Tension in the body is highly detrimental to its ability to function properly and directly affects how we feel each day.
I can't stress that enough.
Tension can come from the present or from the past. Stress is our reaction to something. Consider a job, for instance. To some that is a dreaded word, either because they may hate their job or feel it's too much in their life and is draining. There may be many reasons why it stresses them. To another, it may be a blessing. Perhaps they love what they do, or it allows them to do other things, or gets them out of the house, among other reasons.
Stress is our physiological reaction to something and is stored in the body as tension. This tension can be held in many places. It is pent-up energy that needs to be released. This energy may be held in the nervous system, which stimulates the nerves, sending signals to muscles to contract and be on alert. It may hold in the stomach feeling like a "pit in your stomach." It may hold in certain muscle groups, such as your upper trapezius muscles, which are between your neck and shoulders. It may hold in your mid-back between your shoulder blades. This energy can hold in any of the organs as well.
Old tension can be held from past experiences even if they are no longer consciously weighing on your mind. Believe it or not, these past experiences can be from childhood and even from in-utero. We had the ability to sense the stress of our mothers and the people around her when she was pregnant with us. This pent-up energy may not have affected us along the way, but as we get older unreleased energy begins to build up over time. There comes a day when our bodies can no longer adapt or compensate for the amount of tension we are holding. If enough energy is built up, we can feel ready to explode. The systems in our bodies are designed to function efficiently, like a well-oiled machine. If we fail to release this tension our bodies begin to suffer.
Fortunately there are many healthy ways to release tension. Exercise does so because we actually use up some of that tension. We feel energized because that pent-up energy is now in circulation in our body. Deep breathing and holding poses such as in yoga, tai chi, qi gong, and stretching, among others, can be profoundly effective as well. Having a massage or other bodywork works too.
We need to release this tension in order to maintain our health. It is just as important as eating well, exercising, getting check-ups, getting outside for fresh air, etc.
Tension is also called negative energy. It's not "bad" or "evil," it's just energy with a low vibration, which gets trapped in the body. To release it, we need to connect to it by matching it or raising the vibration.
Many people have heard of the book The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne. It is about the Law of Attraction. In essence, it proposes that positive thoughts attract positive things into our lives and negative thoughts attract negative things. In her second book, The Power, she talks about love being the greatest force in nature and how feeling loving, positive feelings attracts positive things. She also has a third book entitled The Magic, which is about the power of gratitude. All three are great books and well worth reading.
What really caught my attention, was feeling positive. With tension, it is feeling that will set it free.
Action
You can start to raise the vibrations in your body by simply thinking about and feeling all the things you love and enjoy. Just start going through things like, "I love a sunny day, I love the birds singing," or "I love my family" or "my dream vacation would be to go to ________." The key is not only saying it, but feeling it build up in your body - in your heart area, letting it radiate outward.
Sometimes raising the vibrations through loving thoughts and feelings does not get the deeply trapped energy and we need to match it first to release it before raising it. I will cover that in my next blog. You won't want to miss it.
Friday, May 3, 2013
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Connecting to God
-----Disclaimer-----
You may not agree with everything I write. That's fine. We all believe different things. It's what makes life interesting. So take what you agree with, what resonates with you and leave the rest. I write what I believe and what I have come to learn from working with my clients.I believe our spirits are beautiful, magnificent, and powerful. When we can connect with what we truly believe deep inside us and live by that truth, we can be true powerhouses. We can connect our spirits with God's spirit. I have seen nothing more beautiful!
I believe religion is a way to learn about God and a way to bring us closer to Him. But whether you believe in an organized religion or have different spiritual beliefs, what matters most is your personal experience with God. You may call Him something different; such as the universe, your source, a higher power, the Spirit, infinite love, etc. It's all the same. I choose God because it works for me.
I was raised in the Roman Catholic faith. It has some beautiful traditions and beliefs. I don't agree with all the rules. I love the principles taught by Jesus: love God and love your neighbor as yourself. What more is there? I am not here to convert anyone. I believe what I believe and have nothing but respect for what you believe. Religious belief is a deeply personal choice.
I believe we are primarily spiritual beings utilizing these bodies while we are here on earth. We are beautiful spirits here to love and be loved. We are here to contribute to the lives of others in loving, kind ways.
When we connect to what we truly believe inside, instead of what others want us to believe, then we are able to connect to God. God is everywhere. He is omnipresent. Whether we feel God is inside us or outside us, God is the greater, magnificent power we feel in the world. Connecting to God is like plugging ourselves into an electrical outlet. When we are disconnected we are running on battery, with no reserve power. Life can tire and overwhelm us far more easily. When we plug in, we gain infinite strength and wisdom.
Action
What do you truly believe? What resonates with you? Get quiet and see what's inside.
Here are some different ways people have told me they connect to God:
1) Prayer - be it a scripted prayer or simple conversation with God (anywhere, anytime).
2) Meditation - just being in communion with God or listening for God to answer through words, images, or feelings.
3) Spending time in nature - out in the garden, on the beach, on a hike, etc. Nature is one of God's tools to recycle our energy and rejuvenate us.
4) Spending time in places that are sacred to you - a place of worship, a quiet spot at home like a comfy chair, a cemetery, or any place you find beautiful and quiet. A cemetery is a great place when you need to make a big decision. I don't know if it's because of all the spirits there or because you realize the finality of it all and what truly matters.
5) Sitting quietly and feeling what's inside you. You can imagine a ball of warm, loving energy pulsating, spinning or expanding in your heart. You can imagine being in a beam or flow of energy coming down from heaven like in Star Trek, when they say "beam me up Scotty." It can feel like a flow of love or peace or the Holy Spirit that you are connecting to.
There are countless ways to connect. If you have ideas, please share with us. I love to hear others' experiences. Enjoy being plugged in!
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Our Spirits
I believe our spirits are beautiful, powerful and magnificent. We were made in the image of God.
I don't remember who said this, but I once heard this description. We were born who we were meant to be and spend our childhood picking up the thoughts and beliefs from others around us. Then we spend our adult lives trying to release those thoughts and beliefs to become who we were meant to be. I agree with this. When I witness clients release thoughts, feelings, beliefs that they either picked up from others, from negative life experiences or that are no longer useful for the person, they physically relax and feel more comfortable in themselves.
Our spirits are like a beautiful sunny day. As we pick up negative thoughts and beliefs and life experiences, it's like adding clouds to the sky. Some clouds resemble mild nagging. They are light and fluffy and don't affect us much. There are others that are like huge storm clouds which can really hurt us and obscure our sunlight. Phrases such as "you are a loser and will amount to nothing," child abuse and other traumatic experiences can cause us to exist in such a dark state because our light is continually hidden by the gathering clouds. If we can release those clouds from our bodies, our spirits can shine and we can be happy and vibrant again.
Action
When we can connect with what we truly believe about ourselves, we can see what we have picked up from others. It doesn't matter what others think of us or expect from us. Our lives are our own. Their lives are their own. We are only responsible for our own happiness. We cannot make others happy, no matter how hard we try.
Just acknowledging misappropriated beliefs can help release them. Writing in a journal or on paper you can shred can also help to release unwanted beliefs. If things seem too hard to sort out on your own, see a counselor. Life can be stressful and being able to speak to an objective professional can often help us identify learned versus genuine beliefs. Even just the act of voicing them can bring clarity amid confusion.
Take a moment to actually visualize the ominous clouds floating away. Acknowledge that they are not of your making and you needn't carry them with you any longer. Taking the time to listen to what beliefs resonate within you as true and genuine is immensely beneficial to your everyday well-being.
You are worth it.
I don't remember who said this, but I once heard this description. We were born who we were meant to be and spend our childhood picking up the thoughts and beliefs from others around us. Then we spend our adult lives trying to release those thoughts and beliefs to become who we were meant to be. I agree with this. When I witness clients release thoughts, feelings, beliefs that they either picked up from others, from negative life experiences or that are no longer useful for the person, they physically relax and feel more comfortable in themselves.
Our spirits are like a beautiful sunny day. As we pick up negative thoughts and beliefs and life experiences, it's like adding clouds to the sky. Some clouds resemble mild nagging. They are light and fluffy and don't affect us much. There are others that are like huge storm clouds which can really hurt us and obscure our sunlight. Phrases such as "you are a loser and will amount to nothing," child abuse and other traumatic experiences can cause us to exist in such a dark state because our light is continually hidden by the gathering clouds. If we can release those clouds from our bodies, our spirits can shine and we can be happy and vibrant again.
Action
When we can connect with what we truly believe about ourselves, we can see what we have picked up from others. It doesn't matter what others think of us or expect from us. Our lives are our own. Their lives are their own. We are only responsible for our own happiness. We cannot make others happy, no matter how hard we try.
Just acknowledging misappropriated beliefs can help release them. Writing in a journal or on paper you can shred can also help to release unwanted beliefs. If things seem too hard to sort out on your own, see a counselor. Life can be stressful and being able to speak to an objective professional can often help us identify learned versus genuine beliefs. Even just the act of voicing them can bring clarity amid confusion.
Take a moment to actually visualize the ominous clouds floating away. Acknowledge that they are not of your making and you needn't carry them with you any longer. Taking the time to listen to what beliefs resonate within you as true and genuine is immensely beneficial to your everyday well-being.
You are worth it.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Beauty in Flaws
Our flaws or imperfections make us unique, interesting and beautiful. Life would be boring if everyone looked the same, acted the same, believed in all the same things, drove the same car, and lived in the same-looking house, no? We'd just look like a bunch of robots. Boring!
Take scars for instance. I've treated many clients with scars. These scars may be from injuries, surgeries, or other traumas. Many people are self-conscious about them and see them as ugly. I see them as beautiful. There is always a story behind the scar; a story rich in character and context which says the person is human and real.
They have lived and survived and their bodies have healed. Scars are like tattoos, which I love. People usually have stories or meanings behind those too. Even if it's just something they like, it still tells me something about them. For instance, I have a tattoo on my shoulder blade which I got as a celebration of turning 40.
I don't have any major scars, but when I look at the minor ones around my body, they remind me of fun I've had or dumb things I did as a kid. A friend of mine has a scar on her throat from having her thyroid removed due to cancer. I know that she feels self-conscious about it, but I think it's beautiful. She is a survivor.
My husband has many nicks on his head, which are easily seen when he shaves it. He can remember some of the crazy things he did as a kid to get them. My son has a large scar on his hip from when he had cancer at age one. I remember that story. It was not an easy time, but my family is stronger and more beautiful to me for it.
When my son was sick, I thought "I'm trying to help people heal naturally, how can I have faith in the natural methods when my own son needs chemotherapy?" But I realized both traditional and holistic medicine have their strengths and sometimes a more aggressive treatment is necessary. I couldn't heal him myself and I felt helpless, frustrated....flawed.
But because of this experience I have been able to help so many more people who have gone through tough times...simply because I can relate. It has allowed me to understand and have compassion for the person dealing with the health issue as well as appreciate how it affects the family and others close to the person. Without that "flaw" in my life, as well as others, I may have missed being able to connect with and help others.
I certainly wouldn't want to relive that time, but I'm glad I can take something away from it that can be a blessing to others. When we have scars, flaws, or "imperfections" on our bodies or in our life circumstances, others can relate to us easier. We become real, human, and in some ways, kindred spirits.
Action
I say rejoice in the name of victory and survival and lessons learned, and wear your scars and flaws proudly. When someone or someone's life looks perfect, remember that she has gone through something at some point. Sometimes those who look like they have it all together really don't. You may not know the details, but everyone has issues and everyone lives in this imperfect world trying his best to live a happy life.
As individuals we are unique but also share in the common bond of imperfection. Perfection is over-rated. Real people who have lived life and are still here to share their beautiful stories add to the rich tapestry of the human experience. Each "flaw" holds the power to inspire, comfort or educate. As with many things in life, it's a matter of perspective.
Take scars for instance. I've treated many clients with scars. These scars may be from injuries, surgeries, or other traumas. Many people are self-conscious about them and see them as ugly. I see them as beautiful. There is always a story behind the scar; a story rich in character and context which says the person is human and real.
They have lived and survived and their bodies have healed. Scars are like tattoos, which I love. People usually have stories or meanings behind those too. Even if it's just something they like, it still tells me something about them. For instance, I have a tattoo on my shoulder blade which I got as a celebration of turning 40.
I don't have any major scars, but when I look at the minor ones around my body, they remind me of fun I've had or dumb things I did as a kid. A friend of mine has a scar on her throat from having her thyroid removed due to cancer. I know that she feels self-conscious about it, but I think it's beautiful. She is a survivor.
My husband has many nicks on his head, which are easily seen when he shaves it. He can remember some of the crazy things he did as a kid to get them. My son has a large scar on his hip from when he had cancer at age one. I remember that story. It was not an easy time, but my family is stronger and more beautiful to me for it.
When my son was sick, I thought "I'm trying to help people heal naturally, how can I have faith in the natural methods when my own son needs chemotherapy?" But I realized both traditional and holistic medicine have their strengths and sometimes a more aggressive treatment is necessary. I couldn't heal him myself and I felt helpless, frustrated....flawed.
But because of this experience I have been able to help so many more people who have gone through tough times...simply because I can relate. It has allowed me to understand and have compassion for the person dealing with the health issue as well as appreciate how it affects the family and others close to the person. Without that "flaw" in my life, as well as others, I may have missed being able to connect with and help others.
I certainly wouldn't want to relive that time, but I'm glad I can take something away from it that can be a blessing to others. When we have scars, flaws, or "imperfections" on our bodies or in our life circumstances, others can relate to us easier. We become real, human, and in some ways, kindred spirits.
Action
I say rejoice in the name of victory and survival and lessons learned, and wear your scars and flaws proudly. When someone or someone's life looks perfect, remember that she has gone through something at some point. Sometimes those who look like they have it all together really don't. You may not know the details, but everyone has issues and everyone lives in this imperfect world trying his best to live a happy life.
As individuals we are unique but also share in the common bond of imperfection. Perfection is over-rated. Real people who have lived life and are still here to share their beautiful stories add to the rich tapestry of the human experience. Each "flaw" holds the power to inspire, comfort or educate. As with many things in life, it's a matter of perspective.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Love Yourself
You cannot take care of yourself if you don't love yourself. You may not be perfect. You are not perfect because no one is perfect. You may want to change some things about yourself, but you need to love yourself.
We all need to love ourselves. We need to stop criticizing ourselves, comparing ourselves to others, and competing with others. How can we love who we are if we think and speak negatively about ourselves? We don't give ourselves a chance to enjoy who we are. We set up a situation in our bodies where we feel the need to protect ourselves from the most significant person in our life - our own self!
Our bodies then carry this self-destructive energy around which adversely affects our health and greatly impacts how we take care of ourselves. This only serves to increase the tension we hold in our bodies. When we can feel that we love ourselves, we bathe our bodies in the best energy possible.
Action
So how do we stop this destructive pattern and begin to love who we are?
1) Realize you are ok as you are right now. Give yourself a break. Stop expecting perfection. You will realize I'm not perfect as you read my blogs. I am ok with that because I know for sure that I am not perfect. And when you can let that go, it is a huge burden lifted.
2) Stop criticizing yourself and putting yourself down to others. You wouldn't continually put your friends down. You wouldn't want to hurt them like that. And your friends wouldn't stick around for very long putting up with that.
3) Repeat throughout the day "I'm ok" or " I love myself just the way I am." Louise Hay suggests saying "I love you" in the mirror everyday throughout the day until it sinks in.
4) You will notice you start doing nice things for yourself and taking better care of yourself. You will feel much more relaxed as you start to love who you are. And you will see your true personality shine through as you feel accepted and loved as you are.
We all need to love ourselves. We need to stop criticizing ourselves, comparing ourselves to others, and competing with others. How can we love who we are if we think and speak negatively about ourselves? We don't give ourselves a chance to enjoy who we are. We set up a situation in our bodies where we feel the need to protect ourselves from the most significant person in our life - our own self!
Our bodies then carry this self-destructive energy around which adversely affects our health and greatly impacts how we take care of ourselves. This only serves to increase the tension we hold in our bodies. When we can feel that we love ourselves, we bathe our bodies in the best energy possible.
Action
So how do we stop this destructive pattern and begin to love who we are?
1) Realize you are ok as you are right now. Give yourself a break. Stop expecting perfection. You will realize I'm not perfect as you read my blogs. I am ok with that because I know for sure that I am not perfect. And when you can let that go, it is a huge burden lifted.
2) Stop criticizing yourself and putting yourself down to others. You wouldn't continually put your friends down. You wouldn't want to hurt them like that. And your friends wouldn't stick around for very long putting up with that.
3) Repeat throughout the day "I'm ok" or " I love myself just the way I am." Louise Hay suggests saying "I love you" in the mirror everyday throughout the day until it sinks in.
4) You will notice you start doing nice things for yourself and taking better care of yourself. You will feel much more relaxed as you start to love who you are. And you will see your true personality shine through as you feel accepted and loved as you are.
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