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Tag: cristina bornstein
This is part one of three personal stories about my Shamanic journey to Colombia December 2016. Other posts include a Wondrous Heart Opening and The Many Cristina’s
A super long post, sorry, so it’s broken into sections and certain topics in bold for you to find what interests you the most as you scroll through. I have some great environmental recourse links at the end…but one very important part of this journey was that it lead our group to create a Land For The Kogi Fund, a private fund to help them reclaim their ancestral lands and I am thrilled to report that through our efforts we raised close to $10,000 which bought 99.7 acres of land, and we had enough left over to buy them a solar panel so for light, which they have never had till now. More details on this towards the end of the post but feeling very proud! Being in service to others is a beautiful gift and I am thankful I was able to be apart of helping them because they sure did help and affect me!
Who Are The Kogi?
The Kogi, our Elder Siblings, the Guardians of Mother Earth are living in what they consider the “Heart of the World”. They have a profound wisdom about nature that could very well make everyone rethink their ideas on the environment and the universe. They offer us solutions that are so simple – to connect, ground and respect the earth or “Aluna” what they call Mother Earth, Ocean Mama and Father Universe. They have a presence that commands respect and opens your heart and worldview boundlessly.
The power of their wisdom and energy is humbling. They live in the Colombian Sierra Nevada Mountains but few people outside of Colombia know who they are and what they represent and now is the time they have chosen to come out and share their hearts to teach us in hopes of saving our planet.
They are the direct decedents of the Tarona tribe who fled up to the Sierra Nevada Mountains to escape servitude – the Conquistadors never conquered them in the 500th century so their culture is pure. Since the 1988 documentary From the Heart of the World: The Elder Brothers’ Warning (Kogi message) they have not let many into their community, let alone to stay with them, until now. Our group lead by John Perkins, Daniel Koupermann and Jaruen were invited to stay in one of their communities for a night to partake in ceremonies and teachings. They invited us into their sacred ceremonial lands and spaces.
Before we could enter their community they had us purify ourselves – discussed further on in Ceremonies and Offerings in this post. In the morning a beautiful Moma, Manual, invited us into a sacred space for the men and the honor we felt was palpable. Within this sacred hut he told us that we are now accepted into their hearts and that they consider us friends – there was not a dry eye in the house! To be apart of this historic trip of meeting and staying with them was amazing in itself but the openness and acceptance of us into their hearts is beyond what I can express. I will take this opportunity to honor our group. We had a collective purity and openness of heart – we were all there with respect and honor towards them and I believe they recognized that. Massive amounts of gratitude to the amazingly beautiful souls I traveled who are pictured on this post.
We had the great honor of meeting with them 3 other times for teachings and ceremonies, one which was unexpected so it was a beautiful sign that we were / are in harmony with their purpose.
The Kogi are now ready to actively teach us and share their wisdom…we must listen. Some will not like what they hear because it can be a hard pill to swallow when you recognize your participation in doing harm to the earth and our fellow man, it was for me, and that’s ok. But this bitter pill is what will allow us to accept their truths. We are ready to accept truth when we are ready but I encourage you to reflect on their wisdom. It is worth mentioning that to become a Moma / Shaman you are chosen at the age of 1-2 years old and for the next 25 years endure intense training. The Kogi people honor their own wisdom, they practice what they preach in such a deep way and we can all learn from that – major respect!
Kogi Wisdoms
The Kogi busted open my mind and energy and gave me such wisdom about earth and life. Man I thought I was so connected to earth but they tore apart that illusion! I do not mean to diminish any of my past connections with Aluna – it’s been a constant in my life since childhood and earth has helped me and me it but they way the Kogi speak about it is unlike anything I have ever heard. When they speak it’s as if you are receiving an energy transmission so you are not only hearing the information you are feeling it – many of my fellow travelers commented on this.
One of the main messages was how we are destroying our earth. They talked about how every step we take greatly affects the world around us. In cities we may not take notice of this but in nature it’s more obvious. Getting in touch with how we affect our world is a crucial part in creating positive change, not just for the planet but also for our internal landscape. The solution is a deeper connection with earth.
My friend Theresa got to ask one of the Moma’s what he thought were the most import things we can do and, “He said the most important thing to share with family & friends is to encourage everyone to become more connected with nature – to spend more time out in it, to plant our own food – but essentially to reconnect so that our love & respect for our planet can grow.”
It is our duty to accept responsibility for the damage we have done and continue to do. They spoke of how we hurt the earth through explosions just to get minerals, to get crystals, and the tears uncontrollably streamed down my face as I realized my participation in this damage. I tried to explain what I do in my business and asked how I could change my ways. If you pick up a stone yourself and ask permission it is ok they said but to mindlessly collect pretty shinny stones is supporting the desolation of our Mother Earth. I clearly see my part in hurting the earth and I am ashamed. John said to me, and I paraphrase, I really do feel your pain but there is nothing you can do about the past so let that go and re-evaluate how you move forward. I am fully committed to changing my personal ways, how I sell and present my T&T crystals and in encouraging others to do the same, as gently as I can. Most of us have awareness about the harm and destruction from diamond mines but not about crystals, I didn’t, and now I know the same harm is being done. Especially because crystals popularity has sored and even in my beauty industry it has become a major trend thus creating more demand which then creates harsher extraction practices and treatment to the workers. By Kogi standards anything that is not offered to you from the earth directly is not good. I am still processing this and figuring out how to ethically continue my crystal use. I have tons of crystals in stock for sale and in my oil blends. I have apologized to them since I am home. The crystals I use for healings are fine because I have a deep relationship with those guys – my personal crystals are given lots of love and gratitude. But until I figure it all out I will be asking anyone who wants to buy my crystals to do so with the awareness that they are a life force given to us by Mother earth. I want to bring an awareness of deep gratitude in hopes anyone with crystals will value and honor them in a deeper way.
I found it amazing to hear their thoughts on happiness. They say if you are unhappy in life you are not connected to earth. We all get so busy we forget to slow down and evaluate how we really are. My friend Theresa reminded me about what Jared, a great guy in our group, asked about their definition of success and they didn’t fully understand that concept in the way he was asking because their concept of success is passing on their wisdom and honoring the earth but his take away is worth sharing. He said he thought he’d been doing things the right way based on our measure of success but knows now that means nothing. And that more importantly, we throw our elders away, cast them aside and ignore them instead of learning all that we can from them and passing it along to our children and grandchildren. Sharing the wisdom of the elders is one of their highest missions.
From my own research on happiness I know in cultures where elders are respected and included with their families and communities their lives are extended and happier, and the meaning of those around them is increased.
They say above all else they respect and honor woman because we give life and they believe that it is only the woman who hold the wisdom to tell the men STOP, you have gone too far and this currently has implications to every aspect of every sentient being. So calling all ladies, we have to empower ourselves and value ourselves enough to know our words have meaning and will help change the world. Many men will support us in this effort but it’s the men who do not like this that we must find a way to reach. I would ask you to evaluate how you can contribute to shapeshifting our world into a place of love and harmony. Remember everything counts, there are no small acts!
Women Supporting Women
We keep learning lessons in life but in our openness learn them in a deeper way as we move forward. On this trip the importance of woman supporting woman deepened. My friend Jonelle said we have a new collective paradigm to support and nurture each other and she and another girlfriend, Theresa, showed me that support during this journey. Each of them on an important journey to fully come into their power and they are inspiring. Many modern cultures have somehow lost much of this but not the Kogi.
This is an important time for woman – in my energy medicine world we speak about this being a time of the matriarch. It is time for us to be empowered and help heal the world and by supporting each other, and by sharing our hearts we inspire each other. John was very encouraging to all the women in the group to speak out and share our stories because now is the time we need women’s wisdom and the way to optimize that is by us celebrating, supporting and empowering each other.
A collective energy has been birthed out of our trip. I believe we can help the Kogi keep and share their wisdom and that more and more people will awaken to their message. We can shapeshift our world to one of loving-kindness and respect, not our current state of mindlessness and destruction. I think if we are all honest with ourselves we will see how we contribute to our disposable society. Gentleness is required to get some people to change because who wants to admit they are hurting themselves, their loved loves and our planet – it’s not easy to look at but this truth and the awareness can transform our lives on every level and just maybe we can co-create a harmonious, healthy and happy planet.
Our Disposable Lives
As I said some of these are hard lessons or adjustments to make, we all like to go out and grab a Starbucks or buy new cloths instead of mending the old ones. It’s easier for busy people to order in or eat frozen food instead of making it themselves. We are living disposable lives so from that point of view how can expect our internal world not to be just as disposable? We are not disposable and need to value ourselves more. The Kogi say the only answer to all this is to deepen our connection to earth, to constantly make offerings, to be aware of what we take and what we give back…this is not dissimilar to the other indigenous people I’ve had the honor of learning from. The time to listen to the indigenous voice has come!
The following are all questions I am personally revisiting thanks to the Kogi. What do you give yourself? What do you give away? Do you love and honor yourself and if so how? Do you value your life and gifts and again if so how? Do you respect yourself? Do you respect our planet? How do you treat your body? Do you honor your elders? Do you have compassion for your fellow man? What do have that you really do not need? What can you do without in order to help others? All these questions should be deeply pondered in an honest way because if you are open to seeing where improvements can be made you can and will transform yourself and those around you to have a more loving harmonious, meaningful and joyful life.
Honoring Life
We must recognize these indigenous tribes have a wisdom that has been lost to many of us. So many of us are separated from the earth that literally breathes life into us. My friend explained to me how if you turn a tree upside down or the lungs right-side up they look almost exactly alike – the trees literally are our lungs and our lungs the trees. That every breath we take in is receiving the yin of life and every exhale the giving yang of life – I hope I am getting that right, will correct if need be. The idea is clear to me though…that with every breath we are connected to nature, to earth and there is no separation between anything so if we dishonor the earth, nature, we dishonor ourselves. When we hurt the earth we hurt ourselves. The opposite is true as well – we can care for Aluna we heal her. There are so many ways to do this and doing some good old fashion earthing and earth hugging is a great place to start! So is mindful breathing! You can set the intent that with every breath you are feeding life and love into our world.
There is no green without blue; no blue without green…just as there is no “us” without a healthy environment. We must protect our oceans and forests for without them we will perish – the tipping point has arrived and it is time to take action. Some ideas of how to do this are listed at the end of this post.
Ceremonies and Offerings
From other indigenous experiences I know how important making offerings are to the Aluna. The Mayan’s also speak about how we have to honestly look at what we take from earth and what we give back. We must make offerings for what we take from the earth and from any energy we draw from. There must always be an equal and balanced exchange of energy. If you feel there has not been an equal exchange you may want to try a forgiveness cerimony the Mayan’s taught us or do the Cotton offering I speak about below.
Cotton Offerings and Strings of Achievement
Before entering the first Kogi village we were given a small piece of cotton and told to put all our negativity, worries and unneeded energy into it, which we then gave back to them. They would later bury this cotton. This signified our purity to enter their village and we received a simple but beautiful sting around our wrists to signify our purity of heart and energy.
Before we left this same Kogi village we were asked to put all our apologies to the earth into another piece of cotton. It was raining hard and they said this was a great sign from Aluna that she received and accepted our “sorrys”. This one got me big time. I wasn’t expecting it to be so effortless, I held the cotton in my hand and instantly tears of sorrow began to fall, it felt cleansing to take responsibility for the damage I have done and for what we have all done to our mother earth. I kept saying I am sorry I am sorry and I felt the earth accept my apology, which is currently beyond words for me.
The last Kogi ceremony we had was on a beach that has a lagoon on one side and ocean on the other, magic yet again. There where many sacred Kogi stones, the number nine has great significance to them and in this place were nine holes in large stones, and they said if our intentions were true the water in the holes would begin to bubble and spin clockwise. We were asked to place our sacred items on the sacred stone. We were with the Kogi Moma, Juan, his pregnant wife and his son who is a moma in training and we got to witness the father teaching the son how to make an offering – allowing us to see this was an honor beyond words!
The Kogi Moma asked us to ask the universe for enlightenment and I write about this in my heart opening post but it’s important to mention here as well since it’s a Kogi ceremony. I found the wording I needed “Let the light of enlightenment flow through me” but I felt something was missing; I needed to offer something in return. I offered the universe my fully open divine femininity and the message was received and my journey deepened. I opened and connected in a way that I can’t fully express. It was an ecstatic feeling that I connect with daily now.
During this ceremony I did feel the light come into me and I was laying on the sand, head on a sacred stone and I realized suddenly a stone was in my hand and that it felt soft and feminine – it was soothing like a stress stone. I felt it was a gift from Aluna. I heard the moma family behind me so I open my eyes to look back sensing the ceremony was coming to an end and the moma (shaman) looked me right in the eyes and nodded to me as if to say YES – I felt like he saw my connection and I enjoyed that moment of recognition. We received two cotton bracelets this time with a little bead on it, they hold such value to me, and I never want them to fall away….
During our surprise invitation to another Kogi village, later that day, the moma asked us to put 9 wishes into the cotton he gave to use. He said they would then be taken high into the Sierra Nevada Mountains to be buried in the earth – to plant the seeds of our wishes. He invited us into their “school” and spent a fair amount of time explaining the meaning of their sacred items – the experience felt very special. Beautiful. Grateful.
Cotton Ceremony At Home
You can easily do this cotton purification ceremony on your own – I have since I’ve been home. You take a cotton ball, organic is best, and sit outside on nature, or by a house plant if you live in a city, and meditate on what you want to let go of, or apologize for or wish for. I meditate on this for about 10 minutes and then bury the cotton or throw it in water, and on one occasion I flushed it down the toilet – intention is everything! You then turn in a 360-degree clockwise circle and then counter clockwise 360 degrees and your done. Always thank earth / nature for absorbing what you have let go of and the earth will then happily transform it back into pure source energy.
Why We Wanted To Help The Kogi
Giving Money To Their Mission
They are in a dire situation where some of the communities that are in the highest parts of the mountains are starving because of infertile soil. They are still recovering from having been abused by the Colombian farmers, the FARC and mainly the right wing Paramilitaries since the beginning of the republic. In the 60´s they were abused for the marijuana plantations and then after that for the coca plantations.
Now the Colombian government has controlled the illegal activities in the area, and this is why the Kogi’s can now come back to their ancestral lands in the lower part of Sierra Nevada where agriculture is viable, as well the weather, and maybe they can have access to some basic health services.
One of the Kogi’s biggest missions right now is to share and preserve their wisdom. Jaruen, our local guide was super open, sweet and is close with the Kogi – he had taken a couple of them into his home when they were in danger from the Narco’s. He said too much wisdom is dying with their elders and they need to find a way to get around to all of the Mamos/Elders and glean as much of their wisdom as possible, not just for themselves for future generations. He said they would require financial support to provide the transportation and resources they need to travel to various villages. Jared asked if they’d rather have money for land or money for transportation and Jaruen said buying back the land was most important because then they could live together and share the wisdom on a daily basis. He said that they would view success as being able to harness and relay all of that wisdom. To me this shows their incredible purity of heart.
Our goal was to raise $10,000, which would buy almost 4 HECTARES (10 ACRES) of land for them and we did it!!!! We even had enough money left over to buy them a solar panel, which will enable them to work at night. This was a private fundraising initiative and I am so proud! I will keep everyone updated once more inicatives are under way.
Help Honor And Share Their Message
I hope I was able to relay some of their wisdom here but please also check out the BBC Documentary as well as John Perkins Blog about this trip.
Preserve Nature
I would ask you to look around your immediate community and see how you can help preserve nature and earth itself. Even in NYC there are ways to do this with Green Roofs and Community Gardens so I know outside the city your efforts will be easily achieved.
Be conscious of your Eco Footprint. When I measured mine I was shocked!
Learn about Earth Energies.
Learn to Connect With Earth.
In Colombia I’d like to find a way to help to stop Don Diego River being dammed up. That is the river we floated down on tubes and it was filled with life in and around it. It was also a gathering spot for the locals. At one point we passed a small beach where families had gathered to connect in song, dance and fun and it really made a lot of us think wow you might look at where these people live and think how sad, they are so poor but that is our false perception. They have everything – love, community and natures gifts. If this river is dammed up all of those guys who carried our luggage up and down the river and the men who kept us “in bounds” on the river would all be out of a job and that the village would cease to exist without the revenue generated from the tubing experience. So damming up a river is not just the loss of a beautiful nature reserve it is ending the livelihood of those beautiful people. I am throwing this out to the universe and would love to hear from anyone who is able to let me know ways to support this not happening! Thank you.
This is apart of a three part story about my shamanic Journey in Colombia, December 2016. The other posts are a Wondrous Heart Opening and The Legendary Kogi & Their Wisdom
I had many revelations and this one was extremely profound for me and I believe many of you will be able to relate.
One of our guides, Daniel Koupermann, who is also a Shaman among other wonderful things, has such wisdom! I remembered many of his words from our January 2016 journey in Guatemala, like quieting the noise in my head to get a new perspective on getting what I need. Funny, even writing those words “I need” seems a bit foreign right now. I know I don’t ‘need’ anything, other than survival stuff I suppose. I am committed to just be in the moment and in vibration with an open loving heart and a passion for life (If that’s a hopeful Cristina I like her). On this journey Daniel really lovingly pushed me. He said when he knows someone and cares he likes to help and that honored me very much.
We were sitting by a river, pictured on this post, and he asked for permission to share some observations about me, of course! He said, “Cristina, you have too many Cristina’s” = enters a bioluminescent firework explosion in my head of ok here we go. I will be paraphrasing most of this – I wish you could here his voice; he speaks slowly, thoughtfully and with great insight.
He said I am getting in my own way. I had been feeling some of this truth and even mentioned it in a group share I believe but his words penetrated my heart, mind and soul in a new way. As he spoke the truth about me I had streams of tears, but happy realization acceptance tears.
He said he had met the “Protagonist” Cristina, the “I want, I want” Cristina and the “I have more to say” Cristina…Yep. There are tons on the list but some that immediately come to mind are the insecure Cristina, the need for validation Cristina, the ego Cristina and the over sharing every detail Cristina. He said he was sharing this with me because I am ready to shed them so that the authentic Cristina, who is a bright light, can surface and live fully.
He said start by just observing them. I replied sure, I can see them and then say ‘thank you but go with love’ and he strongly said no, I must fight them. Don’t be kind to them because they will not want to go so get angry and fight like hell. He said I am a brave warrior (of light)…(Oh look, ego Cristina feeling the need to share that, lol)
He suggested putting a small stone or pebble in my shoe, nothing that would hurt, but something to remind me to observe myself more closely. After this conversation I became very aware of myself, I began to observe them and saw a loud Cristina, an over excited Cristina, the I get annoyed Cristina and the judgmental Cristina… yeah, wow, the list really can go on, a bit embarrassing.
And while taking a writing break during this post I found another Cristina I don’t like at all and am currently telling her to piss off and game on. In my heart opening post I said my heart was irretrievably open but an “I have the best walls, it feels safe and I like it” Cristina reared her head – dammit these 50 shades of Cristina are a real bitch but I’m ready to fight. Mental Ninja Time – May The Force Be With Me.
All that said, during this journey the authentic Cristina did come out because of the great wisdoms I was given that tore open my heart and energy in everyway possible. The openings for me on this journey were very deep so how could my authentic self not come out? I can see my light, connections and the transformations I shifted into during this trip. I found a deeper self-love and worth and I know this part of myself will continue to grow. I observed myself open and vulnerable and I like those parts of me, they can stay. I am very grateful and blessed to energetically be where I am now.
Daniel said listen, start with the big ones and don’t expect to get them all because it’s a life long journey – I’m ready, bring it, the gloves are off.
First and most importantly enjoy the holidays and being with the people you love! Be grateful, don’t sweat the small stuff and of course practice conscious cooking!
I cook free form and encourage you to do the same – cooking is creative, meditative and fun! Make every dish your own!
All quantities depend on how many you are cooking for but that said I always make more than needed because left overs are amazingly tasty and it’s nice to give your friends and family a little leftover goodie bag to go home with.
Foturkey It’s completely delicious!!! It comes with gravy and stuffing inside so your fine if that’s all the effort you want to put in but personally I make my own gravy and stuffing.
This is soy based so you might want to have some grilled tofu as another protein option. Here is a great recipe.
Alternative to Soy
Try getting a Quorn Turkey Roast, it is made from corn and is a very very tasty!
Gravy:
Here is a link to a recipe to make it from scratch but I personally use the vegitarian powder packets, about 2-3, and just add an entire box of vegetable broth, nutritional yeast, onion powder, salt, pepper and garlic powder. You can add scallions and parsley as well. Stir regularly and let it thicken if it thickens too much, or to freshen a left over batch, just add some vegetable broth.
Stuffing:
This is my most requested dish! When I cook this I purposely make more than needed so my friends get to leave with some leftovers and I put some in the freezer to enjoy later. Get any bread stuffing you like, I prefer the organic multi-grain pre seasoned with herbs but there is every kind under the sun these days, even gluten free. I spray some olive olive oil into a large pan and make the dish right in it and this makes it super easy to make, throw it in the oven and then straight onto the table if you like – but I do think putting it in a nice big bowl is nicer.
I use three bags of stuffing and add chopped up scallion x2, onion x2, watercress x2, spinach x3 bags, kale x1 and garlic x 3-5 cloves. Add salt and pepper x 1 teaspoon or to taste. Add two cans of organic split pea, cream of celery and cream of broccoli soup. Fake sausage can really add that something special, to me it’s not the same without it! I like Gimme Lean you can pre cook it and crumble it into main stuffing pan but sometimes if I cannot find that brand any veggie sausage brand is fine, and if you like spicy you can get them spicy version…yuuummmmy – which ever you use make sure it’s in small pieces. I mix it all together and cook at 450 degrees. I have to pull it out of the oven a few times to stir it and turn it over so that every bit of it gets a chance to get a bit crispy.
Sweet Potato Mash
Leave the skins on – tons of great nutrients in them! Chop into small pieces, boil, drain water, and put potatoes back in pot and mash. Add butter, salt and pepper to taste.
Woman’s health has more than one great recipe for this tasty and super healthy food.
Veggie Potato Bake:
Chop up potatoes – the petite small and colorful ones are fun! Lots of root vegetables like carrots, parsnips, turnips’, onion and garlic. Sprinkle olive oil liberally and add salt and pepper – to taste can vary for many people so go light to medium and let everyone add what they like once it’s done. That said remember you always need more salt and pepper than you think! Bake in the oven at 450 degrees until crispy. You will have to stir it a few times to make sure all of it is crispy on all sides and you may need to add a bit more olive oil when you stir it up.
Veggie Polenta
You can’t go wrong with this! Depending on how many you are serving you will have to gage how much you need but let’s say you have 6-10 people…
2-3 tubes of polenta – I like the garlic basil – you want to chop it up and it will become a mash once you begin to cook it.
Chop up all the veggies you love – I use 4-5 squash, 3 bags of spinach, 1 bag of kale, 1 onion, 1 scallion, 6 garlic cloves, a handful of parsley
Spice it up – I use nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, garlic, a bit of cayenne if your people like spice (if you are unsure it’s best to just have it on the table) and whatever else you love.
Get out a big pan or wok – that’s what I use, pour in a bit of olive oil, you do not need much! And throw it all in and begin to stir, stir, stir and as you do keep adding water and that will turn the polenta into a mash as you stir. It’s a constant repeat of add water, sir and repeat. Do this until you achieve the texture you want. I would say I add half a cup of water about 5-6 times while I am stirring it all up, sometimes more.
I actually make this for myself all the time and keep it in the freezer so I can have it whenever I like without having to do it all from scratch every time.
Broccoli Casserole:
I have had many versions of this and they are all great! This is how I do it. In a large pan I layer from the bottom up 4-6 cups of cooked brown rice, 4-6 bags of chopped broccoli with 2 cans / boxes of cream of celery soup mixed in (I sauté the broccoli in the cream of celery soup for just a few minutes before I put it on top of the rice so it’s a bit soft) and 4-6 bags of shredded cheddar cheese on top. Bake at 450 degrees until golden brown.
I also found this broccoli quinoa casserole recipe that looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it! The woman who wrote it did it for Easter but I’ve always eaten this during the end of year holidays – I pretty much think it’s amazing anytime of the year!
Garlic String Beans:
They are easy to over cook so I do a three-minute boil. Add just a bit of olive oil if you want but it’s not needed honestly. Light salt, pepper and very finely chopped garlic. Sprinkle some shaved pine nuts on top (or have on the side in case anyone is allergic to nuts) and room temperature is perfect for this dish!
Spinach pie:
Chopped spinach x 4-6 bags, eggs / egg whites x4, shredded mozzarella cheese x3 bags, chopped garlic x3 or 4 cloves, salt and pepper to taste. You can also add some parmesan cheese, about 1 cup and it adds a little something extra. Mix all ingredients very well! Butter or olive oil your pan very well and bake in the oven at 400 degrees until lightly brown on top.
Here is a tasty looking spinach and Gruyere quiche recipe. Personally I would loose the piecrust and just make it as above but it’s your meal, your choice.
Brussel sprouts:
Use at least three pounds but if more than 12 people go for 4-6 pounds. Cut into half’s, sprinkle with some olive oil and add salt, pepper and garlic powder and bake at 450 degrees until well done – I even like it when some are close to being burnt! In general crispy is a crowd favorite.
Vegetarian Times has some good options as well!
Here are some other great holiday meal ideas from Eating Well, enjoy!
Energy medicine is both a complement to traditional medical care and a complete self-care system. In energy medicine “energy” is the medicine. We use non-invasive electromagnetic frequencies to restore the energies that have become weak, disturbed, blocked or out of balance. The basic principles are that energy needs space to flow freely and through certain exercises and treatments you will be able to achieve a new freedom of energy and through that a new sense of well being and optimal health. The body is intelligent and will respond to any opportunity to attain radiant health and to be harmoniously connected to all our energy systems, we have many.
Long term conditions/patterns can cause bad energy habits to form and through energy medicine we can re-pattern that energy. Of course lifestyle changes will have to be made otherwise you’d slip back into the old negative habits and its consequences. So a big part of energy medicine is; how long can you hold the corrected energy? We are all so affected by the people and environments we surround ourselves with, as they are by ours.
We balances the body’s energies to relieve stress, overcome depression, increase energy and confidence, boost the immune system and increase your enthusiasm for life. She believes that by releasing what does not serve you, you will be able to achieve your greatest potential. Long distance healing can be very powerful, every Skype session leaves Tina in awe of the intelligence our bodies and energies have. Here what some of my clients have to say in my testimonials.
In Eden Energy Medicine we work with 9 basic energy systems = Meridians, Chakras, Aura, Radiant Circuits, Triple Warmer, Celtic weave, The 5-rhythms, The Electrics and the Basic Grid.
We also work with secondary energy systems such as the Lymphatic Reflex Points, Neurovasculars and Vortexes.
For a private session with Tina email me or click here
Also check out Cristina’s Energy Center on sessions
This is only part of my longer discussion with Dr. Sara, (she and her website are amazing by the way) but I feel this is so important that I had to post it in its incomplete form, the foundational idea must be heard, especially during this great time of change. We are all shifting whether you know it or not, and your shift may not look or feel the same as anyone else’s, we all have unique world views so we must have compassion for our fellow man.
As we “upgrade”, “upload”, “evolve” or “transform” it is all the same at the end of the day. We do not know what path a person has walked or will walk so just take care of your own energy – practice and generate loving kindness, it’s the only energetically polite thing to do.
We live life, yes, but we can control what vibration our life takes, law of attraction. I find her message crucial to anyone wanting to move forward with loving and joyful purpose. Happy shifting everyone! Nobody said it was easy, but that doesn’t mean it always has to be! Simple is accessible.
– I will be adding to this so please check in with us once in a while, thanks!
Dr. Sara is a gifted healer and teacher of energy medicine. She can actually see energy, which I would love to do but at this point I can only feel it and get visuals in my minds eye. But speaking to someone who can actually see it brings a new dimension to his or her unique perspective. I sat with Sara and here is a taste of our discussion.
Why do we not do what makes us happy?
Dr. Sara can see energy and she perceives that we all carry around a suitcase, our baggage literally. The question is…who packed your suitcase? Usually it’s our family or anything we perceive as an ‘authority’. To debunk your authority takes bravery. To do what you want can seem selfish but that’s far from the truth.
Sara has time and time again seen the adverse affects of being “happiness deprived”, which she says is a common problem. If you don’t do what gives you joy you end up in a negative habit pattern. Most of us need to relearn how to have happiness in our lives. One of the biggest challenges she says is learning to hold and accept your happiness once you connect with it.
How can we get happy?
Happiness is a morphanigenic field of infinite possibilities but you have to guide its creation. “You have to be the one to pack your suitcase” Sara said sweetly, I think she knew I needed to examine my suitcase. She suggests that we all take a look at what’s in our suitcase and how it got there. Then, unpack anything that makes you unhappy. Repack it with everything you do want. Put in happiness and harmony. Radiant circuits (our energy pathways of joy) like it when you do what makes you happy and they will keep fear and judgments at bay.
To follow your path and to attract what you want in your life it all begins within you, as I’m sure you know. There are certain things we can do daily to stay in vibration with what we want, such as feeling loved, joyful, confident, inspired, healthy etc. these daily activities are joyful things so fear not – this is not meant to be a burden to your “to do” list.
If you feel any of this is a burden examine why that is – is it internal resistance? If it is take some time to ask yourself why, i.e. “If I know that stopping what I am doing for a quick stretch will make me feel great why don’t I want to do that? Where is the resistance?” Eckhart Tolle speaks about being attached to your pain body – is your pain apart of how you define yourself? Just ask yourself a few questions and see what comes up.
And I have to add “I work in a large office where I can’t do that” is not a valid excuse – I have many clients who tell me they go into the bathroom and do whatever energy exercise they need and they feel better so look at the excuses you tell yourself. We are all experts at rationalizing why we can or can’t do something – what we should or shouldn’t do; I’d actually say we are all masters of it and that’s a whole other story.
I understand it can be difficult in this crazy never stop culture we live in and you may feel you are so busy and really can’t find a moment for yourself and if this is the case perhaps you want to restructure your day slightly – just a bit. One absolute is you must find you time everyday – it can be just a few minutes but it has to happen – especially when you are trying to change your life and the vibration of who you are.
Here are some great options to put you in and keep you in the vibration you want. Do one, a few or all – the only rule is to do at least one of these things a day and I bet if you start with one you will want more.
Happy Vibrations Everyone!
Daydream. Easy to do anywhere, anytime. When we daydream which is a form of visualization you begin to actually feel what it would be like to be in that beautiful daydream and when you feel it you believe it and that puts you in vibration with it.
Meditate. People get scared away from this because so many speak about how you must do it for 20-30 minutes a day and you think no way do I have the time but I can tell you from experience that 3-5 minutes will change your day!
Breath. This really goes hand in hand with meditation but just take a few slow deep breadths and it can change your mood and day. Deep breathing is amazingly affective to our mental state!
Spend time outside. Whether in the city or country or somewhere in-between we need to let our energy and mind take a deep breadth and give you room to expand and when your outside it’s the perfect time to ground. When we are grounded it’s easier to be in vibration with our dreams because as Donna Eden says “The deeper you ground, the farther out you can go” translating that to this topic we learn deeper roots allow for bigger dreams.
Expand. Open your heart, mind and energy and connect to the cosmos’s, to your source and give gratitude. Whether you are calling it by name, there are many, or if it’s just sending out a general energy of gratitude it will change your life. Gratitude is extremely powerful for you and everyone you interact with. When you show gratitude you are immediately sent positive energy. Gratitude just feels right and offers happiness in return. Gratitude is beautiful. When you’re in this great state of mind it’s easy to stay in vibration with what you want.
Journal. Gratitude journals are very effective but it can really be any kind of positive expression you want to make – just keep it positive – stay on the sunny side of the street – ignore any thunderstorms across the street – it’s your choice to walk in the light or sun in this metaphor. But the written word has power – I would even say don’t use the computer. Write in a journal that is exclusively used for this and if you are having a bad day you can look back and smile at all the things you are grateful for. Repetition is allowed ☺
The power of ritual. This is a bit deeper but I wanted to give you the information to offer more options. We all resonate with different things.
Where Do You Start?
- With a pencil and paper (a regular pencil or colored – both are great).
- With a canvas, a brush and some paint (acrylic is best for beginers).
- Time to sit and let anything and everything pour onto the canvas or paper (no judgements on what comes out!). And note it does not need to be finished in one sitting – there have been times I’ve taken months to finish one or I will go back a repaint an old one – Tony and I both do this.
- Remember there are no rules! If there were art would be boring.
And That Is It!!!
Musings From Tony:
Painting is a great way to feed yourself color energy and to work through and/or discover emotional blockages. We all feel the impulse to create — if we could stop reminding ourselves of our limitations long enough and just do it. My mum would take me to galleries when I was quite young and something she said made me aware for the first time of what I wanted to do with my life. We were at a pop art show and I remember her concise commentary. She looked at me with resignation and said, ”Artists are allowed to do anything these days.” Well, that seemed like the job for me.
Painting in both our lives has led us to each stage in our personal evolution. Every time we find ourselves seemingly at a dead end in our development, painting has wakened us from our malaise. The act of painting has taught me to work through a process with faith. I will start a painting freely and with enthusiasm but half way through, I see that it has not turned out as I would have hoped. This is when I start to feel lost. But I work on with faith, allowing the harmonics of one color to suggest its neighbor and the flow of one shape to force the hand of another. The more I can silence my chattering mind and just allow the painting to unfold before me, the more the honesty of the work seems to come through. This whole process is an on going metaphor for all aspects of my life.
Painting is the realm of manifest emotion where we can bring our subconscious to the foreground and watch its workings. Like dancing and music, painting is a discipline that reinvents its self as soon as it has taken form. Breaking the rules is the rule. It is an endlessly fascinating way to tune in to the harmonics of the universe.
See some of Tony’s work.
I have to add that some of my favorite pieces from him are on the walls of his friends and not shown here unfortunately. Tony has been a showing artist since he was 18 so his complete body of work is very eclectic and here you are seeing just one “body” of work. Maybe he’ll post some of the old ones soon’ish – stay tuned.
Musings From Tina
Society has conditioned us to think that we must be trained or have a natural talent to partake in making art. Not so. As my dad says…just do it! It doesn’t matter how it looks, for me it’s about expelling pent up emotion. And it’s a very direct form of colortherapy.
I am a very emotional untrained painter but it wasn’t until I met Tony that I began to trust what I was doing and after a time I became very comfortable calling myself an artist, which I am and painting is one way I express that. The most important thing Tony taught me was that imperfection and the struggle to get an image down is style. I would beg him to teach me figurative tricks but he refused. After a while, I came to see his point – my messy etchings of a face became a style and I still use and love it today. So for all the people who swear they don’t have an artistic side, plunging in and making pictures, in whatever shape or form, is a great way to prove yourself wrong. As you buy your materials, remember, the most important thing on your list is your intention to let go of your preconceptions about art. Art is what you make it. Have you ever here of “Found Art”? It’s when an artist finds something random, usually on the street, and presents it as his or her art – perhaps a few tweaks but the point is art can be and is anything you deem it to be!
I’ve personally found that when I really let my subconscious take over, I seem to draw in a daydream and when my consciousness comes back into focus I usually find an emotional message, or other world, on the canvas. Although most of the time what I’ve made is an abstract indistinct shape, when I look at it I can emotionally feel what I’ve just downloaded and I usually end up feeling relief and/or joy because I released some energy. It isn’t always bad or negative. Sometimes and definintely in the last few years I seem to be painting from a place of radiance and it shows.
Either way, when we allow energy to be released we send a positive message to our energy system. Art is a celebration of spirit. Let yourself experience the joy of what it’s like to just feel present. It is in this state of presence that we truly create.
Let the drawing or painting take it’s own shape. Allow the awkwardness. Life is full of ups and downs, happiness and pain so not all expressions are going to be pleasing but if they are honest they are beautiful no matter what!
I have to get some good pictures of my paintings – will get on that and post a link soon’ish.
The Electrics in Eden Energy Medicine is smart energy that connects with all the other systems in your body and it knows where healing is needed and goes directly there. There are two main electrical points on the back of the head – the two mounds at the base of the skull and these points can be held for you by a practioner in a formal session.
The Heart Electrical Kook-Up as I was taught – and I do caveat this with knowing there are always slight variations to many EEM modalities as they evolve but this in no way lessons the therapeutic affect of how I learnt this amazing technique. This is considered an electrical “quickie” but I have personally found it to last just as long as the “main modality” can – by using the main electrics on the back of the head.
You can do this “electrical quickie” to a loved one but I will be explaining this as a self-care exercise. You will essentially be hooking up your heart electrical system with your body in various ways. For detailed hand positions and a deeper explanation of the electrics check out the Eden Energy Medicine link. This is a great resource and I highly suggest reading it! I practice a more free form version.
1st – Find the main heart electrical point – this is on the left side of your chest. Straight up from the nipple and about 1 inch down from your shoulder – this will vary from person to person as all our bodies are different but using either a three finger notch (thumb, pointer and middle) feel around that area slowly and gently. You will feel a subtle pull and this is where your left hand / fingers hook into the heart electrical point.
2nd – Place your left hand lightly on the inside and just above your right pelvic hipbone.
This is your 1st position and you hold it until you feel heat begin to generate on both points and this indicates the electrical energy healing has begun.
After a time, again this is different for everyone and for you at different times, you will feel the heat in your right hand begin to lesson and now you can move your right hand to wherever your body needs healing – there is a step by step protocol for where to place the right hand but I do it free form and for this forum it simplifies it. During your self-care session it is very important you do not move the left finger notch from the heart electrical point – you can slightly adjust it if you feel you are not in the exact spot of course but do not let go. You will probably begin to literally feel like your fingers are electrically hooked in and this is great!
So now I usually move my right hand to my adrenals, one inch up and out from belly button and leave it there and let it heat up / hook up and then move on – I always place my right hand over my spleen on the left side of my body and I can feel it soaking up the healing heart energy – it’s amazing!
Trust your intuition and that your right hand will be drawn to where it need to be. You are directing this healing energy where to go but do not forget that this smart energy system will still spread and go where it is needed in a place where you cannot hold both points no worries the electrical energy will automatically go there and take care of you.
The electrical system can be very sensitive so when you feel you are wrapping up your self-care session tell your body “ok I am going to let go and disconnect in three or five breadths and you are save and loved”, use whatever words work for you but let your energy know that you are lovingly and gratefully about to let go.
As you let the three-finger notch release let your fingers now make figure-8’s over the heart electrical point so it feels loved and nourished.
I do this in bed all the time, sometimes when I watch TV and an hour can pass and all of the sudden I feel like wow what a great healing session I just gave myself and my body and energy feels loved, protected and taken care of – you deserve this and it’s so simple!
Any questions just email me. – Enjoy!
It’s important to set aside a night of beauty each week. Let this be your time to nourish and pamper yourself, you absolutely deserve that. Take at least one or two hours to cleanse, steam, deep clean, replenish and moisturize yourself from head to toe. Set the intention this will be a relaxing night of releasing all negativity and blocks that get in the way of your most radiant self. Dream about the ideal you. Create a new reality, Law of Attraction. It’s good for your body, soul and mind.
One basic: Please, please everyone wash your face morning and night no matter how tired you are. It really makes a significant difference in how you look and age; and in how you feel. You can affirm you are washing away your worries, or hurt, or angry, or whatever you want to wash out of your energy field. It’s a great opportunity you get twice a day to make a positive affirmation!
Environment is everything!
Set the stage for your night! Make sure you have some great lighting, meaning dim lights and candles. Relaxation CDs, and of course some healthy snacks and lemon water…
Steam
This is pure luxury, seriously! Our Facial Steam is pretty heavenly if I do say so myself. If you don’t have the right herbs or oils it’s fine; you can buy herbs that are specifically meant for steaming at your local health food store. Just boil some water and pour it into a large bowl and let it simmer down. (Please use common sense, don’t scald your face.) With a large towel, cover your head as you hold your head over the bowl, about 6 to 8 inches above the steaming water. Steam your face for about 10 minutes. It will really open the pores and brighten your complexion. Breath deeply if you can. I like to intend I am breathing in earth’s purity and breathing out toxins, physical and emotional.
Cleanse
Immediately after steaming, while your pores are still open, apply a mud or clay mask (a mixture of both is best) to your entire face and neck. Make sure the mask is as pure as possible, meaning you don’t need fancy fragrances in it. I’m playing with a new T&T formulation now and will keep you updated on that. Until then, Ahave Dead Sea Mask is a good one and you can probably find an all-natural mud mask at your local health food store. Follow the instructions. But in case they don’t mention it – don’t let it completely dry, meaning look crackly on your face, that can really dry you out. One more insiders tip: Using a wet washcloth scrub the mud off in circular motions to exfoliate and wash away the toxins that the mask brought to the surface. Scrub with gentle to medium pressure – never hard! And, of course be mindful of your eyes, you don’t want to get any in there so I always wash the area off first.
Moisturize
Apply a moisturizing mask (again, your local health food store should have one) and I’m playing with a few formulations but they will be bespoke only probably. You can make your own! Readers Digest has some easy suggestions as does Livestrong.
Bath time!
I take bathing very seriously so this will be the longest section, ha ☺ First of all fill the tub to the top, you want to be submerged up to your shoulders. We have an amazing formulation but have hit some hiccups that we are working out but until then it’s easy to do it yourself! Our bathing formulation is stress relieving, toxin-extracting blend of Epson Salt, Himalayan salt crystals, and Baking Soda. Epsom Salt to release energy blockages, extract toxins and ease any sore tired muscles. It also helps rid your body of radiation, great to use after a plane ride. Himalayan Rock Salt to energetically ground you and to soften the skin. Finally baking soda to extract toxins and cleanse and strengthen your auric field. This is a very healing combination – A Healing Trifecta.
Add some aromatherapy
Try our single note oils, chakra oils, or whatever else you like or have on hand, but try and make it as pure as possible. Smell is the most powerful sense we have and therefore truly shifts our mood / energy.
Add some audio therapy to create a calm & mood
Have music on as the backdrop to your beautiful dreams and harmonious environment. We have some nice CD’s and this article on sound therapy is very interesting.
Add some colortherapy
Bed, Bath and Beyond sell these amazing inexpensive under water lights, AquaLuxe, that change through the spectrum of the rainbow gently feeding your body some color energy and also creates a soothing ethereal atmosphere if you turn all other lights out. I also have one in my bedroom too and it’s very relaxing to lie in bed watching the colors transform, a nice way to gently fall into a happy dreamland.
Have a great daydream
See yourself happy, beautiful and loved. Imagine your in your ideal situation…really get into it, to the point where you know what you are wearing ☺ What we think we create, law of attraction, so be in vibration with positively wonderful fantastic beautiful things.
Self-Care time
While bathing it is the perfect time to do some self-care. I always hold my neurovasculars (holding head gently) and do lots of deep breathing.
Get your sleep!
Get into bed early and get good night’s sleep. Maybe do a meditation or visualization for radiant beauty before bedtime. Remember that whatever you go to sleep thinking about is what you will energetically keep with you all night, so even if it was a bad day, or night, think positive thoughts before bed; visualize yourself or your situation, as you want it, not what it necessarily is. Really see it, believe it and totally get into the positive thoughts / stories you create.
If you don’t believe me believe about the benefits of sleep believe Harvard and this one from WebMD
For people who think pampering only isn’t enough (Whaaaaat?) Here are some Night of Beauty Add-On’s
1. Meditation can and will change your life, if you so choose ☺
This can take only three minutes if you want it too. Any amount of time given to mindful breathing creates relaxation and many other benefits.
2. A few yoga moves never hurt anyone
Just enough to release and expand your energy, not to have a workout! Here is a nice bedtime yoga video.
3. Stretching – release some energy & create some space
Here are some gentle ones from our sister site, Cristina’s Energy Center – and this stretching video is so calming and gentle – very basic & only upper body but still – all openings are great openings!
Enjoy Your Night!!!!!
The psychology buzz word for affirmations is “self-talk” Since I was a child I have been taught to say affirmations and honestly that’s exactly what it is – but I certainly don’t mind self-talk – whichever verbiage works for you is fine!
What we think and the stories we hold onto about ourselves and our life is what governs our reality – law of attraction. Most of us try to live with a positive mindset but we need to check in with our primal voice and see what that part of us is saying. You might say, “I love myself, I’m great!” and then somewhere in your subconscious the primal self says, “But I’m fat and stupid”. The primal brain loves to give us a laundry list of what our problems and fears are and what we can and cannot have – GREAT NEWS – this we can reprogram!
We tend to want the approval of others, it starts at a very early age with our families, then friends and then society and the media take over telling us how our lives should be and how we should look and act. Let all that go – free yourself! A free self is a loving joyful self.
A consistent positive dialog with yourself can re-train your primal brain and any negative habit patterns you may have collected throughout your life. Talk to yourself lovingly all day and night and the primal brain will catch on. We just have to untangle the mess of negative messages we are given, from others and ourselves.
Remember we are hardwired to be joyful loving beings – we just need to remind ourselves – and not make it a big deal. It’s not a big deal! It does not have to be time consuming and so I have put some choices below for you. I hope you connect with one or more of them and that it can help you be the best you possible!
How do we reprogram our negative thoughts and patterns?
1. Energy Psychology / EFT – tap that negativity out!
This is an emerging field of study that I have personally found VERY helpful.
I have had the honor of being around, and even assisting him once, David Feinstein, Ph.D. who is one of the pioneers of Energy Psychology and I learned a lot from him. I use it for myself as it’s an amazing self-care technique and I have used it with clients and they have reported back with very positive results.
What Does It Do to the Brain?
“Energy Psychology works by stimulating energy points on the surface of the skin which, when paired with various psychological procedures, send signals to the brain that may impact stress chemicals such as cortisol and DHEA, deactivate limbic system arousal, and rapidly alter neural pathways.” David Feinstein, Ph.D. – learn more
Here is a particular EFT video I love and connect with by Brad Yates
An interesting article from the Huffington Post
2. Holding Your Main Neurovascular Points – your forehead
This will relax you greatly and it’s one of the only times thinking or speaking about the negative is helpful. As Donna Eden will explain our forehead(s) are our main neurovascular stress points – meaning if we hold our hand(s) gently over the forehead it will encourage blood to come to your frontal lobe – rational thought and take it away from the amygdala, the “primal” area of our brain responsible for where we hold our fears. Therefore holding the main neurovascular points – your forehead – while thinking or speaking about something that bothers you will begin to re-train your brain to not be so stressed about that subject. It has many valuable benefits and it’s so easy to do anywhere, anytime! This is easy to do for yourself but also extremely lovely to do for a loved one.
3. Temporal Tapping
This is something Eden Energy Medicine teaches but it is an ancient technique from China – the Chinese have been way ahead in the healing game for thousands of years!
This is a great way to break habits, change negative beliefs and create new positive ones. We can change this neurological reprogramming. We tap around our temporal bone – this is on our triple warmer meridian so it calms us down and opens us to new ideas. Triple Warmer governs our habits, change and our fight or flight – it can also be a radiant circuit (a pathway of joy) if you work with it in that way – you can even just talk to it and ask it to be radiant but when we calm it we are able to accept new information much easier! Also our bodies respond to tapping very well! If you tap while saying self-suggestions you are especially receptive to it. This has been clearly shown in EFT / Energy Psychology.
We tap in a negative statement on your left side because the left-brain is more critical and the right side of the brain is more open to positive statements so we tap in the positive affirmation there.
Spend some time identify what you want or want to change – use wording that feels right to you.
For example you create a statement in the negative and positive.
The negative – “I do not eat when I am stressed out” or “I no longer feel insecure and I can ask for what I want” – notice it is not really “negative”
The positive – “I eat for health and enjoy my food” or “I know my value and easily ask for what I want?”
1. Start tapping on the left side of your head at the temple, around the ear and down to the base of your head / top of your neck – while saying out loud your “negative” statement. Tap with firm but not hard pressure and do this 4-5 times.
2. Repeat the taping on the right side using your positive statement 4-5 times
3. Our bodies and triple warmer does not like change so to really change a habit or belief do this a few times a day.
4. Very important is to make sure the wording is right for you. I suggest writing it down to make sure you are comfortable with the wording and there is great power in the written word as well.
Watch Titanya Dahlin in the 1 minute video
For a deeper “how too” experience watch Donna Eden
Here is a good article about it from Psychology Today
4. Positive Affirmations and Visualizations
Here we are at what I consider the base of the basics! If you don’t already know an affirmation is a positive statement you say to yourself. I was once on my way to visit my mother in the nursing home and I was completely overwhelmed, scared, and very emotional and felt very alone. I began to repeat, “I am strong, brave and loved” and within minutes I felt relief. It doesn’t mean I went into some dreamland where reality didn’t exist, but I was able to handle the day in a loving way. I was able to be present and help her.
Visualization is seeing and feeling yourself in a situation you want. The sports world is actually very progressive in this area. They are taught to visualize – to see themselves getting that hole in one or hitting that home run. It’s about seeing and believing you can do it!
This is an excellent article about the benefits of positive thinking from the Mayo Clinic!
Another fantastic article from the Huffington Post
Read a related article from Ions about the benefits of Self-compassion
*** I will be adding more to this post so check back if you are interested and if there is topic you would like to hear more about just email me. Happy to accommodate!
Categories
A New Year
Begin your new year with radiantly positive and loving energy☺ I feel nothing needs to happen right away just because its January 1st – there is a 1 month grace period as far as I’m concerned so ease into it. Too much pressure could make you say forget the whole thing, and we don’t that☺
This is our time of transformation; we are hard wired for it!
“Feeling” transforms, so feel it all! Feel your happiness, joy, health and love, feel your radiance. Feel your connection to earth, nature and the heavens. When we feel something as if it were true now and not in some abstract future, we create a morphogenic field around us attracting things that support those feelings – law of attraction.
What we believe we create and science now supports this intuitive and innate knowledge. Our biggest limitations can be our thought patterns of self-imposed boundaries. Let the fear of saying yes to life fall by the wayside and feel how amazingly lovable and valuable you are.
These self-care suggestions are good for anytime of year, see which resonates with you!
Find Your Gold
This is anything that brings you joy – painting, writing, dancing, singing – whatever it is make time for it!
Let Go Of The Past
♥ Write down what you want to leave behind and burn it. Burn it over a large bowl, outside or in your kitchen sink, just be mindful when doing this! I’ve done this ritual many times and it’s very powerful. You can also burry it in the earth.
♥ Dr.Sara Allen, once asked me “Who Packed Your Suitcase?”. Meaning what baggage are you carrying around that is not yours. Usually it’s our family, the media, society, etc. She suggests that we all take a look at what’s in our suitcase and how it got there. Then, unpack anything that makes you unhappy, or what is not yours.
Create Space For New and Improved Things
♥ Do the Eden Energy Medicine Blow Out
♥ Rake your hands across your entire body, this is opening energetically but it will also send a signal to your fascia (the connective tissue in your body) to open, which will relax you.
♥ Throw things out! Not only does it create space, literally but figuratively also – it allows the energy in your environment to flow easier. You will truly feel lighter and better.
Dream
Make time to dream beautiful dreams of your ideal life – really go for it! See it, feel it and be in vibration with it as if it already exists. Support your dream everyday by starting each day with a smile and with the intention that in this new day you will do at least one thing that brings you closer to the vision you have of yourself and your life.
Create a Visualization Map
This can be any size, using any materials. You can use drawings, pictures or the written word – or use all of these things, which is what I tend to do. You can find more information on this in the visualization section.
Write Down Your Intentions
This can be in any form – affirmation words or sentences, or full on stories of what you want – create your own world and watch it manifest. The written word is powerful!
Some Basics
♥ Laugh more – it’s medicine! It gets your radiant circuits going☺
♥ Love yourself more deeply – give yourself a hug everyday!
♥ Honor others – if you practice loving compassion with everyone you interact with daily you will be amazed at how your world will change!
♥ See the beauty in all things
♥ Trust your gut instincts
♥ Drink more water
♥ Move your body more – this can be just dancing around the house☺
♥ Be present
♥ Have fun!
All of our bodies energy systems need to crossover in order to act and interact harmoniously and create optimal health and energy in our body on all levels – physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritually and of course energetically. This is the natural pattern of almost all our energies. Even right down to our DNA – which is a spiraling double helix crossing over and our right brain controls the left side of our body and right brain controls the left side – crossovers everywhere on every level of our being, even into our auric field – our body’s wisdom and need for crossovers is infinite!
When you are Homolateral it can stop all your other systems from operating in an optimal way so by making sure your energies are crossing over it allows your inner-physician to shine. I have listed various versions of how to incorporate crossovers into your life so scroll down. The goal of Eden Energy Medicine is to offer you as many alternative versions of any given self-care tool so that you can find just the right one for you!
If some of the self-care exercises on my site are not working for you try this exercise everyday or twice a day – sometimes our triple warmer will be on alert and this can cause you to be Homolateral thus hindering the harmonious interweaving of all your energy systems, which is how you can live a high vibration life where you are your healthiest self. So calm triple warmer and that will open up space for you to become a magnificent symphony of health, love and joy.
Much of this information is based on Eden Energy Medicine – if you are not familiar with it or her it’s a must! It’s the future of medicine and the future is now!
The Regular Cross Crawl
Benefits:
✴ Increases energy and helps if you chronic fatigue
✴ Enhances balance and co-ordination
✴ Balances right and left brain functioning allowing for optimum performance of your entire body and mind
How to:
Marching in place – or sitting, cross one hand to meet the opposite leg/knee. If you can it’s a good idea to let the arm crossing over to pass over your third eye as it moves to meet the knee on your opposite side. Do this as much as feels right to you but at least for about 30 seconds.
Homolateral Repatterning
Again feel free to watch our video version of this. Also see the how to from the source, our teacher and mentor Donna Eden.
I would do it this way all the time honestly. It can’t hurt and ordinary daily tasks can throw our energies into a Homolateral pattern (moving parallel) and that is just not what our energy wants or needs.
I would add that if you know you are Homolateral do this exercise at least 3-4 times a day. When I was severely Homolateral I had to do this every 30 minutes because my body would not “hold” the correct energy pattern.
Benefits: The Benefits Are For All Alternative Versions Too.
✴ Re-patterns your energy to crossover – the natural state our energy wants to flow
✴ Increases energy and helps if you chronic fatigue
✴ Helps you overcome depression
✴ In-creases your ability to heal
✴ Enhances balance and co-ordination
✴ Balances right and left brain functioning allowing for optimum
performance of your entire body and mind
How to:
Standing up, you are going to “march” in place in two ways – the wrong way and then the right way. The wrong way is lifting the same leg and same arm. The right way is lifting one leg to meet the opposite hand. If you can it’s a good idea to let the arm crossing over to pass over your third eye, this deepens the correction.
12 wrong/12 right, 12-wrong/12 rights and then 12-wrong/24 right.
You double the correct crossover the last time because this is how you want your energy to stay.
If you are physically not able to do this standing up or if you can’t reach your knee to elbow, don’t worry, just do what you can. Do it sitting or lying down. Even the slightest intention of this movement will help, as will visualization. If you want to help a disabled friend, you can actually do this for another person by lifting her arms and legs for her and for anyone you cannot move / Paraplegics Donna Eden has great information.
Alternate Version #1
Using Figure-8’s.
Janie Chandler and Laurel Camden present in this video a fantastic way for anyone in who was in the military or for anyone who just doesn’t respond to the other corrections or if you want a quick and simple tool when you have limited time. I do it lying in bed sometimes and I can really feel my body responding!
It uses the power of the Figure-8 to create the crossover energy in our bodies. All you have to do is trace or lightly massage a figue-8 over your eyes. It doesn’t matter which way you go but you are creating horizontal 8’s over your eyes. Start in the middle / on your 3rd eye and then from there you choose which way feels most natural to you, moving lets say down below the right eye, moving to follow the outside of your eye to the top of your right eye and you land on your 3rd eye but you pass it by and continue to down under your left eye and again follow the outside of your eye to the top of the left eye and again you land on the 3rd eye and keep repeating this patterns, breathing deeply for at least 4-5 times.
Alternative version #1.1
Using Figure-8’s.
Dr. Melanie Smith has an incredible video of how to use figure-8’s to create crossovers in many powerful ways!
Alternative Version #2
Lacing the Nadis.
Stephanie Eldringhoff, Ph.D., first introduced me to this technique and I am aware that other modalities may teach this in a slightly different way – it’s all great stuff! Be on the lookout for a post only focusing on this – Stephanie has generiously given permission for us to reveal a sneak peek of her upcoming book so we will show Lacing the Nadis and it’s protocol in depth very soon!
I don’t have a video for this one but it is so simple, yet so powerful! The exciting news is I will soon be posting a chart of how to do this with a detailed explaination straight from the source Stephanie Eldringhoff, ph.D – Coming soon!
How too:
All you have to do is place your hands on the top of your head, palms crossing over each other and take a few slow deep breadths. Then you are going to cross-over or better worded weave all the way down your body and note in some positions your hand / harms will not be crossed over, remember you are weaving down your body. You really cannot do this wrong. I would use your intuition but as a guide take 2-3 deep breadths in each position.
Cross over to your temples
Then to your cheeks
Then to shoulders
Then to under your arm pits
Then to under your breasts
Then to the sides of your waist
Then to your hips
Then to the top or side of your upper thighs
Then to right above your knees, on the outer side of your legs
Then to between your knees
Then to the outer upper calf
Then to the inner angle
And then with your hands crossed over sweep them off your feet
Alternative version #3
The Hook Crossover.
This is a relatively new technique Donna Eden has presented and it’s super easy!
How to:
You put your left hand on your right shoulder and take a deep breadth and then with a very very firm touch pull with your fingers over your shoulder and slide your hand down your body diagonally / towards and down the entire left side of your body. Now you this on the opposite side the same way. Put your right hand over your left shoulder, deep breadth and then stringing pull your fingers over your left shoulder and let your hand slide down diagonally the right side of your body.
Always make sure to let your hands fully go from should to off the feet – it’s like you sweep it off your feet.
Do this a few times and you’re all set!
Maintain Your Healthy Crossover Energy Habit
Very firmly drag your fingers from your right shoulder to your left hip (or to left foot) and then drag fingers from left shoulder to right hip (or to right foot). You can do this in a very quick and flowing fashion…it can even look and feel like a dance.
For fun try using Poi Balls – they are a super fun way to fix and maintain your crossover energy.
What beautiful self-care tools to have to help yourself and others! Enjoy!
I use “journey’s” which you can say is a guided meditation / interactive visualization to help me connect with my highest self, my harmonic self, which is the me that is in loving vibration and in harmony with all that is. The intention is to let go of energy that weighs you down and to feel the expansion of how radiant you are. This is only a guideline so read it through and then lie down and guide yourself into the magical world of manifestation. Let your imagination create the most beautiful things because everything is possible and you deserve everything.
Sit in a quite space and breadth slowly and deeply. Turn your attention inward and let each breadth bring you deeper within yourself. Your like a feather floating down to the deepest levels of who you are. Let yourself spend time in this sacred space.
Next connect to the earth and its willingness to feed you. You might imagine yourself in a meadow, forest or beach. Take time and allow yourself to relax and feel the energy of life. You may want to wrap yourself in a plant, climb a tree or sit in the water – all these things will cleanse and heal you. Give yourself the freedom to explore the healing energies all around you. Let the sun warm your skin and soul. Let natures energies put you in harmony with everything beautiful and wonderful.
Now connect to the cosmos and feel how everything you want is there waiting for you. When you connect to it you are in vibration with it, and that is what attracts it to you. It can be helpful to ask a spirit guide to help you fly through the cosmos to find the energies you are looking for. Just ask for what you want and your guide will happily lead you to wondrous places. I have a beautiful owl that guides me and shows me amazing realities to connect with.
Connect to your guides, helpers and your higher self – feel surrounded with their love and comfort. Talk to them and ask for what you want help with. Answers come in many forms – seeing, hearing, feeling and a knowing. This is your journey and it can be whatever you want. When you speak to your higher self notice how healthy, happy and radiant he/she is and connect to that. Let the radiance of all these energies fill you, feeding and healing every level of who you are. Once you are in vibration with all this feel how bright your inner light shines. It’s blooming with radiance and joy.
Take a moment to feel gratitude towards yourself and your life. Slowly begin to come back to your conscious reality. As you come back you notice the radiance, comfort, love, joy and clarity that is now apart of your being. You have new information of how beautiful you are and about the limitless possibilities that exist for you. You are in harmony with every part of yourself, and with everything around you. You’re ready to dance happily through your day.
The law of attraction tells us that energy, is attracted to like energy so if you are a loving person you will receive love back. With this in mind, it is important that you take responsibility for your thoughts and emotions and use them for good. Sounds a bit superhero-ish but it’s true.
The more positive energy you give the more you will get. So send someone a positive intention, affirmation, visualization, a color or any positive thought. Do this not only for friends and family but for strangers, too. If you’re passing someone and you get the sense they could use a positive energy boost, send them one. I live in NYC and do it all the time when I’m walking around. It feels good. One caveat, always send healing energy with the intention that you are not forcing it, that you are just making it available for them if they choose to accept it. As we begin to have a greater awareness of our energy, and others, I think being mindful of some basic energy ethics is a good idea.
When you decide to send healing / positive energy and are not sure how or what to send, just think of love and offer that. Generating love helps you, everyone and everything…love has the power to heal on every level. Great for long distance healing.
Categories
Breadth Is Life
Breath is life. It creates space inside our body, and energy needs space to flow. It keeps us alive on the physical level and it’s amazing how many illnesses, especially disorders associated with stress and anxiety, are affected by our lack of breathing. Think about it… when you’re tense or very focused, you actually hold your breadth, you hold the tension as if that will somehow help the task at hand. Truth is, irregular breathing creates more tension on physical and emotional levels. If you breathe fully you will begin to live harmoniously inside yourself and in the world. Be aware of your breath throughout the day and relax into your life.
The breath increases our connection to the present and it is in the present we find joy and healing. Most of us live in a combination of the past and the future, both of which are easy for us to conceptualize. But the present cannot be conceptualized. It can only be experienced, one breath at a time.
1. Breathe in positive energy and breathe out negativity and tension. You deeply and slowly breathe in your nose and out your mouth. When you do this you create an atmosphere within your energy system that is more receptive to a healthier flow of energy throughout your body on every level. Every cell in your body will thank you for it. You will be opening yourself to radiance.
You can recover from depression, anxiety and pain more readily because your energy will be flowing freely, you will not be holding onto feelings that hold you down or block you. Even if you only have a very short time to it will make a difference. You’ll enter a state of a higher frequency that allows you to rise above your own “stories” that you really do not serve you. Specifics are great but we don’t need them. We just need to release the energy. Release, release, release and keep it flowing. You will feel much better for it, truly.
2. Meditation is fantastic but if it’s daunting to you or just not enough time you can practice self care no matter where you are – walking around, driving, sitting in a meeting etc. just keep reminding yourself to breathe. I find that by literally saying the word helps. I can be very focused on something, and now it’s automatic, I say “breathe” very authoritatively in my mind and instantly my breadths become deeper and slower.
Try these easy meditations
More breath audio guides from CEC
Empower yourself by feeling the power of your own energy. We are electromagnetic beings cable of sensing and using this energy to heal ourselves. Our hands are amazing transmitters of electromagnetic energy so when we move our hands the energy in our body follows. This means we can correct imbalances that may be hindering us from living up to our fullest potential. Another important aspect of moving and changing energy is intent. We can shift our energy to whatever vibration we want to focus on, healing, release, balance, joy, love, as examples.
Once you become comfortable feeling / sensing it you will begin to practice self-care on a deeper level. You will begin to trust your feelings and your internal voice. You will begin an energetic conversation with your body. Amazing and empowering. And, this is just the beginning. You can keep developing this skill and help friends, and loves ones. Animals love it too!
Where To Start?
Play With It. To begin with you just want to “feel” the energy in your hands. It’s always a good idea to rub your hands together and shake them off before you start, this activates your healing energy. Close your eyes bringing your attention to your hands and see if you can feel the energy, it will be subtle. It will be different for everyone but you can feel the energy or even see it in your minds eye in the center of your palms.
Now place the palms of your hands facing each other, about 6-8 inches apart. Be present and connected to feeling the energy between your hands. Move your hands slowly & gently in and out an inch or two and you will feel a pushback, or it will feel as if you are touching a cloud. Where you feel this subtle resistance it is your auric field bouncing off itself. You are feeling your non-physical body!
You can play with this energy by making a ball of energy between your hands. With intention create the ball and try to make it larger or smaller. Be playful and do this with a friend and feel their energy by placing your palms a few inches from theirs. This is a glimpse into the collective power we have. It’s wild and an amazing testament to our innate powers.
Follow It. The best time to start and play with this is as you go to sleep and are making yourself comfortable. Put your conscious mind on hold for a second, as if in meditation, and trust that your instincts will guide your hands to where they need to be and just lay them there for as long as you like. You might fall asleep this way or could always shift your hands to another area. If it feels right it is right.
This is where intent becomes especially important. Set the intent for what you want – this can be general healing or specific – “My hands are generating calming energy”, “My hands are healing”, etc.
Go deeper. There are so many ways which we can use our energy for self-care. Once you begin to play with your own energy you can learn specific techniques or just use your intuition. I will say there is a great relevance in knowing certain protocols, such as clearing / balancing your chakras or activating your radiant circuits. There are so many ways you can improve your own health and happiness. Just start wherever you feel comfortable and go with it. Very possibly you could feel better than you ever imagined. You never know so why not give it a try.
As were emerge into spring /summer we are also experiencing a personal emergence. Many people have been experiencing a dark night of the soul. This has been necessary – it has risen to be released. It has stepped into your conscious mind because if you can see it you can release and transform it. The collective energy around our planet right now isn’t letting us ignore things anymore, it’s pushing us to be our best selves.
We have been energetically birthing our new selves. Whether we are re-writing our lives or just making small daily changes its important to honor and support this process. When we make real fundamental changes like this Triple Warmer is alerted, it does not like change so we have to speak to it, calming it and letting it know we are safe. Triple Warner is also a Radiant Circuit so we can set the intention that Triple Warmer becomes radiant rather than fearful.
Clearing The Darkness
1. First do some prep work to ensure your energy is open to the changes you intend to make.
– Try a couple of Triple Warmer Soothers
– Hold your Neurovasculars to calm and balance your energy system
– Then activate your Radiant Circuits with the 12 Hearts
2. Get comfortable, close your eyes and in your minds eye see the darkness. Does it have an image, color or texture? The root of this darkness does not matter, you do not need to worry about the story, and you only need to clear it away. Paulette Tascherau, a gifted healer, taught this Energy Medicine technique to me. In brief you will be using the energy in your hands to clear any darkness you may feel.
With your finger or minds eye trace a five-pointed star on the palm of your hand. It may seem complicated when written out but its simple if you think about drawing a star on the palm of your hand starting under your thumb. But to be super clear:
– You trace from the bottom corner of your palm, under your thumb (water element),
– Then up to the top center of your palm, under middle finger (fire element)
– Then down to the bottom of palm under the pinky finger (metal element)
– Then up to the very side and middle of your palm, between the thumb and pointer finger (wood element)
– Then straight over to the other side of your palm (earth element)
– Then back to where you started, under the thumb.
– Then make a clockwise circle within your palm.
– You have now balanced the 5-Elements on your hand and activated your inner healer.
– Now begin to see a radiant light shining through the center of your palm(S) and with your hands or in your minds eye gently push the darkness away from you. The light from your palms pushes it away but it also dissolves. The energy will follow your intent.
– You can also place your hands anywhere on your body you want to bring light and radiance to.
3. Do something nice for someone. When we giveback in anyway we always feel better about our life and ourselves. Whether it is through energy or action you will shift your energy into a positive vibration.
This is a two-part visualization is inspired by John Perkins who led a group of us through this in the Ecuadorian Rainforest and you can make it as short or as long as you want. Read through it first and then get comfortable and take a few deep slow breadths.
Imagine you are comfortably lying naked in a shallow river and the water is rushing around your body. Feel yourself letting go of fear, grief and any obstacle that you want to get rid of. Feel the river washing it all away. It’s washing away everything you do not need or want in your life. Whether it is emotions, situations or an unhealthy connection to someone let the river take it and feel it flowing away. Feel the release in your body, the lightness you feel from being letting go and being cleansed. Sit with this as long as you need to.
Now that you have let go and released its time to renew and refill the space you have just created. Step away from the river and walk into the forest. In your minds eye find the perfect place to lie on the ground. Imagine you are a seed and plant yourself into the earth. Feel yourself rooting and grounding. See yourself sprouting from a seed into a sprout and you slowly begin to grow into a tree. Your roots grow deeper and your trunk begins to grow strong and grow branches and leaves. You are growing tall and feel the sun feeding you and the earth strengthening you. Stretch out your branches and take in from the sun, from the heavens what you want. Take in love, strength, hope and everything positive you can imagine. Now let your inner light, your hearts light, shine out through your branches / arms just like real leaves and branches do. Really let yourself feel power and connection you have – feel it in your mind, body and spirit. Breathe it in and sit in this energy for as long as you like. End by getting up and stretching your physical body and give yourself a big hug. And if you are near a tree give it a hug as well:)
It is so easy to get caught up in thought stress loops, which just block us in everyway possible. Tony’s latest post got me thinking about the sacred space of silence which led me to think about what it is to be in silence and in that present moment.
It’s pure beauty and love, I don’t know if there is anything beyond that sometimes. Even when bad things may be happening if you really step back you can see LIFE and life does not favor good or bad, it just is. John Perkins once told me a story of a loved one passing and he described it as ecstasy and I did not understand. I will try to do his answer justice…. He explained that in life you have great joy and great pain and both are a part of the greater source that connects us all and it is pure love. It’s beautiful and is the true definition of ecstasy.
I hope I have expressed the point:
- That beauty can be found in everything.
- Observe Yourself. When in a bad situation step back into that place of silence and observe. See the larger view, the lesson and the motivation to change, if you want. Being in that space does not actually require any kind of thought let alone detailed ones.
- Finding the Emotions. I believe when you see the larger picture of anything we are capable of seeing things with a compassionate eye. When we tap into that compassion our heart opens and we feel love.
- Be Grateful. If you can feel love, starting with self-love, that love will translate into how you feel about your life and the people in it.
- If you agree with all of the above then love really is enough. I think that is fantastic to know and tapping into it can change your life.
What I have been writing about is larger idea of what love is but in a day to day, moment by moment point of view – if we can really love ourselves and you have to really sit back and dig deep to see if you actually believe on a fundamental level that you love yourself – once you can say, “Yes I do” you can then begin to extend that love to others in a deeper way. You can deepen every relationship you have through love. It doesn’t have to be put on a loudspeaker; you can just feel it and that energy will radiate from you and others will feel it. Then you get to create a new thought loop, one of love not stress.
Some ways I think you can get to that sacred space:
- Sit in silence and focus on something you find beautiful and let your mind slowly drain of thought as you become present in that moment of appreciating the beauty.
- If you find your mind looping too much try a Triple Warmer Calming Exercise or a 30 Second Slow Down.
- Meditate, if even for 5 minutes a day.
With your eyes closed and both feet on the floor, turn your attention inward… sit or stand up straight and take a deep breath in through your nose… and out… in… out… all tension is leaving your body… breathe in… and out… stress is melting away… you are calm… last deep and slow breath in… and out.
Practice Good Energy
It has now become essential to know how to maintain healthy energy in yourself and to protect yourself against the energetically cluttered world we live in. All this information will be helpful whether you are a practioner, of any sort or not, because these exercises will help anyone maintain health and balance.
Energetic hygiene is incredibly crucial to everyone working with people, especially if you are practicing any hands on treatments. Learning to ground, hook and protect yourself will fundamentally change your experience and the people you work with. I hope to share with you how to optimize your energy allowing for a deeper and more fulfilling healing session for your client and for you.
I am a complementary care practioner myself and have a deep understanding of the practioner / client relationship through my own clients, the Eden Energy Medicine Community and because at Tony&Tina I have spent countless hours with make-up artists and estheticians and I know how draining and challenging the work can be.
This information is great if you practice some form of healing modality and especially helpful if you are new to this field and work with clients in any hands on experience. Most of this is based on Eden Energy Medicine which is simple, effective and easy to incorporate into any traditional spa service. My intent is to give you tools to bring a deeper, healthier, experience to your clients and a more rewarding experience for yourself.
The below suggestions are all written out in detail (if they are not yet they will be as this post will be evolving as time goes on) at the end making this a quick reference if you are already versed in these techniques. Plus you can find video and audio of many of these on our sister site – Cristinas Energy Center.
Before your client:
- Increase energy – the three thumps
- Increase intuition – forehead soothing
- Create a healing space (holding space and intention, aromatherapy and cross-over’s)
- Ground yourself
- Hook up
- Protect yourself (Celtic weave, weaving the outer aura, trace governing and central, and zip-up)
- Make sure your flow of energy is complete (Celtic weave, connecting heaven and earth)
- Project happy balanced energy (Wayne cook and intent)
- Hold your client in love
Watch videos here for most of the above suggestions with this link. If you have any questions for anything that has been left out email us. All the information in our posts will constantly be evolving.
After your client:
- Maintain energy hygiene between clients (expelling the venom, auric fluff, Celtic weave and zip-up)
- Disconnecting your energies after a session / treatment
- Pull the energy off your hands
- Wash your hands from the elbow down
- Stretching is a great way to release energy – do any stretch you feel drawn to and then connect heaven and earth
- If you feel like you are having a hard time letting go of energy thump your spleen lymphatic and/or flush spleen
In Your Workspace:
- Feng Shui your space – there are some very simple things you can do for your space such as inviting in good chi and abundance.
- Holding space – this sets an energetic intention for your environment.
- Aromatherapy – smell is the most powerful and effective sense we have. Smell is registered in the amygdala, we feel a smell before we think about it. Our sense of smell is deeply tied to our emotional state of mind casting aromatherapy as a staring role in any healing session. You want to spend the extra few dollars and have real essential oils in every treatment room. Use either a candle or a diffuser. Lavender and bergamot are especially relaxing and lift the spirits. You may want to offer your client a choice.
- Audiotherapy – the right music can transform your space and every session. There are specific CD’s that evoke healing and meditative states. See our CD’s. Note – when giving a facial and having to move around the room to prepare treatments be very aware of yourself. Do not make any loud abrupt sounds. Setting a soft environment keeps the client relaxed and happy.
- Lighting. Bad lighting can ruin a session. Soft low lighting sets the mood and invites relaxation.
Helpful hints
- Your clothes absorb energy so change them when you can
- Clear and cleanse your environment – sage your environment, use rose spray to cleanse environment, spin a pendulum counter clockwise / clockwise, singing bowl and visualization
- Lay flat on the ground letting the energy absorb into the earth – if you can’t get outside lay on a natural fiber or just use your intention. Let the roots of your feet sink deep into the earth to find a solid stone or tree to wrap around and allow earths strength to flow up into you.
- Tapping fresh cold water on the back of your neck, feet and top of head is a good quick refresher, mentally and energetically
- Always shower at the end of the day to really sweep all the energy off you that you collected during the day
Some helpful visualizations
Cleanse and Ground
This is a two-part visualization and you can make it as short or as long as you want. Read through it first and then get comfortable and take a few deep slow breadths.
Imagine you are comfortably lying in a shallow river and the water is rushing around your body. Feel yourself letting go of fear, grief and any obstacle that you want to get rid of. Feel the river washing it all away. It’s washing away everything you do not need or want in your life. Whether it is emotions, situations or an unhealthy connection to someone let the river take it and feel it flowing away. Feel the release in your body, the lightness you feel from being letting go and being cleansed. Sit with this as long as you need to.
Now that you have let go and released its time to renew and refill the space you have just created. Step away from the river and walk into the forest. In your minds eye find the perfect place to lie on the ground. Imagine you are a seed and plant yourself into the earth. Feel yourself rooting and grounding. See yourself sprouting from a seed into a sprout and you slowly begin to grow into a tree. Your roots grow deeper and your trunk begins to grow strong and grow branches and leaves. You are growing tall and feel the sun feeding you and the earth strengthening you. Stretch out your branches and take in from the sun, from the heavens what you want. Take in love, strength, hope and everything positive you can imagine. Really let yourself feel power you have – feel it in your mind, body and spirit. Breathe it in and sit in this energy for as long as you like. End by getting up and stretching your physical body and give yourself a big hug.
Protection
Close your eyes, take a deep breath and turn your attention inward. In your mind’s eye see the person, situation or aspect of yourself that is causing you distress…and now see beautiful shimmering white light showering down around and through this object of distress. This light is clearing away all negativity…you can see shimmering light gently flowing through and clearing away any darkness, effortlessly creating harmony and love. You have let go of all unnecessary emotions…you feel positive and cleansed…you have created a positive change within yourself. Breathe that in.
Gratitude
Close your eyes, take a deep breath and turn your attention inward. See your life, the people who have touched it, good or bad, and be grateful, see their faces…your family, friends, the people you work with – and send them thanks. See our planet and send it love and gratitude. Connect with the truth that we are all one…people, animals, earth, the universe…that everything is connected and you honor that…you are sending everyone and everything deep love and gratitude…and that is what is being sent right back to you. Breathe that in.
Categories
10 Minute Practice
At the start of each meditation session, light some incense or ring a bell or singing bowl and give thanks to your higher power. Keep these things in your meditation space. Ritual can be a powerful tool.
Now sit in lotus position, with your back straight. Imagine a balloon on a string is gently pulling the crown of your head upward, straightening your spine and allowing an effortless flow of energy that creates balance and strength in the seven chakras that run from the base of your spine up to the crown of your head. Visualize the breath gently washing through your body, calming the nerves and releasing blocks… with every exhale see yourself expanding and opening… you are expanding into your limitless consciousness and every breath is expanding your awareness further away into space and into the serenity that exists there… you are opening to the healing love energy of the universe.
Now visualize your body hollowing out from head to toe. There is a deity called Vijisattva, whose name means emptying out. You can call upon this energy force if you are having a hard time letting go. If you have a busy mind, try relaxing your tongue. When your tongue is relaxed thoughts don’t form in a tangible way… don’t chase it, just be… thoughts come into your mind and effortlessly pass through. Sometimes we have a busy mind and that’s ok, just always come back to your breath.
The beautiful language of energy is well understood by babies and young children. Some of us hold onto this natural instinct, the ability to get information from the energy we feel outside ourselves. Unfortunately this innate gift declines as intellect and societies judgments take over so many of us discredit it. Luckily this has been changing and you can even hear it in mainstream language now – “I didn’t like the vibe” – is an easily understood description for how a person feels about the energy of the situation or person.
At this stage in our evolution our internal wisdom is blossoming. More and more people are seeking to develop their intuitive knowing; we are getting in touch with “energy” as a global society. This offers great opportunities for more information about the powerful force of energy to be accepted as a legitimate healing tool and the opportunity to have a deeper personal understanding of it, which will bring about great personal and global transformations.
Of course it all starts with us so learning how to understand and trust your intuition is an essential life journey. I have always considered myself an intuitive person, I held onto allot of that childhood instinct but learning how to use it on call was another story. I think if we are in any dangerous situation our instincts automatically kick in but to consciously tune in and let it become a trusted guide takes practice. For me it was difficult to figure out which direction I was being pointed in – what was my yes / what was my no?
For me learning through failure was helpful. I would look inside my self anytime I got it wrong (I explored the feeling of getting it right as well but for some reason identifying why I got it wrong was more helpful). I would look for what it felt like and even what the texture and/or color of it was. For me when it’s right the feeling is light and clear and when wrong heavy and dark. But as there are many feelings in between feelings and some of it remains a mystery…the journey continues. Keep at it, practice will boost your confidence!
Some helpful hints are:
- Clear and balance your 6th chakra
- Always ground yourself before opening to the cosmos
- Spin a crystal in front of your third eye
- Crown pull – firmly create space with your fingers from the center of your head outward, from hair line to bottom of neck.
- Gently rub forehead with palms of hand from the third eye out
- Rub pinky finger
- Set the intention that you are tuned in
- Ask for help from your higher source and/or guides
Whenever you open to outside energy always set your boundaries. You choose what energy comes in so state that intention, such as “I only invite loving presence and healing forces to come into my energy field” or “the information I seek will come to me with love” and to this end some other essential energy medicine techniques are helpful such as the zip up and making sure your auric filed is strong.
Please check out www.cristinasenergycenter.com