Becoming Your StellarSelf

The Reality of Reiki

As some of you may know, I volunteer for Inova Hospital's Life With Cancer program, which offers Reiki treatments for people undergoing chemotherapy (or who have recently completed chemo), as well as for their families and caregivers. I blogged about my experience as a Reiki volunteer last December. Knowing of my involvement with Reiki, a friend emailed me a link to Friday's uncredited Washington Post article "Reiki: Touching the Intangible," about how Reiki is increasingly being used in hospitals to help reduce stress and promote healing in patients. Luann Jacobs, head of Reiki Partners, and creator of the George Washington University Hospital Reiki program, is quoted in the Post article. I have had the pleasure of meeting Luann, and am familiar with the high standards of the GW Hospital Reiki program, which is a wonderful resource available to all patients who are interested in utilizing this service.

The Post article is short, but informative. However, I believe that the author missed the point in saying, "There's no scientific evidence behind their claims, but reiki healers believe that during sessions, they're tapping into a universal source of energy that is then transferred to the recipient." While it may be true that we do not have the means to measure something as ethereal as "a universal source of energy," several studies have investigated Reiki, and a number of these have supported its efficacy in treating a variety of conditions.

An article by Anne Vitale (a nurse/researcher/Reiki Master), published in Holistic Nursing Practice in 2007, reviewed Reiki research published over the past 20 years. Most of the studies had small sample sizes, or did a poor job of controlling for factors other than Reiki. However, several showed significant positive effects of Reiki treatment, including decreased distress, anxiety, pain and physiological stress responses.

Pamela Miles, a Reiki Master who "has developed Reiki programs in prominent New York City hospitals, published in peer-reviewed medical journals, and presented and taught Reiki at medical schools and conferences," provides citations for current research on her website (see the Reiki and Medicine section). Findings from these studies show significant effects of Reiki, including reduced anxiety, pain, depression, and fatigue. One thing that the literature on Reiki has suffered from is the lack of large-scale studies, although this is true for many areas of research in the medical field. As Reiki gains more attention, more and more studies are being designed to address this issue. Currently, the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is supporting several studies on the effectiveness of Reiki, the results of which I hope to see in the not-too-distant future.

In the meantime, empirical evidence shows us that huge numbers of patients have reported relief from pain, nausea, anxiety and fatigue after receiving Reiki. Nurses, who are on the front line of patient care, have long understood the healing power of touch, and see first hand the positive effects of Reiki, Healing Touch and Touch Therapy. The Reiki in Hospitals website lists over 40 hospitals in the U.S. that offer Reiki to their patients, and this is just a partial representation. The authors of the Reiki in Hospitals website are undertaking the task of gathering and summarizing the entire body of peer-reviewed Reiki-related research in order to educate the medical community and the public as to the current state of knowledge about the effectiveness of Reiki.

Admittedly, all of the studies I have mentioned only addressed the tangible effects of Reiki, not the mechanisms underlying it -- not the transfer of "universal energy." However, The Promise of Energy Psychology by David Feinstein, cites recent studies that have begun to show how energy runs through the body and may be transferred from one person to another. Science is just beginning to try to address the measurement of the "subtle energies," and it is still in a nascent stage, but the more interest the public shows in complementary and alternative medicine, the more investigations there will be. In the meantime, remember that, before Einstein, we looked at the physical world in a very different way -- we didn't hold the concept of light as particle AND wave, energy AND matter -- and could not measure many of the things we now measure. And before we had microscopes, people scoffed at the idea that we could get sick from little unseen creatures (which we now fondly refer to as bacteria, viruses, etc.).

Our current inability to measure the transfer of universal energy does not negate the possibility that it exists. Just because we don't currently understand how something works does not mean that it isn't beneficial. Take aspirin as an example. Around 400BC, Hippocrates prescribed the bark and leaves of the willow tree (which contains salicin) to his patients. Then, in 1897, chemist Felix Hoffmann created aspirin (whose key ingredient is salicin), which today remains one of the most widely used drugs for treating pain and fever. However, it wasn't until the 1970s that scientists figured out the mechanisms by which this medicine worked. Similarly, even if an objective measurement of universal energy transfer isn't developed anytime soon, this does not in any way diminish the effectiveness of Reiki as a healing practice.

(Image borrowed from The International Center for Reiki Training FAQ page -- a comprehensive source of information on Reiki)

Yoga in Your Sleep

Stanford psychophysiologist Stephen LaBerge studies how people can learn to control their dreams through the use of lucid dreaming, a state of dreaming in which you are actively aware that you are dreaming. Besides helping you to overcome nightmares, LaBerge believes that lucid dreaming can help with many waking issues, including self-confidence, and improving mental and physical health. LaBerge has developed a technique called MILD (Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams), which is described in his book Lucid Dreaming. Before going to sleep, tell yourself that you will remember your dreams, and that while you are dreaming you will be aware that you are dreaming. Think about recent dreams you’ve had and characteristics that made them uniquely “dreamlike,” as opposed to your day-to-day reality. Now imagine what you would like to be able to do in your dreams (I’ve always liked the idea of being able to fly).

While LaBerge is a pioneer in lucid dream research, the idea of controlling your dreams and using them to enhance awareness and well-being is not new. In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, dream yoga focuses on developing one’s ability to be fully aware during sleep. Practiced for over 1000 years, dream yoga has used lucid dreaming to break down our illusions and help us to attain enlightenment. Buddhism posits that reality arises from our perception of it rather than existing as an separate, objective physical reality. Because of this, Buddhists feel that there should be no distinction between dreaming and waking reality, and when we can learn to control our dreams, we can learn to overcome our attachments and illusions in our waking lives.

There is an excellent book on this topic, The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, founder and president of Ligmincha Institute in Charlottesville, Virginia. Here is a quote from it:

"Being distracted by a cloud of concepts is a habit and it can be replaced with a new habit: using bodily sensual experience to bring us to presence, to connect us to the beauty of the world, to the vivid and nourishing experience of life that lies under our distractions. This is the underpinning of successful dream yoga."

I Love My Farmers Market

I was so happy. Yesterday was the first day of the full farmers market in my town. While the organizers had kept it open all winter, the first Saturday in May marked the re-opening of the full-size market featuring twice the number of vendors.

While I have to admit that my local farmers market isn't nearly as photogenic as the one in Downtown Portland, I still have a special fondness. As regularly as we can, my husband and I make it our Saturday morning ritual to head over to the farmers market to buy pesticide-free produce, freshly baked bread, free range meats, and hormone-free dairy products. It's always fun to see the vast array of locals with their reusable bags, smiling and thoroughly enjoying the shopping experience. And it's always encouraging to hear how invested the farmers are in their products, how much passion and thought and care goes into the production of their fruits, vegetables, meats, or dairy products. It makes me realize how removed our "normal" food shopping experience is from the source.

Your local farmers’ market is a great source for whole, natural (sometimes organic) foods. Not only are farmers’ markets an excellent way to support healthful farming, and reduced fuel usage (less transportation is involved in shipping the products) you can’t beat the freshness of fruits and vegetables picked that morning. Food from the supermarket just never tastes that flavorful. For a listing of farmers’ markets in your area, look in your local Yellow Pages, or check out the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) interactive map.

First Annual NIH Yoga Week: Exploring the Science & Practice of Yoga

For the first time ever, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, MD will be offering a full program of classes, exhibits, demonstrations, talks and special events all around the topic of yoga throughout the week of May 19 to May 23. Speakers from all across the country have been invited to share their knowledge about the science and practice of yoga.

The program, NIH Yoga Week: Exploring the Science and Practice of Yoga, was designed to teach NIH employees and the general public about the benefits of yoga, through discussion of research on its benefits, as well as through demonstrations.

This event is significant in that the NIH, a 120-year-old US government agency, is endorsing a practice that 30 years ago, would have been considered very alternative. Now, with substantial scientific evidence supporting the health benefits of yoga, and large percentages of the US population practicing it in some form, it has become very much a part of the mainstream.

The NIH has been making efforts for some time now to better understand non-traditional non-Western forms of health care. In 1999, the NIH established the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) to study the many forms of non-biomedical health treatments that are being used by an increasingly large portion of Americans. The NCCAM website offers information on other modalities including energy medicine, herbal remedies, Ayurveda, homeopathy and more.

The schedule, as of April 3, is listed below. To learn more about Yoga Week, and to see a full schedule of events, visit the official Yoga Week website.

Monday, May 19, 2008 (Building 45 Natcher Auditorium)
Time: 10:00am - 11:00am
Title: Visit NIH Recreation and Welfare Sponsor Booths on the lower level of Natcher, outside the auditorium!
Sponsored by: Weight Watchers / Honest Tea / Whole Foods / Thrive Yoga / Inner Reaches Yoga / Unity Woods Yoga / Burt's Bees / the Alzheimer's Research and Prevention Foundation / NIH Recreation and Welfare

Time: 11:00am - 11:15am
Title: "Kick-Off to 1st Annual NIH Yoga Week"
Speakers: Rachel Permuth-Levine, Ph.D., NHLBI / Virginia Hill, OD / Susan Bowen, Owner, Thrive Yoga

Time: 11:15am - 12:00pm
Title: "The Sciences of Hatha Yoga, Tantra, and Ayurveda"
Speaker: Yogiraj Alan Finger, founder of ISHTA Yoga

Time: 12:00pm - 12:15pm (Break)
Explore the Visiting Merchants tables
Sponsored by NIH Recreation and Welfare Association

Time: 12:15pm - 1:00pm
Title: "Yoga Stretches for the Desk and Office",
Speaker: Rachel Permuth-Levine, Ph.D., NHLBI

1:00 pm - 1:45 pm
Cake Cutting from Eurest Dining Services
Explore the Visiting Merchants tables
Sponsored by the NIH Recreation and Welfare Association

Time: 1:45pm - 2:30pm
Title: "Yoga Practice Outside - Location (TBD)
Notes: Weather Permitting; Bring Your Own Mat!

Tuesday, May 20, 2008 (6130 Executive Blvd (EPN) Conference Rooms C-F)
Time: 11:00am - 11:30am
Speaker: Rhonda Moore, Ph.D., Introducing the Week's Events
Title: "NCI Research Portfolio on Yoga Research"
Speaker: Jeffrey D. White, M.D., NCI

Time: 11:30am - 12:15pm
Title: "Discussion of Past and Ongoing Research on Tibetan Yoga, Hatha Yoga, and Qigong in Cancer"
Speaker: Lorenzo Cohen, Ph.D. (Director of the Integrative Medicine Program at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center)

Time: 12:15pm - 12:30pm (Break)

Time: 12:30pm - 1:15pm
Title: "The Secret Treasure of Yogic Alignment"
Speaker: John Schumacher (Founder and Director of Unity Woods Yoga Center)

Wednesday, May 21, 2008 (Building 10 Masur Auditorium)
Time: 11:30am - 12:30pm
Title: “The Science of Yoga”
Speaker: Timothy McCall, M.D., Medical Editor of Yoga Journal Magazine and author of Yoga as Medicine

Time: 12:30pm-1:00pm (Break)
Conversation with Dr. McCall

Time: 1:15pm - 2:00pm
Title: "Yoga Session" (all levels) in Building 31, Room B4-C18 Fitness Center - Bring Your Own Mat!
Instructor: Judith Lyon, RYT-500, Founder of NIH Yoga Program (over ten years) and Yoga Instructor at NIH and Sun and Moon Yoga

Time: 6:30pm-9:00pm
Title: Networking Dinner, all are welcome, space very limited.
Location: Penang Restaurant (Malaysian Cuisine), (301) 657-2878
4933 Bethesda Ave, Bethesda, MD
RSVP required to: levinerac@mail.nih.gov

Thursday, May 22, 2008 (6701 Rockledge Dr. (Rockledge Two) Conference Rooms 9100/9104)
Time: 11:00am - 11:45am
Title: "Therapeutic Applications of Iyengar Yoga for Low Back Pain"
Speaker: Kimberly Williams, Ph.D., West Virginia University, Certified Iyengar Instructor

Time: 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Title: "Yoga Research: Past, Present, and Future"
Speaker: Sat Bir S. Khalsa, Ph.D., Director of Research, Kundalini Research Institute Research Director, Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health Assistant Professor of Medicine Brigham and Women's Hospital Harvard Medical School

Time: 1:15pm - 1:45pm
Title: “Safe and Healthy Facial Care”
Speaker: Denise Clark, Training and Education Manager, Burt’s Bees
Sponsored by the NIH Recreation and Welfare Association

Time: 2:00pm-3:00pm
Title: "Free Yoga Class" (all levels) in Rockledge 1 Fitness Center (6705 Rockledge Dr.) Suite 5070

6:00pm - 8:00pm
Title: "Yoga and Meditation in the management of Stress"
Speaker: Sat Bir S. Khalsa, Ph.D., Director of Research, Kundalini Research Institute Research Director, Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health Assistant Professor of Medicine Brigham and Women's Hospital Harvard Medical School
Location: Thrive Yoga, Rockville, Maryland
Note: Pre-registration is required (there is a cost to this lecture), for additional information e-mail: susan@thriveyoga.com

Friday, May 23, 2008 (6001 Executive Blvd (Neuroscience Center) Conference Rooms C - E)
Time: 11:00am - 11:45am
Title: "Yoga as a Corporate Stress Management Tool"
Speaker: Terri Kennedy, Ph.D., MBA, RYT, CHHC, Chair of the Board, Yoga Alliance

Time: 11:45am - 12:15pm
Title: “Earth-Friendly Body-Care”
Speaker: Denise Clark, Training and Education Manager, Burt’s Bees
Sponsored by the NIH Recreation and Welfare Association

Time: 12:15pm - 1:00pm
Title: "Yoga Nidra: Guided Meditation for Stress Management and Relaxation" Bring Your Own Mat if possible!
Instructor: Neva Ingalls, ERYT-500, Certified Yoga Therapist and Director of Inner Domain Yoga Alliance Registered School

Cats, Closets and Dreams

Last night I had a strange and vivid dream. I usually remember my dreams upon waking, but they usually fade away by late morning. However, this one stayed with me all day, and I kept coming back to the imagery -- rich, obvious and very Jungian. I have been trying to figure out what it means all day...

In my dream, I was traveling on business, and was renting a small apartment in a town I'd never visited before. Upon my arrival, the realtor in charge of renting the apartment showed me around, then told me that something unpleasant had happened, and that I may not want to look in the closet. I didn't ask any questions as to the nature of the incident.

Throughout the dream, I spent time with various colleagues, whom I had not met before this trip, and all made references to the closet. I recall thinking that while these people were nice, and I didn't mind hanging around with them during my visit, they weren't people I would have chosen out of the whole pool of humanity to be my friends. There was nothing specific that I didn't like about them, it was just a feeling.

Upon arriving back at the apartment with a colleague after having been out and about, I came in through a side door, which opened onto a set of stairs leading up to the living area. On the stairs was a very friendly cat. My colleague commented that the cat wasn't usually so friendly toward strangers. When we got upstairs, she mentioned the closet.

I woke up soon after this portion of the dream. I never did look in the closet. I had this strong feeling that not knowing would be way better than seeing whatever might be in there. I knew that if whatever-it-was-in-the-closet was incredibly disturbing, I wouldn't be able to stay in the apartment.

My surface analysis was that it was obvious that the closet represented a part of myself or my life that I have not explored. The scary thing in the closet is some aspect of myself that I am afraid to confront, feeling that it is better to deny it than to confront it and not be able to live with it. As for the cat, in many cultures they are seen as messengers or conduits to the spirit world -- good or evil. According to the Dream Moods website, "for the cat lover, cats signifies an independent spirit, feminine sexuality, creativity, and power."

However, although I've been meditating on my dream's possible meanings, I have not come to any conclusions. Seeing things clearly for other people comes quite naturally for me. What is it that I can't see about myself?

Roman Holiday: Campo de' Fiore, Day and Night

By day, Campo de' Fiore features a huge open-air market in the center of the square. Surrounding the market are about a dozen cafes with plentiful outside seating.

At night, the square is cleared of the tables and tents, the remnants of the day's produce are swept away, and Campo de' Fiore is transformed into a lively cafe and bar scene.

From top to bottom: cappucino at Taverna Campo de' Fiore; view from the rooftop of Hotel Campo de' Fiore; the market by day; the cafes at night

Roman Holiday: Perfetto

We took a day trip to Florence, Firenze, a place I had longed to see since my undergraduate days as an art major. As I had expected, the city was full of famous artwork and architecture at every turn. Even the view from the road leading up to the Ponte Vecchio (seen here) looked like a Renaissance painting.

Yet of all the iconic images we encountered, none could match the magnificence of Michelangelo's David. I took this photo of the replica that stands in the Piazza della Signoria, where the original stood until the 1800s. And while it is an amazing copy, I have never seen anything as exquisite as the original David, which is housed a few blocks away in the Accademia delle Belle Arti. A photograph of the original can be seen on here on Wikipedia.

The original David's 2003 cleaning left it looking immaculate, except for a few toes on his left foot that had been attacked by a vandal in the early 1990s. Standing before this sculpture, I felt humbled and awed. I can only describe it as the closest thing to perfection that I have experienced in my life. We were lucky enough to be in the museum when there were very few people, so were able to view the statue up close, for an extended period of time. We were amazed by the intricate detail -- each of the veins in David's hands and feet were meticulously crafted, the slight wrinkle in his brow, the skin stretched slightly above his belly button.

Photos cannot do justice to the miracle of this sculpture. In person, it is difficult to believe that it is made of marble, of stone, and is not a living, breathing, perfect human. I recalled learning in art history that Michelangelo claimed that he did not create his sculptures, but rather simply released the already-formed pieces from the rocks with which he worked. This concept really hit home in viewing the David -- how could a mere mortal create something so perfect?

Roman Holiday: Aperitivo

We discovered many wonderful things in Rome, but one of our favorites is the tradition of aperitivo. Aperitivo is like American happy hour, only better. Many people eat a late dinner in Rome, so aperitivo begins around 7:00pm and runs until 10:00 or 11:00pm. Typically, you purchase a drink, then are entitled to nibble on a variety of appetizers such as olives, bruschetta, and pasta.

We found the best aperitivo by far at Freni e Frizioni in the awesome neighborhood of Trastevere. For just 5 euros, you can buy a glass of wine, draught beer or apperitif, which comes with Freni e Frizioni's amazing buffet, which contains enough types of food that you could conceivably make a meal of it. In addition to a generous variety of fresh vegetables with about six different dips, they offer pasta, chicken cacciatore, couscous, risotto, grilled vegetables, bruschetta and more, all of it outstanding -- definitely a major improvement over scrawny greasy chicken wings with celery typical of American happy hour.

There is no limit to the amount of food you can take, and you are welcome to sit for as long as you like. We love the unrushed feeling of Roman meals, just as much a social occasion as an opportunity for physical nourishment.

Roman Holiday: Love Potion No. 9

As I mentioned in a previous post, one of the things that has struck me about Rome is the interweaving of the sacred and the profane in every part of the city. An example of this was my discovery of an incredibly unique and wonderful store called Ai Monasteri, which features products made in the ancient monastic tradition. This beautiful store, set up like an old pharmacy, carries a variety of wines, liquors, preserves, honeys, beauty products, candies and teas produced by monks from 7 different monasteries throughout Rome. In addition to these more typical souvenir-type products, they also carry a variety of elixirs and remedies, made from ancient recipes. When the store was established in 1894, herbal remedies were their focus. And many of the products are made from recipes dating back to pre-Christian Rome, which were preserved through the writings of the monks during the Middle Ages.

There are remedies for all that ails you, including stress, joint pain, weight control, melancholy, sleep disorders, fatigue, eyesight, cholesterol, circulation, digestion, skin health, coughing, smoking cessation and much more.

One of the elixirs that caught my eye was the Elixir Dell' Amore, which is described as: "The formula and modus operandi used for this “Love Potion” dates back to the 16th century. It was rediscovered in the Ricettario Senese (Sienese Book of Prescriptions) by one of our ancestors at the end of the 19th century. Only ten bottles of this exclusive liqueur are made each year, as it requires an extremely careful, drawn-out process. People were told to drink this elixir when they were not in the mood for love to arouse desire and give them energy. It is made by carefully adding officinal plants during the long distillation process, making this drink extremely tasty and effective."

The other elixir that sparked my interest was the Elixir Della Felicita', described thusly: "Happiness is quite easy to find. Sometimes, often by chance, our thoughts return to the past and we remember and re-live happy moments. Sitting in a comfortable and quiet corner of your home in a peaceful moment with a glass of this herbal liqueur in your hand will almost certainly help you to dig up such lost moments."

If you are interested in their products, they can be ordered through the Ai Monasteri website. Their PDF catalog contains detailed descriptions of their many wonderful products.

Roman Holiday: The Sacred and the Profane

Everywhere you go in Rome, you see religious icons, as well as pre-Christian relics, intermingled amongst the modern buildings and fixtures. Priests and nuns are a common site, along with the fashionistas. Souvenir shops offer tourists the choice of images of the Vatican as well as desktop models of the Colloseum. A block from a restaurant run by the Missionary Workers of the Immaculate Conception, I spotted a photo shoot in progress featuring models in pseudo-S&M-wear lingerie, which was sold at the boutique next door. A couple of blocks from a restaurant whose logo contains an "O" with devil horns, you can buy priestly garb, incense and communion supplies.

Despite the abundance of religious icons, buildings and more, I don't find Rome to be a very spiritual place. It is full of wonderful artwork, fabulous food, amazing architecture, rich culture, but the things that I associate with spirituality are not as easily found.

For one thing, there is very little green space, although the Villa Borghese is an exception to this. And many of the churches are tourist attractions, so you don't get the feeling of sanctuary that you get from places that are more peaceful.

I find this to be very much in contrast to the United States, where we tend to separate things religious from the secular. 

In 118AD, the Pantheon building replaced a pagan temple built in 27BC, that was turned into a church in 609AD. Evidence of both influences can be seen in the structures.

The Vatican museum features many pre-Christian artifacts, including this statue of a griffin-like creature.

Roman Holiday: Holy Profiterole-y

Two nights ago, we had an unusual and delightful dining experience in Rome at L'Eau Vive, a restaurant housed in the 16th-century Palazzo Lante della Rovere and run by the Travailleuses Missionaires de la Conception Immaculee (Missionary Workers of the Immaculate Conception), an order of lay Carmelite women from Asia and Africa. The restaurant specializes in French cuisine, but offers daily specials representing different regions of the world including Africa, Asia and the United States.

When we arrived for dinner around 8:30pm, we were lead to the second floor dining area where the high ceilings of the simply decorated rooms are covered with frescoes. We ordered the avocado and mango salad, which sat atop a bed of incredibly delicate butterleaf lettuce and was topped with a drizzle of perfectly balanced vinagrette. Our entrees were duck with orange sauce, pork with prune sauce and salmon with a ginger saffron sauce. The house wine was quite good, and very inexpensive by Roman standards.

Around 9:30, our waitress came to our table and handed us printed cards with the words to Ave Maria in French and in Italian. Part of the dining experience at L'Eau Vive involves
a nightly ritual of pausing the serving of dinner so that all the Carmelites can sing. Patrons are welcome, and encouraged, to sing along. Having read a review of the restaurant in Fodor's Rome's 25 Best, we were aware that this was their custom, so were prepared for this break, and were happy to join along.

After the singing, we finished eating dinner and took a look at the dessert menu, which featured a large selection of French specialties. While everything looked wonderful, we narrowed our choices down to the lemon tarte, the chocolate mousse and the fruit gratin. All were exquisite.

The mission of this group of Carmelites is to spread the Word of God through cuisine. Since food is the international language, and the way to every person's heart is through their stomach, there is definitely something to this, especially if the food is as good as that which we experienced at L'Eau Vive.

You can find a full story on the history of L'Eau Vive, or to read a current New York Times review of the restaurant. L'Eau Vive is located at Via Monterone 85, between the Pantheon and the Piazza Navona.

Balancing a Full Nest

I am a big advocate of creating balance in one's life, as well as healthy eating. So I was fascinated when I came across a post on the WashingtonPost.com Small Business blog, about Heather Stouffer, a local woman who has created the first line of organic frozen food for kids. Great concept! Stouffer left her full-time job when her son was 7 months old in order to devote her time to creating healthy, convenient for busy families.

A friend of mine left her full-time job to spend more time with her twin boys. Since then, she had another baby. While she enjoyed the intellectual stimulation of work, she knew her top priority was having the opportunity to engage in meaningful work, and to have the flexibility to be available for her family. So she was delighted when some friends asked her to open up a Northern VA branch of their Richmond-based company, Momentum Resources, which specializes in placing highly qualified women in part-time and temporary positions. Momentum was mentioned in a recent Washington Post article, "Career or Family? Yes. Work-Life Gurus, Part-Time Opportunities Help Mothers Get Back on the Job" along with other firms in the DC area that are catering to a growing number of professional women who want flexibility in their schedules.

Momentum is part of a growing number of firms in metropolitan areas spread across the country that are matching employers with these highly qualified moms (several are mentioned in another Washington Post article After a Baby, Full Time or Part?
When Family and Career Collide, Working Mothers Struggle With Their Answers). I find it incredibly encouraging that companies are beginning to realize that there is this vast pool of highly talented women who want to work, and can provide great value to their workplaces, as long as they have the assurance that they can be there for their families as well.

In the Name of Love

Today is the 40th anniversary of the tragic assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who was one of the key figures of the American Civil Rights Movement. King was the youngest man to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to bring about greater racial equality, exclusively through non-violent means. You can hear clips of his inspiring speeches, along with lots of information about his life at The King Center website.

Pride: In the Name of Love, a tribute to the legacy of King, was one of the most moving parts of U2 3D (an Imax film documenting U2's 2006-2007 Vertigo tour), which I went to see Over Easter weekend with some out of town guests. The film made wonderful use of the new 3D movie technology, creating an uncanny feeling that you are actually witnessing a live concert (at one point, a member of the audience actually held up his cell phone "lighter"). Having seen U2 in DC during their Vertigo tour, I have to say that the filmmakers did a great job of capturing the spirit of the experience. With strong themes of peace, love, justice and equality, the concert and movie were powerfully moving, both musically and through the strong message of unity.

Interestingly, the next morning we attended a Quaker Meeting service. Our visitors had wanted to check it out. In Quaker Meeting, there is no minister or priest. Rather, people sit in silent contemplation, and individuals will stand up and share their thoughts if "the spirit moves them". There were several sharings, and interestingly, all seemed to be a continuation of the message from the U2 movie. One speaker actually used the phrase, "In the name of Love." Our guests commented afterward how the two events seemed to be part of a whole. Clearly the message we were being given, quite strongly, was that this is a time when we all need to come together, as one, to realize that we are part of a greater whole, and to live our lives motivated by love for all people. Clearly, King's legacy lives on.

"Early morning, April four
Shot rings out in the Memphis sky.
Free at last, they took your life
They could not take your pride.

In the name of love
What more in the name of love.
In the name of love
What more in the name of love."

--U2

Pass It Along...

I was recently tagged by Susan over at Just a List. I haven't participated in any memes for a while, so I thought it would be enjoyable to play along.

How This Tag Works:
Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
Share seven facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
Tag seven people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Note: As always when I pass along these memes, there is no pressure for those of you whom I have tagged to respond. I will not be offended if you do not perpetuate the tag. My main purpose in tagging the women I've chosen is to bring attention to some of the wonderful blogging talent that exists in my neck of the woods!

Seven Facts About Myself:
1. I recently perfected my eggplant parmesan recipe based on something I saw on TV
2. I love the the way that the tops of babies' heads smell
3. I have seen Blue Oyster Cult in concert twice, neither time because I wanted to
4. I believe that people are inherently good
5. Lavender is my favorite herb -- it's exquisite to look at, smell and taste
6. As a child, I never wanted a pony, but I did beg for an older brother on many occasions (I thought it would be cool)
7. I am happy that I made the choice to move to DC rather than San Francisco or Paris (I took the picture for this post during the the White House tour last year).

Seven People That I Am Tagging (all DC-area women bloggers):
1. Lisa at Ethnic Scrapbooking
2. Amy at Oblinaknit
3. Jada at In Other Words
4. Dianne at Spirit in Matters
5. Rose at Deeper Perception Made Practical
6. Michelle at The Fertile Unknown
7. Gaea at Weirding Word

Sakura, Sakura

Sakura Sakura,
Yayoi no sora wa,
miwatasu kagiri,
Kasumi ka kumo ka,
nioi zo izuru,
izaya izaya mini yu kan

Despite the fact that thousands of people are walking around the Tidal Basin at any given time during the blossoming of the cherry trees in DC, there is an incredible air of peacefulness to the place. There is something incredibly moving, even mystical, about the fleeting beauty of the two thousand pink-blossomed trees.

The Hippest Museum in DC

A couple of months ago we visited the National Portrait Gallery for the first time. This was despite the fact that we live 15 mintues away and have visited most of the other Smithsonian museums. We had never bothered because, frankly, it sounded boring. But our curiosity was peaked in January after Stephen Colbert's three part series on his quest to find a home for his portrait. The quest ended with him having the National Portrait Gallery agree to hang it for six weeks just a few steps away from its famous portrait of George Washington -- albeit in the restroom alcove near the Hall of American Presidents (it has since been extended through April 1, 2008).

We decided to stop by figuring it would be a great opportunity to see a bit of American history, and check out the museum in the process. While we were there, we took photos of the portrait, and ourselves with the portrait. Several other people were there doing the same thing, and the guards said that there had been crowds of people stopping by to take a look during peak visiting hours (I've since heard that attendance has doubled since the hanging of Colbert's portrait).

We were glad that we had finally visited the NPG. Besides discovering some classic portraits and American art, we also discovered that a new special exhibit was in the process of being installed -- a tribute to hip-hop culture, which looked really interesting. We decided we should return in a few weeks to see it.

So, yesterday we stopped by the Gallery again. The exhibit, entitled "Recognize: Hip Hop and Contemporary Portraiture," featured a small, but stunning collection of recent portraits, videos and photography. The hallways were lined with bold, brightly colored, beautiful murals by DC graffiti artists Tim Conlon and Dave Hupp, aka CON and AREK. And in the side rooms, whose walls had been painted in deep jewel tones, hung huge portraits of hip hop artists, such as Ice T and LL Cool J, crafted by Kehinde Wiley in the style of Baroque and Rococo artists, but with a distinctively fresh edge. The murals and portraits were breathtaking in their scale and craftsmanship -- powerful images deftly executed. Even if you can't make it to DC before the exhibit ends in October of this year, you can view much of it online here.

I highly recommend this museum. It is much more innovative and exciting than the name would suggest.

Top: Portrait of LL Cool J by Kehinde Wiley from "Recognize: Hip Hop and Contemporary Portraiture" exhibit guide book; Middle: Portrait of Stephen Colbert; Bottom: Courtyard atrium in the National Gallery of Art

Becoming Her VeganSelf

The following post was written by guest blogger, Julia Guarino.

When I was five years old, I arrived home one day from kindergarten and announced to my parents that I was going to become a vegetarian. They were surprised, but as I seemed determined, they obliged, asking advice from my pediatrician but not sure how long my desire would last. By ten however, I had completely eliminated the fish and poultry that I sometimes ate, and I have been completely vegetarian ever since. This past year, for my final year of college, I moved into my first apartment, and in the excitement of newly possessing a kitchen, I subscribed to Vegetarian Times. It is full of wonderful recipes and tips on products to buy and restaurants to frequent for both lacto-ovo vegetarians (those who still consume eggs and dairy products), and vegans (those who have eliminated all animal products, including eggs, dairy and honey). I had never really considered becoming vegan. Even though I had long ago chosen to use soy milk over cow’s milk and to replace butter with non-hydrogenated-oil-based margarine (like Smart Balance, which tastes remarkably similar), I knew giving up cheese and eggs would take immense effort, and I wasn’t sure it was worth it. After all, not only did I enjoy these things, but as a vegetarian it was extremely difficult to order a meal at a restaurant with any protein in it that didn’t come from one of these two sources.

However, as the year continued, several articles on the health benefits of veganism published in the Vegetarian Times encouraged me to eliminate more and more animal products from my diet, and the more I did so, the more I realized that it felt really good. I began to do some research. Could I really do this? Did it make sense to become vegan? Would the benefits outweigh the inconvenience?

My research gave me a fairly clear answer: it is difficult, and you have to do it right, but if you’re willing to put it in the effort, it is worth it. I came across several medical studies done on vegan groups, providing evidence that a plant-based diet has enormous health benefits, including helping to prevent cancer, reversing the need for medication in type-2 diabetes patients, and more. Concern over the risks of malnourishment (as in the infamous case of the Queens baby) are not entirely unfounded, but seem to be fairly easy to avoid; as long as attention is paid to the vegan’s consumption of protein as well as some vitamins found in less concentrated amounts in non-vegan diets, such as vitamins B12, iron, calcium and zinc, even children live quite healthily on it.

I can't say that the switch is easy, and I have still not made it completely, but the less eggs and dairy I eat, the better I feel. Perhaps it is simply a feeling of accomplishment, but either way, I know I am doing better for my body, and it is worth it, despite the inconvenience.

Culinary Streets of NY

Looking back at my grad school days at Fordham University in the Bronx, NY, one of my proudest accomplishments is having discovered the amazing resource that is Arthur Avenue. Actually, I was introduced to it by a fellow grad student who had grown up in the neighborhood, and who introduced me to many of the treasures it has to offer. But even if they have never visited this area, just about everyone who lives in the Tri-State area knows of the legendary bread that comes from this culinary street –there is nothing like the crunchy crust and chewy inside of Arthur Avenue's italian loaves. Besides the bread, there are a number of outstanding deli's, restaurants, pastry shops and produce stores. In this neighborhood, food is given the respect it deserves, and it is made and served love.

This past weekend, my husband and I made the journey to Arthur Avenue, having been inspired by a recent episode of Throwdown with Bobby Flay featuring the eggplant parmigiana from Mike's Deli. The dish was everything it was cracked up to be, with a perfect balance of sauce, cheese and very thinly sliced breaded eggplant. Deliziosi!

In addition to the eggplant, we bought some stuffed peppers, roasted red peppers, olive oil, and jars of Mike's Deli's tomato sauce (all of these are available to order through their website). Down the street at Madonia Brothers Bakery, we scored a loaf of freshly baked bread and some Italian twist cookies. Around the corner, we stopped at Egidio Pastry Shop for a selection of mini-pastries and the best cappucinos we have ever tasted. For the road, we each got a slice of cheese pizza from Full Moon Pizzeria. While I love living in the DC area, I have not yet found a pizza place that has that authentic New York flavor and texture. [My dear readers, if you know of any authentic-tasting NY style pizza restaurants around here, please let me know!]

If you love food, and have the opportunity, I highly recommend a visit to Arthur Avenue. It's a few blocks from the Bronx Zoo and The New York Botanical Garden, so it's easy to make a fun-filled day of it.

Awakening

According to the calendar, spring is almost here. But in my yard, many plants have already sprung fully from the not-so-long-ago frozen ground. All around my neighborhood, trees are beginning to bud. The gorgeous pinkish-purplish color of plum trees is such a nice contrast to the winter grey sticks that were there just a couple of weeks ago. New life, new beginnings.

And so goes my blog. After a winter of intellectual hibernation, I am back, ready to create again. Ideas that have been gestating are coming to bloom. And I look forward to sharing with you again! Happy Spring!!!

Happy Holidays from My Home to Yours

This is a little video that my husband and I made. Something about this weird little dog puppet has always brought a smile to my face. Friends who have seen the video have said it is, "Adorable," "Cute," "Fun!" "Awesome" and "Oddly moving." Enjoy!

Dec 17th Bloggers Unite in Acts of Kindness

Last month I wrote about my intention to participate in BlogCatalog's challenge for bloggers to commit an act of kindness, then post about it on December 17. The goal of this effort, dubbed Bloggers Unite in Acts of Kindness, "is to expose their kindness and generosity as well as serve as an example to non-bloggers that volunteering for a charity, donating to a cause, or simply doing something kind for another person has a ripple effect around the world." A few people have expressed the opinion that kindness should be practiced every day, and I wholeheartedly agree. But I also feel that it doesn't hurt to remind ourselves about the power of simple acts of kindness.

So, I decided that I wanted to write about my experience volunteering at a local hospital that offers Reiki to people with cancer, as well as their spouses and caregivers. I am one of almost 40 Reiki practitioners who have signed up as volunteers for a wonderful program that offers a variety of educational and support services, including holistic programs such as meditation and yoga classes, as well as massage and Reiki.

Last week, I gave Reiki to four people -- two people with cancer, one spouse and a caregiver. I find it very satisfying to work with people with cancer, as they find the Reiki sessions very helpful in helping them relax, and it often helps to reduce any pain or discomfort they may be feeling. And the two people I worked with reported feeling much better as a result of the session.

Interestingly, I found that the spouse and caregiver had the "heaviest energy". For those of you who are not energy workers, I'm not sure how to describe it other than to say that I felt something like mild electrical energy flowing through me very strongly and rapidly out through my hands for the entire time I was touching them. I feel this to some extent with everyone, but in their cases, it was much stronger than usual. Both of them fell asleep during their sessions, and woke up with beautifully peaceful smiles on their faces. When I asked how they were feeling, they both said that they felt "wonderful." And I felt that they looked wonderful, too. In receiving this healing touch, the stress and tension on their faces melted away, revealing their true, beautiful, luminous selves.

I felt great satisfaction from the "thank you"s and appreciative smiles, and in return I thanked them for coming in for the program. As with any other act of giving, when one gives Reiki, one also receives it. And as I left the hospital to drive home, I felt light -- in body, mind and spirit.

Resources:
Reiki In Hospitals
Network For Good
Volunteer Match
Goldberg, Carey “For good health, it is better to give, science suggests.” Boston Globe, (November 28, 2003)

Abundance Checks Revisited

I discovered that my post on Abundance Checks, from August 2007, is one of the most frequently read archived posts on my blog. Because it seems to be of interest to readers, and because it only covered the new moon dates through 2007, I wanted to provide updated information for 2008. I found that the US Naval Observatory has moon phase information through 2035 (and going back as far as 1700). Here are the new moon dates and times (GMT) for 2008:

January 8, 11:37 am
February 7, 3:44 am
March 7, 5:14 pm
April 6, 3:55 am
May 5, 12:18 pm
June 3, 7:23 pm
July 3, 2:19 am
August 1, 10:13 am
August 30, 7:58 pm
September 29, 8:12 am
October 28, 11:14 pm
November 27, 4:55 pm
December 27, 12:22 pm

Image from the cover of Elliott Smith's New Moon