Turning Points - October 2011

Our free Cancer as a Turning Point, From Surviving to Thriving™ conference in Napa Valley last month reinforced for me why we do what we do.

It was such a valuable experience for the 500 people who attended. I want to share a couple of comments with you to give you a flavor of the responses:

To refer to something as transformative indicates that there has been some personal experience of transformation. That is definitely the case for me in viewing Gary Malkin's masterful new two DVD set called Alchemy for the Soul & The Beauty of Being. As a familiar long-time listener (and great fan) of his benchmark Graceful Passages book/CD set, I felt I had a sense of the material in advance.

Imagine my surprise when I realized this new two DVD set is like Graceful Passages totally coming to life: tactile, palpable and vividly portrayed with the combination of breathtaking nature imagery by David Fortney, and original music scores by Malkin, a 7-time Emmy Award-winning composer.

With inspiring voice-over narrations from some of today's most acclaimed voices on mindfulness, self-help and spirituality, the eight beautiful 3–5 minute films are like guided meditations that gently take the listener to a safe and peaceful place. Also included are tracks without narration but supported by Gary's beautiful and spacious music. Interviews, profiles and features about the contributors are also worth viewing.

Scientific research has proven that when spoken words, music and images are combined, our brains and our bodies absorb the messages on a much deeper level. When feeling the stress we all have in our day-to-day lives, these remarkable films can create the serenity and focus we need to get re-centered, re-energized, and re-connected in less than six minutes — and all without a prescription!

Let Go of the Shore
by Karen Drucker
Foreword by Joan Borysenko

Reviewed by Beth DeLashmutt-Poore

What an enjoyable and enlightening adventure reading Karen Drucker's book, Let Go of the Shore. She has brought together thirty-six vignettes telling of her expansive, colorful life, and its evolution in becoming the accomplished song writer and performer she is today. Alongside each personal story are lyrics inspired by her experiences, and those same songs are found on a companion CD tucked in the cover.

For example, as a teenager, she initiated the movement that saved the landmark Hollywood hills sign from being torn down. It is this kind of personal choice for action she eloquently alludes to in the story's accompanying song, We Are The Ones. Each story and its accompanying song contain a valuable lesson Karen learned, something we can all appreciate.

Her tenacity, and listening to her own heart, kept Karen moving forward as a musician. The variety of opportunities she felt "called" to accept ranged from being an entertainer in a smoke-filled hotel piano bar to an exceptional wedding singer to a Hawaiian cruise ship lounge act backed by a seven-piece band.

When least expected, Karen was invited to coordinate music at a women's retreat conducted by Joan Borysenko. New doors opened and she became a musical director at a New Thought church. Sharing her own songs with the public began and her musical career continued to expand, as well as her awareness of her purpose in life and the need to trust and have faith in following one's inner voice.

In Permission to Play Karen learns about the joy found in being in the moment. While swimming in a race under the Golden Gate Bridge, when a buddy stopped and invited her to splash in the water, she realized she needed to stop looking ahead and enjoy each moment. She played as if she were there for the first — and possibly last — time of her life. That is Karen's intention — to enjoy life to the fullest — one moment at a time. This book is a testimony to her passion for living.

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