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Sunday, March 6, 2011

THE HAIR, THE HEAD AND THE BLOOD STREAM

There is something I've been thinking lately, which has to do with feminine vanity as well as personal hygiene and looks.
It's very normal for women to dye their hair these days, my mom does it, my sister's do it, my aunts do it, I do it, gosh everyone I know does it! Well every woman I know.
I know it cannot be very good for me, after all I imagine those chemicals activating the coloring soak through your scalp and perhaps get into your blood stream.
 "Last year on December 1st, a ban on 22 hair dye substances issued by the European Commission, a body that drafts legislation for the European Union, took effect. These substances had been linked to bladder cancer in a 2001 University of Southern California study." ~ http://www.naturalnews.com/022575.html
Of course they are making hair dye as safe as possible, but let's face it they still have to sell hair dye with a good profit so the major brands aren't gonna go all organic and safe - no don't see that happening anytime soon.
 
I started using this shampoo & conditioner that was organic and bio degradable, very good for hair, head and nature, but not stellar on dyed hair. I got a gift to the hair salon, to get my hair dyed with few colors, it cost bloody 100€ so I thought I'd get the salon quality dyed hair shampoo & conditioner, L’Oreal’s something Professional. Now I didn't see the difference right away it took about a month, but I noticed a lack of interest. Thinking back I can point to what did it. It's interesting that after dyeing my hair ( which I admit I do every two months or so at home ) at the salon, then buying chemical shampoo after getting use to of my organic shampoo that I noticed I wasn't quite so interested in spiritual matter as I was in my first half 2010.

It happened to be a giant bottle of that shampoo, so it is still in use, and I am seriously considering of dropping them, the conditioner as well.
On that note I am considering stopping dyeing my hair - which is a much bigger issue of vanity ( can't imagine I know a lady who would disagree that dyeing is done due to vanity ) and much harder to do. I recall I spend four months not dyeing my hair until I couldn't take it any longer and gave in.

Of course there is the organic way and brands, but how is that any different when you get down to the point of vanity and altering your looks?
Why do I need to look different, or specifically be a certain tone of brunette?
Spiritually speaking I do not see any need for that.
Vanity's point of view is different of course! Finns are known to have this interesting hair color in the shade of ash. Yep - not really pretty under the current standards, where colors are pure and dark and hair needs to be glossy. I recall a hairdresser telling me how my normal hair color was a pretty brown but just dull and not glossy. I didn't think much of it then, and agreed - but I bloody well want to like my own hair! If it happens to be the color of field mouse then be it, it doesn't change anything about me, doesn't change who I AM.

I have been searching some Finnish blogs and there seems to be a trend currently of bringing back our natural hair color, Yay! I don't mind at all jumping into that bandwagon and taking a ride. One lady even went as far to say that natural Finnish hair color can seem exotic to the non-Finns. ( http://pupulandia.indiedays.com/2010/05/10/hiusvarien-taisto-maantie-vs-toffee/ ) LOL! That's a very good positive attitude! 
Also I asked my husband if he would develop symptoms of panic and get urges to divorce me if I stopped coloring my hair, his answer was fairly simple although repeating it I will remove the sexual context for younger audience, 'As long as you women have long hair, were all good...'

Should be a test worth taking, huh? A little dare.
Alright I dare you, Niina, to not dye your hair for a year. To use organic shampoo & conditioner and not spray your head with chemicals.

I would like to not dumb myself down with product of vanity, not lose interest and to be lighter just by knowing I am doing the right thing by my body. I'm ready to enjoy this adventure of a life organically, just as my body was created without messing with the basics. Now a nice shirt or pair of shoes is enough of a decoration!

Love, Light and Joy!
Niina

Saturday, March 5, 2011

"FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT"

I can't recall the first time I heard "Fake it till you make it" spoken in spiritual context. But I recall it stuck with me.
I remember a bad spell of time where I had to fake to be happy to eventually be happy.
What I mean by faking is, be it until you believe it.
Not the snotty, posh, snobby way of faking it with a plastic grin and the cocktail ring to go with it.

Be it until you believe it.
Be happy until you are Happy.
Be brave until you are Brave.
Be true until you are True.
Be genuine until you are Genuine.
Be honest until you are Honest.

It's a small advice but trust me it can do much more for you than you think - it is like learning to drive a car or getting into the flow, getting use to of the energy of it before you can manifest it.

I personally choose right now to be true, until I am always True to myself.
It's almost a play or a dare... what would true to herself Niina do here, stand or flee? Speak or shut up? Do or don't? It'll be an interesting experiment!

Love, Light and Joy!
Niina

Thursday, March 3, 2011

31 FREE 1H 30MIN SPIRITUAL AUDIOS

If you've been reading my blogs for a while now you will recall "Beyond Awakening" free teleseries hosted by Terry Patten, an Integral Spirituality teacher. Beyond Awakening Free Teleseries begun with September 12, 2010 Kick-off Call “The Evolution of Awakening” with Terry Patten and Craig Hamilton.

The teleseminars with various but similar topics have now 31 episodes in the online archive, and there is more to come. You can still sign-up for the teleseminar and receive emails of the coming event ( 1 - 2 per month ) and links to audios after they been held.
In the Archive you can listen to the Episodes online or Dowload them in mp3 and listen to them on your phone on your way to work, or during lunch break, where ever you need a dose of confirmation and intellectual conversational spirituality.

If some of these Topics sounds interesting visit http://beyondawakeningseries.com/blog/archive/

Feb 20th, 2011: Lynne Twist
“Changing the Dream”
Feb 13th, 2011: Craig Hamilton
“Integral Enlightenment: Embodying the Impulse to Evolve”
Feb 1st, 2011: Dr. Jean Houston
“Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose: How Living Your Highest Calling Can Change the World”
Jan 9, 2011: Raphael Cushnir 
“Blinders Off! Seeing Through Evolutionary Eyes”
Dec 19, 2010: Terry Patten
“Awakening to Higher Octaves of Our Humanity”
Dec 12, 2010: Marc Gafni 
“Identifying Your Unique Gift”
Dec 9, 2010: Adyashanti 
“The Inner Revolution of Spiritual Awakening”
Dec 5, 2010: Barbara Marx Hubbard 
“Conscious Evolution: Communing with a Future that Wants to Manifest Through Us”
Dec 2, 2010: Sally Kempton 
“The Transformative Cycle and the Upward Shift: What is Progress on the Spiritual Path?”

And much more...

Don't forget to have a listen at The 3 Essential Practices of an Integral Spiritual Life Introduction @ http://evolvingwisdom.com/integralspiritualpractice/download/

Love, Light and Joy!
Niina

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

ASPARTAME PUTS DIE IN DIET SODA

If you haven't heard of Aspartame yet - watch this short video below.

Aspartame: Is the sweet taste worth the harm?
You can't imagine how hard soft drinks sweetened with Aspartame are on your body. A must-see for anybody with a sweet tooth, this exposé reveals the dangers of Aspartame consumption. Americans constantly obsess over the latest diet fads and skinny trends, yet we're one of the unhealthiest nations on the planet.

According to the US Surgeon General, obesity plagues more than 30% of Americans, killing over 300,000 people every year! Heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are also all on the rise, with one of the main culprits in this disturbing trend being sugar. Almost 20% of our daily calorie intake comes from refined white sugar. That works out to about 150 pounds of sugar per year!

Consumed in small amounts, sugar actually helps your metabolism and supplies a quick boost of energy. In excess, sugar adds nothing but empty calories to your body. Many people have recognized this and now opt for sugar free alternatives, allowing for the rise of the artificial sugar industry. The most prevalent artificial sugar in our food supply today is called aspartame, which is also recognized as NutraSweet or Equal. Aspartame has made its way into more than 6,000 products including almost all diet sodas, chewing gum, frozen desserts, yogurt, and even vitamins and cough drops.
200 times sweeter than sugar, aspartame is a combination of two amino acids: aspartic acid and phenylalanine.


Even though the safety of aspartame has been affirmed by the Food and Drug Administration 26 times in the past 23 years, the FDA has received more complaints about adverse reactions to aspartame than any other food ingredient in the agency's history. In fact, at least 30% of the US population is sensitive to even moderate doses of aspartame and may suffer several symptoms. Immediate reactions include severe headaches, dizziness, attention difficulties, memory loss, throat swelling, and seizures. Long term effects include blood sugar problems, insomnia, diabetes, ovarian cancer, and brain tumours. One study from Kings College in England found that the more NutraSweet is consumed, the more likely tumours are to develop. With all of the hazards associated with aspartame, how did this sweetener get approved in the first place?
The flurry of debate about Searle's tests prompted the FDA to establish a Public Board of Inquiry, comprised of independent scientists to rule on safety issues surrounding NutraSweet. In 1980, The Public Board of Inquiry concluded that NutraSweet should not be approved pending further investigations of brain tumours in animals.

The following year, Ronald Reagan became President of the United States. His transitional team, which included Donald Rumsfeld, CEO of Searle (manufacturer of aspartame), then handpicked Dr. Arthur Hull Hayes Jr. to be the new FDA Commissioner. In one of his first official acts, the new FDA commissioner overruled the Public Board of Inquiry's recommendations and authorized aspartame in dry foods and carbonated beverages. In fact, The National Soft Drink Association (NSDA) to delay approval of aspartame for carbonated beverages because of its instability in liquid form. When liquid aspartame reaches a temperatures above 85 degrees Fahrenheit, it breaks down known toxins and side effects become worsened.

Arthur Hull, FDA commissioner who pushed through aspartame, later left the FDA under allegations of impropriety and took a position with Burson-Marsteller, the chief public relations firm for both Monsanto and GD Searle, revealing his apparent conflicts of interest with aspartame's manufacturer. The first carbonated beverages containing aspartame hit the market in 1983 and for the last twenty-five years aspartame has made its way into thousands of food and beverage products.
Even in the face of its sordid past, weight-conscious Americans will likely still opt for products containing aspartame because it is marketed as a weight loss aid. Ironically, studies have shown that it actually increases appetite and sugar intake because the empty sweetness from artificial sugars makes your body expect food. When it doesn't arrive, you actually get hungrier! Recently, many people are jumping on the sucralose, or Splenda bandwagon, but this might not be the best substitute.

http://www.sweetpoison.com/phenylalanine.html

Aspartame Symptoms Submitted to the FDA
http://www.sweetpoison.com/articles/0706/aspartame_symptoms_submit.html

Aspartame (NutraSweet) Toxicity Info Centre
http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/

Abuse of the Scientific Method Seen in Monsanto Aspartame Research
http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/abuse/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Rumsfeld

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevia

http://www.stevia.com/Stevia_Article.aspx?Id=2269

From: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVrTKxTpZWY