Reflections
Insights, Positive Change & Healing
Neurosis is a psychological state characterized by excessive anxiety or insecurity, compensated for by various defense mechanisms. To identify this epidemic of neurotic behavior, we must indeed identify the prevalence of the “defensive” response. There are a few questions that must be answered with meticulous self-honesty, by the individual…
“Rather than be confronted with an overwhelming proof of the limitations of our understanding, we accuse our dreams of not making sense.”
— Erich Fromm
While it is useful to reflect on 2021 – our accomplishments; disappointments; and the collective consciousness of our community and world, we must be willing to LET IT GO in order to make room for new ideas and the manifestation of what we really want in our lives. In my experience, we are constantly speaking and thinking about what we “don’t like or don’t want” = resistance. The irony in this, as Carl Jung so profoundly summed it up, is that “What You Resist Persists.” Some illuminating synonyms for “Resistance” are Impediment; Blocking; Halting; Retardation, and Struggle. It doesn’t feel freeing or like forward movement to me when I add these descriptors to my aforementioned list of synonyms for a Happy New Year.
Imbalances in the chakras are known as energetic blocks. When there is unreleased emotion such as fear, anger or guilt accumulated from past experiences or when there's been a lack of nurturing, love, and encouragement during the developmental period, the energy flows less freely to and from the chakras. Whenever a person blocks an experience, he/she blocks the flow of energy to/from their chakras. When the chakras become blocked and clogged with stagnated energy, they can spin irregularly, backwards or can even become distorted or torn. When the chakras are functioning normally, each one will be open and spin properly to metabolize the particular energies needed from the universal energy field.
The life force within plants and botanicals is divine by design to work with and in support of our bodies and wellbeing. If we are in balance, we will not be susceptible to the pollen “blasts” that often initiate a chain of events designed to heal not hinder. If we are toxic – allergies may ensue. Some may experience pain at the change of seasons, or what western medicine often refers to as “the flu”. The flu, when negotiated from a holistic perspective can be extremely cleansing. After a flu-like episode we may feel a deep sense of renewal, colors seem brighter and we may experience more clarity of mind.
Clearing & balancing the Chakra system involves a deep understanding of the psychological patterns that are pertinent to each chakra and each level of the auric field. The study of multi-dimensional healing realities through the Chakra system offers freedom from habitual, negative behavior patterns, making it possible to achieve radiant, vibrant health.
Energetic healing opens the chakras and calibrates one to the appropriate life-giving frequencies, affording the body and the individual an opportunity to heal and begin again.
To study and embrace the chakra system as a map of conscious awareness can reconnect us to the elements of nature, each other, and ourselves, transforming our lives for the better and capturing the spirit of our higher purpose.
Scientists discuss at great length how far the human eye can actually see to the horizon and whether one is far enough out to sea that they can perceive the curvature of the earth. We talk about these elements a lot in yoga and through our metaphysical intellect, but the intensity with which I experienced this culmination point and vista, the peninsula (at the end of, or beginning of the earth) and the horizon line, brought with it a real sense of the Truth of being grounded in eternity, for me. The eternal lapping of the ocean rocking me to sleep each night, the rise and fall of the sun each day, and the horizon became my constant companions on this trip, rejuvenating and refreshing my mind, body, and spirit. This is the ground that has been under my feet and sky above my head since I came into this physical reality. As above, so below. I became so acutely conscious of the comfort in this backdrop of unchanging elementals that my body began to sing at a cellular level. I was up early each day greeting my yoga practice as the sun arose and anxious to rest on that horizon line, the interconnection of all things. It has always been available to me that I would have the eyes to see.
Yoga is Sanskrit for Union. Yoga/Union is the blissful state of being fully present and connected. In our daily practice we breathe in the Life Force, rest between our thoughts and begin to reconnect to our own hearts, desires and higher purpose. This healing and transcendent experience is simply not available via smart phone; pc; tv or radio. While technology can provide an infinite stream of information, we must learn to pick and choose what, where, when and how we assimilate that information. Tapping into our inner stream of consciousness we learn to prioritize our lives manifesting gratitude, joy and contentment.
When committed, we inherently contract with ourselves to grow and expand our lives.
Have you already tried Yin Yoga?
If you are looking to reduce stress and balance your energy, while also improving your physical flexibility and self-healing power, you should definitely give it a try!
Yin Yoga is becoming extremely popular as an effective and therapeutic healing modality because it alleviates chronic pain and stiffness. It is a perfect complement to the dynamic and muscular (yang) styles of yoga that emphasize internal heat, and the lengthening and contracting of our muscles.
Yin Yoga targets the connective tissues of the hips, pelvis and lower spine. Longer holds allow for the deeper release of tension.
In traditional Chinese medicine, spring is the time of detoxifying and cleansing. The element associated with springtime is wood, the color is green and the organ influences are that of the gall bladder and liver.
There are many indications of toxicity in the body: allergies; lethargy; weight gain; mucous and congestion anywhere in the body; pain; constipation; moodiness; PMS; and the list goes on… Our bodies are intimately connected to the earth and its elemental influences.If we are paying attention to the signs of our bodies (symptoms) and the signs in nature (seasons; weather; plants; animal messengers; skies; sun; moon cycles) we are moving forward in a harmonious flow with all that is.
When we hear the word “Chakra” it often gets dismissed as lofty or “woo-woo” in a sort of New Age-y, roll of the eyes, manner.
In reality the Chakra System is a proven, empowering and logical frame of reference for understanding the truth of our being, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. It provides a thorough and accurate classification for decoding illness, emotional affliction and human suffering on the deepest of levels. With methodical knowledge reaped from a clear understanding of the energy or light centers in the human body, we can achieve profound healing for our self(s), learn what it means to be healthy and make the necessary adjustments to create a full and happy life.
As published, Natural Awakenings Magazine - December 2018
There is an art and method to the savoring of a Life. It requires intention and spaciousness. Our intention is necessary in a prioritizing and “goal-setting” sort of way – to make room for the byproduct, spaciousness. In the spaciousness, time becomes available to value what is in the foreground of my unique and individual life. “What is presenting itself at this moment for my consideration?” The consideration element is crucial as our minds cannot possibly access and process the depth of those things worth savoring in just an instant.
Paradoxical in its simplicity, this common phrase offers a succinct commentary on the path to enlightenment. “Enlightenment” as defined by the process of discovering the true self. For most of us, this process only begins after the lower self has really made a mess of things in its quest to be the One. However, it is not the One.
Have you ever just settled into your breath at the beginning of a class, your body-mind remembering the peace and sanctity on your mat, your breath drawing you deeper within…and suddenly the startling sound of a mat being slapped down indiscriminately interrupts your Zen, the teacher’s dialog and your personal process?
These are incredible times. We are in the midst of great wonder, beauty and peril. We are ushering in a new era, and in seasons of great change - great resistance rises. This is evident not only on a global level, but within each individual human life we are being asked to let go of attachment and “the way things are/were” in favor of unprecedented change and great uncertainty.
What keeps you from slipping into your greatest aspirations and living your wildest dreams? I recall an old poster hanging on my wall as an adolescent, a beautiful, giant, blue butterfly and the sentiment read, “You can fly, but that cocoon has got to go.” What’s holding you back? Tired relationships? Destructive behaviors and self-talk? All that chronic negativity that we often wear like a badge of honor destroys vitality, joy and forward movement.
As published, Natural Awakenings Magazine - June 2018
We are bombarded today, by messages about what we should or could be, indicating that we are not enough. The truth is, we already are enough.
No one can sell you a miracle cream, sensational supplement, wonder drug or supernatural treatment unless they can convince you of the lack in your life. To be convinced requires a pre-existing belief system that colludes with what is being marketed or sold. Our thoughts create our reality.
Beauty comes from within.
As published, Indigo Sun Magazine - May 2018
There is a widely misunderstood phenomenon when the body begins to authentically heal. The misunderstanding, more often than not, serves to stifle the healing process altogether and prolong the disease.
The human body possesses an innate healing intelligence and a propensity toward healing. When it receives the necessary nutrients and appropriate conditions to maintain this remarkable physical matrix i.e. proper rest, high vibration - organic foods, harmonious relationships, and peaceful dwelling, combined with a sense of purpose, even the most dreaded diseases begin to release their hold.
Love is the only response to the complex questions of the Universe, again and again, and again. As a holistic health practitioner and intuitive guide I am challenged daily by the opportunity to assist souls in embracing and understanding “loving detachment”. This is a blessing for me because it affords me diverse perspectives on different days for the infinite ways each one of us might perceive a genuine understanding of this evolved, spiritual practice. A complicated, yet simple concept it is obviously paradoxical in nature for most of us at present. Webster’s dictionary very clearly describes detachment as separation. “Separation” from a spiritual vantage is the human aspect of our condition. Feeling isolated, depressed, alone, invisible, abandoned or betrayed are common manifestations revelatory of a belief in separation.
Psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud believed that behavior and personality is created from the constant and unique interaction of conflicting psychological forces that operate on different levels of awareness: the conscious and the unconscious. Psychoanalytic theory of the conscious and unconscious mind is often explained using an iceberg metaphor. Conscious awareness is the “tip of the iceberg” while, the unconscious is represented by the ice hidden below the surface of the water. Only a small percentage of the whole iceberg is visible above the surface. In this way, the iceberg is like the mind. The conscious mind is what we notice above the surface while the unconscious mind, the largest and most powerful part, remains hidden and unseen below the surface.
No one can dispute that we are, deep, in the midst of change on every level of our earthly understanding. Whether it reveals to you in your physical body, your emotions, mind or spirit we are all changing on a cellular level. We see it in our relationships, institutions, the climate, the planets, the children, the entire plant and animal kingdom, our health and the dis-eases we succumb to. Life is different today than it was yesterday. This is not new, however it does seem to be accelerating. Acceleration is change. When the velocity of an object changes it is said to be accelerating.
We are hearing a lot about change these days. Change has always been the one constant. Charles Darwin said, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, or the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change”. Whether you subscribe to Darwinian theory or not, it is difficult to disagree with his observation.
While the yoga asanas (postures) are beneficial to the body in so many ways, the actual practice is a means of clearing the mind and cultivating freedom from the thousands of extraneous thoughts that cross the mind each day.
The psychic realm is not separate from this world we know. It is the same world, just in more detail. There are many things we don't notice. Our senses, our feelings, our thoughts have limitations and most of those limitations we have put there, ourselves. We see only so much from the psychic realms. Sometimes we don't notice the psychic realm, because we don't think about it or because we didn't have a conscious experience that would require us to pay more attention to it. Sometimes it is quite the opposite: we do have an experience but it scares us, so we just sweep it under the rug or lock it in the closet and throw away the key.
The word Solstice means “sun standing still” or “grian-stad” in Irish. It marks the suns furthest position from us during winter; hence it is the shortest day of the year. The Winter Solstice is significant in our lives because it represents a “rebirth and renewal” of energies both for us and for nature. It is a time when we can consciously give birth to our dreams and intentions for the year ahead.
Breathe in the sights and sensations of this sacred season of Light. Take a few moments to be still and listen to the wisdom of your heart. Listen with your inner ears and feel your heart beat. Attune to its natural rhythm with your breath.