About a mile into my run, my euphoria was suddenly shattered by a sharp stabbing pain in my left ankle. It hurt like hell!

Over years a number of people about my age have told me they had to quit jogging because it was too hard on their bodies. Specifically, their ankles, knees, and backs. But I’ve never bought into that mind set, and in almost 40 years of jogging, I’ve had no problems.

And, I thought to myself, I wasn’t willing to start having problems, not after all those years. So I continued jogging along, and pain kept getting worse and worse. As pain intensified, so did my focus on it.

Then light came on, and I remembered what I’d heard from Joseph and others over years--you always get more of what you give most of your focus to.

So I took my focus off my left ankle and hot, searing pain. And I focused on my right ankle, which was strong and healthy.

Literally within about three minutes, my left ankle was fine. The pain was gone. So I continued on for my usual distance. The pain never returned.

Now I realize this was an extremely minor disorder, especially compared to hefty health challenges many of you have shared with me over years.

But principle is still same, whether we’re talking about minor or major physical problems. Or, for that matter, anything else--money, abundance, relationships, jobs-- you name it. You get what you focus on.

Chief Joseph

Well, it seems we’re back once again on this issue of focus. You get what you focus on. You create your reality by what you focus on most of time. We’re sure we seem, to many of you, to be beating this subject to death.

Paula Gilbert, one of main artists and producer of Chanting For Healing Music CD tells her spiritual story of how album was made. The album benefits global unity causes such as OxFam, RAWA, Twin Tower Orphan Fund, Global Exchange, and Food Not Bombs.

Paula is a performance artist, songwriter and teacher who founded Cloverdale School of Music in 1994. After 9/11 she attended a Shamanic (Native American) mask making class that she had been attending every year for past 7 years. The purpose of class was to create a vision for following shamanic year which begins each year in November. In class, participants worked together with a facilitator to create their vision through several guided meditations and journaling. The class took place late in October following attack on America. During one of her meditations she had a vision. Paula says, "I became fluid and went into earth. I saw myself dressed as a bear going around a table with children. I also saw a stone mouse from my Mother’s table that we had made together up in mountains when I was young. Then I saw birds flying through light above me and I felt Bear merge with me and tell me that he would be there to help me with strength in coming year. Then bear said we would need some birds for spirituality and a blue bird with a black head appeared and told me to gather chants from all over world, especially Afghanistan and to put them on a CD for healing and prayer." There were other parts to vision telling her to use not just her own renditions but also to do research and to include a chant for children and soldiers.

After class, Paula went home with her mask and began research and started collecting chants. She told her mother about her vision and her mother offered to help out. She wanted as many chants from different cultures and languages and possible. Once she had collected several chants, on December 16, 2001 recording began at Joe Hoffmann Studios in Occidental, California. Paula Gilbert, and local artists/musicians Tory Rotlisberger and Mal Tornay started off recording with their beautiful rendition of Sri Ram, Jai Ram, Jai Jai, Ram Om which means "I am, you are, we are one". The recording continued on December 30^th in a beautiful mansion on top of a hill in Sonoma County with a large group of people including local musician Zackary Miller on dijiridu (one of oldest instruments on planet). Mal Tornay again brought his wonderful drumming ability along with his daughter, a beautiful singer, Elise Tornay. Katy Ketchum a local artist from Sebastopol brought her healing voice and impeccable piano playing and her husband Mike, a local poet, who also added to vocal team. Local performance artist, Tory Rotlisberger again brought her healing voice along with her friend and vocalist Joanna Noble of Noble Designs in Healdsburg, and more friends and vocalists Karen Wallace and John Faulkner. Rick Mariani of Wolf Coffee with his twin sons Nicolas and Mitchell added to their vibrant vocal mix as well. Paula’s family also participated in this recording session, with her Mother, Pat Gear, two Brothers, Karl and Rodney Sanchez, her sister-in-law Bethany Sanchez and her neice, Crystal Sanchez. "It was a great healing adventure to all sing together. I remember it was pouring rain outside. It was like skies were raining all tears of grief we felt for victims of 9/11 attack."