Pamper Yourself
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I want to ask you all a bunch of questions. As you read the questions, answer them for yourself, then review your answers at the end of the piece, and see if you learn anything about yourself.
There may be things you want to celebrate, or change. Either way, this is merely a gentle exercise, so have fun with it.
When was the last time you pampered yourself?
Define what an indulgence means for you: it could be food, travel, a service you acquire, a special workout, hobby, or other activity, on a large or small scale.
Whatever you do, is it a large or small event that your regularly use pamper yourself? For instance, do you go to the salon once a month to have your hair done or a manicure? Do you meet friends for drinks once a week? Save up your pampering for a vacation once a year? Take an extra long bath?
How often is “regularly” for you? Yearly, monthly, weekly, daily?
Are you strict with scheduling time for yourself, or do you just wait until you feel you “need” it?
Are there defined ways that you determine when or where you decide what “regularly” means to you? For instance, do you require a special occasion or celebration to allow it, or do you have a set day planned every third Tuesday or the same day every week?
If you are one who nearly never indulges, I ask you to consider doing it more often. When we pamper ourselves on a regular basis, it gives our minds and bodies a chance to relax together, giving you loads of restorative properties.
We must also remember that it can go the other way. Over indulgence is usually not very healthy, and can be a sign of deeper issues within that require closer inspection.
It’s important, as part of self care, to remember to treat ourselves with compassion to manage stress and promote a positive self-image. To remain in a natural state of well being, we have to listen to our inner voice and show ourselves the same special kindness as we would anyone we love.
So, take that break, you deserve it. Life is hard, and you are doing a great job of keeping it together. Even when you feel you aren’t. To recognize the need for action or change is the mark of the strong and intelligent person.
Categories: Inspiration And Motivation
Setting The Mood: Reiki
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When life gets hectic, and we find it difficult to sit down to focus on meditation, sometimes all we really need is to turn off the phone and the TV, find a space free of distraction, and put on some soothing sounds to compliment our meditative intention with Reiki.
For those of us who do rely heavily on technology, we can still escape by playing music or nature sounds on the device we use most often, and simply focusing our attention on the relaxing sounds. This also means we have no excuse to put off our daily meditation or Reiki healing, no matter where we are, even if it’s only a few minutes a day.
The video linked above is several hours of nature sounds with Tibetan singing bowls. We’re having a really nice relaxing day here just letting it play, and think it will be nice to use when we work with clients in person. Try it out for yourself and let us know what you think.
What’s your favorite music for Reiki? Let us know in the comments!
Categories: Uncategorized
Life Changes, We Adjust
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By now you all might be wondering why it’s been so silent on my website and facebook pages. Well, life changes, and we adjust because we must.
My dear mother believes that, when you’re running a business, it’s not a smart move to offer too much detail about your personal life, especially if it’s not going well. Most of the time, I would agree with her, but at this point, I feel that it’s time to come clean and offer an explanation.
I made a choice to take an indefinite break from coaching and Reiki because I need to be here to care for my husband full time, who has been quite ill, off and on, for the past several months, making appointments difficult to commit to.
Looking back over the time I’ve spent helping my husband get through each day, I realized that I should have made an announcement sooner. I honestly didn’t think it would necessitate being such a long break, because he usually bounces back from hard times like these much faster. Yet, ultimately, I had come to a point where I had to make a very clear decision as to where and how I focused my energy, for both our sakes. Sometimes these life choices are very challenging. As much as I love what I do, I love my husband more than anything.
I still have a few clients who are disabled, either physically or financially, that I see at their request, at no charge, as they are still very much in need of healing or some encouragement to keep moving. I’m always willing to do Reiki on beloved pets of friends and family members, and distance Reiki with my crystal healing grid for anyone who requests at no charge. We’ve had to ask for help for so long now, it’s my way of paying it forward while I focus my main energies on my husband’s getting well again. It’s also a good way of keeping my skills in use for when the time comes that I feel can book more regular clients again.
Why am I sharing all of this?
Firstly, I believe it’s important that people see coaching and healing professionals as real people. We are not infallible, and sometimes we need care ourselves, and sometimes, those who help others must also remember what it means to ask for help. We have compassion for others, because we live lives of our own, complete with surprises and difficult choices, not because we are above anyone, or up on some pedestal looking down on our fellow man We are right beside you, experiencing the human condition. We understand more than you know, more than we even realize at times.
My husband and I feel independence and self sufficiency are very important. It has been very challenging to take off the healer/helper hat and hold it out to say, “Can you please help us?”, and then allow ourselves to accept the generosity of others. It’s been humbling, and at times embarrassing, but these are valid feelings that even healers and coaches must sometimes revisit and work through in order to survive through very difficult circumstances.
It’s so easy to forget how hard it can be to ask for help when you need it the most when you spend most of your time helping other people.
Secondly, I believe these experiences are making me a better coach and healer. As crazy as it sounds, it’s given me an opportunity to use my coaching and Reiki tools on my own life, reminding me again that my system works as I take my own advice. Despite the horrendous and ongoing challenges we’ve been facing for the past several months, we manage to stay positive, confident, and most of all…happy.
If we can manage it with the challenges we face in life, I truly believe that anyone can. And remember, these are all good things! They may not sound that way, but they are experiences that are building character, giving us opportunities to remember what is important in life, what love means, how it can heal all wounds, and what it feels like to be full of gratitude for those who offer themselves in service to others.
It’s been good for my husband and I to feel those things from the receiving end. It’s so easy as a caretaker, healer, or motivator to accept a thank you from someone you’ve worked with and say, “Oh, really, it was no problem. No thanks needed/it was nothing/no big deal for me to help you, this is what I do, it’s what I’m here for.” But it IS a big deal, and it’s NOT nothing.
To receive help from those who are more than willing to give it is a HUGE DEAL. To the recipient, it means EVERYTHING. It means hope, it means relief, maybe even life or death for some. This current experience has made it so that I can accept gratitude from others by saying, “You are so welcome, I understand,” and know it’s true. I’m grateful for these challenges. They may not be fun, but I know we must somehow appreciate it all.
My husband suffers from severe multiple sclerosis. It is one of the most unpleasant, unpredictable, and expensive chronic diseases to have. When we realized that our combined incomes and his insurance were no longer enough to cover his medical expenses, we started a fundraiser last year to help ensure his needs were met, regardless of what I could generate to supplement it.
Around the first of the year, we were faced with situations that developed which were beyond our control, and very expensive to resolve, so we expanded the fundraiser to help offset the associated costs. At the same time, my husband was requiring more and more of my time and energy, so I stopped seeing clients all together to give him my full attention.
Our life is not at all easy, but we are happy, and count our blessings every day. I will continue to make new blogs whenever his health allows me some time to sit down and focus, or whenever I’m blessed by the muse.
I’ll be planning changes to my business, and a Grand Re-Opening as soon as my husband is well enough that I can leave him for a few hours on his own to meet clients again. He seems to be doing better, so my hope is to get back into full swing over the summer.
In the mean time, I’m doing what I can to promote a new Facebook page called Helping Average Americans In Need. Maybe you can help by liking and sharing the page. I started it because it’s hard to find a link to the various fundraisers that come through the Facebook news feed when they get lost in the stream, and I figured it might be worth it to have a place where people can easily browse around and help who and when they can.
Every week, I post links to different fundraisers to help them be more visible to people beyond the reach of their friends lists. We want to help as many people as possible. Obviously, I post our own link there, but I also post links to fundraisers for average folks who need help with medical bills or emergency help, and also vet bills and animal rescues.
If you or someone you know needs help and has a fundraising campaign you’d like to support, feel free to contact the page, and we’ll put the link into our rotation (please, no political fundraisers or small business promotions).
Here’s to a better future!
Categories: Aternative Consultations, Life Coaching, Reiki
Choose To Be Happy
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Manifesting happiness can seem to be a huge challenge for some of us. So I think, with some loving support, through gentle reminders we can meet this challenge together.
There is never a “good time” to be happy. Bargaining, such as “when I achieve this goal”, or “as soon as I can achieve this thing”, or “until he/she does/says…”, only sets us up for failure. Those ideas are simply trumped up excuses to never be happy.
The simplicity of being happy is that it is a choice. I know that for some reading these words, there are internal voices that immediately jump up to say, “That’s not true! We can’t control how we feel!”, or some such nagging negative push back. I understand, I used to believe that too. But then I came to my senses in a moment of clarity, and everything in my world changed before my eyes.
I came to the realization that I was no longer satisfied waiting for all the pieces to fall into place, I wanted to stop feeling helpless and hopeless, I wanted to stop waiting for the perfect ideal thing to click into place before I let myself be happy. I no longer wanted to be in my own way. So, I made one choice to move away from those feelings. I didn’t choose to be happy at first, not exactly.
First, I made the decision to show myself as much love and compassion as I felt I showed to other people. I showed myself kindness, and talked myself out of some really dark moods by hearing myself speak of it out loud, and then listening as though it were my best friend talking, and whatever advice I’d give to them, I’d take. It worked great! Though, I admit, is not a technique that works for everyone, but it did work for me.
Second, once I realized that I had stopped being a victim (I didn’t realize that I had made myself one until I stopped being one – another moment of clarity), I suddenly understood what it meant to choose to be happy. Beyond initial reaction to events out of our control and behaviors of others, we have the choice to remain angry, sad, frightened, satisfied, and happy. We make choices all day, every day, and we decide how we handle things.
It helps to consciously make these decisions, and to understand why. Our subconscious minds are always at work doing things that our conscious minds know nothing about. Because of this, if we allow ourselves to live in negativity for a long time, it can seem like a daunting task to change it around to the positive. Maybe even seems impossible – a word I do my best not to use.
But it is possible to work from the outside in. Sometimes it’s the ONLY way to get through to the root of a problem. By verbalizing intentions, we manifest our desires. “Today, I choose to be happy.” Say that a few times to yourself. Close your eyes, see yourself smiling, maybe even laughing, for no reason in particular. “Today, I choose to be happy…today, I choose to be happy… ” Then be sure to allows yourself to feel it. Let that secret smile appear on your face.
When we verbalize our worries on a regular basis, when we discuss our unhappiness and dissatisfaction with our circumstances, when we focus our attention on our fears and failures, we are asking for more of the same. We see the negative in everyone and everything, when the truth is, it’s our own filters, our own negative outlook that is keeping us unhappy.
When we talk about happiness, we attract it. When we talk about success, we see more opportunities to be successful, when we spend our time and energies to positive ideas, things fall into place for us naturally and easily because we are looking through a positive filter.
When we make the choices, are we actually changing the world at large? Not really. The traffic will still be slow during rush hour, the line at the bank or the market will still be long. The kids will still be loud, the neighbors might still be rude. But when we choose to be happy, those unpleasant things don’t seem so bad.
And we mustn’t stop there – at the end of the day, closing in gratitude for the positive things we’ve manifested just reminds us on our way to sleep that things are not negative or bad. To count our blessings is to create room for more.
The best part about choosing to be happy is that it genuinely has a positive effect on others we come into contact with. Maybe we meet someone feeling grumpy, or maybe they take out some of their unhappiness on us. We don’t have to take it personally. Chances are they have shown the same to most people they meet, and been met with the same in return from most others they interact with.
But when we remember for a moment what it feels like to be on the other side of that feeling and show them a smile, offer a kind word, or make a compassionate gesture, even if they never acknowledge it, it’s more likely they’ll remember our kindness, and perhaps even inspire them to choose to let more light into their lives.
Most of all, when we choose to be happy, we are choosing to truly live. We are choosing to live in the moment. We even have countless opportunities to make this choice over and over again throughout the day. Tell yourself, “it’s a beautiful day, and I’m going to shine like the sun! Today I radiate happiness!” However you word your intention is fine. Happiness is a worthy choice, regardless of circumstances. So, get out there and live a happy life, you deserve it!
Categories: Life Coaching, Meditation
Our Limiting Beliefs
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We all have limiting beliefs. They come from both internal and external sources. One way to learn more about ourselves is to review those beliefs, question why we believe them, question the source of these accepted beliefs, and then subject those beliefs to scrutiny.
If you can see any reason to question further, do it. But don’t stop with just your own beliefs, question everything. The only way to define the true parameters of one’s own potential is to look things from as many angles as possible. In doing so, we find inspiration and innovation.
Do you have a story to share about questioning your own limiting beliefs, and how it had changed your life? Please share it so that others may be inspired!
Categories: Uncategorized
Burn Out Recovery With Self Care
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When we set our sights on a goal or specific outcome and begin taking action steps, we always want to believe that the Universe has our back. And it does. So what’s really going on when we seem to take one step forward and two steps back?
Have you ever started an endeavor that you just knew was right on target, but couldn’t gain the momentum to get it off the ground or see it through to the end? No matter what you do, or how much effort you’ve put in, it’s like a cosmic two step?
If so, you could be missing clues from your higher self to look at, or work through, issues or obstacles in your priorities that will continue to prevent success, if left on the back burner. Consider then, that any delay is a sign that it is time to work on self care in some form or another.
Let’s consider for a moment how a delay in progress can be a blessing. Obsessing over what we did wrong or left out of an action plan every time we met failure, on even the smallest level, is a rather pointless endeavor – there may be nothing to find there, and this practice only lowers our morale, making it even more challenging to recognize the signs all around us.
When we have sudden down time in our ability to move forward, it gives us a really useful opportunity to work on self-care. Perhaps there is a need to focus our attention on a matter more pressing that we hadn’t recognised before, or one that we refused to acknowledge on some important level.
It could be a mundane task or ignored etheric calling, a personal relationship, or a need to further education our review skills and toold in our chosen field. It may even simply be our higher selves asking us to take a more laid back approach in order to avoid burnout and continue a positive path.
It’s all well and good to keep on task and push forward at full throttle when we’re full of energy and good intentions. But just like a car, when we’re running low on fuel, punching the accelerator will not get us to the destination any faster, it will simply burn the fuel out faster, potentially stopping progress altogether. Likewise, all the stop and go can be equally frustrating, not to mention a waste of that precious fuel.
The solution? Slow down, relax, review strategy, meditate, and clean house, both figuratively and physically. The act of tying up loose ends in physical life or business, and sweeping those mental cobwebs away can ignite the creative flow, and allow for clarity in perception to return.
Once we’ve come back to our senses, we can review or life’s priorities. When progress shows, celebrate it! When progress slows, look around. Do our spouses,parents, or children need some nurturing? Are there unfinished projects that can be advanced or completed during this down time? Does your soul need nurturing?
List your priorities, and take the time to really decide how important they truly are. Have you kept some priorities in the forefront because they are truly important to you, or has it simply been out of habit? Be honest, and rewrite the list in order of actual importance to you.
Once that’s done, ask yourself: Do you feel better? Are you less stressed with more energy? Have you found sudden inspiration or new ideas? If not, that’s okay, too. Now that you’ve done the work, it’s time to reward with a relaxing activity, such as a stroll through a park, a light hike through the woods, a nice soak in a bath, hot tub, or sauna, maybe a massage, Reiki treatment, or a spa treatment.
Once we begin pursuing our goals again with a refreshed body, mind, and sense of priorities, setting a new and more realistic pace will seem natural and easy moving forward. Without taking time to recharge, we’ll never achieve there life we want. The more often we stop to engage in this process, the more we can enjoy life and find success.
How do you usually choose to recharge? What is your favorite “go to” method for reducing burn out? Share in the comments!
Categories: Life Coaching, Meditation, Reiki
“Impossible” Is An Opinion
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When we were all children, most of us had big dreams that came and went as our imaginations ran wild between the realms of reality and fantasy. We had no reason to ever question “if”, we looked at every possibility as “when”, believing wholeheartedly that our dreams would come true, one way or another.
And then, as we came upon the “age of reason”, our dreams still remained big, but we began to question the realities we had been slowly waking up to. Recognizing that which we believed to be real and comparing it to the unreal, and learning the difference between the two.
Here’s where we get into some tricky territory. At some point, we are conditioned to accept only what is “possible”, and to ignore what is presented to us as “impossible”. Some of us, though, never give up on certain ideas, no matter how many times we’re told these ideas are not feasible.
Those of us who never give up are those who are inventors, explorers, scientists, and innovators. The truth is, there may be a bit of those qualities inside of all of us, we simply have not yet tapped into our deeper personal resources to rediscover the qualities we allowed to fade as we grew up and became adults.
Think about it: aren’t there times when we become lost in our thoughts of how we saw the world when we were young? Perhaps we see or hear something that reminds us of dreams we’d long forgotten, yet still carry a slight yearning for once remembered.
To that, I say, dream away. Indulge in your thoughts of “someday”. Every great person in history started out with an idea. If they had listened to the naysayers of their time who told them, “your idea is (silly/infeasible/improbable/unrealistic/unlikely) impossible”, the world would be a very different place.
Those who succeed know with certainty that impossible is only an opinion. I’m inclined to agree. What are your thoughts on the matter? Feel free to share in the comments.
Categories: Uncategorized
Make Today Great!
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I found this image today, and I decided that it’s just what I needed to remind me that we are in control of only a few things in life. One of those things is our attitude.
The will always be days when we wake up on the wrong side of the bed, but we don’t have to stay there. Even on days when everything goes wrong, we do not have to succumb to those darker forces at work. An initial reaction, a moment of surprise – these things are understandable. It’s how we recover and respond that matters.
When we set the affirmation of “It’s a good day to have a good day”, it allows for more opportunities to recognize positive aspects of our lives.
To use the affirmation as a go to mantra during chaotic or stressful time is a great way to help ourselves to stop, take a breath, and reset our perspective.
What’s your favorite go to mantra? Is it similar to this one? Feel free to share your favorites in the comments!
Categories: Uncategorized
Basic Healing Energy Techniques
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Intro Video to Pranic Healing Course: http://youtu.be/LCFVXWYCMa4
My mother found this video today and I thought it would be a fun thing to share with you all.
When I was a little girl, I leaned some very basic healing techniques through observation and mimic. My mother did healing energy work, and I thought it was neat, so I would try it on my toys and my friends.
I didn’t fully understand it until I was a bit older and could conceptualise the idea of energy work. Some of the early “serious” techniques I learned were similar to what is illustrated in this video, and the imagery used is similar to what I see in my mind’s eye when I do energy work still to this day.
The thing I like best about the video is the special effects used to represent the effects of the energy as its being used. Check it out and let me know what you think.
Categories: Uncategorized
Awakening Consciousness In You
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There is so much in the world that resides in extremes when it comes to dealing with the human mind in our shared reality. For those who are more sensitive, this a most painful and uncomfortable part of reality. But are we slaves to the Zeitgeist, or can we escape the trappings of the community mind?
One way to accomplish this is to go deeper into ourselves and understand who we are more completely. When one awakens the self to higher consciousness, they begin to see life, as a whole, in a different way. Reality itself seems different because our perceptions have been altered in a dramatic way during the awakening process.
To contemplate one’s existence in a meaningful way – to recognise strengths and use them to better oneself and all of mankind in thought, word, or deed is to become closer to the highest self. It means to know all of oneself, light and dark, and more fully understanding your propose. And the more you understand your individuality, the more you understand the true unity of all life.
Because of this, one may actually find themselves no longer able to function in certain environments in the same way. Perhaps a chosen career path now seems like a horrible fit, and the best answer feels like a drastic change must occur as soon as possible. This leads the way to choosing a path better suited to who we really are, rather than continuing on a path that is no longer useful, or never really was, resulting as simply painfull bad fit to the newly awakened mind.
Another aspect of awakening to higher consciousness is an increased understanding and expression of compassion, kindness, and empathy for our fellow man. The little annoyances we find in others become less irritating, and we are more able to recognize solutions to challenges and see the beauty of the world around us.
Are you awakening to higher consciousness? What would you like to see change in your reality? When was the last time you took an honest internal inventory? What do you think your world will look like when you awaken more fully? If you’re already on this journey, what would you like to share with others about your experience? Feel free to share in comments. We’d love to hear from you.
Categories: Uncategorized
