WP_Query Object
(
[query] => Array
(
[category__in] => Array
(
[0] => 19
)
[post__not_in] => Array
(
[0] => 4901
)
[posts_per_page] => 50
[ignore_sticky_posts] => 1
[orderby] => desc
[_shuffle_and_pick] => 3
)
[query_vars] => Array
(
[category__in] => Array
(
[0] => 19
)
[post__not_in] => Array
(
[0] => 4901
)
[posts_per_page] => 50
[ignore_sticky_posts] => 1
[orderby] => desc
[_shuffle_and_pick] => 3
[error] =>
[m] =>
[p] => 0
[post_parent] =>
[subpost] =>
[subpost_id] =>
[attachment] =>
[attachment_id] => 0
[name] =>
[pagename] =>
[page_id] => 0
[second] =>
[minute] =>
[hour] =>
[day] => 0
[monthnum] => 0
[year] => 0
[w] => 0
[category_name] => peter-borten
[tag] =>
[cat] => 19
[tag_id] =>
[author] =>
[author_name] =>
[feed] =>
[tb] =>
[paged] => 0
[meta_key] =>
[meta_value] =>
[preview] =>
[s] =>
[sentence] =>
[title] =>
[fields] =>
[menu_order] =>
[embed] =>
[category__not_in] => Array
(
)
[category__and] => Array
(
)
[post__in] => Array
(
)
[post_name__in] => Array
(
)
[tag__in] => Array
(
)
[tag__not_in] => Array
(
)
[tag__and] => Array
(
)
[tag_slug__in] => Array
(
)
[tag_slug__and] => Array
(
)
[post_parent__in] => Array
(
)
[post_parent__not_in] => Array
(
)
[author__in] => Array
(
)
[author__not_in] => Array
(
)
[search_columns] => Array
(
)
[suppress_filters] =>
[cache_results] => 1
[update_post_term_cache] => 1
[update_menu_item_cache] =>
[lazy_load_term_meta] => 1
[update_post_meta_cache] => 1
[post_type] =>
[nopaging] =>
[comments_per_page] => 50
[no_found_rows] =>
[order] => DESC
)
[tax_query] => WP_Tax_Query Object
(
[queries] => Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[taxonomy] => category
[terms] => Array
(
[0] => 19
)
[field] => term_id
[operator] => IN
[include_children] =>
)
)
[relation] => AND
[table_aliases:protected] => Array
(
[0] => wp_term_relationships
)
[queried_terms] => Array
(
[category] => Array
(
[terms] => Array
(
[0] => 19
)
[field] => term_id
)
)
[primary_table] => wp_posts
[primary_id_column] => ID
)
[meta_query] => WP_Meta_Query Object
(
[queries] => Array
(
)
[relation] =>
[meta_table] =>
[meta_id_column] =>
[primary_table] =>
[primary_id_column] =>
[table_aliases:protected] => Array
(
)
[clauses:protected] => Array
(
)
[has_or_relation:protected] =>
)
[date_query] =>
[request] =>
SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS wp_posts.ID
FROM wp_posts LEFT JOIN wp_term_relationships ON (wp_posts.ID = wp_term_relationships.object_id)
WHERE 1=1 AND wp_posts.ID NOT IN (4901) AND (
wp_term_relationships.term_taxonomy_id IN (19)
) AND ((wp_posts.post_type = 'post' AND (wp_posts.post_status = 'publish' OR wp_posts.post_status = 'acf-disabled')))
AND ID NOT IN
(SELECT `post_id` FROM wp_postmeta
WHERE `meta_key` = '_pilotpress_level'
AND `meta_value` IN ('','employee')
AND `post_id` NOT IN
(SELECT `post_id` FROM wp_postmeta
WHERE `meta_key` = '_pilotpress_level'
AND `meta_value` IN ('' )))
GROUP BY wp_posts.ID
ORDER BY wp_posts.post_date DESC
LIMIT 0, 50
[posts] => Array
(
[0] => WP_Post Object
(
[ID] => 6792
[post_author] => 3
[post_date] => 2017-10-25 18:39:06
[post_date_gmt] => 2017-10-25 18:39:06
[post_content] => Several months ago,
Briana
(my wife) started feeling drawn to do a different kind of healing work. She began getting strong intuitive impressions about what was at the root of people's challenges - sometimes health related, sometimes whole-life related - and this came with a sense of how to "intervene" on their behalf on a subtle level.
I think we were both at a loss as to how she should proceed with it. I suggested that she try it out on some volunteers and ask them to be to
tally honest about their experiences. She sat with these folks, either in person, or over the phone, asked them what they were struggling with, and dove in - sometimes offering practical advice, other times making energetic adjustments on their behalf. I don't think either of us has better words for it than that.
Anyway, I know how this sounds. I think most people have a hard time accepting healing modalities that aren't really tangible - myself included. So I tried to prep her for some lukewarm responses, saying things like, "This is pretty esoteric stuff ... it’s not for everyone ... people find it hard to measure what exactly it's doing..." and so on.
Much to my surprise, the participants were all enthusiastic about their sessions. Everyone reported feeling some kind of alignment or affirmation - and that's nice - but what really surprised me was the number of people who felt like a longstanding block in their life had been removed, or that they felt notably better, or that an issue had resolved, or that their life had taken a turn for the better.
For some reason, I was one of the last people to experience it. I guess I didn't want to have to tell her it didn't do anything. I had a wrist pain that had been nagging me for a year (something called DeQuervain's tenosynovitis). I had received multiple massages, adjustments, and acupuncture treatments for it. I even wore a splint for a few months. Lots of things helped in the short term, but it kept coming back.
When Briana asked me what I wanted to work on, I said, “Well, we might as well go for my wrist.” I actually felt kind of guilty in choosing it because I thought it was a *structural* issue and that nothing in the realm of “energy work” was going to touch it. Sure enough, the next day I kept testing it out and it still hurt. Oh well, didn’t hurt to try. I decided not to report the bad news to Briana though. I’d wait until she asked me about it.
A week later, I noticed I’d been doing lots of manual labor with it – hammering, lifting, sawing, drilling – and it wasn’t bothering me. That was weird. I poked it and prodded it. I couldn’t get it to hurt. Now it’s been a month and it hasn’t come back. I honestly don’t know what to say. Other than… maybe you should work with her if you feel called to.
Learn more about Briana's energy work
[post_title] => Pretty Esoteric Stuff...
[post_excerpt] =>
[post_status] => publish
[comment_status] => open
[ping_status] => open
[post_password] =>
[post_name] => im-embarrassed-admit
[to_ping] =>
[pinged] =>
[post_modified] => 2020-07-28 21:26:44
[post_modified_gmt] => 2020-07-28 21:26:44
[post_content_filtered] =>
[post_parent] => 0
[guid] => http://www.thedragontree.com/?p=6792
[menu_order] => 0
[post_type] => post
[post_mime_type] =>
[comment_count] => 8
[filter] => raw
[webinar_id] => 0
)
[1] => WP_Post Object
(
[ID] => 6553
[post_author] => 5
[post_date] => 2017-01-17 19:35:01
[post_date_gmt] => 2017-01-17 19:35:01
[post_content] =>
After so many newsletters about pretty deep topics, I thought I’d get really superficial this week and talk about skin. Winter’s dryness and cold plus extra clothing, obsessive handwashing, and indoor heating form a combination that can be very hard on our skin. My whole life, I’ve had skin that dislikes winter. Even if your skin doesn’t get flaky or irritated, taking good care of your skin at this time of year may still help it retain its youthful elasticity and luster. Here are eleven self-care recommendations:
Drink plenty of water. Divide the number of pounds you weigh in half – that’s the number of ounces of watacer to drink evenly over the course of the day (ideally at room temperature).
Eat moistening foods. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, certain foods are considered to build vital fluids in the body which are disseminated to the skin and affect skin moisture. Some of these foods include: sesame seeds (especially the black kind), dark leafy greens, berries, pears, oranges, watermelon, string beans, tomatoes, flax seed, hemp seed, tomatoes, plums, mung beans and sprouts, cucumber, water chestnuts, eggs, fish, nuts, seed and nut oils.
Get a humidifier. In our house in Colorado, the usual tabletop humidifiers make very little difference in the moisture of the air, but I’ve heard good things about “whole house humidifiers” and I plan to get one for our home soon. They hook up to your water line (so you don’t need to refill them) and moisten the air that moves through your heating system. The units cost a couple hundred dollars and installation is a few hundred more (or you could do it yourself if you’re handy).
Put oil on your skin. Lotions are emulsions of oil and water, and while they’re moisturizing, they aim to be well absorbed and to feel light and residue-free. As such, lighter lotions may not cut it if you have very dry skin, or they may need to be applied many times a day. If your skin suffers during the winter, you may need something that functions more as a barrier – that impedes water loss through the skin and protects against the elements – such as: pure oil (coconut, jojoba, grape seed, sesame (untoasted), etc.); a thicker lotion that contains more oil or heavier oils (like castor, rosehip seed, or tamanu oil); or a semi-solid lotion with even heavier, waxy ingredients (shea butter, cocoa butter, or beeswax). However, the richest of these (shea butter and wax) are probably too heavy for the face and could clog your pores.
Exfoliate gently before moisturizing and apply moisturizer to still-damp skin. As long as your skin isn’t irritated, gently removing the top layer of dead cells will make it easier for moisturizers to penetrate. I like a coarse cloth, raw silk gloves, or a natural plant bristle brush for exfoliating the whole body. After bathing, you have a window of a few minutes during which moisturizers will work best. Personally, I enjoy the combination of dry skin brushing followed by a shower and then a brisk self-massage with oil (a practice called abhyanga in Ayurveda).
Use less soap. Soap dries out your skin and is usually unnecessary.
If your hands get chapped, dry them thoroughly after washing. Letting your skin air dry slowly usually results in drier skin. This is especially important for people with eczema.
Avoid colors, synthetic fragrances, and other chemicals in your detergents and body care products. Dry winter skin is often extra sensitive to chemicals – and absorbs them more effectively.
Wash in cooler water. If your skin becomes more sensitive in the winter, and especially if you have a rash, hot water will often make it worse. Bathe in the coolest water you can tolerate.
Use sunscreen. I don’t buy into the idea that we should wear sunscreen constantly, but judicious use has some benefits. Sun exposure feels good, activates immune cells, and stimulates vitamin D production in our skin, which is beneficial to our health in numerous ways. But the UV portion of sunlight causes damage to our tissues through a process called oxidation. (It’s the same process that causes oils to go rancid, vitamins to spoil, and meat to turn grey.)
We all know sunburns are bad, but even without burning, extended exposure to UV light tends to cause yellowing, dryness, and wrinkling of our skin. It damages fibers called elastin, which, as you might guess from the name, gives our skin its elasticity. Over the years, this makes our skin saggy and more prone to tearing. UV light also blesses us with age spots or “liver spots.” And finally, it’s a major risk factor in skin cancers, especially the non-melanoma kinds. So, if you like youthful skin, sunscreen is a good idea – especially in the middle of the day – and it’s easy to forget to use it in the winter. Winter sun isn’t usually direct enough to stimulate vitamin D synthesis, but it’s still strong enough to cause skin damage (especially in sunny places).
I don’t like chemical sunscreens, so I steer my patients to mineral-based ones – zinc oxide and titanium oxide. Zinc is the best option: it’s an excellent skin soother and barrier, and it works better than any other sunscreen chemical approved for use in the U.S. It’s the main ingredient in many diaper rash ointments and was responsible for that classic white stripe on lifeguards’ noses years ago.
Nowadays, most mineral sunscreens aren’t quite as opaque – some are completely transparent – probably because manufacturers have gotten better at creating smaller particles of zinc and titanium. However, this presents a big unknown – are these tiny “nanoparticles” entering our cells and doing something bad? In response to initial concerns, some companies now sell “non-nano” mineral sunscreens, but according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) even the mineral particles in these products would technically be considered “nano” sized.
Yet, EWG still believes they are our best option. A mixture of particle sizes, some nano and some larger, seems to offer the best sun protection, and the evidence so far indicates that they don’t penetrate into the skin far enough to encounter living cells. However, if you were to inhale a bunch of mineral sunscreen in powder or spray form, that wouldn’t be good for your lungs.
See a good skin care specialist. Believe it or not, I was co-owner of a spa for a couple years before I got my first facial. If I was going to take the time to get a spa treatment, I’d always opt for a massage. But one year, on my birthday, Briana scheduled a facial for me, and it was just lovely. Having someone steam and massage oils into your face is deeply relaxing. And I had to admit, my skin was glowing afterwards. I highly recommend it.
I hope these recommendations help you get through the winter with moister, healthier, happier skin.
Be well,
Dr. Peter Borten
[post_title] => Eleven Tips for Healthy Winter Skin
[post_excerpt] =>
[post_status] => publish
[comment_status] => open
[ping_status] => open
[post_password] =>
[post_name] => eleven-tips-healthy-winter-skin
[to_ping] =>
[pinged] =>
[post_modified] => 2020-07-28 21:26:11
[post_modified_gmt] => 2020-07-28 21:26:11
[post_content_filtered] =>
[post_parent] => 0
[guid] => http://www.thedragontree.com/?p=6553
[menu_order] => 0
[post_type] => post
[post_mime_type] =>
[comment_count] => 4
[filter] => raw
[webinar_id] => 0
)
[2] => WP_Post Object
(
[ID] => 6725
[post_author] => 3
[post_date] => 2017-08-01 20:40:59
[post_date_gmt] => 2017-08-01 20:40:59
[post_content] =>
Over the years, my therapeutic focus has shifted increasingly toward what I would call “expansion.” I continue to see patients for issues as apparently one-dimensional as a sore knee, but what I really want for them is so much more than the disappearance of their knee soreness. My highest intention is that they will have an experience of lasting peace, happiness, and freedom. (I want this also for anyone who reads an article or book I’ve written, or takes one of my courses – and also for everyone else, too!)
The tricky part is that we tend to have these virtuous qualities wrapped up in causes. For instance, we may think, I feel peaceful because my surroundings are safe and it’s my day off. Or, I feel happy because I have good food and friends. Or, I feel free because my country has laws that protect my rights and I just dumped my boyfriend.
Yet, in order to embody these states in a deep, lasting way, they must become uncaused. That is, we find our way to them regardless of what’s happening with our body, our mind, or our life circumstances. And I believe the most likely way to discover such uncaused happiness, peace, and freedom is through an expansion of consciousness.
Limited or narrowed states of consciousness get us into trouble. When we identify with only one facet of all that we are, this sets us up for suffering.
Let’s look at some states of “contracted” consciousness. One of the most detailed frameworks for such an examination comes from the Tantrik tradition, which defines a set of layers of the Being. Although as a human you are all of these layers simultaneously, in any moment you’re likely to be identifying primarily with a single layer.
The center of the being is called cit (“chit”), which means absolute, nondual, nonlocal consciousness. It is consciousness that is completely unbound from a body, a mind, a personality, or any other labels. It is undying and eternal. You experience cit at all times, but it’s very difficult for a human to identify with it because it’s so basic, and so beyond our humanness.
The first layer outward is called sunya, which means emptiness. It is stillness, like what we experience in the deepest, dreamless sleep. It can also be experienced in meditation. Sometimes it feels so right and restful to a meditator that they believe this is what they are. While this is true, if it is worn as an identity to the exclusion of their more human layers – as in, “The human part isn’t the real me,” – then it’s still a contraction of consciousness, and brings problems – such as neglect of the body and inability to relate to others.
The next layer outward, called prana, is our vital energy, like the Chinese concept of Qi. Prana is considered to be an interface between the body and mind. And even though we have an individual experience of prana, like the two deeper layers previously mentioned, it’s a communal layer – we share it with everyone.
The next layer outward is citta (“chitta”), meaning “heart-mind” – or the layer of thoughts and feelings. In Tantra Illuminated, author Christopher Wallis explains that thoughts and feelings are considered essentially one, with the difference that thoughts are vibrations with a greater linguistic or logical component while feelings are vibrations with a stronger affective or “felt” charge. Humans tend to be more identified with this layer than any other. If our consciousness is mainly narrowed to this level, our thoughts and feelings run the show. We might say things like, “I am sad,” or “I am stupid,” as an expression of our identification with this layer. Because the mind and feelings can change so rapidly, when we live in this layer, we attempt to create stability by building repetitive patterns and forging rules for how the world should behave – and this greatly squelches our freedom.
The next layer outward is deha, the body. When we believe “I am my body,” – and especially when we simultaneously forget all the rest that we are, we base our self-worth on it and we feel vulnerable because of it. We know, of course, that it’s bound to age and decay.
Finally, there is a layer so superficial that it’s not even really part of our being. It’s called vastu – our possessions or “stuff.” Our possessions have a way of going along with us through life, they reflect our self-image, and it’s quite common to identify ourselves with them. This causes us to invest a lot of time and energy into accumulating, tending to, and protecting this stuff. We may even feel personally assaulted if our stuff gets stolen or damaged.
It’s important to note that there’s nothing bad about identifying with any of these layers, even the “stuff” layer. As you enter and embody each of these layers, there’s rich opportunity to experience, explore, and play. Again, the trap is in identifying with some small portion of all that you are – to the exclusion of the rest.
So, the simplest instruction I could give is to remember. Remember that you’re more than whatever facet of yourself you’re currently immersed in. The more you are able to expand your consciousness to include a broader, all-inclusive sense of self, the greater your potential to access peace, freedom, and happiness.
Give it a try and let me know what happens.
Be well,
Dr. Peter Borten
[post_title] => Welcoming the Many Layers of YOU
[post_excerpt] =>
[post_status] => publish
[comment_status] => open
[ping_status] => open
[post_password] =>
[post_name] => welcoming-many-layers
[to_ping] =>
[pinged] =>
[post_modified] => 2017-08-01 20:40:59
[post_modified_gmt] => 2017-08-01 20:40:59
[post_content_filtered] =>
[post_parent] => 0
[guid] => http://www.thedragontree.com/?p=6725
[menu_order] => 0
[post_type] => post
[post_mime_type] =>
[comment_count] => 10
[filter] => raw
[webinar_id] => 0
)
)
[post_count] => 3
[current_post] => -1
[before_loop] => 1
[in_the_loop] =>
[post] => WP_Post Object
(
[ID] => 6792
[post_author] => 3
[post_date] => 2017-10-25 18:39:06
[post_date_gmt] => 2017-10-25 18:39:06
[post_content] => Several months ago,
Briana
(my wife) started feeling drawn to do a different kind of healing work. She began getting strong intuitive impressions about what was at the root of people's challenges - sometimes health related, sometimes whole-life related - and this came with a sense of how to "intervene" on their behalf on a subtle level.
I think we were both at a loss as to how she should proceed with it. I suggested that she try it out on some volunteers and ask them to be to
tally honest about their experiences. She sat with these folks, either in person, or over the phone, asked them what they were struggling with, and dove in - sometimes offering practical advice, other times making energetic adjustments on their behalf. I don't think either of us has better words for it than that.
Anyway, I know how this sounds. I think most people have a hard time accepting healing modalities that aren't really tangible - myself included. So I tried to prep her for some lukewarm responses, saying things like, "This is pretty esoteric stuff ... it’s not for everyone ... people find it hard to measure what exactly it's doing..." and so on.
Much to my surprise, the participants were all enthusiastic about their sessions. Everyone reported feeling some kind of alignment or affirmation - and that's nice - but what really surprised me was the number of people who felt like a longstanding block in their life had been removed, or that they felt notably better, or that an issue had resolved, or that their life had taken a turn for the better.
For some reason, I was one of the last people to experience it. I guess I didn't want to have to tell her it didn't do anything. I had a wrist pain that had been nagging me for a year (something called DeQuervain's tenosynovitis). I had received multiple massages, adjustments, and acupuncture treatments for it. I even wore a splint for a few months. Lots of things helped in the short term, but it kept coming back.
When Briana asked me what I wanted to work on, I said, “Well, we might as well go for my wrist.” I actually felt kind of guilty in choosing it because I thought it was a *structural* issue and that nothing in the realm of “energy work” was going to touch it. Sure enough, the next day I kept testing it out and it still hurt. Oh well, didn’t hurt to try. I decided not to report the bad news to Briana though. I’d wait until she asked me about it.
A week later, I noticed I’d been doing lots of manual labor with it – hammering, lifting, sawing, drilling – and it wasn’t bothering me. That was weird. I poked it and prodded it. I couldn’t get it to hurt. Now it’s been a month and it hasn’t come back. I honestly don’t know what to say. Other than… maybe you should work with her if you feel called to.
Learn more about Briana's energy work
[post_title] => Pretty Esoteric Stuff...
[post_excerpt] =>
[post_status] => publish
[comment_status] => open
[ping_status] => open
[post_password] =>
[post_name] => im-embarrassed-admit
[to_ping] =>
[pinged] =>
[post_modified] => 2020-07-28 21:26:44
[post_modified_gmt] => 2020-07-28 21:26:44
[post_content_filtered] =>
[post_parent] => 0
[guid] => http://www.thedragontree.com/?p=6792
[menu_order] => 0
[post_type] => post
[post_mime_type] =>
[comment_count] => 8
[filter] => raw
[webinar_id] => 0
)
[comment_count] => 0
[current_comment] => -1
[found_posts] => 185
[max_num_pages] => 4
[max_num_comment_pages] => 0
[is_single] =>
[is_preview] =>
[is_page] =>
[is_archive] => 1
[is_date] =>
[is_year] =>
[is_month] =>
[is_day] =>
[is_time] =>
[is_author] =>
[is_category] => 1
[is_tag] =>
[is_tax] =>
[is_search] =>
[is_feed] =>
[is_comment_feed] =>
[is_trackback] =>
[is_home] =>
[is_privacy_policy] =>
[is_404] =>
[is_embed] =>
[is_paged] =>
[is_admin] =>
[is_attachment] =>
[is_singular] =>
[is_robots] =>
[is_favicon] =>
[is_posts_page] =>
[is_post_type_archive] =>
[query_vars_hash:WP_Query:private] => 785cecf817b977879c2513aa7edbdd98
[query_vars_changed:WP_Query:private] =>
[thumbnails_cached] =>
[allow_query_attachment_by_filename:protected] =>
[stopwords:WP_Query:private] =>
[compat_fields:WP_Query:private] => Array
(
[0] => query_vars_hash
[1] => query_vars_changed
)
[compat_methods:WP_Query:private] => Array
(
[0] => init_query_flags
[1] => parse_tax_query
)
)
Cart
