I recently read, “The Mindbody Prescription, Healing the Body, Healing the Pain,” by John E. Sarno, MD.   Dr. Sarno says that since most of us have repressed rage and anger within us, we take this out on our bodies and therefore have different ailments, specifically back issues.

He talks about the sources of anger issues and helps the reader understand and address them.  The book delves into specific symptoms like sciatica, repetitive stress injury, shin splints and more.

So what can you do? Think about accepting the pain.  Where does it come from? Why are you having it? Are you really having pain? Think about the origin of your pain and eventually, according to Dr. Sarno, you won’t have pain.

I’m trying to use Dr. Sarno’s suggestions when I’m in pain. I’m not sure if it works, but at least it makes me think of something other than pain!

Do you think there is a mind body connection that helps you heal?  I would love to hear your experiences….

I have a material connection because I received a sample of a product for consideration in preparing to write this content.
I am not expected to return this item after my review period.

I have only two Dandy Warhol albums – Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia and Welcome to the Monkey House.  To be honest, I can listen to these albums all day.  I never get bored listening to them.

So when I had the opportunity to review the album, The Best of the Capitol Years – 1995 – 2007, I jumped at it!  Most of the songs on this album were originally on one of the two albums I already had, but that was okay because it put them in a different context along with songs that I didn’t know.

The Dandy Warhols use a lot of repetitive instrumentals which put me in an upbeat mood.  Because of the repetitiveness, the music can easily put you in a meditative state.

The first song, “Boys Better,” starts off fast and vibrant and ends with a melodramatic tone. It certainly sets the stage for the rest of the album.  This song and every song after, keeps you bopping your head. The harmonies on the second song, “Every Day Should Be a Holiday,” makes you want to smile, dance and twirl!

The band consists of Courtney Taylor who sings, plays guitar and sometimes keyboard and percussion; Peter Holmstrom who plays guitar and sometimes keyboard and bass; Zia McCabe who plays keyboard, key bass, percussion and sometimes sings; and Brent DeBoer who plays drums and sings. He also sometimes plays bass and guitar.

My favorite songs on the album are “Godless”, “The Last High” and “Plan A”.  The instrumentals are real tight with the steady stream of guitar, bass and percussion injected with amazing moments of keyboard and synthesis.

When you listen to the words throughout the album, they are sad.  It’s like an oxymoron – the words are sad and yet, the music makes you happy.  For example, in the song, “ The Last High”, the words are:

I am alone but adored

By a hundred thousand more

Than I said when you were the last (high)

And I have known love

Like a whore

From at least ten thousand more

Than I swore when you were the last

Think about it for a moment, don’t you sometimes feel this way?  I do. Owning a business a lot of people love and hate you, but when you find that someone special you need to stick with him/her.

Or in “Plan A”, the words are:

Must be some kind of planet

For all the people who can manage.

All of us who can handle it,

With all of this damage.

Think about our planet and how we as a society have damaged it. The repetitiveness of “Plan A” makes it special. When the band starts to sing “All of us, all of us sing about it” even if you don’t know the song, after hearing it you will be singing along!

Both these songs show how the Dandy Warhols put a twist on every song they perform. I loved this album.  I feel like the Dandy Warhols music is timeless, fun and just makes me feel great.  I would highly recommend buying it.  I’m scheduled to see their show in Brooklyn in a few weeks and I just can’t wait!

Article first published as Music Review: The Dandy Warhols – The Best of the Capitol Years – 1995–2007 on Blogcritics.

I have a material connection because I received a sample of a product for consideration in preparing to write this content.
I am not expected to return this item after my review period.

In addition to reading an array of business books, lately, I’ve been reading a lot of books about spirituality and the “art” of happiness.

I just finished reading two of Dr. Brian Weiss‘ books on past life regression.  Actually both were fast reads.  The first, Many Lives, Many Masters, was about a woman who had many phobias, was depressed and needed serious counseling.  When Dr. Weiss met her, he tried using traditional therapy.  When that didn’t work, he decided to hypnotize her and found that she spoke of different places and different experiences and was talking about her past lives.  After a series of sessions, the woman was cured and went on to live a happy, successful life.

All her phobias and her unhappiness stemmed from situations that occurred in her past lives. Once she was able to bring these things to the open, she was able to resolve them and move on with her life.

In the next book that I read, Only Love is Real, a man and a woman independently went to see Dr. Weiss simultaneously.  To make a long story short, both had similar past life experiences and yet they both didn’t know each other.  At the end, they finally meet and are together again.

My takeaway from both books was that souls who you are connected with in some way can follow you throughout all your lives.  If that’s true, then it’s a nice comforting thought to know that you will always be with people you love.

My dad believes in past lives. He thinks he was a soldier in the civil war.  I remember after my grandmother died, my mother’s best friend came to the house. She was dating a man who could look at a person and know their past lives.  He told my friend that he was a Whirling Dervish in a past life. “Maybe that’s why I like to spin,” my friend had said.

Throughout my whole life, I always had a feeling about things — need to start a business now, need to have a baby now, need to start running now, need to start exercising, etc. Whenever I went with my “gut” about things, it always seemed to be the right thing.  I used to have recurring dreams about running.  Was I a runner in a past life?

Does having a feeling about things have to do with past lives?  Or is it just intuition?

I decided to type in “Past Life” on the internet. One site asked me to type in my date of birth.  I did and got back a short reading that said my last life was in 850 A.D. and I was a map maker.  Funny thing is, I have trouble reading maps and am directionally challenged, so I doubt that was the case!

Is there really a life after we die? Are we really dead or do we continue to evolve and stay with those we love? What do you think?

Some stores,  small business, schools, etc.,  don’t understand how to use social media to benefit them and to build their communities.

The GAP, a local retail store, on the other hand knows how to engage their audience. With stores in almost every mall around the country, the GAP had a special promotion yesterday between 12 pm and 3 pm.  If you wanted to save 50% off of your “1969″ jeans all you had to do was buy the right style and size, go up to the register and say the magic word… FLASH!

I didn’t know about this promotion, but my sister in law did.  She is one of those amazing people who know how to save money at every turn.  I always look through the coupons.  I even go to the extent of clipping them and then… I always forget to bring them with me!  My sister in law has saved hundreds of dollars clipping coupons and being on top of all the sales.

She sent me a text message on my phone telling me about the promotion. I was excited. I needed a couple of pairs of jeans but was waiting to buy them.  When I got her text, I hurried to the store and bought myself two pair.

The man behind the counter was relatively new and didn’t know about the promotion.  He asked his manager.  When the manager said, “just type the code word in the register,” the man did and I got my discount!

I told the people next to me about the promotion and saved them 50% off too!  They were so grateful.

The campaign originated on Facebook as an event. Out of the 1000 people invited, only 300 people said they would come.  That made me think…

If social media is used right, it becomes a powerful “word of mouth” tool that becomes viral.  My sister in law saw the post and told me. I told the man behind me.   I also told my friend. She told her friend and so on.  Lots of people got 50% off “1969″ jeans and most importantly, the promotion brought more people to the GAP!