Uplift Your Life: Nourishment Of The Spirit

A client recently asked me what I knew about Buddhism. She wanted to go somewhere to immerse herself in Buddhist practice as a way of learning more. I shared some basic information and encouraged her to begin her search with the internet. The fact is that Buddhism is not one thing and there isn't even agreement on the number of main branches. There are numerous questions to clarify including which particular teacher appeals to you. Most of us are familiar with His Holiness The Dalai Lama and the Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. But do you know what they believe and what the differences are between the different forms of Buddhism? According to my guest for this show, there are five precepts that are essential to all forms of Buddhism: don't kill, don't steal, don't have excessive wants, don't lie, don't get high. In fact, he says that you can summarize Buddhist precepts into one simple concept: Don't be a jerk. Please join us Thursday to learn more about Buddhist wisdom and practice.

As a psychologist, a believer in science and a skeptic, Dr. Matthew McKay was motivated to dig into the mysteries of the Universe when his 23-year-old son was killed. He wanted to communicate with his son as a way of holding on to him. He found mediums who gave him messages from Jordan, but this was not very satisfying. Matthew wanted to communicate directly with his son. He did find several ways to do that and before long the two were collaborating on the book Seeking Jordan. As Matthew tells it, Jordan actually outlined the chapters and the content. The wisdom that Jordan shared about the Invisible Universe was transformative for Matthew. He says that the most important information he gained from his conversations with Jordan is about our purpose in life, i.e., we must experience pain to learn to love and the pain of loss is the greatest kind of pain. Please join us Thursday to hear how you, too, can communicate with your dead loved ones and the truth about the Invisible Universe.

Being lonely is not the same as being alone. You can be married, a member of a book club or a CEO and still be lonely. 1 out of 5 people are lonely and that number is increasing. Even though loneliness is not classified as a mental health disorder, it does affect our health and well-being like depression or anxiety do. In fact, Time Magazine recently ran a piece entitled, Why Loneliness May Be The Next Big Public-Health Issue. Clearly we need to take this seriously. Studies have shown that chronic loneliness increases mortality, inhibits one's immune system, increases blood pressure, detrimentally impacts sleep patterns and has negative health consequences on a par with obesity, alcoholism and cigarette smoking. It's even associated with dementia. Yet loneliness is not just an issue for seniors. In fact, nearly 60% of those aged 18-34 say they are lonely often or sometimes compared to 35% of those over 55. Please join us next Thursday to learn the causes and cure for being lonely.

Meditation takes many forms: simple or complicated; structured or flexible; walking, sitting or lying down; silent or with chants or mantras; alone or in a group; awake or asleep; a few minutes, an hour or open ended; guided or free. My own practice has changed over time. For years I walked the Labyrinth at retreats and on my own and even used a finger Labyrinth at home. Now I often just look out the window or sit in nature and contemplate for whatever length of time feels good. When appropriate, I meditate by using special breathing exercises, sometimes with colors or chants to help me move negative energy out of my body and bring in positive energy. At other times, I use sound meditation where I play or listen to pure crystal bowls. The key is to find what feels good to you and what helps you connect with your essence. Adult coloring books is a new form of meditation that is appealing to a wide range of people. Please join us Thursday to learn more about this meaningful phenomenon.

When I was declaring a college major, I told my parents that I wanted to become a writer. Their response was: You'll be a teacher. Write on your own time. My only choices were what subject and what age group. So I got as close as I could and majored in English. That turned out to be a good thing for me because I was able to use my education and experience to develop my life path. How many of us, however, are able to break away from the have to's and should's? Women especially need to examine whether we're playing a role, meeting parental, societal or spousal expectations or if we're following our own path. We assume roles to please others. All of us, men and women, must discover who we really are and allow that to emerge into the world. Many men are nurturers and many women are leaders and intellectuals. We must break out of societal conditioning and allow our true purpose to emerge. Please join us Thursday to hear Dan Millman share the wisdom he has garnered in his own search.

I go every week to a sound healing meditation class because the benefits are so powerful that I feel them in the moment. Sometimes I feel the sound bouncing from one ear to the other outside of my body, and sometimes I feel it actually moving through my head going in one ear and out the other. Sometimes I can feel the vibration coursing through my body forcing me to move in certain unpredictable ways. Sometimes I'm so peaceful that I fall asleep. Other times the sound takes me into a deep meditative state where I receive information that helps me solve a personal dilemma or inspires me to take new actions in my business. Whatever is happening, I know that it is helping me heal physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. The sound forces negative energy to move out of my body and positive energy to move in. My technical understanding of how it works is minimal. I'm just grateful it does. Please join us Thursday to learn more from a true expert on the magic of sound healing.

Trauma describes a wide range of experiences that include single occurrences as well as on-going incidents. Some examples are: traffic accidents, the sudden death of a loved one, all forms of abuse, natural disasters, medical disasters and war. The effects of trauma vary. Most psychologists believe that you can survive trauma and alleviate the symptoms. They do not, however, believe that people can truly heal from trauma, thrive and even experience what is now called posttraumatic growth. It turns out that some new approaches to healing trauma result in personal growth that is dramatic enough to warrant the descriptive title of transformation. People create positive change, develop a new identity and find new meaning in life. Their new found strength and wisdom gives them the tools they need to prevent and process future trauma. Please listen Thursday to learn how Emotional Transformation Therapy can do all this. Visit: ettia.org (International) ettcenter.com (Dallas and Bedford, TX).

Life is so full of complexity and uncertainty that it would be really nice to have a simple solution for something, anything. Many of us want meditation to be that simple solution from reducing stress to reversing heart disease to curing depression. Those of you who know me or who listen to my show, know that I support meditation and mindfulness practices. I have had several shows on this topic and personally use these techniques. There is even a lot of scientific research to back up their effectiveness. The problem is that they are not 100% effective all the time for every person. Statistics do not look at what each individual needs. Consequently many people are not seeking the medical, emotional or psychological help that they need because they are depending on meditation or mindfulness to solve their problem. Although helpful, these practices may not be sufficient to cure every individual. Please join us as we look more deeply into the benefits and limitations of meditation.

Bette Davis famously said: Old age is not for sissies. My own mother said it so often that I thought it originated with her! Humor, of course, is one of the best tools for not only aging wisely but for living wisely regardless of your age. And that's the key to the wisdom about aging. It is really universal. I used to study my parents for clues on what to do and what not to do in order to avoid the same pitfalls. As I learned, however, awareness, determination and intention are necessary but not sufficient to change patterns that have been imprinted since birth or programmed into your DNA. Psychology is not sufficient either. When it is combined with spiritual wisdom and practice and community, you have the possibility of truly changing your life. And that's what aging wisely is about. You have the time to look at your life and let go of the painful thoughts, emotions and memories that hurt you. Please join us Thursday to learn how to grow in strength, resilience, and joy as you age.

How many times have you heard someone say: I don't believe in an after-life and we really won't know the truth until we die. So what's the point of speculating? What if we could know now? Even better, what if the information that people who have seen the after-life bring back to us, could help us live our life here on earth with more joy, peace and happiness? We actually are in that position. There have been thousands of recorded near-death experiences by numerous researchers over many years. Each has unique aspects, but the preponderance of evidence proves that these experiences are real. Not only are they authentic, but the individuals touched by these experiences gain wisdom that helps them live their lives differently. Just like a cancer survivor learns the value of family, friendship and the pure joy of taking another breath, near-death experience survivors also live life from a new perspective. Please join us Thursday to learn how this information can enhance your life.

I met Nancy over 11 years ago when we were both members of a unique group at the Family Place in Dallas, TX. What made us different is that we didn't fit the societal stereotype of abused women. We were white with prominent and financially successful spouses. We were thought to be privileged, and no one entertained the possibility that abuse was the defining word for our marriages. Our group was even in a documentary that aired on the Lifetime Channel. Although we no longer see each other weekly, Nancy is one of those people who seem to be in my energy field. Every few years we wind up in the same place at the same time from restaurants to clothing stores to the Dallas Yoga Center. We even have carved out careers helping others to improve their lives as best-selling authors, radio show hosts and counseling with myself as a life coach and Nancy as a health counselor. None of this was predictable given the trauma we experienced. Join us Thursday to hear how Nancy left abuse and healed!

Are you sick and tired? Emotional abuse is what I call The Silent Killer. Because most people do not know how to recognize it or even that it exists, it gets misdiagnosed by trained professionals and by the abused. The abuser slowly saps your energy and your health until you are barely able to function while they seem to have an unlimited source of energy. By the end of my 36-year marriage, I was literally spending 1/2 of every week too tired to do anything. When I wasn't dealing with colds or congestion, I would spend days rebuilding my energy in order to dance. If I didn't have such a strong love of dance, I'm not sure what would have happened to me. Although I didn't know it at the time, Argentine Tango became a powerful way for me to heal. I used it to overcome fear, discover my own talents and strength and reconnect with parts of my Self that I had lost while living with abuse. Please join us Thursday to learn how to recognize emotional abuse, rediscover your true Self and heal

We talk a lot on my show about the importance of connecting with the limitless part of ourselves, the part that is our spiritual self and what many of us call our Higher Self. We also emphasize the importance of creating choices and seeing the truth of our lives so we can make healthier choices. We grow up with beliefs from our families, religion, schooling and society that entrap and limit us. They teach us that we don't have choices when in fact we do. As we begin to silence the loud voices that tell us no, we can begin to hear the still small voice within that holds the Truth, our Truth, and tells us that we do have choices. We have choices about relationships, sexual preferences, gender identity, careers, where we live, who we spend time with, how we spend our time, what clothes make us feel good, which health practitioners we trust, what belief systems feed us and which ones hurt us. Join us Thursday to learn how to be limitless, create choices and dream your life into reality.

Most of us accept depression as a fact of life. In 2011, one-fourth of the U.S. population was on anti-depressants. I'm certain that the number is much higher now, but I couldn't find current statistics. The pharmaceutical industry is doing great, but people aren't. Most psychiatrists won't even treat people with anything but a prescription. It's easier and more lucrative to just medicate. The problem is, people aren't getting better. Worse, they believe that their biochemistry has caused the problem, which prevents them from seeking the help they need to actually heal their depression and their lives. Current studies do not prove cause and effect; they only show correlation. Unless we do biochemical analyses on newborns and follow them throughout life, we cannot prove which came first, the depression or the imbalance. To sentence someone to a life of anti-depressants, keeps them in the illusion that they are happy. Please join us Thursday to hear the truth about depression and a cure

I have been blessed to know Dawon for 10 years. He is my teacher, mentor, healer and friend. He has given me insight, knowledge, guidance and advice by channeling information from the spiritual realm. In the 27 years that I have been working with psychics and healers, Dawon stands out as the best by far. He has helped me discover gifts that had been hidden from me my entire life and then remove the barriers that prevented me from fully actualizing those gifts. I am the healthiest, strongest and happiest I have ever been because of the work that he has done with me. At 70, instead of narrowing my life, I am embarking on the most exciting chapter with new opportunities constantly emerging. In fact, it was Dawon who told me I'd make a great radio show host. Consequently, when VoiceAmerica Talk Radio Network asked me to host a show, I had the confidence to say Yes. Now I'm a top-ranked show. Please join us Thursday when Dawon returns for the fourth time to share his predictions for 2016.

If you believe that your pet loves you, it isn't much of a stretch to see them as having a rich internal life. By observing my cats over 45 years, I have concluded that they have a wide range of emotions as well as the capability to think and communicate directly with us. We just have to open our minds to the possibility that they can sense, feel and think. As we begin to treat our pets with respect and awareness of their capabilities and needs, they in turn give more of themselves to us with gratitude. My cats all had different personalities and each made their feelings known. Some cats showed that they missed me by ignoring me when I returned from a trip, punishing me by playing hard to get until they forgave me while others anxiously waited at the door. One cat would hide when pet sitters came, only emerging when one particular person appeared and then he would soak up all the attention she was able to provide. Please join us Thursday to hear about the healing power of a pet's love

Most of us believe that disease is caused by observable data, like multiplying cells or germs or genetic predisposition. We assume that if you treat the specific problem in the body, you can cure the disease. The problem with this way of understanding illness is that it doesn't get to the root cause of the problem. Even if you cure the immediate disease, unless you eliminate the cause, the same disease or another one will emerge. New models of the cause of disease are emerging which point to the connection between our thoughts and emotions and mental and physical illness. If you want to eliminate the cause and not just the symptoms, you must work with the mind, the emotions, spiritual techniques and love in addition to the physical body. This requires a huge paradigm shift in an age when anything that is not Western Medicine is demeaned as being Alternative. If we want true health and healing, this paradigm shift is essential. Please join us Thursday to learn more about deep healing.

We all grow up with fears, feelings of not being good enough and insecurities. Now add being told by your family, society and your religion that there is something innately wrong with you, that you need to be fixed, that there is no room in heaven for you and top if off with the belief that God does not love you. How do you have any good feelings about yourself? How do you make it through the day? This is the experience of most people who grew up lesbian, gay, bi-sexual or transgender. Yes, things are changing, but a lot of damage has already been done through the abuse experienced at the hands of family, society and religion. This abuse seems normal to many and opens the door to abuse within their intimate relationships. If you don't feel you deserve anything better, it is hard to leave abuse. In fact, you might even have the false belief that no one else could ever love you and that you're lucky to have anyone at all. Please join us Thursday for Healing Abuse in the LGBTQ Community.

Is there life after death?--an age-old question. Religion asks us to have faith. The more scientifically minded want proof, but what proof would document that which cannot be seen or touched in the earthly realm? For some, there may never be enough proof. When you enter this quest with curiosity and an open mind, however, you just might find the proof that convinces you that the afterlife is real. It can be a preponderance of evidence or it can be one or more powerfully moving personal experiences. Once you begin to see that the afterlife truly does exist and that you can communicate with your loved ones who have passed, your perception of life and everything you thought you knew to be true changes. The loss is still very real, but it can be tempered by the deeper connection that you feel when worldly concerns and interpersonal challenges are gone. What is left is the opportunity to heal and to receive and give unconditional love. Please join us Thursday for Proof of the Afterlife.

It took a near-death experience for Stephanie to wake up to her deep connection with the spiritual realm. As we follow her on her journey, we, too, wake up to who we really are. We all have the ability to listen to our soul and to experience the love and wisdom available through the spiritual world. Through Stephanie’s growing self-awareness, we become self-empowered to connect with our guides, angels and loved ones who have passed on to the other side. In doing so, Stephanie helps us enrich our lives and find the true meaning of life—to grow in compassion and love. It is through love that we connect to the spirit world. Open your heart, join Stephanie on her adventure and then embark on your own sacred journey. All you have to do is be willing to listen, and Stephanie makes that easy. As we release the fear of hearing the Truth, Love automatically connects us with the spiritual realm. Please join us Thursday to learn how you, too, can communicate with those in the spiritual realm.