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Do we need to revise our current methods for taking care of people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias? How do we create a quality life for each person during the various stages of the illness? Does this disease, that initially appears hopeless and destructive, actually provide opportunities for insight, inspiration and a greater understanding of ourselves, and those we love? In her book, Megan Carnarius urges a move away from ageism and dementiaism to the recognition that as we age we are all still essentially timeless beings within our physical packages. The book is written both for those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, and their carers. It provides practical information about creating a supportive environment around the various stages of the disease as well as its spiritual dimensions. Carnarius, who has worked for years as a carer, provides a clear understanding of the various forms of dementia and what to expect from the patient as the disease progresses. What’s new here is Carnarius’ take on the “fall-out blessings” of Alzheimer’s. She compassionately describes various opportunities for reframing the disease. For example, she describes it as a way of living more than one life experience within a lifetime, as allowing matriarch and patriarch roles to transition to the next generation. This book is designed to assist those caring for loved ones and patients with Alzheimer’s to be conscious and open to the blessings of the journey of the disease, explaining how an openhearted approach, nurtures compassion, and ultimately enables each of us to be better human beings. It is also written for those individuals living with memory loss illnesses, so that they can be supported and allowed to live their experience fully in their own unique way; to express themselves, to love and be loved, and to be sheltered from harm.
Ancient texts remind us that what is within the heart space “should be longed for and realized.” This unending inner space, the spiritual heart, is spoken of as “the lotus of the heart” and “smaller than the smallest atom, greater than the vast spaces.” The poems in Mala of the Heart: 108 Sacred Poems create this space for the reader, offering timeless jewels of insight to spark awakening and enrich spiritual practice. Filled with crystalline wisdom from the great poets, sages, saints, and mystics, Mala of the Heart is a collective expression of universal heart-filled wisdom. Spanning a wide range of cultures and civilizations – from India, to Europe, Japan, and the Middle East – each poem in this collection offers a unique perspective about the path to awakening. Some of the poems express belief in a higher being. Some convey instantaneous awakening. Others lead the reader down a disciplined path of contemplation. The poems are ordered according to a broad interpretation of the heart-centered chakra model, guiding the reader toward realization. The editors have included 108 poems since that number has symbolized sacred connections and the divine since ancient times. At the highest level, 108 represents the nameless supreme that is beyond worldly existence, which is why there are 108 beads in the traditional meditation mala used by spiritual practitioners throughout the East. Most of the poems in Mala of the Heart are from saints and mystics who lived and died before 1900. Although Rumi appears most often, the editors intentionally selected poems that offer a balanced representation of gender as well as a range of cultures and civilizations.
Most doctors typically only address structural issues when assessing and treating back pain – ignoring the rest of the body. In 3 Weeks to a Better Back: Solutions for Healing the Structural and Emotional Causes of Back Pain, chiropractor and pain expert Dr. Todd Sinett reveals his unique perspective on back pain: very often back pain doesn’t stem from the actual back itself. He elaborates on the three main causes of back pain— one’s physical body, nutritional habits, and emotional state—to help readers find their unique cause and solution. As 33% of all people over the age of 18 have sought treatment for back pain in the last five years, it is clear that many of us suffer from, or will at some point suffer from, back pain—whether minor or excruciating. In fact, it is second to the common cold as a reason people visit their doctors; the third most common reason for hospitalization; and the fifth most common cause for surgery. Many simply accept this as an inevitable part of life. In fact, those suffering may be focusing on a physical solution or strategy for their pain without addressing the actual root cause of the problem. After many years, Dr. Sinett developed a threepronged approach that works to eliminate back pain by targeting aspects of the body and mind that people have been ignoring. Dr. Sinett guides readers through the proper steps for self-diagnosis, and provides the strategies and tools to create a customized plan. Taking nutritional habits and emotional state into account, readers first determine where their source of back pain stems from, using the Back Pain Inflammation index. Based on their score, they are directed through a personalized approach to treat their particular type of back pain and needs. 3 Weeks to a Better Back is a lifestyle guide that goes beyond just 21 days to set readers on the path to being pain-free for life.
SEE, THERE HE IS –
A Memoir
When nothing is familiar anymore, the stakes for truth-telling are raised. At the time Ginger Graziano took her son and daughter and left her marriage, she had no job and no plan. She only knew she was dying inside. She persevered, recovered from a mental breakdown, and learned to confront challenges and to fight. Still, Ginger was not prepared for what she later faced when her teenaged son was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor. During his illness, and after his death, Ginger followed the urgings of her heart and turned to art and the natural world to save her sanity and to heal the wounds of both past and present. Her creativity saved her, and nature demonstrated that even after great destruction, new life arises. Readers of this compelling memoir will understand how from disaster and despair the possibilities for true self-recognition are created, and how we can ultimately learn to thrive. Incidentally, Ginger is the long-time Editorial Designer of Creations Magazine.
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A DEEPER PERSPECTIVE ON
ALZHEIMER’S AND OTHER DEMENTIAS:
Practical Tools and Spiritual Insights
MALA OF THE HEART:
108 Sacred Poems
3 WEEKS TO A
BETTER BACK:
Solutions for
Healing the
Structural,
Nutritional and
Emotional Causes
of Back Pain
