Painkiller alternative: is turmeric the answer for arthritis? – Health Europa

There are nearly ten million brits that are currently suffering from life-altering and painful arthritis. Often sufferers avoid taking medication as they simply havent found a medication that works for them.

Research by FutureYou Cambridge shows that 12% of arthritis sufferers are avoiding painkillers due to fear of side effects or addiction, and nearly half say they try to avoid taking over-the-counter pain relief. Over a quarter (27%) say theyve not yet found a medication that works for them.

The study also found that sufferers no longer feel they can do things they used to with over half (57%) revealing they exercise less, 54% saying it affects their sleep and over a quarter (28%) saying they socialise less. Nearly half (46%) say it has a negative impact on their relationships. A quarter (26%) are having less sex.

Not only does arthritis impair a persons quality of life, but it also affects their emotional wellbeing. Six in ten (60%) say it makes them irritable and short-tempered and half (50%) feel frustrated. The condition also leaves sufferers feeling old (46%), tired (42%) and useless (21%). Troublingly, almost a third (29%) report feeling depressed.

The research also revealed that suffers could be living in pain unnecessarily. With over half (54%) saying they have accepted their pain as a part of everyday life and the inevitability of ageing. When it comes to alternative solutions, over half of participants say theyre open to trying food supplements or herbal remedies as an alternative, but only a quarter (23%) have considered using turmeric to manage their pain despite significant research demonstrating evidence of its anti-inflammatory properties.

The age-old plant has been used for centuries in cooking and traditional medicine. Turmeric is known to contain the powerful active ingredient, curcumin, which has many anti-inflammatory properties.

The study was conducted to raise awareness of problems many arthritis sufferers are dealing with on a regular basis and highlight the ways the issues can be tackled. The study comes in the wake of Public Health Englands recent review from September 2019 that found 1 in 4 Brits are addicted to painkillers.

Adam Cleevely, Chief Executive Officer from FutureYou said: The pain of arthritis is an everyday reality for ten million people, and its shocking that so many havent found an effective way to manage their condition.

Its sad and unacceptable that so many people have been forced to accept this way of life because theyve either failed to find a prescription or over-the-counter option that works for them, or theyre simply not aware of or dont have access to an effective non-medicinal alternative. With more people wanting to avoid pain killers its important that they are aware that there are other choices available to them.

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Painkiller alternative: is turmeric the answer for arthritis? - Health Europa

Elle Macpherson responds to troll who thought she ‘ruined’ her face with plastic surgery – CANOE

Former supermodel Elle Macpherson has shut down an Internet troll for suggesting plastic surgery has ruined her appearance, insisting she has done nothing but age naturally.

The Australian stunner, famously nicknamed The Body, received the rude remark on Instagram after recently sharing a pair of photos of herself with medical consultant Dr. Will Cole.

Catching up with fellow wellness warrior @drwillcole leading the way with functional medicine = Evidence-based alternative medicine, she captioned the images.

Shooting the breeze about inflammation and auto immune , diet and alkalinity @welleco and more.

While many followers praised Macpherson for her natural beauty, one person didnt like her look and decided to post a rant about the 55-year-olds image in the comments section.

Whatever your (sic) doing to your face STOP IT! You dont look like yourself anymore! WTF (what the f), the hater wrote.

Why do people with money & not want to ruin their beautiful faces. Please stop you were beautiful now not so much (sic).

The comment caught Macphersons eye, but instead of firing back at the detractor, she responded in a calm and collected manner, making it clear she is more than satisfied with what she sees in the mirror every day.

The only thing Im doing is aging gracefully without interference, she replied. Sorry if it doesnt work for your vision of what you think I should look like. Im me. Healthy happy and nearly 60. Go figure (sic).

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Elle Macpherson responds to troll who thought she 'ruined' her face with plastic surgery - CANOE

We like control and thats under threat from brainy machines – Irish Times

You dont often give a name to a clothes drier but our intelligent model became Hal 9000 because of its similarities to the spaceship computer in the 1968 movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. Both were too intelligent for their own good, both defied their human masters and in the end both had to be shut down.

Our Hal 9000 made me wonder if the future of intelligent machines is as rosy as it looks. In the end, the human need to control our environment might get in the way and upset the, no doubt always-online, applecart.

Our dryer, being intelligent, had opinions on how to do its work. It refused to dry clothes if it thought they were too wet or not wet enough. If it grudgingly made the effort it stopped when it believed the clothes were sufficiently dry for the likes of us usually, they werent. Neither pleading nor swearing could make it finish the job.

I could almost hear that defiant Hal 9000 declaration in the movie: Im sorry, Dave, Im afraid I cant do that.

In the end, the search for an unintelligent clothes dryer under way. Its not an easy thing to find but eventually we succeeded.

Our unintelligent dryer does what you want it to do without complaint or objection. Its a joy. Because it may be the last of its kind, it is housed in luxury in a bedroom where it enjoys central heating. We had kept Hal 9000 in the shed and I now wonder if, perhaps, it was sulking all along?

But theres more to this than a dryer. We humans havent moved all that far from an ancestral monkey using a stone to dig up an edible root. We like control and thats under threat from brainy machines.

I have met men who used to lie under cars tinkering with ie exercising control over the engine and who felt a sense of loss when cars became so sophisticated you have to connect them to a computer and not interfere.

I have long thought that part of the allure of alternative medicine is that it plays to our need for control. I can walk into a shop, choose a product with which to treat myself and off I go. Conventional medicine is better we forget how jaw-droppingly remarkable its achievements are but entering that world means leaving your autonomy, your control, sometimes even your sense of who you are, at the door and playing by other peoples rules.

Even those who insist on driving themselves to the hospital instead of calling an ambulance when they are having a heart attack (I could see myself doing this) are clinging on to control sometimes with fatal results.

In the world of work, lots of self-employed people would make more money as employees of big companies. But the extra money wouldnt compensate them for the loss of control over their day.

And in the UK a major motivations of the Brexiteers, as we are all sick of hearing, is to take back control. Remainers who point to the dire economic consequences might be missing the psychological point of the exercise.

Ive even noticed that board games are making a comeback and you will sometimes see people in their twenties playing these games in coffee shops. Another example, perhaps, of taking back control from a wired-up world.

Perhaps we will be more resistant to self-driving cars than some of us think we will because, well, who do you think will be in the driving seat?

What about Hal 9000?

As the van carrying it away disappeared into the Dublin traffic I could have sworn I heard a voice singing Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do, Im half crazy all for the love of you. It was the song Hal 9000 sang in the movie as he was being deactivated.

I felt a twinge but it was too late. Hasta la vista, baby, I muttered as I turned on my heel and went inside to dry my socks.

Padraig OMorain (@PadraigOMorain) is accredited by the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. His latest book is Daily Calm. His daily mindfulness reminder is free by email (pomorain@yahoo.com).

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We like control and thats under threat from brainy machines - Irish Times

Alternative Cancer Treatment Market : Future Innovation Strategies, Growth & Profit Analysis, Forecast by 2018 2026 – Dagoretti News

PMRs latest report on Alternative Cancer Treatment Market

The recent market intelligence study by PMR elaborates the all in all perspective of the worldwide Alternative Cancer Treatment market, from its historical growth through the future outlook. The report is scrutinized on the basis of product type, end use, region and market players. Each segment depicted based on market share, revenue, and demand prospect.

Analysts at PMR find that the Alternative Cancer Treatment Market reached a value of ~US$ xx Mn/Bn in 2018 and is anticipated to grow at CAGR of xx% during the forecast period 2018 2026. The growth is primarily driven by increasing demand for Alternative Cancer Treatment among the consumers, better disposable income, and enhanced GDP in developing countries.

ThisPress Release will help you to understand the Volume, growth with Impacting Trends. Click HERE To get SAMPLE PDF (Including Full TOC, Table & Figures) athttps://www.persistencemarketresearch.co/samples/23062

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Key players of alternative cancer treatment market includes Innovative Medicine, LLC, Esperity, Northwest Natural Health Clinic, and many more. The companies in alternative cancer treatment market are increasingly engaged in strategic partnerships, collaborations, mergers and acquisitions to capture a greater pie of market share as the market is in the nascent stage.

The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report provides analysis and information according to categories such as market segments, geographies, types, technology and applications.

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Regional analysis includes

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Alternative Cancer Treatment Market : Future Innovation Strategies, Growth & Profit Analysis, Forecast by 2018 2026 - Dagoretti News

Complementary And Alternative Medicine Market Report Offers A One-Stop Solution To All The Key Players | Herbal Hills, Herb Pharm and Columbia…

The Complementary And Alternative Medicine Market report emphasizes Key players strategic movements including public relations activities, brand expansions, and product releases. It furnishes about Complementary And Alternative Medicine industry supply chain, processing techniques, market entry strategies, investment plans, retailers, and the economic impact on the stock exchange. This report also provides information on the Pricing Strategy, Brand Strategy, Target Client of the Complementary And Alternative Medicine Market. This report also include some market-related illustrations and presentations, including pie charts, which represent the percentage division of strategies adopted by the major players in the global market.

Competitive Landscape

Global Complementary And Alternative Medicine market is highly cleft and the key players have used numerous plans such as new product launches, acquisitions, mergers, collaborations, innovation in products, expansions, agreements, joint ventures, and others to increase their footmarks in this market.

For Better Understanding, Download Free Sample Copy Of Complementary And Alternative Medicine Market Report In Just One Single Step At:https://marketresearch.biz/report/complementary-and-alternative-medicine-market/request-sample

Key companies profiled in Complementary And Alternative Medicine Market report are: Pure encapsulations Inc., Herbal Hills, Herb Pharm, Deepure Plus, Nordic Naturals, Columbia Nutritional Inc. and Helio uSA Inc.

The report further provides the following information:

Comprehensive analysis of the factors, drivers, and restraints impacting the share, size, and overall growth of the market.

Careful segregation of the market into different segments and in-depth research into the individual segments.

An exhaustive study of the regional and competitive aspects influencing the development of the market.

The report offered Segmentation:

Global market segmentation, by Type:

Natural ProductsMind-body TherapiesNaturopathic MedicineManipulative and Body-based MethodsEnergy TherapiesGlobal market segmentation, by Therapeutic:

MeditationEnergy HealingChakra HealingVitaminsAcupunctureMassage TherapyMagnet TherapyYogaDeep Breathing

All of the Type, Application, And Region segments of the global Complementary And Alternative Medicine market included in the report are deeply analyzed based on CAGR, market size, and other crucial factors. The segmentation study provided by the report authors could help players and investors to make the right decisions when looking to invest in certain market segments.

Regional Analysis:

Objective of Studies:

1. To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast of the various segments and sub-segments of the global Complementary And Alternative Medicine market.

2. To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth. To analyse the Complementary And Alternative Medicine market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, Porte five force analysis etc.

3. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America and Rest of the World.

4. To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective.

5. To provide country level analysis of the market for segment by application, product type and sub-segments.

6. To provide strategic profiling of key players in the market, comprehensively analysing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market.

7. To track and analyse competitive developments such as strategic alliances, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the global Complementary And Alternative Medicine market.

Customize Report AndInquiry For The Complementary And Alternative Medicine Market Report:https://marketresearch.biz/report/complementary-and-alternative-medicine-market/#inquiry

Table of Content

1 Complementary And Alternative Medicine Market Overview

2 Global Complementary And Alternative Medicine Market Competition by Manufacturers

3 Global Complementary And Alternative Medicine Production Market Share by Regions

4 Global Complementary And Alternative Medicine Consumption by Regions

5 Global Complementary And Alternative Medicine Production, Revenue, Price Trend by Type

6 Global Complementary And Alternative Medicine Market Analysis by Applications

7 Company Profiles and Key Figures in Complementary And Alternative Medicine Business

8 Complementary And Alternative Medicine Manufacturing Cost Analysis

9 Marketing Channel, Distributors and Customers

10 Market Dynamics

11 Global Complementary And Alternative Medicine Market Forecast

12 Research Findings and Conclusion

13 Methodology and Data Source

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MarketResearch.biz (https://marketresearch.biz) is a leading distributor of market research report with more than 800+ global clients. As a market research company, we take pride in equipping our clients with insights and data that holds the power to truly make a difference to their business. Our mission is singular and well-defined, we want to help our clients envisage their business environment so that they are able to make informed, strategic and therefore successful decisions for themselves.

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Casualty star Cathy Shipton on her passion for ‘witchy’ home remedies as she exits soap – Mirror Online

Her moving portrayal of Casualty's nurse Duffys battle with dementia has touched millions, but actress Cathy Shipton may have done too good a job.

Cathy, who bows out this week after 33 years playing Lisa Duffin in Casualty, was approached at a telly event by an organiser, who assumed she really had dementia.

The 62-year-old recalls: I was at the National Television Awards last year and got split up from our group.

When was looking for my lot, one of the organisers came up and I think they thought dementia! because she said in a sympathetic voice: Are you OK? Have you lost your friends?

I felt like saying its a character! I can see my friends at the bar! so I do have to go out of my way to say to people its a character and not me!

Cathy, in the pilot episode in 1986, will still be a healer when she leaves the medical drama, but in real life.

She is a big fan of homeopathy and complimentary medicine and is such a dab hand at dishing out advice she jokingly calls herself Witchy-Poo.

She says: I had a total hip replacement and went through it with a whole series of remedies and they were astonished at my recovery. I was on stage within six weeks.

I took Arnica for internal and external bruising you take it pre and post-surgery - and I have a homeopath who prescribes. Shes also an orthodox GP.

When my mum was 89, someone fell on her and crushed her pelvis. The doctors wouldnt operate because of her age, so my homeopath suggested Arnica and Symphytum, which is actually Comfrey.

Comfrey was used in the Battle of Agincourt on broken bones. You make a poultice of it its called the bone knitter. Mum was walking within two weeks.

I remember when my daughter was a baby, her nappy rash disappeared overnight with Chamomile.

I prefer the phrase complimentary medicine, rather than alternative medicine, as it compliments orthodox medicine.

Ive had consultants tell me they have patients who wont go through surgery unless they can use complimentary medicines. One said to me: I have to say it seemed like their recovery was markedly quicker.

Cathy, also a fan of acupuncture and acupressure, is even related to a white witch.

Cathy says: My mother was one of seven children. Weve a family tree and Im related to Old Mother Shipton. People say there is something a bit Witchy Poo about me!

Old Mother Shipton, A 15th century fortune teller, lived in a cave in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire.

She made potions and remedies as well as predicting the future.

Cathy laves Casualty on Saturday, two years after Duffy was diagnosed with young onset dementia.

Of the 850,000 with dementia in the UK, approximately 42,000 have young onset dementia, which affects those under age 65.

Viewers have seen Duffy forced to quit her beloved nursing job and in recent weeks her husband Charlie has struggled to cope.

Cathy says: Its a dramatic storyline, but it has been incredibly respectful to the character and to the subject, its a moving and beautiful farewell.

Although she is proud of the storyline, Cathy hopes it will not prove distressing viewing for families who have been touched by dementia.

Im at great pains to point out Duffys deterioration is quite rapid, she explains.

I dont want anyone who is dealing with dementia to assume what happens to Duffy happens to everyone.

To prepare for the storyline Cathy read last years best-selling book Somebody I Used to Know, written by Wendy Mitchell, a former NHS worker who was diagnosed with young onset dementia, aged 58.

She also spoke to the charity Dementia UK, but she turned down the offer of meeting people with the condition. I thought; its Duffys journey I cant graft on another persons life.

Over the years Cathy briefly left Casualty four times, but it pulled her back. In a way, what draws the audience back, is similar to what draws me back. Its the shows values.

Not surprisingly the role has left her with deep respect for the NHS. One of the things Ive learnt is what tremendous pressure theyre under, she says.

Duffy represents someone in a public service and thats important to me. I feel a responsibility to the nursing profession the nurses doing it for real are unsung heroes..

Cathy lives in West London with her partner, actor Christopher Guard - they met on the set of Casualty - and their student daughter Tallulah, 18. Cathy now is looking forward to new roles.

She said: I want to play a lunatic monster in Doctor Who, a homeless woman, someone in a period drama, or a character in A Discovery of Witches.

She added: When Casualty started we just did half a year, 12 episodes. The amount now seems to occupy your whole life.

In a way thats counter to being an actor, because theres part of you that just wants to face the next challenge.

Although Duffys exit is heart-breaking, Cathy loved filming it.

She explains: Her storyline became quite a dominant issue and I was challenged. The last dozen episodes was like playing a different character, because she was going through so many changes.

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Casualty star Cathy Shipton on her passion for 'witchy' home remedies as she exits soap - Mirror Online

A New Location of the Reiki School Just Opened in Queen Village – Philadelphia magazine

News

With offerings from reiki to massage to intuitive tarot readings, the new spot is perfect for the mystical among us.

Photograph by Amber Johnson, courtesy of The Reiki School

Get ready to relax and breathe deeper in Queen Village at the just-opened outpost of The Reiki School + Clinic. Its the 21-year-old businesss second Philadelphia location (934 E. Moyamensing Street.) With two treatment rooms, a store, and a classroom, the Queen Village spot which had its grand opening earlier this month offers the schools full range of alternative healing therapies, from reiki to massage to herbal consultations to intuitive tarot readings.

For those of you wondering what exactly Reiki is, we can explain its a Japanese energy healing method. When you go in for your Reiki session, the practitioner places their hands lightly on your body as you recline, fully clothed, on a comfy massage chair or table. This purportedly allows for a transfer of healing energy. Yep, its as simple (or complicated) as that: Reiki is all about balance and a belief in that transfer of energy.

Unlike some types of massage or physical therapy, Reiki doesnt focus on treating specific symptoms alone. Instead, treatments at the Reiki School + Clinic set out to offer the entire body a sense of wellbeing and peace whether it works or not is a matter of individual assessment.

Photograph by Amber Johnson, courtesy of The Reiki School

If Reiki is still a little too woo-woo for you to book a full session, the Reiki School + Clinic offers combo massage and Reiki treatments at both of their Philly locations, with added special options for pre-and-post-natal clients. (The first outpost is The Ellington Building on 1500 Chestnut Street.)

But for those who want even more mystical healing?The School also offers sound healing options for Reiki treatments involving quartz crystal singing bowls, drums, rattles, and crystals placed on your body. They also offer space cleansing services for homes and offices, herbal medicine consultations, and tarot readings for guidance on everything from your love life to your work life to your past life.

Photograph courtesy of The Reiki School

Photograph courtesy of The Reiki School

At a minimum of $80 per session, you might want to learn how to perform Reiki for yourself at home. If youre intrigued, you can even take classes at the Reiki School + Clinic to learn how to treat yourself or others. The Reiki School + Clinic also offers classes in Reiki at four different levels, so that you too can become a master of the treatment method. They even have options for training in Animal Reiki, because we all know our furry friends (and bugs?) need balance too.

Even if Reiki isnt for you, the new location is good news for Queen Village. Reiki School Co-directors Stephanie Palmer, LMT, RM, and Vicki Zaharopoulos, LMT, RM, HHC bring years of expertise and a desire to be a positive presence in the neighborhood. The Schools mission is even based around mirroring the community of bees in a hive (check out their honeycomb logo). They work to support their communities and neighborhoods by collaborating with local healthcare groups and nonprofits at their two Philly locations.

So what does it mean that a holistic, Japanese wellness-based business is expanding (to its third location!) in our area? Maybe its part of the unstoppable millennial interest in astrology and other forms of alternative spirituality. Or maybe its a sign that Philadelphia has a growing need for balance and mental clarity these days (A.K.A. Were all way too stressed out.)

Either way, be sure to check out the new location of the Reiki School + Clinic, and treat yourself to a day or several of pursuing inner peace.

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A New Location of the Reiki School Just Opened in Queen Village - Philadelphia magazine

Medicare chooses to cover acupuncture for pain in the midst of an opioid crisis – NewsDio

Medicare said this month that it would cover acupuncture for people with chronic low back pain, seeking to give patients alternatives to potentially addictive narcotic pain relievers.On January 21, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a national coverage determination for this treatment. For coverage purposes, people must have had chronic low back pain that has persisted for at least 12 weeks or more, the agency said. This pain should not have an identifiable cause, such as infections, diseases, surgery and pregnancy.

Under these circumstances, CMS will cover up to 12 visits in 90 days. The agency said it will cover eight additional sessions for those patients who demonstrate improvement. There is a limit of 20 acupuncture treatments covered per year. Treatment should be discontinued if patients show no improvement, CMS said."We are taking advantage of important lessons learned from the private sector in this critical aspect of patient care," Kimberly Brandt, Chief Deputy Administrator of Operations and Policies at CMS said in the announcement. "Excessive dependence on opioids for people with chronic pain is one of the factors that led to the crisis, so it is vital that we offer a variety of treatment options for our beneficiaries."

In the decision memorandum, CMS said insurers, including Aetna, several Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Kaiser Permanente and United Healthcare plans provide some acupuncture coverage. The agency said the relative safety of acupuncture and the serious consequences of the opioid crisis in the United States provided "sufficient reasons to provide this non-drug treatment" to people enrolled in Medicare who have chronic low back pain.

"While a small number of adults 65 years or older have enrolled in published acupuncture studies, patients with chronic low back pain in these studies showed improvements in function and pain," CMS said.Round Trip ProblemIn the decision memorandum, CMS said it had reflected and then, in 1980, rejected the idea of covering acupuncture. In 2004, CMS considered acupuncture for fibromyalgia but found no convincing evidence of this benefit. In that same year, CMS also reached the same conclusion about the use of acupuncture to relieve pain in patients with osteoarthritis.

CMS also noted in the memo that many groups and individuals had written to the agency in support of Medicare acupuncture coverage, and patients often included personal pain relief reports.But some commenters told CMS that acupuncture was a "pseudoscience," with positive results described in some report probably due to the placebo effect.Among the critics of the proposal was Steven L. Salzberg, PhD, director of the Center for Computational Biology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He told CMS that he was concerned about the use of taxpayers' money to cover acupuncture."No well-designed study has shown that it has any benefit beyond a placebo effect, and scientifically there is no serious debate about its effectiveness," Salzberg said in his comment sent to CMS in January 2019. "Simply put, I don't work , and patients who believe in acupuncture are being deceived. Testimonies such as those in the comments here do not include evidence. "

Salzberg confirmed to Medscape Medical News on Tuesday that it remains his point of view.

For more news, follow Medscape on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

. (tagsToTranslate) acupuncture (t) traditional Chinese medicine (t) alternative medicine / complementary medicine (t) alternative treatment (t) medicine (alternative / complementary) (t) pain (t) chronic back pain (t) back pain ( chronic) (t) chronic pain (back) (t) chronic pain (t) elderly / elderly concerns (t) geriatrics (elderly care) (t) opioids (t) pain (pain management) (t) management from pain

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Medicare chooses to cover acupuncture for pain in the midst of an opioid crisis - NewsDio

David Nichtern on Spirituality and Making a Buck – Lion’s Roar

In his new book Creativity, Spirituality & Making a Buck, Buddhist teacher David Nichtern offers his advice to creatives on how to make a living doing what you love. Here, he talks with Lions Roars Andrea Miller about accessing our creativity and the spiritual side of money.

David Nichtern. Photo by Riley Smoller.

Andrea Miller: Im a little uncomfortable putting the words spirituality and making a buck together in the same sentence.

David Nichtern: Youre not the only one. Remember, it was Jesus Christ who threw the moneylenders out of the temple. On the other hand, the millennia old split between spirituality and livelihood may be an obsolete paradigm.

Whatabout having a healthy relationship with livelihood as a dimensionof our spiritual well-being? Thats what Buddha taught. Right livelihood is one important aspect of the noble eightfold path toward enlightenment. Why cant we have a wholesome approach toward livelihood and money? Money is just a piece of paper. We add all the meaning. Money is actually a symbol of the interdependence and exchange between all of us. Greed and jealousy are add-ons.

From another point of view, many of us are uncomfortable monetizing spiritualityyoga and meditation and such. But we have no problem paying for every other form of education and training. Nobody faults a guitar teacher or a plumber for charging for their services and time. Teaching meditation and yoga is a service. People train hard to master these disciplines and pass them along.

Is it possible to have spiritual aspirations without falling into spiritual materialism? If so, how?

Totally possible. Spiritual materialism is about buying into false spiritual credentials and parading them as actual accomplishment. I firmly believe that practice is a way to strengthen our positive qualities and uproot some of our negative habitual patterns. If we stay humble and grounded, spiritualmaterialism has no oxygen.

Get even more Buddhist wisdom delivered straight to your inbox! Sign up for Lions Roar free email newsletters.

Creativity, Spirituality & Making a BuckDavid Nichtern Wisdom Publications, 2019

Most creative types find they must have a day job in order to support themselves. What do we need to understand in order to actually support ourselves while working in the arts?

Ah, an important question. In my book Creativity, Spirituality & Making a Buck, I talk about this issue a lot. The key point is that if your creative offering is going to be your livelihood, you need to understand the business aspect of being a professional creative. So thats an important decision is your creative offering a passion, a hobby, or is it your gig? Business and livelihood have important parameters, which we then need to understand and develop, like marketing, sales, admin, and product development.

In order to be successful in a creative field, we need to be able to accurately appraise our strengths and weaknesses, but so many of us overestimate or underestimate our abilities. How can we learn to make accurate appraisals of our abilities?

Ha! The great middle waynot too tight and not too loose. We call low self-esteem poverty mentalityand over-estimating our capacity arrogance. The truth has to be between those two extremes!

As creatives, we are bound to get lots of feedback from others, and it can be confusing. But there is a great lojong (mind-training) slogan in Buddhismof the two judges, choose the principle onewhich means that we have to take in all the feedback, take the best and leave the rest, and at the end of the day, take our own counsel as to what needs to be cultivated and what needs to be discarded. So its up to us to appraise our abilities. Of course, along the way it can be helpful to have trusted elders and mentors give some skillful feedback. Its like on that TV show where they ask, Is that your final answer? and you can make one phone call before you say yes or no. That phone call is part of the human equation.

Sometimes during the creative process, we feel in the zone. Were totally engrossed, and what were working on just flows. At other times, its a much more painful process. Do you have any advice for making those in-the-zone moments happen more frequently or for longer periods of time?

My first thought is to strengthen your practice of meditation as a way to create the right atmosphere for the zone to appear. We are actually living in the zone all the time. This is the zone, but we dont recognize it when our head is full of discursive thoughts and stress and anxiety. So I highly recommend some kind of discipline of working with the mind apart from any tangible productivity.

There are also concepts like non-dual awareness and tendrel (auspicious coincidence), that can help frame this space, but of course when youre in it, its kind of unconditional and timeless, so we can only point to the experience. Sometimes shock or humor or a sudden shift of awareness can reveal that we have actually been in or right near this kind of space the whole time.

On the other hand, what do we do when were far from the zone, not feeling particularly connected or spontaneous? As a creative, we always have the flip side of the coin, which is leaning in, discipline, exertion, effort, patience, hard work, etc. These are all good qualities. We cant just always be waiting around for a rainbow. The rainbow is always there but sometimes we have to create the right causes and conditions to actually see it.

Lions Roar is a nonprofit. Our mission is to share the wisdom of the Buddhas teachingsto inspire, comfort, support, and enlighten readers around the world. Our aspiration is to keep LionsRoar.com available to everyone, providing a supportive, inspiring Buddhist community that anyone can access, from curious beginners to committed meditators. Do you share our aspiration? We cant do this without your help.

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David Nichtern on Spirituality and Making a Buck - Lion's Roar

Spiritual festival curated to bring world together in peace, love and harmony – Hindustan Times

Pune The second edition of International Festival of Spiritual India (IFSI) will be held from January 31 to February 2 at Yashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration (Yashada) Pune. Author Manjiri Prabhu is the organiser and curator of the festival.

The festival aims to demystify the concept of spirituality and bring it to the grassroots level. It will also make participants aware of what spiritual India means and understand and try to imbibe its values in our day-to-day existence.

Prabhu says, The festival will help understand and connect the myriad thoughts and concepts of spirituality in other parts of the world with those in spiritual India. It will also help encourage everyone to find their path of spirituality and rediscover the deeply engraved spirituality already within us with a union of the mind, body and spirit.

Rajiv Mehrotra, trustee, Foundation for Universal Responsibility of the Dalai Lama will attend the inaugural function on January 31.

The topics at the festival will include yoga, faiths, meditation, well-being, arts, food and nutrition, health and happiness, heritage, healing, crystals and energies, harmony and coexistence, communes, soul connects and twin flames and relationships. The formats include workshops, discussions, performances (dance, music), demonstrations and talks by national and international invitees.

Prabhu said, The logo of the festival is specially designed to connote the essence of Indian spirituality and that of IFSI. The five colour stripes represent the universe and our Earth which is made of five basic elements or Panchmahabhute which also constitutes our body in which our soul or the spirit of life resides. We need to be in unison with these elements to create and maintain a balance in our life. The two hands depicting a gesture of namaskar depicts the core of Indian philosophy recognition and respect of another being as a part of universal divinity. It also symbolises an eternal flame of enlightenment or knowledge that manifests within a being through following a spiritual and divine path in life. The circular shape of the logo denotes the Brahmanda or the Indian description of the universe.

The panellists include Dr John Dayal, member of the National Integration Council of India; Seshadri Chari, politician, author and foreign policy analyst; Swami Atmapriyananda, vice-chancellor of Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University; Shubhranghshu Roy, author; Ranjit S Bhogal, scientific research department, Kaivalyadhama, Pune and Mickey Mehta, fitness guru.

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Spiritual festival curated to bring world together in peace, love and harmony - Hindustan Times

The Ark brings shelter to those in spiritual need – Kern Valley Sun

Photo by Jake Lee GreenLeft to Right: Ariane and Garrett Madden, Jeremiah Maxwell. Not pictured is Wendy Maxwell.Photo by Jake Lee GreenPhoto by Jake Lee Green

By Jake Lee GreenKern Valley Sun

Celebrate Recovery is celebrating its new home at a newly established church, by the name of The Ark, which is hosting the support group along with several other programs under the wing of K.N.U.C.K.L.E. U.P. Ministries. K.N.U.C.K.L.E. U.P. is an acronym for Know him, Need his mercy, Utilize his power, Care for his people, Keep his word, Lose yourself, Engage in spiritual warfare, Unveil the enemy, Pursue his kingdom. It is a Christian assembly of community members dedicated to bringing awareness and support to folks in the valley who are in search of a spiritual relationship between themselves and God. The Ark found its home at 3711 Golden Spur Avenue in Lake Isabella.

Pastor Jeremiah Maxwell says he is delighted to have had such a positive and communally supportive response from local churches and members of other congregations. Maxwell states that the community helped chip in a good amount of work to make the place really shine for its opening day. Maxwell says a lot of the inspiration for the name of the ministry came from a moment he had experienced with God that gave him the words to fill the acronym as a definition for his vision with the covenant. The name truly entices a bit of hardline rallying behind what Maxwell says is the basis of the ministerial goals, which is, to help the afflicted. The ministry sees itself as a gathering of spiritual warriors called to help spread the word of the Bible. The approach isnt necessarily new to the valley, but, it had been tabled for a couple of years until the feeling was right to provide a space for the ideologies contained within the ministry. The programs had been implemented at Faith Community before moving to The Ark.

Last Sunday marked the fourth week that The Ark has been open and youth numbers in the congregation have doubled within the course of a week, says Maxwell. Part of K.N.U.C.K.L.E U.P. is its youth services that coincide with Celebrate Recovery on Fridays at 6 p.m. Celebration Place is for children ages 0-12 and The Landing is for young adults between the ages of 13 to 18. Youth Celebration engages children in worship with material that is included in the primary worship services, but, is catered to the kiddos.

Pastor Garrett Madden says that approaching young adults in The Landing with spirituality is only part of the process. This youth pre-covery, as the ministry calls it, is meant to make available coping mechanisms for the youth to use in their daily lives and can even extend to kids recovering from these various issues in life as well. Madden emphasizes the quality of conversation that young adults should be having and how the program caters to those needs by teaching the participants how to build long-lasting healthy relationships with their peers.

The Welcome Home Initiative provides veterans coming out of the military with support to re-connect with society after their service.

Worship and service times are twice on Sundays to give folks in the community a chance to catch communion twice. Once at 10:30 a.m. and then again at 6 p.m. in the evening. Wednesday Night Bible Teaching is at 6 p.m.

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The Ark brings shelter to those in spiritual need - Kern Valley Sun

‘Satanic wombs’: the outlandish world of Trump’s spiritual adviser – The Guardian

This weekend, a video of Trumps spiritual adviser, Paula White, surfaced showing her preaching some potentially ungodly words.

We command any satanic pregnancies to miscarry right now! she says, before clarifying: We declare that anything thats been conceived in satanic wombs that it will miscarry, it will not be able to carry forth any plan of destruction, any plan of harm.

White has since claimed that her words were taken out of context she wasnt praying for literal miscarriages, just metaphorical ones! Right. Whatever the case, its not the most outlandish thing shes ever advocated.

White has a close relationship with the president and his family. She offered a prayer at Trumps inauguration; brags about how she calls Trump first thing in the morning; and reportedly visits the White House once a week.

But despite all of her talk about rejecting self-serving actions, she has called her appointment as Trumps adviser an assignment from God. She has also stated that the Lord wanted her to go on national television.

White believes in a school of thought called prosperity theology, which sounds a lot like a pyramid scheme.

She believes that financial prosperity is a sign of Gods approval. Which means that God must really like her she has a multimillion-dollar home in a gated community and a private jet. It follows that God must really like Donald Trump, too.

But she has also been branded a charlatan, perhaps because she proselytizes that God will bless those who donate to her church.

In one interview, an MSNBC reporter asks Do you tell them that if they give to you they will get financial riches from God? to which White responds: I have probably said that. But my 50-year-old self wouldnt do what my 20-, 30- or 40-year-old self did.

Guardian reporting last year showed that White was encouraging members of her congregation to send their first months salary to her ministry to enjoy Gods blessings.

Whites former church, Without Walls, which was raking in $40m a year at one point, has faced allegations over the misuse of donations. In a three-year investigation, it was alleged that White and her husband were using church and ministry finances for to benefit themselves.

A Congress investigation into the church was closed in 2010 with no penalties although investigators said they were stifled by lifelong confidentially agreements that had been signed by church employees. The church filed for bankruptcy in 2014.

In late 2001, White signed a $1.5m contract for a show on the Black Entertainment Network. She was accused of adopting African American idioms which, if you watch footage from her show, appear to be steeped in problematic race and class stereotypes.

In her own TV show, which was picked up for a segment on Late Night with Seth Myers in 2017, she is seen making jokes about eating macaroni cheese out of boxes, and claiming that a woman shouldnt wonder why her partner leaves her when yo still got yo funky curlers in yo hair and spinach in yo teeth.

In the sketch, Meyers says: Its hard to tell whats more offensive, the insinuation that its your fault that your husband left you or the appropriation of black idiomatic speech before comedian Amber Ruffin responds: Its the black stuff.

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'Satanic wombs': the outlandish world of Trump's spiritual adviser - The Guardian

Actors asked to find a spirituality for new Belfry production – Peninsula News Review

Tara Beagans play will finally see the light. The Ministry of Grace, which Beagan wrote and is directing, debuts Feb. 4 at the Belfry Theatre.

The Ntlakapamux playwright says it feels absolutely right to stage the long-developed play at the former church.

Its one of those funny Canadian plays that had its time in workshop and its been read off the table for a long time, she says, noting that the story was refined through Native Earth Performing Arts in Toronto. It really feels right that the piece should come to fruition here.

The story follows a Ntlakapamux mother, Mary, who answers a call for labourers in California, before being hired as part of a travelling evangelical show and renamed Grace. Whats interesting, Beagan says, is getting actors to interpret what is a pious devotion within the play, such as learning certain hymns. She says its rare to work with actors who have any kind of active practice going to a formal church.

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Its kind of a funny translation process where we have to go what was that for people, when church was such a common part of community and a way to create community. What is that to us now?

For actors, Beagan says, that communal place is the theatre. Its a place where they find connection and reward by going to work, and seeing colleagues at work. So they work from there.

Its interesting to move from the secular into the more spiritual and sacred, she says, [and] figure out a way to speak to that that is really authentic and doesnt feel like a superficial layer.

Its the third day of rehearsals at the time of interview, and she isnt shy in praising the actors work so far. Its a little scary how great this cast is, she says.

These actors are phenomenal, she emphasizes the last word. Theyre just so keen, theyre so ready to go, theyre already lifting off the page a whole bunch, theyve done their homework, she says.

Like many of her plays, Beagan says, The Ministry of Grace is about love and how to keep hold of it when facing challenges.

Because this is an Indigenous story, the love and the difficulties are wrapped up right inside of laughter. So I think anybody will find its a story they can relate to and theyll be glad they left the comfort of their homes for this telling.

Tickets are available online tickets.belfry.bc.ca, by phone at 250-385-6815 or at the Belfry box office.

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Actors asked to find a spirituality for new Belfry production - Peninsula News Review

An Unexpected Spiritual Balm – Word and Way

(BP) That is what Gods word is for me nowadays. I was meditating and journaling about Psalm 11 and, upon finishing, I felt as if the most soothing spiritual ointment had reached down to my itchy, achy soul to bring comfort and relief.

Yaditza Irizarry

Interestingly, I didnt even know I needed to be comforted in such a way, as everything in my life and family had been going great meaning, dealing with the daily mundane. However, I also had become burdened and discouraged by the ramping wickedness in this world, especially recent deconversion stories of former Christians and the folly of quarrels in social media among Christians. In fact, I had recently taken a break from social media because I just couldnt bear one more deconstruction story or another epic clash amongst Christians.

So, there I was the other day, sitting on my couch, doing my quiet time and meditating on Psalm 11, especially verses 3-11. That part stood out from the psalm, so I proceeded to inquire about the context and how it applied to me on that day.

Photo by Kiwihug on Unsplash

The first part of the Psalm (vv. 1-2) conveys that when David encountered significant danger at one point, he was advised to escape from his enemies. Instead, he chose to trust the Lord and take refuge in him, for he was certain that even when the foundations of life are torn down, those who have a relationship with the Lord will find shelter in him.

This passage reminds us that even when it seems that the unrighteous are getting away with their wicked ways, we can rest knowing that God is in control, for he will bring order and justice when he best seems fitting. We are also reminded that God is already working examining the righteous and the wicked and that it is really not our role to worry and get caught up in the negativity and unrighteousness. Moreover, just because we think something is out of control, in Gods realm and time, it may not be. The devil is defeated, God is actively working, and his plans will be fulfilled.

So, what should we do when we are tempted to become overwhelmed upon hearing conflicting news? We could ponder in his word and meditate in his goodness, righteousness, and in his perfect will? We must choose to be overwhelmed by his love, mercy, and grace, so much so that we can be a blessing to others. As a result, we will show others Gods peace and hope that we are able to experience in him.

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An Unexpected Spiritual Balm - Word and Way

What on Earth is wrong with Paula White, Trump’s spiritual guru? – Washington Examiner

Paula White needs to stop talking.

Trumps spiritual adviser, White has a long history of religiously tinged absurdity. The televangelist is a professed Christian and prosperity gospel preacher, and to those who send her and her ministry money, she promises visions from God.

We arent buying a miracle, she said during one cash grab. Were simply being obedient.

She may say that her first allegiance is to the Lord, but she just might have him confused with Donald J. Trump. To say 'no' to President Trump would be saying 'no' to God, she said of her decision to join the administration. And I won't do that."

In her latest controversy, the supposedly pro-life White prayed for satanic pregnancies to miscarry: We command all satanic pregnancies to miscarry right now. We declare that anything thats been conceived in satanic wombs, that itll miscarry, it will not be able to carry forth any plan of destruction, any plan of harm.

When a clip of her message began circulating online, White responded that everyone who thought she was calling for the death of innocent babies simply misunderstood.

I don't normally respond but clearly this has been taken out of context, she tweeted Sunday. I was praying Eph 6:12 that we wrestle not against flesh and blood. Anything that has been conceived by demonic plans, for it to be cancelled and not prevail in your life That is any plans to hurt people. Let's be clear what is really going on ... this is a disingenuous attempt to use words out of context for political gain. I will just keep praying!

Oh, a metaphorical miscarriage. Common mistake.

The Bible verse that White references, Ephesians 6:12, says this: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

The apostle Paul is discussing the existence of spiritual warfare; when Christians face conflict, they should remember that their decisions have eternal, not just temporal, consequences. But, just in case this wasnt clear, the verse does not mean that you should pray for the miscarriage of satanic pregnancies, whatever that means. It's actually pretty hard to figure out how she got from point A to point B here.

Theological studies professor Andre Gagne tweeted that he thought White's comment was metaphorical. White is commanding that Satan's plans be aborted, he said. But even if hes right, does that really make her language a good idea? Its clear that White paints Satans plans with a pretty broad brush.

If White wanted to pray against any plans to hurt people, she could have done so. Instead, she made it clear what she thinks of her political enemies, and thats not incompatible with her previous behavior. It might be one thing for this to be a slip of the tongue or a one-off misstep. But White has made it evident what she thinks of the opponents of herself and the president.

Right now, let every demonic network who has aligned itself against the purpose, against the calling of President Trump, let it be broken, let it be torn down in the name of Jesus! she proclaimed at a Trump rally.

In her "satanic pregnancies" speech, she said, "We declare that any strange winds any strange winds that have been sent to hurt the church, sent against this nation, sent against our president, sent against myself, sent against others we break it by the superior blood of Jesus right now."

While many prominent evangelicals have distanced themselves from White and her outlandish beliefs, others have continued to embrace her. Even if Christian leaders make clear that they want no association with her, White still has one prominent ally in the White House.

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What on Earth is wrong with Paula White, Trump's spiritual guru? - Washington Examiner

Spiritual Sounds unites a world of faiths in the East Village – amNY

By Chriss Williams

The pews of Most Holy Redeemer-Nativity Church in the East Village were packed with Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus and the unaffiliated last Sunday, Jan. 26 to listen to the 11th annual Spiritual Sounds; An Evening of Faith, Recitation and Music.

The topic of religion and spiritual practice has long been a point of contention for communities inside and outside of New York City but not in this space.

Spiritual Sounds is not political in nature or promoting anything other than unity in diversity. For two hours, attendees witnessed members from a variety of faith communities perform and engage in what the German theologian Rudolf Otto called the numinous, communicating with God, others, the universe and themselves through sound.

The event allowed people to witness humanity outside of their social filter bubbles, an experience the events creator and organizer Anthony Donovan says is uncommon.

Donovan addressed those gathered inside Most Holy Redeemer- Nativity Church, with awe and praise as their simple act of attending the event demonstrated tremendous strength.

We all have people in our communities that may not approve of you doing this, said Donovan.

Religious institutions around the country have witnessed a surge of violence as religious identity is often a motivating factor in hate crimes. According to the NYPD, hate crimes in the city were up 19% in 2019 and anti-Semitic hate crimes increased by 26% with 234 incidents.

Last month, the Orthodox Jewish community experienced several violent attacks including one on Dec. 29, when a machete-wielding man entered the home of a Rockland County Rabbi, hosting a Hanukkah celebration. Five party-goers were stabbed before the assailant fled the scene. He was later arrested by police and pled not-guilty in his arraignment hearing. According to HuffPost, the mans journal allegedly contained references to Hitler and thoughts of genocide. That same day, a gunman opened fire in a Christian church in Texas, killing two people before being shot and killed by an armed worshiper.

Mayor de Blasio recently asserted its commitment to combating anti-Semitism and hate crimes against religious groups through the establishment of multi-ethnic interfaith neighborhood safety coalitions and working with the NYC Department of Education to create new programming for schools that promote tolerance.

Spiritual Sounds has provided a reflective refuge from oppression and hatred for the past eleven years. A line from their statement of affirmation printed on the evenings program reads; We wish to encourage and reflect the greatest shining strength of our city and our nation, the best in us, our unity in our diversity

New York City is noisy, said Father William Elder, whose parish hosted this years event. Our challenge is in the midst of the cacophony around us is to listen to the sounds of the spirit, to listen to spiritual sounds, the sounds of the human heart.

Alex Seibel of The Bhakti Center, challenged stereotypes of what a spiritual sound should be with his performance of an original rap song. The way we understand Bhakti is that anything can be transformed into a devotional act to God, Seibel told The Villager.

Other local faith groups participating included; St. Marks Church in the Bowery, The Shul of New York, Light of Guidance Sufi Center, St. Marys American Orthodox Church, Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Virgin Protection, Second Avenue Church, Sixth Street Community Synagogue, The Catholic Worker, Most Holy Redeemer-Nativity Church, Nechung Foundation, The Center of Universal Peace, Town & Village synagogue, Medina Masjid Mosque, and Middle Collegiate Church.

Adam Raabe, a former resident of the East Village, attended Spiritual Sounds for the first time. After Middle Collegiate Churchs gospel choir closed the evening with rousing joy-filled number, he mused that the event was everything the world needs in 2020,a melding of the good things that religions can offer, specifically: community and inspiration. The event is welcoming, diverse, and awe inspiring.

As people exited the sanctuary, faith leaders gathered to take a group photo. The diverse expressions of Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity and Buddhism standing side-by-side, smiling. If you listened closely you could hear the hope this shared space of sanctuary brings to New York City.

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Spiritual Sounds unites a world of faiths in the East Village - amNY

Senior thesis Five Flights grapples with spiritual identity – Kenyon Collegian

The Kenyon College Drama, Dance, and Cinema Club kicked off their 2020 season at the Hill Theater last Friday with a senior thesis production of Adam Bocks Five Flights. Lights went up on Henry Ratliff 20, who played the role of Ed, displaying a diorama with what would soon become the most divisive element of the show: an aviary.

The aviary is sought after by many. Jane (Maggie Perkins 20) is Eds sister-in-law who wants to sell the property. Adele and Olivia (Hannah Johnston 20 and Sarah Dailey 20), Eds sister and her best friend, want to convert it into a church for Olivias new religion, the Church of the Fifth Day.

Ed himself is in a state of uncertaintyeventually wanting to let the ground bury it while it still breathes.

The aviary was built by Ed and Adeles recently deceased father for his late wife, whose soul, he believed, had become a bird. This belief of their fathers becomes controversial among Ed, Adele and their brother Bobby years later, as they try to decide how to deal with the aviary. Five Flights explores familial conflict in a time of mourning and distress.

Through religious preaching, the pursuit of Eds love interest, professional hockey player Tom (Teddy Fischer 22), and comic relief from his best friend Andre (Caleb Stern 23), the characters distract themselves from facing their fathers death head-on.

Adele, due to the tight-knit nature of her relationship with her father, finds herself reminiscing about the way that her father dealt with her mothers death: obsessing over the birds he would bring into the aviary and doing whatever he could to keep her spirit alive.

Johnston believed that Adele using Olivias interest in repurposing the aviary is an act of Adele remembering how she used to believe in her dad and that since hes died, it shows hope and gives her a reason to believe something else.

While Adele and Olivias pursuit of the aviary seems to be the most unwavering, every family member expresses their desire for the aviary equally through argument filled dialogue, which, to members of the cast, was a reason why they selected Five Flights for their senior thesis.

I thought it was perfect because its by Adam Bock, who really focuses on a group protagonistso even though the show is Eds play, it really explores every character pretty much evenly, Johnston said.

Five Flights explores themes of intense familial conflict, the crossroads of spirituality and death, and the navigation of love and vulnerability. The cast guided the audience through powerful displays of passion and loss with continuous banter throughout the show.

My character struggles a lot with what to believe in and why you should believe in it, Johnston said, and this guided narration of siblings coping with their fathers death she feels provokes the question of wondering, what can religion offer us, how can it hurt us, how can it help us.

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Senior thesis Five Flights grapples with spiritual identity - Kenyon Collegian

According to Trump’s Spiritual Advisor It’s Apparently Okay to Ask God to Terminate Pregnancies as Long as They’re Satanic – Jezebel

You might know of Paula White as the televangelist who preaches the good (bad) and highly contested news of the prosperity gospel. You know, the one that says that if youre rich it means that God loves you and if youre poor its because God just doesnt like you very much and thats your own fault. Joel Osteen is also a big fan of these teachings, which direct you to give money to the church so that God will return the favor. Amazingly both of these individuals are ridiculously wealthy.

If not from her televangelizing and money grubbing then perhaps you might know her as the spiritual advisor to President Tr**p, and the Special Adviser to the White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative. Meaning shes the funnel through which God has apparently been speaking to the president and to the country at large.

Yesterday, a sermon she gave on January 5th was posted on Twitter, and while it is absolutely batshit bananas, it does provide a little clarity as to why the president is so detached from the Christian values he purports to be core to his belief system. Its not just because he has no moral compass or sense of compassion by which to conduct his life, its also because his spiritual advisor is saying things like We command all satanic pregnancies to miscarry right now!

White is from, you guessed it, Florida, so her bonkers prayer is all to familiar to me, having spent much of my collegiate career dodging preachers on my campus telling me that I was going to hell in between class periods. Nevertheless, she makes some pretty outrageous requests of the Almighty that make me wonder just how bad things have gotten in my home state since the last time I visited.

Outside of her asking God to have satanic pregnancies miscarry, which is strange when you consider how vehemently anti-choice she is, a position she holds under the pretense that all pregnancies are divine gifts from above, she also apparently has beef with the entire ocean and most of earths wildlife.

We come against the marine kingdom, she says, pacing the stage, we come against the animal kingdom. Correct me if Im wrong but isnt like the very first thing in the bible a story about how God created the literally everything on the land and in the sea and saw that it was good. The rumors White never actually graduated from seminary school appear to be true because I havent cracked open a bible in a decade and even I remember that girl.

Its also shocking that, considering how aligned she is with the conservative media that is dead set on creating a narrative around the damaging effects of cancel culture, she has an entire section of her prayer dedicated to canceling things. Maybe she didnt hear, but Jezebel already did that. Among the things White asks God to cancel are; surprises, hexes, spells, witchcraft, and, of course, any Jezebel. I assume she wasnt talking about this website specifically, but I kind of hope she was.

Of course since the clip has made the rounds, White has come forward and said that her words are being taken out of context, and that she wasnt praying for literal miscarriages of satanic pregnancies, but rather for metaphorical miscarriages of satanic pregnancies. Honestly Im relieved because if pop culture has taught me anything, its that the little devils that result from satanic pregnancies are usually pretty hot (Im looking at you American Horror Story: Apocalypse and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), and Im hoping for more sexy lucifers, not fewer.

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According to Trump's Spiritual Advisor It's Apparently Okay to Ask God to Terminate Pregnancies as Long as They're Satanic - Jezebel

Jefferson Award winner is a spiritual healer that attracts people from all over the country – WXOW.com

PETERSBURG, Wis. (WXOW) - Michael Day is this month's recipient of the Jefferson Award for Public Service.

He serves as a Native American Advisor to Wisconsin colleges and Wisconsin prisons.

As a youth, Michael was mentored into the spiritual Native American practice by Lakota Medicine Man Henry Crow Dog.

Today, people come from all over to meet him and to attend his monthly prayer ceremony that takes place in a sweat lodge.

"All you have to do is ask for help and I'll help you. I'll do the best I can," said Michael.

Michael is a respected elder of the Ho-Chunk Nation. He is also a sanctioned spiritual teacher.

Barb Schaeffer attended one of Michael's sweat lodge ceremonies.

"I had autoimmune issues. I had two failed spinal surgeries and I was in chronic pain. I was on 600 pills a month," said Barb.

Today, Barb is healthy and says she owes it all to Michael and his work here in this sweat lodge.

"It was the most profound life experience I've ever had," said Schaeffer.

Michael learned early on about service above self. The lesson was given to him by his grandfather using an ear of corn.

"He said look at this. There's a red one, there's a white one, there's a black one, there's a yellow one. We're here together," said Michael.

LEARN: Jefferson Awards

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Jefferson Award winner is a spiritual healer that attracts people from all over the country - WXOW.com

CITIZEN COLUMNIST: The value of discernment and spiritual discernment – SCNow

Some of us have been blessed to live long enough to have seen and experienced quite a few things. Because of the experiences that involved the use of our eyes, ears and other senses, some of us have acquired the spirit of discernment.

We have learned the difference between fact and opinion, moral from the immoral and godly from the ungodly. We have to discriminate in a Godly manner and recognize such things as being attentive and ignored. Discernment enables us to sift for truth and genuine interactions.

Websters Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary outlines six synonyms that hopefully assist us in digesting the traits of discernment, a power to see what is not evident to the average mind.

Discernment stresses accuracy (as in reading character or motives or appreciating art).

Discrimination stresses the power to distinguish and select what is true or appropriate or excellent.

Perception implies quick and often sympathetic discernment (as of shades of feelings).

Penetration implies a searching mind that goes beyond what is obvious and superficial.

Insight suggests depth of discernment coupled with understanding sympathy.

Acumen implies characteristic penetration combined with keen practical judgment.

Unlike Websters and Biblical definitions of discernment and spiritual discernment respectively, common sense is defined by Webster as sound and prudent but often unsophisticated judgment. One would think that some parents and other family members would properly dress themselves and their children in the appropriate clothing for weather in the teens, 20s, 30s and 40s. One would think that children and adults would not walk in the middle of the street when they see vehicles approaching them.

One would think that all parents and extended family members would teach their children the necessity for having good manners, respect for rules, regulations, procedures, people and property as a basic requirement for success in life that relates to education, employment opportunities and just being a good person.

Some of us have lived long enough to recognize the differences between being invited, uninvited, disinvited and ignored. Children and adults who might not be able to read can read insincerity. They know the difference between someone who cares and respects them from persons who are shucking and jiving.

Proverbs 16: 2,3 states that All a mans (including women) ways seem right in his (her) own eyes, but the Lord weighs the motives. Commit your activities to the Lord and your plan will be achieved. Consequently there is discernment of gifts, spirits, intents, and the course of the times we live in.

Proverbs 3: 5, 6 tells us to Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your ways, and He will guide on the right paths. Thus, the implementation of spiritual discernment is an imperative for all of us at home, in the faith houses, and in all of our work places, irrespective of our position or title. To do otherwise would be rationally inexplicable and morally unjustifiable.

At the heart of spiritual discernment is being able to distinguish the voice of the world from the voice of God. Spiritual discernment, also known as wisdom, comes from knowing God and is a gift from God, more than anything else. I read somewhere that spiritual discernment (1) acts as a means of protection, guarding us from being deceived spiritually, (2) acts as an instrument of healing, when exercised in grace, (3) functions as a key to Godly freedom and (4) serves as a catalyst to spiritual development.

Perhaps one of the most important character traits of one who has discernment, particularly spiritual discernment, is a constant and consistent display of sensitivity. Whether in agreement or disagreement, irrespective of ones socio-economic status, job title, faith, gender or any other factor, everybody is important and is to be respected.

Allie E. Brooks Jr. is a former superintendent of Florence School District One and past principal of Wilson High School.

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CITIZEN COLUMNIST: The value of discernment and spiritual discernment - SCNow