Dream: In Another Woman’s Body/Life

I am in a house that is not familiar. There’s a man in the house that I sense is my husband, but he doesn’t look familiar. He’s kind of nerdy looking, and I know the man I’m in a relationship with does not look nerdy. I get the sense that I have entered someone else’s body. This woman (the nerdy man’s wife) has straight blond hair. She is medium build. I must have seen pictures of the two of them together, but I also get a sense of her personality. She is a partier. She likes to drink a lot and carry on loudly with friends. Not like me at all. The man is balding with a slight pot belly. He’s not very tall – I’m guessing shorter than me, but I can’t be sure because I’m sitting. He is wearing drooping, khaki slacks and a yellow plaid short sleeved button down shirt over a white t-shirt.

I am sure the man doesn’t know what is happening, so I feel I should play along until I figure things out. I am sitting in a chair in the kitchen of the home; he has just entered a door from outside and is standing now just inside the door and a few feet away from me. There is at least one other person in the room with us and there is a conversation going on. I’m just sitting – not speaking – and observing him. I try to imagine if I could ever have an emotional bond with him; ever find him attractive. I don’t think so, but again, feel I should play along. We make eye contact, and he moves toward me. It seems like he has just come home and I’m wondering how he customarily greets his wife whose body I am inhabiting, so I hold my hand out toward him as he walks by my chair and he reaches out with his hand, giving mine a squeeze as he continues by. I get a warm feeling from the gesture, as his grip lingers for a second, and then he continues on his way, presumably to do whatever he does when he first arrives home at the end of each day.

Now I’m up and moving toward him in a room that feels like a living room. He says something to me and I respond. I don’t know what was said, but the end result is that I must go to the master bedroom to get something. I walk into another room at the back of the house only to discover it is not the master bedroom as I had expected. It is a mostly empty room with a workout bench on one side. I think to myself that I must recover quickly from this mistake before he notices. I come out of the room and my path back toward the living room brings to my attention a stairway that I must have walked past on my way by, but did not notice before. I think to myself that our bedroom must be upstairs, so I head up. He asks why I was in the other room and I tell him I thought I had left something in there. I head up the stairs to find the master bedroom.

In the next scene, I am on the phone with someone who I apparently know in my “real” life. I’m telling her about my dilemma – being in someone else’s body and not knowing why, wondering if I’ll make it back to my body or if I should work toward figuring out how to “be” this new person. I presume the woman whose body I’m inhabiting is now inhabiting mine. I assume everyone in this new life is seeing me as her (her body) even though I see me as myself. I hang up.

Next scene, I’ve shared my story with the man and he is understanding. He says he knew something was different about me by the way I had been acting / reacting to things. It feels like he is going to be supportive of me no matter what. Interesting observation that I didn’t get a sense that he was feeling a loss over his wife being displaced from her body. Instead, he was just as calm as could be and supportive of whatever I felt I needed to do.

When I awoke from the dream I was a bit disappointed. I wanted to see where this adventure was going. I thought maybe it could be a good premise for a fiction book. It’s been done before, but not exactly like this.

THOUGHTS:
My thoughts as I write this are that I am working toward major changes in my life around work, friends, family and romantic relationships. All of that would feel very much like stepping into someone else’s life. While the feeling in my dream was that I was taking a step back socially and economically (older home, geeky looking husband), it felt like something I could manage and would probably be very happy with. I got a sense of much love coming from the man, before and after I shared with him my story. It was a very comforting feeling being in the dream – after the initial confusion.

The idea that I would inhabit a partier’s body may represent a change I feel I need to make. While I’m not a big partier, I do drink more than I should at times. While I was in the strange woman’s body I felt calm and it seemed like a big contrast when put against the impression I had of her.

Mid-Slumber Visitors

I’ve had a few “mid-slumber visitors” recently. Each time I’m awakened by a noise of some sort. I feel like I’ve been in a deep sleep, but I’m suddenly awake and my eyes are directed to the place in my room where the noise has originated. There sometimes is also a visual queue – an image of someone or something while I’m still in my dream state just prior to being startled awake.

In my first experience, which occurred some time last week, there was no vision – at least not that I can remember – but just a very distinct noise. The noise was like the creaking sound a wicker basket might make if you sat on it. I was instantly awake and my eyes were on the woven seagrass clothes hamper by the window. Of course no one was there – just the two sham-covered pillows I lay on top of it every night before climbing into bed. I considered asking “What do you want?” but was too tired. My curiosity was not as strong as my desire for sleep. I rolled over, tossed around the idea of communicating for about another 10 seconds and then fell back into a deep sleep.

The next experience, earlier this week, included a vision of…something or someone…I don’t recall the image or really have any impression of it…I just know there was an image. And then a noise shocked me awake. This time the noise wasn’t anything I could define as belonging in my bedroom, as in the creaking of the hamper. The sound this time was more like a “pop.” And this time I “felt” a presence in the room – but just for an instant. My eyes were aimed at the corner of the room – where the noise seemed to have originated – but no one was there. Once again sleep won over any urge to explore the situation.

Last evening it happened again. This time I know the image that appeared in my mind before I was jolted awake was a person. And this time, when my eyes shot open they were aimed at the foot of my bed where I got the impression of the shadow of a person just fading away. They were not standing at the foot of my bed, but sort of floating over it in a way. It was almost like they had been sitting on the end of my bed slightly turned to their left so they could watch me. When my eyes popped open they faded away. I also got the sense that this presence was male.

These sorts of experiences have happened for me before, but not in many years. In those earlier visits I always felt the presence must be my mother. In one instance I was awakened by the kind of movement your mattress makes when someone sits down on the edge of the bed. When my eyes opened I had the impression of my mother, seated there – and then it faded. Another time I awoke feeling she had been standing at the foot of my bed.

Fear is never a component of these events – just a realization that someone is out there. I’m never sure if they’re wanting to communicate a specific message or if they just want me to know they’re watching. But I never feel threatened by them.

In my recent visits, my most immediate thought after realizing what just happened is, “I’m so tired! Why did they wake me?” I suppose at some point I’ll get around to asking them that question.

What triggers these sorts of experiences? I believe that when we begin to open up and expand ourselves spiritually, we open the channels that connect us more closely to our Spirit Guides. Back when my mother was visiting I was in that zone. I spent several years there, but eventually I shut down spiritually in favor of exploring a relationship. At the time I did not know I was choosing one over the other. Intellectually I knew even then that relationship and spirituality should not be mutually exclusive options, but that is how it worked out in this case.

The individual I connected with was not spiritual or religious, but did claim to believe in God. He mostly was a lost soul with an addiction who struggled every day to keep things in balance. We connected, I suppose, because we both needed something. He needed calm and balance, which I was able to provide at the time. I needed examples of unconditional love and “love of family.” That is what he brought to me. While it was not a conscious decision, I chose at that time to move away from my spiritual practices and just “let life happen.”

After that relationship ran its course I realized I had become stagnant in my life. I have since found myself back in a place where I feel the need to connect to Source and grow in my spirituality. And so now my Guides are beginning to make their appearances on a regular basis. For the last few weeks it seems as though each night I either experience remarkable dreams or get an overnight “nudge” from one of my Guides. I try to write each dream because within it there is always a message.

I feel I have begun a new adventure in my life. I’m very interested to see how this progresses.

Dream: I Can’t Keep Up!

2/16/2012

I am in my car and Ex is in his. We are both driving to his condo. As was typical for Ex in the beginning of our relationship, he wanted me to be in front of him whenever possible so he could keep an eye on me. We play a game of leap frog; him speeding ahead (because he prefers to drive fast) and me trying to keep up; then he’ll slow down a bit to allow me to catch up and sometimes pass him. I’m basically following his lead, zipping up the passing lane and then he’ll pull into the slow lane and wait for me to pass him and pull into the slow lane in front of him.

As we near the exit to his condo, he wants to ensure I’m in front of him so he can know I’ve gotten off and am safe. With me behind him in the passing lane he passes a car in the slow lane and then waits for me to pass him and pull into the slow lane in front of him. I feel myself getting nervous over the speed we’re moving, but I know I must get in front of him in time to make the exit. Even though I’m feeling stressed about it, I accelerate and begin to pass him, but then feel the wheels of my car begin to vibrate (which happens in my real car when I drive at certain speeds). This causes me to feel out of control and I ease up on the accelerator to make the vibration stop. The dream ends before I know whether I’ve made the exit.

THOUGHTS:

The feeling I have in the dream is that trying to “keep up” with Ex makes me feel out of control and I’m not comfortable with that. He is “driving recklessly” and I’m not comfortable with that. The terms “keeping up” and “driving recklessly” have to do with drinking. I’m not wired for the reckless lifestyle of heavy drinking on a regular basis. I can’t keep up.

Joaquin Phoenix Has Left The Building!!!

He has checked out and is not coming back anytime soon.

Did you see him on Letterman the other night? He walked onto the stage sporting a suit, smartly accessoried with a Unabomber beard, a hippie bedhead and a pair of sunglasses. He was mostly unresponsive to Letterman’s questions. The few responses he did offer were incoherent mumbles. When Letterman began poking fun at him, he clearly was not in on the joke.

I felt very uncomfortable for Joaquin. It was clear he did not understand what the audience found so funny. For everyone else, it was clear. It was the hair, the beard, the mumbling, the lack of personality. It was so not what anyone would expect from Joaquin given our exposure to his personality to this point. Surely it was a joke, right? Apparently not.

So, what happened? Did the success get to him? Has he suffered a romantic loss? Is he entering a delayed state of mourning for his brother River? (Could happen.)

It seemed pretty evident drugs were involved. If not, I believe it’s time to prescribe them, because Joaquin is in a very scary place…and he doesn’t appear to know the way home.

He says he’s leaving acting. Really? Why? And his new profession is going to be…Hip Hop…Really?

I mean, you can change professions and feel good about it, or you can change professions and not want to talk about it. The former case implies a significant event. What was so bad about acting that he can’t talk about it?

This clearly is not about changing professions. This is about escape.

To people like me who are fans of the old Joaquin Phoenix, this is a very unfortunate turn of events. Given the level of professionalism and grace he had shown prior to this, it seems that something extremely traumatic must have happened to initiate a change this extreme. I only hope he finds his way out of this – and soon!

The Benefits of a Neti Pot

Have you ever used a Neti Pot? What’s a Neti Pot you ask? Well, a Neti Pot(sometimes spelled “Netti”) is a small plastic pot (or it could be ceramic or metal) that’s used to rinse your nasal passages. The idea is to wash away mucus buildup and soothe irritated nasal passages in a more natural way.

I had heard about them from several people before I broke down and bought one of my own.

I have found that when used regularly it really does make a difference! I typically have my worst trouble with allergies in the Fall…I think it’s the ragweed that does me in. But this Fall has been extremely easy for me in that respect.

While I did take Zyrtec off and on for a couple weeks back in August (before I started using my neti), I haven’t had any since then. In past seasons I’ve had to take allergy meds consistently from late Summer until the dead of Winter.

Here are the basic steps for using one:

1. Fill the pot with lukewarm water

2. Add some salt and stir until dissolved. Sea salt is recommended, but some manufacturers will include a supply of salt with the Neti Pot with your purchase. I use the SinuCleanse brand pot, which comes with a good supply of saline powder packets.

3. Lean over the sink, place the spout of the pot into one nostril and then tilt your head slightly so the water will pour through that nostril, through your sinus passage and come out the other nostril. (Sounds gross, I know, but once you get over the grossness of it it’s really not that bad.)

4. Blow the water out of the nostril you began with.

5. Repeat #’s 3 & 4 with the other nostril.

Here are some other things I’ve read/learned:

1. Breathe with your mouth open. If you don’t, you’ll end up with a bunch of salty water leaking from your sinuses into the back of your throat. Sometimes even with my mouth open I’ll have some leakage, but I’m getting better at learning how to breathe.

2. Don’t snort the solution into your nose. That would be bad. I guarantee that if you do you’ll be very sorry.

3. If you feel stinging in your nose area, try using less salt until you build up your tolerance. (I find that if my sinuses are swollen I’ll feel some stinging in my nose, or worse, behind my eye. While I find it quite unpleasant, it’s not a show stopper. For the eye burning, I apply a little pressure with the tip of my finger to the upper inside corner of the eye area, below the end of my eyebrow. That usually relieves the stinging for me.)

4. I’ve also noticed that my left sinus passage is typically more swollen than the right and that if I rinse my right sinus first, then try the left, I’m more likely to experience burning in the left nostril. But if I start with my left, that doesn’t happen.

As I’ve mentioned, I use the SinuCleanse brand pot. I bought it at Walgreens, on sale for $14.99. I’m on my second neti. My first one met a horrible demise…I dropped it into the toilet one morning as I was loading it with salt before getting into the shower. Sure, I had to reach in to pluck it out, and, yes, I could have run it through the dishwasher and it probably would have been just fine…but I just couldn’t bring myself to use it again after that.

That brings up another thing. In all the demos I’ve seen I’ve never heard it suggested that you could use it in the shower, but that’s actually my preferred place/time to use it. I typically use it only once a day, so I figure…why not use it in the shower? I’ve already got my makeup off, and if anything goes wrong, I won’t have to change my clothes!

And speaking of frequency, because this method is drug-free, you can use it as often as you need.

There are lots of videos on YouTube on the subject, but few are really informative. Most are of people making it appear like a horrible experience. I watched several of them and picked out one that I felt was helpful.

This video goes into some history of the neti pot and why you might want to use one. It also talks about some other beneficial practices. It is by Ellen Kamhi from www.NaturalNurse.com. It’s about six minutes long, so get comfy…

Sinus Relief Naturally

Have a happy, healthy day!

I Lost My Job Today

How does it feel? Actually, I’m kind of relieved. I know I’ll land on my feet, so it really does kinda feel good.

I guess I saw it coming…so I’m relieved that I will no longer have to live with the stress of wondering “when?” The Universe has given me the proverbial nudge (or kick in the pants) and I now have the opportunity to explore new possibilities!

Woo Hoo!

My New Fav Green Smoothie

I just made this one up today. This is also my first try putting ginger into a smoothie. I’ve heard lots of people trying it, but I’d never had the courage before. I really liked it!

Here’s the recipe:
1/2 pineapple, 1 apple, 1/2 lemon, 2 carrots, romaine lettuce, 1 tbsp coconut cream, 1 tbsp hemp oil, 1/2 inch fresh ginger, almond milk, water.

To blend it, I started my Vita-Mix on Variable speed 1 and added a couple slices of pineapple, then gradually turned it up to 10, adding more sliced up pieces of fruit and the romaine. Then I added the coconut cream, hemp oil and ginger and flipped it up to high for a minute or so to let it all smooth out. I also added some almond milk to thin it out some, and in the end decided to add some water as well.

It actually was more orange than green because of the carrots…and the romaine was light in color…but it was very yummy!

I ended up with about 40 oz. of the stuff, so I had a nice big glass for breakfast and another for lunch.

In case you’re wondering about some of the ingredients, I’ve provided some info. You can read more by following the links.

Ginger: According to the website fitnessandfreebies.com, in Eastern societies, ginger has always been known for its healing powers. They site it specifically for treatment of nausea and motion sickness, migraines, arthritis, blood clots and cholesterol issues.

Coconut Cream: The site deliciousorganics.com, describes Coconut Oil as a food that:

– can help you lose weight
– can help boost your energy level
– can help you age better and be healthy
– doesn’t mutate like vegetable oils when heated at high temperature (frying, for example)
– is rich in Lauric Acid, a proven antiviral and antibacterial agent
helps digestive disorders like Crohn’s disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and Colitis
– is a powerful agent in killing intestinal parasites
– boosts metabolism and raises body temperature of thyroid sufferers

(I should note that coconut cream is a more condensed form of coconut milk, and that by adding water to coconut cream you get…you guessed it…coconut milk! I bought mine fromTropicalTraditions.com)

Hemp Oil: In an article on regenerativenutrition.com, hemp is touted as “Nature’s Perfect Food for Humanity.” It is said to have a pleasant nutty flavor. (I wouldn’t know about that. When I mix it in my smoothies the other ingredients overpower it, so I really don’t think I’m tasting it at all.)

Hemp Oil is full of Omega 3 & 6 oils, which we all know by now are “all good.”

The site lists symptoms of Omega 3 deficiency as:
Growth retardation, weakness, impairment of vision and learning ability, motor incoordination, tingling in arms and legs, behavioural changes.

Omega 6 deficiencies are said to cause:
Eczema-like skin eruptions, loss of hair, liver degeneration, behavioural disturbances, kidney degeneration, excessive water loss through the skin accompanied by thirst, drying up of glands, susceptibility to infections, failure of wound healing, sterility in males, miscarriage in females, arthritis-like conditions, heart and circulatory problems, growth retardation.

The site also states that, adding these good oils back into the diet can virtually turn these symptoms around. That’s good news!

There really were so many benefits listed in the article you’ll really have to read it for yourself, but the claim is that hemp oil “could provide all of our Essential Fatty Acid (EFA) requirements for life.”

I will say, however, that cold-pressed is what you want. If it is heated when it’s processed, it’s no better than all those icky cooking oils you find in the grocery store.

Drink up!

My Beloved Vita-Mix!

(Warning: This is part personal opinion and part advertisement…but it’s all good!)

I have a new love in my life. It is my new Vita-Mix 5200. When I received my Federal Stimulus check I deposited it, and then immediately went online to order my fabulous new toy. Check it out…isn’t it beautiful?


I’ll be straight with you…they’re expensive. My total purchase came out to almost exactly the amount I had deposited – which is a lot of money for a piece of kitchen equipment – but they’re virtually indestructible and they come with a seven year warranty, so I felt it was a good investment. Besides…everyone in the raw food community I had talked to up to that point had said they loved theirs, so I was very excited at the prospect of having my very own machine, in spite of the cost.

So I ordered the 5200 and got the package with both the wet and dry blades, just in case. I haven’t used the dry blade yet. That one is for things like grinding nuts or seeds into something like flour. You can also mix and kneed bread with the dry blade, but I’m not sure I’ll use mine for that since bread isn’t on my good food list.

I have used the wet blade, though, for all sorts of raw and vegetarian goodies. Here’s a short list:

  • Green Smoothies My favorite is baby spinach with just about any combination of fruit. Add a little Hemp oil and you’ve got a great energy drink!
  • Mango Sorbet Fresh organic Mango and some ice – it’s that simple!
  • Chopped Cabbage for Salad The first time I tried chopping cabbage things did not go well. Then I waatched the DVD that came with the machine and learned the trick – it’s actually super easy!
  • Vegetable Soup (Not raw, but very tasty!) I like to use sauteed leeks and onions as a starter, then add organic vegetable stock to complete the base. Chop up a variety of your favorite organic veggies, and you’ve got a great healthy soup! To give it a creamy base, put a cup or two of the broth into the Vita-Mix and give it a spin, then pour it back in with the rest of the soup.

The Vita-Mix website even has a section for raw foodies. And there’s a community for Vita-Mix owners of all types to connect and share information. It’s called Vita-Village (corny, I know).

I’ve had my Vita-Mix only a few months, but it is one of the most effective tools I have to support me in my raw food adventure.

If you think you might like to try one, Vita-Mix offers a 30-day no-risk in-home trial…and you can get FREE Standard Ground Shipping if you click the banner above or use this link! If you prefer to upgrade your shipping method, the banner or link will get you a discount off of expedited shipping.

Happy Eating!

Raw Carrot & Orange Cake – It Rocks!


I have to pass this recipe on to you because it’s just so yummy! If you like carrot cake, but the “real” stuff is too sweet (or unhealthy) for you, this recipe is perfect! Not only does it not contain all those things I need to stay away from (flour, oil and sugar), but – believe it or not – it tastes very much like the real thing!

I found the recipe quite by accident. I had been searching for a recipe for something like raw mushroom pate because I had these great looking portobello’s in my fridge and I was anxious to try something new with them.

But the Universe had other plans for me. Somehow, as I was searching, I stumbled onto this great recipe for raw carrot cake! Now, understand, I’ve seen plenty of raw carrot cake recipes in my travels, but so far the pictures haven’t made me want to try them. This one is different. The picture above the recipe (see top of post) looks very appetizing, and the cake I made looks even better!

I won’t post the full recipe here…you can pop on over to Raw Food Chef Russell James’ blog when you’re ready. But I will provide a couple of tips from my experience making it.

First, I made it in an 8 x 8 baking pan, so mine came out a little higher than the one in the picture above. I’d say mine is about 1 1/2″ to 2″ high.

I made the “icing” first, and set it in the fridge while I prepared the base. That worked well, and the base was plenty firm enough that I didn’t have to worry about tearing up the cake as I iced it.

Last, I did not put it into the dehydrator, as the recipe suggests. I just finished the base and put the icing on it right away, covered it all and set it in the fridge.
About 10 minutes later I pulled it back out of the fridge so I could have a piece (I couldn’t wait!).

Getting that first piece out of the pan was a little tricky, but I managed to do it without mangling it too much. It really was no more difficult than getting the first piece of any kind of cake out of a pan like mine. And when I pulled the pan out of the fridge this morning to cut myself a piece for my lunchbox the rest of the cake was still in very good shape…no bleeding or falling over of stuff into the empty space I’d left the night before.

Here’s a picture of my version after I’ve been in it a few times 😉

That’s it! There are several ingredients, so there’s a lot of chopping to be done for the base, but you can chop each thing and dump it into the bowl right on top of the last thing you chopped, and then when you’re all done chopping, just mix it all together. Simple!

I would highly recommend this recipe to anyone who has ever moaned in ecstacy over a warm slice of carrot cake! (I’ll have more on the fate of the portobello’s in a later post.)

The Effect of Seasonal Changes and Stress on Fibromyalgia

It’s interesting how season changes and emotions can play into your overall feeling of well-being. For the past three weeks or so, I had been feeling achy and sore just about every day, and the degenerative disc in my lower back was inflamed to a degree that almost had me heading back to the chiropractor.

I had a feeling the change in seasons was contributing to my achiness, but I know that food can trigger it as well. I had hoped the changes I made to my diet recently to manage the diabetes would help, but in this case it did not. While I did notice an improvement in my mood and overall sense of well-being after restarting on raw food, the achiness remained.

Until about three days ago. On Wednesday morning of this past week, I woke up, got out of bed and walked…pain free…to the bathroom! It felt great! And I felt another positive boost in my attitude as well.

What made the difference? I have a couple theories. First, I think the recent change in weather had an affect. We’re heading into Fall weather here, but it’s been slow going. The weather has been warmer than usual, and pretty dry as well. I won’t get into all the details, but weather definitely is a factor in the severity of fibromyalgia symptoms. If you want to learn more, there’s a great article about it here:

My second theory is that I have recently been able to release some of my frustration over my job. I’m still working for the same company, but I’ve been moved into a position that I feel suits me better than my previous one. The atmosphere in this group is much more positive, and I feel I will have more freedom (and support) to dig in and make a difference. That’s important to me.

So..even though the weather has changed again since last Wednesday, I still feel pretty good!