Tuesday 31 October 2017

Healing - Invest in Yourself

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There are lots of healing modalities available for anyone to try.  Some modalities offer classes so that you can learn to do deeper self healing.  Some modalities require practitioners to work their expertise on your body/mind.

Regardless of the modality that you choose, spend some time exploring it.

Some of my favorite methods of healing are:

  • Massage
  • Meditation
  • Reiki
  • Reflexology
  • Chanting

Try to find the things that make your heart sing, and follow them.

Namaste.

Sunday 29 October 2017

Healing - Its Not About Success; Its About Interacting

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Life is about moving forward.  It is hard to move forward when you are ill, or in despair, or depressed, or fighting an injury, or living with PSTD, or…..

All of those things interfere with life.  They make us stuck.  Healing is about being unstuck. 

Like the poster says, we need so many people that are able to heal with their art, peaceful ways, stories, love, and with their helping hands. 

You can choose what you want to be.

Namaste.

Friday 27 October 2017

Healing - Self Care

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The theme of healing comes about because most of us are just not very good at self care.  Oh, we may hit the gym and run and do strenuous workouts as part of what we believe is self care, because others have told us that it is.  However, self care is about taking care of your bodies – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. 

I love the meditation in the poster above.

Try it.

Namaste.

Where Do You Start?

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Listening to two young women talking about changing their lives. The phrase that pops up over and over is, "where do I start?".

The answer is always – not where – when do you start?  Now!  Today!   This is the day to make changes.  This is the day to explore.  This is the day to be grateful.  This is the day that abundance will bring you more.  This is the day to be you.

Namaste.

Wednesday 25 October 2017

Healing - Group Healing Situations

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Some people believe that for healing to occur, the healing must be done within a group setting.  The belief is that the power of each individual combines to create a massive healing energy that transforms everyone in the group.

The group does not have to be large.  A common setting for group healing is a group meditation.  The words of the meditation have an influence on the process as do the thoughts/intentions/energy of the participants.

There are many testimonials from people that have had remarkable healings through a group session.

Remember, the information in this blog  is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider for a medical condition.

Namaste.

Monday 23 October 2017

Healing - Reiki

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The part of healing that western medicine seems to ignore is the energetic healing of the body.  The beauty of the energy healing practice, like Reiki, is that it heals the physical, the emotional, the spiritual, and the mental (mind).  Energy practitioners will tell you that when one of these areas is out of balance, you are not well because you are out of balance.

The word Reiki is made of two Japanese words - Rei which means "God's Wisdom or the Higher Power" and Ki which is "life force energy". So Reiki is actually "spiritually guided life force energy." (from http://www.reiki.org/faq/whatisreiki.html)

There are many Reiki practitioners and there are several schools of Reiki.. all good.  Reiki classes are available to those who wish to work on some self healing. 

Several years ago, on a Saturday morning, I was in a bicycle accident when the trail we were riding crumbled beneath me and dropped me and my bike about eight feet down into a creek bed, amongst trees that had been chewed off by beavers.  I dislocated my shoulder and had massive bruises and several pulled muscles.  Four Reiki sessions over Saturday and Sunday had me mobile and able to go to work on Monday morning.

Remember, the information in this blog  is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider for a medical condition.

Namaste.

Positive Talk

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This is the positive talk that we all need to be saying to ourselves everyday! Throw out the negative talk.

We can be our own healers with positive talk.

Namaste

Saturday 21 October 2017

Healing - Chanting

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A powerful form of healing is chanting. Many of us do this unconsciously when we hum.  Mothers hum to their babies and young children. We hum to ourselves in times of stress or of happiness.

A common spiritual chant is OM (AUM).  This sound – the OM sound – was sung in the original pitch of 136 Hz, so that the power of Om, as it resonates with the Earth's own frequency (https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-2776/5-Facts-You-May-Not-Know-About-OM.html)

There are many chants that one can repeat for calming, healing, nurturing, or for praying.  Try several – you can listen to them on YouTube – and then stick with one, repeating it three times a day for 21 days.  You will see a difference.

Namaste.

Thursday 19 October 2017

Healing - Healing with Horses

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One of the healing methodologies that seems to bring peace and quiet for many seeking healing is horse therapy.

Horse therapy has worked for individuals with the following health issues:

  • Anxiety (GAD, worry, phobias, fear of failure, performance anxiety, social anxiety, PTSD)
  • Self Esteem/Self Worth (shame-based disorders)
  • Depression (negative thinking, hopelessness, rumination about the past)

You can find listings for equine facilitated wellness in your area. The horses are used to help re-establish your power, and to help you find your voice.

Remember, the information in this blog  is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider for a medical condition.

Namaste.

Tuesday 17 October 2017

Healing - Ability to Heal Ourselves

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Healers have been telling the world for the last several hundred years that each human has the power to do self healing.  The medical profession has disagreed, saying that if one is not medically trained then the patient cannot possibly heal themselves.

In a recent article http://returntonow.net/2017/07/16/placebo-effect-proves-can-heal-minds/, the writer lists several experiments that show individuals do the healing, rather than a form of medicine.

From the article:

In a documentary called The Power of Thought, stem-cell biologist Dr. Bruce Lipton estimates at least a third of all healings – including those involving drugs, surgery and all other allopathic treatment – have nothing to do with the treatment itself, but everything to do with the patient’s belief in the treatment.

The placebo effect, as defined by Google, is a “beneficial effect, produced by a placebo drug or treatment that cannot be attributed to the properties of the placebo itself, and must therefore be due to the patient’s belief in that treatment.”

What this means is that you can find a way to heal an ailment.

Remember, the information in this blog  is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider for a medical condition.

Namaste.

Sunday 15 October 2017

Healing - Changing Your Self Talk

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We all have a running dialogue with ourselves.  The key is to make sure that the dialogue is positive and reinforcing.  Unfortunately, many of us have a negative self talk where we berate ourselves or punish ourselves with words.

The following exercise comes from http://self-compassion.org/exercise-5-changing-critical-self-talk/

Changing your critical self-talk

This exercise should be done over several weeks and will eventually form the blueprint for changing how you relate to yourself long-term. Some people find it useful to work on their inner critic by writing in a journal. Others are more comfortable doing it via internal dialogues. If you are someone who likes to write things down and revisit them later, journaling can be an excellent tool for transformation. If you are someone (like me) who never manages to be consistent with a journal, then do whatever works for you. You can speak aloud to yourself, or think silently.

  1. The first step towards changing the way to treat yourself is to notice when you are being self-critical. It may be that – like many of us — your self-critical voice is so common for you that you don’t even notice when it is present. Whenever you’re feeling bad about something, think about what you’ve just said to yourself. Try to be as accurate as possible, noting your inner speech verbatim. What words do you actually use when you’re self-critical? Are there key phrases that come up over and over again? What is the tone of your voice – harsh, cold, angry? Does the voice remind you of any one in your past who was critical of you? You want to be able to get to know the inner self-critic very well, and to become aware of when your inner judge is active. For instance, if you’ve just eaten half a box of Oreo’s, does your inner voice say something like “you’re so disgusting,” “you make me sick,” and so on? Really try to get a clear sense of how you talk to yourself.
  2. Make an active effort to soften the self-critical voice, but do so with compassion rather than self-judgment (I.e., don’t say “you’re such a bitch” to your inner critic!). Say something like “I know you’re worried about me and feel unsafe, but you are causing me unnecessary pain. Could you let my inner compassionate self say a few words now?”
  3. Reframe the observations made by your inner critic in a friendly, positive way. If you’re having trouble thinking of what words to use, you might want to imagine what a very compassionate friend would say to you in this situation. It might help to use a term of endearment that strengthens expressed feelings of warmth and care (but only if it feels natural rather than schmaltzy.) For instance, you can say something like “Darling, I know you ate that bag of cookies because you’re feeling really sad right now and you thought it would cheer you up. But you feel even worse and are not feeling good in your body. I want you to be happy, so why don’t you take a long walk so you feel better?” While engaging in this supportive self-talk, you might want to try gently stroking your arm, or holding your face tenderly in your hands (as long as no one’s looking). Physical gestures of warmth can tap into the caregiving system even if you’re having trouble calling up emotions of kindness at first, releasing oxytocin that will help change your bio-chemistry. The important thing is that you start acting kindly, and feelings of true warmth and caring will eventually follow.

Namaste

Friday 13 October 2017

Healing - Letting Go of Toxic Situation

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Life is about exploring new things, practicing skills to become masterful at them, and its about meeting new people and having new experiences.

What do you do if your life has a toxic situation in it – for example a toxic person or toxic group? Well, you need to let go of them.  How do you recognize these people? 

Qualities of a Toxic Person

Life coach Cheryl Richardson describes five types of toxic qualities in people:

  • Blamer (keeps complaining)
  • Drainer (always needs you and contacts you only when he needs you)
  • Shamer (keeps criticising you)
  • Discounter (discounts or challenges everything you say)
  • Gossip (keeps talking about others at their back)

If he/she is any or all of the above, you just get him/her out of your life, please. (From https://thoughtcatalog.com/surabhi-surendra/2016/08/this-is-how-you-let-go-of-a-toxic-relationship/)

Why You Need to Let A Toxic Person Go

The following advice comes from https://tinybuddha.com/blog/letting-go-of-unhealthy-relationships-and-rediscovering-yourself/.

If you, like me, have considered letting someone go, ask yourself these questions:

How do you feel in their presence: drained or alive? Does the person always have your best interests in mind? Do they belittle you when you share your feelings? Do they make promises and never follow up?

If you answered yes to the final two questions, it might be time to move on to make space in your life for healthy, happy relationships.

The Process of Letting Go Of A Toxic Relationship

(From https://tinybuddha.com/blog/letting-go-of-unhealthy-relationships-and-rediscovering-yourself/)

1. Express your feelings in a letter.

Focus on one relationship that’s draining you and write a letter to the person you want to let go. Pour out your feelings onto the paper. The letter can be as long or short as you want.

End the letter with, “I release you across all space and time. Thank you for helping me learn and grow.” Fold the paper, burn it, and bury it in the ground to signify a complete release to the universe. This particular ritual is magical. I instantly start to feel lighter.

2. Clear your physical space.

Physical cleaning is so helpful when you are letting go of the past. Our physical space is a representation of what we’re giving space in our life.

Sell or donate any gifts you received, and burn any letters from the person you’re tying to let go. You’re going to face a lot of resistance; you’ll come up with reasons to hold on to these things. Remind yourself that this crucial to moving on and feeling happier with yourself and your life.

3. Get clear on what you need.

Write down how you want to feel in your life and within your relationships.

This is how I want my life and relationships to feel:

  • Alive
  • Filled with laughter
  • Supportive
  • Loving
  • Understanding

If you’re not sure how you want to feel on the whole, start with just the immediate future. How do you want to feel this month?

4. Start filling the empty space.

Now that you’ve created space by releasing unhealthy relationships, write a list of activities that will help you feel and experience your desires. For example, you could join a dance group to feel alive.

Put a little time into your passion every day. Writing makes me come alive, so I make sure to write daily.

As you start dedicating time to things that are important to you, the right people will come into your life—people who see and appreciate you for who you really are.

~~

Namaste.

Wednesday 11 October 2017

Healing - Releasing Resentment

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It may seem to readers that have been following this blog for the past couple of days that the theme seems to be SELF LOVE.  That is true.  However, there are so many aspects to the harm that we do to ourselves that we need many ways of undoing the harm, and many ways to promote healing.  One of the most common destructive emotions I see in clients is resentment.

I like this exercise on releasing resentment.  It appears in many books and articles.  The exercise write up comes from the blog http://indigointentions.com/a-quick-exercise-to-dissolve-resentment.htm

Dissolving Resentment

Dissolving resentment can be simple, not easy but simple. One of the best exercises I have used in my own life and offered to my clients is an exercise that Louise Hay shares in her book, “You Can Heal Your Life” and she point out that this is an old Emmet Fox exercise that helps to dissolve resentment. Since it helps to dissolve the resentment, it will also help you in forgiving others and in forgiving yourself.

  • Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths and when you feel relaxed, imagine yourself in a special place. This special place can be anywhere that your imagination takes you, perhaps somewhere in nature or to a special forgiveness room that you can return to again and again when doing forgiveness work.
  • In the spirit of forgiving others, think of someone who you resent in some way or someone who has upset, hurt or offended you. See this person sitting in front of you, at a distance that feels comfortable to you. If for any reason it is not comfortable for you to invite this person into the sacred space that you have created with your imagination envision them behind a wall of glass or in a room across from yours or see them on the TV screen, be creative and do what feels comfortable.
  • When you see this person clearly, visualize good things happening to this person – things that would be meaningful to him. See him or her smiling and happy. Hold the image for a few minutes and then let it fade away.
  • Now take a moment to do the same for yourself. Once the image of the other person fades, see good things happening to you. See yourself smiling and happy. Feel how good this feels. Close your session with gratitude.

Remember, the information in this blog  is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider for a medical condition.

Namaste.

Monday 9 October 2017

Happy Thanksgiving Canada 2017

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Happy Thanksgiving to all beings. 

The following prayer of gratitude comes from the site https://programminglife.net/6-beautiful-prayers-of-gratitude/.  Enjoy.

Iroquois Prayer of Gratitude

We return thanks to our mother, the earth, which sustains us.
We return thanks to the rivers and streams, which supply us with waters.
We return thanks to all herbs, which furnish medicine for the cure of our diseases.
We return thanks to the corn, and to her sisters, the beans and the squashes, which give us life.
We return thanks to the wind, which moving the air has banished diseases.
We return thanks to the moon and the stars,
which have given us their light when the sun was gone.
We return thanks to the sun, that he has looked upon the earth with a beneficent eye.
Lastly, we return thanks to the Great Spirit, in whom is embodied all goodness, and who directs all things for the good of his children.

Namaste.

Healing - The Hawaiian Concept–Ho'oponopono

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The Hawaiians' have a practice that allows them to clear themselves of issues. The following definition of Ho'oponopono comes from Uplift Connect at http://upliftconnect.com/hawaiian-practice-of-forgiveness/.

What is ho’oponopono?

On the surface level, many people have understood ho’oponopono to be a mantra where one repeats the words ‘I’m sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you’ as a form of mental and spiritual cleaning that could be compared to Buddhist techniques for clearing karma. It has been defined as a forgiveness and reconciliation practice, cleansing of ‘errors of thought’ – the origin of problems and sickness in the physical world, according the the Hawaiian worldview. The literal translation is ‘to put to right; to put in order or shape, correct, revise, adjust, amend, regulate, arrange, rectify, tidy up, make orderly or neat.”

The process that you can use is neatly summarized in the website at http://www.ancienthuna.com/ho-oponopono.htm.  

Try the process and see how it works for you.

The Process of Ho'oponopono:

  1. Bring to mind anyone with whom you do not feel total alignment or support, etc.
  2. In your mind's eye, construct a small stage below you
  3. Imagine an infinite source of love and healing flowing from a source above the top of your head (from your Higher Self), and open up the top of your head, and let the source of love and healing flow down inside your body, fill up the body, and overflow out your heart to heal up the person on the stage. Be sure it is all right for you to heal the person and that they accept the healing.
  4. When the healing is complete, have a discussion with the person and forgive them, and have them forgive you.
  5. Next, let go of the person, and see them floating away. As they do, cut the aka cord that connects the two of you (if appropriate). If you are healing in a current primary relationship, then assimilate the person inside you.
  6. Do this with every person in your life with whom you are incomplete, or not aligned.
    The final test is, can you see the person or think of them without feeling any negative emotions. If you do feel negative emotions when you do, then do the process again.

Remember, the information in this blog  is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider for a medical condition.

Namaste.









Saturday 7 October 2017

Healing - Regaining Self Love

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Sometimes, we get into a self destructive rut where we have a fear that we cannot control, and in trying to quiet the fear, we end up doing other damage to ourselves.  Sharon Salzberg, Buddhist teacher has a great blog about exactly this phenomenon at https://onbeing.org/blog/sharon-salzberg-a-standing-meditation-for-self-care/.

The following meditation exercise comes from Sharon's blog and will help one with regaining self love.

Standing meditation to take a stand for self-love

I recommend doing standing meditation barefoot, as you will have a greater sensitivity to your sense of balance and the micro-sensations happening in your muscles and skin. But if it is more comfortable, wear socks or comfortable shoes.

  1. Stand upright with your back straight but not strained. Close your eyes gently and relax the muscles in your face and jaw. Note the feeling of the earth beneath you supporting your weight. Make deliberate contact with the floor by pressing through your big toe mound on each foot, and feel how the floor presses into the soles of your feet. If you are standing on a rug or carpet, notice the sensations of the fabric. If you are standing on a hard floor, notice the temperature, the texture. Take in these sensations.
  2. Once you have established a sense of how the posture feels generally, try experimenting with your stance. Make micro-adjustments to your balance by subtly shifting your body weight from side-to-side. After shifting your weight from leg to leg, experiment with rolling each foot from side to side, loosening your ankles and stimulating the sole of the foot.
  3. The next part of the meditation focuses on experimenting with your posture, and the ways that your bones stack up on top of each other. Start with your knees slightly bent, and slowly straighten them as you strengthen your quadriceps muscles, imagining them moving back toward your thigh-bone. Make sure your knees aren’t locked, but that your legs feel extended.
  4. As you feel your legs in this extended position, notice the angle of your pelvis, and how it is lifting your spine to its straight position. Then, pull your shoulders back and down as you feel how they connect to your spine. You may notice that this posture feels easier on your back, as it elongates the body by removing pressure on the lower spine. As you experiment with straightening your spine greater and lesser amounts, modulate your breath, seeing how it feels to inhale and exhale more deeply as you stand taller and stronger.
  5. Continue making these adjustments and enjoying the rhythm of your breath. Visualize this ritual as an opportunity to take a stand on your right to be happy.

Remember, the information in this blog  is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider for a medical condition.

Namaste.

Thursday 5 October 2017

Healing - Everything Does Heal

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Science has proven that our physical body can heal itself.  When the physical body does not heal, some doctors believe it is because the organ or area damaged has a memory of trauma that stops it from regenerating.  To help our body heal, we need to undo the trauma that it is storing in its memory cells. 

Sometimes, the trauma is caused by the painful memories.  Have a look at the following information from www.GoodTherapy.org, which is an excerpt of information from Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence, by neuropsychologist Rick Hanson. (link to the whole article https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/four-steps-to-erasing-trauma-of-painful-memories-061214)

How to HEAL

Based on the latest in neuroscience finds Rick Hanson offers a simple, yet effective, method for rewiring the brain from the negative emotions associated with trauma to the positive emotions associated with health and wellness. In his book, he describes a four step process using the acronym HEAL.

  1. Have a positive experience.

Step 1 activates a positive mental state, and steps 2, 3, and 4 install it in your brain. In step 1 we notice a positive experience that’s already present in the foreground or background of your awareness. In the example I offered at the beginning, I tuned into an experience where I felt safe and supported, and brought to mind experiences of safety and security.

  1. Enrich it.

Too often we spend minutes, and sometimes hours and days, ruminating over a negative experience, but we gloss over the positive. Here we take time to deepen the positive experience. I would open myself to the feelings of support I have in my life. I would picture and my wife and friends and the many supports I have, filling my inner conscious with at least 10 to 20 seconds of positive memory.

  1. Absorb it.

Here we imagine ourselves drinking in the experience. I imagine all my cells being infused with the experience. I feel it sinking into me and becoming part of my brain and all the parts of my being.

  1. Link positive and negative material.

Hanson describes this as an optional step. We don’t want to become overwhelmed by the negative, but to hold the negative in consciousness while it is infused with the positive. Hanson uses the image of a garden. We imagine the beauty of beautiful flowers we are planting. We become aware of the weeds and gently pull them out so there’s room for growth. He concludes by saying, “Whenever you want, let go of all negative material and rest only in the positive. Then, to continue uprooting the negative material, a few times over the next hour be aware of only neutral or positive things that may have been associated with the negative.

Remember, this information is not meant to replace or refute any advice from a physician or medical expert.

Namaste.

Tuesday 3 October 2017

Healing - Send Healing Energy To Others

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When we have self healing to do, and when we are feeling sorry for ourselves, we can get so focused that we forget that there are others out there that also need healing.

Sometimes, the first step to self healing is to look at someone else, and see their pain, or circumstance, and wish for healing for them.  Some rules for this… 1) make sure the person has asked for help and 2) make sure that you are sending the healing from a place of love.  You can always ask someone if they would like you to send them healing energy. An easy way to start is to exchange energy with a friend.

Here are some suggestions for sending healing energy.

1) Find a quiet place to sit, and ask for angel light to surround you to keep you safe.

2) Visualize yourself surrounded in white light or in purple light, so that you see yourself in a big ball of light. 

3) Then invite the person needing healing to step into your healing ball of light.  Hold them there for several minutes. Increase this to five minutes after a week.  The aim is to be kind and helpful, not to play yourself out.

You may notice that after doing this practice for several weeks, that the other person feels lighter, and that you feel a change in your body.

Remember, this information on healing does not replace healing advice from a medical professional. Do consult your doctor if you are in chronic pain or discomfort.

Namaste.

Sunday 1 October 2017

Sunday Oct 1 2017–About Healing

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October is a time of big change for us because we go from fall into winter.  In fact, our first snowfall is forecast for early tomorrow morning.  As Mother Earth changes, it is a time for us to look at change.  Maybe, this is the time for you to practice some self healing.

The world is shifting at an ever changing pace.  The fears that are surfacing and then come to pass, are fears:

  • about loosing one's identity,
  • about poverty including lack of food and/or money,
  • about people having power over you
  • about lack of control
  • about loosing what one has
  • about pain and illness
  • about doing the wrong thing
  • about dying

Many of these fears may be overcome by spending some time learning how to do some quick, self healing.

Note that the self healing that will be discussed over the next month does not replace medical doctor's advice, and these blogs should not be taken as medical advice.

What these blogs are intended to do is to provide some coping mechanisms for the turmoil and pains that one might feel in their daily life.

Watch for the next blog posts about some healing strategies.

Namaste.