Heal

So You Want Scientific Evidence For The Effectiveness of Reiki?

This essay will aim to examine the core principles and values held in high esteem amongst Reiki practitioners and their community. Reiki is a form of energy medicine first introduced into this world by Dr Usui, a Japanese healer. Dr Usui discovered a process in which he could draw down white healing energy from the universe, through himself as a vessel, and out through his hands to perform body, mental, emotional and spiritual healing, he passed this ability on. This is known today as the attunement process, which involves a Reiki master passing on the Reiki symbols by placing them into a student’s chakras and auric field to begin development as a vessel for Reiki Energy. Reiki ideals hold a valid place in the holistic care of clients suffering from spiritual agitation, loss of direction, stress, anxiety, depression and physical pain. Reiki treatments are also effective at calming cancer patients by helping them to work through their illness on a level of positivity, reducing pain and stress in the body, as well as harmful thoughts from the mind.

Reiki means universal life energy, rei meaning flowing through everything alive, and ki is light, which is also known as prana, mana or energy. (Muller 1995, p.9). Reiki was founded at the end of the 19^th century by a Japanese Christian priest named Dr Mikao Usui. Dr Usui first became interested in healing through his study upon the enigma of the secret healings of Jesus. He dedicated his life to obtaining the ability to heal progressing in his studies to discover that Buddha also had the power to heal at a Japanese monastery. After discovering healing symbology within Buddhist scripts he decided to travel to a mountain where he fasted for twenty one days. On the twenty first day healing symbols hit his third eye, today they are known as Reiki symbols which are passed from teacher to student through a process call attunement. (Muller 1995, p.13)

Reiki healing is homage to a beautiful philosophy and set of principles, which drives healers to think larger than just the person they are healing directly. Their everyday way of life is based around kindness, honesty and respect, sending out positive energy wherever they go.

Just for today – Thou shalt not anger

Just for today – Thou shalt not worry.

Be thankful for the many blessings.

Earn thy living with honest labor.

Be kind to thy neighbours. (Muller 1995, p.15)

            Although Reiki is still largely scientifically unknown territory, there have been studies conducted that clinically prove that the energy does have a calming and therapeutic effect, even if the mechanism behind Reiki is yet to be scientifically understood. Baldwin and Wagers and Schartz conducted a study on rats showing Reiki significantly lowers heart rate in stressed and unstressed rats, which some of were exposed to loud noises. A sham group was also included, which had no effect on heart-rate (2008). Reiki is also being embraced by cancer support services all over the world. Velde and Van discuss the anecdotal reports, and beginning research that supports the use of Reiki in providing relief for mental, physical and emotional effects of cancer on patients. 

People to experience Reiki have felt its energizing effects, as well as the balance it brings to their mental and emotional issues. The most commonly reported benefit of Reiki is reduced stress, which has a positive impact on the well-being of cancer patients (2012). An article which discusses the scientific evidence recorded for the effectiveness of Reiki treatments by Baldwin, presents evidence of Reiki increasing activity of vagal nerves in twelve patients recovering from acute coronary syndrome, a disease involving blockages of the arteries. This indicates a relaxation affect which changed heart rate variability. Ultimately, Reiki had a similar effect to the medication taken by patients who have suffered from this type of heart disease (2011). 

            The effects of Reiki can also be seen visually with high frequency photography. This effect was first shown by two Russian scientists who succeeded in photographing the microstructural bioenergetics radiation of the human aura. The photo showed the energetic field of a hand before and after a Reiki treatment, carried out for only a few seconds, the field became bigger and brighter in the second photo (Muller 1995, p151). If stress and pain has been proven to increase anxiety, leading to depression in patients, it can be assumed that Reiki is also effective for treating depression and anxiety, which has been shown to be true. In an experiment including 12 men and 18 women, the patients who received Reiki compared to sham Reiki demonstrated a significant reduction in pain, depression and anxiety experienced in chronically ill patients suffering with different medical conditions. Sessions were conducted twice a week for five weeks and the benefits were still enjoyed three months after completion of Reiki treatments (Baldwin, 2011). Leo also had similar evidence to present in regards to depressed patients, showing evidence that Reiki shifted depressed patients to get out of bed and exercise, which is a major chemistry-shifter (2011).

            Reiki is just beginning to be understood and clinically proven. The centre for Reiki Research upholds excellent standards for the new evidence that emerges in support of the therapeutic effect of Reiki healings. There is no doubt that Reiki is a holistic and gentle way of healing, which encourages the body’s energetic system to repair itself without toxic side effects. Patients who experience Reiki understand the calming affect it can have on body, mind, spirit, even if it is yet to be fully understood by scientists and society. The principles adopted by Reiki practitioners assures that they first heal themselves, which in turn creates a peaceful and positive energetic field around them, and everyone they come in contact with.

References

A Complete Book of Reiki Healing, Brigitte Muller, Horst Gunther. Life Rhythm, 1995, California .

Baldwin, AL 2011, ‘Reiki, the Scientific Evidence, Reiki News, vol. 10, no.3, pp.28-31, viewed 25 May 2013, < http://ehis.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.endeavour.edu.au: 2048/eds/detail?sid=9903c3c1-e147-4e6c-a9fd-e0cea5ac84d7%40sessionmgr14 &vid=1&hid=3&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#db=awh&AN=7 8268970>

Baldwin, AL, Wagers, C, Schwartz, GE 2008, ‘Reiki improves heart rate homeostasis in laboratory rats’, Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, vol. 4, no.17, pp.417-22, viewed 26 May 2013, <http://ehis.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.endeavour.edu.au :2048/eds/detail?sid=34f619a9-af0f-4595-b133-dec97b7be6cb%40sessionmgr 111&vid= 1&hid=104&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#db=rzh&AN=2009938270>.

Leo, V, 2011, ‘Reiki, Depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder’, Reiki News, vol. 10, no.4, pp.54-58, viewed 25 May 2013, < http://ehis.ebscohost. com.ezproxy.endeavour. edu.au:2048/eds/detail?sid=a310c7c2-1331-4d7e-af8ed584fbf01eb8%40sessionmgr 13&vid=1&hid=3&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzL WxpdmU%3d#db=awh&AN=78281337>.

Velde, D, Van, J, 2008, ‘Reiki improves heart rate homeostasis in laboratory rats’, Reiki News, vol. 11, no.1, pp.27-31, viewed 25 May 2013, < http://ehis.ebscohost. com.ezproxy.endeavour. edu.au:2048/eds/detail?sid=a310c7c2-1331-4d7e-af8ed584fbf01eb8%40sessionmgr 13&vid=1&hid=3&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzL WxpdmU%3d#db=awh&AN=78281337>.

 

Reiki Healing for the Throat, Heart, and Chest

Welcome to the the 2nd post on Reiki Healing positions for self-care, self-love and 

self-balance.You hold the power in your hands to heal yourself. Higher healing comes with

 beleif, faith and practise. The more you open yourself to the healing energy in your 

hands the more attuned you will become to energy medicine. Discovering your bodies subtle energy systems is a journey. Understanding how it works, how it feels and how it expresses itself through your emotions, thoughts and beleifs is not only an empowering

experience, but an enlightening one.

My journey with energy medicine started roughly a year ago, my ability to sense energy

has always been strong, which is why I was drawn to this path.

After experience the many different ways in which my senses and perception have become heightened during this experience, as well releasing myself from many of the emotional and mental issues that I was struggling with has been a blessing. Energy 

medicine is becoming a deep-rooted passion that I wish to share with others!  

Energy medicine may not be for everyone, it is a slow and gentle form of healing which 

may not be suitable for medical emergencies in all situations. However energy medicine is

preventative, stress reducing, emotionally clearing, self-empowering and simply put, beautiful. 

When you reach a state of being able to switch off your thoughts completely, you may

even begin to visualise your own energy field and those of others. Dive into the infinte 

web of your bodies subtle energy field and be amazed at the magic and light that we are all created from. 

May you find some sort of enjoyment, clarity, and wisdom from your self-healing 

practices.     

 

This position works mainly with your throat chakra. Please be aware that it is best not

to cross your hands over eachother while healing.

Crossing of hands and fingers can interfere with ease and fluidity of the energy 

movement.

Physical Benefits

Assists with:
Strokes
tonsils
throat
larynx
thyroid
parathyroid

Emotional Benefits

helps bring:

confidence

joy

relieves anger 

larynx

thyroid

parathyroid

Mental Benefits

Brings:

Calmness

Clarity of thought

Helps to relieve:

Anger

hostility

resentment

Spiritual Benefits

The jaw is an area we hold onto significant amounts of emotion. It is where

we may be holding onto feelings of old rage, helplessness and anger. Are you afraid of 

speaking your truth? We tend to swallow our words rather than share them. The energy 

will begin to activiate your throat. As the energy starts to balance the area, it becomes 

much easier for a person to speak their truth and express themselves.

Physical Benefits

Assists with:
heart

lungs

thymus

immune system

circulation  

Emotional Benefits

releases stress

enhances capacity to love and be loved

Mental Benefits

restores balance and harmony

Spiritual Benefits

As you work with yourself and others you will begin to discover that everyone has heart 

issues. We all learn to protect our hearts and keep love out, building walls of protection. The energy will help to release those stores protection and walls with tremors,

palpitations or vibration of the heart.    

 This posture helps to balance the feminine and masculine energy in your body.

 

Reiki Healing Positions for the Face

Self-healing is accessible to everyone. Even though some are born with an innate ability to channel larger amounts than others, and Reiki practitioners are open to become a vessel for Reiki-healing energy, every single one of us is made out of energy and vibration, therefore the energy and vibration in our hands acts as a jumper cable to help release unwanted energy blocks in our bodies.

Close your eyes, imagine white light pouring into your head, down the mid-line of your body, imagine your hands opening up and swirling with the beautiful white light you have drawn upon. Cup your hands and position them over your eyes, lightly touching or hovering above your face are both fine. 

 

Energetically this position affects the pituitary and pineal glands, as well as the eyes, sinuses, nose, teeth and jaws. Emotionally it will help to reduce stress. Mentally it will help your thought process and concentration, increasing clarity, which will lead to improved decision making. You can also use this position to heal headaches on a physical level. This position can restore the balance of one's eyesight with diligent practice of at least one hour a day.

This position will assist you in the awakening of the third eye, opening the innate ability to see the divine within yourself and everyone else.

You cannot over-heal yourself. You may feel heat in your hands which turns on and off, but the energy will slow down and greatly reduce when a certain area has received enough healing. 

 This position, involving slight cupping of your hands over ears/temples affects the brain at a physical level. Reiki energy will being to promote release of any mental tension, which allows you to channel more energy, it will calm the mind and slow the brain's activity.

This position will also aid with headaches, seizures, motion sickness, shock, as well as with the pineal and pituitary glands 

At an emotional level it will free you from worry, hysteria, stress and depression. Use it with intention to set a greater ability for dream recall.

At a mental level it will assist with calmness, helping you to improve memory retention, productivity and creativity. It will integrate the right and left hemispheres of the brain  

This position will aid you in awakening the crown chakra. 

 

 Physically this position can help you relieve hay fever, sinus. It will help with digestion.

This beautiful hand position works on the Medulla Oblongata and the eyes, aiding with vision and headaches. It can help you speak clearly and concisely. It controls the entire nervous system for the whole body, relieving stress and enhancing relaxation. 

It will aid in dream, and past life recall. It will calm your thoughts and help relieve depression.

Happy self-healing..

The Power of Mantra as Vibrational Healing Through Sound

Sound. Vibration. Energy. Manifestation

Where does sound come from? Is silence a form of sound?

Is sound a manifestation of energy spontaneously erupting then dispersing back into the 

universe? 

Your own voice, a gift from the universe, vibrates and creates it's own energy.

Your voice can be used to:

Manipulate your world and others

Bring hurt to others

Speak your truth

Manifest your desires

Release emotions

Speak from your heart

In this post I would like to introduce you to a powerful form of sound healing. This tool 

can be used to  accelerate healing on all levels. The power of Mantra is sacred. Each

Mantra holds the ability to open your energy body, emotions, and soul to a higher 

vibrational level. Each Mantra holds their own number of sounds, types of vibrations and

 ritual amount of repetitions. 

Some work by drawing upon the power and energy of divine intelligence and supreme 

entities to draw their knowledge and understanding down through your crown chakra. T

his type of Mantra is particularly powerful if you have strong belief in the divine and it's 

intention to heal you, this helps open your heart chakra with love to receive healing on a 

universal level.

Other types of mantra will work through activation of your energy body. This may involve 

certain chakra activation, or stimulate the powerful serpent energy known as Kundalini 

sleeping coiled at the base of your spine.

Powerful Mantra's and Personal Favourites

Mantra of Bodhisattva Cundi

This mantra is a personal favourite of mine that I repeat every day. This mantra is special 

to me because it holds the power to cut through any past-life karma that I am dealing 

with (which is a lot). This Mantra does require a higher degree of dedication and focus 

than other mantras however because of the amount of repetitions said to bring about the 

release of karmic debt. However, every day, I feel immeasurable roots of goodness begin 

to grow in my heart.

"If one has recited this mantra 100,000 times, one will see in one's dreams Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, voice-hearers, or Pratyekabuddhas, and see oneself vomit black things. For graver sins, one should recite the mantra 200,000 times. Then one will also see in one's dreams Buddhas and Bodhisattvas as well as oneself vomit black things. If one is unable to get such good dreams because of having committed any of the five rebellious acts, one should further recite the mantra 700,000 times. Then one should have these good dreams and even see oneself vomit white things. These are signs of purification, indicating that this person's sins have been expunged. If there are good laymen and laywomen who keep reciting this mantra 800,000 times, their homes will not be ravaged by catastrophes or diseases. Their work will be smooth and harmonious, and others will believe and accept what they say."

Mantra of Tara "Mother of All Buddhas"

I have had personal experience with Tara. This mantra found me during one of the most

unbearable emotional turbulent times in my life. Tara visited me during meditation

 before I even knew of her, it was through her that I first discovered mantras. Through 

vigilant repetition of her mantra I was able to grow through my experiences with ease, 

surrender and acceptance. This opened me up to a higher degree of understanding the 

process I was going through, it became clear to me how my burden was actually a blessing

 to myself and to the world. Tara is a compassionate deity who will help remove fear

from your vision and replace it with love.

Mantra of Medicine Buddha

Repeat this mantra for healing on all levels. Repeat till your are free of

any and all ailments, this includes physical, personal, spiritual, mental. 

 

 Moola Mantra

 

A powerful mantra to call upon the creator and destructor of all.

Enjoy your new found healing, inspiration, and success through these sacred vibrational 

formulas for freedom.

 

 

Qi Nei Tsang "Demon Hunting"

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of participating in a class that taught the practise of a unique type of massage: Qi Nei Tsang. This massage is an ancient practice used by monks to elevate their emotional awareness, and  expand their energy capacity. The massage works on removing past hurts and emotions hidden in our stomach area that have a role in controlling the way we are likely to react to emotional hurt.

Essentially, the stomach is another brain in your body; it has just as many neurons, if not more, than your brain. Your stomach is where you feel emotions; it is also where you remember them, and re-live them, reacting to life and its obstacles according to the “demon” that has been stored in your stomach. The reaction comes about from some point in your life where you learnt how to handle a situation in a manner that may be unbeneficial to you.

If you were a little child and experienced your father abusing your mother, a traumatic emotion would ensue. As a child, with a less developed view of the world, the way you choose to react and process the event is unbeneficial to your long-term happiness. You might decide to become the abuser (unconsciously). From then onwards, you can’t figure out why every man you have a relationship with ends up running. You just can’t seem to make it work, doesn’t he understand that you have all these tests for him to keep failing at because you need to protect yourself? The pattern becomes unconscious, and it can be run on repeat until you decide to make a change. But even when you do, something in your gut, your instincts, push you to react in the same way. That is your demon, that is what you need to face.

Qi Nei Tsang works wonderfully by coaxing these little lumps up from the stomach into the heart area to be experienced fully as the pain and hurt that they truly are, allowing you to release it from your body. I have had success with several demons of my own. I recommend a daily self-care routine which can be done before going to sleep, or when you wake in the morning. All it takes is five minutes to check the health-state of your stomach and become greater attuned to your system. First feel for lumps directly north, east, south, and west on your belly button, then check in between all of those points, basically doing a circle around your stomach. You are feeling for areas that are tight, hurt, or pulsate at a level in which you feel is to strong. Feeling around for these areas is difficult at first, but you will get better with practice as you begin to know your body and understand foreign lumps or emotions. 

CERTAIN AREAS HOUSE CERTAIN EMOTIONS

You may have pent up anger that you need to massage in your liver area.

Fear affects the kidneys, deeper inside, and the sides of your stomach.

Worry affects your stomach and spleen area, digestion, also your upper left.

Sadness can have a devastating affect on the lungs as well as your lower left sides.

Try massaging your sternum and take a few large breathes while gently vibrating on the area if you feel pain on applied pressure. 
 

When you start to feel your emotions, let them be, and don't stop there, when one is gone, it may now allow for another to be released from under its clasp.Coming from a chakra perspective the sacral and solar plexus chakras are important for a range of healthy emotions from creativity, sexuality, confidence, power, connection and turning your positives into negatives. Perform this alchemy now with Qi Nei Tsang techniques.

   

It is my belief that you can see great benefits in your emotional world through this practice, and of course you can always seek more knowledge out for yourself if you want to take it further.

Eating to Compliment and Replenish Deficient Yin/Yang

A credit to the artist, Jim Thompson

This post is going to challenge some of the newer ideas about food that, I, myself have been a part of, and have promoted, and still continue to do. By no means is this post going to discourage certain food types, instead if will encourage you to think for yourself, listen to your body and the signs it is trying to portray to you, increasing your own awareness, which is only a good thing right?

In brief, I will go over what Yin/Yang is. Yin and Yang are the energies that drive the earth and helped to create it. Yin is sometimes seen as the feminine, the dark and alluring, the cold, or the shady side of the mountain, it is associated with the earth. Where as Yang is the masculine, the energetic, the go-getting, confidence, or the sunny side of the mountain, it is associated with the sun. These energies cannot exist apart from one another and are interchanging, connecting, complimenting and consuming each other at any given moment. Think of day, yang, and night, yin, there would be no night without day, and no day without night, how could we name either of them or even hold a concept of day/night if the other did not exist.

As human beings, we have both aspects of these energies operating within our body at all times, however one tends to dominate. When we are out of balance we may develop illness, or certain unpleasant characteristics of either type of energy.

When we are healthy most of us a fairly balanced, but here are some very general guidelines to try and help you determine whether or not you have a certain imbalance.

TOO MUCH YING

Cold to the touch, easily chilled

Lacking energy

Slow metabolism digestion

Retaining more fluid, sinus issues

Prone to depression

Anxious   

Shy, quiet, submissive

Unable to give to self, always thinking of others  

TOO MUCH YANG

Generally warm, prone to fevers

Energetic leading to anger or hyperactivity

Fast metabolism

Easily irritated

Red face, dry skin

Prone to mania

Over-dominant

Here is where I am going to tell you to think about your diet. Raw vegetable food diets are all the craze lately and I can see why. Yes uncooked foods hold a lot of nutrients, but think about. If you have overactive yin and not enough yang, how is your system going to get digest and adsorb those nutrients if you have less heat/digestive fire to extract them? And if you are over Yang, how is eating hot meat, a yang food going to calm your aggression?

If we are young, fairly balance and healthy by all means consuming a raw food diet is going to be a very wise, and healthy choice. But if you have a tendency to lean towards more yin, like myself, perhaps its better to think about adding more heat and yang energy to your diet. You will find by adding more yang, you will also increase your metabolism and ability to digest food quickly and healthily. This means while consuming raw vegetables most of the time is completely fine, make sure to add some yang elements to your meals as well. Have some warm soup, some spices, add some cooked eggs or even steam the vegetables a little. While vegetables are predominately yin, cooking them even a little increases their yang.

Here is a very basic list to get you started off with

EAT TO INCREASE YIN

White Processed Breads 

Pastas and Pastries

Tomato, Potato, Eggplant, Grapefruit, Banana, Pineapple, Peppers, Spinach

Honey, Maple Syrup

Cashews, 

Soft Cheeses, Cream, Yogurt, Butter

Beans such as Lentils, Black Beans, Chickpeas

Cucumber, Celery, Sprouts, Peas, Green Beans, Summer Squash, Mushrooms

Whole Grain Noodles

Tofu

Beets, Apples, Pears, Peaches, Plums, Strawberries, Canteloupe, Apricots, Watermelon Grapes, Oranges, Tangerines, Lemons, Almonds, Walnuts, Rice Syrup, Barley Malt

Raw, cold foods 

EAT TO INCREASE YANG 

Poultry

Shellfish

Red Meat Fish such as Tuna, Salmon, Swordfish

White meat fish such as Flounder, Bass, Trout 

Whole Grain Flour baked in Bread or Chips

Sea Salt

Miso, Soy Sauce 

Cooked Foods

 

I hope this introductory post on eating for your energy deficiency is helpful, and will lead you to look deeper into your diet, and your intuition.

Preparation for Crystal Healing

Crystal therapy can be divine, beautiful, inspiring and an insightful way to work with crystals. You will call upon your spirit-guides, angels, and divine energy when you work with the crystals specifically for the purpose to heal yourself or others. Keeping your intention focused on love and light will invoke the highest good from a source of divine truth during your session. 

USING YOUR INTUITION

Your inner voice is there for a reason, to guide you in making the best choices for yourself. The more you become in touch with this inner voice, the better you will be able to hear, feel, and interpret it's guidance. As well as using your intuition to pick a stone that is right for you, (one you are drawn to and want to touch/hold in your hand), it is equally important, to let divine guidance move your hand when conducting healing. There are certain patterns, grids and general rules to follow with crystal healing, however, it is my belief, that if you feel the need to stray from the plan there is a reason for it. 

CLEANSING

Be sure that your crystals are cleansed before you begin a healing session. It is also a good idea to cleanse your crystals as soon as you get home after purchasing at the store. Crystals can be cleansed in many different ways. 

• Salt Water - Himalayan Salt is best. Be aware not all crystals like to b submerged in water and it is best to research if yours does
• Moonlight - A beautiful way to cleanse your stones. You can place them out to catch the moonlight then let them recharge for a little via the sunlight in the morning. (Don't let them out in the sunlight too long or their colour may fade)
• Burying them - Return them to mother earth and leave them there for a couple of hours to a few days
• Running under water
• Using Reiki Symbols
• Invoking Arch Angel Michael
• Tibetan Symbols or other high vibrational sound frequencies

SETTING YOUR INTENTIONS

Take a moment to centre yourself and think upon your healing session. Think about what you would like to achieve. Acknowledge that the help you are asking for may not be delivered in the most obvious way, but will always be for your highest good, through the divine knowledge of god. Understanding this process, and letting go will open you up for high vibrational healing energy. You can call upon the protector Archangel Michael, or The Archangel of healing, Raphael to assist you in keeping pure intentions free of ego-related thoughts. Remember that the universe often wants more for us than we do for ourselves, therefore don't block the ingenious flow of the universe within you, and through you, by holding onto fears or certain ideas of how you want the session to turn out.

CALLING ON YOUR ANGELS

OR SPIRIT GUIDES 

There is a limitless source of support just waiting for you to call upon it. Even if you are unaware of such energies in our world, call upon them and ask them to work with you. Here is a list of the Arch-Angels and their talents which you can invoke:

• Arch Angel Ariel - Call upon her to assist you in helping wild animals or healing the environment.
• Arch Angel Azrael - Call upon him to assist you in healing grief.
• Arch Angel Chamuel - Call upon him to assist you in relieving anxiety, finding lost objects, people or situations, bringing world peace.
• Arch Angel Gabriel - Call upon her to assist you in healing during conception, anxiety regarding creative prospects.
• Arch Angel Haniel - Call upon her to assist with female cycles and clairvoyance
• Arch Angel Jeremiel - Call upon him to assist you in healing emotions, forgiving yourself, and planning positive changes
• Arch Angel Jophiel - Call upon her to help heal negativity and chaos, as well as bringing beauty to your thoughts and organization to your home/office.
• Arch Angel Metatron - Call upon him to help heal learning disorders, and childhood issues.
• Arch Angel Michael - Call upon Michael for protection and cleansing. He can protect you during a healing session or while you are sleeping at night.
• Arch Angel Raguel - Call upon him to bring harmony and heal situations
• Arch Angel Raphael - Call upon him to heal physical illness and guide you on your journey of becoming a healer
• Arch Angel Raziel - Call upon him to heal emotional, spiritual and psychic blocks. He can also help you interpret your past-life memories
• Arch Angel Sandalphon - Call upon him to assist with aggressive tendencies.
• Arch Angel Uriel - Call upon him to assist in healing resentment and un-forgiveness.
• Arch Angel Zadkiel  - Call upon him to assist with memory and and mental functioning.

Discover Your Own Journey With Crystals

Crystals have been used as healing tools for thousands of years and have always been a part of the 4.6 billion-year-old mother earth. So the first mistake of society is to label them new age. Being formed by the very earth, and energy, we were all formed from, it is no secret to many people the power they hold, and can pass onto you. Most people delight in crystals, whether they are aware of their healing properties or not. My guidance to pass on, is to trust your own intuition with crystals, when you choose, or are drawn to a certain crystal, it has come to you for some sort of purpose, wishing to work with you through your fears, struggles, sadness and heaviness.

Like the sun, same as the water, as with the grass, the animals and you, crystals are also alive and filled with the energy of consciousness. Crystals amplify the energy of watches, televisions and radio among other things, one of those being you. They work with universal energy and the energy in your own body which comes under many different names, chi, prana, or even love. Crystal's are your friends and only want to help you.

WHAT ARE CRYSTALS?

Crystals are used for:

Modern technology for boosts 

Decor

Healing

Ingredients in beauty products 

Connection to angels and guides

Magnifying vibratory energy

Communication enhancers

Medical Instruments

Crystals are connected with:

Ancient Wisdom and Records

Nature

Spiruts

Elemental realms 

Nature angels

Crystals contain:

Spiritual and evolutionary history of earth
Energy
Information
Power

SACRED GEOMETRY

Sacred geometry reflects beautiful mathematics that explains the perfection of the universe. Basic mathematical symmetries found in music and physical form were originally discovered by Pythagoras, who then went on to discover three key shapes in matter: the tetrahedron, the hexahedron, and the dodecahedron. This shows that matter is built upon perfect forms compromised of equilateral polygons. Plato discovered two additional shapes, the octahedron and the isosahedron. He later linked the designated shapes with the elements earth, fire, water, air, the fifth shape represents spirit. These forms are repeated in everything from snowflakes to DNA strands, humans, planetary movements and your chair. I encourage you to further read how heaven and earth have come together to produce crystals for us through sacred geometry.

BENEFITS AND WISDOM OF CRYSTALS

Although different crystals work on different areas,  here are some general, exciting benefits you can look forward too:

Increased memory

Increased energy

Ease of Breathe

Ease of Movement

Alleviation of Pain

Clarity

Positivity
Awareness of Self-Power and Purpose 

Opening of Spiritual Channels and Awareness

Reconnection to Mother Earth

Increased Sensitivity to Timeless Knowledge

I DON'T FEEL ANYTHING 

Crystals are working I assure you. If you don't notice or feel the benefits at first here are some points to understand. At first, the crystal may have started clearing thought patterns, memories, and beliefs that do not serve you anymore. This may assist you in making a better decision, having a better conversation with someone, or thinking towards situations differently tomorrow. It may be too small to notice at first but eventually you will see a chain reaction of success in the area you need assistance with.Depending on what your desire is, you may begin to feel the energy of the crystal working through your energy body. You may also begin to develop your higher intuitive and psychic senses. 

Awaken Your Innate Charisma Through Yoga and Ayurveda

Ayurveda and Yoga are two holistic healing systems with over a century’s gathered knowledge for balancing the human mind, spirit and body; which will be discussed in this essay. Ayurveda is a whole and complete healing system which examines a person’s dosha constitution, to help identify potential causes of illness and imbalance. Yoga is an older practice, which aims to still the mind and create awareness of the body through postures known as asanas. Ayurvedic medicine incorporates Yoga as one of the methods used for cleansing, balancing and maintaining the body’s natural health. Each system is powerful as a stand-alone technique in manifesting optimum health, and due to their similar philosophies on health and disease they are effective when used together.

         Ayurvedic Medicine has its beginnings marked over 3000 years ago (Vyas & Warren, 2000, p.12). Knowledge was passed down from 52 Indian sages, known as the Rishis, who wished to bring about the end of illness on the earth (Vyas & Warren, 2000, p.4-5). Their knowledge was transmitted verbally from teacher to student for thousands of years, until it was transcribed in Sanskrit as poetry (Lad, 1990, p.21). The first text created, recorded the principles of the Ayurvedic system and is known as the ‘Charaka Samhitta’ (Godagama, 2001, p.19). In 1500BC, nomads traveling from Central Asia brought Yoga, a practise involving knowledge on how to still the mind and control the body with them to the Indian sub-continent. That’s boasting approximately 3500 years of knowledge. (Schops, 2010, p.6-12).

       Considering that both of these ancient therapies have survived history and continue to be practiced today is a testimony to their effectiveness. Time has only embellished the evolution of the practices through innovative technology and philosophies. Ayurvedic medicine is presently considered “complementary” medicine in most Western countries however; it is still widespread in India, with an estimated 80 percent of the population using it exclusively, or analogous to western medicine (National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2009). The Indian government continues to fund research in the area with access to modern techniques and equipment (Dash, 1975, p.18). However, it is Yoga that has truly undergone rapid transformation. Yogi’s have developed different styles and methods of practicing Yoga, promising to rapidly develop specific benefits. Hatha Yoga developed (800-1200AD) helps one achieve enlightenment through training the body (Schops, 2010, p.13). Kundalini Yoga (1930-2004) aims to target the snake energy resting in a person’s base chakra, helping it to rise and eliminate blocks in the body. Bikram Yoga (1946) is done in a heated room briskly detoxing the body.

        Ayurveda is a way of living (Ayu) meaning living and (Veda) meaning science or knowledge. Together the words mean “The Science of life” (Dash, 1975, p.v). It is a holistic healing system that treats the mind, body and spirit as one. Ayurveda’s philosophy on health, is the oldest example of “prevention is better than cure”. Instead of focusing on illness, Ayurveda prevents the body from falling out of balance through treatments such as detoxification (Panchakarma), and purification (Rasayana). This spirited balance allows development of trust in the body’s natural intelligence, aiding interpretation of symptoms to develop an evolved sense natural vitality (Vyas & Warren, 2000, p.6). Ayurveda and Yoga both employ this philosophy, which is why Yoga is stressed as part of the Ayurvedic way of life. Yoga focuses on bringing the mind body and spirit into balance, through asanas, controlled breathing and meditation. Once all stress is relieved and poses can be held with ease all obstacles in the way of achieving peace of mind have been removed (Schops, 2010, p.6).

        Universal consciousness is the very heart of Ayurvedic medicine, its manifestation through the elements should work together in balance within the body to generate optimum health and vitality. Yoga also adopts a similar view, teaching that well-being results in clear perception, and conscious (Schops, 2010, p.6). Ayurveda communicates that, accumulated toxins (ama) are the root of all disease (Lad, 1990, p.40). Allowing the body to naturally heal by producing and excreting waste products: such as urine, feces, and sweat at normal levels prevent this accumulation (Lad, 1990, p.37) Yoga speeds up the process of eliminating toxins from the physical and energetic body, allowing energy to run freely through the energy channels and major energy centres (chakras) (Schops, 2010, p.33). This is why Ayurvedic medicine and Yoga are effective alternatives to pharmacological cures, because they prevent the build-up of toxins that lead to disease in the first place (Dash, 1975, p.viii)

        Yoga is one of the many modalities harnessed in Ayurvedic medicine to bring about balance, unity and purity of the body. Their similar philosophies on balance, and unity make them ideal in working together to establish a sense of well-being. Both Ayurveda and Yoga acknowledge the energy centres in our body. They also testify to the fact that our bodies cannot run as smoothly when there is energy centres that are blocked, or have built up (ama) within them. Through their own methods, they both decrease the body’s toxins; providing an ideal way of living that prevents unrest.

         Health is the body’s natural state, and should not be difficult to maintain, or impossible to achieve without the intervention of drugs that we have only recently created. We are entitled to health; it is our natural state where we encompass abundant energy to bring our ideas and dreams into full actualised reality despite all the negativity and hardships we may encounter along the way. When a balance of energy is maintained in our body, we have the mental clarity to rid old, and unwanted patterns in our life that no longer serve our life purpose; allowing for the new to enter. It is only when we become unbalanced and blocked that we allow disease to take over the bodies systems that are innately equipped to deal with most bacteria and infections.

         Ayurveda and Yoga are one of the many holistic healing systems that allow a person to keep their own mental, spiritual and physical health in check. When the self is known, Ayurveda and Yoga certainly provide the tools to apply to ourselves in a way that increases vitality, well-being, motivation while decreasing your likelihood of falling into a state of low energy and negativity. Using Ayurvedic methods to calculate your own constitution, allows you to placate the over or underactive energies in your body. Yoga will aid in releasing emotional blocks through breath and postures; eventually leading to a quiet mind that is capable of great intelligence and quality of thought. By balancing yourself through incorporating these techniques into your regime, you will bring about your natural charisma eventually awakening your innate potential. 
 

References

Dash, V.B1975, Ayurveda For Mother & Child, Dehli Diary, New Dehli.
Godagama, S 2001, The Handbook of Ayurveda, Kyle Cathe Limited, London.
Lad, V 1990, Ayurveda: The science of Self-Healing, Lotus Press, WI
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine 1998, Ayurvedic Medicine: An Introduction 2009, viewed 24 January 2013
<http://nccam.nih.gov/health/ayurveda/introduction.htm>.
Schops, I 2010, Yoga, Paragon Books, United Kingdom.
Vyas, B & Warren, J 2000, Simply Ayurveda: Discover Your Type to Transform Your Life, Harper Collins, London.

What Is Reiki?

Since undergoing my journey with Reiki and becoming a qualified practitioner, I am faced with the question ‘What is Reiki?’ by most people I come into contact with. Naturally, observers can become quite fascinated when they see me relax and put hyper animals animals or people to sleep before their eyes and want to understand the process.

Reiki has become an important practice to me. So far, it has helped me overcome many physical, spiritual, mental and emotional barriers. It wasn't easy, and there have been days where I have cried and wanted to curl up into a ball when faced with releasing a part of myself that hasn't been serving me, but I have made more steps towards discovering myself, and what I am here to do, as well finally understanding and being capable of visualising how to reach my goals in the past six months than I have in my entire life. Since becoming Reiki attuned and becoming a channel for the energy my life has started to make more sense to me, every word I speak, every decision I make, and even the friends I meet seem to be pushing me towards my divine life purpose. Therefore I naturally find great joy in sharing and explaining to others how Reiki "Energy Medicine" can benefit their lives as well. 

Let's get down to business, what is Reiki? Reiki is a Japanese form of Energy Medicine. If you are confused with the concept of 'energy' think of your local Acupuncturist. Acupuncture works by stimulating certain energy points in the body, increasing the flow of energy by balancing or unblocking these points. This benefits the client by increasing blood flow, oxygen and energy to the muscles, joints and organs which aids in alleviating pain and stiffness, easing up the breath, increasing memory and concentration and finally generating a sense of well being. The principle with Reiki is virtually the same apart from two differentiating factors. Reiki is non-invasive. I don't even have to put my hands on your body if you don't want me to (although why opt out of that?). Secondly, Reiki is energy from the universe which flows through me, a Reiki channel to you. The energy enters your body and helps to release blocks, pain or disturbance in the body in a gentle manner.

WHAT WILL YOU FEEL?

You will become extremely relaxed by the energy, or you may even fall asleep. You may feel static in some areas or heat while I am working. You may see certain colours, textures or feel certain feelings while being worked on. One of my clients saw a door slamming shut in their face. We interpreted this as a part of her mental process that was being eliminated for good.

WHAT DO I FEEL?

I also become quite relaxed and content by the end of the session. I may feel directed to place my hands somewhere that is needed for you. I see many colours and symbols. My hands heat up tremendously and clients can feel the heat penetrating their body when my hands are a couple of inches above them. I also feel static electricity and am magnetically attracted to certain parts of the body that require more attention. My hands also feel bubbles where the energy is overactive and requires balancing. I feel the throbbing of energy on your body and can feel certain energy points being connected. My sensitivity increases with every person I treat.

HOW LONG IS A TREATMENT?

A treatment usually lasts up-to an hour, although your Reiki practitioner may go a little longer if they feel it would benefit you. A Reiki practitioner can also heal you from a distance at your request and through the use of symbols can request that the energy repeats for as long as they desire. After a treatment with myself, I may feel that the energy should repeat on the hour, every hour for the next few days.

HOW MUCH DOES A TREATMENT COST?

A treatment with a Reiki master could cost you anywhere between $50-100 dollars. Prices could be higher depending on the experience of the Reiki Master.

It is my wish that everyone goes to at least one Reiki healing session in their life to experience the benefits. I hope this article has explained some of the questions that may pop into your mind should you come across Reiki and help you to make an informed decision about whether a Reiki energy session would be beneficial to you.

Sunlight Juice

“I am capable confident, intelligent, resilient and in charge. Health and happiness are my birthrights, and I accept with gratitude”

-Kris Carr’s Affirmation for day one

Mood: Happy

Motivation: Good

Productivity level: Medium

The Adventure Cleanse beings, and me route to happiness unfolds. Did you know that when you wake up in the morning your body needs a little time to start the digestive system? Therefore every morning, it’s a good idea to  drink some hot water to get the ball rolling. Your breakfast will digest easier if you allow it time to heat up. Meal preparation is important, as is packing your bag with snacks, drinks, and juice. This way it’s a lot less tempting to stray from your diet when you are hungry. Packing snacks helps me to refrain from resorting to bought food that belongs in the bin instead of my tummy.I awoke bright and early to make sure I had all my meals prepared for work, made my morning juice, took my supplements and headed out for a beautiful day.

BREAKFAST

Started with a cup of hot water, added a dash of lemon, and a pinch of chili pepper (to getmy tummy churning). Second, I drank a cup for jasmine and green tea.I then proceeded onto my morning juice when I felt hungry.

My veggie juice preparation

This consists of:

Spinach

Cucumber

Pear

Celery

Broccoli Stems

I know it looks almost unnatural, my house-mate screwed her face up in disgust. But I think it’s sad we look at a glass full of vitamins, minerals, fiber and natural sustenance as unnatural to eat or digest, testament to the fact this world is insane. It was a little hard to get through the first glass, I’ll admit that I gagged on the first sip, but after that, it went down pretty easy. I was full right up till lunch, and boy, was my belly in a good mood, it was tingling and buzzing most of the day.

SNACK

Can’t beat the classic nuts. I took a handful to work with me. 

LUNCH + DINNER

For lunch and dinner I mixed up my own version of the recipe provided by rawchef.com for Kris Carr’s book called the Woodstock Peace Salad. I made enough for lunch and dinner.The salad was beautiful, a true taste sensation.

SATISFACTION LEVEL

I will admit, I did feel a little hungry, but the pang was a good one (if you know what I 

mean), a sign of my body starting to clean itself out.

EXERCISE

Sure did get around to it today! I enjoyed an hour of yoga. I really focused on my body during the session today and found myself folding deeper than I ever had before. If I could rate my current mastery of yoga out of ten at the moment, I think I would settle for a modest 4/10, I’m getting to the stage where my body is reaping the full benefits of the practice. I walk with more bounce in my step, I feel lighter, my movements are graceful, and most of my movements feel great for my body, as opposed to the old tired muscles I used to battle with every day, dreading to get out of bed.

MEDITATION

I enjoyed a lovely ten minute session after Yoga, and felt the Prana (life force energy) rippling up and down my spine.Content and pleasurable.I spent my evening giving love and receiving love with friends and my beautiful housemate, and overall feel pleased with what I achieved today. I took Chris’s advice and tried to chew my food thoroughly ( this makes it easier for the food to digest, and starts your enzymes flowing, surprisingly, it filled me up faster as well)

CONFESSIONS

I ate an Easter-egg, just one! Just one! I gave the rest to my friends so the temptation would no longer be there, sharing is caring!

Weigh in: 81.1 kg’s 

Kris Carr's 21 Day Adventure Cleanse

We come today to the body, and how you can make it radiant, take control, and have control of your own happiness.

If you are depressed and have tried every kind of medication without any progress, yet are still to try out developing a lifestyle in favour of healthy eating and regular exercise then there is hope for you yet!

For the next 21 days, I am going to detox, detox, detox!   

Previously, my posts have been  aimed at producing an article, a piece of writing on a topic that is dear to me. The next 21 days (or more, who knows, I don’t like to put a limit on a good thing), the posts are going to be a lot more personal, and hopefully relatable.  

Detoxing; it’s something most girls partake in for weight loss, it's an ideal that spiritual guru’s aspire to, and it's also a process scientists report useless and statistically insignificant. But surely there is no harm in eating mainly from the earth, free of toxins we men have created, even if it isn't really doing anything at the end of the day, it's certainly not going to hurt you. 

To be clean these days, impossible for sure, but we can certainly do our best to minimize the stress for our bodies.

I have certainly come a long way from the smoking, dancing fly-trap, partying queen-machine that I used to be. In a few months I have completely stopped smoking, excessive alcohol drinking, while increasing my intake of clean and lean foods (as opposed to being a carb-monster). However, the real journey first began about a month ago when my sister introduced me to ‘Clean & Lean Diet’ by James Duigan. 

The golden message to take away from that book was (no sugar, minimal coffee, minimal to no gluten, more raw vegetables, and clean meat such as fish and white meat, which I avoided anyway as I am Pescatarian). 

The two week kick start was the beginning of a wonderful journey that I know will only continue to evolve over the course of my life. Not only did I feel completely satisfied all the time, my skin cleared up, I dropped weight with a lot less exercise than usual, and pretty much nothing could get me down, my eyes even became greener, brighter, sparkly. 

So much love I now have for vegetables! Oh how I rarely crave the sweet thing. I know that even the thought of no sugar is scary, and if you are a massive chemical junkie which is pretty much (sugar, caffeine, gluten, random chemicals with names you can’t pronounce lurking in everything we eat), yes, perhaps the kick-start would be more painful and filled with longing. However, by the end of it, you would surely see, as well as feel the benefits. I finally got my body to a place of health it had never tasted before. When the kick-start ended and I began to indulge again, my body instantly slapped me for it. The sugar, which was once an addiction and made me happy, now just made my tummy feel yucky, and my mood drop. So, having tasted sweet, sweet health, I arrive at now, with a much harsher (or kinder) diet to tackle. The Crazy Sexy Diet.

I have no doubt that Kris Car’s methods will make me a radiant little flower full of light and sun inside and out, but I am sure that I will need some motivation getting along.

My beautiful sister (see her page here) again, urged me to take a look at Kris Car’s ‘Crazy, Sexy, Diet’, and with all it’s beautiful colours, pretty pictures, and promises of spiritual fulfillment how could a girl like I resist?

Here I am now, declaring my intent to the world, believing in positive change for fellow human-beings.

THE RULES FOR THE NEXT 21 DAYS

NO MEAT

This one is going to be easy for me, I stopped eating all meat except fish 6 months ago, and I aspire to let the love of my seafood go forever. I want to gage my mood and vitality without all meat for 3 weeks and make an informed choice to either ditch it all together, or include it in small amounts.

Why not eat it?

Well here is a couple of reasons you have probably already thought of. But I'll remind you again. 

It’s smelly, it’s dead. Your animal was screaming and crying out in pain, fear and adrenaline flooding its body in that horror-house of an abattoir before it died, and you are eating all of that. Wouldn’t you rather a plant? Plants feed on sunlight; don’t you want to be full of sunlight instead of pain, and horror?

You can get all your vitamins from other sources, which we know.

Still don’t trust it? Take a multivitamin, it wasn’t tortured for your greedy and lustful taste buds.

It’s rotting there in your fridge, and still rotting, it will never stop rotting.

Animals are cute! Animals are completely helpless against our force, instead of choosing to slaughter them mercilessly, doesn't it show greater strength of character to love those that are at our mercy?

 

Her name is Susu, my cat, and my teacher in all things zen, a true Yogi!

“Humanity's true moral test, its fundamental test, consists of its attitude towards those who are at its mercy: animals. And in this respect humankind has suffered a fundamental debacle, a debacle so fundamental that all others stem from it.”

-Milan Kunendra- The unbearable lightness of being-

The planet heats up more from our animal-slaughtering industry etc etc.

Do you feel so empty inside that you need to endorse the horrible cruelty that we as living  human-beings inflict on other living creatures just for the satisfaction of your taste buds? What if  aliens came and decided to eat us like cattle just we are to them, the equivalent of what animals are to us (not smart enough for a right to their life).

Yada yada yada I know, I still eat fish, I’m not perfect either, but I’ll be a lot better tomorrow than I was today.

If you need to eat meat for medical reasons, are a certain blood type, ill, or just plain refuse to listen to this. Eat organic meat. Yes, it’s more expensive, bud some animals had a happier life for your extra $2 dollars. It’s also free of chemicals. Chris explains that some meat or fish is perfectly fine and healthy to include in your diet, although she would advise against it of course. If you can’t find organic, just don’t buy it. Organic is expensive now, but it will only get cheaper if you lend a hand in upping the demand.

NO DAIRY

A lot easier than it used to be that’s for sure. With my endorsement of a meat free diet, I also eliminated all dairy from my diet. That is, apart from cheese of course, although I stopped buying it and eat it at social gatherings. It’s a lot clearer to me how easily I feel bloated, tired, sniffy, and less at ease if I intake too much dairy these days, so it’s not proving to be as difficult to refrain from cheese as I thought.

Instead of milk, try almond milk, oat milk, or rice milk. These substitutes can seem poor in comparison to some though. I’d try and get used to it if possible, milk really should stick to making baby calves grow half their body mass in a matter of weeks instead of us ladies. 

Instead of butter, try Nuttelex. You will not miss butter, Nuttelex is much, much tastier! You can choose from nut butter or olive butter as well! 

NO SUGAR

Bye-bye Easter eggs! 

NO COFFEE

I don’t need it anymore anyway, eating healthily has given me much more energy than coffee ever could. I still have a nice cup now and again, but try to keep away from it. Green tea works!

ORGANIC

It certainly is more expensive, I can’t afford it all the time, being a full-time student. But eating healthy keeps sickness at bay, do you know how much my old sleeping and depression meds used to cost me a month? Don’t need those anymore.

I also bought a water-filter today so I can use clean water for drinking and cooking!

SPIRITUALITY AND COMPASSION

Healthy eating is a life-style, thinking you can-do is also a life-style. Kris provides daily affirmations, advice on meditation (which I am a big fan of), yoga (yep, diehard fan) and compassion for others. When you are more calm and relaxed, you are less likely to want to comfort-eat anyway. A clear, crisp, focused, and happy mind instinctively knows what foods you really crave. 

EXERCISE

I am to move my body at least 30 minutes a day, or upto 3 and a half hours a week. Shouldn’t be too hard for me, I enjoy a good run, and a relaxing yoga session whenever I get the time. (Which I make because being healthy now, will only create more time for my lifespan in the long run and you know it.)

ABOUT MEDICATION

I am no doctor, or expert, although I'm studying to be one so I can lecture further. You should not stop taking  anything that keeps your inner demons at bay, or your cholesterol down, as advised by your doctor. Medication is still a chemical however, and I aim to avoid all of those for the next 3 weeks. 

After dedication to meditation, yoga, and healthy living, my chronic insomnia is slowly getting better. I used to easily guzzle up to 80mg’s of vallium a night to calm my mind and go to sleep (that was before tolerance on my very beginning dose). Without it I was awake days, sometimes a whole week at a time. I rarely use it now. Sleep has been a torture for me ever since I was 5 years old, nothing makes me happier than being able to fall asleep most nights on my own, by a reasonable time, enabling me to wake earlier and make more out of my beautiful day. I will however take my medication if it is really needed, no point it a great diet anyway if my brain isn’t recovering at night.I will keep you updated on all toxin's I succumb to, then you will forgive me for it. 

JUICE

Make lots of it! I will have to tackle a big glass of veggie juice everyday. I will toughen up and get used to it if my body loves the attention it brings. I do not however, have the funds for a juicer, or a blender right now, so I am just using my house-mates hand-held blender. This makes more of a smoothie, but it also retains all the fiber found in the skin of the vegetables. 

RECIPES 

Kris provides recipes enough for the journey, with juices, salads, and meals included. I went for my first shop today, and love the look of my living fridge right now!

My aims are to post as much as possible, keep in touch with you, and report progress in all areas, including my:

Weight lost

Memory

Skin, hair, nails

Eye Clarity and intensity

Mood

Anxiety

Motivation

Focus

Working full time, and studying full time leave me with little free-time, but I will do what I can and certainly keep you updated.

I hope you get on board with me from day one! But if not, I hope that when you track my progress that you also gain a little curiosity, and try it out for yourself. 

 

Run Free

Before trying to tackle anything else in your life, you should really try and tackle your body. Why is this? For the same reasons you have been hearing your whole life, moving your body is good for you! It makes you happy! And it makes your body happy. When your body is happy and strong, your mind starts to follow.

If you’ve had trouble with your fitness all your life, don’t worry, you aren’t alone. But why not be better tomorrow then you are today? Ditch the past failures because they aren’t real anymore, your mind is simply telling you they are with memories. 

 

Don’t let your mind rule you.

Not exercising has nothing to do with your body or soul; it has to do your mind and ego. It’s anxiety, its catastrophising of the future. For example, did you plan to get up this morning and move your body before work? But when you woke up you ultimately gave in to your mind, “it’s better if I sleep more”, “I’ll make up for it tomorrow”, “I cannot be bothered”. We all relate to this. The problem with being trapped in your mind is that it keeps you in a false sense of fear, and keeps you believing in a imagined past or future. If you are always listening to your mind, then you aren’t living in the now. Don’t you think that’s crazy, why live in your head and memories, or anxieties when you can actually be here and present this moment. The moment is the only thing you can control for the better of the worse.

Exercising is a great way to help alleviate your minds anxiety. Sure it isn’t going to happen overnight, but something wonderful and enlightening will start to happen when you give love to your body. You start to feel, instead of think. When you start to pay more attention to your body and how it feels, you start to be free of your head and all the thoughts creating that debilitating fear. You become empowered, for now you are telling your body what it can and can’t do, not your head. 

There is nothing more important in the first few steps for building happiness and self-confidence. Even if it’s hard to begin with, the rewards you will be reaping will not only help you to achieve your own full potential, but it will motivate others around you to achieve theirs as well! What is more rewarding than shining out your light to others? Nothing!

ANXIETY

The only thing keeping you from moving your body is your own head; your ego creates a false sense of fear, time, and pain around the thought of it. This is only so you can try to find some way deep down to justify why you are being lazy. Why do you think you went to this much trouble to do this unconsciously? Because unconsciously, you know, that this is what your body needs and wants, yet you are choosing to give no attention to it at all. 

BABY STEPS

You don’t have to become a marathon runner overnight. The goal here is to create a healthy habit. Research suggests it only takes a month to build a habit. Make sure you start slow if you feel you are going to be defeated by your anxiety, if you are taking it easy for a month it will be easier to maintain so you can form a healthy habit.

Why do you think runners do it?

Because the feeling is exhilarating, empowering, and nothing compares to the feeling of freedom it gives you.

I recently discovered running. My whole life it seemed unattainable. The most I could manage to achieve was one minute at a time! Every time I tried I would just get tired, angry, and annoyed, I’d tell myself I couldn’t do it, and never would, then I gave up.

But you can do it! And why not you? Why should other people be able to run and not you? The thought is insane! Don’t give it any fuel.

The key is to slowly but surely build up your strength and endurance so you are able to run for longer and faster. 

You can do it! If you are overweight – YOU can do this! Even if you are a smoker you can do this!

The website gives you a steady plan to slowly increase your fitness every week. To secure your fitness, and level-up easier the next week, you must complete at least 3 days on each level. Please don’t let the two days you already did be a waste! Aim for four if you can, but remember that running is, at first a little stressful on the body and knees, therefore, there must be adequate rest days, especially if you feel the burn!

Remember to affirm yourself! Always keep your healthy goals close to you, whether in a notebook, your head, or a lovely collage above your bed! I also find the deep and conscious state you get into when you are running is a great time to tell yourself you can do it, that you can do that other goal you have been planning too, and also that you are irresistible beautiful and important!

If you aren’t achieving the goal as fast as you want to, don’t be discouraged and throw in the towel. It is okay to take it at your own pace. If you are steadily improving every week, your mind will start to speak the language of success “I CAN DO IT!” and your confidence will rise in all aspects of your life. You will steadily start to see success in other areas of your life, I promise you this!

Make sure to stay hydrated and run on a light or empty stomach if you can.

Within three weeks I had started to feel the benefits of running, therefore the habit forming was easy and delightful.

Confidence

Clarity

Happiness

Less anxiety

Goal forming

Stronger

Faster

Social awareness

It’s a powerful and exhilarating feeling when you and your body start to work as one, and it easily achieves a feat you never imagined possible. When you begin to treat your body kindly, it will start to treat you more kindly.

I hope by the next time I post you are all treating your body with more kindness.

You are becoming more healthy and energetic every day. You are filling yourself with the energy of the universe and achieving vitality! Congratulations!

"After hundreds of days of running 50+ km, the monks begin a fast: nine days in a fixed meditation position (sitting full or half lotus, back straight) without water, food, or sleep. It is believed that by bringing the body so close to death, the monks will develop a greater appreciation and sensitivity to life, being able to “hear ashes fall form incense sticks, smell and identify foods from miles away and see the sun and moonlight seep into the interior of the temple." 

Radiant Soul

To really be ready to move on, and develop a healthy sense of self-worth it is required you work on inner-clarity, which my previous posts will help you with. 

I genuinely hope all of you worked on getting rid of the addiction you have for your resentment and have chosen to surrender to consciousness and finally WAKE UP. 

Are you confident?

It’s a question we have asked ourselves over and over. Those of us who have learned how to interact well socially, already know that people are naturally drawn to confident people. It’s also easy for us to recognize who is and who isn’t self-confident by the way they carry themselves: posture, facial expression, and stride. So, those of us who wanted to succeed socially have certainly worked on our self-confidence outwardly. 

How did you go about trying to present yourself confidently? Did you practice your smile in the mirror? Did you spend all your money on great clothes? Have you chosen to dress well and create a perfect scenario around yourself such as a great house, perfect job, generous amount of money, a lean and fit body and the perfect partner to go with it?

You must be confident. Actually you must be happy! I am happy for you too!

Why self-worth is so important

Please think about the following, and don’t do it with anger or attachment to your current beliefs, take some deep breaths and relax, feel what emotions your body puts you through when you consider the following; what happens if your perfect partner leaves you for someone else? What if you lose that job? Even worse what if our economy fails or the whole current system we have for everything falls through because it just isn’t working anymore, or,  money becomes nothing all together? You lose your job, you lose your house. You probably lose all those friends you tried so hard to win with those outside achievements (as they were just as superficial as you were), and now you have lost your self-worth.

Even if all this doesn’t make you want to wake up to reality then you can be sure of this, you will age! Your body will deteriorate! And there will come a time where you can either choose to be resentful towards others because of all you have lost from your youth, or wake up to a higher consciousness in life.

Now I am not one to tell you to worry about anything drastic happening in your life. Because why worry about something when it is not even there, it’s a ghost, just a thought your mind has created to keep you tense  and stressed, it’s that basic underlying ego that drives most humans and animals to survive. But, what I asked you to consider was all meant to prove a point: at one stage all material and outside things will cease to exist, but that doesn’t mean your energy and radiance have to at all. 

Ways to build true self-worth 

Think of your inner worth and value like any other muscle in your body, it can be strengthened, and it can be weakened. You can’t pop out to the gym and expect to run 5km’s if you have never even set foot in one before can you? Just like your muscles, your mind and your soul are also either weak or strong. You need to work at your confidence every day and keep it up to make it a strong muscle. Even if that muscle may get sore at times, it will take a while of neglect for it to go back into reverse. Your negative self-image took all your life to build, so it’s going to take some time and dedication to make it healthy and strong again. Like anything else, aim to keep your inner-soul strong, and aim to be on a level conscious of your higher self. Don’t let yourself be trapped by your mind or your body! Because you own your body, and you run your mind! You are the one that sets limitations on yourself, not the universe, not your soul. Do you really think any successful person in life whom contributed to society got ahead and was able to make a difference by constantly thinking “I CAN’T DO THIS”, no, of course not, they made a difference because they chose to take responsibility for their own head, wash away their fears of failure, stand tall and proud and tell themselves and everyone around them no matter how much they were laughed at, “I CAN DO ANYTHING”.

Let’s start with some basic ways to create an ideal positive environment you can start to allow yourself to shine in

·         *Positive self-talk: Most people know this as “affirmations”, I remember the doubt (negativity I have since gotten rid of) I encountered when first told about the power of affirmations from my sister. However having studied psychology, it is known that depression develops not only from a chemical imbalance, but from years of training your brain into negative self-talk. When we go to a psychologist, we learn to retrain our brain with positive self-talk. This really does work, and even if you believe it won’t, how can affirming yourself in a deeply relaxed state that you are beautiful and can, going to hurt you anymore than telling yourself you are unlovable and can’t do anything. I admit that the negative state is safe, and in that state you can blame everything else around you for the reason you can’t do anything. However, you will find so much more inner-satisfaction when you wake up and become responsible than any other self-detrimental addictions can give you (which are only temporary anyway!). Don’t get stuck in a state that considers the past and the future instead of the now. You are helpless to change the past, and kidding yourself if you think you can control situations in the future, but in the now you have complete control to choose to follow whatever path you want.  

But as long as you are working towards what you want daily you can’t ever really fail. Your goals may change as you grow older and come into yourself and discover that you really want something else out of life, but that does not mean that you failed achieving the previous goal. Make sure to let go any of that clutter and focus solely on what you want in this moment.

·         Developing a relationship with your body: Learn to listen to it, nourish it and make it healthier. Exercising makes you feel more confident, and also releases happy-feeling chemicals in your brain, because it’s good for you! Eating unhealthily doesn’t make your body happy either. The healthier you get, and the cleaner you choose to eat, the easier it will be for you to recognize that you are out of balance. Your body will start to cry and let you know when you eat something it doesn’t want, it will ache when it needs a massage or some TLC, and the less your brain will tell you that you want to be lazy, and eat a bunch of crap.

·         Friendships: You are what you eat and you are who you choose to devote time to. If you have friends that start to get resentful towards your new success (even if it’s just within yourself) and try to pull you down to an unconscious state again. Remove yourself! People who try to block your shine aren’t doing it intentionally; their ego wants to attack you for making them look bad (which is in their own head again). With time and ease some people can be shown that they have power over their own lives and emotions, but they have to want that power first. Unfortunately for most people the dawn only comes after the darkest hour. Make sure the friends you choose to hang out with are positive, and encourage your self-development and respect your feelings. Bitter, resentful, blaming, irresponsible, and drama-seeking persons rarely change, although you may love them dearly and understand they are truly crying out for change inside, you can’t force them. Being with such people is only going to drain your energy and time!

·         GOALS: Even when living in the now, knowing your self-worth, and radiating warmth and love to others, the hardest thing you will ever do in your life is try to discover what it is you really want. I mean really want. Ask yourself these questions even if you are currently pursuing a goal. What is really going to bring you happiness day in and day out? If you are in a job that you despise, of course you aren’t going to be happy. But don’t sit there and complain about it because that never helped anyone become successful and fulfilled, figure out how you can change it. If you are currently studying, make sure it’s what YOU want to do, it’s your life and you will have to live in it every day, so don’t aim for a career that looks smart/amazing to other people, your parents, or someone important, do something that feels good to you.

If you aren’t really sure, or the bigger picture is fuzzy and incomplete to you that’s okay too, start with small things and make sure to write them down in present tense, make sure they are healthy and achievable goals. If you are a baby-steps person, do it in baby steps. Do you smoke and want to quit? The fact is if you smoke because you are addicted but hate the fact you do every day, then you are only lowering your self-worth, as well as hurting your body, and telling your mind that you are a victim and are controlled by your addictions, this can affect your view on everything else as well. Do you want to lose some weight and become healthier? Incorporate better foods into your diet? Do you simply just want to give out some happiness and love out to others for now and become a more considerate person (which is a greatly fulfilling activity to engage in).

Go ahead and write all your current goals for yourself down.

I no longer enjoy putting the harsh chemical of nicotine into my body and have stopped smoking

I now enjoy 30 minutes of exercise four times a week

I feel healthier, stronger, and slimmer every day

I am a more considerate person and feel great helping others

Look at your goals list every night, and tell yourself you can do it. Get relaxed, meditate, and visualize all these desires falling into place for you. Know completely that you are in control of your life, and what you choose to do with it. Don’t be surprised if you start to find happiness. When you complete a goal, even a tiny one, you are flooded with positive emotions, you feel great about yourself (not because you now look good), but because you took self-control of your habits and eating, and because you feel healthy! You didn’t do it for anyone but yourself, and that truly feels great.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for choosing to be a shining light in this world. The more light we shine out, the less darkness there will be covering our planet. Evil is only the absence of good. To discover your self-value, and learn to be present is to wake up to a higher conscious way of living, yes it means taking responsibility, but it also means great power in yourself, and your ability to change whatever you want for the better!

A Difficult Step Towards Love, Forgiveness

Before you go ahead and read this article I do hope you take the time to read the previous post I wrote describing how closed off and numb we can be to the world. Although this post will discuss the first step you need to take on your journey, the former gives you an overview of your mind and psyche. If you read the previous post and decide that you are ready to hold responsibility for yourself and your emotions, then you may also be ready to embrace this step in the process. Forgiveness.

Why it’s hard

Because it isn’t always viewed as fair. It isn’t always seen as just. And believe it or not, people like holding grudges, they feel for some reason that it gives them power or control, when this opinion is simply not true. People build up reactions – to protect themselves from dealing with the pain – and merely react to a touchy topic whenever it comes up in conversation. Their reaction is their own form of defense they have learned to avoid the topic all together.

We don’t want to forgive when we don’t have to. 

You might have had an abusive father; you might have been raised by a mother who was a slave to her addictions, why do they deserve your forgiveness? You are absolutely justified in keeping your defenses up when it comes to the people who should have been there to protect you, but ended up hurting you the most. But think of it this way, you aren’t forgiving them for their sake, you are forgiving them for yours! If you have anger towards the two most important people in your life, then how can you really ever trust anyone else? If you are still harboring resentment for them, trust me, you are still harboring resentment for others and yourself!

So many people have resentment piled up within their soul, creating a complex system of defenses that even the tiniest comment or action can trigger. This resentment could have been from childhood, teenage years and early adulthood. If we don’t release it, we simply allow ourselves to become jaded, resentful, angry and stressed. If we harbor it long enough we will certainly see a troubling depression start to form as well. We are then allowing ourselves to become a victim to it.

What is forgiveness?

 

We all know what forgiveness is, but I believe that so many of us, including myself, have looked at, or still do look at forgiveness in a negative way and unhelpful way.Generally we are taught forgiving means forgetting. But this isn’t true at all. Nothing can make you forget how you have been hurt, nor should you deny the responsibility the other party had in hurting you. Instead I would like you to look at it as taking control of your own heart again. To move on in our life we have to take responsibility for it. It’s true that we cannot control how others chose to treat us, but we can control how we choose to look at it, and whether or not we dwell on the positive or negative in our lives. See, this power brings about a beautiful feeling of contentment, clarity, and positive energy. Releasing all the negative allows you to come into touch with your true light, your creativity, and your feelings of self-worth. 

Forgiveness will be the firm foundation blocks when building yourself up to be a person of great worth to the world. You always were a person of great worth, but somewhere along the way, you forgot this. I don’t blame you either. It’s easy to get buried in a sea of resentment, anger, and guilt, stifling your true self, and your true thoughts. However, constantly blaming your past or worrying about your future will certainly make sure you don’t get started off on the right foot now.

 

Let’s also get another thing straight about forgiveness. Forgiveness is not a feeling! I see people struggling all the time because they tend to get mixed up with forgiveness and their feelings.

 “I have forgiven my boyfriend for cheating, but whenever I remember it, I just feel so upset and angry!”

Forgiveness is a doing word. You need to forgive! Release and then move on sister! Otherwise you are saying that you ‘feel forgiveness’ but you can’t feel forgiveness, you can only do it!

Another good point to add is there is NO such thing as getting even. I’m sorry if you are one of those people that harbor so much pain and resentment that you are choosing to put it back out into the world again for someone else to experience, but this is never going to fix your issue. Causing someone else pain because you were hurt, only acts as a temporary distraction. It doesn’t change the fact you were hurt at all, you were still hurt. You will also never be able to hurt someone else the way they hurt you, because you can only feel your own hurt. Choosing to get even only shows to others around you that you are not equipped to handle the issue emotionally, and frankly, it shows that you simply deserve to have it happen to you again, over and over, until you finally get kicked in the head hard enough and wake up to the reality. You have to change.

No-one else can seek the truth for you.

Lastly, it’s good to keep in mind as a vulnerable, emotional woman - that it is perfectly fine to put up boundaries. I’m not talking about defenses here. I am talking about boundaries; you can’t just let a stranger walk into your life, just like you have to be careful about letting someone who truly and deeply hurt you back into your life. After forgiving someone, they are not entitled to your trust. You are responsible for your emotions and feelings and if you are to be open and follow your heart you will know when someone is truly worthy of showing you they can win back your trust. Otherwise ladies, with peace of mind and clarity decide whether or not this person should be allowed to come back in at all (and be willing to stick to what you decide). If you are a caring, loving, and giving soul you cannot allow other people who haven’t found themselves to suck your energy, time and emotions. You must learn who is worthy to allow into your serene castle. To be able to give all you can to others, you must first protect your physical, emotional, and mental well-being, otherwise you are of no use to anyone.

Let go, take control, say goodbye

Benefits you can look forward to

Once all resentment has been ridden of, you will find yourself feeling much lighter, more present, and more receptive to people. A major benefit is that you will see people light up around you and feel free themselves. If you have problems with addictions such as over-eating, under eating, drugs, alcohol, nicotine, and abusive relationships, you will also slowly (with discipline of course) be able to see a decrease in your need to participate these harmful activities. Once you have mastered the art of forgiveness you will become a person who adds real value to people and any situation, a Princess! A feminine dream-boat! 

Please continue to allow yourself to feel once the process is complete. As we talked about in the previous post, hiding your emotions (to appear strong) and to trick yourself into feeling strong is only a lie and will only detriment you in the long run. If someone does something to hurt you, even if it is silly, acknowledge your emotion and decide what action to take. Don’t get angry or mad, remember we are beyond that. Simply breathe if that’s all that you need. Before choosing to feel upset, talk to the other person. So many times actions come across in the wrong way and are miss-understood, if we bring it up with the other party we have saved ourselves a day, a week, or a year of feeling resentful towards them for no reason! Don’t use weapons when you approach them either, such as yelling, passive-aggressiveness, ignoring the issue (acting like they should just get how you are feeling), name calling or guilt tripping either darling sister. 

Don’t lie to yourself anymore about how you feel, instead try to become a woman of love, faith, and self-confidence. Therefore you will be much more stable anyway. True self-confidence and radiance come from the inside. It comes from all that love you are going to feel when you choose to open up, shine, and give your gifts and help other people.

Forgiveness Exercise

Before we can move on to other techniques in bettering ourselves, physically and emotionally, It is very important we take time out to really feel all the anger and hurt people have brought into our life. There are many different exercises and forms of visualization used to release resentment. In a book I own about spiritual development, the writer was made to painstakingly dig up two thousand pebbles from the ground over a period of two days. Each time she dug up a pebble she was to think of a time she felt hurt by someone and cast it away into the river. Although her hands were bloody and raw by the end of the two days, she has a truly happy soul to show for it now. 

I’m not going to make you do that, fortunately for you.

But I am going to ask you to try and find a quiet 30 minutes to an hour in your day to lay, or sit with a notepad and pen. 

First of all draw up two columns, we are going to start with your mother and father. Sit and think of anything they have done to hurt you, write it down, then forgive them for it. Release the control they have over your emotions, and stop allowing yourself to feel negative. The more you write, the more your brain will come up with, as if trying to aid you in releasing anger. Don’t be shocked if times from your childhood that you haven’t thought of in years pop into your head.

If you are finding a particular issue extremely hard to forgive, that’s okay, take it easy on yourself, leave it written on your paper and continue on with what you can. Make it a priority to get to it as soon as you can though, as there is no reason for you to keep it locked up in your heart.

Continue the exercise with as many people you need to. But make sure to do it as thoroughly as you can. 

Then lastly, move onto yourself. 

You didn’t think I was going to allow you to get away with leaving yourself out did you? Your soul deserves to be forgiven for all the past wrongs you have done as well! Tell yourself you are a better person now, someone who chooses to act with love and try and look at your past mistakes and failures as lessons. Forgiving yourself may be the hardest thing you do. But trust me, it will be worth it. 

And remember, to be able to stay clear-minded with no troubling emotions affecting your decisions you need to keep this up. The best way is to be in touch with how people are making you feel so you can find the best way to deal with it.

Thanks for reading and I hope to you will come back for the next post, fresh, revitalized, clear-headed, and ready to immerse yourself in more self-development! 

"Truth is a demure lady, much too ladylike to knock you on your head and drag you to her cave. She is there, but people must want her, and seek her out" - William F. Buckley, Jr

 

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So You Want Scientific Evidence For The Effectiveness of Reiki?

This essay will aim to examine the core principles and values held in high esteem amongst Reiki practitioners and their community. Reiki is a form of energy medicine first introduced into this world by Dr Usui, a Japanese healer. Dr Usui discovered a process in which he could draw down white healing energy from the universe, through himself as a vessel, and out through his hands to perform body, mental, emotional and spiritual healing, he passed this ability on. This is known today as the attunement process, which involves a Reiki master passing on the Reiki symbols by placing them into a student’s chakras and auric field to begin development as a vessel for Reiki Energy. Reiki ideals hold a valid place in the holistic care of clients suffering from spiritual agitation, loss of direction, stress, anxiety, depression and physical pain. Reiki treatments are also effective at calming cancer patients by helping them to work through their illness on a level of positivity, reducing pain and stress in the body, as well as harmful thoughts from the mind.

Reiki means universal life energy, rei meaning flowing through everything alive, and ki is light, which is also known as prana, mana or energy. (Muller 1995, p.9). Reiki was founded at the end of the 19^th century by a Japanese Christian priest named Dr Mikao Usui. Dr Usui first became interested in healing through his study upon the enigma of the secret healings of Jesus. He dedicated his life to obtaining the ability to heal progressing in his studies to discover that Buddha also had the power to heal at a Japanese monastery. After discovering healing symbology within Buddhist scripts he decided to travel to a mountain where he fasted for twenty one days. On the twenty first day healing symbols hit his third eye, today they are known as Reiki symbols which are passed from teacher to student through a process call attunement. (Muller 1995, p.13)

Reiki healing is homage to a beautiful philosophy and set of principles, which drives healers to think larger than just the person they are healing directly. Their everyday way of life is based around kindness, honesty and respect, sending out positive energy wherever they go.

Just for today – Thou shalt not anger

Just for today – Thou shalt not worry.

Be thankful for the many blessings.

Earn thy living with honest labor.

Be kind to thy neighbours. (Muller 1995, p.15)

            Although Reiki is still largely scientifically unknown territory, there have been studies conducted that clinically prove that the energy does have a calming and therapeutic effect, even if the mechanism behind Reiki is yet to be scientifically understood. Baldwin and Wagers and Schartz conducted a study on rats showing Reiki significantly lowers heart rate in stressed and unstressed rats, which some of were exposed to loud noises. A sham group was also included, which had no effect on heart-rate (2008). Reiki is also being embraced by cancer support services all over the world. Velde and Van discuss the anecdotal reports, and beginning research that supports the use of Reiki in providing relief for mental, physical and emotional effects of cancer on patients. 

People to experience Reiki have felt its energizing effects, as well as the balance it brings to their mental and emotional issues. The most commonly reported benefit of Reiki is reduced stress, which has a positive impact on the well-being of cancer patients (2012). An article which discusses the scientific evidence recorded for the effectiveness of Reiki treatments by Baldwin, presents evidence of Reiki increasing activity of vagal nerves in twelve patients recovering from acute coronary syndrome, a disease involving blockages of the arteries. This indicates a relaxation affect which changed heart rate variability. Ultimately, Reiki had a similar effect to the medication taken by patients who have suffered from this type of heart disease (2011). 

            The effects of Reiki can also be seen visually with high frequency photography. This effect was first shown by two Russian scientists who succeeded in photographing the microstructural bioenergetics radiation of the human aura. The photo showed the energetic field of a hand before and after a Reiki treatment, carried out for only a few seconds, the field became bigger and brighter in the second photo (Muller 1995, p151). If stress and pain has been proven to increase anxiety, leading to depression in patients, it can be assumed that Reiki is also effective for treating depression and anxiety, which has been shown to be true. In an experiment including 12 men and 18 women, the patients who received Reiki compared to sham Reiki demonstrated a significant reduction in pain, depression and anxiety experienced in chronically ill patients suffering with different medical conditions. Sessions were conducted twice a week for five weeks and the benefits were still enjoyed three months after completion of Reiki treatments (Baldwin, 2011). Leo also had similar evidence to present in regards to depressed patients, showing evidence that Reiki shifted depressed patients to get out of bed and exercise, which is a major chemistry-shifter (2011).

            Reiki is just beginning to be understood and clinically proven. The centre for Reiki Research upholds excellent standards for the new evidence that emerges in support of the therapeutic effect of Reiki healings. There is no doubt that Reiki is a holistic and gentle way of healing, which encourages the body’s energetic system to repair itself without toxic side effects. Patients who experience Reiki understand the calming affect it can have on body, mind, spirit, even if it is yet to be fully understood by scientists and society. The principles adopted by Reiki practitioners assures that they first heal themselves, which in turn creates a peaceful and positive energetic field around them, and everyone they come in contact with.

References

A Complete Book of Reiki Healing, Brigitte Muller, Horst Gunther. Life Rhythm, 1995, California .

Baldwin, AL 2011, ‘Reiki, the Scientific Evidence, Reiki News, vol. 10, no.3, pp.28-31, viewed 25 May 2013, < http://ehis.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.endeavour.edu.au: 2048/eds/detail?sid=9903c3c1-e147-4e6c-a9fd-e0cea5ac84d7%40sessionmgr14 &vid=1&hid=3&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#db=awh&AN=7 8268970>

Baldwin, AL, Wagers, C, Schwartz, GE 2008, ‘Reiki improves heart rate homeostasis in laboratory rats’, Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, vol. 4, no.17, pp.417-22, viewed 26 May 2013, <http://ehis.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.endeavour.edu.au :2048/eds/detail?sid=34f619a9-af0f-4595-b133-dec97b7be6cb%40sessionmgr 111&vid= 1&hid=104&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#db=rzh&AN=2009938270>.

Leo, V, 2011, ‘Reiki, Depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder’, Reiki News, vol. 10, no.4, pp.54-58, viewed 25 May 2013, < http://ehis.ebscohost. com.ezproxy.endeavour. edu.au:2048/eds/detail?sid=a310c7c2-1331-4d7e-af8ed584fbf01eb8%40sessionmgr 13&vid=1&hid=3&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzL WxpdmU%3d#db=awh&AN=78281337>.

Velde, D, Van, J, 2008, ‘Reiki improves heart rate homeostasis in laboratory rats’, Reiki News, vol. 11, no.1, pp.27-31, viewed 25 May 2013, < http://ehis.ebscohost. com.ezproxy.endeavour. edu.au:2048/eds/detail?sid=a310c7c2-1331-4d7e-af8ed584fbf01eb8%40sessionmgr 13&vid=1&hid=3&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzL WxpdmU%3d#db=awh&AN=78281337>.

 

Reiki Healing for the Throat, Heart, and Chest

Welcome to the the 2nd post on Reiki Healing positions for self-care, self-love and 

self-balance.You hold the power in your hands to heal yourself. Higher healing comes with

 beleif, faith and practise. The more you open yourself to the healing energy in your 

hands the more attuned you will become to energy medicine. Discovering your bodies subtle energy systems is a journey. Understanding how it works, how it feels and how it expresses itself through your emotions, thoughts and beleifs is not only an empowering

experience, but an enlightening one.

My journey with energy medicine started roughly a year ago, my ability to sense energy

has always been strong, which is why I was drawn to this path.

After experience the many different ways in which my senses and perception have become heightened during this experience, as well releasing myself from many of the emotional and mental issues that I was struggling with has been a blessing. Energy 

medicine is becoming a deep-rooted passion that I wish to share with others!  

Energy medicine may not be for everyone, it is a slow and gentle form of healing which 

may not be suitable for medical emergencies in all situations. However energy medicine is

preventative, stress reducing, emotionally clearing, self-empowering and simply put, beautiful. 

When you reach a state of being able to switch off your thoughts completely, you may

even begin to visualise your own energy field and those of others. Dive into the infinte 

web of your bodies subtle energy field and be amazed at the magic and light that we are all created from. 

May you find some sort of enjoyment, clarity, and wisdom from your self-healing 

practices.     

 

This position works mainly with your throat chakra. Please be aware that it is best not

to cross your hands over eachother while healing.

Crossing of hands and fingers can interfere with ease and fluidity of the energy 

movement.

Physical Benefits

Assists with:
Strokes
tonsils
throat
larynx
thyroid
parathyroid

Emotional Benefits

helps bring:

confidence

joy

relieves anger 

larynx

thyroid

parathyroid

Mental Benefits

Brings:

Calmness

Clarity of thought

Helps to relieve:

Anger

hostility

resentment

Spiritual Benefits

The jaw is an area we hold onto significant amounts of emotion. It is where

we may be holding onto feelings of old rage, helplessness and anger. Are you afraid of 

speaking your truth? We tend to swallow our words rather than share them. The energy 

will begin to activiate your throat. As the energy starts to balance the area, it becomes 

much easier for a person to speak their truth and express themselves.

Physical Benefits

Assists with:
heart

lungs

thymus

immune system

circulation  

Emotional Benefits

releases stress

enhances capacity to love and be loved

Mental Benefits

restores balance and harmony

Spiritual Benefits

As you work with yourself and others you will begin to discover that everyone has heart 

issues. We all learn to protect our hearts and keep love out, building walls of protection. The energy will help to release those stores protection and walls with tremors,

palpitations or vibration of the heart.    

 This posture helps to balance the feminine and masculine energy in your body.

 

Reiki Healing Positions for the Face

Self-healing is accessible to everyone. Even though some are born with an innate ability to channel larger amounts than others, and Reiki practitioners are open to become a vessel for Reiki-healing energy, every single one of us is made out of energy and vibration, therefore the energy and vibration in our hands acts as a jumper cable to help release unwanted energy blocks in our bodies.

Close your eyes, imagine white light pouring into your head, down the mid-line of your body, imagine your hands opening up and swirling with the beautiful white light you have drawn upon. Cup your hands and position them over your eyes, lightly touching or hovering above your face are both fine. 

 

Energetically this position affects the pituitary and pineal glands, as well as the eyes, sinuses, nose, teeth and jaws. Emotionally it will help to reduce stress. Mentally it will help your thought process and concentration, increasing clarity, which will lead to improved decision making. You can also use this position to heal headaches on a physical level. This position can restore the balance of one's eyesight with diligent practice of at least one hour a day.

This position will assist you in the awakening of the third eye, opening the innate ability to see the divine within yourself and everyone else.

You cannot over-heal yourself. You may feel heat in your hands which turns on and off, but the energy will slow down and greatly reduce when a certain area has received enough healing. 

 This position, involving slight cupping of your hands over ears/temples affects the brain at a physical level. Reiki energy will being to promote release of any mental tension, which allows you to channel more energy, it will calm the mind and slow the brain's activity.

This position will also aid with headaches, seizures, motion sickness, shock, as well as with the pineal and pituitary glands 

At an emotional level it will free you from worry, hysteria, stress and depression. Use it with intention to set a greater ability for dream recall.

At a mental level it will assist with calmness, helping you to improve memory retention, productivity and creativity. It will integrate the right and left hemispheres of the brain  

This position will aid you in awakening the crown chakra. 

 

 Physically this position can help you relieve hay fever, sinus. It will help with digestion.

This beautiful hand position works on the Medulla Oblongata and the eyes, aiding with vision and headaches. It can help you speak clearly and concisely. It controls the entire nervous system for the whole body, relieving stress and enhancing relaxation. 

It will aid in dream, and past life recall. It will calm your thoughts and help relieve depression.

Happy self-healing..

The Power of Mantra as Vibrational Healing Through Sound

Sound. Vibration. Energy. Manifestation

Where does sound come from? Is silence a form of sound?

Is sound a manifestation of energy spontaneously erupting then dispersing back into the 

universe? 

Your own voice, a gift from the universe, vibrates and creates it's own energy.

Your voice can be used to:

Manipulate your world and others

Bring hurt to others

Speak your truth

Manifest your desires

Release emotions

Speak from your heart

In this post I would like to introduce you to a powerful form of sound healing. This tool 

can be used to  accelerate healing on all levels. The power of Mantra is sacred. Each

Mantra holds the ability to open your energy body, emotions, and soul to a higher 

vibrational level. Each Mantra holds their own number of sounds, types of vibrations and

 ritual amount of repetitions. 

Some work by drawing upon the power and energy of divine intelligence and supreme 

entities to draw their knowledge and understanding down through your crown chakra. T

his type of Mantra is particularly powerful if you have strong belief in the divine and it's 

intention to heal you, this helps open your heart chakra with love to receive healing on a 

universal level.

Other types of mantra will work through activation of your energy body. This may involve 

certain chakra activation, or stimulate the powerful serpent energy known as Kundalini 

sleeping coiled at the base of your spine.

Powerful Mantra's and Personal Favourites

Mantra of Bodhisattva Cundi

This mantra is a personal favourite of mine that I repeat every day. This mantra is special 

to me because it holds the power to cut through any past-life karma that I am dealing 

with (which is a lot). This Mantra does require a higher degree of dedication and focus 

than other mantras however because of the amount of repetitions said to bring about the 

release of karmic debt. However, every day, I feel immeasurable roots of goodness begin 

to grow in my heart.

"If one has recited this mantra 100,000 times, one will see in one's dreams Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, voice-hearers, or Pratyekabuddhas, and see oneself vomit black things. For graver sins, one should recite the mantra 200,000 times. Then one will also see in one's dreams Buddhas and Bodhisattvas as well as oneself vomit black things. If one is unable to get such good dreams because of having committed any of the five rebellious acts, one should further recite the mantra 700,000 times. Then one should have these good dreams and even see oneself vomit white things. These are signs of purification, indicating that this person's sins have been expunged. If there are good laymen and laywomen who keep reciting this mantra 800,000 times, their homes will not be ravaged by catastrophes or diseases. Their work will be smooth and harmonious, and others will believe and accept what they say."

Mantra of Tara "Mother of All Buddhas"

I have had personal experience with Tara. This mantra found me during one of the most

unbearable emotional turbulent times in my life. Tara visited me during meditation

 before I even knew of her, it was through her that I first discovered mantras. Through 

vigilant repetition of her mantra I was able to grow through my experiences with ease, 

surrender and acceptance. This opened me up to a higher degree of understanding the 

process I was going through, it became clear to me how my burden was actually a blessing

 to myself and to the world. Tara is a compassionate deity who will help remove fear

from your vision and replace it with love.

Mantra of Medicine Buddha

Repeat this mantra for healing on all levels. Repeat till your are free of

any and all ailments, this includes physical, personal, spiritual, mental. 

 

 Moola Mantra

 

A powerful mantra to call upon the creator and destructor of all.

Enjoy your new found healing, inspiration, and success through these sacred vibrational 

formulas for freedom.

 

 

Qi Nei Tsang "Demon Hunting"

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of participating in a class that taught the practise of a unique type of massage: Qi Nei Tsang. This massage is an ancient practice used by monks to elevate their emotional awareness, and  expand their energy capacity. The massage works on removing past hurts and emotions hidden in our stomach area that have a role in controlling the way we are likely to react to emotional hurt.

Essentially, the stomach is another brain in your body; it has just as many neurons, if not more, than your brain. Your stomach is where you feel emotions; it is also where you remember them, and re-live them, reacting to life and its obstacles according to the “demon” that has been stored in your stomach. The reaction comes about from some point in your life where you learnt how to handle a situation in a manner that may be unbeneficial to you.

If you were a little child and experienced your father abusing your mother, a traumatic emotion would ensue. As a child, with a less developed view of the world, the way you choose to react and process the event is unbeneficial to your long-term happiness. You might decide to become the abuser (unconsciously). From then onwards, you can’t figure out why every man you have a relationship with ends up running. You just can’t seem to make it work, doesn’t he understand that you have all these tests for him to keep failing at because you need to protect yourself? The pattern becomes unconscious, and it can be run on repeat until you decide to make a change. But even when you do, something in your gut, your instincts, push you to react in the same way. That is your demon, that is what you need to face.

Qi Nei Tsang works wonderfully by coaxing these little lumps up from the stomach into the heart area to be experienced fully as the pain and hurt that they truly are, allowing you to release it from your body. I have had success with several demons of my own. I recommend a daily self-care routine which can be done before going to sleep, or when you wake in the morning. All it takes is five minutes to check the health-state of your stomach and become greater attuned to your system. First feel for lumps directly north, east, south, and west on your belly button, then check in between all of those points, basically doing a circle around your stomach. You are feeling for areas that are tight, hurt, or pulsate at a level in which you feel is to strong. Feeling around for these areas is difficult at first, but you will get better with practice as you begin to know your body and understand foreign lumps or emotions. 

CERTAIN AREAS HOUSE CERTAIN EMOTIONS

You may have pent up anger that you need to massage in your liver area.

Fear affects the kidneys, deeper inside, and the sides of your stomach.

Worry affects your stomach and spleen area, digestion, also your upper left.

Sadness can have a devastating affect on the lungs as well as your lower left sides.

Try massaging your sternum and take a few large breathes while gently vibrating on the area if you feel pain on applied pressure. 
 

When you start to feel your emotions, let them be, and don't stop there, when one is gone, it may now allow for another to be released from under its clasp.Coming from a chakra perspective the sacral and solar plexus chakras are important for a range of healthy emotions from creativity, sexuality, confidence, power, connection and turning your positives into negatives. Perform this alchemy now with Qi Nei Tsang techniques.

   

It is my belief that you can see great benefits in your emotional world through this practice, and of course you can always seek more knowledge out for yourself if you want to take it further.

Eating to Compliment and Replenish Deficient Yin/Yang

A credit to the artist, Jim Thompson

This post is going to challenge some of the newer ideas about food that, I, myself have been a part of, and have promoted, and still continue to do. By no means is this post going to discourage certain food types, instead if will encourage you to think for yourself, listen to your body and the signs it is trying to portray to you, increasing your own awareness, which is only a good thing right?

In brief, I will go over what Yin/Yang is. Yin and Yang are the energies that drive the earth and helped to create it. Yin is sometimes seen as the feminine, the dark and alluring, the cold, or the shady side of the mountain, it is associated with the earth. Where as Yang is the masculine, the energetic, the go-getting, confidence, or the sunny side of the mountain, it is associated with the sun. These energies cannot exist apart from one another and are interchanging, connecting, complimenting and consuming each other at any given moment. Think of day, yang, and night, yin, there would be no night without day, and no day without night, how could we name either of them or even hold a concept of day/night if the other did not exist.

As human beings, we have both aspects of these energies operating within our body at all times, however one tends to dominate. When we are out of balance we may develop illness, or certain unpleasant characteristics of either type of energy.

When we are healthy most of us a fairly balanced, but here are some very general guidelines to try and help you determine whether or not you have a certain imbalance.

TOO MUCH YING

Cold to the touch, easily chilled

Lacking energy

Slow metabolism digestion

Retaining more fluid, sinus issues

Prone to depression

Anxious   

Shy, quiet, submissive

Unable to give to self, always thinking of others  

TOO MUCH YANG

Generally warm, prone to fevers

Energetic leading to anger or hyperactivity

Fast metabolism

Easily irritated

Red face, dry skin

Prone to mania

Over-dominant

Here is where I am going to tell you to think about your diet. Raw vegetable food diets are all the craze lately and I can see why. Yes uncooked foods hold a lot of nutrients, but think about. If you have overactive yin and not enough yang, how is your system going to get digest and adsorb those nutrients if you have less heat/digestive fire to extract them? And if you are over Yang, how is eating hot meat, a yang food going to calm your aggression?

If we are young, fairly balance and healthy by all means consuming a raw food diet is going to be a very wise, and healthy choice. But if you have a tendency to lean towards more yin, like myself, perhaps its better to think about adding more heat and yang energy to your diet. You will find by adding more yang, you will also increase your metabolism and ability to digest food quickly and healthily. This means while consuming raw vegetables most of the time is completely fine, make sure to add some yang elements to your meals as well. Have some warm soup, some spices, add some cooked eggs or even steam the vegetables a little. While vegetables are predominately yin, cooking them even a little increases their yang.

Here is a very basic list to get you started off with

EAT TO INCREASE YIN

White Processed Breads 

Pastas and Pastries

Tomato, Potato, Eggplant, Grapefruit, Banana, Pineapple, Peppers, Spinach

Honey, Maple Syrup

Cashews, 

Soft Cheeses, Cream, Yogurt, Butter

Beans such as Lentils, Black Beans, Chickpeas

Cucumber, Celery, Sprouts, Peas, Green Beans, Summer Squash, Mushrooms

Whole Grain Noodles

Tofu

Beets, Apples, Pears, Peaches, Plums, Strawberries, Canteloupe, Apricots, Watermelon Grapes, Oranges, Tangerines, Lemons, Almonds, Walnuts, Rice Syrup, Barley Malt

Raw, cold foods 

EAT TO INCREASE YANG 

Poultry

Shellfish

Red Meat Fish such as Tuna, Salmon, Swordfish

White meat fish such as Flounder, Bass, Trout 

Whole Grain Flour baked in Bread or Chips

Sea Salt

Miso, Soy Sauce 

Cooked Foods

 

I hope this introductory post on eating for your energy deficiency is helpful, and will lead you to look deeper into your diet, and your intuition.

Preparation for Crystal Healing

Crystal therapy can be divine, beautiful, inspiring and an insightful way to work with crystals. You will call upon your spirit-guides, angels, and divine energy when you work with the crystals specifically for the purpose to heal yourself or others. Keeping your intention focused on love and light will invoke the highest good from a source of divine truth during your session. 

USING YOUR INTUITION

Your inner voice is there for a reason, to guide you in making the best choices for yourself. The more you become in touch with this inner voice, the better you will be able to hear, feel, and interpret it's guidance. As well as using your intuition to pick a stone that is right for you, (one you are drawn to and want to touch/hold in your hand), it is equally important, to let divine guidance move your hand when conducting healing. There are certain patterns, grids and general rules to follow with crystal healing, however, it is my belief, that if you feel the need to stray from the plan there is a reason for it. 

CLEANSING

Be sure that your crystals are cleansed before you begin a healing session. It is also a good idea to cleanse your crystals as soon as you get home after purchasing at the store. Crystals can be cleansed in many different ways. 

• Salt Water - Himalayan Salt is best. Be aware not all crystals like to b submerged in water and it is best to research if yours does
• Moonlight - A beautiful way to cleanse your stones. You can place them out to catch the moonlight then let them recharge for a little via the sunlight in the morning. (Don't let them out in the sunlight too long or their colour may fade)
• Burying them - Return them to mother earth and leave them there for a couple of hours to a few days
• Running under water
• Using Reiki Symbols
• Invoking Arch Angel Michael
• Tibetan Symbols or other high vibrational sound frequencies

SETTING YOUR INTENTIONS

Take a moment to centre yourself and think upon your healing session. Think about what you would like to achieve. Acknowledge that the help you are asking for may not be delivered in the most obvious way, but will always be for your highest good, through the divine knowledge of god. Understanding this process, and letting go will open you up for high vibrational healing energy. You can call upon the protector Archangel Michael, or The Archangel of healing, Raphael to assist you in keeping pure intentions free of ego-related thoughts. Remember that the universe often wants more for us than we do for ourselves, therefore don't block the ingenious flow of the universe within you, and through you, by holding onto fears or certain ideas of how you want the session to turn out.

CALLING ON YOUR ANGELS

OR SPIRIT GUIDES 

There is a limitless source of support just waiting for you to call upon it. Even if you are unaware of such energies in our world, call upon them and ask them to work with you. Here is a list of the Arch-Angels and their talents which you can invoke:

• Arch Angel Ariel - Call upon her to assist you in helping wild animals or healing the environment.
• Arch Angel Azrael - Call upon him to assist you in healing grief.
• Arch Angel Chamuel - Call upon him to assist you in relieving anxiety, finding lost objects, people or situations, bringing world peace.
• Arch Angel Gabriel - Call upon her to assist you in healing during conception, anxiety regarding creative prospects.
• Arch Angel Haniel - Call upon her to assist with female cycles and clairvoyance
• Arch Angel Jeremiel - Call upon him to assist you in healing emotions, forgiving yourself, and planning positive changes
• Arch Angel Jophiel - Call upon her to help heal negativity and chaos, as well as bringing beauty to your thoughts and organization to your home/office.
• Arch Angel Metatron - Call upon him to help heal learning disorders, and childhood issues.
• Arch Angel Michael - Call upon Michael for protection and cleansing. He can protect you during a healing session or while you are sleeping at night.
• Arch Angel Raguel - Call upon him to bring harmony and heal situations
• Arch Angel Raphael - Call upon him to heal physical illness and guide you on your journey of becoming a healer
• Arch Angel Raziel - Call upon him to heal emotional, spiritual and psychic blocks. He can also help you interpret your past-life memories
• Arch Angel Sandalphon - Call upon him to assist with aggressive tendencies.
• Arch Angel Uriel - Call upon him to assist in healing resentment and un-forgiveness.
• Arch Angel Zadkiel  - Call upon him to assist with memory and and mental functioning.

Discover Your Own Journey With Crystals

Crystals have been used as healing tools for thousands of years and have always been a part of the 4.6 billion-year-old mother earth. So the first mistake of society is to label them new age. Being formed by the very earth, and energy, we were all formed from, it is no secret to many people the power they hold, and can pass onto you. Most people delight in crystals, whether they are aware of their healing properties or not. My guidance to pass on, is to trust your own intuition with crystals, when you choose, or are drawn to a certain crystal, it has come to you for some sort of purpose, wishing to work with you through your fears, struggles, sadness and heaviness.

Like the sun, same as the water, as with the grass, the animals and you, crystals are also alive and filled with the energy of consciousness. Crystals amplify the energy of watches, televisions and radio among other things, one of those being you. They work with universal energy and the energy in your own body which comes under many different names, chi, prana, or even love. Crystal's are your friends and only want to help you.

WHAT ARE CRYSTALS?

Crystals are used for:

Modern technology for boosts 

Decor

Healing

Ingredients in beauty products 

Connection to angels and guides

Magnifying vibratory energy

Communication enhancers

Medical Instruments

Crystals are connected with:

Ancient Wisdom and Records

Nature

Spiruts

Elemental realms 

Nature angels

Crystals contain:

Spiritual and evolutionary history of earth
Energy
Information
Power

SACRED GEOMETRY

Sacred geometry reflects beautiful mathematics that explains the perfection of the universe. Basic mathematical symmetries found in music and physical form were originally discovered by Pythagoras, who then went on to discover three key shapes in matter: the tetrahedron, the hexahedron, and the dodecahedron. This shows that matter is built upon perfect forms compromised of equilateral polygons. Plato discovered two additional shapes, the octahedron and the isosahedron. He later linked the designated shapes with the elements earth, fire, water, air, the fifth shape represents spirit. These forms are repeated in everything from snowflakes to DNA strands, humans, planetary movements and your chair. I encourage you to further read how heaven and earth have come together to produce crystals for us through sacred geometry.

BENEFITS AND WISDOM OF CRYSTALS

Although different crystals work on different areas,  here are some general, exciting benefits you can look forward too:

Increased memory

Increased energy

Ease of Breathe

Ease of Movement

Alleviation of Pain

Clarity

Positivity
Awareness of Self-Power and Purpose 

Opening of Spiritual Channels and Awareness

Reconnection to Mother Earth

Increased Sensitivity to Timeless Knowledge

I DON'T FEEL ANYTHING 

Crystals are working I assure you. If you don't notice or feel the benefits at first here are some points to understand. At first, the crystal may have started clearing thought patterns, memories, and beliefs that do not serve you anymore. This may assist you in making a better decision, having a better conversation with someone, or thinking towards situations differently tomorrow. It may be too small to notice at first but eventually you will see a chain reaction of success in the area you need assistance with.Depending on what your desire is, you may begin to feel the energy of the crystal working through your energy body. You may also begin to develop your higher intuitive and psychic senses. 

Awaken Your Innate Charisma Through Yoga and Ayurveda

Ayurveda and Yoga are two holistic healing systems with over a century’s gathered knowledge for balancing the human mind, spirit and body; which will be discussed in this essay. Ayurveda is a whole and complete healing system which examines a person’s dosha constitution, to help identify potential causes of illness and imbalance. Yoga is an older practice, which aims to still the mind and create awareness of the body through postures known as asanas. Ayurvedic medicine incorporates Yoga as one of the methods used for cleansing, balancing and maintaining the body’s natural health. Each system is powerful as a stand-alone technique in manifesting optimum health, and due to their similar philosophies on health and disease they are effective when used together.

         Ayurvedic Medicine has its beginnings marked over 3000 years ago (Vyas & Warren, 2000, p.12). Knowledge was passed down from 52 Indian sages, known as the Rishis, who wished to bring about the end of illness on the earth (Vyas & Warren, 2000, p.4-5). Their knowledge was transmitted verbally from teacher to student for thousands of years, until it was transcribed in Sanskrit as poetry (Lad, 1990, p.21). The first text created, recorded the principles of the Ayurvedic system and is known as the ‘Charaka Samhitta’ (Godagama, 2001, p.19). In 1500BC, nomads traveling from Central Asia brought Yoga, a practise involving knowledge on how to still the mind and control the body with them to the Indian sub-continent. That’s boasting approximately 3500 years of knowledge. (Schops, 2010, p.6-12).

       Considering that both of these ancient therapies have survived history and continue to be practiced today is a testimony to their effectiveness. Time has only embellished the evolution of the practices through innovative technology and philosophies. Ayurvedic medicine is presently considered “complementary” medicine in most Western countries however; it is still widespread in India, with an estimated 80 percent of the population using it exclusively, or analogous to western medicine (National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2009). The Indian government continues to fund research in the area with access to modern techniques and equipment (Dash, 1975, p.18). However, it is Yoga that has truly undergone rapid transformation. Yogi’s have developed different styles and methods of practicing Yoga, promising to rapidly develop specific benefits. Hatha Yoga developed (800-1200AD) helps one achieve enlightenment through training the body (Schops, 2010, p.13). Kundalini Yoga (1930-2004) aims to target the snake energy resting in a person’s base chakra, helping it to rise and eliminate blocks in the body. Bikram Yoga (1946) is done in a heated room briskly detoxing the body.

        Ayurveda is a way of living (Ayu) meaning living and (Veda) meaning science or knowledge. Together the words mean “The Science of life” (Dash, 1975, p.v). It is a holistic healing system that treats the mind, body and spirit as one. Ayurveda’s philosophy on health, is the oldest example of “prevention is better than cure”. Instead of focusing on illness, Ayurveda prevents the body from falling out of balance through treatments such as detoxification (Panchakarma), and purification (Rasayana). This spirited balance allows development of trust in the body’s natural intelligence, aiding interpretation of symptoms to develop an evolved sense natural vitality (Vyas & Warren, 2000, p.6). Ayurveda and Yoga both employ this philosophy, which is why Yoga is stressed as part of the Ayurvedic way of life. Yoga focuses on bringing the mind body and spirit into balance, through asanas, controlled breathing and meditation. Once all stress is relieved and poses can be held with ease all obstacles in the way of achieving peace of mind have been removed (Schops, 2010, p.6).

        Universal consciousness is the very heart of Ayurvedic medicine, its manifestation through the elements should work together in balance within the body to generate optimum health and vitality. Yoga also adopts a similar view, teaching that well-being results in clear perception, and conscious (Schops, 2010, p.6). Ayurveda communicates that, accumulated toxins (ama) are the root of all disease (Lad, 1990, p.40). Allowing the body to naturally heal by producing and excreting waste products: such as urine, feces, and sweat at normal levels prevent this accumulation (Lad, 1990, p.37) Yoga speeds up the process of eliminating toxins from the physical and energetic body, allowing energy to run freely through the energy channels and major energy centres (chakras) (Schops, 2010, p.33). This is why Ayurvedic medicine and Yoga are effective alternatives to pharmacological cures, because they prevent the build-up of toxins that lead to disease in the first place (Dash, 1975, p.viii)

        Yoga is one of the many modalities harnessed in Ayurvedic medicine to bring about balance, unity and purity of the body. Their similar philosophies on balance, and unity make them ideal in working together to establish a sense of well-being. Both Ayurveda and Yoga acknowledge the energy centres in our body. They also testify to the fact that our bodies cannot run as smoothly when there is energy centres that are blocked, or have built up (ama) within them. Through their own methods, they both decrease the body’s toxins; providing an ideal way of living that prevents unrest.

         Health is the body’s natural state, and should not be difficult to maintain, or impossible to achieve without the intervention of drugs that we have only recently created. We are entitled to health; it is our natural state where we encompass abundant energy to bring our ideas and dreams into full actualised reality despite all the negativity and hardships we may encounter along the way. When a balance of energy is maintained in our body, we have the mental clarity to rid old, and unwanted patterns in our life that no longer serve our life purpose; allowing for the new to enter. It is only when we become unbalanced and blocked that we allow disease to take over the bodies systems that are innately equipped to deal with most bacteria and infections.

         Ayurveda and Yoga are one of the many holistic healing systems that allow a person to keep their own mental, spiritual and physical health in check. When the self is known, Ayurveda and Yoga certainly provide the tools to apply to ourselves in a way that increases vitality, well-being, motivation while decreasing your likelihood of falling into a state of low energy and negativity. Using Ayurvedic methods to calculate your own constitution, allows you to placate the over or underactive energies in your body. Yoga will aid in releasing emotional blocks through breath and postures; eventually leading to a quiet mind that is capable of great intelligence and quality of thought. By balancing yourself through incorporating these techniques into your regime, you will bring about your natural charisma eventually awakening your innate potential. 
 

References

Dash, V.B1975, Ayurveda For Mother & Child, Dehli Diary, New Dehli.
Godagama, S 2001, The Handbook of Ayurveda, Kyle Cathe Limited, London.
Lad, V 1990, Ayurveda: The science of Self-Healing, Lotus Press, WI
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine 1998, Ayurvedic Medicine: An Introduction 2009, viewed 24 January 2013
<http://nccam.nih.gov/health/ayurveda/introduction.htm>.
Schops, I 2010, Yoga, Paragon Books, United Kingdom.
Vyas, B & Warren, J 2000, Simply Ayurveda: Discover Your Type to Transform Your Life, Harper Collins, London.

What Is Reiki?

Since undergoing my journey with Reiki and becoming a qualified practitioner, I am faced with the question ‘What is Reiki?’ by most people I come into contact with. Naturally, observers can become quite fascinated when they see me relax and put hyper animals animals or people to sleep before their eyes and want to understand the process.

Reiki has become an important practice to me. So far, it has helped me overcome many physical, spiritual, mental and emotional barriers. It wasn't easy, and there have been days where I have cried and wanted to curl up into a ball when faced with releasing a part of myself that hasn't been serving me, but I have made more steps towards discovering myself, and what I am here to do, as well finally understanding and being capable of visualising how to reach my goals in the past six months than I have in my entire life. Since becoming Reiki attuned and becoming a channel for the energy my life has started to make more sense to me, every word I speak, every decision I make, and even the friends I meet seem to be pushing me towards my divine life purpose. Therefore I naturally find great joy in sharing and explaining to others how Reiki "Energy Medicine" can benefit their lives as well. 

Let's get down to business, what is Reiki? Reiki is a Japanese form of Energy Medicine. If you are confused with the concept of 'energy' think of your local Acupuncturist. Acupuncture works by stimulating certain energy points in the body, increasing the flow of energy by balancing or unblocking these points. This benefits the client by increasing blood flow, oxygen and energy to the muscles, joints and organs which aids in alleviating pain and stiffness, easing up the breath, increasing memory and concentration and finally generating a sense of well being. The principle with Reiki is virtually the same apart from two differentiating factors. Reiki is non-invasive. I don't even have to put my hands on your body if you don't want me to (although why opt out of that?). Secondly, Reiki is energy from the universe which flows through me, a Reiki channel to you. The energy enters your body and helps to release blocks, pain or disturbance in the body in a gentle manner.

WHAT WILL YOU FEEL?

You will become extremely relaxed by the energy, or you may even fall asleep. You may feel static in some areas or heat while I am working. You may see certain colours, textures or feel certain feelings while being worked on. One of my clients saw a door slamming shut in their face. We interpreted this as a part of her mental process that was being eliminated for good.

WHAT DO I FEEL?

I also become quite relaxed and content by the end of the session. I may feel directed to place my hands somewhere that is needed for you. I see many colours and symbols. My hands heat up tremendously and clients can feel the heat penetrating their body when my hands are a couple of inches above them. I also feel static electricity and am magnetically attracted to certain parts of the body that require more attention. My hands also feel bubbles where the energy is overactive and requires balancing. I feel the throbbing of energy on your body and can feel certain energy points being connected. My sensitivity increases with every person I treat.

HOW LONG IS A TREATMENT?

A treatment usually lasts up-to an hour, although your Reiki practitioner may go a little longer if they feel it would benefit you. A Reiki practitioner can also heal you from a distance at your request and through the use of symbols can request that the energy repeats for as long as they desire. After a treatment with myself, I may feel that the energy should repeat on the hour, every hour for the next few days.

HOW MUCH DOES A TREATMENT COST?

A treatment with a Reiki master could cost you anywhere between $50-100 dollars. Prices could be higher depending on the experience of the Reiki Master.

It is my wish that everyone goes to at least one Reiki healing session in their life to experience the benefits. I hope this article has explained some of the questions that may pop into your mind should you come across Reiki and help you to make an informed decision about whether a Reiki energy session would be beneficial to you.

Sunlight Juice

“I am capable confident, intelligent, resilient and in charge. Health and happiness are my birthrights, and I accept with gratitude”

-Kris Carr’s Affirmation for day one

Mood: Happy

Motivation: Good

Productivity level: Medium

The Adventure Cleanse beings, and me route to happiness unfolds. Did you know that when you wake up in the morning your body needs a little time to start the digestive system? Therefore every morning, it’s a good idea to  drink some hot water to get the ball rolling. Your breakfast will digest easier if you allow it time to heat up. Meal preparation is important, as is packing your bag with snacks, drinks, and juice. This way it’s a lot less tempting to stray from your diet when you are hungry. Packing snacks helps me to refrain from resorting to bought food that belongs in the bin instead of my tummy.I awoke bright and early to make sure I had all my meals prepared for work, made my morning juice, took my supplements and headed out for a beautiful day.

BREAKFAST

Started with a cup of hot water, added a dash of lemon, and a pinch of chili pepper (to getmy tummy churning). Second, I drank a cup for jasmine and green tea.I then proceeded onto my morning juice when I felt hungry.

My veggie juice preparation

This consists of:

Spinach

Cucumber

Pear

Celery

Broccoli Stems

I know it looks almost unnatural, my house-mate screwed her face up in disgust. But I think it’s sad we look at a glass full of vitamins, minerals, fiber and natural sustenance as unnatural to eat or digest, testament to the fact this world is insane. It was a little hard to get through the first glass, I’ll admit that I gagged on the first sip, but after that, it went down pretty easy. I was full right up till lunch, and boy, was my belly in a good mood, it was tingling and buzzing most of the day.

SNACK

Can’t beat the classic nuts. I took a handful to work with me. 

LUNCH + DINNER

For lunch and dinner I mixed up my own version of the recipe provided by rawchef.com for Kris Carr’s book called the Woodstock Peace Salad. I made enough for lunch and dinner.The salad was beautiful, a true taste sensation.

SATISFACTION LEVEL

I will admit, I did feel a little hungry, but the pang was a good one (if you know what I 

mean), a sign of my body starting to clean itself out.

EXERCISE

Sure did get around to it today! I enjoyed an hour of yoga. I really focused on my body during the session today and found myself folding deeper than I ever had before. If I could rate my current mastery of yoga out of ten at the moment, I think I would settle for a modest 4/10, I’m getting to the stage where my body is reaping the full benefits of the practice. I walk with more bounce in my step, I feel lighter, my movements are graceful, and most of my movements feel great for my body, as opposed to the old tired muscles I used to battle with every day, dreading to get out of bed.

MEDITATION

I enjoyed a lovely ten minute session after Yoga, and felt the Prana (life force energy) rippling up and down my spine.Content and pleasurable.I spent my evening giving love and receiving love with friends and my beautiful housemate, and overall feel pleased with what I achieved today. I took Chris’s advice and tried to chew my food thoroughly ( this makes it easier for the food to digest, and starts your enzymes flowing, surprisingly, it filled me up faster as well)

CONFESSIONS

I ate an Easter-egg, just one! Just one! I gave the rest to my friends so the temptation would no longer be there, sharing is caring!

Weigh in: 81.1 kg’s 

Kris Carr's 21 Day Adventure Cleanse

We come today to the body, and how you can make it radiant, take control, and have control of your own happiness.

If you are depressed and have tried every kind of medication without any progress, yet are still to try out developing a lifestyle in favour of healthy eating and regular exercise then there is hope for you yet!

For the next 21 days, I am going to detox, detox, detox!   

Previously, my posts have been  aimed at producing an article, a piece of writing on a topic that is dear to me. The next 21 days (or more, who knows, I don’t like to put a limit on a good thing), the posts are going to be a lot more personal, and hopefully relatable.  

Detoxing; it’s something most girls partake in for weight loss, it's an ideal that spiritual guru’s aspire to, and it's also a process scientists report useless and statistically insignificant. But surely there is no harm in eating mainly from the earth, free of toxins we men have created, even if it isn't really doing anything at the end of the day, it's certainly not going to hurt you. 

To be clean these days, impossible for sure, but we can certainly do our best to minimize the stress for our bodies.

I have certainly come a long way from the smoking, dancing fly-trap, partying queen-machine that I used to be. In a few months I have completely stopped smoking, excessive alcohol drinking, while increasing my intake of clean and lean foods (as opposed to being a carb-monster). However, the real journey first began about a month ago when my sister introduced me to ‘Clean & Lean Diet’ by James Duigan. 

The golden message to take away from that book was (no sugar, minimal coffee, minimal to no gluten, more raw vegetables, and clean meat such as fish and white meat, which I avoided anyway as I am Pescatarian). 

The two week kick start was the beginning of a wonderful journey that I know will only continue to evolve over the course of my life. Not only did I feel completely satisfied all the time, my skin cleared up, I dropped weight with a lot less exercise than usual, and pretty much nothing could get me down, my eyes even became greener, brighter, sparkly. 

So much love I now have for vegetables! Oh how I rarely crave the sweet thing. I know that even the thought of no sugar is scary, and if you are a massive chemical junkie which is pretty much (sugar, caffeine, gluten, random chemicals with names you can’t pronounce lurking in everything we eat), yes, perhaps the kick-start would be more painful and filled with longing. However, by the end of it, you would surely see, as well as feel the benefits. I finally got my body to a place of health it had never tasted before. When the kick-start ended and I began to indulge again, my body instantly slapped me for it. The sugar, which was once an addiction and made me happy, now just made my tummy feel yucky, and my mood drop. So, having tasted sweet, sweet health, I arrive at now, with a much harsher (or kinder) diet to tackle. The Crazy Sexy Diet.

I have no doubt that Kris Car’s methods will make me a radiant little flower full of light and sun inside and out, but I am sure that I will need some motivation getting along.

My beautiful sister (see her page here) again, urged me to take a look at Kris Car’s ‘Crazy, Sexy, Diet’, and with all it’s beautiful colours, pretty pictures, and promises of spiritual fulfillment how could a girl like I resist?

Here I am now, declaring my intent to the world, believing in positive change for fellow human-beings.

THE RULES FOR THE NEXT 21 DAYS

NO MEAT

This one is going to be easy for me, I stopped eating all meat except fish 6 months ago, and I aspire to let the love of my seafood go forever. I want to gage my mood and vitality without all meat for 3 weeks and make an informed choice to either ditch it all together, or include it in small amounts.

Why not eat it?

Well here is a couple of reasons you have probably already thought of. But I'll remind you again. 

It’s smelly, it’s dead. Your animal was screaming and crying out in pain, fear and adrenaline flooding its body in that horror-house of an abattoir before it died, and you are eating all of that. Wouldn’t you rather a plant? Plants feed on sunlight; don’t you want to be full of sunlight instead of pain, and horror?

You can get all your vitamins from other sources, which we know.

Still don’t trust it? Take a multivitamin, it wasn’t tortured for your greedy and lustful taste buds.

It’s rotting there in your fridge, and still rotting, it will never stop rotting.

Animals are cute! Animals are completely helpless against our force, instead of choosing to slaughter them mercilessly, doesn't it show greater strength of character to love those that are at our mercy?

 

Her name is Susu, my cat, and my teacher in all things zen, a true Yogi!

“Humanity's true moral test, its fundamental test, consists of its attitude towards those who are at its mercy: animals. And in this respect humankind has suffered a fundamental debacle, a debacle so fundamental that all others stem from it.”

-Milan Kunendra- The unbearable lightness of being-

The planet heats up more from our animal-slaughtering industry etc etc.

Do you feel so empty inside that you need to endorse the horrible cruelty that we as living  human-beings inflict on other living creatures just for the satisfaction of your taste buds? What if  aliens came and decided to eat us like cattle just we are to them, the equivalent of what animals are to us (not smart enough for a right to their life).

Yada yada yada I know, I still eat fish, I’m not perfect either, but I’ll be a lot better tomorrow than I was today.

If you need to eat meat for medical reasons, are a certain blood type, ill, or just plain refuse to listen to this. Eat organic meat. Yes, it’s more expensive, bud some animals had a happier life for your extra $2 dollars. It’s also free of chemicals. Chris explains that some meat or fish is perfectly fine and healthy to include in your diet, although she would advise against it of course. If you can’t find organic, just don’t buy it. Organic is expensive now, but it will only get cheaper if you lend a hand in upping the demand.

NO DAIRY

A lot easier than it used to be that’s for sure. With my endorsement of a meat free diet, I also eliminated all dairy from my diet. That is, apart from cheese of course, although I stopped buying it and eat it at social gatherings. It’s a lot clearer to me how easily I feel bloated, tired, sniffy, and less at ease if I intake too much dairy these days, so it’s not proving to be as difficult to refrain from cheese as I thought.

Instead of milk, try almond milk, oat milk, or rice milk. These substitutes can seem poor in comparison to some though. I’d try and get used to it if possible, milk really should stick to making baby calves grow half their body mass in a matter of weeks instead of us ladies. 

Instead of butter, try Nuttelex. You will not miss butter, Nuttelex is much, much tastier! You can choose from nut butter or olive butter as well! 

NO SUGAR

Bye-bye Easter eggs! 

NO COFFEE

I don’t need it anymore anyway, eating healthily has given me much more energy than coffee ever could. I still have a nice cup now and again, but try to keep away from it. Green tea works!

ORGANIC

It certainly is more expensive, I can’t afford it all the time, being a full-time student. But eating healthy keeps sickness at bay, do you know how much my old sleeping and depression meds used to cost me a month? Don’t need those anymore.

I also bought a water-filter today so I can use clean water for drinking and cooking!

SPIRITUALITY AND COMPASSION

Healthy eating is a life-style, thinking you can-do is also a life-style. Kris provides daily affirmations, advice on meditation (which I am a big fan of), yoga (yep, diehard fan) and compassion for others. When you are more calm and relaxed, you are less likely to want to comfort-eat anyway. A clear, crisp, focused, and happy mind instinctively knows what foods you really crave. 

EXERCISE

I am to move my body at least 30 minutes a day, or upto 3 and a half hours a week. Shouldn’t be too hard for me, I enjoy a good run, and a relaxing yoga session whenever I get the time. (Which I make because being healthy now, will only create more time for my lifespan in the long run and you know it.)

ABOUT MEDICATION

I am no doctor, or expert, although I'm studying to be one so I can lecture further. You should not stop taking  anything that keeps your inner demons at bay, or your cholesterol down, as advised by your doctor. Medication is still a chemical however, and I aim to avoid all of those for the next 3 weeks. 

After dedication to meditation, yoga, and healthy living, my chronic insomnia is slowly getting better. I used to easily guzzle up to 80mg’s of vallium a night to calm my mind and go to sleep (that was before tolerance on my very beginning dose). Without it I was awake days, sometimes a whole week at a time. I rarely use it now. Sleep has been a torture for me ever since I was 5 years old, nothing makes me happier than being able to fall asleep most nights on my own, by a reasonable time, enabling me to wake earlier and make more out of my beautiful day. I will however take my medication if it is really needed, no point it a great diet anyway if my brain isn’t recovering at night.I will keep you updated on all toxin's I succumb to, then you will forgive me for it. 

JUICE

Make lots of it! I will have to tackle a big glass of veggie juice everyday. I will toughen up and get used to it if my body loves the attention it brings. I do not however, have the funds for a juicer, or a blender right now, so I am just using my house-mates hand-held blender. This makes more of a smoothie, but it also retains all the fiber found in the skin of the vegetables. 

RECIPES 

Kris provides recipes enough for the journey, with juices, salads, and meals included. I went for my first shop today, and love the look of my living fridge right now!

My aims are to post as much as possible, keep in touch with you, and report progress in all areas, including my:

Weight lost

Memory

Skin, hair, nails

Eye Clarity and intensity

Mood

Anxiety

Motivation

Focus

Working full time, and studying full time leave me with little free-time, but I will do what I can and certainly keep you updated.

I hope you get on board with me from day one! But if not, I hope that when you track my progress that you also gain a little curiosity, and try it out for yourself. 

 

Run Free

Before trying to tackle anything else in your life, you should really try and tackle your body. Why is this? For the same reasons you have been hearing your whole life, moving your body is good for you! It makes you happy! And it makes your body happy. When your body is happy and strong, your mind starts to follow.

If you’ve had trouble with your fitness all your life, don’t worry, you aren’t alone. But why not be better tomorrow then you are today? Ditch the past failures because they aren’t real anymore, your mind is simply telling you they are with memories. 

 

Don’t let your mind rule you.

Not exercising has nothing to do with your body or soul; it has to do your mind and ego. It’s anxiety, its catastrophising of the future. For example, did you plan to get up this morning and move your body before work? But when you woke up you ultimately gave in to your mind, “it’s better if I sleep more”, “I’ll make up for it tomorrow”, “I cannot be bothered”. We all relate to this. The problem with being trapped in your mind is that it keeps you in a false sense of fear, and keeps you believing in a imagined past or future. If you are always listening to your mind, then you aren’t living in the now. Don’t you think that’s crazy, why live in your head and memories, or anxieties when you can actually be here and present this moment. The moment is the only thing you can control for the better of the worse.

Exercising is a great way to help alleviate your minds anxiety. Sure it isn’t going to happen overnight, but something wonderful and enlightening will start to happen when you give love to your body. You start to feel, instead of think. When you start to pay more attention to your body and how it feels, you start to be free of your head and all the thoughts creating that debilitating fear. You become empowered, for now you are telling your body what it can and can’t do, not your head. 

There is nothing more important in the first few steps for building happiness and self-confidence. Even if it’s hard to begin with, the rewards you will be reaping will not only help you to achieve your own full potential, but it will motivate others around you to achieve theirs as well! What is more rewarding than shining out your light to others? Nothing!

ANXIETY

The only thing keeping you from moving your body is your own head; your ego creates a false sense of fear, time, and pain around the thought of it. This is only so you can try to find some way deep down to justify why you are being lazy. Why do you think you went to this much trouble to do this unconsciously? Because unconsciously, you know, that this is what your body needs and wants, yet you are choosing to give no attention to it at all. 

BABY STEPS

You don’t have to become a marathon runner overnight. The goal here is to create a healthy habit. Research suggests it only takes a month to build a habit. Make sure you start slow if you feel you are going to be defeated by your anxiety, if you are taking it easy for a month it will be easier to maintain so you can form a healthy habit.

Why do you think runners do it?

Because the feeling is exhilarating, empowering, and nothing compares to the feeling of freedom it gives you.

I recently discovered running. My whole life it seemed unattainable. The most I could manage to achieve was one minute at a time! Every time I tried I would just get tired, angry, and annoyed, I’d tell myself I couldn’t do it, and never would, then I gave up.

But you can do it! And why not you? Why should other people be able to run and not you? The thought is insane! Don’t give it any fuel.

The key is to slowly but surely build up your strength and endurance so you are able to run for longer and faster. 

You can do it! If you are overweight – YOU can do this! Even if you are a smoker you can do this!

The website gives you a steady plan to slowly increase your fitness every week. To secure your fitness, and level-up easier the next week, you must complete at least 3 days on each level. Please don’t let the two days you already did be a waste! Aim for four if you can, but remember that running is, at first a little stressful on the body and knees, therefore, there must be adequate rest days, especially if you feel the burn!

Remember to affirm yourself! Always keep your healthy goals close to you, whether in a notebook, your head, or a lovely collage above your bed! I also find the deep and conscious state you get into when you are running is a great time to tell yourself you can do it, that you can do that other goal you have been planning too, and also that you are irresistible beautiful and important!

If you aren’t achieving the goal as fast as you want to, don’t be discouraged and throw in the towel. It is okay to take it at your own pace. If you are steadily improving every week, your mind will start to speak the language of success “I CAN DO IT!” and your confidence will rise in all aspects of your life. You will steadily start to see success in other areas of your life, I promise you this!

Make sure to stay hydrated and run on a light or empty stomach if you can.

Within three weeks I had started to feel the benefits of running, therefore the habit forming was easy and delightful.

Confidence

Clarity

Happiness

Less anxiety

Goal forming

Stronger

Faster

Social awareness

It’s a powerful and exhilarating feeling when you and your body start to work as one, and it easily achieves a feat you never imagined possible. When you begin to treat your body kindly, it will start to treat you more kindly.

I hope by the next time I post you are all treating your body with more kindness.

You are becoming more healthy and energetic every day. You are filling yourself with the energy of the universe and achieving vitality! Congratulations!

"After hundreds of days of running 50+ km, the monks begin a fast: nine days in a fixed meditation position (sitting full or half lotus, back straight) without water, food, or sleep. It is believed that by bringing the body so close to death, the monks will develop a greater appreciation and sensitivity to life, being able to “hear ashes fall form incense sticks, smell and identify foods from miles away and see the sun and moonlight seep into the interior of the temple." 

Radiant Soul

To really be ready to move on, and develop a healthy sense of self-worth it is required you work on inner-clarity, which my previous posts will help you with. 

I genuinely hope all of you worked on getting rid of the addiction you have for your resentment and have chosen to surrender to consciousness and finally WAKE UP. 

Are you confident?

It’s a question we have asked ourselves over and over. Those of us who have learned how to interact well socially, already know that people are naturally drawn to confident people. It’s also easy for us to recognize who is and who isn’t self-confident by the way they carry themselves: posture, facial expression, and stride. So, those of us who wanted to succeed socially have certainly worked on our self-confidence outwardly. 

How did you go about trying to present yourself confidently? Did you practice your smile in the mirror? Did you spend all your money on great clothes? Have you chosen to dress well and create a perfect scenario around yourself such as a great house, perfect job, generous amount of money, a lean and fit body and the perfect partner to go with it?

You must be confident. Actually you must be happy! I am happy for you too!

Why self-worth is so important

Please think about the following, and don’t do it with anger or attachment to your current beliefs, take some deep breaths and relax, feel what emotions your body puts you through when you consider the following; what happens if your perfect partner leaves you for someone else? What if you lose that job? Even worse what if our economy fails or the whole current system we have for everything falls through because it just isn’t working anymore, or,  money becomes nothing all together? You lose your job, you lose your house. You probably lose all those friends you tried so hard to win with those outside achievements (as they were just as superficial as you were), and now you have lost your self-worth.

Even if all this doesn’t make you want to wake up to reality then you can be sure of this, you will age! Your body will deteriorate! And there will come a time where you can either choose to be resentful towards others because of all you have lost from your youth, or wake up to a higher consciousness in life.

Now I am not one to tell you to worry about anything drastic happening in your life. Because why worry about something when it is not even there, it’s a ghost, just a thought your mind has created to keep you tense  and stressed, it’s that basic underlying ego that drives most humans and animals to survive. But, what I asked you to consider was all meant to prove a point: at one stage all material and outside things will cease to exist, but that doesn’t mean your energy and radiance have to at all. 

Ways to build true self-worth 

Think of your inner worth and value like any other muscle in your body, it can be strengthened, and it can be weakened. You can’t pop out to the gym and expect to run 5km’s if you have never even set foot in one before can you? Just like your muscles, your mind and your soul are also either weak or strong. You need to work at your confidence every day and keep it up to make it a strong muscle. Even if that muscle may get sore at times, it will take a while of neglect for it to go back into reverse. Your negative self-image took all your life to build, so it’s going to take some time and dedication to make it healthy and strong again. Like anything else, aim to keep your inner-soul strong, and aim to be on a level conscious of your higher self. Don’t let yourself be trapped by your mind or your body! Because you own your body, and you run your mind! You are the one that sets limitations on yourself, not the universe, not your soul. Do you really think any successful person in life whom contributed to society got ahead and was able to make a difference by constantly thinking “I CAN’T DO THIS”, no, of course not, they made a difference because they chose to take responsibility for their own head, wash away their fears of failure, stand tall and proud and tell themselves and everyone around them no matter how much they were laughed at, “I CAN DO ANYTHING”.

Let’s start with some basic ways to create an ideal positive environment you can start to allow yourself to shine in

·         *Positive self-talk: Most people know this as “affirmations”, I remember the doubt (negativity I have since gotten rid of) I encountered when first told about the power of affirmations from my sister. However having studied psychology, it is known that depression develops not only from a chemical imbalance, but from years of training your brain into negative self-talk. When we go to a psychologist, we learn to retrain our brain with positive self-talk. This really does work, and even if you believe it won’t, how can affirming yourself in a deeply relaxed state that you are beautiful and can, going to hurt you anymore than telling yourself you are unlovable and can’t do anything. I admit that the negative state is safe, and in that state you can blame everything else around you for the reason you can’t do anything. However, you will find so much more inner-satisfaction when you wake up and become responsible than any other self-detrimental addictions can give you (which are only temporary anyway!). Don’t get stuck in a state that considers the past and the future instead of the now. You are helpless to change the past, and kidding yourself if you think you can control situations in the future, but in the now you have complete control to choose to follow whatever path you want.  

But as long as you are working towards what you want daily you can’t ever really fail. Your goals may change as you grow older and come into yourself and discover that you really want something else out of life, but that does not mean that you failed achieving the previous goal. Make sure to let go any of that clutter and focus solely on what you want in this moment.

·         Developing a relationship with your body: Learn to listen to it, nourish it and make it healthier. Exercising makes you feel more confident, and also releases happy-feeling chemicals in your brain, because it’s good for you! Eating unhealthily doesn’t make your body happy either. The healthier you get, and the cleaner you choose to eat, the easier it will be for you to recognize that you are out of balance. Your body will start to cry and let you know when you eat something it doesn’t want, it will ache when it needs a massage or some TLC, and the less your brain will tell you that you want to be lazy, and eat a bunch of crap.

·         Friendships: You are what you eat and you are who you choose to devote time to. If you have friends that start to get resentful towards your new success (even if it’s just within yourself) and try to pull you down to an unconscious state again. Remove yourself! People who try to block your shine aren’t doing it intentionally; their ego wants to attack you for making them look bad (which is in their own head again). With time and ease some people can be shown that they have power over their own lives and emotions, but they have to want that power first. Unfortunately for most people the dawn only comes after the darkest hour. Make sure the friends you choose to hang out with are positive, and encourage your self-development and respect your feelings. Bitter, resentful, blaming, irresponsible, and drama-seeking persons rarely change, although you may love them dearly and understand they are truly crying out for change inside, you can’t force them. Being with such people is only going to drain your energy and time!

·         GOALS: Even when living in the now, knowing your self-worth, and radiating warmth and love to others, the hardest thing you will ever do in your life is try to discover what it is you really want. I mean really want. Ask yourself these questions even if you are currently pursuing a goal. What is really going to bring you happiness day in and day out? If you are in a job that you despise, of course you aren’t going to be happy. But don’t sit there and complain about it because that never helped anyone become successful and fulfilled, figure out how you can change it. If you are currently studying, make sure it’s what YOU want to do, it’s your life and you will have to live in it every day, so don’t aim for a career that looks smart/amazing to other people, your parents, or someone important, do something that feels good to you.

If you aren’t really sure, or the bigger picture is fuzzy and incomplete to you that’s okay too, start with small things and make sure to write them down in present tense, make sure they are healthy and achievable goals. If you are a baby-steps person, do it in baby steps. Do you smoke and want to quit? The fact is if you smoke because you are addicted but hate the fact you do every day, then you are only lowering your self-worth, as well as hurting your body, and telling your mind that you are a victim and are controlled by your addictions, this can affect your view on everything else as well. Do you want to lose some weight and become healthier? Incorporate better foods into your diet? Do you simply just want to give out some happiness and love out to others for now and become a more considerate person (which is a greatly fulfilling activity to engage in).

Go ahead and write all your current goals for yourself down.

I no longer enjoy putting the harsh chemical of nicotine into my body and have stopped smoking

I now enjoy 30 minutes of exercise four times a week

I feel healthier, stronger, and slimmer every day

I am a more considerate person and feel great helping others

Look at your goals list every night, and tell yourself you can do it. Get relaxed, meditate, and visualize all these desires falling into place for you. Know completely that you are in control of your life, and what you choose to do with it. Don’t be surprised if you start to find happiness. When you complete a goal, even a tiny one, you are flooded with positive emotions, you feel great about yourself (not because you now look good), but because you took self-control of your habits and eating, and because you feel healthy! You didn’t do it for anyone but yourself, and that truly feels great.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for choosing to be a shining light in this world. The more light we shine out, the less darkness there will be covering our planet. Evil is only the absence of good. To discover your self-value, and learn to be present is to wake up to a higher conscious way of living, yes it means taking responsibility, but it also means great power in yourself, and your ability to change whatever you want for the better!

A Difficult Step Towards Love, Forgiveness

Before you go ahead and read this article I do hope you take the time to read the previous post I wrote describing how closed off and numb we can be to the world. Although this post will discuss the first step you need to take on your journey, the former gives you an overview of your mind and psyche. If you read the previous post and decide that you are ready to hold responsibility for yourself and your emotions, then you may also be ready to embrace this step in the process. Forgiveness.

Why it’s hard

Because it isn’t always viewed as fair. It isn’t always seen as just. And believe it or not, people like holding grudges, they feel for some reason that it gives them power or control, when this opinion is simply not true. People build up reactions – to protect themselves from dealing with the pain – and merely react to a touchy topic whenever it comes up in conversation. Their reaction is their own form of defense they have learned to avoid the topic all together.

We don’t want to forgive when we don’t have to. 

You might have had an abusive father; you might have been raised by a mother who was a slave to her addictions, why do they deserve your forgiveness? You are absolutely justified in keeping your defenses up when it comes to the people who should have been there to protect you, but ended up hurting you the most. But think of it this way, you aren’t forgiving them for their sake, you are forgiving them for yours! If you have anger towards the two most important people in your life, then how can you really ever trust anyone else? If you are still harboring resentment for them, trust me, you are still harboring resentment for others and yourself!

So many people have resentment piled up within their soul, creating a complex system of defenses that even the tiniest comment or action can trigger. This resentment could have been from childhood, teenage years and early adulthood. If we don’t release it, we simply allow ourselves to become jaded, resentful, angry and stressed. If we harbor it long enough we will certainly see a troubling depression start to form as well. We are then allowing ourselves to become a victim to it.

What is forgiveness?

 

We all know what forgiveness is, but I believe that so many of us, including myself, have looked at, or still do look at forgiveness in a negative way and unhelpful way.Generally we are taught forgiving means forgetting. But this isn’t true at all. Nothing can make you forget how you have been hurt, nor should you deny the responsibility the other party had in hurting you. Instead I would like you to look at it as taking control of your own heart again. To move on in our life we have to take responsibility for it. It’s true that we cannot control how others chose to treat us, but we can control how we choose to look at it, and whether or not we dwell on the positive or negative in our lives. See, this power brings about a beautiful feeling of contentment, clarity, and positive energy. Releasing all the negative allows you to come into touch with your true light, your creativity, and your feelings of self-worth. 

Forgiveness will be the firm foundation blocks when building yourself up to be a person of great worth to the world. You always were a person of great worth, but somewhere along the way, you forgot this. I don’t blame you either. It’s easy to get buried in a sea of resentment, anger, and guilt, stifling your true self, and your true thoughts. However, constantly blaming your past or worrying about your future will certainly make sure you don’t get started off on the right foot now.

 

Let’s also get another thing straight about forgiveness. Forgiveness is not a feeling! I see people struggling all the time because they tend to get mixed up with forgiveness and their feelings.

 “I have forgiven my boyfriend for cheating, but whenever I remember it, I just feel so upset and angry!”

Forgiveness is a doing word. You need to forgive! Release and then move on sister! Otherwise you are saying that you ‘feel forgiveness’ but you can’t feel forgiveness, you can only do it!

Another good point to add is there is NO such thing as getting even. I’m sorry if you are one of those people that harbor so much pain and resentment that you are choosing to put it back out into the world again for someone else to experience, but this is never going to fix your issue. Causing someone else pain because you were hurt, only acts as a temporary distraction. It doesn’t change the fact you were hurt at all, you were still hurt. You will also never be able to hurt someone else the way they hurt you, because you can only feel your own hurt. Choosing to get even only shows to others around you that you are not equipped to handle the issue emotionally, and frankly, it shows that you simply deserve to have it happen to you again, over and over, until you finally get kicked in the head hard enough and wake up to the reality. You have to change.

No-one else can seek the truth for you.

Lastly, it’s good to keep in mind as a vulnerable, emotional woman - that it is perfectly fine to put up boundaries. I’m not talking about defenses here. I am talking about boundaries; you can’t just let a stranger walk into your life, just like you have to be careful about letting someone who truly and deeply hurt you back into your life. After forgiving someone, they are not entitled to your trust. You are responsible for your emotions and feelings and if you are to be open and follow your heart you will know when someone is truly worthy of showing you they can win back your trust. Otherwise ladies, with peace of mind and clarity decide whether or not this person should be allowed to come back in at all (and be willing to stick to what you decide). If you are a caring, loving, and giving soul you cannot allow other people who haven’t found themselves to suck your energy, time and emotions. You must learn who is worthy to allow into your serene castle. To be able to give all you can to others, you must first protect your physical, emotional, and mental well-being, otherwise you are of no use to anyone.

Let go, take control, say goodbye

Benefits you can look forward to

Once all resentment has been ridden of, you will find yourself feeling much lighter, more present, and more receptive to people. A major benefit is that you will see people light up around you and feel free themselves. If you have problems with addictions such as over-eating, under eating, drugs, alcohol, nicotine, and abusive relationships, you will also slowly (with discipline of course) be able to see a decrease in your need to participate these harmful activities. Once you have mastered the art of forgiveness you will become a person who adds real value to people and any situation, a Princess! A feminine dream-boat! 

Please continue to allow yourself to feel once the process is complete. As we talked about in the previous post, hiding your emotions (to appear strong) and to trick yourself into feeling strong is only a lie and will only detriment you in the long run. If someone does something to hurt you, even if it is silly, acknowledge your emotion and decide what action to take. Don’t get angry or mad, remember we are beyond that. Simply breathe if that’s all that you need. Before choosing to feel upset, talk to the other person. So many times actions come across in the wrong way and are miss-understood, if we bring it up with the other party we have saved ourselves a day, a week, or a year of feeling resentful towards them for no reason! Don’t use weapons when you approach them either, such as yelling, passive-aggressiveness, ignoring the issue (acting like they should just get how you are feeling), name calling or guilt tripping either darling sister. 

Don’t lie to yourself anymore about how you feel, instead try to become a woman of love, faith, and self-confidence. Therefore you will be much more stable anyway. True self-confidence and radiance come from the inside. It comes from all that love you are going to feel when you choose to open up, shine, and give your gifts and help other people.

Forgiveness Exercise

Before we can move on to other techniques in bettering ourselves, physically and emotionally, It is very important we take time out to really feel all the anger and hurt people have brought into our life. There are many different exercises and forms of visualization used to release resentment. In a book I own about spiritual development, the writer was made to painstakingly dig up two thousand pebbles from the ground over a period of two days. Each time she dug up a pebble she was to think of a time she felt hurt by someone and cast it away into the river. Although her hands were bloody and raw by the end of the two days, she has a truly happy soul to show for it now. 

I’m not going to make you do that, fortunately for you.

But I am going to ask you to try and find a quiet 30 minutes to an hour in your day to lay, or sit with a notepad and pen. 

First of all draw up two columns, we are going to start with your mother and father. Sit and think of anything they have done to hurt you, write it down, then forgive them for it. Release the control they have over your emotions, and stop allowing yourself to feel negative. The more you write, the more your brain will come up with, as if trying to aid you in releasing anger. Don’t be shocked if times from your childhood that you haven’t thought of in years pop into your head.

If you are finding a particular issue extremely hard to forgive, that’s okay, take it easy on yourself, leave it written on your paper and continue on with what you can. Make it a priority to get to it as soon as you can though, as there is no reason for you to keep it locked up in your heart.

Continue the exercise with as many people you need to. But make sure to do it as thoroughly as you can. 

Then lastly, move onto yourself. 

You didn’t think I was going to allow you to get away with leaving yourself out did you? Your soul deserves to be forgiven for all the past wrongs you have done as well! Tell yourself you are a better person now, someone who chooses to act with love and try and look at your past mistakes and failures as lessons. Forgiving yourself may be the hardest thing you do. But trust me, it will be worth it. 

And remember, to be able to stay clear-minded with no troubling emotions affecting your decisions you need to keep this up. The best way is to be in touch with how people are making you feel so you can find the best way to deal with it.

Thanks for reading and I hope to you will come back for the next post, fresh, revitalized, clear-headed, and ready to immerse yourself in more self-development! 

"Truth is a demure lady, much too ladylike to knock you on your head and drag you to her cave. She is there, but people must want her, and seek her out" - William F. Buckley, Jr

 

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