5 Shamanic Tips for a Sensational Summer

Summer is a favorite time of the year for many. It conjures up images of vacations, play, beach fun and festivities. The abundance of light allows us to also lighten up and enjoy the goodness and bounty of life. Qualities often associated with this season are joy, abundance, radiance, enthusiasm, and play. It is an expansive time of the year associated with the bright energies and power of the sun.

In the shamanic traditions I have studied, as we transition from Spring to Summer, we are moving from the direction of East to South in the medicine wheel. The South is associated with the element of fire, the brilliance of the noonday sun, the heart-centered energies of love, beauty and support. It's the time when we can come into full bloom and shine our light most brightly.

To help you take full advantage of the beautiful energies available at this time of the year, here are 5 tips based on shamanic wisdom that can assist you in having a fantastic summer:

1) Take full advantage of the expansive, light energies of this season to bring more JOY and PLAY into your life and work. We always have a choice to do things with a sense of light-heartedness and enjoyment or a sense of burden and suffering. Make a conscious decision to enjoy your life because each moment is a gift and a blessing.

2) It's natural to spend more time outdoors at this time of the year. Whether you are picnicking in the park, hiking in the mountains, or swimming in the ocean, take advantage of your time in nature to be fully present and breathe in the beautiful, healing, loving energies of creation. Say hello to the natural elements all around you and feel your heart open in CONNECTION to the Spirit in all things.

3) Focus on your HEART. Talk to it, listen to it, thank it, ask it to share its wisdom with you. We often get stuck in our heads trying to figure life out. There's a lot of wasted energy in that. Instead, drop into your heart and allow yourself to fully feel what's going on inside of you. This is a great time to heal and let go of any emotional wounds from the past in order to open your heart to what's present for you now and what it's guiding you towards for the future.

4) Take care to BALANCE the fiery energies of the sun. You can do this by drinking plenty of water and eating cooling foods, such as cucumbers, melons, and leafy greens. You can also do this by doing more intense activities early in the morning and later in the evening and allowing yourself to slow down and rest at midday. While it may be tempting to fill our calendars with fun activities, be sure to leave plenty of time for simply being, resting and relaxing.

5) Summer is a time to celebrate and open oneself to life's blessings. It presents opportunities to see things with greater clarity and move more courageously toward our essence dreams. It's a time when things grow quickly and we are full of energy and vitality. Fill your heart and mind with GRATITUDE for what is and ENTHUSIASM for what could be. A question I love to work with is, "What more beautiful magic and miracles are possible?" Let your imagination soar and allow yourself to be inspired, knowing that anything is possible.

I recently had the wonderful blessing of facilitating a ceremony to celebrate the Summer Solstice. During the evening, we focused on giving thanks, opening our hearts, allowing the light within us to expand and grow by connecting with the sun's energy, and welcoming in the abundance of blessings coming our way.

The photo above is of the offerings we made to the Earth and the Spirit of Summer. I extend the blessings from that ceremony to you all and wish you a most beautiful, joyful, heart-opening, inspiring summer. Big hugs and much love to you all. 

Experiencing Higher States of Joy and Delight

Picture this: It’s 1:32am and I am on a red-eye flight from San Diego to Philadelphia. Many passengers on the flight are sleeping, but others are looking at their electronic devices for work or entertainment. I am sitting in my seat writing this post while simultaneously dancing with great joy and gusto as the rhythmic sounds of dance music pour into my ears through the earbuds plugged into my computer. 

The airplane seat does restrict my movement some, but that doesn’t deter me much, and I am not the least bit concerned about what the nearby passengers might think of me having a solo mid-flight dance party in my seat. I’m flying East to visit my family and attend my 20th college reunion. I’m excited and feeling great about life.

A friend I’ll be staying with during my trip texted me a few days prior asking what my plan was. The reply that immediately popped into my head was, “My plan is to have fun…what’s your plan?” And with that, my intention for the trip was set, so here I am sitting in a plane, dancing as I listen to my favorite mixes. “Roar” by Katy Perry is playing presently, and I definitely feel like a champion ready to roar! 

If you had told me in my earlier years that I would experience such high, real and lasting levels of joy, I would have thought you had me confused with someone else—someone who was born naturally happy because that was so not me! Especially in my younger days, it was way too easy for me to take life too seriously and get stuck in dark, sorrow-filled funks. So, if I wasn’t born with a natural disposition toward happiness, how did this now very normal state of experiencing great levels of joy come about?

The short answer is that I don’t give up and always do my best to follow my heart. Some part of me always has know that something better was possible. I’ve had this deep drive to feel, do, be better since as far back as I can remember. I remember combing the self-help, personal development, and spirituality sections of the library while in high school looking for clues to how I could improve myself and my life.

That search for clues to greater levels of life satisfaction and success has been a constant in my life. It is a journey of healing, empowerment and inspiration that has taken me to far off places like the jungles of Peru and to the deep inner recesses of my heart, mind, and soul. The journey has been littered with challenging obstacles and initiations that have tested me greatly, and it has allowed me to experience incredible heights of joy and wonder as I reached new levels of personal and spiritual growth.

This quest for greater levels of growth and joy is one that we’re all on. Everything in existence is moving toward higher states of being and ultimate enlightenment. These higher states of being are accompanied by experiences of ever greater levels of love, light, joy and wonder. As we reach higher states, we take more and more delight in life. We see it for the gift that it is and value its preciousness and all the incredible opportunities and experiences it brings.

The only things that stand in our way are our limiting beliefs and wounds. When we are functioning more in survival mode, we don’t always believe that great joy and delight are possible. And because our wounds may still be raw no matter how old they are, the pain keeps us from experiencing the fullness of our radiance and potential.

There are two keys to moving from suffering and darkness to joy and delight. First, we have to believe that higher states of being are not only possible but rightfully ours. Second, we have to be willing to engage in the journey of healing and empowerment that will get us there. I have come to believe that anything can be healed and transformed so long as we have the patience to persevere until we are free of the painful wounds and false beliefs holding us back. 

I’ve experienced first-hand the amazing transformation from darkness to delight as I have time and time again released and let go of old wounds and pains, limiting beliefs and fears. And I’ve witnessed the journey of my clients and students as they move towards higher states of joy and personal power. The price is letting go of what no longer serves, which can be scary and painful at first, but is well worth the rewards of greater freedom, joy, wonder and delight.

Amazing Health Secrets from Ancient India

I recently came across a book that is rocking my world! One of my clients mentioned it to me, and I ordered it thinking I might be able to pass on the resource to other clients. When I started reading it, I was fascinated and hooked by the story the author told.

The book is The Prime by Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary, a neurologist with training in both western medicine and the ancient Indian medical science of Ayurveda. In the book, she outlines a four stage deep cleanse/detox protocol that has helped her and many of her patients. Truthfully, I was quite skeptical about the various claims she makes in the book...it all sounded too good to be true! But curiosity and the desire to more deeply heal my digestion inspired me to begin the protocol.

Three weeks in, and I'm telling everyone who will listen about how amazing it is. Though I'm just in stage one, I'm already experiencing some incredible benefits: my digestion already feel much better; I feel stronger and more grounded in my body; the cellulite in the backs of my legs is disappearing; though I don't weigh myself, I think I've lost weight because my clothes are looser on me; I feel a beautiful lightness and a clarity of vision/thought; I'm feeling even more energized and productive; and my whole body just feels more fresh and clean.

Sounds too good to be true? I know, I thought so too as I was reading the book, but I'm in awe as I'm experiencing the benefits for myself. I have to warn you that I did experience some detox symptoms when I first started, so it wasn't all  bliss from day one. I experienced several days of both physical and emotional detox symptoms, so I had to be patient before I started seeing the results. If you decide to give it a go, feel free to reach out to me, and I'd be happy to support and accompany you in the process.

Here are a few of my favorite health tips so far:

1) Sesame Seed Oil Pulling: I am so in love with this practice! It's an ancient Indian remedy for detoxification and oral health. The oil literally pulls harmful bacteria that could otherwise be released into the bloodstream out of the mouth, between the teeth, gums, and tongue. It also serves as a gentle but very effective way to remove toxins from the body as they get excreted through the salivary glands, which helps to cleanse the lymphatic system and blood.

Oil pulling is also great for preventing bad breath, gum/mouth diseases, and is reported to have a variety of other health benefits. Plus, it makes your mouth feel great because it gives it a cleaner feeling than brushing/flossing by themselves. I've done this for a little over a month now. Basically, you swish about a tablespoon of sesame seed oil in your mouth for 10 - 15 mins before spitting it out. Doing this while you shower makes it super easy and doesn't take any extra time.

2) Manjistha Powder and Dry-Brushing: These two are excellent for helping the lymphatic system remove toxins from the body. When the system is backed up, it can cause cellulite and inflammatory problems, such as arthritis, to develop. Dry-brushing is a type of self massage you do for 5-10 minutes to remove dead layers of skin and to get toxins moving through the lymphatic system to be cleared out. Manjistha powder works internally to clear out lymphatic backup.

I have not yet developed the practice of dry-brushing consistently in the mornings, and I will be experimenting with how I can incorporate it more regularly into my routine, but just taking the manjistha powder has been powerful and amazing in reducing cellulite and clearing out toxins.  

3) Triphala: Dr. Chaudhary raves about triphala, saying it's the closest thing she knows to a miracle cure. It's made from three berries: amlaki, which is one of the most potent antioxidants available; haritaki, which is a great colon cleanser and helps create a stronger immune system and digestion; and bibhitaki, which breaks down fat and helps the lymphatic system remove toxins and flush out fluid accumulation.

There are many other health benefits of triphala that she mentions, and I think in addition to some of the other herbs I make the Prime tea she recommends, triphala has definitely helped my digestive and colon health. I take 1,000 mg capsule before bed.

Some of these words/practices may sound strange, and you may be skeptical as I was, but I encourage you to check them out and try just one to see how it benefits you. Better yet, check out the book and see if The Prime program appeals to you.

I am absolutely loving it and am so appreciating the fact that everything recommended is all natural and incredibly effective. You can get it all online at Amazon, Banyan Botanicals, or VPK Maharishi Ayurveda. If you try any of it or if you have any questions, don't hesitate to email me at info@shamanicsoulcenter.com to let me know what you think.  

The Truth of Who You Really Are

Last week, I heard from a friend who is processing the loss of one of her students to suicide. The student was a leader in her class, a bright light who was looked up to by his peers. The class was shaken by the loss, and my friend expressed concern for the welfare of her students, some who are going through challenging times.

Speaking to her reminded me of my own earlier dark days in years past when life seemed too much to bear. It also reminded me of some of my clients’ and friends' struggles through grief, loss, depression, severe disappointments, and other painful challenges during which some of them have questioned their capacity and will to get through those times. 

Times of seemingly unbearable anguish test us to the limit. They used to terrify me because I did not have the resources or tools to understand or navigate them without them taking such an emotional toll. In my path to healing myself and supporting others in their healing, I have come to view these challenging times as initiations into higher states of being, understanding and living…into higher states of consciousness in which we become better, wiser, stronger versions of ourselves.

We are all here on this physical plane to learn, grow, and acquire greater spiritual strength and wisdom. Everything we face in our lives is part of our education…personalized to test us and give us exactly the insights and abilities we need to continue on our journey to greater and greater heights of freedom and enlightenment.

The reason I think such times are so painful is that moving through them strips away layers of beliefs, patterns, energies and attachments that no longer serve us and are not in harmony with our spirit. The stripping away can be very painful, especially when we don’t understand what is happening and because it is difficult to remember who we truly are at these times of challenge. 

We are all children of the Great Spirit, created out of love and light. We are, in essence, Spirit, and nothing that happens on this earthly plane can mar the beauty and perfection of our inner radiance and light. It can be blocked for a time, and we can feel very isolated, disconnected, and without hope. But as we gain more and more strength through the various trials and tribulations we move through, our light becomes more and more visible and we feel more and more free as the things that block it fall away.

Because we are children of the Great Spirit, we are loved unconditionally and we have power and potential in us that we cannot even begin to imagine. I remember watching the sunset one day and having one of those moments when a truth suddenly comes into your consciousness. Because of my personal challenges with self-worth, I used to be afraid to really ask Spirit for what I wanted and the support I needed. Often, I was afraid to even admit or acknowledge it to myself.

But that day, I realized that the same being who created the vast ocean, the incredible sun, the beautiful earth with all its inhabitants, and all of existence also created me. I realized that I am a part of this vast incredible beauty and mystery. And that there is nothing I can dream up, wish for, ask for, or imagine that would be too much for Spirit to provide. It was a simultaneously empowering, humbling and liberating realization.

From that moment on, I have felt a much greater freedom and willingness to ask for and receive the support, assistance and guidance I want/need. When I face struggles now, I reach out for support from Spirit and my allies, friends and loved ones here and in the spiritual realms, trusted teachers and healers, and resources of all kinds. I know now that I will move through the storm and enjoy even brighter and more beautiful days than I had previously experienced. And I know I will feel more healed, inspired and empowered on the other side.

There is nothing we can ask of Spirit that is too big or too much of an ask. If you have a longing in your heart, go after it and ask Spirit and the Universe to help you realize it. If you are going though a challenging time, ask Spirit to send you the resources and support that will help you come out of it. Know that you are never alone. There is an infinite multitude of beings ready and eager to support you…some in physical form and many more in the spiritual realms. But in order to receive the relief and support you need, you must open your heart and ask for it.

Energetic Clearing of Your Space

In the previous post, Spring Cleaning and Clearing, I encouraged you to do some decluttering and beautifying of your space and offered suggestions on how to go about doing this. I hope you enjoyed the process and are ready to take it up a notch by doing energetic clearing of your space! 

This is a simple and powerful process that should have your space feeling lighter, filled with positive energy, more expansive and generally more enjoyable/comfortable for you to be in. The basic idea is to clear out energies of a lower frequency (what we often think of as "negative" energies) and bring in energies of a much higher frequency (what people might call "good" or "positive" energies). 

So if you're ready, here are 7 simple steps for how you can do an energetic space clearing:

1) Gather or acquire the items you will need/want. The basic items you will want are: a candle, sage stick (or palo santo/cedar), lighter, an abalone shell (or smudge clay bowl/plate), flower essence water or essential oil spray (rose water spray, for example). You can also have other items, such as a smokey quartz, or black tourmaline crystal, a turkey feather, or anything else sacred to you that you'd like to enhance the process with. The basic items can be ordered online, purchased at a metaphysical shop or at some health food stores.

1) Begin by treating the clearing as a ceremony or important ritual for which you set a good intention and ask Spirit and you allies/guides to assist you. While the basic idea is to release lower frequency energies and replace them with higher frequency energies, having a more personalized intention can be helpful. You might want to think about what you want to feel in your space, how you want it to support you, any energies associated with specific situations that you may want to have healed and released. 

2) Prepare yourself and your space. Choose a central location in your home to place your items. You can see this space as a protective altar that will support you with the process. Make sure to open windows for air flow and to allow what is released to travel out. I also move things a little if they are blocking a corner or electrical socket because you want to be sure to get those areas. Speak a prayer and/or your intention and allow yourself to settle into a calm, relaxed state free of other concerns and fully present for the clearing process. Light the candle.

3) Light the sage stick. Once you light it, let it burn for a few seconds before gently blowing out the flame, and if needed, repeat the process a few times to have a solid stream of smoke flowing. Walk throughout your space with the burning sage gently directing the smoke all around the perimeter, center, ceiling, and floor of each room. You can do this by using a feather or just moving your sage stick as needed. You'll want to pay close attention to corners where energy can get trapped, electrical sockets, and the plumbing system. Be sure to have your shell or smudge bowl to catch any little pieces of sage that fall off to prevent burns of anything they might land on. 

4) After you finish clearing your space, you will want to smudge yourself by simply wafting the smoke around your body with your hand or a feather. As you do so, imagine any energies that no longer serve you, falling away to the Earth for healing and transformation.

5) Next, you will want to welcome in energies of a higher frequency. You can do this by using a flower essence water or essential oil spray. Simply hold the spray and recall your intention of the energies you want to welcome in, and follow the same path you did with the previous step and spray the flower essence on each area. As you do so, feel energies of a higher frequency coming in and filling your space. You can also spray some on your hands, breathe it in, and gently sweep your body, blessing it with the higher frequency energies.

6) Once you finish welcoming in the new energies, do another walkabout around your space. This time, allow your heart to open with appreciation and gratitude for your space and the process. Set anything you had moved earlier back in place and close windows if the air feels clear of smoke or wait a little while if that feels best.

7) Lastly, go back to the center of your space where you placed the candle. Take a few moments to give thanks for the assistance you received from Spirit, your allies/guides and the items you used; give thanks for the beauty of your space and the support/shelter it provides you. Trusting that your intention is manifesting, blow out the candle.

When you are finished, you should feel good. You will, hopefully, feel a lightness to the energy in your space. Give yourself a pat on the back and celebrate your success in doing an energetic clearing of your space. If any emotions came up for you during the process, be with them and allow them to flow. When we clear out energies, sometimes emotions that were within us come to the surface to also be released. Trust the process and be gentle with yourself.

Because I have gotten busy, I am no longer able to offer professional space clearings very often. But I’m happy to answer any questions you have, so feel free to email me with any questions or comments.

If you have anyone who would enjoy/appreciate this post, please share it with them. Big hugs and blessings to you. :)

Spring Cleaning & Clearing, Part 1

Spring is almost here, and it's the perfect time to shake off the heavier energies of winter and bring in lighter energies of a higher frequency. One wonderful way to do this is to clean and clear out your personal space. 

It’s amazing how much we are impacted by our environment! We live in an interconnected world and the energy of our surroundings/stuff influences our energy, thoughts and mood. So if dust or clutter has collected in the corners of your home, it's time to clean and clear it out!

I recently did some deep decluttering and was astounded at how much lighter, more optimistic and free I felt after. I try to be pretty good about clearing my space regularly, but in the past, I have often lost steam and gotten stuck at the paper/memorabilia I've collected over the years.

When I transitioned from teaching to doing my healing work full-time, I stored some boxes of files, books and other resources in my basement, and although I had released some of the things in the past, I still had five boxes full. This time, I was determined to power through them once and for all! 

With some focus and effort, I was able to give away and recycle 95% of the things that remained from my graduate studies and teaching days. The release has been awesome! It has enhanced my creativity and allowed me to think more clearly and more expansively. I am dreaming even bigger with respect to my future projects and plans...both personal and professional. 

The thought of going through one's belongings and letting go of what no longer serves can feel daunting because most of us have accumulated lots of stuff, so here are some ideas and tips to help you:

• Do an inventory of your space and see what areas feel good to you and which ones need some attention.

• Decide what needs to be done in each area and think about how you'd like it to look/feel after you take care of the decluttering and cleaning.

• Break down the job into smaller bits. You can break your overall mission down by room or type of task (pruning wardrobe, clearing paper clutter, dusting, etc.)

• Schedule time for each of the smaller bits and commit to taking care of each by writing it down in your calendar/planner. You know yourself best, so decide if you work best powering through the whole thing in big chunks of time or tackling it in smaller chunks.

• Then, just DO IT! No excuses, no planning something else in that allotted time, no giving up! Stay focused and committed to your mission. Visualize what it will feel like to enjoy a clean, beautiful space free of clutter to keep you motivated.

The process of cleaning and clearing out our mess can be challenging because the stuff carries energies that we have not wanted to deal with to this point. But mustering up the courage to do so is well worth the discomfort! 

To make the process more manageable, it may be a good idea to get support. A wonderful resource I love is Marie Kondo's book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Also, you may want to enlist the help of a professional organizer. You can check out the National Association of Professional Organizers to find someone who is a good fit for your project. Here’s a link to NAPO and also to the NAPO San Diego chapter.

Cleaning and clearing one's personal space has huge benefits! What makes it even more powerful is doing an energetic clearing of your space after you're finished with the physical decluttering and cleaning. In the next blog post, I will walk you though an easy and very effective energy clearing process of your space, so stay tuned, and let me know if you have any questions/comments in the meantime.

If you have any friends or family who you think would enjoy/appreciate this post, please share it with them. Big hugs and blessings to you all. :)