New discoveries



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I have never been what I would describe as militant about anyone's food choices. I respect everyone's right to make those choices for themselves, whether that means you're a card carrying, true blue meat eater, or whether you're an all out vegan who wouldn't think of touching anything that got within light years of a living, breathing animal, or whether you're somewhere in the middle.  Live and let live has always been my preference.  I will admit that I have some vegan friends who are rather aggressive with their beliefs and approach.  I make it clear that I'm not open to being preached to or chastised over what I choose to eat.  I am a capable adult and make those choices for myself.

That being said, I do have interest in eating in as healthy a manner as I can manage, with my own food preferences and slightly odd food issues (allergies) taken into consideration.  Recently, I have been exposed via a client of mine to the whole scary world of Genetically Modified Foods (GMOs).  In the process of researching this topic, I was stunned to learn that the highly touted label of 'organic' doesn't necessarily mean the food you're eating is healthy for you, OR that it is truly organic. 

Take honey as an example.  In order for any United States company to make a true claim that their honey is organic, they have to be able to prove that their bees are deriving nutrition, pollen and water from proven organic sources within a 50 mile radius of their home location.  I don't know if these stipulations apply in other countries, but just that one fact stopped me in my tracks and made me reconsider some of the food purchases I've been making over the years.  With that as a simple guideline, given that a huge number of crops that provide cross pollination to bees in the U.S. are likely to be GMO crops, honey produced in the U.S. can't really be truly labeled as 'organic'.  See what I mean?  Scary!

Spelt Grain
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This client, fortunately, is a wonderful U.S. company, Berlin Natural Bakery in Berlin, Ohio that produces a wide range of spelt products that are Non-GMO Project Verified.  I am happy to report that I can source their products here in my local area and plan to make a big shift in my own household to their breads, pastas and more.  This is a simple thing that I can do and feel good knowing I am consuming healthy foods that have not been genetically tinkered with.  It's a small step, and some may argue that everything else I eat can't be proven to be equally healthy and 'safe', but for me, it's a good step in the right direction. 

Another fairly new avenue [to me] for health and holistic maintenance is essential oils. I have some clients and dear friends who are masters at this art and science, and I am learning fascinating new details and knowledge almost daily from my contact with them.  As a former licensed massage therapist, I always used essential oils in my practice, but didn't give a great deal of thought to the healing properties of those essential oils.  Looking back, I wonder why I didn't delve more deeply into it, but at the time I was more focused on establishing my business and being successful.  My clients enjoyed the aromatherapy aspects of the oils that I used and that was great.  Now, having connected with two amazing women who have successful aromatherapy and essential oil businesses, I am being exposed to a whole world of health benefits I never realized essentials give us.

We all know that scents give us visceral, emotional reactions.  The smell of baking bread or chocolate chip cookies in the oven will take us right back to happy childhood memories.  The smell of freshly cut grass kicks us into thoughts of hot, lazy summer afternoons walking behind the cranky push mower, sweating like a fiend and looking forward to a cold drink at the end of the chore.  Perfumes bring to mind specific people.  Every scent has some personal tie in our minds and memories.  The wonderful thing about essential oils is that they're not just delightful to smell - they're full of amazing healing properties.


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I am a novice at this and can only refer to my friends Julie Nelson of Aromatique Essentials in Australia and Sheen Perkins McKeever of Agape Oils and Essential Oils by Nature in Wilmington, North Carolina as the true experts in the essential oils field.  One good example that I've learned is that the ages old resin, Frankincense, has the following powerful properties: it is antiseptic, antifungal, antidepressant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, diuretic.  Wow, right?!  It is also a wonderful ingredient that can be incorporated into aromatherapy for its calming influence.  What I am learning that is so exciting is that essential oils can be efficacious for so many ailments, ranging from aches and pains such as arthritis and bruises to more serious complaints such as respiratory issues and such dread modern issues as MRSA infections.

I consider myself quite fortunate to be connected with these wonderful people running these progressively thinking companies.  Through working with each of them, I am learning and being exposed to ideas, products and information that are changing the way I live my life...changing it in a healthy way!  Because learning and growing always excites and makes me happy, when I stumble across topics of this nature, it is my first wish and impulse to share the information.  I hope many of you will take time to click on these various companies I've mentioned and do some research, and discovering of your own.  These are small steps to take, yes, in the broad scheme of all the toxins that we are bombarded with in our daily lives, but we all have to start somewhere.  Why not take those first steps in directions that taste and smell good? 

Happy eating and happy fragrant moments!

Celebrate with me!



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Bing images

Today, September 25, 2010 is the one year anniversary of Healing Morning blog.  I checked the dates about a month ago and have been giving thought to what I would write when the specific day rolled around.  This past year has opened up the world for me beyond anything I could ever have imagined or dreamed for myself, and blogging was an integral part of this process.

I am, first and foremost, a writer.  I have done many different types of work in my adult life to pay the bills, but at my core, I identify myself as a writer.  The process of blogging gave me a genre that celebrates writing in a very unique manner.  I work as a freelance technical and creative writer, and social media management consultant, so writing is incorporated into my daily work life.  Blogging straddles the two worlds of professional and personal writing for me.  I manage social media and write blogs for a wide range of clientele, and I also write here at Healing Morning for purely personal satisfaction. 

It is here at Healing Morning that I express my innermost thoughts, emotions, ponderings and dreams.  Most writers have aspirations to become published authors, and I am no different in that regard.  I am currently working on a manuscript that I have every intention of getting into published and promoted book form.  Blogging has given me a worldwide audience and valuable feedback that I firmly believe makes me a stronger writer with every single article posted.  Writers gain polish by doing more of the same...by simply writing, refining and writing some more. 

There is equal satisfaction in growing readership and meeting fellow writers/bloggers from all over the world.  I have developed incredibly strong, beautiful friendships with many bloggers here in the United States and across the world in myriad countries.  The friendships blossom in the most lovely way as we all exchange stories, read one anothers' writing, post comments and genuinely appreciate the interaction that blogging gives us.

I have learned even more to trust my own instincts, and as a result, fairly early on in my blogging experience, I co-founded Authentic Blogger on Facebook.  Authentic Blogger is one of my proudest accomplishments, as it provides a supportive community for fellow bloggers to post their work, grow their own readership and gain more exposure in the blog-o-sphere.  Our group grows a bit more slowly than some blogging groups, but we like it that way - being authentic is the whole purpose and Mission Statement of the Authentic Blogging concept.  Through this group, I have met more talented writers and have a rock solid relationship with my co-founder and business partner, Duane Scott.  Like many other blogging friendships, this is one in particular that I am confident will be a lifelong relationship. 

I hear that there are thousands of blogs started daily that become 'orphaned' in a short span of time, meaning that the people who created those blogs just abandon the effort and walk away.  At this point in time, I do not see this ever happening for me with Healing Morning blog.  It is an intrinsic part of who I am.  The very title describes me in infinite detail.  'Healing' encompasses my very heart and love of a holistic approach to life and extending myself to others in a peaceful, loving, optimistic fashion.  'Morning' is a play on my name, Dawn.

The day that a girlfriend and I sat at a local Panera Bread and she showed me how to set up a blog shell, I never dreamed that I would be where I am today.  The name, Healing Morning, came about in the most natural manner and I look back now and marvel a bit at how absolutely perfect the title remains.  I will never change it.  I am definitely a creature of habit, so I tend to hold on to certain things for recognition purposes on a public manner.  This is vital in the world of blogging, I think, so Healing Morning will always be a strong identifying factor for who I am as a writer. 

Where will this new year take me and Healing Morning?  In the past year, it has introduced me to new people and experiences on a global level.  I am proud to report that I am a contributing writer for Aromatique Essentials e-zine in Australia - this is the wonderful brainchild of my dear friend, Julie Nelson who is talented in all things aromatherapy related.  I am also a contributing writer to the blogging website called Live and Inspire Magazine, based in Malaysia. I am a contributing blogger on Writers Rising blog, where I have been introduced to even more talented bloggers.  Never could I have dreamed up such opportunties for my writing to span the world in this manner, and to be very well received.  Any writer will tell you such experiences are deeply personally satisfying as well as just plain delightful!  To know that people around the world are reading my writing and enjoying it enough to extend invitations to me to become a contributing writer for their projects is the highest compliment I can think of receiving. 

Yet another completely unexpected and somewhat overwhelming opportunity that came from Healing Morning blog was my first radio interview on Starclear Radio.  The focus of Starclear Radio is to shed light on all manner of spiritual experiences, and it gave me the chance to dip a toe into the larger media and publicity pool and realize this is something that I am capable of doing successfully.  The interview went so well, in fact, that I was invited to return for a full hour long show in January 2011.  The confidence of Starclear's co-founders, Jeffrey Seelman and Amy Lamb, in me was warming and encouraging.  This again shows the incredible power that blogging and social media put into our hands.  Without venturing forth into the world of blogging, I would never have crossed paths with Amy and Jeffrey.  It did happen, though, and is another reason to celebrate this first year of blogging.

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There are endless reasons for me to sit here, smiling as I write.  My world has broadened and become enriched in so many ways that I imagine my Spirit has extra facets deposited all around.  I envision my own Light and writing talent to be a cross somewhere between the soft, lambent glow of a lustrous pearl and the bright, exhuberant blaze of a multi-faceted diamond.  I have a calm, quiet sureness with my writing that is married to a dash of on the ceiling energy and appreciation for the occasionally absurd moments in life.  I like to think that reflects in different ways in different blog articles. 

I look forward to another year with Healing Morning blog.  More friendships, new experiences and new triumphs await.  For now, I celebrate the past year and I thank each and every person who has taken time to visit my blog page, leave kind comments and clicked to follow my work.  I invite you all to celebrate with me!