A Better Life

If you were one of those who enjoyed life to the fullest, this post might be for you. I was also one of those people, so I might be speaking for myself but at any rate what I will share can give you a new insight or simply serve as a reminder.

I’ve enjoyed my life to the fullest because I have danced, sang as much as I could, and best of all, I’ve eaten any food I’ve wanted. What I enjoyed the most was those bonding moments with my children, eating burgers or fried chicken as well as French fries and doughnuts. It is always a good feeling to think about those times.

Indeed some good things never last because my children whom I spent those beautiful moments are adults now and are enjoying their own lives. I am now in this phase where I have to attend to myself and get rid of the bad effects of most of the foods I have enjoyed. Though I am always young at heart, I have to accept that my body is not that young. Toxins from the food I ate and from the modern environment have accumulated in my body. Because of that, cancer cells have grown for sure, everyone my age has a number of those cells, and my killer cells are continuously fighting with them.

Who will win in the battle between the cancer cells and the killer cells depends on me. My whole immune system will need my help, to choose only the food they need, and cut the food supply of cancer cells like sugar, meat and toxins, not only from the food and environment but also from my emotions like anger. I had a good life in the past but trying my best to keep my body as young as my spirit can give me a better life. And because I chose to have a better life, I bought the tools I will need like a juicer and some health gadgets.

I am now enjoying this new phase in my life because I discover new recipes, some I created on my own, and I feel closer to God because I eat the food He created just for people, in its natural form. I eat a lot of raw vegetable salad, drink the juices from raw vegetables even from cassava. I’ve discovered a food for snack by steaming the pulp from the juiced cassava just for 5 minutes and sprinkling the steamed pulp with muscovado.

When I asked God where to get the cure for dreadful diseases during my conversation with Him in June 2001, He said the cures are abundant and I knew at that time He was referring to the plants around us. Later I also realized that sunshine of course is abundant and just 15 to 20 minutes exposure at the right time, from 9:30 to 10 o’clock in the morning is sufficient.

My husband and I were also blessed by a special child a year after my conversation with God, and this child who will be 11 years old next month, gives us now a natural way to exercise and sweat out the toxins in our body. What more can I ask from God?

Mixing Opposites

I thought I won't be able to describe what I've been doing the past days, but i just figured out what exactly I was doing. The activities involved were focused on the house and the garden. How it started has really nothing to do with the house because I just wanted a better internet connection and a new router was waiting to be installed. However, there were also cables and computer hardware that were no longer needed so the connections should be cleared from them also. So it took movement of tables and clearing some spaces before the router was installed.

It took days for the whole activity to be completed because it was not as simple as I thought. It was not easy to satisfy my third eye. Until I noticed it would be satisfied only when there was a mix of opposites, like the router on the antique looking console table, which was moved from the space dividing the living room and the dining room.

!

In the living room, the hard wood dominated the area since it had a big wooden center table and there were electronic equipments also so the whole area just looked "hard". It needed to be balanced by objects that would suggest softness, like more throw pillows and a carpet, or stuffed toys. So I moved out the big center table creating more space. I placed a wood slab on the floor to create a natural look balancing the electronic equipments in the area, and introduced a carpet and additional throw pillows. It was hard to get an unbudgeted small sized carpet so I practically had no choice, I just thought that the tan color of the design will neutralize the other colors in the area while the red background symbolizes fire, which will balance the presence of too much wood (based on the Five Elements theory in Feng Shui). It was nice to notice our pet cats in the area once in a while because they balance the presence of the animal stuffed toys and figurines.

The activity forced me to take some time out from my highly technical home based job. Through the activity I was enjoying some of my hobbies.

Mixing the opposites is just about balancing - the hard with soft, modern with antique, natural with electronics or synthetic, or a technical job with an artistic hobby. Life is like that, it has to follow the simple law of Yin and Yang, and all will be well.

Once again, God placed me in this awesome situation. Thank you Lord!

Alternative Health Care and PNAAP

In the past, “alternative health care” was not an easy topic to discuss. Some believed that those alternative methodologies should still be proven with clinical studies. Until that was done, nothing could replace what was considered as the conventional and therefore right way of treating the sick, and that was the Western Medicine way.

Western Medicine however, always start with symptoms. Now that any information is just a fingertip away, caring for one's health from the time a baby is born is also a fingertip away. Now is the time when “symptoms” should pertain to signs of imbalances instead of signs of illnesses that can already be serious.

Perhaps the term “alternative” was used to also refer to therapies or tools that can address imbalances aside from herbs used as medicines, so as not to create confusion. So whatever is not “Western Medicine” is “Alternative Medicine”, and that includes all the Oriental medicine philosophies such as Traditional Chinese Medicine or TCM which is really a traditional medicine as its name implies.

The concept of Yin and Yang in TCM is a clear indication of its main principle of balancing a person's well-being to sustain the latter’s normal state. Both Yin and Yang have “windows” or “bridges” to the other side so that transition can easily take place to achieve the required balance. Both “Western” and “Alternative” medicines should also have windows or bridges with clear boundaries and a common objective of maintaining a person's wellness.

The Philippines National Association of Acupoint Practitioners or PNAAP envisions to serve as a bridge from an alternative health care methodology to Western Medicine or even vice versa. This was made possible with PNAAP's initial partnership with a big company that manufactures high quality and state-of-the-art health gadgets, in addition to well researched and traditional supplements that were proven effective for thousands of years in TCM. These supplements can complement not only the health gadgets but also a number of medicines prescribed by Western Medicine practitioners. Such big company is Tiens Biotech Group, the manufacturer of a comb-like Balance Apparatus for Biological Physical Electricity that won awards 8 times in international expositions of invention held in United States, France, Switzerland and Singapore. Another health gadget with invention awards from the same company is the Acupoint Treasure Healthcare Apparatus also known as “Tong Bao”, which functions like a “needleless acupuncture” capable of stimulating meridian acupoints, until a balanced state of a person is achieved, hence preventing the onset of illnesses.

To be in line with the philosophies behind the tools or health gadgets PNAAP has adopted, PNAAP has also embraced TCM as its underlying philosophy, appreciating the theories of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements as effective means of assessing imbalances in their early stages before any physiological diagnosis can be made. A curriculum was designed by PNAAP to standardize the practice of Acupoint Therapy using needleless acupuncture or other modernized acupuncture gadgets in the Philippines, and bridge the gap between the practice and Western Medicine.

PNAAP was founded by Dr. Josefina Ponciano-Albis, an OB-Gynecologist in Medical City and headed by some Western Medicine practitioners who are also currently Acupoint Health Therapy Practitioners and who themselves are recipients of astounding health benefits of their own practice. To promote safe practice in conducts of Acupoint Health Therapy Practitioners, PNAAP also aims to design and implement high standard Code of Ethics, and promotes strong adherence to it by its members.

A “Certified Acupoint Therapist” or “Certified Acupoint Practitioner” who graduated from PNAAP should now be able to discuss about “alternative health care” with confidence. He or she should strive to identify what exactly caused a person’s imbalance and perform the corresponding acupoint therapies required, adhering to PNAAP’s Standard of Practice and Code of Ethics, which include guidelines on when to refer a patient to the Western Medical Practitioner. He or she should also know by heart, Tiens’ Technical specification of each health product and gadget before using them. Last but not least, his or her personal satisfaction is derived from helping other people to stay healthy. The financial reward is never the motivating factor and thus remains only as a reward.

A Tribute

Today, March 26, is the first death anniversary of my mother-in-law, and if ever there are tributes for her left undone or messages left unsaid, I guess this is the best time. The last time she was still able to see the people around her, she looked at me when I called her to check if she was alright, and that was her last gaze to a person.

As days and months went by, I've been trying to analyze if that last gaze meant something, and unexpectedly, I found a lot of meanings.

"Mamang" was always described as a plain housewife, but as the priest during her eulogy said, being a housewife is a very noble vocation. In Mamang's case, I could describe her as the "President of a Corporation" consisting of her offspring and their offspring. She sees to it that everyone in this "corporation" is doing well, and would announce to the world that they are indeed doing well, a recognition every employee would always wanted to hear from his or her bosses or employers. It is not only that quality that can make her a "best boss", she was also a servant leader, another quality of a good boss, because she always checks what each person "in her corporation" needs, and would offer her services to fulfill that need.

For some, and that included me, the services she would like to offer were most of the time exaggerated because she always thought she could do them all. A special child I adopted brought us closer, but also became a reason for occasional misunderstanding between us. That was because she would always claim she was capable of taking care of such child, while I consistently claimed that a caregiver is indispensable.



To make my story short, I am now taking care of this special child, with my husband's help because this child has grown tall, but no caregiver, and I have no intentions of getting the services of a regular caregiver at least in the next one or two years. Beyond that, I can't tell because my husband and are are no longer young, but I believe this activity of caring for our special child kept us stronger and more conscious and responsible for our health. At the time this special child was born, my bone density was at the boundary of normal and osteopenic, but ten years had passed and it is now high normal.

My mother-in-law's last gaze was meaningful because it made me realize that her statements in the past were not exaggerations because she had experienced them all and she knew she was capable of doing them, moreso because she had performed them out of love. Saying "sorry" without being enlightened doesn't seem right, but now that I've realized a lot and learned from Mamang, I'd like to say I'm sorry for those times I misunderstood her.



Today is also "Holy Tuesday", or the second day of Holy Week. We are reminded how Jesus Christ was misunderstood and persecuted. He died on the cross to save the whole world. It makes me think now that from every death, some people will find enlightenment and salvation. Jesus Christ sacrificed on the cross to start it all, and His death will continue to save mankind.

As The Deer

As the deer panteth for the water so my soul longeth after Thee
You alone are my heart’s desire, and I long to worship Thee

You alone are my Strength and Shield, to You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart’s desire and I long to worship thee

You’re my Friend and You are my Brother even though You are a King
I love You more than any other so much more than anything

Oh You alone are my Strength and Shield, to You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart’s desire and I long to worship thee

This is one of my favorite psalms and I've always wanted to sing this. Singing the alto part makes my singing even more heartfelt and meaningful.

Overwhelming Blessings

Whenever I meditate about the things that are happening in my life today, I realize that there are overwhelming blessings coming one after another. Overwhelming because I couldn't single out who to thank or what caused a good thing to happen.

Perhaps I just came to the point where I'd like to count my blessings, instead of counting my disappointments. Life has been difficult, but it bore good fruits I didn't even think I deserved. These fruits didn't include money that will make us live comfortably, but they contained tastes of peace and contentment.

Though I don't have the luxury of time even to pray everyday, I like to pray whenever I can. I wasn't like that in the past so I think that is a sign that I am now ready to recognize my blessings.

Year End Inventory of My Missions

My first unforgettable mission happened in 2003 in Davao City, and it was an accomplished mission. At the same time, it gave me the opportunity to celebrate my golden birthday at Pearl Farm Resort. After that, I've considered some common missions part of my own missions too. Here's an inventory of those missions:

1. To spread the message of God to mankind, a message relayed by God through a task I was doing in 2001: This was the main reason why I started blogging, but sad to say, only 76 has read this message from the time I started to blog until yesterday.

2. To disseminate information about health and wellness: I have been accomplishing this as needed during conversations, through this blog, my "Amusing Tips" blog, my Facebook account, and my special child's Facebook account which serves as a journal of her therapies.

3. To be an advocate in bridging the gap between Western Medicine and Alternative Medicine: This seemed impossible at the start but just after a year, this was made possible by a non-stock non-profit organization called Philippine National Association of Acupoint Practitioners or PNAAP, and I believe that the organizers like Dra. Josie Ponciano and Edward Lee will be successful in their missions and visions for the organization. I cannot join them yet at this point in time, but I will be their advocate in any way I can, in continuing this very challenging mission.

4. To encourage people to be always positive and avoid negative thoughts, to start with myself: This is a recent mission that has just started and through Facebook, I have started with myself. It will surely be very hard and challenging to enlighten people who have posted negative comments in Facebook, but maybe through inspiring resources, that can be achieved.

May the year 2013 bring true peace and happiness to everyone!

An Awesome Mission

I've just changed the title of this post, replacing the word "difficult" to "awesome", simply because the former sounded negative contradicting the objective of the mission,which is to encourage people to be always positive and get rid of negative thoughts. Of course I have to start with myself, and so far so good.

This mission was inspired by the science of bio-electricity, where most of the gadgets I use for therapy have this principle. I had to research about bio-electricity and I found the book "Wonders of Human Bio-electricity" which became a source of my inspiration. Immediately following this, I have quoted two paragraphs from this book, which I also quoted in my "Amusing Tips" blog.

"One benefits by thinking good. Similarly, one suffers the consequences of bad thoughts. Persons habituated to destructive thinking should know that they are inviting similar thoughts from space which would one day overwhelm their life with misfortune and misery.

An evil or negative thought always produces an adverse reaction in other persons. It contributes to the pollution in the universal thought-bank. Hence one should remain ever vigilant about an unethical thought trying to sneak in mind. The moment an unholy thought crops up in mind, it should be immediately converted and pushed out by more intense constructive thought. Indeed, the most remarkable service of mankind is to always think positively and about welfare of other persons, endeavor accordingly and spread similar thought waves."

I'm sure getting rid of negative thoughts will help me in my current task of performing a massage on my special child for spine alignment, and will also make my current IT research work easier.

I'm thinking of encouraging people through a group in Facebook which was inspired by the book also, and maybe post follow-ups in this blog, so let's see. But first, I guess I need to have an inventory of my previous missions first, check their status and publish that in my next post, so I can start the year with clear objectives and directions for the missions worth pursuing.

Low Profile

I was supposed to follow a Feng Shui advise to maintain a low profile this month. I should keep myself away from issues, or in other words just keep quiet. At first I thought that was easy, but I think it is my nature to immediately react or give my opinion about issues and then retract when I feel I have no right to comment about the issue, or I don't have enough information to conclude about an issue.

So to maintain a low profile, in case I wasn't able to control myself from immediately reacting to issues or situations then I just retract whatever I've said. Sometimes though, it is hard to keep a low profile when you know you have something to share that will help improve a situation, and you shouldn't postpone it while the information, or the problems and matching solutions are still fresh in your mind . Maybe if you have pure intentions to help and you directly approached the right person instead of announcing about your plans to help, then that is still maintaining a low profile. I guess that is much better than being passive about situations.

"God works in mysterious ways"

I've always wondered how can God work on a situation that only He can solve, and how mysterious can be His ways? His message to mankind through the number of stones that I have counted was surely one of His mysterious ways, and just this morning, I had another taste of how mysterious is mysterious.

Our family choir was singing in a Sunday mass this morning and when my son gave the pitch of our second communion song, I felt it was too low and thought it could be for "altos", so I thought I can decipher the soprano counterpart which was my voice. It was a new song, I forgot the song starts in unison, so I was wrong to conclude what I heard was for "altos". My mistake led me to lead the other choir members to the wrong pitch and of course I was sorry. But the incident opened my thoughts to another issue that doesn't concern the choir at all but that I'd been silent about, resulting to my being vocal about the issue for a while after the mass.

The past days, I was asking myself if I should be silent about the issue and said to myself, perhaps if ever I should do something about it, God will do something to make me do that. I didn't expect that could be through a mistake in getting a pitch, a mistake I almost never commit in my lifetime. The "not related issue" I was talking about was opened to the people concerned, but that was not my intention though I was hoping that I can soon talk about it. No need to do that now unless they ask me to. Indeed, God works in mysterious ways, through very simple situations nobody would ever imagine.