The Mary Christopher Podcast

What Do Our Lungs Need .... ? Summer Podcast for July 2 2024

What does our Heart need?  What does our Brain need?  What do our Blood cells need?  All these cells need Oxygen to work happily and efficiently.  We know we need O2 and we know that it needs to circulate to every cell in our bodies for us to be happy, and healthy, and resilient.
The Happiness part is more important than we realize.  Oxygen fuels all of our cells and keeps our Heart and Brain functioning at optimum levels.  Why is this important?  Because if our Brain Cells are not getting enough O2, the Brain goes into its “distressed” mode and immediately begins signaling that “something is wrong”!  Or, signaling “danger, danger”!  This signaling can sometimes be triggered even when there isn’t any “danger”, just “cellular discomfort”.
In other words, if we are sitting most of the day, either deeply engaged with our laptop or telephone, we are not moving very much.  So, our circulation begins to gradually s-l-o-w down.  Our brain may begin to feel sluggish since there is less O2 circulating.  In addition, we will have a gradual build up of Carbon Dioxide in our whole system due to all systems slowing down.  We may begin to feel drowsy or disinterested in whatever we are doing.  Our attention may wander and we lose our ability to focus.
When you first notice these feelings, it is a good idea to get up and move around.  Even better, get up and move around outside!  Being out of doors can provide Sunshine and Fresh Air being produced by Trees and green plants!  Remember, human Beings are designed to move, even if it is just wiggling our fingers and toes!
As we know, Sunshine is an antidepressant as well as Fresh Air!  In Japan where they still have many forests, people practice Shinrin-yoku, also known as Forest Bathing.  Japanese scientists have done numerous studies and have established the many benefits of Forest Bathing.  Often office workers, teachers, and students will take a walk in the woods on their lunch break instead of going to get fast food or noodles!
We know we are made to move.  All we have to do is watch an action movie or a baseball game or try-outs for the Summer Olympics in Paris!  Young people and seasoned athletes are running faster, swimming longer faster, leaping higher and doing everything better every year.  This is amazing and wonderful to watch.
However, most of us are not aspiring for the Summer Olympics and may find ourselves sitting longer in front of our larger-than-life watching all these amazing athletes.  Maybe we should do more exercise now so we can enjoy sitting with the Olympics!
Unfortunately, our current “modern” society is structured to keep us sitting during the day.  We are either sitting for work, or sitting in a car or truck or bus.  And, sitting for entertainment.  We have gotten too used to sitting.
So, whenever you have the opportunity, or you are feeling bored, or just generally dis-satified with life, get up and move.  Seriously, clean the kitchen cabinets, the closet in the hall, or the neglected flower beds in front.  You will feel better.  All your systems will function better.  Your memory will probably respond faster.  And, you will be pleased with your accomplishments!
If you are not able to move around like you used to or you are recovering from an accident or surgery, then wiggle your fingers and your toes.  Wiggle your nose.  Then smile at your toes, your feet, your legs and knees.  Keep smiling at your tummy and all your internal organs, especially your wonderful Heart.  Remember to smile and appreciate your mouth and jaw, your nose, your eyes and ears and all the sensitivity of your skin.  Pat the top of your head and tell yourself, “Good Job” just for being on the planet.
Then take a few deep and slow breaths, feeling the air moving in and down into your lungs.  You will begin to feel better and your whole body will begin to function better.  All those system alarms related to a lack of O2 will begin to fade.  If you can find something to laugh about, even better!
It is warm outside, but if you can find a way to go out when it is cooler, you will find it is very pleasant and often calming.  Have a wonderful week as you find more ways to move, including your ears!

Inner Peace Guided Meditation for the Whole Wide World ~ Sunday June 30 2024

Finding Our Way Through the Maze ...
With certainty, I think we can say, “This world is a mess right now … “!  I doubt anyone connected to the “modern world” would dispute that! 
So, what do we do?
Well, we could do what Noah and his family did.  They built a better boat, loaded it up, and floated away when it rained for 40 days and 40 nights.  This Old Testament project was based on “divine intervention” and excellent note-taking on Noah’s part.
Probably a better option would be for us to light our candles, get comfortable, find our Inner Peace place within, and create a very coherent field of Light all around us.  One of my favorite sayings is “A rising tide lifts all boats”.  Together we can generate a “rising tide” that can move through and dissipate confusion and darkness.  We have been there and done that.  We know it works.
I also think “We are the ones we have been waiting for …”!  
See you this evening at 7 pm PDT, 8 pm MDT, 9 pm CDT, and 10 pm EDT.  
Thank You for showing up !!!
Mary Christopher

The Power of Gardening and Will Allen, Urban Farmer ~ June 25 2024

Did you know that People who garden are usually happier, healthier, and are often saving money at the grocery store !!!
So, how do we know that People who Garden are usually Happier, Healthier, and saving money?  Some of this is just common sense.  People who garden are usually more physically active.  They are outside more, soaking up Sunshine and breathing fresh air.  We know that Sunshine can easily be an antidepressant.
Gardeners tend to be problem solvers and are more engaged with gardening friends and neighbors who are then blessed with fresh produce.  We know that people who are active and engaged with other people are usually more cheerful and less prone to depression.
A good example is Will Allen, the original urban farmer.  Some people consider him the “modern” George Washington Carver.  After Will retired from professional basketball and a corporate job, he became the director of Growing Power, an urban gardening project in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  He developed this project by getting neighborhood young people involved with gardening.  At first, they were just curious about this “crazy guy” who was trying to grow vegetables in the city.  Then they started helping.
As their efforts at gardening began to pay off, these young people started taking their produce home.  And, here is the best part … if they grew it, they would eat it!  They were eating vegetables that they would not even touch before! 
Amazing … !!! 
And, their families were getting healthy food even living in or near an urban “food desert”!  Not only that, these young people were showing up to work in the garden every day rather than hanging out on the streets being bored and getting into trouble!
So ... gardening is good in so many ways and for so many reasons.  Give it a try even if it is only 1 or 2 pots of Tomatoes or Peppers.  You too can become a famous "famous" Urban Gardener in your neighborhood !!!
Have a Wonderful Week,
Mary Christopher

Inner Peace Guided Meditation for the Whole Wide World ~ Sunday June 26 2024

Some days it seems that Inner Peace Place is almost impossible to find.  And, we are tempted to give up, abandon our efforts and go do something else. 
Totally understandable ... !!!
However, there are ways to move "thru" most emotional log jams.  Our emotional log jams are difficult for many reasons.  For one thing, emotions or emotional states tend to be "sticky"!  When we try to fix anything that is "sticky", we usually get stuck!  So, if we can resist the urge to try to "fix it" and keep our fingers out of our emotions, we may be able to move on and leave the logjam behind!
There are other ways of getting beyond our emotions which I mentioned in this podcast.  Sometimes simply finding a way to shift our perspective may work well.  Regardless of any outcome, remember that our focused intention and making a consistent effort builds better neurological pathways!
Thank You for showing up, for doing this spiritual work, and for everything you do every day to make this world a better place for Everyone!
Have a Wonderful Week and
Remember to Breathe ...
Mary Christopher
 

Photosynthesis and Leaves, Miniature Oxygen Factories! ~ June 18 2024

Photosynthesis is an amazingly efficient chemical process that takes place within Leaves and Grass, any kind of plant that contains chlorophyll.  This chemical process uses energy from photons to run the process.  The photos come from Sunlight!  And, the plant is also absorbing CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) from the air through its leaves!
In this process, the plant produces glucose (a sugar) by breaking down CO2 into Carbon and Oxygen.  The O2 is released into the atmosphere and the newly formed sugar helps to feed the plant.
This is an amazing process that is happening around us all the time, and has been happening for thousands and thousands of years!  All creatures get fresh O2 and the plant gets Food!
Another great mystery is the similarity between chlorophyll and blood or hemoglobin.  There is only 1 atom difference between the 2 ... !!!  You can learn more about that in the podcast.
Creation is Amazing and Wonderful !!!  We are so blessed in so many ways on this Planet and often we are completely oblivious!!!
So, this week, slow down, take a look around you, and discover all the amazing miracles that are happening every day.
Thank You for Being here and for all you do to make this World a better place for Everyone.
Many, Many Blessings,
Mary Christopher

Inner Peace Guided Meditation for the Whole Wide World ~ June 16 2024

"According to Dr. Karyn Purvis, the late Director of Texas Christian University's Child Development Centre, scientists have discovered that it takes around 400 repetitions to create a new synapse in the brain. However, if the repetition is done through play, it only takes 10–20 repetitions. Play can be a key factor in language development, and can also help children develop cognitively and emotionally. When children play, they are often more relaxed and open to learning."
 
One of the people in my advanced meditation class sent that quotation to me.  When I read it, I felt like numerous light bulbs were going off in my mind.  I was reminded of how often I have wished that I was better at having fun or at least being less serious!
 
Now that I know for sure that "play" provides specific results I decided to jump on it and do some serious research!  Actually, I did start thinking like that, but caught myself in time and switched gears.  I found a book about "play" on Audible, downloaded it, and started listening.
 
The book is 
Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul, by Stuart Brown and Christopher Vaughan, M.D.  I am just getting started, and so far I am pleased with the content and the way it is written.
 
Most of us are aware that as we grow into adulthood, we tend to become more serious.  Being an adult is "serious" as well as challenging as we deal with careers, families, health, and taxes, just to list a few responsibilities we have faced.
 
If we include spiritual development, that can add an extra level of being serious.  Now that I know I can "learn" or "reprogram" my little neurons more effectively with play, I am looking for ways to include play and/or fun into my daily routines.  And, this includes my spiritual practices.
 
More about this later.  There is a guided meditation included in this podcast.  The official time for our group meditation is 7 pm PDT, 8 pm MDT, 9 pm CDT, 10 pm EDT.  However, if for any reason, you are not able to do your Inner Peace meditation at that time, do it when it works for you.  It is still a contribution to the growing and expanding consciousness of the whole world.
 
Thank You for showing up!  Thank You for being on Earth right now!  And, thank you for everything you do every day to make the world a better place for Everyone!
 
Have a wonderful week and,
 
Remember to Breathe ...
 
Mary Christopher

Trees and Our Lungs !!! Creation Is Amazing! Tuesday, June 11, 2024

In many parts of the world, we live with Trees.  We live next to or in the middle of Trees.  If we are really fortunate, we live in a neighborhood where the streets are lined with Trees!  Any time that we are able to live in the same neighborhood with Trees, we are Blessed!
Did you know there are numerous scientific studies showing that there is less crime in neighborhoods that have Trees compared to neighborhoods where there are very few or no Trees at all!
“Neighborhoods and homes that are barren have shown to have a greater incidence of violence in and out of the home than their greener counterparts. Trees and landscaping help to reduce the level of fear.  Also the different shades of green from Trees and Plants are calming and restful!”  (Tree People)
 
How far down into the ground can Tree roots grow … ?
In general, most tree roots can grow anywhere from two to six feet deep. However, there are some tree roots that have been known to grow much deeper than that. The world's deepest tree root was found in South Africa, and it reached a depth of 24 feet!
Did you know that the pattern of growth for Tree roots resembles the branching pattern in our lungs?  The Bronchia in our lungs form a pattern that starts with the trachea and ends in tiny air sacs called alveoli.  This is how Oxygen (O2) gets to all our cells and Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is removed and exhaled!
How Large Is the Area of Our Lungs ... ?
If an adult’s lungs were opened and laid out flat, it would cover an entire tennis court!  This is one of the main reasons we benefit by walking or jogging or being active outside in fresh air.  Any time we are working or playing outdoors, we are exercising and strengthening our lungs.  We are also expanding our lung capacity or, at the very least, maintain a healthy lung capacity.  This is very important as we age!
We also know from our own experience as well as from scientific studies that exercise functions as an antidepressant!  That is because exercise usually causes our bodies to produce Endorphins!  Human Beings have our own in-house pharmacy.   
Our bodies are simple and complex and amazing.  Usually, we go through the day without giving a thought to the elegance and sophistication of our lungs, or our heart and circulatory system.  We seem to take Creation for granted, missing all the amazing systems that allow us to be here and survive.
Often, when I think about our human bodies or learn how well our bodies are designed, I am in Awe of the Creator.  And, I am deeply grateful for Being here on Earth, even with all the challenges!
Take Good Care of Yourself and
Remember to go outside and Breathe, Breathe, Breathe ...
Mary Christopher

Inner Peace Guided Meditation for the Whole Wide World ~ 7 pm PDT, 8 pm MDT, 9 pm CDT, 10 pm EDT June 9

Thank You all so much for showing up for our Inner Peace Meditations! 
We are gathering momentum!  We had more than 70 downloads for last week's podcast! 
I always feel like there are so many wonderful people joining at our designated time, or doing the meditation when they have the time.  Good for us ... !!!  We are making a difference in our own lives by intentionally focusing on Inner Peace and we are making a difference for others.  Let's keep going ... 
It is a beautiful day here in this spacious park in Duluth, Georgia.  I came over early so I could sit with one of my favorite trees before it got hot.
As I was sitting with this friendly pine tree, at least 40 feet tall, listening to the birds and feeling the warmth of the Sun, I felt so grateful and blessed to have this time and this place to record our guided meditation for this evening's group meditation.
If you sometimes have difficulty finding your "inner peace place", I can offer 2 suggestions.  These are practices I use if I have any difficulty "tuning into" my sacred Inner Peace place. 
One practice is to move into a state of gratitude, remembering all the small gifts and abilities that so many of us have.  I usually start by smiling down to my little toe. This may sound silly, but there are specific reasons for doing this which I explain in this podcast.
The other practice that I find helpful is to work with "lovingkindness" for myself first, then extending that bubble of lovingkindness to include others.  Either one of these 2 practices will usually guide me into my special "Inner Peace Place"!
Again, thank you for showing up for our Inner Peace Meditations and for all the good work you are doing every day !!!
Take very good care of yourself and,
Remember to Breathe ...
Mary Christopher