprouting.

Conventional apples ~ If fruits held a “most doused in pesticides contest,” apples would win. An increasing number of studies are starting to link a higher body burden of pesticides with Parkinsons disease.

A better way to use cans

A Good Reason to Can the Can by Vegan Girl at www.diaryofavegan.com