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Introduction to Esoteric Healing By Lauren Dillon-Merrill

Posted by

Editor on August 5, 2016

Introduction to Esoteric Healing By Lauren Dillon-Merrill

We will be talking about the energy healing modality of Esoteric Healing. What is Esoteric Healing and how it’s different from other healing modalities. The importance of Alignment and Attunement and asking for healing to be according to the will of the soul, and how the Soul influences our healing, well-being, and life lessons. We’ll talk a bit about how in Esoteric Healing classes we gain a deeper understanding of ourselves as spiritual beings, our spiritual anatomy, and how each chakras influences a physiological system of our physical body as well as the emotional and mental psychological contribution a chakra offers. If you’re feeling lost or stuck in life, dealing with physical or emotional pain, or stuck in mental limitations, Esoteric Healing can help: help you help yourself and help you to help others. In addition to info about our Fall Esoteric Healing Class!

3 Petal’s Healing with Lauren Dillon-Merrill

Posted by

Editor on July 5, 2016

7th Wave

3 Petal’s Healing with Lauren Dillon-Merrill

Lauren Dillon-Merrill grew up in north Florida. While spending the summers of her youth playing in the mountains of western North Carolina, Lauren discovered her love of and connection to the natural world. Later as an adult, Lauren returned to those mountains to live and train in esoteric healing. Lauren has completed Levels 1-4 of Esoteric Healing training under Coral Thorsen at Spirit of the Mountain Retreat Center in North Carolina, in accordance with the International Network of Esoteric Healing (INEH) and the National Association for Esoteric Healing (NAEH) requirements. Lauren also completed certification through the NAEH, a year long process involving submitting an orginal paper, multiple case studies, and passing three different examinations. Achieving the title Certified Practitioner of Esoteric Healing. From the moment Lauren started learning and working with Esoteric Healing in 2009, she has been amazed by the diverse changes she has experienced in her own life.

Tune into 3 Petals HealingÂ every Wednesday at 12pm PST

The Gift of Risk by Cynthia Brian

Posted by

Editor on May 19, 2016

Twisted Balance Sheet with Cyril Christo and Marie Wilkinson

Posted by

Editor on May 10, 2016

Variety

“Twisted Balance Sheet” with Cyril Christo and Marie Wilkinson.. when you hear what we’ve been talking about for years on end, and now to see the devastation with your own eyes, Kenya has burned over 100 tons of Ivory, with Rhino Horns, and animal skins. Â Hopefully the Ivory Burn will be the “Cecil” for our Elephants and show the world that there needs to be a change before we lose the gentle giants of our time.

Gift of Learning by Cynthia Brian

Posted by

Editor on February 6, 2016

Cynthia Brian’s October Gardening Guide

Posted by

Editor on September 30, 2015

Empowerment

âGo forth under the open sky,Â and listen to Nature’s teachings.â
~ William Cullen Bryant

Autumn is with us. The sun is still scorching our soils with heat during the days while the nights offer chilly dew. October is the best month of the fall season to take care of garden chores before winter arrives. With the drought a forever threat, we are all seeking ideas for a low-maintenance garden that will thrive with little care and less water. It is clear that we need to stand under the open sky to listen and look at what Mother Nature is telling us about our future in the outdoors.

Visit your favorite nursery or garden center and talk to the professionals. Choose plants appropriate for your soil and sun requirements. Determine whether you have a shade or sun garden, how much moisture your area needs, then pick the plants that will flourish in those conditions. For example sun-loving specimens such as canna, lambâs ears, sweet alyssum, geraniums, salviaâs, fountain grass, and boxwood planted densely will out-compete weeds while providing you with an elegant, low maintenance area. Plant the clump forming fountain grass and the evergreen shrub, boxwood, towards the back, with the fragrant sweet alyssum as a border in colors of pink, cream, purple, and white in the front. The wooly silver evergreen lambs-ear with its spikes of purple looks great with the salvia and tall spikes of the robust perennial canna in red, yellow, or orange. Geraniums are available in color clusters of red, pink, white, purple offering continuous blooms above bright green leaves spring through mid winter, when itâs time to prune them to the ground.

Other low maintenance plants for full sun include Russian sage, rosa rugosa, daylily, and rudbeckia. For a shade garden, consider hosta, Lenten Rose, and ferns. If your soil is extremely dry, succulents including hen-and-chicks, lavender, sedum, and St. Johnâs Wort are easy choices while astilbe and Japanese iris will prosper in wet soil. A re-circulating water feature, waterfall, or pond will keep the pollinators around while adding a calming resonance in your environment.

Halloween will be upon us soon. Allow your sunflowers, cornstalks, and pumpkins to continue in the garden until itâs time to decorate.

â« MOVE baskets and pots to a shady area when Indian summer is hottest.
â« PRUNE your berry vines hard after you have harvested the fruit for easier picking next season.
â« ORDER spring bulbs from catalogs now for planting in November
â« PICK sorrel to add to salad, sauces, and soups.
â« DEADHEAD spent annuals.
â« PROPAGATE geranium and pelargonium by cutting back no-blooming stems and planting in damp soil.
â« DESTROY invasive star thistle that may have taken root in your garden. Animals and birds will not eat it and it must not be added to the compost pile.
â« BUY trees boasting autumn colors now.
â« VISIT nurseries to check out the fall selection of plants and bulbs. Suggestions in the tulip category include Greigii, single or double early blooming, triumph, Giant Darwin hybrid, lily flowering, parrot, peony, heirloom, viridiflora, fringed, crispa, single or double late blooming. Amazing how many varieties there are. Â Make sure to cool them in the refrigerator for six to 10 weeks before planting. Other bulbs to buy include narcissi (and there is an equal amount of varieties, sizes, shapes, and colors), amaryllis, paperwhites, crocus, galanthus, scilla, iris, freesia, hyacinths, muscari, anemone, fritillaria, Dutch iris, allium, peonies, and Asiatic liliesâ¦.for starters.
â« CHECK around your house for fire hazards and flammable materials. October is the height of fire season.
â« FERTILIZE begonias and roses for more blooms.
â« GATHER seeds from bachelor buttons, cosmos, 4 oâclocks to dry and save for spring planting.
â« FEED your citrus.
â« TRANSPLANT calendulas, Iceland poppies, dianthus, forget-me-nots, primroses, Shasta daisies, agapanthus, and daylilies.
â« FREEZE or can your extra harvest of fruit and vegetables for winter health.
â« EAT the flowers of chives, garlic, basil, mint, dill, and other flowering herbs. Delicious and pretty in salads, sandwiches, and soups.
â« HARVEST the last of your grapes. Add the colorful leaves and twine the vines to form a spectacular autumnal arrangement.
â« RAKE your leaves into a compost pile. Add lawn clippings, eggshells, food scraps (no meat), and coffee grounds. Stupendous soil will be ready to use before the holidays.
â« Re-seed tired lawns using low-water loving clover for less maintenance, and fast, healthy growth.
â« DECORATE your front porch with sunflowers and cornstalks from your garden at the end of the month.
â« SAVE sunflower seeds to feed the birds as well as to sow for next season.
â« PICK your pumpkins at the end of the month and make a family day of carving Jack OâLanterns.
â« SEE you at the Pear and Wine Festival on September 26th at Moraga Commons. Visit the Be the Star You Are!Â® booth to receive a FREE brand new book as part of the literacy outreach project, âRead, Lead, Succeed!â Â Thanks to our sponsors, Childrenâs Success Unlimited, Michael Verbrugge Constructions, and The Lamorinda Weekly for making this giveaway possible. Pick up FREE seeds, bookmarks, and potpourri for all of our garden readers.

Happy Gardening and Happy Growing.

READ MORE

Cynthia Brian is a New York Times best selling author, speaker, coach, and host of the radio show, StarStyleÂ®-Be the Star You Are!Â® broadcasting live every Wednesday from 4-5pm PT on the Voice America Network.. She also is the creator and producer of Express Yourself!â¢ Teen Radio and Executive Director of Be the Star You Are!Â® 501c3 charity.

Â©2015
Cynthia Brian
The Goddess Gardener
StarstyleÂ® Productions, llc
Cynthia@GoddessGardener.com
www.GoddessGardener.com
925-377-STAR
I am available as a speaker, designer, and consultant.
Tune into Cynthiaâs Radio show at www.StarStyleRadio.net

Cynthia Brian’s May Gardening Guide

Posted by

Editor on May 7, 2015

Empowerment

âMAY the sun bring you new energy by day.
MAY the moon softly restore you by night
MAY the rain wash away your worries
MAY the breeze blow new strength into your being
MAY you walk gently through the world and know its beauty all the days of your life.â Â An Apache Blessing

May! What a glorious month, perhaps the most fragrant feast for our senses of the entire year. With only one evening of April rain, nature blossomed into May magnificence lavishing the landscape with color, texture, birdsong, and a painterâs palette of picturesque pleasures. Elegant and dainty bearded iris spread their alluring colors and intoxicating scents along driveways and paths. Azaleas and rhododendrons sparkle in the moonlight. This is the time to experiment with new plants to lift our zapped spirits to new heights. Â If you like azaleas as I do, this is the time to get them in the ground, after they have completed their spring flowering. I planted a sampling of new azalea releases from J Berry Nursery including Fuchsia Parasol, Orchid Showers, Pink Ribbons, and Pink Jewel. These re-bloomers are set to offer a big show in late summer or early fall.

In the 2015 Garden Trends Report, a new phenomenon in gardening was reported that I found intriguing. Itâs called the âbed-headâ garden. Â President of Garden Media Group, Susan McCoy commented, “Purposefully un-styled outdoor spaces are the result of intentionally working within the natural landscape. This casual landscape style expresses an effortless personality with an ‘anything goes’ attitude.” The wild look of this new garden fashion will definitely be of interest to those of us who are harried, hurried, or interested in embracing a more natural, environmentally sustainable garden. Colors are whatever thrives, plantings are in drifts, maintenance is low, hardscapes are minimal, earthy-born or recycled elements, and the result is lush, overgrown, messy, yet beautiful. Seems like a great fit for these crazy, hectic times.

Grab your gloves, shears, shovel, and a bucket. We have work to do outside before the play days begin. And we all look forward to the amusements of the season!

CUT BACK your daffodils. The foliage should be very dry and crispy now, meaning that plenty of nutrients have gone to next yearsâ blossoms. Time to clean up.

DEADHEAD all spring blooming flowers such as pansies and primroses. Petunias planted amongst your succulents will be especially beautiful in a rock garden.

CLEAN ponds, fountains, and bird feeders with non-toxic detergents for a fresh start. Make sure your re-circulating pump is working effectively.

ELIMINATE any standing water from gutters, pot saucers, old tires, or puddles to reduce breeding of mosquitoes.

MOW the top portion of leggy ground covers including Vinca Major and ivy.

ADD dandelions, calendula, and lemons to your daily food intake for a boost of vitamins A and C. Colds and flu are still rampant amongst us.

SEED for summer blooming annuals-cosmos, marigolds, sunflowers, and zinnias,

COMPOST all of your green trimmings. Â Add raked leaves as well as eggshells, shredded newspaper, vegetable peels, and wood ashes. Turn your compost pile or bin often and keep moist.

FEED azaleas, rhododendrons, and camellias with a fertilizer for acid lovers after they have finished blooming. Continue to pour your coffee grinds mixed with water around the plants for an extra boost of energy.

PLANT tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, beets, carrots, peas, and cabbage.
Also get summer blooming bulbs including gladiolas, lilies, and dahlias into the ground now.

DEADHEAD roses as blooms fade for continuous flowers throughout the year. Make sure to cut a few stems to cheer up your indoor spaces.

PLAN to include more drought tolerant species to your landscape, including succulents.

PICK UP the petals of fallen camellias as the season comes to an end. Leaving the flowers on the ground leads to diseased plants.

GROW South African clivia as a houseplant in indirect sunlight or a shade garden attraction. Â Their shiny deep green foliage and bright orange, yellow, and white lily-like flowers encourage gazing.

PLANT an Oregon Grape as a deer proof perennial shrub. The blue berries are prominent in May and the leaves turn amber in the fall.

PRUNE spring-flowering clematis after the blooms are spent.

SPRUCE up your decks and patios by growing herbs and flowers in one container.

PICK mulberries as they turn from red to deep purple. Youâll have to work fast or the birds will do the picking for you.

RAKE lawns to help with de-thatching. Â Aerate with a garden fork to help the penetration of water.

VISIT me at the Be the Star You Are!Â® booth at the Moraga Faire on May 9th to pick up your free hollyhock seeds and potpourri. Â Make a $95 tax-deductible donation in the name of your Mom or Grandmother to have a case of brand new books valued at $720 donated in her honor to the library or school of her choice! Sheâs worth it!

BUY six packs of annual color for both sun and shade gardens. Most retailers are featuring big sales at the moment and these small packs add a big punch to your growing garden.

DESIGN a âbed headâ garden area and give yourself a labor break.

TRANSPLANT any small trees or shrubs into desired areas before the end of the month.

KEEP doors closed on garages and sheds, or you may invite a slithery serpent to snoop.

LAVISH mom with a pot of pretties, perhaps dahlias, and delphiniums on Motherâs Day and thank her for being the wonderful woman she is.

MAY you walk gently through the world and know its beauty all the days of your life! May Blessings!

Happy Gardening, Happy Growing.
Read more HERE

Â©2015
Cynthia Brian
The Goddess Gardener
StarstyleÂ® Productions, llc
Cynthia@GoddessGardener.com
www.GoddessGardener.com
925-377-STAR
I am available as a speaker, designer, and consultant.

Cynthia Brian is a New York Times best selling author, speaker, coach, and host of the radio show, StarStyleÂ®-Be the Star You Are!Â® broadcasting live every Wednesday from 4-5pm PT on the Voice America Network.. She also is the creator and producer of Express Yourself!â¢ Teen Radio and Executive Director of Be the Star You Are!Â® 501c3 charity.

Cynthia Brian’s Gardening Guide for April

Posted by

Editor on April 10, 2015

Empowerment

Cynthia Brian’s Gardening Guide for April

âNothing is so beautiful as spring-when weeds, in wheels, shoot long, and lovely, and lushâ¦â Gerard Manley Hopkins

Poppies and lupines dot the green hillsides and roadways. The skies are azure blue, the weather is wickedly warm, turkeys hobble and gobble in neighborhoods. Spring is in full swing.

As it always is every April, my orchards and hills are carpeted with weeds. This year I sprinkled seeds of mustard throughout my landscape as a cover crop to heighten the nitrogen levels in the soil. A sea of yellow waves in the wind greeting me on my morning walks. Large black crows call my casa their casa. The âBirdsâ are back splashing in the fountain outside my office alongside the occasional red-tail hawk popping in for a drink. A covey of quail with their baby chicks darting behind them, munch insects and dandelions around my lawn. The re-birth of nature recharges my energy and makes me grateful to be alive in our bucolic rural locale.

This week I received my EBMUD home water report with my water score and this congratulatory note: âWay to go, WaterSaver! You ranked in the top 20%â! While the American average usage according to the Environmental Protection Agency is 400 gallons per day, we used only 147 gallons per day versus the average EBMUD household of 362 gallons per day. Households in the top 20% used an average of 213 gallons per day. Iâm using 29% less water than the previous 12 months, perhaps putting me in the top 10% of water savers. But Iâm scared of what will happen when summer comes. The drought is real and it will affect each of us. I plan on watering by hand with a hose as much as possible as this will save approximately 33% more than turning on the sprinklers. Soaker hoses will be great assets for water conservation in my vegetable and herb gardens. I will only be planting a smattering of color spots with specimens I am certain can withstand less moisture. Any extra water used for washing or rinsing dishes and bodies is collected and used in my patio pots. What are your plans to keep your garden alive through the forthcoming hot weather while conserving H20?

CHECK your irrigation system and consider investing in newer drip or weather based controllers.

START seeds in any recycled container from plastic cups to coconut hulls. Drill a hole in the bottom, add good potting soil, and you are ready to roll. If you plant in orange rind halves, you can plant the entire âcontainerâ in the ground.

SAVE water by placing a bowl under your colander when washing greens and vegetables in the sink. Dump the water in the garden.

SCRUB your outdoor furniture and organize your patio. Spring is here and itâs time to start the party planning.

FRESHEN your curb appeal with fragrant flowering plants such as star jasmine that will welcome guests with their heady spring perfume.

EMPTY any standing water in saucers, old tires, buckets, gutters, or barrels. Mosquitoes are already on the prey. If you have a pond and want free mosquito fish, contact Vector Control at 925-685-9301. Vector Control is also your resource for problems with skunks or yellow jackets.

WATCH for holes of voles in your lawn and garden. Voles are extremely destructive and non-discriminating when it comes to eating everything and anything growing. For major infestations, call in the professional eradicators.

BRIGHTEN your garden with drought tolerant succulents. With so many shapes, sizes, textures, and colors, youâll be able to create a palette of striking performance that require minimal moisture.

CUT and turn into the soil any cover crops you planted last fall to add nitrogen and nutrients. Clover, mustard, fava beans are ready to be tilled.

CASCADE lantana from retaining walls and containers for long lasting color that attracts beneficial bees and butterflies.

TRELLIS thornless lady banksia roses or purple wisteria for a glorious spring mix that will continue to delight year after year.

VISIT the Moraga Gardens plant sale Saturdays and Sundays through April 19 for a wide variety of home grown from seed vegetables, herbs, and other plants. Each four-inch pot is only $3. Address is 1370 Moraga Way, Moraga from 9am-4pm.

SHEAR and shape conifers and junipers, removing any dead or diseased branches.

FERTILIZE roses, lawns, and all perennials.

DIVIDE, transplant or share with friends iris, delphinium, daylily, and chrysanthemum.

RE-SEED lawns with clover or high quality grass seed for a thicker, lush mat.

TAKE any moveable houseplants outdoors to give them a good shower and thorough drink. Put them on your lawn when you wash and water them, giving your grass a bath as well.
THANKS for all the wonderful comments about my last Digging Deep column, Paradise Found. Special thanks to Lamorinda Weekly reader, Sydney, who shares this tip about growing her 65-year-old spectacular peony: When winters are mild, put ice cubes around the base of your peonies. Prune stems low to a bud in January. Fertilize with fish emulsion and deadhead after blooms are spent in April.

COME to the Be the Star You Are!Â® charity Book Bash Blow Out on April 25th at 5 A Rent A Space in Moraga to buy brand new books at discount prices. Pick up your FREE seed packets and complimentary potpourri when you say you read The Lamorinda Weekly!

PRAY for April showers!

Enjoy the beauty and scents of springtime. May all your weeds be flowers. Continue being water savvy and garden smart.

Happy Gardening, Happy Growing.

Read Garden Guide

Read about Paradise Found

Mark your calendars for the BTSYA BOOK BASH BLOW OUT on Sat. April 25th from 11-4pm at 5 A Rent a Space in Moraga.
Meet authors and get autographed copies. Get FREE Potpourri.

Â©2015
Cynthia Brian
The Goddess Gardener
StarstyleÂ® Productions, llc
Cynthia@GoddessGardener.com
www.GoddessGardener.com
925-377-STAR
I am available as a speaker, designer, and consultant.

Tap into Your Inner Stillness to Achieve Happiness

Posted by

Editor on April 6, 2015

Empowerment

Tap into Your Inner Stillness to Achieve Happiness

This show will explore tapping into our inner stillness to find a connection with our mind and body, community and nature. By doing so we can achieve a life of peace, love and bliss! I am excited to welcome yogi, surfer and Blissologist, Eoin Finn, to the broadcast! Join us as we discuss the concept behind blissology and how we can cultivate a relationship with our inner stillness to guide us in our relationships and connectedness. There will be a call-in Q&A session where you can ask Eoin or me any questions by calling, 1-888-346-9141, 4/5/15 @ 12pm PT

Is Humanity Worth Saving? Are We a Blessing or a Curse?

Posted by

Editor on November 25, 2014

Variety

Is Humanity Worth Saving? Are We a Blessing or a Curse?

On today’s InsideOut Forum Discussion Call we explored this provocative issue about whether humanity is worth saving. What do you believe? Are you of the mind that we should “Save the planet! Kill yourself!” or do you believe that God made us as a blessing and we deserve another chance? Let us know on our blog at http://bethgreen.org/insideout-forum-discussion-call-humanity-worth-saving-blessing-curse/

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