Centre for Vital Elders

Heart Seeds, a Message From the Ancestors is a loving, heartfelt and wise offering for the people of the world. Powerful, transformative, and beautifully written, this book will appeal both to seasoned spiritual seekers and novices, to individuals pursuing personal growth and to business leaders searching for deeper understanding and a better way. The profound and timeless stories—and lessons—the book conveys have implications for individuals, families, organizations, and nations.

Heart Seeds draws on an authentic spiritual framework with enduring philosophical lessons that have been passed orally across continents and through the centuries. Dedicated to remembering our relatedness and what is needed to come together as a people on the planet, the book stimulates the reader’s remembrance of being part of a whole, human family.

Written in story form, drawn from the oral tradition of native people, Heart Seeds conveys the intimacy of experience of an old culture of consciousness and wisdom. Sharing ancient wisdom through teaching stories, the authors call us to remember that we are indeed able to change what is happening on our planet, and help us recognize what we need in order to change. Sprinkled with evocative line drawings, the book helps awaken the “seeds of remembrance” of an old way of balance and harmony and stimulates our collective consciousness.

In the beginning of the book readers are invited to the Hill of Remembrance, where they hear the elders tell stories of the old way. This part of the book takes us to a time when many still lived in tribes and shared a life filled with community connections and rich interdependence. While the book starts in the past, the present story takes form as several men and women are called to journey from Mexico to the far north. Continuing to draw on medicine stories, the seekers and the reader experience powerful ceremonies and deepen their understanding of the “heart seeds.” The book culminates with a vision of the future and offers guidance for what is needed to get us there.

Contact us to buy the book if you are in UK and Europe. You can buy the book here if you are in the USA

After teaching separately for many years, WindEagle and RainbowHawk joined together to become “Keepers of the Origin Teachings of the Delicate Lodge”, a body of self-knowledge and Earth Wisdom Teachings that derive from ancient indigenous American cultures.

Teaching together since 1987, they created WindTree Teaching Center, located in the Santa Cruz Mountains of northern California. In 1995 they founded the Ehama Institute, a not-for-profit teaching institute, with a vision to share the Earth Wisdom Teachings with circles of people around the world, in order to once again create a culture of harmony and respect for life.

They work with those individuals and organizations that choose to claim their part in creating the change toward wholeness in human affairs. Some of their worldwide business clients include BMW, Honeywell, Inc., Lucent Technologies, Mattel Media, the US Air Force, Volkswagen, and the World Business Academy.

Praise for Heart Seeds

“These ancient voices and stories are essential teachers to those of ustrying to restore life and possibility to these dark times. I pray that many will be nourished by these stories, as I was. They reminded me that I am part of a great unfolding of history, where many peoples have worked courageously to love and cherish Life.”

Margaret Wheatley, Author of Leadership and the New Science and Turning to One Another

“One needs only to read the headlines to see that our corporations and institutions and culture are suffering. As a people we are clearly at a time of great turning, and our response will define the fate of our world. If ever a people needed wisdom breathed into them, it is this day. Heart Seeds offers a deep collective wisdom, which is the medicine our ailing world so badly needs. WindEagle and RainbowHawk offer this gift, outlining the path developed over many centuries to becoming a ‘true human’–deeply connected to the community and focused on the well being of the whole. These lessons give us hope as we begin to remember and relearn how to live in relation to natural cycles, and are filled with the magic of life expressing itself.”

Michael Thomas, Vice President HR & Corporate Social Responsibility, Granite Construction Inc.

“Heart Seeds, A Message from The Ancestors helps us remember a way of living on the earth with respect for nature and for each other. For today’s leaders in any field, it is a must read.”

George E. McCown, Chairman and Managing Director, McCown De Leeuw & Co.

“This is a textbook told in the style of indigenous oral history. To receive its wisdom, the reader must leave western mind and discover tribal mind. WindEagle and RainbowHawk share their inherited knowledge in the Native voice in which these teachings have survived for centuries, waiting for our need and readiness.”

Christina Baldwin, Author of Calling the Circle, the First and Future Culture

“12,000 years ago the American continent was popularized by native people crossing the Bering Straits. The wisdom they evolved guided their view of the world, their sense of interconnectedness, and their ways of making decisions. Today this wisdom, an oral tradition, is almost extinct. In Heart Seeds, WindEagle and RainbowHawk breathe immortality into this ancient wisdom. With an engaging, story-telling style they capture the ancient wisdom and provide the ‘developed world’ a unique opportunity to benefit from these time-tested perspectives on life and nature.”

Eric E. Vogt, Co-founder and President, InterClass

“Being raised in western civilization Heart Seeds, A Message from The Ancestors helped me to understand on a deeper level, why my energy is not balanced and why I often feel exhausted and stressed. The wisdom in the stories can unfold our potential for regaining individual wellness and becoming peaceful members in the global family”.

Helga Breuninger, Breuninger Foundation—Germany

“One of the great religions of the world belonged to the Mayas, whose brilliant culture and insight vanished with the Spanish conquest of the American continent but which lies hidden like a seed in the wisdom of the North American Indians. It is now springing forth again. This story is about an American couple with Native American roots who receive a revelation atop a Mayan pyramid, summoning them to awaken the seed of this ancient wisdom. The book is a fascinating and inspiring depiction of how this awakening is happening today.”

Sven Damsholt, Wisdom Books—Denmark

“There are many ways to walk into a circle, and many books out there about the ancient wisdom of indigenous American peoples. To those who want to learn more of this spirituality, Heart Seeds offers a new way to make that walk. The book opens the door to a sensitive, clearly laid-out step-by-step journey for the seeker. Woven through the book are many rich and beautiful historical stories and traditions, which the authors use to reveal these old teachings. They were never more vital and needed than today, when both our beautiful Mother Planet and the freedom of the individual are falling under deadly attack.”

Patricia Nell Warren, Author of One Is the Sun, The Wild Man and other novels.

“In the aftermath of the annual International Day of Peace and being in conversation with organizations and Peacebuilders throughout the world, I can truthfully attest to the need for this gift to humanity—Heart Seeds, a Message From the Ancestors. There is a deep yearning for the wisdom of those who came before us to guide our pathways into the future and to remind us of the essential unity of Spirit that unites us amidst our diverse ways.

Avon Mattison, Founder and President, Pathways To Peace International Secretariat, “WE THE PEOPLES” INITIATIVE, a United Nations-Designated Peace Messenger Initiative 

Fred Kovaleski, a former State Department official, stares across the net at Jason Morton in the thick of their fight for the title of No. 1 tennis player in the world. Mr. Kovaleski is losing, something he has not had much experience with during the past 60 years, and he is not delighted. But in a corner of his brain is lodged a thought that is becoming more and more common in a rapidly expanding segment of the American population: “I can’t wait to get older.”

They are actually battling to become world champion in the over-70 division at the International Tennis Federation World Championships in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. But at the moment there is no other division and no other world. Mr. Kovaleski, of Manhattan, knows that Jan. 1 starts the year he turns 75. The odds will then suddenly shift in his favor, putting him in line to become No. 1 among the over-75s. And he can expect to hold that title for some time — at least until that young pup Jason Morton, a teaching pro at Sun Lakes, Ariz., joins the over-75 age group in five years.

These senior warriors are part of a poweful new development among an elderly population that is becoming far more physically active. Many start lifting weights after they retire and continue well into their 90s. They participate in an explosion of organized games and health-club activities. The physical activity is, in turn, demonstrably improving their health and the quality and grace of their lives.

A number of recent studies show that nutrition and aerobic exercise are no longer sufficient — apart from the wisdom of sidestepping things like illness and moving freight trains — to protect the aging body. The research has made clear that working to restore muscle strength and bone density is crucial in realizing the potential for a healthy old age. Although they cannot turn back the clock, elderly athletes are finding that they can take part in sports requiring strong arms, legs and shoulders much longer and more successfully by using resistance-weight machines to restore muscle lost through aging.

Mr. Morton and Mr. Kovaleski provide a case in point. Mr. Morton won the over-70 competition and will try next year to win what might be called American’s first Granddad Slam — national singles and doubles titles on four surfaces, the indoor, clay, grass and hard courts.

Mr. Morton lifts weights. Mr. Kovaleski does not. Whether that matters when it comes to a specific tennis match is debatable, but in day-to-day living among an older population, the value of strength-training exercise is virtually indispsutable.

For the very old and frail the simple act of crossing a room can become something of a high-wire balancing act. But with strengthened leg muscles, the endeavor becomes more routine and the risk of serious injury from a fall decreases.

The American College of sports Medicine recently released a study analyzing some 250 original research projects, most completed in the past five years.

The director of the study, Dr. Robert S. Mazzeo, a professor of exercise physiology at the University of Colorado in Boulder, said the work showed the aging process was far more complex than once thought, involving a complicated interaction of genetics, life style, disease and other factors.

In one of two startling studies, by Dr. Maria Fiatarone, Dr. William J. Evans and others at the Tufts University Research Center, nine women and men, ages 87 to 101, strengthened their arms and legs by exercising with resistance weights, which, as part of a controllable system of pulleys and cables, are safer than free weights. In eight weeks, they increased the strength in the front thigh muscles by an average of almost 175 percent. Dr. Abraham Datch, a 101-year-old retired dentist, increased his strength by 200 percent over what it was at 95.

The second study by Dr. Evans and Dr. Miriam E. Nelson, divided 40 postmenopausal women, none of whom were on hormone replacement therapy, into two groups, one that lifted weights and one that did not. The group that did not lift lost bone and muscle mass, but the other group increased its average strength to the equivalent of women 15 to 20 years younger.

Dr. Mazzeo said he was surprised to see how quicky the elderly benefited from training with resistance weights.

“They can build muscle strength,” Dr. Mazzeo said, “and this then allows them to do other things, like aerobic exercises, that they had not been able to do, and that can then improve their cardiovascular systems.”

Norman A. Fitz is a retired meteorologist from Silver Spring, Md., and a ranked tennis player in his age division for 30 years. In December, his shoulder broke down with a tear in the rotator cuff and damaged in eight other areas.

The injury should have put him out of commssion for at least a year. But after surgery, he started an elaborate program of stretching, aerobic exercise and strength-building, lifting weights for the first time in his life. His first exercise of the day, prescribed by his physical therapist, Peter Boyle, director of Sports and Spinal Physical Therapy in Washington, is simply to lie on his back on a rolling pin for five minutes, and do nothing. The rolling pin, wrapped in two towels and placed under the small of his back, helped stretch and gradually correct Mr. Fitz’s posture, which had become bent from long hours at a desk, Mr. Boyle said, “With Norman we were also able to re-strengthen his shoulder muscles with weight lifting and other exercise,” he added.

Within six months, half the time expected, Mr. Fitz was back on the courts and soon at the top of the tennis ladder in the Mid-Atlantic over-60 division. Last month, he made a credible showing in the national grass-court championships in his division in Cedarhurst, N.Y.

Without exercise, Dr. Mazzeo’s study concluded, total muscle mass decreases by nearly 50 percent between ages 20 and 90. Computer tomography of individual muscles shows that after age 30 there is a decrease in cross-sectional areas of the thigh, decreased muscle density and increased intramuscle fat.

Loss of muscle mass, or atrophy, occurs notably in Type 2 muscle fibers — the fast-twitch muscles used in high-intensity activities. Atrophy, a normal response to lack of use, appears to be accentuated in older people if dietary protein is not increased.

Typically, researchers say, people lose about 30 percent of their strength between 50 and 70, and another 30 percent per decade after that. At the same time, fat-free body mass declines 15 percent, which in turn slows the body’s metabolism — the rate at which it converts food to energy. To make matters worse, the loss of lean body mass makes people lose energy and become more sedentary, continuing the unhealthy cycle by contributing to loss of lean body mass.

But increased physical activity can reverse that cycle. “A number of studies have demonstrated that, given adequate training stimulus, older men and women show similar or greater strength gains compared with young individuals as a result of resistance training,‿ the researchers said.

Still, because the aging process is so complex, getting and staying in shape and competing becomes more complicated as the body ages. Dr. Gari I. Wadler, a sports medicine-expert at New York University School of Medicine, said in an interview: “After 30, reaction time slows, as information processing in the brain slows and nerves conduct impulses more slowly. The heart no longer pumps at the same maximal rate it once did. The arteries begin to stiffen, and oxygen is transported less efficiently. Finally, recovery time slows.”

And a decline in one system drags down the others. One elderly champion of a few years ago used to say that his overall conditioning was much harder to maintain, that missing a week of tennis at his age would be like a young adult’s missing six months.

Eventually, everyone in the later stages of life faces a difficult decision: when to discard the strategies of youth. Sam Shore of Port Washington, N.Y., long No. 1 in the over-85 tennis group, made the transition smoothly. His strategy: If you can’t speed around much anymore, go where a younger tennis person will never tread. He positioned himself in no man’s land in the middle of the court — a shrewd tactic for those who volley superbly, hitting the ball before it bounces. Even younger competitors were often unable to pass Sam Shore, and if they put the ball where he could reach it, he could put it and them away. Mr. Shore died in July at 92, still world champion in the over-85s division.

To watch him dancing about in his final years in tennis’s no-man’s land was to watch Baryshnikov in slow time at the ballet.

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Here are some quotes we like:

“An elder is a person who is still growing, still a learner, still with potential and whose life continues to have within it the promise for, and connection with the future …… and whose work it is to synthesise wisdom from long life experience and formulate this into a legacy for future generations.”

Barry Barkan, Live Oak Living Center, California

“Elderhood is a time to discover inner richness for self development and spiritual growth.”
Gay Luce, Longer Life, More Joy

And finally this quote from Zalman Shalomi’s excellent book, from Aging to Saging, really sums it up for us:

“Elders are wisdomkeepers who have an ongoing responsibility for maintaining society’s well-being and safeguarding the health of our ailing planet”
Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, From Age-ing to Sage-ing

Add your favourite quote or definition - leave a comment.

A lot of people believe that we use only 10 percent of our brain. Is that true?

“It’s not true. In fact, you’d be in big trouble if you only used 10 percent. The reality is that we use all of our brain, but we don’t use it all the time,” said surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz.

“The brain was really hidden from us until we had new technologies that could allow us either to operate on the brain, or to see what the brain does when you’re actually thinking or doing tasks.”

Thanks to these advances, we can now see how challenging your mind can keep your brain young. Suzanne, who speaks four languages fluently - English, Swiss-German, French, and German - was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor in the language center of her brain. The problem is trying to remove the tumor without destroying her ability to speak her languages. Her treatment will give doctors at UCLA a rare opportunity to literally see how learning a language exercises the brain.

During surgery to remove the tumor, Suzanne, at one point, was awakened. She was shown pictures and asked to identify them in each of her languages.

An MRI lights up the part of the brain that Suzanne uses as she speaks. This helps the surgeon avoid the language area when removing the tumor. But the doctors discover something quite amazing - each of Suzanne’s languages resides in a different part of her brain.

The surgery is successful - the tumor is removed and Suzanne’s knowledge of four languages is saved. Her case busted a big brain myth - that language resides in just one tiny area of the brain. Because Suzanne learned her languages at different ages, her brain stored them in different places - showing that challenging your brain creates new neural pathways.

“Just like you challenge a muscle to grow it, well, the brain gets new connections,” said anti-aging guru Dr. Michael F. Roizen.

And that busts another big brain myth - that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Memory loss is not inevitable. Want to keep your brain young? Exercise it.

Try learning to play a musical instrument, doing crossword puzzles, learning a language - even playing computer games.

“The data now indicate that an hour of games for 40 weeks can make your brain equivalent, your brain’s real age, 10 years younger,” Roizen said.

And one final brain myth: Does the size of a person’s brain have anything to do with their intellectual capacity?

“There is no correlation with the size of a human brain and its intellect. In fact, Einstein was sort of a famous example. His brain was about average size - no difference between his and almost any other brain,” Oz said.

There’s no denying that as we age chronologically, our body ages right along with us. But research is showing that you can increase your chances of maintaining a healthy brain well into your old age if you add these “smart” foods to your daily eating regimen.

Blueberries. “Brainberries” is what Steven Pratt, MD, author of “Superfoods Rx: Fourteen Foods Proven to Change Your Life,” calls these tasty fruits. Pratt, who is also on staff at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, Calif., says that in animal studies researchers have found that blueberries help protect the brain from oxidative stress and may reduce the effects of age-related conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

Studies have also shown that diets rich in blueberries significantly improved both the learning capacity and motor skills of aging rats, making them mentally equivalent to much younger rats. Ann Kulze, MD, author of “Dr. Ann’s 10-Step Diet: A Simple Plan for Permanent Weight Loss & Lifelong Vitality,” recommends adding at least one cup of blueberries a day in any form — fresh, frozen, or freeze-dried.

Wild salmon. Deep-water fish, such as salmon, are rich in omega-3 essential fatty acids, which are essential for brain function, says Kulze. Both she and Pratt recommend wild salmon for its “cleanliness” and the fact that it is in plentiful supply.

Omega-3s also contain anti-inflammatory substances. Other oily fish that provide the benefits of omega-3s are sardines and herring, says Kulze; she recommends a 4-ounce serving, two to three times a week.

Nuts and seeds. Nuts and seeds are good sources of vitamin E, says Pratt, explaining that higher levels of vitamin E correspond with less cognitive decline as you get older. Add an ounce a day of walnuts, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, filberts, almonds, cashews, peanuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, flax seed, and unhydrogenated nut butters such as peanut butter, almond butter, and tahini.

Raw or roasted doesn’t matter, although if you’re on a sodium-restricted diet, buy unsalted nuts.

Avocados. Avocados are almost as good as blueberries in promoting brain health, says Pratt.

“I don’t think the avocado gets its due,” agrees Kulze.

True, the avocado is a fatty fruit, but, says Kulze, it’s a monounsaturated fat, which contributes to healthy blood flow. “And healthy blood flow means a healthy brain,” she says.

Avocados also lower blood pressure, says Pratt, and as hypertension is a risk factor for the decline in cognitive abilities, a lower blood pressure should promote brain health. Avocados are high in calories, however, so Kulze suggests adding just 1/4 to 1/2 of an avocado to one daily meal as a side dish.

Whole grains. Whole grains, such as oatmeal, whole-grain breads, and brown rice can reduce the risk for heart disease.

“Every organ in the body is dependent on blood flow,” says Pratt. “If you promote cardiovascular health, you’re promoting good flow to the organ system, which includes the brain.” While wheat germ is not technically a whole grain, it also goes on Kulze’s “superfoods” list because in addition to fiber, it has vitamin E and some omega-3s.

Kulze suggests 1/2 cup of whole-grain cereal, 1 slice of bread two-thee times day, or 2 tablespoons of wheat germ a day.

Beans. Beans are “under-recognized” and “economical,” says Kulze. They also stabilize glucose (blood sugar) levels. The brain is dependent on glucose for fuel, Kulze explains, and since it can’t store the glucose, it relies on a steady stream of energy — which beans can provide.

Any beans will do, says Kulze, but she is especially partial to lentils and black beans and recommends 1/2 cup every day.

Pomegranate juice. Pomegranate juice (you can eat the fruit itself but with its many tiny seeds, it’s not nearly as convenient) offers potent antioxidant benefits, says Kulze, which protect the brain from the damage of free radicals.

“Probably no part of the body is more sensitive to the damage from free radicals as the brain,” says board-certified neurologist David Perlmutter, MD, author of “The Better Brain Book.”

Citrus fruits and colorful vegetables are also high on Perlmutter’s list of “brainy” foods because of their antioxidant properties — “the more colorful the better,” he says.

Because pomegranate juice has added sugar (to counteract its natural tartness), you don’t want to go overboard, says Kulze; she recommends approximately 2 ounces a day, diluted with spring water or seltzer.

Freshly brewed tea. Two to three cups a day of freshly brewed tea — hot or iced — contains a modest amount of caffeine which, when used “judiciously,” says Kulze — can boost brain power by enhancing memory, focus, and mood. Tea also has potent antioxidants, especially the class known as catechines, which promotes healthy blood flow.

Bottled or powdered teas don’t do the trick, however, says Kulze. “It has to be freshly brewed.” Tea bags do count, however.

Dark chocolate. Let’s end with the good stuff. Dark chocolate has powerful antioxidant properties, contains several natural stimulants, including caffeine, which enhance focus and concentration, and stimulates the production of endorphins, which helps improve mood.

One-half ounce to 1 ounce a day will provide all the benefits you need, says Kulze. This is one “superfood” where more is not better. “You have to do this one in moderation,” says Kulze.

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Can you remember the first time you pretended to be a tree?

I was suddenly taken back to this memory the other morning as I did my exercises in the garden. It was warm and windy. A wild rose bush had scattered a carpet of white petals on the grass and buttercups dotted across the lawn like stars in the sky.

As I was circling my arms over my head I looked around and saw that the trees were waving there arms also. And this memory of a five year old, dressed in shorts and vest, in the school hall for a PE lesson (Physical Education) came rushing back. I remember feelings of slight embarrassment – isn’t this a bit sissy for boys? and a great feeling of freedom and exhilaration. For some reason standing still like a tree and then moving gently and then more wildly in the imagined wind opened a new part of me. I began to think about what we humans have in common with trees and found more than I realised.