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Category: Healing

Winter Solstice

Winter Solstice – what can we learn?

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We have all heard of the winter solstice which this year was on 21 December 2020 and represented the shortest day of the year.  A day where daylight is shorter than any other time, but also a time when the sun rises and sets in the same place over 3 days.

For us in the 21st century December is predominately aligned to the Christian calendar of the birth of Christ celebrated as Christmas – a busy month of planning, preparations and buying. It certainly has a very different feel to how our ancestors marked the Winter solstice and its 7-6 week cycle.

Even though Christmas was very different this year for most of us due to the co-vid restrictions I expect the lead up to Christmas day was probably still full on and possibly quite stressful.

So what is the true meaning of the Winter solstice and what can we learn from it in our modern lives?  For our ancestors the Winter solstice meant stillness, a time to slow down and rest.  The harvest had been gathered, food stored and planting of new crops wouldn’t be taking place until the Spring Equinox.  So for them this meant restoration, retreat and a time to conserve energy.

 Is this something that we could bring into our lives? I feel we can because in one way the weather encourages us to snuggle in at home and spend time with family (especially if we weren’t under co-vid measures!).  We may find ourselves resting and sleeping a bit more, making use of the darker evenings.  We can also consciously slow down, take time to listen to our bodies, accept that is OK to sit and read or watch a film in the afternoon.  Slowing down can be difficult for some people as it also creates a space to think, to allow thoughts and memories to come to mind and that may be painful.  However, accept them in, don’t judge or try to fix, just allow the thoughts to come in and know that they will pass.

As we move through the Winter solstice we recognise that this is also the time for the returning of the light, a time when the Sun very gradually returns in length within our days.  This year more than ever I feel the return of the light is not only physically manifested but also symbolically.  For as we go through the Winter solstice we are hoping for a very different succeeding year – a year of hope and light as we come to terms and accept what we have all been through.  Over the next few months we know that the Sun is coming back to us and sharing with us its beauty and power just as it did for our ancestors thousands of years ago.

Whether you are a winter lover or not take the opportunity to slow down or snatch bits of time to do absolutely nothing, you deserve it and your body needs it!

If you feel you need some extra help is slowing down I invite you to book a distance Reiki session. From the comfort of your own home, receive healing that invites deep relaxation, peace and balance of harmony within your body.

Healing energy

How does Shamanic Healing and Reiki differ?

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Healing both from Reiki and Shamanism uses energy to assist the body and mind to find balance and restore harmony from distress, illness and ill health.  Neither are cures, and should always be used in conjunction with any prescribed conventional treatment and advice.

Having evolved my healing practice from Reiki to incorporate shamanic healing I am beginning to gain a greater understanding of how they differ.

Reiki allows energy to flow through the practitioner to the client and for the energy to travel to any part of the person physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.  It kicks start the body to natural heal itself even though we don’t always know the root cause.  The energy, often from Universal energy which surrounds us, can replete areas where the energy is depleted and calm down aspects/areas that may be over stimulated.  Our first indication of feeling unwell or “out of sorts” will often manifest itself physically although the origin may be in the emotionally or spiritual energy field of our bodies.

The client is a recipient of this healing energy and needs to be willing to receive Reiki and can comfortably lie back to receive whatever is required.

Shamanic healing is more active and proactive.  As a practitioner I still use the Universal life force of energy but actively call in compassionate guides and spirits to work with me.  In this sense it is a three way partnership of healing between the client, practitioner and helping guides.  Shamanic healing also involves exploring and gaining a greater understanding of the issue through gentle questions, therefore, although relaxed, the client has a bit more work to do!  This creates an ownership and commitment to explore, understand and heal.  Questions asked such as – “what does this pain/issue look like? – is it yours or does it belong to someone else? – what is its purpose?” leads to a greater understanding of the client’s body.  Use of sacred tools such as drum, rattle, voice and breath can be used to assist the healing process.  Healing can occur in a variety of ways through releasing misplaced energy and replacing with healing energy in different forms.  It may go to the very needs of the soul.

Both healing modalities can be highly effective in gaining a deeper form of healing and balance that is not cognitively led but is guided through a deeper and, at times, ancient knowledge of total well being and balance.

What can Reiki and Shamanic Healing be used for?

  • Restore emotional balance related to issues such as stress, anxiety, low mood and trauma
  • Promote physical well being within the body
  • To ease and release pain
  • To assist in letting go of past hurts and emotional blocks

If you would like to know more about these beautiful interventions please book a complimentary Insight session to discuss your needs further.

Benefits of Shamanic healing
Inner strength of lioness

Inner Strength

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When we are faced with external stress, pressure and demands this is the time when we need to tap into our inner strength.

Generally what we currently have to deal with, we have faced before, but maybe in a different guise.  The issue may be different but the emotions and feelings are what we are familiar with.

We have so much inner strength and resources but we can often forget or ignore them.  We can allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by emotions which can lead into a panic cycle and not know how to respond.

Over the years, however, we have experienced, and gathered, inner strengths such as reflection, determination, calmness, trust in self, belief and motivation.  We have accrued skills such as problem solving, listening, delegating, sharing (with the right people) and the ability to ask for help or to recognise when to let go and accept.

If we can bring our strengths and resources to the fore than our ability to cope, to bring down stress levels and to gain confidence will expand and grow.

To do this we need to be in a place of calm. The brain, as we know, registers uncomfortable/distressing situations as a danger and triggers off the fight/flight/freeze response.  When we are in this state our ability to think logically and rationally is impaired.  The body is focused on survival rather than cognitive problem solving.

The most important thing you can do is to get to a state of calm.  You can do this through relaxation, Reiki, meditation, walking – whatever helps to switch off that alarm system.  Once in this preferred state think back to another time when you had a similar emotional reaction or problem.  How did you react? What was most helpful at that time? What did you learn from that experience?  From this reflection pick out the most helpful action, strengths, skills and consider how you could apply them to your current situation.

Take control of the situation which may mean in essence choosing how you wish to respond.  What is best for you? Trust yourself to make the right decision at that time.  We can do no more than our best.  Use all your past experiences to tap into what is already there – your inner strength.  Move from an external need for support, approval and assurance to an inner belief of trust and strength.

If you struggle with this concept or have difficulty getting in touch with your inner strengths and abilities then you may wish to consider an EFT (Tapping ) session as  a gentle way to bring down intensity of emotion and reframe and strengthen your inner resources.

“Go within every day and find the inner strength so that the world will not blow your candle out.” ―Katherine Dunham

Stress

Stress Awareness

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Stress affects everyone and April is Stress Awareness month.  At times stress can be energising, positive and motivating but when demands upon ourselves exceed our perceived ability to cope then stress can become a problem.  The effects of stress are different for each person, for example it may affect our sleep, eating habits, relationships or concentration to do our job.

It is is rarely contributed to just one thing but to many factors over a period of time.

When stress becomes prolonged or excessive and we perceive that we cannot cope with demands then the impact upon our lives can be detrimental.

At times it is others that first recognise that we are stressed rather than ourselves.  It can be easy to keep our head down, keep going and ignore warning signs.  Sometimes we only recognise how stressed we are after the situation has gone!

The starting point is to increase our awareness of how we are feeling, what our body is telling us, notice changes in our behaviour and hear what others are saying. Only when we are aware can we do anything to help ourselves.

What are those warning signs?  This will obviously differ for each person but here are a few that may be familiar to you:

Physical – increased muscular tension, headaches, feeling nauseous, sweating

Emotional – feeling anxious, increased irritation, frustration

Behaviour – decreased or increased sleeping, lack or increase in appetite, withdrawing, increased alcohol/coffee/smoking, lack of tolerance

Cognitions (thoughts) – blaming others, everything appears negative, increased worry about everything, not being able to switch off thoughts

So what can we do?

Identify what is causing the stress and determine whether:-

a) it is under your control and you are able to do something to change it

b) it is something that you cannot change and therefore find a way to accept the situation

c) you can just let it go, as in the long run or in a few weeks time, it really won’t matter or it isn’t that important

Share your concerns and seek out the right people that will be able to support you or be able to make changes with you.

Look after yourself physically by having a healthy diet, get enough sleep, take exercise, engage socially with others and actively do relaxation eg have a bath, listen to a mediation tape, have ring-fenced quiet time.

Talk to yourself as if you are your best friend; be kind, compassionate and caring to yourself.  Praise and compliment yourself on how you are doing and how you are coping.

End the day by giving gratitude for what you have in your life – family, friends, home, health, faith, work etc.

Keep in mind that the stress will pass and spend each day focusing in the here and now.  Turn worries into problems and look at how to solve them.

So how can I help?

Book yourself a Reiki session which promotes relaxation, re-balancing and restoring of energy levels.

Book an appointment to learn Emotional Freedom Technique (or Tapping) as a self-help tool that decreases intensity of emotions and promotes a different way of looking at situations.

Book a day on a retreat especially designed for healthcare workers – 11 May 2019.

There is nothing to be ashamed of feeling stressed and the more we understand our early warning signs and do something to help ourselves the more in control we feel thus decreasing our levels of stress.

meditation

Meditation – the Benefits

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Meditation can still conjure up images of sitting in the lotus position and chanting “omm”! Meditation in the Western world has moved on a lot from the original Eastern practice and it is more accessibly and “easier” to do now for many people.

There are many fantastic meditation groups that provide the space and stillness to meditate alongside others and if you are a beginner can learn the process and discipline of meditation.

For some people to sit still and to attempt to empty the mind can be extremely challenging.  Sitting still can evoke beliefs of “being lazy, not doing anything” and there can also be the fear of what can come into the mind if we are not controlling it.

However meditation can be done in many ways and they all have immense health benefits.  If you have time in the morning, especially at the weekend, why not sit quietly in bed and just focus on your breathing.  Notice when thoughts come into your mind and then just return to being aware of the rise and fall of your chest.  If you can do that for 5 minutes that’s brilliant, if you can do it for longer even better.

If you prefer to be led into a meditation there are lots of apps and CDs that are available such as Headspace , there are many more listed here.  To immerse yourself into meditation you can go on a retreat, silent or otherwise, which can help kick start your awareness of how to meditate.

For more informal ways of meditation just be in nature, walk quietly, preferably alone and use all your senses to tune in to what is around you.  You may have a favourite spot where you can just sit and be still and allow your thoughts to drift in and out without any focus upon them.  Or you may give yourself time to have a bath rather than a shower.  Set the intention to be still in mind and body, ensure that everyone else in the household knows not to disturb you and create a warming and relaxing environment.  If you still find your mind wandering always go back to noticing your breath.

So why should we meditate?  Research has shown that meditation will decrease blood pressure, decrease heart rate, decrease the release of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, it can re-alkalize your body, slow the ageing process down and promote deeper sleep.

Apparently our normal waking brain waves, Beta, are at 14-28 cycles per second.  In meditation they go to Alpha waves at 7-14 cycles per second and in deep meditation can drop into Theta waves at 4-7 waves per second.

We also know that through meditation we can clear and balance our chakras and in turn balance our energy field which can decrease the risk of illness and in time be more in tune with nature thus once again promoting good health.

If you are not sure how to start having a Reiki session is a good way of giving yourself permission to stop , be still and to receive.

So however you do your meditation, whether it be for 10 minutes a week or an hour a day it is part of valuing your own health and wellbeing which enhances health benefits to ourselves and others.

compassion and empathy

Compassion and Empathy

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Compassion and empathy are two words which have found their way more and more into our everyday language.  Do we really understand what they mean and are we practicing these values?

I am still learning and integrating these two words and certainly at times I have to work really hard to bring in these emotions.

Certainly there are specific therapies that now focus on compassion such as Compassion Focused Therapy but we don’t need to go to a workshop or class to achieve compassion.

If we want to bring these aspects into our lives we need understand what they are first.  Recently I read a description that highlights the subtle difference between empathy and compassion.  In his book  “Same Soul – Many Lives” Dr B Weiss states that empathy is an intellectual approach in trying to understand another person’s feelings.  Compassion is more instinctual and comes from the heart so you can be compassionate without being empathic.

Trying to understand another person’s feeling can increase our awareness of others situations which we may have no prior knowledge or understanding of.  It can often be suggested to “walk in another’s shoes” – to understand and appreciate how the other person is feeling.

Compassion is often a spontaneous feeling and comes from the heart with actions that are based in kindness.  Both empathy and compassion take us on the eventual path of unconditional love.

It can be incredibly hard to put these into practice at times especially when you have been hurt by others but we always have choices in how we react and we choose our attitude.  It can take a lot of mental strength, awareness and inner calm to show compassion but by doing so can drastically change the whole situation.  Often it is not about changing the other person but it is about changing ourselves.  If you come from a place of compassion then you are less likely to feel anger or frustration, stress will be reduced and you can let go of grudges and bring in forgiveness.   This in turn may have a positive effect on the other person and thus changing the energy between you both.

It may mean taking time out to think and reflect quietly about a situation and then going back with a compassionate and/or empathic response.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself:-

  • How would I feel if I were in their shoes?
  • What is contributing to them acting/behaving as they do?
  • If I was at my most compassionate self how would I see the situation and how would I want to respond?

Compassion and empathy are not just for others but are equally important for ourselves.  The starting point is always with ourselves and by being compassionate i.e. being kind and understanding, these two emotions and values can greatly enhance our lives and lead to the ultimate goal of unconditional love.

Tapping Tree

Tapping Tree

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What is a Tapping Tree? Tapping can be used for almost everything that is causing you a problem.  That may be physical pain, an intrusive memory or past trauma, current anxiety, weight loss the list goes on!

We can also tap on the different levels of the issue and the Tapping Tree as explained by Nick Ortner  in The Tapping Solution demonstrates  the different aspects of an issue.

The Tapping Tree or any other kind of tree is made up of four parts – the leaves, branches, trunk and roots and each of these can correspond to what we can tap upon and I have put together a video to explain each part.

The Leaves

These represent the symptoms that we feel from our issue or problem.  It may be physical pain that we are experiencing or symptoms of anxiety such as tension in shoulders, busy thoughts, upset stomach.  By tapping on these symptoms we can alleviate them or eliminate them.

The Branches

The branches are our emotions or feelings.  Every issue or problem will bring with it an emotion about the situation whether it is sadness, grief, anger, stress, frustration or fear.  This is where tapping can really help to reduce the intensity of these emotions thus making us feel more in control or a sense that we can cope with the situation better.

The Trunk

The trunk is an actual event or situation.  It may be a situation that has yet to happen or a current event that we are involved with but by tapping on what is or has happened will help clear the impact that it may be having on us.

The Roots

The roots hold the tree together and they represent our underlying beliefs about ourselves.  We know that beliefs can both be empowering and limiting and can be formed from a very early age and are taken into our adulthood.  Beliefs are the fixed rules that we live our lives by and very rarely question whether they are still helpful to us.  We have beliefs about ourselves who we are, what we do, what we don’t do and are an integral part of our identity.  However these beliefs can keep us stuck and hold us back in our lives.  Tapping on these can produce the biggest shift in our progress to change.

We can tap on any of these parts but we know that the tree will continue to grow and live if the leaves are taken away, or the branches are cut off or if it is felled at the trunk.  It is only when we take the roots away do we totally clear out the issue for it not to return.

To get right to the underlying cause of the issue we need to tap on the beliefs and you can do this for yourself or have 1:1 sessions with an EFT practitioner.

Dramas and energy

Managing Dramas!

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Dramas!  I expect we all have enough of them in our lives but it is the insidious, perpetual ones that can exhaust us and alter our own behaviour.  I recently re-read The Celestine Prophecy by James Refield , the sixth insight struck home about the control dramas that each of us have developed since childhood.

According to the book there are four types of control dramas and they all have a way of taking away energy from others.

Intimidator – aggressive behaviour, threatening physically or verbally, and the other person is forced to pay attention to them and so give energy.

Interrogator – asking questions and probing into the other person’s world in order to find fault or criticize.  The other person can then feel more wary or self-conscious thus giving their energy away to the “interrogator”.

Aloof – this is when the person creates a mystery or silence around them in order to get others to guess or search out how they are feeling.  The more they remain vague or non-communicative the more others are drawn into their energy to seek out what is going on.

Poor Me – when that person constantly focuses on everything that is horrible  happening to them, when nothing right happens for them.  This can have the effect of others somehow feeling responsible for this, feeling guilty thus once again giving away energy to them.

These behaviours have been described in many different ways such as assertive/aggressive/ passive or in parent/adult/child terms.

How we develop our own control dramas is often a result of our parents control dramas so an “Intimidator” can result in a “Poor Me” and an “Interrogator” in someone being aloof.

Equally aloof dramas can create an interrogator behaviour and a poor me approach can also result in an explosion into intimidator.

So how do we deal with these control dramas? As with most things, first of all be aware that it is happening and then, if appropriate reflect back to them what is happening.   For example:  “Rather than me guessing about X why don’t you tell me?” (Aloof)  “I realise that X has happened to you but I’m not responsible for it” (Poor Me).

The key approach after this is to send or treat the person, from your own place of energy and strength, with kindness and compassion, understand where they are coming from.  I realise that is not necessarily an easy thing to do but by changing the energy between the two parties you manage to retain your own energy and sense of self-worth whilst, hopefully, affecting the others person’s energy state into one of calmness, peace and compassion.

“We humans have always sought to increase our personal energy in the only manner we have known, by seeking to psychologically steal it from the others–an unconscious competition that underlies all human conflict in the world.” ― James Redfield, The Celestine Prophecy

Storytelling

Storytelling – do we still need it?

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Listen with Mother and Jackanory are just two examples of storytelling from childhood memories.  Snuggling down alongside my Mum to listen to the radio or that quiet time listening and watching  the latest story on Jackanory before tea time still resonates today.  Both forms of storytelling held me enraptured and captivated by the words being spoken and the images created in my young mind.  The story allowed me as a young child to go into another world, to come away from the present and lose myself in the narrative of the theme.  For a child, storytelling whether through books, television or radio brought comfort, soothing, excitement and a tinge of fear and unknowingly an understanding of our world and a part within it.

Storytelling is an art form that has been in existence since mankind first inhabited this earth.  It was a way to share learning, to pass on crucial information and to evoke a sense of belonging.   Whilst in Namibia and visiting the oldest desert in the world, storytelling was in evidence in the form of rock art which were over 5000 year old, telling the story to the next reader of the type of game that could be found, where water was located and how to reach it.

Every culture has it ways to recount stories from one generation to another.  Storytelling is a link to our ancestors and their past knowledge but each story, retold over generations, fits its own modern paradigm.  Fairy stories illustrated this beautifully as they are redesigned each time with its own unique meaning to connect with contemporary culture.  Little Red Riding Hood was recreated by the Brothers Grimm to highlight the dangers of straying away from the path, the norm or the conventional.  It was thought that this story originated in 17th Century and known as Red Cap, often ended with the wolf and girl ending up in bed together!

Telling stories needn’t just be verbal, they can be drawn, written, sung and danced.  They can be in the form of riddles, fables, ballads and sayings.  Whatever the form, the key to the power of stories is the connection between speaker and listener – a connection from soul to soul with the receiver being an equal part of the process.  Each individual listener will perceive their own unique understanding of the underlining message within the folds of the story.  The listener needs to be ready to receive with open ears and heart and allow meaning to resonate within themselves.  How they absorb and embrace the meaning will be relevant to them at that current moment in time.  Great story tellers have that connection to their audience that engenders a curiosity to seek further understanding.

Maybe the art of storytelling has become diluted in the Western World, we have lost the respect of our elders and are so bombarded with constant information that the power of a single saying, theme  or sentence gets lost before it can be heard and assimilated.  However, within Shamanic practice storytelling is crucial for the connection with our ancestors, our understanding of the past, present and future and integral to personal growth.  So let us revere the Shaman’s skills at imparting knowledge and understanding through the ancient art of storytelling.

Tapping or EFT

Tapping as a Self-Help Tool

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Tapping or Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is a gentle, non-invasive and effective way to bring down intensity of emotions.  It has been used since the 1970s and more research is being done on this intervention indicating the effect it has on the brain and body.  As it is easy to learn and apply it can be an incredibly powerful technique that once learnt can be applied to almost anything and anywhere.

The basic theory behind EFT or Tapping is that all negative emotions are a result of disruption to the body’s energy system.  So by tapping on these energy systems, Meridians, the energy is re-adjusted and restored to bring about a different emotional state, reduced pain and a change of perspective on beliefs and thoughts.

EFT works on the emotional cause of such issues as:-

Pain, depression, anxiety, phobias, post traumatic stress disorder, panic, confidence issues, weight loss and cravings, stress, headaches, self-esteem to name just a few!

A part of the brain, the amygdala, is our alarm detector and any stressful, distressing emotion or thought triggers this alarm off to release such hormones as adrenaline and cortisol, keeping the body on fight/flight alert even with low grade persistent stress.  This can also link back into long term memories which continue to raise the intensity of emotion.

So by tapping on certain points the brain starts to relearn that although the thought/memory/emotion is distressing the alarm system starts to switch off as it is no longer feeling threatened.

A good example is post traumatic stress disorder where after Tapping is applied, the memory of the event remains but the emotion that was attached to it is no longer intense – it has reduced or completely disappeared.

Once you learn where and how to tap you can tap on symptoms such as pain, headaches, muscular tension.  You can tap on emotions such as anger, sadness, anxiety, fear, grief.  You can tap on an actually event such as going to the dentist, speaking to new people, public speaking and you can also tap on the limiting beliefs that underlie perceptions about ourselves and memories from childhood that have formed those beliefs.

There are many good examples of using Tapping on the internet such as The Tapping Solution and EFT Universe.

If you would like more information about how to use Tapping please feel free to contact me.