Everyday Bliss For Women In Leadership

This is THE Blog for you if you’re a Woman who desires to live a life of  Everyday Bliss. Though that necessarily requires a bit of work on yourself, Bliss also BEGINS with accepting you for WHO YOU ARE.  Your thighs are thin enough. Trust me, my thighs are bigger than yours and it doesn’t keep me up nights. Bliss is knowing that things are okay as they are, you’re just fine, you are living a Guided life, and what needs to change will take care of itself.

TODAY my friend the renowned "Comfort Queen", Jennifer Louden, has declared an international holiday:

May 15, 2007:  Freedom From Self Improvement Day

Self-improvement is a one-way ticket to misery, Jen says. She endorses a path to happiness and fulfillment that starts with acceptance of who and where you are.

As a certified Bliss Booster, I couldn’t agree more.

As we give gratitude for what is good and wonderful in our lives, we need to start with ourselves - WHOMever you are, WHEREever you are and WHATever is going on in your life….is all just fine. 

“Beating ourselves up because our thighs aren’t thin enough, or because we still haven’t perfected the art of ‘positive thinking’ hasn’t made us happier or the world a better place,” says Jen, whose books include The Woman’s Comfort Book and her recently released The Life Organizer: A Woman’s Guide to a Mindful Year.

“Inner peace through endless self-improvement only serves to make us endlessly dissatisfied and disappointed. The biggest paradox in trying to change ourselves is that nothing happens until we embrace who and how we are right now, imperfections, perceived flaws and all.” she says.

I’ll add that it is only then that you can go forward out of what isn’t what you want and engage the Law of Attraction to get what you want. That Gratitude for What Is, is absolutely essential. And it needs to be legitimate gratitude, not merely mouthed insincerely.

My recommendation, if you’re not to the happy place with where you are yet, is to start with the EFT Personal Peace Procedure. Being at peace with yourself is key to Everyday Bliss.

The day will include a number of resources to encourage self-acceptance, ban self-improvement, and have fun while doing it, including a “Declaration of Independence from Self-Improvement,” audio downloads contributed by a host of best-selling authors and spiritual teachers, and suggested activities for celebrating our beautiful, imperfect selves.

To get a comprehensive run-down on what Jen is offering, check her blog out at:

http://freedomfromselfimprovement.com

And drop the shoulda-coulda-woulda’s, don’ts and must-do’s that litter your life and poison personal peace.

Be Kind to You.

Be gentle and compassionate with your dear, precious self. 

To quote Jen: "True change is a result of self-love, not self-hatred.”  You said it, girlfriend.

I’ve had several emails asking "What the heck is Morris Dancing?" and thought no words better capture the thing than those of Ric Goldman from his FAQ at: 

http://rgoldman.org/morris/mayday.htm

Ric’s entire website should be perused for best understanding and knowledge of Morris and Molly sides where you live, but here is his rundown on an explanation of the art form:

What IS Morris Dancing?

Morris dancing is a living tradition of English celebratory and ritual dance with live music, with origins shrouded in mystery and the mists of time.   Shakespeare used it in his plays and it was old then.  The dancers usually wear bells at their knees and often wave hankies (to attract and welcome benevolent spring and summer spirits) or clash sticks (symbolizing the eternal battle between winter and summer), and the dances have traditionally been performed around the time of major celebration or seasonal crosspoints in the calendar.  Indeed, dances of comparable form and dancers in similar costumes are found elsewhere in Europe and around the world, and may be thought to be part of the universal urge to influence and honor the unknowable forces which govern our lives.

One of the most colourful descriptions of morris was provided in the 15th century, by Edmund, Duke of Edinburgh, the Black Adder who said, "Morris dancing is the most fatuous, tenth-rate entertainment ever devised by man.  Fourty effeminate blacksmiths waving bits of cloth they’ve just wiped their noses on.  How it’s still going on in this day and age I’ll never know."

Modern morris includes several different types of dance, all from different regions of England; Cotswold Morris from the south, Border Morris from the west, Molly Dancing from the southeast, and Northwest Morris from the northwest.  Other dance styles such as Longsword, Rapper (sword), Clog, and Garland are often included in the term "morris".

There are lots of ways to get more detail about Morris dancing, but the absolutely best way is to find a morris dancer, take them to a pub, offer them refreshment, and ask for the real story.  It’s guaranteed good luck, too!

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So as I said to Ric when consulting him on edits to the Mayday Morris video, "first pint’s on me".  Having a heavy week with the book - stay tuned this week however, when the corrected video will be posted!!

I do enjoy marking the passages of the year-wheel with other kindred spirits. A riotous bit of good fun I have a great deal of fondness for is the annual Morris Maying at the Palo Alto, California, Baylands Nature Reserve. There’s a video below, but bear with me a second, some stage setting is in order.

We meet at 5:30am when it’s pitch dark, on the southern edge of the San Francisco Bay. Teams (called "sides") of Morris men (and women) dance up the sun and general frivolity and fun ensue. This ritual goes back at least 900 years in England, to judge from the radiocarbon dating of the reindeer horns used in the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance which leads off the festivities. Alas, it is far too dark to record the dance on video, so we made do with a historical slide show segeuing into the 2007 stills.

In our family’s tradition, the women stay up through the night making rose and flower crowns (which I always wear to the event) while the men cook us a scrumptious post-midnight repast. And of course, it’s considered de riguer to make love in the out of doors in the fields if possible (though it’s generally too cold). Traditionally, the morning’s dancing capped off a night of sympathetic magic ensuring bumper crops in the fields and encouraged the sun to rise to bestow its abundance upon the people.

Here are my videos and best recollection of the dance titles and personnel from May 1st, 2007. If I have made errors, I beg your forgiveness in advance. Contact me and I will be glad to amend the titling. The song sung at intro and outro is "Hal an Tow", a traditional Maying song that echoes the poignancy of the Horn Dance in its first verse:

Take no scorn, to wear the horns
It was the crest when you were born
Your father’s father wore it then,
Your father wore it too…

Needless to say, this verse is aimed at young men who, taking up their generation’s innovations, ’scorn’ what can seem to be the quaint antiqueries of their sires. Where does such a dance come from? While none truly know and the origins have been shrouded in the mists of time, my theory is that such a dance comes from the deer cults that existed in al primitive societies. Once England was covered from coast to coast with dense, impenetrable forests where the red deer reigned. Remember the caves at Lascaux and the pictures on their walls recounting the hunt? Many pictures of deer have been found all over Europe. The stag was a revered symbol of masculinity. Deer  and elk cults existed in native America and reindeer cults in northern Europe. All three of these animals are taxonomically related and their cults are among the strongest in terms of fertility, protection of the home and as symbols of masculinity. But enough of the lecture, you want to see the video.

This day, in May, 2007, the sun came up in fine fashion, cresting the top of the Diablo mountains to much hooting and huzzah-ing. See? Without us dancing the sun up, there’d be no crops this summer. I hope you’re properly grateful…  Enjoy!

If you are as troubled as I am about the Virgina Tech massacre, you might be feeling a little helpless and frustrated right now. I know I sure was once the bulletins stopped flying and the shock wore off a bit. It was a little like 9/11 all over again.

I’m a person that feels very deeply. And as I watched the news, a feeling of panic rose…my breathing got real shallow….tears welled up and hovered in my eyes as I watched the tragedy unfold.

I thought how senseless and what a cruel shame it was that those young people’s lives were cut short, and how horrible for the survivors desperate for answers that the police were saying we’d probably never know why.

And then….I remembered I could breathe, and I remembered that I had the choice to say my cue word, or tap or hold the TAT pose. I did all three. Plus about ten minutes of the three different kinds of cross-crawls.

Tragedies like this snarl both our emotions and our energy fields….

Self-care is really important during a time like this. So if you’re affected, or if you were actually involved, then go here right now and learn how to take care of yourself:

http://quantumflow.com/stressrelief.html

I also want to remind everyone that just as we have the ability to tap, pose and cue for ourselves, we can also lend selfless service to those who are still suffering.

While this may seem initially unhelpful to hear…

And while *of course* we all need a decent period to grieve our losses…

Let’s also remind ourselves that *undue* suffering is, truly, optional. And, that we who have taken the pledge to help others….can help ourselves best at times like this…by doing both our own work AND surrogate energy therapy for those who don’t yet know that they need not suffer.

So join all of the people in the Energy Field who are massing together to help alleviate this and other suffering, doing whatever you know best. For the power of Prayer has been proven by university study, and the power of our own Intention is great and well documented. And we know that there is no real distance between us, for we are all one in the Zero Point Field. (if you don’t yet know what this is all about, then by all means read Lynne McTaggart’s book ‘The Field: Search For The Mysterious Force of the Universe)

To quote my good friend Kim George:

‘Do What You Can Do and Know that What is Meant for You, Can Never Be Lost’

(From: http://coachingintogreatness.com)

Until next time, my warmest blessings,
Maryam

Happy Earth Day! Passing Along A Good Tip

Happy Earth Day April 21st! To celebrate, tune into a no-c.ost webcast on just how bad the environmental situation is in the United States and how we can make it better. This just in from enviornmental watchdog group, Care2:

Can you believe that the United States ranks below Armenia for environmental sustainability?

What do measurements like these really mean - and how can we use them to become empowered, active citizens?

Please join the good folks over at Care2 for a free online broadcast on what global justice and equality means for today’s diverse world.

When: April 21, 6 PM Eastern (3 PM Pacific, 18:00 GMT-5)
Where: Your home computer
How: Login details will be sent via email after you RSVP

Add your name to the RSVP list here:
 
http://go.care2.com/e/R76B/G_yD/KJNd

And whatever you’re doing this Earth Day….love each other, pick up after yourself and have a ton of fun!!

Just got DSL back up and within limitations, am online again. I’ve been moving house over the last few weeks. Yesterday was the big move of heavy furniture. Cleanup at the previous house ensues - there’s cleanup we have to do ourselves before the cleaning service can come in and fine finish the job. We’re moving things we’re taking to the thrift shop and selling or giving away furniture we won’t use in the new house. Through a progressive campaign of downsizing, we are happy to be giving up our storage unit shortly - in six months, we’re thinking. Yay! Moving, with its attendant oddities has meant I’ve had no time to write, work or answer the many emails I get. If you’re someone I owe something to, it will probably be another two weeks before I’m caught up.

On the other hand, there is wonderfulness in our new home. Much to our suprise, (as we would gladly have taken much humbler a home) it has larger rooms, an immense master suite with a steamer shower, hardwood floors, granite everywhere and oddly, a candy-corn-shaped pool: something we didn’t necessarily want but are enjoying anyway. The biggest plus however is: grass in the back garden and room for kitties to play! This last is important, we promised them earth under their little paws with the next house. The last house had a sub-optimal concrete back yard which stymied the spirit and chapped the precious paws.

No more time to write, the unpacking now begins. Aloha!

Still skeptical about the power of The Law of Attraction as taught in The Secret Movie?? Then get on the bus and TEST DRIVE "The Secret" with Andy Wibbels and I for the next 30 Days. You can rev up here:

http://secretskeptic.com

Check out Andy’s MindMap of the Law of Attraction history here:
http://andywibbels.com/uploads/Image/secret_map.jpg

And be sure to listen to the "Getting The Secret" call Andy and I did last week:

 

People really loved the call as did we. Andy and I were overwhelmed with all the lovely comments folks made after the call. Here’s what people are saying:

Wow, Andy. This was a great call. And I am now a HUGE Maryam Webster fan. She does a great job of straddling the woo-woo with the practical. And I’m so glad someone spoke to how the Law of Attraction isn’t just about getting stuff. It’s a path of deep personal unfoldment and enrichment. Congrats!

- Nancy Tierney  http://www.unconditionalconfidence.com/

This call was amazingly helpful! Thanks for opening the dialogue and for having Maryam on to give us a real how-to. I’ve been focusing on making my mental shifts since Halloween. This call really revved up my evolution! Thanks to you both!

- Lynn Ward  http://thrivingafter50.com

Rest In Peace, LimeTV. Lime was one of the only television channels I watched weekly, as it showcased environmental issues, green politics and alternative healthcare programming. Funding for programming seems to have run out in late 2005 and Lime existed for the last year in reruns. I tuned in to the "Everyday Yoga" program today only to find a short announcement:

"We regret to inform you LIME will cease broadcasting at midnight ET on 2/25/07."

Whatta bummer. You can still access a very limited set of offerings at the LIME website. And if you like LIME, you can sign up to become a member of their membership community :

http://lime.com/community

VIDEO 4U: Hottie Alert! My sister-in-law thinks Rodney Yee is the hottest things in yoga shorts. He’s not bad on the eyes and is an even greater yoga instructor for all levels. I’ll miss Rodney’s "Everyday Yoga" progams (one can only hope he’ll be picked up by public TV), but there are short segment videos still available at Lime.com. In this one, Rodney explains how to be at ease and breathe more fully and naturally, clearing chest congestion. If you have a cold, flu or other chest/head congestive condition, try this pose every day as much as you like to relax and open the chest. Enjoy!

 

GOT DENTAL OR OTHER MINOR SURGERY COMING UP?  

I am running a PRIVATE STUDY on the methods I use to consistently eliminate pain, described below. If you are interested in reducing or eliminating PRE-OP MINOR SURGERY ANXIETY and POST-OP DENTAL OR OTHER MINOR SURGERY PAIN, do consider enrolling in the study. We’ll be using my patented Energy Coaching Pain Relief Process to experience NO pre-surgery anxiety and elimination or great reduction of post-operative pain.

You’ll get three sessions of energy coaching, customized energy exercises, follow up and a healing audio made just for you, for the price of a single session with me. These techniques work, that’s all I can say. I’m proof positive. Won’t you join me in being pain-free?

Interested? Call the Minor Surgery Pain Relief Study line at: 641-985-5700  x 467157, then press Extension 7

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Ahem. Hem. Yes. Hear Ye, Hear Ye, this: "HEALTH ALERT & BRIEF COMMERCIAL FOR DENTAL HEALTH"

So if you’re reading this and have a potential interest in your own gum health, you might be wondering what causes gumline or gingival recession. Though my dentist said it was genetically caused, I know drinking acidic substances are bad (goodbye coffee, my occasional diet soda and the heavier teas…) and vigorous tooth brushing is directly detrimental. (thanks Dad, for insisting I "attack" teeth with brush as a kid!) Gum-line defects occur when erosion of the gums exposes the sensitive upper root portion of a tooth, below the enamel line.

Gumline erosion is common, especially as people age. If you’re over forty, you might want to have an intimately close peek at your gums on both sides of the tooth. Gingivitis, inflammation of the gums and gumline recession has been implicated in heart disease, so it’s best to get it fixed ASAP. Brush gently, in tiny circles. Floss. Every. Single. Day. I hear you saying "but my gums bleed when I floss!" Of course they do. You have gingivitis! Flossing actually toughens the gum up and they stop bleeding within a week of flossing AND become more impervious to bacterial damage.  And if you want to know how to NOT HAVE PAIN DURING DENTAL PROCEDURES….keep reading.

<END BRIEF COMMERCIAL FOR DENTAL HEALTH>

And back to my story, for those who are still reading…

All the "thought viruses" I was given by all those who said it would be "worse pain than childbirth" went into the void. I used a mixture of NLP and hypnotic processes, Tapas Acupressure Technique and kinesiology exercises and had NO pre-op anxiety, NO pain whatsoever during or after the operation almost 48 hours later and no loss of function in my daily life.

Last time, with the emdogain, I had significant discomfort with the same anaesthesia used. I took one pain pill then and still have the rest of that bottle three years later. This time, I haven’t had any discomfort, and don’t intend or anticipate any. I programmed myself for swift healing and that’s happening too. How cool is that?

I told the doc’s secretary I was in no pain when she called today to inquire about how many painkillers I’d downed. Full bottle of oxycodone just sitting there. Haven’t touched it and won’t. When I have stitches out, will tell doc the same thing. I’ll offer him slots for referrals to other patients who would like to have the same intra and post-surgical benefits. Such an opportunity!

Many have asked "what DOES it feel like then"?  It’s akin to when you burn your mouth on a hot drink and the roof of the mouth sloughs off. The burning sensation I never had, but the feeling of sloughing is there. It’s not pain by any dimension, just a slightly odd or interesting feeling. I programmed myself for "slightly interesting feelings" so that’s no suprise.

The roof is where the graft skin was taken, and I was suprised to find it such a delicately thin slice of skin - I’d expected it to be far thicker. There is a line of blue nylon sutures along either side of the roof of my mouth, just above the upper molar gumline. The part where the roof skin was grafted onto the six lower molars has no feeling whatsoever, unless I touch or pull my chin or lower lip. And then it’s only what might be called a "tentative" or "slightly fragile" feeling. Much like the new skin grown under a peeling sunburn. And I’m too smart to touch it much!

I hope this has been informational and fun…or at least interesting for you to read, and if you do have receding gumlines, that you’re prompted to start taking care of them and yourself!

And again, if you’re interested in joining the MINOR SURGERY PAIN RELIEF STUDY, just call the hotline here:  641-985-5700  Input Access Code: 467157 then press extension 7.

Looking forward to speaking with you and getting you going on PAIN FREE minor surgical interventions. And I promise you, I WILL NOT dwell too long on the 3rd Stage Turkey and Vegetables baby food. Not tooooo much at least, though it was quite important in the overall scheme of things.

Want to know what I’m talking about and how the cat saved the day?  ("Anoofka! Annnooffffka! Get you fuwwy bo’ in hya no yun wady!")

Stay tuned for Part III: "How To Survive A Gingival Graft So Successfully You could just Scream For Joy".

Warm Holiday Wishes, Maryam Webster, M.Ed. M.NLP Wellness and Pain Relief Coaching

Here’s something my buddy Andy would describe as "toad-ally FOOOO-GLY" …..but ver-r-r-r-y interesting. Ladies and gentlemen, the horrifying pre-gumline graft recession:  Bleah!! Blouwoeooeoeoeoeoeoh! Geeyakkata-ick!

It’s a terrible thing, truly awful to have happen. The phrase "becoming long in the tooth" suddenly takes on a new and awful meaning. A meaning to the tune of nearly $4,000 that insurance pays only a quarter of. Yeee-ikes!

How do I know so much about this subject?  Yesterday I had a gumline restoration to six lower molar teeth. After several years of watching my lower gumline go south, I bit the bullet, sucked it up and scheduled myself for a gumline graft with the best periodontal surgeon in Silicon Valley. 

Dr. R. tried Emdogain on the upper molars a few years ago and it was only partially effective. Emdogain causes tissue to grow, but unfortunately it didn’t grow enough and has partially recessed again. Now you may think I might look like a snaggled toothed country cousin, but these defects largely didn’t show when I smiled. Yep, my smile pretty much looks like the picture over on the left of my blog here.

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GOT DENTAL OR OTHER MINOR SURGERY COMING UP?   

I am running a PRIVATE STUDY on the methods I use to consistently eliminate pain and anxiety. If you are interested in reducing or eliminating PRE-OP MINOR SURGERY ANXIETY and POST-OP DENTAL OR OTHER MINOR SURGERY PAIN, do consider enrolling in the study. We’ll be using my patented Energy Coaching Pain Relief Process to experience NO pre-surgery anxiety and elimination or great reduction of post-operative pain.

You’ll get: Three sessions of energy coaching, customized energy exercises, a healing audio made just for you, and followup, for the price of a single session with me.

These techniques work, that’s all I can say. I’m proof positive! Won’t you join me in being pain-free?

Interested? Call the Minor Surgery Pain Relief Study line at:  641-985-5700  x 467157, then press Extension 7

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Here’s the glam shot, of the after-work. No, these pics aren’t mine, I borrowed them from the good doctor at the website here. But do you see how nicely the fooo-gly exposed root got covered up? Mind you, this must be six months to a year after surgery, it takes awhile for the graft and the surrounding area to match up color wise. But all in all, not bad, eh?

Now, let’s talk about how I remained cool, calm and had no pain during or after the procedure…

STAY TUNED FOR PART II In The "Dental Adventures" Saga…