The movie Conversations with God is faithfully based on the life of Neale Donald Walsch. It focuses intensely upon the period of time when Walsch was descending into homeless status, and is a riveting portrayal of a man whose ego is slowly--and painfully--being eroded so something finer can flow through him. Ultimately his journey is a healing one, eventually leading to the publishing of the enormously popular Conversations with God books. The movie is an excellent telling of this epic story of spiritual realization. And epic it is. As Cate Montana, What the BLEEP newsletter editor, said, "It's amazing what spirit has to put us through before we're ready to listen." All of the elements of great storytelling are here--fine acting, photography, direction--all of which combine to maximize the impact of this very human story. And because it is so effectively told, it's a story I've gone back to in my mind for days afterwards. For me it's great to watch a film about a true hero. Not some "hero" who miraculously dodges 20,000 bullets to shoot everyone else, but someone who wrestles with "bullets" of the self and comes out the other side to help millions. On a more personal note, there really are two people behind this film. The one in front of the camera (as acted by Henry Czerny) is Walsch. The one behind the camera is producer/director Stephen Simon. Simon has been on his own journey to get these films made for decades. Mark Vicente, one of the BLEEP filmmakers, even took a film class 15 years ago taught by Simon about making mystical movies. Simon has produced spiritual movies, written books and articles, created a new way of distributing films via the Spiritual Cinema Circle, and finally made this film. For his unrelenting passion to make this all happen, we fellow filmmakers are all most grateful. -Will Arntz
Will Arntz is the co-creator of What the BLEEP Do We Know!? and Down the Rabbit Hole. www.whatthebleep.com. The Conversations with God DVD is now available from FOX Home Entertainment for $29.98. Visit www.spiritualcinemacircle.com.
In the Name of Love, A Day that Will Change Your Life with Debbie FordEver since love heard your name, it has been running through the streets trying to find you. -Hafiz
During spring all of nature calls for us to rise up to our full beauty. And Debbie Ford--with her unique talents, insight and in-depth studies of human consciousness and potential--has created an extraordinary one-day workshop that allows this to happen as participants explore how they live and love. Ford, the creator of The Shadow Process and founder of the Ford Institute for Integrative Coaching at JFK University, has committed her life to supporting others in leading fully integrated lives. In this innovate and inspiring workshop entitled In the Name of Love, she offers you the tools to transform your life. Posing the question, "What would it be like to have a love affair with life?," Ford shows you how your regrets and pain can actually be catalysts for living the extraordinary life you desire. By looking into participantsπ hearts and souls with humor and insight she affords you the opportunity to dramatically change the way you live. In all of her programs she positively affects the way we live, develop and interact as human beings, and as each one of us discovers how to shine a light into our darkness and reclaim the totality of our being, humanity is one step closer to living in balance. Ford's core belief is that transformation occurs when we have a shift in perception. Your outer world alters in profound ways when you pay attention to your inner world with compassion and love. Ford has translated that mantra over and over again in all of her work with extraordinary results. Her popular Shadow work is integrated into every course she offers. It is a lesson on how to un-conceal, own, and embrace those parts of ourselves that have been hidden, denied and suppressed. Ford's mission is to empower people to become the conscious designers of their lives and to create the outer circumstances that most clearly reflect their heart's desires. For more information on In the Name of Love workshop on March 31, call 800/783-6990 or visit www.debbieford.com.
Something to Chew On: Our Daily Bread Opens in Los Angeles
We can talk all we want about putting healthy, nutritious food into our bodies for better wellness, but unless we truly know where our food comes from, our attempts at healthy lifestyles may all be in vain. Packaging and labels can be misleading, and sweetening additives like high-fructose corn syrup can lurk in strange places like whole-grain breads. Director Nikolaus Geyrhalter's film, Our Daily Bread, examines the often unseen world of food production, from the sterile yet remarkable operation rooms packed full of machinery, to the gutting of chickens and pigs in mere seconds, to scenes of human intervention--seemingly only in places where efficient mechanized alternatives have yet to be developed. The winner of numerous awards, the film promises to be eye opening and mind-altering, reminding us of the price we pay for abundant and convenient food that sits stocked on our grocery shelves year round. A chilling reflection of modern society, it just may change the very way you look at--and enjoy--your food. Our Daily Bread will show at the Max Palevsky Theater at the Aero, 1328 Montana Avenue, Santa Monica on March 4, 11, 18 and 25. www.americancinematheque.com. -JD
Spring Cleansing at Radiance Day Spa
Spring seems to be the best time for major cleansing. We can look at cleansing our bodies in the same way as we look at maintaining our automobiles. Our body was designed to run on the pure, unpolluted, unprocessed fuel from Mother Earth. In the Chinese system of the five elements, the spring season is correlated with the element "wood," which governs the gall bladder and liver. Wood elements refer to living, growing entities: trees, plants and the human body. The wood element gives spiritual faculty to life; the liver is the home of the soul. Most illnesses are a result of excess toxins (physical, mental and emotional unusable materials) in the body. Healing is the elimination or cleansing of these toxins, and then achieving a balance of intake and output. Staying healthy through the spring season means keeping your liver and gall bladder in the best possible shape, with new attention to your nutrition, exercise, self-awareness and self-expression. It is a good time to fast, or to do a liquid cleanse, creating a clearer harmony between your inner and outer lives. Your diet will become lighter, with more raw foods-greens, sprouts, salads, fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grains, herbal teas and vegetable juices. Mental relaxation will allow you openness and peace of mind while developing your ability to focus and to make clear decisions. Physical activity will help to clear and open the body and mind. Making contact with your creative self is vital to spring harmony.
As you can see, a lot is going on in the springtime of life. It is important to clear out the past to create spaces for the future. If there is no room for clearing, the new energy will become clogged up in the system. When spring arrives, remember, "elimination equals illumination." For more information or to make an appointment for nutritional assessment and detoxification programs, please call Radiance Day Spa at 858/272-6337.