The Glaring Truth: Fear & Bravery in Shadow Work

The pain and pleasure of life is what can expand us beyond, to grow and evolve. Of course, no one wants to experience pain on any level, but it is a dynamic we have signed up for in this life. No matter the course of one’s life, we are always going to need to heal. Healing is always - now. Throughout our lives we will need to heal both from the past and in the present. But, healing is revealing and requires courage to stare into one’s Self. Soul work can reveal deep seated fears that are difficult to face.

Almost like a skeleton unearthing itself from a deep grave, challenges and fears come to the surface to expose the healing that is needed. If brave enough, we’ll face them head on and take on the change that is part of the toiling process. To face our fears we must learn to trust ourselves. Self trust can be frightening to embrace because there is nothing concrete about it: it’s unseen, intuitive, felt and you have no idea what your choice(s) will produce. 

Weathering through any dark night of the soul, no matter how shallow the shadow, or deep the cavern, requires looking inward and inquiring as to “what is the life lesson here, what purpose does it serve, what do you want, what do you need?” Asking yourself questions can create an inner dialogue to help guide you. It’s really you asking of your Higher Self and allowing yourself to listen. Asking questions creates an internal capacity for a new perspective - new possibilities of doing and being that are outside of the norm of our conditioned selves. This is not headspace, it is heart-space. 

When you begin to ask yourself questions and allow yourself to listen, you begin to cultivate Self Trust. Rather than enabling ourselves to drift into self-discredit, we empower ourselves to draft new possibilities. Let’s call a spade a spade; when we are faced with the unknown, we face fear. We fear what we don’t know and the further away something seems (the larger the gap between your “here” and “then”) can increase your apprehension. 

A truth: tomorrow is no different from next week, month or year because we truly do not know what each next day will bring. 

In order to move through any upswell, you must trust your intuition and can draw upon your life experience. It is all beautifully interwoven and can help you navigate through the highwaters. 

To begin trusting yourself,

the only way is to go in and practice it. 

Here are a few tips to help you center and become more self-attuned:

Always be Curious: Curious creates an inner capacity to inquire, to learn and to grow. Rather than being defensive and coming at life with criticism as we tend to do to protect ourselves, stay curious. You are your compass so ask questions of yourself. If you have positive role models, ask them about their experience, their process, their journey. 

Properly Hydrate: Any self-process involves energy and as our energy greatly affects our electrolytes, it is important to stay hydrated to maintain our energetic equilibrium. 

Ground Yourself: Connect with the Earth through activities like walking barefoot on grass, spending time in nature, or practicing a grounding meditation. Grounding your energy through mindfulness can also help you process strong emotions that may make you feel disconnected. Grounding can include conscious practices such as a body scan, meditation, and somatic touch can help you reconnect your body, mind and spirit. 

It is essential for all lightworkers to feel their earthly connection. Depending on the time of year and your location, standing barefoot on grass may not be possible. If so, try this mindful exercise: 

Firmly plant and feel your feet on the floor and the weight of your legs, especially your thighs. If needed, bend and straighten your legs a few times to deepen your connection. Next draw your awareness up into your abdomen; feel the breath in your belly. Then draw your awareness back down to and through your feet to feel the solidity of the earth beneath you. 

Tune In & Listen: After you have hydrated and grounded, draw your awareness inward. Ask your question(s) and then invite your mind to get quiet and listen. Sometimes the response can feel like a small voice from within or it will have a strong resonance. Generally, the responses that make the least sense are your truth. That may seem radical, out of place, far fetched. When this happens, this reveals how much you bury the deepest, truest parts of yourself. 

Connect to Sources that Serve You: Most journeys rarely run completely solo. Explore connecting to sources that serve you, be it nature, spirit, mentors, soul family or healing practices. 

The glaring truth of trusting yourself is that by acknowledging your fear enables your intuition, wisdom, and self-awareness to become powerful guides that can lead you into making more authentic choices and living a more fulfilling life. The more you lean in and trust yourself, the greater your awareness and innate abilities will become. Challenges and fears are aspects of life we must all face and we are reminded that we are capable of doing so, anything is possible.

Tania Isaac is an experienced Spiritual Guidance Channeler, Pet Communicator, Integrative Energy Healer and certified yoga instructor who specializes in blending healing modalities to create unique healing sessions. She is located in Santa Barbara, CA where she lives with her husband and their 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

Shock Value: Embrace it as a Real and Valuable Emotion

At some point in time, we’ve all had a disturbing experience that left us shocked. The occurrence was so overwhelming we frooze and didn’t know what to think, feel or do. As the moment unrolled, we folded inward. Stopped in our tracks, it was hard to comprehend someone or something so disconcerting. 

Shock is a reaction that one has to an unexpected event or traumatic incident that is upsetting and can make it hard for us to function. I have often heard someone say they didn’t know how to react and as a result felt they failed to take immediate action. Shock can be a powerful state to overcome. It may be surmountable in mere minutes but if the individual has been traumatized it could be months or years. 

In the Western world, shock is often perceived as a invalid emotion. Whereas in Chinese medicine, shock is perceived as a valuable emotion and is associated with the Heart. The languaging around shock in the Western world can paint it as neutral, passive, inactive and or weak. It is none of the above; it is in fact distinct, powerful and significant of just how broadly a boundary has been breached. Sometimes shock evolves from something harmless like a surprise birthday party or friendly prank, but can also stem from a breach in confidence, natural disaster, or traumatic event.

As part of the survival function present in all living beings - the fight, flight or freeze response - shock can render someone unable to move or speak. If we are still and quiet enough; we might be safe enough. It is not a symptom of weakness; it is a physiological response rooted in the bare and essential want to survive. 

Per Dr. Daramus, “Emotional shock is often part of our fight or flight response, a normal but painful way our brain reacts to something it sees as a threat to our well-being.” When your brain is unable to process the situation, it freezes in an effort to protect your mind and body. (Verywellmind.com) “You might feel numb, or cry, or rage. You might just sit there, emotionally unable to move. You might dissociate, and feel like nothing around you is real, or that it‘s actually happening to someone else.”, Aimee Daramus, PSYD

I advocate for people to be present with their emotions because it is essential for us to process our feelings and digest our experiences. As shock is associated with the Heart in Chinese medicine, I offer a simple technique that can help you move through the locks of shock.

Calming Technique: Sit or lay down. Enable your spine to feel tall, long. Rest your hands upon your heart and begin to take deep, slow, steady breaths. Allow each inhalation to expand your chest to meet your hands. As you exhale, allow your hands to follow the release of the breath. Receive the warmth of your hands. Sense your heartbeat. Slowly move your hand clockwise over your heart for as long as it feels good to you. Try to stay present and steady in your self-awareness for up to five minutes, longer if needed.

The next time you hear someone say, or you find yourself saying, “I simply didn’t know what to do,” hold that person in compassion, because even though a reaction may not have followed, their paralysis held meaning - the intention to survive. 

Learning helpful techniques such as somatic touch or breathing techniques can be soothing to the soul. As spirit beings embodying human life, let us all remember that while we can’t correct the past, we can learn from it and heal in the present.

Tania Isaac is an experienced Channeler, Pet Communicator, Integrative Energy Healer and 200 E-RYT 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

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Guarding Your Inner Light: Shielding Against Energy Vampires

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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.

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

Exploring A Past Life: Unveiling a Soul’s Journey

From the age of five I have had terrifying apocalyptic dreams. I awake with intense fear and exhaustion, despite a full night’s sleep. Death and destruction are always the outcome. The most recurring one is of an inferno that consumes me and my entire surroundings in a matter of seconds. 

This dream begins with a fast roar that fills my ears, then brings with it a strong rush of heat, then fire. Everything and everyone is set ablaze, the pain immediate. I can see and feel myself burn; my clothes and skin afire. The heat is so bright, hot, loud and then…darkness. When I wake, my breath is shallow and it takes a couple of moments to realize where I am and that I am safe. This vivid dream has traveled with me my entire life.

It was not until a few weeks ago, that I finally learnt what this dream held for me. During an intense healing session, I experienced a Past Life Viewing Experience:

I was a male, adult, dressed in a long sleeve, button down shirt and trousers. I lived in a small village where all the structures were one story, white bungalows. We had dirt roads and were surrounded by fields, many rimmed with low, thin trees. It was a soft, sunny day and I was outside in the center of my village where many other community members were running errands. All of a sudden there was a rumble, a hot blast and everything around me was set on fire. The village people tried to run. In my line of vision, I saw a mother and her daughter, flailing as they tried to reach each other and flee. I felt my shirt singe and shred with the tips afire. My fabric and my skin melted into another. I collapsed to my feet in anguish as there was nothing to be done. The smell of my entire world burning filled my nose as my breath left my body and I died. This was when the United States of America dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945.

In the present, as I laid on the massage table, I sensed the shortness of my breath and began to practice pranayama (deep breathing exercises) to calm myself. (Goodness, forbid the kind lady that was tending to me return and find me in emotional turmoil, unable to articulate what was happening!) It took a few moments to realize it was not a dream, but a past life viewing. I was overwhelmed with an array of emotions and one question: why was I shown this now?

The energies that come through as my spiritual guidance replied, “The healing energy you can share with people is the same as the radioactive energy that was manipulated into a catastrophic bomb for power and control. This is why you are afraid to use your full potential of energy, because you remember the harm the power caused. You are a healing light source and cannot cause this type of harm, but you can help many people heal. You need to heal and release the imprint of this experience so that you can continue to expand your healing practice.”

When I returned home, I was very much aware that a deep and profound healing had taken place. I felt in awe of everything and everyone.

With my intuitive abilities as a channeler and energy worker, I have been able to witness nearly twenty past lives of mine. There are aspects within each that make sense for me in my life today. I am able to understand the choices my soul made for this lifetime. I believe I’ve chosen this lifetime to be a deep immersion of my personal healing; I’m healing multiple lifetimes in one sweep.

Through my various channeling experiences, both personally and professionally, I have come to understand and believe that our souls very carefully and thoughtfully designed our life time, so that every element of the setting in which we are born into is for us; to learn, to grow and to evolve. The human experience is by far very complex and deep.

Experiences from a past life can leave an imprint that becomes inherent within our energy-essence. This can show up in our current life as an amazing skill, fear, passion, reoccuring dream, or an unexplainable connection to someone we barely know. Past Life Readings can offer profound insight to what may seem otherwise mysterious and ever evasive of making sense to us. It can affirm the connection between people and behaviors in your life today. Connecting to a former life can cultivate a deep sense of healing because of the awareness and understanding gained.

In addition, the significance of memories from a previous life, or dreams that seem other-worldly, can become keys to help you unlock what you need to know. Phobias, addictions, fears, patterns - both destructive and life building - can be revealed. Learning from a past life can help you live a fuller life now. With awareness and understanding can come change and transformation.

When I conduct these types of sessions, there is no use of hypnosis, medical aid or recovered memory therapy. Your intention, questions and presence can be all that is needed. Each session can be done by phone or via Zoom so you can remain in the comfort of your own home. I begin with a centering breath to help open your energetic channels and establish a root sense of where you are in the here and now. I blend in energy healing to help maintain a sense of ease throughout the session and so you can heal and mend in the present.

We each have a vast array of past life times to learn from and each viewing offers you the opportunity to heal in the present. If you are curious and would like to learn more, please visit: Past Life Readings

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.

Time & Touch: Healing Through Self Awareness

A full moon can bring about many things for every individual. Just as the moon affects the tides, it affects our energy and emotions. The purpose of this past full moon was to enlighten you to all that is you: light and shadow. And, to bring us into a greater pasture of self-acceptance; the challenge of loving thyself despite. 

This recent full moon was extremely revealing for me. I was surprised by old insecurities that were brought to the surface. As I observed them flare, I felt myself flounder; haven’t I dealt with this already? Yes, but there they were again, rearing their flagrant voices. It felt crushing to experience the heaviness of the emotional tidal wave and to comprehend it was mind numbing. But, Spirit urged me on by saying, 

“Open your heart and allow yourself to see all of you and to feel all of what you feel. Then, allow yourself to accept and love yourself, just as you are. Everything you are feeling is temporary. Everything you become aware of in feeling will expand your Self-awareness and Self-realization, infinitely.

Rather than scrutinize yourself, Love Yourself. Rather than wonder what you’ve done wrong or how you’re not enough, ground yourself through your practices and remember you a human-in Being. Surrender your guilt and shame in to acts of Self Love.”

It can be difficult to accept the idea that one must accept themselves in order to grow. We, as people, have become so accustomed to compartmentalizing our lives to fit the modern time table of life. As a result, we have become conditioned to segregate ourselves into good and bad, right or wrong, acceptable and unacceptable, instead of just saying, “This is all of who I am right now.”

Long before our modern twelve month calendar, the moon cycles were people’s natural time table. We were more in tune with the pulse of Mother Earth and the essential breath of life. Today, many cultures are far removed from this innate connection of and to essence - within ourselves and with the world around us. This can make it difficult to digest our experiences and process our emotions. Rather than move forward wholly, we leave a good percentage of ourselves behind and little by little become less of ourselves.

So, what does it take for every individual to reconnect to their whole self - to feel, to heal, to be real? Time and touch. 

I will elaborate.

Time: take a moment to think of the way you schedule your time between work, play, chores and essentials such as sleeping, eating, exercise, etc. Where is your quality You Time? Do you find yourself either squeezing it in as a last priority or allowing it to be squeezed out all together, often? Time is essential to self-care and it requires mindfulness to cultivate a consistent practice in which you devote to your Yourself. It’s not selfish, it is necessary.

Touch: one of the most basic self healing practices is a gentle laying of your hands upon yourself. A hand upon your heart, upper abdomen, cradling your forearms or even just bringing your hands together are simplistic and sensational. They can have a profound effect, because in effect you are applying self-healing touch and through this, you experience self-witnessing. 

Time and touch together: Sit or lay down in a way in which your spine can feel at full length. Then place your hands upon yourself in a way that feels soothing. (The above mentioned laying of the hands are wonderful examples.) Lastly, breathe. Allow all of your five senses to register the experience of your breath. Whether you practice this for a few minutes or a half-hour, genuinely try to be present with and to yourself, without judgment. 

If you find yourself saying “I don’t have time, I’m too busy,” then I challenge you to set a timer for just five minutes. That’s all; five minutes. I promise that a small amount of time can have a powerful sense of healing for you because all the healing potential is already within each of us. We each merely need to practice pausing and self-reflecting to reconnect with our innate ability to mend.

More and more I am being called to empower individuals upon their healing journey. If you feel moved to step onto your path and need guidance, I am here for you. My Intuitive and Womb Healing sessions are intended to honor every individual and illuminate the practices and tools that can support you. I believe it is important for all people to know they are never alone on their path. Though everyone’s path is unique, it doesn’t mean it has to be a lonely journey. 

I look forward to seeing you walking in the Light, my friend. Shine on.

Tania Isaac is an experienced Channeler, Pet Communicator, Energy Healer and Integral Yoga Hatha 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.

How To Embrace Yourself: The Power of a Hug

I have the honor of serving on the board of directors for Blind Fitness, a non-profit in Santa Barbara, founded by Brianna Pettit. Blind Fitness is a California-based 501(c) (3) organization that provides life-enriching sports, recreational and fitness opportunities for individuals who are blind or have low vision. On June 22, with the support of our volunteers, Blind Fitness held its first annual Surf Camp. There were many amazing highlights throughout the day. My personal favorite was when I received a hug.

One of the youth participants had been showing me a chafing spot on her lower leg, when we exchanged a nonchalant chat about where she was from. At the conclusion of our conversation, she gently took hold of my BF trucker hat and began to pull it off. I thought she perhaps wanted the hat for herself. Instead, her intention was to get it out of the way so she could hug me. She squared her shoulders to mine and embraced me. There was not time to politely offset my shoulders as many of us do; it was heart to heart. I felt such love and told her that moment was the highlight of my day. It genuinely was. 

The power of a hug is amazing. It has the ability to transform us emotionally in a matter of seconds and can have a profound effect on our sense of wellbeing. The Covid pandemic removed many of those “social norms” for a lot of people and for some individuals that may still be the case. Humans are wired to connect with other people; we thrive on it. One hug can convey so much - reassurance, empathy, comfort, love, compassion and sadness. According to Psychology Today, “The need for human touch is one of our most basic, primal needs. Touch deprivation is correlated with negative health outcomes such as anxiety, depression, and immune system disorders.”

When we hug, gentle pressure is applied to a “big button” on our upper sternum that raises our serotonin levels, a neurotransmitter that contributes to feelings of relaxation and well-being, thereby elevating our mood. In addition, our skin is embedded with trillions of nerve-fibers intended to detect healing touch. This highway of nerve fibers transmits the information to our brain which instantaneously boosts the production of oxytocin - a feel good hormone - which can counter the effects of loneliness, isolation and heavy emotions such as anger.

Our bodies tend to register hugs as good. If you are not in a position to receive or offer hugs, you can practice giving yourself hugs. A self-hug, also known as a self-embrace, is a comforting gesture that can help promote self-care, relaxation, and a sense of security. I often include self hugs in my yoga classes as a way to stretch the upper back where many people tend to hold tension. 

How To Embrace Yourself:

  1. Take a few deep breaths and bring your awareness to your breath. 

  2. Allow for a few more deep breaths to induce a sense of relaxation.

  3. With an inhale, extend your arms out. As you exhale, bring your arms in and cross them over your chest. This crossing of the arms creates the self-embrace.

  4. Place your hands on the opposite shoulder, elbow, or forearms. Wherever it is most comfortable for you.

  5. You can apply soothing touch in the form of gentle pressure, a soft stroke, pat, or massage where your hands are resting.

  6. Consider rocking or swaying side to side to increase your sense of ease and comfort.

  7. Maintain the position for as long as it is comfortable for you.

  8. Switch the cross of the arms and hold the second self hug for as long as it feels good to you.

  9. When you feel complete, just before you release the self embrace, take in one more deep inhale, and if it is possible squeeze yourself in your embrace/ With an exhale, let go.

  10. Stay still for a moment or two more to notice how you feel.

Try it! Just a few minutes can make a big difference to your mood and mindset.

Another technique I am quite fond of for replicating the sense of a hug is with the use of blankets. The gentle pressure provided by a blanket can have a calming effect on the nervous system. The soft weight can stimulate the release of serotonin, to help reduce anxiety and stress. Placing a folded blanket over your shoulders, across your upper chest, hips or feet can create a sense of security and comfort, similar to the feeling of a warm embrace. I generally include the use of folded blankets in my Intuitive Healing and Womb Healing sessions.

The human body is a beautiful, complex creation wherein once we understand the way it is made, reveals a universe of paths to self love and self healing. So, hug and love on! 

Remember:

A self-hug is a simple technique that can offer comfort and relaxation, but it may not be suitable for everyone. If you have any physical limitations or discomfort, adapt the position to what works best for you. 


A weighted blanket may not be suitable for everyone. Individuals with respiratory conditions, circulation problems, or those who have difficulty moving the blanket independently should consult with a healthcare professional before using one.

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. 

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

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

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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

Emotional Being

“We can’t will ourselves to not feel anything. Life doesn’t work like that.” ~ Supergirl

A big and essential component in the work that I do is to create a space in which my clients can feel safe to identify and be with their emotions. When we can label our feelings, we enable ourselves to heal. The process of identifying moves us into ownership versus the feelings owning us. This then enables the body to release where that emotion has been stored. Because our bodies are amazing storage lockers, this “storage process” can block our vitality and create dis-ease. In order to unblock we have to unlock our feelings and a key is identifying what they are. 

Emotional Capacity is when one is able to manage their emotions, be empathetic, and understand the feelings of others. When one lacks emotional capacity they are ruled by their feelings, lack empathy and have trouble understanding other people’s emotions. Emotional literacy is the foundation of our emotional capacity.

Emotional literacy can be defined as the ability to identify and label our feelings, the feelings of others, and to cope with and express our emotions in appropriate and healthy ways. Brene’ Brown breaks down the components of emotional literacy in her recent book, “Dare To Lead.” Brene’ B is one of my superheroes. For me, Brene’ is right up there with Wonder Woman. She is a modern day wonder woman. 

In reading “Section Four: Shame and Empathy” I realized I come from an emotionally illiterate family. In my family, you didn’t talk about your feelings. The main focus in my family was what you did and how well you did it; it was performance driven, result based. There was not the capacity for one to express their feelings. Many emotions were struck down, or swept aside, because they made mi familia uncomfortable. Behavior was rewarded or rebuked, but the root never, if ever, examined. The space to learn emotional literacy lacked. 

Both my parents stemmed from families who were unpracticed in emotional literacy. We all are products of our previous generations, so when we choose to be different from our family systems, we “go against the grain” of what we have been taught. You become an emotional pioneer in unknown territory. This is why conscious healing of our emotional body is so vital and also why it can be so damn hard. But, the pursuit of one’s truth is never a solo cruise; you eventually find your people.

My ability to have constructive conversations that involve sharing how I feel and why has been a long road, but it has not been a lone one. It has taken a village for me to learn what I know and practice today: between my therapists, relationships, soul sisters, authors of all the books I’ve absorbed, teachers of all the practices I have embraced….we can’t grow alone and we don’t have to. We all need our village and we can cultivate it along the way. Where we believe, or see our family as lacking (in my case: talking about our emotions), we can find and develop new in new collectives.

In continuing to develop my emotional literacy and thus broaden my emotional capacity, I find that it’s always helpful to start with “the basics”; identify what I am feeling first - without shame or self criticism. Once I identify it, I can then own it and create space in which to process it. Otherwise, it can become the hairy scary monster lurking in the corner of the maze; you’ll never escape it.

Step 1: Name it; own it.

Step 2: Accept yourself as you are with the way you feel.

Step 3: Give yourself time and space to process.

Step 4: Reflect versus react and make a conscious choice moving forward.

We are geared to jump into action, to solve the problem and leave our emotions for last, if at all. Our society says that only the weak ones know their feelings. The truth is: the ones who know, can be present to and process their feelings are the healthy individuals who have a handle on life because they are not in a spin cycle of reacting: they’re responding. 


Develop your emotional literacy. Reach out, ask questions, listen, reflect, learn and increase your emotional vocabulary. Cultivate the space you need in order to grow. That means recognizing and being honest with yourself about the people you can have these conscious conversations with and the ones you can’t. Then, every time you identify an emotion, be kind to yourself, patient and self-loving. This is the “dirty work” of drudging so you can clear so let your tears flow if need be. It is up to each of us to break the cycle and cultivate anew.

In a healing session with me, I’ll let you know that you’re in a no shaming space, then invite you to lay down your armor and prop up your feet. As we identify your emotions and tap into where they are stored, I will breathe and share in this sacred space with you, but not pity you. It takes a courageous heart to live an authentic life. When you are brave enough to embrace all of yourself, you become a personal hero to many.

If you are interested in learning more about my Intuitive Healing Sessions, click here.

Her Voice

I have made peace with the fact that I am not meant to be a biological mother in this life. It was hard and it took time to get here. Every so often my grief is triggered by an innocuous comment, a baby’s coo, a toddler’s wobbly steps. It is ultimately ok because it is part of my path and process in life. This path has led me to understand and thus embrace the liberties I am blessed with in not being a parent. Those that are parents may not understand this because they have not had to cross that bridge. While we can easily make comparisons on what we each have and don’t have; let us simply respect our different journeys.


In “Celestial Happenstance”, a recent blog from the third perspective, I shared a recent experience that drudged up the part of myself that wanted to be a mother. As I sat, deep in breath, navigating the rolling waves of emotions, I understood what was needed: to look at that part of myself - to see and feel her. In my path of grievance into healing, I had forgotten to bring her along.


This blog is dedicated to giving her a voice. This entry opens up my past paternal desires to the world. In doing so, I hope to further heal my heart.

My name is Tania and I was born to be a mother. It was a story that began not by my own actions or beliefs, but from my mother’s guidance. From a young age she prepared me for motherhood with insightful advice that grew over time into a sophisticated rolodex of information. I was on alert anytime a child was present so as to anticipate and possibly predict their quick actions in case they put themselves in danger of getting hurt. There were many data files I had at the ready, such as: cradle a newborn baby’s head to prevent injury to their delicate neck, always anticipate a baby tipping back or forward when they are learning to sit, and if a baby manages to grasp a cluster of long hair, carefully pull their fingers away one by one (rather than sliding the hair out of their clutch) so as not to cut their skin.

This ingrained instruction caused me to feel naturally ordained as a mother. So, from a young age I stock piled names in my mind, because I believed I would have two girls. They would receive my favorite names: Brooklyn and Alexandra. I assumed I would be a brilliant and busy “soccer-mom-type”; bustling the girls back and forth from their extracurricular activities, hosting the coolest sleep-overs, having The Talk about puberty, sex, maturation, love and broken hearts.

I vouched to be entirely different from my mother in that love would be unconditional; not earned through approval rates. I would advocate for their individuality and not compete with them, be critical or force them to conform. I would encourage them to speak their voice, show their strength and understand the difference between resistance and resilience. I would honor their ways of expression and remind them to stay truthful to themselves, always. As often as needed, I would invite them to check in with themselves: to see how they felt emotionally and energetically, to prioritize their self care and to never leave themselves for last.

I was going to be such a super cool mom! I’d give them a thumbs up on body art; just be safe and wise about it. I would buy them each a shot of tequila when they turned of age. I would encourage them to study abroad, travel as far as possible and often. Study various cultures, learn another language, embrace your passion, study what you’re excited about - not what you have to. 

I was excited to see them blossom, spread their wings and fly out into the world as adults. I looked forward to how and when they became their own person in every way and even told myself I would be excited to reinvent their room into something fun for their father and I after they moved out.

No matter their gender identity, shape, size, hair style, I would love them. I would be honest and ask the questions that needed to be asked. No sugar coating. I would make the statements that needed to be said for truth’s sake so they would always be reminded to stay in their Truth, speak their truth and live their truth so as to live their life wisely, and as such, generously.

She - that part of me - had a genuine intention to Love - fully, unconditionally and infinitely. That love is not lost for Love is an energy that never dies. Love can transform and transcend. While I recognized the part of myself that had wanted to be a mother is not, her voice no longer remains in the shadows. My hope is that by bringing her into the light can be healing for myself and other women like me - that for whatever the reason they are not biological mothers - they too can heal into a new way of offering nurturing, compassion and care. 

Where I start and return to, again and again, is Love of Thyself. We all need to start there, here, and truly live IN loving ourselves because it is what the world needs right now. More Self love.