A Quest for Well-Being

— "If only the transformation from ILLNESS to WELLNESS were as simple as changing the spelling: Just change "I" to "WE", and we go from ILL to WELL... Well, at the very core, there is a profound truth to be found in that "magic spell." By myself, my capacity for transformation is quite limited. I tend to repeat the same choices day after day and remain fundamentally on the same path year after year... My choices are limited by the available resources in my physical and cultural environment, as well as internally by factors such as my awareness, my attitudes, my thinking, my knowledge, my experience, and my wisdom. But, in God's wisdom, we were not placed alone, each on a separate planet. We have the benefit of interacting with family and community as well as finding teachers and mentors to guide us through the challenges we face in our personal development, spiritual growth, and physical healing. When I contemplate the course of my life, it is punctuated by those guides and mentors who opened my world to new worlds of possibility and wonder." – says Dr. Glen Valeria interviews Dr. Glen Swartwout — co-author of "Transforming Your Life Volume IV (4): 18 Incredible Stories Showing The Strength Of The Human Spirit." Dr. Glen Swartwout is the Wizard of Wellness, Medical Empath, Formulator, Eye Doctor, Best-Selling Author, Speaker And Developer Of The Clinical Theory Of Everything. Dr. Glen Swartwout graduated Magna Cum Laude with honors in Environmental Earth Sciences and Chemistry from Dartmouth College. He received his doctorate at the top of his class in Vision Science with honors in Optics as well as Leadership, being inducted into both Beta Sigma Kappa and the Gold Key Honor Societies. He interned at the State University of New York in Manhattan, where he trained at the largest outpatient vision clinic in the world. He served as Editor, Vice President and President of the American Optometric Student Association serving 4000 international student doctor members. He is the author of over 50 professional papers, books, and software programs. His first professional office was in Tokyo, Japan. For the last 30 years, Dr. Glen Swartwout has focused on developing his system of accelerated self-healing. The process starts with a bio-communication called Biofield Analysis, which he developed out of a variety of German Electrodiagnostic techniques. His healing ministry now spans the globe with healing clients on every inhabited continent. The methods optimize the innate healing potential of your body, independent of particular symptoms or diagnoses. He has helped thousands of people get off drugs and avoid surgery. Dr. Glen Swartwout is also available as a guest speaker and as a consultant. In his energy research, he rediscovered the frequency known in ancient China and Tibet as the Dominant Harmonic Frequency of Nature. To learn more about Dr. Glen Swartwout and his work, please visit: acceleratedselfhealing.com and remedymatch.com — This podcast is a quest for well-being, a quest for a meaningful life through the exploration of fundamental truths, enlightening ideas, insights on physical, mental, and spiritual health. The inspiration is Love. The aspiration is to awaken new ways of thinking that can lead us to a new way of being, being well.

— When we are emotionally balanced, our lives have more of a flow and become less of a struggle. As we reduce unhealthy negative emotions, and increase the presence of healthy emotions, mindfulness and awareness become more accessible. When our minds are at ease, our problem solving skills improve and we are better equipped moving towards our goals and aspirations, resulting in happier and more meaningful lives. The seeming impossible becomes possible. There is a shift within our energetic selves, which shift in itself may promote feelings of joy and fulfillment within, and in our lives. Valeria Teles interviews Anette Eriksson — she is a clinical therapist in private practice based in New York City where she provides therapy and coaching to her clients. Anette has a particular interest in helping her clients achieve emotional balance and uses Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT), a form of CBT, in her practice. REBT is a solution-focused approach and has its roots in ancient Greek, Roman, and Eastern philosophy, with a particular influence of Stoicism. The philosophical component is brought into the cognitive challenging of clients' irrational (unrealistic and unhelpful) thoughts and beliefs, which beliefs tend to create neurosis and dysfunction. The premise of REBT is that our thoughts and beliefs have a lot to do with how we feel and behave. This theory was argued by the Greek Stoic philosopher, Epictetus, who notably said, "People are not disturbed by things, but the view they take on them." Anette has a master's degree in clinical social work from Fordham University, and post-graduate training in REBT from the Albert Ellis Institute. In addition to her therapeutic education, Anette has an extensive background and training in philosophy and mindfulness. To learn more about Anette Eriksson and her work, please visit: anetteerikssontherapy.com — This podcast is a quest for well-being, a quest for a meaningful life through the exploration of fundamental truths, enlightening ideas, insights on physical, mental, and spiritual health. The inspiration is Love. The aspiration is to awaken new ways of thinking that can lead us to a new way of being, being well.

Valeria Teles interviews Hamideh Taraki — she is a Life Coach and Theta Healer. Hamideh Taraki was born in Tehran, Iran, and she was a witness to the Revolution and the War with Iraq. Challenging life after the war and the bad financial decisions of her father made her think more about happiness and success. Hamideh became an observer. She loved reading books and psychology, philosophy, anthropology were her favorites. Thirsty for knowing other cultures, Hamideh had chosen BA in French Translation. After graduation, besides my daily job, she was translating books and articles during nights and weekends. Her books have been published by famous publishers in Tehran. Still, Hamideh wasn't feeling happy or satisfied. At that time, she was feeling a heavy pressure on her shoulders. She was all the time scared of the future, and it gave her a kind of anxiety. Something inside Hamideh was pushing her to go faster but towards where? What was my purpose? Finally, the pressures made her sick, a strange strong headache behind her left ear. She couldn't sleep anymore. Hamideh was taking painkillers for a while. She was forcing herself to keep going. In 2007, Hamideh immigrated to Montreal, Canada. Seeking her real purpose in life and her highest passion, she took every opportunity and help. She was always passionate about lots of things, she was starting them passionately, but Hamideh was bored after a while. So, she came back to university. For four years, she was going from one field to another, finally, when she was in Job Counseling, she found her place. But her headaches became worse. Doctors couldn't find anything. Suddenly, she was crushed. Hamideh had to stop everything. She used to be a blamer, projecting the problems to others, her parents, situations, society, politicians, etc. She was full of resentments. Non-stop headaches and a very low level of energy made her stop every activity in her life. Hamideh couldn't even read a book. So, she has been forced to have lots of silent moments, she listened to motivational audios and videos. That was her transformational time. Hamideh recognized a kind of power inside her that had always guided her. She learned to look differently, to ask the universe different questions. As soon as she made her decision to be healthy, the universe started providing her with the right people and guidance. After one year, her energy boosted, and Hamideh had fewer headaches. When for the first time she meditated she found it the best and most interesting experience she have ever had. When she was participating in Life Coaching classes, Hamideh was introduced to Theta Healing. She found it amazing. She has already learned Reiki, however, with practicing Theta Healing, she could feel the shifts inside her. Her physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual bodies were healing at the same time. She has started feeling energetically lighter. She also gained a smorgasbord of significant new insights into herself and her life. Last year, Hamideh launched her online company. She works hard but she enjoys every minute of it. She is working as well as a volunteer for The Women Center in downtown Montreal. To learn more about Hamideh Taraki and her work, please visit: hamidehtaraki.com and shouloushop.com — This podcast is a quest for well-being, a quest for a meaningful life through the exploration of fundamental truths, enlightening ideas, insights on physical, mental, and spiritual health. The inspiration is Love. The aspiration is to awaken new ways of thinking that can lead us to a new way of being, being well.

— Wicca is a Nature worship that assumes that duality is complementary—not adversarial. Like other opposites, evil and good coexist; they define each other. While there are such things as evil spirits, the more we focus on positive energies and build our alliances with the Spirit realm, the stronger and more protected we become. In wholism, evil is the Shadow Power of good. It is seen as wounded or misguided energy that expresses itself as negativity, cruelty, fear, greed, war, and ignorance, which harms the greater good, such as fouling the water or clear-cutting a forest. For the most part, energy is neutral by nature and guided by intention. In other words, the assumption in Wicca is that we empower what we focus on. Valeria Teles interviews Suzy Peltier — the author of "Ancient Wisdom for Modern Needs: Discovering Taoist Wicca." Suzy Peltier, also known as Lady Red Hawk, has served the Lord and Lady as well as the principle of holism for over thirty years as a certified massage therapist, hypnotherapist, Reiki master teacher, shaman, Interfaith minister, auxiliary chaplain for UCSF Medical Center, third-degree Wiccan high priestess, and founder of the neo-Wiccan tradition of Taoist Wicca. With a background in medical anthropology and a degree in holistic health, Suzy was intrigued by the use of ritual as an ancient healing tool. She wondered, How does ritual work? What makes this ancient art form so adaptable that it was used for healing, worldwide, for thousands of years—by cultures with very different belief systems? There had to be something practical about it, so why is it virtually absent from modern culture? She wondered how ritual works and if it could be used to address the epidemic of stress and other modern ills. Could ritual help restore the balance, belonging, and empowerment missing in our current cultural values? Twenty-six years ago, she gathered a few friends together to run a unique spiritual and social experiment to explore these questions. This experiment evolved into the practice of Taoist Wicca, with practitioners and small covens across the U.S., and an email Circle list, offering an extended Wiccan and Reiki community to people across the globe. She has written and hosted two internet radio shows. Spiritually Speaking: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Needs can be found on voiceamerica.com/show/2033/spiritually-speaking and Hidden Connections: Exploring the Body/Mind/Spirit Complex produced by elevatedradiofm.com is archived on suzypeltier.com. Her videos discussing the sabbats and other exciting conversations can be found at www.youtube.com/user/mssuzypeltier. To learn more about Suzy Peltier and her work and to subscribe to the email list and receive original writings, updates of events, meet our talented coven members, download individual rituals, packing lists, and other support materials, please visit: taoistwicca.com and suzypeltier.com — This podcast is a quest for well-being, a quest for a meaningful life through the exploration of fundamental truths, enlightening ideas, insights on physical, mental, and spiritual health. The inspiration is Love. The aspiration is to awaken new ways of thinking that can lead us to a new way of being, being well.

— A central dilemma for spiritual seekers, and perhaps for all human beings, is learning how to live with one part of our awareness rested into the profound stillness of the unconditioned mind, while simultaneously being fully engaged in the unique context of our lives. This is an art that requires years of practice. To accomplish this balance of stillness and movement we must be deeply rooted in the paradoxes of human existence. We must recognize ourselves as both form and formless, as a unique event in time and space, and also a timeless essence that transcends physical, psychological and cultural conditions. We must understand ourselves as beings with biological, psychological and cultural conditioning, and also as timeless wells of emptiness from which creation has mysteriously sprung. The practitioners that I have known that have embodied this moment of creation when emptiness flows into form and form into emptiness have a particular kind of energy about them. They transmit a timeless presence and transcendent quality of Being while simultaneously being fully focused, clear and deeply available in every moment. They are luminous, flowing, relaxed, fully present in the complexity of every context, and see the world with an admirable sense of objectivity. They are not "stuck"…. Writes Michael Valeria Teles interviews Michael Robbins — He is a psychotherapist, Taoist teacher, poet, and visual artist who works in Somerville Massachusetts. Michael has studied and taught the Taoist practices of Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Nei Gong and Taoist meditation for more than 4 decades and continues to study these arts with high level masters whenever he has a chance. As a psychotherapist he works with individuals, couples, families and groups, leads retreats both in this country and in Europe and supervises therapists in his unique integration of body-oriented, systems informed, existential/psychoanalytic and spiritually based therapy both virtually and in person. He has published two book chapters and many articles on a variety of topics as well as two books of poetry all of which are available on his website. As a visual artist he has exhibited his work in a variety of venues. He is also a student of the Austrian mystic Thomas Hubl, and a member of the Ridwhan School founded by A.H. Almaas. To learn more about Michael Robbins and his work, please visit: michaelrobbinstherapy.com — This podcast is a quest for well-being, a quest for a meaningful life through the exploration of fundamental truths, enlightening ideas, insights on physical, mental, and spiritual health. The inspiration is Love. The aspiration is to awaken new ways of thinking that can lead us to a new way of being, being well.

—When there has been a betrayal in a relationship, this leads to an emotional injury, and if not addressed through understanding and forgiveness, it can lead to resentment or termination of the relationship. But how do you go about tackling the journey of forgiveness together? Priscilla Rodriguez says that it will not be a comfortable experience, but it can lead to a closer and more intimate relationship. In this episode, we discuss forgiveness and what the forgiveness process looks like. Valeria Teles interviews Priscilla Rodriguez — She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Texas and owns an online boutique private practice called Modern Wellness Counseling. Priscilla's private practice's sole mission is to give couples and individuals the tools they need to make their relationships thrive. Priscilla and her team of contract clinicians focus on helping adults reclaim their connections with others, whether that be healing emotional trauma and betrayal, learning how to manage anxiety and stress, or finding ways to love oneself. To learn more about Priscilla Rodriguez and her work, please visit: modernwellnesscounseling.com — This podcast is a quest for well-being, a quest for a meaningful life through the exploration of fundamental truths, enlightening ideas, insights on physical, mental, and spiritual health. The inspiration is Love. The aspiration is to awaken new ways of thinking that can lead us to a new way of being, being well.

— Strength training as we know helps us build muscle and get stronger, but that's not all. Through this process, we are also reshaping our metabolism enabling our bodies to burn more calories at rest. The more muscle we have on our body the more energy output we have, which allows our body to break-down our fat stores in order to meet this new demand. Also having a higher muscle mass percentage improves our body composition. This is our lean mass to fatty mass ratio. Having a lower body fat percentage helps us better manage our weight in the long run. Strength training can often lead to a higher after-burn effect. This means that the body continues burning calories even after the workout is over. ~ says Noelle Valeria Teles interviews Noelle McKenzie — she is the Co-Founder Of Leading Edge Personal Trainers, ACE certified personal trainer and level 1 Kettlebell certified, which is when she learned she had an act for helping people achieve life-long fitness goals. Leading Edge Personal Trainers is a black-owned NYC-based family business that was launched back in 2008 by Kern and Noelle McKenzie Alexander. They care most about the success of their clients and make sure they are always leading with the client's best interests at heart. Over the years Leading Edge has helped hundreds if not thousands of people become more confident in their bodies and what they can do. They instill mindful healthy habits and a personalized progressive exercise training program that transcends what their clients do in the gym to further enrich those clients' day-to-day lives. Leading Edge's goal is to have every client improve his/her quality of life and the relationship with his/her health and fitness. Nobody should have to suffer from chronic pain, and thankfully Leading Edge has been able to help so many of their clients live pain-free. To learn more about Noelle McKenzie and her work, please visit: leadingedgeny.com — This podcast is a quest for well-being, a quest for a meaningful life through the exploration of fundamental truths, enlightening ideas, insights on physical, mental, and spiritual health. The inspiration is Love. The aspiration is to awaken new ways of thinking that can lead us to a new way of being, being well.

— Shamanic healing includes a huge body of ancient wisdom "technologies" for engaging nonphysical beings in the spirit realms to assist humans in healing, evolving and harmonizing ourselves, our communities and our relationship to All That Is. "We are on the brink of a phenomenal healing revolution with new, radical understanding and breakthrough technologies emerging continually. I desire to spark your imagination and fuel your inquiry into the realms of spirit-based energy healing and to wish you well as a fellow traveler through the Great Mystery of Being." – Judith Valeria Teles interviews Judith Hoaglund — She is the author of "Embody Wholeness: Journeys into Energy Healing, Altered States and the Quantum Field." To Judith Hoaglund, guiding people in deep personal healing, self-discovery and empowerment is her life's passion. Over the past 3 decades, she has studied and employed a wealth of both ancient and modern techniques to promote healing on all levels of being. In addition to traditional shamanic techniques of energy work such as cleansings, extractions and entity removal, she utilizes guided hypnosis journeys to facilitate her client's connection with helping spirits and guides. These light-filled beings assist in performing soul retrievals, healing trauma, PTSD and illness, clearing energy blockages, past life trauma and impediments, ancestor healing, unbinding spells, curses and unhealthy connections, and more. Every one of us carries archived trauma, either personal, ancestral, transpersonal or all three. To be born into a physical body is to inherit some form of trauma. The energy blockages created by this suffering, sooner or later, create illness. In working through these layers of challenges, Judith has travelled extensively and worked with numerous healing modalities including Sufi mysticism, Andean shamanism, Reiki, breathwork, meditation, hypnotherapy, plant medicine and with a variety of Native and shamanic healers. Yet it has been through guiding and assisting others toward healing that her creative gifts have blossomed. She has been inspired to create a synthesis of techniques that open the doors for clients to receive extensive personal and family healing, as well as enduring spiritual guidance that transforms their lives. Energy healing and shamanic techniques open us to the realms of quantum reality that are potentially unlimited in scope and are thus effective both in person and remotely. In her private practice, Judith works with clients by guiding them through deep, introspective journey work at her home in Sonoma County, California. She also offers session by phone and internet. Her recent book details step-by-step guidelines that anyone can follow to learn these healing techniques, and she also offers workshops for in-person training of shamanic healing. To learn more about Judith Hoaglund and her work, please visit: judithhoaglund.com — This podcast is a quest for well-being, a quest for a meaningful life through the exploration of fundamental truths, enlightening ideas, insights on physical, mental, and spiritual health. The inspiration is Love. The aspiration is to awaken new ways of thinking that can lead us to a new way of being, being well.

— What if everyone actually is doing the best they can, at that moment in time, with the potential to change in the very next second to another best they can. Each one of us is doing the best we can, bending, adapting, to the world. Who am I to say that the way you bend is wrong? Who are any of us to judge each other like that? We each may have a preference, but if we judge each other we will just get angry and defensive. When we change the paradigm from incredulous to inquisitive, we encourage an opportunity to explore the others perspective. That is how Dr. Joe uses his I-M Approach. To wonder with a patient who they are and why they do what they do. For all of us to wonder who we are and why we do what we do. Valeria Teles interviews Dr. Joseph Shrand — the author of " Unleashing the Power of Respect: The I-M Approach." Dr. Joseph Shrand is Chief Medical Officer of Riverside Community Care headquartered in Dedham, Mass. He has been a Lecturer of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and an adjunct Faculty of Boston Children's Hospital. He is triple Board certified in adult psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, and a diplomate of the American Board of Addiction Medicine. Dr. Shrand hosts a weekly radio show on WATD 95.9 FM, The Dr. Joe Show: Exploring who we are and why we do what we do. He is the author of Manage Your Stress: Overcoming Stress in the Modern World, Outsmarting Anger: Seven Strategies to Defuse our most Dangerous Emotion, the winner of the 2013 Books for a Better Life Awards, 2013 Psychology self help category, The Fear Reflex: Five Ways to Overcome it and Trust your Imperfect Self, and Do You Really Get me? Finding Value in Yourself through Empathy and Connection. Outsmarting Anger has recently been republished in paperback due to demand. Among colleagues and staff, he is affectionately called "Doctor Joe," as he was "Joe" in the original children's cast of the PBS series "Zoom." To learn more about Dr. Joseph Shrand and his work, please visit: drshrand.com — This podcast is a quest for well-being, a quest for a meaningful life through the exploration of fundamental truths, enlightening ideas, insights on physical, mental, and spiritual health. The inspiration is Love. The aspiration is to awaken new ways of thinking that can lead us to a new way of being, being well.

— We humans determine ourselves where our space is, from breath to breath, from thought to thought. We can stay in the shadow, worrying and doubting, or we can step into the sunshine with trust. The universe smiles at you in every blossom, in every bird song, in the sparkling of the stars. You are unique. You are precious. You are beloved. Valeria Teles interviews Brigitte Novalis — the author of "The Magic of Inner Silence: How to Connect With Nature and Rediscover Your Joy of Life." Boston-based therapist and Reiki Master Brigitte Novalis inspires readers across the world to live their best life (The Life You Want) and to find their magical connection with nature (The Magic of Inner Silence). Her beautifully illustrated fairy tales enchant both children and grown-ups alike. Brigitte loves her family, her dogs and cats, Dvorak's Slavonic Dances, and good stories (both reading and writing them!). In Brigitte's new adventures series, you will follow Anna to the Quentin Academy of Magical Arts and Sciences (Anna and the Missing Child, Anna and the Mysterious Twins, Anna and the Mongolian Princess) and enter a new world where living becomes magical and joyful. To learn more about Brigitte Novalis and her work, please visit: brigittenovalis.com — This podcast is a quest for well-being, a quest for a meaningful life through the exploration of fundamental truths, enlightening ideas, insights on physical, mental, and spiritual health. The inspiration is Love. The aspiration is to awaken new ways of thinking that can lead us to a new way of being, being well.