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The “Statement” of Sexual Intercourse

Posted by :Tracy Hernandez On : August 6, 2015
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When a woman accepts a man’s penis into her vagina…
no matter what she thinks, feels, or verbalizes, she is SAYING… in the universal language of “actions speak louder than words”… and very literally:
“I accept you as my male partner, exactly as you are, into my life forever.”

Women, if you don’t actually think this about the man, and don’t feel this, and wouldn’t accept this, and wouldn’t actually SAY this out loud with your words, then do NOT demonstrate it with your body, with your body “language”. Because the very act of sexual intercourse is accepting a male, partnering in the most physically intimate way, in an act that can start the life of a new child, who will need parents who will need to stay in contact with each other forever.

The man receives that message on many levels, and he will likely be far LESS motivated to grow and change to win your approval as a permanent mate. He will think he already HAS won your full approval. He will get that message, and your words may imprint only as so much blah, blah, blah compared to your actions, which imprint with an entirely stronger power backed up by hormones and their intimately wired connection with the brain.

Couple Questioning

If you wouldn’t want that full, committed forever family life with a particular man, or if you know he wouldn’t consciously want that with YOU, then you owe it to yourself, to him, and to any future children, to ABSTAIN from that particular act at that time with that person.

As a relationship develops, or even in a one-night-stand, when two people engage in sexual intercourse, this proverbial “line is drawn”. People may THINK they can erase the line using contraception, but one never fools Nature; one never fools God. The line is objectively there, as it HAS been DRAWN by his pencil and your paper. You have offered a “written prayer” together, co-authored by the two of you, in conjunction with the Creator of all.*

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This line that has been drawn is the elephant in almost every room where adolescents and adults exist in modern society. People “pray” without meaning to pray… a prayer that they wouldn’t consciously pray… and they are doing this with their bodies, in an act that is meant to be sacred, and only entered into in a sacred arena. That arena is a marriage that a man and woman have each and together selected consciously. It is an arena one is meant to enter only after a period of deeply coming to know and evaluate the dating partner as both a potential life mate and as a potential co-parent.

Family and The Myth of Independence 7-30-2015

We are not to engage in sexual intercourse prior to marriage not because of some oppressive and irrelevant rule, but because of our very Nature as human beings. Waiting for sexual intercourse until marriage gives both partners a full chance to make a CONSCIOUS decision to approach, be approached, build and grow together in courtship, and ultimately FREELY accept (or freely not accept) the partner in a mutual bond of acceptance, support, bearing difficulty, sharing joys together and embracing and welcoming the potential to co-create new people in a fully welcoming and devoted family.

Ladies of ALL AGES:
When you are “hot & heavy” with someone, take ONE moment to ASK YOURSELF THESE 2 QUESTIONS:
“Do I accept this man as my male partner, EXACTLY AS HE IS, into my life FOREVER?
Does THIS MAN accept ME, EXACTLY AS I AM, into his life FOREVER?”
If you can’t answer fully and consciously YES to BOTH of these questions,
you know you must not move forward into sexual intercourse
(no matter whether you have contraception or not).

*Gospel of Jesus’s Apostle Matthew, Chapter 18 in the Bible:
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* k Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
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* l Again, [amen,] I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father.
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* m For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

Matthew 18 20

Written by Tracy Hernandez, formerly known as T. Bergenn

Former Lesbian on US Supreme Court’s Decision to Uphold Same-Sex Marriage

Posted by :Tracy Hernandez On : June 26, 2015
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Category: Catholic, Connection, Dating, Marriage, Purpose, Uncategorized

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On the United States Supreme Court’s decision today to uphold same sex “marriage”:

I lived as a lesbian for a while. People can and do shift their attractions… quite frequently. Some women who’ve dated “bad boys” make a conscious shift to allow themselves to see what’s attractive about kind, stable men, for example. Some people choose to focus on something like feet, clothing style, hair or skin color, etc. and make a fetish of it… only to later change. Some people feel attractions they think would be potentially harmful to act upon, so they do not act upon these attractions — like married individuals who choose not to cheat on their spouse. And unmarried individuals who choose not to fornicate. It’s a choice

“Born that way” holds no merit when discussing actions people CHOOSE. SO MANY people have bought the #LGBTQ #propaganda, believing that same-sex attraction is “born in”. There is no evidence of such a genetic predisposition. AND many married people find themselves powerfully sexually attracted to MANY people with whom they are not married. And they ought to refrain from sexually interacting with them, as they have made a commitment which bars such conduct. I have refrained from inappropriate sexual activity. And when I did NOT refrain, I participated in SIN. Fact.

Some people choose not to immerse themselves in Christ’s words and deeds, and not to obey Him, but nonetheless to cloak themselves in His Name. This is blasphemy, and it’s very grievous to God. Lord, help me to follow your path and yours alone… in your name.

I believe one thing that has weakened society’s relationship to truth is that a great number of people want the “freedom” to do whatever they wish, particularly regarding sexual conduct, and to cloak it in God’s name. They defend pornography, lust, sex before and outside of marriage, contraception, abortion, S&M, masturbation, polyamory — basically, there are no holds barred. And they REFUSE to back away from using God’s holy name to justify all these practices, NONE of which God wanted for us.

Truth becomes subordinate to their desires. They see no harm or evil in almost any sexual activity, but that’s not because none exists. Their lens is clouded by their strong affinity with freedom to act how they wish sexually.

Fact is, MANY people choose to “ALLOW THEMSELVES” to pursue same sex attraction and act upon it. This conduct doesn’t stop being sinful simply because they also GIVE THEMSELVES PERMISSION to uphold their own definition of “love” devoid of a concept of OBEDIENCE to God.

For those of us SO GRATEFUL to be Our Good Shepherd’s sheep, whom he has found, rescued, and picked up in his loving arms, we are GLAD to OBEY.

In this world, independence and individualism are prized. But Jesus asked us to live with different values. He didn’t JUST love and accept us the way we are. He HEALED us and told us to Go and Sin No More. Only ONE in TEN lepers returned to thank Him for the healing. Are YOU grateful?

Lift up your eyes to the Lord. He’s merciful. And… He absolutely will NOT lead your life if you choose not to follow Him. He reaches out to us again and again, with HIS FORM of love, which we should LEARN from, by receiving, and not denying, Him.

And the one most important “freedom to choose whom to love” is the freedom to LOVE & ACCEPT CHRIST and ALL He gives us, including Biblical instruction & the Church He gave us before He accepted death on a cross on our behalf. Accept that, rather than twisting Jesus’ “acceptance” to supposedly include a “love” that embraces Sin. Don’t believe in Sin?? Say that, then. Be intellectually and spiritually honest. Don’t say you are a follower of Christ, who dedicated Himself to resist the Devil right before He subjected & submitted Himself to God’s most difficult mission for Him. He OBEYED His Father in heaven rather than seeking His own pleasure. He even completely forewent the joy of sex personally, focusing on LOVING all people by forgiving them their SINS. Christ believed in the threat of Sin, the Devil, and Hell. He gave His ALL for us to see this. If you don’t have eyes to see, nor ears to hear, I pray that something will touch and open your heart. Maybe it will be when you bump into a big, sorrowful reason to regret your choices. Maybe when you hear the painful cries and see the tears of neglected children, betrayed partners… who took a back seat to our hedonistic choices.

HEY! This is NOT about just same-sex intimate relations. This is about ALL the Sins we participate in when we choose our own pleasure above the plan God our Maker has provided for us. I’ve experienced the pain & seen the results of my choices. Others have also experienced pain from MY many Sinful choices. This dynamic humbled me, and broke my prideful spirit, and I opened my heart and eyes and ears to hear God’s calling. I returned to God and saw how MY ways were NO MATCH for God’s ways.

I had been an atheist for a very long while, too. But God courted me and melted my stony heart, and won me over. HE IS so great. I don’t have ANY shame in submitting. In obeying. Do YOU?

God made us to experience GREAT JOY!
Genesis 4:6-7 “Why are you angry?” the Lord asked him. “Why is your face so dark with rage? It can be bright with joy if you will do what you should! But if you refuse to obey, watch out. Sin is waiting to attack you, longing to destroy you. But you can conquer it!”

There are consequences to our Sinful actions which will not be ignorable. I write because I’ve experienced them. I feel like a canary in the mine. I was on a decadent path to death, and life was by no means assured. God blessed me with another chapter. He didn’t have to do that, but He did, yes He did, yes He did! And I thank Him! I now feel tremendous joy in life, and I want God’s joy for everyone. Truth is there are no shortcuts. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. And He’s very available to you.

#SSM isn’t God’s definition of #marriage
#Catholic
#ObedienceIsNotADirtyWord
#Humility
#ManAndWomanHeMadeThem
#HonorYourFatherAndMother
#FormerLesbian #Hasbian
#Atheist

In a future blogpost I’ll write about how I went from being raised a devout Catholic to becoming an atheist in college and how this was related to my insufficient responses to others’ sins; my unresolved issues around “women’s oppression” and how this relates with choices of sexuality & sexual expression; and societal politics. Please stay tuned!

Longevity Hot Spots Diets Cross-Referenced with Akea Ingredients

Posted by :Tracy Hernandez On : August 6, 2014
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Posted by :Tracy Hernandez On : June 5, 2014
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What’s the difference between “FERMENTED” foods, and “man-made, processed” foods?

Posted by :Tracy Hernandez On : February 18, 2014
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Category: Nutrition, Uncategorized

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T. Bergenn
Longevity Advisor; Director and Independent Consultant at AKEA

Everyone knows Fermented Foods are all the rage: Kombucha, Sauerkraut, Kimchi, and uhhh… wine & cheese, right?

Enter: people who think that we should eat foods totally “un-processed”, and they think fermentation is something new-fangled and man-made. So they lump the best health food in with the worst of junk foods!

Thus:
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CONFUSION!

Bacteria improve the value of already nutrient-dense superfoods. Some watch their foods ferment on their countertops. Others buy foods fermented by bacteria in a vat. Either way, it’s NATURE that ferments things, making them approximately 10 times more nutritious than they were to start — in grand part due to their increased bioavailability once they’ve been “pre-digested” by healthy bacterial strains such as: B. bifidum, B. breve, B. longum, L. acidophilus, L. casei, L. paracasei, L. plantarum, L. rhamnosus, L. salvarius, and S. thermophilus.

If, as a longevity advisor, I have been promoting for years the consumption of fermented foods for digestive health (for gut health and healing) — since gut health is responsible for approximately 70% of wellness, immunity, and longevity… and if I am blessed to find that a company exists with MY VALUES, and is producing an easily consumable form of fermented superfoods, based on the same lifestyle knowledge that I’ve discovered in my years of research as a longevity advisor — you better believe I’m going to want to SELL it and EARN a GOOD LIVING doing so.

Q: Can anyone rattle me by calling me a peddler or salesperson?
A: If I was able to happily maintain my dignity while cleaning other people’s toilets for the 20 years I had my house-cleaning business, you can imagine how TREMENDOUSLY honored I feel to be able to provide a truly wide range of personal health benefits to clients I work with now — some who suffer from serious autoimmune illnesses, and others who used to suffer from common issues like joint pain, insomnia, constipation, and skin problems. Want to see a loved one lick their diabetes Type 2? How fast can you dial me? 510-292-9976

Apply the economic philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas — and you will see that we are increasing the value to you of God’s whole foods by combining the world’s top superfoods together, drying them, making them into a powder form, fermenting them, adding minerals, active enzymes, and MORE of the probiotics, and making them accessible and affordable to those who know they want fermented foods (should we call it “Essential Vitamin FF?”) in their daily diet for their longevity lifestyle. If our bodies are accepted as part of the testing and proving ground, I am GLAD to share how improved is my health in various dimensions — reversed asthma, allergies, skin keratoses, insomnia, menopausal symptoms, and chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome.

Every week, I hear another client share how they have reversed their diabetes with the use of our whole, organic, fermented superfoods product. Remember, our product contains NO synthetics. Nothing created in a lab. Thank God for BACTERIA! Some of my BEST FRIENDS (with BENEFITS!) are GERMS. lol

Good morning, everyone!

TAKE THAT! Monsanto! Our probiotics and fermented foods help heal up what their GMO’s TEAR UP — we help HEAL THE GUT!

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“Your Emotional Toolkit” for Breaking the Cycle of Addiction

Posted by :Tracy Hernandez On : January 29, 2014
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Category: Connection, Relaxation, Uncategorized

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There are many kinds of addictions, BROADLY defined, which include: addiction to cigarettes & smoking, alcohol and drinking, drugs and shooting or popping pills, image
sugar consumption, overworking, gambling, overeating, imagesex, obsessive-compulsive behaviors like cutting, picking, hair-pulling or thumb-sucking, and playing video-games.image

My PREMISE for this talk is that underlying each and every one of these ADDICTIONS… is a set of UNRESOLVED EMOTIONS.

EMOTIONS:
Emotions are OBJECTIVE, and physiologically manifested in the body. They often correspond to THOUGHTS, which can be true or false, but in and of themselves, EMOTIONS are TRUE and OBJECTIVE.

And such FEELINGS are PHYSICAL CLUES to us that we need to DO SOMETHING. Like fight, or flee, or resolve a conflict.
Okay, if you feel “happy”, you might not need to actually “DO” something, but when you feel the troublesome or difficult emotions, “negative” emotions, THESE are CUES that you need to do something.

But often in life, it is not possible or appropriate to just DO that something that our emotions are cueing us to do — like fight, or run away — and we might not know HOW to resolve a particular conflict. When it is not simple or possible to resolve the emotion adequately, through an appropriate behavior, we often unconsciously implement a SUBSTITUTE behavior, which may DIFFUSE THE FEELING of that emotion temporarily, but does not necessarily RESOLVE the emotion. If you are hungry, and you have no food, and someone is eating in front of you and does not want to share, you can’t just grab their food. So you substitute something to deal with the PAIN of this feeling, of this frustration. Over time, or even after one such substitute action, we may develop a substitute BEHAVIOR PATTERN. THIS is the BASIS for ADDICTION.

I’m going to tell you some of the SPECIFIC EMOTIONS, the OBJECTIVE FEELINGS, which often underly PATTERNS OF ADDICTION.

I’m going to teach you when and how to process these particular emotions in order to break the cycle of addiction. This tool does not BATTLE your addiction directly. It’s NOT about willpower, or “white knuckling” and trying to be “stronger than” your addiction. These methods don’t work well, as you probably know if you’ve battled addiction unsuccessfully for any length of time. Mine is simply a POSITIVE TOOL to ADD TO YOUR LIFE. Once you know how to use this tool, and USE IT REGULARLY, the DESIRE for your addictive substance or pattern SIMPLY SUBSIDES.

So NOW:

1) Let me give you the ACRONYM for this, the FIRST TOOL for YOUR NEW, EMOTIONAL TOOLKIT — and that way you will ALWAYS REMEMBER IT!

“Halt! You f’in’ SOB!” Now, this acronym is a mnemonic technique, and I’m not promoting swearing, but this is a key part of this toolkit. It stands for:

Hungry
Angry
Lonely
Tired
Fearful
Sad or
Bored

Add “Ashamed” to the toolkit list, and you will be even better equipped!

WITHOUT judging or criticizing your SELF, and without judging or criticizing the EMOTIONS, I want you to NOTICE.

2) To “NOTICE or NOTE” is the 2nd Tool in your EMOTIONAL TOOLKIT. When you feel inclined to _______________ (fill in your addiction), (like smoke, shoot drugs, eat gluten if you’re celiac, have sex with a stranger) take a moment to NOTICE it. And say (out loud works best) — “HALT! You F’in SOB!” Now, I’m not telling you to call yourself names — this is simply a mnemonic technique. And it is intended to interrupt a pattern.

3) 3rd Tool: Use your ACRONYM, and Ask yourself, “Am I hungry? Am I Angry? Lonely? Tired? Fearful? Sad? or Bored?” “WHAT DO I FEEL?”

And answer yourself, OUT LOUD.

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Emotions — FEELINGS — are by nature TRANSITORY. They come. And they go. The page turns. Once you IDENTIFY the emotion — give it a name, say it out loud, it is being attended to. Sit with it for a moment — literally like 10 seconds to 1 minute or so. Just reflect on the name of the emotion, and the feeling in your body. You can say, “I am feeling scared. Nothing more. Nothing less.” Or “I’m feeling lonely. It doesn’t feel good. I feel lonely.” Or “I’m feeling hungry, and shaky. I’m not dying, but I’m really hungry.” You are now on your way to properly processing that emotion. The page does turn.

You have CONVERTED the emotion from a POWERFUL, SUBCONSCIOUS ACTOR DIRECTING YOUR BEHAVIOR TO AN ADDICTIVE ACTIVITY…
(A TRIGGER)…
TO a transitory, appropriately-minimal-sized experience in your body (one of many) during your day, which YOU as an adult, as a full human being, SIMPLY NOTICE AND PROCESS. YOU are the director now. Emotions are transitory! That’s the Good NEWS! They are just paragraphs, or sentences even, in each larger chapter of your life’s book, which YOU write.

When we are no longer slaves to our EMOTIONS, we are no longer slaves to ADDICTIONS.

To find out more about the EMOTIONAL TOOLKIT to resolve ADDICTIONS, or how this fits with the Longevity Hot Spot Lifestyle, please sign up for the RSS feed for my blog: PowerSourceUnlimited.com, or comment here. Or write to me on TheBluePrintForLife.com And I’ll be sure to send you any upcoming reports.

“Your Emotional Toolkit: Breaking the Cycle of Addiction” Jump to the second hour for a 60 minute RECORDED, LIVE PRESENTATION & INTERVIEW of T. Bergenn by Wolf Spirit Radio Host Luella May:

You can also schedule a consultation or series of consultations with me.

To deal with food addictions, I invite you to investigate and try the AkeaBLAST! for nutritional support that can make your cravings subside by meeting your micronutrient needs.

Thank you very much for the opportunity to share one of the most powerful tools I know to help your overall wellbeing — Your EMOTIONAL TOOLKIT!!!!

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“HUMANO” film asks, “What is it to be human?”

Posted by :Tracy Hernandez On : November 16, 2013
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Category: Connection, Join Your Longevity Community, Purpose, Uncategorized

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HUMANO
SOUTH AMERICA A NEW AWAKENING
DIRECTED BY ALAN STIVELMAN
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Available November 17, 2013 Exclusively On Yekra and DVD

SYNOPSIS

Alan is twenty-five years old and is searching for the reasons for his existence – the meaning of life. A camera and a notebook filled with questions are all he needs in order to begin his journey to the Andes and into the deepest corners of the subconscious. Through the eyes of Plácido, an Andean paqo(“priest”), the existence of an invisible world that coexists daily with the visible world will be unveiled before him. Alan seeks to discover the origins of humanity on earth, but in order for him to do this it is first necessary for him to learn to be human. Rituals, initiations and new challenges will unfoldbefore him as the “keys” to unlocking and broadening his consciousness.

Accompanied by Plácido, he will be taken on an introspective journey. Such a journey has never been documented before.

Web: www.humanofilm.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/humanofilm.com

Twitter: @humanofilm

YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/HumanoFilm

IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt2175828

Press kit: http://humanofilm.com/en/

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOrowLpeTLk&feature=youtu.be
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I watched this movie with my fiancé Edgar, and will share a few thoughts. In Spanish, with English subtitles, the protagonist speaks Spanish beautifully! The art & form of the movie is quite lovely… and evocative. You may resonate with the psychic journey because of how the visuals evoke familiarity with your own search for meaning.

Journeying to Peru in the search for meaning… for ME is a non-sequiter… I don’t see why, and the movie does not explain why… such an existential quest would or should take one to Peru, although I imagine it’s as good a place as any to seek out the meaning of our lives.

A Shaman escorts the young protagonist, asking provocative philosophical questions, along a journey of experiential practice interspersed with guiding nuggets of wisdom. “Humano” is an “artist’s film”… an “anthropologist’s film”… a “culturalist’s film”. Not to be watched for excitement or sheer entertainment, but rather it provides a foil for one’s own ponderings of existential questions — the meaning of life, the role of fear, how to discern and make sense of myth and reality, our connection with the earth, forgiveness, universal dreams, ascension, creation, dualism, etc.

Setting out as slowly as the film does, we were both moved to a spiritual readiness platform of discomfort. And the subtitles often require struggle to see.

The ancient Peruvian cultural wisdoms weave and inform the entire journey. “Fear only exists as much as you need it. Fear doesn’t let us see the beauty in things. It doesn’t let us see the Reality.” “Icaro” — a song sung without words. “People built this place with a purpose in mind.” We are called to engage with our universal connection to our ancestors, and to the earth. “All exists to be learned from, not judged, not rejected.”

Since I promote a wellness program based on the wisdom of the ancients, it is fascinating just how people of all places in the world instinctively look to our ancestors for spiritual and practical guidance. Some cultures are particularly long-lived, healthy, and happy, and these are the cultures whose wisdom and lifestyles I most like to embrace and promote.

As a catholic Christian, I definitely had some uncomfortable experiences with the film, witnessing how people dabble with the occult with nary a caution. Yes, we are dust, and unto dust we shall return. But not only are we “matter” — we MATTER. And I could not relate deeply with this film because I experience being “human” so entirely differently than the two protagonists of the film experience being “human”.

As a longevity advisor, I found the entire “almost anti-social” approach disturbing, because while the title is “Humano”, there is a profound disconnection from “PEOPLE” in this young man’s journey for the meaning of being “human”. He listens to one isolated shaman’s philosophical and esoteric perspectives and engages with only this shaman’s exercises, as he interacts mainly with non-human nature, like rocks and water. Nature is truly marvelous, but disconnection from humans goes against MY sensibilities of what it is to be human, which necessarily implies being born of woman, and into SOCIETY. We all need Nutrition, Movement, Relaxation, Connection, and Purpose. This film deals with Purpose, but I find it bereft of all human Connection except with the ancestors’ nuggets of wisdom and stories. The only mention of woman that I recall is an exercise of experiencing a cave as if it were a mother’s womb.

The protagonist is an intellectual, largely residing in his head, and I believe part of the great value of his journey is how he more “comes into his body”… in the beautiful mountains, cold lakes, weighted trekking, etc.

I think particularly some young men who resemble our protagonist… are ever seeking… and see themselves as ALONE in a vast wilderness, rather than learning and listening to and responding to the valuable and complex individuals who are woven in a complex and interdependent community all around them. I think this viewpoint is consistent with a pervasive DEPRESSION in our modern society. Isolation. Lack of affect. Clinical Depression.

In enormously densely populated NEW YORK CITY, I’ve heard that 50% of the population eat dinner ALONE.

Like “water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink…” we have people, people everywhere, but not knowing how to Connect. At least not in a fulfilling and meaningful way.

The film ends with describing our body as the most evolved form of matter… with serious cautionary implications for what will happen to this evolutionary chain if the earth is irreparably harmed.

For those who want to experience a sacred journey, and/or learn about Saqras and Apus in a South American setting, this movie will add artistic depth and interesting sights and sounds to the journey and lessons.

A prayer for healing of Depression is what this movie evokes for me. A deep love for my young artist brothers and sisters who battle feelings and experiences of VOID and NULL… who want to FEEL, to experience PLEASURE, HAPPINESS, and CONNECTION. I appreciate their efforts and their artistic pieces which elucidate people’s internal struggles.

At the risk of over-simplification, I feel called to say that I believe much chemical-imbalance can be resolved with nutrition in a social context — seriously, I’ve watched it work so quickly, and I feel this is a very common imbalance in the modern world. THIS FILM SHINES A BRIGHT LIGHT ON OUR HUMAN NEED FOR COMMUNITY. In the absence of community, one yearns for and can better appreciate community. Humans. God made us — not just you, not just me… but US. We need to break bread together. Share. Delight. Experience art — music, literature, movies, dance, comedy, philosophy. So if you go see “HUMANO”, go with a friend, and chat about it over dinner afterward.

Borders, People, and a Spirit of Connection

Posted by :Tracy Hernandez On : May 10, 2013
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Category: Connection, Purpose

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Inspired to respond to a Facebook posting.

Inspired to respond to a Facebook posting.

People in my different circles of connection are often coming from really different places. The holistic healers are generally different than my Catholic Church community. My longevity enthusiasts buddies are different than my neighbors. And my business networking friends are quite different than my family members.

But one of my roles, a significant part of my Purpose, actually, is to be a bridge, if not always directly between people, then at least between the spirit and lessons of the different people, so an indirect bridge, experientially.

So take a look at the “photo” blog above, which happened as I responded to a Facebook friend who feels adamantly opposed to undocumented immigration to the U.S. You don’t need to see the vehement rhetoric that prompted my response, as it was nothing new or especially interesting. Same old angry, one-sided, anti-immigrant views. But when such views are shared in the context of people who care about health and wellness, it is a little jarring to me.

If we look through the lens of the healthiest, happiest elders in the world’s Longevity Hot Spots, most live a faith-based life, and most are very gracious and generous towards visitors. I would be somewhat surprised, but not entirely shocked, I guess, if some of the nonagenarians or centenarians were to espouse anti-immigrant views and argue for such policies. It seems a waste of the resource of good, wholesome energy to spend it begrudging the way others meet their livelihood needs. Somehow I do not feel that traveling from one place to another can correctly be interpreted as a crime. Erecting a border may be an extension of building a home and locking a door, but I still feel for the right of people to pursue work, an honest livelihood. What you do when you GET to the destination… is a whole ‘nother story.

Napping, Relaxation, and Sleep

Posted by :Tracy Hernandez On : April 14, 2013
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Category: Connection, Join Your Longevity Community, Relaxation, Uncategorized

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Napping, Relaxation, and Sleep

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Some say a daytime nap can disturb overnight sleep, and for some folks, it most certainly does.

But there is another school of thought:
Practice Makes Perfect, and…
Sleep Begets Sleep.

I find that “practicing relaxing and allowing sleep…” by incorporating relatively short naps when you are fatigued and/or drowsy… can improve one’s ability to relax and sleep effectively overnight.

When all systems are go, physically, emotionally, psychologically, spiritually, etc., usually fewer naps are desired or needed.
But the body has great wisdom, and can indicate its needs before we have a conscious clue of which systems and organs may be running at less than optimal function level.
If we simply listen to, follow and honor the signals of the body, we can often avert more serious problems.
We don’t really NEED to know WHY we are tired… just THAT we are tired.

Sometimes this is an issue of relinquishing control. Relinquishing control in some areas of our lives can be infinitely beneficial. This is related to grasping the importance of community, and inter-dependence. We don’t need to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders… nor in our minds.

Every animal has a circadian rhythm. God made both night and day. Every human being needs deep, restorative sleep, and also rest. If you experience stress while trying to fall asleep, or in the middle of the night, you may wish to talk softly to yourself about why and how to “relax and allow sleep”. There is also a great book: The Sleep Book, by Dr. Seuss, that can help children and adults grasp and put into practice the importance of sleep. TRY IT, YOU’LL LIKE IT!!

Connection as an Anti-Depressant

Posted by :Tracy Hernandez On : April 5, 2013
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Category: Connection, Join Your Longevity Community, Medical treatments, Movement, Nutrition, Purpose, Uncategorized

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Mina and Me, on a walk in the Berkeley HillsI want to share something: I LOVE walking… pretty much any time, any where. In the U.S., people spend a lot of time alone. And I used to spend a fair amount of time walking alone, even though I generally prefer to be accompanied. One time, I took a trip to Mexico to spend time with my (now ex) husband’s family. There, and in many other countries and cultures, most people spend very little time alone. I found this a little odd, but rather pleasant, as I’ve always been gregarious and I appreciate company. If I walked to pick up fresh veggies at the corner market, one of the relatives would walk with me. If I had to do any other errand, someone would offer to accompany me. And I always said yes. I got used to this and enjoyed the walks quite a bit.

Upon my return to the U.S., I resumed my walks, and the first time I was walking alone, I observed something profound. My mind happened to take a little unhealthy detour — something related to worry and seeing things from a negative and somewhat twisted perspective. I caught it, and noticed it. I thought, “That’s funny; I haven’t had that kind of thought lately. I wonder why not, and I wonder what elicited that just now.” I followed the train of thought back, and knew that this kind of thought had not been a completely uncommon occurrence for me… particularly while walking, so I wondered why it seemed unfamiliar to me all of the sudden. And it came to me: I realized I had not been ALONE for a while. I had not been walking ALONE for quite a while.

As a Spanish Medical Interpreter, I had interpreted for several psych appointments for depressed and other mentally ill patients. And I began to reflect on the CULTURAL differences between depression and other mental illnesses and treatment for such HERE in the U.S., and in Mexico. And I learned at a deeper level one of the most important Principles of healthy, happy, longevity: Connection. When you are WITH people a LOT, you may feel a little imposed upon, (oh darn!) but there are built-in checks and balances when you start to think and say things that are not true and objective, like negative thoughts and perspectives that don’t take into account the positive aspects of a scenario or the ability to resolve difficult dilemmas by obtaining community/family support and not being left solely to one’s own devices (which are sometimes woefully inadequate). “Your problem” becomes/is “our problem”. “Let me make you a good meal and that will help you feel better.” See, a lot of times people get into a negative spiral here in the U.S. because they get a little out of sorts and then they don’t have the energy or focus to do good “self-care”, so they get worse because they have inadequate nutrition or they stay up too late, don’t shower or get dressed or get out, etc. Each of those things happens because they are not fully integrated in a community. The brain then functions worse and worse. If there are people around, they can and do help reverse a spiral, or elevate a person enough to keep them from plummeting.

If YOU see what I’m saying here, and have your own experiences which corroborate this concept of the importance of “Connection” to mental health (which plays out statistically), then please join me at http://TheBluePrintForLife.com It is my mission (Purpose) to help bring the wholesome lifestyle of the world’s Longevity Hot Spots to the United States. I could use your help. The BluePrint for Life includes: Nutrition, Movement, Relaxation, Connection & Purpose. Thank you!!!