Q&A: Being In The Flow and Allowing Love In

Question:

Hi Cassie love!

I know I don't really know you yet but I really like and admire your energy; you seem to be very grounded and in alignment with what you want :).

I am true believer in the Law of Attraction and have really been applying it to my life over the past 2-3 years, especially in the last 6 months or so. I'm wondering, what are some of your techniques to stay in alignment with source? Esther & Jerry Hicks call it being 'in the Vortex' - I was a competitive athlete for years and so liken it to being 'in the Zone' where everything just falls into place without effort. You are so tapped into source that everything feels easy. They give the analogy of being on a raft and floating downstream with the current (this would be in alignment, things just flow and feel easy) vs. paddling upstream against the current (not in alignment, things are exhausting and difficult).

I think with my relationship, I sometimes flow upstream because I feel scared to open and give my heart to someone. But how to do that?!? I know I react to experiences from past relationships and put a guard up but I actually really want to be more open and feel like this phase I'm going through is really to learn and practice that lesson.

Anyway, that's a lot of info but I would love to hear your thoughts! :)

Response:

Thank you for your lovely compliments. Wow, really warmed my heart. I'm happy to get to know you. So glad you reached out :).

Ah, yes. I am very familiar with The Law of Attraction, as well as Esther and Jerry Hicks. Love your analogy of being in "The Zone" to being in the flow. That's awesome.

For me, being in the flow is about being my authentic self, being love, thinking love, speaking love, and staying connected to my higher purpose for being here. That's when I feel magical :), and my life feels effortless and joyful. Some tools I use to help me cultivate that vibration are meditation, other magical workings that connect me to my higher self, raw foods, reiki, being in nature, dancing, laughter and cuddling/playing with my husband and animal companions.

I try to use meditation as a daily tool for keeping myself heart centered (not head/ego/mind centered). I usually do visualizations and clear my chakras, use the time to send reiki, and be open to what wants to come through for me. Eating a raw food centered diet is also a daily habit, that obviously you know, helps so much in allowing us to hold a higher vibration (*Note-This person eats a raw, vegan diet*).

The other tools I use are really expressions of my true self. I am a very "magical" person, lol. I don't subscribe to any religion, but energy work, and metaphysics is just who I am. This could be anything from working with the tarot, to crystal workings, to writing poetry, to connecting with nature. I love hugging trees and I'm not afraid to say that, lol! Their energy is so wise, powerful and healing. Co-creating with the earth is another. My hubby and I have been creating our own little eden with tons of fruit trees, berries and a faery forest :).

If I find that I am struggling with keeping my vibration high, or I have a rough day or whatnot, that's when the other things come into play. I put on music I love to dance to and before I know it I'm dancing around cleaning my house :), feeling so much better. Or if I am in a really tough spot, I find taking a warm shower (a bath would work too) and imagining any negative energy being washed off me is very helpful. I envision gray light getting swept away from my body and aura by the cleansing water. Spending time with my pets really helps too. They are just so unconditionally loving. They don't judge us for our anger, or sadness; our imperfections. They just radiate pure love and joy and before I know it, I can't help but mirror that back to them :).

That's beautiful that you want to be more open and grow :). I too went through a struggle with allowing myself to be loved unconditionally. It took a lot of self work, love, and healing, but a turing point for me was finally understanding that any fears I had about not being loved, left, hurt, ect., was a reflection of parts of myself I was not loving. That I was doing the rejecting of myself. And when I learned to love all of me...every last piece, that was mirrored back to me in the most loving, beautiful and supportive relationship I could ever ask for. I learned that any problems we have with relationships in our lives, are a reflection of what is going on inside of us. When we do the inner work, we see our outer world reflect those changes. :) The universe always guides us to what we need at any given time, wether that be a book, a friend :), or a mentor. What we need to move forward on our paths will be drawn to us. As long as we are open to do the work, heal the wounds and move forward, so much love and light are possible.

Soooo wonderful connecting with you.

Lots of love and hugs,
Cassie

Questions and Answers

Oh my, oh my. It has been soooo long since I have posted. I wonder if there is still anyone out there?! If you are, wow, you're a trooper. Thank you so much for still checking in with me :).

To be honest, I really have not felt like blogging, but it seems the universe sure thinks it's time for me to share once again. I recently got a number of e-mails from people I have connected with, asking me about various things. Before I knew it I was writing long responses back to each, and you know what? It felt sooo good. I know part of my path is to share and help others, so my whole being lights up when I am doing just that.

I got permission from these lovely lights to post the information here on my blog. I felt the information could help others as well :). They are long, so I'm going to publish them as separate posts.

You know what's crazy? I really love this method of posting. I would LOVE if people wrote me questions, and I answered here on the blog. So, If anyone out there reads this, and you have a question for me, I'd love to answer you here! I find that when I do feel called to write a post, often it's quite in depth and not something I would write on schedule.... more like when I am inspired.

OK, so you know where my head is at with all this, lol. We'll see how it all unfolds! Gees, I say I haven't wanted to blog, but once I get going, ha! :) Without further musings from me (I'll save that for some future posts!), here is a question I received recently and my response. I hope it helps someone else out there! XOXO

Question:

I would love to know how you healed your sensitivity to citrus. I've struggled with this forever and only recently discovered I'm sensitive to all acid fruits but the worst offenders are oranges and pomegranates. They cause terrible acne. I also get really red.

I just browsed through your wonderful blog. We have a lot in common.

I recently discovered that I am gluten sensitive. Finally an answer to all my digestive issues over the years.

Anyway, when you have time, I'd love to hear more about the citrus thing.

Thank you

Answer:

Thank you for your sweet comments about my blog. :)

I do believe raw foods in general were a major tool in my healing, as well as spiritual work, reiki, and cleansing.

You mentioned you found out you are gluten sensitive. I also am, and actually don't digest any grains very well at this time, with the exception of corn. I believe the damage done to my intestines (I had bleeding) allowed food to leak into my blood stream causing food allergies. This may be part of your situation as well. It is a problem that can occur with grain damage.

Sometimes just switching to a natural diet of raw foods (keeping it simple is key though), and giving it much time/space is enough to heal sensitivities... but it seems you have been doing this for some time and still have the sensitivity (I think more often it takes some deeper work)? *NOTE: I knew this person ate a low fat, raw, vegan diet.* If so, how long have you completely stayed away from citrus? It can take up to 6 weeks to be completely out of your system after you stop eating it, then the body needs time to heal from the damage the sensitivity caused, and then reprogram that it is no longer an "invader". This can take different amounts of time depending on the individual. I have heard 6 months to many years.

I will say though, I truly believe the body works with our soul. Sometimes we don't understand why we would have certain symptoms, but there is always a much bigger message that we are being urged to explore. I feel that my deep soul work helped move things along quickly for me. I had to really delve into why I was calling this experience into my life... really take responsibility, that I was not a victim, and face myself exactly where I was, with out judgement.

The body often works with our unconscious using symbolism. You know how many people share similar dreams that have a root, similar meaning? Like dreams of teeth falling out, hurting, being loose, etc., often symbolize that we are not speaking our truth, feel we aren't being heard, are not listening to what others have to say, etc.? Well there is a collective consciousness regarding archetypes and symbolism that we all tap into, even though many are not consciously aware of this.

So anyways, the body speaks to us often in a very symbolic manner. I know it is a journey :) LOL! But the symptoms (messages) from our body are always for our highest good. So we can learn things we came here to learn, so we can understand, process and grow.

Are you familiar with any forms of energy work? I highly recommend Reiki, or something like body talk, or quantum biofeedback. They are such an aid at helping to process emotions that come up, helping to release them, etc. I think it's an aspect of conscious growth/healing some miss out on when focused only on food.

I hope this helps you in some way.

Hugs,

Cassie

(Note- I did have some intuitive information come through for this person, and we did talk about it. She was very happy that what came through helped put some puzzle pieces together for her. She also shared with me these validations and I feel so grateful to have helped her. Private information that comes to me for people, I won't share here, as I hold your confidentiality with the utmost respect. I did think it was important to note though, that for this particular person, her sensitivities are largely rooted in the metaphysical, rather than the physical.)

Interview with Raw Author, Laura Bruno

Hi there friends!  I recently did an interview with raw food celebrity, author, Reiki Master Teacher, intuitive coach, and all around awesome gal, Laura Bruno :).  In this interview I talk about how I came to a raw lifestyle, natural beauty, healthy pets, crystals and lunar cycles.  I really enjoyed sharing my musings and inner light!  You can check out all the fun here: 

http://laurabruno.wordpress.com/2009/05/15/natural-beauty-an-interview-with-lovely-raw-fooder-and-animal-lover-cassie-margraf/

Here are some quotes about beauty I find authentic and true :):

"Nothing can be beautiful which is not true." - John Ruskin  

"The best part of beauty is that which no picture can express." - Frances Bacon 

"Personal beauty is a greater recommendation than any letter of reference." - Aristotle

"Beauty is truth - truth beauty - that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know." - John Keats

"The beauty of the animal form is in exact proportion to the amount of moral and intellectual virtue expressed by it." - John Ruskin

"Do you love me because I'm beautiful, or am I beautiful because you love me?" - Oscar Hammerstein

"Beauty is everlasting And dust is for a time." - Marianne Moore

"The fountain of beauty is the heart, and every generous thought illustrates the walls of your chamber." - Francis Quarles

"Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in the mirror." - Kahlil Gibran 

"There is no cosmetic for beauty like happiness." - Lady Blessington

"Let your inner light and beauty shine through and your outer beauty will follow." - Cassandra Margraf :)

Changes and Shifting ;)

This last month has been crazy! My hubby and I are moving and things in my life have been shifting and changing very rapidly. Due to these changes in my life and the speed at which they are occurring, I was beginning to feel the blogging format may not be the best platform for me at this time. I am definitely creating a website as well, but I decided to update the blog in the meantime and feel out if it’s a good fit right now :).

Sooooo, Steven and I are moving to Sonoma. Just a town over from Napa, but it’s a completely different vibe. The place we live right now has not felt right to me from the time we moved in. It’s a three story building, with long narrow hallways and LOTS of stark white walls and vaulted ceilings. It has a very cold, contemporary feel… not my style. I have been manifesting for over a year and half now the perfect place to really facilitate healing, growth and happiness. My hubby and I have gone back and forth with the thought of buying vs. renting (we even almost bought one home), but have decided to continue renting… one of the main reasons is that we don’t know how long we will stay in this area. We have a list of places we would love to experience living in.

We are so excited to move into our new home! It’s walking distance from the town square of Sonoma on this adorable street full of character and charm. I love that this particular area has lots of mature trees and is surrounded by the beauty of the valley… not like those stark suburban streets in which every home looks the same. Our new home in particular is very greeeeen :). It has a living fence of sorts and lots of mature, beautiful trees in the front and backyard. Lots of space for our two dogs as well! The home is older, which I actually really like as it has charm that newer homes often lack. It has lots of windows and a huge sky light in the living room. As I look out the windows I feel secluded in our own little forest….love it! Being in nature is soooo balancing to me, so that was a huge priority for finding a new home. I need to feel connected to nature!  We also got the AMAZING amethyst pictured above to commemorate our new home and bring lots of magical energy into our new space :).

Amidst all the moving, many changes have occurred! I was certified in Reiki 1 and 2, by the lovely Laura Bruno. Laura is a Reiki Master Teacher, author and Intuitive Coach. She has been such an inspiration and guiding force for me. She has become my friend and mentor and it was such a blessing receiving this healing gift from her. She is very wise :). Reiki is a technique of energy healing. It can be performed at a distance or in person, by “laying on hands.” The word Reiki translates to mean, “spiritually guided life force energy.” I can attest that this healing gift promotes relaxation, yet is powerful and beautiful in its effects. The class and experience were so transformative to me, that I plan to take Reki 3 as well and become a Master Teacher myself :). I plan to incorporate this healing gift into my practice to help others on many levels and it is a fantastic tool for my everyday life, my own healing journey and my animal companions. The applications for Reiki are endless, as it is effective for all spectrums of imbalance. Physical illness, emotional imbalances, side effects from other healing or medical therapies, all of these can benefit from Reiki.

Speaking of my little ones :), I thought I would also mention my dogs and my cat, as my dogs particularly have been getting a lot of attention and questions from fellow raw foodies! Many have wanted to know what I feed them, since they are raw. Many have wanted to know about them in general since it’s not every day you see a Miniature Husky!

My dogs are Alaskan Klee Kais. They are of northern descent and are miniature Alaskan Huskys. We feed all our pets Primal... a brand you can get at Whole Foods and other health food stores. It is in the frozen section and consists of all raw, organic veggies, fruits, roots, bones, and meats. It mimics a dog’s/cat’s diet in the wild :). The organic meat is the part of the animal they eat in the wild (liver, kidney, etc.... not all muscle...which is a food primarily for scavengers :) They LOVE it!!! Go crazy for it! The ratio for cats is more meat then the dog food. Dogs are omnivores, not carnivores, so they require less animal protein and many dogs have even been known to thrive on a vegan diet if done carefully, with knowledge and supplements. I also give them whole food supplements/super foods. They get Olive Leaf, Echinacea, E3 Live and flax oil. We rotate the Echinacea every other week. They are thriving. They also chew on sun dried bones only and eat whatever my hubby and I are eating :). They love all fruits and greeeens :). They often eat the stems/spines of whatever green I am putting in my green smoothie. Some favorites are kale, red leaf and romaine, collards and chard... oh and they LOVE celery! Malachi, the black and white male, used to have this coughing problem where his throat would get really irritated. He would "hack", and I thought he may have asthma. He also used to get dandruff... no more problems for him though! Completely healthy boy :). When we transitioned our little girl she went through this phase where she smelled really bad, lol. Now she smells sweet….. they all do! No doggie odor over here, lol.

I’m sure there are many out there wondering what I eat. I thought the best way to answer this is to post my food intake for a while. My eating habits this week have been a bit different. Because of the move, hubby and I decided to make things really easy on our selves and picked up a take away box of yummy delights from Seed in Santa Rosa. I am normally very simple with my eating… basing it on green juice, smoothies and salads, but this week there are more extravagant foods in my diet! So here you go! A day in my world of food choices :):

Morning greeeeeen juice – celery, apple, jerusalem artichoke, dandelion greens, romaine

Green Smoothie – peach, cherry, banana, kale, maca,
I blend these two in after by hand. They are very sensitive to heat and the blades of the blender - MSM, probotics

Slice of raw broccoli quiche from Seed….soooooooo good!!!

Avocado salad with micro greens and golden squash – delicious dressing based with RAW coconut vinegar

I get a lot of questions that I think I will address in this blog instead of answering everything individually. I hope I answered some of your questions today and I am always open to more!

In Love and Light ~
Cassie

Shiny New Beginnings

Blessings my friends and shining people!!! I said I was starting a blog and here I am, giving a little piece of myself and living my truth! There are two major motivating factors that have driven me to start a blog. The first factor is I want to share all the wondrous information I have gathered over the past three years of my health journey. I have gained a great deal of knowledge in regards to holistic heath and well being and I have a deep need to share this information for the greatest good. I am excited to help people on their own journey to abundant health, balance and awakening and I will strive to always be of service to those whom I can help. Do with the information I provide what you will; I just hope that you try to receive this, possibly new information, with an open heart and mind. The second reason I feel so compelled to share my musings and knowledge on health and well being is to further facilitate the continuation of my own growth and healing. One very valuable lesson I have learned is by doing meaningful work, finding our path and helping others, we also help ourselves and heal wounds that were once immune to closure.

I thought for my first blog post I would explain my journey to raw foods and why I went raw. I was inspired by Shazzie, raw goddess of the UK, to give a thorough report of the voyage that lead to my metamorphosis. My story is not a short one, but like all good stories there is inherent value to this tale. So please, grab an herbal tea, green juice or smoothie, relax and enjoy :).

Growing up I had a traditional, American upbringing. I have a loving family and a mother who stayed home and took care of her family. We usually had family meals together for dinner and I always felt special that my mother was and is the best cook I know. I had some odd ailments that plagued me as a kid, but most children do have little health hiccups (so to speak) and this is considered normal in our society and therefore my family and I considered them “normal” as well. I had colic as a baby and ever since I was very young, cold weather, especially cold wind, would make the insides of my ears throb with pain. My ears would also be in excruciating pain if I did not take adequate amounts of decongestant and antihistamine before an airplane flight. As I entered my teens I began to develop mild to moderate acne…another common complaint of teens. I followed suit of many before me and loading up on antibiotics, topical medications and eventually the big guns…Accutane. Accutane is a very strong drug that is a form of synthetic vitamin A. Vitamin A can actually be consumed in excess and the body can suffer serious overdose symptoms. This drug was once hailed as a miracle drug for those suffering from acne, but in more recent times the serious side effects and risks of this synthetic medication have caused the FDA to tighten the reins on its distribution. Although these first symptoms may be considered common physical complaints and typical of youth, I now know that these were warning signs from my body that I had an overtaxed system and messages from my soul that I had work to do!

After undergoing a round of Accutane treatment, my acne subsided for a while and I felt blissfully confident. This didn’t last long as the skin irritations and eruptions began to appear once again. In a desperate attempt to suppress these embarrassing bumps, I went straight for the big guns again, and did another full course of Accutane. This time my symptoms were suppressed for much longer and I enjoyed acne free skin, moderated by some topical medications, for the remainder of my teens and early 20’s. My acne was under control, but at the age of 16, I had my first shocking physical symptom. I woke up to my face completely swollen. I could barely see through the swelling that surrounded my eyes. My face was purple, red and blue and resembled someone who had been in a car accident. I was immediately put on Prednisone, a steroid, and given a high does of Claritin, an antihistamine. My doctor thought it might be a reaction to the antibiotics I was taking for acne, so he switched me to another type of antibiotic.

This odd and frightening symptom continued to occur sporadically for years. It would usually happen at night when I was sleeping (which I now know is when our bodies are trying to come to equilibrium and are working hard to detoxify our systems). I was checked for common allergens at the allergist, but nothing came back positive. We just wrote it off as a medical mystery that could be controlled with drugs.

At the age of 19 I also began to experience what I refer to as “itchy spots”. I would have a blotch, blister or hive appear on my face that would itch intensely. I remember wondering if it had anything to do with my topical acne medications, but I was too afraid to go off them. I was convinced my skin would be unmanageable without these drugs. I coped by placing something cold on the spot and popping Claritin and Benadryl like candy.

My life went on this way for a long time, until my 23rd birthday when out with friends in a club, my face and scalp began to feel like they had been set ablaze. I turned to my husband (then fiancé) and told him I was not feeling well. He looked at me confused and shocked and told me I was developing swollen lumps on my face. My friends rushed me to the emergency room, because at this point my throat was feeling weird. I waited to be seen, but I guess allergic responses are not top priority because I was not called in to see a doctor. My friend ran into the grocery store and bought me Benadryl and frozen peas for my swollen face. I loaded up on the Benadryl and began to feel better.

After this incident I went to the allergist again and brought a list of everything I had eaten that night at a restaurant. The chef was nice enough to fax me a copy of every ingredient I had consumed. I was checked for everything on the list and NOT ONE THING came back positive! I was stunned and confused and a little scared because I couldn’t control my symptoms and I didn’t know what might trigger that response again.

My acne really started to flare up at this time and I would get extremely sore pimples that hurt and were embarrassing. I was completely desperate to control these symptoms because I was getting married and wanted to look perfect on my wedding day. I also remember that my skin was very oily and I felt frustrated by that as well. I began to get very neurotic about my skin. I would obsess over a tiny spot or blemish and feel completely unattractive. My emotions were very unbalanced at this time; I often had trouble sleeping at night as my mind would not be still, and I would find myself irritable and crying for no reason. I also would experience a very disturbing feeling through out my whole body when lying in bed that I can only describe as awkwardness in my own skin.

When looking back, I can’t believe I decided to do what I did next, but I went to the dermatologist and asked to be put BACK on Accutane. I was having strong reservations about going on the drug this time. I had heard many negative stories about this intense pharmaceutical concoction, but I turned off the loud voices warning me against taking it in an attempt to gain control over my appearance.

About a month into taking Accutane for the third time I began to experience hot flashes and facial flushing. My skin was as smooth as a baby’s, but my body and mind were unbalanced and screaming for help. As these symptoms persisted I began to see reason and that pesky inner voice was getting louder. I was reassured by my doctor that these symptoms would go away after I discontinued the medication, but my intuition told me to get off the medication NOW. I stopped taking it after two months (a full course is 5-6 months), but some serious damage had already been done. My flushing did not go away, and I developed a racing heart, anxiety and frequent tension headaches. I was in college and had always been good at presentations and speaking in front of people. I actually got the highest marks in my public speaking class and got to introduce all the speakers for the end of the year presentations. I got a freebie and did not have to do a talk :). My professor wrote me an amazing letter of recommendation that year. Despite the success I had in this area, after my third round of Accutane, I struggled with giving presentations. My heart would race, I would loose my breath, and that awful, uncontrollable heat would engulf my face.

As time went on my symptoms got worse and became out of control after I got some vaccinations before going on my honeymoon to Costa Rica. I became extremely sensitive to heat, and every day I dealt with itching, welts and hives. I was still taking Benadryl and Claritin on a daily basis, I had been on birth control for 7 years, and was sporadically taking a medication (a beta blocker) to help with anxiety. This does not include the topical medications I was using at the time. I began to fear social situations and felt like I was a prisoner of my own body. I struggled with knowing what do after college and after my wedding. Fears began to leak out of my subconscious and into my reality. I fell into a depression and began to wonder if life was worth living so miserably.

Thank the heavens that I had enough of a connection to spirit to know I would never harm myself, but the dichotomy was much of my happiness and zest for life had left me. My husband was my shining star during this dark time. He never failed to lend a shoulder to cry on or a kind ear to my venting soul. He never put me down for my bleak sadness; he never made me feel weak. He always lifted me up with his words of hope and his unwavering love. He reminded me daily that I was beautiful and worthy of unconditional love. It was because of him that I wanted to get well, that I NEEDED to get well. He deserved a wife that could give him just as much love, strength and joy as he gave me every day. It was because of him that I later realized that my soul’s journey was also a commendable reason to get back on my feet.

Feelings of light always have enormous strength, no matter how small they are. They beam out into the vast ether and cause ripples that will always reach us in our time of need. We simply must be awake enough to receive the messages that come to set us free.

The universe must have heard my tiny S.O.S. because one day as I was feeling miserable and dark I decided to watch an episode of Oprah to numb out the suffering I was feeling. The episode was on the new movie The Secret, about the law of attraction. I was inspired by these people who were so in control of their lives, but even more so by the claims of healing. Something inside me clicked that day. Maybe I was ready to fully take responsibility for my situation and my health, or maybe I just needed to see it was possible to control my own destiny. Something inside me told me to check for a nutritionist or natural healer of some sort. I opened the yellow pages and found The Natural Healing Center and made an appointment. I told my husband about the movie and we ordered it.

Changes in my life began to happen very quickly after I took an active role in my health. I no longer viewed my body or my ailments as something that had been done to me or something that just “happened to me”. I began to read everything I could get my hands on about healing naturally and found that there were answers to my questions. I had asked with a sincere heart and the answers were given. I was riveted and alarmed by all the information I was reading. How could people not know this??!! It seems so logical now, but it is often difficult to question the mainstream and think for ourselves. I stopped taking ALL my medications, including birth control, and opted for herbal remedies if needed. I underwent acupuncture and chiropractic care for a year and things began to get better. Through kinesiology I was found to be sensitive to over 100 things!! Foods, chemicals, preservatives, metals, fabrics, radiation and endless combinations were causing an autoimmune response in my body.

I completely dedicated myself to my healing. I regularly saw my acupuncturist and chiropractor and I made changes to my diet and to my thoughts. I read books on health and well being and did see some improvements for my gallant efforts. But the truth is, I was not better. I would get treated for food sensitivities with a technique called NAET (Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Technique), only to have many of them return weeks or months later…..sometimes more resistant to treatment. I still suffered from insomnia, irritability, facial flushing, headaches and I was very sensitive to temperature extremes. Being in direct sunlight or heat would often induce a flushing attack accompanied by intense tension headaches. I was missing something….

I knew deep down that there was an answer to my conundrum; I just didn’t know the answer to this riddle. I had studied and learned a great deal about toxins and the effects they have on our bodies and minds. I decided I needed to cleanse more. I had gone organic, eliminated heavily processed foods and foods containing chemicals, additives, preservatives, etc. I decided the next step was to do an intense cleanse for a week or longer to help my body remove waste.

I went to Copperfield Books to find a book that would help me determine a cleanse and happened upon The Miracle Detox Diet, by Robert Norse, N.D. I went home to read my new book and once again found myself in awe by the information I encountered. Dr. Norse explained the effects of cooked foods on our bodies, how cooked food causes what is termed leukocytosis, where white blood cells are produced to rush to your defense as if you have been poisoned. Leukocytosis also occurs with viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitic infections. Constantly eating cooked foods and not enough natural, unheated foods, constantly lowers the body's immunity. He also explains that no other animal, but our domesticated beasts, eat cooked food and that wild animals do not experience degenerative diseases. He goes into great length of the human anatomy and physiology and how our natural diet is one comprised of fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds. He also writes about the detrimental effects of animal protein on human physiology.

The information I was taking in completely resonated with me as if it was information I had long known but somehow had forgotten. The next day was Thanksgiving, and despite all the yummy food festivities, I went raw vegan, right then and there. I was unsure where this path was going to take me, but I thought I’d give it a try and see how I felt. I had no idea raw foods would change my life, changing me forever by awakening my soul’s deepest yearnings.

For the past year and a half I have been on this magical journey of self awakening and healing, facilitated by a raw foods diet. Raw foods have been my greatest tool in healing my body and more importantly my soul, because as I have learned, the body works with the soul and never betrays us. It has not always been a smooth journey, yet the ups and downs have provided me with valuable insights and wisdom. I feel like a completely different person after being on the raw path and I know in my heart that I am finally living my truth and purpose. I am clearer mentally than I have ever been in my life, and I can truly say that the future has never looked so bright.

Raw foods are not a magical quick fix (although there are those who claim to have miraculous healing very quickly and my husband saw ENORMOUS benefits early on in his raw path, but that is another blog post :)). What raw foods are, is a VERY powerful tool that allows the body to do what it is meant to, heal, detoxify and repair. When you stop putting unnatural, highly processed foods into your body and you begin to put living, natural, unprocessed foods into your body, the body and mind finally get a break from storing and being bogged down with waste. As the unnatural foods and toxins left me, so did the fogginess and low vibration thoughts. My mind has become so clear and I often experience states of pure happiness and bliss I never knew were possible. I also feel energy in and outside of my body in ways I never could before. I can feel energy movement and often can feel when the flow of energy gets blocked somewhere in my body. I have always been an "intuitive” person, but since going raw, this has developed into uncanny "knowing" often accompanied by visuals. I am currently working on strengthening these skills.

After undergoing a supervised fast of 3 days water, followed by two days on juice, I came to some powerful insights about my health and well being. I still have some food sensitivities that trigger facial flushing and some other mild symptoms that occur if I eat those foods, but many of the foods I once could not tolerate AT ALL are now slowly being integrated back into my diet safely. I no longer suffer from any of the other symptoms that used to plague me.... and it was a long list indeed! This success was largely facilitated by raw foods, my fast and really working hard on my spirit. The beauty in this whole process is I now understand that these lingering symptoms remain because I still have some work to do on an emotional and spiritual level. I know one component of this work is living and speaking my truth and sharing my gifts. So here I am, an open book, ready to heal, help others heal, and share with the world. I'm just one person who hopes to inspire and be inspired! I CHOOSE the raw path, the rewards are numerous!

I am you and you are me
Let’s help each other to be free
Free from fear, free from pain
Free from suffering, guilt and shame

I am you and you are me
Let’s share with each other under The Tree
Knowledge pours from my cup to yours
Intertwining us forevermore

Now my cup doth overflow
So I share with thee so we can grow
Blessed beings of love and light
Coming together to set things right

I am you and you are me
Let’s help each other to be free

In love and light ~ Cassie