This is the last coffeytalk newsletter of 2006.  What a year it has been, huh?  I think the biggest accomplishment we’ve made online is establishing DoshaSpace.com.  It;s such an amazing and wonderful community, and I encourage you to join, and participate, if you’re not up there already.  I also helped to establish another site, the Online Peace Cell.  The purpose is to help start peace cells worldwide, in cooperation with Deepak Chopra’s Alliance for a New Humanity.  Deepak talks about peace cells in his book “Peace is the Way” and we have excerpts and exercises from it up on the site.  We had a special “Celebration of Peace” event that was recorded, and you can listen to the peace meditation that I did there.  It’s kind of cool because you can just sit at your computer, hit play, close your eyes and meditate along with the guided meditation.  The Maharishi Mahesh Yogi says that if we can get just 1% of the population meditating, we will have peace on earth. Join me and let’s meditate for world peace together.

http://www.onlinepeacecell.com

This has been an amazing year in many ways.  Good, bad, beyond any coexistence of opposites.  The world is changing constantly, and it seems like time is moving more quickly.  I have personally gone through a lot of change, and a lot of growth.  As we move into the Winter Solstice, and the holiday season, it is natural to reflect, to slow down, to look within and examine our lives a little bit.  Where are we going?  I wrote a book called “Getting There With Grace.” It’s about experiencing joy right here, right now.  It’s about seeing the beauty that is all around us, not just with our eyes, but with our hearts.  This book means a lot to me, and so do you.  I love the way our community has come together, and my goal for the coming months is to reach more people through our newsletters and websites.  I encourage you to please share all of our information with your own network of friends, tell them about all we have to offer, the free greeting cards, screensavers, wallpaper, newsletters and more.  Help us to grow in our reach to serve people worldwide.

At this time of year, we’re a little more sensitive, and a little more aware of the people around us.  The season may even inspire us to be more kind than usual, and isn’t that a nice thing?  I came across an organization that promotes kindness all year round.  It’s called The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation.  On their website they have all kinds of ideas for ways that we can practice kindness in our home, school, workplace or community.  There are even lesson plans for teachers, and it’s all free of charge.  The philosophy of the foundation is that as people tap into their own generous human spirit and share kindness with one another, they discover for themselves the power of kindness to effect positive change. When kindness is expressed, healthy relationships are created, community connections are nourished, and people are inspired to pass kindness on.
http://www.actsofkindness.org

We are creating our reality, every moment, every day.  There are three elements that go into helping us achieve our goals: our thoughts, our feelings, and our actions.  When we understand the law of attraction and consciously use these tools to attract what we want into our lives.  I rave about “The Secret” DVD all the time, it is wonderful!  There’s a new QuickTime video they have online, free, which gives us some empowering affirmations.  It’s beautifully done.  And a book and audio book version of The Secret is now available, too.  Rather than listening to commercials on the radio, or negativity on talk shows, I like to drive around with CDs like this that remind me of all the possibilities in life, all the potential that is available to each one of us all the time.
http://thesecret.tv/secret-to-you/

I’m always on the look-out for great new home remedies, and I found a bunch to share with you!  If you have some to add, please post to the discussion board for everyone in our community.
-To soothe skin from a minor burn or rash, spritz on some mineral water, like Pellegrino or Perrier.  Dermatologists often use this method to treat itching and redness following laser skin resurfacing.  The trace minerals act as anti-inflammatories.
-An inexpensive face mask: plain yogurt!  The lactic acid in yogurt acts as a natural exfoliant.  It helps to clear acne and fade discoloration and fine lines.  Just leave it on the skin for 15 to 30 minutes.
-Itchy from mosquito bites?  Make a paste from baby aspirin and apply directly to the bite.  The anti-inflammatory ingredient will reduce swelling and itching.  It’s also good for pimples and ingrown hairs!
-Olive oil is great for soothing minor eczema and psoriasis flare-ups.  There are no chemical irritants that you might find in store-bought creams.
-For nausea, diarrhea or upset stomach, take a spoonful of fruit syrup from a can of peaches.  Flat soda also does the trick.
-A foot massage is the antidote for a headache.  Focus on the acupressure points about a third of the way down the sole of the foot, near the toes.  A footbath is also very soothing.

We all work hard, we’ve got our goals that we want to reach, and sometimes we get discouraged when it seems like things aren’t going our way.  Between the newsletters, the websites and my books, I’m writing every day.  It can be difficult basically being a one-person crew and competing against websites that have lots of staff and financing.  But what keeps me going is that this is my dharma, my passion and my purpose.  I don’t give up because this is important to me.  My husband sent me this quote from basketball superstar Michael Jordan: “I’ve missed over 9,000 shots in my career.  I’ve lost almost 300 games.  26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot, and missed.  I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life.  And that is why I succeed.” I think each one of us has got what it takes to make our dreams come true.  After all, we wouldn’t have the dream if we were not capable of fulfilling it.  So whether you’re shooting baskets or writing newsletters or selling fruit or teaching kids or whatever it is, keep up the good work!  I’m rooting for you!

I’m a meditation teacher, and when I tell people that the first thing they usually say is: “I don’t have time to meditate.”  I hear it all the time.  Yes, we have busy lives, but if we understood how much more time we would have if we did meditate then it wouldn’t be a problem finding the time!  Meditation embodies the whole “do less and accomplish more principle.  When we center ourselves and breathe, we better prepare ourselves to face the challenges of the day ahead.  We end up being healthier, and happier, so we have less stress in our lives, and take fewer sick days.  The other “obstacle” that I come across is that we often don’t have the space to meditate.  Our appointment book is cluttered with “to do” lists and our homes and offices are cluttered with excess stuff!  There’s hardly room to sit and relax.  It is important to make some sacred space in the areas we live and work where we can get away from all the chatter.  We can assign ourselves a meditation chair, for example, one where we always go and the minute we sit our mind and body get the signal that it is time to meditate.

Try the “so hum” meditation and see how it feels.  “So hum” loosely translates to “I am that,” meaning all of creation.  In this meditation the mantra so hum follows the breath.  While sitting comfortably, eyes closed, inhale as you silently say to yourself: “So” and then exhale as you silently say to yourself: “Hum.”  After a few breaths, you will notice that your mind settles down and you may slip into silence.  If you are interrupted by a thought, go back to silently repeating “so hum” along with your breath.  I have many meditations up on the psmeditation.com site so please check them out!

We love our pets, and there is scientific evidence that shows that our pets are helping us be healthier and happier.  A UCLA study concluded that people who live with pets have fewer doctors visits and spend less money on medication than those without pets.  Other studies have shown reduced cholesterol levels in pet owners, and lower blood pressure overall.  Where we live, it is important to keep cats and small dogs inside, away from the coyotes and cars.  But the dilemma for many who would like to live with a cat is the litter box situation.  Well, there are lots of solutions now!  My friend Sandra (www.creatingblissmeditation.com), a minister who performs marriage ceremonies for animals, told me about this amazing kitty litter that is both scoopable and flushable.  It’s made out of corn, all natural, and naturally odor-free, no perfumes necessary.  It’s soft on kitty’s paws and there’s no tracking.  And it’s totally safe for pipes, even for septic tanks!

Are you a right brain dominant person or a left brain dominant person?  The right brain tends to be holistic, creative.  The left brain is more linear and logical.  The right brain processes more nonverbally while the left brain processes verbally.  When we understand how our individual brain functions they we can make better accommodations for ourselves when it comes to learning things.  It’s very interesting!  I found a cool website that has a f/ree “Hemispheric Dominance Inventory Test.”  I’d be interested to see how our community scores, so when you’re done, visit the discussion board and let’s talk more about it!

http://brain.web-us.com/brain/braindominance.htm

Communication is key to the success of a relationship, and listening is half of that equation.  Probably the most important thing we can do in a relationship is to listen to the other person.  When we feel heard, and understood, we feel safe and cared for.  Listening is active and sometimes we have to practice to learn how to really do it well.  Here are some tips:
– Focus on the person speaking.  Let that person talk while you hear what they have to say.  Make eye contact, and give feedback with body language such as nodding your head when you agree or understand.
– Pay attention to what is being said.  Try to understand before you speak.  Look for the main points that the person is sharing, and observe the person’s body language as they are speaking.  This will give you clues as to how they feel about what they are saying.
– Ask questions.  It shows the person that you care about what they are saying.  Ask them to clarify any points that you don’t understand.
– When appropriate, take notes.  When you’re in a meeting and will be asked to remember the information later, write down what you need to know.  Think about how this information is relevant to you, and that will help you to remember it.