Tuesday, August 23, 2011

CoDA: Co-Dependents Anonymous Group

“Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart... 
Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.” -Carl Jung

We are pleased to announce a new CoDA (Co-Dependents Anonymous) Group is now forming. The group is facilitated by Angel Cardenas and hosted at Church of Spiritual Light, 1939 Park Meadows Dr.#1 Fort Myers, Florida 33907.

The intention of this group is to help people to learn about and gain support in forming and maintaining healthy and loving relationships both with self and others. We will be exploring personal boundaries and patterns of behavior that are beneficial to create better relationships, using the 12 Steps as a guideline for recovery.
If you would like to learn more about codependency, click here to review.

Meets Every Wednesday 5:30-7pmSuggested Donation (for the space): $5
Contact: Angel 272-7471
Open Meeting - All are welcome!



Click here to purchase CODA Workbook



Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Medicine Drum Circle


“The drum is the Great Spirit’s favorite instrument. That is why we were all given a heartbeat.” ~Navajo Elder

Please join us for our monthly Medicine Drum Circle with Tim Albright. The circle is open to all, drummer and non-drummers, musicians and non-musicians, alike. Tim will be helping us connect to the power of drumming by linking the rhythms of the instruments to our heart. Please bring your own drum or instrument, however, we will have several instruments such as rattles, shakers, rainsticks and some drums for those without an instrument to play.

When: Meets the 3rd Friday of the month - 7:30 - 8:30pm
Location: Church of Spiritual Light, 1939 Park Meadows Dr., #1, Ft. Myers, FL 33907
Facilitator: Tim Albright
Cost: $5

Besides being fun and just soul-satisfying, check out some of the therapeutic reasons to make drumming a regular part of your life!

Stress-Reduction 
Strengthened the immune system by increasing Natural Killer (NK) cell activity. (Bittman, Alternative Therapies, 2001) This protocol also reversed multiple components of the human stress response on the genomic level, not just reducing but reversing 19 genetic switches that turn on the stress response believed responsible in the development of common diseases. (Bittman, Medical Science Monitor, 2005)

Exercise
Drumming is an accessible exercise which burns calories and improves mood and may reduce the risk of disease. A Norwegian study of 25,000 women age 20-54 that performed leisure time exercises at least 4 hours/week experienced a 37% reduction in the risk of breast cancer. (Thune, Brenn, Lund, Gaard, 1997)

Self-Expression 
Empowers people to move beyond their perceived boundaries.

Camaraderie/Support 
A 1992 Duke University Study linked lengthened lifespan with having a close confidant. HealthRHYTHMS protocol builds camaraderie and support by creating a safe space where people feel comfortable sharing and offering support.

Nurturing 
Creates a level playing field where support of growth and development is encouraged. As equal partners in this process participants often discover inner strength and encouragement by those sharing the experience.

Spirituality 
According to Jan Gregory, Adjunct Professor of Liturgy, Worship and Spirituality at Hartford Seminary, “Hand drumming is an ancient art that has been used in many cultures. The music of drums creates a conduit to the Divine. This is an opportunity to experience worship with our bodies as well as our minds”.

Music-Making 
Systematic inquiry into the relationship between music and brain function is one of the most rapidly developing fields of human research. “Music making offers extensive exercise for brain cells and their synapses (connections). It would be difficult to find another activity that engages so many of the brain’s systems.”(Weinberger, N., 1998)

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

August 2011: Art for Life


"Everything you can imagine is real."  — Pablo Picasso

We reveal ourselves to ourselves and to the world by what we create. Come and join us this month to experience the divine within your creations. We're talking about everything you experience, design, or make, everything you do...as art. Your entire life can be a sacrament, a prayer and a devotion to the magnificence of being human and having this experience to becoming even more fully human. We're so busy trying to become holy, that we miss the mark and don't realize the full potential of being human and all that it entails. Certainly we seek to purify ourselves, but that does not mean that we live a dry, dull life, toeing some imaginary line that our distorted psyche holds us to. What we are exploring this month is the inner doorways to absolute abundance of Spirit within which leads us to our highest creative ideas and gives us the inspiration to create our lives from the next level of existence. Higher consciousness brings new ways of seeing the world...and this is an exciting vision to have. It infuses and inspires everything in an unexpected and often magically endearing way. For in that space, a common tea kettle is a miracle, a motorcycle is a dragon, a car is a golden carriage and human beings are works of art!


Sunday Talks with Rev. Renee Bledsoe

August 7 - Guest Speaker - Rev. David Essel
August 14 - Creation & Inspiration
August 21 - The Muse is Loose
August 28 - Art for Life

AUGUST AFFIRMATIONS
Everyday I create something beautiful.
I am a co-creator with the divine.
My powers of creation are ever evolving.
I create with confidence and courage.
I stretch myself by trying new things.
I embrace failure as proof that I am creating.
I consider the hidden intention of my “errors”.
My “mistakes” are lessons to learn from.
I give myself the leeway to make mistakes.
I love life and life loves me.
I take inspiration from nature.
I allow myself time to daydream regularly.
When I am still, I am also creating.
There is much to be expressed from within me.
I look forward to what is revealed through my creativity.
I help others to be creative.
I allow my unconscious to be expressed in my art.
I trust my own creative process.
It is possible to make money from my art.
I bring color and my use of it into my awareness.
I use color to change and command my energy.
I am human, a multi-colored being of light.
I give myself permission to be creative.
I am creative in all my endeavors.
I let my imagination soar.
My life is a masterpiece.
I am a work of art.
Life is my art.