Wellness Times Magazine

Spring Cleaning

By AntoinetteI love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden.~Ruth Stout   Spring is here.  March 2nd was the first time I felt it. There was a change in the air. My body responded differently to my yoga practice that morning; the air felt lighter, warmer and more sattvic.  As a yogi this is a very exciting time of year on many levels, our bodies mirror what we feel in spring.  It feels like the sun is brighter and each day it appears just a bit earlier.  We get the desire to move around more and in moving we simply feel more mobile or flexible. 

Women's Retreat at Democrat Hot Springs

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to tour the Democrat Hot Springs Resort, which is about 12 miles up the Kern River Canyon.  It’s really amazing that such a beautiful place is so close to downtown Bakersfield.  The reason I was there is that a group of local women are organizing a retreat for June 26-28 that will be for women only.  They are calling it Serenity in the Canyon, A Women’s Retreat. One of the retreat organizers is Monica Martin, Director of Marketing for the resort.  Monica told me that she is really excited about being part of this retreat, because up to now the resort has not been open to the public.  This retreat will serve to introduce to Bakersfield and beyond the great opportunity the resort represents, since it is so close to town, but yet feels like you are light years away. Her goal is to give local women a chance to attend a retreat like Serenity in the Canyon, who wouldn’t be able to travel a long distance because of work or family.

April 2009 Horoscopes

AriesHappy Birthday to The Ram! American writer, Henry Van Dyke, said, “In the progress of personality, first comes a declaration of independence, then a recognition of interdependence.”  I suspect that during the course of this coming month, you will have cause to remember these words. You want your own way, but to get it you will need to compromise. A promise needs to be honored this month.  Taurus  If you are in doubt about the reliability of a friend early in the month you should listen to your instincts and act accordingly. Your intuition is fully switched on right now and this will help with a delicate matter concerning a colleague or school friend. Money receives a boost at the end of the month.  You may find yourself seeking solitude and detachment this month, as the chaos and uncertainties of the outside world just seem too much for your inherent need for security. Meditate on what English Biologist and politician, John  Lubbock, said, “The whole value of solitude depends upon one's self; it may be a sanctuary or a prison, a haven of repose or a place of punishment, a heaven or a hell, as we ourselves make it.”  Gemini  Sometimes you can find it hard to be a team player as you like to follow your own ideas through to their conclusion. Success this months depends on you being willing to take a back seat. Financially, this is a good month, but you need to wait to see the cash in your hands. Although you may wish for greater independence right now, take to heart something former President Dwight Eisenhower wrote, “Though force can protect in emergency, only justice, fairness, consideration and cooperation can finally lead men to the dawn of eternal peace.”  If you want piece with friends you can trust, you must learn to compromise.    Cancer   As a sign that is ruled by the Moon you respond strongly to the influence of those around you. Praise from an unexpected quarter will encourage you to reassess your life goals with positive results. However, don’t make any snap decisions as you need to be sure before you change direction. Take some time to map out your future.  Make a vision board for your most cherished ambitions, and then take action.  Meditate on this ancient Sanskrit proverb, “Yesterday is but a dream, tomorrow but a vision. But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a vision of hope. Look well, therefore, to this day. Such is the salutation to the dawn.”   Leo   If at all possible you should take a break this month. You have been working extremely hard and although you have the enthusiasm you no longer have the energy reserves to keep up this level of effort. Single Leos will find love in the middle of the month at a leisure activity.  Take the time to see yourself in the context of society, and the roles you fulfill.  Find ways to improve your ability to articulate your vision since as a leader you have the ability to influence others for the better.  I don’t know who said this, but it is worth taking into consideration now, “Vision without a task is only a dream. A task without a vision is but drudgery. But vision with a task is a dream fulfilled.”   Virgo  The influence of your ruling planet, Mercury, this month means that your communication skills are at their height. You should use this opportunity to straighten out any misunderstandings within your friendship group. Financially, beware risk taking after the 20th.  Then energy that passes between you and someone to whom you are very attracted may get intense.  Keep in mind something famed matchmaker Janis Spindel says, “At the end of the day, the key to true love is chemistry, and that means attraction, shared values, common interests and substance. People who fall out of love in a matter of months probably had no idea who the other person was from the start. They confused love with lust.”   Libra You are ruled by the planet Venus and this will be a very active planet in your life this month as it boosts the importance of friendship in your life. Sharing your problems with others will help and on the work front a goal can be achieved by building the right team. It is likely, however, that you will experience some profound changes on the home front, which could cause some stress in your closest personal relationships. Be careful not to make enemies.  Avoid hasty judgments of others.  Meditate on something Anne McCaffrey wrote, “Make no judgments where you have no compassion.”   Scorpio   This is the best month of the whole year for you to make significant progress in your career or at school. You are in a very efficient mood and your natural discipline is strong now. Explain your lack of sociability to friends or they may begin to worry about your relationship to them.  Remember, however, that to reach the highest levels of success, you must be able to work with others.  Remember something American philosopher, George Santayana said, “The aim of life is some way of living, as flexible and gentle as human nature; so that ambition may stoop to kindness, and philosophy to candor and humor. Neither prosperity nor empire nor heaven can be worth winning at the price of a virulent temper.”    Sagittarius   Your natural approach to problems is to try and defeat them through simple optimistic energy. However, this month you will be faced with some issues that require a more subtle approach. A loved one will give you advice and you need to make sure that you show your appreciation. Take as a challenge something famous writer, Og Mandino once said, “Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness, and understanding you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again.”    Capricorn   It’s not often that your artistic side is stimulated, but this month you will be feeling inclined to express your creativity. This will also act as a boost to your love life as a new and exciting side to your personality is revealed. It’s a great month for going out to be entertained. This might be a good month to meditate on something artist David Hockney said, “If we are to change our world view, images have to change. The artist now has a very important job to do. He's not a little peripheral figure entertaining rich people, he's really needed.”    Aquarius   This is your month to shine so be sure that you make the most of it. Not only will you be feeling glamorous when it comes to social events, but you will also be able to attract supporters at work or school. If that weren’t enough your finances are also looking increasingly strong!  Nevertheless, there may be some disruptive dreams to disturb your optimistic mood. Meditate on this wise thought by Helen Keller, “The marvelous richness of human experience would lose something of rewarding joy if there were no limitations to overcome. The hilltop hour would not be half so wonderful if there were no dark valleys to traverse.”    Pisces   Even though your heart is elsewhere now it is important that you focus on money making opportunities this month. April brings a great deal of promise in terms of business possibilities. There may be difficulties on the home front, but these can be solved through compromise. Here are some ideas from two famous writers that you should consider.  The first is from Ayn Rand, “The ladder of success is best climbed by stepping on the rungs of opportunity.” The second bit of wisdom you need to remember is from motivational speaker Brian Tracy, “Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, 'What's in it for me?'”

Going Vegan

 By Tracy ThompsonAre you one of the millions of people that want to make changes to their diet, yet are unsure how to do that?  We can help!  There are vegan recipes for nearly every type of meat and dairy-based dishes.  Tasty and healthy, can it be true?  Yes, it can.There are many cookbooks and websites devoted to eating vegan.  Some recipes are easily converted, some are more challenging.  Macaroni and Cheese would be one of the more difficult (if not impossible) to convert, yet something like French Toast is fairly easy to “veganize”.  There are so many products on the market that can substitute for animal-based products.  There is vegan mayonnaise (Vegenaise by Follow Your Heart), soy yogurt, soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, hemp milk, soy-based “meats”, Tofutti Sour Cream, etc.  Also, you can learn to take everyday plant-based items and turn them into family favorites.