Written by Ariana Hakman, Entrepreneur and COO Ariana Hakman is a former corporate finance executive turned serial entrepreneur in fitness, nutrition, and tech. She’s the co-founder of LunaFit, a multi-brand wellness company anchored by its fast-growing LunaFit app, built to help users take control of their nutrition, workouts, and daily habits. When it comes to nutrition, nothing confuses people faster than macros. You’ve probably heard someone say they’re “counting macros,” but what does that even mean? And more importantly, do you need to? The short answer: yes, if you’re trying to change your body composition in any way. Whether your goal is losing fat, building muscle, or simply maintaining a leaner, stronger frame, macros matter. But not in the obsessive, numbers-driven way the internet makes it out to be. Once you understand the basics of protein, carbs, and fats, you can use them to fuel your body, make progress, and actually enjoy your food without feeling restricted. What are macros anyway? Macros, short for macronutrients, are the three main sources of calories in food. Protein: the building block for muscle, recovery, and satiety. Carbohydrates: the body’s preferred energy source, especially for workouts. Fats: essential for hormones, brain health, and nutrient absorption. All three matter. But the balance between them is what determines how well your body performs, whether or not you lose body fat, and how sustainable your nutrition feels. You can eat plenty of ‘healthy’ foods, but if the balance and total calories don’t align with your goals, fat loss won’t happen. Why protein is the priority If you want to change your body composition, protein should always come first. I recommend aiming for about 1 gram per pound of your desired body weight. In fact, for many people, simply focusing on protein is enough to start seeing big changes. You don’t always need to micromanage every macro, getting protein right creates a strong foundation, and the rest of your nutrition naturally falls into place more easily. Why does eating more protein help you lose weight? Because protein: Preserves lean muscle when you’re in a calorie deficit. Keeps you feeling full longer (so you’re less likely to raid the pantry at 9 p.m.). Helps your body recover and rebuild after workouts. Carbs aren’t the enemy Carbs get a bad reputation, but the truth is, they’re not what makes you gain fat, excess calories do. In fact, carbs are your best friend for fueling workouts, keeping energy steady, and supporting overall performance. The key is moderation. Think of carbs as a way to support your activity level. If you’re training hard, you’ll need more. If you’re having a rest day, you’ll need less. Keep fats lower, but don’t cut them out Fats are important, but they’re also the most calorie-dense macro (9 calories per gram compared to 4 for protein and carbs). That’s why I recommend keeping fats on the lower side while still including sources like avocado, olive oil, nuts, and salmon. You don’t need high fat to be healthy, you just need enough. Why balance beats extremes Here’s the reality: both low-carb and low-fat approaches can work if you’re in a calorie deficit. Research backs that up. But for most people, extreme restrictions are impossible to sustain. That’s why I recommend a balanced approach: high protein, moderate carbs, and low fat. This way of eating gives you: Flexibility to enjoy social meals, a drink with a friend, or cake at your kid’s birthday party. Energy to train and live your life without feeling deprived. The consistency you need to actually see long-term results. How to start balancing your macros If you’re new to this, here’s a simple way to start: Set your protein first (1g per pound of desired body weight). Divide the rest of your calories between carbs and fats based on your preferences and energy needs. Prioritize whole foods, lean proteins, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats. Stay consistent, not perfect! How the LunaFit App makes it simple Tracking macros on your own can feel overwhelming. That’s why we built the LunaFit App  to take out the guesswork. The app: Creates a personalized nutrition plan using the high-protein, balanced approach I believe works best. Let's you track anything, calories, carbs, or macros, if you want to see the details. Adjusts your plan as you progress, so you’re never stuck with a static set of numbers. Keeps you consistent with reminders, AI coaching, and a gamified reward system. You don’t have to obsess over every gram, the app does the heavy lifting while teaching you how to eat in a way that works for your life. Final thoughts Macros don’t have to be complicated. When you strip away the noise, the formula is simple, keep protein high to preserve muscle and keep you full, keep carbs moderate to fuel energy and performance, and keep fats lower to leave room for flexibility. That balance, high protein, moderate carbs, low fat, isn’t just effective, it’s sustainable. And sustainability is what actually leads to fat loss and better health. If you’ve tried nutrition plans before and felt like they never stuck, it wasn’t because you failed, it was because the approach wasn’t built for real life. With the right direction, you can finally make food simple, flexible, and long-lasting. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Ariana Hakman Ariana Hakman, Entrepreneur and COO Ariana Hakman is a leading voice in fitness, nutrition, and lifestyle innovation, known for creating practical tools that drive real results. After 13 years in corporate finance within the healthcare sector, she left the boardroom to build a more balanced life for her daughter and a business that aligned with her values. She co-founded LunaFit, a wellness brand and mobile app helping users simplify their workouts, nutrition, and daily habits. Ariana has built four companies across wellness and tech, with a mission to make healthy living simple, sustainable, and achievable for all.

Written by Remington Steele, Intuitive Breath Practitioner, Emotional Wellness Coach & Philanthropist Remington Steele is an Intuitive Breath Practitioner, Emotional Wellness Coach, and the visionary founder of Breathe With Rem and We Are The Village – Teen Moms. A philanthropist and author of Breathe With Me, Remington’s work is rooted in healing, empowerment, and generational transformation. What if I told you that the pain you can’t see, the ache in your chest after betrayal, the heavy fog of grief, the relentless loop of fear, cuts just as deeply as a knife? Left unattended, these invisible injuries fester under the surface, flooding your body with cortisol and adrenaline until you’re sick in ways no doctor’s scan can detect. Depression, PTSD, anxiety, and even addiction often trace their roots to emotional scars that have been ignored, dismissed, or buried alive. You wouldn’t leave a bleeding cut untreated. Why are we taught to ignore the wounds of the heart and mind? It’s time to face the truth. Emotional trauma demands care, attention, and healing just as urgently as any broken bone. Keep reading to discover how you can start treating your inner wounds before they become chronic. What is an emotional wound? An emotional wound is any psychological injury that leaves a lasting imprint on your mind and body, whether it’s the heartache of grief after losing a loved one, the raw sting of a breakup, the humiliation of verbal or physical abuse, or the deep-seated fear born from abandonment. Unlike a visible cut or bruise, these wounds often go unnoticed by others and can fester in silence, triggering chronic stress responses that flood the body with cortisol and adrenaline. Everyday traumas, like being overlooked by a parent, shamed by a teacher, or bullied by peers, pile up over time, creating layers of unresolved pain that compromise our sense of safety and identity. These invisible injuries can manifest as anxiety, depression, self-sabotage, or addiction if left unaddressed. Recognizing an emotional wound means honoring that internal hurt with the same seriousness we give to physical injuries, because until we acknowledge and care for these wounds, they will continue to shape our thoughts, behaviors, and health. How are emotional wounds similar to physical wounds? When a physical wound, say a deep cut or puncture, is left untreated, the body’s natural barriers are breached, and bacteria can invade. What starts as redness and swelling can escalate into an infected abscess, where pus accumulates, and tissue begins to die. Without intervention, cleaning, debridement, and proper dressing, the infection can spread through the bloodstream as sepsis, threatening organ function and, in severe cases, becoming life-threatening. The longer the injury festers, the more the body’s resources are diverted to fight the infection, leading to systemic inflammation, weakened immunity, and collateral damage to surrounding tissues. Emotional wounds behave in much the same way. A betrayal, loss, or abuse that isn’t acknowledged and cleaned out with compassionate processing can become an internal infection. Rumination and shame breed anxiety, depression, and chronic stress. Instead of healing, the pain deepens, and the nervous system remains locked in a state of high alert, constantly flooding the body with cortisol and adrenaline. Just as an untreated physical infection seeks relief in extreme measures, an emotional wound often drives us toward self-medication, alcohol, drugs, or compulsive behaviors, as temporary salves to numb the pain. Over time, these coping mechanisms can become addictions, creating new wounds even as they attempt to mask the original injury. True recovery, whether of flesh or feeling, requires intentional care, safe expression, ongoing support, and most importantly, your attention. The symptoms of emotional injury Emotional injuries often reveal themselves through a spectrum of physical, mental, and behavioral signs. Persistent fatigue or insomnia as the mind races. Unexplained aches or gastrointestinal upset without a clear medical cause. Frequent headaches or muscle tension. You might notice sudden mood swings, chronic anxiety, or numbness, a sense of being disconnected from yourself and others. Everyday tasks feel overwhelming, concentration wanes, and joy seems distant. You may unconsciously retreat into isolation, lash out in anger, or seek relief in substances or compulsive behaviors. These symptoms are the body’s alarm bells and should not be ignored. Recognizing them is the first step toward true healing. What causes emotional wounds? Emotional wounds arise from any experience that shatters our sense of safety, worth, or belonging. The sudden grief of losing a loved one. The sting of betrayal by someone we trust. Enduring verbal or physical abuse. The ache of abandonment and neglect. Everyday slights, like persistent criticism, exclusion by peers, or unresolved family conflict, can accumulate into deep-seated pain just as surely as a single traumatic event. Even seemingly minor wounds, being humiliated in public, repeatedly overlooked at work, or invalidated when we express our feelings, chip away at our inner resilience over time. These experiences leave neural and hormonal imprints that shape how we perceive ourselves and the world, creating patterns of fear, shame, and distrust unless we give ourselves the compassionate attention and support needed to heal. What happens when left untreated? When emotional wounds go unhealed, they seep into every corner of our mental landscape and strain our relationships. Untreated hurt often blossoms into chronic anxiety, depression, or PTSD, as the brain’s threat circuits remain on high alert and default to self-protective, avoidance behaviors. Internally, this can manifest as low self-esteem, perfectionism, or self-sabotage. Externally, it shows up as trust issues, difficulty with intimacy, and repeated patterns of conflict or withdrawal. Over time, partners, friends, and family members may feel shut out or frustrated by emotional volatility or detachment, creating a cycle of misunderstanding and hurt that replicates the original wound. Without intentional healing, through therapy, breath-centered regulation, and compassionate support, these hidden injuries can define how we live, love, and connect. 8 tools to help identify and heal emotional wounds Before we dive into these eight transformative tools, know this. Healing emotional wounds requires intention, curiosity, and a willingness to follow your inner signals. Just as you wouldn’t wait to treat a physical injury, giving yourself active, compassionate care for emotional pain is essential. These tools, ranging from breath-centered practices to the guiding support of a life coach, offer pathways to uncover what’s hidden, release what’s stuck, and rebuild your sense of safety and strength. Use them as a starting beacon on your journey toward genuine resilience and wholeness. 1. Reflective journaling Writing about your feelings and experiences brings hidden wounds into the light. By journaling prompts like “What still hurts from my past?” or “When did I first feel unsafe?” you map the emotional patterns that underlie your current reactions. Over time, themes emerge, your first clues to what needs healing. 2. Breath-centered awareness Conscious breathwork is a direct line to uncovering buried emotions. Simple practices like placing a hand on your heart and breathing into any tightness can reveal where trauma is stored in the body. As you breathe through discomfort, emotional blockages often soften and begin to surface for gentle processing. 3. Somatic experiencing This body-based therapy helps you notice physical sensations tied to emotional pain. By tracking subtle shifts, tingling, heat, tension, you learn to release trauma held in the nervous system, allowing natural resilience to return. 4. Guided life coaching A skilled life coach offers powerful questions, accountability, and perspective shifts to help you unearth and reframe wounds. With structured support, you transform pain into purpose and create actionable steps toward wholeness. 5. Professional therapy or counseling Licensed therapists provide a safe container for deep emotional work using modalities such as EMDR, CBT, or Internal Family Systems. Their expertise helps rewire unhelpful neural pathways and develop healthier coping strategies. 6. Creative expression Art, music, movement, or dance give voice to feelings too big for words. Creative outlets allow pain to be externalized and transformed. The act of creation itself becomes a healing witness. 7. Community and peer support Support groups and trusted circles normalize your struggles and remind you you’re not alone. Shared vulnerability builds connection, and connection is the antidote to isolation. 8. Family mediation and coaching Many emotional wounds originate in family dynamics. Family mediation creates a compassionate space to clear misunderstandings, rebuild trust, and learn communication and boundary-setting skills that support long-term healing. Why we tend to ignore emotional wounds Many of us ignore emotional wounds because they are invisible, inconvenient, and surrounded by stigma that frames pain as weakness. In the Black community, this silence is compounded by generations of resilience shaped by oppression, distrust of harmful systems, and cultural pressure to endure without complaint. Unprocessed grief, microaggressions, and ancestral trauma become chronic stress, health disparities, and self-medication. By refusing to acknowledge these wounds, we unintentionally perpetuate cycles of harm. Recognition is the courageous first step toward real healing. Seeking support in emotional recovery Seeking support is not a sign of weakness. It is the bridge from suffering to strength. Whether through trusted friends, peer support groups, therapy, coaching, or family mediation, you do not have to walk this path alone. If you are ready for guided, compassionate support, you can begin by emailing BreatheWithRem@gmail.com  or exploring local counseling resources. Today can be the day you take your first courageous step toward wholeness. Early recognition matters Catching emotional wounds early is like treating a small cut before it becomes infected. Prompt attention prevents deeper pain and long-term complications. Early recognition reduces chronic stress, protects mental health, and preserves our capacity for joy and connection. When we honor emotional signals as soon as they arise, we choose resilience over regret. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Remington Steele Remington Steele, Intuitive Breath Practitioner, Emotional Wellness Coach & Philanthropist Remington Steele is an Intuitive Breath Practitioner, Emotional Wellness Coach, and the visionary founder of Breathe With Rem and We Are The Village – Teen Moms. A philanthropist and author of Breathe With Me, Remington’s work is rooted in healing, empowerment, and generational transformation. As a former teen mother herself, she has turned her personal journey into a mission to guide others through intentional breathing, holistic wellness, and community-centered care.

Written by Eljin Keeling-Johnson, Personal Development Coach Eljin is a transformative personal development coach from the Midlands, England, and the visionary behind the Alignment Method programme. For over 16 years, Eljin has guided people to release what’s holding them back, rediscover their purpose, and create life-changing transformation. New year, new you, right? Do you struggle to set goals? Do you struggle to follow through on them? Or are you someone who believes you do not believe in goals at all? As we step into a new year, it feels appropriate to explore why so many people fail to achieve their goals, what truly gets in the way, and, most importantly, how to succeed. Drawing on over 16 years as a practitioner and having worked with over 1,000 people, I have observed clear and consistent patterns. Before we get into the how, let’s first explore why goal-setting matters. Why goals are important Research shows that people who set goals are up to 10 times more likely to achieve success. However, nearly 80 percent abandon their goals within weeks or months. The reasons are remarkably consistent: Poor planning Lack of accountability No structured support Something as simple as a daily to-do list can increase productivity by at least 40 percent. Writing things down makes them harder to ignore. Many people attribute success to “manifestation,” but what is actually happening is the activation of the Reticular Activating System (RAS), the part of the brain that filters information. Once a goal is written down: Your brain subconsciously scans for relevant opportunities You notice resources, risks, and actions you previously filtered out The result is improved alignment between intention and perception. When you truly make up your mind, and combine that decision with a solid plan, you begin to see avenues and opportunities that naturally lead you in that direction. On a deeper level, goals provide direction, structure, meaning, and purpose. “I don’t believe in goals” Many people resist goal-setting, preferring to “live in the moment.” Living in the now is indeed fundamental for peace, happiness, and joy, but this can appear to conflict with goal-setting. Interestingly, even those who say they do not believe in goals do have them. They simply use different languages and internal operating systems. These individuals are often highly introspective, values-driven, and focused on internal alignment, which in itself is a goal. A common example I hear in my practice is, “I just want to be happy.” That is a valid desire, but it still requires clarity. What does happy look like for you? What needs to change or be addressed to experience it? Why do you believe you are not happy right now? Without definition, even happiness remains vague and difficult to achieve. 10 practical ways to achieve your goals 1. Actually set a goal As simple as it sounds, many people have not truly decided what they want. Until you know what you want, you cannot know what to do. 2. Make it highly specific Vague goals lead to vague behaviour. “I want to lose weight” or “I want to make more money” is wishy-washy. “I want to lose 1kg” or “I want to earn £5,000 by X date” creates clarity, structure, and measurable progress. 3. Know your why Go deep. Are you moving towards something, or away from something? Fear-driven goals feel very different from purpose-driven ones. A strong “why” will carry you through moments of resistance and difficulty. 4. Decide, is this a goal or a way of being? Many people achieve a goal only to relapse into old patterns. Sometimes what you truly want is not a goal, but a way of life or a way of being. 5. Reveal the obstacles Give your inner critic a voice. It is often trying to help. List every potential obstacle you can foresee. Then write options for handling each one and the likely outcomes. This builds resilience and preparedness. 6. Identify subconscious blocks Ask yourself honestly, why do I not already have this? List the beliefs, memories, and assumptions holding you back. These are not truths, they are interpretations. Reframe them visually, verbally, and linguistically until they are both true and empowering. 7. Put the finish line in place before you begin Large goals feel overwhelming when viewed as a whole. Break them down: Monthly Weekly Daily Even hourly When you can see the finish line, momentum increases. 8. Make it easy Reduce friction wherever possible. Do what you enjoy, work at peak energy times, prepare everything in advance, and start small. One minute, one call, one page. Reward progress, even if it is simply self-recognition. 9. Use clear triggers and attachments “Tomorrow” or “next week” is not a trigger. 9:00 AM is. Attach new behaviours to existing habits: “After I walk the dog, I will…” “After I shower, I will…” You can also stack behaviours to compress time and increase efficiency. 10. Build accountability and support Success is rarely achieved alone. Work with a coach, mentor, or accountability partner. Surround yourself with people who are aligned, driven, and intentional. Review regularly, refine your plan, and know what to stop, delegate, or release. Final thoughts Success is not luck. We shape our destiny through the decisions we make and the actions we take. The person you want to become must begin today. Growth happens moment by moment, through persistence, self-awareness, and a willingness to learn. Mistakes are not failures. They are feedback. True failure is ignoring the lesson. Success begins the moment you start, and those who succeed most are those who persist. Give it time to become normal and automatic. Happy New Year, and here’s to clarity, alignment, and meaningful progress. Follow me on Facebook and LinkedIn  for more info! Read more from Eljin Keeling-Johnson Eljin Keeling-Johnson, Personal Development Coach In 2005, Eljin walked into therapy battling anxiety, depression, and drug addiction. What began as a search for healing became a profound journey of self-discovery. Emerging with a renewed sense of purpose, he dedicated his life to helping others find their true selves and step into their full potential. Over the past 16 years, Eljin has delivered more than 16,000 hours of transformative coaching, blending conscious, subconscious, and unconscious work to create deep, lasting change. As the visionary behind the Alignment Method programme, his mission is simple yet powerful, to help people connect, grow, and thrive.

Written by Kate Taylor, Registered Nutritionist Kate is a Registered Nutritionist and the Founder of Eat Drink Think Nutrition Limited. Kate supports systemic health & wellness through pesonalised nutrition, diet and lifestyle strategies & recommendations, and particularly specialises in Brain health, cognitive function and Dementia risk-avoidance. It is the start of a new year and potentially the springboard for new resolutions and health’spirations. If your aspirations centre around health, and most particularly brain health, here are four ideas on how you can economically invest your finances while simultaneously nutritionally nourishing your brain health. Invest in a decent bottle of extra virgin olive oil. EVOO confers many benefits on brain health and cognitive function, and since you only use a small, tablespoon-sized drizzle at a time, it lasts. Also, make sure the container is dark in colour to minimise the chance that the EVOO will be corrupted, since it is very sensitive to distortion from exposure to light and oxygen. Ensure the container is not made of plastic to minimise the opportunity for microplastics to leach into the liquid, as fats are very efficient at pulling the contents of their surroundings into their composition. Chew your food. This offers indispensable support for brain health through bolstering neuroplasticity, cognitive processing speed, memory, and learning, principally through exercising and optimising hippocampal function. Chewing also increases nutrient absorption from food, makes the act of eating feel more satiating, it is surprising how much fuller you feel when chewing food thoroughly, supports gut health, as if the teeth accomplish the majority of the breaking down, the stomach needs to work less hard to achieve the same outcome, and supports the oral microbiome through the production and cleansing action of saliva. Furthermore, conscious chewing may encourage us to honour the Japanese principle of Hara Hachi Bu, eating until feeling 80 percent full. If we are feeling fuller on appropriate quantities of food, this indirectly regulates appetite and portion control, thereby supporting the food purchasing economy and reducing potential food waste. Go shopping in person. This achieves several brain and health benefits. It adds to your daily movement, which may support the generation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a well-evidenced, naturally derived trophic protein that supports cognitive function in healthy and mildly cognitively impaired brains and is therefore colloquially considered fertilizer for the brain. It offers the opportunity to conduct on-shelf price comparisons and take advantage of in-store deals, and it facilitates your ability to make on-site judgements about food appearance rather than relying on a third party to over hastily fulfil an order or make arbitrary food swaps, which may trigger unnecessary food and financial waste. I have also anecdotally noticed that when spending money in person, the temptation to overspend is far less than when spending money electronically. You may therefore find yourself buying food with a need-aware mentality rather than a want-driven outlook, leading to more health and purse-conscious food buying choices. Batch cook. If you are investing time in preparing meals, cooking in itself is a workout for the brain. Why not make a larger portion and store some away, not in plastic containers, for later in the week? This makes sense from both a health-conscious and finance-conscious perspective, as you may subsequently reduce the risk of over-buying overpriced processed meals. This efficiently manages finances and potentially reduces wasted food because, in addition to the environmental impact, wasting food is literally throwing money away. I hope you enjoyed these few light-hearted nutritional therapy tips and can see yourself actioning them in the new year 2026 and beyond. If a functional medicine perspective to nurturing, nourishing, and supporting your brain health and cognitive function is of interest, the time to act is now. Why postpone what could be actioned today? Investing in your brain health and brainspan could be the wisest decision you ever make. Please note that these are general nutritional therapy and functional medicine recommendations. They are not personalised and are not tailored to account for, or include recommendations for, any existing health imbalances or medical conditions. In these cases, please consult a medical professional and or a nutritionist or dietician if you have a particular health or dietary requirement. Follow me on Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Kate Taylor Kate Taylor, Registered Nutritionist Kate is an advocate of proactive and preventative healthcare through optimising and personalising the basics, nutrition, diet, and lifestyle. Kate's experiences watching those around her develop and decline from Dementia instilled in her a mindset of 'prevention is better than cure' and that, particularly when it comes to Brain health and Dementia risk-avoidance, the perception 'false hopelessness' should not triumph over health optimism. Whilst sensitive to the fact that Brain health and Dementia risk-avoidance is multifaceted and cannot be solely addressed by nutrition, Kate's professional nutritional aspiration is to empower & inspire people that diet and lifestyle are integral foundations to health, healthspan, and importantly, Brainspan. References: Alkhalifa, A.E., et.al . (2024). Extra-Virgin Olive Oil in Alzheimer's Disease: A Comprehensive Review of Cellular, Animal, and Clinical Studies. doi: 10.3390/ijms25031914 Buettner, D. (2011) Enjoy Food and Lose Weight with one simple phrase. Chen, H., et.al . (2015) Chewing Maintains Hippocampus-Dependent Cognitive Function. doi: 10.7150/ijms.11911 Cheng, Y., et.al . (2025) Effects of three aerobic exercise modalities (walking, running, and cycling) on circulating brain- derived neurotrophic factor in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2025.1673786 Esposto, S., et.al. (2017) Effect of light exposure on the quality of extra virgin olive oils according to their chemical composition. Fazlollahi, A., et.al . (2023) The effects of olive oil consumption on cognitive performance: a systematic review. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1218538 Freitas, F., et.al . (2024) Analysis of Plasticizer Contamination Throughout Olive Oil Production. doi: 10.3390/molecules29246013 Fukkoshi, Y, et.al. (2015) The Relationship of eating until 80% full with types and energy values of food consumed. Khalil, M.H. (2025) The Impact of Walking on BDNF as a Biomarker of Neuroplasticity: a Systematic Review. doi: 10.3390/brainsci15030254 Kilian, M., et al. (2016) The oral microbiome – an update for oral healthcare professionals. Kumar, A., et.al. (2023). Chewing and its influence on swallowing, gastrointestinal and nutrition-related factors: a systematic review. Lettieri, M., (2025) Chewing Matters: Masticatory Function, Oral Microbiota, and Gut Health in the Nutritional Management of Aging. doi: 10.3390/nu17152507 Ma. Therese Sta. Maria, et.al. (2023) The relationships between mastication and cognitive function: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Miquel-Kergoat, S., et.al. (2015) Effects of chewing on appetite, food intake and gut hormones: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Millman, J.F,, et.al . (2021) Extra-virgin olive oil and the gut-brain axis: influence on gut microbiota, mucosal immunity, and cardiometabolic and cognitive health. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuaa148 Romero Garavito, A., et.al . (2025) Impact of physical exercise on the regulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in people with neurodegenerative diseases. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1505879 Sun-Waterhouse, D., et.al. (2021) Towards human well-being through proper chewing and safe swallowing: multidisciplinary of food design. Tessier, A., et.al . (2024) Consumption of Olive Oil and Diet Quality and Risk of Dementia-Related Death. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.10021 Wang, Y.H., et.al . (2022) The effect of physical exercise on circulating brain-derived neurotrophic factor in healthy subjects: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. doi: 10.1002/brb3.2544 Yaoita, F., et.al . (2022) Impact of habitual chewing on gut motility via microbiota transition.

Written by Cavelle Vieira, Author & Autism Parent Coach Cavelle Vieira is the author of Sammy and Mummy: A Story of Autism, Hope and A Mother's Belief and Sammy and Mummy: Sammy's Kitchen. She holds a Degree in Business Management, a Diploma in Naturopathic Medicine and Certificates in Compassionate Discipline, Occupational Therapy, Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) in children and Speech Therapy. As we step into 2026, autism parents are carrying more than they ever imagined possible. We are carrying years of advocacy, research, appointments, decisions, second-guessing, breakthroughs, and setbacks, all while continuing to show up for our children every single day. Many of us enter this new year tired in ways that sleep does not fix. Yet beneath that exhaustion is something powerful, experience. Perspective. Strength earned the hard way. We are not the same parents we were when we first heard the word autism spoken over our children’s futures. And that change matters. In the early days, many of us searched for someone to tell us what to do. We wanted certainty. A roadmap. A guarantee. But autism does not offer straight lines, and parenting within it requires something deeper than instructions. It requires commitment. Looking back on my own journey with my son, Samuel, I now understand that the most meaningful progress did not come from one professional, one program, or one moment. It came from what happened in between appointments. It came from discipline. From dedication. From consistency practiced quietly at home. Autism parenting is not about doing everything. It is about doing the right things repeatedly, even when no one is watching. Discipline, in this context, is not rigidity or control. It is devotion. It is choosing structure over chaos, calm over reactivity, and intention over impulse, again and again. Dedication is staying present when the progress feels invisible. It is continuing to learn when the information feels overwhelming. It is believing in your child even on the days you doubt yourself. As parents, we are the constant in our children’s lives. Therapists may change. Programs may shift. Research will evolve. But we remain the steady presence, learning our children’s cues, understanding their sensory needs, recognizing emotional thresholds, and advocating when their voices are not yet heard. There was a pivotal moment in my journey when I stopped outsourcing my intuition. I did not abandon professional support. Instead, I learned how to integrate it with my lived knowledge of my child. That balance changed everything. True empowerment in autism parenting begins when we trust ourselves enough to lead. One of the most transformative shifts I experienced was embracing compassionate discipline. As the author of Sammy and Mummy: Compassionate Discipline, I have seen firsthand how guidance rooted in understanding creates safety, not fear. Autistic children do not need to be controlled. They need to be understood. Discipline is not about punishment. It is about teaching. It is about modeling emotional regulation, holding boundaries without shame, and creating predictability in a world that often feels overwhelming. This approach requires more from parents, not less. It asks us to regulate ourselves first. To pause before reacting. To remain grounded when emotions run high. But the outcome is profound: trust, connection, and resilience. Children do not rise to our expectations. They rise to our nervous systems. Some of the most meaningful breakthroughs in our home happened far away from clinics or assessments. They occurred during shared meals, bedtime routines, moments of repair after difficult days, and the countless small choices that rarely get noticed. Discipline is built in those moments. Dedication is proven there. As we step into 2026, autism parents are being called to release the pressure to fix everything. We are being asked instead to lead with presence, patience, and purpose. You do not need to do more. You need to do what matters, consistently. Your discipline creates safety. Your dedication builds trust. Your belief shapes possibility. I am still learning. Still healing. Still practicing the words I write. Growth in this journey is not linear, and strength is often quiet. But I know this with certainty: the difference has always been us. And as we move forward into 2026, that truth has never mattered more. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Cavelle Vieira Cavelle Vieira, Author & Autism Parent Coach Cavelle is also the founder of Sammy and Mummy Coaching for Parents where she helps families navigate autism through natural recovery, emotional comnection and mindful parenting.

Written by Aisha Saintiche, Certified Health Coach With over fifteen years of experience in mental health, accessibility, and diversity and inclusion, Aisha has used her experience as a strategic advisor and health coach to understand the complexity and intersectionality of the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual barriers that keep people from achieving their optimized health and wellness. As 2025 bids us farewell, I find myself reflecting on the word that guided me through the year, refinement. I chose refinement intentionally. Not because I wanted to change everything, but because I wanted to listen more closely to my body, my values, my work, and my spirit. Refinement asked me to slow down and examine what was already in place. It invited me to adjust rather than overhaul, to edit instead of accumulate. What 2025 taught me is this, growth isn’t always about adding more. More often, it’s about clarifying. What refinement taught me Refinement showed me that alignment is more powerful than effort. There were moments when pushing harder felt like the answer, but the real progress came when I paused and asked whether my actions matched my values and capacity. When alignment was present, things moved with more ease and far less exhaustion. I also learned that boundaries are not barriers, they are guides. Refinement sharpened my ability to say no without guilt and yes with intention. Every boundary clarified where my energy truly belonged. Another lesson was recognizing when something was no longer aligned, even if it was “working.” Refinement helped me understand that outgrowing a role, rhythm, or version of myself doesn’t mean it failed. It means it served its purpose. Perhaps the most grounding lesson of all was around rest. Refinement reminded me that rest isn’t a reward for productivity. It’s a requirement for sustainability. Listening to my nervous system became non-negotiable. Stepping into 2026: The year of reinvention As I step into 2026, my word is reinvention. Reinvention feels like a natural next step, not a rejection of what I’ve learned, but an embodiment of it. If refinement was about awareness, reinvention is about action. It’s about choosing differently because I now know better. Reinvention means redefining success in ways that don’t cost peace or health. It means trusting intuition alongside strategy, releasing outdated roles and expectations, and showing up in ways that reflect who I am now, not who I needed to be in previous seasons. Reinvention is not starting over. It’s starting aligned. How 2025 empowered my reinvention Everything refinement taught me becomes fuel for reinvention: Alignment becomes my compass. Boundaries become my foundation. Rest becomes my strategy. Self trust becomes my guide. Instead of rushing to prove, I’m choosing to move with clarity. Instead of shrinking or over explaining, I’m choosing to stand firmly in what feels true. An invitation for you As you reflect on your own year and look ahead, I invite you to sit with a few questions: What did 2025 refine in you? Where did you learn to edit instead of add? What no longer feels aligned, even if it’s familiar? What lessons are you carrying forward into the new year? If reinvention were your word, what would it ask you to release or reclaim? You don’t have to have all the answers. Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is listen. Here’s to honouring what refinement taught us and stepping boldly, gently, and audaciously into reinvention. Wishing you clarity, courage, and alignment in the year ahead. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Aisha Saintiche Aisha Saintiche, Certified Health Coach Aisha Saintiche is a certified health coach and the founder and owner of MetoMoi Health. With over fifteen years of experience in mental health, accessibility, and diversity and inclusion, Aisha has used her experience as a strategic advisor and health coach to understand the complexity and intersectionality of the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual barriers that keep people from achieving their optimized health and wellness.

Written by Ash Miner, MS, MM, Shamanic Practitioner & Teacher Ash Miner's passions for music and animals resulted in 2 bachelor's degrees and 3 master's degrees before she applied that knowledge to shamanic healing and teaching. A self-published author of the book The Answer to Everything: Earth Wisdom & Beauty, Ash hopes to one day found a healing sanctuary for people and animals who have survived trauma. Welcome, dear readers, to my sixth article, part four of my articles on this ancient spiritual practice called shamanism. If you haven’t read my first article , I would encourage you to at least do that, and preferably read from the beginning  of my publications. Each of my 11 articles for Brainz Magazine builds on the others as teaching stories. This is the old way of sharing wisdom that my helping Spirits have instructed me to follow. I will continue the story, then share the teachings of it afterward for clarity. Where we left off, Raven had just completed her first shamanic journey and was going out into the forest to learn how to ground the work with the help of Mel, the shamanic practitioner & teacher, and a Tree helper. Raven hadn’t even had a chance to take notes and share yet, because she had some mild discomfort that prioritized doing grounding work first. Now, the sylvotherapy (forest bathing) practitioner in me wants to note that forests have tremendous benefits on our physical and emotional health. Even just being with sunlight, green leaves, and the soil of the forest floor is scientifically proven to boost health in a myriad of ways. Sunlight, as we know, stimulates vitamin D in us and photosynthesis in plants – an interesting parallel. But the wavelengths for green light have a myriad of health benefits as well, plus the grounding effects of connecting with the Earth beneath our feet directly. Feel free to reach out if you’d like to learn more or go more in-depth with forest healing work specifically. Teaching stories, part 5 Raven followed Mel out the back door of Mel’s cabin and into the forest. The sun shone brightly, twinkling through the leaves of the trees and down onto the forest floor before them. Within a few yards, though, the shade of the tree canopies overtook the light, and only a scarce spattering of light beams could be seen within the forest itself. As the two approached the treeline, Mel instructed Raven to take off her shoes and socks and walk barefoot from there. A narrow, but soft path lay before them, inviting them in, so they stepped forward and began their walk. “Let me know when a tree calls to you,” Meliae instructed Raven. “Calls to me? How will I know when a tree calls to me?” Raven asked, dubious. “It might feel magnetic, or you might hear its song, or like a fishing reel at your navel pulling you in,” Mel explained, “This is also referred to as a medicine walk or walking journey, where we let Nature, the Spirit of the Forest, offer help or guidance.” So onward they walked. Birds would sing to each other, insects would buzz from flower to flower, squirrels would squeak and chase each other, and even deer would pause their peaceful grazing to offer the gift of their focus. Still, Raven did not hear or feel the calling of a tree. Mel seemed in no rush whatsoever, so guilt and pressure began to release from Raven as she walked ever onward into the darkening depths of the forest. It was then that Raven felt something, as though attached at the hip, pulling her sideways to the right. She turned her head to see a most glorious young tree, about the same height as she, glowing in a small beam of sunlight through the canopy above. “I found it!” Raven exclaimed, unable to contain her excitement. This was absolutely true, totally real, and very powerful. She couldn’t believe it. A tree was calling to her. She sidled over to the tree, held one of its leaves between the palms of her hands, and marveled at its every detail while she waited for Mel to catch up. Mel smiled with a wise and knowing expression. She, too, could recall the first time a tree had connected to her in this deeper way, though she had the good fortune of being much younger than Raven is now. She jogged lightly over to meet Raven at a beautiful little aspen sapling, which stood in front of its much larger and older brothers and sisters. Aspens are rarely individual, but one root system with several trees above the surface. What a wonderful ally for Raven to work with. “What is it?” Raven asked, turning to Mel as she arrived beside her. “It’s an aspen,” Mel answered without detail. “It’s just like me,” Raven began, “we’re the same height, even similar bark and skin tones, and its leaves are so beautiful. It is so powerful, so alive,” Raven remarked further. “What a blessing you have found each other,” Meliae replied without judgment or alteration to Raven’s experience, before instructing, “Ask it how you can ground your experience today, see what happens.” “Aloud or in my head?” Raven asked, not taking her eyes off her new aspen tree friend. “From your heart,” Meliae instructed, gazing adoringly at the sapling. Raven closed her eyes, instinctively put her hands on her heart, and asked the question, "How can I ground after my journey?" She sat in silence for only a little while before she could hear a tender voice say, “Your torso is your trunk, your legs are your roots. You are rooted wherever you are if you connect to your feet.” Raven gasped, both knowing and doubting she didn’t make that up. “What did she say?” Meliae asked, then bit her lip as she unintentionally announced her recognition of the tree’s spirit’s gender. “Wait, how did you know she’s a girl?!” Raven stared at Mel directly now, awestruck. “Magic,” Meliae said slyly as she winked at Raven. “She said, ‘Your torso is your trunk, your legs are your roots. You are rooted wherever you are if you connect to your feet.’” Raven recited perfectly. “Aha,” said Mel, “And how is that for you, to connect to your feet?” “Well, I mean, it’s tricky,” Raven explained, “I’ve had some nerve damage from stepping on a nail when I was little and can’t really feel my feet all the way ever since.” “Sounds like you need an extraction,” said Mel, “But that’s for another day. How is it right now? Can you maybe connect with the souls, S - O - U - L - S, of your feet?” Raven closed her eyes and simply tried it by intention. There is no way to know how to do that except to try, she assumed. And sure enough, the awareness of her feet grew, and as that connection reformed, her feet began to feel more like tree roots, shooting off here and there between the numb spots. The nausea after returning from the journey went away within just a few seconds of this, and Raven felt a rush of warmth come up through her feet to her entire body – even though she knew her feet were cold from being exposed to the bare earth beneath. She sighed with relief, her entire body relaxing. “Better?” Mel asked, though she already knew the answer. It’s always powerful to say the change out loud. “Much!” exclaimed Raven. So they began a gentle, honoring walk in silence back to Mel’s cabin after bidding the aspen sapling goodbye with heartfelt gratitude. They put their shoes and socks back on before reentering the cabin through the same back door. Once they were seated and comfortable, Raven took a big gulp of water, and Mel said, “Now, take some notes and tell me all about your journey.” Story teachings: A Shamanic Journey In this story, we learn that we can journey to the Spirits in the Spirit World, but also by going on a walk to the Spirits in Nature as well. Medicine walks are one of my absolute favorite shamanic practices, and I love to do walking journeys like this with “What is my first [or next] step?” intentions. Clair senses, or soul senses as I prefer to call them, feel different but can be experienced similarly to our ordinary, everyday senses. We can call on them in the Spirit World, as well as in the Living World. It may take a while, and it may not be at all what you expect, but this spiritual experience is the birthright of every human on Earth. We see it described in cultures all across the globe, so there is no appropriation or blockage of any kind for any of us. All of us had ancestors who walked in this way, who were shamanic. When we share our experience, it is best for the shamanic practitioner to hold space and not interpret, judge, or alter it in any way. This is a sacred time, and we do not put our own projections above the direct revelations from the Spirits to the Soul. Feel free to let me know what you see in this walking journey, this medicine walk. What wisdom did I not disclose? Are there parallels between Raven’s experiences and the aspen sapling? We’ll see how I recommend spirit journeys be worked with in the next article. Stay tuned! Follow me on Facebook and Instagram for more info! Read more from Ash Miner Ash Miner, MS, MM, Shamanic Practitioner & Teacher Ash Miner's personal journey of healing PTSD led her to shamanism. Despite being a total skeptic, she knew in 1 session this was her path, and had been since she was a very little girl. Ash has spent years studying extensively, completing US training by Sandra Ingerman, as well as with Jonathan Horwitz and Zara Waldebäck in Sweden. She has found her true calling in teaching and offering shamanic healing to human beings, animals, and the Earth. Her extensive background in music education and performance, as well as animal behavior, provides a scientific framework for her soul work. She specializes in healing song and healing story. Her mission is to demystify shamanism to make it an approachable healing modality for all of humanity.

Written by Viviana Meloni, Private Chartered Principal Psychologist Viviana Meloni is the Director of Inside Out multilingual Psychological Therapy, a private principal psychologist, HCPC registered, chartered member of the British Psychological Society, EMDR UK member, with recognition for her clinical leadership, and author of specialist trainings in trauma, emotional dysregulation, and personality disorders. She also holds a Senior Leader Psychologist role in the National Health Service in the United Kingdom at SLaM, a globally recognized leader in mental health research. Moreover, she is reviewing institutional partnerships in the United Arab Emirates.  You are desired. And yet, in the next moment, that desire evaporates. A message goes unanswered. A match disappears. Someone newer, brighter, instantly available replaces them. In the endless scroll of profiles, the human psyche is trapped in a relentless loop, longing, frustration, fleeting pleasure, and subtle rage. Love becomes a gamble with no rules, lust becomes compulsive, a rhythm without meaning. What was once the slow architecture of desire, attachment, patience, disappointment, and risk has been compressed into a machine that rewards immediacy and punishes vulnerability. In the age of swipes, the psyche is both starved and overstimulated, and intimacy has become a high-stakes psychological battleground. A case study in swipe culture: Lust, anxiety, and the mechanism of rejection Emily, 38, and James, 42, both seek therapy after months of digital dating frustration. Emily is anxiously attached. She obsessively rereads messages and agonizes over every delayed response. Each perceived rejection triggers panic, self-blame, and sudden bursts of anger. “I want them to like me, but I also want to punish them before they can hurt me,” she confesses. Her profile claims “I’m not looking for anything serious,” masking a deep desire for intimacy. James is avoidantly attached. Closeness triggers fear. When Emily expresses her need for reassurance, he withdraws, feeling suffocated. He portrays himself as carefree and sexually adventurous, concealing vulnerability. Ghosting, intermittent attention, and emotional distancing have become his primary defences. Together, they enact a familiar pattern: Emily’s pursuit intensifies James’s withdrawal; James’s withdrawal intensifies Emily’s anxiety. Lust, flirtation, and casual encounters are interwoven with frustration, fear, and subtle power dynamics. Emily occasionally fantasizes about punishing James emotionally. James experiences small victories in maintaining distance. Both oscillate between desire, resentment, and compulsive control. This caseload illustrates how dating apps amplify pre-existing attachment dynamics, encourage false selves, and create a feedback loop of unprocessed rejection, frustration, and subtle aggression. Lust becomes a tool for emotional regulation; love becomes psychologically expensive. Attachment under chronic digital pressure Anxious attachment: Rejection is experienced as abandonment in real time, triggering hypervigilance, rumination, and emotional volatility. Avoidant attachment: Absence confirms pre-existing fears of dependence. Withdrawal, devaluation, and ghosting protect the self from vulnerability. Disorganized attachment: Desire and fear coexist. Individuals oscillate between pursuit and cruelty, digitally reenacting early relational trauma. Even securely attached individuals risk emotional fatigue over time. Repeated exposure to disposability erodes openness, fostering cynicism and detachment. Why people lie on dating apps Lying is rarely about manipulation alone. Psychologically, it is a protective adaptation: Defense against vulnerability: People exaggerate independence, claim they want casual connections, or conceal true emotional needs to avoid being hurt. False self-construction: Misrepresenting personality, lifestyle, or intentions shields the psyche from repeated rejection. Frustration management: When desire is repeatedly thwarted, false narratives provide control and restore a sense of dignity. These lies are deeply entwined with attachment patterns, fear of loss, and the need to regulate affect. Deception becomes a survival strategy in the algorithmic landscape of endless availability and instant replacement. Frustration, rage, and revenge fantasies Unprocessed hurt often morphs into subtle aggression: Strategic withdrawal Breadcrumbing Emotional manipulation These behaviours are defensive reenactments: the wounded attachment system asserts control over the very pain that once dominated it. Lust intertwines with mastery and revenge, producing a complex interplay of desire, fear, and aggression. Lust without meaning, love without depth Sex often functions as emotional self-regulation, not relational transformation. Pleasure occurs, but the psyche remains untouched. Desire circulates endlessly, leaving users restless, detached, and emotionally exhausted. Love (requiring patience, ambiguity, and risk)is sidelined. Cognitive and emotional consequences of infinite choice Dating apps amplify cognitive distortions and emotional strain: Choice overload – paralysis, dissatisfaction Availability heuristics – exaggerated replaceability Dehumanization – others reduced to traits Emotional dysregulation – repeated cycles of hope and despair The nervous system is repeatedly activated without resolution. Desire is endless; satisfaction never integrates psychologically. Conclusion: Love as a labyrinth of desire and self-deception In the age of swipes, love is no longer a linear path, it is a labyrinth of desire, frustration, and self-deception. Each interaction tests attachment patterns, each unreturned message challenges self-concept, and each curated profile prompts the creation of a defensive false self. To fall in love now is to navigate layers of projection, longing, and unconscious defense. Lies, omissions, and strategic self-presentation are not moral failings, they are adaptations, attempts to survive the relentless instability of algorithmic desire. Lust becomes both a substitute for intimacy and a rehearsal for control, while true connection demands negotiating a terrain that is simultaneously seductive, punishing, and psychologically unsafe. Modern love requires bearing the tension of vulnerability and disappointment, embracing the risk that one’s authentic self may be unseen, rejected, or misread. It is not simply a choice or an emotion, it is a continuous psychological negotiation, a daring engagement with the self and the other that exposes both our deepest longings and our most guarded defenses. To love today is to confront the psyche’s most intimate fractures, and to move through them without the guarantee of reward. Visit my website  for more info! Read more from Viviana Meloni Viviana Meloni, Private Chartered Principal Psychologist Viviana Meloni is the founder and the clinical Director of Inside Out Multilingual Psychological Therapy, a London-based private psychology consultancy across popular locations including Kensington, Wimbledon, Chiswick, West Hampstead, and Canary Wharf. Viviana Meloni provides psychological consultations, assessments, formulations, and treatment in English, Italian, Spanish, and her company’s extensive network enables multilingual collaborations and liaison with Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Punjabi, and Russian languages. She firmly believes that in every challenge lies an opportunity to grow, heal, and inspire. References: Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. R. (2023). Attachment in Adulthood: Structure, Dynamics, and Change. Guilford Press. D’Angelo, J. D., & Toma, C. L. (2024). Rejection, Ghosting, and Emotional Regulation in Dating Apps. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. McWilliams, N. (2024). Psychoanalytic Reflections on Contemporary Relational Defenses. Guilford Press. Timmermans, E., & Courtois, C. (2023). Dating App Use and Psychological Vulnerability. Computers in Human Behavior. Han, B.-C. (2022/2024). The Agony of Eros. MIT Press.

Charles Gragg is a healthcare innovator, strategist, and speaker dedicated to transforming the way organizations approach healthcare. For too long, companies have been trapped in a cycle of unjustified rising costs, higher deductibles, and declining outcomes, a system that fails employers and employees alike. With extensive experience analyzing flaws of today's healthcare economy, Charles brings executive-level insights and patient-centered solutions to create a disruptive new vision for corporate healthcare. Charles W. Gragg, Healthcare Innovator, Strategist, and Speaker Who is Charles W. Gragg? Charles W. Gragg, a Health Insurance executive, author, and public speaker, is recognized as an alternative solutions expert focused on providing sustainable, forward-thinking health plan solutions that transform runaway health insurance expenses into valued assets to the corporate balance sheet. His message is driven by years of experience in providing these solutions to thousands of employer groups across the country, who took the path of self-funding as their financial vehicle, and began to take control of health care spending inside their own plan as opposed to renting one from the nationally known carriers. These customizable solutions have saved those employers literally millions of dollars by simply taking control of this otherwise uncontrollable expense. His mantra is that you should own your health plan and run it like any other segment of your business in order to keep not only the costs of your plan under control, but to continually focus the outcomes of your healthcare expenses on the well-being and mindset of those it serves – your employees and their dependents. What inspired you to start helping businesses with financial planning and strategic consulting? Early in my career, I saw the need to offer something different than the traditional method of offering corporate employers the same-old insurance company solution, chasing rate-increase after rate-increase year after year. Advisors that are tuned into real solutions call that “running on the hamster wheel.” The problem with offering that solution was, and still is today, that the focus in on the wrong piece of the puzzle. Where most advisors and employers focus on lowering their costs by lowering benefits paid by the plan, or shifting the costs to the employees by raising deductibles or shifting payments to spending accounts and raising out-of-pocket limits of their “plan design”. Those sleight-of-hand magic tricks only put more financial burden on employees to carry the weight of rising costs, and totally miss the mark of the true culprit in this charade. How do you define success for the clients you work with? Those who succeed in transforming their health plan strategy and results start with a change of mindset and vision of the primary reasons for offering a health plan for their workforce in the first place. That reason is, 99% of the time, employers want their employees to have the security and peace-of-mind that their employer cares about their well-being and health as a fundamental value of the workplace. He wants the very “best” healthcare possible for his employees, and not just “more” healthcare with unnecessary spending and frivolous experiences. He is willing to invest in the lives of his employees by providing better methodology of accessing the best healthcare for them. Another factor is the mindset change, whereby the successful company understands that it runs a health plan as the 2nd largest operating expense on its corporate balance sheet. And the traditional method of “buying” health insurance from an insurance company is merely “renting that expense” from them and subsequently turning his checkbook over to that carrier to run his plan for him. The mindset change is to “take control of that expense”, leave the insurance company, and run that health plan like any other segment of the business, as a unit and an asset versus an uncontrollable expense. That takes the form of a “self-funded” health plan that ensures the employer that he now controls the deliverables, and the “outcomes” of every feature of his customizable plan. An asset through and through, both on the balance sheet and in good faith to offer better solutions and outcomes of better health for his employees, all at lower costs and higher quality. That corporate asset is transferable both in culture and financials as a corporate legacy. What are the most common challenges your clients face before they work with you? There are a number of pushbacks the employer faces. Number one is belief in what I profess from my 50 years of experience working in every phase of this business. Then, the decision whether to listen to peers, his own benefits advisor, the health insurance community (of carriers), and sometimes his own executive staff, who may fear that this is an overwhelming task to tackle. However, once he understands that this “elephant in the room” is not to be eaten all in one setting, but rather one bite at a time. He can then digest the problem with his largest issues one at a time, and build a plan tailor-made for his taste and operational capacity. He should not fear that this approach is a matter of “taking on enormous amounts of risk”, as some would say. This insurance segment of the industry has matured over the past 50 years so that the “risk” element is extremely small compared to the gains, and rate increases he faces today without this solution. And there are numerous alternatives for that “risk” element that can also be translated into assets versus expenses as well. More control, more assets on the balance sheet. Win-Win proposition. How do you approach solving complex financial and pricing strategy problems? You might ask: “How does an employer approach solving these complex financial and pricing strategy issues?” The solution is: “We cannot begin to talk about lowering costs or pricing until we address ‘lowering claims’ costs. I'm not talking about taking anything away from employees who have claims. I am referring to lowering the cost of claims currently being incurred. The issue in American healthcare is not “getting more healthcare”; it is “getting better quality healthcare”, and at a “better, often negotiated price”. Putting best practices into place to offer those solutions to his employees wins both battles – Higher quality healthcare, at Lower prices overall. Again: Win-Win! Your follow-up question might be: How does he make that happen? The easy answer is that “ultimately” his goal is to divorce completely the Insurance “network” of providers and develop his own “high performance network of providers and facilities”: to offer that care to his employees. By negotiating higher quality healthcare, and most often at lower costs per unit of care, he will provide both better service to the employees, and both parties save money in the process. Some in the industry call that “the Walmart model” because that is what that industry giant began doing at the beginning of this. 21st century. The proof is in the pudding: Walmart has improved healthcare quality and saved millions of dollars as a result. To answer that question directly, an employer does not try to take on all of this process within his own staff. He hires these processes out to “fiduciary” providers of service. A term the insurance carriers admonish and do not subscribe to; because premiums to them is now “their money” and no longer the employers’ In essence, a fiduciary is someone who is bound to look after your money, and business affairs with a greater degree of care than that of his own, An employer acting upon those principles has some assurance that his affairs are being attended to with much greater integrity. Can you share a story of a client who transformed their business with your guidance? I could tell many a story here. Rather than dig into the weeds with too many details, let me just say that over the course of 45 years, I was involved with some phase of this solution to over 1000 employers around the country. Most of those employers saved anywhere from 10%, 20%, and even 50% over what they were spending in any given year prior to moving away from the traditional insurance community. You can only imagine what those savings produced inside their companies where more financial investment was made to expand and grow their business rather than preserve the culture and happiness of the employees by offering “insurance with a “big-name” insurance carrier. The irony is that those who made the move accomplished both goals in the process. Conversely, I can attest that within that same 1000+ employer community, I can only name less than a handful (-5) or so that made a switch back to the traditional insurance route of coverage while I was engaged with their businesses; and those that did make the move had extenuating circumstance involved, like selling off the majority of their business, along with most of their employee population, or the business went bankrupt from an operational standpoint outside of the health plans, etc. And that reason being that the health plan was not a contributing factor to other troubled business issues. What makes your consulting approach different from other advisors in your field? I look at this way of consulting with an employer much like that of a physician, to take the clinical approach. Do not prescribe before you diagnose. You must dig into the mindset and goals of an employer, and determine his commitment and ability to process and construct his custom-made solution. Also, consider the population of employees and dependents covered by his plan, and consider their current health conditions before addressing how those conditions need attention from the health plan. Most advisors have decided the solution(s) they are going to bring to the table, and often have proposals prepared for those solutions long before ever discussing with an employer regarding his goals, both short and long-term, and his “why” to begin with, as to his purpose of providing a health plan solution for his employees. Both of those factors play into any solution that should be brought to light to a client (employer group team) before presenting any solutions willy-nilly. Secondly, my approach is purely consultative in nature. There is no “sales pitch”, nor any products to sell, nor commissions to be earned from the employer based upon amounts of services being bought; much less the idea of “renting his health insurance from a carrier”. The only true solution for an employer that wants to solve this horrific financial burden is to “own” his own version of a health plan that fulfills his goals and provides the best accompanying outcomes to his employees. How do you tailor your services to meet the unique needs of each business? Very simply, the employer must begin to “build” his own plan and solution, whereby I diagnose just how far the employer is willing to take his solution down a new, untraveled road, and then begin to help him plan the route and timeline to accomplish that journey. Some employers want to crawl before they walk, and walk before they run into a new and unique solution. Others want to and do simply dive in head-first into the midst of the journey from day one. Either way is good, and not an issue as long as the journey begins now. Otherwise, an employer is merely practicing as the definition of “insanity”; that is, to continue to do the same things as in the past, but expecting a different result. And that habit will not provide a different result, period, drop the mic. I helped that employer start and build a health plan of his own, then turned the project of managing it over to his executive teams and administrative vendors. What trends are you seeing now that business owners should pay attention to? The “trends” that I see in this Insurance industry segment are the solutions that I see every day now being offered by the new generation of health plan solution subscribers. The final product is one of customization. Because there are many moving parts to the development and administration of a health plan, no two are necessarily exactly the same, nor using the same fundamental pieces or parts toward building that client solution. In the past, most of health plan products were “off-the-shelf” box policies. There may have been 4-5 different provisions or benefits alternatives offered, but the engine, the chassis of the products, were all the same. In fact, the real differences were all merely cost-shifters. That is, they moved plan costs and benefits from the Insurance Company’s responsibility to either the Employer’s premiums cost, or the Employee’s “out-of-pocket” costs. They accomplished absolutely nothing in lowering the overall spend or cost of healthcare, and took no consideration what-so-ever to “outcomes” of that healthcare provided. The new generation of health plan spending accomplishes just the opposite, and clearly defines the “access” to better healthcare, usually at a lower cost, and with better “outcomes” of the service provided before it has even begun, by discerning the best possible providers of care on the front-end of the process, and steers the patient toward those solutions. What measurable outcomes can clients expect when they work with you? Bottom line, an employer who follows this path can expect to see measurable, sustainable savings from their health plan spend year after year, from the very beginning. That is, IF he engages the strategies that I endorse, and he takes the time and effort to educate his employees as well, and holds them accountable to the system and methodology I bring to the table. That bottom line is better quality healthcare solutions, and at lower overall costs to both parties’ pocketbooks, with more satisfaction for all from their health plan. In metric terms, that is 10, 20, 30-50% savings accumulating year after year. How do you help clients make confident decisions in uncertain economic conditions? If by that, you mean circumstantially uncertain times, then the answer is, what better way to weather tough times in a business than to have happier, healthier employees and save money as a bonus. If you mean globally uncertain economic times, then similarly, by helping his own company’s financial and employment situation, then he is easing the load for the balance of our economy as well. If a business owner is on the fence, what would you say to convince them to reach out to you today? Get started now. This solution or methodology of solutions is a process, and not an overnight, one-size-fits-all fix to solving a complex healthcare issue plaguing our nation. The idea is not to push some easy button and all is fixed. But rather to “get started” on a path toward finally solving this age-old dilemma. An employer is starting to take control of a part of his business and run it like any other part or form of business, and that sometimes takes some preparation, planning, and education for all involved to get the process working effectively. Once started, he will see immediate changes in the shape and financial impact of his decisions to control this beast. Within a year, two years, five years, he will wonder why he did not do this many years ago. I can promise, everything else being the same, he will not turn back to the old form of providing healthcare for his valued employee workforce, Guaranteed! Let me paint a picture for you. If you could take a blank canvas and draw the perfect health plan, with the perfect solutions and a perfect price tag, what would that look like? Imagine 5 years down the road that you have built a healthcare solution as an asset to your company, its officers, its stockholders, and its employees. The health care provided to your population is better than it has ever been, and employee satisfaction with the company is at an all-time high, and subsequently with the lowest turnover rate in your company history. There is money in your trust to fund your health plan for a full year beyond where you are now, made up entirely from savings over the previous time period since making this move, and without investing another penny, if you would like. How would you feel about this solution then? Get started now! Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , and visit my LinkedIn for more info! Read more from Charles W. Gragg

Written by David Lee Sheng Tin, Author, Coach, Health/Lifestyle Consultant Dr. David Lee Sheng Tin, author of Master Your Emotions – Transform Your Life, guides professionals and leaders to rise above stress, cultivate emotional intelligence, and live with clarity and purpose through a fusion of ancient and modern wisdom. Do you personally know someone living with diabetes? A parent, a sibling, a close friend, or even yourself? For so many families, especially across Indo-Caribbean and South Asian communities, diabetes isn’t just a medical condition. It’s an emotional weight. A silent fear. A constant presence shaping how we live, eat, sleep, and hope for tomorrow. According to the International Diabetes Federation, 1 in 8 people worldwide now live with diabetes[1], and for those with South Indian ancestry, the risk is significantly higher even at a normal weight.[2] Add family history or high blood pressure, and the risk deepens. Most people with diabetes do not die from diabetes itself. They die from heart disease. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in people with diabetes. A heart attack or stroke, not high glucose, often claims their life. Here is the reason: High blood sugar damages arteries from the inside out. Diabetes accelerates atherosclerosis. High blood pressure and high cholesterol cluster around diabetes. Nerve damage hides symptoms. Stress: The hidden accelerator of heart attacks in diabetics If glucose is the spark, stress is the gasoline. Stress hormones spike blood sugar, constrict blood vessels, increase blood pressure, and intensify inflammation. Studies show that relaxation practices including Transcendental Meditation (TM) reduce stress hormones, lower blood pressure, and support cardiovascular resilience.[3] Your genes are not your destiny One of the most hopeful scientific breakthroughs of our time is epigenetics: the discovery that lifestyle choices can turn genes on or off. Even if you inherited a predisposition for diabetes or heart disease, you can change how those genes behave. Research shows diet, movement, stress, and emotional patterns shape how genes express themselves.[4] This isn’t wishful thinking. It’s biological empowerment. It means you are not powerless. Your daily choices and thoughts can alter your gene expression. Ayurveda: Ancient wisdom aligning with modern cardiology Ayurveda, the 5,000-year-old system of natural medicine, offers insights that modern medicine is only beginning to validate. It explains diabetes as: an imbalance in the doshas ( the fundamental energies that govern the body and mind: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha ) a weakening of digestive fire (Agni) accumulation of metabolic toxins (ama) disruption of circulation and metabolic flow This understanding naturally links diabetes to heart disease centuries before cardiology existed. Herbs like turmeric, fenugreek, and holy basil show measurable benefits for glucose control and cardiovascular stress.[5] [6] [7] [8] Warm, freshly cooked foods and mindful eating are core Ayurvedic principles optimize digestion and reduce metabolic strain,[9] protecting both blood sugar and the heart. Why lifestyle change feels so hard (and how to make it easier) Most people know what they "should" do. The real challenge is doing it consistently. This is why self-awareness and self-mastery are more powerful than willpower. Self-awareness shows you your emotional triggers, your stress patterns, and the habits you perform on autopilot. Self-mastery helps you   interrupt destructive impulses, build healthier routines , make choices that align with your values   and   rewire emotional and neural patterns.   When you integrate both, healthy living becomes less of a battle and more of a natural expression of who you’re becoming. Without self-awareness, and self-mastery, even the best health advice collapses. With it, transformation becomes easier. Here is a three-phase transformation activity to assist you. Phase 1 – Awareness: Track meals, sleep, emotions, stress triggers, and activity for one week. Phase 2 – Take action: Start with small, sustainable changes: swap a processed food for a whole food. Walk 15 minutes after meals. Set fixed sleep times. Practice TM, yoga, or breathwork. Phase 3 – Create identity shift: This is where you move beyond behavior change to becoming someone who naturally makes healthy choices. Emotional balance, metabolic health, and self-mastery become your new normal not something you're "working on." Together, these skills support healthier routines and mindful choices that become automatic over time. You move from struggling with willpower to living in alignment with your values, where healthy choices feel natural rather than forced. Lasting health begins not with a diet, but with awareness. When you cultivate inner clarity, every external choice becomes easier. Your heart listens to your emotions. Your genes respond to your habits. Your future opens. And no matter where you’re starting from, you are far more powerful and far more capable of healing than you’ve ever been told. Start today to take control . Follow me on Facebook , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from David Lee Sheng Tin David Lee Sheng Tin, Author, Coach, Health/Lifestyle Consultant Dr. David Lee Sheng Tin bridges ancient wisdom with modern science to unlock human potential from the inside out. As a certified Transcendental Meditation Teacher, integrative health coach, and published author, he guides high-performers and conscious leaders beyond the trap of external achievement into a life of sustainable success and profound inner peace. As the author of Master Your Emotions – Transform Your Life, he inspires others to rise above stress, reconnect with themselves, and create meaningful, fulfilling lives through Self-Mastery. References & Further Reading: [1] International Diabetes Federation (IDF). (2024). IDF Diabetes Atlas  (11th ed.). Brussels, Belgium: International Diabetes Federation.A comprehensive global report outlining diabetes prevalence, risk factors, and regional trends. [2] Misra, A., & Ganda, O. P. (2007). Migrant Asian Indians: Ethnic diversity, nutritional considerations, and implications for health. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism , 92(6), 1967–1972.Explores genetic and lifestyle factors contributing to diabetes risk in South Asian populations. [3] Gupta, R., et al. (2019). Diabetes and cardiovascular disease in South Asians: An emerging epidemic. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice , 148, 7–15.Examines the heightened cardiometabolic risk among South Asians and the links to heart disease. [4] Feinberg, A. P. (2018). The key role of epigenetics in human disease prevention and development. Nature , 553(7689), 427–437.A groundbreaking review on how lifestyle and environment influence gene expression. [5] Schneider, R. H., et al. (2012). Stress reduction in the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease: Randomized controlled trial of Transcendental Meditation. Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes , 5(6), 750–758.Clinical evidence showing how deep meditation practices improve cardiovascular outcomes. [6] Zheng, Y., et al. (2017). Turmeric and curcumin in metabolic regulation: A review. Food & Function , 8(2), 833–847.Discusses turmeric’s role in reducing inflammation and supporting metabolic health. [7] Neelakantan, N., Narayanan, M., de Souza, R. J., & van Dam, R. M. (2014). Effect of fenugreek intake on glycemia: A meta-analysis of clinical trials. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition , 100(2), 495–510.Research demonstrating fenugreek’s impact on blood sugar control. [8] Jamshidi, N., & Cohen, M. M. (2017). The clinical efficacy and safety of Tulsi in humans: A systematic review. Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine , 8(3), 189–193.A review of Tulsi’s therapeutic benefits on glucose, stress, and immunity. [9] Nagpal, R., & Kaur, A. (2019). Gut microbiota and metabolic health: The role of diet, digestion, and Ayurvedic dietary principles. Journal of Functional Foods , 60, 103–115.Explores how digestion and gut health influence metabolism—aligning closely with Ayurvedic teachings.

Written by Sophie Reyer, Author Sophie Anna Reyer is an Austrian author of multiple theater pieces and publications. She was born in Vienna, Austria. Reyer discovered her various profound talents in the arts at a young age as a child prodigy. I still remember, "What is under the stone?" I asked. Back then, as a child. At the cemetery. A body, they said. And why the candles? For the dead. Oh, I see. I nodded, buried my hands in my jacket pockets, and hid my nose beneath the collar of my turtleneck. I didn't understand. Not then, and honestly, I still don’t know. I also wonder whether this crack can ever truly be comprehended. Someone is there, and then suddenly, this someone is no longer there. Suddenly lying beneath the earth as a crumbling remnant, hollowed out by worms. Falling apart into dust and ash. Whenever I think of the dead, I am always a child in front of a stone at the All Saints’ cemetery. And my father’s hand holds mine, clasped onto my left hand. And my mother lights a match. The tiny sparks of the burning wicks drift in the cold November air. The cemetery is a sea of black, sluggish stone masses, their surfaces flickering with soft light. Breath can be exhaled as smoke from the mouth. In the center of the graveyard stands a cross, to which a body is affixed. Jesus, they say. Why he has thorns on his crown, I also don’t quite understand. So what. They told me he’s not real. I nodded. Only the crack inside me that’s real. It remained after my grandmother died. And then my aunt, from cancer. I drew an angel for her, with wings in thick luminous marker colors. The shaky drawing was burned along with her body. I didn’t understand that either. The aunt, now just a collection of smoke clouds. That such things happen. Back then, I didn’t quite know how to stand there and stare. And today? When the pain of loss resurfaces, I ask myself once again whether I know more now. The answer I must give myself is: No. But I do know that mourning the dead is important to cope with the crack that opens inside when someone is no longer there, band to make space for something that has no language, which has always eluded my imagination. The dark patch of death as a trauma, which, like all traumas, is defined by lying beyond verbal grasp. Yes, I think, as I continue to ask myself: You have no words for it. You can dance, scream, laugh, or cry; you won’t be able to dance it out of yourself, scream it out, or laugh or cry it out. In Mexico, a friend told me, there’s a celebration called Día de los Muertos, where small skulls are painted in bright colors. How cute they look, she said. The Day of the Dead is a vibrant folk festival against the Western-influenced values that the state tries to propagate. It is, in essence, a last remnant preserved from pre-Hispanic indigenous societies. A quite fascinating alternative to the imported Halloween craze, which children in Europe also now celebrate without really knowing why. About a year ago, around All Saints’ Day, a neighbor boy knocked on my door. Mumbled with a twisted face: “Trick or treat,” and at first, I didn’t understand. Only when he repeated his phrase the third time could I connect it in my mind with the American cry “Trick or Treat,” which I had memorized as a child for English class. Unfortunately, I had gobbled up all my chocolate for lunch, so I handed him a little cocoa powder instead, just to prevent him from crying and to let him tell the next day in school that he had enjoyed Halloween too. Did I save the little neighbor boy’s celebration? I wonder. From mourning the dead to spooning dry cocoa powder a long way. That spooning, or gathering candies, is more pleasant than recognizing losses, I am aware. And surely, both are necessary, both belong to life. I only wonder why our society emphasizes the “fun factor” so much. Where is the space for silence, in which pain can burst forth? And why is entertainment medicine constantly poured into the cracks we carry with us, through talk shows, loud music, and mindless American customs filling the void? Is the fear of the bottomless trauma of loss so great? Is it because mourning, governed by its own laws and rhythms, produces such intense fear within us? "Grief is anarchistic." Yes. Grief is subversive. Grief is anarchistic. Grief has explosive power. And: grief is a political act. This is also the opinion of Judith Butler, the American philosopher and literary scholar. As Butler stated in an interview, the shame of many AIDS survivors was so great that they could not allow themselves a public mourning that would have societal and political relevance. For me, the message of Derek Jarman’s film Blue carries an even deeper significance. In it, he poetically documents his own decline and eventual blindness due to HIV. The meticulous portrayal of his suffering, caused by a virus created by humans in a laboratory, forces us to look, even when all we can see is a blue screen, a perspective inspired by Jarman’s own blindness. But returning to Judith Butler, she describes the process of framing how certain forms of life are perceived as mournable while others are excluded. This technique, she explains, is heavily used by the American media. The life of an American soldier killed in Afghanistan is mourned, but the countless Afghan civilians who also lost their lives are absent from the public mourning registers. Life that isn’t recognized as mournable effectively ceases to exist. Conversely, life that can’t be mourned fades away as if it had never been. On one hand, the Western world claims universal moral and political standards think of how the US government so vehemently tries to impose Western ideals of equality onto what they call the “backward” East, even as gender equality and women’s rights in the West remain problematic. Chauvinistic ideas and traditional gender roles thrive like never before. On the other hand, these claims evaporate when it comes to the mourning of groups that don’t fit into the frame. Mourning publicly means giving someone a voice in doing so, it becomes a profoundly political act. But since the bubble of grief carries its own universe, governed by laws different from our busy, stressed daily life, rituals and religious forms of processing can only serve as crutches, a means to bring the unintegrable, the unspeakable, into some kind of articulation. I think, for example, of the reenactment of death during a funeral when the coffin is shovelled full of earth, like in theater, where the curtain falls to signal that the play is over, filling the coffin with small shovelfuls of earth becomes a performative act that helps us grasp the concept of loss. The crack remains, a scar in the topography of the soul; it reminds us of what was valuable and is now gone. Today is a foggy autumn day. I am practicing mourning. I admit it to myself. I mourn all those who have no names, who are not registered in the measurable grid of reality. The politically persecuted women behind veils, just as much as women under daily pressure to objectify their bodies, victims of a war fought under the hollow pretext of bringing “modernity” to a country, costing countless lives. I mourn, and to do so, I listen to Antony’s song The Spirit Was Gone. I gaze out of the window, yes, I mourn, I don’t need religion, ideology, or fixed rituals for that. I softly sing along with the CD: “The spirit has gone from her body. Forever. It has always been inside. And now it’s disentwined. It’s hard to understand.” Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , and visit my LinkedIn  for more info! Read more from Sophie Reyer Sophie Reyer, Author Sophie Anna Reyer is an Austrian author of multiple theater pieces and publications. She was born in Vienna, Austria. Reyer discovered her various profound talents in the arts at a young age as a child prodigy. She is a writer of theater pieces (S. Fischer) and novels (Emons) and was shortlisted for the Austrian Book Award in 2019 and 2021.

Written by Marietta Kulcsar, Clinical Hypnotherapist | Energy Healer Marietta Kulcsar is a multidimensional healer, clinical hypnotherapist, and founder of Right Path Hypnotherapy. She blends science, spirit, and soul to guide clients through deep transformation, realignment, and awakening to their divine path. For as long as I can remember, I have carried the feeling that I am here for something more. I have been on a journey of awakening, one that bridges time, dimensions, and the very fabric of the universe. I am a multidimensional healer and clinical hypnotherapist, trained across timelines and star systems, here to help humanity raise their frequency and move with the New Earth. My work is not only through words or touch. My presence alone carries the keys to healing. Over lifetimes, I was trained as a starseed doorkeeper, partnered with dragons to hold the gates of creation. Even now, my DNA continues to evolve, and I cannot consume meat or alcohol, and my body instinctively rejects them. My connection with life, nature, and energy has become pure and intuitive. Interestingly, my Life Path Number is 7, a number of spiritual awakening, deep intuition, and inner wisdom. This number mirrors my soul’s path perfectly: seeking truth, exploring higher realms, and holding ancient knowledge all central to my connection with the dragons and my role as a doorkeeper. The work of the dragon doorkeepers In ancient times, dragon riders were not masters, they were partners in consciousness. Each dragon and rider pair worked together to sustain balance across the elements and maintain harmony in the planet’s energy grids. Red dragons: Maintain the fire nodes and volcanoes, like Mayon Volcano in the Philippines and Mount Vesuvius in Italy. Green dragons: Tend to forests, ley lines, and crystal structures whispering through trees and mountains around sacred lakes like Lago Dilolo in Africa. Blue dragons: Balance the sound currents of air and water, guiding communication between worlds. Their sacred presence can be felt in places such as Lake Baikal in Russia and Loch Ness in Scotland. The other dragons oversee solar light, creation, vision, and ascension codes, weaving them all into harmony through the seven rays. These dragons once served as 'doorkeepers', guarding gateways between dimensions and anchoring higher frequencies on Earth. Each had a rider, chosen for resonance, courage, and alignment with the dragon’s purpose.   The 7 Dragon Riders: Keepers of the gates The seven dragon riders correspond to the seven rays of light, the dragon colours, and aspects of creation. Together, they held balance across the elements and guided the evolution of life. 1. Guardian of fire, red dragon Protects the elemental fire nodes, volcanoes, and courage grids. Awakens: Courage, transformation, and grounding in your personal power. 2. Weaver of creation, orange dragon Guides the flow of life force, creativity, and emotional healing. Awakens: Passion, artistry, emotional balance, and creative birth. 3. Light-bringer, gold dragon Channels solar energy, divine will, and leadership frequencies. Awakens: Inspiration, clarity, and alignment with your higher purpose. 4. Heart keeper, green dragon Maintains forests, crystals, and the harmony of nature. Awakens: Compassion, healing, and deep connection with Earth. 5. Voice of the waters, blue dragon Oversees sound, water currents, and sacred communication between worlds. Awakens: Truth, channeling ability, voice activation, and spiritual expression. 6. Seer of shadows, indigo dragon Opens inner vision, intuition, and access to multidimensional realms. Awakens: Clairvoyance, quantum travel, and expanded dreamwork. 7. Ascension guardian, white/violet dragon Bridges all elements into unity consciousness and ascension codes. Awakens: Spiritual wisdom, peace, and integration of all energies.   These riders were partners, not masters, holding gates open and weaving harmony across the world. Many of us carry fragments of these roles in our DNA, awakening over lifetimes to activate healing and ascension in others.   My connection to the dragons In my journey, I connect strongly with the Green, Blue, Red, and Indigo Dragons: Green dragon of Earth: Grounds me in nature, trees, water, and crystals, and channels healing through the Earth. Blue dragon of sound: Works through my voice and writing, allowing healing to flow effortlessly. Red dragon of fire: Anchors courage, transformation, and presence, often appearing as flashes of red light during astral travel or near horses. Indigo dragon of vision: Opens my ability to quantum travel across realms without deep sleep or meditation. Through this dragon, I access intuitive wisdom, multidimensional insights, and higher timelines seeing, sensing, and healing instantaneously. These connections allow me to activate healing, raise frequency, and guide others, helping them awaken their own inner dragon energies and remember their true power. The alignment with my Life Path 7 amplifies this connection, confirming my soul’s purpose: to explore, remember, and guide to bridge higher realms with the human experience. Dragons in culture, scripture, and zodiac Dragons have appeared throughout human history and spiritual texts: In the Bible: Revelation 20:7, Isaiah 13:22, Jeremiah 9:11, and many others reference dragons as guardians, thresholds, or symbols of transformation. In Chinese culture, dragons are revered as wise, protective, and powerful beings, appearing in zodiac signs and representing cosmic energy, luck, and authority. Across ancient civilizations, dragons were seen as keepers of knowledge, keys to ascension, and bridges between worlds. These references remind us that dragons are not myths, they are living energy, accessible to those who attune to their frequency.   A message from the dragons As I connect with the dragons, their presence is loving, wise, and strong. They speak clearly: "Do not be afraid of us. We are all in one together. We are not here to harm; we are here to help others. Stay with us, we are inside you. Remember us." This message is an invitation to awaken your inner dragon energy, to reconnect with your personal frequencies, and to step fully into your own power. The dragons are guides, allies, and guardians here to support humanity in healing, raising vibration, and moving into the New Earth.   The path forward The dragons teach that every one of us carries the spark of the ancient riders within. My journey as a multidimensional healer is part of this larger remembering to help others awaken, heal, and rise into higher frequencies of truth and unity. As humanity shifts into a new vibration, the dragons walk beside us once more. They whisper in dreams, guide our hearts, and awaken our inner fire. Through love, healing, and remembrance, we step forward not as separate beings, but as one consciousness moving toward the light of a renewed Earth. Are you ready to step onto your right path? Join the community, experience energy activation, and begin your transformation today. Visit my Podcast . Follow me on Facebook , Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Marietta Kulcsar Marietta Kulcsar, Clinical Hypnotherapist | Energy Healer Marietta Kulcsar is a multidimensional healer, clinical hypnotherapist, and founder of Right Path Hypnotherapy. With a unique ability to work beyond the seen and known, she blends therapeutic practice with spiritual intelligence to guide clients through deep healing and energetic realignment. Her work serves those navigating awakening, transformation, or soul-level shifts. Known for her quiet power and unwavering devotion, Marietta operates behind the scenes, clearing timelines, activating purpose, and helping others return to their true path. Her mission is to raise the frequency of healing worldwide by weaving science, spirit, and soul truth into one clear, powerful path forward.