Dear Healing Touch Community,

June 21 marks the Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, the day of greatest light and the Winter Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere, the day of greatest darkness. During this period of greatest light in the North, there is the opportunity to appreciate and receive both the physical light and spiritual light that is infusing into the planet. During this period of greatest darkness in the South, there is the opportunity to travel within and discover the quiet, wisdom, clarity and purity of our hearts. As both light and dark, action and stillness, reside within our world, both reside within each of us. When both are gently respected and honored, they afford an opportunity to become clear, to act with wisdom, and radiate light and compassion.

Global upheaval, chaos, destabilization and suffering....it is sometimes more than the heart can bear. Even as we may struggle with understanding such tragedy and change, we are constantly reminded of the interconnection and oneness of all beings within this universe.

So, we truly need to focus upon what is working and place our attention upon healing, wholeness, stability and beneficial action for this precious world.

Through INTENTION, our world community can be a positive support and light for all suffering throughout our planet.

We are all aware of the strength and power of INTENTION and the capacity for HEALING that is available through our Healing Touch work. Please join us in creating a HUGE blanket of calming, healing light, peace and love throughout the world. Center and anchor the blanket through our column of light in our Lakewood, Colorado office, so that from our organizational center, our healing light can build to a high intensity and blanket the world. May it be an instrument of healing conflict and strife, calming chaos and confusion, soothing loss and grief, including our beloved Earth and all beings whose lives have been touched by challenge.

Being Peace and Radiating Peace and Healing Through the World

• Begin today.
• Repeat this meditation daily for the next 3 months, through to the Fall Equinox, September 23, 2019.
• Repeat as often as it enters your awareness.
• Maintain a peaceful, loving state within yourself. 

Be the peace and healing you wish to see in the world.

With gratitude, love, peace and light,

Healing Beyond Borders Board of Directors, Staff and Volunteers
Joel Anderson, President
Victoria Cornelius, Vice President
Lisa Crouch, Treasurer
Annis Parker, Director
Maureen Kowba, Director
Deborah Goldberg, Director
Carol Schoenecker, Director
Lisa C. Anselme, Executive Director
Mary-Cathrine Campbell, Past President
Kassi Anderson, Certification Administrator
Carrie Niewenhous, Education Administrator
Cathy Nunemaker, Membership Administrator

"Norway"       Photo by Joel Anderson

June 2019 President Monthly Ezine

I was quite fortunate and grateful to spend twelve days in May presenting my research in dementia family caregiving in the Centre for Medicine and Aging (SESAM) at the Stavanger University Hospital in Stavanger, Norway; meeting with existing and new collaborators from the SESAM, the University of Exeter, and King's College London; and consulting with SESAM staff regarding media strategy and engaged scholarship. But as with everything in life, it's been the people and the stories that have made it all memorable and have helped to create the good moments, or gode øyeblikk. So whether it has been laughing over a good dinner at Skagen on the harbor, appreciating the opportunities to connect with international colleagues from across Europe in meaningful conversations, walking through Gamle Stavanger, cruising up the fjords, dipping my toes in the North Sea, having my first sip of aquavit, having impromptu conversations about Healing Touch and energy with my Norwegian friends, or wandering through fantastically colored rhododendrons in peak bloom, this trip has been filled with good moments for me that I've been sharing on Twitter. And I'm very grateful to my friends and colleagues in Stavanger for helping me to collect a skattekiste or treasure chest of good moments.

Member Spotlight

Got a story to share? Let me know! If you'd like to share what you're doing in a member spotlight, please use this form to let me know what you're up to! I'll incorporate these stories into Perspectives in Healing and future ezines to share with our global community.

Quarterly Group Read

The read chosen for the second quarter of 2019 is Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst by Robert Sapolsky. Though not always explicitly stated, cellular memory and energetics are woven all through this book, and Dr. Sapolsky deftly explains the biological consequences our environment have on our bodies and behavior.

Online Discussion Groups

I am hosting online Zoom sessions every other month to provide a space for support, connection, and dialogue with me in a small group setting. Use this link to submit your interest in the sessions scheduled for 2019. Dates and more information about the sessions can be found on the online form.

Meditation for June

This video and soundscape remind me of the beauty and feeling of Norway. I think it is a perfect backdrop for reflection as we approach the upcoming solstice.

Become an Evergreen Supporter

Join me in becoming an Evergreen Supporter of Healing Beyond Borders. I've pledged to support the mission and vision of Healing Beyond Borders through an automatic credit card deduction each month. For more information, including giving levels, visit the store on our website and click on the Evergreen Support tab.

Online Store

And speaking of our store, have you seen all of the new products in our online store? There are quite a few new resources, supplies, and gifts that can support your learning, practice, and teaching. Profits from the sale of products from our online store directly support the mission of Healing Beyond Borders.

In light,

Joel G. Anderson, PhD, FGSA, CHTP
President, Healing Beyond Borders Board of Directors

 Photo Collage by Joel Anderson

April 2019 President Monthly Ezine

If you don't know about Greta Thunberg, I think you should. Described as a force of nature, Greta was recently nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for her unflappable and unapologetic championing of our planet and necessary action to combat climate change.

Earth Day has been around for almost 50 years. Yet over the past several decades, the impact of humanity on our planet seems only to have grown the point of tangible effects in each of our communities. As healers, we are keenly aware of all of this and the impact it is having on our heath and wellbeing, and what might be ahead of us.

But, as Greta says, where there's action, there is hope. We know the things that we can do to make a difference. And we can use our skills and our voices to motivate and encourage the large-scale change that we need.

Healing Beyond Borders has taken actions to improve our organizational level of sustainability. As Earth Day draws near, I am making a pledge as the current president of our organization to work with our office staff, Executive Director, and Board of Directors on tangible ways we can do even better in terms of our sustainability in an effort to make our organization as green as possible. Hopefully by the time I pass the baton to the next individual to take on this role, we can be as close to a carbon-neutral organization as possible.

Member Spotlight

Got a story to share? Let me know! If you'd like to share what you're doing in a member spotlight, please use this form to let me know what you're up to! I'll then incorporate these stories into Perspectives in Healing and future ezines to share with our global community.

For example, Hattie Peraino shared that the Healing Touch Center in Farmington Hills, Michigan, celebrated its 20^th anniversary on March 30, 2019! You can read more about the Center in Hattie's recent post on the Crazy Wisdom Community Journal.

Judy Stoddard shared the following: "When I first started learning HT and was inexperienced, I would ask for the work to be done even if my hand positions were not placed correctly, realizing that energy goes where it is needed. As I work, I ask to be led and regularly say mental blessings, particularly when over the heart or crown chakras. I frequently use a Celtic peace blessing, the Buddhist Metta, (loving kindness blessing) or other appropriate blessings. When I silently ask, "may my hands be Your hands", I am opening myself to Spirit working through me as a conduit. When grounding at the end of a session, I silently give thanks for the session and for learning the modality."

Quarterly Group Read

The read chosen for the second quarter of 2019 is Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst by Robert Sapolsky. Dr. Sapolsky came to the University of Tennessee last spring and lectured as part of Brain Awareness Week. His presentation was based on this book and I immediately went out and purchased because I found it all so fascinating from both a scientific standpoint and through the lens of a healer. Though not always explicitly stated, cellular memory and energetics are woven all through this book, and Dr. Sapolsky deftly explains the biological consequences our environment have on our bodies and behavior. I also think it is very useful as one thinks about the causes and consequences of energetic patterns.

Online Discussion Groups

I will again be hosting online Zoom sessions to provide a space for support, connection, and dialogue with me in a small group setting. Use this link to submit your interest in the sessions scheduled for 2019. Dates and more information about the sessions can be found on the online form.

Meditation for April

As we think about and send love to our planetary home, this video from Meditative Mind provides Solfeggio tones to clear the chakras and deepen our connection to the Earth.

Become an Evergreen Supporter

Join me in becoming an Evergreen Supporter of Healing Beyond Borders. I've pledged to support the mission and vision of Healing Beyond Borders through an automatic credit card deduction each month. For more information, including giving levels, visit the store on our website and click on the Evergreen Support tab.

Online Store

And speaking of our store, have you seen all of the new products in our online store? There are quite a few new resources, supplies, and gifts that can support your learning, practice, and teaching. Profits from the sale of products from our online store directly support the mission of Healing Beyond Borders.

In light,

Joel G. Anderson, PhD, FGSA, CHTP
President, Healing Beyond Borders Board of Directors

Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Virginia
Photo by Joel Anderson

March 2019 President Monthly Ezine

Happy Healing Touch Day!

Since 1996, March 6 has been an anniversary of our organization. Twenty-three years later, Healing Touch continues to provide healing to individuals across the planet in pursuit of the vision to spread healing, light, and love, creating wholeness on Earth.

This anniversary has me thinking about the 'butterfly effect' - the idea that our actions and words ripple out into the world in unseen and unknown ways. There is no way that we could enumerate the lives touched by this heart-centered work over past 23 years by all of those involved. Indeed, it is impossible for any one of us to determine all of the individuals for whom our healing presence has made a significant, positive impact, to say nothing of our healing influence on the animals, plants, and ecosystems of the planet. But I know that we have, and continue to, make a meaningful difference in the world.

"What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make." ~ Jane Goodall

As students, practitioners, and instructors of Healing Touch, we have consciously and consistently chosen to embody the Attributes of the Heart - to "spread healing, light and love worldwide" in pursuit of the highest good for all of the life that inhabits this world. My hope is that today we each take a moment to reflect on our place within this community of light-working butterflies and the power, sacredness, and exquisiteness of our healing presence.

Member Spotlight

Got a story to share? Let me know! If you'd like to share what you're doing in a member spotlight, please use this form to let me know what you're up to! I'll then incorporate these stories into Perspectives in Healing and future ezines to share with our global community.

Quarterly Group Read

The read chosen for the first quarter of 2019 is How to Be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals by Sy Montgomery. It is a small but mighty book that shares the simple wisdom of animals and how we can learn so much more from them than they might ever learn from us.

Online Discussion Groups

Want to join an online Zoom session and a space for support, connection, and dialogue with me in a small group setting? Use this link to submit your interest in the sessions scheduled for 2019. Dates and more information about the sessions can be found on the online form.

Meditation for March

The meditation this month is our Healing Touch Day meditation for worldwide healing, light, love, and peace.

Become an Evergreen Supporter

Join me in becoming an Evergreen Supporter of Healing Beyond Borders. I've pledged to support the mission and vision of Healing Beyond Borders through an automatic credit card deduction each month. For more information, including giving levels, visit the store on our website and click on the Evergreen Support tab.

Online Store

And speaking of our store, have you seen all of the new products in our online store? There are quite a few new resources, supplies, and gifts that can support your learning, practice, and teaching. Profits from the sale of products from our online store directly support the mission of Healing Beyond Borders.

In light,

Joel G. Anderson, PhD, FGSA, CHTP
President, Healing Beyond Borders Board of Directors

 "A Swirl of Terns" Commissioned Sculpture by Stefan SaVides
Sky Lakes Medical Center, Klamath Falls, OR
Photo by Lisa Anselme

February 2019 President Monthly Ezine

I discovered the writings and work of Maya Angelou during high school, first with her memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Throughout my late teens and twenties, I read and reread her books, poetry, and essays, hearing in her voice an understanding and knowledge of some of the aspects of life with which I struggled. I dazzled at her turn of phrase and ability to imbue simple words with such meaning and wisdom.

In 1995, Dr. Angelou wrote her poem A Brave and Startling Truth to mark the 50^th anniversary of the United Nations. That fall, she spoke at my university and I was thrilled to see and hear her in person for the first time. I still have the poster from the event. You can imagine my excitement just a few years later when I found myself living in the same city as Dr. Angelou and shopping with her at Whole Foods!

Her words and writing seem to be one of the first places my mind goes when it tries to make sense of life and world events. Over the past few days, I've been thinking about her poetry as I watch the news and think about my place in the world as a healer.

We, this people, on this small and drifting planet
Whose hands can strike with such abandon
That in a twinkling, life is sapped from the living
Yet those same hands can touch with such healing, irresistible tenderness
That the haughty neck is happy to bow
And the proud back is glad to bend
Out of such chaos, of such contradiction
We learn that we are neither devils nor divines

In her book Mom & Me & Mom, she writes,

"Love heals. Heals and liberates. I use the word love, not meaning sentimentality, but a condition so strong that it may be that which holds the stars in their heavenly positions and that which causes the blood to flow orderly in our veins."

As I think about all of the ways in which I do and can learn to embody the Attributes of the Heart, including unconditional love, I think about those wisdom keepers whose words seem to pierce through any number of paradigms, ideas, and philosophies, taking one to the heart of the matter. That's what I find in Maya Angelou's words-the Attributes of the Heart. During a month in which many of us are bombarded with the sentimentality of Valentine's Day, may we all find within ourselves, and those we hold dear, love that heals and liberates.

Member Spotlight
Got a story to share? Let me know! If you'd like to share what you're doing in a member spotlight, please use this form to let me know what you're up to! I'll then incorporate these stories into Perspectives in Healing and future ezines to share with our global community.

Quarterly Group Read
The read chosen for the first quarter of 2019 is How to Be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals by Sy Montgomery. It is a small but mighty book that shares the simple wisdom of animals and how we can learn so much more from them than they might ever learn from us.

Online Discussion Groups
I will again be hosting online Zoom sessions to provide a space for support, connection, and dialogue with me in a small group setting. Use this link to submit your interest in the sessions scheduled for 2019. Dates and more information about the sessions can be found on the online form.

Meditation for February
Continuing with the theme of healing and love, this video from Meditative Mind provides a sound bath for the heart chakra and a backdrop for heart-focused meditation.

Become an Evergreen Supporter
Join me in becoming an Evergreen Supporter of Healing Beyond Borders. I've pledged to support the mission and vision of Healing Beyond Borders through an automatic credit card deduction each month. For more information, including giving levels, visit the store on our website and click on the Evergreen Support tab.

Online Store
And speaking of our store, have you seen all of the new products in our online store? There are quite a few new resources, supplies, and gifts that can support your learning, practice, and teaching. Profits from the sale of products from our online store directly support the mission of Healing Beyond Borders.

In light,

Joel G. Anderson, PhD, FGSA, CHTP
President, Healing Beyond Borders Board of Directors