Be Well By Dr. Frank Lipman
Healthy Living Made Simple for Busy People
14 Day Detox Daily Maintenance Shake Energy & Immunity Shake Nutrient-rich Organic Superfoods Essential Daily Nutrients Science-based, Cutting-edge Quality
Barbara Biziou
Teacher of Practical Spirituality & Ritual
As the author of The Joy of Ritual, and The Joys of Family Rituals she is a leading expert in integrative wellness, global rituals and work-life harmony. She has had the privilege of lecturing around the world and learning from many different cultures. Barbara has a deep commitment to integrating practical spirituality into people’s lives, both personally and professionally. As an interfaith Minister she believes that ritual is a spiritual technology that strengthens and empowers us to create happy, prosperous and healthy lives. She coaches women and men to create new possibilities and ways of looking at the world- gently stretching you out of your comfort zone into a more enriched focused life. She is on the faculty of the AMA, Creating WE Institute, One Spirit Learning Alliance and the New York Open Center. Barbara is a renowned national TV personality, she was the featured life coach on the hit series 30 Day airing on FX , and appeared regularly as the everyday ritual expert on The Hallmark Channel’s New Morning. Barbara has also been featured in Today in NY, Body& Soul, Harper’s Bazaar, New York Magazine and Parents Magazine. She is passionate about helping people understand their respective selves and live the life of their dreams!
Copyright © 2013 - Dr. Frank Lipman
Spring Ritual
Barbara BiziouApril 06
“Spring- a time of rebirth and revival”
Spring is a time of rebirth and revival, full of new possibilities. In Greek mythology, it was the time when Persephone returned from the underworld, and everything bloomed again. April 1, in fact, used to be considered New Year’s Day, and anyone who didn’t’ realize this was considered an April Fool. Most of us love to celebrate the season. We observe Arbor Day by planting trees and on Earth Day we clean up our parks, riverbanks, and wilderness areas. We take trips to see the tulips or cherry blossoms in bloom. We ‘re not alone in that spring tradition; In Japan, millions of people flock to their parks for “Hanami, “ their cherry blossom festival. And all over the world, major religious events are celebrated in the Spring. Easter, named after the ancient Saxon goddess Eeostre, commemorates the resurrection of Christ. Passover makes the Jewish peoples flight to freedom from Egypt, where they had been enslaved.
“Celebrate the promise and fertility of Spring”
Almost every culture, past and present, has some sort of ritual to celebrate the promise and fertility of Spring. In ancient Rome, the lengthening of the day that followed the vernal (spring) equinox was marked by sacrifices to celebrate the death and rebirth of Attis, the god of vegetation. Various goddesses of fertility-the Greeks’ Aphrodite, the Native American Spider woman, Mexico’s Tonantzin, the African goddess Oshun, the Norwegians’ Freya, and the Roman goddess Flora-were all honored in the Spring.
“Eggs, the universal symbol of rebith is associated with different types of Spring rituals”
Not surprisingly, the egg- the universal symbol of rebirth-finds its way into many different types of Spring rituals. In ancient Persia, Greece, Egypt, and Rome, red eggs, representing life and rebirth, were given as gifts during the Spring. In our modern-day celebration of Easter, children all over the world still decorate eggs.
“The beauty of Spring”
It was once thought that if you bathed your face in the early morning dew of Spring, you would have beauty all year long. When we think of spring nowadays, we imagine taking off the heavy clothes of winter, seeing buds burst with new life, and children being able to play outside later as the days begin to lengthen.
Throw a Joy Party this Spring ( Lighten up and open to new energy)
Invite your friends to come and dance for joy. Ask each one to bring a special song that makes them remember being incredibly happy. Each one of us has a special song that makes us smile and evokes memories that reflect the happiest times of our lives. As you increase the joy in your life, all of your interpersonal relationships will improve. Let’s set our intention to greet each other with smiling faces. And for an added boost, add some aromatherapy such as vanilla, blood orange or grapefruit.
Just inhale the aroma and enjoy!