Dancing the Sacred Body
Journey to Wholeness
by Gina Di Paolo and Jan Henrikson

"If you have ever been moved by the dancer, felt the stirrings of your heart and the goosebumps on your skin then you have the dancer within you that longs to dance, to move and to express in a deep and soulful way." We all live in this, the physical world; we each inhabit a physical body. . . a vessel. And when we are fully present in the moment we are spirit embodied - a simple step forward becomes a step in the divine dance of life."

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The Luscious & Succulent Avocado!
by Paulette Millis

The avocado, commonly called the "alligator pear," is actually a fruit, although we generally treat it as a vegetable. Apparently "avocado" is an attempt to phonetically reproduce the Aztec name "ahuacatl." Originally the avocado tree, a glossy-leafed shade tree, was native to tropical America but is now a popular California and Florida crop. This luscious fruit can weigh as much as 3 to 4 pounds, be roundish or pear shaped, have a thin or a thick skin, be smooth or pebbly. Colour varies from greens to purplish and black. There are many varieties although all have a greenish-yellow buttery flesh surrounding a large round inedible pit.

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Ninjutsu
A Thousand Year Old Japanese Martial Mystic's Art Form
by Paul Johnston

Have you ever heard of a "Ninja?" Most people will probably recall the name from the 1980s during the "Ninja Boom!" when it seemed like everyone and their dog was making Ninja movies like "Enter the Ninja," "Ninja 2 The Domination," "American Ninja 1, 2, 3," and the like! You might even find these old low-budget films still on the shelves of some video stores, although I would not recommend renting them if you want to find out what a Ninja really is. Unfortunately most fiction books, screenplays, and magazines that have ever been written, or movies produced about the Ninja (pronounced "Neen-Jah"), are complete and utter nonsense and depict very little of the true nature of these ancient and mysterious people.

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Natural Reflections:
Sustaining Human-Ecological Well-Being
by Maureen Latta

I saw a documentary recently about a horse trainer who helps people with problem horses for whom no amount of training seems to be effective. This "horse whisperer" was willing to share his secret with the public. He had spent many years patiently observing wild horses, including the way they react to predators and to each other. He discovered that horses have a type of language composed of subtle gestures and eye movements. By adapting what he'd learned, this man could get a horse to cooperate with him without breaking the animal's spirit.

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Editorial
by Melva Armstrong

We are starting a new year that I feel will be full of many fascinating and diverse experiences for everyone on the planet. As the wheels of evolution and transformation speed forward, carrying us with them in all sorts of new directions, we need to be prepared for the journeys ahead. There is much work for us to do on the earth that requires us to be vigilant about our energies and our time. On the physical level our world appears to be moving into destruction mode with the talk of more war and increased violence, with the rich getting richer and more people getting poorer, and our environment being continually polluted. This is not a time to be dismayed or despondent, it is a time for the peace makers and the peace lovers of the planet to join forces and together provide our world with that necessary and important balance of compassion, forgiveness, peace, joy, love, and nonviolence. Each one of us has a choice - we can contribute to building a more peaceful, loving world or we can contribute to its destruction. Which will it be?

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Plus:

Sakyadhita - Daughters of the Buddha
Eco-Energy Retreats in a Yurt
A Personal Viewpoint on David Orchard
Cathy Asks - Pilgrim's Journal: France
Fytoken - Local Herbal Research Company
Omega-3 and Omega-6: Essential Fatty Acids
The Gift of Self Understanding
News of Note
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