You were born with an internal guidance system installed, but what gets in the way of trusting it? LaRue will debunk two common myths that inhibit or block your ability to recognize, trust, and follow Inner Guidance, with certainty. LaRue Eppler is the developer of Evolutionary Kinesiology, an international course leader and speaker, popular radio guest, transformational facilitator and co-author of “YOUR ESSENTIAL WHISPER: Six Distinct Ways to Recognize, Trust, and Follow Inner Guidance with Absolute Certainty!”

NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NRG) is bringing range confidence to electric vehicle (EV) owners in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex by commencing operations at the first privately funded, eVgo_sm (ee-vee-go) Freedom Station in Texas, including the first high-speed direct current (DC) charger in Texas that is among the first in the nation. NRG plans to install a total of 70 Freedom Stations in Dallas/Fort Worth and 50 in Houston by the end of 2012, with half in place by this summer. NRG also plans to electrify the Interstate 45 corridor connecting them in 2012.

The first eVgo Freedom Station is located at the Walgreens at 5201 Belt Line Road at Montfort Drive in Dallas. Each Freedom Station_sm provides a 480 volt DC fast charger that can add 30 miles of range in as little as 10 minutes and a 240 volt Level 2 charger that can add up to 25 miles of range in an hour. Freedom Stations are available 24/7 and include a customer service tower with a mounted camera, giving customers access to an eVgo service representative or to activate a strobe light, siren and alert law enforcement, even from inside their vehicles. The eVgo network will also include Convenience Stations_sm that offer a 240 volt Level 2 charger and are available during the retail host’s business hours.

“Inaugurating the first Freedom Station in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex is a critical first step toward making electric vehicles the smart and convenient choice for Texans who want to reduce their cost of driving while contributing to cleaner air and America’s energy independence,” said David Crane, NRG President and CEO. “We’re taking a page from Southwest Airlines when they started out 40 years ago to link the major population centers in Texas. This first station is the start of an ecosystem that will eventually give Texas EV owners the freedom to drive with range confidence throughout the region.”

“Thanks to the innovative spirit and hard work of folks at NRG and their eVgo partners, we’re closer to a day when electric cars will be a prominent feature on our roadways,” Governor Rick Perry said. “I’m proud of our efforts in Texas to foster an environment that frees the private sector to solve problems and meet challenges. Because we steer clear of crippling mandates and work to keep our regulatory structures fair and predictable, Texas has created a favorable business climate that allows companies like NRG to provide the cutting-edge technology and products that will keep our state moving forward.”

EVs, powered by electricity generated from domestic fuels, including zero-emission wind and nuclear power in Texas, have the potential over time to reduce dramatically the ongoing transfer of American wealth to oil-producing nations. Transportation accounts for more than a quarter of America’s greenhouse gas emissions and in most Texas cities, it is the largest single source of nitrogen oxides emissions.

“The North Central Texas Council of Governments is delighted that the first eVgo electric vehicle charging station is now operational in the Dallas/Fort Worth region with many more to come in the near future,” NCTCOG Executive Director Mike Eastland said. “In an area of 6.5 million people, air quality is always a primary concern. NRG’s eVgo network is a welcome complement to NCTCOG’s Electric Vehicles North Texas program, and we truly appreciate our public- and private-sector partners that have been and continue to be instrumental in preparing the region for electric vehicles.”

NRG will provide EV owners in eVgo cities with extremely convenient and affordable unlimited miles “home-and-away” charging plans with no upfront cost and a flat monthly fee. NRG will install and maintain the region’s charging infrastructure of home chargers and public fast charging stations conveniently located along major freeways and in key shopping and business districts.

“Electric vehicle ownership should be fun, affordable and convenient, with drivers having complete confidence that a fast charger is never more than a few miles away,” said Arun Banskota, President of NRG’s EV Services division.

NRG is working with the North Texas electricity transmission and distribution company Oncor on zone planning and site selection for the eVgo charging stations in the Metroplex to ensure accessibility and reliability.

“From our installation of more than a million and a half advanced meters to help customers better manage their electricity usage, to the construction of 850 miles of new transmission lines delivering renewable power, Oncor is a leader in making Texas the best place in America to drive plug-in vehicles,” said Jim Greer, Oncor’s Senior Vice President of Asset Management and Engineering. “By 2012, our investments will enable more than three million homes and businesses in Oncor’s service area to use electric vehicle charging technology, such as the NRG eVgo network, when renewable energy availability is highest and the cost of electricity is lowest, supported by the capabilities of Oncor’s advanced meters.”

eVgo Partners

The following companies are working with NRG to make the eVgo network a success:

• Auto Sales and Rental: Gulf States Toyota, Hertz, Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan North America, smart USA, VIA
• Charging Station Host: Best Buy Co., Inc., Crescent Real Estate, Gallery Furniture,
• H-E-B/Central Market, Memorial City Mall, Park ‘N Fly, Spec’s Family Partners, Walgreens
• Charging Technologies, Network Services and Smart Energy: AeroVironment, GE, Siemens
• Retail Electric Providers: Green Mountain Energy Company, Reliant Energy, TXU Energy
• Ready for EV (REV) Host: Huffines Communities

For more about eVgo partners, visit https://www.evgonetwork.com/About_Us/Partners/

Part 2:

Conversely, researchers have discovered that infants deprived of massage therapy showed lower levels of growth hormone. Even when infants were given injections of growth hormone, they failed to grow at a rate comparable to massaged infants. This suggests that massage impacts infants at the cellular level.

Other studies specifically show that massage therapy has consistently led to increased weight gains in preterm infants. While massaged infants do not consume or retain more formula, weight gains are believed to be due to better conversion of food into growth. Some believe this to be due to a reduced adverse reaction to stress. It has also been suggested that an infant’s energy expenditure drops considerably after several days of massage therapy. This drop in expended energy may be partly responsible for the enhanced growth caused by massage therapy.

In a study conducted by Dr. Frank Scafidi that won the NIMH Research Science Award #MH00331, 40 medically stable preterm infants were assigned to treatment and control groups. The treated infants received tactile/kinesthetic stimulation for three 15-minute periods during three consecutive hours per day for a 10-day period. Sleep/wake behavior was monitored and the infants were evaluated at the beginning and at the end of the treatment period. The treated infants averaged a 21% greater weight gain per day.

Be sure to consult a trained medical professional before beginning massage therapy on preterm infants.

For more information on massage therapy, please contact Pacific College of Oriental Medicine at (800) 729-0941, or visit www.PacificCollege.edu

A study conducted in Germany looked at over 300,000 people with osteoarthritis of the knee. Participants in the study received 15 sessions of acupuncture combined with their usual medical care. During the study, those that had the treatments reported less pain and stiffness, improved function, and better quality of life, than those who had received routine medical care alone. Interestingly enough, those that had the acupuncture treatments, also reported less severity of their symptoms for three months after the study, when they were not receiving acupuncture at all.

Another study was conducted in China on victims of rheumatoid arthritis. Here, participants were treated with traditional acupuncture as well as another technique called electroacupuncture, which uses minute bursts of electricity to stimulate the acupressure points. Participants receiving both the traditional and the electroacupuncture reported significant decreases in the severity of their symptoms.

As when it is used to treat any condition, according to TCM, acupuncture relieves the symptoms associated with arthritis by improving blood and qi flow to the affected areas.

Acupuncture decreases the pain associated with arthritis by increasing the release of neurotransmitters that block pain. The meridians or acu-points that are located along nerve pathways are stimulated by the needles and then send signals to the brain to release endorphins. Endorphins are chemicals that are very similar in nature to morphine that are released in the body during times of pain or stress. The painless acupressure needles “fool” the nerves into thinking they are in pain, and the brain releases the chemicals in response.

Today, acupuncture is so widely accepted as a treatment for arthritis that it is even covered by some health insurance companies. So if one is suffering from any form of arthritis, always consult a doctor first, and if acupuncture is recommended, be sure to check and see if the treatment is covered by insurance.

For more information on acupuncture, please contact Pacific College of Oriental Medicine at (800) 729-0941, or visit www.PacificCollege.edu

In October, we always see lots of pink ribbons in an effort to bring awareness to breast cancer. That leads me to a question: “Do women have a role in their breast health or do they simply wait for a mammogram and biopsy to confirm their worst fears?” I believe all women should take an active role in preventing this disease.

For many women, mammography is not their first step towards breast health. Many women are choosing to use non-invasive and safer methods such as thermography and monthly self-examinations as well as annual exams by their physician. But what is thermography? Thermography uses digital infrared thermal imaging to detect and record the infrared heat radiating from the surface of the body. Clusters of abnormal cells that can develop into a cancer often have an increased blood supply that leads to an elevation in the temperature of the skin over the area. With thermography, there is no radiation, no pain, no compressing of the breasts, and it is affordable. Thermography has the ability to warn women years before any other procedure that inflammation is present that could become cancer. If a high score is received on a breast thermogram, a qualified practitioner can assist in recommending changes in lifestyle, supplements, or further testing to get your score, and therefore your risk of breast cancer, lowered.

A critical difference between thermography and mammography is the ability to detect problems early enough to use preventive measures, rather than detecting disease at a stage where treatment is imminently required. Mammography uses radiation to image only the soft fleshy tissue of the breasts. Thermography images a much larger area including the entire breast region, between breasts and axillary views (Ref: Clinical Thermography, Dr. George E. Chapman). Thermography can see inflammatory breast cancer (IBC), a type of cancer that does not develop as lumps or masses in your breast. IBC cells block lymph vessels in the skin of your breast. This type of cancer grows rapidly and often spreads to other organs in your body (Ref: Inflammatory Breast Cancer: Questions and Answers, www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/sites-types/ibc).

Thermograms can be useful for younger women, since 23% of breast cancers occur in women under the age of 49. Breast cancer in younger women is generally more aggressive and has lower survival rates (Ref: breastthermography.com, Imagining for Younger Women). Women ages 20-40 have denser breasts which makes it much harder for mammograms to be effective.

Studies Have Shown:

• An abnormal breast thermogram is an important marker of high risk for problems in the tissues. The marker is said to be 8 times more significant as a marker for disease than a family history of cancer.
• A person with a persistently abnormal thermogram has a 10 times greater risk of developing breast cancer in the future when no lifestyle or other changes are made.
• When added to regular physician breast exams, survival rates (if cancer is detected) are increased by up to 61%.
• A positive breast thermogram does not necessarily mean you have cancer. The increased heat can be suggestive of presence of many different breast abnormalities such as mastitis, benign tumors, fibrocystic breast, and hormonal imbalances.
• In a study from 1998, 100 new cases of ductal carcinoma in situ were diagnosed pre-operatively using a clinical breast exam, mammography, and infrared imaging. The number of tumors diagnosed with mammography alone was 85%; the number of tumors diagnosed by including a breast exam and breast thermography increased to 95%. (Ref: The Breast Journal, Volume 4, Number 4, 1998, 245-251)

It is essential that you examine your breasts at least once a month. If you are premenopausal, you should examine them shortly after your period, when hormone levels are low, so that premenopausal lumps aren’t confused with a cancerous lump. If you are postmenopausal, you should examine your breasts at the same time each month. You should examine your breasts in the mirror and look for the following:

1. Unusual skin lump or dimpling.
2. Increased size of one breast.
3. One breast appears lower than the other.
4. Discharge or bleeding from the nipple.
5. An enlargement of the lymph nodes.
6. Color or texture changes in the skin of the breast.

After a few months, you will become familiar with how your breasts feel, and you’ll be able to detect very small abnormalities.

Mammograms look at anatomical changes in the breast, as they detect masses or lumps in the breast tissue. Thermograms look at vascular changes in the breast, as they detect blood flow patterns, inflammation and asymmetries. Because of these differences, some women are choosing to get annual thermograms and incorporating physician and self breast exams to look for masses and lumps. If something suspicious is found by these methods, a mammogram or, even better, an ultra sound, could be used to target the area(s) of concern. This can allow for a more proactive role in breast health for a woman.

Thermography is useful for more than breast health. There are many other health issues that thermography can help with. Visit www.abundantlifewellnesscenter.com and click on “Thermography” for more information.

Jennifer Trejo is a Traditional Naturopath and owner of Abundant Life Wellness Center in Grapevine. She can be reached at: 817-328-1921 or visit: www.abundantlifewellnesscenter.com

What methods have your used to relieve emotional pain? I know in my own life I have tried them all. What I found to be most effective and lasting is forgiveness of others and self. However, this is usually the place one gets bogged down in the healing or recovery process.

We hear a lot about the benefits of forgiveness through DVDs, CDs, podcasts and books on the subject. But don’t those “forgiveness gurus” know how hard it is? Yes, but they also know it is possible, or they wouldn’t suggest it. Not forgiving creates resentment and holding resentments affect the body’s ability to thrive. And, if one desires to improve one’s chances of being healthy, then releasing this resentment can free the body from stress and give a sense of accomplishment, as feelings centered around an old experience begin to change. By letting the energy that was tied up in the resentment be redirected toward constructive decisions, one get closer to the kind of life one wants to live.

Effects of not forgiving
If you are experiencing regret, sadness, hurt, fear, guilt, blame, anger, resentment and sometimes even revenge, it is an indication of the need for forgiveness. If left alone, these feelings cause chemical reactions creating depression, physical ailments, chronic pain and suppression of the immune system. (For more on this, read: “Molecules of Emotion,” by Candace Pert). I have witnessed clients in various stages of cancer, all with the same common negative emotion – resentment. “The Course In Miracles” states, “All disease comes from a state of un-forgiveness.” Our lives just can’t flow freely when we hold onto resentment.

I can’t confront the person.
Forgiveness doesn’t mean the person has to confront the perpetrator; forgiveness exists in the heart of the forgiver.

Emmit Fox created a visualization that places the person you want to forgive on stage, receiving praise from the audience, seeing them happy and full of confidence and sureness. However one can only get to this point after anger and frustration have been released and that person feels safe enough to do so.

Is the Law of Attraction Working For You?
“Positive Self Talk” and “Affirmations” alone won’t work unless accompanied by emotions that match the beliefs that are already in the subconscious. Orison S. Marden, the father of the success movement, states, “Our destiny changes with our thought; we shall become what we wish to become, do what we wish to do, when our habitual thought corresponds with our desire.” Hypnosis for forgiveness work is a rapid method for matching thoughts to desires and desires to thoughts, so the Law of Attraction can work in a positive way.

I have found hypnosis as a tool for facilitating true healing by releasing buried emotions in my own life and in doing so I gained the freedom to experience the person I truly am.

By Valerie Grimes, CHt, hypnotist in practice since 2002. You can contact her at YourMindCoach@verizon.net