Guarding Your Inner Light: Shielding Against Energy Vampires

Many empathic people shield themselves in the safety of the shadows. It can be easier to withhold our inner light so as to avoid energetic predators, because they can flock like a moth to a flame. One of the many truths of being an empath is the vulnerability one can experience in the presence of energy vampires. 

It can feel like a paradox; the interaction appears harmless and yet… After the conversation comes to an end, you realize something has happened, but it can be difficult to understand what.

It took me time to identify and fully comprehend the pattern and process, and most of, to allow myself to acknowledge it was real.

Energy vampires are very clever. They stealthily swoop into your energy field with their witty charm and tend to disarm you with flattery. Skilled at manipulating conversations, they hook you in with an innocuous question, where despite whatever your reply is, they divert the conversation with their ready-made reply. That is when the energy-sucking begins. It can feel like a haunting that will return again and again for they will drain you dry as long as you let them.

Eventually you dread being around these individuals and began to wonder…

“Is it me?

They seem nice enough.. 

Is it them? 

Is it unkind for me to think this way?” 

However, it is this very way of thinking that can keep us trapped in the cycle of enabling them. 

Empaths are over-conditioned to be considerate of others and sadly, this can be detrimental to to our sense of well being. By continually putting others first, an empath can deplete themselves. Setting boundaries is a challenge for many empaths because in doing so upsets the the energer drainers and other individuals who have been taking advantage of an empath’s generosity. However, it is necessary and essential for an empathic individual to do so, or they will never fully evolve their full potential. 

How do you energetically say “no!” without being rude? The truth: sometimes you have to be rude to make the message stick. Otherwise, energy vampires may see indirectness as a sign of weakness or permission. All empaths have to establish clear boundaries that come from their personal core beliefs. You must advocate for yourself. It takes courage to face the fear of disappointing others, but as generous as your heart is, believe me the strength is there.

One of the hardest things to overcome for empaths is recognizing and acknowledging when a boundary has been crossed. Empathic people can idle in confusion and questioning themself, because when something doesn't feel or sound right, it is not always easy identify what. It may not be physically obvious such as an aggressive or indecent gesture, but it’s enough that you feel something is wrong. I will say that again: it is enough that you feel something is wrong. It could be the tone, a passive aggressive comment, facial expression, their body language and or even their energy. 

THE MULTI-VERSE OF AN EMPATH

Depending on one’s intuitive ability, an empath can experience one person in multiple ways: energetically, emotionally, physically, mentally and psychically. In addition, they may also receive information psychically. These various layers make it necessary to process an exchange, especially a negative one.

For me, I receive one individual in four different ways. I pick up their physical energy, frequency, tone of voice, and emotions. In other words, one person is like four different people and I receive messages and information intuitively. It is a lot to take in and digest. Many empaths receive and experience people on multiple levels, which can make the experience of being in a group of people exhausting. It is like navigating a forest while continuously trying not to loose your footing as the path weaves and the terrain morphs.

ENERGETIC PROTECTION

Apart from having a direct confrontation or walking away, there are things an empath can do to protect themselves energetically. For anyone who is an empath, I highly recommend you cultivate a dedicated practice, such as meditating and strengthening your physically body to support your energy body. The stamina and strength of one’s individual energy can be enhanced and increased over time through daily and diligent self care practice. However, there are a few techniques that can be practiced almost anywhere, anytime.

The Zip-Up: Imagine you are wearing an invisible zip up sweatshirt. Take hold of the imaginary tab and slowly pull it from your pelvic bone up to your upper lip.

Why It Works: The Conception Vessel is one of the main meridians that regulates the accumulation and flow of blood and chi of twelve meridians and contains the yin energy. It begins at the base of the pelvis and travels up the front of the body to the lower lip. Yin energy is receptive, fluid, open. 

Visualize A Super Shield: Imagine an energetic shield of light surrounding you. Have it be a color that resonates as safe and protective to you. When you vizualize it, see it completely encapsulating you from head to toe. The more you meditate and work with this visualization, the stronger your energy shield will become.

Why It Works: Visualization can help you focus your thoughts to generate an image in your mind that will result in directing your energy. Energy follows intention and can be directed, shaped and shifted.

Practice Affirmations: Positive statements that support your sense of safety and that are worded in the present are key. Be open-mind to what sounds and feels right to you: as long as it has meaning to you, it holds power for you. Following are three examples:

“Light flows through me and protects me.”

“I am surrounded by the light.”

“Positive vibrations surround me.

Why It Works: You affirm and create your life experiences with every word and thought. Affirmations can reduce negative thought and the ability to dwell on negative experiences in the present, thus enabling your mindset and energy to shift.

PRACTICE RADICAL HONESTY

Be honest in recognizing who has the potential to drain you so that you can prepare yourself. Knowing how they can make you feel will help protect yourself. Do not avoid the heavy emotions because they can hold the deepest information. One of the hard truths to accept is that energy vampires can reveal the deep healing still needed for ourself. When you recognize that, love yourself - hard. There is always mending to still be cultured.

HONOR YOURSELF

Only you can determine what your boundaries are and honor them. While setting boundaries for empaths is challenging, it is one of the most invaluable acts you’ll ever do for you. 

The more time you take to care for yourself physically and energetically, the stronger you will become. 

Be kind to yourself: you’re a spiritual being experiencing a human existence and learning as you go. 

I hope you step out of the shadows and shine so brightly that your radiance zaps the “drainers”. Be bold. So bold that leaches can’t consume any part of your spectrum.

You be You.

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Tania Isaac is an experienced Channeler, Pet Communicator, Energy Healer and certified yoga instructor who specializes in blending healing modalities to create unique specialized healing sessions. She is located in Santa Barbara, CA where she lives with her husband and rescued dog Oreo. Her mission is to empower empaths and help individuals connect with their innate metaphysical and healing abilities. Visit her website to learn more about her offerings: www.taniaisaac.com

Overcoming the Mind - a Powerful Transition

One of the most daunting aspects of deepening one’s self awareness is becoming aware of how you think. Paying attention to our thoughts can have a tremendous impact on our mental wellness and self esteem. That is why the goal of meditation and many spiritual practices is to create enough internal space so you can begin to witness your thoughts. When we can observe our thoughts, we create the possibility of preventing negative beliefs from being powerful influencers. But, confronting our self-talk of self-sabotage can be quite challenging.

It is difficult in itself to recognize how often we belittle ourselves and keep ourself “stuck”. Know that you’re not at fault for thinking this way; our mindsets are conditioned and have been programmed to trust the negative more than the positive, especially when the “facts” have been vetted. The mind will naturally disregard the newest information because “new” is not trusted. One way this can show up for many people is when receiving praise: compliments contrast pre-existing shadow beliefs. 

The thing about our mind is that it believes it is being helpful by keeping us safe. The mind is clever and very solution-oriented. If we are not watchful, it will automatically fill in gaps of missing information with assumptions and made-up stories. Every time this happens we are rewarded with a dose of dopamine. We literally get high when we create a narrative - true or false. The mind strategically combines these techniques to prevent change because new and different can be very threatening. As a result negative thoughts will flow to make sure alterations do not happen. That’s why many people will settle for what is familiar, even if it is unhealthy. 

In order to manifest and sustain conscious change in our lives, we have to work with our mind like we are training a puppy. Gentle encouragement that rewards the requested behavior. Step one:  become aware of a negative thought or belief system. Like a puppy, we don’t yell or ridicule the thought or action, we simply notice and then encourage change, compassionately. Step two: once aware, we then intentionally replace the adverse thought or beliefs with new and positive ones. This becomes the practice until the shift within happens. Notice, acknowledge and implement change by distracting your mind. Just like bribing a puppy with a treat.

The distraction - the treat - are the positive thoughts that replaces the pessimistic ones. For each negative thought, the brain needs to hear a positive thought five times just to “neutralize” its mindset. Eventually, the repetition will shift the gloom towards the light. Repetition takes time but it has proven to be very powerful. Louise Hay (one of my superheroes) was renowned for demonstrating the power of affirmations to bring about self-healing and positive change. Hay suggested writing down an affirmation at least five times, for twenty one days. Affirmations shift your focus and help you cultivate positive energy. Affirmations are the original positive influencers!

At the end of my Soul Rejuvenation workshops, every attendee is invited to randomly select a Louise Hay affirmation card. They always seem to select one that resonates with them personally. In seeing this happen again and again, I believe every individual is capable of change and that we innately know what it is that we need and call it to ourselves. The biggest hurdle is always our mind and affirmations can be loving reminders that change is possible.

Throughout the process of reviewing and “revamping” it is important to be kind and patience with yourself; you’re unweaving a tightly woven way of believing, undoing one knot at a time. We each have had a lot of years getting really good at negative self talk so cultivating a new conversation will take time and lot of self love. I promise this road is well worth the journey, because on the other side is a greater capacity to love and the entire process is about living compassionately and beginning to experience your sense of self worth.

“Your mind is like a constant prayer.
Whatever it is focused on, will be.”

— LB

As my dear friend LB says, “Your mind is like a constant prayer. What ever it is focused on, will be.” I believe the practice of repetition is helpful for all of us. Whether you pray, meditate, chant, write or recite affirmations, the practice of positive repetition is extremely beneficial for our sense of well-being. Though the brain is a powerful thing to overcome, once we learn how to get past the hurdles of our mind, we can begin to see and feel how amazing we each really are. Our thoughts have a powerful impact on how we see and feel about ourselves and can shape our lives. 

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Soul Rejuvenation is a unique healing workshop that blends restorative yoga, channeling and hands on healing. Sound healing and essential oils are also integrated. This holistic workshop is intended to help heal and rejuvenate the mind, body and soul. Tania holds this event throughout the year in Santa Barbara. To learn more, visit www.taniaisaac.com/special-events

Reiki's Healing Power: Balancing Body, Mind & Spirit

Many people have asked me, “What exactly is Reiki?” It is hard to describe because it is something felt and each experience differs person to person. 

Reiki 101

The word "Reiki" is derived from two Japanese words: "Rei," which means universal or divine, and "ki," which refers to the life force energy that flows through all living things.

Reiki (Ray-key) is powerful energy medicine that amplifies the universal life force energy channeled by a practitioner through their hands to promote healing, relaxation, and balance in the recipient's body, mind, and spirit. Reiki is often used as a complementary or alternative therapy because it can reach to the root of the dis-ease to soothe the soul and support our emotional, energetic and spiritual healing.

In a typical Reiki session, the recipient lies down fully clothed, while the practitioner lightly places their hands on or near the recipient's body. The practitioner then uses various hand positions and techniques to facilitate the flow of energy to remove blockages, promote relaxation, and support the body's natural healing processes. Each hand-placement is easy to identify and will never rest directly on the breasts or genitals. If ever a placement of the hands is in question, I will always ask for permission. 

What Led Me to Reiki

Around the same time I began to expand my channeling ability, I noticed kinesthetic sensitivity in my hands. It felt (and still does) like my hands were drawn by magnets to certain areas of the body. It consistently turned out to be areas of pain, tenderness or discomfort. I decided to formally study a path of hands-on healing and researched various practices. Most felt rather complicated whereas Reiki was pure and simple.

The Three Levels of Reiki

Practitioners can build upon their foundation of knowledge because Reiki offers three degrees (levels) of training.

Reiki Level 1 (First Degree): focuses on self-healing and provides the foundation to practice Reiki on others.

Reiki Level 2 (Second Degree): builds upon the foundation of Level 1 and expands the student's ability to work with Reiki energy. Sacred symbols are introduced that enable practitioners to send healing energy to people, pets, plants, situations or events that are not physically present. In other words, long distance or remote healing can be performed.

Reiki Level 3 (Third Degree or Master Level): Is also known as the "Master" level and represents the highest level of Reiki training as it is focused on self-mastery and the ability to teach Reiki to others. In Level 3, students receive the Master attunement, which is believed to further enhance their connection to the Reiki energy.

The Importance of Healing Touch

Reiki is often fondly called “healing touch”. Humans are naturally wired to be touched. Without it, we wither. According to WebMD, “When you don't get enough physical touch, you can become stressed, anxious, or depressed. As a response to stress, our body makes a hormone called cortisol that can cause our heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, and breathing rate to go up.” This response is similar to the “fight, flight or flee '' and can negatively affect our immune and digestive systems, especially if the body remains in this heightened state for long periods of time.

Non-sexual touching, like a comforting hug, can produce oxytocin - a feel good chemical - that in turn can stimulate other positive-feeling hormones like dopamine and serotonin, which reduce cortisol. Our skin is our largest organ and contains millions of sensory nerves. This network of nerve fibers in our skin is dedicated to detect the touch of another person and thus have an emotional response. Even if one does not believe in Reiki, they will at least benefit from the human connection.

The Power of Reiki

Reiki offers many benefits. While scientific evidence for these benefits may be limited, many individuals who practice or receive Reiki report positive outcomes. 

Reiki can be used as a complementary approach in managing mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is also extremely helpful for those undergoing harsh treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. When undergoing cancer prevention treatments, the patient’s energetic field can be cleared in half the normal length of time and they can come out of post-operative depression sooner.

Reiki is often reported to promote deep relaxation, which can help reduce stress, anxiety, and tension. It may help to calm the mind and body, inducing a state of relaxation and promoting a sense of well-being. When our body is able to rest and relax is when it can begin to heal.

Additional benefits of receiving Reiki may include:

• Boost energy flow

• Enhance of physical, emotional and mental balance

• Increase in emotional and mental well being. Improved sleep

• Personal growth and spiritual development

• Pain relief and pain management.

What Can Reiki Feel Like?

Some people have described their experience through colors, textures, images, temperatures or physical sensations such as electric, vibrational, magnetic. Others fall into a deep sleep or experience lucid dreaming. 

Here are a few descriptions of individual experiences without the provider’s name to honor their privacy.

“It felt like moss spreading: peaceful and green.”

“I felt like I was being combed out and the line of gold energy kept getting broader and longer.”

“Warm and nurturing.”

“Magical and dreamy.”

“Lulling.”

“Divine. Heavenly.”

What Do I Experience When Giving Reiki?

All sorts of things! No experience is exactly like another, even with the same person. Every offering is unique.

The temperature of my hands will vary throughout a session as will the kinesthetic pull. Generally, when a hand placement feels complete my hands begin to feel as though they are being lifted off. Areas that are in need of healing tend to feel as though I’ve immersed my hands into a pool of warm satin. Sometimes I feel pulses, vibrations, electricity or see colors and images, and in my case, because of my channeling ability, I will receive messages either from the body or from a higher source during the session which I then share with the recipient. Usually, during the brief post-chat when I share where my hands felt the most heat the recipient will have had the same experience. 

What About Long Distance Healing?

Due to covid and the common space of Zoom, I have been holding more sessions online. At first I wondered if remote healing would be as effective, but it can actually be more so. In providing reiki remotely, I work energetically with hologram healing. Like a three dimensional image that I can turn and rotate, I work multi-dimensionally with a recipient’s energy body. Energy is energy and it translates no matter the medium or distance. When I am connected to someone vibrationally, I am able to read and receive their energy.

Tips for Receiving Reiki

The person you receive reiki from should make you feel comfortable and welcomed from the start. I consider sharing reiki a very special and sacred experience so a sense of appreciation and respect must go both ways. I am open to adapting my reiki sessions per the client’s needs and wishes. Perhaps this is due to my accessible yoga background, but I feel it is essential to support individual agency. A practitioner has to have fluidity, just like the energy, in order to properly provide the fullest experience possible. Depending on the reason for receiving reiki, a person may already feel vulnerable and exposed, so it is important to create a calm and nurturing environment. Even though someone comes into “my space”, I hold space for them.

Your practitioner may or may not have a formal questionnaire for you to complete prior to your first session. It is not required but can be helpful, for both of you. It is greatly beneficial for you to disclose any physical ailments so your practitioner can be sure to create a physically supportive environment. Know that you do not have to receive reiki laying on a massage table; you can receive reiki while seated in a chair. I offer to hold sessions on the ground if that is preferable for an individual. 

Reiki’s simplicity enables the energy to go wherever it is needed. The practitioner, nor you, have to direct it. Our energy is always seeking the highest healing. That said, energy does follow intention, so feel free to set an intention if you believe it will serve you. You do not need to share it with your practitioner nor does it have to be complex. Pure and simple.

The biggest thing in receiving reiki is allowing yourself to receive. This can be challenging for people who are accustomed to always doing for others. Take deep breaths as often as needed throughout your session to remind yourself and your body that it is ok to let go.

It is not uncommon to feel a bit tired after a deep healing, so I recommend you consciously set time aside after your session to rest. In other words, don’t bounce up and bound off to lunch with a friend or a business meeting. Give yourself quality downtime so your physical and energetic bodies can integrate the energetic shifts of the session.

I also recommend journaling about your session as a way to bear witness to yourself and your experience. Journaling can be helpful in remembering any profound insights or messages that came through during your receipt of reiki.

Can Anyone Learn Reiki?

Yes and yes! It is a beautiful practice that can have an immense impact on your life. Even if you do not intend or want to ever offer it to others, being able to give yourself reiki can be life changing. I dedicate fifteen minutes each morning to giving myself reiki. It is such a wonderful way to start the day: receiving the healing energy and self-love. I highly recommend taking at least a Level 1 training to establish your foundation and experience what the healing energy is like for you. 

Most Reiki Masters require a minimum number of practice hours in order to be able to take Level 2. Even if you do not plan on offering reiki to others, the practice of sharing reiki will be life changing; your personal attunement with the energy deepens every time you share reiki. If you decide to take Level 2, give yourself at least three months of practicing reiki to integrate into your energy and life. 

After Level 2, I recommended to practice reiki at least one year before taking Level 3. There are so many added layers in Level 2 that experiencing, discerning and truly deepening into the practice is profound and powerful thus worthwhile of your time.

If Level 3 calls you, go forth my friend! The world is currently in a huge energetic transition and the more people that are willing to contribute towards the evolutionary shift are gifts for All.

Reiki Training

I am offering Level 1 and 2 this year (2023) and I am so excited about it! In preparing my course I can feel the energy expanding. The training will be held in Santa Barbara (where I currently live.) There are two Level 1 trainings scheduled: May 20 & 21 and July 22 & 23. Level 2 will be held in Fall.

To learn more, click here: Reiki Level 1, May 20 & 21, 2023

My Winter Blueprint

To this day, there will be a year when I don’t get excited about Christmas. I will have little, to no desire, to prepare for it. It’ll feel like a burden. This was one of those years and it snuck up on me like a panther in the dark of night. On a “good” year, I will happily bring out all our oodles of organized ornaments and lights to set the stage of merriment with delight. But this year, my husband instigated the festive decorating and I merely went along with it. Even when the Christmas Trolley’s came by and the children squealed with glee at the sight of our four foot inflatable Baby Yoda, I felt…meh. 

I figured I was just tired. It was understandable being at the near end of a calendar year, in year two of Covid, actually having had Covid, and life itself; there were many valid reasons to feel drained. The drop in my energy made me fuzzy-minded and the fogginess felt dense. That was, until my body rebelled and practically punched me in the shoulder.

If not tended to our emotions will result in our body as a way to get our attention and communicate. The first SOS came when I strained a muscle in my right leg, then a tendon in my right elbow and lastly I injured my right shoulder. I recall the moment I sensed a twinge in my shoulder. I recognized it and then let it go. Later, I made one simple motion with my right hand and an intense pain shot down my arm that almost took me to my knees. 

Now I was listening. As I nursed my shoulder, I began to connect the signposts between my body and emotions. I looked at the backstories and began to see the outline of my winter blueprint.

THE BACKSTORY

I was about eleven years old when my grandmother came to live with us, shortly after my parents separated. At the time, my sister was away at college so I took on the brunt force of my mother’s anger and emotional responsibility of being a main companion to my grandmother. It was a lot for an eleven year old to process. I felt somewhat abandoned by my sister because she never called to connect with me, to ask how I was doing. I felt very alone.

My grandmother died several years later when I was seventeen. As a result of her passing, my mother slipped into a reactive depression and lacked any motivation to prepare the house for the holiday that season. So, I took it on. This was one of the first times our mother-daughter dynamics were reversed and I took on the parent-role. The version of my mother that was typically strong and stoic had become a shadow. 

I believe a family friend helped us obtain a Christmas tree and I decorated it. Looking back upon the amount of decorations we put up every year was rather ridiculous because it was so lavish. The trips to and from the garage where we stored our boxes of decorations, the sorting, dispensing, the arranging of them all….it was a process that took hours and sometimes two nights to complete.

My sister was newly married so I was left to shoulder this and my mother’s melancholy alone, again. I didn’t understand that she was in a depression, and I of course did not have the maturity or tools to help myself nor my mother through any of it. Raised in a household that did not “air out their dirty laundry” nor talk about their feelings within the family nucleus, I did not know I could ask for help or even how to. 

Food became a comfort source. I ate to cope, to stuff down my feelings. To this day, during the holiday season, overeating can surface for me. Granted the holidays bring about desserts, sauces, savory meats and treats for many and from many people, but I tend to develop cravings. The cravings are a means to stuffing down emotions. 

THIS PAST DECEMBER

One evening as I noticed the sensation of my full stomach after dinner, I recognized how good it felt. The realization dawned on me; this was not a healthy sign. 

So, I asked myself and my body, “What is going on? What am I eating for?” 

I sat quietly and listened.

The reply; “You are nurturing yourself.” 

“Why am I nurturing myself?”

The reply: “Because of the many emotions that were buried long ago. Sadness, hurt, anger, resentment, abandonment - they were not expressed and have been stored. Everything leading up to today - this holiday season, is a reminder of what you felt and those feelings make you perceive that what is today is in fact real because it is all based on what you once felt but never dealt with.”

As I sat there with my full belly, tender elbow and throbbing shoulder, I finally understood that these feelings were never given proper expression. Through the lens of energy healing and Eastern Medicine I began to view my injuries with compassionate insight. The right side of the body relates to; giving out, letting go, masculine energy, logic. (Whereas the left side relates to; receptivity, taking in, feminine energy, intuition.) Legs: carry us forward in life. Elbows: changing directions and accepting new experiences. Shoulders: our ability to carry out experiences in life joyfully, we make life a burden by our perception. “You Can Heal Your Life”, Louise L. Hay

Once I understood what was represented in the various injuries, I delved into the emotional elements through the language of meridians. The Large Intestine Meridian runs across the upper half of the shoulder blade, travels along the top of the arm and finishes at the tip of the index finger. It partners with the Lung Meridian (that runs from the lung, along the full length of the inside of the arm and finishes at the thumb) to help balance grief and courage. The untapped emotions had “flared” in the right side of my body, fighting against logic to exist; to be felt. For it was logical rationalization that had been used to lull the feelings and overeating that had been a coping mechanism. It all began to make sense: I needed to grieve. 

This illumination raised the question: what was different this year that brought all this to the surface?

SUMMERTIME SICKNESS

Back in July, about three days after my husband and I returned from Costa Rica, we tested positive for Covid. Prior to getting Covid, the plan was to have my dad stay with us for a week. My dad has been living with my sister for several years and I assume the intention was to give him a change of scenery and my sister some space. Of course the plan went out the window as soon as we tested positive. Covid was no joke; the body aches, fever and head pressure were intense. For a full twenty four hours, everything hurt, even my skin. My husband recovered much quicker than I as I ended up with Covid Sore Throat. All in all, I was sick for about two weeks and had repercussions to my nervous system for months following. 

In the text exchanges with my sister, she had asked when I tested positive, but I do not recall that she ever checked in thereafter to see how we were doing. It seemed she merely wanted to know “officially” when I tested positive. It was hard not to notice her silence when family and friends lovingly checked in on us. My sister’s lack of effort to communicate felt like her previous absences and as a result it deeply hurt my feelings. I constructed her lack of contact that me getting sick was an inconvenience for her.

Because the scenario felt similar to my past experiences wherein she seemed to “disappear” during some of the most difficult phases in my life, my mind began to draw up stories. When a current setting is similar in feeling, the emotional body reacts to them as truth. The subconscious narrative my mind ran in the background was that I was emotionally abandoned again. So when Christmas came around, the familiar emotional landscape resulted in me experiencing a deep sense of grief and the overeating began, until my body threw out enough signals to get my attention.

My sister and I are ten years apart. That is an entire decade of difference in pop culture, political history, and even our parents. My sister and I are innately very different people; like night and day in personality and communication styles. My sister has never tried to intentionally hurt me. But, the Ego is quite creative and crafty in cultivating comparisons in order to validate and vilify. The void of connection from my sister brought up past wounds and my Ego had plenty to dredge up and layer this recent experience upon.

So, there it is; my Winter Blueprint. 

MY HEALING BLUEPRINT

The understanding of all this illuminated how my mind is programmed to respond and how my emotions are conditioned to react. Once I was aware, I immediately felt energetically lighter because I understood the story. It is essential to allow oneself to process every feeling. Otherwise, our emotions will undergo a process that will force us to recognize them. Resistance to our feelings can restrict us from healing, learning and evolving. When we close off our heart, we close the door to our full potential to heal and overcome.

Once I was able to see the stories and understood my emotions that resulted from my experiences, I knew what needed to be released. My physical gateway is through the practice of yoga; it can help me move the emotional energy out of my body to prevent it from suffering from dis-ease. Next, came the energy healing. I was fortunate to facilitate an Intuitive Healing session days after these life-changing realizations and it greatly helped heal my subtle (energy) body. Lastly, I was able to hare this with soul sisters. Women greatly heal through vocalizing. A key component of anyone’s healing is to be able to share their experience; to feel seen and heard.


THE HEALING TRUTH

Remember when you were a kid and you were either super excited about something or had a lot of stored energy from being bored? It felt like you might burst at the seams! Except, as adults, lack of recognition and respective processing can create an internal combustion that leads to an ill-being. We must first see and recognize what we feel. Once the emotion(s) are identified, they then need time and space to process. The energy of emotions needs to be moved out of the body. 

Recognize, understand, accept, move it through and out.

I believe healing happens in stages and when we are ready. Only when we are willing to be with our emotions can we validate them for ourselves and create the space to heal. We cannot heal by ignoring ourselves nor blaming others. In our various stages of healing, recognition and acceptance will enable each layer of the onion to be revealed and released. This is how we can make our way forward, to an internal space where we feel liberated from the tether of our wounds.

Stepping up to the plate means holding oneself accountable for how they can attend to their wounds and further attune to their emotional well-being. Our emotional well-being is the foundation of our physical health. When I do energy work with people, I can see their energetic blue-print; areas of the body are revealed as emotional storage containers and it's that containment that can contaminate the entire being. Energy work can help to release energetic stagnation. While understanding our lessons is invaluable, we cannot reason our way into healing: it must be felt within all our layers.

INTUITIVE HEALING

Through the process of my personal healing journey, along with spiritual guidance and insightful feedback, I have cultivated Intuitive Healing sessions. It is a blend of restorative yoga, channeling and hands on healing to provide and attend to the various layers of healing for the physical, energetic, emotional and spiritual. All of it is guided by the recipient's energy so each session is unique to the needs of the individual. Healing is in the abstract because it addresses the unseen; our emotions, energy and spirit. That’s what makes it powerful and profound. 

If you’d like to learn more Intuitive Healing sessions, click here: 

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Ultimately, be kind to yourself along your process of healing. Allow yourself to feel and be loved. For it is the energy of love that is most powerful and has the potential to heal all.

Ohhh, no Toe...Leggo My Ego!

A week ago, while on a beach walk, in an attempt to gracefully leap away from a soft rolling wave, I smacked the second toe of my left foot on a rock. My toe bled immediately and the pain was significant. I continued walking because my car was a lengthy distance away, so I had to continue moving either way. Grateful for the company of my beautiful friend, as I ambled along, I pondered aloud some introspections that arose due to the injury. All the while, the cold water alleviated the ache. Every so often I’d glance down at my toe to see the waves gently wash the blood away. Mother Earth softly soothed my feet.

When I returned home, as I made my way to the bathroom, blood dripped and pooled onto my flip flop. It was quite a dramatic sight. Upon examination, I saw the jagged laceration ran parallel to the cuticle. Though I had not broken the bone or injured any other toes, it was incredibly humbling. After I thoroughly washed and bandaged my toe, I contacted my clients to cancel my private sessions. That is when my Ego started tripping. 

For the rest of the day, my Ego wailed like a coyote off in the hills. “This is sooooo stupid! This is, like, the smallest part of the body! C’mon!” Fear of loosing my livelihood flared like fireworks popping off in the dark night of the soul. Guilt, a sense of failure and many questions ricochetted through my mind. “Does this mean something? Was this an unconscious act of self-sabotage? What exactly is my fear?…” all boomeranged in my noggin. I tried to catch when my Ego blared so as to shift my awareness down into my heart; it was a constant teeter-totter.

I awoke in the middle of the night well aware of my toe. After tossing and turning a bit, I calmed my mind with a few deep breaths, and a rested a hand on my heart. Then, I finally asked the question, “Did this happen for a reason?”

Spirit: “Yes.”

Me: “So…there is a purpose in this?”

Spirit: “Absolutely. For now, rest and the answer will be revealed in the morning.”

Hearing that encouraged me to surrender my fear and as much of my Ego, as I could, to Spirit. It was like luring a feral cat, cleverly shrouding it in a warm blanket, then slowly and gently handing it to animal control. Except, it was about releasing control. Letting go, as much as I could, allowed me to fall into a restful sleep. I felt held in love, by something greater than myself.

The next morning, after a very mindful stretching practice I sat in meditation. This is what Spirit said.

You are too comfortable, too identified in your physical offerings. This injury is an invitation for you to move even deeper into the energy (of channeling and healing). Though the practice of yoga has been an incredible gate way for you, from the physical into the metaphysical, you still strongly identify with the body in such a way that it is limiting your access of the energy. The limiting belief that your physical offerings are the way to create financial prosperity is untrue. We invite you to move away from the comfort of these limiting beliefs and embrace the truth of your whole self. You are meant to be a gateway to help many heal. If you keep leaning on the physical identification of yourself as a healer, you will always limit your true, full potential and ability to do the work you genuinely feel called to do. It’s time to let go of the familiar and embrace your full potential. The shift has already begun and the pieces will fall into place. We will shape the how for you.

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As I compose this particular entry, it has been just a few days over a week since my toe injury. It’s amazing to think that my toe was and is an invitation to go deeper and expand my trust further. Every time I look at the little guy, I marvel at how tiny it all is relative to the powerful purpose it has served. Our body is a universe unto itself and we each, as people are a part of Life’s Universe.

During a recent yoga practice, I had a surreal moment. I was in a revolved forward fold and felt my distinct physical presence on the floor and an energetic, magnetic grounding of my energy. I was fully aware of myself on the Earth. At the same time, I heard Spirit say:

Remember the body is an avatar and everything about it is temporary. Even your thoughts and emotions are continually transitory. Supporting your presence through conscious connection to yourself in this physical representation is necessary, but it is even more essential to remember the deepest, most innate Self of who you fully and truly are. Cosmic consciousness, connection, compassion. Go there, be there, love there.

It sounds counterintuitive and feels ironic: we are temporary and every experience and emotion is also temporary, but yet we feel so much.

The human experience is beautiful, profound and certainly presents its challenges. Heart ache, heart break, domination, devastation, destruction, despair and yet we can also experience hope, joy, bliss, compassion, understanding, love, learning, growth, and evolution. We must treat our physical body with respect for it is our connection to and in the world, but we must also remember the whole truth of our Being is more than body and mind; it is heart, soul and spirit. When we are disconnected from our Inner Truth, the physical world will work in conjunction with the metaphysical and do its best to guide one back to their inner sense of alignment. 

While it may be a big stretch for some to understand or even accept that a toe injury could have great significance, I believe it was a small wake up call. And, I certainly don’t want or need a bigger one! I trust in the abstract, in the unseen of life. The unseen is where all the power really is: one’s intuition, intention, inner voice, inner Knowing. I believe that we are all being invited to move into that space of living. To be clear, I am not declaring that my experience is a mandate for everyone else - no, I am simply inviting everyone to see the signs and signals as they appear for them. Beyond adhering to the signs, please remember to practice self love and self compassion, for they are the first steps inward and the big ones we all need to move forward.