By:  Dr. Tricia Pingel, NMD

In recent years an intravenous vitamin drip known as The Myers Cocktail has become the latest health craze, and for good reason. The Myers Cocktail, along with similar IV vitamin therapies, has been used successfully to treat many ailments, as an immune system booster and as part of a normal health regime.

Developed in the 1970s by physician John Myers, M.D. at John Hopkins University in Baltimore, the Myers Cocktail contains Vitamin C, zinc, magnesium, calcium, and all of the B vitamins diluted in water. 

Taking vitamins intravenously injects essential vitamins and nutrients directly into the blood stream, bypassing the digestive system and enabling quick absorption.  Often when a person’s body is sick or becoming sick the gut is already inflamed and makes oral absorption difficult and less efficient.  Vitamin IVs allow efficient and quick absorption while boosting energy and hydrating the body.  Intravenous administration of nutrients also allows for a much higher concentration to enter the body than can be achieved orally. 

People have a tendency to get sick during the winter months, and are in need of an immune system boost.  This vitamin therapy gives them just the boost they need to prevent or fight illness, or for general nutrition.

Benefits of IV Vitamin Therapy

Chronic Fatigue and Adrenal Fatigue—Patients who suffer from tiredness, chronic fatigue or adrenal fatigue often are also suffering from nutritional and vitamin deficiency.  IV vitamin therapy restores essential vitamins and nutrients to the body, which increases energy and repairs enzyme systems.

Cancer—Research suggests that a high dosage of vitamin C has a negative effect on cancer cell growth. Vitamin C given intravenously supplies the body with higher levels of vitamin C and other nutrients than it would if taken orally.  High levels of vitamin C helps boost the immune system by increasing lymphatic production and preventing cellular free radical damage.  Vitamin C also helps patients to better tolerate chemotherapy by reducing the toxicity of radiation without lessening the cancer killing effects of the drug.

Autoimmune conditions—The vitamins and nutrients found in IV vitamin therapy help in lowering inflammation in the body.  Vitamin therapy can be extremely effective in treating common autoimmune conditions such as, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Sjorgren’s Syndrome and scleroderma.

Migraines—Migraine headaches are often linked to poor intestinal health, which causes the body to have poor mineral and vitamin absorption through the digestive system.  Injecting the vitamins intravenously solves this problem by bypassing the digestive system and sending the nutrients directly into the blood stream.  The high dosage of magnesium found in the cocktail helps to decrease the frequency and severity of migraines.  Magnesium relaxes muscle contraction and dilates blood vessels, providing significant migraine relief. 

Detoxification—IV vitamin therapy is used as nutritional support during detoxification. When patients are on a detox diet, they are often limiting their food intake and therefore can’t get nutrition into the body.  A vitamin IV not only gets essential nutrients into the body, it helps the liver to dispose of toxins.

For Athletes—Many athletes have found the benefit of using IV vitamin therapy as an energy boost for training leading up to a big game or event.  It pumps the body full of highly concentrated nutrients for optimal performance.

IV vitamin therapy has also been used to treat stress, low immune system function, seasonal allergies and dehydration by providing the body with essential vitamins and nutrients that often get depleted.   

The vitamin cocktail differs slightly based on each patient’s condition, but it is mostly a standard mixture of vitamin C, zinc, selenium, magnesium, calcium and all of the B vitamins.

Based on medical conditions, the frequency of each dosage of IV vitamin therapy varies from multiple times weekly to monthly or even quarterly. Each patient is different and therefore requires different protocols.

In my practice, after a brief medical history assessment, a patient will spend 20 to 45 minutes in the IV room for a standard Myers cocktail.  While they are hooked up to the IV bag, they enjoy a relaxing atmosphere with soft music, candles and comfortable seating.  The experience is meant to be more of a relaxation technique than a medical procedure.  As a result of the atmosphere and high levels of magnesium (a natural relaxant) patients often come away tired from the experience.   After a nights sleep they wake up feeling fully rejuvenated and healthy. 

Complications

There are no significant side effects to IV vitamin therapy.  However, patients suffering from liver or kidney disease need to use precaution when using this therapy.  It is always advisable to speak with a medical practitioner about your medical history before beginning treatment.  . This is why I perform a brief medical history assessment to see if there are any risk factors before administering IV vitamin therapy.

 About Dr. Pingel:

Dr. Tricia Pingel is a naturopathic medical doctor located in Scottsdale, Arizona. She treats a variety of conditions, including menopausal symptoms with bio-identical hormone replacement, infertility, cardiac, thyroid disorders, anxiety/depression, gastrointestinal concerns, such as, gas/bloating, food allergies, celiac disease, IBD and more!

Please visit www.drpingel.com for more information.

By: Reuel Ari

There is a growing awareness of healthy living in Sedona, Arizona. The evidence is clear by the presence of a new vegan vegetarian restaurant and a 100 percent raw/living foods café and the many practitioners who are teaching a healthier way of living. We are reawakening to the wave of consciousness that is connecting us back to our roots as a spiritual being living in a human body. We are remembering how to walk this land gently and to treat our body “temples” with honor and respect in a way that supports the proper functioning of our immune system, the true defense against stress and disease…

Could this be you? Waking in the morning sort of in a fog, feeling a bit arthritic constipated, gassy, grumpy and headachy. As you wander from the bathroom totally disappointed from the meager evacuation you just had, you think to yourself, “What should I eat? Should I eat at all? Why did I eat that damn pasta last night? Should I take a laxative and if so what kind? What the hell am I doing to myself? Why did I yell at my kid yesterday? I really want more passion in my life but I feel like crap most of the time! How can I change this on going scenario and feel well? ”

You are a male or female between the ages of 40 and 60, although you could be 20 or 30, or in your 70’s and 80’s. You are at that magical and pivotal point in your life where you know that a shift in your mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health and well being is absolutely necessary and you want more than anything just to feel “well”: to wake up in the morning and bounce out of bed to meet the new day with joy and a sense of happiness and contentment.

You may feel overweight, although you look good, you feel heavy inside, your digestion is sluggish, your skin isn’t soft and smooth, your hair is a bit dry and brittle, your bowel movements are irregular and constipated, you feel bloated and gassy and may suspect you have parasites, candida or both. You have that intuitive feeling that certain items you are eating like coffee, dairy, animals, grains, cooked foods, sugar, fruit, baked flour products and processed foods with additives and chemicals are contributing to your suffering and overall toxicity. But, where do you begin? You may feel so overwhelmed that you just continue buying into the myth that these sufferings are common with aging and you just need to grin and bear it. You see that everyone else in your life is experiencing and accepting life on the same terms and not getting well.

The solution is simple to the simple-minded person. Begin adding enzyme rich living/raw foods into your daily diet and commit to a series of colonics. When practiced and experienced together, these healing modalities will give you the wellness and success you are seeking in your health. You will also begin to experience complete and effortless elimination: something as we get older that some say is right up there with an orgasm.

We eat living/raw food because we need a fresh new supply of enzymes every day. There are two types of enzymes: Metabolic Enzymes that hang out in the bones and organs and act as catalysts for literally every function of the cells. These enzymes do not regenerate and become exhausted due to our poor lifestyle habits of eating improperly and not managing our stress well. Then there are Food Enzymes, which break down the food we eat into their smaller nutrient form so the body can be nourished at the cellular level. When we eat foods deficient in enzymes, the metabolic enzymes must come to the rescue, which depletes our storehouse in the bones and organs and leads to “disease.”

We have a series of colonics because it is a very beneficial way to clear out the impactions and encrustations that have developed over a lifetime throughout the digestive tract, ridding the body of the putrefaction that is reabsorbed into the blood stream and perpetuates disease. Norman Walker, the grandfather and old time advocate of colon therapy in this country referred to colon therapy as Colon Reflexology. His theory is that the colon is a map of the body like the feet, hands, ears and tongue and has reflexes along its walls to every organ of the body.

This explains why recipients of colonics report having a wide range of releasing and healing experiences like improved vision, enhanced lung function, increased vitality, mental clarity, optimal bowel functioning, an overall feeling of wellness and lightness of being and weight loss just to mention a few.

It is a great time of year to recommit our focus to living a healthier life. We who have done so much work in the emotional, mental and spiritual areas owe it to ourselves to spend some time and energy on rebuilding our “temple”. Begin today, take advantage of the wonderful resources available in your community and start the year anew.

About Reuel Ari: 

Reuel Ari and his wife Mariko are partners at the Digestive Wellness Center on 450 Jordan Road, Sedona, Arizona where they offer a wide range of healing modalities including: Colon Therapy, Living Foods Education, Wellness Coaching, Laser Rejuvenation, Mystical Feng Shui, Feng Shui Readings, Sacred Space Clearing, Personal Transformation Ceremonies, Spirit Medicine Journeys and Chakra Illumination Sessions. Call 928.203.0653 or visit www.digestivewellnesscenter.com for more information. 

By: Kosmos Journal- Multiple Authors

The Earth Charter is a declaration of fundamental ethical principles for building a just, sustainable and peaceful global society in the 21st century.  It seeks to inspire in all people a new sense of global interdependence and shared responsibility for the well-being of the whole human family, the greater community of life, and future generations. It is a vision of hope and a call to action.

The Earth Charter is centrally concerned with the transition to sustainable ways of living and sustainable human development. Ecological integrity is one major theme.  However the Earth Charter recognizes that the goals of ecological protection, the eradication of poverty, equitable economic development, respect for human rights, democracy and peace are interdependent and indivisible. It provides, therefore, a new inclusive, integrated ethical framework to guide the transition to a sustainable future.

The Earth Charter is a product of a decade-long, worldwide, cross-cultural dialogue on common goals and shared values.  The Earth Charter project began as a United Nations initiative, but it was carried forward and completed by a global civil society initiative.  The Earth Charter was finalized and then launched as a people's charter in 2000 by the Earth Charter Commission, an independent international entity.

The drafting of the Earth Charter involved the most inclusive and participatory process ever associated with the creation of an international declaration.  This process is the primary source of its legitimacy as a guiding ethical framework. The legitimacy of the document has been further enhanced by its endorsement by over 4,500 organizations, including many governments and international organizations.

In the light of this legitimacy, an increasing number of international lawyers recognize that the Earth Charter is acquiring the status of a soft law document. Soft law documents like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are considered to be morally, but not legally, binding on state governments that agree to endorse and adopt them, and they often form the basis for the development of hard law.

At a time when major changes in how we think and live are urgently needed, the Earth Charter challenges us to examine our values and to choose a better way. At a time when international partnership is increasingly necessary, the Earth Charter encourages us to search for common ground in the midst of our diversity and to embrace a new global ethic that is shared by an ever-growing number of people throughout the world.  At at time when education for sustainable development has become essential, the Earth hater provides a very valuable educational instrument.

For more information or to view the full article PDF please visit KosmosJournal.org

By: Sean Carter

People have been in love from time immemorial. It would be unjust to ascribe any particular history and origin to love and the feelings that come with it. But Valentine's Day, the day which celebrates love worldwide, sure has a history and origin of its own.

February is historically chosen to be the month of love and romance and the month to celebrate Valentine's Day. Can you possibly overlook the deluge of love-drenched feelings, the slushy outbreak of 'being in love' and the pervasion of the color red all around when the calendar turns to the month of February? No. None of us can! For, the one thing that's inextricably linked to the month of February is Valentine's Day–the most coveted celebration after Christmas and a day kept aside to let love rule everywhere. Come what may, the hype and hoopla surrounding Valentine's Day never goes unnoticed, no matter which part of the world you are placed in! And Valentine's Day incidentally is the 2nd largest card-sending occasion, after Christmas. 

Valentine's Day has shadows of both the Christian and Roman traditions. Celebrated famously on February 14 every year, some believe that Valentine's Day has its history and origin in the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia. The latter was an annual feasting and celebration by the Romans to keep fearful wolves at bay from damaging their crops. Lupercalia was celebrated on February 15 with the young men striking the women because it was believed that these blows would make them more fertile. This association of Lupercalia with fertility is probably one reason why Valentine's Day is linked to this ancient Roman festival. 

Also, on the eve of Lupercalia, which is on February 14, it was quite popular for young women to find their partners for the festival. The romantic origin of Valentine's Day can even be traced to this practice. No matter what the history and origin of Valentine's Day includes, it sure includes this patron saint named St. Valentine. Now history even has it that there has been more than one legend related to St. Valentine. Summing two legends, we now know that there were two saints (of the same name Valentine) belonging to the early Christian church. One legend holds that when the Roman Emperor Claudius II forbade young men to marry to make better soldiers out of single men, a priest named Valentine defied the orders and secretly married young couples. Consequently he was beheaded on February 14 for his 'crime'. Some even hold that Valentine was killed for trying to help Christians escape the atrocities prevailing in the Roman prisons. 

But whatever the facts, ever since, February 14 came to be celebrated as Valentine's Day commemorating this great patron of people in love worldwide. The other story talks of another Valentine who was a children's favorite but was despised by the Romans for his religious defiance. The Romans had him behind the bars but the children still managed to send fond messages to their favorite Valentine. The current custom of exchanging love messages on Valentine's Day might have roots to this age-old tale. Yet another legend holds that when Valentine was in prison, he fell in love with the prison guard's daughter. And history states that before his death, he wrote a letter to his beloved signing off as 'From your Valentine'. It's not known to which extent these Valentine's Day legends related to its origin are true, but this expression 'From your Valentine' sure caught hold like wildfire. 

And people still send gifts and cards on Valentine's Day with this tag hanging from them–'From your Valentine'! So you keep the tradition going too. Probably, the Americans began exchanging handmade Valentine's Day cards in the early years of the eighteenth century. And around 1840, a person called Esther A. Howland began selling the first big production of Valentine's Day greetings in America. Now, apart from all the facts and figures of Valentine's Day history and origin, one thing that's for sure is the choice of February as the month for celebrating love. 

In ancient Rome, February was the official kick-off month for the season of spring and was a time to feel happy all over again. Then in the Middle Ages, it was quite a popular belief in France and England that February was the birds' mating season. All these and many more taken together contributed to the consolidation of mid-February as the time for Valentines. Finally, around 498 AD, Pope Gelasius I declared February 14 as St. Valentine's Day!

Sean Carter writes on holidays, Valentine's Day and world events. He also writes on family, relationships, celebrations, religion, love and friendship. He is a writer with special interest in ecard industry and writes for  123greetings.com. He is an active blogger at Valentines Day Blog.

By: Jason Abong, HHN Staff

Have holiday finances got you down? With Valentine’s Day around the corner, spending money may seem like a necessity. This doesn’t have to be the case. Some people have enough money to take a significant other on a trip or buy a new car, but this isn’t what Valentine’s Day should be about. Valentine’s Day is supposed to be an expression of love for your significant other, and you don’t have to spend a lot of money to show this love.

Instead of going out to a fancy restaurant for Valentine’s Day, you can opt to make dinner. Not only is it cheaper than going to a fine dining restaurant, but you also don’t have to deal with long wait times. If you want, adding candles and other classic Valentine’s Day pizzazz is an option, but don’t fret if you don’t have the time or money to do so. Making the evening comfortable and cozy is a good idea, so neither party stresses about the set up or clean up.

If spending a lot of money is not feasible, just be thoughtful. While everyone would like a new car or expensive piece of jewelry, sometimes there is just nothing better than receiving something that is personal to you. For example, if your man or woman is into collectibles, get him or her a new addition to the collection. Or consider making a gift, such as a portrait or ceramic piece. Something handmade is always a nice touch and the time spent making it will be meaningful.

If your budget is really tight, falling back on the classics like chocolate and flowers is a good option. If you choose this route, make sure to personalize it with a card or a special message of love. Get a favorite chocolate instead of just an assorted variety. Getting your significant other chocolate and flowers isn’t a sign that you’ve run out of ideas–sometimes traditional gifts are the best ones! On Valentine’s Day, just keep it simple and thoughtful. The gifts are simply just an expression of your love, not a representation of your relationship.

By: Snowden Bishop

Valentine’s day is one of the most anticipated Hallmark holidays, or so it would seem. Depending upon whom you ask, its annual occurrence is either a blessing or a curse, too often perceived to be a litmus gauge of whether or not one may be loved, worthy of love, or downright unloved.  Whether one is attached or unattached shouldn’t be grounds upon which the date should or should not be celebrated.  After all love is in the heart of the beholder, and if there is not one significant other upon which to bestow the love beheld in your heart, there are plenty of ways to spread the love, some that may prove to be more sustainable.

If you happen to find yourself pining for a would-be Valentine that hasn’t called, or if the love of your life is indisposed, there are ample ways to get out of your candy box and share the love with someone who may be less fortunate. Here are some ideas that may find you more loved than you could imagine:

Serve a Valentine dinner to a stranger or two – Volunteering at your local soup kitchen has potential spread some Valentine cheer to people who might appreciate a friendly face on an otherwise lonely evening.  Volunteers are always welcome, and likely more so on a special occasion when they might be short-staffed.  There are more than 36 million hungry people in the U.S., and soup kitchens are where most will dine on Valentine’s Day.

Find some puppy love – The pound is where you’ll find what could be the love of your life.  Adopt a pooch, and no doubt you’ll be smooched all night.  No cupid is needed – there are millions of abandoned and abused animals who would love and adore you by simply being there.  If you can’t have a pet at home, a short visit will brighten any captive orphan’s spirit.

Take some love to a nursing home, veteran’s hospital or children’s wing – Sometimes local community centers and churches organize field trips to these institutions to deliver gifts, sweets, magazines or books.  Nursing homes and Veterans’ hospitals often welcome visitors, and it might be heartwarming to hear their stories and see their joy because someone has taken the time to listen. It’s not a good idea to take food to a children’s hospital, but some heart-shaped doilies, crayons, construction paper and Elmers glue is all they might need to deem you their favorite Valentine.

Be your own Valentine – Dress up and take yourself to your favorite organic restaurant, or treat yourself to an evening at the spa spa. Nothing can boost your confidence and emotional well-being like a little self-pampering.  Who knows, getting out may just provide cupid with some fortuitous opportunity!

Love yourself with a retreat – Sometimes being alone can be a real gift.  Setting aside time for contemplation can recharge your spirits and generate some inspiration.    Zen retreats, community gardens and nature preserves can whisk you away from the daily grind, and provide the ideal setting for going within. If meditation is not your thing, take along a pad of paper and a pen so that you can write down all the wonderful things you love about yourself – then express your gratitude for all the reasons you are loved. Whatever you do on Valentine’s Day, make it a wonderfully sustainable day of love.

Editorial contributed by: Snowden Bishop, AZGreen Magazine

By: Mariko Yamamoto

Throughout our day, chances are, that our inner conversations far outweigh the conversations we have in our outer world.

A Master once said, “Keep in good company.” Do our conversations lend themselves to being in the best company ever? Are these conversations what you would hear from your most encouraging friend or coach who cared deeply about your highest well being and joyous potential?

Begin to notice if these inner dialogs throughout your day are encouraging, useful and highly beneficial. If this voice were the voice that was listened to by a child in his or her most formative years, how would that effect the child’s growth, self esteem and experience of life?

If these conversations carried a tone, what would they sound like? Is this vibration and rhythm melodious and uplifting? 

Every note of every conversation is impressed and imprinted onto the divine infinite substance, which penetrates and permeates every space and in-between space in our universe. What song is being played and what are these notes attracting?

If you are feeling or experiencing anything other than what you’d like to be feeling or attracting, notice the conversation beneath the feeling.

For instance, if I am feeling anxious or tense, I may notice that the conversation underneath that feeling is, “You could have done more, or said something different. I feel fat. They may be think this of you or that of you…”

These conversations often come in at the speed of light and are like bubbles that float up from the depths of the automatic unconscious wash cycle. We can set the dials to a different spin. Begin to be your own best coach. The moment you notice a less than desirable conversation, switch the dial and just say, “love.” Every time you do this, you are shifting your frequency to the natural laws of increase and regeneration where life flourishes. It is that simple. We can remember the words spoken in the movie, “The Last Samurai,” where Katsumoto the samurai warrior, turns to Tom Cruise and says, “This has been a good conversation.”

We too can let our lives be a good conversation. In fact, we can let our lives be a grand conversation. A while back, “Dash” the movie was being sent through the internet. On one’s tombstone, between the years is the dash. The dash is the music of our lives. Let this tone be your never ending love note.

Just say,“LOVE.”

Mariko Yamamoto, Soul Coach.  Infinite Possibilities Sessions. Shamanic Feng Shui/Sacred Space Clearing Practitioner and Teacher.

Visit SacredHeartMagic.com for more information.

By: Jason Abong, HHN Staff

What do the words “love” and “seventeen” have in common?  Despite a lagging economy, people spent more than $17 billion on Valentine’s Day in 2011. In fact, it is expected to be even higher in 2012—sales are expected to increase by 8.5 percent!  Even with all of this spending there is a downside:  expectations. With this holiday becoming more commercialized every year, media and retailers have hyped it up and made people feel that Valentine’s Day must always be a Hollywood moment. This perception of Valentine’s Day can make it a day wrought with disappointment instead of love.

Luckily, there are ways to avoid the distress or disappointment of Valentine’s Day. Openly communicating your desires to one another can reduce the stress of ensuring what you bought or planned is good enough. Remember, Valentine’s Day is supposed to be an expression of love, not a test to see how much your significant other is willing to spend on you. In romantic relationships, the element of surprise can be superfluous. Once you plan a romantic evening with your significant other, the wait can be just as exciting as the surprise. The difference is that with surprise, you run the risk of not knowing exactly what your significant other wanted. When a couple plans the evening, they know exactly what will make each other happy and Valentine’s Day will be that much more romantic and successful.

Another way to avoid disappointment is to keep expectations low. Hollywood and retailers love to create sappy love stories or products for Valentine’s Day so couples will fork over cash to experience this romance. Don’t fall for it. While many people wish for those romantic moments, it is important to separate fantasy from reality. It isn’t fair to impose such expectations on your significant other. A romantic moment in a Hollywood movie is meticulously planned so nothing goes wrong. There is nothing to say that your romantic moment will go off without a hitch. You know what your significant other wants more than Hollywood does. Instead of going for a generic romantic moment, pick something with meaning to both you and your significant other.

Remember that Valentine’s Day is one of 365 days (or in this year’s case, 366!) in which you can make your significant other feel good. What happens, or doesn’t happen, on Valentine’s Day is not representative of your entire relationship. You do not need a flashy way to express your love. The happiness you bring to one another is enough.  Valentine’s Day should be about each other, not Hollywood!

By: Susun Weed

Kava kava is an erotic friend of mine. Which may surprise those who think of this root from the South Seas as a sleep-inducing sedative. And which may dismay those who think of Piper methysticum as a standardized extract or capsule or pill capable of causing liver failure.

As for the latter, my reading, and my own experiences, led me to believe that my liver is quite safe if I restrict my kava kava consumption to water-based preparations. And, again from my own experiences, infusions of the fresh or dried root fermented in water are also far stronger in effect than capsules, pills, or extracts. I let my kava kava brew sit for 1-10 days before use. It seems to get stronger the longer it sits.

As to the former, I found kava kava ready to ease me into sleep, 'tis true, if I wished. I also found a cup or two of the brew ready to help me through a day of work or an evening of play (in bed). As always, the set (what you think is going to happen, or what you set your mind to have happen) and the setting (where you are physically and emotionally) have a lot to do with the effect you experience. Enjoy!


SUSUN WEED'S LOVE FEST MENU

Pesto

Blend together fresh catnip, olive oil to cover, lots of garlic, and a little sea salt.

Angel Hair Pasta       

Whole Wheat tastes best, and builds sexual appetite with B vitamins.

Gar-Lick Bread         

Whole wheat sourdough, doused with olive oil, covered with minced garlic, and baked at 350 until hot and crisp – 6-5 minutes. At least two pieces per person.

Sweet Potatties          

Rub olive oil on one large sweet potato one per person, bake, covered, for an hour at 350. (OK to put gar-lick bread in to bake at the end.)

Wickedly Wild Salad 
  

Greens Chickweed, garlic mustard, lamb's quarter, sheep sorrel, wild mints of all kinds, wild madder, dandelion leaves, plantain leaves, violet leaves

Flowers: dame's rocket, roses, nasturtiums, pansies, day lilies, tulips, lilacs, lavender flowers, chive blossoms.  Extra virgin olive oil, tamari, and lavender vinegar dress the wild salad.

KAVA KAVA BREW (MAKE AT LEAST TWO CUPS PER PERSON)

•   At least 24 hours before your love fest, prepare your brew, using one-half to one ounce of dried kava kava root per person

•   Pour two cups boiling water per person over cut root in a glass jar (use a quart jar for two people) or an enamel pan (if you expect a crowd).

•   Let brew steep, covered, away from heat, until ready to drink.

•   Serve chilled or warmed, with honey and milk, a little cinnamon or nutmeg if you like.

Hint: When your nose starts to tingle, drink another half glass of kava kava, no more. Then concentrate on love.

About Susun:

Vibrant, passionate, and involved, Susun Weed has garnered an international reputation for her groundbreaking lectures, teachings, and writings on health and nutrition. She challenges conventional medical approaches with humor, insight, and her vast encyclopedic knowledge of herbal medicine. Unabashedly pro-woman, her animated and enthusiastic lectures are engaging and often profoundly provocative.

Susun is one of America's best-known authorities on herbal medicine and natural approaches to women's health. Her four best-selling books are recommended by expert herbalists and well-known physicians and are used and cherished by millions of women around the world. Learn more at www.susunweed.com


For permission to reprint this article, contact us at: susunweed@herbshealing.com

Susun Weed – PO Box 64, Woodstock, NY 12498 (fax) 1-845-246-8081

Visit Susun Weed at: www.susunweed.com and www.ashtreepublishing.com

Dear Chopra Center Community,

It is with a heavy heart that I share with you today the news that Dr. David Simon has passed away. David has been my friend, partner, teacher, trusted colleague, and younger brother for more than twenty years. He has touched my heart, influenced the way I think, and expanded my spirit. David approached life from a place of pure potentiality and unlimited possibilities. His wisdom, courage, and love will continue to inspire all of us for decades to come.

In his books and workshops, David loved to share poems from spiritual masters who lived many centuries ago yet whose beautiful insights into love and our eternal nature continue to resonate with so many people today. David’s favorite poems were reminders that while we appear to be separate, limited individuals, we are all expressions of an infinite divinity. Here are a few beautiful lines from the poet David called “my beloved Hafiz”:

The Sun Never Says

Even after all this time the sun never says to the earth, “You owe me.” Look what happens with a love like that — It lights the whole world.

As a talented physician and author, loving father, husband, and dear friend, David shared his unique gifts with the world. Through his dedication and authenticity, he helped so many people go beyond their limited perspective of themselves and reconnect to the love, joy, and peace of their true selves.

I have felt privileged to work closely with David for many years, and I am grateful that we have had the opportunity to develop seminars, retreats, and programs on mind-body healing and spirituality. While David, as he would put it, has now let go of his temporary human disguise to merge again with the unbounded ocean of consciousness, the gifts that he gave so freely during his life will continue to benefit and inspire everyone he touched through his words, wisdom, and heart.

If you would like to share your thoughts, prayers, and intentions for David’s family, please visit lovefordavid.com.

Love, Deepak