Weaving with Energy Threads

Close your eyes for a moment and imagine an invisible thread that connects you to me and now us to each and every other thing on our planet. Like Spiderman, coming from the tips of his fingers a web that binds him to all things.  Energy, seemingly invisible is what connects us all. Quantum physics, call this quantum entanglement when particles remain connected so that actions performed on one affect the other, even when separated by great distances. We may not see this happening, but we can feel it affects. 

With awareness, we can weave with the threads of love, kindness, tolerance, and compassion. Knowing that the choices we make and words we choose can have such a ripple effect. We all experience this effect every single day in one form or another. You may go out in public and encounter someone not having a great day, using not the kindest of niceties. You then return home, choose some unkind words for your partner and your partner then, exchanges them with the kids and then the kids with your dog and now everybody including the dog is not having a very good day, the ripple effect will move on and on.  Another example of this energy exchange is when we’re all together watching an event like the upcoming Super Bowl. Our team is doing well maybe even wins, everybody body is in a celebratory state. We feed off of each others energy within the context of an event. 

If you are reading this, then you exist here and now and there is no separation, we are woven together with these threads not even by choice, but by design. Now, imagine this awareness on a global scale and the impact we could have in choosing expressions of love and unity over expressions of hate and separation. Initiate a ripple effect with just a subtle shift in awareness the next time you have an energy exchange and if you’re alive, it inevitably is coming very soon, by choosing to consciously engage in a way that perpetuates the qualities of a world in which you would like to live in.

Three steps to living on purpose in 2019

1. Define what living intentionally means to you.

Ask yourself, am I living on purpose? Consider what your values are. What’s important to me. Take a few minutes out to establish and update somewhat regularly, Ask yourself, how it is it that I want to show up in my world? Who is the person that I want to be in this life?

2. Be brave by doing what it is you ’re afraid of.

Pay attention to your dreams and desires, where does fear reside within your body, feel it and Identify it. When you have identified why you are fearful, work at eliminating that fear, but being brave and setting one baby step or goal at a time toward the bigger picture and one baby step at a time you will arrive.

3. Learn to listen and trust your inner voice.

Often that inner voice appears as a bunch of chatter. Remember that our brain is only a tool and your brain’s function as a tool is to be a radio of sorts and relay guidance. The key to listening to our inner voice is to be open to the chatter while simultaneously becoming in tune with the body and how that chatter feels within the body for the full picture. When you learn to listen more with the body, you’re getting it!

Magic In The New Year

With another whole year about to wrap, some of us may become a little melancholy while others look forward to a new beginning with anticipated, renewed excitement. I personally experience both. I think as I reflect back through the year with fondness and gratitude for so much, I can’t help to feel some sense of sadness with the passing of time. With the passing of time, we experience change and sometimes change challenges us. I will ask you the same as I ask myself, what is one magical memory from this past year? Honestly, for me to narrow it down to one, is tricky because truly there are so many great memories. But, which memory will I hold on to going into the next year? Which one served me in an expansive way, which memory reminded me of the fragility of life, the value of those dear to us. Which memory presented an awareness of gratitude for every minute, while, teaching grace and bravery. Among all the beautiful memories of 2018, this particular memory was magically for me because, despite the pain involved with this experience, I choose to find magic in the time spent with my dear cousin for a week while in the hospital, as he realized his prognosis of stage four cancer. Not all memories are perfect and of fairytales but, sometimes there can still be magic found. As we move on and into a whole new year, I will continue to find the magic in being available to support, to connect with, in the time shared and to encourage bravery, strength, peace, and love.

Ask yourself, What is one magical memory from this past year? The magic is that part of a memory that is felt somewhere inside when recalled. The magical part that is cherished because it happened. That magical part that you will choose to carry forward into the new year because as part of your experience on some level you're reminded that you're living a human experience.

As you move into your new year, I encourage you to find the magic in all of your experiences, be present, feel them, grow and learn from them. We can’t stop time but we can capture it and along with it, all of the beautiful magical memories yet to be created.

Happiest and Healthiest of New Years XO

Life Desires Living

Only two weeks until Christmas, do those words evoke stressed or do you hear them and realize a sense of joy and accomplishment knowing that you’re prepared and have begun to live within the spirit of the season? Conscious living or mindful living is being aware of your state of being, with focus on the present moment. After all life is a compilation of moments. Are we creating mindful moments? At the core of each of us is a life desirable of living. As part of the human experience, life will deliver challenge, there’s no doubt, that’s seems to be a part of the human condition. But, a life desirable of living says, despite those challenges, despite the chaos, despite all of the noise, I seek to find the joy and live within the peace. Practicing mindfulness, is calling in awareness, calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, in all moments, this acts as a built in barometer for the art of living. This barometer informs us of when we need to adjust our choices and thoughts within each moment to align with what feels right within the body.

If we’re feeling stressed, sad, overwhelmed or depressed, tune into how that feels within the body. Next, acknowledge what is occurring within this moment, the thoughts and choices, manifesting these emotions? With that awareness, within that very moment, you have an opportunity to adjust those thoughts and choices, creating a more desirable state of living within that moment. A life that is desirable of living, can begin to see this as a practice, a state of consciously living within every moment. As we learn to utilize this mindful gift of awareness, we seek from our life’s tool bag, something that serves to guide us through the stress and into the joy.

One holistic tool that I find extremely helpful for shifting in the moment is Positive EFT or (Emotional Freedom Technique). This for me is an amazingly easy and beneficial go to. You can do it anytime, and as often as you feel necessary. It cost nothing but offers so much in return. I encourage you to step out of your box and give it a try! The idea being that Energy follows thought. The mental focus on the chosen word and the tapping on key energy meridian points, to move the energy within the body, brings in the flow of a healthier energy state to the body, replacing the undesired one.

Steps for Positive EFT

This Holiday Season, if you become aware of a need for shift within any moment, identify the emotional energy state your body is feeling. Let’s use stress for the example.

1. Measure your level of stress on a scale of 1-10. One being good-ten being not good

2. Next, choose a preferred energy state of being, if I am stress, maybe I’d rather feel, relaxed, energized, or peaceful. For our demo, let’s go with relaxed. “I’ choose to feel relaxed”

3. Take a peek at the tapping sequence on the chart below.

4. To start, place your hands on your heart and say the word RELAX, continuing to breath calmly and focus on the chosen word RELAX as you then tap lightly 4 or 5 times on each of the tapping points, repeating the word RELAX at each tapping point and finally returning hands to the heart.

5. Re-evaluate on a scale of 1-10 how do you feel now. If you need to you can go another round.

Getting Out Of Your Head And Into Your Toolbox

Does this sound familiar "I just can't decide"? All of us at times find ourselves afflicted with Decision Paralysis. Some things in life aren't black and white and doing nothing is a decision in itself. How many of us sweat the small stuff and or can't trust our gut instincts. Over analyzing can keep us stuck or not allow us to move forward. Clearly, logical thought has its place in decision making but logic is a tool and not the only one in your toolbox. Using multiple tools can construct a more solid foundation.

To explore good decision making learn to trust your instincts. Remember some decisions won't make sense to other people and that's okay. When exploring the pros and cons, use your imagination. Really sit down and envision living with the decision and pay attention to how that feels? Trusting your instincts instead of insisting on a logical reason for everything such as, should I buy the red top or the blue top, learn to recognize what FEELS right to me. The conscious part of our brain wants to veto our initial subconscious decision-even when it's correct, leaving us unaware or distrusting of our instincts. The conscious brain gets too involved and throws the whole thing into doubt and we linger with our decision. Intuitive decisions work best when the distorting effects of emotion are kept to a minimum. And don't beat yourself up if you make the wrong decision, we learn from the process. When we make life decisions, we don't necessarily ever know we've made the right decision but we can learn that being brave, means we can still be happy with that.

An exercise for accessing your gut sense of decision making. In a calm and undistracted setting, allow yourself a few moments to relax and center even more deeply. This will help distract the conscious mind so that you can access the subconscious. Next bring your attention to the situation you're trying to form a decision about, truly envisioning the situation and yourself within the situation. Now, pay particular attention to how the situation feels within the body. Does it feel safe in your belly, does it feel exciting, does it feel correct for you within your heart? Or maybe it doesn't feel any of those things and that too is a feeling so try and be aware of the body sense of things. In this way, you are connecting more with your subconscious and your intuitive or instinctual sense of the decision-making process.

The Seeds Of Gratitude

It's easy this time of year to realize our abundance, with our turkey dinner, friends and family all flowing into the holiday season. Our sense of giving, graciousness, and generosity are at their peak.  What are the benefits of watering the seeds of gratitude all year long? Heart Math Institute studies suggest that creating a practice of gratitude by doing something they call Heart-Brain Harmony daily, has immune boosting qualities. For me, Heart-Brain Harmony can be a practice similar to meditation. For those that find it hard to meditate, it can be a great place to start. You do so by resting your hands on your heart and quietly focus on things that bring in the feeling of gratitude. Do this for as little as three minutes and the immune response in the body can last for up to 7 hours. Science says that the neurons in the heart are communicating this higher vibrational source to the neurons in the brain thereby generating new connections. "Neurons that fire together wire together" It's an amazingly simple practice and yet can be profound.  We are creating Heart-Brain Harmony when we reflect in a gratitude journal, when we say grace, when we graciously express thank you, anytime we're realizing and truly hold a "FEELING" of appreciation/gratitude.  A fun way to actively water the seeds of gratitude might be to place a gratitude jar in plain sight. You can decorate it, label it perhaps, and then request that your family members on a tiny piece of paper make different entries of gratitude each day into the jar and on New Years Day, together read and share them out loud. Then you start a new jar in the New Year, you can share monthly or as often as you would like, the idea, is to create a practice that assists us in being mindful of all the small ways we are grateful each and every day. Lastly, try starting your day, before rising from the bed, three minutes of Heart-Brain Harmony and finally closing your day, as you drift off to sleep give yourself a boost of Heart Brain Harmony. Much love and gratitude to and for each and every one of you.

Do What You Love and Love What You Do

DO WHAT YOU LOVE AND LOVE WHAT YOU DO

What did you do today? Did you love what you did today? Did you do what you wanted to do today in the way that you want to do it? If you said YES, then you are getting it. If not, ask yourself WHY? Recently, I was reminded firsthand of

the fragility of life, as I spent last week in the hospital supporting a loved one with a recent serious prognosis. The many hours spent together going through the highs and lows and everything in between with lots of emotion and the realization that all of us, every single one of us will pass from this body and this time around will be complete. I think we’re all familiar with the famous bucket list and those big items as a part of our list but, what about the daily awareness of, what do I love and do I love doing it? So many of us go through the motions of life without the awareness of life. If someone told us that we have a limit number of days left for considering this question, we might be more inclined to pay attention and to start being intentional with the time we have. Being intentional with our time in the big scheme of things can be a small adjustment for some and larger for others. For some it may not matter and for some it matters more. If it matters to you, consider taking a personal inventory, clean out some personal closets, dust off the ole cobwebs of life, open the windows and let in some fresh air. Small adjustments in our daily living can bring in awareness, presence and joy.

A pondering question, am I doing what I love and do I love doing it? I encourage you to be the master of your ship, chart a course in life that takes you to all the places your heart and mind could ever imagine!

A few inventory questions to consider:

1. Am I living intentionally each day? My why before my what.

2. Do I take the time to be a human-being or am I mostly a human-doing?

3. Am I aware of the goodness in my life, taking it in, what am I grateful for?

4. Consider the things that truly matter, my wellbeing, people, surroundings, career, health, do a feel a balance?

5. Finally, am I being truly being present most of the time? Engaging the senses in most situations, like when I eat, when we gather, when I am out in nature. Am I mindful of life’s little pleasures?

Breaking From The Herd-Being your Authentic Self

Being Your Authentic Self – Breaking From The Herd By: Donna Daacke

Imagine a world where everything was exactly the same as the next. Everyone has the exact same taste in clothing, same hair color and style, same house, car and exactly 1.2 children, I don’t think the last is even possible! Never the less, you see my point. We each are born with such uniqueness, strengths, and gifts. Often times we go through life however, marching to the beat of someone else’s drum. We have lost the connection to our beautiful authentic self. When we look at nature verses nurture, maybe somewhere in the process we learn to conform to society through nurture and our nature is lost to the herd mentality. But what if we broke out of the herd? What if we explored that individual uniqueness and basis for our authentic power? Breaking from the herd requires being aware and being brave. Letting go of the idea of how outside influences think we should act, do, or be. Of course, this doesn’t mean we disregard structure and responsibility.

But what if we could find the joy in being our truest self while being a part of the whole? How do we explore that? It begins with practicing conscious awareness, paying attention. Opening up to your inner voice, that part of you that is a guiding resource. It speaks to you but, in autopilot we silence it. Pay attention to what guides you, what are the basis of your choices. How do those choices feel to you, where are feeling them in your body? Do they align with who and what you really see yourself as, or is it the story that I tell to the world? Finding love and joy in expressing has a trickle down effect. Sort of like the saying “if mom’s happy, everybody’s happy” if your happy, you spread happiness.

As you start to explore this concept, you will become braver in allowing the authenticity to flow because it will feel good. Try opening up to your beautiful best self by practicing stillness and listening. Start with taking 10 minutes of still time no distractions. Explore areas of your life that may feel out of alignment and then ask the questions, how do get in alignment, listen and write it down and then follow your consciously led choices.

When life serves wilted flowers, plant a new seed.

As we are in the full swing of the Autumn season, one can’t help but notice the changing of colors, smells, temperature, and shorter days. We also can’t help but be reminded that all of life is a continual process and flow, a beginning, ending and beginning again. A tree drops its leaves, those leaves decay and mix into the earth below nourishing the soil and a new cycle of growth starts in spring for an even big stronger tree. Corn is harvested providing a food source to humans and animals that will have the strength to plant new corn crops and the cycle continues. This flow demonstrates to us that we too are in a continual process of growth. The exciting part is with the acknowledgement of this process we can gain a renewed strength. When life serves us a wilted flower, we plant a new one. We’re not flawed, instead we are in a continual process of rebirth, more beautiful and stronger then before. Tomorrow is always a new day and opportunity for something new and exciting. The following few steps may be helpful when exploring change.

1. Be kind to yourself, bring your focus back to yourself and act in alignment with your integrity.

2. Tell the truth to yourself, including the parts that feel scary.

3. See the value in all experience, our greatest challenge become our greatest gift

4. Explore new solutions. Talk to others especially if your stuck in a pattern.

5. Don’t get distracted by others, surround yourself with positivity.

6. Take action by creating one little do-able baby step in a forward direction.

WORDS AS WEAPONS

Imagine that you are driving home from work after the best day ever and the driver next to you honks his horn and yells out …….as$@*le! It can potentially in an instant change your complete disposition. Why is it that one word can have so much power or words in general can have so much power in their content? Positive and negative words and thoughts have a major impact on the surrounding environment. Words and thought-forms comprised of words are energetic and vibrate at various frequencies.

Through the 1990’s Dr. Masaru Emoto performed a series of experiments observing the physical effect of words, prayers, music and environment on the crystal structure of water. He hired photographers to take pictures of water before and after in its frozen crystalline state after being exposed to different variables. The results were astounding. His studies concluded that water was reacting to actual words.

Energy follows thought and water and people are pure conductive energy. The good news is this, “energy in and energy out” You choose the energy form you desire. If that nasty word comes flying your way, you, simply feel it and then choose the energy form of the new word you would rather be feeling. You are the emperor of your temple and at any time you’re feeling in a way that is undesirable, you can breathe out the negative word and breath in the chosen word.

It’s also important to be aware of the words we choose when considering others. When realizing that a few poor choice words can bring down someone’s day and using your weapons long term can further impact someone’s life. To the contrary imagine what effect a few kind words can offer. Positive, diplomatic words are free and abundant and can be just the gift someone needs.

Now go back to the beginning of this piece and imagine instead that you are driving home from a really crummy day and you gesture for another driver to go ahead of you and they gesture kindly back and simple use two highly vibrating words “thank you” that crummy day could end way better than it started out. Consider not using your words as weapons but instead as acts of kindness.

INSTRUMENTS OF PEACE

With the events that took place last week within our government, I can’t help but be reminded that we humans have such power to be instruments of love, tolerance, and peace or not. It naturally comes to mind, that how can “I” one person have an effect or impact on such a global scale? The realization that we are but one individual can feel overwhelmingly defeating. The truth of the matter is, that it is a rare occasion for one man alone to have a far reaching impact, and the awareness of that can offer enough discouragement to take away the desire to even participate in change.

I also couldn’t help but to be aware as I sat among thousands in a stadium for one of my favs, Ed Sheeran in concert over the weekend, how all of the individuals intentionally coming together for two hours had a resonance. Resonance does not happen very often and only affects objects close to the vibrating source. Objects vibrating at their natural frequencies will cause resonance. Just like when tuning an instrument, the strings on other instruments will natural start to vibrate at specific frequency.

Each of us, every single itty bitty one of us, has the ability to impact the world. We do that by being aware and intentional with our thoughts and choices that effect the planets resonance.

Our natural vibrating frequency is to be in a frequency of love, understanding, and positivity. Intolerance and hate come from the vibration of fear. In one of Ed’s songs titled “What do I know” he says “LOVE can change the world in a moment but what do I know” In a moment that lasted 120 minutes, we were all in a vibrational frequency of “love, understanding and positivity" and it was palatable. Imagine the trickle down effect to our planet and each other of choosing in most moments intention sourced from love and not fear!

It's a very big task, but we start by being aware that "I" through my thoughts and choices in every moment, of love, understanding, and positivity, effect someone else and so on and so on and Love can change the world in a moment but what do I know.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6B9J3lEyffA

Let's "FACE" it - Spa is Good for the Soul

In todays busy and over connected world the spa is one of the few places you can count on turning off all electronics and truly disconnecting. Whether you call it pampering or wellness to me it’s one in the same. Feeling good and being well are related. The International Spa Association has defined spas as places that enhance wellbeing across body, mind, and spirit.

So what do spas really do for our wellbeing? Spas can provide a safe, serene sanctuary to reconnect mind, body, spirit, destress, relax, recharge and reflect. It is now certain that most “Dis-ease” is not derived from defects within human genetics, but is created in response to one thing and that is STRESS. Stress is related to over 80% of all known diseases . As stress is reduced one can actually change the biochemistry of their body. And a higher state of balance can be achieved. A holistic approach to optimizing your wellbeing and vitality by giving your mind and body a chance to reconnect along with healthy daily habits, diet , exercise and sleep are important for for preventative care. Taking a break from job, family and friends in a session with the nurturing touch of a skilled therapist has benefits that can go beyond the physical realm .

The power of touch can: Relieve tension and anxiety Releases endorphins in our brains Boost immune system Lessen fatigue Ease pain Help you sleep better Slow the heart rate Improve depression Decrease blood pressure

Touch is a basic human need, along with shelter, food and water. Touch provides a connection with the human spirit that is missing more and more in todays fast internet age. Healing touch whether it be through a spa experience, a hug, or simple hand shake is well documented as a necessary means for triggering the release of oxytocin, known as the love hormone that can foster therapeutic benefits for a higher state wellbeing.

Be Well!

WHAT IS ENERGY WELLNESS - WHY IS IT IMPORTANT

If your reading this post, there’s a good chance that you have been to me for a spa treatment. My work started out primarily in spa 10 years ago and has evolved since into what I consider Energy Wellness. But, what does that mean, what is Energy Wellness? Because our well-being matters to us, more and more we are seeking to understand ways of bringing a more balanced approach to life. Energy Wellness, is focused on bringing balance and improvement on all levels. If your body could talk, what would it tell you? Learning to listen to your body beyond the physical and understanding the integrative connection to mind and spirit is a holistic experience. When we are out of alignment in one area of our life the other areas of our well-being are influenced also. If we are overwhelmed, overworked, out of touch, feeling depressed or anxious, we will begin to manifest imbalance on a physical level. Just like a car requires an engine, a steering wheel, four tires, fuel and the oil change every 3000 miles to operate congruently, so too, does our entire being need to be attended to. Disease, is a manifestation in the cells of the body lacking light. This light or energy can be restored, maintained, and served through Energy Wellness. You are restoring that light on a continually basis when you do the things that are in alignment with who you truly are. Am I doing, living, loving my life. When you take time out to explore why you’re not alignment. When you create healthy boundaries, When you eat healthy, sleep well, exercise, find joy, and contentment. When you love and serve others from a loving place. When you feel gratitude, and experience healthy relationships. All of these things bring this light into your being on all levels. An Energy Wellness Coach can assist you on multiple levels, through the use of different holistic modalities, guiding you toward that light. The next time you’re feeling the need for a dose of light energy, take 5 minutes to “recharge” your battery by doing the following:

1. In a quiet undistracted setting, close your eyes and slow down your breathing taking full deep inhales, this will fill you with the qualities necessary to raise your vibrational rate.

2. Exhaling any thoughts or qualities that are blocking or impeding you.

3. Remember energy follows thought , now think in terms of your whole body, breathing in and out.

4. On every inhale in, breathing in the qualities you desire; peace, patients, wellness, love, kindness etc.

5. On every exhale releasing the qualities that no longer serve you, anxiousness, pain in my back, impatience, lack of vitality etc. release them all out to the universe for recycling.

New Service: Energy Through Imaging - Aura and Chakra Imaging and Evaluation

InnerEnergy and Aura Technology:

In a similar way that each of has a unique fingerprint, aura-chakra blueprints may provide an indication of where our energy fits into the broader world. Explore cutting-edge aura-energy technology that visualizes the essence of energy. Integrated with the latest innovations we are provided insight beyond basic understanding. Peer into a new world by seeing your very own beautiful real-time simulations of your aura and chakra energy centers on screen. Inspired by over a decade of knowledge and precision engineering, advanced InnerEnergy products combine aura and energy imaging with live digital video. Aura Video is a highly-calibrated aura imaging system designed to help simulate the bodies energetic states.

Stunning visuals of your AURA and CHARKAS in real time results, inspire a richer, more visual experience allowing you to better understand your overall energy wellness and help communicate where your true potential lies.

With InnerEnergy, knowledge is power — See Full Body Aura and Chakra Energy Centers, learn what Aura and Chakra colors represent, along with a Bio Data Graph giving you a full analysis of your current energetic state. Expand your potential through higher awareness provided through this enhanced technology. ​ Energy Imagining and Evaluation is now available with Donna and Mindfully Connected. Ask me about opportunities to present at your private events and parties the InnerEnergy System! ​

OUR SENSES - A BRIDGE IN TIME

This week, I was grateful to find myself for a couple of days back to Acadia National Park Me. I was invited to tagged along with my daughter for her work, and it was just the recharge that I needed. As I sat along those big beautiful rocks and reflected out at the ocean so massive, I couldn’t help but find myself traveling back to an earlier time in my life. As I felt the warm sun amidst a perfect late summer temperature on my face and smelled the familiar sea salt with the hint of pine, I began to travel back to a time when I was just a child and the biggest concern in my day was, whether my inner tube would hold air while swimming all day. As I was in the energy of an experience that occurred frequently in my summers as a girl, I was able to recall through my senses the magic of a time when life was about nothing more than leaving your house at 10 am and returning in time for dinner. The recall of those memories, through my senses are a special reminder that we can visit the energy of anytime from our life experience that we choose. It’s all stored there in our own personal life vault and all we have to do to access that energy is to find stillness long enough to engage the senses and off you go. It made my heart happy to experience the energy generated by a beautiful memory. And the really cool part was, that I could stay there for as long as I chose to do so, I was the navigator of this time machine.

As navigator of your own time machine, you choose where you want to go and why you want to check in. So anytime you find yourself someplace you prefer not to be, then guess what, you got it……you simple don’t stay. Reroute that course to a time and place that serves you better, you really do have that much ability to pilot your own journey.

Happy Travels!

WOO WOO - WHAT

What does it mean to you when you hear the words ENERGY WORK? Often times I think people interpret this work to be very curiously mysterious. Somehow we’re open to the idea but yet guarded primarily I believe, because we don’t yet understand really what amazing benefits energy work can offer.

Just to do a tiny recap on high school physics, our planet Earth is, yep the one we live on….is one big ball of energy, generated from the sun and it is that same energy that is the life source to all living things on the planet. Are we a living thing on the planet Earth? Of course we are, and as such we are also composed of the same particles of light. When we refer to energy work it is that energy within our HEF or (Human Energy Field) that we are working with. We are working to restore and recharge by connecting with the UEF or (Universal Energy Field).

And, here’s the really cool thing, you are already doing energy work and probably don’t even know it! How is that so? When you take a walk in nature, pray, meditate, exercise, take a good nap, eat a good diet, share a conversation with a friend, have a facial, Sunday afternoon dinners with family, give or receive a hug, you see the list goes on and on. Whenever we are doing something that allows us to shift, relax, and enjoy, we are suppling the body with light (energy) from the UEF. I happen to believe that this source of light or energy comes from God or the Great Creator, that all depends on your belief structure. But, regardless of your belief structure today’s science and research shows this to be true.

To take you yet another step further, we have all heard the term Reiki meaning ( REI-Spirit KI-Universal Life Force) and perhaps others forms of energy work with practitioners. These forms of restoration provide you, the client with the same opportunity as previously mentioned to relax and restore. When you receive a Reiki treatment you are provided a comfortable space to relax and while relaxed your practitioner acts as the conduit of that universal light, essentially becomes a human extension cord, so that only you, not the practitioner can offer your body the essential healing and restoration that it requires. The best part is this, your perfect being knows exactly where to send that needed light and all you are required to do is NOTHING, now how's that for easy! So the next time you are enjoying that deliberate much needed break while enjoying a cup of tea, be aware that you too are an energy worker!! Embrace-Share-Be Brave-Be Thankful!!!

For more on the healing and restorative aspects of Energy, contact Donna at Mindfully Connect

ERASER

Today I woke with the words of one of my favs, Ed Sheeren, “I’ll find comfort in my pain” lines from the chorus in the song titled ERASER. How many of you wake up fresh with thoughts that guide you? Of course you do, we all do…but that’s another topic! The purpose for these words for me this morning I believe were to be used as an launching tool for helping to create an explanation for how helpful hypnotherapy can be for healing and making progress in our lives. Because we chose to live this human experience, we will undoubtedly experience pain. But we also choose to remain stuck in that pain or we find the lesson in it, pick up our big girl panties and embrace life once again. Pain can be generated from an endless list of daily experiences, small and large. I don’t want to minimize anyones pain as it it real and a necessary aspect to growth.

But, Like Ed how do we find comfort in that pain? First we honor it and here we go, this is the tough one…..we find the lesson in it and then we make a choice to remain in it, or we find a way to move through it and find ourself on the other side of that pain. We find comfort in our pain only when it can serve to move us to someplace better.

Using Hypnotherapy as a tool for moving through a painful experience we can find success in releasing the threads that connect us to that experience. Our mind is a great servant but not so great a master at times functions in a way that the subconscious mind holds on to everything like a video camera, recording every single experience you’ve ever had within this lifetime and depending on your belief structure perhaps previous lifetimes. From those experiences emotions and habits are generated, sometimes good and sometimes not the greatest. But like a vault they are stored in there until we assert our freewill and choose to make some changes. Now, it is possible to make changes through the conscious mind but much more challenging because that’s where our will power resides and we all know how tricky she can be! Therefore, sometimes it becomes necessary to speak to our subconscious mind and travel back to a time from where a undesirable habit or emotion is generated and through hypnosis we rewrite the programming and free ourselves.

Hypnosis, simply is a very relaxed, focused state of attention, we often travel there when we meditate, one is fully aware throughout the process but is guided to target and work through specific events (sometimes only discovered while speaking to our subconscious) that you want to move past. Hypnotherapy is not exactly what you may have seen as a stage show, the similarity stops at the induction of a state of relaxation. The acting like a rabbit part is all stage semantics. On a daily basis we all experience self hypnosis, an example of that might be, when you drove to work this morning you may have forgotten even driving a portion of the route, your conscious mind took a little break and your subconscious mind said, I got this, we do this all the time. The conscious and subconscious mind each have their function and work in harmony.

If you are stuck and want to make progress toward your highest and best potential or want to erase and find the comfort in your pain, explore and rewrite the thread that keeps you tethered through hypnosis. As a Certified Hypnotherapist, I welcome you to inquire about how this tool can be transformative in assisting you in moving on from the past and into the future by working toward being your very best .

BALANCE = HOLISTIC WELLNESS

I once heard a statistic that reported on why "centurions" those people that live relatively healthy to be a 100 years old or more, did so. You know, those peeps that Willard Scott of The Today Show, would say "happy 100 birthday" to on the smuckers jelly jar? Okay, if you don't remember you're probably below the age of 30 but, never the less this applies to us all! The number one thing that was expressed in the comments by those same centurions was that they all maintained a connectedness to the outside world. Socially. they valued time with family, friendships and social engagements. They stayed plugged in and engaged to some degree or another. Healthy diet and eating kale everyday, while never smoking wasn't the main factor according to these folks. It was instead being together at Sunday dinner, considering most invites and prioritizing the human relationship. Of course we all know that healthy diet, proper rest and other aspects of lifestyle certainly all contribute.

There’s a whole lot of buzz around words like holistic, integrative, natural, organic, the latest foods, diets, exercise, mind, body, spirit and a bunch of other sorts of ways to gain awareness about our wellbeing. How do we possibly keep up with it all in order to achieve a balance?

Holistic Wellbeing can be defined as “ An approach to life" Rather than focusing on specific parts of the body, this ancient approach to health considers the interconnectedness of the whole person. The goal being to achieve maximum well-being, where there is a balance and all aspects of ourselves are functioning as best as possible.

Happiness may come and go with the ebb and flow of life, but balance is achieved when we can create a more stable sense of satisfaction. Finding the peace within the chaos, as they say. We could drink a green smoothie every single day but we can't achieve true holistic wellness unless we can create a balance by becoming engaged in all aspects of everyday life.

Your state of wellbeing is influenced by every aspect of your life.

Physical Wellness-sleep, fitness, and diet

Emotional Wellness - Being aware of thoughts and feelings, accepting mistakes and external support.

Spiritual Wellness-Spend time praying, meditating, learn more about yourself. Accepting and forgiving.

Intellectual Wellness-Travel, learning new skills, reading, opening up to different cultures and experiences.

Social Wellness-Positive Friendships, connecting, cutting off toxic people. Making an effort to stay connected to those that matter in your life.

Environmental Wellness-Connecting with nature, Being aware of taking care of our planet and all it's inhabitants. Conservation and recycling.

All of these aspects of wellness are interconnected, There are many benefits of finding a balanced wellbeing such as, prevention of disease, healthier lifestyle, greater employment productivity, better relationships, improved quality of life, with fewer daily limitations and longer lifespan.

To increase your awareness and to engage in these aspects of holistic wellness, try some of the following:

Stay active, good for body and mind

Connect socially, call a friend, say hi to a neighbor, get out.

Challenge yourself, learn or do something new outside of your box.

Be kind, to yourself and give of yourself, help out someone.

Quiet yourself, turn off all external devices and just listen. Get to know yourself.

Take a walk in nature and engage all of your senses.

We all have responsibilities and let’s face it, sometimes the journey can be stressful. Social media (if we allow) can create unrealistic expectations of ourselves and others. It may seem like we can never achieve that balance. Remember “balance” is best achieved not in a perfect environment (it doesn’t exist) but by remaining steady with the equal distribution and correct proportion of all the wellness elements.

YOU'RE ALREADY GIFTED

A common question often asked of me by individuals seeking to understand their own intuitive nature is, how do I know when I am having just a thought or if my thought is an intuitive message? Let’s start by saying this, first and foremost, it is my belief that we all are “gifted” with a perceptive or intuitive knowledge. Who hasn’t felt when a loved one was hurting or you were guided to not do something and it turned out that it was better that you didn’t? Maybe you weren’t aware in that moment or maybe you were, that those feelings and “thoughts” were guiding you. This higher level of knowing was gifted to us from the very beginning as a primal tool and as a means of survival. If someone unknown enters our house, we are not going to take the time to ask them to have tea with us and get to know them before calling the police. That knowing in us says rather, this person is an intruder and I don’t feel safe. You are trusting that immediate sense of danger and not going into your head with thought about “humm, do I first invite them to have tea with me?!

The problem or the radio static if you will occurs as a result of our overthinking it or not trusting that we too could be worthy of something so special. Additional factors for not freely allowing the use of this “gift in your life are the cultural and familia constructs and beliefs that influence us.

Replacing fear with acceptance of the idea that we all have been “gifted” such a beautiful, inspiring and guiding tool is a pretty cool thing! Think about where we were before someone invented the GPS, I would constantly get lost, as I have no sense of geographic direction. Now, you’ll find me relying on google maps on a pretty regular basis. Intuition is like our Souls GPS, we can utilize it or take the unknown route and risk getting lost.

Back to the question in the beginning of this piece, how do I know? In my experience, like all things we want to be better at, we first have to make time for it in our lives. We open up to and allow more time and a create space for it. I often say it’s like learning to play an instrument or learning to speak another language, that more you practice, the better you become at it. Take time each day in stillness. At first it doesn’t have to be formal or even very long but it’s important to create the quiet space so that you can learn to “hear”. When you make time to listen you will start to hear. In addition to, it’s important to allow your whole body to engage. Practice learning to feel things by engaging all of your senses, this will help take it out of your head. How would it feel if that intruder entered your home? No time there for staying in your head about things! As you start to practice you may start to open up and become more curious, seeking out more opportunities to play your instrument better and better. Eventually, as with most things you can arrive at a point of trusting and allowing this level of discernment in a truly welcomed way. You will know it is for you and as I say, not of you, when you ask a question, and the words come. Pay attention to how they settle into the body particularly the heart. The minute you shift back to your head and you loose the connection to the senses in your body, this becomes a clue to you that this is just a thought. Using the intruder as an analogy again, think of how it would feel upon spotting the intruder, stay there for a second and realize what your body is telling you in that moment. If you were to shift into the brain and start asking questions like, do I know this person, do they seem nice, will they hurt me, should I invite them to tea? Way…. Too many thoughts have creeped back in. Trust that initial thought that was accompanied by all those feelings, and then you know you’re on the right track. The more you practice and learn to trust , I promise the better you will be at utilizing and trusting this beautiful, worthy gift.

FINDING THE WARRIOR WITHIN

We all have dreams and desires. Some of us dream big or maybe it’s just a little calling, like the desire to change the way we do something. A dream is the possibility of something and a desire is that stronger feeling of wanting it to happen. Too often, we get stuck between the wanting and the doing. If you find you are stuck at that in between, and can’t quite ignite, Explore some of the following tips.

1. Ask yourself, why am I stuck? But here’s the key, in establishing whether you stay stuck or can start gaining a little ground…….Ask the question why am I stuck and then ”LISTEN.” Listen to what you’re hearing! Allowing, the same courtesy of time with yourself that you would give to a family member or friend. Check in, with YOU and get to know her!

2. After you’ve ask “why am I stuck?” how does being stuck feel in my body? Pay attention to how it physically feels. Do I feel it in my belly or in my heart? Doing this will help you further discern the source of your trepidation. Generally there is a fear base for what you’re feeling.

3. After you’ve identified the fear connected to getting started, stay in that space for bit, exploring the logic behind your fear and ask yourself, does this fear make sense? Recognizing that the fear is merely a thought and that potentially you are allowing it to recycle into your pursuit for accomplishing what it is you desire?

4. Here’s the exciting part!! Once you have made the big discovery of where your thought of fear is coming from, you can take back your power!! Because you and only you are in charge of where and how those thoughts are being allowed into your life. Thoughts are only thoughts and they can be changed!!

5. When giving yourself permission to make changes in your thought habits in the pursuit of happiness, ALWAYS, remain kind to yourself. Your thoughts create your next moment. Life is a continual process. Shifting when necessary by recognizing, that somedays we are better at self compassion than other days.

6. Be brave and establish baby steps. The world was not created in a day! Ask yourself, what’s one brave little thing that I am confident I can do today, and then start! When trying to change a habit or create a new one, generally, it takes around 7 days of doing the same thing over and over before a new habit is formed.

7. Celebrate!!! You deserve it, reward yourself for work well done! Having something to look forward to as you initiate those baby steps keeps you focused on the positive.