Owl Medicine Blessings by Katherine Skaggs

I had already had an amazing week of magic with my friend Denise Rodgers, a soul sista, shamanic priestess and partner in Sophia Psychic Readings and Healing Sessions. Denise lives in Texas, but comes here to work (and play) with me periodically. We just finished a cycle of readings and healings in Fort Collins. Somehow this great success propelled us both to two nights of shamanic ceremony in Santa Fe, a seemingly perfect culmination of the great fun, love and healing we had shared in this last week’s cycle.

It was Thursday morning and I was up early, finishing packing the car before dawn when I heard owl hoo-hoo-hooting in the neighborhood. I was glad to hear my owl sister friend, as it had been awhile since I had been aware of her. With my daily timing and the winter months she seemed absent, or at least to my awareness. It felt good to have her send me off on the way to Santa Fe. Denise had spent the night with our friend Deborah in Loveland, so I took my owl blessings and I headed to pick her up at 9am that morning. Little did I know of the magic and wisdom teachings owl was signaling that were in the air for the unfolding journey.

After I picked Denise up, we ruminated on the magic and beauty of the previous week as we drove the 7 hours to Santa Fe along I-25. The miles flew by as we laughed and enjoyed our blessings of our times so far, and also dreamed new adventures up that we were sure would come along as the next pieces of our friendship and partnership were revealed. About 1pm I got onto my cell phone with Karen Stuth, owner of Satiama.com, who is bringing the goddesses and my art work further into the world. We had been on the phone for maybe 15 minutes or so, when 22 some miles from the Colorado/New Mexico border I suddenly threw on my brakes and began to pull off the side of the highway. There were no cars around me which enabled me to come to a screeching halt to the side of the roadway, stopping and backing up some 100 feet or so. Denise didn’t know what was happening, and I kept saying, “There is an owl or some large bird on the highway… I have prayed for 3 years for owl medicine to be given to me from Spirit in such a way…” Though owl has been one of my animal totems medicine for this life, which I have recognized along the way, a blessing of an owl body in this way was big for me. I asked Karen if I could call her back, all the while knowing she was also somehow part of this magic.

Denise and I got out of the car and found a beautiful owl body awaiting, no blood, no destruction, though clearly this one had given its earthly body over to a truck or some vehicle to bring us the Spirit of the medicine in an earthly form. Great honor and initiation were recognized as we asked if this gift of owl medicine was for us. A clear “yes” was heard and we began prayers, an offering of tobacco with a mapacho and recognition for the Owl Medicine of Spirit being given. We could barely speak we felt so moved by this event. We pulled a black trash bag out of the car, which is unusual for me to have, so we could properly wrap our friend for her journey to ceremony in Santa Fe. There we would also have wise ones who could give us instruction on removing feathers properly, as well as the talons and how to dispose of the remains in honor and love and ceremony.

We put our friend into the back of the car and drove down the road, sharing our amazement and blessings, discussing the message and the medicine of owl. Several more hours on the road seemed to disappear into timelessness as the owl medicine was being received deeply within our hearts, minds and personalities. This Owl Medicine blessing event felt very big and an acknowledgment of the work we had been doing together… somehow a blessing being brought to ceremony to lock in a new cycle of partnership, as well as one honoring each of us and what more we have to bring to the world. Owl people can see through the darkness of the night, and the soul, both seeing and hearing clearly the wisdom and the teachings being given beyond the illusion of the darkness of the ego. Owl carries the Spirit of the Solar energy within the wisdom of the dark feminine, lunar light. Owl eats fear and brings one to the truth of the light within the world of the unseen.

Several hours have passed, and we were leaving a gas station in Las Vegas, New Mexico, only about an hour from Santa Fe. As we get back on I-25 I get a call from a friend who has been pursuing the shamanic path recently and is about to head to Peru for a time of unknown length, depositing himself in the wisdom teachings there. He called to make a time to meet before we both leave on shamanic adventures, his to Peru, and mine to Mexico for a sacred pilgrimage with the Huichol Indians. I was excited and told him of our owl experience, knowing he needed to hear this for some reason. As he listened all the hairs on his arms stood up. He got the significance and the sense of magic and honor we were receiving as he heard the story. As I was hanging up, my friend wished us more medicine on the road as we went to ceremony in Santa Fe. It was as if he knew more medicine blessings were just about to be deposited in our world when he said this. I had a thought, which I had also had earlier but pushed aside, that we would indeed be given more magic and medicine, such as another bird. Well, it wasn’t 15 minutes later,  just 45 miles or so outside of Santa Fe when I saw another bird down on the road exactly as I had before. Again, there were no trucks or cars around me so I could throw on my brakes once again and come to a quick stop, backing up to the owl lying there in almost the exact way on the ground, this time in New Mexico. Denise and I again jumped out of the car with our mouths and eyes wide open, amazed and truly speechless this time. Now each of you know that getting me speechless, her too, is pretty unusual!!

Again, we repeated our asking if this were for us, as well as our prayers and gratitude to Spirit for such a profound gift, a miraculous giving and message. This was truly somehow an initiation into owning some of our own gifts in this life for being able to see and hear wisdom within the darkness of this world, to be the bearers of light and healing… to humbly accept this and the abundance spirit has for all of us. It was quite apparent that this was also a message of abundance… there is more than plenty to go around as we each own our uniqueness and authentic expression in union with one another. It is time to accept this power, to bless it, to honor it, and to hold it with great conviction in every thought and action in this world to the best of our ability. Be the power of the light and the wisdom of Spirit within the darkness of a world wanting to be reborn! A new cycle is upon us. We are the mid-wives of the new.

The magic did not stop here with the blessing of the second owl. As we acknowledged these events on the drive, from picking up the owls on the side of the road, to me hearing them in the morning, we both began to see the thread of messages Spirit had been giving for some time leading up to this event. An owl guide, Merlin, had appeared to me twice the week before. First, I knew he was there for a client. Yet, on the second day that Merlin came into a healing session, I knew he was there for me, teaching me more about healing and moving energy with sound. Merlin also wanted me to experience how miraculous things can be when we trust Spirit is working with us in the unseen at all times.

We continued onto ceremony in Santa Fe, taking the owls to the labyrinth on this beautiful land, sending prayers with the sacred tobacco smoke through their bodies, receiving blessings over and over again with this series of events. We buried our friends in the plastic bag in the snow for the night following their prayer and smoking ceremony, leaving them to receive the blessings of the night ceremony. The next day we would get the proper tools for taking their wings and talons and releasing their physical bodies to Mother Earth.

The next morning we gathered the tools and found a spot on the land to ceremonially remove the wings to serve as healing fans, as well as feathers, and the talons to serve as extraction tools in healing. It seemed all the teachers of this methodology disappeared once we were ready, leaving us with some informal information about what to do, and the tools necessary for accomplishing the task. I felt confident and somehow quite knowing about our next steps. We said more prayers, offered more tobacco and laid our friends out one by one to release their forms and their gifts to us. Denise assisted as I moved boldly into the dis-assembly process, pro-curring four beautiful wing fans, four amazing talons and a box of owl feathers to share. We salted and blessed the bodies and buried them on the land as we thought we were to do.

Later that day we were told we could not bury the carcasses on this land, for reasons the owner had for how they set space on their land. Though we felt this such a sacred experience to plant our fellows here and the ceremony we did around it, we did as was desired by the land owner, and we ceremonially, prayerfully unburied our friends and drove up to the national forest. We asked Spirit and our owl friends where and how we should honor their remains. As we did this I got the guidance to bring them home with me to Fort Collins and to do a ceremony for them on my land here, in my medicine wheel. It became clear to do a fire ceremony, offering their remains up along with all the fear they were willing to take for all of us to Spirit. Shamanically speaking, when an animal or bird dies, or even a human, their spirits will often agree to take along some suffering, pain, and fear of their loved ones that is held in this world. This ceremony felt like it was one of alchemy not only for their bodies, and us personally, but also one for my community, for all who come to this land and healing space, as well as one for that of humanity.

Upon my return to Fort Collins I unpacked the car and smoked all the parts of the birds again, the wings, the carcasses and the box of feathers. Sunday morning I built a fire in the fire pit which is in the middle of my medicine wheel. This is the first time I have worked with it since the winter snows, and I was quite grateful as I reconnected to the power of prayer, ceremony and this land. As the fire began to roar, I smoked these sacred bird carcasses again, sending out prayers for all who have walked on this land, and for all who have yet to come, all the while receiving many blessings that connect me to the unity in all life, and in all death. I felt connected at the deepest levels of spirit, knowing these beings had brought teachings and blessings far beyond what I have read in any books by another. I was experiencing a knowing through my own personal experience, far beyond intelligence of the brain and personality. There was a deep love within the experience of honoring all life, a respect within and without for every part of our journeys to love. There was the sense of great guidance and love of the divine feminine birthing the Christ within all of us in our new cycles. It seemed owl was there helping to see beyond separation and ego by dropping into the knowing of our hearts, forgiving what has been judgment and fear.

The morning was spent in ceremony and the owl bodies were completely released into the fire. Alchemy, magic and miracles happened, seen and unseen. I somehow expect miraculous healings, great abundance, amazing awarenesses, in my life, in those around me, and in the world… for my heart is more full of love and it is already reflected beyond description of words. May you find some of this acknowledgment in your life experiences, calling owl to fly with you.

Owl Medicine brings a clear theme of seeing through the darkness so we are able to release the separation that is perceived between us all, and to honor the light within us, individually, and collectively. Owl is associated with the Goddesses Athena and Lilith, and the dark feminine. It brings the ability to acutely see and hear within the darkness, awakening one’s clairaudience and clairvoyance. Owl also transmutes fear and brings the golden light of wisdom, purifying us from the fears held in the lower consciousness of the human mind. Owl teaches us to look beyond our human circumstances to see the deeper meanings and blessings held in all life events, transmuting and alchemizing the mundane into the sacred. Owl teaches us to let go of the darkness in our own egos and struggles in life, moving toward the light and the Christ which is born out of the darkness and ignorance.

Owl brings great healing. I bring you this message at this time, hopefully encouraging you to sacrifice your fears to owl and Great Spirit. Give over what you desire to release to the fire of spirit. Your offering is a gift to yourself, and a ceremonial offering to the greater good for our planet and humanity. Calling owl to you will assist you in your greater abilities to transform your world and to live in greater love and power of Spirit. It is always working and apparent in all ways when you can see through Owl Medicine Eyes. This is a time of extracting the wisdom and secrets from the darkness of the divine feminine, releasing all fear of such great power, such great love and fertility for new beginnings.

May you be blessed with this wisdom and love.

Chakras: What do they have to do with Wellness? by Sharon Myrah

I have been on a quest for health and wellness for years.  I have read books, gone to seminars, pursued a spiritual practice, joined fitness clubs, reworked my diet, and built a home gym.  Nevertheless,  I felt like something was missing.  I was not obtaining the feeling I was searching for.  I lost some weight, toned up, was more at peace, yet there were days I should have felt just great, and yet I had low energy or felt depressed in some way.

In 1989, I was introduced to an energy medicine program called Healing Touch.  During the course of my studies, I was introduced to the concept of the Energy System, with focused learning on the Energy Field (aura) and the Energy Centers (chakras).   It was the first time I had ever thought of myself as more than a physical body, and I was drawn to learning all I could about the chakras.

The word chakra is a Sanskrit word for wheel or disk-like spinning vortex of energy or light, and signifies one of seven basic energy centers in the body.  Many ancient cultures have known about the chakras for thousands of years.  Every human being, male or female, has the same chakras.  Through the chakras we take in energy and give out energy.   They are like a recording device for everything that has happened to us on the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels, affecting both our present and our future.  Each chakra relates to a certain area of the body and resonates to a specific color and sound.

When the chakras are open and flowing, the body can be in harmony and balance.  If one or more of the chakras is compromised in some way, there is less energy flowing through the body and we don’t feel as good as we could. 

My favorite analogy is that of a garden hose.  If the hose is kinked, the water can’t flow as well, no matter how high we turn the faucet.  If the kink is bad enough, no water gets through at all.  The same thing can happen with our energy system.  If a chakra is compromised in some way, then we don’t have as much energy flowing throughout the body, and we are not going to feel as well physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually.  Having open and balanced chakras is critical to our health and well-being as they regulate the flow of energy through our body’s energy system.

Each chakra has a basic issue:  root chakra — survival (fight of flight response), sacral chakra —  emotions and feelings, solar plexus chakra — personal power, heart chakra —  love/compassion, throat chakra  – speaking one’s truth, brow chakra —  inner knowing, and crown chakra — spiritual connection.

A fun and simple tool you can use to learn about your chakras and how these energy centers are affected by everything that happens in your life, is to do an energy assessment.

The following diagram is from the Healing Touch Program curriculum and is used by Healing Touch practitioners to help clients take an energy assessment.  This diagram can be printed out and used to document your findings.

 Supplies needed:  Colored pencils and quiet time

Step 1:   Read through the chart.  Note where each chakra is located and the body parts and gland affected by that particular chakra (i.e. the root chakra is the first chakra and is located at the base of the spine.   The body area governed is the stress response, legs/feet, elimination, and       the physical body as a whole.  Gland:  Adrenal.

 Step 2:  Choose a colored pencil and think about the first 10 years of your life.  Try to remember  everything you can – every illness, injury, and major event that took place during those 10 years.    (Ask family members to help you if needed.)

 For example, let’s say you had a broken left arm at age 8.  Color the area of the left arm where the break occurred and make notes as to how old you were and what was going on at the time.

 Did you have surgery?  Did it take a long time to heal?  Was there a lot of pain?  Who was with   you?  Where did it happen?  Does it give you any trouble today?  In your notes, you might add that your parents divorced that year, or you changed schools, etc.  The more detail the better. 

 Look for patterns – did you have tonsillitis every winter?  How was it treated?  Did you get attention when you were sick or was sickness seen as a weakness?

Step 3:  Choose a different colored pencil and focus on what was going on for you from age 11 to 20, and so on, in 10 year increments, until you reach the age you are today.

Step 4:   Look for patterns.  For example, do you have an area that is heavily colored?  I certainly did.  On my assessment page, I had many illnesses, injuries and life events that affected my throat chakra.  I had countless bouts of tonsillitis as a child until I had my tonsils removed at age 11.  I had multiple whip lash injuries through my teen years.  I was choked hard enough to leave bruising on my throat by the brother of one of my friends who thought he was being ‘funny.’ 

 The throat chakra is about speaking one’s truth, and I was raised in a family that didn’t communicate very well.  As I looked at my assessment page and my notes, I came to the awareness that speaking up was an issue.  I could see how the energy had gotten compromised or blocked – just like the kinked garden hose; I had a kink in my energy system.  I was beginning to understand why I could lack energy or feel depressed, even though I was doing so many other healthy practices.  I needed to un-kink my energy flow. I learned different tools and techniques for opening and balancing my throat chakra and it has added a new dimension to my health and well-being. 

One of the best, if not the best ways of opening and balancing the energy centers is through meditation and focused intent. So look for our next article:  Simple Tools to Un-Kink your Chakras

 Sharon Myrah is a Healing Touch Certified Practitioner and Instructor.   She is on the faculty at Front Range Community College and  a part-time instructor in the Holistic Health Practitioner Certificate Program.  She is co-owner of Twin Flames Production, a business that promotes original music by Steve Skudler.

Music for Healthy Living: the Healing Power of Music by Sharon Myrah and Steven Skudler

Healthy living is a lifestyle.  It can be anything from eating a healthy diet, to exercising, to taking good supplements, to having a spiritual practice, right on into having healthy relationships.  It’s a balancing act to juggle everything in our lives so that we feel good, and we do not feel overloaded in any direction.

In the mix of tools for healthy living also comes music.  Music has the ability to invoke in us an emotional response within seconds, while leaving a lifelong impression.  This is true of every genre, from punk-rock to classical.  It has a powerful affect on the body and the mind.

Music forms memories – think of how repetitive music is used during a sporting event, like a football game, and every time you hear it, the music elicits a response, like cheering for your team.  Songs like “We Will Rock You” by Queen are used to invigorate the crowd to become part of the team, almost becoming an extra player.  Think of how the song “We Are the World” has been used to join millions in community, and is once again being used to raise money and awareness for the people of Haiti.

Music not only stirs our memories and emotions, it also creates a physiological response in our bodies similar to the one we had in the initial experience.  This phenomenon can be a wonderful tool when music is used to increase joy and reduce stress.

We all know how important it is to feel joyful, to celebrate and to dance; listening to the right music helps get us there.  It is usually upbeat, alive, hopping, cranking, and expressive. The beat and/or the words help us achieve a state of aliveness.  This type of music works great when we need our brain to be alert.  It’s great for getting out of a funk, to complete a chore like house cleaning, and to do cardio and strength training.

Unlike the music that revs us up, deep relaxation music calms us down.  Tension in the mind becomes tension in the body and can throw the immune system out of whack, leading to stress-induced illnesses. A slow, relaxing piece, often without words, is a simple and beautiful way to help quiet the monkey mind, slow the heartbeat, ease tension, and feed the soul.  It works great for meditation, relaxation and helps us get a good night of sleep.

While cellular memory is still considered a theory and unproven, there is reason to believe that when a resonance with music occurs, it is being stored in the cells of our bodies, not just in the brain.

Paul Pearsall, MD, a psychoneuroimmunologist and author of The Heart’s Code, has researched this theory with organ transplant recipients who often report experiencing changes in their choice of food, music, reading material, and even how they speak.  They tell of receiving memories and personality characteristics from their donor.

If you are suffering from lack of joy and lack of motivation and have increased stress in your life, why not give this theory a try.  Experiment with creating your own experience with cellular memory and music.

When you find you are feeling fatigued, sluggish, and depressed, play some upbeat music.  Play songs that have encouraging words.  Play music with such a rhythm you can’t help but move.  Keep a journal and note any changes that take place.

If you are  one that can’t shut your mind off,  you feel tense and uptight, and don’t sleep well at night, why not try playing some music purposefully designed with relaxation in mind.  Set the intention that every time you hear this certain piece of music, relaxation and calming will occur.  A great time to start this practice is at night, as soothing relaxation music helps the mind slow down, which greatly enhances your chance for a good night’s sleep.

When a piece of music is listened to repeatedly, the body will begin to remember the intention and respond accordingly whenever you play it.  When listened to over and over, the music recreates a mood…..a feeling….a reflective place within.

Listening to music, whether upbeat, or slow and melodic, is an inexpensive but very effective tool to use as a part of healthy living.

Sharon Myrah is a certified Healing Touch practitioner and instructor. She is on the faculty at Front Range Community College as a part-time instructor in the Holistic Health Practitioner Certificate Program. Steve is a Certified Massage Therapist and musician.  Together, they own Twin Flames Production, a business that promotes original music by Steve Skudler.  

 

LIVE AN EMPOWERED LIFE WITH THETAHEALING™ by Amy Twiss

As a therapist and spiritual being, I am continually searching for and open to teachings and techniques that skyrocket my growth and expansion as well as the growth and health of my clients.  ThetaHealing™ has changed my life and the lives of my clients in multiple ways.  Reading Vianna Stibal’s book, ThetaHealing, and attending a Basic ThetaHealing class gave me effective new tools to identify and change lifelong patterns and struggles that were held in place by my core, genetic, historic and soul beliefs.

 The first result was that my intuitive skills became extremely clear and began to expand to all senses!  As I began to use ThetaHealing in my sessions, many of my clients were inspired and asked to receive training so they could work on themselves more consistently.  ThetaHealing blesses me in many ways, but allowing witness to instant healings in clients and occasionally their animals has been by far the most rewarding.  To receive feedback that you have changed someone’s life profoundly is a humbling experience and the reason I have chosen to complete my Master certification in this life-changing technology. 

 Vianna Stibal developed the ThetaHealing technique after she was able to rid herself of cancer and heal the leg that had been destroyed by it.  She designed ThetaHealing as a step-by-step guide to develop the ability to change on every level: mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually by slowing down the brain waves and moving into a Theta brain wave state which then allows for connection with the energy of Creator of All That Is.   This connection allows belief and feeling work to be transformed on all four levels; Core, Soul, History and Genetic. 

 It is a little like computer programming, you pull out the programs that are no longer serving you and install programs that enhance your growth, health and life.  By changing your beliefs you effectively change your thinking and feelings, what you attract, your health and physical body, and are able to live from a place of empowerment.  The empowerment comes from the ability to instantly remove negative emotions, feelings and thoughts and replace them with positive and beneficial emotions, feelings and thoughts at the very moment you recognize them. 

 The Theta state, a deep meditative state, combined with the connection to the energy of Creator of All That Is, creates the space for instant healings and manifestations, as well as effective communication and work with guides and angels.  Being in the Theta state enhances your health as well as develops the frontal lobe of the brain.  As the frontal lobe develops from more frequent use the intuitive abilities are enhanced.  The psychic centers are opened in the Basic class and continue to open more fully bringing balance and clarity between the different intuitive senses.  It is amazing to watch ThetaHealingTM transform lives in so many ways and I am excited to see where it takes me and the many lives that have been touched!

 For more information, in-person or phone sessions or training classes please contact Amy Twiss at 719-648-9355 or ajtwiss@hotmail.com.  You may also want to visit www.thetahealing.com

A Valentine’s Gift by Althea Treakle-Provost

On August 22, 2007, the second day of my seven-day experience on the Big Island of Hawaii, I visited Kīlauea volcano to tithe in gratitude. I walked around the visitor fence at the Halema‘uma’u overlook to stand at the crater’s edge. I thanked Source for the journey to Hawaii and opened my heart to the blessing and lessons. I offered precious crystals and freshly picked plumeria flowers to Pele for guidance while on the island. When the moment was complete, I headed back through the uneven volcanic landscape, with plumes of smoke and the smell of sulfur rising in the air. Up ahead, a senior couple carefully walking toward the crater. I noticed they were wearing matching blue Hawaiian shirts and stopped to compliment them. The man answered back with a twinkle in his eye, “Why waste time?” This story is about neither my Hawaiian journey nor the love I share with my husband and our willingness to wear matching shirts. What I am about to share with you is a love that crisscrosses all time and space. The love Source has for all creation as told from a parent’s perspective for her child. Born on Valentine’s Day, weeks before her actual due date, our daughter arrived with a spirit presence that stopped all commotion in the delivery room. Allow me to explain. Our ‘Mrs. America’ doctor walked into the room, stopped at the mirror, gave herself a close once-over, fixed her hair and mumbled an affirmation such as “remember who you are” and proceeded to walk over to me. It was just after 8 a.m. in the morning when she looked over my vitals and said the famous words, “It’s time to push.” We all moved into our individual roles; my husband cued the music, the nurse prepped the room, and the mirror was positioned. Except one thing, our daughter was stuck and the epidural made for miscalculated pushing. The doctor took out the suction cups, and I started to argue against their use. The doctor regained her authority by ordering the nurse to move the mirror and turn ‘that’ music off. I firmly replied to the doctor, “Don’t touch that dial.” I had chosen Dolphin Dreams, a CD by Jonathan Goldman, because I read that dolphin music helps align kids to peace. With the squealing music playing, my daughter’s head morphing and my husband growing pale, the doctor paused to order my husband to take a seat. I handed my husband my oxygen mask stating, “You should try it. It is really good stuff.” During the commotion, my daughter was born at 8:20 a.m. She arrived with eyes open, present and emanating a sense of peacefulness that was palpable to all. Momentary silence followed as the doctor placed my newborn daughter on my belly. Immediately I offered a vow of unconditional love from my heart to hers. As our family approaches my daughter’s thirteenth birthday, I see her beautiful unconditional light; I also see the duality game she plays. Clairvoyant since birth with a natural affinity for angels, she also chooses to contradict her intuition. During a recent conversation, I shared what I energetically saw, a raccoon mask across her eyes. I asked her, “What are you unwilling to see?” At that moment, what my daughter was reluctant to see love. At times, love is too obvious to see. We shield ourselves because we want to see reality our way. Like children who play make believe, we create realities that are dramatic, challenging, and confusing in order to discover who we are not. We will remove the energetic masks, awaken to love and embrace the truth when were ready to return to peace. In the meantime, we continue to calm the internal water until the reflection is clear or create turbulent waters to ride. At birth, my daughter was congruent with her True Self and her expression of self was effortless. I recognize that we come in and out of our True Nature at various times in our life. When we open to our Truth, we discover we had clear knowing, clear seeing, clear feelings and clear being all along. It is just that were playing a game of hide and seek. Eventually, in divine timing and in divine ways, we grow into our light and desire to share the truth in all ways. We embrace what is ours to experience, and we love the journey for gifting us the blessings and the lessons to actualize our spirit beings on earth. In the words of a senior wearing a matching blue Hawaiian shirt, we stop “wasting time” and love ourselves back to wholeness.

Continued Blessings, Thea

©Althea Treakle-Provost, 2010 – All Rights Reserved. http://www.theasheart.com

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Sounding The Chakras To Bring Balance And Overcome Stress By Dudley Evenson

Over the past few decades, much has been written and shared about the chakras.  Information drawn from ancient Indian metaphysical teachings has been joined by modern psychological and anatomical awareness to bring about a synthesis of understanding which has practical application in helping us to live healthy, harmonious lives. The chakras are the seven major energy vortices located along the central meridian from the base of the spine to the top of the head which are associated with major organs and glandular systems.  They also have psychological, emotional, and spiritual aspects and are important to the harmonious function and integration of body, mind, and spirit.

The word chakra means ‘a wheel that spins’ in Sanskrit.  We can imagine them as orbs or spherical balls of vibrational energy.  These subtle energy centers serve as gateways or transfer points between the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of our being.  As we come to a greater understanding of the chakras and how they work, we are better able to bring into balance the various aspects of our being and create a truly fulfilling life. Vibrant, radiant balance among all the chakras is the goal.

In these times of great economic uncertainty, many people are feeling vulnerable and unsure about their ability to pay their bills and cover their basic survival needs.  Issues such as these are very much related to the First Chakra or the Root Chakra as it is known.  This chakra is related to the Earth element and has to do with survival issues, what we do for work, how we feed, clothe, and shelter ourselves. Do we feel supported and well taken care of?  If not, we need to address these concerns by focusing on that chakra and use certain tools and techniques to enhance its function.  When we learn to identify our issues and become aware of which chakra they relate to, we are better able to bring that chakra into greater functionality and allow it to radiate fully the life force as it flows through us.

The first three chakras are related to the physical aspects of our being and are associated with the elements of Earth, Water, and Fire relating to our needs for food, water, and energy.  Our Fourth Chakra is the transfer point between the lower physical chakras and the three higher spiritual chakras.  This Heart Chakra relates to the element Air and is about exchanging energy and, of course, giving and receiving love.  The Fifth Chakra is at the throat level and has to do with communication, relating to the element of Sound or ether.  The Sixth Chakra is our mental and vision center and relates to Light, while our Seventh Chakra is our Crown Chakra and connects us with Consciousness and Spirit.

A helpful tool for bringing the chakras into balance employs using the voice to tone and resonate the chakra.  Since sound is also a subtle energy, it has the ability to alter our state of consciousness.  When sound is coupled with intention, the result is magnified.  Of course, one of the most important aspects of making a sound relates to the breath.  When we focus on breathing deeply and fully, we are in fact bringing in more of the life force.  As we learn to control our breath, we are better able to control our thoughts and our mind.  Breathing that focuses on a short, full inhalation and long extended exhalation will have the greatest effect.  Including a sound with the exhalation can help to slow down the exhalation, creating the desired ratio of in and out breath.  A meditative practice that involves toning can help to resonate the various chakras and bring them into balance.

Several systems of toning can be used.  The ancient Sanskrit system of Bija mantras can be quite effective.  The order of the Bija mantras are (from first to seventh) Lam, Vam, Ram, Yam, Ham, Sham, Aum.  When done in a meditative state and when possible, using mudras (hand positions), toning the Bija mantras can be a highly effective way to center oneself and resonate all the chakras.

Another helpful system uses vowel tones associated with each chakra.  These are longer, more open tones and can be very effective in controlling the breath and energizing the chakras.  A system developed by Jonathan Goldman uses these vowels (from root to crown) – uhh, ooo, ohh, ahh, eye, aye, eee.   With the Bija mantras one lets the ‘mmm’ sound resonate, whereas with the vowel toning system, the focus is on the long open sound.  The vowel tones can also be done in a scale from low to high, for example using the notes c-d-e-f-g-a-b.   The rainbow spectrum of colors can also be visualized from the lower chakras to the higher as red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.

One can also use a short affirmation to sing or state the principle one wants to focus on for each chakra.  It is important that the statement is positive and in the present tense.  Repeating it frequently with high intention or using the toning and color visualizations can help to create healthy chakras that will support the well being of body, mind, and spirit.

Dudley Evenson and her husband, Dean Evenson, are award-winning musicians, multi-media producers, and co-founders of independent record label Soundings of the Planet which celebrates 30 years of creating Peace Through Music. They are sound healing pioneers and have produced over 60 albums since 1979.  The Evensons’ inspiring music of flute, harp, and natural sounds has been used in hospitals, prisons, schools, and spiritual centers to support people’s healing or life process. The Evensons present multi-media events and teach an online course at Satiama.com called Deepen Your Meditation Using Sound Tools: Toning, Mantra, Chanting and Affirmations

Faith or Fear . . . Who’s Drivin’ The Bus In Your Life? by Warren Kahn

FREE sample MP3 file of an extended version of this topic by Warren.  Click Here

Fasten your seatbelts.

These words won’t likely be pretty and may not be easy to hear. Just notice if you are leaning in or leaning out. It will be another way to see what your answer is to the above question.

First of all, what is faith?

In spiritual context, it might be defined as trust in a Higher Power.

Whether you call it God, Life, Christ, Buddha, Life force or, or, or . . . it has within it some acknowledgment of a force or energy bigger than oneself, that is either responsible for managing all of life’s day-to- day activities, past present and future, or, was the designer of the system including life, death, nature, Karma, fate, DNA, butterfly wings, plastic wrap and photosynthesis.

When I observe our civilization, I discern that Faith often comes in 2 very popular flavors­­–conscious and blind.

Blind never questions. Just keep your head down, go along with, do what you’re told, and turn your own personal power over to someone or something else, because they or it has all the answers. Follow the rules and when you get frightened, just tell yourself your beliefs are right and true. It’s all the others who don’t have a clue. You’re a believer, moral, spiritual, a good person. God said so. If anyone questions your beliefs or moral standards, you condemn them. Some extreme religious fundamentalists even justify killing in order to live a Godly Life.

Amazing thinking, ehhh? Just watch the news today. You might begin to see this in many places.

Why do you think they hold on so tightly?  Where are you holding on so tightly?

Is this really Faith in the true sense of the word, or is it something else?

Could it be Fear that is at play? More on this in just a bit.

Conscious faith discerns the parts of life we have a say in, and which ones we don’t. If it is your philosophy that we are 100% responsible for everything in our lives, feel free to disagree here. I am in the camp that acknowledges a part that remains a mystery, and I don’t need to know how that all works in order to live my life fully, lovingly and faithfully. In fact, isn’t our need to know why something happens just an attempt to control our circumstances so that difficult or painful things can be avoided in the future?

Why do you need to know why things happen the way they do?

What are you trying to control?

 Have you found the answers to questions like:

Why do good people die?

Why do natural disasters happen?

Why do we get disease?

How come innocent children experience horrific things?

Well, have you been able to find the answers? Where? How do you know they are accurate? Are you at peace?

As a spiritual quester, I too have sought to find the answers and meanings of life and at the same time have spent a good deal of time and energy protecting myself from reality. Have you, like me, found that we really can’t escape reality or “Life As It Is”?

What I have chosen as a way forward is to learn to trust life, and bring my best to whatever reality brings. That’s it.

Because I believe that reality is how God/Life is speaking to me.

In my trusting, I own my fear. I am human, authentic, real.

Sometimes when I get scared, I lose my state of trusting. I seek to control my circumstances and assert my judgments and values on everybody and everything around me. I struggle, I resist, I complain, I accuse, I force, I fight.

Isn’t it interesting that in our culture we often call this resistance to what is, courage?

Is that what it is?

Expressions like . . . “He fought to the very end. He really gave it all.” Sound familiar?

Does fighting cancer really work? I don’t really know.

But one thing I do know is that when I am in resistance, I’m stressed out, anxious, tense, tight. And when I harbor that energy in my body and my spirit for extended periods of time, it creates my dis-ease and ultimately contributes to my demise —  physically, energetically and spiritually.

Wouldn’t it be a kicker to discover it is the fight that is the dis-ease, or at least feeds it?  Food for thought. Hmmm

I am not talking here about giving up. I am talking about being with what is happening, and going 100% for what I want. Trusting the process, and even death, as a way to our spiritual evolution.

Conscious trusting is what I am seeking when I say I am after spiritual mastery in my life.

I have a true story to tell you about when I almost drowned in the Indian Ocean off South Africa, a few hundred miles East of Cape Town. I had just completed delivering 3 weeks of More to Life Trainings in Durban, Johannesburg and Capetown, and my wife Lisa had joined me for an additional week to vacation in the wine country and shoreline. I have been a body surfer for most of my life. I have had a lot of experience being in the ocean and was a highly trained lifeguard for 14 years during which I was involved in over 300 rescues on the shores of Long Island in my younger years. So it is very common for me to venture out in the ocean to ride waves. It was about 3 in the afternoon and no one was on the beach as it was cloudy and windy. Lisa was reading a book on the shoreline in front of the bed and breakfast suite we had rented, and I was hungry to get in the water and ride some South African surf. Little did I know that up the coast, there was a typhoon developing. So out into the waves I went. I must have been riding for about 20 minutes with little result, as the waves were choppy and unformed from the wind. I decided to head in. At this time I was about 200 yards from the beach. The moment of greatest impact emotionally was when I took a breath with my head turned to the side, and saw my body moving backwards out to sea at a rapid pace.

Now I was a champion swimmer and an experienced Ocean Life Guard.

I was frightened to see my swimming efforts having no beach ward movement, in the face of a powerful rip tide. I stopped and thought for a moment about what I knew about rip tides. Swim to the side and then you’ll be able to head towards the beach. I looked to the left and to the right, and what I saw was downright scary. The water was sucking out to sea for at least 100 yards on either side of me. The realization that I was at the mercy of a force much larger then me was shocking, and I also knew that I was no longer on the top of the food chain, as the waters off South Africa are inhabited by one of the largest Great White Shark populations in the world.

Well I can tell you I panicked.

I started stroking hard and fast as the salt water made it into my mouth, and I began to gag and cough and fight for breath.

This struggle must have gone on for a minute or two, and then I heard from inside myself. The voice of a teacher, guide, or my own wisdom saying “STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING! STOP, SETTLE DOWN AND BREATHE.”

I stopped. I got my breath back. I brought my best thinking and wisdom to the situation. I was not going to wave my arms for rescue. I did not want to alarm my wife, as there was really nothing she could do. She is not a strong ocean swimmer. I also wanted no harm to come to anyone else who might venture out, because they would just be joining me in their own life and death struggle.

So I took a look at my wife reading on the beach. So small as I was now about 300 yards out to sea.

I chose to lay on my back facing out to sea just in case a rogue wave might come that I might jump on to bring me back to shore.

I breathed. I looked at the sky. I gave thanks for everything in my life. I told God/Life, I will trust you and follow you even if this is the day of my death. I surrender to the force of life bigger than myself. I remembered all the blessings I have been gifted with all throughout my life, and felt a calm and peace throughout my body. The fight was over. I wanted to live, but I would not be the creator of my own death by literally drowning myself in the struggle and panic.

It was a timeless experience. Maybe 5 minutes, maybe more I couldn’t tell you. I decided to turn around towards the shore to see how far I had drifted out to sea.

I turned around in the water and what I saw was unbelievable. I found myself 30 yards from shore. And when I tried to put my feet down, I was in 2 feet of water. I just stood up.

I looked out to sea and the water was still sucking strongly outward.

How could this be? I could not have swam that far, even in a pool in that short time. How did I get to the shore?

I walked to the beach where Lisa ran down to greet me, not knowing that anything had occurred. A Miracle? To me.

I listened inside and heard the voice say.

“It is not your time. You have learned well. You trusted. Now go and teach others.”

Quite a story wouldn’t you say?

Somehow I was delivered to the shore when I dropped resisting. Faith instead of Fear.

Upon my return from South Africa, I told the story to my songwriting partner Lawrence Stoller, and we began to compose and record the song “Deliver Me”, which is on the New2theBrain CD, which is sold on this site. Hope you will gift yourself with some inspiring and creative music by getting it for yourself.

Anyway, I have more to say and hope the story has meaning for you in the context of this essay.

So what is Fear about?

The truth is that we are born into this world with some built-in survival mechanisms: flinching, knee-jerk reactions, physical sensations to heat, pain, adrenaline rushes, fight or flight reactions. These mechanisms have contributed to our survival as a species, and could be framed as a gift from the original designer to us, to help keep us alive. Does this make sense?

As we grow throughout our lives, we witness, and are continuously reminded of the many dangers that are all around us: disease, injury, hurt, violence, financial loss, rejection, war, weather, suffocation, drowning, car accidents, rape, molestation, and on and on. Just watch the news. Even the music themes communicate danger, impending disaster, certainly situations I had better find out about or I won’t survive. Just listen the next time you tune in to CNN or other news shows. I understand this may be good for ratings, as you are driven to tune in and pay attention. Danger is a good motivator for us to tune in with full attention and heightened senses.

And always on the horizon, not far from our emotions and thinking, is the ultimate unknown . . . DEATH.

Is it any wonder why many of us are so afraid?

If you are anything like me, you vacillate between faith and fear.

 

 

 

We’ve all seen the bumper stickers and t-shirts that say “No Fear.” Have you noticed the places where these messages are displayed? Typically they’re on the biggest baddest 4 –wheel drive monster truck you’ve ever seen, or worn by a human being often trying to look very mean.

Is it obvious to you that those claiming “no fear” are often the most frightened when you get beneath the armor? In fact, what’s the armor for, if not protection from perceived danger? The message is really “back off and don’t try anything with me or I’ll crush you into dust.”

Your fear may not be that obvious, being one who professes and ascribes to spirituality.

We are much more subtle in our protection methodology.

It might look more like being over-polite or not saying what we are thinking or feeling, or avoiding confrontation.  After all, confrontation is messy — that we should “suppress our anger” is a popularly held belief. But does it really work?

Just take a moment to reflect on the last time you withheld what you wanted to say to someone because you were afraid of what would happen, or you wanted to make sure they didn’t get hurt feelings. We’ve all done it, including me. But does that really serve us in our relationships, or in our spiritual evolution as a species?

Fear is a human, mortal, part of life. I think it exists to give us the grindstone to rub up against in order for us to evolve from fearful to faithful. Polishing. What a dance. What a design.

It is not about not having fear. It is about the fear not having you.

I’ll say it again.

It is not about not having fear. It is about the fear not having you.

Do you get the difference?

When you are fearful, do you own it? Express it? Once you own it, do you wallow in it? Indulge it?

I take the time to express my negativity proactively and have many techniques from the More to Life Program to handle this and many other challenges that are part of being a human being on this journey called life.

So, Who is your master in each moment?

Are we being real, living truthfully, humanly, openly? It’s always your choice.

And how will we know who is driving the bus at any moment, and whether we are in a state of Faith or Fear?

Here’s a tip. Because you can absolutely know.

The gauge is built in. Your body will tell you.

Just take stock of how you feel physically, what are you experiencing, what are your physical sensations and emotions? They will either have the quality of Faith, (open and grounded) or Fear, (tight, nervous, irritated etc.)

Take a breath and feel into you body right now.

What are you feeling? What are the physical sensations? Your body is telling you where you are, unless you are so numbed out you can no longer feel. But isn’t numbness a fear-driven state? Either afraid to feel in order to avoid pain, or trying to stay in control? Many of us have been taught to control our emotions. But does it really work? When you are tight on the grip of your emotional expression, I suggest you are in Fear once again. Sorry.

Faith or Fear? As you become more self-aware, you can know who’s ‘drivin’ the bus’ at every turn.

Then the question becomes, how can I become the driver I want to be?

To be all I truly am on this journey no matter what is happening.

And there’s more. This kind of learning requires more then just reading about it.

To have a real experience of what I have been speaking about, explore the More to Life.org website to learn more about taking a More to Life experiential course. If you seek some one on one or couples life coaching, visit my Life Coaching website, warrenkahnlifecoaching.com.

I want to acknowledge Dr Roy Whitten and Dr Bradford Brown my teacher, for their wisdom, insights, and guidance in developing the extraordinary More to Life Program, and educational foundation, which continues to impact so many around the world.

Stay tuned for more REAL LIFE TALKS. I hope you found it of value.

So what has this got to do with being spiritual?

I say everything.

More to come.

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FREE sample MP3 file of an extended version of this topic by Warren.  Click Here

Bio and Credits:

We hope you have enjoyed this Real Life Talk which is one of an ongoing series from Warren Kahn, a senior trainer for the More to Life Program and a certified business and personal Life Coach.

For more information on Life Coaching for you or your business contact Warren, at www.warrenkahnlifecoaching.com

Thank you for listening. Enjoy the Journey.

When Bad Things Happen, It’s Not Your Karma by Nancy Deville

These are hard times for a lot of people.  The economy is still on shaky ground. Credit card debt, bankruptcy, and foreclosures are skyrocketing.  In addition, it’s no secret that Americans are suffering health problems.  Type 2 diabetes, cancer, autoimmune conditions, and other diseases are epidemic.  Two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese.  You may feel so hopeless that you believe that the dead battery in your car is a sign screaming,” It’s your karma!”

But wait a minute — how depressing, how deflating, how hopeless it would be to think that you’ve brought your tragedies on yourself!

Conventional wisdom tells us that karma is cause and effect.  Something you’ve done has caused all of your problems.  You do something bad and something bad happens to you.  However, that’s not the true meaning of karma; and this is a very healing revelation.

Karma isn’t isolated to you as an individual.  Think of the world as a karmic stew, with all the actions and reactions of every individual continually rebounding.  Bad things happen because life is harsh, but we can only control our own actions and reactions.  Let’s look at some examples.

Let’s say that a corporate CEO understands that his company’s factory is spewing toxic mercury into the atmosphere, but he does everything he can to shirk making environmental changes.  The result is that innumerable people are harmed.  Is the CEO going to suffer a horrible fate because of his greed?  Not necessarily, karma doesn’t work like that.  His bad actions only lent bad karma to the karmic world.

On the other hand, if the CEO cleaned up his factory, it would lend good karma to the karmic world.  It’s not necessarily going to mean that he will be rewarded and his good deeds aren’t going to prevent tragedy from happening in the world.  Why?  Because illness, aging, and death are inevitable.

On a more personal level, let’s say that someone hurts you.  You have a karmic choice to lash out in anger or to keep your cool, smile and react with kindness.  Not reacting with anger will diffuse whatever ill will the other person had in the first place.  Therefore, you’ve done your karmic duty.  You’ve put a little niceness into the karmic world.

That all sounds good on paper you’re thinking, but in real life, you’ve had more than your fair share of bad luck.  In addition, what’s really irksome is that others around you are flourishing. Maybe you find out that your unemployment is running out at the same time a friend calls to gush about her glamorous new job, great salary, and flexible hours.  Or, maybe you’re not sleeping well and another friend responds by telling you that she’s out the moment her head hits the pillow.  Maybe no matter what you do, the pounds keep creeping on.  Another friend eats whatever she wants and stays bone thin.  Why me?  It has to be my karma!

Again, no.  Other’s people’s good fortune is not an indication of your “bad karma,” but merely provides an opportunity for you to add a little more joy into the karmic world.  How is that possible?  With “sympathetic joy.”  When someone else enjoys good fortune, it’s your choice to be bitter and envious, or to share in the person’s bliss.  Call the person, or send an email offering your congratulations and don’t embellish it with your woes.  Be happy in their joy, and mean it.

What about those who are worse off than you are?  What about the homeless guy with the paper cup and cardboard sign?  The welfare mom with three kids?  The single mother whose son was just diagnosed with autism?  The family whose car was just repossessed?  You may not even know these people, but you see the desperation written on their faces.  What can you do, when you’ve got your own problems?  “Share the love.”  It doesn’t cost a thing to walk by a downtrodden person and think compassionate phrases, “May you be safe.  May you be happy.  May you be healthy.  May you be peaceful.”  Sharing compassionate intent is just another way to lend joy to the karmic world.

Maybe you are that unfortunate person.  You could be suffering a truly terrible tragedy right now.  You’re exhausted with worry and stress.  This is not the time for self-blame (“It’s my karma.”)  Rather, this is the time to give yourself compassion, to share the love with yourself.  

Find a quiet time every day to sit with your eyes closed repeating the compassionate phrases, “May I be safe.  May I be happy.  May I be healthy.  May I be peaceful.” If you don’t have time to sit, then you can repeat the phrases at a stoplight, in line at the grocery store, in a waiting room, or any other waiting time.

Here are some tips on how we can shed our misconceptions and embrace a new way of thinking about karma as something good, joyful, and powerful:

 

• Choose to react in a positive way in the face of negativity, hardship, and adversity.
• Share sympathetic joy with those who are experiencing good fortune.
• Offer compassionate phrases to those who are more unfortunate than you are. (“May you be safe. May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you be peaceful.”)
• Offer the same compassionate phrases to yourself when you are in pain.  (“May I be safe. May I be happy. May I be healthy. May I be peaceful.”)

 Reacting to life’s challenges in a positive way takes presence of mind.  It may take practice to replace knee jerk reactions with mindful compassion, but you’ll be pleasantly surprised how happy sharing in good karma can make you feel — no matter what your circumstances.

 

About the Author:

Women’s rights advocate and investigative writer Nancy Deville drew from the experiences of her “unconventional life” to craft her powerful first novel, Karma. As a teenager, Nancy hitchhiked across India and traveled and worked in Spain and Switzerland. Returning to the U.S., she worked 15 years as a successful fashion designer and wrote and co-authored influential books on food and health. Karma is based on her two decades of research into the global sex trade that enslaves 2.5 million women and children. It is a story of courage, hope and spirituality that will enlighten readers on this global problem and inspire them with what Nancy calls the true meaning of karma. To learn more, visit her public Web site at http://www.nancydeville.com.

Psychic Storm by Althea Treakle

Last week, I found my shoulders lifting to my ears and my eyes sore from viewing chaos. It was a stressful week and the stress followed me home. Typically, my home exudes peace, clients often stop to observe and say how lovely the energy feels. I take time to refresh the energy in the house by opening windows to allow air to sweep through, even in winter. Sacred sage or essential oils keep the air light and refreshing. The house is neat and cared for, providing soul comfort.

Despite my constant attention, I cannot control how my family decides to interact with me. My twelve-year-old daughter is experiencing puberty and my husband calls his latest act, “a mid-life crisis.” As a clairvoyant, I saw a psychic storm brewing right before my eyes. I found myself challenged to remain centered in peace while emotional chaos swirled around me. Unlike my client sessions, I am not neutral or detached from the outcome.

Inner chaos acts like a pressure cooker and without a pressure relief value, explosion is likely. Being near the epicenter of such an event is unpleasant. For my emerging butterfly of a daughter, her explosions range from mood swings to “I don’t know why I’m crying.” My comedian husband practically vomited emotional stress when he walked in the room, followed by apologies as he looked for ways to de-stress. I encouraged a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy, but my husband sincerely replied, “Who will I talk to?” I suggested befriending a diary and my daughter immediately suggested shopping. Humor fell flat in our home ‘that’ week. Despite working out every day and eating balanced meals, my husband experienced high levels of stress at the office.

By Friday, he decided to work from home to save his sanity. Before he could settle in, he received a phone call from an irate client who challenged his peace of mind. She screamed her way through an hour-long phone call. Losing his center, my husband’s voice started to rise. At first, he offered reason, then pleas for restraint and finally frustration and yelling back. He lost his sense of composure. Meanwhile, I was sitting in my office listening to the yelling come through the walls and feeling the intense energy building up in our house. I did not want my husband home, because Friday was my day to write, and I already had enough psychic storm that week.

The phone call brought my husband’s inner chaos to the surface. We spoke about personal boundaries, non-engagement and the importance of neutrality. He calmed himself, felt incredibly sorry for the outburst, and when enough time had passed, he called the client to apologize. The client listened and then started yelling again. The spike in energy was palpable through the walls. He quickly excused himself and hung up the phone.

When energy darts are flying around, I usually remove myself from the situation. I disengage from right versus wrong situations, who said it first, and loop-de-loop conversations. I head into my meditation room, light some candles, and deep breathe my way into silent bliss. This time, there was nowhere for me to go. Inevitably, I experienced more shoulder shrugging until I let go. This storm will pass. I lit sage to smudge, opened the windows for air, took a deep breath in and walked over to my husband to say, “I love you.”  I left the turmoil behind and utilized the energy to write.

In gratitude,

Thea

©Althea Treakle-Provost, 2010 – All Rights Reserved.

http://www.theasheart.com

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Push the “Clear Button” To Eliminate Stress from Your Life by Don Joseph Goewey

To the old saying that death and taxes are the two things certain in life, modern Americans can add a third: stress.

Stress is the great common denominator today. That fact has grown with the economy in turmoil and showing only tentative signs of recovery. People seem more worried than ever.

When you’re chronically stressed, what you see are problems turning into calamities. No one needs to be that stressed. It is entirely preventable.

No, we can’t avoid or change all the circumstances we face that tend to trigger stress, anxiety, worry and fear; but we can rewire our brains to transcend stress for good. That is not an opinion. It’s what science has found.

Transcending stress unleashes the brain power that makes us creative problem-solvers who excel. It also makes us emotionally positive and increases the odds for optimal health.

When anxious, pessimistic thinking raises its ugly head, I suggest trying what I call the “Clear Button” tool to prevent negative thinking from escalating into a nasty stress reaction. Here’s how it works:

Step One — Push the Clear Button: Imagine a button at the center of your palm that sends a biofeedback signal that calms the part of the primitive brain that generates anxiety and sets off stress reactions. Push the button and keep pressing it as you follow through with Step Two.

Step Two — Count to three: The primitive brain has the intelligence of a two-year-old, and like a two-year-old, it needs to be distracted. Your grandparents’ advice to count to three does the trick. Here’s today’s modernization on grandma’s advice: To distract further your primitive two-year-old from acting out, imagine each number as a color. See one as red, two as blue, and three as green, taking a slow, easy breath with each number you count.

Step Three — Let Go: On the final breath, let go. Feel your brain relax. Bring your attention to the present moment. Be right here, right now and smile gently, from the inside. Then go about your business with fearless self-confidence.

By following these steps, you’ve escaped a debilitating stress reaction. Neurologically, you’ve switched control of your brain from primitive to higher neural networks where creative intelligence kicks in. When you do this, you begin to see solutions instead of all the problems a brain under stress tends to exaggerate. The “Clear Button” reactivates higher brain power, lifting you to the top of your game.

Give it a try. Transcend stress, and see how it opens doors to health, wealth and love in your life.

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About the Author:

Don Joseph Goewey is a co-founder of ProAttitude, a human performance firm dedicated to ending stress in the workplace. A leading authority on how our attitudes and perspectives shape our response to stress, he has worked over three decades with war refugees, prisoners and patients with life-threatening illness, as well as business leaders and others in high-stress occupations. His new book, Mystic Cool, combines the latest research in neuroscience and psychology with practical spiritual insights on how to reduce stress and unlock creative potential. To learn more, visit his Web site: http://www.mysticcool.com, his blog: http://mysticcool.blogspot.com/ or contact him at info@proattitude.com.

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