Blessings

“Bless Everything

As it is-AS IT IS

The more one Blesses

The easier it gets”

~The Silence

CLEANSE

Clear

Laborious

Energy

Away

Nestle in

Source

Energy

~Acronym by Cynthia

Clarity

I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,

I can see all obstacles in my way

Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind

It’s gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)

Sun-Shiny day

I think I can make it now, the pain is gone

All of the bad feelings have disappeared

Here is the rainbow I’ve been prayin’ for

It’s gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)

Sun-Shiny day

Look all around , there’s nothin’ but blue skies

Look straight ahead, nothin’ but blue skies

I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,

I can see all obstacles in my way

Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind

It’s gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)

Sun-Shiny day

“I Can See Clearly Now”, music and lyrics by Johnny Nash

For some reason, this song has been streaming through my head the past few days.  I catch myself walking through the house singing, “I can see clearly now, the rain is gone…”, and it only brings back good feelings from my past.  I remember loving this song as a young girl and how it made me feel happier, somehow.  It was a reminder that no matter what happened in life, the cloud would lift and the sun would shine again.  Life is a continuous ebb and flow, and as we experience pain it helps to remember that the painful experience doesn’t last forever.  The light at the end of the tunnel gradually becomes brighter with each step to the healing rainbow.  I’ve heard it said that the lesson is learned when the experience is lost.  That’s when clarity hits and the “aha” moment happens.  That’s when your thoughts are clear and your joy emanates.  That’s when the lesson is learned.

Do what you must to experience the lesson, dig in the trenches, build your palace, and allow yourself to reap the rewards of your labor.  You WILL see a bright, bright sun-shiny day!

The Talking Tummies

As much as I enjoyed my vacation last week in the cold, sunny winds of Florida, I realized last night how much I missed the girls at dance class!  It truly is my weekly dose of fun, laughter and exercise.  I highly recommend searching for a form of exercise that brings you joy and lifts your spirits through the day.  Marnie never lets us down with her comedic comments.  We laugh and talk while we continue to move through the steps of our routine, and believe it or not, we are looking pretty “put together” through the dance.  It must be the flow of energy in that room and the camaraderie we feel with one another.  As we sway into our African dance circle, feeling the beat of the drum, I look over at Annie, her shirt is half way up and her belly is talking to Marnie’s belly!  No, I’m not kidding, the belly buttons are out and talking to each other across the circle!  And yes, the talking tummies gave me a belly laugh!  Laughter truly is one of nature’s best medicines.  We are all medicine women in that room and we feel it when we walk out of those doors at the end of the night.  I float home, singing all the way, with a smile on my face.  My family benefits from this joy, especially as I tuck my girls in along with a mini back massage.

Find what moves you in mind, body, spirit and emotion.  Surround yourself with laughter and those that make you laugh.  An apple a day provides health in your diet, laughter is the cinnamon on top!

*names have been changed to protect the bellies:)

The Grateful Heart

“Live in GRATITUDE Not in THOUGHT”  ~The Silence

Give thanks to Spirit everyday and allow that glorious energy to work inside of you.  When we clutter our mind with chatter it blocks all pathways to our inner peace and intuitive abilities.  Allow the peaceful, positive energy to guide you and you will be amazed to find what comes to you.  Sit in the quiet, meditate, pray….send out gratitude for every experience and learning lesson in life.  The more we send out loving energy the more we are surrounded by love.

The warmth of gratitude  allows your soul to shine, inside and out.  Enjoy the glow!

Centering

My chiropractor was doing some deep  tissue work on me the other day, and as he was bringing me to tears rolling my muscles to finally relax (no pain, no gain!), he was explaining to me how everything extends out of the core of our bodies.  He used the example of how we as babies use our core before we roll over and eventually walk.  We come into this world using our physical center innately, it’s as we grow we tend to mess with nature.  As  he was educating me on this topic I clearly saw a correlation.  As babies we enter this world completely pure in spirit, emotion and thought.  All is primitive and based on basic survival.  As we age we are conditioned to pile on the layers that erase the pure essence of our true self.  When our spiritual and emotional selves are out of balance we feel off- center.  Nothing seems to flow and lean positively toward what we are naturally in tune with.  When we pay attention to our own center, and create a balance in our lives,  all falls into place with no distractions.  When we quiet our minds and our hearts, that is when this flow happens.  We are better able to travel our own journey when we nurture ourselves, have boundaries with others, and feed our souls with a healthy environment.  This includes the company we keep and the energy that surrounds us each and every day.

Remember to pay attention to your surroundings and choices you make in your life.  We are who we spend time with, we are what we eat, we are how we care for our bodies and nurture our loved ones.  Always  remind yourself to stay in alignment with your core self.

Center, balance and flow from there…..

Self Fulfillment First

I just spoke with a client who was very distraught over a family situation.  She states that her husband is extremely selfish, yells at their children constantly, and she continues to try to hold them all together by meeting their every need to keep the peace.  Meanwhile, my client’s so depleted that she’s on the verge of a nervous breakdown!  My first question to her was, “What have you done to fulfill yourself lately?”  She has been working on this but old habits die hard, and she has been slipping back into the “savior” mode.  I gave Mother Mary permission to go sit down.  I do smile as I tell her this, and she knows as well as I do, where her focus needs to be.  Dare I say on HERSELF!  Is it selfish to focus on ourselves?  Women especially have a hard time with this.  They are so used to nurturing everybody around them that they forget themselves.  What happens when we are depleted?  Do we have anything truly of value to give out to anyone else?  Are we doing our children, friends and family any good?  No, we are not.  But most importantly,  we are doing ourselves no good at all.  In addition, when we feel responsible for everybody around us we do them a disservice.  I suggested my client allow those around her to “fall on their faces” in order for them to learn their own lessons.  If we jump in and save those scrapes before they cut we get in the way of the learning and healing to be experienced.  Those experiences are what create strength in each individual and teaches them the ability to deal with the next difficulty with grace.  It is very hard to sit back and watch, especially with our own children, but in the long run all will be in a much better place.

Another important piece to this is remembering that we do not have to stand alone when we self nurture.  There is support, love and energy beyond just us.  Call it God, spirit, the universe, our angels, whatever feeds your soul.  Give in to it and ask for guidance.  Meditation, prayer, sitting in the quiet will always answer your call.  It may not be in your time, that’s okay.  Be patient and it will come to you.  The main lesson here is to remember that you are a child of God and spirit wishes for your happiness.  Desire your own happiness.  You deserve to feel joy and have your needs met.  Only you can truly request this and ask for help.  You are not alone, ever.

Remember to ask yourself everyday, what have I done for me today?  Fill yourself with all the treasures that are out there waiting for you.  The more you fill yourself, the more those around you  will become filled too.  The energy around you will be full of light and happiness.  Soak it up.  Enjoy those rays of sunshine and love every moment!

Glow in the Dark

If any of you feel a negative energy surrounding you, whether it be through a person or in the environment, there is something you can do about it.  Nothing.  The less energy you give a negative vibe the less you feed its strength.  I was talking with my friend about this experience and she looked at me and said, “yes, glow in the dark!”  I turned to her and said I loved that idea of glowing and shining your light in darkness while the energy dissipates.  She began laughing and responded, “I said go into the dark but I like the idea of glowing too!”

When we keep our light around us we surround ourselves with our protection and at the same time continue to send out loving thoughts to the energy that is evading us negatively.  That energy will eventually disappear.  It will either come back with a brighter spirit or it will continue on its own way.  Either way, you have created a positive energy bubble of love and light.

So the next time this happens to you, try it.  Instead of fighting the energy and allowing it to grow and snowball, send it a loving kiss and huddle in your bubble.  Love always wins.

Mental Noise

“Silence is external, stillness is internal.”  ~Eckhart Tolle

Many of us have a constant noise running through our minds, like a freight train looking for its next destination.  This chatter runs longer and deeper for some, but to some extent, we all experience it.  Some of us obsess to the point that it negatively effects our health physically, psychologically and spiritually.  Others may experience a milder form but still carry the tapes from their past.  Are there any of you that wish for a quieter mind instead of the constant running?  My guess is an absolute YES!  Some of my clients experience this frustration and cry out that they just want it to stop!  Personally, I can relate as I come from a family of obsessors and I drive myself crazy sometimes!  It has taken much time and practice to learn to quiet my own mind, and I am here to tell you that it can be done.  What does it take?  It takes repetition and practice.  Just like anything in life, what you nurture grows, what you starve dies.  Nurturing the quiet in your mind can only lead to better health for you in all areas.

Here are some steps you can take to “untrain” your brain.  When the negative thought enters immediately “change the channel” to a positive thought.  For example, if you are someone who worries about getting into a car accident every time you drive your car, switch that thought.  Yes, just like that, switch it!  Think about what a beautiful drive you are going to have, take in the beauty around you, stay in the present time and cherish each moment of the drive.  If the mental chatter enters, focus on one thing and stay with it.  Think about your breathing and how your body is functioning beautifully with every breath.  Notice the flowers on the side of the road, anything that brings you joy in that moment.  Know that you are safe and all is in complete balance around you.  If the negative chatter enters, be ok with it, and go back to your quiet focus.  Every time you practice changing your thoughts you are literally retraining your brain to think differently.  Just as we can train our brains to think negatively, we can train our brains to think positively.

Are you ready now?  You know what to do…breathe, focus, change your thought and stay in the moment.  You will find that over time this practice is a natural sedative for you.  And remember, no judgment.  Not of yourself or others around you.  If you fall back into old habits, pick yourself up, wipe yourself off, and get back on the slow train track.  Enjoy and relax.

Hero

I was dying.  My heart and soul that is.  I couldn’t breathe.  I felt lost in a world that whirled around me.  If I didn’t make some changes soon I knew I would be gone.  It was now or never…I had to find the key to unlock my imprisoned spirit, she was crying out to me for help!  My first hint was when I landed in my doctor’s office with heart palpitations..  I rode the treadmill, performed all the cardiac stress tests and did everything they told me to do.  In the end, he looked at me and simply said, “It’s stress”.  Yep, as simple as that, stress.  I knew in that moment my life had to change.  I was killing myself, and for what?  Running around like a chicken to make sure everyone was happy, everyone but me that is.  I wanted everyone to like me and see what a hero I was, but “appearing” to be the hero nearly killed me.

I woke up.  And then the work began….

Written in my journal 2 years ago, in reference to the day my life changed, 10 years ago.