Spiritual Tourism is a real crowd-puller to India!

India and other culturally rich countries are fast finding out the importance of their spiritual traditions and beliefs in context of tourism; though, India has always been looked upon as the universal truth-finder’s path and a land of inherent spirituality. This view has been reinforced by the many overseas tourists to the country who return with memories of individual sanctification and weary souls rejuvenated after having stepped on the many legendary Indian worship sites and pilgrimage centers.

How the Celeb-factor has turned around the fate of Spiritual tourism: word of mouth and great publicity!

The global gypsy feet owner with a penchant for finding again the reassurance of religious feelings and those on spirituality scouting for inner peace find India the ideal Yog-bhoomi (land of yogic science). Many celebrities have found the ancient wisdom of Indian spirituality personally rejuvenating and have made it world-famous by giving it publicity and international exposure in action, dressing-style, using Indian meditation and other forms of spiritual peace that is predominantly Indian; some of these youth icons include Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Sting and Meg Ryan.

Indian counterparts like Shiv Khera, Swami Ramdev, Deepak Chopra and other motivating speakers and preachers of spirituality helped in building a brand image of India as a delight for spiritual tourism seekers with their inspirational discourses, seminars, public appearances and other related promotional and educational efforts for reviving interest in Indian spiritual tourisms.

A tryst with spiritual tourism in India proves to be a balm to the global traveler’s soul.

India’s innumerable saints and seers, success at peaceful attainment at enlightenment and strong emphasis on cultural diversity in various religious monuments such as Temples, Mosques, Monasteries etc having all received benevolent patronage has resulted in many places of worship being present for curious visitors from the tourism sector. Now, thanks to proper management and eco-tourism factors, this sector of spiritual tourism has gained more recognition.

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Steve Pohlit, Business Development
Consultant

Ken Clifton, author of 30 Days of Providence, 777 Things You Can Do In Heaven, and A Nation Under God has launched a movie review site with weekly reviews of spiritual themes in both religious and non-religious movies. (PRWEB) December 11, 2004 — You could expect to have spiritual movie reviews of such movies as Passion of the Christ or Joshua. However, would you expect spiritual reviews of Terminator 3, 50 First Dates, or Barbie’s Swan Lake movie? Christian author Ken Clifton says Christian messages are rich in these and other “secular” movies. “If God is the author of all truth, then the true themes found in secular movies can tell us much about the human condition, ourselves, or Himself,” Clifton says. “Christ used plants, buildings, and other things in the world to show the truths of God. An open eye looking at the secular world would find evidences and information of the spiritual around us.” The Providential Plan movie review site has been operational for 6 weeks, covering the above listed movies, as well as Wide Awake, Bruce Almighty, and Barbie in Swan Lake; however, the future movie reviews are listed 6 months in advance and contains movies such secular movies as Spiderman, Matrix Revolutions, Star Wars, and Van Helsing. Spiritual movies on the list include Joshua, Left Behind, The Climb, and Six. The movies alternate between a Christian movie review and a spiritual secular review each week. “I know that many will be shocked to think that spiritual themes could be found in secular movies, but I almost find more spiritual themes in secular movies than most Christian movies,” says Clifton. “For example, you can learn of fate in Seredipity and T3, of spiritual realms in Star Wars and City of Angels, and of mercy in Bruce Almighty.” Providential Plan movie reviews are done weekly, updated Thursdays, at providential-plan.com/reviews.html.

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Steve Pohlit, Business Development
Consultant

What is a spiritual retreat? Basically, a spiritual retreat is a moment that is spent apart from our ordinary life, to leave the noise and distractions of the city and focus on our soul…a time of rest and reflection.

Commonly, when someone refers to a spiritual retreat, a physical place to settle down comes in our mind and people from all over the world go there for one purpose: to attain full spiritual awakening, to relax and return to an awareness of the spiritual life.

Spiritual retreats goal is, primarily, to place an opportunity for spiritual people and new spiritual seekers where they can interact with a guru or spiritual teacher in a space containing strong energies. Nevertheless, each spiritual retreat is aim at a specific objective which can depend on the deity, spiritual technique, place, and faith. But the unifying thought on this matter is that anyone regardless of one’s faith or spiritual background can get together with similar and different ones to learn and explore teachings and spiritual awakening from sources abroad.

In a small scale, a spiritual retreat just expects that the spiritual seeker will be committed to making positive change. Most of the experiences lived by most people helped them to open up to new feelings about their relationship with God and reconnect with God through their connections with the people on the spiritual retreat. One is open to different spiritual approaches in prayer and life; one is more conscious of what a spiritual person is.

Some spiritual retreats or getaways touting in the internet are:

Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, (415) 865-1895, www.sfzc.org/smcindex.htm America’s oldest Zen Buddhist monastery. This spiritual retreat is located in the Santa Lucia Mountains, where guests feast on Tassajara’s famous vegetarian cuisine and soak in the hot springs.

Shenoa Springs Retreat Center, (707) 895-3156, www.shenoasprings.com. This beautiful 160-acre spiritual retreat sits at the headwaters of the Navarro River in the Anderson Valley off Highway 128 near Boonville. Daily workshops include yoga, tai chi, and meditation, this last one is conducted by a resident Zen priest.

Huntsville Trappist Monastery, (801) 745-3784, www.xmission.com/~hta. The Trappist-Cistercian monastery in north of Salt Lake City is a famous spiritual retreat for the honey the monks make to support themselves.

The Expanding Light at Ananda, (800) 346-3530, www.expandinglight.org. This spiritual retreat or community offers yoga and meditation classes and unstructured retreats.

Sedona Sacred Journeys, (928) 274.2427, www.sedonasacredjourneys.com Sedona, a valued land in Arizona, is the vortex of new age thoughts, custom spiritual retreats, Sedona weddings, and alternative healing. Some of the spiritual retreats in Sedona include deep tissue massage therapy, reiki and energy work, hypnotherapy, aromatherapy, psychic readings, spiritual counseling, spiritual tours and retreats.

Assisi East West Retreat Center, %2B39 349 499 1293, www.sacredtravel.org Buddhist monks, Christians, Hari Krishna devotees, Jews whirling dervishes and Native Americans have come and practiced their special devotion here.

Blue Mountain Center of Meditation Retreats, (800) 475 2369, learn to meditate within your own tradition and lifestyle. This spiritual retreat has branches in USA, The Netherlands, Japan, and United Kingdom.

Present Moment Conscious Living Retreat, 612 916 5229, tropical yoga, meditation, Qi gong and bodywork located on the Pacific Riviera.

Tai Chi %26 Qi Gong in Paradise, 1-800-266-5803, this Costa Rican spiritual retreat relaxes alumni with Qi Gong, Tai Chi %26 Yoga in a tropical beach setting.

Heaven Sent Direct, 01793 825565, this spiritual retreat is located in England teaching mediumship and spiritual growth through meditation workshops to conquer your soul and spirituality.

Lake Isle Retreats, 0044 28 67742776, totally a spiritual retreat centre and temple situated on a beautiful, wooded lake-isle in a nature reserve in the beautiful Ireland.

A Tuscan Sabbatical, 617 227-6244, Tuscany spiritual retreat sets the stage for reflecting on the soul, passion, personal and professional development, creativity, meditation, silence prayer joy, and balance.

Body Being %26 Heart Travel Retreat, 514 527-7425, a spiritual retreat in sacred India embodied with temples, ashrams, beaches, and simple ashram living; sacred music and dance of India plus early morning movement %26 meditation sessions.

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Steve Pohlit, Business Development
Consultant

Spiritual Recovery
Spiritual Recovery is a type of spiritual healing that can be useful in helping those addicted to certain behaviors or substances come to terms with and overcome their addictions. The methodology involves using a spiritual component of therapy to deal with dependency, co-dependency and the myriad issues that go along with these dysfunctions.
At the core of the spiritual recovery concept is the belief that recovery depends first on having a peaceful relationship with one’s self, as well as open and caring relationships with friends and family. Without this important sense of peace, trying to recover and stay away from drug, alcohol or other abused substances can be a nearly impossible task.
Scientific studies bear this out; a 2003 study showed that those patients who attended spiritual recovery sessions while in recovery showed improved success in their sobriety attempts.
Not surprisingly, the medical field is just starting to realize how important the spiritual aspect can be to an addict’s recovery. Many in-patient rehabilitation programs incorporate a spiritual component into their treatment plans, and out-patient support groups are doing the same. The most effective programs seem to combine solid medical practice with intensive counseling and spiritual healing, to change the way the body and the mind reacts to the world around it.
With the increased popularity of spiritual recovery comes new ways to celebrate one’s journey to sobriety. There are a number of websites and stores offering a wide range of gifts, including crystal bracelets, gemstones, necklaces and earrings. Some of these even feature birthstones, designed to signify the month in which the wearer entered recovery. There are also a number of books on the topics, and calendars, inspirational art and other gift items that demonstrate your recovery.
The basis of the Alcoholics Anonymous program, their 12-Step recovery program, is in essence a spiritual recovery plan, with its emphasis on forgiveness, understanding, and acceptance. Many spiritual healers preach the same ideas, with the notion that recovery involves the entire person, not just the physical realm. It is this idea that forms the basis for spiritual recovery programs like AA.
Those embarking on a journey of spiritual recovery will find that there are a number of resources available. In addition to Alcoholics Anonymous, with its meetings in every town on almost any given night, there are also support groups, online forums, message boards, and entire websites devoted to providing a safe place to continue the spiritual journey. And you can find a number of online spiritual counselors who can help you in your recovery process.
For those who are looking for more one-on-one help, a spiritual adviser with a background in drug or alcohol issues might be a good choice. Many rehabilitation centers offer out-patient or community support programs, and this can be a good way to start on your journey to spiritual wellness and freedom from your addictions. It’s important to remember that, if you do have an addiction, you need to treat the physical issues as well, so be sure that whatever program you are in is based on sound medical as well as spiritual principles. Your health care provider can probably assist you in finding a supportive spiritual recovery counselor, and some health care insurance plans will even cover the cost.
If spiritual recovery sounds like a good path for you, congratulations on taking that first step. Remember that there are no easy fixes; recovery is a life-long process. But by starting on your journey with a desire to return to spiritual health, you can find your way on the path to spiritual, emotional and physical recovery.

http://warri333.zensation.hop.clickbank.net

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Steve Pohlit, Business Development
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What makes spiritual poems different from other spiritual writings? Poetry has a way of pointing more directly at reality, rather than just defining it. It uses words as tools for the transmission of experience. Spiritual poetry then, is more about enlightenment than belief. Here is a classic example from the Tao Te Ching:

Empty your mind of all thoughts.

Let your heart be at peace.

Watch the turmoil of beings,

but contemplate their return.

Each separate being in the universe

returns to the common source.

Returning to the source is serenity.

If you don’t realize the source,

you stumble in confusion and sorrow.

When you realize where you came from,

you naturally become tolerant,

disinterested, amused,

kindhearted as a grandmother,

dignified as a king.

Immersed in the wonder of the Tao,

you can deal with whatever life brings you,

and when death comes, you are ready.

The Christian Bible is full of spiritual poems. Consider this short passage from the poetry found in Corinthians:

When I was a child,

I spoke like a child,

I thought like a child,

I reasoned like a child;

when I became a man,

I gave up childish ways.

Spiritual poems are not necessarily religious poems. They can simply point at the universal values in life, and at our relationship to these. This can be seen in the last stanza of the poem “Lake Superior.”

There was the sun on my face,

and this was superior

to any description, idea,

belief or faith.

Spiritual poetry can try to point out some particular truth. It can also be more enigmatic, causing you to investigate an idea more closely to find your own truth. It can be an expression of love, or encourage you to relax and be at peace. Simple enjoyment, though, is enough reason to read spiritual poems.

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Steve Pohlit, Business Development
Consultant

Spiritual mediums have been around for tens of thousands of years, in fact probably since man was on this planet; however modern spiritual mediums, particularly in the English language countries really trace their origins to the 19th Century.
Before this time, and even today, there were many charlatans who pretended various powers as mediums, including ‘witch doctors’ and conjurers, but the growth of the modern philosophical doctrine is usually traced to the French educator known as Kardec during the mid 1800’s. The specific word, really just a matter of semantics, was and is objected to by some people. Spiritist mediums as described by Kardec often practice very differently from spiritual mediums.
On one level many people will say that a priest should theoretically have a ‘calling’ from his God to be able to translate the wishes of that god to his congregation or following. In a general sense this is indeed what his or her duty is; however on a much more personal level the task or ability of the spiritual medium, as we understand them today, is to be the communicator from one dimension to another.
The ability to become a medium is something you either have a gift for or you haven’t. Rather like an excellent sportsman, the spiritual medium is born with a gift, and whether it is used or not is up to the individual. Just as there are brilliant sportsmen in the world who have never played sport, there are many potentially gifted spiritual mediums who have never, except perhaps in a very minor way, delved into the uses and possibilities of their gift.
Whilst the exact beliefs and powers of spiritual mediums vary greatly, in general they are people who are able to communicate with spirits in various ways. Sometimes this may have physical manifestations, but more usually these are people with a gift of being able to reach mentally into other dimensions such as time and space, and see or understand what is occurring therein.
It is generally known that if you have this gift and wish to use it the best way is to look for like-minded people who also have the same or similar powers and can show you how to take advantage of it. The same again as in sport where you can be a brilliant batsman and a lousy fielder, or vice versa, some spiritual mediums find that they are only able to communicate in one way or another, whilst some are able to become all-rounders, tackling the intricacies of several methods of divination, possibly all at the same time.
Some mediums are better at communicating with the past, while some can see into the future. Often spiritual mediums are conversant with horoscopes, if that is their particular field of gift, and can combine the technical knowledge of these and their calculation with their own understanding of other dimensions.
Nowadays many people are taking advantage of psychic mediums on the telephone and on the web from reputable companies specialising in this phenomenon. This private and confidential service ensures that you are talking to a genuine spiritual medium who can give you a personal service.

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Steve Pohlit, Business Development
Consultant

Let’s be honest. A lot of people think that spiritual healing is a little “woo-woo.” Look at it logically, though, and I think you’ll agree it’s nothing out of the ordinary.

Health is your natural state of being. It’s your default setting. As soon as you scrape your knee or cut your finger, you begin healing yourself. Your blood clots, while tenderness and swelling warn you to steer clear of the healing area. It’s like a sign outside of a construction site, “Working - Do Not Enter.”

Of course, there are often additional things you can do to facilitate healing. If a cut on your arm is very deep, you might bandage it or even sew the severed edges together, so that the healing cells can reach each other. You may apply an antibacterial to protect the area until the skin grows back to provide that protection. Whether you realize it or not, even in these everyday examples, you are cooperating with your spiritual healing.

Without the spirit that lives in you, as you, all the stitches and bandages would be completely pointless. Without consciousness, your skin would not know how to repair a cut, no matter how long you held it together.

Scientists now tell us what spiritual healers have known for a long time: There is no time. We’ve created the illusion of time to have a certain experience. You heal your leg simultaneous to breaking it: the healing only appears to take six weeks. The cast and ibuprofen and traction are all things we’ve created to help pass the illusion of time. And if you’re tired of how you’re passing the time in your own life, you can use spiritual healing to change that.

I’m not bashing “traditional” healing. I’m just saying you have a choice. Since we’re here, having a time-bound experience, we don’t need to turn our noses up at the “traditional” methods of healing. We just need to know them for what they are - props on the stage of life’s play. By tapping into some resources from the field of “alternative” or spiritual healing , we can choose different props (hopefully less expensive or painful) or reduce the time we use our props. As our proficiency grows over weeks, months, or years, we can eliminate many of our props altogether!

We can also aid our body’s natural/spiritual healing process by “getting out of the way.” You may not realize there’s anything spiritual about a good night’s sleep and good food, but repeat after me, “Everything is spiritual!” As the saying goes, you are a spiritual being having a human (time-based) experience.

No less a teacher than Thich Nhat Hahn has said that rest is important for the healing of both mind and body. I believe that much of our discomfort during healing actually comes from our restless resistance to the healing process. We try to work or otherwise carry on, as if no healing were going on, when our body wants its maximum healing power.

Whenever we let go and get still, though, we can watch miracles of spiritual healing take place - in our bodies and in our lives.

Article Courtesy of :

Steve Pohlit, Business Development
Consultant

The difficult task of picking a spiritual healer will be the focus of this article. Depending on where you live your choices may vary between a few healers to hundreds of available practitioners who offer a wide variety of esoteric sounding services.

Even though you are looking for help outside the normal range of the healing arts, care and logic still need to be applied. Here are 4 important question that you will want to ask.

1. Ask friends for referrals - Getting advice from family and friends is always a good idea when choosing a new provider of services. Well there is nothing different in finding a spiritual healer. Asking for referrals from friends can give you a good idea if a healer is any good. And what were the results. Were the results what they expected. Were they comfortable with the healer. Were there a lot of visit involved etc…

2. Is the spiritual healer confident in their skills - A money back policy is normal when you purchase most products or services. When you interview the healer will they offer you a guarantee for their work? That does not mean you have to be completely healed of what brought you to them but are you satisfied enough. The healers confidence in their work can be a determining factor in whether you see them.

3. How long or often do you have to see them - Although most spiritual healers require more then one session to do their work, are you able to determine how many sessions will be required.

4. What determines successful results - {We all like to think that whatever our immediate concern is that someone can help make it go completely away. What is a happy outcome for your time spent with a spiritual healer? If you come in with a problem and after 3 sessions you feel 60%25 better is that successful? Is it successful enough to say you would like more sessions or is it just enough to say that is all you want and can now function very well.

It is very important to ask the above questions. You have the control or your life. Keeping these questions in mind you should be able to find a spiritual healer that you can work with.

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Steve Pohlit, Business Development
Consultant

In general, spiritual counseling studies are geared toward emotional, mental and spiritual maturity; however, specific coursework can help students become certified spiritual counselors.
Spiritual counseling studies curriculums may be comprised of, but not limited to: learning about angelology, channeling, chakras, energy and intuitive healing, meditation and prayer in spiritual counseling, metaphysics, psychic development, reiki, science of mind, and spiritual energy. Through a comprehensive education, spiritual counseling studies allow students to gain the knowledge and skills to establish a career as a spiritual counselor; and successful graduates of approved educational programs can become certified in spiritual counseling.
Typically, spiritual counseling studies are holistic healing art form. Students may enroll at specific learning institutions or attain their courses online or via distance learning programs. In addition, various spiritual counseling studies include spiritual counseling for the grieving and dying; healing touch; dream interpretation; herbal therapies; stress reduction; crisis intervention and other related metaphysical studies.
Healthcare providers may wish to enroll in spiritual counseling studies to continue and earn educational units through seminars; lectures; video educational programs; educational workshops; self-study programs and coursework; and other spiritual counseling studies offered through universities and other educational institutions.
DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERAL OVERVIEW and may or may not reflect specific practices, courses and/or services associated with ANY ONE particular school(s) that is or is not advertised on SchoolsGalore.com
Copyright 2006 - All Rights Reserved
C. Bailey-Lloyd in association with Media Positive Communications, Inc. for SchoolsGalore.com

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Steve Pohlit, Business Development
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Movie lovers who are tired of the sex, blood, and gore of mainstream cinema and want something more uplifting may finally have an alternative, thanks to the Spiritual Cinema Circle. Billing itself as a cross between the Book-of-the-Month Club and Netflix, the Spiritual Cinema Circle (SCC) is a subscription-based movie club that distributes a monthly DVD featuring 3-5 spiritually themed movies for $25.95 per volume, including shipping. (PRWEB) April 14, 2006 — Hollywood Studios entered the digital age this week with the announcement that movies such as King Kong and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire are soon to become available for download on the Internet. However these mega-blockbusters have been beaten to the punch by smaller more innovative production hoses find more innovative ways to release their films. The first example is a little Aussie movie that called, %26quot;The Secret.%26quot; This months release of %26quot;The Secret%26quot; this month marks the first online feature film to be made available online on a pay-per-view basis. This has allowed it to be delivered to all points of the globe at once using the new, much touted technology of VIVIDAS. VIVIDAS allows %26quot;The Secret%26quot; to be viewed by consumers from just about any computer anywhere in the world.. Inferior technology of the past, made this impossible before as consumers were unwilling to wait for downloads or be subjected to grainy, mid-screen windows. The Vividas experience takes broadband users into the future. With one click %26quot;The Secret%26quot; explodes on to the viewer%26#8217;s computer and plays broadcast quality, full-screen with full stereo sound. In its first week of release %26quot;The Secret%26quot; online movie hit number one on the Alexa Movers and Shakers list — a worldwide report which measures traffic rankings of websites globally. For the first time in history the knowledge of %26quot;The Secret%26quot; is being released to the world in this multi million dollar feature length film. Prime Time Productions%26#8217; principal Rhonda Byrne, creator of %26quot;The Secret,%26quot; says %26#8220;Feedback from viewers of %26quot;The Secret%26quot; has been incredibly positive and moving. The knowledge of %26quot;The Secret%26quot; is lighting up lives across the planet by the second! And the viewing technology is simple and delivers magnificent, high quality images. For most viewers, watching this video will be just like switching on a TV%26#8230; except the viewer chooses when to watch.%26#8221; A single viewing of %26quot;The Secret%26quot; is $4.95 is available at www.whatisthesecret.tv The second Company using exclusively alternative delivery is The Spiritual Cinema Circle (www.SpiritualCinemaCircle.com/intentions). The Spiritual Cinema Circle say they bring the best of spiritual cinema from around the world directly to your home. %26#8220;We are the premier distributor of spiritual cinema,%26#8221; informs co-founder and Hollywood veteran producer, Stephen Simon. (What Dreams May Come, Bill %26amp; Ted%26#8217;s Excellent Adventure, Somewhere in Time) %26#8220;We have quickly become the key distributor for movies with meaning.%26#8221; What makes the Spiritual Cinema circle unique is that members pay $20 a month to have a DVD delivered to their home,. Like a %26#8220;book of the month%26#8221; club, The Circle (as members call it) already boasts subscribers, in 70 different countries around the world. Each month they receive 4 (short, feature and / or documentary) spiritual films on DVD that are theirs to keep. Spiritual Cinema Circle founder Stephen Simon counts mainstream films like: IT%26#8217;S A WONDERFUL LIFE, FIELD OF DREAMS and GHOST, and independent films such as: WHALE RIDER and WHAT THE #$*! DO WE KNOW, as films within the genre of spiritual cinema. Since its inception, The Circle has attracted the attention of everyone from spiritual luminaries Neale Donald Walsch, Deepak Chopra and Cheryl Richardson, to media outlets from %26#8220;USA Today%26#8221; to %26#8220;Newsweek%26#8221; to %26#8220;MovieMaker Magazine,%26#8221; to %26#8220;Spirituality %26amp; Health%26#8221; and the religion writer at the %26#8220;Chicago Sun-Times.%26#8221; People are noticing that the two most innovative film companies also have a spiritual bent to them. A search on the Internet shows that both have inspired fans to start online forums at Powerful Intentions (www.Powerful Intentions.com), an social networking site with a spiritual theme. The CEO of Powerful Intentions (www.PowerfulIntentions.com), Chris Tinney, said %26quot;We’;re thrilled that fans of The Secret and The Spiritual Cinema Circle have become a part of our community. The fact is spiritual no longer means religious. Powerful Intentions allows these companies and others a way to reach the 60 million Americans who consider themselves spiritual, but not religious.%26#8221; Will consumers adopt these new delivery methods? Will screaming babies and $10 buckets of popcorn become a thing of the past? Only time will tell, however, for the time being industry insiders are watching these two companies very closely. More Information: The Secret - www.TheSecret.tv Secret Forum - www.powerfulintentions.com/forum/thesecret Spiritual Cinema Circle - www.SpiritualCircleCinema.com Spiritual Cinema Circle Forum - http://www.powerfulintentions.com/forum/spiritualcinema Powerful Intentions - www.Powerfulintentions.com

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Steve Pohlit, Business Development
Consultant