Raise your hand if you know Shame!

Shame typically comes up when you look inward with a critical eye and evaluate yourself harshly, often for things you have little control over. This negative self-evaluation often has its roots in messages you've received from others, especially during your childhood.

Does this sound familiar?

At this time of my life, 62 and ageing, I am working on my own shadows and templates. This is a process that is painful and scary but if we are not able to explore our shadows, then how will we ever become whole. And authentically walk the rest of our life's journey with grace. As I have said so many times, especially since my beloved died, to live a beautiful life.

One of my big shadows is Shame. A trigger that shows itself when I don't feel confident to speak up and express myself authentically. I feel this in my solar plexus. I begin contracting, I feel small and insignificant. And I feel my confidence decreasing. It may be subtle, but its real. I have always had the tendency of being harsh on myself.

How do I deal with shame?

The first step is to recognise when I feel the shame talking to me. And as I said, I feel a contraction in my solar plexus and there is an energy that flutters in the space between there and my heart. I have been working with the practice of RAIN for a long time, both for myself and with my clients. It helps me work with the shameful feelings as they emerge. Its powerful and I know that when I use this, I feel a shift and a deeper sense of compassion starts emerging.

RAIN: A Practice of Radical Compassion, is shared by Tara Brach. RAIN is the acronym for practicing mindfulness and self-compassion using the following four steps:

1. Recognize what is happening;

2. Allow the experience to be there, just as it is;

3. Investigate with interest and care;

4. Nurture with self-compassion.

You can explore RAIN as a stand-alone meditation or use the steps whenever challenging feelings arise. After the process, I usually reflect in my journal as I receive guidance and inner wisdom. 

Risk (November 2021)

 Taking a Risk is taking a Leap of Faith.  Stepping into the unknown with trust that, no matter what, you are supported.  When I chose this word, my mind said: “Oh no! Not this lesson again.”  There is trepidation and often fear in taking that risk and stepping on the path of authenticity.  I stopped, took a deep breath, and thought about what Risk really means.  

Doreen Virtue, Ph.D shares the wisdom of Aine (pronounced AWN-ya), a powerful Celtic goddess revered in Ireland for helping to grow crops and oversee animals. She is called upon for additional guidance and the courage to take risks.  She asks us to take a leap of faith, saying: “Take a risk, and put your heart’s true desire into action!”

We all know that procrastinating about our dreams, and not showing up, does not take our dreams away, in fact they call us and call us begging us to take that risk and show up.  Indecision, worry, fear and doubt all hold us back from living our dream life and do not serve our greater good. Virtue says: “Do not worry about making the wrong decision. Instead, worry about making no decision at all! Then take time to pray, meditate, investigate, research, go on nature walks… and make your decision.”

**Risk** is asking for Action.  It’s asking for faith and trust in ourselves, knowing that we have the support of life itself to help and guide us through anything.  Once we make a decision, we will be supported, it’s the spiritual law of cause and effect. We have to open the door to see what is on the other side.  And when we set our mind to accomplish something, the intention creates the path for a magical journey.  

🤍Trust that you will be supported.

🤍Trust that your intention is right for you.

🤍Trust your inner wisdom and guidance.

And take that leap of faith and jump ……….. 

Take the risk and allow your dreams to unfold.

Today is the beginning of the 2nd last month of 2021.  What a year it's been.  I am stepping into the unknown and embracing my dream of creating a wisdom legacy that inspires, guides, teaches and serves the world.  I created this dream in my early 30’s and each step on my path, no matter how challenging or painful, has brought me to this moment.  If I don’t take risks and trust life, then I feel like a fraud.  It certainly does not serve my being.  I trust that each step I am taking is in Divine Right Order. 

Take a **Risk **today, set your intention for your dream. And go for it.  

I would love to hear from you and how your magical journey is unfolding, even if it's hard and painful.  One of the most wonderful lessons that I learned from my beloved is “DO IT ANYWAY…..” 

Expressing your anger is part of your healing

This might not feel comfortable, but this is a powerful tool to support yourself.

Expressing your anger is part of your healing. Its part of your recovery from trauma and wounding. Often the perpetrator is you, and this is not easy to see or admit.

But when you give your anger time and space to be expressed and heard, this helps you reclaim your power. When you suppress your anger it claims your power and your sense of self. Not speaking up can have a detrimental impact on your mind and body wellness as well as your sensitive nervous system.

Be empathetic and listen to the feelings of anger within, so that you can empower yourself to express what needs to be expressed in a self honouring way.

Check-in with yourself right now and ask yourself:

• How do I silence my expression?
• What is my anger asking for?

And allow the answers to flow.

When you take the time to listen, you will be surprised by how much you will hear. 

Want to hear my BEST EMBODIMENT PRACTICE for CONNECTION ?

 In the moments when the grief comes closer, I have been able to move the feelings of disconnect into feeling supported, held and loved. This practice emerges from my training as a Biomantic Practitioner.

One of the most most profound teachings from Biomancy is the knowing that my body is an oracle and "that my organs are Divinities living inside me, holding a beautiful temple of coherence." That the harmonic vibration within me resonates bringing in a unity from the Sun/Cosmos into the Earth.

Azra Bertrand, founder of Biomancy University writes: "There is an entire universe within, a world of body magic that is patiently waiting for us to learn its hidden languages. To open the doorway of a conscious communion and two way exchange of information. It is waiting for us to court it, to romance it, to biomance it; and when we do, our body and its holy organs will assist us to make a quantum leap in our health, radiance, vitality, relationships, creative projects, ability to manifest all that we desire."

These teachings have deepened my relationship with my body and with my practice of becoming embodied. These simple steps help us create breathing space to allow the grief to move through the body, turning pain into healing, sorrow into connection. The body becomes a conduit and oracle of pure magic and love.

When you feel disconnected or experience brain fog or the sorrow of grief, you often look for a simple practice that can help you to find connection and space to breathe, try this simple practice:

1. Standing/Lying on the earth or visualise yourself standing on the earth

2. Open your crown to receive pure light to enter

3. Visualise this light moving down through you body into the earth

4. Bring up the luminous light from the core of the earth -

5. Rising up through the soles of your feet -

6. Allowing the unified light into your heart

7. Feel your heart opening into connection with the Divine

Your body supports you as you navigate your life.

Honour and bless this incredible gift. 

Accepting and embracing life's transitions can be a great gift !

 

A life transition is any change or shift that impacts your life in a significant way. These transitions can be centred around exciting changes or distress and loss or milestones in age, status or role.

These transitions can be challenging for several reasons:

1. They bring about Change

2. They Increased Stress - eustress (motivating stress) or distress. Stress that continues for an extended period of time can negatively impact you emotionally, physically, and mentally.

3. And they could be Unexpected - Transitions that happen unexpectedly and have a direct impact on our daily lives can be challenging.

How can you embrace these transitions?

1. Prepare - When possible, try to prepare for your transition. Gather resources and support.

2. Set reasonable expectations - Unmet expectations can create frustration and stress. Feeling stress is normal as you are going through changes - your resources are there to support you.

3. Create a routine and flow - this helps you adjust to a transition. Create a morning and evening routines to facilitate a sense of consistency. Find a rhythm - regular sleep and wake times, a daily walk, meditation, or intention-setting for the day.

4. Check your self-talk - What types of things are you saying to yourself? Are these internal comments helping you cope with this transition or making the transition more challenging?

5. Set small goals - Instead of trying to fully resolve everything related to your transition, set small feasible goals to take on one at a time.

6. Stay connected - support from friends and loved ones is critical during times of transition.

7. Practice self-compassion - Change is difficult and know that you will not always navigate life transitions perfectly. Be kind and gentle with yourself.

Life transitions are openings to explore new opportunities and paths and when you are able to embrace them and give them the time and space they need, you allow the change its process. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel - its how you support yourself through the tunnel. And embrace yourself when you get to the other side.

Let's get back to basics.

What are your ethics of how you interact in your life, in your relationships, in your work and with your Spiritual connection?

There are times where things untangle and become extremely uncomfortable. Times where we may feel abandoned by everything that is familiar and safe.  

What I find really helpful in times of immense stress and feeling uncomfortable, is to go back to basics.  Where I feel supported and safe.  Simple practices that regulate my nervous system and help me feel the emotions that are being triggered.

There are my basics:

• Breathing. Try box breath:
  •  In for four - hold for four - out for four - hold for four.  This calms your nervous system and brings you into calm.
• Grounding - going outside, take off shoes and feel the connection with your feet on the earth. Close your eyes and rooting yourself in Mother Earth.
• Sitting or lying on the earth helps immensely - this is where you can visualize and feel the pulse and rhythm of the earth connected with your own heartbeat.  
• Prayer - Mantra - singing and chanting mantras with intention and feeling connected within.  Repeating the same prayer over and over - try 108 times 
  • (According to Ayurveda, we have 108 marma points (vital points of life forces) in your body. When you chant 108 times, each chant represents a journey from our material self towards our highest spiritual self.)
• Drinking a glass of water that you have blessed and thanked for its healing and calming gifts. 
• Gentle walking and paying attention to all that is around you. Listening to the sound of your feet walking on the earth. Seeing the beauty of nature.

These are basic, embodiment practices that give you space and time to connect with yourself and calm your nervous system.  

Check-in with yourself right now. What are your basics?

When you can respond to life from a calm and self compassionate place, then the untangling and dealing with what you need to deal with flows with more ease. And you are taking care of yourself.

Are you comfortable about talking about death ?

Check-in and feel into your body's response to that question.

Death is a part of life - we are all going to die! And when we can release the fear of dying and come into a place of acceptance of this, we have the opportunity to shift into living intentionally and authentically.

Ram Dass shares: There is a tombstone in Ashby, Massachusetts that reads, “Remember friend, as you pass by, as you are now, so once was I. As I am now, so you must be. Prepare yourself to follow me.”

It can both sobering and inspiring knowing that you have a choice to embrace the fact that you are going to die. And how you would like to live your life before then. Imagine sitting with your loved ones and sharing how you would like to die? Where you would like to be, who you would like to be there, to have time to appreciate and honour the life you have lived?

Normalizing death as part of life creates opportunities to have meaningful conversations about life. It demystifies the often difficult inner conversations. I have always spoken to my loved ones about how I would like to end my life and what I would like to do with my body. I have a sacred river where I feel most connected with God and with all of life. That is my choice of resting place. I recorded my wishes in my will so that I know my wishes will be carried out. Actions like this bring death closer and allow for meaningful and honouring conversations.