Spirit Wisdom of Panda

Do you find yourself scrolling through social media and being drawn in by the cute kitten and puppy videos?  I know I am a sucker for them and could lose hours if I allow it to get out of control.  But a lot of people don’t know that videos of baby pandas can be just as, if not more entertaining.  At least my own inner child feels that way.

I was first introduced to panda when I was 3 years old.  My Dad had gone on a business trip to Hong Kong and brought back a stuffed panda bear doll.  I remember I was intrigued by the coloring and imagining what a live one looked like.  One night I dreamt that my panda bear was life sized and alive in my room.  I got so scared I had to sleep with my parents that night.

Fast forward to my thirties, during the Reiki master training, and panda appeared to me again in a dream.  I was once again a child and my parents were handing me the stuffed panda.  As soon as I held it, the doll came alive.  

It said to me, “I’ve been with you all this time.”

In that moment I realized Panda was my power animal!

The spiritual medicine of panda is for those who tend to be sensitive to energy, especially emotional extremes.  Panda also likes to have lots of personal space and sets strong boundaries around that space.  As a young child I had no siblings until I was seven and we didn’t have children my age in our neighborhood, so I was left to my solitude and imagination to entertain me.  While panda is a bit of a loner, they also enjoy being playful with other panda bears.  For me panda is the perfect power animal because they remind me of my love for people but my equal need for solitude.  To this day, I am mindful to set aside “unstructured” personal time on my calendar and keep strong boundaries around that time.  Without it, my energy gets depleted and scattered.

Summer is the season of the inner child, as the magic of nature is in full expression.  I invite you to connect with your inner child and ask them if there is a spirit animal you could work with at this time.  Invite your child self to speak to you while you are going for a walk, meditating or journaling.  You could also ask the question as you fall asleep and see if a message comes through in a dream.  Or you could take your inner child on a play date by doing something you used to enjoy as a child.  As you engage in any of these activities, your inner child just might reveal the perfect spirit animal for you at this time.

While many people have a single spirit animal that stays with them their whole life, other animals can come and go at different times with messages to support you.  If you don’t have a spirit animal, your inner child just might be able to help you discover yours.  My inner child certainly did.  I’ve come to recognize Panda as my lifelong spirit companion and am always grateful to my inner child self for revealing this to me.

A Horse Named Mere

Last fall I was invited to a dance workshop at a special place called Possibilities Farm in Connecticut.  This was no ordinary workshop though because it involved dancing with horses.

When Julie, my Reiki master graduate, invited me, my inner child jumped up and down and said, “I don’t care how busy you are, we need to go!”  When I was a young child, my parents cared for and housed horses, and dancing was my movement of choice, so this was the ultimate invitation for my child self to have some fun.  

When we arrived at the farm that afternoon, I immediately felt the energy and magic of this little oasis.  The four horses that reside there assist in the transmission of healing energy during Reiki Circles and other workshops that involve movement, drumming and meditation.  

The first part of the workshop was a session of 5 Rhythms Dance to warm up and get into the flow of the energy before the horses were ready to join us.  It was so delicious for my mind, body and spirit to be moving to these different rhythms under the trees and on the soft earth of the farm.

Paddington, a fun-loving miniature horse, came out first. He was more than happy to receive our adoring attention.  However, when Mere decided to join us, something in me shifted and I immediately knew I wanted to dance with her.  At first Mere determined the space where she wanted to interact with us.  She was setting very clear boundaries.  

Then we took turns, dancing with her one at a time.  Mere is a tall white horse with a strong stance but welcoming personality.  As I began to move around her and feel into her energy, I felt her sensing mine as well.  Then there was the moment I realized it was safe for me to let go and allow spirit to lead me in the dance.  I felt my whole being surrender to the flow of energy and as I looked up at her, I could see joy in her eyes while moving with me.

The word Mere means mother in French.  That afternoon gave my own inner child a chance to dance freely in the presence of the Divine Mother through this beautiful horse.  While she is strong and protective, she also held me in a nurturing space to connect with my true self, just like a mother does for her children.  Mere was looking after my inner child that day, taking delight in the magic that transpires when you allow your spirit to freely express itself.

No matter your relationship with your own human mother, no matter what needs may or may not have been met by her, the Divine Mother is all around us.  When we connect with nature, her essence can be especially felt.  Whether you’re spending time with an animal companion, or simply hanging out among the trees and flowers, you will discover her nourishing presence.  

I recently stumbled on a page in my journal from the day after I danced with Mere:

To allow what is, to open, to receive, to let rise within you what needs to rise.

To breathe in a moment with complete acceptance of all that is in this world without needing to change a thing. 

And to move within that space of complete acceptance is a powerful place to be.

In the presence of the Divine Mother you will always be accepted for who you are!

Don't Stop the Flow!

When I started practicing Reiki in 2003, I had just taken up candle making.  During the Reiki 2 Class my teacher said that I could infuse the candles with Reiki and share that on the label.  At the time, I remember believing this was way too radical and people would think I was crazy.  What I didn’t realize then was that my teacher was seeing the candles as another outlet through which Reiki can be a healing presence.

As my personal Reiki practice developed in the months that followed, I did find myself using Reiki while making candles and it became a beautiful process.  Making them felt like a meditation in motion.  Whenever I was feeling ungrounded, I turned to candle making with Reiki to get centered and more present in my life.

By the following spring I started casually talking about Reiki to customers at the craft market and discovered that more people had heard about it than I thought, and some had even experienced it.  By the time I became a Reiki master the following year, the word Reiki finally made it onto my labels.  Today, Reiki has become the most important part of my product because the candles are indeed an extension of my healing work just as my teacher envisioned all those years ago.

Last Sunday I presented my line of Chakra candles at a special event for healers and coaches.  One of the attendees shared with me that she had been admiring the aroma of the candle I was burning all day.  Even better though, before she got to my table to check it out, she had stopped to talk to someone and suddenly felt a wave of energy move through her abdomen that felt nourishing and warm.  When she finally made it to my table, she couldn’t believe that the candle I was burning was for the 2nd Chakra which is located at the navel area of the body.

I smiled to myself and offered up a little prayer of gratitude for my teacher seeing the gift of healing in my creativity before I could.

A few clients have recently said to me that they feel their mission in life is to bring more beauty into the world through their creativity, and then in the next sentence they are down playing it as something superficial.  I’ve worked with them on changing their relationship to this mission so they can see how their work is crucial to making the world a better place.

Creativity in all its genres is a radical form of healing.  Creativity ignites new ideas and perspectives.  It invites us to explore what inspires us and what triggers us, what we see and don’t see, what we like and don’t like in contrast to the world around us.  Without creativity we couldn’t evolve as a civilization.  It is healing for both the creator and those experiencing the creation, just as Reiki is healing for both the healer and the one receiving the healing.

Merce Cunningham, a choreographer whose work could at times take one’s imagination out of its comfort zone, once said that a dance piece is not complete without an audience to observe it.

No matter what is currently being created in your life, don’t stop the flow of its expression with self-judgment or be afraid to ever share it with others.  Trust that its purpose will be revealed in right timing even if it’s not clear to you now.  The process and the flow of energy around it is what is most important.  Allow it to carry you into unknown territory because that is where deep healing and transformation take place.

This is where you discover your own unique magic, so enjoy the ride and where it takes you.

Experiencing Resonance in an Empty Gymnasium

A few years ago, my grandmother shared a video she had taken of me dancing alone in a school gymnasium when I was 5 years old.  As I watched my child-self improvising through movement, I was amazed at just how natural dancing came to me at that age, as if it were in my DNA.  Some of the moves even reminded me of the more advanced choreography I'd performed later in my adult life.

It was as if I was already resonating on a cellular level with what was to come.

Being introduced to dance as a child was the first pivotal moment in my life when something was resonating so strongly, I had to take action.  The phenomenon of resonance in physics is when something vibrates at the same or similar frequency of another to initiate movement.

For the next 30 years, dance would be at the center of my life and shape who I am today on so many levels.

In my early thirties, another moment came along that would resonate just as strongly for me as dance did.  It was the moment I was introduced to Reiki.  I had no idea the day I walked into the classroom that my life would be changed forever.  I had simply come to explore something new and learn how to find deeper states relaxation to improve my health and wellbeing.

When I look back on my 5-year-old self as well as where I was at 33, I realize two things.  Dance had awakened me to my natural state of joy and Reiki had awakened me to my natural state of wholeness and wellbeing.  They had each reached in and touched the parts of me that were ready to make a move and experience a transformation.

If you allow it, something magical starts to happen during moments like these.  You say yes not just in your head, but in your heart and even on a cellular level.  In turn, both your inner and outer worlds start to not only resonate with each other, but you start to experience synchronicity.  As people often say, the Universe starts to conspire to help you.

I'm often asked if I get drained by other people's energy when I practice Reiki.  I explain that I am not "doing" the healing or giving them my energy.  Instead I am connecting with the presence of my own true nature and flow of wellbeing which in turn resonates with the recipient's whole and healed self.  This initiates the flow of energy within them that will support the specific healing or transformation that needs to take place for their highest good in that moment.  In fact, most times I step out of a Reiki session feeling rejuvenated.

The transformation of winter into spring is a beautiful example of how resonance and synchronicity work in tandem to support new growth and transformation.

The warmth of the growing sunlight and muddy soil resonate with the seed to inspire it to break open, take root and grow just as it's programed to do in its DNA.  The sun and the mud aren't making the sprout grow, but their nourishing energies inspire it to begin transforming into a plant and support its growth along the way.

The energy of this time of year is about gathering up the inner resources you need for new growth, healing or transformation. In doing so, you begin to attract the outer resources and circumstances that will inspire you and help you to gain momentum in the process. 

In this moment, what energies resonate with your own inner seeds of growth and transformation?
Do you want to feel more balanced and grounded to sustain your mind, body and spirit through the process?

Or do you want to feel expansive and open to receiving the opportunities that will support new growth?

What will motivate you to take consistent and inspired action?

When you greet each day with a clear intention to engage specific energies, that intention will shine through with everything you do.

Having a morning ritual to activate those energies is often helpful.

Dancing for 5 minutes to wake up your mind, body and spirit;

Meditating or doing a short ritual that aligns with those energies  you want to experience; or

Simply placing your hands on your heart and stating how you want to feel all day will help to ignite the energies that will in turn resonate with the outside world.

When your inner space and outer world resonate, synchronicities start to happen, and life flows with ease.

This is the ultimate expression of alchemy and the magic of life itself. 

3 Reasons to Love Where You are Now

In speaking with friends, clients and students over the past several weeks, many have expressed being disappointed with what didn’t get accomplished in 2018.  In listening I’ve noticed one common thread and that is a lack of recognition for what did get accomplished.  While maybe goals weren’t met exactly as planned, the progress people made was in actuality quite significant.  

And, no one seems to be celebrating. . .

Living and working in a culture that’s hyper focused on results leaves little room for enjoying the present moment.  Instead, this underlying feeling of dread if goals aren’t met seems to permeate everything. 

Why is it important to love where you are even if it’s not exactly where you want to be?

1.  Loving where you are opens you to new possibilities.

Loving where you are frees your mind and energy to experience all that is possible in the present moment.  When you’re using up your mental and emotional energy to beat yourself up over going off your diet during the holidays or not making progress on that creative project, your whole being starts to constrict and you limit the possibilities of what you can do in the here and now.  When you are fully in the present and loving all that is good about it, you create an energetic spaciousness to welcome new opportunities, experiences and resources you hadn’t thought of before.  Each day, each moment even, is a clean slate to approach something differently.  When you remember that, then you are free to take your goals in a new direction and with renewed inspiration. 

2.  Loving where you are restores value to your time and energy.

Loving where you are now also reminds you that you are enough and you are worthy just as you are in this very moment.  And, when you own it, you realize you don’t have to do anything to feel worthy.  One of the biggest issues people talk about is that they have too much to do or they overbook their schedules.  That’ been me for the better part of my life.  And while I still keep a very busy schedule, I’ve learned to negotiate my priorities and how I spend my time and energy.  I’ve also learned for myself that I need to build unstructured time into my schedule so I can accomplish things at my own pacing and enjoy the process, and to guard that time on my calendar more than anything else. 

One of the questions I ask myself when I feel like life is getting filled with too much busyness is, “Am I doing all of this to feel good enough?” or “Is this action truly necessary and vital to what I am accomplishing?”  It’s so easy to fill the to-do list but ask yourself if you’re doing these things to please your inner perfectionist and/or to please others instead of yourself.  The more you ask these questions, the more delighted you’ll be to cross things off the to-do list before they even get started.  The gift in all of that is taking back your time and energy for what is truly important to you. 

When you are loving where you are now, even the mundane but necessary things you take care of don’t feel as dreadful.  Everything is done with intention and purpose and in alignment with your values. 

3.  Loving where you are makes life more fun!

Loving where you are makes life less stressful and more fun and pleasurable.  Living in the present diminishes the stress and anxiety that arises when you dwell on what you haven’t accomplished.  In turn you discover there is much more to enjoy than there is to worry about.  Consistently experiencing joy and ease in your day-to-day will not only replenish your energy and focus to accomplish what you desire the most but will increase your creativity and imagination for what is possible at any given moment, seeing beyond the limitations of where you think you should be.

My Reiki practice reminds me each day to return to the present whenever I find myself stressed out or worried about not getting something done.  As I return to center, I not only find myself being more productive but find life to be so much more satisfying.

Do you have goals leftover from 2018 that you want to complete this year?

If so, take a moment to breathe deeply and become aware of the present moment.  What are you feeling, seeing, smelling and hearing in the space you’re in right now.  Take another deep breath into your heart center and say to yourself you are enough just as you are right now. 

In fact, you are more than enough!  You have everything you need within you to accomplish what you want.

Now ask yourself why it’s important for you to complete this goal and how will you feel when you achieve it?

Place your hands on your heart and anchor that feeling into your body.  From that felt place, ask yourself what next step, big or small, can you take to get closer to your goal?  Commit to just that one next step and when you accomplish it, remember to CELEBRATE!

CELEBRATE showing up for yourself.

CELEBRATE the satisfaction of accomplishing something.

CELEBRATE BEING YOU!

When you celebrate, you’ll be inspired to take the next step toward your goal and beyond. 

Gratitude ~ How Does It Help You Heal?

Back in October, in the days and even hours leading up to the Create Ground event that I presented with my Medical Reiki colleague and friend, Genevieve Myers, a series of logistical mishaps took place creating enormous stress for both of us.  Due to situations beyond anyone’s control, people we’d been counting on had to drop out even on the morning of the event.

As this was happening, I could feel my old triggers going off, the ones that activate feelings of being unsupported right when something important is going on in my life.

That morning, as chaos was ensuing, I suddenly felt this inner voice say to me to pull out my gratitude tools and get to work.  With that I took a deep breath and, while preparing for the day, reflected on all the amazing people that were indeed showing up to our event and helping us out.  Just before I left the house, I offered up a prayer of appreciation for each and every one of them.  My students and friends were showing up to volunteer and a friend was stepping up to handle the videotaping and other logistics.  Dr. Feldman, Raven and Lisa were all showing up to give their amazing talks.  And the cancer survivors were showing up to share their personal stories of healing.

Gratitude came to the rescue and gifted me a reality check in a big way!

This was extremely healing for me as it kept me steady and focused on a day when I was stretching myself in a whole new way like never before.

Since that day, I’ve been reflecting on the genuine power of gratitude to heal us in any given moment.

A client of mine who has metastatic cancer commented recently that aside from the cancer she is living with, she is in fantastic health for her age.  This state of wellness despite her disease has enabled her to continue doing many of the things she enjoys doing, including travel.

As a healing tool gratitude changes the focus of the story we create around what happens to us in life.  It deactivates the reptilian part of the brain that points out what is wrong in any given situation and activates our ability to see the bigger picture.  In doing so, we can appreciate life for being so much sweeter than we tend to believe.

As 2019 begins, I’ve decided to bring a new focus to my gratitude practice.  As I observe the moments I feel a sense of lack or unease, I will look around for the situations that remind me those feelings don’t represent the whole truth.  On days I may be feeling a lack of support in my life or a lack of abundance, I will be sure to appreciate the small ways in which I am supported or feel abundant such as someone holding the door for me or my neighbor greeting me with a friendly smile.  I’ll even be sure to appreciate the ways I am generous with others.

Our human nature places ten times more emphasis on what isn’t working than what is working.  It’s no wonder that happiness and wellbeing seem so challenging sometimes.

And yet, gratitude, like a warm bowl of chicken noodle soup, comes in to make us feel whole once again if we allow it.

Are you keeping a gratitude journal or practice this year?

If so, I invite you to take note of how gratitude not only raises your spirits but restores your wellbeing.

What do you feel is lacking in your life?

If it’s good health, reflect on what is working about your health.

If it’s money, reflect on what you do receive and what is working for you in finding new streams of income.

If it’s love, make note of the ways you are already loved or can show love to yourself.

And appreciate all of it.  Because in the end energy flows where the mind goes.  If the mind brings into focus what is working, the flow of energy will bring more of that into your life and at times in miraculous ways!

The Sacred Gift of Darkness

When I look back on holiday memories, I tend to most appreciate the smaller rituals and traditions like baking cookies and decorating the Christmas tree.  I’ve always looked forward to pulling out the ornaments and turning on the tree lights.  To this day, the holidays don’t feel complete until I get a tree. 

The history of the Christmas tree as we know it today is linked to ancient times when cultures from all over celebrated the return of the sun on the winter solstice.  From Egypt to northern Europe evergreens would adorn homes to celebrate renewed life.

Growth does not begin from a place of expansion.  Instead it is born out of darkness, contraction and stillness.  When I observe how the holidays have evolved into frenetic madness, it feels counterintuitive to what this season represents which is honoring the spark of light from deep within all of life which in turn generates renewed growth and creativity. 

 As a society, we don’t celebrate the contraction into the dark stillness.  Instead we calculate our degrees of success based on the expansion and end results.  In turn, we never get an opportunity to fully incubate new ideas or to mindfully reflect on what is true for us without outside influence.

Just as a human being needs nine months in the protective womb to be able to thrive in the outside world, new ideas, growth and desires need to incubate in the metaphorical womb the darkness offers before they can expand and take shape in our lives.  This season offers that sacred space for seeding what is true for each of us and our own unique needs without outside influences judging or reshaping them before they can even begin to sprout.

I invite you between now and the end of the year to reflect on the following questions:

• What needs to be forgiven or released from your life at this time?
• What kind of energy do you want to experience in the coming year?  Is it calm, balanced and steady growth?  Or do you want to feel energized, passionate and dynamic?
• What wants to take shape in your life on a tangible level?  And how will that change your life for the better?
• What truths are becoming clear for you at this time?  They could be “light-bulb moment” type truths, or they could be truths that can feel uncomfortable but need to be addressed.
• What is your truth in this moment without considering any outside influences, including the self-sabotaging ego voice that undermines your personal power?

Short Ritual

Set aside 20-30 minutes to sit with the above reflections in complete darkness with the lights out or while wearing an eye mask.  Do some deep breathing to allow the answers to fully settle into your whole being and not just in the intellect.  When that process feels complete light a candle or turn on a small light and say aloud a statement that affirms the renewed energy you want to experience with the growing sun.  Some examples:

• Joy is my natural state of being.
• My life is becoming more and more abundant with the growing sun.
• I experience deeper states of love in my closest relationships.
• The more I balance my time and energy, the healthier and more focused I feel.

This time of contraction during the winter season can offer deep replenishment for the mind, body and spirit.  Embracing its sacred energy will help you flourish in the coming weeks and months!